LCCC Students Receive OTA Scholarships

Two Lehigh Carbon Community College (LCCC) students enrolled in the School of Health Care Sciences each received a $500 scholarship from the Occupational Therapy Assistant Scholarship Fund. The fund was established in 2003 to support Associate in Applied Science students in the Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) program.

No More Registration Stickers in 2017

Did you know that registration stickers will be eliminated at the end of 2016?  How will law enforcement verify your license plates going forward?

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At the invitation of PennDOT Secretary Leslie S. Richards in February, legislators and law enforcement officers  received a demonstration of Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology that provides law enforcement a better tool to verify expired vehicle registrations.

“License plate reader technology allows a single law enforcement officer to quickly, accurately and reliably check the status of thousands of license plates on a single shift using information from PennDOT’s registration database to determine if there are expired registrations or lack of
insurance for the vehicle,” said Richards. “It is a true force multiplier.”

Plate reader technology holds numerous advantages over the visual inspection of registration stickers, which can be counterfeited, sold, affixed to dead plates or applied to plates for which they were not intended. By querying the registration information using ALPR technology, a law enforcement officer
can identify expired vehicle registrations and insurance coverage. If there is something wrong, the officer would be immediately alerted by the ALPR of a problem with the vehicle’s registration.

To help law enforcement to prepare for the provision of Act 89 of 2013 that eliminates issuance of vehicle registration stickers by 2017, PennDOT is proposing a grant program utilizing the savings from the elimination of the registration stickers. The grant program could provide grants to law
enforcement officers for the purchase and maintenance of license plate readers.

With the elimination of registration stickers beginning January 1, 2017, customers will see a significant benefit in increased convenience when renewing vehicle registrations.

“Without the registration sticker, the future of Pennsylvania vehicle owners certainly looks brighter with respect to the registration renewal process,” said Richards. “By further leveraging technology, we can make renewing your vehicle’s registration and having an immediate, permanent registration
credential in hand as easy as spending a few minutes online from your home computer.”

Beginning January 1, 2017, customers who renew online will be able save a copy of and print a permanent registration card on demand. Future plans also include allowing customers to eventually upload their registration cards to their smart phones and eliminate the requirement to print a copy altogether.

Further savings will be realized in reduced mailing costs. Currently, 40 percent of customers already renew vehicle registrations online. Eliminating the need to mail these customers a registration sticker coupled with the ability to print their registration card on demand will eliminate more than $2 million per year in mailing costs. In addition, the elimination of the registration stickers will save $1 million a year in product costs, bringing the estimated first year savings to approximately $3.1 million.

The last registration sticker will be issued December 30, 2016. Customers will still need to have their vehicles registered and inspected, but will not be required to display a registration sticker on their license plate after December 31, 2016.

For more information on the plan to eliminate registration stickers, please visit www.dmv.pa.gov and look under the Registration Stickers tab under Vehicle Registration. The elimination of the registration sticker was evaluated as part of a Penn State University research study that concluded eliminating the registration sticker would have no impact on compliance with vehicle registration laws. A copy of the study is on the Driver and Vehicle Services webpage at www.dmv.pa.gov at the Registration Stickers tab under Vehicle Registration.

Schuylkill County Obituaries for 12/14/16

Schuylkill County Obituaries for 12/14/16

Schuylkill County High School Wrestling - 12/13/16

Schuylkill County High School Wrestling - 12/13/16

Schuylkill County High School Basketball Scores - 12/13/16

Schuylkill County High School Basketball Scores - 12/13/16

Schuylkill County Police Log for 12/13/16

Schuylkill County Police Log for 12/13/16

Long Island Medium Returning to Hershey Theatre

Theresa Caputo, from TLC’s hit show, Long Island Medium, will bring “The Experience” to Hershey Theatre on Saturday, March 18 at 7:30 p.m. 

STS to Introduce Patriotic Bus Wraps

POTTSVILLE, PA – The Schuylkill Transportation System (STS) announces that for the first time since its inception in 1981, they have secured an advertising campaign in conjunction with CACL Financial located at 1800 W Market Street in Pottsville that will feature three full size, low floor, Gillig vehicles completely wrapped with sharp patriotic red, white and blue design for use along fixed bus routes. STS is anticipating the bus wraps to be unveiled to the general public the week of December 19 or sooner.

Winning Instant Lottery Ticket Dropped in Salvation Army Kettle

An anonymous Pennsylvania Lottery player recently deposited a winning instant ticket worth $1,000 into a Salvation Army red kettle in Erie.

Two Arrested on Drug Charges After Traffic Stop

Two men were arrested early Tuesday morning on drug charges after a traffic stop in Mahanoy City.

According to Mahanoy City Police, Tyler Ober, 18, of Wilburton, and Scott Green, 20 of Girardville were pull over by police.

Police found approximately a pound of marijuana in the vehicle during the traffic stop.

Green was charged with Possession with intent to deliver, Possession of a Controlled Substance and Drug Paraphernalia.  Ober was charged with the same with an additional charge of Driving Under the Influence.

Both were arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Anthony Kilker and committed to Schuylkill County Prison on $15,000 straight cash bail.

Pennsylvania Department of State Certifies Presidential Election Results

The Department of State on Tuesday certified the results of the November 8 election in Pennsylvania for president and vice president of the United States.

Brad Paisley Coming to Wilkes Barre

Country music superstar Brad Paisley has announced the continuation of his highly successful Life Amplified World Tour with dates added in February 2017. The tour will be making stops in eastern Canada and northeast U.S. Special guests will be hit-maker Chase Bryant and rising-star Lindsay Ell.

Woman Charged for Bomb Threat That Closed All County Buildings Monday

 

( 12/13/2016)  A woman was charged Monday afternoon for calling in a bomb threat to the Schuylkill County Courthouse.

Police Investigating Thefts from Convenient Store

Mahanoy City Police are attempting to identify individuals in two separate incidents of retail theft from the Cocoa Hut in the borough.

Schuylkill County Obituaries for 12/12/2016

Schuylkill County Obituaries for 12/12/2016