SUNBURY - A $1.6 million federal lawsuit has been filed by eight inmates at Northumberland County Prison against administrators and correctional officers at the jail for inhumane conditions, racial discrimination, retaliation and cruel and unusual punishment.

The hand-written, class-action complaint was filed March 4 in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Scranton, by inmates Angel Espada, Matthew Romero, Timothy Tyler, Tyrone Short, Hakeem Jefferson, Robert Perez, Jason Mercado and Katone Walker against Warden Roy Johnson, Commander Brian Wheary, Lts. Jim Smink, Jason Carl and Michael Walburn, and Sgts. Michael Gibbs, Krista Brouse and Joshua Lehman.

Brouse and Lehman also were named as defendants in $1 million lawsuits filed in September by two other inmates.

The plaintiffs are seeking transfers to another facility, $200,000 each, release from segregation, and for the prison to correct and improve its conditions.

The complaint claims inmates requested forms in February to document grievances related to bias and racial misconduct by correctional officers, but were denied the forms.

Inmates claim the defendants only allowed mostly white prisoners to go on work release, have prison jobs, receive necessary supplies and clothes and be treated with respect during their incarceration. They also claim they were placed in cells that had poor ventilation and broken windows that allowed cold air and vermin to seep in.

The complaint states that all eight inmates were placed inside a filthy cell that had one toilet, two windows and eight bunks and was littered with dead bugs and cockroaches.

The suit claims on Feb. 22, all the plaintiffs were threatened with force by Smink with the support of Johnson and Wheary if they did not comply with orders.

On Feb. 23, all eight inmates were locked in a cell for all but two hours of recreation time, and were denied a shower because the prison was without hot water, according to the complaint.

On Feb. 26, Carl informed the inmates that they would have to wear handcuffs connected to a black box with a chain attached, and wear leg chains, the suit states.

Various other claims are made by the plaintiffs against the defendants in the suit.

Northumberland County Commissioner and prison board chairman Stephen Bridy, who had not yet seen the lawsuit Monday, stated, "It's unfortunate, but the county has become a hot spot for lawsuits. I believe the new camera system we plan to install at the prison will eliminate or reduce the likelihood of inmates filing lawsuits."

Johnson, who is on medical leave, was unavailable for comment Monday.

Two Shamokin-based nonprofits and several organizations that help people throughout Northumberland County are part of today's unique "Raise the Region" online fundraising event.

Sponsored by First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania (FCFP), Raise the Region began at midnight and goes until 11:59 p.m. tonight.

"We are very excited to bring this first regional event to the area and help all these great organizations," Erin Ruhl, FCFP director of community relations, said Monday. "We will be watching the site all day (today) to see the money just grow and grow."

Donors are urged to go to www.raisetheregion.org and, from a computer, smartphone or other online connection, make a donation to one or more of the 161 organizations from Columbia, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder and Union counties. A minimum $25 is needed for each tax-deductible contribution.

The contributions will be matched by Blaise Alexander Family Dealerships, which has pledged $125,000 to the cause.

"All of these organizations had applied to us by Feb. 15 to be a part of this event. The requirement was that the organization had to be a 501(c)3 nonprofit," Ruhl said.

Real-time updates

People can watch the leaderboard at raisetheregion.org for running totals as the site will be updated in real-time as the donations come in. Staff from FCFP will be talking about the event at locations throughout the area, and will be at the Blaise Alexander dealership in Muncy watching the numbers come in from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Additional incentive prizes totaling $37,500, donated by Autotrakk prepaid transportation and Larson Design Group, will be given away. Among them is the $10,000 Powerful Communities Prize, where each participating nonprofit that has at least one gift by 10 a.m. is entered to win. Then, every hour between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., two organizations will be randomly selected from the pool to receive $1,000 each.

A few "founder" prizes will play off FCFP's origination date, 1916. The organization that receives the 1,916th donation will receive $1,000, as will the organization that receives a donation closest to 7:16 p.m., "19:16" in military time.

The foundation, whose slogan is "Creating Powerful Communities Through Passionate Giving," describes Raise the Region as a unique event "that provides an opportunity for people who care about their community to come together and raise as much money as possible for local nonprofits in 24 hours." It's the first time FCFP has supported this type of fundraiser.

FCFP primarily serves Lycoming, Montour and Union counties, but included Columbia, Northumberland and Snyder counties for this event on behalf of Alexander, which has dealerships in all six counties.

Two local groups

In Shamokin, Central Susquehanna Opportunities (CSO) Inc. and the Northumberland County Council for the Arts and Humanities are among the participants.

CSO also got help over the past three days from Rob's Good Time Grill in Shamokin and Irish Isle Provisions and Brewser's SportsGrille, both in Coal Township, with each business contributing part of a day's proceeds toward CSO. Today, Wayside Inn, Route 61, Weigh Scales, will donate 20 percent from each customer's bill toward CSO.

Countywide organizations that are part of Raise the Region include American Red Cross Sunbury chapter; Northumberland County Court Appointed Special Advocate, part of a national program that provides volunteer advocates for neglected and abused children in the court system; Boy Scouts of America Susquehanna Valley Council and others.

Adam Alexander said his family's company had always given to one charitable organization each year, but "Raise the Region gives us the opportunity to support a number of local nonprofits in one year by matching the gifts that people at home make to nonprofits through this event," he was quoted in a press release from the foundation.

All gifts will be verified for eligibility and an announcement detailing the money raised and incentive prizes will be made Wednesday. All organizations will receive their money within 30 days, Ruhl said.

On the Net: www.raisetheregion.org.

Motorcycle safety courses slated

COAL TOWNSHIP - The Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program (PAMSP) is offering free motorcycle classes for Pennsylvania residents at the Shamokin Area Middle/High School several times during the spring and summer months. Students who successfully complete the knowledge and skills tests will receive a motorcycle license from PennDOT.

A motorcycle permit or license is needed in order to register for a class. Participants will need to go to a PennDOT Drivers License Center and obtain a motorcycle learner's permit before registering.

Information about the courses is available at www.pamsp.com.

Identity theft topic for Lifetree

ELYSBURG - Practical ways to protect yourself from identity theft will be discussed at this weeks Lifetree Café discussion, 7 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Elysburg Presbyterian Church, 320 W. Valley Ave.

The program, titled "They Hijacked My Life!," features an exclusive filmed interview with identity-theft expert John Sileo, author of "Stolen Lives: Identity Theft Prevention Made Simple." Sileo regularly appears on NBC, ABC and Fox to provide tips and techniques for protecting confidential personal information from theft online,

Admission to the 60-minute event is free and snacks and beverages are available. For more information, call 672-2873 or visit facebook.com/LifetreeCafeAtEPC.

The amount paid toward health insurance coverage for elected officials and municipal employees is public information and should not be withheld because of the "HIPAA" law.

That is the opinion of Melissa Melewsky, media law counsel for the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association,

and Kim McNally de Bourbon, executive director of the Pennsylvania Freedom of Information Coalition (FOIC), who were consulted about the city of Shamokin's stance in rejecting Right-to-Know requests for those records.

Melewsky and de Bourbon said the Right-to-Know Law spells out that such records should be public, and cited a 2009 ruling from the state's Office of Open Records (OOR) in which Luzerne County was ordered to provide similar records.

De Bourbon said the tipping point in such cases is whether there is "individually identifiable health information," which is what the Right-to-Know Law says may be withheld. But, "That's information about an individual's health or medical treatment," she said, "not how much the city pays for the individual's insurance coverage."

As long as someone is seeking insurance plan costs and not copies of insurance bills that would disclose treatments or medical conditions, the records should be open, she said. Exceptions in the law don't apply to financial records, although personal information can be redacted.

Shamokin identified the health, life and vision group benefits costs for council members, the mayor, controller, solicitor, community development officer and secretary as one line item in the 2012 budget; the total was $121,901. But city clerk and Right-to-Know officer Steve Bartos said to provide individual costs would violate HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

He denied a Right-to-Know request from The News-Item in November and four requests from Northumberland County Commissioner Chairman Vinny Clausi in November and December. The two parties did not know about the other's requests.

The News-Item, which did not appeal the denial, asked for individual health care cost information as part of its reporting on the city budget.

Clausi said he was seeking the information on behalf of three city residents. Clausi appealed the ruling to the OOR, but it was denied due to a filing error.

In a brief supporting the "intervenor" in the Luzerne County case, Melewsky wrote that if the court supported the contention that HIPAA precludes access to financial records showing health care costs, "it would constitute a significant departure from the letter and intent of the Right-to-Know Law and would do great harm to the public's ability to understand and evaluate public spending by public agencies."

Luzerne County appealed OOR's ruling, but a final determination of that case could not be obtained over the past few days.

By Justin Strawser

SUNBURY - The Northumberland County Board of Elections reversed a decision Wednesday morning to consolidate certain election districts in the county because there wouldn't be enough time to properly close polling stations before the 2013 elections are over.

Earlier this month, a resolution was passed that called for nine voting precincts to be consolidated into four in Mount Carmel, four precincts to be consolidated into two in Mount Carmel Township, six precincts to be consolidated into three in Shamokin, and two precincts in Zerbe Township to be reduced to one, a move that was expected to save the county $24,000. The consolidation was originally expected to take effect for the May 21 primary election.

"It was too close to the election. We got a lot of complaints. It's the right thing to do," Commissioner Vinny Clausi said Wednesday.

The board was also afraid that registered voters who don't get newspapers that list the consolidations might show up at the wrong polling stations on election day.

Commissioner Stephen Bridy told his fellow commissioners they wouldn't be able to decide which districts would be closing until after the general election in November since they wouldn't have the appropriate data to make an informed decision.

However, he said, a notice could be placed at every polling station to inform voters of possible changes after the election, and letters could be sent out to the voters of the districts where changes would occur.

"If we do this, it has to be fair and equitable across the county," Bridy said.

The commissioner presented a four-page study showing the number of precincts in the county, the number of registered voters within a municipality, the area in square miles and how many polling stations could potentially be closed.

It is possible that 29 precincts will be consolidated for an overall savings of approximately $30,000.

The commissioners directed Alisha Herb, chief registrar of the county board of elections office, to make a recommendation to the board shortly after the general election.

Last week, Herb said the move to consolidate precincts would save the county $12,000 per election or $24,000 per year in poll workers' salaries, rent, paperwork and supplies.

Herb said the primary reason for the consolidations is the low number of voters in each of the precincts. She said residents would not have to travel much farther to vote in their new precincts.

Clover Hose egg hunt, food drive set

MOUNT CARMEL - The Clover Hose annual Easter egg hunt for local children up to 10 years of age is set for 2 p.m. Sunday, March 24, at the Mount Carmel baseball fields at Railroad and Hickory streets.

The event is a means of saying thank you to the community for its support of local fire departments and emergency services personnel. The event includes a visit from the Easter Bunny and the Clover's mascot, the Green Gator.

The baseball fields are covered with Easter eggs distributed on the fields by members of Clover Hose Company. In addition to collecting eggs, every child who attends will receive a gift.

Those driving into the complex are asked to use the Market street entrance by the borough swimming pool, and to remember to watch for children and allow for passage of the fire apparatus when parking.

Clover Hose and local merchants are again sponsoring a food drive throughout the borough until March 29. Containers are placed at Academy Sports Center, Boyer's Market, Community Pharmacy, Clover Hose Co, Grayson's Butcher Shop, Matlow's, Mount Carmel Library, Puff's, Scicchitano's Ace Hardware, Shaulinski's, Vine Street Hoagie Shop and Winnie the Pooh Daycare. Food collected will be given to the local food bank and distributed to people of Mount Carmel.

Concert to help Relay for Life

MOUNT CARMEL - A relay rally benefit concert will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 13, at the Mount Carmel Junior-Senior High School.

The concert will feature True Becoming, a Mount Carmel-based rock band that has performed on the Scranton stop of the Rockstar Uproar tour and in other venues with Papa Roach, In This Moment, Mindset Evolution, Fuel, Candlebox, Pop Evil and Candlelight Red.

There will also be food, fun and raffles, along with a meet and greet with the band during and after the concert. Tickets for the concert will be on sale at the high school and at several local businesses from Friday through April 12. Tickets cost $5 for students and $10 for non-students.

SUNBURY - The Sunbury man with physical disabilities who died in a house fire Tuesday night was described by his neighbors as a quality individual.

"He's the best guy you'd ever want as a friend," Joe Young said.

Kriss Berry said he was "a great guy and helped everyone."

Both men were standing outside the scene Wednesday morning watching firefighters rummage through 1005 Penn St., where Keith "Bo" Bordner, 53, was unable to escape or be rescued from a fire that destroyed his house.

Northumberland County Coroner James Kelley reported Wednesday that he pronounced Bordner dead at the scene in the living room in the front of the house. Kelley was assisted by Chief Deputy Coroner James Gotlob in the investigation.

The death, which was ruled accidental, was caused by thermal injuries, Kelley said.

Sunbury Fire Department Chief Mike Rhoads said Bordner's wife, Debra, attempted to get her husband, who may have been in a wheelchair due to rheumatoid arthritis, out of the house, but was overcome by smoke.

Members of the fire department and police department also attempted to rescue Bordner, but were turned back by intense flames, Rhoads said.

Debra Bordner was treated at the scene, and no one else was injured, Rhoads said.

Neighbors said the Bordners and their 22-year-old son Jesse, who was not home at the time of the fire, have lived at the house for more than 15 years.

"He was the best," Berry, of 1003 Penn St. said of Bordner.

Joe Young, who used to own 1009 Penn St., said he kept in touch with the family even after he moved away from the neighborhood.

Berry's wife reported the fire at 8:50 p.m. Tuesday at the Penn Street home, which is located near the street's intersection with South 10th Street about a block-and-a-half from the Shikellamy High School.

After failed attempts to rescue Bordner by emergency personnel, the entire front of the building was engulfed in flames within minutes.

Rhoads said there were challenges from strong wind gusts and several oxygen tanks exploding, as well as saving the house located at 1003 Penn St. separated by just inches from 1005.

"The fire department did an absolute professional job last night. They saved my house. I can't thank them enough," Berry said.

The only damage was to siding and part of a porch roof, and there was no inside fire or smoke damage, he said.

Rhoads said the fire originated in the living room where Bordner was found in an area with multiple power cords and power strips. At approximately 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, firefighters investigating the burned shell of a structure brought out what appeared to be a burned power cord, which Rhoads confirmed is suspected to have sparked the fire.

The house, which was insured, is a total loss, the chief said.

Approximately 50 firefighters from Sunbury, Upper Augusta, Shamokin Dam, Northumberland and Shamokin responded.

The last fatal fire that occurred in the city happened in February 2008, Rhoads said.

Judith Lou Shade, 71, of 1054 Miller St., was unable to escape her home after a fire broke out at 1:15 p.m. Feb. 16, and was pronounced dead at the scene by Gotlob.

SUNBURY - Here is a complete breakdown of candidates who filed nomination petitions for county, major municipal and school board offices:

Northumberland County

Controller - Democrat, Christopher L. Grayson, Mount Carmel. Republican, Tony Phillips, Sunbury.

Magisterial district judge (Milton area) - Democrat and Republican, Seth M. Cotner, Northumberland; Larry Redington, Northumberland; Mike Diehl, Northumberland, and Lisa A. Riley, Watsontown.

Register and Recorder - Republican, Mary L. Zimmerman, Northumberland. Democrat, No candidates filed.

Prothonotary - Democrat, Meg Bartos, Mount Carmel. Republican, Justin Dunkelberger, Northumberland, and Jamie Saleski, Coal Township.

Coroner - Democrat, James F. Kelley, Coal Township. Republican, Leo J, Mirolli Jr., Coal Township.

Coal Township

Tax collector - Democrat, Sharon L. Castetter; no Republicans filed.

Commissioner (2 to be elected) - Democrats, Craig Fetterman and Gerard W. Waugh III; Republican, Paul M. Leshinskie.

East Cameron Township

Tax collector - Democrat, Bonnie Collier; no Republicans filed.

Supervisor - Republicans, Wayne Kahler and Gary Rothermel; no Democrats filed.

Kulpmont

Mayor - Democrats, Nicholas Goretski III and Bernard P. Novakoski; no Republicans filed.

Tax collector - Democrat, Linda M. Nolter; no Republicans filed.

Council (four to be elected) - Democrats, Clarence Deitrick, Stephen Motyka, Bruno R. Varano and Joseph Winhofer; no Republicans filed.

Auditor - Democrat, Diane Padula; no Republicans filed.

Mount Carmel Borough

Mayor - Democrats, Jason R. Bower, Philip Cimino and Cynthia A. Clayton; no Republicans filed.

Tax collector - Democrat, Deborah M. Kaleta; no Republicans filed.

Council (4 to be elected) - Democrats, Dave Fantini, Ed Fegley, Heather Gusky-Anderson, Tina Maschal, Tony Matulewicz, Shawn D. Reed and Robert Shirmer; Republican, Clem Plisiewicz.

Mount Carmel Township

Tax collector - Democrat, Janice V. Costello; no Republicans filed.

Supervisor - Democrat, Joseph A. Zanella.

Shamokin

Mayor - Democrat, William D. Milbrand and R. Craig Rhoades; Republican, Dan McGaw.

City treasurer - Democrat, Brenda L. Scandle; no Republicans filed.

Controller - Republican, Gary Haddock; no Democrats filed.

Council (2 to be elected) - Democrat, Scott D. Anderson; Republican, Robert Gilligbauer, Barbara Moyer, William R. Strausser and Charlie Verano.

Upper Mahanoy Township

Tax collector - Republican, Jennifer Laudenslager-Leitzel; no Democrats filed.

West Cameron Township

Tax collector - Republican, Paul Smink; no Democrats filed.

Supervisor - Republican, David Moore; no Democrats filed.

Zerbe Township

Tax collector - Democrat, Penny Balavage; no Republicans filed.

Supervisor - Republican, Gene G. Geise; no Democrats filed.

Jackson Township

Tax collector - Democrat, Janice Weikel; no Republicans filed.

Little Mahanoy Township

Tax collector - Republican, Joyce J. Deeben; no Democrats filed.

Lower Mahanoy Township

Tax collector - Republican, Carol J. Witmer; no Democrats filed.

Supervisor - Republican, Todd M. Mace and Richard G. Zeiders; no Democrats filed.

Ralpho Township

Supervisor - Republican, Blaine P, Madara; no Democrats filed.

Riverside

Mayor - Democrat, John E. Lamotte; Republican, Joe Oberdorf.

Tax collector - Republican, Thomas R. Summers; no Democrats filed.

Council (four to be elected) - Republicans, Caressa S. Compton, John B. Domanski and Michael Maize.

Rush Township

Tax collector - Democrat, Penny L. Hertzog; no Republicans filed.

Supervisor - Democrat, Darryl L. Hertzog; Republicans, David L. Betts and Leon Woodruff.

Shamokin Township

Tax collector - Republican, Lisa Deitrick; no Democrats filed.

Supervisor - Republican, Paul T. Rapp; no Democrats filed.

Snydertown

Tax collector - Republican, Judith A. Wary; no Democrats filed.

Council (four to be elected) - Democrat, Paul Shaw; Democrats, Terry L. Curran, Charles Dalpiaz, Paul H. Kehler and Larry Wary.

Shamokin Area School Board

Four to be elected - Mark Anonia, Sol Bidding, Edward M. Griffiths, Richard A. Kashnoski, Matthew Reed Losiewicz, Brian G. Persing, Diane C. Serafin and Rosalie Smoogen, all filed Democrat and Republican.

Mount Carmel Area School Board

Four to be elected - William J. Brecker Jr., filed as Democrat; Democrat and Republican, Donna M. James, Raymond Kraynak, Tony Mazzatesta and Joseph Edward Zanella.

Line Mountain School Board

Region 1 (two to be elected) - Lawrence I. Neidig and Ronald H. Neidig, Democrat and Republican.

Region 2 (one to be elected) - Dennis W. Erdman, Democrat and Republican, and Janice R. Stutts, Democrat.

Region 3 (one to be elected) - Daniel Zablosky, Democrat and Republican.

Southern Columbia

Region 1 (one to be elected) - Joseph M. Klebon and Mike Yeager, both Democrat and Republican.

COAL TOWNSHIP - Shamokin-Coal-Township Girls Youth Softball Organization was commended Wednesday night by officials at Northumberland County Career and Technology Center (NCCTC) for raising thousands of dollars through various fund-raising activities to make extensive improvements to the Vo-Tech Field.

The school's operating agency approved the organization's proposed improvements for the 2013 season and entered into a lease agreement with the group for 10 years at a cost of $1 per year to use the field from Feb. 1 to July 31.

The field improvements include $2,700 for a scoreboard, $1,500 for bleacher repairs, $1,500 for dugouts, $2,000 for an additional shed for storage, $800 for new concession stand shelves and a door, continued drainage improvements, $200 to install a flagpole and $1,750 for five tri-axle loads of 2B stone.

Board members praised the leaders of the organization for their outstanding efforts in maintaining and improving the field. League officials in attendance at the meeting, who noted the fund-raising efforts require a lot of work, expressed its appreciation to the board for their cooperation.

Approximately 140 girls participate in the organization.

Approving the lease agreement and proposed improvements were operating agency president Ronald McElwee, Donna James, Brian Persing, Dennis Erdman, Michael Rovito, Charles Shuey and David Scott Bartholomew.

The board also entered into a lease agreement with the Shamokin Bears Youth Football Organization for 10 years at a cost of $1 per year to use the Vo-Tech Field from Aug. 1 to Jan. 31.

The operating agency granted permission to Faith Neiter (basic health care), Devon Sullivan (customer service) and Kiesha Foulds (medical math) of Shamokin Area, Jordan Klimas (firefighting) and Ashley Evans (nurse assistant) from Mount Carmel Area, and Joseph Katalinas (first aid/CPR) of Line Mountain to compete in the Pennsylvania State Skills USA Leadership and Skill Competition April 3 to 5 in Hershey.

The costs of the competition are covered by the NCCTC Skills USA Club.

James Monaghan, administrative director at NCCTC, said school officials are continuing to apply a "full-court press" in its recruiting efforts.

An executive session to discuss contract negotiations involving instructors was held after the brief meeting.

SHAMOKIN - The city police department has registered with a national nonprofit organization to enhance community awareness when a child is reported missing.

Area residents can register with A Child Is Missing to receive emergency alerts when city police report a missing person. The service applies to children, elderly, college students and people with physical or mental disorders such as Down syndrome, autism or Alzheimer's.

"What I liked about it is the elderly aspect of it. We're running more and more into people with dementia and Alzheimer's," said Police Chief Ed Griffiths.

Police officers will call A Child is Missing upon learning of a missing person. The firm will then use its online database and mapping system to place alerts to residents and businesses in the area where the report was made, according to a company press release.

The Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based organization says it can place 1,000 alert phone calls within one minute of a report.

According to the press release, A Child is Missing has assisted in the recovery of more than 1,500 persons.

The service is free, and Griffiths encourages people to register.

For more information, visit www.achildismissing.org.

Department reports

Monthly departmental reports for the city code, fire and police departments and the treasurer's office were shared during Monday's meeting of city council.

Rick Bozza, code officer, reported that his office received 27 calls and six walk-in complaints, and that he made 31 property visits. He issued nine citations and 14 written warnings, and conducted three health inspections. He also assisted on one police incident and two fire incidents.

The code office generated $16,809 in tickets and permits in February: building, $235; Dumpster, $100; excavating, $545; health inspections, $300; landlord registration, $8,900; code violation tickets, $125; paid parking, $612; restricted parking, $3,960; reserved parking, $1,400; amusement licenses, $525; snow plow, $100, and copies, $7.

Robert Wolfe, fire chief, reported Shamokin Fire Bureau members responded to 28 calls in February, including five residential fires, three chimney fires, three motor vehicle accidents, two stand-by assignments and one outdoor natural gas leak,

Griffiths reported police officers responded to 1,233 calls in February, patrolled 4,531 miles, filed 21 criminal complaints, 15 traffic citations, nine non-traffic citations, 12 parking citations and three juvenile petitions. Officers also issued 237 parking tickets, five code tickets and seven written warnings.

Brenda Scandle, treasurer, reported the following balances as of March 1: general fund, $18,685.93; library, $982.26; contingent, $230.16; sinking fund, $197.93; motor license, $2.56, and recreation, $6.96.

SHAMOKIN - A $1,220 bill was sent from City Hall to Northumberland County commissioners seeking payment of legal costs stemming from Vinny Clausi's request for health care insurance information for Shamokin's elected officials.

The requests under the state's Right-to-Know Law were made via e-mail, mail and fax by Clausi through the commissioners office. With that, City Clerk Steve Bartos said the bill belongs to the county instead of Clausi alone.

In a Feb. 22 letter to the commissioners regarding the bill, Bartos wrote, "Although additional costs were incurred by the city in the way of man hours to process the four requests submitted, we are only seeking repayment of our legal costs at this time."

He requested repayment within 30 days from receipt of the letter.

Clausi says he has no intention of having the county pay.

"I'm not paying no bill," he said Monday. "They can take us to court."

Clausi made Right-to-Know requests on Nov. 13, 14, 27 and Dec. 18. He says he did so as a commissioner on behalf of three city residents who feared retribution if they requested the information themselves, and believes that the information should be made public because it involves public funds.

He sought specific costs for elected officials and their relatives enrolled in the city's health care plan at various intervals dating to 2006. If they waived insurance benefits, Clausi asked if they were compensated with a waiver check.

All four requests for information specific to an individual were denied by Bartos, the city's Right-to-Know officer, on the grounds that the information would violate privacy regulations. Bartos pointed to opinions both by the city's health care provider and a representative of U.S. Health and Human Services that supported his ruling.

Bartos did provide to Clausi aggregate amounts highlighted in city budgets over the past four years, along with general information on benefits offered under the health care plan.

Group benefits for council members, the mayor, controller, solicitor, community development officer and a secretary are lumped into one line item in the 2013 budget, according to Bartos. It totaled $121,901 for health, life and vision.

Both Mayor George Rozinskie and Councilman Michael Snyder declined health benefits in 2012, as told to The News-Item on prior occasions. Rozinskie confirmed Tuesday he also declined health benefits in 2013. Attempts to confirm that with Snyder were unsuccessful.

Bartos also answered Clausi's request for cell phone costs for the mayor and councilmen: the total, including projections for 2013, being $1,187.16 for Rozinskie. No councilmen have cell phone bills paid by the city, according to records included in Bartos' reply.

Clausi appealed the city's last rejection to the state Office of Open Records in December. That's when the city turned to a law firm with which it was already working to assist on the appeal, Barley Snyder of Harrisburg. The firm reviewed privacy regulations and the Right-to-Know Law and advised the city on such. It also filed a response to the appeal outlining an argument for denial. Its invoices for the work totaled $1,220, according to an e-mail to the city from the firm.

Bartos says the law provides avenues to recoup costs related to Right-to-Know requests, and it's city policy to charge for copies, postage and legal fees, but the city has sought only legal fees.

Clausi's appeal eventually was denied by the state due to a filing error, but there have been other cases involving health care cost records for public employees. (See separate story.)

Fellow Commissioner Stephen Bridy has followed Clausi's lead, filing a Right-to-Know request for the same information to the city on Feb. 20. That, too, was denied and was termed a "serial filing" and a "waste" of time and resources by Bartos in his reply letter.

Bridy filed an appeal with the state Tuesday. If it's rejected, Clausi suggested the county could sue the city. "We could get our solicitor to take them to court," he said.

There is an alternative option Clausi could pursue to acquire the information. According to Bartos, Clausi could ask each elected official individually to sign a waiver releasing the information.

Bartos said his office has spent ample time on the requests and responded to each one in detail. "I have more than a full week responding to this; at least 35 hours, at least," he said.

COAL TOWNSHIP - The woman whose body was found in a wooded area east of Locust Gap died of natural causes, according to the Northumberland County coroner.

James F. Kelley said the death of Rochelle M. Stief, 48, of Mount Carmel was cardiac-related.

Kelley said he spoke to Stief's physician and made his determination based on her medical history and his investigation of the scene where her body was found.

"Her car was stuck in the mud. That's a strain on the heart and body," he said.

There will be no autopsy or toxicology test.

Kelly believes Stief's body was in the woods about 24 hours.

Her body was reported found about 4:50 p.m. Sunday afternoon by a group of off-roaders who came upon her 1999 Pontiac Grand Am, which was parked in the woods about 200 yards from Route 901. She was lying outside the vehicle. There was mud smeared on the vehicle's front-end and some splattered on either side.

Mount Carmel Township Police did not believe her death to be suspicious.

ELYSBURG - Neighbors expressed concern to Ralpho Township officials Tuesday night that construction of a home along Hillside Avenue will cause further water runoff problems at their properties.

Mark Noll, Mary Stout and Mark and Nancy Boyce attended the monthly supervisors meeting to question issuing of a building permit for the new home.

Noll said he wasn't aware that a permit had been granted for a home behind his until excavation recently began. He said he spoke to the builder in charge about the water problem he and neighbors encounter during rain storms. Noll said the builder told him he would build a swale to direct the water away from site.

Noll said he had previously fixed the water runoff problem in the area and believes the new construction could result in its return.

Mary Stout, who owns Central Penn Physical Therapy, said her livelihood could be hindered if excessive water gets onto her property.

The Boyces, Mark and his mother, who has lived at her home for 50 years, said they have the same problem with water running onto their property and believe building another house will cause more problems.

The neighbors said the new homeowner will have a basement swimming pool if the home is finished.

Supervisor Blaine Madara, who said he has visited the area, agreed there is a problem.

In addressing Noll's concern that he wasn't aware of a permit being granted, zoning/code enforcement officer Mark Lyash said there is no law stating a permit must be announced. He added that as long as the builder and owner meet the requirements for the building permit, it can be issued.

Lyash said such construction on less than one acre does not need a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit from Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The lot that for the permit is .778 acres.

The option solicitor Todd Kerstetter gave to Stout was to appeal the permit, which must be done 30 days after being issued. The permit was issued on Feb. 12, however, leaving just two days for an appeal from the time of Tuesday's meeting.

The supervisors said their hands are tied, but they asked Lyash to call the homeowner and discuss the issue.

In other business, the township announced that the state Department of Environmental Protection Act 101 Recycling Program gave the township a $3,837 grant for recycling.

MAHANOY CITY - For the second year in a row, Blaschak Coal Corp. has achieved record mine production, experiencing a 33 percent increase in output in 2012, the company recently reported in a press release.

Last year, the 75-year-old company's "run-of-mine" coal production - the coal that is removed from mines - exceeded 850,000 tons. Blaschak's prepared coal sales were more than 300,000 tons. Additionally, the company generated record sales revenue and profitability.

Blaschak had reported already in September that it had topped 2011's output in just nine months.

With global industrial demand for anthracite coal on the rise and continued strength in some domestic markets, the company says it expects additional growth in 2013.

"With a difficult global economy at the start of the year, 2013 will be a challenge, but recognition of anthracite as an environmentally beneficial and economical alternative to other sources of carbon in many industrial applications is spreading in the marketplace" Greg Driscoll, president and CEO, was quoted in the press release. "We're seeing promising activities in the domestic steel industry, for example, with regard to demand for anthracite."

Since 2011, Blaschak has acquired a new mine site and processing plant in Lattimer, Pa., as well as additional excavating and processing equipment. The company has the current capacity to produce 1 million run-of-mine tons and its processing capability yields up to 450,000 "prepared" tons annually.

COAL TOWNSHIP - Police are investigating four suspected heroin overdoses that occurred in the township during the past two months, two of which resulted in death.

Heroin packaging in those cases is similar to that found at the home of a 22-year-old Cleveland Township man who nearly died from an apparent heroin overdose last month. He allegedly obtained the drug from individuals charged after a bust at Glosser Motor Inn, Paxinos, the same day as his overdose.

"There is a heroin problem in the area and we are continuing to investigate all

four incidents we believe may be related to heroin," Coal Township Detective Jeff Brennan said.

He said males and females were involved and heroin packages in some of the overdoses appear to be similar.

"We are trying to determine if they came from the same source," he said.

He wouldn't release further details because of the ongoing investigations.

Found by mother

Locust Township police said similar packaging material has been linked to the near death of Jason Ryan Kobbe, who allegedly overdosed during the early-morning hours of Feb. 4 at his home at 131 Wynn School Road.

Kobbe has been charged by Locust Township Patrolman Nicholas Thorpe with possession of drug paraphernalia involving approximately 10 blue wax paper empty heroin bags marked "Double Dose," which police found floating in a downstairs toilet in Kobbe's home.

Kobbe is scheduled to face a preliminary hearing at 1:45 p.m. May 2 before Magisterial District Judge Craig Long of Catawissa.

According to a criminal complaint filed by Thorpe, Kobbe was found by his mother, Suzanne Kobbe, at 3:35 a.m. barely breathing and foaming from the mouth. Police said Kobbe consumed heroin and had to be given Narcan, a medication that counteracts the effects of opiates such as heroin.

As Kobbe regained consciousness, he began to resist medics' efforts to treat him before relaxing after being able to breathe on his own.

Police said Kobbe eventually became fully conscious, sat up and began vomiting on the floor before being taken on a stretcher to an awaiting ambulance to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville.

Link to Glosser bust?

Thorpe was informed at 5 a.m. that day by Ralpho Township Patrolman Christopher Grow that Kobbe was possibly involved in a burglary and possibly purchased narcotics from two individuals that Grow had in custody. Police said it was possible the narcotics Kobbe purchased were used in his overdose.

Kobbe's mother told police her son was out most of the night with friends and returned home around 11 or 11:30 p.m. She said her son had completed a treatment program for drug addiction in December and that he had been struggling to stay clean.

Suzanne Kobbe granted Thorpe permission to search her home, where the empty heroin packages were found. Police also discovered a spoon that was bent into the shape necessary to liquify heroin before injection.

Thorpe later learned from Grow that Jason Kobbe had been with Jordan Detalente, 18, of Bloomsburg, and that he allegedly obtained heroin from individuals associated with Detalente.

Detalente, her boyfriend, Allen Mikael Varilek, 21, of Slatington, and Justice Devlin Hoffman, 18, of Slatington, were charged by Grow with multiple drug offenses in connection with a Feb. 4 incident at Glosser Motor Inn in Paxinos.

A search warrant was obtained for the room where the three defendants were found. Police said they confiscated 71 blue bags of suspected heroin, four grams of suspected marijuana, approximately eight grams of suspected cocaine, approximately one gram of Ecstasy, needles, currency and other drug paraphernalia.

Varilek and Hoffman also were charged by state police in Bethlehem in connection with a car theft and home burglary in Lehigh County.

All three defendants, who remain incarcerated at Northumberland County Prison, waived their rights to preliminary hearings and were ordered to appear for plea court in the Court of Common Pleas, Sunbury.

COAL TOWNSHIP - An ordinance being considered by Coal Township commissioners will increase the onus on utility companies to repave roadways after completing underground work.

Anyone digging up a roadway and disturbing more than 10 percent of one township block would be required to resurface the entire section of roadway between intersections.

Current ordinance mandates roadway resurfacing when 33 percent of a township block is disturbed.

Commissioners voted during their meeting Thursday to advertise their intent to adopt the ordinance.

"Everybody's having a problem with streets falling apart. We just want to protect our taxpayers and our streets," Commissioner

Gene Welsh said after the meeting. "There's nothing worse than driving up the road and it's like a washboard from all the patching."

At their workshop meeting Tuesday, commissioners said Aqua Pennsylvania disapproved of the proposal and threatened to halt waterline upgrades if the ordinance is adopted.

Commissioners said any utility with underground infrastructure would have to service or upgrade its waterlines regardless of what ordinance is in place.

If adopted, the ordinance would be in place ahead of pending plans by the Shamokin-Coal Township Joint Sewer Authority to install new sewer lines in the township's west end and elsewhere.

In other business, the commissioners:

- Authorized an indemnification agreement for a 1,250-foot access road to the developing Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area near Burnside. The township received a $300,000 federal grant from Appalachian Regional Commission to construct the road. If the park were to fail, the indemnification agreement would protect the township from grant recovery, which would then fall on the AOAA Authority;

- Voted to advertise an ordinance reducing the square footage needed for a child day care center from 20,000 to 5,000. Officials said this would reduce the need for parties interested in opening day cares from having to obtain zoning variances;

- Modified 2009 and 2010 CDBG budgets to use remaining money from completed projects to pave Arch Street from Ash Street to Woodlawn Avenue, and Walnut Street from Poplar to Ash streets;

- Scheduled a public hearing on 2013 CDBG funding for the start of the April 11 meeting at 7 p.m.

Department reports

The township police department received 277 complaints last month and patrolled 4,991 miles. Officers investigated 29 traffic accidents and issued 32 parking tickets, 19 criminal complaints or non-traffic citations, 10 traffic citations and one code ticket. All six cases of abandoned vehicles reported were abated.

Members of the township fire department logged 118 hours, 31 minutes of service on 22 emergency calls in February, including at seven traffic accidents and three calls for mutual aid at fires.

Street sweeping will begin, weather permitting, March 25 in the Edgewood and Ferndale sections. Residents are asked to move their vehicles when posted. Cooperation will create more time for unscheduled side streets to be swept.

The township street department treated roads during seven storms in February, made temporary repairs to Dans Way, which will be completed when weather improves, and cleaned drainage ditches in Ferndale. Crews also filled pot holes as weather permitted, picked up cinder piles, trash and recycling and performed sign maintenance.

Charles Shuey, recycling coordinator, said in his monthly report that he will pursue state grant funding that could be used toward the purchase of a new loader at the facility on Venn Access Road.

A total of 158,747 pounds of recyclable materials were shipped in February from the township recycling center. The facility operated last month at a loss of $777.52, due in part to a load of newspaper contaminated by foil-backed wrapping paper. That load went for about $600 less than usual. While the center is slightly in the red for 2013, Shuey said earlier this week that prices for materials are recovering.

The center will again begin collecting electronics on Thursdays only beginning April 4.

Code Officer Chris Petrovich reported having responded to 81 complaints in February, and having issued 18 building permits, 20 occupancy permits and four citations.

Township account balances as of Feb. 28: general fund, $14,408.32; fire protection, $5,615.94; library, $1,497.77; special highway, $162.85; police pension, $11,378; pension, $11,718.92; non-uniformed employee pension, $10,446.03; IDP grant, $31.37; EDA grant, $2,167.78; DEP grant, $42,439.02; construction code inspections, $2,362.71; Degenstein Foundation grant, $1,530.90; capital reserve, $198,887.98.

WILLIAMSPORT - The inaugural Raise the Region online fundraising campaign raised more than $700,000 for 161 nonprofit organizations in a six-county area.

Sponsored by the First Community Foundation Partnership (FCFP) of Pennsylvania, the 24-hour campaign ended at 11:59 p.m. Tuesday with 4,306 monetary donations of $25 or more that totaled $726,827.

Central Susquehanna Opportunities (CSO) Inc. and the Northumberland County Council of the Arts and Humanities (NCCAH), did very well in the final count.

Bolstered by events at several local businesses, CSO finished with $9,391 from 75 donations. NCCAH received 23 donations totaling $4,205. But that's not all they'll get.

NCCAH was also the recipient of an extra $1,000 Powerful Communities prize, one part of the $37,500 in incentive prizes that were donated by Autotrakk prepaid transportation and Larson Design Group. FCFP officials were still verifying some gifts and said a complete list of prizes awarded and totals would be made available Monday.

Also, all of the organizations involved will receive a $125,000 matching gift donated by part of Blaise Alexander Family Dealerships. To distribute that money equally, a pro-rated match was being calculated that, unofficially, will give organizations 17 cents for every dollar they raised through the event.

Based on its totals, that would give CSO another $1,596.47, raising its total to $10,987.47. NCCAH would receive another $684.25, which, with its incentive prizes, gives it an unofficial grand total of $5,709.25.

The foundation, whose slogan is "Creating Powerful Communities Through Passionate Giving," described Raise the Region as a unique event "that provides an opportunity for people who care about their community to come together and raise as much money as possible for local nonprofits in 24 hours."

FCFP primarily serves Lycoming, Montour and Union counties, but included Columbia, Northumberland and Snyder counties for this event on behalf of Alexander, which has dealerships in all six counties.

SHAMOKIN - "Friends Like Eagles; Polish Officers in America's Civil War," which commemorated the 105th anniversary of the Civil War, was held Monday in the auditorium at the Northumberland County Career and Arts Center as part of the fifth annual Slavic Performing Arts Heritage Festival, a free event organized by Vincent Chesney.

The crowd was treated to a feast of haluski, pierogies and homemade desserts themed for the event, in addition to Civil War-era food.

Chesney opened the performance by thanking everyone for coming then introduced the first speaker, Dr. James Pula. Pula is an award-winning author of more than 15 books and a professor of history at Purdue University North Central, in Westville, Ind. Pula began a slide show presentation starring Brigadier General W. Bodzimierz Krzyanowski, who commanded the 58th New York Volunteer Infantry, known as the "Polish Legion."

Pula explained the importance of the infantry and showed how it moved into battle, including the Battle of Gettysburg He then performed a reenactment of the movement of the Confederate Army and the Union Army at Gettysburg.

After a short intermission, the audience was invited to the stage to take a closer look at the infantry's flags.

The second speaker was Dennis Kubicki, a military reenactor from Frederick, Md., with three decades of experience who holds multiple master's degrees in management. Kubicki portrayed Kaspar/Gasparde Tochman, a confederate soldier from the 14th Louisiana Infantry, nicknamed the "First Polish Brigade," which was part of Confederate Colonel Valery Sulakowski's regiment.

Kubicki led the audience through times of war plagued by starvation, death and sickness and engaged them by asking questions regarding reasons the South was upset with President Lincoln.

Many consider these Polish officers to be war hawks, while others may see them as eagles for liberty and justice.

All three speakers then took the stage for a question-and-answer session with the audience.

An adjunct instructor at Luzerne County Community College, Chesney created this event to illustrate the rich history and ethnic diversity of the area and to connect subjects that students are learning to real-life context. Each year, the event allows the college and community to share in an entertaining and educational experience.

Part three in a series

The suspect in the killing of federal correctional officer Eric Williams had much more freedom at the U.S. Penitentiary at Canaan than he did when he was imprisoned in Arizona.

That state treats members of violent prison gangs, like Jessie Con-ui and his New Mexican Mafia cohorts, as major security threats and keeps them locked away, in isolation, for 23 hours a day, prison officials there said.

At Canaan, it appeared Con-ui was in the general population - free to leave his cell for meals and other activities and free to ambush Williams just before lockdown on Feb. 25.

"We had him listed as a member of the Mexican Mafia. We housed him in a lockdown setting. At that time, he was doing his time, awaiting his case," Sgt. D. Gomez, intelligence supervisor

visor for the Fourth Avenue Jail in Maricopa County, Ariz., said.

Con-ui, 36, spent five years in maximum-security custody at the Maricopa County facility before entering a plea agreement and being sentenced for killing a gang rival in Phoenix and aiding a prison drug ring, court and prison records show.

A Maricopa County judge sentenced Con-ui in June 2008 to life with the possibility of parole in 25 years, but ordered him to first report to federal prison to serve the remainder of an 11-year sentence for his role in a New Mexican Mafia drug-trafficking ring.

In federal prison, Con-ui's gang status was not enough to keep him in isolated, maximum-security custody as it was in Arizona, officials said.

"Just gang affiliation. No. We don't just isolate gang members," Federal Bureau of Prisons spokesman Chris Burke said. "We don't do that just based on gang affiliation. It's based on the specific security needs of the inmate."

The Fourth Avenue Jail is one of several supervised by Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who garnered national attention for his hard-line stance on illegal immigration and for forcing inmates to wear pink underwear and housing them in an outdoor "tent city."

Members of the New Mexican Mafia, which sprung up in the Arizona prison system in the 1980s, have a reputation for violence and for continuing to operate their crime syndicate from behind prison walls. For those reasons, Gomez said, the prison system keeps them isolated from other gang members and inmates.

"It's one of the most dangerous prison gangs we have in Arizona," Gomez said. "They are considered a security threat because they are a prison gang. They're pretty much placed in a lockdown setting. They're locked down in a cell for 23 hours a day and they are let out for one hour."

Con-ui was scheduled to complete his federal sentence in September and would have been immediately returned back to Arizona to begin serving his life term for the 2002 murder.

The day after Williams' death, prison officials swiftly transferred Con-ui from Canaan to a high-security prison in Allenwood, Union County, Burke said. Con-ui has yet to be charged in Williams' death, but could remain there indefinitely as the investigation continues.

A review of Arizona state prison policies Thursday suggested Con-ui likely would have been returned to maximum-security custody if he was sent back to the Arizona state prison system to serve his life term for murder.

The Arizona Department of Corrections lists the New Mexican Mafia as one of nine Security Threat Groups whose members are as placed in isolated, maximum-security confinement.

Those in maximum custody are allowed out of their cells just a few hours a week for recreation and showering. They are escorted to and from their cells by multiple correction officers, prison officials said.

"There is a security concern with anyone who is validated as a gang member," Bill Lamoreaux, a spokesman for the Arizona Department of Corrections, said.

Williams died after an inmate ambushed as he made his rounds for nightly lockdown. The inmate hurled the 34-year-old Nanticoke native down a set of steps and pounced, beating him and repeatedly stabbing him with a crude, knife-like weapon known as a "shank." Williams was alone on a cell block of more than 100 inmates, union officials said.

Chief U.S. District Judge Yvette Kane identified Con-ui as the suspect this week in an order appointing a pair of death-penalty certified attorneys to represent him, signaling the possibility prosecutors will file a capital murder charge against him.

Con-ui entered the federal prison system Sept. 2, 2008. He spent time at three high-security federal prisons - in California, Louisiana and Florida - before being transferred to Canaan on Oct. 3, 2011, Burke said.

Burke would not discuss the reasons for Con-ui's multiple transfers within the federal prison system or if so many prison swaps is normal.

"We don't discuss the reasons we transfer particular inmates," Burke said. "It varies. There's a lot of different reasons."

Burke also declined to discuss whether Con-ui had any disciplinary infractions.

While gang membership alone does not call for a federal inmate to be held in isolation, the Bureau of Prisons warns incoming inmates, "Participation in any type of gang activity will not be tolerated."

In the Canaan prison's handbook, Bureau of Prison Director Charles E. Samuels Jr. tells inmates, "In an attempt to ensure the environment is safe for all, inmates who participate in behavior which disrupts the orderly running of the institution may be considered for institutions with greater controls, such as higher security facilities or special management units."

Several Canaan correctional officers interviewed after Williams' murder told The Citizens' Voice that the public does not realize that dangerous inmates with violent pasts walk free among guards, who are outnumbered by more than 100 to 1.

"Everybody thinks an inmate is locked down all day and all night and they don't get any freedom," one correctional officer said. "Inmates have a lot of rights in the federal system."

The only times inmates are locked in their cells is from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. and once again for a midday head count, usually about 5 p.m. If an inmate has no disciplinary infractions, he is allowed to work his prison job, go to educational classes, see doctors, head to the chow hall or work out. Sometimes they can just lounge around and watch television or spend time with family during in-person visits where even kisses goodbye are allowed, officers said.

State prisons in Pennsylvania appeared to be following Arizona's lead by isolating known gang members. Last year, Corrections Secretary John E. Wetzel directed the department to open a "security threat group management" unit at State Correctional Institution at Greene.

"We do work to identify and validate individuals who may be gang members. We do that through monitoring their behavior, their tattoos, seeing if they have any special gang documentation. We go through what we call a validation process with every inmate to determine if they are part of a security threat group or a gang," Susan McNaughton, press secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, said.

The program launched in August 2012 with 62 inmates, and has roughly that many now, McNaughton said.

Inmates in the program spend a large amount of their day in cells, locked down, while they're going through in-cell programming. The unit has a variety of phases to move individuals out of gang-related behavior so they can be in general population.

"We've come a long way. We've put a lot of work into this because gangs are a problem," McNaughton said. "We can't risk the safety of our staff."

SUNBURY - The Penn Street neighborhood where a fire killed a man Tuesday night was the scene of another fire early Thursday morning, this time destroying an adjoining home that was saved by firefighters less than 30 hours before.

Kriss Berry's home at 1003 Penn St. had no fire or smoke damage inside following Tuesday's fire that claimed the life of Keith "Bo" Bordner, 53, of 1005 Penn St. The buildings are separated by just inches, but damage to Berry's home was contained to siding and part of a porch roof thanks to the efforts of firefighters.

The damage to Berry's home was drastically different Thursday morning. Within an hour of the fire starting, windows were broken, siding was melted and the main roof had collapsed.

Berry - who had praised the work of firefighters while mourning the loss of his neighbor Wednesday afternoon - was awoken by heat and the flickering of flames outside his window around 1:30 a.m. Thursday. Berry and his wife escaped their home uninjured before it became totally engulfed in flames.

The Sunbury Fire Department was dispatched at 1:38 a.m. to the structures near the intersection of South 10th Street about a block-and-a-half from Shikellamy High School. An officer arrived on scene and confirmed that both buildings were on fire.

A second alarm was almost immediately transmitted, which was eventually upgraded to a third alarm, sending firefighters from surrounding communities, including Shamokin and Coal Township, to the scene.

A home at 1001 Penn St. had minor roof damage, according to Sunbury Fire Department Chief Mike Rhoads.

"The fire marshal was up there twice today and can't determine if it's a rekindle or some other cause," Rhoads said Thursday afternoon. He said the cause has been ruled "undetermined" due to the damage.

Initial fire

Rhoads said the fire Tuesday evening originated in the living room of 1005 Penn St., where Bordner was found in an area with multiple power cords and power strips. At approximately 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, firefighters investigating the burned shell of a structure brought out what appeared to be a burned power cord, which Rhoads confirmed is suspected to have sparked the fire.

Northumberland County Coroner James Kelley reported Wednesday that he pronounced Bordner dead at the scene in the living room in the front of the house. Kelley was assisted by Chief Deputy Coroner James Gotlob in the investigation.

The death, which was ruled accidental, was caused by thermal injuries, Kelley said.

Rhoads said Bordner's wife, Debra, attempted to get her husband, who may have been in a wheelchair due to rheumatoid arthritis, out of the house, but was overcome by smoke.

Members of the fire department and police department also attempted to rescue Bordner, but were turned back by intense flames, Rhoads said.