Schuylkill County Weather Forecast

By:  Monsoon Mike

Skook dodged yet another storm today with areas just east of us getting 2 to even 3 or 4 inches. Yet again, an atmospheric block set up just outside of Schuylkill, giving us just a slight dusting in some areas, nothing in others except flurries. Sorry I busted that forecast! Can't be perfect. These things are so difficult to predict where the shield of precipitation will stop advancing. The snow haters of Skook must be doing some good anti-snow dances because we just keep missing the bigger problems. (Which should scare us because one of these days ... one of these days, it's gonna get us good! ;-) For tonight, we may not have dodged everything completely as an arctic front is moving through and some heavier squalls could move through anytime overnight, so keep that in the back of your mind if you're out and about late tonight.

One thing we can't escape, however, is the brutal cold and what's coming by Tuesday and Wednesday may make that last polar plunge feel warm compared to this. I'm talking highs maybe no better than around 7 Tuesday. 12 Wednesday. Yes, 7 and 12! 

Milder air moves in later in the week, but absent are any bigger storms, but always the ever-present chance of these smaller storms, any of which could surprise us with more, like last week's gig. You just gotta keep posted to my updates.

Oh, and tomorrow (Sunday's) snow showers in the afternoon, yeah, those could dust up the ground a bit in some areas, so keep an eye out for that. 

Two Killed in Morea Road Crash

Just before 4pm, Friday afternoon, crews were called to 301 Morea Road for a motor vehicle accident.   This address is the entrance to SCI-Mahanoy.

The driver of one of the vehicles, a 51 year old from Mahanoy City, died at the scene.  Robin Capone, 52, of Mahanoy City, was the passenger in the vehicle and died at the hospital.

Morea Road was closed for a few hours while the State Police and Coroner's office investigated the crash.

Two other people were also hurt in the crash but the extent of their injuries has not be released.

Schuylkill County High School Basketball Scores

High School Basketball Scores for 1/24/14

Updated: 9:40pm

Girls

Blue Mountain - 63

Panther Valley - 26

Minersville - 64

Williams Valley - 31

Marian Catholic - 36

Nativity BVM - 34

Schuylkill County Weather Forecast

By:  Monsoon Mike

Yet another snow maker is on the way for Saturday, folks, and while I'd ordinarily be happy to draw one of my nice little maps showing what part of Skook will get what accumulation, there's really no need to given this storm will put down a general swath of 1 to 3 inches of snow, perhaps 4 if the storm outperforms itself. Things get going mid morning and could snow in earnest for awhile until mid afternoon some time, and then continue into the evening in the form of lighter snow showers. It'll be breezy, at times at well, so any snow that falls will blow around.

Sunday things calm down but some afternoon snow showers could dust up the road once again. Early week storm potential seems to have quelled a bit but we know how well (or not so well) the models did with the storm earlier this week, so with plenty of cold air locked in for the next at least 7 days, I'd be on watch. 

Winter Weather Advisory Issued For Schuylkill County

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 5 AM TO 8 PM EST SATURDAY ...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 5 AM TO 8 PM EST SATURDAY.

* LOCATIONS ...THE POCONO MOUNTAINS.

* HAZARD TYPES ...SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW.

* ACCUMULATIONS ...2 TO 4 INCHES OF SNOW.

* TIMING ...SATURDAY.

* IMPACTS ...HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS DUE TO SNOW COVERED ROADS AND REDUCED VISIBILITY IN SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW.

* WINDS ...SOUTH 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH.

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 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.

Televisions Stolen from Hometown Wal-Mart

Last evening, around 9:30pm,  two 60" televisions were reportedly stolen from the Hometown Wal-Mart.

It was reported that the thief or thieves left in a dark sports car.

SOURCE:  http://tamaquaarea.wordpress.com/2014/01/23/tamaqua-crime-watch-alert-crooks-steal-two-television-sets-from-hometown-walmart/

Thirty One Bingo - Girl Scouts/Sacramento Fire Company

The parents of Girl Scout Troop 31166 in Hegins/Valley View will be hosting a Thirty One Bingo on February 23 at Sacramento Fire Co..advanced tickets are available for $20 by contacting Christine Lettich @ clettich31@yahoo.com or 570-449-7149

Pottsville Native Appointed to the Diocese of Harrisburg

WNEP reported this morning that Reverend Ronald Gainer, 66, who has been appointed as the Bishop of the Diocese of Harrisburg, is a Pottsville native.

He has been serving as a bishop in Kentucky since 2003.

Link to story:
http://wnep.com/2014/01/24/bishop-appointed-to-diocese-of-harrisburg/

Schuylkill County High School Basketball Scores - 1/23/14

Schuylkill County High School Basketball Scores for 1/23/14

Schuylkill County School Delays - 1/24/14

Schuylkill County School Closings for 1/24/14

Mahanoy Area - 2 Hour Delay

St. Jerome/Tamaqua - 2 Hour Delay

Tamaqua - 2 Hour Delay

Schuylkill County Deputy Sheriff Resigns, Under Investigation

The Schuylkill County Deputy Sheriff, Dennis Kane, resigned from his job today while an investigation is underway by the State Police.

The investigation is from an alleged conversation between Kane and 16 year old boy on Facebook.

Kane told WNEP that he denies doing anything wrong.

Kane, also the mayor of Ashland, says that his retirement as Deputy Sheriff is not related to the investigation and will not be resigning as mayor.

We'll have more on this as information becomes available.

Link to WNEP's article.
http://wnep.com/2014/01/23/deputy-sheriff-quits-under-investigation/

Schuylkill County Weather Forecast

By:  Monsoon Mike

Widely scattered snow showers affected the area today on cue. After another brutally cold day on Friday, a tad warmer on Saturday but also another chance for a round of snow. At this early vantage point, it looks like a general 1 to 3 inch sort of storm.

Our next chance of snow after that comes on Monday but that feature looks a little less impressive than it did yesterday. Beyond that, more chances for snow as the week progresses. No end in view, folks! 

Schuylkill County High School Basketball Scores - 1/22/14

High School Basketball Scores from 1/22/14

Boys
Williams Valley - 62
Marian Catholic - 46

Schuylkill County School Delays - 1/23/14

Schuylkill County School Delays - 1/23/14

Schuylkill Weather Forecast

I know some people are really going to hate me for saying this, but don't attack the messenger. We have FOUR chances for snow again in the coming 7 to 10 days.

The first will come in the form of some snow showers or flurries tomorrow. Not expecting it to be much but it could dust up the ground in some areas.

The second comes on Saturday and that one might actually put down an inch or two. We will have to monitor that one as it could be one of those clipper situations that picks up a little bit of juice.

The third chance comes somewhere around Monday and that storm, depending on what the first two do, could set up in the atmosphere to give us a fairly decent round of snow on Monday, but that's still way too off to worry about and lots to be worked out. Could very well be a miss as well.

And the fourth chance comes at the end of next week and that one also could be significant but again, this far out it's just something to look at and nothing more at this point.

Either way, the cold air stays and plenty of active weather!

Schuylkill County Delays and Closings - 1/22/14

Schuylkill County Delays and Closings for  1/22/14

Assumption BVM - 2 Hour Delay

Blue Mountain - 2 Hour Delay

Gillingham Charter - 2 Hour Delay

Mahanoy Area - 2 Hour Delay

Minersville - 2 Hour Delay 

Nativity BVM - 2 hour delay

North Schuylkill - 2 Hour Delay

Pine Grove - 2 Hour Delay

Pottsville - 2 Hour Delay

Schuylkill Headstart/Child Development - Pre-K Closed, Daycare opens at 8

Schuylkill Haven - 2 hour delay

Schuylkill Maple Ave.  - 2 Hour Delay

Schuylkill Special Ed. Center - 2 Hour Delay

Schuylkill Tech North and South - 2 Hour Delay

Shenandoah Valley - 2 Hour Delay

St. Ambrose/Schuylkill Haven - 2 Hour Delay

St. Clair - 2 Hour Delay

St. Jerome/Tamaqua - 2 Hour Delay

St. Nicholas/Minersville - 2 Hour Delay

Tamaqua - 2 Hour Delay

Tri-Valley - 2 Hour Delay

Trinity Academy - 2 Hour Delay

Williams Valley - 2 Hour Delay

Schuylkill County Weather Forecast

By:  Monsoon Mike

What a wacky storm this was to track and in the end, I probably should have stuck with my first call, but when things got going much earlier than expected, upping my totals was the prudent thing to do. But the sharp gradient that I warned of yesterday is what prevailed putting Skook right on the border of very heavy snow near Philly (near a foot) to practically nothing near Wilkes-Barre. In between was Skook and we will end our storm with about 4 or so inches in southern Skook. About an inch or two northern Skook. Not too far off from my prediction but if you hate snow, you are oh so lucky because only 50 miles south, they are buried. That coulda been us! 

Now get ready for some BRUTAL cold which I think actually may feel worse than the last polar snap because now we have some snow on the ground (the last polar snap, the ground was mainly green). The wind blowing over that snowfall will make tonight and tomorrow feel downright Siberia-like. The warmest day of the next seven will be Saturday when temperatures may actually get out of the 20s. LOL

Then it's back to the teens again for next week. No major storms on the horizon although snow showers are possible Thursday and Saturday.

Snow Covered Roads Made Travel Difficult Tuesday

The snow began falling around 8am Tuesday morning and by lunch time was the cause of many headaches across the county.

The snow layered with a this sheet of ice made back roads and any other untreated roads made travel very difficult.

The Vulcan Hill, Hometown-side, Mahanoy Township was closed for a few hours while the roads were treated and cleaned up after numerous cars and tractor trailers got hung up trying to make their way up the hill.  The road was open again by 2:30pm.

Vulcan Hill

Carbon Monoxide Investigation Monday Evening in Tamaqua

From tamaquaarea.wordpress.com

Tamaqua firefighters and EMS were dispatched to 327 Washington Street just before 8:45 PM tonight (Jan. 20, 2014) after family members called 911 to report a possible CO (carbon monoxide; a colorless, odorless gas) issue in the two-part home. Firefighters arrived and evacuated the home, as well as placed exhaust fans to expel the dangerous gas. During the response, some of the firefighters were covered with black smoke, as someone was working on the furnace when they arrived.

Tamaqua Fire Chief Tom Hartz said that the incident was related to the furnace. Two families were temporarily displaced while plumbers responded and did repairs. Prior to calling 911, a neighbor brought over a carbon monoxide detector to the home. The levels it showed were 250 ppm (parts per million).

One resident, a woman, was cared for by Tamaqua Ambulance while on scene. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention website states that any levels of CO at 1,200 ppm or higher are considered an immediate danger to life. It adds that a 60-minute EEGL (Emergency Exposure Guidance Level) to a CO level of 400 ppm or more can cause severe or permanent injuries; even death.

Hartz stressed that all homes should install a CO detector.

CO detectors are more affordable now than ten years ago. You can purchase a quality CO detector (with readout) for as low as $25 at Tamaqua area stores.

Weather Related Announcements

Schuylkill County Weather Related Announcements for 1/21/14

Sports

Panther Valley Girls Basketball game is postponed until tomorrow night

Mahanoy Area vs. North Schuylkill Boys Basketball is postponed until January 31st. 

Nativity BVM girls basketball postponed until tomorrow

Tuesday Morning Kitchen Fire in Ashland

Tuesday Morning around 10am, crews were called to 11 North 11th Street, Ashland, for a kitchen fire.

Wind Chill Advisory Issued for Schuylkill County

...WIND CHILL ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON EST WEDNESDAY ... ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS CANCELLED ...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE HAS CANCELLED THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY.

* LOCATIONS ...SOUTH-CENTRAL MOUNTAINS ...AND A PORTION OF THE MIDDLE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY.

* HAZARD TYPES ...DANGEROUSLY COLD WIND CHILLS.

* ACCUMULATIONS ...4 TO 6 INCHES OF SNOW.

* WIND CHILLS ...15 TO 20 BELOW ZERO.

* TIMING ...SNOW HAS TAPERED TO JUST SCATTERED FLURRIES. WIND CHILLS WILL BE DANGEROUSLY LOW TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING.

* IMPACTS ...TRAVEL MAY BE SLOWED SIGNIFICANTLY DUE TO SNOW COVERED ROADS AND PERIODS OF POOR VISIBILITY. DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS TONIGHT COULD CAUSE FROSTBITE TO EXPOSED SKIN AND LEAD TO HYPOTHERMIA.

* WINDS ...NORTH 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH.

* TEMPERATURES ...ZERO TO 5 BELOW ZERO.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS ...

IF YOU WILL BE OUTDOORS ...DRESS IN LAYERS AND WEAR A HAT AND GLOVES. FROSTBITE AND HYPOTHERMIA ARE POSSIBLE IF PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN. FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION ...GO TO WEATHER.GOV/CTP OR STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO.

Schuylkill County School Early Dismissals

Early School Dismissals for 1/21/14

Blue Mountain  - MS and HS at 10:30, Elem. at 11:05

Gillingham Charter School - Early Dismissal

Minersville - EARLY DISMISSAL; HS11AM, ELEM11:30AM; LLEW 4KAM./Kdg. 11:45

Nativity BVM - dismiss at 10am

Penn State/Schuylkill - Campus closing early

Pottsville - HS @ 10am, MS @ 10:30am, and Elem @ 11:00

Schuylkill Haven - Dismiss 11am, No Evening Activities

Shenandoah valley - HS 11:30, Elem 12:00

St. Clair - dismiss @ 11am

St. Jerome/Tamaqua - 11:15 dismissal

St. Nicholas/Minersville - dismiss at 11:30am

Tamaqua - Early Dismissal - Secondary 10am, Elementary 11:15am, No PM kindergarten 

Schuylkill County High School Basketball Scores

Schuylkill County High School Basketball scores for 1/20/14

Boys

North Schuylkill - 69

Panther Valley - 45

Blue Mountain - 54

Tamaqua - 30

Marian Catholic - 36

Lourdes Regional - 29

Mahanoy Area - 50

Tri-Valley - 14

Minersville - 57

Shenandoah Valley - 40

Girls

Pine Grove - 56

Panther Valley - 32

Schuylkill County Weather Forecast

By:  Monsoon Mike

Everything appears to be on target for a minor to borderline low-end moderate snow event Tuesday across the Skook. What two days ago looked like just a round of light snow has turned into a reputable snowstorm for folks down near Philadelphia. For us, however, we'll be on the very far north-western fringe of a compact clipper that will generate a bit offshore and throw back a decent amount of snow across a good part of south-eastern Pennsylvania, but again, not so much over Skook.

Schuylkill County Delays and Closings - 1/21/14

Schuylkill County Delays and Closings for 1/21/14

Mahanoy Area - CLOSED

North Schuylkill - CLOSED

Pine Grove Area - CLOSED, All activities cancelled

Schuylkill Maple Ave. - CLOSED

Schuylkill Special Ed. Center - CLOSED

Schuylkill Tech North & South - CLOSED

Tri-Valley - CLOSED

Trinity Academy - CLOSED

Williams Valley - CLOSED

Schuylkill County Weather Update

By:  Monsoon Mike

A perfect example of what a pain in the proverbial behind this storm is to forecast is what will happen over Schuylkill County, one of my hotbeds for fans. Skook will be right on the border of where there should be a sharp cutoff of very little snow to perhaps more significant snow. I made a map of my thinking for Schuylkill County for all of my Skook fans and for the fine folks at Skook News who use my forecasts.

Winter Weather Advisory Issued for Schuylkill County

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM TO 10 PM EST TUESDAY ...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW ...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM TO 10 PM EST TUESDAY.
* LOCATIONS ...SOUTH-CENTRAL MOUNTAINS ...AND A PORTION OF THE MIDDLE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY.
* HAZARD TYPES ...SNOW.
* ACCUMULATIONS ...2 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW ...WITH THE HIGHER AMOUNTS FALLING TO THE SOUTH OF ROUTE 22 ...AND INTERSTATE 81.
* TIMING ...BEGINNING BEFORE DAYBREAK IN THE GREATER JOHNSTOWN AND ALTOONA AREA ...AND DURING THE LATE MORNING HOURS ACROSS THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY ...CONTINUING THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY EVENING.
* IMPACTS ...TRAVEL MAY BE SLOWED SIGNIFICANTLY DUE TO SNOW COVERED ROADS AND PERIODS OF POOR VISIBILITY.
* WINDS ...NORTH TO NORTHEAST WIND AROUND 10 MPH ...INCREASING TO 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
* TEMPERATURES ...IN THE LOW TO MID TEENS.
* VISIBILITIES ...AVERAGING AROUND ONE 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.

Schuylkill County Midday Weather Forecast

By:  Monsoon Mike

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day! How things have changed in 24 hours as our Tuesday clipper today looks more like it wants to take a turn and a ride up the coast. This will be a similar situation to that one or two storms in 2010 (though far less precipitation) where southern regions get more than northern regions (opposite of usual) & there is a very sharp cutoff to the north. By cutoff, I mean it is viable for southern Jersey to see 6 (or even more) inches and Schuylkill County see an inch tops. Philly would see about 4 under that theory. Reading/Allentown about 2 at best. I still want to see the midday models before I commit but this is how I am leaning for now. Prime times tomorrow daytime.

Motor Vehicle Accident, Kline Township, Saturday Evening

Posted from TamaquaArea.wordpress.com

Emergency personnel responded Saturday (Jan. 18, 2014) at 6:50 PM to mile marker 13.7 along Interstate 81 in Kline Township for a single motor vehicle accident with injuries. Kline Township B49-47 and McAdoo BLS 920 arrived on scene and found a single vehicle accident car into a rock embankment with front end damage with one driver still in the vehicle. The driver had to be removed from vehicle by crews and then transported to Lehigh Valley Hospital in Hazleton. E29-11 & E6-10, PSP and Medic 11 also assisted McAdoo crews. Crews were on scene for about an hour. Firefighters noted that this was the four vehicle accident in Kline Township in two days.

BEST OF SKOOK: And the Winner of "Best Burger" in Schuylkill County is . . . .

Well this shouldn't come as a surprise but Tony's Lunch, Girardville, was clear winner of "Best Burger" in Schuylkill County.  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tonys-Lunch/153679787981975?rf=132310310155444

Schuylkill County Weather Forecast

By:  Monsoon Mike

Good evening! Martin Luther King Jr. Day will actually be the warmest of the week as temperatures sneak into the 30s in some areas ahead of our next strong frontal boundary which will send temperatures plummeting for the rest of the week. No major storms to go along with the cold but several "minor" storms. As I said this morning on my Facebook fan page, one of those "mini" storms could surprise us with a little more juice (much like the one this past Friday/Saturday in northern areas) and late model runs confirm TUESDAY may be just that sort of situation. Models have shifted a bit further northwest with Tuesday's clipper. By no means does this mean a major snowstorm. But from Philadelphia on south into south Jersey, those guys could actually be in the sweet spot for several inches of snow if everything worked out right. Still thinking a coating to an inch or two at best in the Skook but that being said, this northward "trend" needs to be watched in case it continues, whereupon I would "up" my prognostication. Hope everyone had a great weekend and hope you are one of the folks who has a three day weekend continuing tomorrow! 

Man Dies From Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Sunday morning, authorities received a 911 call from a woman feeling confused in the borough of St. Clair.

When authorities arrived at 434 S. 2nd Street, they found Charles Gately and his girlfriend, who has not been identified and who made the 911 call.  Both were taken to the hospital where Gately was pronounced dead.  His girlfriend remains in intensive care.

Police believe Gately attempted to start his coal furnace and the flue pipe was clogged causing the fumes to fill the home.

WNEP spoke to some of his neighbors and friends earlier today.

http://wnep.com/2014/01/19/man-dies-after-clogged-coal-furnace-fills-home-with-co-fumes/ 

One Man Injured, Utility Pole Snapped in Rt. 209 Crash

Posted From tamaquaarea.wordpress.com

A man was taken to the hospital for unknown injuries after snapping a utility pole early this morning (Sunday, Jan. 19, 2014) along US209 between Tamaqua and Coaldale. Emergency personnel were called to US209, just past Sisters Cantina Restaurant, in Tamaqua just after 12:30 AM for a report of an overturned pickup truck with wires down. Firefighters and EMS arrived and placed the man on a stretcher for transport to St. Luke’s Hospital – Miners Campus. The man was said to be the only person in the vehicle. Responding were Tamaqua firefighters, Tamaqua Rescue Squad, Tamaqua Police, Tamaqua Fire Police and Tamaqua Ambulance. Firefighters on scene stated that the wires were communication lines, and not power lines. Both lanes US209 were closed for the duration.

Dispute Between Neighbors Ends in Fatal Shooting in Shenandoah Heights

State Police were called to the 500 Block of Indiana Ave., Shenandoah Heights, West Mahanoy Twp. for a shooting around 11:30am.

Schuylkill County Weather Forecast

By:  Monsoon Mike

Get ready for the freezer again this coming week! Not overly brutal Sunday and perhaps even somewhat comfortable Monday before another major cold front puts us down into the arctic depths for Tuesday until the end of the coming week. A frustrating thing for snow lovers, however, is that no major snowstorms look to happen this coming week. A potential larger potential around Thursday now looks to stay on the more minor side. That's not to say we won't see ANY snow this week. They'll actually be two, if not three chances for "minor" snowfalls, but that's it for this week. Still looking at the final week of January for more "active" weather. 

When are those "minor" events that we've grown frequently used to this winter season? Some snow showers possible Sunday morning (but less than today's event). Some more snow showers Tuesday. And some more Thursday. One of those Tuesday or Thursday events could "surprise" us with a little more snow than "showers," much like today's did, but that's about it for the week. The biggest story will be the c ... c ... cold with highs only in the teens and nights in the single digits. Have a good evening!

Pole Sheered in Rush Township Accident Saturday Morning

Photo from tamaquaarea.wordpress.com

Posted from TamaquaArea.Wordpress.Com

A male driver of a white SUV lost control and sheered into a pole along near 431 Fairview Street in Rush Township just before 11 AM today (Saturday, Jan. 18, 2014). The man was treated on scene and refuse further medical care. Responding were Rush Township Police, Hometown Fire Company, Ryan Township Fire Company, Quakake Fire Company and fire police. No power or services were said to be affected. PPL was called to repair the line.

Saturday Morning's Shenandoah Heights Shooting

State Police were called to the 500 Block of Indiana Ave., Shenandoah Heights, West Mahanoy Twp. for a shooting around 11:30am.

Early Morning Crash in Rush Twp.

Picture from TamaquaArea.com

Posted from TamaquaArea.com

Two young men escaped serious injury after narrowly missing a deer and crashing their car into two connected fences in Rush Township early this morning (Saturday, Jan. 18, 2014). Emergency personnel were called to a single motor vehicle accident shortly after 1:30 AM just northeast of the Fairview Street and Marian Avenue intersection. When they arrived, they observed a car entangled in a fence along Marian Avenue, just short of an Air Products water pumping station. Responding were Rush Township Police, Ryan Township Police, Quakake Fire Company, Hometown Fire Company, Ryan Rescue Squad/EMS and others. The two males in the vehicle were treated on scene by Ryan Township EMS.

Schuylkill County High School Basketball Scores - 1/17/14

Schuylkill County High School Basketball Scores - 1/17/14

Schuylkill County Weather Forecast

By:  Monsoon Mike

A small system is moving in from the west and a bit of snow will fall overnight. I think the National Weather Service's call for 2 to 4 inches is a bit on the heavy side, but not to say it couldn't happen in isolated locations. Best call I think is 1 to 2 inches, maybe an isolated 3. If you're heading south into our Berks County neighbors' territory, a coating to an inch or two at best. Just a dusting to perhaps very little to nothing near Philly. Key times will be from about 1 a.m. through the early morning hours of Saturday. I'd recommend not venturing out until the afternoon Saturday if you don't have to, to let the road crews do their thing. Another batch of light snow is possible later in the weekend, followed by a brief respite Monday followed by our second huge arctic plunge of 2014. Expect highs barely through the teens by mid week! Still no MAJOR snowstorms on the horizon, but I think it's only a matter of time before the atmosphere breaks down and lets one of these quick moving mini-storms blow into a bigger storm, probably during the last week of January.

Super Bowl Sunday Events

Super Bowl Events for February 2nd, 2014

Scheduled Road Work in Schuylkill County

From Schuylkill County Emergency Management Agency

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Schuylkill County: Road Work
***NOTE 6 PROJECTS***

Winter Weather Advisory Issued For Schuylkill County

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO 1 PM EST SATURDAY ...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW ...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO 1 PM EST SATURDAY.

* LOCATIONS ...MIDDLE AND UPPER SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY.

* HAZARD TYPES ...SNOW.

* ACCUMULATIONS ...2 TO 4 INCHES OF SNOW.

* TIMING ...LATER THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING.

* IMPACTS ...POOR ROAD CONDITIONS AND HAZARDOUS TRAVEL.

* TEMPERATURES ...IN THE MID 20S.

* VISIBILITIES ...REDUCED TO UNDER A MILE AT TIMES.

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 High School Basketball Scores - 1/16/14

Schuylkill County High School Basketball Scores from 1/16/14

Schuylkill County Weather Forecast

By: Monsoon Mike

Today turned out pretty darn nice in the afternoon, albeit chilly. More clouds, unfortunately, invade the region tomorrow as our next minor disturbance arrives. Snow showers over the weekend will be sporadic, but any snow shower could temporarily dust the ground to as much as an inch and make for tricky travel. Temperatures take another dive into arctic vicinities mid next week and by the end of next week or first thing the week after, those "minor" bouts snow may turn into some more major winter weather just in time for the end of January/early February 

Yuengling Ice Cream Began Production This Week

At a special new conference this morning at the Leiby's Dairy Inc., Tamaqua, Yuengling Ice Cream President, and Rob Bohorad, the Chief Operating Officer, announced that because of an overwhelming response, they have begun production this week.

Production was not suppose to begin until March.

The first batches of ice cream are expected to hit the shelves in major grocery stores by mid-February.  Weis and Acme were both mentioned as locations.

The suggested retail price will be $5.49 to $5.99 per quart

Ten all-natural flavors of ice cream are being produced for their first run

Vanilla, Chocolate, Chocolate Chip, Black and Tan (chocolate and caramel), Vanilla Fudge Chunk with Pretzels, Espresso Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Chocolate Marshmallow, Root Beer Float, and Mint Chocolate Chip.

At the state-of-the-art facility, they will be able to make 40 quarts of ice cream per minute, 14,000 quarts per day, and 100,000 quarts in the initial 10 day run.

Yuengling ice cream initially was in operation from 1920-1985.  Yuengling introduced ice cream  to supplement the brewery's revenue during prohibition.

Production stopped in 1985 when no successor to the then-president Frederick "Fritz" Yuengling could be identified.

The new president, David Yuengling, is the son of Fritz.

Schuylkill County High School Basketball Scores - 1/16/2014

Scores from last night's games - 1/15/2014

SKOOK EVENTS: All You Can Eat Breakfast - Independent Hose Company

The Independent Hose Company, Diener's Hill, sponsors all-you-can-eat breakfasts from 7:30 a.m. to noon on the third Sunday of the month. The cost is $7 for adults and $3.50 for children. Patrons may eat in the fire Hall or take meals out. For more information, call 570-429-0867. All are welcome.

SKOOK EVENTS: Block Shoot - East End Fire Company, Tamaqua

BLOCK SHOOT FEBRUARY 9TH AT TAMAQUA'S EAST END FIRE COMPANY!

SKOOK EVENT: Chili Cook Off

On Saturday 1/18 from 12-4 Galen Glen Winery, 255 Winter Mountain Drive, Andreas 18211 is hosting a free chili cook off. All visitors to the winery get to sample each chef's chili and vote for a favorite. Please invite your followers to join us. More info www.galenglen.com or 570-386-3682. Thanks, Kathy Tasting Room Manager

Schuylkill County Weather Forecast

By:  Monsoon Mike

Freezing fog (now there's a term you don't hear every day) surprised some folks Wednesday morning, and even me (hey, I'm not an egotistical weather guru who always has to be right) and even lead to some school delays in cooler regions. I think fog is a problem again overnight, but not nearly as thick or "freezing" as last night's version. 

Looks like we finally get a bit of a break from the dreary cloud cover on Thursday with some sun breaking out by afternoon after morning clouds and fog burns off. But it's short-lived as a series of disturbances move through contributing to some rain or snow showers Friday and then again Saturday. There's still a renegade computer model or two that insist Saturday may turn into a period of outright snow, but I'm going with the majority here and saying it's a miss. Sunday then looks better again but turning notably colder.

Even colder weather by mid next week. No "major" storms in the next seven days, but once we get out to about 8 to 14 days, things look much more interesting. Hang in there, snow fans.