Oct. 1 - Thirteen individuals, including former Coal Township resident Matt Valanoski, were arrested in connection with an investigation by the state Attorney General's office into two alleged transnational anabolic steroid rings.
Oct. 1 - Amanda Dreher, of Coal Township, a former teacher's aide at Shamokin Area High School, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of institutional sexual assault after admitting to having sex with an 18-year-old student in the school. She was sentenced to three to 12 months in prison and will have to register on Megan's Law for 25 years.
Oct. 6 - A week before trial was set to begin, former teacher Victor Swaboski, of Mount Carmel, pleaded guilty to two counts of felony aggravated assault and charges of accidents involving personal injury and driving under the influence of alcohol. He faces a maximum 10-year sentence on each of the aggravated assault charges.
Oct. 6 - For the third time in recent years, Southern Columbia Area coach Albert Cihocki was charged with alcohol-related offenses, this time for driving under the influence. He was indefinitely suspended by the school until the investigation is complete, but later resigned as assistant football coach and as the head softball coach in December.
Oct. 7 - State police cited Mount Carmel Township Police Officer Patrick J. McAndrew for disorderly conduct for his role in a midnight joy ride through Kulpmont and Marion Heights on Sept. 11. McAndrew was charged with tossing a pack of lit firecrackers in the street near a Kulpmont police cruiser. One day later, Patrolman David J. Stamets was cited for three traffic violations, including driving a vehicle without a registration plate and a stop sign violation, and pleaded not guilty.
Oct. 7 - On a split vote, Northumberland County commissioners granted all non-union employees a 3-percent pay increase in 2015. Commissioners said they were still crunching the numbers, but are working on a plan to decrease real estate taxes by one mill.
Oct. 9 - The Pennsylvania Department of State released information that Shamokin dentist Dr. Vincent Paczkoskie, accused earlier in the year of not properly sterilizing his tools, agreed to a permanent, voluntary surrender of his license on Sept. 5.
Oct. 10 - After months of controversy, Mount Carmel Borough officially fired Megan Janolek as borough treasurer and director of the Lower Anthracite Transportation System.
Oct. 11 - An auction of tools and equipment found inside the dilapidated St. Anthony's school building in Ranshaw netted Coal Township, the new owners of the building, approximately $11,000. Add in another $2,000 in items sold for scrap and the total amount of $13,100 will go for demolition of the eyesore.
Oct. 13 - Ashland police were searching for a man who robbed May's Drive-In at knifepoint. The suspect slashed at an employee behind the counter.
Oct. 14 - Point Township police charged Victor W. Hare III, of Northumberland, with child endangerment and felony gun possession after Korbin Rager, 9, of Sunbury, was found dead in his home. Montour County Coroner Scott Lynn said the death was not natural and that the investigation is continuing.
Oct. 16 - Northumberland County commissioners announced plans for a special meeting Oct. 28 to discuss establishing commissioners' salaries for the next term, with board chairman Vinny Clausi saying commissioners should not be paid "a full-time salary for a part-time position."
Oct. 17 - Coal Township commissioners announced they were approved for a $500,000 grant to improve flood control along Quaker Run in Ranshaw from the state Department of Community and Economic Development, and were still holding out hope for a similar award for Shamokin Creek in Tharptown.
Oct. 17 - Word came from corporate offices that Sears department stores in the Columbia Mall, Buckhorn, and the Schuylkill Mall, Frackville, will be closing in mid-January.
Oct. 20 - The Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area announced its local hunting policy with walk-on hunting being open from dusk to dawn when the park is not open for motorized use and from dawn to 9 a.m. on days the park is open.
Oct. 21 - After being found guilty of more than 20 dangerous structure citations, Kulpmont property owner Thomas Valeiko, of Commack, N.Y., had accumulated $20,500 in fines for failing to clean up the property.
Oct. 22 - Fugitive from justice James Latshaw, of Shamokin, was apprehended inside a Kulpmont bar after being spotted by police earlier in the day but escaping during a vehicle chase.
Oct. 25 - At a special ceremony to honor its opening, the Northumberland County Council for the Arts and Humanities' new Kallaway Center for the Arts was described as "the official epicenter of the city's art and cultural revitalization."
Oct. 27 - Reports surfaced that East End Fire Company social hall in Kulpmont had closed, due to falling behind in mortgage payments. Members of the firefighting facet of the organization assured the public that the apparatus and truck room were safe and would remain active.
Oct. 27 - Line Mountain School Board members voted to enter non-binding arbitrations with the education association to possibly avoid a Nov. 5 strike date set by the association. Teachers also agreed to enter arbitration, which meant the pending strike was called off.
Oct. 28 - The intersection of Routes 54 and 61 near Strong turned into a eight-inch deep lake when a cast-iron water main line broke near Turkey Hill Minit-Market.
Oct. 28 - Northumberland County Commissioners Vinny Clausi and Stephen Bridy voted to pay back $197,721 in federal grant money obtained through the state Department of Community and Economic Development for a homelessness prevention program. Commissioner Richard Shoch abstained because he said the issue was "ignored" and "exacerbated" by his fellow commissioners for two years.
Oct. 30 - Mount Carmel Area's pep rally and parade for the annual Coal Bucket game with Shamokin had to be called off after students were placed on lockdown when three students, dressed in camouflage, were found carrying plastic air-soft rifles designed to look like real guns in and around the Silver Bowl.