August 2010

Herbert Truhe, 56, a supervisor in East Penn Township, was seriously injured Friday night when a fireworks display went awry.

Truhe has a business putting on fireworks shows.

He was in charge of the display at PNC Park in Moosic following the baseball game between the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees and the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs.

Also injured was a co-worker, Joseph Mascaro, 48, of Old Forge.

Moosic Fire Chief Chuck Molinaro said the accident happened at about 10:30 p.m. Friday.

A motorcyclist was seriously injured in a crash in Schuylkill County. State police at Schuylkill Haven said the accident occurred about 4:35 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 30, along SR443, just west of Moyers Station Rd., in Wayne Township.

Troopers said Walter E. Russelavage, 79, of Tower City, was driving a 2003 Toyota Avalon eastbound while Darrell E. Spotts, 51, of Schuylkill Haven, was operating a 1980 Yamaha YM500 westbound. Troopers said Russelavage slowed to make a left turn to enter a roadside fruit stand area when he pulled into the path of Spotts.

Two Schuylkill County drivers are facing driving under the influence (DUI) charges in separate incidents occurring on Friday, Aug. 27.

State police at Frackville said at 10:10 p.m. Henry Lesher, 38, of Orwigsburg, was stopped along Brockton Mountain Road at State Road in Ryan Township for traffic violations. He was found to be under the influence and taken to the barracks for a breath test. The test showed he was over the legal limit of .08 percent, troopers said.

A tractor trailer rig driver is facing charges following an incident that occurred along Interstate 81 in West Mahanoy Township, Schuylkill County, about 7:15 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 26.

State police at Frackville said a 2003 Ford E350 van was parked along the bern with the driver behind the wheel waiting for a tow truck. Keith L. Fields, 48, of Ellicott City, Md., driving a 2005 Freightliner tractor with trailer southbound left the road and the passenger side mirror struck the van's mirror.

Carbon/Schuylkill Community Theatre is holding auditions for two shows to be performed this fall.

Auditions will be 7-8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 31, and Thursday, Sept. 2, at The Studio, 255-257 E. Ridge St., Lansford.

The theatre group will put on two one-act mysteries Oct. 23-24. Needed are one young man (teens-through 20s); one middle-aged man (40s-50s); one woman (30s-50s); three women (40s-50s); one woman (50+). Those auditioning will be asked to read from the script.

A Monroe County man was jailed this week for assaulting his son and threatening him with a machete.

Pocono Mountain Regional police said on Wednesday, Aug. 25, about 6:52 p.m. officers were dispatched to 2009 Cedar Drive, in the Emerald Lakes development, in Long Pond, for a domestic incident involving a male with a machete.

Upon arrival officers were told by Kyre Nero, 19, of that residence, that his father, Kenny Nero, 47, had choked and hit him and threatened him with a machete. Police said they observed injuries on the teen.

August 30, 2002 Ryan Bleam returns the opening kickoff of the season 88 yards for a touchdown and Northwestern goes on to gain a 28-13 Colonial League win over Notre Dame. Bleam finishes the contest with three touchdowns, hitting paydirt on runs of 2 and 18 yards. Ray Keshel carries 11 times for 141 yards and a TD as the Tigers, coached by Bob Mitchell, total 292 yards on the ground.

A dog walk/hike will be held on Saturday, Sept. 11, at Locust Lake State Park, between 12:30 and 3 p.m. The hike is four miles in length and moderate in difficulty. The pine stands and brush are perfect habitat for birds and other wildlife. The hike will go up the top of the mountain. Meet at the visitor parking lot at Locust Lake State Park located before the contact station. Bring your dog for a nice relaxing hike in the woods. All pets must be leashed and get along with people and other pets.

The Penn State Master Gardeners of Schuylkill County has scheduled three composting workshops for county residents. Two of the sessions will be held at the Extension Ag Center, off the Gordon Agle Trail in Pottsville, while the third will be held at the Frackville Library. All of the workshops will be held from 6 to 8 p.m.

The sessions are designed to teach residents how to make compost and use it in the lawn and garden.Information on the recycling of non-compostable material will also be included.

The former St. Ann's High School, on Bertsch Street in Lansford, had humble beginnings in the basement of the St. Ann's Church at the behest of its first pastor, the Rev. Hugh J. Bowen, according to a booklet printed in honor of the church's social hall dedication.

Bowen persuaded the order of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary to start the school, which opened on Aug. 24, 1917.

Mother M. Angelus Ferguson, Sister M. Christina Lee, Sister M. Sacred Heart and Sister Alice Marie McCourt opened the school with 142 students in grades one through six.

A historic landmark that helped put Slatington on the map is set to reach the century mark.

Slatington Hose Company No. 1 has announced that the Firemen's Statue/Drinking Fountain located in the 500 block of Main Street will be rededicated and unveiled with a ceremony on Saturday, Sept. 11 at 1 p.m. as part of the statue's 100th anniversary celebration. In addition, a 9/11-memorial ceremony will be held in conjunction with the statue rededication.