April is "Pennsylvania 811 Safe Digging month in Carbon County.

On Thursday, the Carbon County Commissioners adopted a proclamation designating April as Safe Digging Month to recognize the importance of safe digging around underground utility lines, the dangers it poses to workers and the effects damaging these lines would have on services to residents in the commonwealth."It can be a serious problem with people out digging without first calling 811," Commissioners' Chairman Wayne Nothstein said. "Many times emergency responders respond to calls for someone digging maybe for new sidewalks or steps and they hit a gas line going to homes."He used an example that happened during the summer months in East Penn Township when someone who was digging with a backhoe hit and damaged a main gas line. The damage cut gas to a number of residents in the surrounding communities."I just caution you to be careful," he said.The Pennsylvania 811 provides engineers, designers, excavators and homeowners with an "easy one-call notification about construction and excavation projects which may endanger workers and jeopardize utility lines," the proclamation states.If you are planning a project, where digging is involved, it is urged you called 811 or 800-242-1776 before putting any type of shovel in the ground.For more information, visit

www.pa811.org.PersonnelIn other matters, the commissioners approved a few personnel moves.• The resignation of Aaron D. Dotson of Tamaqua as a part-time corrections officer, effective March 3.• The employment separation of Shea E. Kelchner of Slatington as a corrections officer, effective March 15.• The hiring of Kasaundra L. Barclay of Lehighton as a lifeguard and Ronald E. Perry of Jim Thorpe as a seasonal park ranger II, at Mauch Chunk Lake Park, both effective May 27.