SUNBURY - The credibility of the woman who filed cruelty to animal charges against an Irish Valley dairy farmer and his son came under attack during Thursday's five-hour preliminary hearing.
Defense attorney Roger Wiest II of Sunbury repeatedly claimed Jeannette K. Aderhold, of Snydertown Road, Danville RD 6, a former worker at the farm who filed the private criminal complaint against Lloyd Reitz Sr., owner of Reitz Dairy Farm in Irish Valley, and his son, Andy Reitz, lied during her two-hour testimony and violated a wire-tapping law by videotaping injured cows and calves and unsanitary conditions at the farm without permission from the Reitz family.
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MOUNT CARMEL - Mount Carmel Borough Council entered into an executive service agreement with AREA Services to provide the borough with basic and advanced life support.
The agreement, which will be effective as soon as the Northumberland County Department of Public Safety is notified, was unanimously approved by council Thursday night, and subsequently names AREA Services as the primary responder for the borough.
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Basic Life Support (BLS), provided by emergency medical technicians, entails providing oxygen therapy and CPR for patients. It also includes splinting and bandaging wounds and monitoring vital signs.
Advanced Life Support (ALS) is provided by paramedics and entails administering IVs, airway intubation and enhanced cardiac monitoring. ALS service providers also carry medication.
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MOUNT CARMEL - A school board member took exception to the Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit (CSIU) director's $284,000-a-year pay during a meeting of the Mount Carmel Area School Board.
"It's a rape of the taxpayer," Dr. Raymond Kraynak said at Thursday's meeting.
The CSIU - of which Mount Carmel Area is a member - is too secretive, Kraynak said. There needs to be more transparency; at the very least, a financial oversight committee.
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SHENANDOAH - State police and U.S. Marshals are looking for two of three men wanted in connection with a home-invasion robbery and fatal shooting in Shenandoah early Tuesday morning.
The third man allegedly involved in the killing of Bruce Lee Forker was arrested early Thursday morning and jailed without bail.
State police at Frackville charged Damon Ennett, 29, of Freeland, with 16 crimes, including criminal homicide and arraigned him before on-duty Magisterial District Judge James K. Reiley, Pottsville.
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Army Pvt. Keith R. King has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C.
During the nine weeks of training, the soldier studied the Army mission, history, tradition and core values, physical fitness, and received instruction and practice in basic combat skills, military weapons, chemical warfare and bayonet training, drill and ceremony, marching, rifle marksmanship, armed and unarmed combat, map reading, field tactics, military courtesy, military justice system, basic first aid, foot marches, and field training exercises.
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TREVORTON - The Trevorton Ambulance will kick off its annual subscription drive on March 20.
For 70 years, Trevorton Ambulance has provided basic life support (BLS) services as a first responder for Zerbe, East Cameron, West Cameron and Little Mahanoy townships.
This year, rates will remain the same: $40 for family (husband, wife and children under 18) and an individual rate of $25. There is a senior discount rate this year: $20 for couples over 62 years of age, and $15 for individuals over 62.
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MOUNT CARMEL - The George Hancock Memorial Award was presented to Carmine Scicchitano during the Anthracite Steam Fire Company's Prince's Birthday banquet on Feb. 20.
A life member in the Anthracite, Scicchitano is an active firefighter in the department. He is a son of the late Dr. David Scicchitano, who was a life member of the company. His wife, son, daughter and three brothers are also members.
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HARRISBURG - House Labor Relations Committee Chairman Robert E. Belfanti Jr. said legislation he co-sponsored and that his committee approved this week could help preserve thousands of jobs across Pennsylvania by allowing employers to control costs while avoiding layoffs.
The legislation (H.B. 2160), which was approved by the committee and sent to the full House for consideration, would institute a work-sharing program in Pennsylvania. The program would allow businesses to reduce work hours for all or a portion of their work force in lieu of laying off employees. In turn, employees whose hours were reduced would be eligible to receive partial unemployment benefits.
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Price of trash bags increases
ATLAS - The Mount Carmel Township board of supervisors approved Wednesday to increase the price of refuse bags by 20 cents as of April 1. The price will increase from $2.40 to $2.60. A pack of five bags will cost $13.
The board will also advertise for a part-time secretary.
Street sweeping notice
KULPMONT - Parking will be banned from 7 a.m to 3 p.m. today on Chestnut Street due to street sweeping.
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The Mount Carmel Celebration of Special Athletes Committee will hold the sixth annual Easter egg hunt at 1 p.m. Sunday, March 28, at Mount Carmel town park.
Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities of all ages are encouraged to participate.
This event is being co-sponsored by the motorcycle club, "The Unknown Riders." It is a kickoff to the Mount Carmel Celebration of Special Athletes, which will take place June 5 at the Mount Carmel Silver Bowl. You do not need to participate in this event to attend the egg hunt.
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PHILADELPHIA - Alexandra E. Sacavage, of Mount Carmel, was honored as a Philadelphia Rising Star at a ceremony held March 3 at the mayor's reception room in city hall.
Sacavage, a recent graduate of Villanova University School of Law, is employed as an attorney at the law firm of Zarwin, Baum, DeVito, Kaplan, Schaer and Toddy, P.C. in Philadelphia.
She is a daughter of Northumberland County President Judge Robert Sacavage and Frances Sacavage.
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SUNBURY - The father-and-son farmers charged in a private criminal complaint with animal cruelty for treatment of cows on their Irish Valley farm have been found not guilty on all counts.
Magisterial District Judge Robert Bolton issued his ruling Friday morning.
Bolton, who heard five hours of testimony at a preliminary hearing Thursday morning, said there were no time elements listed on the video footage that accuser Jeannette K. Aderhold provided as evidence, and that, in combination, there was no evidence of what happened to the animals afterward.
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