SUNBURY - Recently-installed district attorney Ann Targonski said Anthony Matulewicz III will become a part-time assistant district attorney in her office, effective Monday.

The county salary board granted Targonski permission Tuesday to hire a part-time ADA at 70 percent of the starting salary of $46,972 with no benefits.

Matulewicz, an attorney from Mount Carmel who serves as borough president, said he's excited for the opportunity to join Targonski's staff and is looking forward to prosecuting cases in the county.

Matulewicz, who has provided legal services to the county for several years as an independent contractor, has been filling in as a full-time ADA since July 8 at a salary of $46,972. He will receive a $32,880 salary as a part-time ADA under a union contract.

Voting to create the part-time position were Commissioners Richard Shoch, Stephen Bridy and Vinny Clausi, and Controller Chris Grayson. Clausi participated by telephone. Targonski did not attend the meeting.

The district attorney, who was sworn into office July 3 to succeed Tony Rosini after he was appointed county judge, also said attorney Julia Skinner of Mount Carmel will be hired as a full-time district attorney Monday at a salary of $46,972.

Other ADAs are William Cole, Michael Toomey and Michael Seward.

Deputy sheriff

The salary board eliminated a deputy sheriff position, but Sheriff Robert Wolfe will not be losing any personnel.

The salary board previously agreed to grant Wolfe another deputy while he was serving in the dual role of acting sheriff and chief deputy sheriff following the resignation of Sheriff Chad Reiner. Edward Griffiths, who retired earlier this year as Shamokin police chief, was appointed to that position. Wolfe later became sheriff when his nomination for the position by Gov. Tom Corbett was confirmed by the Senate.

After Wolfe was named sheriff, deputy sheriff Randy Coe was reappointed to his former position of chief deputy, leaving only five deputy sheriffs instead of six.

In addition to Griffiths, other deputy sheriffs are Dwayne Pidcoe, Henry Schrader, Brad Harvey and Curtis Cooke.

Bridy said Northumberland County President Judge William H. Wiest sent a request to the commissioners at 12:25 p.m. Tuesday to approve a total of $21,230 in salary increases for Deputy Chief Juvenile Probation Officer William J. Rossnock, Juvenile Court Services Supervisor II Lisa Donlan and Juvenile Court Services Supervisor Todd Nye.

But about 15 minutes later, Bridy said Wiest withdrew the request to add the proposed increases to Tuesday's meeting agenda.

Bridy said the request would not have been added to the agenda because it came too late for the 1 p.m. meeting.

In his request for the proposed increases, Wiest said Rossnock, Donlan and Nye have been given more job duties at the same pay while other juvenile probation line staff with less seniority make more money.

Wiest was seeking to increase Rossnock's salary from $50,113 to $57,977, Donlan's salary from $46,653 to $52,507, and Nye's salary from $44,995 to $52,507.

Clausi vowed not to conduct any more salary board meetings this year to prevent department heads from seeking salary increases for their employees and challenged anyone to take him to court over the issue.

Shoch said department heads have a right to request salary board sessions.

SUNBURY - An insurance company hired Tuesday by Northumberland County commissioners on a split vote is expected to save $50,000 in premiums and significantly reduce deductibles for litigation matters involving employees and elected officials.

Commissioners Stephen Bridy and Vinny Clausi approved Travelers Insurance as the county's carrier for property, auto, general liability, public officials, law enforcement and employment practices insurance, retroactive to July 1.

In addition to the savings in premiums, the deductible for county employees in litigation matters will be reduced from $100,000 to $15,000, while the deductible for elected officials involved in litigation will shrink from $25,000 to $15,000.

Commissioner Richard Shoch opposed the move, citing several concerns. Shoch admitted hiring Travelers will save the county money, but accused Clausi of entering into contract negotiations with the firm without consulting with him or Bridy. Shoch also claimed other insurance carriers, including Purdy Insurance Agency, Sunbury, weren't treated fairly in the bidding process.

Shoch asked county solicitor Frank Garrigan for a legal opinion by next month's meeting on his allegation that Clausi privately brokered the deal before it was voted on.

Clausi, who participated at the meeting by telephone, claimed Purdy, which was the county's insurance carrier for 40 years before he became a commissioner, overcharged the county for insurance services, which prompted commissioners to switch to CNA Insurance in 2009.

He also said Purdy Insurance made a $250 contribution to Shoch's campaign for commissioner.

When contacted after the meeting, Clausi said, "For 40 years, when Purdy had the contract, the insurance never went out for bid. And now, Mr. Shoch wants to go back to the old regime. Mr. Shoch got paid to play."

Bridy said the $330,000 per year contract with Travelers, which he described as the premier municipal and government insurance carrier in the country, will save the county $50,000 in premiums and reduce deductibles.

The former contract with CNA Insurance cost the county approximately $380,000 per year.

In addition to the savings in premiums and deductible reductions, he said Travelers offers approximately $1 million more in aggregate coverage.

"In my opinion, it was the best deal for the taxpayers. We won't deal with local corruption," Clausi said.

Chuck Robertson, a broker with TFG Risk Management Services Inc., Ambler, who helped secure the insurance deal, told commissioners Travelers offered them more extensive coverage at a better price than CNA.

In other business

The board agreed to commit $2 million in the general fund to debt service.

The commissioners authorized road construction on Swartz Hill Road and First Street in Zerbe Township, reconstruction of Fox Road in Snydertown and removal of blighted properties in the county with 2014 Community Development Block Grant funding.

The board approved an allocation not to exceed $100,000 from the Act 137 Affordable Housing Fund to the Northumberland County Housing Authority to pursue the construction of elderly housing units on Girard Street in Atlas if at least $400,000 in state grant funding is awarded for the project.

A $30,000 allocation was approved for the housing authority for property demolition and acquisitions in several municipalities.

The commissioners entered into an agreement with Mount Carmel Township to remove blighted structures on Girard Street in Atlas for $67,000.

The board congratulated Attorney Michael Robinson for being elected president of the Pennsylvania Children and Youth Solicitor's Association for two years. Robinson has served as solicitor for Northumberland County Children and Youth Services since 1984.

During a brief retirement board meeting, Goldman Sachs was added as an asset manager for the retirement fund.

Board members also agreed with a recommendation by Garrigan to join in a class action securities fraud lawsuit against GMX Resources. The suit, which was filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, alleges violations of security laws on behalf of common stock shareholders of GMX Resources.

HARRISBURG - Legislation before the state Senate that would update the Act 47 distressed cities recovery program, which Shamokin entered in June, allows tripling of the local services tax from $52 to $156 annually.

The bill would exempt someone earning less than $15,600 annually from paying any increase local services tax, said Sen. John Blake, D-22, Archbald, a member of a special task force that studied Act 47 changes on Monday. This exemption is so the tax wouldn't be regressive, he said.

"You don't want it to be punitive on lower income working individuals," said Blake.

Individuals earning less than $12,000 annually are exempt from paying the current $52 tax, which is paid by those working in a given municipality.

The tax generated $52,420 for Shamokin in 2013, and $27,428 in 2014 through Tuesday.

Making the higher local services tax option available to municipalities in the state's Act 47 program depends on whether the Legislature and governor will enact the bill into law during the relatively few session days scheduled for the rest of the year. If the bill doesn't make it through this year, it will have to be reintroduced in the next legislative session starting in January.

Bone of contention

The bill would help municipalities leave Act 47 status after eight years instead of staying there indefinitely. But the tax options given to help Act 47 municipalities exit successfully have been a bone of contention since the legislation was introduced in September.

Bill supporters decided to put off a Senate floor vote during the state budget finale so a Pittsburgh tax issue can be worked out during the summer, said sponsor Sen. John Eichelberger, R-30, Hollidaysburg. He said the bill can be voted by the Senate this fall or even before that should an opportunity arise.

Getting agreement on this bill is a balancing act that involves issues affecting different cites and the impact of tax options on residents and nonresidents, said Eichelberger.

The House and Senate have scheduled 11 session days between mid-September and mid-October when the effective bill-passing period ends. The House returns Aug. 4 to 6 to take up a Philadelphia school-related bill, and that could prompt a brief Senate return shortly after. The Pittsburgh negotiations could result in another amendment, which can be added to the bill relatively quickly, Blake said.

The measure would still need approval from the House and Gov. Tom Corbett to become law.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, R-11, on Tuesday obtained the commitment of the General Services Administration (GSA) to work with Barletta's Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee to enter into long-term leases for office space to potentially save billions of dollars in taxpayer money.

Near the end of a roundtable to discuss the federal office space leasing program, Public Buildings Service Commissioner Norman Dong pledged to work with Barletta's Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management on saving money through long-term renewed leases for federal offices, according to a press release from Barletta's office. The subcommittee has already saved taxpayers more than $1 billion through better utilization of federal leased office space, he said.

"If we can commit to replace these leases with long-term deals that shrink the federal footprint in a down market, then we can save a lot more than a billion dollars," Barletta was quoted in the release. "This is my top priority for GSA: replacing the leases on time and with good long-term deals. Commissioner Dong, I hope you share this goal. Can I count on you to partner with us?"

"Absolutely," Commissioner Dong replied.

Leased space makes up more than half of GSA's real estate portfolio, with approximately half of those leases set to expire over the next five years. With the real estate market in a downward cycle, lease rates are currently lower than in years past. Locking in current lease rates would benefit taxpayers, while also providing real estate brokers with long-term contracts and certainty they may otherwise lack.

"We believe this is a win-win for all of us, including the real estate community," Barletta said.

National Night Out planned

SHAMOKIN - The Shamokin Police Department will host a National Night Out Event from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 5, at Claude Kehler Park, Third and Arch streets.

All are welcome to attend. Anyone interested in making a donation can do so by calling 570-648-5708, stopping at the station or sending a donation to the station. Donors are asked to mark all envelopes with "Attention: N.N.O. Committee."

VBS set at St. John's UCC

SHAMOKIN - Workshop of Wonders: Imagine and Build with God, a VBS Adventure, will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, July 24, at St. John's United Church of Christ, 117 N. Eighth St. Children ages 4 to 12 are welcome. For more information, call 570-648-6101.

School bus stop changes needed

COAL TOWNSHIP - Shamokin Area School District reminds parents who have changed addresses, sitters or day-care providers to contact the district's transportation office because the child may require a different bus stop than last year.

Change requests should be made as soon as possible. If they are requested late in August, they may not take effect until after the school year starts.

Forms can be filled out at the district office or on the Shamokin Area School District website under business office, documents and forms, parent forms and change of address form.

Otherwise, call 570-648-5752 or send requests to Transportation, Shamokin Area School District, 2000 W. State St., Coal Township, Pa., 17866.

MOUNT CARMEL - The Kulpmont Knights of Columbus has pledged that money raised through sponsorships of October's wine festival will be given to two charitable organizations, both of which help people affected by cancer.

The third annual festival will have the theme "Uncork the Cure." It will held Saturday, Oct. 11, at Holy Angels picnic grounds in Kulpmont. October is breast cancer awareness month, which was the main factor that led the festival committee to decide on the theme.

Pa. Breast Cancer Coalition (PBCC) and Marie Lamey Memorial Fund will be the benefactors of sponsorship levels purchased by individuals and businesses prior to the festival.

"We were looking to do something for the community," Art Catino, a member of the festival committee said. "The Knights will also make a separate donation, but what were doing is contacting businesses in a tri-county area."

Sponsorship levels are $50 to $100; $250; $500, and $1,000. The first level would allow name recognition on staff T-shirts and on the festival's website. The second level would allow four tickets to the festival and company logo on T-shirts and website. The third level would allow eight tickets to festival, logo recognition on T-shirts and website, and small logo displayed on banners. The fourth level would allow 16 tickets to festival, logo recognition on T-shirts, website and event posters (if received by June 30) and large logo displayed on banners. Deadline is Aug. 31.

Author in attendance

Amanda M. Harding, author of "The Woman of the House: A Memoir," will be in attendance to sign books.

Harding, 25, and originally from the Harrisburg-area, lost her mother to breast cancer 15 years ago. The book details her emotional journey as she raised her 7-year-old brother and helped her 43-year-old father after her mother died.

At least 100 books have been purchased at face value by a sponsor and will be sold for a donation of $10. Proceeds from any sales will go to the organizations, Catino said.

Doctors on-hand

John Motyka, a committee member, said about 15 wine companies, food and non-food vendors have signed up for the festival, including the PBCC, which will have doctors and staff on-hand to supply cancer information to attendees.

PBCC is a state-wide origination that helps women affected by breast cancer and supports families who have lost a loved-one to the disease. According to the origination's website, they accomplish this through educational programs, legislative advocacy and breast cancer research grants.

The endowment fund is named after the late Marie Lamey, who dedicated her career to women's health, mainly as she worked the last 20 of her 30 years at Geisinger Medical Center in the Breast Clinic, the first nurse at Geisinger solely dedicated to breast care, according to the fund's site.

The fund provides medical and non-medical financial assistance for patients and supports nursing education.

"Cancer has touched everybody," said Motyka. "We have a lot of women who attend the event. And because it was breast cancer awareness month, it all seem to fit."

Last month, I attended the 36th annual National Homebrewers Conference in Grand Rapids, Mich. While Grand Rapids may not have the cachet of vacation destinations like Disney and the Outer Banks, it was named "Beer City USA" for the last two years' running in a national poll. It was also named one of the 10 best vacation cities for beer lovers.

The week-long conference was attended by more than 3,000 of my new best friends, and included numerous educational seminars, a competition to crown the Homebrewer of the Year and the biggest party in homebrewing, Club Night. Club Night is a Mardi Gras-like beer festival that showcased more than 75 homebrew clubs (with many of their members wearing outlandish costumes) pouring hundreds of homebrews.

I also toured some of the outstanding breweries in the Grand Rapids area. Sadly, beers from breweries like Dark Horse, Arcadia Ales and Jolly Pumpkin aren't available or have limited distribution in our area. However, one of the breweries I visited, Bell's Brewing of Kalamazoo, is widely available in Pennsylvania. Its success story is different from many other breweries in the industry.

Larry Bell first worked in a bakery where he became fascinated with yeast and fermentation. In 1983, he opened the Kalamazoo Brewing Company, a homebrew supply store. Bell began to sell beer two years later. His first batches were brewed in a 15-gallon soup kettle and fermented in open containers covered with plastic wrap.

Unlike many craft breweries that enjoyed instant success, Kalamazoo Brewing struggled during its early years. The craft beer revolution had yet to arrive in Michigan. Bell and his nine employees bottled and distributed the beer themselves during the brewery's first four years of existence.

In the early 1990s, when the nation's taste began to turn from mass-marketed light lagers to locally brewed, flavorful craft ales, Bell's was poised to make a move. They found a distributor to further establish their footprint in Michigan and simultaneously expanded into new markets. Increased sales led to the construction of a second brewery in nearby Comstock in 2003. The brewery changed its name to Bell's Brewing in 2005 to reflect the name locals always called it.

Bell's brewpub, which opened in 1993, was the first brewery in Michigan allowed to sell beer by the glass. I visited the brewpub - the Eccentric Café - twice during my stay. In addition to outstanding pub fare, it featured Bell's stand-by beers and many one-of-a-kind brews that aren't available outside the pub, such as pale ales brewed with experimental hop varieties and stouts and porters aged in bourbon and rum barrels. The café also features live music several nights a week. If there's ever a reason to go to Kalamazoo, this is it. Enjoy the selections. Cheers!

Oberon: This seasonal release is Bell's interpretation of a summer ale. Oberon pours hazy orange with mild aromas of citrus and malt. The flavors are of orange and bread. A large dose of wheat in the grain bill provides some mouthfeel to prevent it from becoming too watery. The beer finishes nicely - crisp, with an unexpected hint of hops. Oberon is also an excellent introductory beer for light lager drinkers who wish to experience their first craft ale.

Two Hearted Ale: Who says being a bridesmaid is a bad thing? "Two Hearted," named after the Two Hearted River in the upper peninsula of Michigan, has been ranked the No. 2 beer in the country by a major brewing magazine for the past five years running. This IPA is a celebration of Centennial hops. The color is golden with a foamy tan head. Like an unassuming Midwesterner, it's nicely balanced, not aggressively overhopped, like some West Coast IPA's. The flavors and aromas of grapefruit and pine from the hops co-dominate with just a hint of malt and caramel. The lingering bitterness cleanses the palate, making one yearn for yet another.

Porter: Not the most original name, but this is one of my wife's favorites. Porter pours dark brown with a medium tan head. Aromas are of coffee and semi-sweet chocolate. It has a solid mouthfeel with bitter flavors of coffee and roast balanced by caramel, chocolate and malt sweetness. Its rich, silky and long-lasting finish makes this one of the easiest drinking porters on the market.

Kalamazoo Stout: A dose of black malt gives this stout an opaque color and mocha head. Lots of aromas are present - chocolate, roast, caramel and raisin, to name a few. The body is lighter than the color suggests, enhancing drinkability, even during warmer weather. The flavors of caramel, molasses, coffee, chocolate, roast and licorice exist in harmony. This kind of complexity is usually found in much more alcoholic Russian Imperial Stouts. For those who want more coffee kick, Bell's also makes a Java Stout version that's infused with coffee.

Expedition Stout: This selection is a ringer, a seasonal Russian Imperial Stout that won't be available until October. When you see it, grab a six-pack, and let it age at cellar temperature. It pours jet black with almost no head. The aromas are of chocolate, coffee and vanilla, with a touch of alcohol. The mouthfeel is heavy, yet velvety. Complex flavors of sweet malt, roast, espresso and plum that will mature like wine over the years are balanced by a huge hop presence that will also mellow with time. Expedition packs a wallop at 10.5 percent alcohol. As with other strong beers, savor this one from a brandy snifter at around 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

(The Brew Dude is published every other week on the Food and Drink Page. For comments, suggestions or questions, email Mark Pasquinelli at thebrewdude@newsitem.com.)

DANVILLE - A German company that provides services enabling individualized cancer therapy and Geisinger Health System (GHS) on Tuesday announced a partnership that will afford Geisinger patients access to advanced cancer treatment and clinical trials.

Indivumed and GHS announced partnership plans in May 2013 and reached a formal agreement earlier this week, according to a press release.

The collaboration allows Indivumed to partner with Geisinger to collect samples from consenting patients who are already undergoing a surgical tumor resection (removal of abnormal tissue). Upon resection, a portion of the tissue, blood or urine remaining beyond what is required to make a clinical diagnosis will be banked at Geisinger through MyCode, a repository that holds more than 45,000 patient samples. Another portion will be banked by Indivumed, which will analyze the tissue to be used in the development and, eventually, application of targeted therapies for cancer patients.

"We are pleased to be working on this next generation of cancer treatment with Indivumed, a company recognized as a global leader in the field of biobanking and translational research," Dr. Glenn D. Steele Jr., president and chief executive officer of GHS, was quoted in the release. "This partnership will give Geisinger patients access to the most advanced cancer therapeutics in the country, close to where they live and work."

"Developing targeted pharmaceutical therapies for cancer patients is at the core of our collaboration with Geisinger,"

"Geisinger's advanced electronic health record and clinical data repository coupled with our ability to comprehensively analyze patients' individual cancers provides a unique opportunity to quickly translate new scientific discoveries into the practice of medicine," said Hartmut Juhl, founder and chief executive officer of Indivumed.

Indivumed will integrate its unique biobanking standard at GHS to jointly create a platform that offers "extraordinary opportunities for clinical research focused on tumor biology."

Indivumed, based in Hamburg, maintains a biobank of tissues and annotated data from more than 20,000 patients, with about 1,500 new cases added per year, and each collected under stringent specifications. The overall goal is understanding the biological difference between tumors and how patients respond to treatment to support the implementation of personalized therapy.

Research demonstrates that proteins change expression profiles significantly within minutes following surgical resection. Many of those proteins may serve as biomarkers for new drugs. For this reason, controlled and rapid tissue processing is necessary for understanding biological differences of or within patient tumors, especially when developing targeted therapies.

"The goal of this partnership is to translate clinical research into specific knowledge about a cancer that is clinically relevant and will enhance patient care," Steele said.

MOUNT CARMEL - Additional drug-related offenses were filed Wednesday against two people charged last week by Mount Carmel Township police with robbery and burglary.

Angela Marie Stutzcavage, 20, of 122 Center St., Aristes, and Eric Lawrence Leonowicz, 22, of 436 E. Melrose St., Marion Heights, were arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Hugh Jones on two felony counts of possessing with intent to deliver a controlled substance, two misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance and one misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

The charges filed by Patrolman Daniel Politza relate to a July 8 search of an impounded black 2001 Nissan Sentra the defendants were found in after committing a robbery in Marion Heights the day before.

Among the items found in the vehicle were a blue and green glass smoking device, a package of syringes, a bottle of Hydromet syrup prescribed to robbery victim Dennis Stoshack, a pill bottle prescribed to Stutzcavage containing three hydrochloride pills, a hypodermic needle, a clear glass smoking device, a glassine bag containing suspected marijuana, alprazolam pills, a diazempan pill, three amphetamine and dextroamphetamine pills, five acetaminophen and hydrochloride pills, 15 acetaminophen and hydrochloride bitartrate pills, 17 methadone hydrochloride pills and 14 glassine bags stamped "Shine" containing suspected heroin.

Politza charged both defendants last week with felonies of robbery, burglary, flight to avoid apprehension, criminal trespass and manufacturing, dealing or possessing with intent to deliver a controlled substance, and misdemeanors of theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property.

Stutzcavage also was charged with a misdemeanor of driving under the influence of a controlled substance.

Stutzcavage waived her right to a preliminary hearing on all the charges and was ordered by Jones to appear for plea court Aug. 25 in the Court of Common Pleas, Sunbury. Jones granted Leonowicz's request to have his hearing continued on all charges.

Both defendants were recommitted to Northumberland County Prison in Sunbury, where they have been incarcerated since being arrested for the robbery.

Asked for help

According to township police, around 2 p.m. July 7, Stoshack heard a car come through the alley behind his house, 109 E. Clermont St., Marion Heights, and stop. Stutzcavage got out of the car and asked Stoshack for help because her car had broken down. He said that he didn't know anything about cars, but advised her on a local garage.

After the conversation concluded, Stoshack sat down on his deck, where he noticed his dog barking. While attending to the dog inside, Stoshack saw his front door open.

He then saw Leonowicz wearing a black hooded sweatshirt crouching near his kitchen island. Leonowicz fled the residence through the front door, dropping a bottle of prescription cough medicine belonging to Stoshack as he ran across Clermont Street and into the woods.

While speaking with a friend, Stoshack noticed Stutzcavage sitting in a black Nissan a short distance away. When he waved, Stutzcavage made a U-turn and drove away.

Responding to the call, Politza, assisted by Mount Carmel Chief Todd Owens and Officer William Adamski, located the vehicle as it turned into the parking lot of Star Physical Therapy. Leonowicz then threw open the car door and resisted arrest.

Owens found prescription medication bottles with Stoshack's name on them on Leonowicz, as well as a large amount of currency and medication bottles in the vehicle. An additional $120 in cash was found on Stutzcavage.

Stoshack estimated at least $1,050 was stolen from his house.

SUNBURY - An incident initially described as a suicide attempt inside Northumberland County Prison Monday will be reclassified as "self-mutilation," according to the warden.

An unidentified inmate jailed alone in a right wing cell unscrewed a light bulb, broke it and cut himself with the shards, Warden Roy Johnson said. It occurred about 9:30 p.m. The inmate was treated at Sunbury Community Hospital and returned to the jail.

Johnson said the inmate had been temporarily reassigned to the cell for "violent misconduct."

After the incident, Johnson said he spoke directly with the inmate. From that conversation, the details of which he would not disclose, he decided to change the incident type from "attempted suicide" to "self-mutilation."

Johnson said the inmate's actions were in protest of a misconduct allegation and a cell assignment.

Commissioner Stephen Bridy said Wednesday he was unaware of Johnson's decision to reclassify the incident. Commissioner Vinny Clausi said he believed the warden was looking to improve his own record.

Bridy and Clausi have been critical of Johnson following last month's suicide of inmate Cyrus Lewis, 34, of Shamokin. Lewis was the second inmate to kill himself inside the jail since August 2013, when Andrew W. Beers, 27, of Paxinos, took his own life. Johnson has defended his actions and that of his staff, saying protocol had been followed in each incident.

SUNBURY - The county prison warden defended himself Wednesday against criticisms levied by the majority commissioners, and survived a split vote of the prison board that could have cost him his job.

Warden Roy Johnson accused Chairman Vinny Clausi and Commissioner Stephen Bridy during a prison board meeting of ruining his reputation by way of allegations of mismanagement. He shouted into a speaker phone - Clausi participated in the meeting via a conference call - as the argument escalated.

Clausi has criticized Johnson in the wake of last month's inmate suicide, the second in 10 months. Another suicide attempt was reported Monday night, although Johnson said later Wednesday the incident was a "self-mutilation" initially misrepresented by prison staff (See separate story).

Clausi also accused the warden of botching parole paperwork, preventing the release of inmates on their minimum sentence and allegedly costing Northumberland County $9,000 last month and more than $100,000 in 2013.

They went back and forth about who has put Northumberland County at greater risk of lawsuits and about the details of a citizen's allegation that Johnson was fired from his job at State Correctional Institution-Coal Township, which Johnson vehemently denied.

"I'm fed up with your allegations. Why don't you produce the facts?" Johnson told Clausi. "You cut the budget and do everything you can to undermine what we do."

Questions

It was difficult to hear Clausi inside the prison library because fans and the room's acoustics muffled his voice from the speaker phone. He challenged Johnson on the budget issue, denying anything had been cut. He asked if cuts were made as alleged, why Johnson had never before formally complained about prison funding. Johnson said he chose to make due with what was provided.

Bridy objected to Johnson's behavior during the meeting, calling it "borderline insubordination," while Commissioner Rick Shoch said it was self-defense against harsh allegations.

Afterward, Shoch questioned the veracity of allegations made by Mustafa Abuomar, a former imam at the state prison in Coal Township, since he failed to provide any paperwork backing his claims.

Johnson denied Abuomar's claims that he was fired for fighting with a union representative. He said it was the opposite, that he was attacked, but that there were "issues" surrounding his exit. Clausi and Bridy each said their own contacts verified Abuomar's allegations.

Bridy pushed on, chastising Johnson for shouting at Clausi. He also questioned his integrity, pointing to a January incident involving accused murderer Miranda Barbour's inmate visitor sheet. It had listed a newspaper reporter as an approved visitor, although Johnson denied the reporter's request to visit. When asked by Bridy to produce the visitor sheet, the commissioner said the warden misled him by failing to hand over the original that clearly showed the reporter's name.

"You are a liar," Bridy said to Johnson before motioning to have him fired.

2-2-1 vote

The prison board voted 2-2-1, falling two votes short of the board majority. Bridy and Clausi voted in favor, while Shoch and Controller Chris Grayson opposed the motion. Sheriff Robert Wolfe abstained.

The board is a seven-member body. Newly appointed District Attorney Ann Targonski didn't attend. The seventh position is vacant.

Clausi predicted the outcome, repeatedly saying Shoch had the votes to defeat the motion, which Shoch dismissed.

Grayson said he needed more information, and Wolfe thought the entire seven-person board should take part in such a vote.

Bridy said later Wednesday the county has received four letters in the past month threatening lawsuit.

MOUNT CARMEL - Mount Carmel Area School District students in kindergarten through 12th grade who had perfect attendance for the 2013-14 school year are: kindergarten, Daymion Diaz, Lucas Edmondson, Trevor Gratti and Addison Kimsal; first grade, Sian Alvarez, Brody Brinkash, Izabela Duda, Yeilen Gonzalez, Jonathan Schmidt and Dakota Tobias; second grade, Skyla Bower, Javian Diaz, Mya McGinley, Cadence Shutt and Richard Weng; third grade, Joshua Futrell, Jayden Keyser, Kelly Lawton, Alyssa Reisinger, Lea Rusinko and Angela Weng; fourth grade, Jaiden Alvarez, Jerry Bryant and Jetly Gonzalez; fifth grade, Dante Crispell, Austin Garancosky, Sierra Kalesse, Destiny Keyser, Bria Shoffler and Andrew Wasilewski, sixth grade, Hailey Derk, William Savadge Jr., Michael Scicchitano and Joshua Vellner; seventh grade, Danielle Hooper and Dustin Siko; eighth grade, Raykal Adiansjah, Logan Artman, Dawson Shoffler and Nathan Slotterback; ninth grade, Brooke Andruscavage, Nicole Hooper, Marissa Kleman, Lindsay Rasley, Amanda Rimokaitis and Stephen Sundman; 10th grade, Brandon Dauber, Miranda Moser, Natasha Nevis, Leah Nicola and Megan Troutman; 11th grade, Nathaniel Bartos, Jennifer Bolick and Haley Lahr; and 12th grade, Bryce Fiamoncini and Heather Raker.

MOUNT CARMEL - Mayor Philip "Bing" Cimino held an open air public meeting Wednesday evening at Town Park to discuss the potential for new recreational opportunities for children and adults.

About 20 people, including Todd Owens, police chief; Ed Cuff, borough manager; council members Robert Shirmer and Leroy "Chico" Moser, and several residents who were involved in past recreational projects, attended the 7 p.m. meeting that lasted more than 90 minutes.

Cimino put forward the idea of creating a non-motorized bicycle park at the east end of Fifth Street at Pine Street. He said the majority of the trails were created several years ago, but the park failed to fully materialize.

"We don't have to worry about vandalism. It will be low maintenance," Cimino said. "It won't cost a lot, but it's going to take time and energy."

Cimino also wishes to a see a community garden established at a vacant lot somewhere in the borough. He said the garden could be open by next spring if a lot is located and people work together.

Other ideas

The group suggested several events that could reinvigorate the borough, including a New Year's Eve drop, a Christmas celebration and ice skating on a temporary rink.

The thought of a rink brought back some memories of past vandalism at recreational areas, including when the borough first attempted to have a rink, which was vandalized with bricks and salt.

Owens said although there are bad apples in the borough, there are still kids who shine a positive light on the area. He referenced a color run held this past weekend at Town Park that was organized by several teenagers.

"We still have a great group of kids here," Owens said. "Once we get moving on this, we will still a lot more involvement with kids."

Pool still closed

One recreational area that will remain closed - at least for now - is the community pool, which did not open this season after several past seasons of running in the red.

Several council members had previous cited low attendance as a primary reason Mount Carmel did not need the pool, including days when admission fees were waived.

Moser said at Wednesday's meeting the pool was losing nearly $20,000 a season, but that number was "doable." He said the amount lost was much lower when Cuff took over management.

He suggested a water park would be cheaper to run and would be attended by more people.

Regardless, the property must be addressed, he said.

"If we're going to have a pool, people need to use it," Moser said. "If we leave it go another year or two, it's going to be an eyesore and nothing is going to be done with it."

Community service set for Saturday

COAL TOWNSHIP - Participants in a community service program coordinated by Magisterial District Judge John Gembic III will meet at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Coal Bowl.

Class reunion RSVPs needed

MOUNT CARMEL - Responses for Mount Carmel Area's Class of 1989 reunion are due by July 28.

The reunion will be held at 2 p.m. Aug. 30 at Wilburton Grove, Wilburton.

Response and payment can be made to the attention of the MCA Class of '89, c/o Jerry Ibanez, 308 S. Beech St., Mount Carmel 17851.

Alumni from the classes of 1988 and 1990 who would like to attend are also invited. Cost is $25 per adult and $5 per child over the age of 12. For additional information, contact Ibanez at 570-205-2273.

Alumni are also invited to the home football game Friday, Aug. 29.

Changing of the Colors planned

MOUNT CARMEL - Mount Carmel Area Joint Veterans Committee will hold a Changing of the Colors ceremony at 1 p.m. Sunday at Second and Oak streets.

The flag will be raised in honor and memory of Leonard John Bourinski, who served in Korea with the U.S. Marine Corps.

Area veterans and the public are invited.

Worship concert set for Sunday

MOUNT CARMEL - "Because He Cares" worship concert, performed by the Lift Your Spirits Performing Arts will be held at 6 p.m. Sunday at Grace Lutheran Church, 146 W. Avenue. The event is free to the public, but donations will be accepted.

For more information, call 570-590-7414 or 570-590-2368.

SUNBURY - The prompt release of county inmates eligible for parole was at issue during Wednesday's prison board meeting.

Commissioner Chairman Vinny Clausi said seven inmates eligible for parole Friday were delayed release at least one week because of a failed approval process. He blamed Warden Roy Johnson as well as the county's corrections committee, which meets weekly to review applications from inmates who have served their minimum sentence.

Such delays cost Northumberland County an estimated $9,000 last month, Clausi said, and more than $100,000 in 2013.

Johnson denied he intentionally or unintentionally delayed reviewing and signing inmate parole paperwork. He said he's never let an application sit on his desk longer than five days without writing a recommendation to the corrections committee. It makes no sense to keep inmates longer than necessary, he said, as it complicates operations and balloons the inmate population.

Johnson said he became aware of four inmates whose parole applications were reportedly delayed. Further investigation showed they lacked additional necessary paperwork for approval, he said. The warden added that complications with inmates in securing residency before release can also delay the process.

Jim Cortelyou, chief probation officer, said Wednesday he could not confirm the amount alleged by Clausi, but that the parole paperwork has been delayed in making it to his department. He didn't know how many inmates were delayed parole in June, but said it costs the county about $55 a day to house an inmate.

Brandy Yasenchak, court administrator, confirmed that President Judge William H. Wiest appointed her to chair the committee this week. She replaces Wiest's law clerk, Heath Brosius. She had previously served as the chair when she was a law clerk for former President Judge Robert B. Sacavage.

Clausi said the committee couldn't review the applications Friday because it didn't have a quorum to meet. That spurred Wiest's move to appoint Yasenchak as chair, Clausi said.

SUNBURY - A decision to formally grant a protection from abuse (PFA) order to the grandmother of Erick R. Trometter was delayed Wednesday because Trometter was served the order last week while in a coma.

A judge's temporary PFA, issued following Trometter's alleged assault of Amanda Trometter, 67, July 8, will remain in effect. A new hearing is scheduled for July 30.

The temporary PFA was served July 10 by Montour County Sheriff's Department personnel at Erick Trometter's hospital room at Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, Sgt. Dwayne Pidcoe of the Northumberland County Sheriff's Department testified Wednesday.

Because he was in a coma at the time, it can't be known if he knows the order exists or if he understands it, said Marsha Skoff, who presided at Wednesday's five-minute hearing in Northumberland County Court.

Skoff referred Amanda Trometter to an attorney after she said she's struggled to get medical updates on her grandson.

Erick Trometter, 22, of 618 Susquehanna Ave., Sunbury, was critically injured a few hours after the alleged assault when he was shot by Brad Hare, Sunbury's acting chief of police. He was charged the next day with felony aggravated assault, misdemeanor simple assault and summary harassment for the incident involving his grandmother. Charges related to the confrontation with the policeman are pending.

Police said Trometter had a knife when Hare saw him walking along Mile Post Road near Shikellamy Avenue just outside the city. There was a warrant for his arrest related to the alleged assault of Amanda Trometter, and Hare attempted to take him into custody.

Listed at 6 feet, 290 pounds, police said Erick Trometter resisted and continued to struggle with Hare after being shot with a Taser. Hare then fired his gun.

The temporary PFA was approved less than an hour later. It bars Erick Trometter from any contact with his grandmother for up to three years and evicts him from their home.

Trometter remained in serious condition Wednesday. He had initially been admitted in critical condition.

REBUCK - A variety of musical entertainers and skilled crafters, along with plenty of home-cooked food, is scheduled for the annual Himmel's Country Festival Saturday, Aug. 2, at Himmel's Church Grove, just off Schwaben Creek Road in the lower Northumberland County village of Rebuck.

Food will be served beginning at 7 a.m. and live musical entertainment begins on the grove stage at 10 a.m. Scheduled entertainment includes Himmel's Choir, Aubrey Chappell, Heart of Pennsylvania, Paradise Quartet, magician Brent Kessler and the Weaver Believer Survival Revival.

There will be a train display in the Boy Scout building, a used book sale, bake sale, antique tractor and vehicle parade at 4 p.m. and kids' games, including a duck derby on the creek. Back again for this year is the Miss Himmel's contest.

Breakfast includes ham, eggs, home fries, fried mush and more. Lunch begins at 11 a.m. and includes everything from pizza to chicken breast sandwiches and halushki as well as "crick tea." Dinner featuring pot pie starts at 4 p.m.

Other highlights on the festival menu include homemade ice cream with fresh peach topping, kettle-made ham and bean soup and kettle-cooked potato chips, all made on site.

For more information call 570-425-2200 or visit www.himmelschurch.com.

MOUNT CARMEL - Following an auditor's note regarding approximately $67,000 of misplaced borough money, the Mount Carmel Borough Council voted to open the Lower Anthracite Transportation System (LATS) director and borough treasurer position for applications at Thursday's meeting.

Anthony Matulewicz III, borough council president, said Megan Janolek, who currently occupies the LATS director position, is not being immediately terminated until the situation is investigated further.

"We're just opening it and we're going to go from there," he said. "It's more of a statement. We're looking and we're serious."

Matulewicz said he discovered the $67,000 error approximately two weeks ago when the borough's auditor said she couldn't complete this year's audit because she needed numerous items to verify why transactions occurred.

While looking over the list, Matulewicz saw that Janolek had shifted $67,000 into the reconciliation/discrepancy fund to balance the books. He did not clarify if the switch had occurred in one large transaction or several small transactions, but did say it appeared she had completed it by moving extra money from the cash fund to the reconciliation/discrepancy fund to account for unrecorded revenues.

"Whatever was off, (Janolek) just switched it," he said. "The auditor was bringing it to our attention piecemeal."

Matulewicz said that while Janolek's past financial filings had small errors in them, this year's was drastically worse. He estimated between 50 and 60 errors were discovered by the auditor before she had to stop.

"There has been little mistakes but there has not been anything like this," he said. "There's enough to say we're displeased."

Matulewicz brought the errors, including the $67,000 reconciliation/discrepancy fund switch, to the attention of the rest of the council at Monday's work session. The council spoke extensively about Janolek without a resolution.

At Thursday's meeting, the board was still conflicted about terminating Janolek. When a motion to open the position of LATS director and borough treasurer was brought up, the board voted unanimously to go into executive session.

After the executive session, the board voted 5-1 to open Janolek's position to applications. Robert Shirmer abstained from the vote; he is a relative. Council vice president Leroy Moser Jr. was the sole dissenting vote. He said he could not publicly disclose his reasoning, but it had to do in part with unanswered questions.

He was not the only council member with questions about the accounting errors. A primary reason Janolek was not immediately let go is because the council does not yet fully understand how the errors occurred because the auditor has not yet completed the audit due to missing documents.

"We do need more time to look into it," said Matulewicz. "It's too soon to do anything."

Matulewicz said the errors occurred during the 2012-13 fiscal year while Janolek was still in the position of borough treasurer. These duties were transferred to borough manager Edward T. Cuff III March 1 so Janolek could focus on managing LATS.

The post includes both LATS director and borough treasurer duties in the position.

SUNBURY - A Shamokin man is refuting objections filed by attorneys for Northumberland County and commissioners Vinny Clausi and Stephen Bridy in federal court over a recent decision to allow his lawsuit to proceed.

Attorneys Kymberly L. Best and Timothy A. Bowers filed a brief of opposition in U.S. Middle District Court Thursday on behalf of their client, outdoor enthusiast David Kaleta, against the objection filed by the law firm of Lavery, Faherty and Patterson, of Harrisburg, on behalf of the county, Clausi and Bridy, earlier this month.

The objection followed a June 18 report by U.S. Magistrate Judge Martin Carlson which recommended that two of Kaleta's claims - that the county violated the Sunshine Act by banning him from the AOAA grounds and that his First Amendment rights were violated by the commissioners' decisions - should be brought to trial.

Kaleta's brief of opposition concurs with the statements made by Carlson while pointing out that no "error of law" occurred when Carlson made his decision.

"We agree with the federal district magistrate's decision," said Best, speaking on behalf of Kaleta. "We feel confidently that the federal judge will concur."

The 12-page objection filed by county's attorneys says one of Kaleta's claims should be dismissed because a report concerning a Sept. 10, 2012, letter from county planning director Pat Mack and signed by Bridy and Clausi rejecting Kaleta's request to use the land for hunting and walking his dog was erroneous.

The other claim, says the objection, should be dismissed because it is also without merit.

Clausi, when contacted by phone Thursday, said "We never violated his civil rights."

COAL TOWNSHIP - Coal Township will get two new vehicles courtesy of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

USDA Rural Development State Director Thomas Williams, announced Wednesday that it is awarding Coal Township $49,600 in grant money to purchase a police vehicle and a dump truck.

The grant, which comes through the Community Facilities Program, will be matched in part by township money.

Craig Fetterman, chairman of the Coal Township commissioners, said he did not have the dollar amount of the match on hand, but township will definitely take advantage of the grant.

"It's great because money's tight right now," said Fetterman.

Fetterman said the township had already selected the new police car.

Bids on the street truck have been received and are awaiting approval from the USDA.

"It's definitely needed for plowing in the winter," said Fetterman about the truck.

Earlier this month it was announced that the township recycling center received a $162,000 grant to purchase a new loader. The township will match $18,000.