Monday profiles are published on the first Monday of each month.

ELYSBURG - One day after Lisa Newton's 46th birthday, life gave her a belated - and unwanted - "present."

Its technical name was invasive ductal carcinoma - breast cancer, in simpler terms.

Her positive outlook in dealing with the disease has become an inspiration to many, and Newton, to this day, uses laughter to diffuse the situation.

"My coping mechanism has always been humor," she said. "I laughed through childbirth and I laughed through this. It's just who I am."

“I have my pity parties, but then I dust myself off and get right back up,” she added.

The call — and life after it

A native of Fountain Springs, the Elysburg resident recalled the day she received the call from her doctor.
“I remember my husband, Michael, being ready to walk out the door, when the call came in, and him hearing me say something like, ‘Holy Shipwreck!’ but a different word,” Newton said.
After meeting with her doctor and understanding the disease, she began treatment. Following a lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy that was negative, it ruled out chemotherapy. Newton met with an oncologist to see if she was a candidate for accelerated radiation therapy.
“I can recall having the discussion with the doctor about my cancer and wondering, ‘why me?’” she said. “He looked at me and said, ‘I don’t know why you have this, but I believe that it was given to you for some reason.’”
All through her treatment, Newton did not retreat, but she and her family continued her everyday life, going to work, volunteering at football games.
Following a year of therapy, Newton chose a humorous — some might call morbid — way to share the news that she was cancer-free.
“After going to Evangelical Hospital for my checkup in October, I walked through the gift shop with all the pretty decorations, and picked something out for myself,” Newton said. “When I got back to the office, everyone was waiting for the news, which I gave them by showing them my gift.”
The gift was a coffin-shaped bank with a small sign, saying “Not dead yet.” The bank still sits in her office today, and Newton is now two years cancer-free.
A voice of hope
Following her fight with cancer, it was a chance meeting that gave Newton the opportunity to help those going through the same things she had.
“I was at my first Relay for Life event as a survivor when an American Cancer Society worker, Jackie Cramer, sat down and listened to me tell my story. After I was done, Jackie said she wanted to nominate me for the Voices of Hope program,” Newton said.
Newton was unfamiliar with the concept, but after Cramer explained it, the words of her doctor ran through her mind, “I don’t know why you have this, but I believe that it was given to you for some reason.”
“The light bulb went on. This was my purpose,” she said.
Newton is now one of the American Cancer Society’s VOICES of Hope, or “Valiant warriors against cancer, Offering hope and Inspiration to Cancer survivors, caregivers, family and friends, while Encouraging involvement, and working together to Save lives.”
“We try to provide hope to many fighting this disease in some way, from the survivors themselves to families and caregivers,” she said.
Newton provides inspiration and comfort publicly through speeches, and privately through personal chats.
“My husband, who also works at Geisinger, will come across someone going through a rough time and give me their name and phone number, and I call them to talk,” she said.
A daughter’s inspiration
Newton’s story and attitude has not only inspired those fighting cancer, but her family as well. Her daughter, Abriel, wrote about her mother’s struggle and what she learned from it in her essay “Reminiscent of Beauty,” written as part of a scholarship application.
“Nearly losing my mother taught me to appreciate what I take for granted,” Abriel Newton wrote. “Enjoy the sandwich I’m eating even though there is too much mayonnaise. I learned to not worry so very much about the petty, trivial problems in life, there are much bigger things than me out there in the vast expanse in space. I realized, though it may be a cliche, that life truly is short. I cannot waste time fighting with a woman, who is used to much more difficult battles.”
Newton also admired her mother’s ability to put people at ease when talking about her disease, even tricking them to a point.
“Some of her friends would ask how she was getting along, only slyly hinting to the knowledge of the disease,” she wrote. “Occasionally, my mother would feign ignorance, forcing the speaker to say the word, ‘cancer,’ to be unafraid and comfortable. I have learned to become a warrior, though my mother is very much my superior.”
“Cancer is only a word, but it’s the punctuation that we use with it that determines how we deal with it,” Lisa Newton said. “Seeing how my daughter put into words how she was dealing with it all, and how I inspired her, is a pretty humbling concept.”
Speaking engagement
Newton and her daughter’s words of hope to inspire many more when they give the closing address Thursday at the American Cancer Society’s East Central Region Staff Conference in Seven Springs. It will mark the first time a Voices of Hope volunteer has been asked to speak at the conference.
“There was some form of divine intervention in that, too,” Newton said, “but I hope it will inspire everyone there. They said I have 40 minutes, but they might have to get the hook out for me to stop.”
“Our team this year, is ‘Building For The Future.’ When asked if I knew anyone who could deliver a message on that team while touching on what it means to provide a great experience, Lisa and Abriel came to mind,” said Chris Reichart, program manager for the Relay for Life Mission and Communications, East Central Pennsylvania Division.
Due to college classes, Abriel will not be able to join her mother at the conference, but will provide her words via video, in addition to Newton’s words of encouragement to the society’s employees.
How I can help you?
In Newton’s biography from the American Cancer Society, there is a section entitled “How I can help you,” where she wrote words of comfort for those dealing with cancer, like she did in her own way.
“Learn everything you can about your cancer. Fear is a relentless beast that does not deserve to be fed. When you know things and educate yourself about what is going on with your body, what your options are, where you are going from here, you become less afraid,” she writes. “It’s still scary, but you can do this. Figure out what works for you and ask for what you need. Be your own advocate in all things, and sometimes, you just need someone who understands.”

By Justin Strawser

SHAMOKIN - A typical 9-year-old might complain they have to take out the trash as part of their regular chores, but Rosalind Kane is not your typical kid.

In fact, Sunday afternoon was the second time the Shamokin Elementary fourth-grade student organized a community cleanup in the city and collected canned goods and non-perishable food items for a local food bank.

"I was tired of walking around and seeing all the garbage. No wonder people don't come here. It's so dirty," Rosalind said following the hour-long litter pickup.

Her passion for making the town beautiful started by observing the trash around streets and sidewalks and making the effort to pick it up herself, she said.

It was Rosalind's idea to start the event and ask participants to bring food items, and her mother, Marla Kane, advertised it on Facebook and spreads the word through friends and relatives.

"She tells me when she wants to do it and where. It's all her," said Marla Kane.

Approximately 20 people gathered at 1 p.m. at the grandstand at Claude Kehler Community Park at Third and Arch streets where they first handed in a food item. Each person was then given a trash bag, gloves and assigned area to start picking up trash.

Rosalind said there were empty Turkey Hill containers, old T-shirts, broken mops, footballs and lottery tickets found in the streets.

She noted she checked the tickets in case they were winners - if she had won, she would have donated the money to the poor and needy, she said.

Rosalind also organized a Labor Day cleanup in which 35 area residents donated an hour to spruce up various areas around town. Her mother, Marla Kane, said the cold weather and youth football games may have been a reason why there weren't as many participants Sunday.

Nevertheless, the team brought in at least 30 bags of trash - something Marla is proud of her daughter for organizing.

"She's one little person, and she has so many big ideas. She says if you can get everyone together, you can change things. She's only 9, and that's pretty amazing," Marla Kane said.

Rosalind said there's power in bringing people together.

"If more people did it, the faster it would get done, and there would be less the next time," she said.

Renn's Municpal Waste, Pitman, provided a dump truck for the trash removal free of charge, and all food items will be donated to Manna for the Many, located at 144 E. Independence St., Shamokin, on Thursday.

In her free time, Rosalind likes to clean up around her house and donate toys and clothing to Goodwill, and she is currently writing a screenplay about mermaids. She is also planning to organize a fundraiser for hurricane victims in New York and New Jersey.

COAL TOWNSHIP - Applications for Christmas assistance, in the form of food and toys, from the Salvation Army will be accepted for three days this week, by appointment only, the Army's advisory board announced at a meeting held Thursday.

At the same time, Salvation Army officials sent out a plea for additional volunteers from organizations, clubs and individuals to man the Christmas kettle and to help acquire toys for needy children throughout the Shamokin-Mount Carmel and surrounding areas.

Applications for Christmas assistance will be accepted Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week at the Salvation Army headquarters at 1400 W. Spruce St., Coal Township. To make an appointment, residents are asked to call 644-0486 during business hours.

Advisory board members said there is a greater need now more than ever for volunteers due to the large number of area residents seeking assistance. Judy Orner, social services director, said more than 200 residents already applied for Christmas help during the recent sign-ups.

Major Tina Streck, commanding officer, who conducted the board meeting, said in addition, food funding from the state was cut $2,500 this year.

Orner said the Army's food pantry is operating, but the organization is no longer able to give financial assistance with heating bills or rent.

Henry Linton, advisory board president, said assistance is being sought from service clubs, organizations, school groups or individuals that could help by taking one or several angel tags from the Christmas tree at Wal-Mart, perhaps adopting a family or helping as a bell-ringer with the kettle project. "The need is extremely great at the present time," Linton said.

Orner reported the Salvation Army Thrift Store continues to be very successful.

Advisory board members attending the meeting, in addition to Linton, Major Streck and Orner, were Violette Feudale, Janice Kotwica, Ron (Buddy) Knoebel, Harry Deitz, Brian Persing, Paul Metrocavage and Lois McCormick.

The next board meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the army headquarters.

Final numbers

A few precincts were missing from the vote totals reported in Wednesday's edition for the 107th Legislative District election between Republican incumbent Kurt Masser and Democratic challenger Ted Yeager.

As reflected in the chart on this page, Masser's vote count was 11,545 and Yeager's 8,665, a difference of 2,880 votes and a margin of about 57 to 43 percent.

MOUNT CARMEL - The Berwick man who allegedly fled from police last week and the girlfriend who police say hid him in the attic of her house both waived their cases to county court Wednesday afternoon during preliminary hearings before Magisterial District Judge Hugh Jones.

Justin W. Cressinger, 24, of the rear of 1120 W. Front St., Apt. 3, Berwick, and Brittney Anecki, 19, of 438 N. Market St., Elysburg, were ordered to appear for plea court Dec. 31 at Northumberland County Courthouse in Sunbury, where they can plead guilty or no contest, or seek a trial by pleading not guilty.

Cressinger faces two felony counts of aggravated assault and three misdemeanor counts of simple assault, resisting arrest and providing false identification to law enforcement.

Anecki faces charges of one felony count of aggravated assault, and two misdemeanors of resisting arrest and harboring and concealing Cressinger from police.

Traffic stop

The circumstances surrounding their charges stem from a traffic stop Nov. 1 by Ralpho Township Patrolman Christopher Grow along Route 54. Cressinger allegedly gave false information, pushed Grow when he started to arrest him and fled the scene. He has seven warrants for his arrest against him in Columbia County in relation to unpaid fines.

Anecki allegedly assaulted Grow later when the officer came to her house, and is accused of hiding Cressinger for 2 1/2 hours while dozens of police officers from Northumberland, Montour and Columbia counties searched for him.

Their preliminary hearings were scheduled at 1 p.m., but they didn't appear before Jones until 3 p.m. In order to conserve time, Jones held the hearings of Cressinger, Anecki and Jeffrey J. Burke, 43, of 1405 Plum Creek Road, Sunbury, together.

Burke, who also waived his case to county court, is facing charges unrelated to Anecki and Cressinger of driving under the influence of alcohol, driving under suspension, unauthorized transfer or use of a vehicle registration, driving without a valid registration, driving without a proper inspection certificate, driving without insurance, receiving stolen property and possessing an electronic incapacitation device.

Cressinger and Burke were brought into the courtroom shackled together while Anecki was brought in alone. Both Cressinger and Burke were wearing green hooded sweatshirts over their orange prison jumpsuits.

All three were represented by Northumberland County Public Defender Paige Rosini.

Jones explained to each defendant what waiving their cases meant, and then asked if they understood the choice they were making. Each person came forward to sign the paperwork and then were escorted out of the courtroom.

Anecki bail changed

Cressinger and Burke were being returned to Northumberland County Prison, but Anecki's bail was being changed to $75,000 unsecured bond and she was allowed to be released from prison.

Jones explained if she didn't show up for any further court hearings, a warrant would be issued for her arrest and she would be fined the amount of the bond.

A woman, who identified herself to the office staff in the waiting room as Anecki's mother, asked the judge when she was allowed to pick up her daughter from prison. An officer informed her that it would take at least 45 minutes to return to Sunbury, and another 45 minutes for her to be released from the prison.

The woman had been in the waiting room with a younger woman and her son, and they left immediately after the hearing.

Both Cressinger and Anecki were still listed in prison at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Coal Township 1,464 1,229

East Cameron 165 81

Kulpmont 535 502

Marion Heights 110 126

Mt. Carmel Boro 938 1,027

Mt. Carmel Twp. 538 493

Ralpho Township 1,200 654

Shamokin City 1,017 843

West Cameron 120 34

Zerbe Township 370 171

North'd Co. totals 6,457 5,156

Montour County 4,507 3,138

Columbia County 581 371

TOTALS 11,545 8,665

Masser Yeager

(R) (D)

Property Transfers

Scott K. Heitzman and Sharon L. Heitzman to Harry M. Hunter, property in Rockefeller township, $1.

Albert J. Goodlunas and Delores A. Goodlunas to Albert J. Goodlunas and Delores A. Goodlunas, property in Kulpmont, $1.

David A. Smith and Sherry E. Smith to Drew S. Smith and Bonnie A. Smith, property in Rockefeller Township, $22,000.

Sylvia A. Mensch (executrix) and James V. Varano (estate) to Robert L. Blusius, property in Shamokin, $10,000.

Mary Ann Fleming to Christine Shepard Lansinger, property in Shamokin, $1.

Connie W. Solon, David W. Solon and Connie M. Riddell to Katlin M. Showers and Jacqueline E. Showers, property in Coal Township, $20,000.

Hanks Coal Company, Henry W. Szymanski Sr. (by agent, individually and TA) and Paul Szymanski (agent) to Robert G. Michalkovich and Georgette C. Michalkovich, property in Mount Carmel, $5,000.

Northumberland County Sheriff and Linda Raye Adams to US Bank NA (trustee) and Structured Asset Investment Loan Trustee Mortgage, property in West Cameron Township, $894.78.

Christina L. Schmick, Christina L. Herrold and Jeffrey W. Herrold to Christina L. Herrold and Jeffery W. Herrold, property in Shamokin Township, $1.

Houssam Abdul-Al and Chaz Fares Abdul-Al to Geisinger Clinic, property in Mount Carmel Township, $450,000.

Orlinda Chaux and William Holton to James F. Dunn, property in Shamokin, $1.

Tajwinder Singh and Vasumati Singh to Gurpinder Pal Singh, property in Coal Township, $12,000.

Max S. Pedergnana, Theresa C. Short, Kenneth Short, Elizabeth Ann C. Witt, John G. Witt, Rita C. Poplaski and Robert Poplaski to Kevin R. Yentsch and Regina M. Yentsch, property in Mount Carmel, $38,835.

Richard M. Perles and Deborah A. Perles to Christian Perles, property in Coal Township, $1.

Emery Mako to Leona Mako, property in Shamokin, $2,000.

Matthew C. Kuhar to Timothy J. Koziol, property in Ralpho Township, $150,000.

Ruth E. Neufer and Sharon A. Getgen to Ruth E. Neufer, property in Ralpho Township, $750.

Mildred E. Blessing (estate) and David W. Marquette (administrator) to Jaime M. Singzon and Elizabeth A. Singzon, property in Shamokin, $20,000.

Paul A. Scanzillo and Linda B. Scanzillo to Stephen L. Crowley and April J. Crowley, property in Rockefeller Township, $1.

Robert R. Updegrave Jr. and Barbara A. Updegrave to Neil W. Masser, property in Upper Mahanoy Township, $1.

David J. Patrick and Barbara A. Patrick to Garry J. Madden, property in Coal Township, $80,000.

Marriage licenses

Christopher Joseph Cooke Jr. to Deldre Bree McGinnis, both of 209 E. Sunbury St., Shamokin. Issued Nov. 3, 2012.

Adam D. Auman to Colleen A. May, both of 248 E. Second St., Mount Carmel. Issued Nov. 5, 2012.

Michael Lee Seroski, of 77 S. Sport Lane, Locust Gap, to Jennifer Daya, of 46 Hickory Lane, Locust Gap. Issued Nov. 5, 2012.

SHAMOKIN - The city is again attempting to refinance outstanding debt that could free up hundreds of thousands of dollars.

A refinancing plan under review by city council could reduce debt payments on three outstanding loans by more than a combined $293,000 over the next four years and nearly $318,000 total until the loans mature in 2031.

Interest rates would drop by as much as 2.6 percent on one of the loans, and one maximum rate cap would plummet by 11 percent.

Council members voted 5-0 during a special meeting Wednesday to approve the plan.

Final approval is expected during Monday's regularly scheduled council meeting, putting the plan in effect for 2013.

A similar plan approved by city council in September 2011 faltered when a Berwick bank reviewed the plan and turned it down based on the city's financial standing at the time, said Councilman William Milbrand.

"We've improved a lot financially since then," said City Clerk Steve Bartos, who added that Susquehanna Bank, of Shamokin, is on board with the latest financial restructuring attempt.

Council worked with Concord Public Finance on both plans.

The city currently owes a combined $1,883,876.75 on three bank notes taken between 2003 and 2006. Interest rates for the three are (with the maximum capped rate in parentheses): 3.98 percent (17 percent), 7.11 (11.11), 4.95 (7.25).

After restructuring, each rate would drop: 3.4 percent (6 percent), 4.5 (8), 3.4 (6).

All three rates would be fixed for seven years.

Under the current debt service plan, $172,889.30 is due annually until 2027.

Restructuring would drop the annual amount due between 2013 and 2016 to $77,433.24, $107,423, $106,139 and $106,905. After that, an average annual savings of roughly $8,000 on the payments would be realized until 2027.

The last four years of the proposed plan see comparatively slight increases in payments compared to the current plan.

Mill Road renovations

City council and the city's Redevelopment Authority each voted during Wednesday's special meeting to contract with a Shamokin firm to renovate the lone vacant space at Mill Road Square on North Franklin Street.

The renovated space will be occupied by Dr. Sanjay Sen, according to city officials.

Evolutions Contracting submitted the lowest of two bids for the work when it proposed $91,426.80.

The second bid from Tycon Construction LLC, of Doylestown, totaled $139,607 plus an alternative of $1,110.

There were no bid bond requirements.

The bidding was reopened after previous bids of $162,765 from Bognet Inc., Hazle Township, and $118,980 from Moore Renovations, Coal Township, were rejected in October.

Jim Moore, of the latter firm, was at Wednesday's meeting and told a city official his firm was working with Evolutions Contracting on the project.

SUNBURY - The policy of housing inmates from other counties has generated significant revenue, but Northumberland County Prison will no longer accept out-of-county prisoners because of its increasing population.

"We don't have room for them any longer," said Warden Roy Johnson during Wednesday's prison board meeting.

Presently, there is only one inmate from another county being housed at the Sunbury jail, which currently holds 270.

Johnson said there will be times when exceptions are made to house prisoners from other counties, but he said the normal practice will be curtailed.

In August, Johnson reported the prison averages approximately $20,000 per month in revenue by housing out-of-county prisoners, and said by the end of July, the prison had generated approximately $160,000 by housing inmates from other counties this year.

But he cautioned the board that if the prison population increased, fewer prisoners from out of the county could be housed there.

The prison population consists of 205 males and 65 females. Last month, its highest population was 256 on Oct. 31, while its lowest was 231 on Oct. 3.

Non-violent releases

The board agreed to begin releasing in the next two weeks as many as 40 non-violent prisoners from Northumberland County Prison and placing them on house arrest in an effort to reduce costs.

County commissioners believe the move could save approximately $500,000 a year.

Under the plan spearheaded by Commissioner Vinny Clausi, President Judge Robert B. Sacavage and chief adult probation officer Dave Wondoloski, non-violent inmates would be released and confined to their homes under the house arrest program, which would allow them to obtain jobs in an effort to lead productive lives.

Two COs fired

In other business, Johnson informed the board that two part-time correctional officers who were still serving their probationary periods were terminated recently.

Aubrey Brown, who was hired July 2, and Anthony Russo, who began employment May 14, were fired for undisclosed reasons. They were each paid $12.19 per hour.

On Oct. 18, Correctional Officer William Reber, 23, of Watsontown, was terminated by Johnson, who cited conduct that violates prison policy.

Reber, a union correctional officer, was fired for allegedly wrestling with a male prisoner more than a month ago and providing him with Tylenol after he was injured in the scuffle.

Reber, who is named as a defendant in two recent lawsuits filed against eight current or former prison personnel relating to alleged beatings suffered by two inmates, had worked at the prison for approximately two years, including six months as a full-time employee.

He was suspended with pay Oct. 17 by the county prison board pending the completion of a fact-finding probe conducted by prison officials.

The board passed motions recommended by commissioner and prison board chairman Stephen Bridy to have solicitor John Muncer develop a policy regarding suspensions of prison personnel while granting Johnson authority in the interim to suspend employees with pay or without pay.

Muncer said only the prison board has the authority to hire and fire employees.

Clausi-Shoch dispute

About half way through a 30-minute executive session held to discuss litigation and personnel matters, Clausi exited the meeting and summoned the media inside before being told by other prison board members to wait until the executive session was over before making any comments to the two newspaper reporters waiting in the lobby of the administration center.

He did wait, but as soon as the regular meeting reconvened, Clausi walked up to the media and complained about being "shut down" by Commissioner Richard Shoch while he was addressing issues with the prison board during the executive session, the latest in an ongoing feud between the two.

"I was talking about restructuring the prison because there are too many lawsuits being filed against the prison," Clausi said. "I believe the prison is going in the wrong direction. We have to protect the citizens against lawsuits and I feel my rights as an elected official were violated by Mr. Shoch shutting me down."

Shoch said Clausi was diverting from the purpose of the executive session by "badgering" District Attorney Tony Rosini about losing a detective and secretary in his office due to budgetary cuts made by the commissioners. He told Clausi, "I believe you were getting too far afield."

Sacavage said he is uncomfortable speaking about personnel matters no matter who brings them up.

Muncer then advised Bridy to move on with the meeting.

After the meeting, Shoch said Clausi's actions during the meeting were nothing more than his usual "carnival side show antics."

Asked to respond to Shoch's remark, Clausi said, "I just wanted to inform the prison board what's going on in the prison. The only ones interested in listening to me were Judge Sacavage, Commissioner Bridy and Controller Tony Phillips."

MOUNT CARMEL - Jessica Jackson was grateful someone got the family pictures out of her home before she watched fire consume it.

It was a glimmer of hope while her house on the 200 block of East Second Street was heavily damaged in a four-alarm blaze Wednesday morning.

In all, three homes were destroyed, three others damaged and eight to 10 people were displaced.

It was first reported at 8:11 a.m. and took firefighters from at least 10 municipalities - from Sunbury to Frackville - more than two hours to bring under control in near freezing temperatures.

Incident commander Clayton Hubler, Mount Carmel Rescue Squad, said a single row home at 242 and the double homes at 244 and 246 E. Second St. were destroyed, while a single home at 236 E. Second St. suffered exterior water damage. The double homes at 248 and 250 E. Second St. were also damaged when firefighters broke windows and cut holes in the roofs for ventilation.

Jackson, her husband, Mark, and son, Tyler, occupy 244 E. Second St., while Colleen May and Adam Auman live at 248 E. Second St. Hubler said names of others displaced by the fire would not be released until all names are confirmed, but he said all homes were occupied.

State Police Fire Marshall Kirk Renn, of the Selinsgrove barracks, is expected on scene today to to determine origin and cause, but the blaze is not considered suspicious.

Walls were hot

Jackson said she discovered the fire along with a neighbor, who declined to give her name.

"Jessica called me saying the wall was hot in her home, so she and I, with extinguishers at the ready, poked a hole in the wall with a claw hammer and flames started coming out," the neighbor said. "I called 911 and they told us to get out of the home."

The neighbor said Johnson wanted to go back in to get her cat, but by that time, the fire was spreading. "The ceiling was glowing," she said.

Dave Bozza, a local contractor, said he was working on a sidewalk next door when he saw the fire and ran across a backyard to alert those in one of the affected homes. He said no one was home, but he was able to get two pets out.

Tough fight

Smoke could be seen from at least a mile away on Route 61 in Atlas.

As more firefighters continued to arrive, brown smoke poured from the third floor window at 246 E. Second St. Windows were broken and holes were cut in the roof to vent the structure and, after that, flames could be seen engulfing the third floor of Johnson's home.

Hubler said the fire was tough to battle initially.

"We were faced with limited manpower and had a hydrant issue, which limited our water supply," Hubler said. "At that point, we called in a tanker brigade to help."

There were too many fire trucks pulling water from three hydrants in too small of an area, but it did not hinder the suppression of the fire, he said.

At one point, ladder trucks from Mount Carmel, Shamokin and Sunbury worked together to spray water on the houses from mounted deck guns.

Horns sound alarm

Despite the effort, flames began to spread to 242 E. Second St., igniting a front roof peak. Fire was contained to the third floor and roof of that home.

On two occasions, at 9 and 9:49 a.m., engines on scene blared their horns to warn those inside the structure to evacuate.

"The first time was because of the deteriorating conditions inside the structure; the second time was simply for a safety reason," Hubler said. "We were changing the focus of our attack from the interior to the exterior."

On scene 6 hours

With six homes - all of them occupied - Hubler said it could have been worse, but no one injured.

As for firefighters, one suffered a minor injury to his hand that occurred outside the structure, he said.

Crews had the flames under control at 10:11 a.m. and continued to check for hot spots. The scene wasn't cleared until 2:09 p.m., some six hours after it was reported.

(Harry Deitz, freelance photographer and writer, contributed to this story.)