COAL TOWNSHIP - Our Lady of Lourdes Regional School received the following honors and memorials during November and December.

In honor of

Mr. and Mrs. Howard Sandri from Mr. and Mrs. Barry Lentz.

In memory of

Mr. and Mrs. William Balchunas from Bill Balchunas.

Mae Barron from John and Joanne McKay.

Steven Billas from Mary Carole Starke.

Victor F. Bogetti from Mr. and Mrs. Barry Lentz.

Robert J. and Helen M. Brennan from Thomas D. Brennan.

Marguerite Menapace Budick from James (Jip) and Betty Menapace.

Catino and Picaralli families from Gloria Catino.

Marie and Dominic Ciocco from Mrs. Alberta (Ciocco) Politi.

Nicholas and Martha D'Amico from Mr. and Mrs. Ronald D'Amico.

Stephanie Dennis from Mary Carole Starke.

Rose DiRienzo from Marian R. Myers.

Edward and Jacqueline Dobeck from Jeffrey and Kimberly Dobeck.

Nellie A. Dombroski from Howard and Theresa Sandri.

Robert L. Ecker Sr. from Joan D. Ecker.

Phillip R. Fetzko from Ann and John Benedict, Donna Mordan, Barbara Yuricich, MaryAnne Fetzko Jayman.

Daniel Fox from Betty Gilger and family.

Lottie and Francis Gekoskie from Cecilia Kress (daughter).

Robert E. Gruneberg from Mr. and Mrs. Gene Garancheski

Emily Hornberger from Mrs. Helen Nolter.

William Janovich from Mike and Jane Klembara.

Adolph (Sonny) Jasper from Jack and Jody Bender, Roberta Jasper and family.

Tony and Marie Kalinowski from Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Kalinowski.

Juba Kerster from Helen M. Winhofer.

Francis (Frank) Kress from Cecilia Kress (wife).

Charles W. LaCross from Sarah Kanaskie, Vincent LaCross, Elizabeth Joseph.

Alice and Clarence Lauer from Paddy Lauer.

Judy Lentini from Peter Lentini.

Sara L. Liccardi from Carmine Liccardi.

Linda Makowski from Vincent and Genevieve Makowski.

Dorothy Marshalek from Connie Fabrizio.

Eleanor N. Mihal from Dr. Victor Mihal, John and Joanne McKay, Richard and Ann Weikel, Denise Yermalovich.

Christy Mirack from Donald and Marian Myers.

Joseph J. Mirack from Irene M. Mirack.

Mr. and Mrs. Enoch Miskiel from Jacqueline Dunham.

Francis Moran from Terri (Moran) Shipe.

William and Marilyn Murdock from the Kalinoski family.

Audrey Olvany from Helen M. Winhofer, Larry and Dot Morata.

Kyle Orth from Howard and Theresa Sandri, Alice O'Donnell.

Helen Osheskie from Gloria Bongarzone.

Anna Pawlicki from Ann and John Benedict, Howard and Theresa Sandri.

Theodore Pedergnana from Ida Pedergnana Reilly.

Edward Polites, Christmas memorial from Judy and family.

Ted Prenkowski from Lillian Malinoski Brecher.

Paul Pupo from R.J. Prego.

Joseph E. Purcell from Nancy (Boylan) Kerris, Knights of Columbus 628, Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Fleming.

Deacon Charles H. Rebuck from Bill and Donna Troutman.

Carl and Mary Reidinger from Ann M. Bittner.

John "Jack" Reiprish from Walter Luberecki, Mike and Jane Klembara, Audrey and Gerald Mroz, Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Leeman and children, Andrew and Alivia, Andrew and Ann Marie Slodysko, James Holland and family.

Mary E. Rosini from Michelene and Pete Rhodes.

Victor Ronald Rosini from John and Mary Teresa Ryniak.

Ann and Ralph Rovito from Annette Rovito.

John J. Ruback Jr. from Patricia Crone-Zaliniski and Lewis Crone.

John Sandri Sr. from Mr. and Mrs. Barry Lentz.

Jon Sandri III from Ann and John Benedict, Howard and Theresa Sandri, Kenneth F. Sandri, Mr. and Mrs. Barry Lentz.

Jeannine Scandle from Mr. and Mrs. James Scandle.

Rev. Charles R. Slough from Breanna Bradley Echelmeier.

Bill Smith from Mary Jane Toccket.

Leonard J. Staudenmeier from Mary Ann Balonis.

Marion E. Suchanick from Michael A. Suchanick.

Benjamin Terry from Don and Sharon (Mulhall) Betz.

Joseph F. Tracey from Bernard C. Snyder.

Richard Urick from Donna and Dan Miscavige.

Emma Walsh from Mary Ann Barrett and family, James L. Walsh.

Diane White from Ann Weikel.

Michelle Witt from Jennifer Kalinowski.

Joyce Wojciechowski from Jessica Kalinowski.

Catherine Yuricich from Rita (Yuricich) Greim.

Dominic Yuricich from Rita (Yuricich) Greim.

Martin Zelones from Ann and John Benedict, Howard and Theresa Sandri.

SUNBURY - Northumberland County Judge Charles Saylor is expected to grant a request to have the state pay for a psychiatric exam to determine if accused murderer Elytte Barbour is competent to stand trial.

A hearing on the request and other motions, originally scheduled for this morning, has been postponed until 2:15 p.m. Thursday due to the forecast of a major snowstorm today. Saylor and President Judge William H. Wiest have postponed all legal proceedings at the courthouse, but the facility will remain open.

District Attorney Tony Rosini filed a motion Jan. 17 saying he doesn't oppose hiring a psychiatrist at the commonwealth's expense since the law allows it. But Rosini also filed a motion to hire his own expert witness in psychiatry to conduct an exam on Barbour. If the exams contradict one another, an independent psychiatrist may be ordered to offer an opinion before Saylor rules.

Barbour and his 19-year-old wife, Miranda, who is represented by county chief public defender Edward Greco, were appointed attorneys by the court because they are indigent. Since they cannot afford to pay for their attorneys, it's likely Saylor will grant defense attorney James Best's request for the commonwealth to pay for the psychiatric exam for Elytte Barbour.

Rosini also filed a request from the defense for pre-trial discovery evidence, notice of an alibi defense, notice of an insanity defense or mental infirmity defense, all reports or results of physical or mental exams and scientific tests or experiments, and the names and addresses of all witnesses the defense plans to call at trial.

No witnesses are expected to testify at Thursday's hearing. Elytte Barbour is expected to attend.

The district attorney announced last month that he will seek the death penalty for the Barbours in the Nov. 11 murder in Sunbury of 42-year-old Troy LaFerrara, a married environmental engineer from Port Trevorton.

Police said the victim was stabbed approximately 20 times.

LaFerrara answered a Craigslist ad from Miranda Barbour in which she offered companionship for money, police said. Upon her arrest Dec. 3, she said she stabbed LaFerrara after he groped her and grabbed her throat.

Three days later when he was charged, Elytte Barbour told police he and his wife were both involved, and that they had devised a plot to kill LaFerrara because they wanted to kill someone together.

The Barbours had moved to Selinsgrove from North Carolina shortly before the homicide.

Rosini wants to prosecute the couple together.

Best said his client plans to seek a jury trial since Rosini has chosen to pursue the death penalty. The attorney, who is representing Barbour as a county independent conflicts counsel, also wants to have one trial for both defendants.

Elytte Barbour is jailed at Columbia County Prison in Bloomsburg. His wife, who also is seeking a jury trial, appeared for her formal arraignment last month on criminal homicide and other charges. She remains incarcerated in Northumberland County Prison.

ELYSBURG - Due to the threat of inclement weather, Rabbittransit, the York County firm in charge of Northumberland County's transportation program, announced Tuesday that all Paratransit or Shared Ride services in Northumberland County will be cancelled today.

The agency's adminstrative offices in Elysburg will also be closed.

For more information, call 800-632-9063.

DORNSIFE - Fire destroyed a large shed and the farming equipment inside Tuesday, but the nearby home of Victor and Irene Zubritski was spared.

The proximity of the house, about 50 feet away, was of concern while firefighters from as far as Coal Township were dispatched to 969 State Road about 2 p.m.

A state police fire marshal is expected on scene today, weather permitting, but Herndon Fire Chief Tony Gilligan said the fire is considered accidental.

"As of now, we are looking at an electrical panel as the cause," he said Tuesday evening.

Wife alerted

The structure was fully engulfed in flames by the time emergency crews arrived in the remote area of Little Mahanoy Township on the south side of the Dornsife Mountain.

Several gallons of gasoline and other flammable materials, along with a tractor that had just been used, may have accelerated the blaze, Gilligan said.

The fire was discovered by a Pennsylvania Game Commission enforcement officer who was conducting a routine patrol on nearby Creek Road when he smelled smoke. He got to the Zubritski residence and knocked on the door, alerting Irene Zubritski, who unaware of the blaze.

Her husband told firefighters he had been plowing about an hour before, then left to go to a local feed store. When he was returning home, he saw the smoke and realized it was coming from his property.

Fire trucks had to navigate a narrow, one-lane road to get to the scene.

"When we arrived, part of the barn had already collapsed," Gilligan said.

No insurance

Trevorton Fire Chief Ed Reed and his crew, along with Herndon Fire Company, were first on scene, and worked to get water from their booster tanks onto the flames. After that, crews from Lower Mahanoy Township and Coal Township set up a reserve pool for more water. The scene was cleared at approximately 4:30 p.m.

The blaze destroyed the structure, the tractor, two tillers, table saws, a patio grill, woodworking equipment and other implements. Gilligan said the couple does not have insurance on the property.

Also responding were fire crews from Hickory Corners, Lower Augusta Township and Pillow.

SUNBURY - Budget director Jeff McClintock, who has served as Northumberland County's chief financial officer for 4 1/2 years, plans to resign by the end of the month.

Commissioners Vinny Clausi and Stephen Bridy, who lauded McClintock for his efforts in directing the county's budget and other financial matters, said McClintock has accepted a position outside of Northumberland County government.

McClintock began his duties as chief financial officer Aug. 10, 2009, at a salary of $71,483.88. He was later named budget director and is currently earning $75,058.

In a press release issued Tuesday announcing McClintock's pending resignation, Clausi stated, "Jeff is a great employee and we will miss him. I hate to see him leave. He works hard every day to save the taxpayers money. Jeff worked hand-in-hand with me and Commissioner Bridy to develop the strategy for our five-year financial plan."

Bridy added, "He will be deeply missed. He was always an honest employee who worked to save every dime of taxpayer money."

HARRISBURG - State Rep. Kurt Masser, who lost his niece to a heroin overdose last year, said he'd like to see more money in Gov. Tom Corbett's proposed budget to help those struggling with drug addiction.

Masser (R-107) said he hasn't had a chance to closely study the budget, but noticed in a first blush Tuesday that some line items under drug and alcohol programs had stayed the same or been reduced.

"And that's a concern, because the problem is growing," he said about drug abuse. "We can try to help with treatment now or we can pay a lot more in incarceration and court costs down the line."

The budget shows spending for "assistance to drug and alcohol programs" at $41.2 million for 2014-15, the same spent the past two fiscal years. The overall drug and alcohol department budget does show a proposed increase from $122.7 million to $131.7 million for 2014-15, but almost all of it comes from a boost in federal funding. There are six pages in the 1,088-page budget that discuss various appropriations and objectives for the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs.

Masser's niece, Erika Smith, died Nov. 24, and two men face drug charges in connection with her death.

Masser said he was well aware of the drug addiction problem prior to his niece's death, but "it brought it front and center."

"We have to get serious about the issue," he said.

Ag funding

Masser, who called the proposed budget a "good starting point," also noted agriculture funding as an area he'll be addressing.

"Funding for our state's No. 1 industry needs to be beefed up a bit," he was quoted in a joint budget statement with fellow Northumberland County Republican Lynda Schlegel Culver (R-108).

Masser's district, while covering the lower anthracite region, also includes the greater Elysburg area, Franklin and Cleveland townships in Columbia County and all of Montour County, areas where farming is prominent.

Masser said he'll be attending hearings in the coming weeks to listen to testimony and gain further insight into the budget proposal.

Culver's and Masser's video comments are available for viewing at www.youtube.com/PABudgetNews.

For more information on the budget proposal or any state-related issue, contact Culver's Sunbury district office at 570-286-5885 or LyndaCulver.com or Masser's district office in Elysburg at 570-648-8017, or at RepMasser.com.

SUNBURY - County emergency officials said Tuesday it will take about two weeks to clean up about 3,000 gallons of diesel fuel spilled during a tanker crash Monday afternoon.

Northumberland County Emergency Management Agency Director Stephen Jeffrey reported crews from the Northridge Group, an environmental remediation firm from Northumberland, will remain at the crash site along Route 147, about 50 yards south of Brush Valley Road, to clean up fuel spilled from an 8,000-gallon fuel tanker damaged in the 11:53 a.m. crash.

"Northridge is working on soil remediation right now, digging up the contaminated soil and monitoring dams in the streams that will pick up any fuel that goes in there from the contaminated soil," Jeffrey said.

Jeffrey said the damaged truck was removed from the scene Tuesday after officials confirmed that the leak had been stopped.

State police at Stonington say that the 1999 Mack truck, driven by Clarence K. Herb, 49, of Sunbury, was traveling on Route 147 when the driver failed to negotiate a left curve on the slush-covered roadway. The truck drove off the east berm and rolled onto its driver side.

The accident happened during the latter end of a winter storm that dumped approximately six inches of snow on the area Monday.

The crash punctured the tanker spilling heating fuel onto the ground and into a small stream. Hazardous materials protocol was immediately put into effect, the director said.

"Some of the fuel did go into a contributory stream and into the Little Shamokin Creek," Jeffrey said Tuesday, "Our county hazmat team and Northridge worked together to contain the spill."

Jeffrey said all appropriate state agencies have been briefed on the situation, and the truck owner's insurance company will pay all cleanup costs.

Herb was transported to Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, where he was listed in serious condition Tuesday afternoon after suffering moderate injuries.

More than 40 firefighters worked on scene Monday to contain the spill until hazmat crews arrived and Route 147 was closed for cleanup. With the help of fire police from Sunbury, Northumberland and Selinsgrove, one lane of traffic was opened at 2:45 p.m. Monday,

Both traffic lanes on Route 147 were fully opened at 5 p.m. Monday.

The Northumberland County Department of Public Safety is asking that motorists use caution in the area of Route 147 and Brush Valley Road while workers clean up the area.

ALLENTOWN - Service Electric Cablevision has announced a "multiplatform content offering" for NBCUniversal's coverage of the XXII Olympic Winter Games from Sochi, Russia, beginning Thursday and running through Sunday, Feb. 23.

Video subscribers will have access to NBCUniversal's more than 1,500 hours of Winter Olympic programming, including every Olympic competition, live and on-demand and across multiple platforms.

Video subscribers are those who not only receive cable television services from Service Electric, but have signed up for the TV Everywhere online service, which allows them watch live TV on their PC, mobile phones and tablets.

In addition to coverage on NBCUniversal stations, which includes NBC, NBC Sports Network (NBCSN), MSNBC, CNBC and USA Network, subscribers can stay connected to the games via NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports Live Extra app.

The video streaming service is available to all who subscribe to the Classic Cable package and have a TV Everywhere ID. Subscribers who need one can sign up online at www.secv.com/tve or call (877) 955-SECV.

This is the first time every Winter Games competition will be available for viewing live, along with event rewinds and video highlights. Highlights and full event replays will also be available on television through Service Electric's On-Demand program guide.

A sweepstakes will also be offered for those who verify their subscriptions by the start of Thursday's coverage. The prize is a trip to the home of the 2016 Summer Olympics, Rio de Janeiro, courtesy of NBCUniversal.

Scheduled for Thursday's coverage is the competition debuts of snowboard slopestyle (men's and women's) and team figure skating, along with the women's freestyle moguls. The opening ceremony is Friday.

Officials in two local school districts are cautiously optimistic about Gov. Corbett's proposed 2014-15 educational budget. They're happy to see more money through a new grant program and for special education, but disappointed that funding overall remains flat.

They're grateful, too, for possible pension relief, but many unanswered questions linger.

More, but better?

The Ready to Learn Grant is slated to replace the PA Accountability Block Grant, the allocation for which would boost funding for Southern Columbia Area from $68,555 this fiscal year to $270,566 in 2014-15; Shamokin Area from $203,878 to $694,841; Line Mountain from $78,245 to $283,647, and Mount Carmel Area from $124,089 to $441,654.

Southern Columbia Area Superintendent Paul Caputo said he's concerned with what restrictions might come with that allocation, and until then, he doesn't know if it's good or bad.

The Accountability Grant, which was used for classroom size reductions, pre-kindergarten or kindergarten classes, funded the district's elementary school salaries last year, Caputo said.

Shamokin Area Superintendent James Zack wasn't yet sure how it could impact Shamokin Area's next budget.

Business Manager Karen Colangelo said it would certainly help.

Shamokin Area is facing a deficit of $3,094,339 as the school board works with district officials to prepare a 2014-15 budget. The proposed grant funding would likely free up some funds to spend elsewhere in the budget, Colangelo said.

Pension help

Perhaps of more help would be the governor's proposed short-term pension reform.

Shamokin Area's contribution in 2013-14 was 16.93 percent, or $1,571,012. The rate was to rise above 21 percent for next school year, Colangelo said.

Southern's contribution to the Public School Employees Retirement System is expected to increase to approximately $145,000, from $372,000 in 2013-14 to $517,000 in 2014-15, and then another $140,000 in 2015-16.

The Allentown Morning Call reported Tuesday, however, that Corbett's proposal would drop the contribution rate to about 2.3 percent. Should that hold through the legislative process, it would save Shamokin Area an estimated $1,353,684 - a significant help to the projected deficit.

In Southern Columbia, Superintendent Paul Caputo said that move would save the district approximately $230,000 in the upcoming budget. He had expected a 5 percent increase to the pension contribution.

But, he added, "It's short-term relief. I was hoping to have something more concrete."

While it would have a positive impact on next year's budget, the ballooning costs "can't continue," Caputo said. "We need a solution."

The fact that it's on the table for discussion is a good thing, he said.

Subsidies flat

Basic subsidies are the same as this fiscal year under Corbett's $29.4 billion budget plan. Shamokin Area is slated to receive $11,866,034; Southern Columbia, $4,378,580; Line Mountain, $5,999,529, and Mount Carmel Area, $7,847,249.

"I don't want to sound negative, but it's a little disappointing. An increase would have been helpful as opposed to being flat-lined," Caputo said. "It would have given us flexibility."

Southern's budget director had plugged in a 1.5 percent increase from the state, but will have to adjust, he said.

Special education spending statewide is up $20 million, a figure district Zack was "ecstatic" about.

"I see they're finally going to raise special education," Zack said, adding that the costs for special education have continually risen but said that state funds haven't moved with the trend.

Zack and Colangelo tempered any enthusiasm knowing the terms of the proposal could change, perhaps radically, by the time a state budget is adopted.

"Right now this sounds good but we all know there will be a lot changes from now to June," Colangelo said.

"Until it's approved it's hard to comprehend if it's good, bad or indifferent," Zack said.

Line Mountain Superintendent Dave Campbell said Tuesday afternoon he hadn't yet reviewed the budget and reserved comment. Mount Carmel Area Superintendent Bernard Stellar could not be reached for comment.

Local legislators approve

State Reps. Lynda Schlegel Culver (R-108) and Kurt Masser (R-107) said in a joint release Tuesday that they were both "impressed with the governor's effort to invest in our students."

They noted an increase in funding by $363 million to prekindergarten through 12th-grade education, which would bring total funding to $10.3 billion, the most state funding ever spent.

Culver was also pleased to see investment in higher education.

"Often times, middle-class families who are trying to make sure their kids are able to get to college don't qualify for tuition assistance programs," she was quoted in the statement. "This proposal includes $25 million in scholarships to distribute throughout the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency."

(Staff Writer Rob Wheary contributed to this report.)

COAL TOWNSHIP - An informational meeting on the potential regionalization of municipal police coverage will be held this month with local and state officials.

The meeting with Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) will be held at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 19 at the Coal Township Municipal Building, 805 W. Lynn St.

Invitations were sent by the township on Jan. 28 to officials from neighboring communities: Shamokin, Mount Carmel, Mount Carmel Township, Kulpmont, Ralpho Township and Zerbe Township.

The meeting is strictly informational. Discussions will be had on the parameters of a potential DCED study on the matter, and an informal assessment made of which municipalities would be interested in participating.

Coal Township Manager Rob Slaby said Tuesday during a commissioners workshop session that the study would be free of charge.

The meeting comes as municipalities are met with continually rising costs for employee health benefits and pension contributions, and as police coverage largely remains the most expensive service provided to taxpayers.

Salt bill

Commissioner Gene Welsh asked about a load of rock salt the township covered on neighboring Shamokin's behalf.

The township paid $5,195.78 for 91.17 tons of rock salt from American Rock Salt. The city's rocky finances entering 2014 led distributors to stop giving it credit for such purchases. City officials asked the township to make the purchase on their behalf so that the material would be on hand for the recent and forthcoming string of snowy weather.

Slaby said the bill was sent Tuesday to City Hall and that he expected city council to approve it during its monthly meeting Monday. Payment was expected the next day, he said.

Welsh said the township commissioners should ratify the expenditure at their own monthly meeting on Thursday.

William Kuzmick, township roadmaster, told commissioners that snow piled high at intersections could pose a hazard to motorists. When the snow melts, it can block storm drains located on the corners of township blocks. It could also melt and freeze at intersections, posing another hazard.

Commissioner Paul Leshinskie said anyone observed creating large snow piles at intersections could be cited.

Police radios

Police Chief William Carpenter updated commissioners on a required upgrade of police radio equipment.

Northumberland County is under federal mandate to upgrade its emergency communications system. A $7.2 million contract was awarded in June to Motorola Solutions to enhance the two-way wireless communications system that includes new tower site equipment and mobile and portable radios and pagers for fire and emergency medical services personnel in the current coverage area.

"Everybody at the meeting were all in the same boat: nobody is getting mobile units, nobody can afford them," Carpenter said.

The police chief said a Motorola representative quoted the portable radios at $2,600 each, but that the price would drop to $2,000 each for the trade-in of an old unit and if multiple county municipalities purchase the equipment through Motorola.

Carpenter told the commissioners that other manufacturers' equipment is compatible with the Motorola system, and that it could be cheaper; however, potential upgrades could offset the savings.

Also, he said the Motorola representative advised municipalities that they look into purchasing a higher tier of portable radio. The lower tier would also be compatible but is likely to be phased out of the system within three years.

It's unlikely that the new system and radios would be online earlier than August, and no firm date is yet in place, Carpenter said.

HARRISBURG - Tucked into Gov. Tom Corbett's proposed 2014-15 state budget is $20 million in new Pennsylvania Lottery revenue, mostly from the addition of keno to the agency's game portfolio.

Lottery officials believe they have the statutory authority to introduce keno without legislative approval but still want to engage lawmakers in the process, Revenue Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Brassell said Wednesday.

"We are very interested in educating stakeholders about what keno is and is not and sort of getting some buy-in and some consensus on when and how it is introduced," she said.

Corbett did not mention keno in his budget address Tuesday, but Revenue Secretary Dan Meuser told the Senate Finance Committee last week the game would help lottery revenues keep pace with the demand for services by older Pennsylvanians, whom the lottery benefits.

Keno is a fast-paced, terminal-based game popular in social settings, such as bars and restaurants, where lottery officials believe they can make inroads with younger adults, Brassell said.

The $20 million in revenue in Corbett's budget reflects a partial-year projection, she said. The lottery believes it could get keno to the marketplace within six months after the execution of a contract with a vendor to supply the game.

Once fully implemented, keno is expected to generate at least $40 million and possibly as much as $180 million to $200 million annually in profit, Brassell said. The broad range reflects what she called "a lot of unknowns at this point."

"It's sort of unknown how taverns and bars are going to react to small games of chance, which could be a competitive product. Maybe there are bars that would prefer only small games of chance. Maybe there are bars that would prefer keno. Maybe there is a contingent of bars and social clubs that do both," she said.

The revenue growth in the governor's budget also assumes the General Assembly will continue to provide the lottery with relief from mandatory return requirements, Brassell said.

When the lottery was created, the enabling legislation required the agency to return 30 percent of sales as net revenue to programs for seniors. In 2008, presented with evidence that a smaller return margin would produce more profit, the Legislature temporarily lowered the margin to 27 percent. It extended the relief in 2011.

With the latest extension set to expire in 2015, Brassell said legislators will be asked to take a fresh look. The most profitable lotteries operate at a 24 or 25 percent margin, she said.

"What we need is for the Legislature to offer long-term or permanent relief from the 30 percent margin, from the 27 percent margin," she said. "We are asking them to go lower than that. Even though it is a smaller percentage, it will deliver more dollars to the lottery fund."

SHAMOKIN - The city and its employees in the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) union may be entering into an agreement to forgo overtime pay if both entities approve it.

At the workshop meeting Wednesday night, Councilman Charlie Varano presented a letter from the employees to council suggesting the overtime pay be nixed in exchange for compensatory time - up to 10 days off - for 2014.

The members of the union consist of the six street department employees, the department's foreman Kevin Richardson and the public safety technician.

The item was placed on the agenda for Monday night's regular meeting. If council approves it then, the union members will meet to discuss the agreement, said Richardson, who was not at the workshop meeting.

Neither council nor Richardson knew what the city would save if the agreement is approved.

In order to save two police officers from furloughs, city council members have made moves to reduce the police department's overtime budget from $92,323 to $27,313.

Mayor William D. Milbrand said the police department can't follow the street department's move because there are not enough officers to cover comp time shifts.

Street department overtime would be considered anything more than eight hours a day or 40 hours a week for all employees, Richardson said.

Loan

Susquehanna Bank has not yet approved a loan requested by the city to settle an estimated $800,000 in unpaid bills that accumulated by the end of 2013, and city officials are considering working with another lender.

Milbrand said he has been in discussion with Miners Bank, in Minersville, and officials there seem interested in securing the loan for the city.

"Susquehanna Bank always wants one more thing," Milbrand said.

Brenda Scandle, treasurer, said the Susquehanna Bank officials are requesting information daily from the city in reference to the loan.

Salt

Varano thanked Coal Township and his fellow council members for negotiating the purchase of road salt for the city Tuesday. The city was low on material and couldn't get any credit with road salt distributors andtownship officials stepped up to help.

While it was "embarrassing," he said, "It was no fault of anyone here, just what I call the 'mess.'"

The township agreed to pay the bill until the city can come up with the money.

Additionally, Varano wants the residents of Shamokin to stop throwing snow into the street after it's plowed, which happened in several sections of the city.

"We can't afford to keep sending our guys out there," he said.

Milbrand said the public needs to cooperate with the city.

"We're asking for patience" while the city deals with the snow piles, Varano said.

Catino vs. Rhoades

Emergency Squad Administrator Jim Catino also attended the meeting and accused Councilman R. Craig Rhoades of being a bully toward the agency.

Rhoades said during a December meeting that changes made to the heating setup at Shamokin Emergency and Rescue Squad at Mill Road Square - ending the practice of heating the space by venting hot air from a police garage and requiring that it pay for its own heat - could save the city money.

Catino said Rhoades had no problem with the heating system until Catino no longer allowed the councilman to use a training room for personal reasons.

After that, Rhoades wanted the squad to pay the heating bill and tried to push the blame off on new Councilwoman Barb Moyer, who is now in charge of buildings, Catino said.

Rhoades said he had no problem with the set up until the financial crisis in the city and he was looking for ways to cut the budget.

He provided Moyer with a tour of the building - and others in the city - and she said she would look into the issue further, Rhoades said, a statement Moyer confirmed.

City solicitor Frank Konopka and Milbrand told the two to stop arguing and advised them to hold a meeting between members of council and the squad to resolve the issue.

After the meeting, Rhoades said he isn't sure what was the "personal reason" to which Catino was referring. Rhoades said Catino could have meant a request to use the room so a state instructor can provide emergency and rescue training for fire personnel, a common practice.

MOUNT CARMEL - The following hearings took place Wednesday before Magisterial District Judge Hugh Jones. Defendants ordered to appear for plea court March 24 in Northumberland County Court, Sunbury, can plead guilty or no contest, or seek a trial by pleading not guilty.

n Roseann M. Shannon, 35, of 2 S. Locust St., Mount Carmel, was held for court after failing to appear for a preliminary hearing on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, driving under suspension and careless driving involving a Dec. 4 accident at Sheetz along Route 487 in Elysburg.

The charges were filed by Ralpho Township Patrolman Christopher Grow.

n Frederick C. Hess Jr., 40, of 31 N. Locust St., Mount Carmel, waived to court a charge of failure to comply with registration requirements with state police under Megan's Law because he is a registered sex offender.

Police said the offense occurred Jan. 22.

The charge was filed by Mount Carmel Patrolman Jason Drumheller.

Hess is currently in Schuylkill County Prison in Pottsville.

n Brad M. Nahodil, 33, of 618 W. Chestnut St., Shamokin, waived to court felonies of theft and receiving stolen property filed by Kulpmont Patrolman Joshua Pastucka.

Nahodil, a former deliveryman for Shimock's Furniture, is accused of keeping approximately $3,700 from a customer instead of turning it over to his employer.

Jones reduced Nahodil's bail from $25,000 to $10,000, but he was still unable to post it and remains in Northumberland County Prison in Sunbury.

Over the next 10 years, Northumberland County residents will see nearly $65 million in road and bridge improvements as part of what Gov. Tom Corbett billed the Decade of Investment.

That's in addition to the $558.5 million earmarked for the Greater Susquehanna Valley Thruway Project, the largest single project in the 10-year plan, which will benefit Northumberland, Union and Snyder counties.

It's also in addition to what is normally budgeted year to year for preserving and replacing bridges, resurfacing and reconstructing roads and replacing signs.

Which projects will be started first and when, however, has not been determined.

"We are working with our planning partners and our central office to update the transportation program for this year and subsequent years. The detailed revisions are not yet available," Rick Mason, public information officer for PennDOT District 3-0, said Monday.

In the nine-county district, consisting of Northumberland, Snyder, Union, Montour, Columbia, Sullivan, Lycoming, Bradford and Tioga, Mason said an additional billion dollars will be allocated through the transportation plan.

These projects "would not have been possible in the foreseeable future" had it not been for the new transportation plan, said Mason.

"We just didn't have the money," he said.

Last year, under normal funding procedures, the county had $16 million in contracted work, Mason said.

Corbett signed the state's new transportation funding legislation into law in November after a year-long battle in the Legislature. It invests an additional $2.3 to $2.4 billion into roads, bridges and transit systems by the fifth year of the plan. The revenue will increase through a gradual removal of the cap on the state Oil Company Franchise Tax over five years, a change that's already being blamed for high gasoline prices for consumers.

The first phase went into effect Jan. 1. The next phase will take place Jan. 1, 2016, and the third phase starting Jan. 1, 2018, Mason said.

30 projects over $1 million

Based on Decade of Investment funding, one road will be rehabilitated, 15 will be resurfaced and four will be reconstructed in Northumberland County over the next 10 years. Twenty-six bridges will be preserved, six will be rehabilitated and 12 will be replaced.

Thirty of the 54 projects planned in Northumberland County exceed $1 million. A $3.9 million reconstruction of Route 61 from Fifth Street in Kulpmont to Dark Run in Coal Township is the single largest of them.

That project is followed in value by a $3.4 million bridge preservation on Route 61 over the Susquehanna River in Sunbury, a $3.25 million reconstruction of Route 61 from Luke Fidler Patch Road (adjacent to Pizza Hut) to the Cameron Bridge in Shamokin and a $3.24 reconstruction of Route 11 from Bridge Avenue to Old Danville Road in Northumberland.

Including the Route 61 work above, Coal Township is scheduled for five projects totalling $10.06 million. The others are a $720,000 bridge rehabilitation on Route 61 over Dark Run, a $1.02 million bridge replacement on Route 125 over Carbon Run, a $1.82 million bridge rehabilitation on Route 61 over Route 2026 and Route 901, and a $2.6 million resurfacing of Route 61 north and south from the Kulpmont borough line to Ranshaw.

Mount Carmel Township is scheduled for five projects, too, totalling at least $6.3 million, consisting of a $475,000 resurfacing of Route 54 from Locust Gap to west of Locust Summit, a $505,000 resurfacing of Route 54 from Locust Summit to the Columbia County line, portions of $550,000 to preserve a bridge on Route 61 over the north branch of Shamokin Creek, a $2,475,000 soil slide repair on Route 54 west of Natalie and a $2,850,000 reconstruction of Route 54 from east of Locust Gap to Locust Summit.

The thruway will be funded through $150 million from the federal Appalachian Regional Commission, and the remaining $408 million will come from the Motor License Fund, which gets its money from the state gasoline tax, motor vehicle license and registration fees and other fees.

MAHONING TOWNSHIP - A Washingtonville mother waived to Montour County Court charges that she helped her teen daughter abort her unborn child using illegally obtained drugs from overseas.

Jennifer A. Whalen, 38, of 15 1/2 Water St., was charged by state police at Milton with a felony count of medical consultation and judgment and misdemeanor charges of unlawful acts - not licensed as a pharmacist, endangering the welfare of a child and simple assault. After appearing before Magisterial District Judge Marvin K. Schrawder, she remained free on $25,000 unsecured bail and will face court arraignment in March.

According to The (Bloomsburg) Press-Enterprise, Whalen's daughter, who is 18 now, became pregnant in January 2012, but said she did not want a baby. Whalen told police she could not find a local abortion clinic and didn't want to travel out of state. The mother ordered an abortion drug package, consisting of Misoprostol and Mifepristone, for $45 online from an overseas drugstore.

The drugs require a prescription in the United States and the direct care of a doctor.

Police said Whalen claimed she was a nurse but didn't have a nursing license. Whalen told police she didn't get a prescription because she didn't know she needed one, police reported.

On Feb. 6, 2012, her daughter was transported to the Geisinger Medical Center emergency room with severe abdominal pain. Medical records obtained by police stated she was "treated for an incomplete abortion and a urinary tract infection."

The following road and bridge projects in Northumberland County are scheduled for funding over the next 10 years through the state's "Decade of Investment":

- $50,000, replace major guide signs on I-180.

- $50,000, replace major guide signs on I-80.

- $60,000, replace major guide signs on Route 61 on Veterans Memorial Bridge in Sunbury.

- $65,000, rehabilitation on Route 4018 over a tributary to Indian Spring Creek in Rockefeller Township.

- $113,100, resurface Route 2013 (Badmans Hill Road) from Route 4026 (Irish Valley Road) to Route 61 in Shamokin and Ralpho townships.

- $195,000, resurface Route 4009 from Route 61 to Route 4012 in Upper Augusta Township.

- $220,000, replace major guide signs on Route 147 from Sunbury to I-80.

- $300,000, resurface Route 1007 from Moore Drive to Walnut Street in McEwensville.

- $450,000, resurface Route 61 from Route 890 to Seventh Street in Upper Augusta Township and Sunbury.

- $462,000, resurface Route 1017 from Fort Rice Road to Milheim Road in Lewis Township.

- $475,000, resurface Route 54 from Locust Gap to west of Locust Summit in Mount Carmel Township.

- $525,000, resurface Route 44 from Tenth Street to Village of Dewart in Watsontown and Delaware Township.

- $535,000, resurface Route 54 from Elysburg to Route 487 in Ralpho Township.

- $505,000, resurface Route 54 from Locust Summit to the Columbia County Line in Mount Carmel Township.

- $550,000, bridge preservation on Route 61 over Shamokin Creek in Mount Carmel, Route 61 over the north branch of Shamokin Creek in Mount Carmel Township, Route 61 over Shamokin Creek and SEDA-COG Railroad in Shamokin, Route 61 over Little Shamokin Creek in Upper Augusta Township, Route 147 over Boile Run in Lower Augusta Township, Route 405 over Muddy Run in Turbot Township, Route 405 over Norfolk Southern Railroad and Township Road 630 in Delaware Township, Route 901 over Locust Creek in Mount Carmel Township, Route 1006 over Warrior Run Creek in Lewis Township and Route 1008 over Warrior Run Creek in Lewis Township.

- $550,000, bridge preservation on Route 45 over the west branch of Susquehanna River in West Chillisquaque Township and Lewisburg.

- $625,000, resurface Route 3017 from Malta to Mountain Road in Lower Mahanoy Township.

- $720,000, bridge rehabilitation on Route 61 over Dark Run in Coal Township.

- $750,000, bridge preservation on Route 642 over the west branch of the Susquehanna River in Milton and on Route 642 over the west branch of the Susquehanna River in Kelly Township and Milton.

- $820,000, bridge rehabilitation on Route 11 over Packer Run in Point Township.

- $890,000, resurface Route 3007 from Route 3016 to Schwaben Creek Road in Jordan, Upper Mahanoy and Washington townships.

- $950,000, bridge preservation on two bridge decks on Route 147 over the north branch of the Susquehanna River in Upper Augusta Township and Northumberland.

- $950,000, soil slide repair on Route 147 south of Fish Commission Road to Shamokin Creek in Upper Augusta Township.

- $970,000, bridge rehabilitation on Route 44 over Dry Run in Delaware Township.

- $1,015,000, resurface Route 54 from I-180 to Route 44 in Lewis and Delaware townships and Turbotville.

- $1,020,000, bridge replacement on Route 125 over Carbon Run in Coal Township.

- $1,110,000, resurface Route 1007 from Warrior Run to Route 54 in Delaware and Lewis townships.

- $1,120,000, bridge replacement on Route 54 over Deibler Creek in Ralpho Township.

- $1,120,000, bridge rehabilitation on Route 61 over Lick Run in Shamokin Township.

- $1,120,000, bridge replacement on Route 405 over a tributary to Delaware Run in Delaware Township.

- $1,120,000, bridge replacement on Route 147 over a tributary to West Branch Susquehanna River in Point Township.

- $1,120,000, bridge replacement on Route 4022 over Boile Run in Lower Augusta Township.

- $1,250,000, bridge preservation on seven bridges in Catawissa, Mifflin, Rockefeller, Monroe, Kelly, White Deer, and Limestone townships.

- $1,275,000, bridge replacement on Route 2001 over Little Roaring Creek in Rush Township.

- $1,415,000, bridge preservation on I-80 over Route 405 and the west branch of the Susquehanna River in Turbot Township, I-80 over Route 1019 and Muddy Run in Turbot Township, I-80 over I-180 and ramps in Turbot Township, I-80 over I-180 and Route 147 in Turbot Township, I-80 over Norfolk Southern Railroad in Turbot Township, Route 225 over Mahanoy Creek in Little Mahanoy Township, and Route 2010 over Shamokin Creek in Shamokin Township.

- $1,420,000, bridge replacement on Route 54 over a tributary to Shamokin Creek in Rush Township.

- $1,420,000, bridge replacement on Route 54 over Delaware Run in Delaware Township.

- $1,420,000, bridge replacement on Route 44 over a tributary to Chillisquaque Creek in Lewis Township.

- $1,420,000, bridge replacement on Route 4020 over Hallowing Run in Lower Augusta Township.

- $1,420,000, bridge replacement on Route 147 over a tributary to Susquehanna River in Lower Mahanoy Township.

- $1,450,000, bridge replacement on Township Road 320 over Shamokin Creek in Mount Carmel.

- $1,820,000, bridge rehabilitation on Route 61 over Route 2026 and Route 901 in Coal Township.

- $1,900,000, bridge rehabilitation on Route 147 over Chillisquaque Creek and Township Road 568 in West Chillisquaque Township.

- $1,950,000, interstate improvement at Route 44 (Main Street) and Route 1006 (Eighth Street) in Watsontown.

- $2,100,000, resurface Route 3018 from Cemetery Road to the Schuylkill County Line in Jordan Township.

- $2,400,000, resurface Route 3010 from Route 147 to the Village of Rebuck in Jackson and Washington townships.

- $2,475,000, soil slide repair on Route 54 west of Natalie in Jackson and Washington townships.

- $2,600,000, resurface Route 61 north and south from Kulpmont to Ranshaw in Coal Township and Kulpmont.

- $2,850,000, reconstruct Route 54 east of Locust Gap to Locust Summit in Mount Carmel Township.

- $3,240,000, reconstruct US 11 from Bridge Avenue to Old Danville Road in Northumberland.

- $3,325,000, reconstruct Route 61 from Luke Fidler Patch Road to Cameron Bridge in Shamokin.

- $3,400,000, bridge preservation on Route 61 over Susquehanna River in Sunbury.

- $3,900,000, reconstruct Route 61 from Fifth Street to Dark Run in Kulpmont and Coal Township.

- $558,541,771, a proposed 4-lane, limited access highway approximately 13 miles long connecting Route 147 in Northumberland County (just south of the Route 45/147 Interchange near Montandon) to US 11/15 in Snyder County (at existing US 11/15 Interchange just north of Selinsgrove); includes an interchange/ connector roadway between the proposed mainline and the existing US 11/15/Route 61 interchange at the west end of the Veteran's Memorial Bridge.

MOUNT CARMEL TOWNSHIP - A Virginia man wanted since he fled Mount Carmel Township police after a high-speed ATV chase in 2012 was taken into custody in Maryland and extradited to Pennsylvania to face multiple offenses.

Asa Danial Brewer, 37, of Winchester, was transported Friday from a prison in Frederick County, Md., by Northumberland County deputy sheriffs to Northumberland County Prison in Sunbury, where he remains.

Brewer was arraigned by video at the prison Tuesday by Magisterial District Judge Hugh Jones of Mount Carmel on felonies of criminal conspiracy and criminal conspiracy to elude police, and misdemeanors of recklessly endangering another person, disorderly conduct and criminal trespass. The charges were filed by Mount Carmel Township Patrolman Keith Tamborelli in connection with incidents on July 1, 2012, on property owned by Susquehanna Coal Company near Arcos Road off Route 54.

The fugitive, who was apprehended last month in Maryland on a warrant for the offenses committed in Mount Carmel Township, is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing Feb. 19 before Jones.

Brewer and three friends, Michael E. Shanahan, of Winchester, Va.; Jason B. Ferris, of Fort Valley, Va., and Donald E. Shanahan III, of Stephens City, Va., were stopped by police for trespassing on coal company ground while riding ATVs. Brewer and Donald E. Shanahan were able to flee from police, but Shananhan turned himself into authorities a short time later.

Ferris and the Shanahan brothers entered guilty pleas in their cases.

The attorney for a former Northumberland County correctional officer plans to file a post-conviction petition to prevent his client from serving jail time on felony drug-related charges.

Attorney Edward E. Kopko of Ithaca, N.Y., said incarcerating Kazimir Craig "KC" Grohowski would be a "grave injustice" since he is innocent and was acquitted by then-President Judge Robert B. Sacavage after being initially convicted by a jury.

In an email sent to The News-Item by Grohowski that he received from Kopko, the attorney opposes a motion filed by Senior Deputy Attorney General David Gorman of State College for Grohowski to begin serving his sentence as soon as possible and plans to file a post-conviction petition with the Court of Common Pleas.

"I respectfully request the court to extend the time to respond to the commonwealth's motion and at the same time, permit the commonwealth the opportunity to respond to my post-conviction petition," Kopko writes.

Kopko, who was was unavailable for comment Wednesday, tells Grohowski in the email, "We are not finished yet. Be patient."

In his answer Tuesday to Gorman's motion to commence sentence, Kopko denies that all appeals in the case have been exhausted and states he plans to assemble the necessary documents to support his petition.

He said Grohowski has not received all the papers on appeal from the Superior Court and said a post-conviction relief act was not exhausted because it was never filed.

Kopko said Sacavage acquitted the defendant, finding that insufficient evidence supported the jury's verdict. He also said the judge found that his client was denied effective counsel at trial and that Gorman engaged in prosecutorial misconduct by making a prejudicial remark during his closing argument.

Kopko said the commonwealth appealed Sacavage's acquittal to the Superior Court, which reversed the acquittal on an obscure jurisdictional issue, not on the essential issues of failure of proof, ineffectiveness of counsel and prosecutorial misconduct.

He said the Supreme Court denied a petition for allowance of appeal on the jurisdictional issue, not the meritorious findings of Sacavage.

Kopko added, "The defendant is an innocent man, having been acquitted by this court. Judge Sacavage's decision is supported by substantial, overwhelmingly persuasive evidence, and the defendant seeks the opportunity to present the evidence to the court pursuant to the post-conviction relief act."

The attorney is requesting the court to issue an order denying the motion to begin sentence and to allow him to submit a post-conviction petition no later than April 5.

Acquitted in 2011

Grohowski, 42, of Mount Carmel, was convicted in 2006 of felony drug-related charges before being acquitted in 2011 by Sacavage.

But a Dec. 3 ruling by the state Supreme Court agrees with Gorman that the sentence should be reinstated.

The Supreme Court's ruling upheld a Superior Court decision from May 22 that vacated Sacavage's ruling for acquittal.

Sacavage made that ruling on June 23, 2011, after post-sentence motions were filed by Kopko on Jan. 26 of that year. The higher courts found that the court would have had to rule within 120 days - by May 26, 2011 - on the post-sentence motions as required by law.

In essence, neither of the higher courts are saying Sacavage's ruling of acquittal was wrong, but that it came too late.

The Superior Court ruling was appealed by Kopko, but when the Supreme Court upheld it, Gorman took action.

He requested an order be signed by a Northumberland County judge to hold a hearing in the near future, after which Grohowski would be remanded to the custody of the county sheriff's office for transport to the State Correctional Institution at Camp Hill, where state inmates are processed before being assigned to a prison to begin their sentences.

Six other guards

Gorman prosecuted the case against Grohowski and six other current or former prison guards charged April 14, 2004, in connection with a two-year grand jury investigation into offenses allegedly committed between 2000 and 2002 at the prison.

Charges against one of the other guards were withdrawn. Another guard was acquitted of drug charges during a 2005 trial and allowed to return to work at the prison. The other four guards entered guilty pleas and received various sentences, but avoided spending time in prison.

Grohowski was found guilty by a jury of three counts of delivery of contraband - cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana - to an inmate at the jail during a jury trial in September 2006. He was found not guilty of aggravated assault against an inmate.

Following his conviction and prior to being sentenced, Grohowski, through Kopko, filed a motion for a new trial, citing ineffective counsel by Richard Feudale.

New trial in 2007

In August 2007, Sacavage granted the new trial, citing a need for "extraordinary relief." Among the key issues was that Feudale didn't object to Gorman, in his closing argument, asking the jury to consider sending a "message" by finding Grohowski guilty. Sacavage said Grohowski's case was prejudiced by that remark.

He also said physical evidence supporting the guilty verdict was insufficient and that the prosecution relied on circumstantial evidence presented in the testimony of three inmates. He said that testimony amounted "to little more than vague assertions that they had received drugs from the defendant."

Gorman said the "message" statement had no bearing on the jury's verdict and he defended Feudale by pointing out that he filed pre-trial motions in the case and attacked the creditability of various witnesses, including inmates.

Gorman appealed Sacavage's ruling to the Superior Court, which in summer 2009 ruled in a 3-2 decision that extraordinary relief was not justified because the appeals process shouldn't occur until after sentencing.

So Sacavage's ruling for a new trial was overturned and the case proceeded to sentencing based on the original conviction. In October 2009, Sacavage sentenced Grohowski to two to four years in state prison based on the original conviction.

SUNBURY - A new book will give readers a glimpse into the past and present of Sunbury, while supporting the efforts of those preserving county history.

The newest addition to Arcadia Publishing's popular "Images of America" series will feature Sunbury. It will be released Monday.

Written by Dr. Margaret Murray Thorell, with a foreword by Mayor David Persing, the 128-page soft-cover book uses vintage images and anecdotal captions to share the history of the community.

"Having spent many years in the area with my family, I know firsthand what a wonderful community Sunbury and its surrounding communities are," Thorell writes.

With close to 200 images, the book features shots of the city's architectural icons such as the Northumberland County Prison, the Edison Hotel and the Masonic Temple, along with scenes from Fort Augusta and the early days of Sunbury.

Pictures were collected from the author's personal archives, the Northumberland County Historical Society, the Pennsylvania State Archives, Persing's office and Sunbury Community Hospital.

A portion of the book's profits will be donated to the Northumberland County Historical Society.

"Images of America: Sunbury" costs $21.99 and will be available at area bookstores, independent retailers and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing by calling (888) 313-2665, or visiting their web site at www.arcadiapublishing.org.

The Winter Olympics begin today, and keeping track of news and results will be as easy as a visit to newsitem.com.

The News-Item has teamed up with the Associated Press to produce a continually updated "Winter Games" roundup that's found on our home page or directly at newsitem.com/olympics.

It provides direct access to news, results, photos and NBC video, as well as features on the Olympians, schedules and more.

Among the headlines at the site as of mid-day Wednesday were "Billie Jean King won't attend Sochi opening," "In Sochi, new complaints about Russia anti-gay law," "WADA outraged at release of untested new drug," "Shaun White nixes Olympic slopestyle" and "Putin, Lalovic talk wrestling in Sochi."

As readers open up any particular story, that page will also display the latest medal count in an attractive, easy-to-read graphic that breaks down the count by country and how many gold, silver and bronze medals each has won.

AP has made this "microsite" available to its member newspapers to keep their digital readers up to date throughout the day with the latest Olympic news.

The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics run through Feb. 23.