Local News

Students, staff and friends of Commonwealth Connections Academy held its annual Student Versus Staff Basketball Game recently at Jim Thorpe Area High School.

During the event, they strived take part in a half-time free throw frenzy to try to break last year's record of 500 free throws in 40 minutes. Their goal was to shoot 1,000 baskets for children orphaned by HIV/AIDS and raise funds for Hoops of Hope through a basket raffle and half court challenge.

Members of Lehighton Brownie Troop 3682 realize just how important they are to people who are hungry.

The girls filled cartons with coins for Heifer International, a project which provides gifts of livestock and agricultural training to millions of families who struggle daily for reliable sources of food and income. Each girl collected donations from family members to raise funds for the cause.

The project began in 1944 and has helped 12 million families through the training in livestock development and livestock gifts that multiply.

Nobody was injured in a fire that damaged a house in the Mahoning Heights section of Mahoning Township Friday morning.

The blaze occurred at about 9:30 a.m. at the home of Carol Surmaitis, 54 Woodlawn Rd.

Surmaitis and her daughter were home at the time. After smelling smoke, they immediately vacated the premises.

When firefighters reached the scene, heavy smoke was pouring from the garage area of the ranch-style structure.

Sherry Ambrose, principal of Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic School, 307 Coal Street, Lehighton, announced March Students of Month. They are Early Childhood, Madeline Snyder; Preschool, Levi Monk and Kate Malay; Kindergarten, Cecilia Sarnowski and Antigone Gonzalez; First Grade, Casey Hanley; Second Grade, Michael Connor Hanley; Third Grade, Austin Miller; Fourth Grade, Kennedy Malsch and Jasmine Mooney; Fifth Grade, Julia Barthold; Sixth Grade, Joseph Bradley; Seventh Grade, Zoe David and Eighth Grace, Lauren Lesko.