Several police departments throughout the area held National Night Out Tuesday evening. The event was aimed to get communities involved in crime and drug prevention and awareness.

Mount Carmel and Mount Carmel Township police departments combined this, and for the first time, held the event in front of the Mount Carmel Area Junior/Senior High School. A crew from Life Flight, representatives from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), two troopers from the Pennsylvania State Police Mounted Unit, and several additional government agencies interacted with children throughout the evening.

Children were offered cotton candy, kettle corn, snow cones, chips, a beverage and a hamburger or hot dog, all free of charge. There was a DUI simulator, raffle baskets and several demonstrations, including a vehicle rescue and the use of a Taser.

At Claude Kehler Community Park in Shamokin, children enjoyed an inflatable slide, free hot dogs and a performance by the band Red Halo and the Shamokin Area cheerleaders.

Zerbe Township's National Night Out was held at the Foundry field, where there was a food drive for the Manna for the Many food pantry in Shamokin.

FRACKVILLE (AP) — A Pennsylvania police chief suspended for a month for allegedly using department weapons and ammunition without permission said Tuesday he was unsure how many guns he bought or sold for the department during 14 years on the one-man force.

Gilberton Chief Mark Kessler said at a news conference at his lawyer's office that he currently has two of the guns, both M-16s, but records of the purchases and sales are locked in borough offices.

Gilberton solicitor Karen Domalakes wrote Kessler last week, asking for an inventory of the weapons currently in the department's possession and records of guns he sold. She has not returned phone messages.

Kessler said he transferred guns from the borough for sale to other police departments, and got federal approval in making the transfers.

Kessler's lawyer, Joseph P. Nahas, said they were concerned the borough council plans to fire Kessler before his suspension ends. Nahas said that if that occurs and is based on using borough property without permission, he will sue in federal court.

Kessler has maintained he has done nothing wrong.

Kessler said he was complying with another demand in Domalakes' letter, that he remove any reference to his job on the videos and other online postings. The chief has posted videos online that show him shooting guns, using profanity and deriding liberals.

At the news conference, Kessler and Nahas said a borough council member approached residents of the economically depressed town in the heart of coal country, trying to drum up support to discipline the chief.

Nahas described the councilman's actions as unethical, given that the council was taking up the issue of Kessler's employment status. The borough council voted 5-1 last week to suspend him from the full-time, $20,000-a-year position.

"We didn't know it was going to be kangaroo court," Nahas said.

Kessler said Mayor Mary Lou Hannon told him before the meeting the town was facing a possible loss of its insurance coverage if he was not disciplined or terminated.

SHAMOKIN - A late offer from General Electric led members of the city planning commission to change an expected recommendation to city council concerning the replacement of street lights downtown.

GE offered to sell the city LED lamps and decorative lamp poles at a cost of $3,137.20 each, Jeff Fromm, planning commission chairman, said during Wednesday's workshop session of city council.

With up to 47 poles to be replaced along Independence Street between Market and Shamokin streets, the retail cost is estimated at $147,448.40.

The colonnade style poles are 20 feet in height. Fromm said the poles would accommodate American flags and military banners currently hanging in the downtown along with the Christmas decorations placed annually.

The quote does not include cost of installation.

A financing option is available through the company, although the details were not discussed Wednesday.

PPL leases the current "cobra" style poles and high-pressure sodium lamps (HPS), referred to by some commission members as "highway lighting." They've been in place about 50 years and have frequently malfunctioned over the past several years.

Federal studies on the lighting performance of LED versus HPS vary, with some LED systems saving between 50 percent and 70 percent while others offer no discernible difference. Many variables factor into performance.

GE estimates its LED lighting saves users 60 percent annually on average electric bills.

Tariff costs

According to City Hall, Shamokin pays Constellation Electric $12,000 annually for electricity and another $134,400 annually to PPL for distribution charges, which includes maintenance costs and a per-pole tariff for each of the city's 664 street lights.

Tariffs range between $11 and $38 per pole depending on pole type and energy output.

It is believed the downtown street lights, with underground supply and a metal pole, trend toward the maximum tariff. Lesser tariffs would apply to street lights with overhead supply and wooden poles, the majority of which line city streets.

If Shamokin were to purchase its own street lights, it would no longer pay distribution charges or tariffs. The potential estimated savings in tariffs would hypothetically be used to pay down any financing if new street lights were purchased by the city. If any other savings existed above the cost of financing, it would bolster city coffers.

3 offers

The planning commission was tasked to research and present council with options to replace and perhaps upgrade the downtown street lights with energy efficient technology and a more appealing design.

Ultimately, the final decision belongs to city council.

On Monday, the planning commission agreed to present two options to council: purchase LED lighting from Spring City Electrical at an estimated $6,500 per pole uninstalled, or enter a 10-year lease with PPL to replace the downtown street lights with the same HPS technology and poles already in place.

GE had been expected to turn in an estimate, but it hadn't arrived as of Monday's planning commission meeting. Their late offer added a third option for council to consider.

Steve Bartos, city clerk, said Sunbury, Lewisburg, Hazleton and Harrisburg, own their own lighting systems. He recommended GE be asked to conduct a light study, at no cost, to determine potential cost and savings to switch to LED lamps citywide.

A representative from GE will be invited to meet with council, perhaps as early as Monday's regular monthly meeting at 7 p.m. at City Hall.

PPL's offer

The PPL option remains on the table. There is no upfront cost to the city; however, Shamokin would continue to pay a monthly tariff and related distribution charges on each pole, which include maintenance.

Commission members have questioned whether or not the poles are being properly maintained considering the amount of the distribution charge.

PPL seemed to sweeten the pot with an expedited construction schedule. Fromm said if council were to decide to stick with the utility company and notify it by Tuesday, construction would begin and end this fall, weather permitting.

If the city were to choose GE or Spring City, Fromm said that a PPL representative said the company would excavate and remove the existing street lights and underground conduit and install new conduit, leaving access for installation of new poles before repairing the sidewalks or roadway.

That stands in contrast to what another PPL representative, Teri MacBride, had told The News-Item previously. She said the utility would supply power to either end of the system on Independence Street, but everything in between, including maintenance, would be the city's responsibility.

COAL TOWNSHIP - A 27-year-old Shamokin man was cited by Coal Township police for trespass by motor vehicle relating to a July 25 incident at the Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area (AOAA).

Joshua Hartman was cited by Patrolman Matthew Hashuga for allegedly driving a 1996 Jeep Cherokee on posted private property of the AOAA and knocking over several "no trespassing" signs. Police said Hartman also spun his tires on an erosion blanket.

Police said the incident occurred where a parking lot and maintenance facility are being constructed.

SHAMOKIN - Shamokin Code Enforcement Officer Rick Bozza said Wednesday a dilapidated vacant structure at 14 S. Shamokin St. will be condemned in the near future.

Bozza said a porch on the second floor of the structure could collapse because the deteriorating condition of the building owned by Louis Lippolis, of Sellersville, who has been cited for allowing the vacant structure to cause a public nuisance.

He said neighbors have complained about the poor condition of the property. Bozza said city street department employees have removed debris and garbage from the building and cut grass at the property several times.

Unless an emergency situation occurs, however, Bozza said the city cannot demolish the property because it is privately owned.

The Straub family, which lives next door, said the roof has slowly been falling apart for years. When it "finally gives way," someone is going to get hurt, Mary Straub said.

She supplied photos that show rain running straight off the roof and slowly deteriorating conditions, including a piece of metal trim that fell off the roof during a July 27 rainstorm.

COAL TOWNSHIP - Three friends riding ATVs with a 49-year-old Gordon man who was killed July 21 on county-owned property will not be cited for criminal trespass by Coal Township police.

Chief of Police William Carpenter said Tuesday the three ATV riders from the Gordon area entered the Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area (AOAA) at an area that was not posted with no-trespassing signs.

"They admitted traveling along Helfenstein Road to get to the AOAA near Gowen City, but the area where they went onto a trail wasn't posted and was very close to a section of private property," Carpenter said.

The riders were with John Nemeth, who was killed near the top of the Burnside Mountain on county-owned land, approximately one mile from the "trailhead" welcome center under construction for the AOAA. Carpenter initially said he wasn't certain the crash occurred on land that's been designated for the AOAA because he didn't know if official boundaries had been set for the outdoor recreation park.

Police said Nemeth was operating a four-wheeler when it went off a dirt road while the driver was negotiating a curve. The ATV traveled into the woods, flipped onto its side and ejected Nemeth, police said.

AOAA Authority member Pat Mack said the accident was on county land leased by the AOAA, but agreed with Carpenter's assessment that not all boundaries are marked at this time. Either way, Mack said the group and the victim were not approved riders of the AOAA. The park, which remains under development, is currently open only for special group events approved by the authority.

Mack said no trespassing signs are posted in the area of the trailhead construction and along Route 125.

The view that natural gas will provide a century of clean, inexpensive energy undergoes scrutiny in "Fracking Pennsylvania: Flirting with Disaster," a new book by Walter M. Brasch.

Brasch, of Bloomsburg, author of 18 other books and a columnist for The News-Item, researches claims made since the invention of horizontal hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, launched a gas boom in Pennsylvania and other states, where gas lies deep underground in shale formations.

In "Fracking Pennsylvania" (Greeley & Stone Publishers, $14.95), Brasch details what he says are exaggerations about the size of gas reserves, jobs that the industry creates and the potential for gas to reduce climate change. Fracking - which pumps millions of gallons of water, sand and chemicals underground to fracture rock - poses risks to groundwater and the air that the industry and its supporters have discounted, but researchers are starting to study, he says.

He cites a Cornell University report that found the "footprint" for shale gas is greater than for conventional gas or oil over any time frame, and at least 20 percent greater than for coal.

"The large (greenhouse gas) footprint of shale gas undercuts the logic of its use as a bridging fuel over coming decades, if the goal is to reduce global warming," the report says.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in a three-year study verified by the U.S. Geological Survey, found that fracking polluted 11 wells in Pavilion, Wyo., where the gas reserves were closer to the surface than in Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale. Next year, the EPA will complete a study of fracking's effect on 10 sites, including three in Pennsylvania, Brasch writes.

Pennsylvania Environmental Protection Secretary Michael Krancer has called all studies showing that methane gets into drinking water bogus, a point that Brasch notes in a section about political infringement upon science.

"Fracking Pennsylvania" recounts the story of 32 families evicted from the Riverdale Mobile Home Park near Jersey Shore in Lycoming County. They had to move when a water company bought the mobile home park to set up a water intake to supply gas drillers.

Brasch quotes financial analyst Deborah Rogers, who estimates that only one in five wells makes money, even where one well costs some $5 million to drill.

"That is a whole lot of land used up in the search for wells that will make money," Rogers says in the book.

"Years from now, thousands of landowners who allowed drilling on their property may wonder if the immediate gratification of a few dollars or even sudden wealth was worth the cost of what happened to the health and lifestyle of the people and their environment," Brasch writes.

Meanwhile, more than a few dollars flow from gas companies to politicians, the books says. U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, R-11, Hazleton, owned stock worth more than $75,000 in eight gas companies as of last year, while Gov. Tom Corbett got $1.1 million for his campaign from the gas industry.

MOUNT CARMEL - After a long wait, Anthracite Steam and Fire Company's new ladder truck will soon be home.

Renovations to accommodate the 11-foot, 8-inch-tall unit in the firehouse garage that started July 8 should be done by the end of the month.

A majority of the floor and steel beams that once supported it have already been ripped out. After a new concrete floor is given time to fully cure, the truck could be moved in by the end of September, said Jack Williams Jr., Mount Carmel Fire Department second assistant fire chief.

"I can't wait until it's done," he said Tuesday. "We can see the light at the end of the tunnel now."

The 2011 KME Arielcat, which has a ladder that can extend to 100 feet, was built to 2010 National Fire Protection Agency standards and, as such, was too tall for Anthracite's station, located on Market Street near town park. Anthracite officials went ahead with the purchase, knowing they would have lost $500,000 worth of grant money had they not purchased the $700,000 truck when they did.

The truck has been stored at the Mount Carmel Rescue Squad truck room for more than two years. Completion of the project will alleviate the inconvenience to both parties, and the rescue squad has said the heavy truck damaged its property.

After considerable debate on how to solve the problem, which included concerns that the unique look of the Anthracite building not be altered, Mid-Penn Engineering, Lewisburg, devised a plan: fill in the basement area below the Anthracite two-bay truck room floor and in the process lower the floor by 2 feet. That has also required lowering the sidewalk area that connects Market Street to the garage entrance, but it is being done while maintaining a 1 degree slope away from the building.

While work continues at the fire station, Anthracite's pumper truck is being housed in a building owned by Joseph Stutz at Fourth and Orange streets. Stutz isn't charging Anthracite, nor is the rescue squad.

"The Anthracite members greatly appreciate Joe Stutz and the rescue squad for offering the buildings to us," said Williams, who is also an Anthracite member.

In January, borough council approved a resolution to loan the fire company $188,000. The 10-year loan at an annual interest rate of 1 percent helped pay off another $101,000 loan for the ladder truck, and the rest is being put toward the renovation work, which was estimated at $137,000. Anthracite put up the rest of the money for the project.

Anthracite will be paying $19,780 a year on the $188,000 loan.

Electrical, plumbing and carpentry for the project is being done by Anthracite members, and the Robert Feaster Corp., Northumberland, is handling the rest of the work, Williams said.

There have been temporary traffic pattern changes while the work takes place, he said.

NESCOPECK - Maria Ludwig Hayes, of Nescopeck, who operates a boarding stable in Mifflin Township, Columbia County, faces five counts of cruelty to animals, state police at Bloomsburg reported.

State police said a veterinarian was summoned in February to care for one of the horses, and the animal had to be euthanized. A necropsy determined the horse suffered from emaciation.

Further investigation found four additional horses on the property showing signs of malnutrition, state police said.

Hayes is charged with animal cruelty for failing to provide sufficient food for the horses.

Missing Puzzle Place in today's edition

The Puzzle Place missing from Wednesday's edition is on Page 9 of today's News-Item. Today's Puzzle Place is in its normal position on the first page of the Classifieds section, page 14.

Nature trail closed

COAL TOWNSHIP - The Scott G. Anderson Memorial Nature Trail on the grounds of the Shamokin Area School District is closed to the public until further notice due to heavy rains this past year.

Committee meets tonight

SHAMOKIN - The city's 150th Anniversary Committee will meet at 7 p.m. today at Independence Fire Association, Market and Arch streets. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend as well as to volunteer or offer input for the July 2014 celebration.

Food distribution set for Saturday

Two food pantries will distribute food Saturday.

The Mount Carmel Borough Food Pantry will have its monthly food distribution from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Notary Shop, 215 S. Oak St. for those that have previously signed up.

Residents of the Mount Carmel Mid Rise who have their food delivered are asked to meet in the lobby at 11 a.m.

The Mount Carmel Township Food Pantry will have its monthly distribution from 9 to 11 a.m. at the township complex. Residents in Atlas, Diamondtown, Strong, Locust Gap, Connorsville, Dooleyville and Beaverdale who signed up previously are eligible.

Unless you are living under a rock deep at the bottom of the ocean, you know this week is Shark Week on the Discovery Channel.

Annually, for the last 25 years, viewers wait with baited breath for a week-long, shark-tastic bundle of programming featuring one of the ocean's most notorious alleged mass murderers.

Yes, alleged. Remember, everyone is innocent until proven guilty and then some are even innocent after being proven guilty. (Little shout out to my readers who are locked up. I've received your fan mail. Thank for you taking the time to write to me. I always enjoy a handwritten letter via snail mail. You don't get that a lot these days and I like feedback, good or bad, so know that it does not go unappreciated.)

So, am I a shark enthusiast? Sort of.

Sure. I mean, my heart lies with the octopi, but I enjoy a good shark tale and anything nautical or aquatic, so I find myself getting reeled in to Shark Week every year. The suspense, the educational aspect, boats, water - I love all that stuff.

Sharks are pretty intense and fascinating creatures. They're huge, they've got teeth for days - fun fact via livescience.com: "Shark teeth are covered in fluoride, making them cavity-resistant. One 2012 study published in the Journal of Structural Biology found that sharks' enamel is made up of a chemical called fluoroapatite, which is resistant to acid produced by bacteria. This, combined with the fact that most sharks replace their teeth throughout their lives, means that sharks have excellent dental health."

Sharks: 1, Shamokin: 0

Anyway, they have a reputation equivalent to how we view people like John Wayne Gacy because they hit beaches like we hit Chinese food buffets and just have at whatever they feel looks delicious that day. That being said, this year, something was fishy.

Mega-let-down

On Sunday, Shark Week debuted with a two-hour special titled "Megalodon: The Monster Shark Lives." Boiled down, it was a cheesy mockumentary about a giant shark - so giant, it pretty much ate whales as snacks - that actually did live millions of years ago but has since been classified as extinct by scientists. Discovery threw the idea out there that, since 95 percent of the ocean remains unexplored, there is a chance that Megalodon is still out there. Science does not support this claim. They flashed a disclaimer at the beginning of the program basically saying none of this is backed up by facts and it's all kind of made up, but we're going to quick try to pass it off as science fact because, hey, we are the Discovery Channel and that is what people come here for.

That wasn't very nice to do to your viewers.

Don't you even start, Discovery.

You even ticked off Wil Wheaton. Yes, Wil Wheaton, little Gordie from "Stand By Me," took to the Internet and said you betrayed your audience. When you fire up Wil Wheaton, you know you've gone too far. First, NASA's brain child TLC switches up from educational television to its Here-Comes-Honey-Boo-Boo stupidity and now Discovery wants to throw scripted tall tales at us?

If I want shark nonsense, which, on any given day I very well may, I'll turn to SyFy and its royal baby named "Sharknado." See, but, that's what I expect from SyFy. No one goes there for science fact, hence the name. I'm not going to take something serious when they tell me Ian Ziering, aka, Steve Sanders from 90210, is the lead. That's easy for me to process. Steve Sanders equals don't take this seriously.

Science!

But we come to you for facts. Documentaries. The raw and real world that is nature and the universe. The stuff that our minds are blown by because it's actual data that one can barely wrap their head around when they contrast it to their car not starting one day or a fight over who drank the last of the milk.

The universe and the vast areas of the world that remain unexplored are tales that can be told for centuries and will never get old, because, as we learn more and more about the unknown, it gives us perspective as to what we are and how insignificant the space we take up in this universe is in the grand scheme of things.

Science puts us in our place when we're all, "Hey, I own the joint. Let me buy a Hummer and let my garbage pile up or better yet, go dump it out the mountains." Science reminds us that we are just a mass collection of jerk meat running around ruining this amazing, beautiful planet. We should instead be cherishing and thanking higher powers for allowing us the luxury of living on it.

You're supposed to remind us of that. You're supposed to remind us of the beauty and often forgotten intricacies of this planet. You're supposed to be on the side of science. Don't let this happen to you. You are better than that.

Shark Week has been entertaining; I'm not boycotting. I know they've lost a lot of viewers who are more along the lines of Shark Week purists, and I don't blame those people. It had to hurt them, but I continue to watch. I just fear Discovery will spiral down into the dark abyss of what television has become: reality garbage.

What's up for next year?

"The Real Sharkwives of the Blue Lagoon" with female sharks all blown up with botox, platform stripper shoes and tight dresses swimming around the ocean spending money with total disregard? The Ocean's Got Talent, with shark banjo players and sharks swallowing record numbers of people? Come on. Aside from the fact that I'm impressed by anything that can play a banjo, that just sounds ridiculous. Please don't do it.

Stick with science.

The week goes on

The majority of shark shows I have watched this week, I've thoroughly enjoyed and been terrified by at the same time, which is something I apparently like to subject myself to or I would have never allowed myself to fall in love ever in life.

Nevertheless, I can't shake the paranoia that something is about to clamp down on my one of my legs at any time during the day or night in an effort to devour me. Huh. That makes me think that perhaps I could have written of Shark Week and relationships and their similarities this week, but, no.

Back to my point

I have to tie this all in with fashion, you know. This is supposed to be a style column. That's why I have that fancy tagline at the end boasting my makeup skills instead of my actual qualifications for this job as an editor. So, anyway, I like what I'm seeing for the remainder of the week.

That being said, there are a few shark items I'd like to put on my list of "Things I Want Bad, But Do Not Need Bad."

I just scored a sweet Shark Attack tank top from Forever 21 (Forever 35 in my case), but to my collection, I'd like to add, shark knee socks, a shark purse, a shark sleeping bag that makes it appear as though the person using it is being eaten and the coveted Sharkini®, because, although it's not very forgiving, a gray bathing suit complete with a cut-out lined with shark teeth that looks like a chunk is being taken out of it is right up my alley.

As for Discovery, I've got plenty of sources for nonsense in my life. I'm a little disappointed in you, but I'm still coming to you for science because I love to learn and I can't get enough, so let's make this work. Don't let me down again.

(Jenna Wasakoski, a News-Item editor, is a graduate of Von Lee School of Aesthetics and is certified as a professional makeup artist.)

DANVILLE - Geisinger Health System announced Tuesday it has entered into an agreement with The Society of the Sisters of Christian Charity of New Jersey to purchase the Holy Family Convent at 1 Montour Street.

Geisinger plans to convert two of the residential floors in the six-story convent to general office/conference space and construct additional surface parking.

The 19.18-acre, four-building property has been owned by the sisters since 1898, and the six-story retirement residence/personal care home and chapel were built in 1969. Last year, the sisters announced their intention to relocate the approximately 60 residents at the convent to a new facility in Mendham, N.J., and placed the property on the market.

The target closing date for the sale is Sept. 1. Current residents will continue to occupy the remainder of the buildings under a lease arrangement for up to 36 months from closing until the Mendham project is completed and the retired sisters are relocated. The sisters also intend to relocate the 147 graves in the on-site cemetery to another location.

"This purchase will benefit the Sisters as well as Geisinger and Danville," said Geisinger Health System Chief Support Services Officer Robert Davies. "The property has been on the market for more than a year, and with this sale it will continue to be an active part of the local community."

The Daily Item newspaper in Sunbury reported the building will be used for shared services, such as finance and purchasing, human resources, internal audits and legal. A Geisinger Health System official said the sale of the property could put the property on the tax rolls.

FRACKVILLE - The actions of a Gilberton Borough Council member were criticized as part of Tuesday's press conference involving video-ranting police chief Mark Kessler and his attorney, Joseph P. Nahas.

Nahas said he had "alarming information" that councilman Eric Boxer went door-to-door the day of the July 31 meeting where Kessler was suspended for 30 days "trying to garnish a vote to terminate Mr. Kessler." Boxer that night seconded the motion for the suspension, which passed 5-1.

"This is a councilman who is supposed to be objective, hear evidence and make a decision as a council member," Nahas said. "In my professional opinion, Mr. Boxer, if he has any animosity toward Mr. Kessler, and could not be objective, should not have been a part of the voting process and should have abstained."

Gilberton Mayor MaryLou Hannon, who voted for Kessler's suspension but also initially defended his video rants as free speech, said Boxer did nothing wrong.

"I know what Mark had said about Eric, but it's not true," she said Tuesday evening when contacted for reaction to the press conference. "Eric acted as a councilman and was talking with his constituents to see how they feel."

Boxer's phone number is unlisted. Hannon said she had his number and would contact him and provide a number to contact a reporter, but he has not done so.

Kessler was suspended for allegedly using department weapons and ammunition without permission. He fires the guns, including automatic weapons with large "drum" magazines, repeatedly in the videos, which are posted on YouTube.

His profanity-laced rants criticize Secretary of State John Kerry for supporting a U.N. arms treaty and he refers to liberals as "libtards."

Nahas has been representing Kessler since his videos began drawing national and international attention. They've cited the First and Second Amendments in saying he did nothing wrong. But others have been critical of Kessler for showing such outward bias and vulgar language considering his role as a police chief, and his position as a member of the North Schuylkill School Board.

Hannon said Kessler has been a borough police officer for 14 years and chief for about seven years.

Residents tell of visit

Nahas had three residents of Maizeville, a section of Gilberton, come to his office Tuesday for the media to verify that Boxer had gone door-to-door to encourage their opposition to Kessler. None of the residents were in the room where the press conference was held, but listened from a waiting room.

Walter Kuczynski said there was no problem with Boxer getting his opinion and said he didn't feel pressured by him. But he also supports Kessler.

"I like Mark; he does a good job," said Kuczynski. "I'm here to support the man. He takes care of the borough."

Margaret Dean echoed Kuczynski's comments.

"I got a visit from Boxer and I told him that Mark didn't do anything to anybody in the town," said Dean. "This has nothing to do with him being a policeman in Gilberton. I think he's a great cop. We have troubles down there and when we call he always comes right over. I think all this is about is they (council) just want a part-time policeman."

William Weikel said when he was approached by Boxer and another person at his home, he was asked about siding with those who want to remove Kessler as chief.

"I just told them to get off my property," said Weikel.

"We were under the full assumption and belief that Chief Kessler had the support of his mayor and that he would have a fair hearing that day when they met in executive session," Nahas said. "We didn't know it was going to be a kangaroo court."

Nahas said he believes the suspension will eventually become a termination.

The night of the meeting, much of the vocal crowd outside the borough building were members of Kessler's Constitutional Security Force, although a few people opposing the chief were present, too.

As part of the meeting itself, there were a few comments from the public supporting both Kessler and the borough's suspension.

SUNBURY - All three Northumberland County judges have recused themselves from presiding over an open records appeal filed by the City of Shamokin regarding a request made by county Commissioner Stephen Bridy.

Judge Charles Saylor was the last of the three to recuse, doing so Aug. 1, according to the county prothonotary's office. President Judge Robert B. Sacavage and Judge William H. Wiest had previously recused themselves.

Feelers have been put out to neighboring county courthouses regarding a transfer of the case, but a decision has not yet been made, according to the county court administrator's office.

An appeals officer with the state Office of Open Records (OOR) ruled in May that information on the cost of health benefits provided to elected officials is not protected information and should be released.

Bridy sought the information in February under the Right-To-Know Law, but his request was denied. The city argued the information is exempt under a medical records provision of the state law, and that it is confidential under the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA). It says it consulted with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in making its determination.

The OOR appeals officer disagreed with the city, saying the records relate to cost and not to individually identifiable health information, which is exempt as a medical record. Also, the appeals officer said HIPPA does not apply to the requested records.

The Barley Snyder law firm filed an appeal on the city's behalf in June in Northumberland County court, asking that the OOR's decision be overturned. It argues that the state agency made "several misstatements of fact and misapplied the pertinent legal analysis," and argues the city is a covered health care entity under HIPAA, which would make the requested information exempt.

Shamokin's Right-To-Know officer is City Clerk Steve Bartos, who oversees requests made under the state law.

Prior to Bridy's request, fellow Commissioner Vinny Clausi had sought the same information and also was denied. His appeal to the state failed on a filing error.

POINT TOWNSHIP - A 45-year-old Tharptown man died from a heart attack Thursday morning prior to being involved in a one-vehicle accident near the intersection of Routes 147 and 405.

Harley E. Gonsar was pronounced dead at the scene at 6:22 a.m. by Northumberland County Coroner James F. Kelley. The coroner said Gonsar died from "sudden cardiac death due to an acute myocardial infarction" that was not related to the accident.

According to a report at the scene, Gonsar was driving a Ford Explorer north on Route 147 shortly after 6 a.m. when he suffered the heart attack. His SUV left the highway, struck mailboxes and went through a lawn before crossing both lanes of the road and coming to rest in a field of sunflowers and soybeans.

Point Township police investigated the crash.

Assisting Kelley at the scene was Chief Deputy Coroner James Gotlob.

TELL YOUR STORY

Residents of Ranshaw and Tharptown are encouraged to write letters detailing damage to their properties caused by the September 2011 flooding. Photos and other documentation, including insurance paperwork, are also sought. All information will be included with the township's grant application for disaster relief funding toward flood control efforts along Quaker Run and Shamokin Creek. Drop off or mail letters no later than Aug. 15 to Coal Township Commissioners, c/o Rob Slaby, 805 W. Lynn St., Coal Township, PA 17866, or email robertslaby@ptd.net.

KULPMONT - A 14-year-old Reading girl whose leg got caught in a conveyor belt inside a vacant commercial building last month was cited for criminal trespass along with three other juveniles.

A 16-year-old Kulpmont male had pleaded guilty and was ordered by Magisterial District Judge Hugh Jones to pay a fine and court costs totaling $345.50.

The Reading teen and two other females from Kulpmont, a 15-year-old and a 12-year-old, have not yet responded to the citations, and court summons are expected to be issued.

The citations were filed by Kulpmont Patrolman Patrick McAndrew on July 23, the same day the incident occurred.

The four juveniles were on the third floor of an old weaving plant at 1340 Chestnut St. (Route 61) shortly before 3:30 p.m. when the Reading teen got her leg caught after the machinery suddenly turned on.

'Industrial rescue'

Emergency responders from Kulpmont, the Mount Carmel area and Shamokin were dispatched for an "industrial rescue." A portion of the conveyor belt was disassembled and the teen's leg was freed. She suffered minor injuries, police said.

The building was originally constructed by J.K. and C.K. Eagle and Co. It had most recently been occupied by Buzzy Inc., which closed in 2011.

SUNBURY - The Northumberland County Historical Society will bring an interesting and colorful blend of art, craft and history to the back and side yards of the historic property Saturday when it hosts Colonial Crafts Demonstration Day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The event is free and open to the public and will be held at 1150 N. Front St.

Event organizers have invited skilled craftspeople to display their work and demonstrate their crafts. Woodworking, powder horn making, blacksmithing, tinsmithing, lace making, fraktur, spinning, weaving, and basket making are among the traditional crafts which will be represented.

KULPMONT - The borough won't say if it paid anything to former Police Chief Rick Wilson III when his retirement was accepted five months before his five-year contract expired.

Responding to a July 31 request from The News-Item, borough Right-to-Know officer Rhonda L. Wilk, also borough secretary, cited exceptions to the open records law in her Aug. 7 response.

"This request is being denied ... due to this material being composed from an executive session that involved litigation and personnel matters," her letter says.

Mayor Myron Turlis had said on July 25, "Everyone worked together to reach the amicable split between the two parties, and everything was done with the best interest of the taxpayers in mind."

Wilson, 35, in a brief letter to the borough, referred to the end of his employment as "retirement," despite his age.

Wilson was making $40,000 in salary plus benefits. Annual costs of $6,400 for health/hospitalization, $500 for dental and $200 for life insurance are listed as police department benefits in the budget. Wilson was the only full-time officer, so it's assumed those costs are related to his coverage only.

Appointed chief in mid-2008, a five-year contract that started in 2009 was set to expire at the end of this year.

'Not appropriate'

Melissa Melewsky, media law counsel for the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association, disputes the borough's position regarding the settlement.

"If the agency's position were accurate, nothing discussed during executive session would be public and that's clearly not appropriate," she said. "Salaries, for example, the most public of public records, are routinely discussed during personnel executive sessions, but they are public records nonetheless."

The borough had cited subsection 21 of the Right-to-Know Law, in which it says exceptions apply to "all draft minutes for any agency until the next regularly scheduled meeting, when the minutes can be approved. A second example comes for any minutes or records of discussion conducted during an executive session."

Melewsky believes the term "records of discussion" applies to audio, video or verbatim transcripts recorded during the session, not the outcome itself.

The lawsuit

Cheryll Hornberger, of Kulpmont, sued Wilson and borough officials after her arrest Jan. 25, 2011 regarding a parking citation.

She said that as Wilson began to exit his police vehicle to issue the ticket, Hornberger was entering her car. She alleged that Wilson began pounding on the driver's side front window when she tried to drive away. She said she stopped and, when Wilson tried to throw the ticket into her vehicle, his hand and the ticket hit the window and the ticket fell.

Wilson opened the door and pulled Hornberger out, her suit said, and charged her for littering because of the ticket. The suit alleges Wilson, before handcuffing Hornberger, said he needed to check her for weapons, and that he grabbed her breast and pulled up her shirt, exposing her breasts to "six to 12 bystanders" and those driving by.

She was shackled to a bench at the police station and verbally harassed, her suit said. It cited further instances of harassment during forthcoming civil and criminal proceedings.

Hornberger alleged that before they hired Wilson, the mayor and borough council either knew or should have known he had been fired from a state police job for sexual harassment and was fired as a Northumberland County dispatcher for impersonating a police officer. Wilson's employment history was also a topic during the criminal proceeding involving Hornberger.

The suit was settled out of court in November for an undisclosed amount, and the parking and littering citations against Hornberger were dismissed.

Mum on settlement

The News-Item filed a request for any documents related to the settlement, but that request was denied as well.

"The documents you are seeking were an agreement which was approved by the federal judge in charge of the case," Kulpmont's response reads. "The borough was represented by the borough's insurance carrier and the documentation was contractually sealed by agreement of the parties and approved by the court."

Attorney Timothy A.B. Reitz, of Muncy, who represented Hornberger in the civil case, said that stipulation could be waived if both parties - Hornberger and the insurance company - agreed to it.

"We can't talk about it, due to the stipulation," Reitz said Thursday. He added, however, that he believe his client would be in favor of releasing the information, and that he would make contact with the insurance company.

Melewsky argues the settlement is a matter of public record because it involves a public agency and public money - even if paid through an insurance provider - and that such details should not have been sealed.

HEGINS - Earl W. Kieffer left a legacy in anthracite coal mining that will be commemorated at this year's 29th annual Independent Coal Miners Picnic, noon Saturday at Hegins Park.

Kieffer, who died Nov. 21 at age 83, was president of Hegins Mining Company, and his image is featured on this year's memorial miners' mug for the picnic.

For a $20 donation, participants will have access to live and pre-produced entertainment, raffles and a meal at 4 p.m., that includes hot soup, cold cuts and more. Christian Abraham, of Connecticut, will be filming the festivities for archiving purposes. The footage will then be edited and combined with other film by Hegins local Ozzie Tollefson.

Live entertainment will consist of DJ Gold Dust and bands that include Old Gold, and the Breaker Boys - who will be performing a re-enactment of the original coal miners. The pre-produced activity will be a screening of Mark Brodzik's documentary, "Hard Coal," which features picnic organizer, David A. Lucas, of Hegins.

Other features of this year's picnic include the traditional "Miner's Prayer," conducted by the Rev. Curtis Zemencik before the meal. In addition to the prayer, the names of memorialized and honored independent miners will be read from this year's commemorative mug. While many mugs have been pre-sold, Lucas says that there are select amounts of the glassware that will be available for purchase at the picnic for a $7 donation.

In addition to Kieffer, miners featured on the 2013 mug include James Clough, George J. Smutz, Bob Reinoehl, Philip J. Stine, Alfred C. Lucas Jr., William Shade, Larry Madenford Jr., Ronald C. Roseman, Marlin J. Bush, Earl L. Bender, Ernest Roy Morgan, Randy E. Wenrich and Walter W. Harner.

Mining memorabilia will also be on display for sale and chance. Included in these items are hats, T-shirts available in a variety of different colors, a miner statue donated by Patterson Block, hand-crafted dozer and dump trucks donated by Butch Stiely of Sacramento, and seven tons of coal from various mines to be chanced off.

The picnic will be held rain or shine and all are welcome to attend. For more information on this year's event, call Lucas at 682-9140.