ELYSBURG - Setebaid Services is holding the 2015 Setebaid Walk and invites the public to help more than 300 children and their families who are living with Type 1 diabetes. It will be held from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, at the parking area at Knoebels Amusement Resort.

Setebaid is a name created by children by spelling diabetes backwards. They said it reflects programs that "turn my diabetes around!"

To start a walk team, sponsor a team or otherwise participate, or become a corporate sponsor, visit www.setebaidwalk.org. Those interested in helping but unable to participate can learn more at the website, too.

Setebaid Services is a not-for-profit organization which operates diabetes camps and other diabetes education programs for children and teens.Setebaid programs include Camp Setebaid at Mount Luther, Mifflinburg, Camp Setebaid at Swatara, Bethel, the Harrisburg Diabetic Youth Camp and the Diabetes Family Day held at Knoebels Amusement Resort.

For more information, please contact Setebaid Services at 570-524-9090 or info@setebaidservices.org.

SHAMOKIN - Ann Targonski, Northumberland County district attorney, was awarded a campaign contribution by the Pennsylvania Federation of Democratic Women (PFDW) on Sunday.

Targonski is seeking election to a full term as district attorney. She was appointed district attorney in Northumberland County in July 2014.

The mission of the Pennsylvania Federation of Democratic Women (PFDW), founded in 1927, is to promote the election and appointment of Democratic women to responsible positions in all branches of government, encourage the advancement of women in both public and private sectors, and to advocate the principles of the Democratic party.

"The PFDW has a rigorous application process designed to identify women in races where the PFDW's assistance can make a difference in the outcome," said Gwen Collins, president. "We feel that Ann Targonski is an outstanding candidate with the experience necessary to protect the families and children of Northumberland County. We are willing to put our money and other assistance behind her."

Targonski said, "I'm grateful for the support of the Pennsylvania Federation of Democratic Women and especially for the Shamokin Area Democratic Women's Club and the confidence they have placed in my candidacy."

Job recruitment for Great Dane

SHAMOKIN - One Source will be recruiting new applicants for Great Dane Trailers' Danville location from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday at the CSO JOBS Center, 2 E. Arch St., Shamokin. Please bring two forms of identification.

Legion meeting is Thursday

KULPMONT - American Legion Post 231 will have their regular monthly meeting Thursday at the post home, 855 Ash St. Directors meet at 6:30 p.m. A-Members meet at 7 p.m. B-Members will follow the regular meeting. A social will be held after the meeting.

Lourdes mum sale this weekend

SHAMOKIN - The annual mum sale to benefit Our Lady of Lourdes Regional School will be held at the Williams residence, 603 W. Chestnut St., from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Mums are $7 each.

All '80s MCA reunion scheduled

MOUNT CARMEL - A Mount Carmel Area "all '80s" class reunion is being planned for Saturday. Oct. 24. For more information, contact Cathy Besser at 570-556-9851, academycb@outlook.com or at the "all '80s" reunion facebook page.

SHAMOKIN - The dog days of summer wind to a close on Labor Day with a K-9 Splash at the Lawton W. Shroyer Memorial Swimming Pool, 132 N. Rock St.

Dogs get the last dip in the pool from 1 to 4 p.m. Entry is $5, with portions of proceeds benefitting Mostly Mutts animal rescue. It's the first event of its kind at the city pool.

Limit one dog per handler. Proof of rabies vaccine necessary. Dogs must be licensed and leashed. No aggressive dogs permitted.

Staff from Mostly Mutts will be on hand to assist and answer questions about their rescue efforts.

For more information call 570-644-4789.

SHAMOKIN - Charges of simple assault and harassment that were previously dismissed against a Shamokin man have been refiled by the alleged victim.

Faith A. Smink, 63, of 1564 Pulaski Ave., Coal Township, filed the charges Thursday in a private criminal complaint against Brian Poplaskie, 47, of 3072 Upper Road, Shamokin. The complaint was approved by Northumberland County District Attorney Ann Targonski and Magisterial District Judge Michael Diehl of Milton. A preliminary hearing will now be held before Diehl, who will be the third judge involved in the case.

A criminal complaint was initially filed against Poplaskie by Coal Township Detective Jeff Brennan at the office of Magisterial District John Gembic III. Police said Poplaskie was accused of kicking Smink in the groin, causing injury, outside Smink's home June 12.

But Gembic recused himself because he's Smink's neighbor and the case was assigned to Magisterial District Judge Benjamin Apfelbaum, who dismissed the charges at a preliminary hearing due to lack of evidence.

By Kendra Jones

DANVILLE - Every animal brought into the Danville branch of the Pennsylvania SPCA has its own unfortunate story.

It may have suffered abuse or its owner may have died. Or, it may have been surrendered because the owner can no longer afford it - or doesn't want it anymore.

A brown furry rabbit and a pair of 2-year-old Miniature Pinschers are good examples.

The rabbit, sitting inside the front door on a recent day, was given to the SPCA after the owner was convinced not to set up a cage in the yard and shoot it.

As for the Pinschers, a woman brought them in saying she couldn't afford them, but that they were nice dogs and had not show signs of aggression. But when Donielle Aulenbach, site supervisor, took the dogs for behavioral tests, they fought with each other and one tried to attack her. By policy, the shelter refused to take the aggressive dogs.

Volunteers in demand

Often when the doors to the SPCA open at noon, there are already people waiting outside to surrender their animals.

With only six staff members to feed, care for and test animals, plus assist customers, seven days a week, volunteers are greatly appreciated.

Volunteers can help from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily after signing an application and waiver, and they can walk dogs, brush cats, clean horse stalls and interact with the horses. They must be 18 or older for liability reasons. Children of age 13 and up must be accompanied by an adult to volunteer, working with the cats. Hours can also be recorded if needed for a project or community service.

Silke Wittig, a dog trainer and owner of HeRo K9 Consulting, partners with the SPCA, training shelter dogs and giving a discount in training to those who adopt.

Although there are 19 dog kennels, room for 50 cats, outdoor space for 10 horses and a pig enclosure, many animals are turned away because the shelter is often at capacity.

"We receive about 10 phone calls a day asking if a cat can be dropped off," said Aulenbach.

The shelter tries to fit as many animals as possible, including by making temporary kennels and housing.

With the focus on domestic animals such as cats, dogs and rabbits, other animals such as birds and reptiles are occasionally taken in, but on a case-by-case basis.

Shelter network

Shelters in the area act as a team to care for and find homes for animals. If the SPCA is full, animals can be transferred to other shelters and vice-versa.

Also, donations at one shelter may be given to another in need if that location already has enough of a given product.

Also, multiple shelters in the area serve as a network to find lost dogs and to re-home a dog that the owner does not want to place into a shelter.

The SPCA heavily relies on donations from the public, whether it is monetary, food or bedding. The SPCA has no state funding.

The demand is great, Aulenbach said, noting the Danville shelter uses 200 ounces - 12.5 pounds - of wet cat food every day.

Other services

The shelter offers the Danville Trap Neuter Release Program; someone can call on Mondays to have a stray cat spayed or neutered, vaccinated and treated for ear mites, fleas and ticks for $40 before it is then picked back up so it is prepared to find a home.

When a dog is brought into the SPCA by an owner or as a stray, it goes through a behavioral and medical assessment and is vaccinated, spayed or neutered and microchipped. Strays are held for 48 hours and information about them is posted on social media to try to find the owner.

"We reach out to vets asking if a stray described sounds like a patient they have had recently," said Aulenbach.

The price of adoption at the SPCA varies by the type and age of each animal and includes spaying or neutering, vaccinations and the microchip.

Vaccine clinics are held twice month through December.

A potential SPCA community event is being planned for Oct. 8 and 9.

COAL TOWNSHIP - Diabetes is known as "the silent killer," and a local group hopes to raise awareness about the disease that's often undiagnosed and under reported as a cause of death, according to the American Diabetes Association.

The Central PA Diabetes Community Walk will be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 26 at Shamokin Area School District's Kemp Memorial Stadium. It's the first diabetes fundraiser of its kind in the area, according to organizer Kristen James.

James herself has Type II brittle diabetes. She was diagnosed six years ago. Checking her blood sugar has become routine, marked by the pinpricks on her fingertips. She checks her sugar levels 10 times daily on average, and takes at least four insulin shots each day, too. A strict diet is a necessity, and can be a struggle.

She underwent surgery in June to treat nerve damage in her left arm caused by diabetes. Her right arm will need the same procedure.

As much as the disease has hampered her health, diabetes has also taxed James' emotions. Rather than wallow, she chose to fight back.

"I needed something positive to do," James said. "I just want people to be more aware."

She began planning for the event in June. Many people have come forward as having been diagnosed themselves, or having a relative or friend with the disease. James said it opened her eyes to how many people are affected locally.

The group behind the Central PA Diabetes Community Walk includes James' father, Joe, her fiance, Brian Ammerman, along with Barb Ammerman, Amanda Sockloski and Bill Chase. They're a part of Team Jarrod, in memory of the late Jarrod Tehansky, who also was diagnosed with diabetes. Tehansky was helping James organize the event before his death in June.

There's no fee to join the Community Walk. Walkers are encouraged to purchase a T-shirt as a donation. Proceeds will be donated to the American Diabetes Association.

Geisinger Health Plan will conduct wellness screenings, and information on diabetes will be distributed. There's a morning Zumba lesson, auctions and raffles, children's activities, entertainment by the band RATL, and a balloon release at 5 p.m. Each balloon will be released in memory or honor of someone affected by diabetes during a service led by Marty Sinopoli of Marty Sinopoli Ministries. Walkers will get a free Chinese auction ticket every four laps. A pair of Penn State Football tickets with parking passes for an Oct. 10 game against Indiana will be raffled.

Active fundraising includes the sale of T-shirts and candles; sales of both end Friday. A hoagie sale continues, as does the sale of balloons for the memorial release and bracelets in Tehansky's memory. A community night at Wendy's is planned for Sept. 8, with 10 percent of all sales between 5 and 8 p.m. donated to the Community Walk. Additional volunteers and fundraising ideas are welcome. Call 570-648-8228 or 570-259-8566 to place an order or volunteer. Find the Central PA Diabetes Community Walk on Facebook.

SHAMOKIN - Three different cases involving blight in the city had different outcomes Tuesday when they went before Magisterial District Judge John Gembic III.

The judge issued an arrest warrant for George Atiyeh, 56, of 147 S. Maple St., Mount Carmel, after he failed to appear for his preliminary hearing on misdemeanors of causing a public nuisance and disorderly conduct relating to a blighted and long-vacant property at 805 E. Commerce St. that partially collapsed Aug. 1. The building is owned by Atiyeh under the name of Apartments and Acquisitions, according to Cpl. Bryan Primerano, who filed the charges.

Atiyeh faces prison time and additional fines and costs if an agreement isn't reached to rectify conditions at the blighted property.

On Monday, Gembic found Atiyeh guilty ex-parte of a summary offense of causing a nuisance at multiple properties in the city and Coal Township when he failed to appear for a trial at his office and ordered the defendant to pay fines and costs.

Atiyeh has 30 days to appeal Gembic's ruling on the summary offenses.

Police said a 10-year-old boy set fire to 805 E. Commerce in 1995. The third floor was removed and efforts to top the second floor with a new roof were futile. Apartments & Acquisitions bought the building from Northumberland County Tax Claims Bureau in July 2011 for $2,000, according to a deed. A "For Rent" sign was hung on the rotted front porch soon after that, and served to draw more attention to the blight from motorists passing on Route 61.

Mayor William D. Milbrand said the city will pursue emergency demolition of the property and the half-double next door at 807 E. Commerce St. owned by Northumberland County.

Primerano said Atiyeh had been cited in the past for conditions at 805 E. Commerce, along with other properties he owns in Shamokin. Atiyeh previously appeared in court before Gembic and, according to Primerano, said he'd demolish the structure, but that never happened.

Back taxes totaling $216.41 are currently due on the property.

Atiyeh or his firms have snatched up 125 properties in Northumberland County since December 2010. At last count in the fall 2014, he or his companies had been cited more than 100 times in Shamokin, Mount Carmel and other communities, and was fined nearly $14,000. More than $134,000 in delinquent taxes were due before a proxy cut a check in mid-September to cover roughly half that amount. Shamokin-Coal Township Joint Sewer Authority sought 43 liens at the time against Atiyeh's companies for unpaid sewer bills and costs exceeding $20,000.

Charllyn Ruiz, 31, of 3 S. Shamokin St., and his wife, 32-year-old Mary T. Ruiz, who were each charged by Primerano with misdemeanors of causing a public nuisance and disorderly conduct involving offensive and unsanitary conditions at their home, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a summary offense of unsanitary conditions after the misdemeanors were withdrawn by the officer. They are scheduled to face a trial on the summary offense before Gembic at 9:15 a.m. Sept. 28.

Gembic gave the couple 10 days to remove garbage from their property or face fines, costs and possible imprisonment. Gembic said, "Going to jail for garbage would be idiotic. I suggest you clean up the property as soon as you can."

The couple, who brought their young daughter to the scheduled hearing, asked police and code enforcement officer Rick Bozza if the city had any resources to help them clean their property. After being told that the cleanup would be their responsibility, Charyllyn Ruiz said, "We will do our best."

Bozza and Primerano have previously charged Guillermo Ruiz, 51, of New York, multiple times for failing to dispose of refuse at 3 S. Shamokin St., which he owns and formerly occupied. He is the father of Charllyn Ruiz.

Charllyn and Mary Ruiz are accused of amassing piles of debris and household trash in their backyard.

Used furniture, tires, bicycles and children's toys were strewn about the backyard. A portion of the garage was falling into a neighboring yard, police said.

Bags of household trash were piled along the rear of the house, at points higher than a fence and spilling into an adjacent yard. Police said the odor was strong, attracting pests and animals, and some of the trash appeared to have been decaying for months.

A preliminary hearing scheduled for Miguel A. Gonzalez, 36, of Brooklyn, N.Y., who is charged by Primerano with a misdemeanor of causing a public nuisance at a blighted property he owns at 415 S. Market St., was continued after the defendant conferred with Primerano and Bozza, who inspected the building.

Primerano said he would consider withdrawing the charge if Gonzalez brought the property up to code by October.

According to a criminal complaint, shingles and roof materials are falling from the property. The roof and exterior walls are deteriorated and broken and unsecured glass is in the building. The rear porch is unsecured and dangerous to walk on and the chimney is damaged. Wooden eaves also are falling from the building.

Gonzalez was previously cited six times for causing a public nuisance. Each of the citations carries a $200 fine plus costs.

COAL TOWNSHIP - A county inmate awaiting transfer to begin a state prison sentence claims a threatened hunger strike was called off earlier this month after prisoners reached a "mutual agreement" not to subject themselves to health concerns while seeking fair treatment from prison staff.

In a letter sent to The News-Item, Nathan Reigle, a county inmate housed at SCI-Coal Township, said prisoner concerns have been presented to county prison board members. He said, "We are giving them seven business days to look into inmate complaints occurring at the Northumberland County housing unit."

Reigle claimed seven inmates will be filing a class action lawsuit against Northumberland County Prison Warden Bruce Kovach and prison board members concerning violations of their rights.

Kovach reserved comment about Reigle's claims.

Earlier this month, county inmate Michael McGinley sent a letter to The News-Item claiming a "peaceful" hunger strike was being planned at SCI-Coal Township to protest what he claimed was unfair treatment.

A letter dated two days later from state inmate Billy Joe Metcalf claimed prisoners at SCI-Coal Township were already on a hunger strike.

No hunger strike reportedly occurred at the prison.

County inmates have been housed in a section of the state correctional institution since a Jan. 14 fire heavily damaged the 139-year-old jail in Sunbury, and they've been vocal about claims of a poor transition to services and treatment to which they were accustomed.

MANDATA - Teachers at Line Mountain announced Wednesday they plan to strike Sept. 16.

Troy Laudenslager, president of the board of directors, said the teachers union, Line Mountain Education Association (LMEA), delivered official notice of the strike, which would begin the week after the first day of school, Sept. 8.

Laudenslager said the notice arrived approximately an hour after the board presented another offer to LMEA president Mark Shearer, the union's state representative, Mark McDade, and the mediator.

"The offer included changes, more details and better clarification to eliminate all possible misinterpretation of the offer," the board said in a statement on the district's website.

The board also requested its offer be made public, and has posted five documents with details of the proposal alongside its statement.

In a statement from LMEA released by McDade, the union cited the five years of contract negotiations as the reason for the strike.

"The school board is more interested in posting propaganda on the taxpayer-funded district website than scheduling bargaining dates with their teachers," says Lauri Scandle, LMEA vice president. "The whole summer has passed and we have not had any face-to-face sessions."

"We never received any request to meet face-to-face from LMEA. Not one request," said Laudenslager. "Since we got no requests to meet, we've been giving offers by email to LMEA leaders."

Laudenslager said the board and the teachers had met at the request of the board June 18, shortly after LMEA refused a neutral arbitrator's report. The board provided a proposal modifying the arbitrator's report to the benefit of LMEA, but the union rejected it. LMEA then provided a counteroffer, which was rejected by the board.

The board then gave two offers, one in July which was rejected by LMEA by Aug. 1, and one Wednesday, to which LMEA responded with a strike notice. LMEA had not made any offers since its June counteroffer.

"The teachers offered a fair - and modest - compromise settlement proposal back in June, but the school board never even considered it. Now they act shocked when we issued to them a strike date," Shearer said in the statement.

Laudenslager said what the board is shocked by is LMEA leadership's decision to only take the lesser of the board's proposals to the teachers for a vote.

"I don't think they got any feedback on our two best offers that offered more than what the arbitrators did," he said. "Just based on the timing of their response, there is no way they got any feedback from their membership on two offers that were greater than what the arbitrator decided."

Laudenslager was especially critical of statements by LMEA that the board has refused to give raises for years.

"The school board has been trying to give them a raise for over three years now and they refuse to accept any increases in salary," he said. 'We've been trying one-year extensions. We've been trying all different combinations to get a contract but we haven't been able to get anywhere."

He said he believes leadership in the union is chasing more money for senior teachers at the expense of newcomers.

"Teachers at the top of the matrix have already gotten their raises in prior contracts but now want more," he said. "They appear willing to take away money from the youngest teachers who deserve and need these raises the most,"

Wednesday's strike notice is the second strike date LMEA has set in the last year. The union planned to strike Nov. 5, but lifted the threat after an 11th hour agreement with the board to enter into nonbinding arbitration emerged Oct. 29.

Teachers voted 72-13 Wednesday to reject arbitrator William E. Caldwell's June 2 report, a day after the school board voted 5-3 to accept it. A second vote saw repeat results. Had teachers OK'd the report, the district's long-standing contract issue would have ended.

The approximately 100 teachers in the district have been without a contract since June 2012.

MANDATA - The Line Mountain Board of Education appointed a board member to fill a vacancy, then immediately set her to work on deciding to retain a third music teacher for the coming school year.

Linda Gutkowski, of West Cameron Township, won the seat vacated by Daniel Zablosky in May over two other candidates, Paul Kolody and Lori Fisher, both of Trevorton.

The three candidates were interviewed by the board publicly at the beginning of Tuesday's board meeting. Gutkowski referenced her experience teaching and serving as an administrator at Line Mountain for more than 25 years as a reason she should be given the position.

Gutkowski retired from Montgomery Area School District after working for 10 years as the director of curriculum. She had been a librarian and reading specialist at Line Mountain, which she said gave her perspective into the needs of students.

"I consider myself a good listener," said Gutkowski. "I also feel it's very important to follow protocol."

Gutkowski was sworn into office and took her seat on the board immediately after she was approved on a 7-1 vote. Director Lamont Masser dissented on the vote.

Masser then reintroduced a motion to approve Matthew Shaul as a music/vocal teacher at the middle/high school at a pay rate of $34,426. The motion had been tabled at the July 28 meeting after the board became locked in a 4-4 vote. Masser said he hoped a full board could make a deciding vote instead of leaving the possibility of eliminating one of the three music instructors in limbo.

Superintendent David Campbell was apprehensive about another vote on Shaul. Campbell had been the person to notify Shaul after the July 28 failed vote that he would not be hired by the district, and he thought Shaul might be employed by another district.

"If it passes, I have to make a phone call," said Campbell. "He's already back to work."

With just two weeks until the start of school, board members were also concerned with rearranging student schedules to accommodate the additional classes.

"How do you reschedule everything?" asked board president Troy Laudenslager.

Director David Scott Bartholomew said the biggest issue existing in the plan to drop to two teachers is a lack of an after-school vocal instructor. Duties for this position include giving after school vocal lessons and taking students to Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) competitions.

The issue arose when music teacher Diane Rompallo declined this role, which comes with a stipend for the extra work.

"Diane Rompallo doesn't want to do chorus," said Bartholomew, noting that Dana Brown, a newly hired music teacher, had accepted a similar band instructor position. "This is why everybody says we need a third teacher."

But Bartholomew pointed out that the board could not guarantee a third teacher would take on the role, and had no way to force any teacher to accept an extracurricular duty.

When asked for his recommendation, Campbell presented diagrams of the current schedule with two teachers juxtaposed along the proposed three-teacher schedule.

"Half-time would be ideal," he said of the schedules. But he could not recommend a half-time position because a teacher working reduced hours will still receive approximately $30,000 in benefits, making the savings on salary insignificant.

Masser supported hiring the teacher.

"We're going to completely overwhelm Dana Brown," he said. "(The position) is already in the budget."

Ronald Neidig responded that the budget is currently in the red, and laws forbid money approved for capital improvement projects earlier in the meeting to be used for salaries.

The board then moved into an executive session that lasted more than an hour. Upon return, a vote to hire Shaul failed 2-7 with Masser and Lawrence Neidig, who had expressed a desire to accept the superintendent's recommendation, as the dissenting votes.

Tuesday's board meeting was the last opportunity for the board to appoint a third music teacher before the start of the school year, which is scheduled for Sept. 8.

SUNBURY - A Northumberland County fugitive apprehended in Connecticut saw his bail revoked Wednesday after being extradited to Pennsylvania.

Donald C. Anderson, 42, formerly of Mount Carmel, was taken into custody Aug. 10 by the Hamden Police Department on outstanding warrants from Connecticut and Pennsylvania. Northumberland County sheriff deputies picked him up Tuesday. He's jailed at Snyder County Prison, Selinsgrove.

He appeared before Judge Tony Rosini, who scheduled Anderson for a pre-trial conference at 1:15 p.m. Oct. 2.

Anderson had been arraigned in Meriden Superior Court, Meriden, Conn., on charges of reckless endangerment and cruelty to persons stemming from a 2012 criminal case. His bail was set at $165,000, and Northumberland County officials initially didn't expect to see him locally until that case was exhausted in court.

Anderson had been featured on the county's wanted billboards in Coal Township and Natalie that debuted in July. Tips received through the sheriff office's Facebook page and by telephone aided in his capture as information was relayed to Connecticut police.

He was wanted in Northumberland County for jumping bail following an arrest in 2012 on accusations that he showed a 17-year-old girl a photo of his penis, harassed her through hundreds of text messages and attempted to establish a sexual relationship with her.

Trooper Edward Shannon, state police at Milton, charged him with unlawful contact with a minor, stalking, disorderly conduct and four counts of harassment on March 29, 2012, for incidents in the Lewisburg area. The arrest came within a month of the charges filed against him in Connecticut and it's believed he fled to Pennsylvania to elude the charges.

Anderson was jailed in Northumberland County Prison for more than two years before he won release on $1 nominal bail since his case hadn't been brought to trial under the state's speedy trial rule. He fled shortly thereafter and has been wanted on a bench warrant since July 2014.

Next flag ceremony scheduled

MOUNT CARMEL - The Mount Carmel Area Joint Veterans Committee will hold its Changing of the Colors flag ceremony at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27 at the flag pole at Second and Oak streets. The flag will be raised in honor and memory of Joseph Jr. (U.S. Army) and Gertrude M. (U.S. Navy) Melichercik, both of whom served during World War II.

Area veterans and the public are invited.

COAL TOWNSHIP - A strike date of Sept. 8 is in effect at the Shamokin Area School District after teachers and board members failed to come to an agreement at a negotiation session Wednesday.

"We're hopeful but not optimistic," board member Charlie Shuey said about avoiding a strike. "At this point it doesn't really look good."

Mary Yohe, president of the Shamokin Area Education Association (SAEA), said she still has hope for a contract agreement before the strike, which is scheduled for the first day of the 2015-16 school year.

"We did tell the school district that we would like to set up another session before Sept. 8," she said. "I have not yet heard from them."

Antonio Michetti, the board's representative, said no date has been set for further meetings, but the board was willing to continue negotiating.

"If negotiations progress to the midnight hour, we'll do what we can," he said.

Both sides have stuck to statements made when the union announced the strike date July 15.

"It really doesn't seem like there's much progress," said Yohe.

She said SAEA is standing behind the fact-finder's report, which it voted to accept in June.

"We see it as reasonable, fair and affordable to the school district," she said.

The board rejected the report, which sent both sides back to the negotiating table. Board members have said agreeing to the fact-finder's report would financially cripple the already struggling district.

"I tried to explain to them it's not that we don't want to give them more money. We have offered them a raise," said Shuey. "We can only give what we have to give."

At Wednesday's meeting, the board made an offer it could afford, but SAEA did not approve it, he said.

"We're kind of at a stalemate," said Shuey.

Michetti said the district would post information on its website as it becomes available to help parents prepare for the work stoppage.

DANVILLE - Minimum wage will rise to $10 hourly at Geisinger Health System, the company announced Wednesday.

The rate hike is among changes affecting more than 1,000 employees who could see their annual pay increase between $500 and $4,000, with an average of $1,400 for full-time employees. Estimated annual cost for the increases is approximately $3.31 million. Changes are effective Sept. 6.

Shift differential for most non-union employees will rise from $1.50 per hour to $1.75 for second and third shifts, and on-call rates from $2 per hour to $2.50. The rates remain unchanged for employees already receiving that rate or more or who are covered by a contract.

In addition to raising the minimum hire rate, some employees will receive an adjustment to move them higher in the pay range.

"It is important to maintain our long history as a high quality employer and even more important to take care of our employees who are providing excellent care to our patients," said Amy Brayford, Geisinger chief human resources officer. "Our decision to increase these rates as part of our overall competitive compensation and benefits programs will help us to continue to retain and hire the best employees."

Dietary aide, housekeeping aide, care assistant, image scan operator, receptionist, file clerk, home care aide, personal care assistant, environmental services worker, food service worker, patient transporter and hospitality shop aide are among the positions impacted.

Minimum wage in Pennsylvania is $7.25 hourly.

COAL TOWNSHIP - Students and teachers in Shamokin Area School District will adhere to a specific dress and grooming policy for the first time when they return to classes Tuesday, Sept. 8.

Students were granted an extra week of summer vacation when school directors unanimously agreed to push back the first day of school from Aug. 31 to Sept. 8 due to delays in a major heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) project at the middle/high school.

Two months after adopting a specified dress code for students, Shamokin Area School Board unanimously passed the new policy Aug. 18 for administrators, teachers and support staff.

The policy limits body jewelry to earrings and requires male employees, including the physical education teachers, to wear dress shirts or polo shirts and slacks. Jeans, T-shirts, tank tops and backless shoes are prohibited. Female teachers will be required to wear skirts or slacks and blouses,

sweaters or polo shirts. All tattoos must be covered except in the hand area. Shoulders must be covered as well.

"We want all our employees to dress in a professional manner," board member Charles Shuey previously said. "Since we adopted a specified dress code for our students, it's only appropriate for us to establish a dress and grooming policy for our administrators, teachers and support staff since they are the ones who should set an example for the students."

Mary Yohe, SAEA president, said a majority of union members are in favor of the policy. Yohe had an opportunity to review the policy before it was adopted, and said she appreciated that it applies not only to teachers but most staff including administrators, office personnel and aides.

"It's professional dress. I'm perfectly OK with it," Yohe said. "There's really no reason to be upset about the dress code."

On June 16, school directors unanimously adopted a dress and grooming policy that will take effect next month for students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. Students in seventh through 12th grade must begin adhering to the policy in the 2016-2017 school year.

The requirements were developed to ensure the safety and welfare of students and maintain an environment conducive to learning, according to Superintendent James Zack.

The following is an outline of permitted bottoms, tops and footwear for students:

Bottoms - khaki (tan/stone), black, navy or gray dress or casual Docker style or corduroy pants, dress or casual capri pants, dress or casual Docker style shorts and casual skirts/skorts.

Tops - solid/opaque colors including purple, blue, white, gray and black that are traditional two or three button polo style with collar or standard oxford style shirt/blouse with collar.

Footwear - shoes, sneakers, boots, sandals with back strap, clogs, crocs, shoes with laces (they must be laced and the laces must be the same color as the shoe), hosiery or tights worn (approved colors including skin tone) under the standard bottom, and socks worn with bottoms in accordance with acceptable color selections.

A revised bullying policy also will be in effect this school year.

The dress code and the bullying policy are posted on the district's website.

Total projected enrollment in the district is 2,317, including 695 in high school (grades 9 to 12), 379 in middle school (grades 7 and 8), 905 in the elementary school (pre-kindergarten counts program and grades 2 to 6), and 338 at the Annex (kindergarten and first grade).

New instructors in the district include science teacher Gerard Kuna, who is assigned to Northwestern Academy; seventh grade math teachers Tiffani Bogart and Cathy Pancher; eighth grade math teacher Luke Haupt; elementary teachers Maria Getchey and Kyrie Snarski, and special education teachers Cady Faust and Marisa Yoder. Pancher and Haupt were reassigned from Northwestern Academy to the middle school.

Teachers Kathy Dugan, Melodee Lesher and Brian Leach have been reassigned from Northwestern Academy to the middle/high school, and teacher Bridget Smink was reassigned from Northwestern Academy to the elementary school.

Curriculum coordinator Ruby Michetti said professional development will focus on text dependent analysis training to ensure teachers have the skills and knowledge in preparing students to comprehend complex text and analyze it to levels of proficiency on standardized and local-based assessments. Experts from the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) and Data Recognition Corporation (DRC) will be providing the training, which will continue throughout the entire year into next year, she said.

Michetti said all teachers and administrators also will receive suicide prevention awareness training.

Elementary school Principal Mary Teresa Komara said the district has adopted new math scores for sixth grade that are aligned with Common Core standards.

She said a new elementary Facebook page has been created to improve communication between parents, the community and school.

Komara said security gates were added at the Annex.

At the middle/high school, Todd Hockenbroch, who was hired in November, will be starting his first full year as assistant principal.

High school Principal Chris Venna said curriculum changes include seventh and eighth grade math classes and algebra I classes being expanded from a 42-minute period to a double period of 84 minutes. Venna said the change was made to provide students more time to grasp key concepts and allow for a deeper understanding of the material with the goal of improving Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) math and Keystone algebra test scores.

Venna said electronics and manufacturing courses were added to the curriculum in the technology education department.

The principal said, "We are implementing a schoolwide positive behavior support plan that will include positive proactive discipline, positive reinforcement systems and the addition of an in-school suspension room as an alternative to out-of-school suspension."

Venna said the district is moving into the next phase of the Carol White Pep Grant, which will include a high ropes course, a climbing wall and a low ropes course.

The middle/high school also has a newly created Facebook page that will notify students and parents of about educational information and school events.

Venna said students will be allowed to use their cell phones this year at lunch.

Earlier this month, the board ratified a five-year agreement between the district and members of AFSCME Local 2434, who are non-professional employees including secretaries, teacher aides, custodial and maintenance workers. The agreement is effective from July 1, 2013, to June 30, 2018.

BRYN MAWR - Aqua Pennsylvania's (Aqua) Roaring Creek Division today announced $3.5 million of new infrastructure projects are underway or scheduled to begin in Northumberland and Snyder counties. The improvements are designed to increase service reliability, reduce the potential for discolored water and improve firefighting capabilities in the region.

A $500,000 infrastructure improvement project is currently underway in Monroe Township, Snyder County. Crews broke ground to replace 3,200 feet of aging plastic and cement water main with new 8-inch main on Mill Road between App Road and Roosevelt Avenue.

In early September, crews will begin work on a $2 million project in Northumberland County to replace 6,200 feet of old cast iron water main with new 8-inch, 10-inch and 12-inch water main in Shamokin City on Dewart Street between Route 61 and North Vine Street; North Liberty, North Washington, North Rock, North Shamokin and North Pearl streets between Dewart and Sunbury street; North Vine Street between Dewart Street and Route 61, and on Sunbury Street between Pearl and Vine streets.

In mid-September, crews will also break ground on a $1 million project to replace 4,300 feet of old cast iron water main with new 8-inch water main in Mount Carmel Township, Northumberland County. The work will take place on Marshall, Spring, Maple and Oak streets, North Sport, South Sport and Fig lanes, Springside Road and Bordell Alley in Locust Gap.

All three main replacements are expected to be completed in January, with final road restoration following in the spring. These projects contribute to $175 million in infrastructure improvement projects planned in 2015 in Pennsylvania. In 2014, Aqua Pennsylvania completed $217 million in similar projects across the state.

Aqua's Roaring Creek Division provides water service to about 60,000 people throughout its service territory, which spans parts of Adams, Columbia, Cumberland, Juniata, Northumberland, Schuylkill and Snyder counties. Overall, the company serves approximately 1.4 million people in 32 counties throughout Pennsylvania.

Job recruitment session set

SHAMOKIN - Aeroteck will be recruiting for MI Windows at the CSO JOBS Center, 2 E. Arch St., from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday.

Applicants should bring two forms of I.D. and be prepared for an interview.

PAXINOS - The internationally renowned Beatles tribute band , "Britishmania," will invade Indian Hills Golf Club for one show only at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30

The band has played all over the world, including the famous Cavern Club in Liverpool, England. Britishmania, established in 2003, is so much more then a Beatles cover band.

With period correct authentic costumes and gear, Britishmania Beatles tribute is said to transport the audience to the 1960s to re-live the music and times from the most influential band of all time.

Britishmania has the experience, professionalism and musicianship, along with the on-stage banter, to delight any audience.

Doors open at 7 p.m., with no reserved seating, and the show starts at 8 p.m. There will only be 250 tickets sold at a cost of $29 per ticket. If not sold out, tickets will be available at the door for $35. Food and beverages will be available all night for purchase.

This is the third in a series of "Concerts at the Hills" featuring first class music at affordable prices. The first two concerts featured "The B Street band," a Bruce Springsteen tribute band, the second, "River of Dreams," a Billy Joel tribute band.

Contact 570-644-1972 or ihgcproshop@aol.com for ticketes. Credit card orders will be accepted and tickets will be mailed out same day. More information on the band can be found at British-Mania.com