Sometimes by losing you become a winner.

This unusual circumstance was experienced by Assistant District Attorney Karen Noon who Wednesday was appointed by District Attorney James P. Goodman to become the District Attorney of Schuylkill County to serve out the balance of his term which expires at the end of 2014.Goodman will be sworn in as a county judge to fill the vacancy left by Judge D. Michael Stine who retired last January. Goodman beat out a field of seven candidates in the Primary Election last May to win the endorsement of the Republican and Democratic Party and was elected in the General Election last November to a 10 year term as a member of the Court of Common Pleas of Schuylkill County.Noon was the first deputy on the district attorney's staff and under the law succeeds the district attorney when vacancy occurs before the term has expired.As to turning a loss into a win. Noon in the Primary Election last May ran against a large field of candidates for the office of District Justice in the Magisterial District covering Frackville/Ashland area and lost. Attorney Christine E. Hale, like Goodman, won both nominations and in the general election was elected Magisterial District Judge for the 21-2=01 District.Had Noon won she would not have been eligible to become the district attorney. She made her first appearance at the courthouse as a law clerk for now retired Judge George W. Heffner. She joined the district attorney's staff in 1988 and has served for 23 years. She is married and has two children, Daniel, age 18 and Molly, age 16. The Noons live in Ashland.Noon also becomes the first woman to serve as the county's district attorney.