Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Benjamin J. Dumbaugh, a son of Jamie L. and Bryan M. Dumbaugh, of Catawissa, and other sailors aboard USS Ronald Reagan received more than 2,500 Operation Gratitude care packages at the all-hands call in the ship's hangar bay.

Dumbaugh is a 2009 graduate of Southern Columbia Area High School. He joined the Navy in February 2010.

Carolyn Blashek, founder of Operation Gratitude, and Michael Reagan, son of former President Ronald Reagan, attended the event. They, along with other Operation Gratitude members, took time to thank the crew for their service and recognized the success of the work done thus far.

Operation Gratitude is a non-profit, volunteer-based organization that sends 100, 000 care packages annually filled with snacks, entertainment items and personal letter of appreciation. The packages are delivered to everyone from U.S. service members deployed to hostile regions around the world, to their children left behind and even wounded warriors recuperating from war. Their mission is simple: lifting morale and expressing the appreciation and support of the American people.

USS Reagan is currently homeported in Bremerton, Wash., while undergoing a maintenance period at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility.

Women's health screening Wednesday

COAL TOWNSHIP - Geisinger Health System's Women's Heart and Vascular Health Program will sponsor a free heart-healthy screening for women from 2 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Geisinger Specialty Care - Shamokin, 4203 Hospital Road.

Free screenings will be done for cholesterol, blood pressure, height, weight and body mass index.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, call (800) 275-6401 and ask for "Carelink," or visit www.geisinger.org/events.

Lourdes to dismiss early Wednesday

COAL TOWNSHIP - Our Lady of Lourdes Regional School will follow Shamokin Area's schedule for an Act 80 day on Wednesday.

Elementary students will dismiss at 12:45 p.m. and middle/high students at 12:18 p.m. Those students in the afternoon K-4 program will have class.

SUNBURY - A 34-year-old Shamokin man charged with sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in Coal Township was sentenced Monday to 15 to 30 months in state prison on a felony offense of endangering the welfare of a child.

Shaine M. Wyland was given the state prison term approximately one month after Northumberland County President Judge Robert B. Sacavage postponed the sentencing when debate arose over whether the defendant was required to register with state police as a sexual offender for 15 years upon his release from jail.

The judge ruled Monday that Wyland is not required to register in accordance with the Adam Walsh Act that was passed into law in December.

Last month, Sacavage deferred sentencing because he wanted to be certain the defendant was not prejudiced in any way.

Wyland, who was represented by Attorney Scott McIntosh of Royersford, Montgomery County, also received a concurrent sentence of 9 to 24 months on a corruption of minors charge, which merges with the felony offense for sentencing purposes.

The judge ordered Wyland to pay a total of $500 in fines plus costs of prosecution and other fees, and to avoid all contact with anyone under the age of 18, with the exception of his 16-year-old son, unless approved by supervisory authority.

Sacavage gave Wyland credit for 131 days previously served in Northumberland County Prison.

The judge ordered Wyland, who had been released from prison after Sacavage reduced his bail from $200,000 cash to $20,000, was ordered to begin his sentence March 12.

Additional felonies of statutory sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor and aggravated indecent assault were not prosecuted.

McIntosh and First Assistant District Attorney Ann Targonski, who prosecuted the case, reserved comment after sentencing.

Trevorton Senior Action Center held its monthly meeting Feb. 7. There were 14 members present.

Mary Ellen Hoffman, vice president, read the treasurer's report for January and it was approved as read.

Travel committee representative Joyce Koppen gave a financial report on the committee and submitted a list of upcoming trips. Contact Joyce at 797-3695, Nina at 648-0545 or Judi at 648-0105 for more information.

A birthday party was held following the meeting with 29 people in attendance. Salmon cakes, macaroni and cheese, stewed tomato and a variety of cakes for dessert were served.

The center made potato cake batter Thursday, Feb. 21.

Theresa McCabe from Area Agency on Aging spoke to the group about receiving items from the two centers that were recently closed. She also discussed trying to increase the center's daily lunch count and getting individuals to enjoy fellowship and the activities the center provides. McCabe spoke briefly about Rabbittransit and new rules.

Diana Smeal, center manager, discussed the monthly calendar and future events.

Casey named subcommittee chair

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-Pa.) has been appointed chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth.

"We face no greater challenge than how we grow our economy and get our fiscal house in order," he said in a statement about his appointment. "As a former Pennsylvania auditor general, I understand what is at stake for our commonwealth and the nation. I look forward to the opportunity to work on a range of issues including responsible tax reform to spur innovation, create jobs and promote economic growth."

Fire police seeking members

MOUNT CARMEL - Mount Carmel Fire Police, now affiliated with Clover Hose Company, is beginning a new chapter and needs new manpower.

Volunteers are welcome to the Clover Hose Fire Company truck room, Sixth and Oak streets, at 6 p.m. Sunday for an open forum related to the duties, how to join and possible training and requirements.

Station 6, as it is known, considered a vital asset to the fire department and borough, needs members to assist at emergency calls and special events. Individuals, male or female, who want to volunteer, must be at least 18 years old, have a clean criminal history, must be a member or willing to join one of the borough fire companies (American Hose, Anthracite, Clover Hose or West End ) as an "A" member, and be willing to complete training as required. Other important factors are having a good attitude, employing common sense and patience and being a people person.

For additional information, call Bing Cimino at 339- 5113.

God's Chuckwagon resumes Monday

God's Chuckwagon, a group of volunteers who set up in Mount Carmel and Shamokin downtowns once a week to provide free food to the needy, will restart Monday.

God's Chuckwagon provides meals from 4 to 6 p.m. each Monday at Oak and Fourth streets, Mount Carmel, and during the same times on Tuesdays along Independence Street near the WIC office in Shamokin.

Rt. 225 resurfacing begins in March

TREVORTON - A $2.1 million resurfacing project along 4.8 miles of Route 225 between here in Shamokin is set to start the week of March 11.

The work extends from one mile east of Trevorton to the intersection with Route 61 at Shamokin. Traffic will be maintained by daylight flagging operations.

Prime contractor New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co. Inc. will begin by making a series of drainage improvements. Later in the project, the work will include milling of the existing top layer of pavement and resurfacing with new blacktop.

All work is scheduled for completion by July 3.

Water conservation workshop set

SUNBURY - The Penn State Master Gardeners of Northumberland and Snyder Counties will be presenting a Water

Conservation Program at the Degenstein Library located at 40 S. Fifth St., on Saturday, March 2nd

at 1 p.m. Master Gardeners will do a live demonstration on how to make a rain barrel, which will be given away as a door prize. They will also talk about installing a rain garden.

Please call the Penn State Extension Office at 988-3950 to register.

SUNBURY - Northumberland County's president judge is mulling over preliminary objections filed on behalf of a Shamokin mechanic who was sued by the city for allegedly violating a junk vehicle ordinance.

Judge Robert B. Sacavage will consider the merits of preliminary objections filed in August by attorney Richard Feudale for Robert Gilligbauer, along with the merits of a civil complaint filed in July by city solicitor H. Robert Mattis.

A hearing on the objections was held Tuesday before Sacavage, with Mattis, Gilligbauer and Feudale attending.

The judge could decide to rule in favor of Gilligbauer and either dismiss the case or seek additional evidence from the city, or deny the objections and move the process closer to trial. There is no timetable for a ruling, and neither attorney expected one Tuesday.

The city asks the court to order Gilligbauer to remove vehicles they believe violate ordinance from two lots at Rock and Spurzheim streets, and permanently enjoin him from violating the ordinance in the future.

Gilligbauer asks that the case be dismissed, with his attorney claiming the city failed to follow the rules of its own ordinance by not providing 10 days notice before filing suit and not providing specifics of the alleged violations. At the least, the defendant seeks more evidence from the city.

'Cat-and-mouse' game

Mattis said the city has long been engaged in a "cat-and-mouse game" with Gilligbauer when attempting to enforce the ordinance. He claims the mechanic would simply shuffle cars on and off his lots when notice of violation was given. He said 10 days notice of violation is not necessary for the city's civil action.

"We're not even trying to fine him. We're just trying to enforce the ordinance," Mattis told the judge.

"What trouble is the city in?" Sacavage asked after asking about how the cat-and-mouse game was unfolding.

"We're always chasing him around," Mattis said, explaining the city's claims, for example, that two offending vehicles would be removed one day, only to be replaced with three more offending vehicles on the next.

Gilligbauer has said previously the vehicles are moved as part of business: Customers pick up vehicles that are fixed and drop off those that need repair.

Feudale claimed Tuesday the city's claims are nonspecific, and argued that photos presented by the city as evidence show no hanging metal, broken windshields or other hazards.

"To say just simply that a vehicle doesn't have a plate, the courts have consistently held that that is unreasonable," Feudale said.

He continued, "In this complaint, there's nothing there. ... There's no allegation of injury."

Sacavage replied, "Isn't the fact that there are junk cars allegedly in violation, isn't that an injury to the value of the community of the citizens who live here?"

Feudale told the judge that part of the argument is what constitutes a junk car, and that his client would argue that these vehicles in question are not junk, but are in line for repairs.

Case law presented

Mattis presented Sacavage with local case law from in 2008 in which Sacavage upheld Zerbe Township's enforcement of its junk vehicle ordinance. The city tailored its code after Zerbe's.

Feudale presented Sacavage with a commonwealth court case from 2012 in which a Perry County ruling on New Bloomfield's junk vehicle code was overturned in favor of the defendant.

SHAMOKIN - The following hearings took place Tuesday before Magisterial District Judge John Gembic III. Defendants ordered to appear for plea court April 1 in Northumberland County Courthouse, Sunbury, can plead guilty or no contest, or seek a trial by pleading not guilty.

n Crystal Mutschler, 31, of 124 E. Chestnut St., Shamokin, and Michelle Wolfe, 29, of 1442 W. Walnut St., Coal Township, waived to court charges of retail theft and criminal conspiracy to commit retail theft.

The defendants were charged by Coal Township Patrolman Matthew Hashuga with stealing $262.96 worth of merchandise from Wal-Mart Supercenter on Route 61 Jan. 8.

n Samuel Dascani, 53, of 1043 W. Willow St., Coal Township, waived to court two counts of driving under the influence of alcohol in connection with a Jan. 5 incident at Chestnut and Oak streets.

The charges were filed by Coal Township Patrolman Jason Adams.

n Daniel C. Carl, 22, of 131 Iron St., Coal Township, waived to court charges of fleeing or eluding police, a red light violation, careless driving and a taillight violation relating to a Dec. 30 pursuit on Route 901 near Reinhart Road.

The charges were filed by Coal Township Patrolman Edward Purcell.

n Joseph John Bucanelli, 40, of 157 All Saints Road, Elysburg, waived to court two counts of driving under the influence of alcohol, failure to drive in a single lane, careless driving and failure to wear a seat belt relating to a Sept. 30 incident at the intersection of Routes 61 and 225 in Coal Township.

The charges were filed by Trooper Nicholas Berger of state police at Stonington.

n David A. Demarco, 23, of 429 W. Second St., Mount Carmel, pleaded guilty to a summary of disorderly conduct and was ordered to pay a $100 fine plus costs. A charge of loitering and prowling at night was withdrawn.

Shamokin Patrolman Shane Mowery filed the charge in connection with a Nov. 19 incident in the Bunker Hill area.

MANDATA - The Line Mountain School Board will be seeking new bids for a geothermal project at the junior/senior high school because prices came in approximately $1.8 million over budget.

Josh Bower, project manager from Crabtree, Rohrbaugh and Associates, broke the news to the board Tuesday night and suggested a redesign of the project with less work, and then to rebid the project out.

The district wants to convert the school's heating, venting and air conditioning system to geothermal for about the same amount as what the district is paying in energy costs now.

The budget for the project was $3.4 million, but the bids of electrical, mechanical, plumbing and general contracting came in at a total of $5.2 million.

"We're unhappy with the numbers. You're unhappy with it," Bower said.

In a geothermal HVAC system, a liquid, called glycol - a coolant similar to antifreeze - is distributed in and out of wells through a series of pipes and cycled through the building in a closed loop to either heat or cool the rooms, depending on the need.

Energy recovery units are placed on the roof to allow fresh air into the building.

About 100 wells would be drilled in the parking lot between the school and the stadium and then, once the closed loop system is installed, the lot would be repaved to hide the inner workings. At Trevorton Elementary, the wells are underneath the school's playground.

The board requested the re-bid to have alternates of tinted windows or window shades.

Bower also said that his company would absorb the cost of the redesigned project, but could not guarantee the new bids would come in significantly lower.

Directors Lamont Masser and Dennis Erdman made and seconded the motion to let the current bids sit, redesign the project and put it out for bid again. It passed unanimously 9-0.

In other business, the board approved:

- The renewal a 2-year service contract starting June 4 through June 4, 2015, for two servers with Dell Corp., Round Rock, Texas, at a cost of $1,292.43

- To purchase building risk insurance for the additions to the elementary school and the high school with Ohio Casualty Insurance Company at a total yearly cost of $3,578 with a deductible of $2,500.

By Justin Strawser

MOUNT CARMEL - Landlords would be charged a $25 per unit registration fee each year in a revised ordinance proposal that borough council is expected to vote on March 21.

Councilman Joseph Lapotsky's plan for a per unit fee as high as $100, in addition to a $100 licensing fee that is already on the books, drew protests from borough landlords in December, so council tabled the idea and formed a committee comprised of three councilmen, the mayor and three landlords.

Lapotsky said he is satisfied with the revision, which would eliminate the licensing fee in lieu of the $25 per unit registration. Also, charging per unit is "fair and equitable" compared to a flat rate, where the owner of one rental property would pay the same as someone who owns many, he said.

"A lot of time and effort went into this," Lapotsky said. "I'm on a mission to clean this town up, make no mistake about it."

Lapotsky and fellow councilmen Gary Hixson Jr. and Leroy "Chico" Moser, Mayor J. Kevin Jones and landlords Dave Fantini, Paul Vincenzes and Michael Smith were unanimous in their recommendation.

"I'm fine with a $25 fee, as long as everyone gets to play by the same rules," said Fantini.

He said it was a great idea to have landlords work with borough officials.

"We know how they feel, and they know how we feel," he said. "It was a good process."

Modeled after Berwick

The committee also suggests council adopt the rules and penalties that Berwick created in a landlord ordinance in 2007; it's been upheld in Commonwealth Court and will provide Mount Carmel code enforcement officer Robin Williams with "more fire power" compared to the current borough ordinance.

Every owner of a residential rental unit must register the unit with the code enforcement officer. Any landlord or owner who violates this will be fined $500 for each offense, and each day of the violation is considered a separate offense.

Each landlord living 30 miles outside the borough must have a local manager who will be in charge of the units and available as an emergency contact.

As a prerequisite to entering into a rental agreement or permitting the occupancy of any rental unit, the owner of every rental unit will be required to apply for and obtain a license for each rental unit. A violation of this part of the ordinance results in a $1,000 fine.

The 26-page ordinance details that landlords must follow health and safety regulations, provide peaceful enjoyment for neighbors and not engage in illegal activities. It details that landlord duties include registration of tenants, annual inspection schedules and fees, installation of smoke alarms and other regulations.

Beyond not registering, other non-compliance with the ordinance will result in a $100 fine for the first offense. The second offense jumps to a $300 fine. For a third offense, it's a fine of $500 or the possibility of being arrested and imprisoned for a maximum of 90 days.

Inspection fees stay

While the licensing fee would be eliminated, an inspection fees outlined in the current ordinance, passed in 2008, will remain. Landlords will continue to pay $40 for the first inspection of a rental house and $20 for each annual inspection after that. Owners of rental apartments pay $20 for the first inspection and $15 per annual inspection.

According to recent estimates from the borough, there are at least 300 landlords operating in Mount Carmel with approximately 560 rental units.

Vincenzes said he supports the decision as long as it helps the community become a better place.

"Council had their mind set on doing the right thing and cleaning some stuff up. I hope it works," he said.

There's no reason a landlord can't operate a good, clean business and provide tenants with quality properties, he said.

"If I can operate and give tenants this at a fair rent, everybody can do it. There's no reason to rent a property and not maintain it," he said.

The proposed ordinance will be available for public inspection at the borough office, Fourth and Vine streets, for at least 10 days before council votes on it at the March 21 meeting, which starts 7 p.m.

BLOOMSBURG - The September 2011 flood's impact on the Bloomsburg area will be explored in a series of programs from March 8 to 14, organized by Bloomsburg University's Institute for Culture and Society (ICS). The series includes lectures and panel discussions presented on campus and downtown in the Alvina Krause Theatre and the Moose Exchange, all open to the public free of charge.

The program coincides with the performance of "Flood Stories, Too," a production of Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble (BTE), the Bloomsburg Bicentennial Choir and the BU Players, from March 7 to 17 in Alvina Krause Theatre.

"The BU faculty members of the ICS have organized a series of panel discussions and lectures on topics related to the idea of community and the arts," said Christina Francis, associate professor of English and acting co-director of ICS. "These programs, offered as part of 'Bloomsburg Explores…,' highlight some of the specific issues and people involved in the 2011 flood, as well as some perspectives on the value of art that responds to and includes its community in the creative process."

The series will open at 5 p.m. Friday, March 8, in McCormick Center with "Tell It! How Shaping Our Stories Shapes Our Lives and Communities" by Arlene Goldbard. Goldbard is a writer, speaker, consultant and cultural activist whose work focuses on the intersection of culture, politics and spirituality. The author of "New Creative Community: The Art of Cultural Development" and "The Culture of Possibility: Art, Artists and the Future," Goldbard has addressed audiences in the U.S. and Europe on topics ranging from the ethics of community arts practice to the development of integral organizations.

Other programs in the series

Lecture: "What Happens When Communities Participate in Telling Their Own Stories," 4:30 p.m., Saturday, March 9, Alvina Krause Theatre. Presented by Goldbard and Gerald Stropnicky, BTE ensemble emeritus.

Lecture: "Flood Stories, Too: Context and Process," 12:30 p.m., Sunday, March 10, Moose Exchange, Grille Room. Presented by Stropnicky.

Panel discussions: 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 12, Moose Exchange, Grille Room. "Climate Change and Flooding" by Jennifer Whisner, assistant professor of environmental, geographical and geological science, followed by "The Role of Response Services to the 2011 Flood" by Kathy Lowe of AGAPE and Rita Inklovich of the American Red Cross, Bloomsburg Chapter.

Panel discussion: "Psychological Responses to Natural Disaster: Stress, Community, Resilience," 6:30 p.m., Thursday, March 14, Hartline Science Center, room 108. Participants are Leo Sokoloski, chief of police, Town of Bloomsburg; William Harrar, director of BU's counseling center; James Dalton, Joseph Tloczynski and Jennifer Yarnell, BU psychology faculty members, and Jodi Weiskerger, private practitioner. Nancy Giles, BU assistant professor of psychology, is moderator.

BTE's "Flood Stories, Too," written and directed by Stropnicky, will be offered as "pay what you wish" performances at 7:30 p.m. March 7, 8, 9, 14, 15 and 16, 2 p.m. March 9 and 16, and 3 p.m. March 10 and 17, in Alvina Krause Theatre. The play transforms the words and stories of local residents into a production about heartbreak and survival.

"Bloomsburg Explores …" is sponsored by BU's College of Liberal Arts. For information on the series, contact Francis at cfrancis@bloomu.edu. For information on "Flood Stories, Too," see www.bte.org.

SUNBURY - Four felony counts of fleeing the scene of a March 2012 drunk-driving accident filed against a former area teacher were dismissed by a county judge.

Judge Charles H. Saylor ruled Feb. 12 that the accident on Locust Gap Highway outside Mount Carmel Area Elementary School was a single accident and that a single felony count of "accidents involving death or personal injury" is permissible against Victor E. Swaboski III. He dismissed the remaining four counts.

One count was filed for each of the five teenage victims.

"When a cause and its result are so simultaneous or so closely linked in time and space such that they are considered to be one event, it can be said that there was only a single accident," Saylor wrote in his order.

Swaboski's legal counsel filed a motion in December seeking dismissal of four of the five counts.

The county's district attorney's office was unsuccessful in its argument that the defense's motion be denied, claiming each victim represents a separate accident. The prosecution cited case law related to a gun crime in which a single charge for the possession of each weapon was valid, as well as citing language specific to the statue for fleeing the scene of a crash.

Saylor's favorable ruling for the defense comes on the heels of a November ruling in which three of five felony counts of aggravated assault by vehicle were dismissed. The judge found that injuries suffered by three of the teens did not merit that charge.

Fourteen of the original 21 counts filed against Swaboski remain pending in county court.

Police say Swaboski's blood-alcohol content was nearly three times the legal limit when he drove off the highway and into a group of five teens walking along the highway. Instead of stopping, police say he fled into Mount Carmel borough. He was apprehended near his home.

Swaboski, 39, of Mount Carmel, was employed as a Shamokin Area elementary teacher at the time of the crash and has since resigned.

Fourth victim sues

A fourth accident victim, Tyler Wondoloski, now 19, of Mount Carmel, has filed a civil suit against both Swaboski and the owners of Brewser's SportsGrille, where Swaboski was a customer on the night of the accident.

Wondoloski's filing on Feb. 19 is a summons and not a complaint that would detail his claims. The other victims' filings claim negligence against Swaboski and the Coal Township restaurant and seek monetary rewards. Wondoloski, who was transported by ambulance to Geisinger-Shamokin Area Community Hospital following the incident, suffered broken vertebrae in his back and possibly torn muscles.

STRONG - A firefighter from Mount Carmel suffered an ankle injury when he fell through a burned-out stairwell while helping to extinguish a fire early Tuesday morning at George Tomol Auto Sales.

Brian Hollenbush, Mount Carmel Township fire marshal, had not confirmed the firefighter's identity Tuesday evening, but said he is from Clover Hose Fire Company and that the injury was minor.

Firefighters were pressed into action around 5:15 a.m. by a PennDOT operator passing by the decades-old business located along Route 61 near the intersection with Route 54. Smoke and steam rose out from various parts of the cinder block building while firefighters attacked the blaze from all sides and the roof.

Firefighters were able to control the fire in under an hour, Hollenbush said. He and Shamokin Patrolman Raymond Siko II, who serves as the city's fire investigator, determined the fire started in the basement of the building, where vehicles and equipment were stored.

"Right now we don't know the cause," Hollenbush said Tuesday evening. "Heavy fire damage was kept to the basement with a little bit of extension into the first floor, which had smoke and heat damage."

Owner George Tomol, 72, was at the scene, at one time spreading salt on the ice that was accumulating from water runoff. Tomol, who is insured, has operated the dealership for several years.

Several hundred yards west of the scene on Route 61, a motorist accidently drove over a charged hose line connected to a hydrant in front of DaVita Dialysis, sending a large plume of water into the sky. A 100-foot section will have to be replaced at a cost between $1,000 and $1,500, Hollenbush said.

"We were trying to get fire police there because we were short on manpower," Hollensbush said. "I don't think he is going to be charged. It was a state highway and it wasn't lit well."

Mount Carmel is not alone in its effort to address housing and apartment rental issues.

- Shamokin City Council is discussing an ordinance that would require inspections for most residential rental properties. A $50 fee was proposed, and a property would not be eligible for rent unless it passed inspection by the city code officer. Council adopted a preliminary version in January, but final adoption was put off after the proposed ordinance was tabled by council earlier this month for further discussion. It is expected to be a topic among council members and the mayor at the March workshop and monthly meeting.

In 2011, city council adopted its landlord-tenant registration ordinance, requiring a $25 annual license for each rental unit. Among its provisions, the ordinance requires tenants names be registered with the city for each rental unit. Should occupancy change, the tenant registration must be updated.

- Last week, Mount Carmel Township Board of Supervisors approved an ordinance that regulates the occupancy of dwelling units by the prior issuance of a occupancy permit, establishes fees for inspection and penalties for violations.

The ordinance, which amends one that was enacted in 1994, establishes a $25 fee for a housing inspection by the code enforcement officer prior to receiving the occupancy permit, adding a $25 fee if deficiencies in the inspection are not corrected within five days, and setting the fines for violations from $100 to $300 per day, along with a 30-day imprisonment if there is a default on the fines.

- Coal Township charges a registration fee of $25 per unit and an annual $25 for each inspection.

- Kulpmont charges an annual $100 registration fee for each landlord and imposes a $50 per occupancy inspection fee and a $25 fee for each subsequent inspection.

- Ralpho Township has no fees for landlords, but does require landlords to report tenants.

by News-Item Staff

CATAWISSA RR - A situation involving a Southern Columbia kindergarten student talking about a bomb on a bus was handled by the district administration and no police were called to investigate, according to The Press Enterprise Sunday.

The incident, which was described as happening on "one recent day," was handled in an "age-appropriate manner," Superintendent Paul Caputo told the Bloomsburg newspaper.

The bus driver reportedly called Elementary Principal Joseph Shirvinski, and although the child was removed from the bus immediately, that same student was allowed to return to the bus before it left the parking lot, the newspaper reported.

Administration takes into account the age of students and all details before taking any action on any incident such as this, Caputo explained.

However, employees made sure to check on her the next day, and the student's parents were notified, the newspaper reported.

The situation was handled in a less drastic fashion compared to the administration at Mount Carmel Area School District.

A 5-year-old kindergarten student at Mount Carmel Area Elementary School was suspended in January for allegedly telling two classmates that she was going to shoot them and herself with a pink Hello Kitty Bubbles Gun.

The child, who did not have the toy in her possession at the school, was reportedly questioned about the incident for three hours before her mother was contacted, and was initially suspended for 10 days by Mount Carmel Area Elementary School Principal Susan Nestico in what the school classified as a "terroristic threat."

The suspension was later reduced to two days and labeled a "threat to harm others."

The girl returned to classes Jan. 31 and it was implied that the suspension was removed from the girl's record.

HAZLETON - The Hazleton man who allegedly shot a Coal Township man in the leg Monday was hiding suspected crack cocaine, heroin and pills in his shoe and buttocks when police strip-searched him after a prior arrest in July, police said.

Court records show Joseph Babbitt III has an extensive criminal history that dates to 2005.

Meanwhile, police have not said anything more about why the Coal Township man was shot. They have identified him only as a witness to a crime and have not released his name.

Emergency workers tended to his wound on Monday, and Hazleton Police Chief Frank DeAndrea said that day it appeared the bullet passed "cleanly through" about 2 inches above the knee, and that the injury is non life-threatening.

Babbitt is accused of shooting the victim while Babbitt was inside the man's black Dodge Durango in a restaurant parking lot on South Church Street, only a few blocks from Hazleton's police station. After pulling the trigger, police said, Babbitt began to run from the victim, who chased him in his vehicle. That chase ended after Babbitt allegedly got into a red Chevrolet and drove a few blocks away. But before Babbitt got away, the victim allegedly rammed his Durango into Babbitt's vehicle, DeAndrea said.

Officers took Babbitt into custody near his vehicle, which had damage to the back end and front passenger side.

A woman with Babbitt was initially taken into custody by police, transported by ambulance to Hazleton General Hospital for an unknown medical issue and then released from police custody. Court papers state she was found with a hypodermic syringe and 10 packets of suspected heroin, which she claimed were Babbitt's.

Police found an empty .25-caliber handgun that was believed to have been used in the crime. The gun had an altered serial number, and Babbitt was not permitted to have one due to prior drug conviction.

Babbitt admitted to intentionally shooting the man and that the gun was his.

Babbitt was charged with two felony counts of aggravated assault and two misdemeanor counts of simple assault. He was also charged with felony counts of possession of a firearm prohibited and possession of a firearm with an altered manufacturer number, misdemeanor counts of recklessly endangering another person and possession of a controlled substance and a summary count of disorderly conduct, after the Monday shooting. He was arraigned and jailed on $75,000 bail. He awaits a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Joseph Zola, tentatively scheduled for March 6 at 10:30 a.m.

Babbitt has been arrested by Hazleton police in the past. Most recently before Monday, he faced drug charges after police took him into custody July 11 during a traffic stop.

Officers said they found a scale, 46 grams of cocaine, .7 grams of marijuana, a cigar blunt and a knife with burn marks on the blade, which is synonymous with drug use, in the vehicle Babbitt was inside, according to court papers.

Babbitt was strip-searched at the police station and told police he had marijuana and packets of crack cocaine in his shoe, the affidavit states. While one officer searched Babbitt's shoes, another found a large plastic bag in Babbitt's buttocks, according to police.

Babbitt grabbed the bag and put it in his mouth as officers took him to the ground in an effort to retrieve it, police said. Officers applied the Heimlich maneuver on Babbitt, who then grabbed the bag from his mouth and ripped it open, exposing two officers to a cloud of cocaine.

Police said they also removed a bag containing 21 pills and six suspected heroin packets from Babbitt's buttocks.

Officers were taken to Hazleton General Hospital for decontamination after that encounter with Babbitt.

Babbitt faces two counts each of manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person. He was also charged with one count each of resisting arrest and tampering with evidence and was scheduled for a formal arraignment in Luzerne County Court in that case in January, but there was no update on his docket for that court appearance.

Court papers state he previously lived in Hazleton, White Haven and East Stroudsburg.

According to a court dockets, Babbitt was also charged in the following cases:

- In April 2007, he was sentenced to four to 12 months confinement after pleading guilty to simple assault after an offense in Pittston Township handled by state police at Wyoming after an August 2005 incident.

- In February 2006, a traffic stop by Hazleton police resulted in Babbitt being charged with driving under the influence of a controlled substance. He pleaded guilty in April 2007 and was sentenced to 72 hours to six months confinement.

- In March 2006, Hazleton police charged him with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and driving without a license, but those charges were withdrawn because the victim in the case refused to cooperate, court papers state.

- In July 2010, Babbitt was sentenced to 30 days to 12 months confinement after pleading guilty to manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and driving under the influence of a controlled substance.

Babbitt is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to a count of possession of a controlled substance and resisting arrest filed against him by Hazleton police after a July 2010 offense. He entered those pleas in October 2011.

Babbitt is also awaiting trial in a case filed against him by West Hazleton police. Borough officers charged him with theft and receiving stolen property after an April offense involving a stolen gun, West Hazleton Police Chief Brian Buglio said. The gun was later recovered in Butler Township, he said.

Candidates file petitions

SUNBURY - The following candidates have filed nomination petitions with the Northumberland County Board of Elections:

Jesse Renninger Jr., Republican, constable, Rockefeller Township; Penny Hertzog, Democrat, tax collector, Rush Township; Darryl Hertzog, Democrat, supervisor, Rush Township; M. Phyllis Wetzel, Republican, tax collector, Upper Augusta Township..

Shirley Strohecker, Democrat, inspector of election, Jordan Township; Janet Adams, Republican, judge of election, Lower Mahanoy Township; Shirley Good, Republican, inspector of election, West Chillisquaque Township, and Dean Miller, Republican, supervisor, West Chillisquaque Township.

Drug sales at school

MOUNT CARMEL - Two Mount Carmel males, ages 14 and 15, were charged in Northumberland County Juvenile Court with manufacturing, sale and delivery of a controlled substance following an incident at the Mount Carmel Area Junior/Senior High School at 10:20 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 14.

According to Mount Carmel Township police patrolman Brian Carnuccio, the two males were in possession of 19 pills and were trying to sell them during school hours.

Disorderly conduct

MOUNT CARMEL - A 16-year-old Mount Carmel male was cited by Mount Carmel Township police patrolman Brian Carnuccio for harassment and disorderly conduct after fighting with another student in the hallway at the Mount Carmel Area Junior/Senior High School at 11 a.m. Monday, Feb. 18.

Police said the incident stemmed from an earlier altercation at the Northumberland County Career and Technology Center, Coal Township.

ELIZABETHVILLE - State police at Lykens got involved in a bullying incident Tuesday at Upper Dauphin Area High School and a student has been expelled.

According to Trooper Robert T. Hicks, public information officer for Troop H-Lykens, the incident involved two students and there was never any threat of harm to other students.

As the involved students were juveniles, their identities were not released. The Dauphin County district attorney's office is being consulted as to whether charges will be filed, police said.

Police said the matter stemmed from an incident that occurred Friday at lunchtime.

"The bullied juvenile approached another juvenile whom he thought was talking about him and squared up to him in an attempt to fight him," the police report read. "The bullied juvenile then said something to the effect of, 'I'm going to clap you.' No fight occurred because teachers got in between the students."

"Clap" is sometimes used to define shooting someone or something. Over the weekend, students started posting information on Facebook, police said, and rumors began from there.

"School officials and state police took necessary precautions to get to the bottom of this incident," Hicks said.

As a precautionary measure, the high school has expelled the student and the Upper Dauphin Area School District requested a district-wide police presence Tuesday. The district properties include the high school building in Elizabethville and the district office, middle school and elementary school complex in Loyalton.

The district posted the following response on its website at 10 a.m. Tuesday: "The incident which caused the uproar on social media sites has been thoroughly investigated and the state police have found no viable threat."

TREVORTON - The Trevorton Community Ambulance Association (TCAA) 2013 subscription drive is under way. Rates remain the same.

A subscription covers a card holder for unlimited emergency service, including all supplies, and transportation to the nearest hospital that can address the emergency.

TCAA is a basic life support service and remains one of the few fully volunteer ambulance services in the state. Advanced life support or paramedic services provided by AREA Services, Americus or Elysburg Ambulance are not included in the subscription. TCAA highly recommends a subscription to an ALS service as well.

Rates are $40 for a family, which includes husband, wife and any children under 18, and $25 for individuals. This year, TCAA is offering a senior discount rate of $20 a couple over 62, and $15 for an individual over 62.

TCAA recently added a new ambulance and will construct a new garage to house the equipment. This will allow for the possibility of consolidation in the future. TCAA has also added eight new emergency medical technicians.

In 2012, volunteers logged 244 ambulance trips and more than 1,200 man-hours in providing service to Zerbe, East Cameron, West Cameron and Little Mahanoy townships.

The association also holds a free community Christmas dinner each year, serving more than 400 in 2012.

All past and future subscribers can return the card sent to them in the provided envelope to Union Bank and Trust Co., Trevorton, by May 15, with either a check or money order.

Those interested in volunteering can call 274-3315 or see any member. Training is provided free of charge and incentive awards are offered for dedicated volunteers. Classes are held in-house or at training facilities sponsored by the Harrisburg Area Community College.

TCAA meetings are held at 7:30 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of every month and are open to the public.

Congressman Lou Barletta railed against a Homeland Security Department decision to release hundreds of illegal aliens from immigration jails.

The move was

made as sweeping budget cuts are all but guaranteed to begin Friday.

"If this is the best that they could do," Barletta said Wednesday of the prisoner release, "that's shameful."

The White House said Homeland Security's decision to release hundreds of people facing deportation was made without its input, according to the Associated Press. Jay Carney, White House spokesman, described the immigrants Wednesday as "low-risk, non-criminal detainees."

Barletta, R-10, said the crimes among those released included theft and drunk driving, and that some were documented gang members.

He had harsh criticism of Homeland Security Department Secretary Janet Napolitano, saying her judgment was deserving of serious questioning.

The across-the-board cuts in federal spending - $85 billion through September and $1.2 trillion more over the following nine years - can be dictated by the president, Barletta said.

"The president has bypassed Congress with executive orders in the past. Now we gave him the football to pick and choose where these cuts will actually fall within the departments, and instead he's blaming everyone else instead of sitting down with people in Washington," Barletta said.

Furloughs coming

More than half of the nation's 2.1 million government workers may be required to take furloughs if automatic budget cuts take effect and agencies are forced to trim budgets, according to the AP.

Federal prison workers face up to 14 days of furlough between April and September.

Barletta said those facing furlough or job losses can point their fingers at the president.

"He makes the decision on who loses their jobs and who doesn't, what programs get cut. He has the flexibility to make whatever cuts he wants. He can go into departments and dictate where he wants those cuts to fall. Everyone he has paraded behind him for losing their jobs, can thank him for losing their jobs," he said.

As for Friday's planned meeting between Obama and Legislative leaders, he said "I'm not optimistic that much will happen. Why wait until Friday?"