Schuylkill County Man's Response To Being Called A "Troll" By Congressman

Yesterday we published a story about Schuylkill County's United State Congressman, Matt Cartwright, calling a constituent from Schuylkill County a "troll".

Click here to read yesterday's article

This came after Leo Knepper, Pine Grove, asked the Congressman, "Why did you vote against funding our veterans?".  You can see the exchange in the image below.

Mount Carbon Fire Destroys Home and Fire House, One Firefighter injured

Picture from Schuylkill County Firewire

 This morning at approximately 4:30am, crews were called to 118 Main St. Port Carbon.  When fire departments arrived on scene, the home was already fully engulfed and quickly became a 2nd Alarm fire.

Orwigsburg Man In Critical Condition After Motorcycle Crash

Christopher Evans, Orwigsburg crashed early this morning along Route 61 between Coal Mountain Road and Laurel Drive while riding his motorcycle northbound, in West Brunswick Township.  State police say the crash happened around 12:40AM

Evans slid with the motorcycle about 165 feet before stopping on the edge of the highway.  The bike continued to slide for about another 1,000 feet.

Evans was flown to Lehigh Valley Hospital where he is listed in critical condition.

Skook Spotlight: Tamaqua, PA

Tamaqua was founded in 1799 by German immigrant Burkhardt Moser. Originally to be named Tuscarora, the name Tamaqua was chosen after it was realized that there already was a community named Tuscarora about four miles (6 km) to the west. Roughly half of Moser's original log cabin is still intact and visible behind a house on the east side of Broad Street. The discovery of anthracite coal in the region in the early 19th century led to the town's rise as a coal producing community. The town was incorporated as a borough in 1832.  German, Irish, and Welsh immigrants came to the borough in the 1840s and 1850s, followed by a large influx of Italians, Lithuanians, Slovaks, and Poles in the 1890s and early 20th century. During the 1860s and 1870s, Tamaqua was the geographic center hub for the Molly Maguires. One murder commonly attributed to the Mollies was that of town policeman Benjamin Yost, who was shot to death early one morning while extinguishing a gas lamp at the corner of West Broad and Lehigh Streets.

Schuylkill County High School Football - Week #6

Schuylkill County High School Football - Week #6

Hamburg @ Blue Mountain

Panther Valley @ Marian

Minersville @ Jim Thorpe

North Schuylkill @ Tamaqua

Williams Valley @ Pine Grove (Game to Watch, Both Undefeated)

Pottsville @ Conrad Weiser

Shenandoah Valley @ Schuylkill Haven

Millersburg @ Tri-Valley

Scheduled for Saturday
Mahanoy Area @ Carson Long
Nativity BVM @ Columbia Montour Vo-Tech

Rep. Cartwright Calls A Schuylkill County Constituent A "Troll"

In a story that , PoliticsPA.com posted, it looks like Schuylkill County's US Representative Matt Cartwright has got himself in a bit of a Twitter battle.

A constituent, Leo Knepper, from right in Schuylkill County, asked Rep. Cartwright a question of why he voted a certain way on HJ Res. 72.   The bill restores veteran's benefits during the government shutdown.   You can see the response he got in the picture below

Lancaster Woman Arrested in Schuylkill Haven In Connection with Daughter's Death

Ranasia Knight

Last November, Jessica Bachman, Lancaster, sought out a protection from abuse order from Lester Johnson, her then live-in boyfriend after he threatened to kill her and her children.

A year before that, she sought out a PFA after he pulled her hair, attempted to pull her down the stairs, and threatened to kill her.  He also said he would have her and her children kidnapped.

Ashland and Hegins Men Sent to Prison

On Monday, 2 Ashland men were sent to prison on drug charges from incidents that happened in 2011.

Charles Bechtel, 31, was sentenced to 4 to 24 months, plus 23 additional months of probation, and undergo drug and alcohol evaluation.

Bechtel had earlier pleaded guilty to possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, and use of an incapacitation device, and prosecutors withdrew earlier charges  of prohibited possession of an offensive weapon and possession of a small amount of marijuana.

State Police at Reading had charged Bechtel with committing the crimes on June 30, 2011.

Also sentenced on Monday was Kevin J. Clews, 33, of Ashland.  He was sentenced to 3 to 12 months in prison and undergo and drug and alcohol evaluation after revoking his probation.

Clews' probabation was revoked after the defendant admitted to possessing drugs and failing a drug test.

Clews had already pleaded guilty to the charges.

Ashland Police charged Clews when he was driving under the influence and possessing drug paraphernalia  in a November 19, 2011 incident.

Also, Bradley L. Merwine, 34, of Hegins was sentenced to 6 to 12 months in prison when he failed to report and not complete substance abuse treatment.

Merwine originally pleaded guilty to charges of false reports to law enforcement.  He was then placed on probation.

Schuylkill Haven State Police charged Merwine with the false reports on January 3, 2010.

Minersville Man In Prison After Gun Incident

Minersville Police got a call of a domestic violence incident where shots were fired around 7AM Sunday morning at 313 Pine St.

When police arrived, they could hear yelling coming from the second floor of the home of John G. Chistakoff, 47.

ATV Crash Victim Dies

Shawn Day, 20, of Pottsville, was pronounced dead at 10PM, Monday evening at Lehigh High Valley Hospital.

State police report that Day drove past a state trooper on his ATV without headlights in the 2300 block of West End Avenue early Sunday morning.  A short while later, police found the ATV crashed after hitting a wall on private property and then a utility pole.

Christopher Ostrousky, 23, of Pottsville was riding the ATV with Day.  Both were ejected when they crashed.  Ostrousky was taken to Geisinger in Danville.

Neither Day or Ostrousky were wearing helmets.

4 Undefeated Schuylkill County High School Football Teams

This season in high school football in Schuylkill County has been a memorable one.  We've seen the big districts that usually dominate the county lose and we now have 4 smaller districts who have gone undefeated for 5 weeks.  Those teams are Mahanoy Area, Tri-Valley, Pine Grove, and Williams Valley.

Early Morning Fire In Atlas

This morning, a fire spread through 4 homes in Atlas, Northumberland County.  Out of the 4 homes only one was occupied.  The fire is said to have started in one of the vacant homes.

Route 61 leading into Mt. Carmel and Girard Street were closed while crews were fighting the blaze.

From Schuylkill County, Ashland and Friendship Fire Co., Butler Twp. responded to the fire with their Tanker.

WNEP is reporting that fire officials are calling the fire suspicious.

Skook News: Week #5 High School Football Power Rankings

Schuylkill County High School Football Power Rankings - Week #5

Top 4 holding strong but 1 will have to lose in Week 6.

Attempted Robbery At Pine Grove Truck Stop

This morning, at approximately 1:45AM, three men entered the Pilot Truck Stop along Route 443 in Pine Grove Township and forced a clerk to the ground.  One of the men held a handgun to the clerk's head.

After not being able to access the safe or cash register, the three fled the scene on foot toward Interstate 81.

All 3 were said to be wearing dark clothing, hooded sweatshirts, masks, and gloves.

Anyone with information regarding this, please call police at 570-739-1330.

CORRECTION: Copper Pipes Stolen From Porter Twp. Home

State police are looking for information regarding a burglary in which copper piping was cut from a basement in a home in Porter Twp.

The burglars cut half-inch, three quarter inch, and one and one quarter inch pipes from a basement of a house on the 200 block of West Grand Avenue, Porter Twp between September 22 and 27.

Anyone with information is to call 1-570-739-1330


NOTE:  An earlier article stated that this took place in Schuylkill Haven.  We apologize for the mistake.

Copper Piping Cut From Home In Schuylkill Haven

State police are looking for information regarding a burglary in which copper piping was cut from a basement in a home in Schuylkill Haven.

The burglars cut half-inch, three quarter inch, and one and one quarter inch pipes from a basement of a house on the 200 block of West Grand Avenue, Porter Twp between September 22 and 27.

Anyone with information is to call 1-570-739-1330

Victims of Interstate 81 Crash From Mechanicsburg

The victims of yesterday's crash on Interstate 81 near milemarker 121 in Schuylkill County where from Mechanicsburg, PA.

http://skooknews.blogspot.com/2013/09/2-die-in-accident-on-interstate-81.html

The driver Alberto Hernandez, 42, lost control of his vehicle, went off the side of the highway over an embankment where his vehicle struck several trees and ended up on it's roof.  Hernandez was said not to be wearing his seat belt.

Also in the car was his 11 month old daughter, Anastacia Marie-Carman Hernandez who also died in the crash. Authorities say the child was restrained in a child car seat.

Delano Man Arrested On Drug Charges After Traffic Stop In Hazleton

A Delano man was arrested on a warrant from Schuylkill County following a traffic stop in Hazleton Friday.

Hazleton police said Ronald Kennedy, 34, was taken into custody around 1:30 p.m. after police discovered he was wanted by the Schuylkill County Sheriff's office on a charge of possession of narcotics. 

Hazleton police released Kennedy to the custody of the Schuylkill County Sheriff's Department.

2 Die in Accident on Interstate 81

At approximately, 10:50 am this morning, a car traveling northbound on interstate 81, lost control and went over an embankment striking several trees around milemarker 121 in Butler Twp.

A man and young child were both killed in the accident.

No names were given until the families were notified.

Schuylkill County High School Football Scores - Week #5

Schuylkill County High School Football Scores - Week #5

Berks Catholic 37 Blue Mountain 7
Minersville 7 Mahanoy Area 47
North Schuylkill 26 Marian 27
Panther Valley 15 Schuylkill Haven 41
Pine Grove 42  Millersburg 7
Pottsville 18  Muhlenberg 42
Jim Thorpe 27  Shenandoah Valley 14
Tri-Valley 20  Upper Dauphin 0
Williams Valley 55  Halifax 6

Annville-Cleona 34  Tamaqua 43