MOUNT CARMEL - Proposals to approve an automated substitute calling system, a performance tracker for students and new electronic software to evaluate teachers were discussed at Monday night's work session of Mount Carmel Area School Board.

Superintendent Bernie Stellar said the district hopes to purchase an automated substitute calling system for substitute teachers and aides. He said the cost of the system for the first year is $6,100, including a $2,500 set up fee. After the first year, the system will cost $3,600 annually.

Stellar talked about a performance tracker that will input data from Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) tests, Keystone exams and localized standardized assessments of students. He said the tracker will pinpoint areas where students experience problems so they can improve their scores. In addition to identifying students' scores, the tracker will list school and class assessments.

Stellar said the performance tracker will cost $5,100 and cover the high school/middle school and elementary school buildings.

The superintendent informed the board about electronic software services to evaluate teachers that the state has mandated school districts to obtain. He said the district plans to purchase the system known as PA-ETEP from Edulink Systems for $3,225 per year.

All three proposals are scheduled to be voted on at Thursday night's school board meeting.

Attending the work session were Directors Michael Rovito, Charlie Mannello, Raymond Kraynak, Michael Brinkash, Thomas Ditchey and Donna James. Dr. Raymond Kraynak, Robert Muldowney and Joseph D'Andrea were absent.

SHAMOKIN - The Rev. David M. Byerly, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Shamokin, surprised his congregation recently by wearing some unusual vestments to launch into the fall season.

His "high priest" vestments were designed and made by the adult Sunday school class. The class, led by Bruce Romanic, studied the book of Exodus and decided to do some research into the garments worn by the high priest during the time of Moses. The project resulted in Byerly wearing the ancient vestment.

The first garment, a seamless blue robe, was trimmed at the hem with pomegranates made of blue, purple and crimson yarn. These symbolize fertility and eternal life. Small gold bells were also placed at the helm. The sound of the bells as the priest entered reminded the people to bow their heads as worship was about to begin.

Over the blue robe is the ephod, a sleeveless outer vest in a tapestry material and edged in gold at the hem. The blue sash was used to hold the back and front of both garments together.

A "breastplate" or chest piece completed the priest vestments. The piece covers his heart and was adorned with 12 precious stones representing the 12 tribes of Israel.

A spokesman for the class said members wanted to show the congregation and friends that the Bible is not boring, but can be interesting and fun when you discover how things were centuries before the life of Christ.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The former Navy reservist who killed 12 people at the Washington Navy Yard had been hearing voices and was being treated for mental illness in the weeks before the shooting rampage, but was not stripped of his security clearance, officials said Tuesday.

Aaron Alexis, a 34-year-old information technology employee with a defense contractor, used a valid pass to get into the highly secured installation Monday morning and started firing inside a building, the FBI said. He was killed in a gun battle with police.

The motive for the mass shooting — the deadliest on a military installation in the U.S. since the attack at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009 — was a mystery, investigators said.

U.S. law enforcement officials told The Associated Press that there was no known connection to terrorism and that investigators have found no manifesto or other writings suggesting a political or religious motive.

Alexis had been suffering a host of serious mental problems, including paranoia and a sleep disorder, and had been hearing voices in his head, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the criminal investigation was still going on.

He had been treated since August by Veterans Affairs, the officials said.

The Navy had not declared him mentally unfit, which would have rescinded a security clearance Alexis had from his earlier time in the Navy Reserves.

The assault is likely to raise more questions about the adequacy of the background checks done on contract employees and others who are issued security clearances — an issue that came up most recently with National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden, an IT employee with a government contractor.

In the hours after the Navy Yard attack, a profile of Alexis began coming into focus.

A Buddhist convert who had also had flare-ups of rage, Alexis, a black man who grew up in New York City and whose last known address was in Fort Worth, Texas, complained about the Navy and being a victim of discrimination. He also had run-ins with the law over shootings in 2004 and 2010 in Texas and Seattle, and was ticketed for disorderly conduct after being thrown out of a metro Atlanta nightclub in 2008.

Alexis' bouts of insubordination, disorderly conduct and being absent from work without authorization prompted the Navy to grant him an early — but honorable — discharge in 2011 after nearly four years as a full-time reservist, authorities said. During his service, he repaired aircraft electrical systems at Fort Worth.

In addition to those killed at the Navy Yard attack, eight people were hurt, including three who were shot and wounded, authorities. Those three were a police officer and two female civilians, authorities said. They were all expected to survive.

The dead ranged in age from 46 to 73, officials said. A number of the victims were civilian employees and contractors, rather than active-duty military personnel.

Those killed included: Michael Arnold, 59, a Navy veteran and avid pilot who was building a light airplane at his home; Sylvia Frasier, 53, who worked in computer security; Kathleen Gaarde, 63, a financial analyst; and Frank Kohler, 50, a former president of the Rotary Club in Lexington Park, Md., who proudly reigned as "King Oyster" at the region's annual seafood festival.

Monday's onslaught at a single building at the Navy Yard unfolded about 8:20 a.m. in the heart of the nation's capital, less than four miles from the White House and two miles from the Capitol. It put all of Washington on edge.

"This is a horrific tragedy," Mayor Vincent Gray said.

Alexis carried three weapons: an AR-15 assault rifle, a shotgun, and a handgun that he took from a police officer at the scene, according to two federal law enforcement officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation.

The AR-15 is the same type of rifle used in last year's shooting at a Newtown, Conn., elementary school that killed 20 children and six adults. The weapon was also used in the shooting at a Colorado movie theater that killed 12 and wounded 70.

For much of the day Monday, authorities said they were looking for a possible second attacker who may have been disguised in an olive-drab military-style uniform. But by late Monday night, they said they were convinced the shooting was the work of a lone gunman, and the lockdown around the area was eased.

"We do now feel comfortable that we have the single and sole person responsible for the loss of life inside the base today," Washington Police Chief Cathy Lanier said.

President Barack Obama lamented yet another mass shooting in the U.S. that he said took the lives of American "patriots." He promised to make sure "whoever carried out this cowardly act is held responsible."

The FBI took charge of the investigation.

The attack came four years after Army psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Hasan killed 13 people at Fort Hood in what he said was an effort to save the lives of Muslims overseas. He was convicted last month and sentenced to death.

At the time of the rampage, Alexis was an employee with The Experts, a company that was a Defense Department subcontractor on a Navy-Marine Corps computer project, authorities said.

Valerie Parlave, head of the FBI's field office in Washington, said Alexis had access to the Navy Yard as a defense contractor and used a valid pass.

The Washington Navy Yard is a sprawling, 41-acre labyrinth of buildings and streets protected by armed guards and metal detectors, and employees have to produce their IDs at doors and gates. More than 18,000 people work there.

The rampage took place at Building 197, the headquarters for Naval Sea Systems Command, which buys, builds and maintains ships and submarines. About 3,000 people work at headquarters, many of them civilians.

Witnesses on Monday described a gunman opening fire from a fourth-floor overlook, aiming down on people on the main floor, which includes a glass-walled cafeteria. Others said a gunman fired at them in a third-floor hallway.

Patricia Ward, a logistics-management specialist, said she was in the cafeteria getting breakfast.

"It was three gunshots straight in a row — pop, pop, pop. Three seconds later, it was pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, so it was like about a total of seven gunshots, and we just started running," Ward said.

Susquehanna Valley gas prices fell almost six cents to $3.60 a gallon this week, according to AAA East Central.

On the national front

Tuesday's national average price for regular unleaded gasoline is $3.51 per gallon. The price is a nickel less expensive than one week ago, three cents less than one month ago and 35 cents less than the same day last year.

Despite the relative year-over-year price relief, today marks the 1,000th consecutive day with the national average price at the pump above $3.00 per gallon, which is the longest such stretch on record. The current streak began on Dec. 23, 2010.

Prices in four Midwestern states have fallen by at least a dime per gallon since last Tuesday: Kentucky (-10 cents), Michigan (-12 cents), Ohio (-13 cents) and Indiana (-14 cents). These lower prices have been due to ample supplies, continued weak demand and the start of the transition to cheaper, winter-blend gasoline.

While retail gas prices have drifted lower in much of the U.S., West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil prices have continued to trade above $100 per barrel on geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and North Africa. At the close of Monday's formal trading on the NYMEX, WTI settled $1.62 lower at $106.59 per barrel.

(AAA East Central - a not-for-profit association with 82 local offices in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, New York and Kentucky servicing 2.7 million members - provides Fuel Gauge each week.)

SHAMOKIN - The chairman of the Shamokin Housing Authority has been charged with harassing residents at two complexes managed by the agency.

City Police Patrolman Raymond Siko II on Tuesday charged Raymond G. "Gerry" Splane, 74, of 79 E. Sunbury St., with a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct and a summary offense of harassment based on incidents in late August at the Raspberry Hill housing complex and the Harold E. Thomas Highrise.

Splane said he's simply working to keep buildings secure and prevent abuse of the public housing system, and that the charges are false.

"I will fight these charges tooth and nail," he said. "The security cameras and other witnesses will prove my innocence."

Vehicle permit dispute

According to the criminal complaint, police were called to the Raspberry Hill site Aug. 22 and spoke with Brittany Rumberger, who said Splane had been harassing while he drives or walks around the complex at all hours of the day and night.

On this particular day, Rumberger told police, she argued with Splane about a vehicle parked at her residence that had a visitor's parking permit. She said she told Splane it wasn't her car, but that she was using it because her's was disabled, and that she had permission from the office staff to park it there.

Splane said he was checking the vehicle that day when Rumberger came running out and put the visitor's pass into it.

Rumberger said Splane writes down the license numbers of the people who visit her and accused him of looking into residents' windows on several occasions.

She said on one occasion, Splane pulled his vehicle behind the one she was driving, blocking her in. He then began telling her the rules and regulations about vehicles on the property, she told police.

While police were on scene Aug. 22, Siko said two other neighbors came forward and corroborated Rumberger's accusations. They, too, said Splane's patrols sometimes occur at 3 or 4 a.m., police said.

One neighbor said the chairman's actions prompted residents to hang curtains on their windows.

Checking for passes

Splane says what he's doing is part of his role as housing chairman, particularly when Executive Director Ronald Miller is not around.

When he's not, "I'm the one in charge," Splane said. "I was just trying to make sure everything is OK, make sure the cars are properly posted with either a resident or visitor pass."

This isn't the first time police investigated claims of trouble with Splane at Raspberry Hill. In June 2011, the chairman was accused of shining vehicle lights into residences and "peeping" into windows, although no criminal charges were filed.

Splane denied the accusations then and did so again Tuesday.

"I have never peeped into a home, and have not been up there at night in several weeks," he said, repeating that security footage will prove him right.

City police were contracted by the authority to provide security in the area in the past, but when funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development was cut, the contract was dropped and security cameras were installed. The cameras are the only form of security at the complex.

Highrise incident

Police said the accusations against Splane at the high-rise, at the corner of Sunbury (Route 61) and Dewart streets, stem from an Aug. 29 incident.

Resident Olive Reed told police a friend of hers who lives at the Maple Leaf Personal Care home across Dewart Street is harassed by Splane if he shows up while he's visiting.

Splane said Tuesday the person has been a "nuisance" for the past year. He said on one occasion where no one would buzz him in, the visitor walked in behind another person when they entered. Splane, who was present at the time, said he confronted the man, who he said shoved him and yelled, "I live here," when in fact he doesn't.

"We discussed in executive session to make him a trespasser, but it never materialized," Splane said of the authority board.

As for Aug. 29, Reed told police Splane tried to stop her friend from entering the building and said he would have him arrested.

The individual, who suffers from the effects of several strokes and a brain injury, became upset and was afraid to visit Reed, she told police.

A caregiver for Reed was contacted. When she arrived to check on Reed, she was asked to go get her friend at Maple Leaf, Siko said.

The two walked into the high-rise and the friend went to Reed's apartment, but the caregiver was questioned by Splane about who she was, who her client was and the person she brought in with her, according to the criminal complaint.

Splane gave his take Tuesday.

"Neither of them signed in and she had no identification," he said. "We have a real security problem there and I'm trying to keep the residents of the building safe."

Whose authority?

Splane expects to fight the charges with the authority's lawyer.

"All this happened while I was on authority business, so the authority will pay for my attorney," he said.

Authority Executive Director Ron Miller said he wanted to discuss the matter with legal counsel before making a statement about the legal representation.

Miller said there is a provision in the authority bylaws that says the chairman is in charge when the executive director is not present, but he said he'd have to investigate further as to the specifics, such as whether that applies on a daily basis or only in a long-term absence.

The charges, which Siko said cover both incidents, were filed with Magisterial District Judge John Gembic III, of Shamokin, and a preliminary hearing is set for Oct. 22.

DANVILLE - Researchers from Geisinger's Henry Hood Center for Health Research and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have for the first time found an association between living in proximity to high-density livestock production and community-acquired infections with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, commonly known as MRSA.

Their analysis concluded that approximately 11 percent of community-acquired MRSA and soft tissue infections in the study population could be attributed to crop fields fertilized with swine manure. The study is the first to examine the association between high-density livestock operations and manure-applied crop fields and MRSA infections in the community.

The results were published online Sept. 16 in JAMA Internal Medicine. Geisinger announced the results in a press release.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, nearly 80 percent of antibiotics in the United States are sold for use in livestock feeds. The manure produced by these livestock and applied to crop fields contains antibiotic-resistant bacteria, resistance genes and about 75 percent of the antibiotics consumed by the animals.

For the study, researchers utilized Geisinger's sophisticated electronic health record system to identify patients with MRSA infections and skin and soft tissue infections. The two groups were compared to patients who never had a MRSA infection. Patients received an exposure score based on their distance from the production, the number of animals at livestock operations, the amount of manure spread on crop fields, and the size of the field. The researchers noted that between 2005 and 2010 there were about 3,000 patients with MRSA and 50,000 with skin and soft tissue infections who were diagnosed and treated in the Geisinger Health System.

Of these cases, 1,539 cases of community-associated MRSA and 1,335 cases of health-care-associated MRSA met the study requirements. The researchers found a significant association between community-associated MRSA and application of swine manure to crop fields. A similar but weaker association was found between swine operations and community-associated MRSA. No association was found between dairy farms and MRSA infections.

"The study shows the utility of electronic health records for demonstrating the unrecognized public health consequences of operations with environmental impacts," said Brian Schwartz, M.D., MS, senior author and environmental epidemiologist who splits his time between Geisinger Health System and Bloomberg School's Department of Environmental Health Sciences.

Funding for the research was provided by the New York University-Geisinger Seed Grant Program, the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, the Johns Hopkins Sommer Scholarship and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Training Grant ES07141.

Dr. Lisa M. Esolen, director of infection control at Geisinger, said anyone identified as having a community or hospital-acquired MRSA infection is placed under special precautions called "Contact Precautions" to minimize the spread to others. In addition, after a patient treated with MRSA is discharged from the hospital and the room is traditionally cleaned, Geisinger uses robotic cleaning technology to disinfect the room, including the use of ultraviolet light.

COAL TOWNSHIP - The police department, through the township board of commissioners, announced that it has received a $39,500 grant from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) to combat underage drinking and dangerous alcohol use in the township.

It was one of 61 grants totaling $2.14 million awarded to municipalities, community groups, schools, universities and law enforcement agencies throughout the state. More than 100 grant requests were received by the PLCB.

Funds will be used by in Coal Township mainly for overtime patrols of known underage party areas in residential areas and in the mountainous areas of the township.

Police and commissioners in a statement said they "thank the PLCB for awarding this valuable grant to aggressively enforce the commonwealth's underage drinking laws within Coal Township in an effort to make our community and children safer."

They also note the assistance of state Sen. John R. Gordner (R-27) and Rep. Kurt Masser (R-107).

SHAMOKIN - When Sunday service was to begin at St. John's United Church of Christ, chimes housed in a wood-framed tower atop the church were played by the organist.

They were played again at the end, too, during the silent prayer - usually the final stanza of the last hymn sung by the congregation.

The sound was gentle, at times poignant, and for many it was synonymous with Sunday morning.

Old age and rough weather had taken its toll on the chime tower. It was still used on and off in recent years, but safety concerns led to its removal Tuesday, silencing it for good.

The wood frame was dry-rotted and leaning slightly. Pieces crumbled apart as it was removed. Its integrity was in serious question and its repair or replacement beyond the means of the congregation. Instead of risking an accident, church leaders made a pained decision to bring it down.

"I was really upset when they first told us about the damage to the chime tower," said Edward V. Twiggar II, a church elder.

He once lived a few doors away from the church, the chimes a familiar sound.

"Every Sunday morning you used to hear the chimes ... and of course through the holiday season," Twiggar said.

The red brick structure that is St. John's United Church of Christ at 117 N. Eighth St. was dedicated in 1893. A growing congregation under the Rev. Charles B. Schneder necessitated the replacement of the church's former home, which was a smaller wooden structure at the same site, according to Cheryl Sherman, church secretary since 1979.

A carillon chime tower was purchased from J.C. Deagan Co. Construction began March 28, 1927. Turnaround was quick as it was dedicated on Palm Sunday in April 1927, Sherman said, citing notes she put together on the chimes tower's history.

It resembled a bird cage, and no doubt served that purpose too. The roof and supports were covered in copper. Inside were 16-tone tubular bell chimes, operated using a special keyboard installed indoors at the organ.

Apart from Sundays and holidays, Sherman said hymns were played daily at noon and 6 p.m. for a time by way of a timer and electronic device.

Neither Sherman nor Twiggar were sure when it was last used, but both said it hadn't been very long since the chimes rung.

"It had such a special sound. There was nothing quite like it," Sherman said.

She was saddened by their removal, too, snapping countless photos Tuesday as a five-man crew from Zartman Construction worked carefully to take it down in portions.

A crane set up on North Grant Street stretched about 165 feet to lift the roof and frame separately from the 120-year-old church. The large crane, rated for 160 tons, was situated on backfill where a home once stood. Much care was taken to ensure the crane was safe where it sat and would not shift, said Kelly Showers, project manager/estimator.

The roof of the tower weighed approximately 3,100 pounds, he said, less than the 4,000 pounds they calculated for.

A crew will be on site today to patch the church roof. Portions of Grant Street and Eighth Street were closed to traffic much of Tuesday and parking was restricted. Grant Street will again be closed temporarily today while the crane is removed. It took two flat bed tractor-trailers to get it there, Showers said.

Sherman said she understood why the tower was removed. Safety was a concern. Still, it will be an odd sight atop the church.

"When you come up Eighth Street, something's going to be missing. When you come up Arch Street, something's going to be missing," she said.

The church's property committee will decide the fate of the brass chimes. "Unfortunately," Twiggar said, "that may mean monetizing it as scrap metal."

COAL TOWNSHIP - Shamokin Area School District and Northwestern Human Services are currently operating on a month-to-month lease agreement at Northwestern Academy.

The district and the private firm entered a one-year lease agreement in August 2012 valued at $1.3 million. Negotiations continue over the terms of a new agreement.

In the meantime, the district school board approved an extension Tuesday of a one-month deal at a cost of $109,202.91 - the average monthly cost under the terms of the extended agreement.

Shamokin Area operates both the regular education and special education programs on site at the Academy. The district is able to charge a cadet's home school district 150 percent of the tuition rate for the regular education program and 100 percent for special education students.

The district collects lease rental fees on the Academy's behalf.

The school board voted 5-2-1 against covering $25,000 of an Academy secretary's salary.

Director Charles Shuey said the cost is more expensive than the entire salary of a full-time district secretary employed at the facility. If the district doesn't comply with the request, he said Northwestern Human Services has said it will not allow the Academy secretary to train the district secretary on a necessary computer software program.

Shuey called it "extortion" and said he hoped other director's "had the guts to stand up to a bully."

Director Bob Getchey said he would vote in favor on the advice of the district superintendent and business manager.

Voting in favor to deny the request were Shuey, Bernard Sosnoskie, Tracey Witmer, Ed Griffiths and Jeff Kashner. Getchey and Treina Mariano voted in favor. Brian Persing abstained.

The school board also voted to advertise to hire someone to work in a liaison position between the district and the Academy.

Shuey and Witmer together voted in opposition to paying the district's bills, citing costs of stipends paid to administrators for medical expenses. All other directors voted to pay the bills.

In 2012, the district and its administrators agreed to reduce medical stipends from $4,000 to $1,500 as part of the school board's efforts to cut costs. That agreement was in place for one year and has since expired.

Shuey and Witmer said the issue should be revisited.

In other business, the school board voted to approve:

- The first reading of a new maintenance job description for a HVAC technician;

- A $700,000 contract with CSIU to provide special education programs this school year. Shuey opposed;

- A shared service agreement of $10,000 with CSIU for shared curriculum services;

- Pay Berkheimer Associates $0.299 plus postage for each Act 1 mass mailing to district residents;

- A letter of agreement with The Meadows Psychiatric Center, Centre Hall, to provide services to any district student admitted to the rehabilitation center's programs at a cost of $30 hourly for educational services only;

- Substitute rates at $100 daily at Northwestern Academy and $90 daily at the district elementary and middle/high schools. It marked a $10 increase for elementary substitutes, the first increase in 12 years;

- An agreement of $8,150 with Industrial Appraisal Co. to appraise all district-owned properties. The cost will be reimbursed by the district's insurance company;

- The resignation of Sierra Miller, special education teacher, and Connie Boyer, swim coach. The district is seeking an immediate replacement to lead the swim team;

- Reappoint Susan Fletcher as a Project Success math tutor/coordinator and Marc Persing as a math tutor at $18.50 hourly at the high school. Director Persing abstained on the vote on his son;

- Hire Marlene Ashton and Richard Dapra as part-time custodians at $8.10 hourly;

- Name 25 faculty members as advisors for varied student activities and clubs at salaries between $150 and $325 per appointment;

- Appoint Evelyn Madrak and Abby Mangiaruga as student lifeguards for the Community Swim Program at $7.25 hourly;

- Add Jennifer Swartz and Rob Sopko as well as Rhonda Tomcavage, pending clearances, to the event security list;

- Appoint the following coaches: Courtney Schiccatano, junior varsity and varsity girls basketball assistant, $1,530; Ed Getchey, eighth-grade girls basketball coach, $1,275; Eric Heim, seventh-grade girls basketball coach, $1,020;

- Also appoint the following volunteer coaches: Joe Leader, football; Keith Bonshock, junior high football, Christi Cryder, Jordan Rickert, Dana Rutkowski, Jenessa Zack, Director Getchey, junior varsity and varsity girls basketball. Shuey opposed, saying he did not believe school board directors should be coaches;

- Name Ryan Shevitski as student technology specialist at $7.25 hourly no more than three hours daily during the school year;

- Yvonne McGrath, of Ashland, and Ginger Lahr, of Coal Township, as bus drivers for contractor Marvin E. Klinger Inc.;

- Add Rosa Brown to the custodian substitute list, pending receipt of clearances;

- Sherry Glosek to participate in a professional development program for special education, Special Education Leaders Program.

Republican women plan conference

WEST MILTON - SUN Area Council of Republican Women together with other area councils will host the North-Central Regional Pennsylvania Federation of Republican Women Fall Conference Saturday, Oct. 19, at Shade Mountain Winery, Middleburg.

The theme is "Harvesting Republican Principles for Our Children's Future."

Keynote speaker, Peg Luksik, chairman of Founded On Truth will speak on"How Common Core Will Affect Our Families." Other speakers include Heather Hibbs, owner of Treasure Treadles, who will share how women were vital to communication efforts during the Civil War. A morning workshop on using social media to energize grassroots efforts will also be presented. Following the event attendees will have the opportunity to take a guided tour of Shade Mountain Winery.

Men and women are invited to attend this informative conference. Registration forms are available at the conference website: http://ncpfrwconf.wordpress.com. For more information, call 541-8697.

Thirty-One bingo to be held

DORNSIFE - A Thirty-One bingo to benefit the American Heart Association will be held Sunday, Oct. 20, at the IOOF Lodge Hall, Route 225. Doors will open at noon and games begin at 2 p.m.

All bingo game prizes will be Thirty-One combo sets and there will be door prizes, raffles, and a 50/50 drawing. A concession stand and bake sale will also be available.

Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door. To preorder or purchase tickets early, or for directions for the event, contact Teresa at 874-7401, or pick them up at Skyline Hair Design.

SUNBURY - Less than three weeks after being convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol, Dr. Raymond J. Kraynak Jr. now faces the loss of his operator's license for one year.

During a two-hour civil hearing Tuesday morning, Northumberland County Judge William H. Wiest dismissed an appeal filed by the doctor and member of Mount Carmel Area School Board involving an automatic 12-month suspension of his driver's license by PennDOT for his refusal to submit to a blood-alcohol test after being arrested in connection with a May 26, 2012, sobriety checkpoint on Route 61 in Coal Township.

The 56-year-old Kraynak, who was represented by Attorney Francis Bach of Mount Carmel, has 30 days to file an appeal to Wiest's ruling. If the verdict is not appealed, the suspension will become effective as of the date the judge's order is filed in the county prothonotary's office, which should occur within a couple days.

Just like at his bench trial Aug. 30 before Judge Charles H. Saylor, Kraynak was the lone defense witness.

Attorney Kelly Solomon, who served as PennDOT counsel, presented Coal Township Patrolman Matthew Henrich and Shamokin Cpl. Jarrod Scandle as witnesses.

Bach argued throughout the hearing that the checkpoint was not properly established. He said Henrich was not certified to conduct field sobriety testing and claimed police did not offer enough professionalism at the scene by failing to notify Kraynak of the ramifications involved with his refusal to submit to chemical testing.

The lawyer also said the failure of the prosecution to present Sunbury Patrolman Stephen Bennick, who was the first officer to encounter Kraynak at the checkpoint, played a crucial role in the case.

Solomon, who objected several times to the relevancy of questions posed to the witnesses by Bach, said enough evidence was presented to show Kraynak was under the influence of alcohol and reasonable grounds were established to dismiss the appeal and impose the suspension.

Wiest agreed with Solomon that Kraynak was properly informed of his constitutional rights by Henrich and willfully refused to submit to a blood test.

Kraynak, who lived in Kulpmont at the time of his arrest but now resides at 28 E. Fifth St., Mount Carmel, told the court he was traveling north in the passing lane of Route 61 toward Shamokin at about 11 p.m. when he stopped his vehicle near Pizza Hut upon noticing a lot of emergency lights in the area. The defendant, who has been a doctor for 29 years, said he thought there was an accident and wanted to offer assistance.

Upon exiting his Ford Mustang convertible, the doctor said he encountered Bennick a few car lengths ahead. After identifying himself to the officer and offering assistance, Kraynak said Bennick asked him if he had been drinking. Kraynak, who admitted to having two beers about two hours earlier, said he agreed with Bennick's request to conduct field sobriety tests.

Kraynak said he had no trouble crawling over a concrete barrier in the middle of the highway to reach the testing area on the south side of the road near the former Sam Bressi Motors.

At the testing area, Kraynak claimed Henrich did not properly instruct him on taking balancing and coordination tests that included a heel to toe exam and one-legged stand. Kraynak said the officer told him he was certified to administer the tests.

The defendant admitted to doing the tests to the best of his ability despite suffering from back problems that causes his legs to become numb at times.

But Kraynak denied ever being asked to submit to a preliminary breath test or chemical testing.

"I told him (Henrich) I couldn't do the tests but offered to do cerebral tests like asking if I knew the square root of 16," Kraynak said. "I was never told what form to sign and no form was ever read to me. I do recall saying that I wouldn't sign anything."

He added, "It was clear that he (Henrich) didn't know what he was doing. He didn't have the proper training. I was not under the influence of alcohol."

When asked by Solomon if he thought the officers lied during their testimony, Kraynak replied, "I wouldn't call them liars, but these gentlemen aren't telling the truth."

Henrich, who was the arresting officer in the case, rehashed much of his testimony given at trial.

He said Kraynak failed field sobriety tests and had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath. The officer said Kraynak's speech was slurred and his face was flushed.

In his opinion, Henrich said Kraynak was not capable of driving safe that night.

He testified that the defendant refused a preliminary breath test and blood-alcohol testing and claimed he would get his own blood drawn.

Henrich, who completed field sobriety training as a deputy sheriff in 2004, admitted not being recertified in conducting the tests until after the sobriety checkpoint in which Kraynak was arrested.

The patrolman, who said Kraynak understood his testing instructions, testified that he properly read the blood-alcohol consent form to the defendant, which he refused to sign.

Scandle said he witnessed Henrich read the form to Kraynak and the defendant's refusal to sign it. Scandle said he signed the form as a witness.

When asked for comment after the hearing, Solomon said, "I believe the verdict was fair based on the evidence. I think the court heard the evidence and made the right decision."

Bach stated, "Every operator in the commonwealth who receives notice of suspension of their license has a right to appeal PennDOT's decision. PennDOT has the burden of proving the legality/validity of the suspension and must prove every element of the statute (1547 of the vehicle code) to impose the suspension. The court was the trier of facts. It determined the credibility of the witnesses and ruled in favor of the commonwealth and against Dr. Kraynak."

Kraynak, who is a first-time offender, previously said he plans to appeal the conviction on the misdemeanor DUI charge, but Bach reserved comment about filing an appeal on his driver's license being suspended.

The defendant, who is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 4 by Saylor on the DUI offense, is facing a minimum of three days and maximum of six months imprisonment. The same sentencing guidelines would have applied if Kraynak's blood-alcohol level (BAC) was .16 or higher. If the BAC was .10 to .159, he could have received a sentence of two days to six months in county prison and a 12-month license suspension. If the BAC was .08 to .99, he could have been sentenced to six months probation and no driver's license suspension.

If his BAC was .16 or higher and he successfully completed the county's Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) program, Kraynak would have faced a 60-day driver's license suspension. Under ARD with a BAC between .10 and .159, his driver's license would have been suspended for 30 days. With a BAC of .08 to .99 under ARD, Kraynak's driver's license would not have been suspended.

By successfully completing ARD, Kraynak would have avoided jail time and his misdemeanor offense would have been expunged.

COAL TOWNSHIP - Evening courses for adults are again being offered at Northumberland County Career and Technology Center (NCCTC).

There are 17 courses or workshops offered beginning the week of Oct. 7: welding art, medical terminology, auto mechanics basics, auto body basics, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, computer introduction, HVAC basics, ServSafe food safety, residential wiring, auto state inspection, industrial electricity, dental assisting introduction, CPR w/AED (two sections) and two culinary workshops - an evening in the kitchen learning to make puff pastry ahead of Thanksgiving and holiday appetizers ahead of Christmas and New Year's.

Also, Harrisburg Area Community College is offering a course at NCCTC for emergency medical technician training. The class begins Oct. 23 and will be held on Wednesdays through May 14. Deadline to apply is Sept. 23. For more information, visit hacc.edu/publicsafetycenter/ems/emt.cfm or call 717-780-2458 or 644-0304.

Based on interest

Course subjects were selected based on research of high priority occupations through Central Pennsylvania Workforce Development Corporation and jobs listed on the PA CareerLink website, according to James F. Monaghan, administrative director.

Input was also received from the center's Occupational Advisory Committee and from people who called to express interest in a particular trade, he said.

The courses are taught by the center's instructors or adjunct instructors. They range between three and 10 weeks and cost between $150 and $210, including materials. Workshops for CPR are $40 and the culinary lessons cost $65 each.

It's the second year the center will offer adult courses in the fall and spring.

"We have the equipment and I don't want it sitting around. I want it used and give people the opportunity to hone their skills and make a job move or move within their company," Monaghan said.

Monaghan said subjects like HVAC and dental assisting could be used to introduce adults to a potential new career. The computer courses can be used to improve upon the basics of standard office computer software, and certificates are offered in the CPR, ServSafe and inspection classes.

And there's the "how to," Monaghan said. Many people have home projects to complete and don't know where to begin with residential wiring. They can learn at the center.

Welding art and auto mechanics could appeal to those seeking a new hobby, and the culinary workshops would be a fun alternative for a night out for foodies.

"This is the Northumberland County Career and Technology Centers' niche," Monaghan said. "The welding and HVAC equipment is here. The electrical technology program has fire alarm commercial and residential trainers for individuals needing training in that expertise."

Visit www.ncavts.org for complete course descriptions, costs and registration information, or call the Northumberland County Career and Technology Center at 644-0304. The center is located at 1700 W. Montgomery St.