SUNBURY - The following defendants were sentenced Monday in the Court of Common Pleas:

- Thomas Bennett, 20, of Paxinos, was placed on six months probation and ordered to pay a $100 fine and $168 in restitution after pleading guilty to theft filed by state police at Stonington.

- Robert Clark, 25, of Shamokin, was sentenced to five years of intermediate punishment with the first 90 days on house arrest for DUI. He also was fined $1,500.

Clark also was placed on six months probation, fined $150 and ordered to make restitution totaling $3,427.53 after pleading guilty to hit and run.

The charges were filed by Shamokin police.

- Blake Dunbar, 21, of Shamokin, was sentenced to 18 to 36 months in state prison for burglary. He also was ordered to pay a $150 fine and make restitution in the amount of $1,122 for criminal mischief, which runs concurrent to his state prison sentence.

The charges were filed by Shamokin police.

- Lucille Dunleavy, 57, of Shamokin, was sentenced to 90 days to 23 months in county prison for DUI and fined $1,500. The charge was filed by Shamokin police.

- Ronald Nahodil, 44, of Shamokin, was sentenced to 3 days to 6 months in county prison for DUI and fined $1,000. The charge was filed by Shamokin police.

- Gregory Poltenovage, 46, of Sunbury, was sentenced to six months of intermediate punishment with the first 30 days on house arrest for DUI. He also was fined $750.

The charge was filed by Shamokin police.

- Jason Robinson, 32, of Shamokin, was sentenced to 39 to 78 months in state prison for burglary and aggravated assault filed by Coal Township police.

- Hito Romero, 44, of Shamokin, was sentenced to 2 to 5 years in state prison and was ordered to pay a $150 fine and make $4,423.24 in restitution for criminal trespass and criminal conspiracy to commit theft. The charges were filed by Shamokin police.

- Kenneth Sampsell Jr., 20, of Sunbury, was sentenced to 6 to 12 months in county prison, fined $150 and ordered to serve one year consecutive probation for possession of a controlled substance filed by Shamokin police.

- John Shustack, 49, of Kulpmont, was sentenced to 6 months of intermediate punishment with the first 90 days on house arrest for DUI and received a consecutive sentence for DUI of five years of intermediate punishment with the first 90 days on house arrest and fined $1,500.

The DUI charges were filed by Mount Carmel Township police.

- Jenna Smith, 23, of Atlas, was sentenced to six months probation and fined $300 for DUI filed by Mount Carmel Township police.

- Timothy Weaver, 34, of Mount Carmel, was placed on two years probation and fined $250 for receiving stolen property filed by Mount Carmel Township police.

- Kaitlyn Else, 27, of Trevorton, was ordered to complete a three-year drug court program with the first three months on house arrest for hindering apprehension filed by Mount Carmel Township police.

During a pre-trial conference Wednesday, Ashley Header, 21, of Sunbury, was sentenced to 3 days to 6 months in county prison and was fined $1,000 for DUI.

Header was charged by state police at Stonington.

MOUNT CARMEL - The volunteer fire department of Mount Carmel will hold its 17th annual memorial service at 9 a.m. Sunday at Grace United Church of Christ, Third and Market streets, with the Rev. Joan A. Brown officiating.

Those who have passed away during the past year will be remembered during the service. These are, George Kerestes, Mary Ann McCoy, Anita L. McIntyre, Richard R. Raezer III, Harold B. Stryzewski and Benjamin A. Truskoski, Anthracite Steam Fire Company No. 1; and Ronald J. Ivey, Ronald D. Jurasich and Joseph Shuder, Clover Hose Company.

Emergency personnel are asked to be in its company's uniform and meet at the church at 8:45 a.m. Family members and the public are invited to attend the services.

The memorial service begins Mount Carmel's activities for this year's Fire Prevention Week, Sunday through Oct. 10. Activities for the week are:

Monday - Apparatus display, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Mount Carmel Elementary School, 630 W. Fifth St.

Tuesday - Program for residents at Mount Carmel Mid-rise, 315 S. Hickory St.

Wednesday - Visit to Winnie the Pooh Day Care Center, 233 W. Fourth St., at 10 a.m., and Cub Scouts program, 6 p.m. at the Clover Hose Company, 301 S. Oak St.

Saturday - Apparatus display, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Boyer's Food Market, 3 W. Avenue.

This year's theme will be "Hear the beep when you sleep. Every room needs a fire alarm."

Relay For Life stand at tonight's game

COAL TOWNSHIP -Members of the local Relay For Life will have a stand at the Shamokin Area versus Milton football game at Kemp Memorial Stadium tonight. Small cancer awareness items and 50/50 tickets will be offered for sale.

SAT tests at Shamokin Area

COAL TOWNSHIP - The SAT Reasoning and the SAT Subject Tests will be administered to pre-registered candidates Saturday.

Check-in and room assignment will begin at 7:30 a.m. in the auditorium lobby for individuals who bring all required admissions documents and materials. All candidates must present photo ID. Students should consult their registration bulletin or www.collegeboard.com for additional information regarding test day procedures.

The doors to the test center will close at 8 a.m. Candidates are reminded to park their vehicles in either of the side parking lots. Travel arrangements should be confirmed prior to the test date. Candidates are reminded that cell phones are not permitted in the test center.

Trevorton fall festival Saturday

The Trevorton Fall Festival will still be held Saturday. Tents will be provided for all festival patrons. Updated parade information will be announced on local radio stations.

Fall festival set for Saturday

LAVELLE - Valley Nursery is having its third annual fall festival Saturday at 507 High St. There will be fresh apples, pumpkins, fall decor, cornstalks, gourds, hay bales and mums and 25 percent off all gift shop items. For more information, call 570-985-1606.

COAL TOWNSHIP - Current and past blight properties were the main topics of discussion at a monthly meeting of commissioners Thursday evening.

Voting unanimously to authorize the advertisement of bids to demolish all Kolody properties were commissioners Bernie Rumberger, Paul Leshinskie and Gene Welsh. Absent were Craig Fetterman and George Zalar.

In September, Judge Charles H. Saylor awarded Coal Township conservatorship of the long-dilapidated properties owned by Helene, Russell, Esther and Pauline Kolody. Shamokin was also awarded conservatorship for properties in the city.

"On the question, all I have is hallelujah!" Welsh said of the properties' demise.

There will be five separate contracts to demolish nine properties: 1721 W. Independence St., 406 Cypress St., 1550 W. Lynn St., 5-7 N. Bay St. and 1445-1451 W. Chestnut St. A grant is funding the conservatorship process and blight demolition work.

Commissioners passed a motion to re-advertise for bids the sale of three empty township lots, where structures were demolished using grant funding. No minimum bids will be required. The properties are 12 S. Popular St., 1600-1602 Pulaski Avenue and 1101 W. State St.

'Deviant'

Fran Adams, of 1407 W. Walnut St., made another plea to commissioners to take action against Donald Kuntz, who owns an adjoining vacant property at 1405 W. Walnut St., which Adams said is causing her anguish.

Adams said a roof on her neighbor's property is leaking and has caused water to run like "a waterfall" all the way to the basement of her home. She said various sections of her house have been damaged since March because of Kuntz's leaky roof. A "big, ugly" bush and a "rotten" deck have added to her woes, she said.

"I am scared to go in my own backyard because I am afraid animals will run out from underneath the deck," she told commissioners. "His property keeps getting worse. He is being deviant."

Code enforcement officer Chris Petrovich said he has cited Kuntz numerous times and that Kuntz was recently found guilty on 12 summary violations stemming from the condition of the property. He told Adams that Kuntz has hired someone to address exterior issues of the home by the end of next week, weather permitting. Petrovich said he will continue to monitor the situation.

Trick-or-treat

In other business, commissioners set 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, as trick-or-treat night. They also hired Cohen Law Group to perform all services related to the renewal of the township's cable franchise agreement with Service Electric for a flat fee of $8,900. Welsh said Cohen will also check on other cable providers in the area.

The police department responded to 336 calls in September. There were 23 accidents, 36 tickets, 48 complaints and citations, 41 traffic citations and four code tickets. The fire department responded to 27 calls, 21 of which were in the township, for a total of 353 hours, 45 minutes of manhours.

SUNBURY - Northumberland County District Attorney Ann Targonski Thursday evening again defended her handling of the "Labor Day joyride case" while her campaign opponent, Tony Matulewicz, argued that the case should have been handled by an outside prosecutor to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.

In a candidate debate that mostly adhered to what has mostly developed along the basic campaign narratives of "what constitutes experience" and "how to deal with major drug dealers," a running controversy over the handling of summary traffic charges generated its share of attention and some interesting answers from the candidates.

The case involved what has been described as a "firecracker-tossing joyride" by four local off-duty police officers on Labor Day 2014. David J. Stamets, then a Mount Carmel Township police officer, was driving an unregistered Jeep Wrangler in a low-speed chase in the Kulpmont area, with the vehicle being pursued by a Kulpmont patrolman.

Stamets was subsequently found guilty of summary traffic violations, and was ordered to pay costs and fines totaling $330.50. His appeal was dismissed in May in county court.

The case has dogged Targonski for months, mostly because of her initial comments that cleared the officers of wrongdoing. When asked about it again Thursday evening, she said that although she wasn't aware of all the facts when she made the initial comments, she believes she ultimately made the correct decision in filing only the summary traffic charges. Targonski said that based on the evidence, her office could not have proven a charge of fleeing and eluding a police officer, which is a misdemeanor.

Matulewicz, who referred to Judge Anthony Rosini's comment in upholding the conviction that Stamets would have been charged more severely if he had been a civilian, said Targonski, to avoid the appearance of favoring the police officer, should have either asked the state attorney general's office to investigate or appoint a special prosecutor from another county.

Targonski countered that the AG option was unfeasible and the outside prosecutor option impossible. She said it was highly improbable the state would accept "a case of that magnitude." She added that the law no longer allows appointment of special prosecutors from neighboring counties.

'Experience counts'

Targonski, who became district attorney in 2014 when Rosini resigned to fill an interim term as judge, repeatedly told panelists and audience members at the debate that "experience counts." She said that in her 24 years as an assistant DA, she prosecuted more than 6,000 cases. Matulewicz, who has worked six months as an assistant district attorney argued, however, that his service as Mount Carmel Borough Council member has given him a fresh perspective on increased public apprehension about serious crime and what he says is a growing perception that the legal system has been ineffectual in dealing with the county's drug problem.

Matulewicz said the DA's office should be more willing to take suspects to trial, rather than enter into plea agreements, and the pleas that are approved should result in stiff sentences. Targonski argued that prosecutors must let the facts and circumstances of each case determine how to proceed. Matulewicz acknowledged that plea bargains are sometimes necessary, but in high level felonies, the DA and police have a responsibility to build the strongest possible cases with the intent of going to trial, if necessary.

Questions that involved issues such as court rules on speedy trials, prosecution of medical marijuana cases, plans for a new county prison and how to effectively manage a large caseload were posed by county journalists in the debate that was sponsored by The (Sunbury) Daily Item newspaper at the Sunbury Elks lodge. Some of the questions were submitted by audience members.

No loftier ambitions

Both Targonski and Matulewicz answered with emphatic "no's" when a question was posed whether they planned to use the district attorney's office as a stepping stone for a future campaign for judge.

Targonski said she has no interest in running for judge, adding that her "first love" is fighting crime. Matulewicz said the office of district attorney is "where the action is" in keeping the community safe. Matulewicz said he will never use the DA's office as a way to run for judge or any other higher office.

Targonski defeated Matulewicz for the Democratic nomination in the primary election. Matulewicz won the Republican nomination through write-in votes.

Shamokin-Coal Township

Monday - Poker, 8:30 a.m.; bridge lessons, 9:30 a.m.; unlucky 7's, noon.

Tuesday - Morning cards, 8:30 a.m.; walk a mile, 9 a.m.; Boscov's 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; game show, 11 a.m.; bridge, noon.

Wednesday - Morning cards, 8:30 a.m.; Wii bowling, 10 a.m.; pinochle and Pokeno, 12:30 p.m.; CSFP food boxes, 1 to 3 p.m.

Thursday - Morning cards, 8:30 a.m.; walk a mile, 9 a.m.; Wii bowling, 10 a.m.; game show, 11 a.m. nickel bingo, 12:30 p.m.

Friday - Morning cards, shuffleboard and puzzles, 8:30 a.m.; Wii bowling, 10 a.m.; game show, 11 a.m.; nickel bingo, noon.

Saturday - Saturday night cards, 7 p.m., doors open 6 p.m.

Mount Carmel

Monday - Board games, 9:30 a.m.; exercise, 10 a.m.; lunch, 11:45 a.m.; Pokeno, 1 p.m.

Tuesday - Coupon club, 10 a.m.; Wii games, 10 a.m.; lunch, 11:45 a.m.; unlucky 7's and pinochle, 12:30 p.m.

Wednesday - Vo-tech Grab-N-Go orders due; board games, 9:30 a.m.; exercise, 10 a.m.; lunch, 11:45 a.m.; members meeting, 1 p.m.; nickel bingo, 1 p.m.

Thursday - Trip to Good Wil's restaurant, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Wii games, 9:30 a.m.; pinochle, 12:30 p.m.

Friday - Morning talk show, coffee and laughs, 9 a.m.; exercise, 10 a.m.; lunch, 11:45 a.m.; flu shots from VNA, 1 to 3 p.m.; Pokeno 1 p.m.

Kulpmont

Monday - Bean bag, 10:30 a.m.; bowling, 11 a.m.; Pokeno, 12:30 p.m.

Tuesday -Exercise, 9:30 a.m.; Family Medical will be doing free blood pressure checks, 10 to 10:30 a.m.; puzzles, 10:30 a.m.; pinochle, noon; rummy, 12:30 p.m.; bowling, 12:30 p.m.

Wednesday - Puzzles, 9 a.m.; Scrabble and Parcheesi, 10 a.m.; LCR, 12:30 p.m.

Thursday - Puzzles, 10 a.m.; hand held games, 11 a.m.; Kim of Urgent Care speaking, noon, topic is "How to stay out of the ER"; bingo, 12:30 p.m.

Friday - Hand held games, 10 a.m.; bowling, 11 a.m.; lunch at Kreekside, 11 a.m., cost is $2; nickel bingo, 12:30 p.m.

Centralia-Wilburton

Monday - Coffee, current events and topics of interest, 9 a.m.; Walmart shopping, 12:30 p.m.

Tuesday - Center closed. Apple harvest at ESPY, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Wednesday - Panera Bread; board meeting, 10:30 a.m.; jackpot bingo, 12:30 p.m.

Thursday - Food pantry and food bank, 9 a.m.; coffee and English muffins, 9 a.m.; bingo, 12:30 p.m.

Friday - Fun Friday, pick your game day.

Elysburg

Monday - Healthy steps, 8:30 a.m.; Pokeno, 11:30 a.m.

Wednesday - Healthy steps, 8:30 a.m., bingo, noon.

Friday - Crafts, 9:30 a.m.; pinochle, noon.

Trevorton

Monday - HSIM, 10 a.m.; Wii bowling, 9:30 a.m.; Pokeno or pinochle, 12:30 p.m.

Tuesday - Exercise, 10 a.m.; rummikub, 10:30 a.m.; making crafts with wine bottles, 10:30 a.m.; shopping at Weis markets, noon to 1 p.m.

Wednesday - Trip to Mohegan Sun Casino; HSIM, 10 a.m.; Scrabble, 10:30 a.m.; last day to order grab and go items for Wed. Oct. 14.

Thursday -Lycoming Mall trip, 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; board games, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Friday - Wii games, 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.; bingo, 12:30 p.m.; evening card party, 7 p.m.; last day to order hoagies for Oct. 14.