Morning Fire in Shamokin

Image from Firewire Northumberland County

Our neighbors to the west this morning are currently fighting a blaze on S. Rock St. in Shamokin.  Crews were called to the scene around 11am this morning and the fire has now spread to the entire block.

The News Item is reporting that there were initial scanner reports of a 12 year old trapped in one of the attics.

We'll provide more information as it comes in.

Firewire Northumberland County

Firewire Northumberland County

Firewire Northumberland County

Schuylkill County School Delays and Closings For 12/10/13

Schuylkill County School Delays and Closings For 12/10/13

Blue Mountain - MS and HS Dismiss at 11, Elem at 11:35

Gillingham Charter School - Early Dismissal (no time given)

Mahanoy Area - Elementary Closed - Middle/High School Dismiss at 8:30

Marian Catholic - Dismiss at 10:30

McCanns School of Business/Pottsville - Day Classes Cancelled

Nativity BVM - Dismiss at 9

North Schuylkill - Elementary CLOSED, High School Dismiss at 10:00

Panther Valley - Closed

Schuylkill Haven - Dismiss at 9:00

St. Ambrose/Schuylkill Haven - Early Dismissal, No Lunch

Tamaqua Area - Elementary CLOSED, Middle/High Scholl Dismiss at 10:30

Trinity Academy - Closed

St. Jerome Regional/Tamaqua - Closed

Schuylkill County Weather Forecast

By: Monsoon Mike

Make sure you like my 'Monsoon Mike's Weather Headquarters' fan page for the most up-to-date updates.

We have another storm on our hands for tomorrow. Once again, it looks like Schuylkill is spared the worst as the crux of the storm slides to the south. That being said, it is plenty cold so anything that falls should be in the form of snow. A general 1 to 2, maybe 3 if the storm overperforms is likely on Tuesday beginning mid-morning and ending mid-afternoon. A rather quick hitter. Nevertheless, expect tricky travel especially for your Tuesday Afternoon commute.

Then we finally get a break of sorts mid-week as long as you don't mind some serious cold with temperatures stuck in the 20s and nights flirting with the single digits.

Next precipitation chance comes this weekend.

Winter Weather Advisory Issued For Schuylkill County

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM TO 4 PM EST TUESDAY... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM TO 4 PM EST TUESDAY.

* LOCATIONS...SOUTHERN PENNSYLVANIA AND THE POCONOS.

* HAZARD TYPES...SNOW.

* ACCUMULATIONS...2 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW.

* TIMING...BEGINNING BEFORE SUNRISE...TAPERING OFF IN THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON.

* IMPACTS...THE SNOW WILL CAUSE POOR VISIBILITY AND SNOW COVERED ROADS. THIS WILL SLOW TRAFFIC...ESPECIALLY DURING THE MORNING COMMUTE.

* WINDS...WEST 5 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH.

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE UPPER 20S.

* VISIBILITIES...AS LOW AS ONE-QUARTER OF A MILE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

HAZARDOUS WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. USE CAUTION IF TRAVELING. FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION...GO TO WEATHER.GOV/CTP OR STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO.

REPORT SNOW OR ICE ACCUMULATION TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE BY SENDING AN EMAIL TO CTP.STORMREPORTS@NOAA.GOV... POSTING TO THE NWS STATE COLLEGE FACEBOOK PAGE...OR TWEET @NWSSTATECOLLEGE WITH THE HASHTAG #CTPWX. &&

12 Days of Skook Christmas

On the 12th Day of Christmas my True Skook Gave To Meeeeeee!!!

Man Charged For Theft From Fire Company

It was reported by the State Police that  Derek Davidson, 29, of Shenandoah was charged with stealing two large soup pots and steel stands from the Continental Firehouse in Gilberton sometime between the dates of October 1 and November 5.

We posted the original story of theft, the link is below
http://www.skooknews.com/2013/11/police-looking-for-thief-who-stole-from.html

Snow and Freezing Rain Leave Roads Slick Monday Morning

Schuylkill County may not have received "inches" of snow during this winter storm but the one thing it did was create some slick roads and side walks.

At of 7:30am, most schools were on 2 hour delays to allow the roads to clear up and let the road crews do their jobs.  Main roads such as 54, 61, 901 were reported to be just wet and slushy but most back roads and sidewalks were extremely slick.

Very few accidents were reported this morning.

What was it like where you live this morning?

Schuylkill County Weather Forecast

By: Monsoon Mike

All I can say after what happened today is I am sure glad I don't claim to forecast for the Philadelphia area too much. LOL My forecast for Skook worked out just fine with a couple inches of light snow but Philadelphia was surprised and totally shocked by close to 10 inches of snow. What happened was a freak meteorological phenomenon called "mesoscale banding" where bands of snow set up shop over that part of the state and just sit there for hours. Even the best computer model or meteorologist has trouble picking up on when that sort of thing can happen.

But hang tight winter lovers. I don't think all the bad weather is over just yet. Tonight we get into round two of our storm with some freezing rain and sleet and perhaps some more snow. I expect the morning commute to be rather rough and so do schools which is why some of them are already canceling or delaying.

Things will finally dry up tomorrow afternoon but here's the thing. Some computer models are starting to pick up on something for Tuesday that they really didn't pick up on until now ... a weak backlash disturbance moving through which could surprise us with a couple of inches of snow if everything were to work out great, or it could just be totally nothing with a couple of flurries. Will know more tomorrow. As for now, it seems Old Man Winter has set up shop in our neck of the woods for a while!

Schuylkill County School Closings & Delays - 12/9/13

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Schuylkill County School Closings and/or Delays for 12/9/13

Assumption BVM - 2 Hour Delay

Blue Mountain - 2 Hour Delay

Child Development 

Head Start - Closed

Pre-K Counts - Closed

Child Care - Open

Mahanoy Area - 2 Hour Delay

McCann School of Business/Pottsville - 2 Hour Delay

Minersville - 2 Hour Delay

Nativity BVM - 2 Hour Delay

North Schuylkill  2 Hour Delay

Panther Valley - CLOSED

Penn State/Schuylkill - College opens at 10, Staff report at 10

Pine Grove Area - 2 Hour Delay

Pottsville - 2 Hour Delay

Schuylkill Haven - 2 Hour Delay

Schuylkill Maple Ave - 2 Hour Delay

Schuylkill Special Ed. Center - 2 Hour Delay

Schuylkill Tech North - 2 Hour Delay

Schuylkill Tech South - 2 Hour Delay

Shenandoah Valley - 2 Hour Delay

St. Clair - 2 Hour Delay

St. Ambrose/Schuylkill Haven - 2 hour delay

St. Jerome Regional/Tamaqua - 2 hour delay

St. Nicholas/Minersville - 2 Hour Delay - modified kdg.

Tamaqua - 2 Hour Delay

Tri-Valley - 2 Hour Delay 

Trinity Academy - 2 Hour Delay

Williams Valley - 2 Hour Delay

Schuylkill County Closings and Postponements

Nativity B.V.M.

POSTPONED Band & Chorus Concert until 12/22 @ 2 PM

If anyone else has a postponement or closing to report please notify us at skooknews@outlook.com

Check back here throughout the evening for anymore Closings

Schuylkill County Christmas Display: St. Clair, PA

Do you want to show off your Holiday/Christmas light display?  Send your pics our way to skooknews@outlook.com or message us through our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SkookNews

Overnight Fire in Blythe Twp

Around 11:45pm, crews were called to 210 Winfield ave. for a house fire.

Not long after arriving, the fire was reported working.

The house was reported a total loss.   It was reported that 3 people are now homeless and the Red Cross is helping them.

No cause has been determined yet.

1 Person Dies in Interstate 81 Crash

1 male died this morning in an accident around 11am this morning in Foster Township on Interstate 81.  The accident happened around the northbound milemarker 114.  The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

There were a total of 5 occupants in the vehicle that was described as an SUV.  2 Adults and 3 children.

The other 4 in the vehicle were reported to have non-life threatening injuries.

UPDATE:  According to police, the man's name who died in the crash was Garfield Beynon, 71, of Scranton.

It is being reported that the SUV lost control, went off the road, hit the guardrail, and stopped on it's side on the berm of the road.

Schuylkill County Weather Forecast

By:  Monsoon Mike

Our busy busy weather pattern continues on Sunday afternoon into Monday morning.  During our most recent storm Friday into Friday night, northern Skook got a bit of snow and ice. Southern Skook hardly saw anything but some sleet mixing in at the tail end. But, if you like wintry weather, and you're in that southern portion and feel ripped off after the the last storm, I think EVERYONE gets in on some moderate action Sunday p.m. into Monday a.m. 

I expect snow to move in mid Sunday afternoon and accumulate an inch or maybe two before a switch over to sleet, freezing rain, and then eventually probably plain rain Monday morning. But here's the thing. I think cold air gets trapped at the surface Sunday night and early Monday and that switch to plain rain is in no major hurry. The result? A nice glaze of dangerous ice overnight Sunday into early Monday. Expect moderate to major travel headaches at those times. Make sure you follow my "Monsoon Mike's Weather Headquarters" Facebook page for on-the-run updates as this long update here only usually comes once a day, usually in the evening.

Then, another round of mainly light snow could hit is on the backside of everything on Tuesday afternoon after breaking Monday afternoon through Tuesday morning .

THEN, things get brutally cold for the rest of the coming new week. Got all that? Good. :-) Be careful out there folks and again, "like" my page for on-the-fly updates. 

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=277030735667101

Winter Weather Advisory Issue For Schuylkill County

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM SUNDAY TO 10 AM EST MONDAY ...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW ...FOLLOWED BY MIXED PRECIPITATION ... WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM SUNDAY TO 10 AM EST MONDAY.

* LOCATIONS ...PORTIONS OF THE LOWER SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY AND EAST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS.

* HAZARD TYPES ...LIGHT SNOW ...CHANGING TO SLEET THEN FREEZING RAIN.

* ACCUMULATIONS ...AN INCH OR TWO OF SNOW ...FOLLOWED BY A LIGHT COATING OF SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN.

* TIMING ...LIGHT SNOW WILL OVERSPREAD THE REGION FROM SOUTH TO NORTH DURING THE LATE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON HOURS SUNDAY AND LIKELY ACCUMULATE AN INCH OR TWO. THE SNOW WILL CHANGE TO SLEET THEN FREEZING RAIN SUNDAY NIGHT ...WITH THE FREEZING RAIN LINGERING INTO MONDAY MORNING.

* IMPACTS ...HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS ARE PROBABLE DUE TO SLICK ROADS AND ICY CONDITIONS.

* WINDS ...EAST TO SOUTHEAST 5 TO 15 MPH.

* TEMPERATURES ...IN THE UPPER 20S TO LOWER 30S.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS ...

HAZARDOUS WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. USE CAUTION IF TRAVELING. FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION ...GO TO WEATHER.GOV/CTP OR STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO.

REPORT SNOW OR ICE ACCUMULATION TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE BY SENDING AN EMAIL TO CTP.STORMREPORTS@NOAA.GOV ... POSTING TO THE NWS STATE COLLEGE FACEBOOK PAGE ...OR TWEET @NWSSTATECOLLEGE WITH THE HASHTAG #CTPWX.

Schuylkill County Christmas Display: St. Clair, PA

Do you want to show off your Holiday/Christmas light display?  Send your pics our way to skooknews@outlook.com or message us through our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SkookNews

 

Car Crashes Into Median In Tamaqua

A male driver got his vehicle stuck around 10:15 PM Thursday (Dec. 5, 2013) on the grassy median located in front of Thorn's Cycles at the connections of Pine Street and North Railroad Street. The man was driving north on Pine Street when he said he hit a slick spot and slid out of control. The crash also downed a one way sign and destroyed a bush. No serious injuries were reported. Tamaqua Police responded.

Posted From http://www.TamaquaArea.com

Man Escapes Serious Injury After Crashing In Barnesville

TamaquaArea.com

Emergency crews were called to the intersection of Tuscarora Park Road and State Road (1018) around 8:45 PM on Thursday (Dec. 5, 2013) in Barnesville after a driver lost control in the heavy fog and crashed over a concrete wall and into a fence adjacent to the White Birch Golf Course. Luckily, no serious injuries were reported. Responding were Rush Township Police, Ryan Township Police, Hometown Fire Company, Hometown Fire Police and others.

Posted from http://www.TamaquaArea.com

Schuylkill County Weather Forecast

By: Monsoon Mike

I never made too big a deal in my forecasts the past few days regarding tonight's storm and I'm kinda glad I didn't. Even though it is nasty as all heck out there with a cold, raw rain and some sleet mixing in, I really don't think we see more than a bit of slushy snow at the tail end of the storm overnight despite some other folks calling for inches. Nevertheless, it only takes a little bit of slush on the road to slick things up, so be careful!

A one day break between storms happens Saturday as a weak high pressure system moves in, but it'll be short lived. Sunday we cloud things up again and a mixture of snow/sleet/and freezing rain moves in late and continues overnight into Monday, eventually probably changing to all rain, but this storm could be a little more stubborn with the wintry weather and actually cause some travel havoc Sunday Night into Monday morning as I think some cold air gets trapped near the earth. More updates on that as we draw closer. Of course, the best chances for bad weather in a situation like this is the farther north you go.

Then we REALLY cool things down mid next week. Temperatures will once again struggle to exit the 20s by midweek. 

Winter Weather Advisory For Schuylkill County

SCHUYLKILL: ...A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 5 AM EST SATURDAY...

Schuylkill County Weather Forecast

Say goodbye to the mild weather. Today didn't get quite as crazy mild as some may have thought due to the very stubborn deck of low clouds and drizzle along the warm front.

Fire Victims Find New Homes

WBRE posted a story last evening on the Joy brothers who lost everything in Schuylkill Ave. fire in Pottsville.  Through donations and support of the community they are getting help to get back on there feet.  Great job to all involved

http://www.pahomepage.com/story/fire-victims-find-new-homes/d/story/8tjgLYdtYkiE_w3vVaYycg

Volunteers are also collecting unwrapped toys for the children affected by the fire. For more information, call Michelle Yarnell at (570) 573-3845.

Schuylkill County Afternoon Weather Update

By:  Monsoon Mike

I talk about "hype" a lot from the conventional weather media. This coming Friday night/early Saturday's event, however, is a bit unique because the excitement for a snow event is coming more from the independent internet folks rather than the conventional media who usually does all the hyping. Maybe because sweeps month is done on TV?

County Doesn't Make List of Safest In State

Safewise.com publishes a list every year of the 50 safest cities in each state.  The term cities is used loosely because it also includes towns, boroughs, and townships.

Schuylkill County Weather Forecast

By:  Monsoon Mike





A very unseasonably mild Thursday with temperatures around 60 degrees (with some showers possible) will be followed by a steady rain on Friday with falling temperatures. In fact, the precipitation may wrap up as a touch of snow Friday night slicking up the ground. That'll be quite a roller coaster in the course of about 24 hours.

Skook Spotlight: Who Remembers Sweet Home Schuylkill County?

Back when Myspace was the most visited site of the internet and Facebook was just beginning to get traction and Youtube was just bought by Google from two 20 year old guys, a music video parody hit the internet and was quickly shared across the internet.

Schuylkill River In The Running For River of the Year

It's really not that big of a title and it's really just for bragging rights I guess, but the Schuylkill River is in the running for Pennsylvania's River of the year.  The winner does get to host events throughout the year.

Morning Accident on Interstate 81

Wednesday Morning, just before 7:30am, crews were called to milemarker 123.3 Soutbound on Interstate 81 for a motor vehicle accident with entrapment.

Police Warn Residents of "Hostage Scam"

The Mahanoy City Police Department shared via their Facebook page a warning about a phone scam they are calling the "Hostage Phone Scam".

Schuylkill County Weather Forecast

By: Monsoon Mike

We were around 50 on Tuesday and it's funny how things are relative. If we had had a 50 degree day 2 months ago when we had that unseasonal stretch of 80 degree weather, we would have been freezing. But 50 today after a few weeks of sub freezing weather, people were throwing off their jackets walking around like it was August! And guess what: if you missed today's nice temperatures, you've got two more to go! Wednesday we also make it to the 50s and Thursday may even scrape 60 in nearby areas. I think Skook proper doesn't get much past the upper 50s Thursday, but if you travel to Reading, Harrisburg or Philly, mid 60s are quite possible Thursday. Crazy, huh? Well, it can happen in December. I remember one early December a few years back where one day hit 72. Either way, it won't last.

Schuylkill County Group Helping Typhoon Victims

WNEP posted a story yesterday on a group in Pottsville who is raising money for typhoon victims in the Phillipines.  Check it out

http://wnep.com/2013/12/02/schuylkill-county-group-helping-typhoon-victims/

State Police Need Help Finding Missing Lehigh County Woman

The State Police are reaching out to the public in search of a Lehigh County Woman.  Holly Grim, 41, of  Lower Macungie Township went missing Friday morning and hasn't been heard from since.

Grim is described as:
white female
Height: 5 foot 3 inches.
Weight: Approx. 100 lbs.
Brown hair;
Brown eyes.

If you have any information please call the State Police at (610) 706-0613.

You can read the full story here

http://m.wfmz.com/Lower-Macungie-woman-disappears/-/15946050/23159272/-/14nl7tbz/-/index.html

Schuylkill County Weather Forecast 12/3/13

By:  Monsoon Mike

Enjoyably mild week continues on Tuesday with increasing sunshine after a morning of cloudiness. Temperatures will be in the upper 40s. 

We head into the 50s (wow, that'll feel like summer after the past couple of weeks) Wednesday and Thursday but also reintroduce the chance of showers as a warm front and then slow moving cold front head east. The front passes Friday and if enough cold air can work in behind it in time, we may even see a touch of wintry precipitation Friday night.

Our next storm heads in Sunday night and Monday and if everything fell into place properly, we may be in for a pretty big winter storm, just days after temperatures made it well into the 50s. Or it could be yet another miss. Still yet to be worked out. Either way, after this week's mild spell, the coming couple of weeks look active one way or the other. 

Latest On The Mahanoy City Stabbing

The latest on the stabbing of Lawrence Quinn, 52, of Mahanoy City, is that is wasn't a random act.  Police are saying that before 6am a woman knocked on the door of a neighbor, and she told them that she stabbed Quinn.

The woman's name has not been given yet because she has not been charged with anything yet.

When authorities were called to Quinn's home on Mahanoy Ave. they found Quinn with a stab wound.  EMT's attempted to revive him but were not able to.

Update:  It was released on Monday that the woman who stabbed Quinn was Kimberly Hons but she is claiming that her mother and Quinn got into an argument and she did it in self defense.

Schuylkill County Weather Forecast - 12/2/13

By: Monsoon Mike

Generally continued uneventful weather the next several day with a nice rise in temperatures as the week progresses. Many parts of Skook will be well into the 40s if not into the 50s especially mid to later this week, but a big arctic blast is waiting for us later next weekend, so don't get too used to it. In between, some precipitation (all liquid thanks to the warmer temperatures) is likely later this work week. 

Mahanoy City Police Release Name of Stabbing Victim

The Mahanoy City Police Department have released via their Facebook page the name of the man who died after being stabbed in the chest this morning.  

The man's name is 52 year old Lawrence Quinn.  He was found on East Mahanoy Ave around 5:30am with a stab wound from the chest.  He was later pronounced dead around 6:00am.

No other details were given on the investigation.

Police Investigating Mahanoy City Stabbing

The Republican Herald is reporting that the Mahanoy City Police are investigating a stabbing that lead to the death of man around 5:30am this morning.

The man was found with a stab wound to the chest at 739 East Mahanoy Ave.

http://republicanherald.com/mahanoy-city-police-probe-stabbing-death-1.1593829

Police Investigating Slashed Tires In Girardville

The State Police in Frackville are looking for your help in finding information in a tire slashing incident that happened Thursday in Girardville.

A van that was parked on the 300 block of East Main St. reported that all 4 tires were slashed on a Chevrolet Conversion Van.  The incident is reported to have happened between midnight and 12:30am Thursday morning.

If anyone has any information on this incident, you are to call the state police at (570) 874-5300.

Skook News Week In Review

Check out the news from the past week

Overnight Fire in Hegins Twp.

Last night, just after 12am crews were called to 365 Grove Road, Hegins Twp. for a house fire.

When crews arrived they found the home fully engulfed in flames.

It took firefighters about 3 hours to put out the fire and leave the scene.

No one was reported home at the time and no one was injured.

The home was reported as a total loss.

Schuylkill County Weather Forecast

By: Monsoon Mike

Fairly decent stretch of uneventful weather the next few days with temperatures basically hanging in the 40s. Some days will feature more sun than clouds. Other days more clouds than sun. But all days should be dry until we get to the end of the coming work week when a warm front will move through followed by a cold front. Behind that warm front, we may have one of those one-day temperature spikes sailing temperatures deep into the 50s Friday. But fear not winter fans ... another arctic outbreak is waiting for you later next weekend. 

Santa Claus Visits Ashland

Santa stopped by Ashland tonight!  He was escorted by Ashland Police Department, both fire companies, and the Ashland Rotary from the borough. 
Sorry for the quality.

Remember To Support Your Local Small Business This Saturday

Remember to support your local small business this Saturday.  After all the craziness and shopping done at the big stores this Black Friday, it's good to remember the local small businesses in our communities.  Ever sale counts to them so even if you go out and buy something small from them, they'll appreciate it!

Former School Starts To Be Demolished

The Former Immaculate Heart/St. Joseph School in Girardville started demolition on Friday.  A small crowd gathered to watch the beginning of the tear down process.  Below are some pictures from today.

Schuylkill County Weather Forecast 11/30/13

By:  Monsoon Mike

Tame, uneventful pattern for the next practically week with basically partly cloudy days, cold nights, and the occasional flurry or shower. Several systems will either skirt us to the north or south & basically leave us alone for the first week of December. I think we're not quite so lucky by the second week, but that's just distant prognostication for now.

Schuylkill Haven Falls To Old Forge

Tonight Schuylkill Haven fell to Old Forge 35-0.

Elderly Woman Conned Out of $13,000

In a press release from the Orwigsburg Police Department, an elderly woman from the borough reported that she was conned out of $13,000.  They reportedly used something called the "Grandparents Scam" which targets the elderly.

Schuylkill County Weather Forecast 11/29/13

By: Monsoon Mike

Hope everyone had a great holiday! Now time to get out & shop and shoppers will continue to scurry for warmth all weekend with continued chilly weather. A weak system skirts us this weekend with a possible snow flurry or shower but most likely just some extra clouds. Otherwise, just tame but chilly weather as we enter December. No huge storms on the horizon ..... yet. Still looking active about a week into December as I previewed a few days ago.

2 More Explosive Devices Found in South Manheim Twp. Home

Yesterday we reported a story where a man from South Manheim Twp was charged with possessing weapons of mass destruction.

http://www.skooknews.com/2013/11/south-manheim-township-man-charged-with.html

A further search that was conducted Wednesday led to the finding of 2 more explosive devices.  Both devices were taken from 1600 block of Summer Hill Road and disposed of.

Schuylkill County Weather Forecast 11/28/13

By: Monsoon Mike

Looks like the black ice has begun. Getting reports from several sources of it being quite slick out there, especially on the secondaries. The good news is the precipitation is over and we've got nothing but a couple sunny, cold, windy days upcoming, but tonight is going to be no walk in the park on the roadways. PLEASE be careful!

As for your next few days:

Thanksgiving: Partly Sunny, Windy, and Very Cold. Highs around 30.

Black Friday: Partly Sunny. Cold. Highs around 35.

Saturday: Increasing Clouds. Cold. Highs around 35. 

Thanksgiving Eve Weather Update

By: Monsoon Mike

Snow falling in many areas again at 6 p.m. and while most of it is melting on contact, I gotta say that radar still shows a decent amount of wrap-around snow on the back end of this storm, extending still down to around Richmond, Virginia. I expect this light, wet snow to continue for several more hours and as temperatures begin to fall, untreated roads will get quite dicey later. I've already noted some slickness along parts of Route 61 in Schuylkill County this afternoon. Going to get worse tonight folks.

Tuesday Motor Vehicle Accidents on Interstate 81 (TamaquaArea.com)

Tuesday's Weather brought out numerous accidents across the county.  Here are some that were documented by TamaquaArea.com from Interstate 81.    We'd like to thank them for letting us share this information.

County Project Aims To Provide Children In Need

A new project in Schuylkill County is aiming to provide services for children in need.

The "Community Solution6 Project, started by Rob Hampton, is looking to provide services for children, where their parents may not be able to provide them with the items or treatments that they may desperately need.

The project started when Rob's daughter's school posted a flyer asking for anyone who could help donate a breathing treatment machine for a child who had asthmas.  He would also see children wearing coats that looked like they've been passed down for years.

Hampton had done other charitable projects over the years which gave him the knowledge of starting this new project.

How the project works is parents email or write the organization state what their child needs and then the organization will negotiate with companies/doctors/business/etc. to get the items they need.  A board of directors will meet monthly to discuss requests.

"For example. Say a child needs prescription glasses. They email us and we negotiate with a local eye doctor and we pay the doctor directly. Then the parent just brings the child in and they get the exam and the glasses." says Hampton.

The organization is still looking for people for their board of directors which already consists of local radio and TV personalities, Musicians, and Business owners.

You can read more about this project or donate to them at their web site below

http://www.communitysolution6.org

South Manheim Township Man Charged With Possession of Weapons of Mass Destruction

Tony Ronbo Weiss, 26, of 1651 Summer Hill Road,  South Manheim Twp. was charged with possession of weapons of mass destruction and possession of  offensive weapons on Tuesday.

Around 11am County Sheriff's attempted to serve Weiss and eviction notice at his home when they noticed that he had an illegal shotgun.

This prompted a search that led to the finding of explosive devices.

Weiss was arraigned and placed into Schuylkill County Prison on $50,000 bail.

Schuylkill County Wednesday Morning Weather Forecast

By:  Monsoon Mike

Morning! Storm starting to wind up and pull away. This radar image courtesy the National Weather Service and on the right side of the screen, you can see the precipitation pulling east. In the middle, a nice gap of nothing much going on over a good chunk of the Monsoon Mike area. But notice out in western PA, some snow showers wrapping on the back side of the storm. Those showers will pull through later in many areas, especially in the Poconos and areas north of I-78, potentially dusting up the roads as temperatures tank. That was another fascinating tidbit about this storm. The temperature gradient was as much as 30 degrees across the area with south Jersey well into the 50s and the Poconos stuck in the 30s. What happens is on the right side of a storm like this, warm air gets sucked in, but if you were on the left side of the storm, you stayed on the cooler side, but still not cool enough to be all snow. Had this been all snow, wow, we would have been digging out for a long time. So, a few things to watch out for later this afternoon and night:

Schuylkill County Weather Forecast 11/27/13

 

It sure is nasty out there. To me, I know a lot of people hate snow, but a cold rain is far worse than snow which is quite beautiful. Anyhow, storm performing as I predicted so far. Most areas south and east of Allentown & Reading are plain rain but lots of internal, central areas of NE and central PA still have temperatures right around freezing and the rain, while not icing up the roads too bad due to PennDOT treatment, is freezing on many colder surfaces like bushes and some wires so be careful until all the cold air is totally flushed away overnight. The temperatures WILL eventually spike well above freezing later. In fact, Wednesday morning, we may have several hours in the 40s to around 50 as warm air whips around the storm, BUT as the storm moves away tomorrow afternoon, temperatures tank once again and any leftover precipitation may end as a touch of snow, not to mention flash freezing of any leftover wetness on the ground. Oh, and the wind. Almost forgot. Get ready for the winds to start cranking tonight as the Low pressure draws closer. Wild storm, but things turn sunny just in time for Turkey Day. It'll be plenty chilly, however. 

The Winter Storm Forecast - Tuesday at Noon

Our weatherman "Monsoon Mike" is watching the storm and here is his latest forecast from him as of noon Tuesday.

Schuylkill County School Closings - 11/26/2013

Schuylkill County Schools are starting to let out for early dismissals

Early Monday Fire Damages South Manheim Twp. Home

A fire early Monday morning damaged a home in South Manheim Twp.  The residents of 1629 Lightfoot Drive, Lake Wynonah woke to find their deck on fire.  When crews arrived, the fire had already spread to the home.

No one was injured in the blaze and the fire appears to have been electrical.

Additional Storm Details - Treacherous Weather on The Way

By:  Monsoon Mike

Early heads up that while most of this coming nor'easter will be heavy rain (after some preliminary frozen precipitation early), Wednesday late afternoon & evening is looking potentially pretty serious with what is called FLASH FREEZING where the temperature tanks on the back end of the storm & all that standing water freezes solid. The more I analyze this, Wednesday night is looking pretty treacherous.

Schuylkill County Weather Forecast - 11/26/13

By: Monsoon Mike

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory forTuesday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. While I think the majority of our big storm will be in the form of liquid, the advisory indicates the service's concern for the storm to start as some snow/sleet/or freezing rain and if something called "cold air damming" occurs, some parts of Schuylkill County could hang onto some slippery travel for longer. "Cold air damming" is when cold air gets trapped in between hills and in valleys and doesn't get flushed away as quick as other, more open areas. Schuylkill has lots of hills and valleys, so this is a "cold air damming" sort of situation where if you're in a fairly open area, a quick changeover to rain is likely. If you're hidden behind some hills or valleys, however, expect slippery travel for longer. 

EVERYONE will change to plain rain later on Tuesday and a LOT of rain is coming, on the order of 2 to 3 inches which could lead to some ponding on the roads along with windy conditions. Then on Wednesday, as the storm zips away and cold air rushes in behind it, I cannot rule out a quick changeover back to snow or ice. Yep, pretty complex storm here, but the good news, more WET than WHITE for holiday travelers. Holiday driving won't be a walk in the park, however. It'll be downright nasty for a good 36 hours so please account for this. 

Then Thanksgiving proper looks halfway decent with sun returning but it'll be a cold Turkey Day with windy conditions and temperatures only in the 30s at best. 

Winter Weather Advisory For Tuesday

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR SCHUYLKILL COUNTY

Corbett Signs Transportation Bill

Monday morning in Spring Hills, PA, Governor Tom Corbett signed the new transportation bill into law that will provide over $2 billion a year for improvements to Pennsylvania's bridges and highways.

The ceremony took place in the parking lot of the Veterans of Foreign Wars post along 322.

What's your thoughts on the newly signed bill?

10 Ways to Cook A Turkey

Stuck in a turkey rut? Tired of cooking the same old turkey every Thanksgiving? Okay, not literally, but we all have our own traditions or have just become accustomed to following the first turkey recipe we learned. Why not try something new this year? The following list includes 10 ways you can cook a turkey.