Sheriff tapped to serve on state Commission for Women

By Kathleen Brady Shea, Special to UnionvilleTimes.com

Chester County Sheriff Carolyn "Bunny" Welsh was selected by Gov. Tom Corbett to serve on the Pennsylvania Commission for Women.

PENNSBURY — Chester County Sheriff Carolyn “Bunny” Welsh said she received a phone call a couple of weeks ago that both honored and humbled her.

She said Maria Montero, executive director of the Pennsylvania Commission for Women, called to tell her that Gov. Tom Corbett wanted to know if Welsh would serve as one of the commission’s 28 representatives.

“I didn’t hesitate” to accept, the Pennsbury Township resident said yesterday, adding that she has no idea how her name surfaced. “It was a wonderful call to receive. I have two daughters and four granddaughters so I’m very interested in issues that will affect them.”

In a press release, Corbett called the women dynamic individuals from across the state who have made significant contributions in their communities.

“Pennsylvania is at a crucial time in women’s business and civic leadership. It is vital to create initiatives that support women taking the lead as entrepreneurs, civic leaders and as mentors,” Corbett said. “I look forward to the great successes the Pennsylvania Commission for Women will achieve.”

Welsh said that the group has already met once and that she was awestruck by the wide range of accomplishments and diverse backgrounds, including health care, government, business and non-profits. “It was an honor to be in their company,” said Welsh, who has no shortage of her own achievements.

In 1982, Welsh founded Hercon, an aptly-named business that became the first female-owned construction firm to receive a major contract with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation in 1984, resulting in the completion of a $700,000 overpass over I-95 in Chester. By 1995, she became the first woman president of the Chester/Delaware Homebuilders Association, but her father, the late John R. Welsh, an Upper Darby councilman, had whetted her appetite for politics.

After Welsh became Chester County’s first female sheriff in 1999, she attended a national training class in Colorado for first-time sheriffs, where she became the first woman to be elected class president. At the time, she was one of 30 female U.S. sheriffs out of about 3,000. In 2009, Welsh smashed another gender barrier, becoming the first woman to head the Pennsylvania Sheriff’s Association.

Welsh said she is eager to use her experiences to address the challenges facing women today. She said one of the commission’s goals will be to ensure that resources remain available, despite budget cuts. For example, she said the group will examine successful programs throughout the state ranging from health care to business development and see if they can be expanded through public/private partnerships.

“It’s a great mission, and it’s an exciting mix of talent,” she said. “These are women who are very busy, but they are also women who are used to being efficient. I’m really looking forward to” to working with them.

Chef Bill Hochrine, past exalted ruler of East Stroudsburg Elks Lodge 319, presents Monroe County Sheriff Todd Martin with a check for $3,000. The check is the proceeds from the spaghetti dinner held for him at the lodge on April 21. More than 300 plates of spaghetti were served with the help of lodge members, Antlers, family and friends.

The proceeds will be deposited into the Todd A. Martin Community Foundation and used to help with his medical expenses due to cancer. Richard Laverdure, right, organized and promoted the dinner with help from East Stroudsburg Elks Exalted Ruler Jerome Henderson, left.

Published: Tuesday, March 27, 2012, 10:30 AM Updated: Tuesday, March 27, 2012, 10:34 AM

 By CHRIS MAUTNER, The Patriot-News  
        Gov. Tom Corbett recently signed into law the voter identification bill, which will require that all Pennsylvanians show a photo ID at the polls. 

Trying to figure out how this law affects your ability to vote in this year’s primary and general election can be confusing. To get answers, we talked with Jan McKnight at the state Department of Transportation and Matthew Keeler at the Pennsylvania Department of State: 

What does the new law require? 

Pennsylvania voters must show a photo ID at their local polling place before they can vote in the November election. 

Will I be expected to have a photo ID for the primary? 

“During the primary in April there will be a ‘soft rollout’, in which case voters will be asked to show their valid form of photo ID to vote,” Keeler said. “If the voter does not have one of the acceptable types of ID, they will be shown what valid forms of ID are acceptable for the November election. The voter will be able to vote in the primary, and [will be] offered additional information on where to get these acceptable forms of ID.” 

What constitutes an acceptable photo ID? 

• Any photo ID issued by the federal government or by the state of Pennsylvania. This includes a driver’s license, a valid U.S. passport or a military ID (a military or veteran’s ID must have an expiration date or show that the expiration date is indefinite.)
• An unexpired photo ID issued by the federal, state, county or municipal government.
• An unexpired photo ID from an accredited public or private college or university in Pennsylvania.
• A photo ID card issued by a state health-care facility. These include long-term care facilities, assisted living residences and personal care homes.

I don’t drive and I don’t have a photo ID. How can I get one? 

To get a non-driver’s license photo ID, you must first fill out an application form titled DL-54-A. You can download a copy of this online atwww.dmv.state.pa.us, or pick one up at your local driver’s license center. 

In addition to the form, you will need one of the following: A Social Security card and proof of U.S. citizenship. The latter can be either a valid U.S. passport, a certificate of naturalization or a birth certificate with a raised seal. 

You also will need two proofs of residency. This can include lease agreements, current utility bills, mortgage documents, W-2 form or tax records. 

I’m 18 years old and don’t have any proof of residency. What should I do? 

Accepted proofs of residency for students can include room assignment paperwork and one bill with your dorm room address on it. Bank statements, pay stubs and credit card bills are acceptable. 

If you are not a student or don’t have any bills, leases or mortgage documents in your name, you can bring the person that you are living with along with their driver’s license or other photo ID to a driver license center as a proof of residence. 

I don’t have a Social Security card. How do I get one? 

Call 800-772-1213 or visit www.ssa.gov for information on obtaining a card. 

Who do I contact to get a birth certificate? 

Call the state Department of Health at 877-724-3258 or visit www.health.state.pa.us. You also can call Harrisburg’s Division of Vital Records at 717-772-3480. 

Who do I contact to get a passport? 

Visit the U.S. Department of State at www.travel.state.gov/passport or call 877-487-2778. You can get the proper forms at the Harrisburg Main Post Office, the Dauphin County Prothonotary’s office in Harrisburg, the Camp Hill Post Office, the Elizabethtown Public Library and several other midstate locations. 

Who do I contact to get naturalization papers? 

Contact the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services at www.uscis.gov or call 800-375-5283. 

OK, I have all the proper paperwork. Now what? 

Head to your local driver’s license center. Once the paperwork has been reviewed and processed, you will have your photo taken and be issued a photo ID. 

Where can I find a driver’s license center in my area? 

You can either call PennDOT at 800-932-4600 or go online to www.dmv.state.pa.us and click on the button that says “New Voter ID Law.” 

What if I show up at my polling place without a photo ID? 

You cannot be denied the right to vote because of a lack of ID. If you do not have any valid photo ID, you can cast a provisional ballot. You will then have six days to acquire a photo ID and get a copy of it, along with an affirmation letter, to your county elections office to ensure that your vote is counted. You can deliver the material by mail, fax, email or in person. 

I’m an absentee voter. What should I do? 

Absentee voters must provide either their driver’s license number, the last four digits of their Social Security number or a copy of an accepted photo ID when applying for an absentee ballot. You can provide the identifying number to the county over the phone or via email or regular mail. 

I have a religious objection to having my picture taken. Can I still vote? 

Yes. Simply present a valid without-photo driver’s license or a valid without-photo ID card issued by PennDOT. 
 

For more information, visit www.votespa.com. 

Published: March 13, 2012

ARTICLE TOOLS

SUNBURY - Northumberland County District Attorney Tony Rosini and Montour County District Attorney Rebecca Warren announce the recipients of the first Carl B. Rice Memorial Task Force Officer of the Year award.

The award will be presented annually in memory of former Magisterial District Judge Carl B. Rice, who passed away on July 22, 2011, to recognize outstanding achievement of an officer who is a member of the Northumberland-Montour Drug Task Force.

Two awards were presented at the start of the task force meeting held at the Sunbury Elks on Wednesday, March 7. The recipients were Sgt. Todd Owens of the Mount Carmel Borough Police and Montour County Sheriff Ray Gerringer, the county coordinators for the task force in both counties. The awards were presented by Toni Rice and Mary B. Rice, Rice's widow and mother, respectively.

"Former District Attorney Robert Buehner and I discussed implementing this award after Carl's untimely death and newly-elected DA Rebecca Warren agreed it was a good idea," Rosini said. "Carl was the legal advisor to the task force for many years. He drafted the original agreement between the counties to form the task force and was also responsible for drafting the policies and operational procedures to implement the task force. We wanted to do something in his memory and, at the same time, recognize some of the fine officers who are on the front line fighting the influx of drugs into our communities."

"When Tony and I discussed this in January, I thought this was a great idea not only to perpetuate Carl's accomplishments with the task force, but to recognize the officers who are working every day to keep our communities safe."

Both DA's noted that they requested nominations from local police departments and then jointly reviewed the nominees to make their selection.

"In deciding who would receive the award, we both felt that Ray and Todd exemplify the dedication and hard work that make the task force successful in its mission to preserve the character and safety of our local communities from the scourge of drugs and agreed to present both of them with an award this year," the attorneys said.

The task force meeting held Wednesday was scheduled as a training session at which several presenters provided information to improve local drug investigations. Deputy Attorney General Robert Stewart spoke on the law, procedures and tactics for forfeiting cash and property of drug dealers. State Trooper Lance Thomas provided an outline of how to conduct drug investigations in traffic stops and gave the officers procedures to follow to obtain access to vehicles suspected of transporting illegal substances.

Approximately 40 members of the task force attended the meeting, including officers from Sunbury, Shamokin, Coal Township, Mount Carmel, Mount Carmel Township, Point Township, Watsontown, Ralpho Township, Kulpmont, Danville and Mahoning Township police departments.

Read more: http://newsitem.com/news/mc-police-officer-montour-county-sheriff-recipients-of-first-carl-rice-memorial-awards-1.1284737#ixzz1p15hGJPm

Scam artists are targeting older Americans more than ever. Over the last decade, both complaints and financial losses among baby boomers have skyrocketed, and the trend is expected to accelerate as they age, according to a recent report by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received more than 1.5 million complaints about financial and other fraud -– up 62 percent in just three years, the report noted. But fraud may be even more pervasive, because researchers say that it often goes unreported.

Scammers see baby boomers as a prime target because of their financial status and size -- around 75 million people -- along with the potential for cognitive decline as the generation ages. According to the report:

Baby boomers are accumulating inheritances from their parents, adding to substantial home equity and a lifetime of saving for retirement as the first generation to experience the transition from traditional pensions to 401(k) accounts. When money is combined with cognitive decline among aging baby boomers, it can be a recipe for fraud.

Other characteristics that make post 50s vulnerable to fraud include dependency on others, unfamiliarity with the Internet and its risks, and loneliness that makes them more apt to engage with strangers.

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that 2011 was expected to be a record year when it came to enforcement actions for defrauding post 50s. The main culprits behind the scams are unregistered securities:

Exotic unregistered securities such as promissory notes, private placements and investment contracts have emerged as the main vehicles for fraud involving older investors. Of the enforcements in 2010 involving investors age 50 or older, cases involving unregistered securities outnumbered those related to ordinary stocks and bonds by a ratio of five to one, according to the securities administrators' association.

While many are struggling after losing money to the recession, post 50s are in a particularly difficult position as they scramble to recoup their savings for retirement. "They are especially vulnerable to retirement-related scams as they reach for higher returns and try to call it quits for good on schedule," wroteTIME.

For example, Keith Grimes -- a 50-something who invested his entire nest egg of $500,000 in what turned out to be a Ponzi scheme -- told the the Wall Street Journal, “Sometimes we think, 'Maybe we were just being too greedy,' ” said Grimes. "But you try to get the best return you can when you've saved through your career to be able to retire."

Additionally, many older people are targeted by grandparent scams -- schemes through which callers claim to be relatives in trouble and in desperate need of money.

Eighty-something Mabel Fielding shared her grandparent scam experience with The Canadian Press. Fielding received a call from a man claiming to be her grandson, who indicated that he had been arrested while attending a wedding and needed bail money. Fielding's grandson is actually in the wedding business, so she didn't probe the request or even ask which grandson it was.

“They had me down so pat,” Fielding told The Canadian Press. “Everything just fell in, especially when they said they were at a wedding and all this and that.” Luckily, a bank teller informed Fielding of grandparent scams before she sent the money. When Fielding later received a call from a supposed granddaughter seeking money, she was prepared.

Initiatives such as National Consumer Protection Week aim to build more awareness of the growing problem. And certain states such as New York, Vermont and Alaska have recently issued warnings about grandparent scams.

The New York Attorney General warns that scammers use a variety of tactics in targeting older adults, including calling late at night, when the victim may not be as alert; asking the victim not to tell anyone about the money request because the requester is embarrassed; and using actual names of people the victim knows. How do these schemers find such information? According to New York's Attorney General:

Scammers ... use marketing lists, telephone listings and information from social networking sites, obituaries and other sources. Sometimes, they hack into people's email accounts and send messages to everyone in their contact list.

With more and more ways to access personal information through the Internet, it is important that post 50s protect their personal data and remain informed about these threats. In addition, victims need to come forward, something the FBI notes is problematic for older adults:

Older Americans are less likely to report a fraud because they don't know who to report it to, are too ashamed at having been scammed, or don’t know they have been scammed. Elderly victims may not report crimes, for example, because they are concerned that relatives may think the victims no longer have the mental capacity to take care of their own financial affairs.

When Joe Meischeid retired from the insurance business and began working in the Northampton County Sheriff's Department in 1990, he told a co-worker he might not last a few weeks.

This past weekend, the sheriff's department celebrated Meischeid's 90th birthday and 22 years on the job.   "When I came here, I said 'If I like it, then I'll stay,'" Meischeid said today. "But don’t get mad at me if I leave in a few weeks."  

Not only has Meischeid lasted more than a few weeks, he's become a fixture in the sheriff's office. Northampton County Sheriff Randall Miller said he can always depend on Meischeid to get the job done.

"We can always count on him," Miller said. "I'm grateful that someone would want to be working into this age, and show the dedication to the county that he does."  

Meischeid, a court security officer, said he has lived in the Easton area all of his life and has been "overwhelmed" by celebrating his 90th birthday with the department and his friends and family.  

Meischeid said he continues to work because he loves to be with people, and it keeps him busy.  

"I have to do something, and that's a good way to do it," he said. "And I think, in my own way, I'm helping others."  

Meischeid has been married for 62 years to "the same gal," his wife, Doreen, whom he calls "a saint." Together, they have six children, 12 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, with a fifth on the way.  

Meischeid said his experience raising a family has helped him on the job as a security officer, when he is met with unruly youngsters.  

"I'll talk with them," he said. "Don’t forget I've had six children," he laughed. "They weren't always angels."  

He said his children encourage him to keep working into his 90s.  

"They say, 'Don't stop,'" he said. "That way I won't be bothering their mother," he joked.   So far, he's heeded their advice and plans to continue working.   "I haven’t picked a retirement date yet," he said.

In an annual Valentine's Day roundup, regional law-enforcement officials arrested 22 fugitives wanted on outstanding warrants in a series of early morning raids today.

For 15 years, the Feb. 14 raids have focused in part on people who owe child support or are accused of domestic abuse, said Philadelphia Sheriff Jewell Williams, following the parading of handcuffed individuals - two women and more than a dozen men - into the Family Court building at 18th and Vine Streets.

One man loudly complained, while walking past officers and reporters, that he was being locked up "for restitution." He declined to explain further.

Others taken into custody are accused of robbery, burglary, armed assault and drug trafficking, Williams said.

The roundup, which began at 2:30 a.m., was carried out by Philadelphia police officers and sheriff's deputies, and sheriff's deputies from the Delaware, Chester, Montgomery and Bucks counties, officials said.

"Crime is everyone's business today," Williams said. ". . . If you know anyone who is hiding in your neighborhood, feel free to call the Philadelphia Sheriff's Office, 215-686-3578 and we promise not to reveal your name, but we will do our best to follow up on any leads or tips."

Today's arrests represent just a fraction of the workload of the sheriff's office, which handles cases that come out of the courts, Williams said.

With about 2,900 people facing outstanding warrants in the city, arrests are made every day, he said.

Two drug-sniffing dogs were also used in the raids, but no contraband or illegal weapons were confiscated, Williams said.

By MICHAEL P. RELLAHAN
mrellahan@dailylocal.com

A state appeals court has upheld the convictions of a former East Marlborough man who shot and wounded Chester County sheriff deputies who had gone to his house to evict him.

A state Superior Court panel ruled the jury convictions against Walter Rosengarth did not amount to unconstitutional inconsistencies that demanded a new trial. The Common Pleas jury found him not guilty by reason of insanity on some charges and guilty but mentally ill on others after an August 2005 trial.

“Contrary to the appellant’s contentions, the verdicts here do not represent that the jury found he was sane and insane at the same time,” Judge Susan Gantman wrote in a 25-page opinion issued Monday. “The verdicts of not guilty by reason of insanity on only some of the counts and guilty but mentally ill on the other counts might be facially inconsistent, but that does not undermine their integrity.

“We conclude the jury’s verdicts in this case are decidedly not mutually exclusive,” Gantman concluded, adding there was sufficient evidence to find Rosengarth guilty of the crimes of aggravated assault and attempted aggravated assault.

Rosengarth, now 72, was sentenced to serve a prison term of 18 to 40 years for the shootings, as well as being ordered to receive treatment for his mental illness.

In 2006, Rosengarth was arrested and charged with the murder of an elderly Chadds Ford couple, Miles and Mary Warner, who were found shot to death in their home. Rosengarth, who did odd jobs for the couple, reportedly believed they were poisoning him with arsenic. Since 2008, he has been housed at Norristown State Hospital after a Delaware County judge found him incompetent to stand trial on the murder charges.

The appeal came in the shooting case, which began on July 24, 2003, when two deputy sheriffs went to the house Rosengarth was living in off Greenwood Road near Longwood Gardens. Rosengarth had failed to pay property taxes on the home, which he had shared with the former owner until that man’s death, and it had been sold at a sheriff’s auction.

Deputy James J. Boyd and Deputy Joseph Smida had gone to the house that day to oversee Rosengarth’s eviction after having informed him of the proceeding a few days prior. When Boyd knocked on the front door, no one responded. Boyd went to other doors and announced that he was from the sheriff’s office but again got no response to his request for Rosengarth – who had been seen inside the house by movers earlier -- to come out. Boyd called a supervisor, Sgt. John Freas, who said he would bring backup to the house.

Freas and Sgt. Edward Clemens arrived shortly afterwards and Freas began knocking on the door to get Rosengarth’s attention. The window shades had all been pulled so he could not see inside, and only one window was open. As Freas continued to try to get Rosengarth’s attention, Rosengarth said, “Eight-hundred and fifty thousands dollars,” the amount he said the sheriffs would have to pay him to leave.

As Freas tried to convince Rosengarth to leave, he heard a clicking noise that he recognized as the sound of someone loading a bullet in a bolt-action rile. Freas asked if Rosengarth owned any weapons, and he said he did not. When Freas asked if he had any guns in the house, the answer was no. 

When Freas heard another clicking sound, he asked again about guns inside the house. “If you don’t get off my property you’ll find out,” Rosengarth said. As Freas ducked, he heard two shots being fired and bullets whizzing over his head.

Rosengarth fired several more times. One shot hit Smida, who had been in the backyard near a shed, in the face. As Boyd crossed the yard to help Smida, he was hit in the hand. Freas called for police backup, and a standoff ensued for several hours. Ultimately, Rosengarth surrendered.

He was charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, possession of an instrument of crime, and resisting arrest. He filed an insanity defense.

At his trial in front of Judge Howard F. Riley Jr., his attorney presented three mental health experts who testified that he was schizophrenic and paranoid, and that he had experienced psychotic episodes the day of the shooting. The prosecution offered its own expert, who agreed that he suffered from a mental disorder but that he knew what he was doing the day of the shooting and was not legally insane.

The jury, after a trial of six days, returned with a split verdict. It found Rosengarth guilty but mentally ill of two counts of aggravated assault and two counts of attempted aggravated assault. But it found him not guilty by reason of insanity of the remaining charges, including attempted murder.

In his appeal, Rosengarth’s attorney, Timothy Melvin of Wayne, argued the jury could not find him legally insane, and then turn around and declare him guilty, when both verdicts stemmed from the same course of conduct. In her opinion, Gantman summed up the argument as complaining that “these verdicts cannot coexist as they mean he was and was not legally insane at the same time.”

In response, however, the prosecution argued state law accommodates a wide range of jury verdicts including those involving mental health defenses. A jury can find a defendant guilty of theft and assault, but not guilty of robbery – which is the legal definition of a theft by force, said Deputy District Attorney Nicholas Casenta. The prosecution said the jury could have “parsed the verdicts by time, acts, or victims,” the judge wrote, or the jurors could also have decided some charges on the basis of clemency for Rosengarth.

“Regardless of how the jury arrived at its decision, the record contains sufficient evidence to support a finding of guilty as to the crime charged,” Gantman wrote. “Any effort to guess what was in the jury’s collective mind constitutes nothing more than an exercise in futility and is highly inadvisable.”

Rosengarth is now facing two counts of first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of the Warners, both 81, who were found dead Dec. 10, 2002, in their Chadds Ford home. He was found incompetent to stand trial in that case in 2008.

The Warners’ slayings remained unsolved for several years. In 2006 authorities focused on Rosengarth, who performed odd jobs for the victims. He became a suspect after Hilarie Showalter, who works for Riley, spotted the names “Miles” and “Mary” in statements the defendant made to doctors. Her information was subsequently turned over to state police. 

They then discovered that in writings and in statements to other prisoners Rosengarth implicated himself in their shooting deaths, according to a court document.

The first president of the group was Lester Albright, Register of Wills of Northumberland County.  The current president is Terry Adamik, Treasurer of Adams County.  Since it’s founding in 1956 elected officials have met on a monthly basis to assist the legislature with legislative pieces. There have been approximately 290 county officials who have served in this Association. 29 elected row officers have served as president of the association and were elected by their peers of the association on an annual basis.  Some have served as president several terms over the 56 years of the existence of PSAECO.

Sheriff Robert B. Failor of Cumberland County was president from 1969 to 1970.  Sheriff Raymond Krasinski of Erie County served as president from 1987 to 1988 and again in 1992.  Sheriff Harry Geiger was president from 1995 to 1996 and Sheriff Robert Wollyung was president of PSAECO from 2005 to 2006. 

Officers honored for swift, life-saving response to medical emergency

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Credit: Jonathan McVerry From left, Nittany Lion Inn employee Crisoforo Sandoval, Penn State Police Office Michelle Beckenbaugh, Deputy Sheriff Richard Smith of the Centre County Sheriff's Department and Penn State Police Chief Tyrone Parham. Beckenbaugh and Smith helped to save Sandoval's life on Nov. 8. For more photos, click on the image above.

A group of University employees attending CPR training took a break from class on Dec. 14 to witness firsthand the importance of certification. In a ceremony held on the University Park campus, Penn State Police Officer Michelle Beckenbaugh and Deputy Sheriff Richard Smith of the Centre County Sheriff's Department were honored for their quick, life-saving response in a medical emergency.

On Nov. 8, Crisoforo Sandoval, an employee with Penn State Hospitality Services, went into cardiac arrest while transporting two guests from the University Park Airport to the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel. The passengers were able to stop the car and called 911.

Beckenbaugh was first on the scene. She noticed Sandoval was not responding, called for backup and immediately put her first aid skills into action. Smith arrived soon after and the two officers administered CPR using chest compressions and an automated external defibrillator. The quick response and proper care kept Sandoval, who at one point had no pulse, alive.

"The training is always in the back of your mind and ready to be used," Beckenbaugh said. "It works. And to be able to see Chris stand here today, it's definitely worth it."

During the ceremony, Beckenbaugh and Smith each were awarded a certificate and a University Police department coin honoring their quick action. About 40 people were in attendance, including Sandoval's family, friends and colleagues, and University Police officers.

University Police Chief Tyrone Parham said Beckenbaugh and Smith's decisive actions and their cool, calm and collected demeanor in those first few moments were critical to Sandoval's survival.

"We've all done the training, some of us for 20 years," he said, "and it's circumstances such as this that remind us how important it is."

After the incident, Sandoval was placed into a medically induced coma and flown to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pa., where he was treated and recovered. Sandoval said he will be forever grateful to the officers who helped to save his life. He said he plans to earn CPR certification himself in the near future, and suggested that everyone who has the opportunity to earn certification should do so.

·       

 Delaware County Sheriff Joseph McGinn - "See & Say":

"Supplies":

"Detours":

"Salt Brine":

And as a man who stood by his principles and beliefs, even if others disagreed or found those beliefs downright offensive.

Sebring, 79, a lifelong Monroe County resident, died Wednesday morning at his Pocono Township home.

"He was one of the best sheriffs we've ever had," said retired U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Joseph Kovarick of Stroudsburg, who first met Sebring in 1967, when the candidate was running for the elected position. "He set the tone for what's expected of sheriffs and their deputies today. He was truly unique."

Current Sheriff Todd Martin, who was elected in 1995 as Sebring's successor, said Sebring was a father figure to him.

"His family took me in as one of their own after I lost my father and then my mother," Martin said. "I wouldn't be where I am today if not for him."

A Pocono Township native, Sebring graduated from Pocono Township High School in 1951, the year he married the former Claribel Frailey, with whom he later raised three children. From 1953-67, he was a driver delivering milk and then a supervisor for Lehigh Valley Dairy in East Stroudsburg.

He also was justice of the peace in Stroud Township from 1962 until becoming sheriff in 1968.

Likable fellow 

During that time, Sebring was a loyal customer at the Krome family's Chevrolet dealership. The family supported Sebring in his campaign rally at the West End Fair.

"He was such a likable fellow," said Larry Krome, a director of the annual fair. "The majority of people wanted to keep him as sheriff, no matter which side of the fence they were on."

A graduate of both the FBI Academy in Virginia and U.S. Marshals Academy in Georgia, Sebring as sheriff oversaw what was then the Monroe County Jail in downtown Stroudsburg.

One of the correction officers he hired in the 1970s was Thomas Shiffer, who retired this year as Stroud Township magisterial district judge and is now a senior judge.

"Prior to his time as sheriff, correction officers were usually older retired men," Shiffer said. "After he came in, he started hiring younger, more educated people as correction officers, and some later became sheriff's deputies.

"He fought to get us higher pay," Shiffer said. "He was a good guy. If he could help you out, he would."

Other younger men Sebring hired included Martin, Stroud Area Regional Police Chief John Baujan and Lt. Brian Kimmins, Pocono Township Police Chief Phil Riley and Pocono Mountain Regional Police Chief Harry Lewis.

"Those of us he hired, who are still working in law enforcement today, all came out of the mold he set," Martin said. "He motivated us to challenge ourselves, to improve ourselves so that the quality of service we provide to our community can improve." 

Shot from the hip

Known for his sense of humor as well as for his tough-but-fair approach, Sebring also generated controversy with certain remarks.

Like telling journalism students in 1977 at what was then East Stroudsburg State College that blacks and Puerto Ricans are more prone than whites to commit crime and violence.

"Though he shot straight from the hip, it's true he made comments which offended people and that he wasn't popular with everyone," Martin said. "Not everyone agreed with everything he said or believed, but he commanded respect in how he went about his life and his work and how he treated others."

That was evident both on the job and in the community, where Sebring was active in Stroudsburg United Methodist Church and various organizations including the Free and Accepted Masons, Pennsylvania and National Sheriffs Associations and Stroud Township and Pocono Township volunteer fire companies.

"It's the community's loss, but God's gain," Krome said.

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From the Pocono Record

September 24, 2011

The Times Observer

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By JOSH COTTON

jcotton@timesobserver.com

Seventy five marijuana plants were seized and one man was arrested in a drug bust by the Warren County Drug Task Force on Friday.

The seizure is the conclusion of a month-long joint investigation between U.S. Forest Service law enforcement and the Warren County Drug Task Force.

The Forest County Sheriff's Department was on routine forest patrol in the Hearts Content area on Friday and theForest County Deputy Sheriff came into contact with a member of the public who tipped him off to the lcoation of the plants. The plants were found near a Forest Road within the Hickory Creek Wilderness Area.

Thomas Newell Houck Jr., 52, 13108 Putnam Road, Conneaut Lake, was taken into custody by Forest Service agents and arraigned before District Justice Cynthia Lindemuth and remanded to the Warren County Jail in lieu of bail.

After Houck was taken into custody, several other plots were discovered and the plants were eradicated and seized as evidence, according to Bill Mickle of the US Forest Service. Mickle said a vehicle and firearm were also seized as evidence and estimated that the total street value of the marijuana seized would be between $90,000 and $100,000.

"It is the priority of the Forest Service to combat the use, production, and trafficking of illegal drugs on National Forest lands and to work closely with out state and local law enforcement partners, and the Forest Service wants to thank the Warren County District Attorney's office and the Warren County Drug Task Force for their continued support of the Forest Service law enforcement mission," Mickle said.

The Warren County Drug Task Force is comprised of the US Forest Service, Warren County District Attorney's Office, Warren City Police Department, Youngsville Police Department, and the Conewango Township Police.

 Canadian Truck Driver, Dog Die In Fiery I-81 Crash

Truck Went Off Road Into Ravine  

POSTED: 9:19 pm EDT September 19, 2011
UPDATED: 9:31 pm EDT September 19, 2011

SILVER SPRING TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- A Canadian truck driver and his dog are dead following a fiery crash along Interstate 81 on Monday.

 The crash happened just before 4 p.m. at the on-ramp to I-81 from Route 114 in Silver Spring Township.

 State police said they are not sure why the truck left the road and crashed into a ravine.

 The crash caused the truck's cab to go up in flames, police said.

 “There were a couple of deputy sheriff's that happened upon the scene shortly after the accident,” said Cpl. Todd Rudy of the Pennsylvania State Police. “The driver was still pinned in there. They attempted a rescue but they couldn't get him out because of the fire and heat. They had to back off."

 Police have not released the victim's identity but did say he was from Canada.

 Traffic was backed up for 10 miles on the interstate until one lane was reopened.

 Heavy rolls of paper had to be taken from the trailer before salvage crews could remove the wreckage and reopen both lanes of I-81.  

Nick Meyer/Staff Photo Five men found to be in the country illegally are escorted into the Schuylkill County Prison on Thursday after being detained at a construction site at Wegmans Retail Service Center in Schuylkill Highridge Business Park.

MOUNT PLEASANT - Five illegal immigrants were detained Thursday while working on the construction site at Wegmans Retail Service Center in Schuylkill Highridge Business Park.

The incident came just one day after the company announced it would double the size of its local distribution center and create more than 200 jobs.

Acting on a tip, Schuylkill County Sheriff Joseph G. Groody and his deputies, assisted by Schuylkill County detectives and police from Cass and Butler townships, went to the site about 7:30 a.m. and checked workers' personal identifications. They took seven men into custody.

The men were transported to Schuylkill County Courthouse, where two of the men were found to be legal U.S. residents and returned to the site, Groody said. Of the remaining five, Groody said one provided false identification and faces charges of false reports and false identification, filed at the office of Magisterial District Judge Carol A. Pankake, Tremont.

The sheriff said he contacted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement who, with the help of a translator, interviewed all five by telephone and ordered them to be detained in the county prison pending deportation.

According to Groody, the investigation began Tuesday when his office received an anonymous phone call about possible illegal workers at the site.

"That's not uncommon," Groody said of the tip. "We check all of our complaints out and follow up on any information that comes in."

Wegmans officials announced Wednesday that it would invest $65 million at the distribution center, adding 500,000 square feet to its existing 415,000-square-foot facility in Cass Township. The move would create 217 new jobs. C. Alan Walker, secretary of the state Department of Community and Economic Development, was on hand for the announcement.

Valerie Fox of Wegmans Food Markets Consumer Affairs office said the company issued the following statement regarding the incident: "We are very concerned about what transpired this morning at our Retail Service Center. We immediately contacted the Stellar Group Inc., a Jacksonville, Fla.-based company that designed and is constructing our new facility. We are in the midst of gathering all the facts to better understand the situation."

Valerie Korman, director of marketing and communications with Stellar Group, simply said: "We will not comment at this time."

Frank J. Zukas, president of Schuylkill Economic Development Corp., said he had no further details of the incident and would not comment.

"We're going to reserve any comment until we hear from the company," he said of Wegmans.

The latest construction project at Wegmans was coordinated by the Governor's Action Team. The company received a $731,650 funding package from DCED toward the $65 million project.

State Sen. David Argall, R-29, said it is unlikely Wegmans will be in jeopardy of losing the state funding or be punished for the illegal workers at the site.

"If there were proof that Wegmans knew that there were illegal workers present, they could be penalized," Argall said.

Argall was confident Wegmans would handle the situation appropriately.

"Yesterday, we were very pleased to hear the good news that there will be 200 additional jobs on that site for local people and I am sure that Wegmans will address this issue quickly," he said.

Attempts to contact Rep. Neal Goodman, D-123, were unsuccessful.

Thursday's discovery of illegal workers is not the first in Schuylkill County.

In January, four illegal workers were taken into custody while working at a construction site for Empire Education Group along Route 61. The workers were employed by Jessup Drywall Services LLC, Pottstown, a subcontractor for the project.

In January 2007, a crash on an icy stretch of Route 309 in Rush Township led to the apprehension of 13 illegal immigrants who allegedly were on their way to work at another Schuylkill County facility. The three women and 10 men were processed and transported to Philadelphia by ICE officers to face deportation charges.

In November 2004, 120 illegal workers were taken into custody while working on the construction site of the Walmart Distribution Center, also at Schuylkill Highridge Business Park. All 120 were turned over to ICE for processing and deportation. That incident prompted the passing of legislation that would deprive companies of state funding should it be proven illegal immigrants were knowingly employed.

"The role of the sheriff's office is staggering. People don't realize what sheriffs do every day," Pike County Sheriff Phil Bueki said.  

When a person is removed from a home through an order of protection, it is sheriff's deputies who step into the volatile situation, confiscating weapons.  

Deputies are called to the gut-wrenching task of removing children from their parents.  

Sheriff's offices search for people wanted by law enforcement, guard the courthouse and decide who gets a "license to carry" gun permit. (More than 9,000 licenses are issued in Pike.)  

And they are on the front lines of the mortgage crisis, evicting people from their homes and facilitating sheriff's sales in record numbers.   It is a job that forces workers to wade knee-deep in raw emotion.

'Ridiculous' situation

The county sheriff is the state's only publicly elected law enforcement officer.

Deputies must be trained in law enforcement, but Pennsylvania's 67 elected sheriffs who manage them are not required to have any law enforcement training, "which I think is ridiculous," said Bueki, who was sworn in as president of the Pennsylvania Sheriffs' Association last week.  

"We're looking to change it. A goal of ours is to promote law enforcement training so sheriffs get the same training as deputies do."  

Some of Pennsylvania's sheriffs consider that a radical move, Bueki said, but most, like Bueki, are educated with a law enforcement background.    

Decades upholding the law

Bueki, 52, started with the Pike County Sheriff's Office 30 years ago as a deputy. The original 1814 jail in Milford, where the sheriff's office is still based, housed 38 inmates and was the only jail the county needed at one time.  

Today, the Sheriff's Department also works with inmates at the larger county jail in Blooming Grove.   Bueki was voted in as Pike County sheriff in 2001.  

Before that, he was warden at the county jail. In the 1980s, he also worked for the Milford and Matamoras police departments.    

An officer and a deputy

In Pike, 80 percent of the sheriff's deputies are part-time police officers on the weekends, Bueki said.  

"They can be a cop on the weekend, but when they put the sheriff's uniform on" there is a question about the extent of their investigative authority, he said.   It means a deputy cannot investigate a crime unless it happens in their presence.  

For example: A battered woman standing on the sidewalk tells a deputy that her attacker is still inside the house. The deputy cannot go into the house to investigate.  

Instead, the police must be called because the incident did not happen in the deputy's presence.  

The Pennsylvania Sheriffs' Association seeks to clarify and define the sheriff's role legislatively, to include investigative authority.  

It is one of the tasks Bueki will tackle as he takes over as president.  

"It is really an honor to be recognized," he said.

From the Pocono Record

"Sheriff Deputies accross central Pennsylvania never know what they will encounter when serving a warrant."

WJAC provides an inside look at the Deputy Sheriff Training Facility (video).

• Reading Eagle Press
• Turrisi Podiatry Practice
• W E E U

By Tracy Jordan, OF THE MORNING CALL

The Berks County man suspected of shooting and killing a deputy sheriff Wednesday night left a suicide note in his yard two days before heading into surrounding woods and getting into a shootout with officers, killing him, court records say.

State police in Hamburg identified the deputy sheriff as 28-year-old Kyle D. Pagerly and the suspect as Matthew M. Connor, 25, of 26 Pine Swamp Road in the Kempton section of Albany Township.

A fugitive task force was attempting to serve a warrant on Connor who two days earlier threatened his father, his sister, girlfriend and another guest at his family's home, firing several rounds from two different guns into the ground in front of them, according to court records.

When the task force arrived, Connor – armed with an AK-47 assault rifle – ran into the woods and fired at the pursuing officers, leading to a shootout near Hawk Mountain Road around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Connor was killed at the scene. Pagerly was wounded and flown by helicopter to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest. He was dead on arrival, Lehigh County Scott Grim said.

Pagerly, of Shillington, was pronounced dead at 8:44 p.m. Wednesday from a gunshot wound to the body, Grim said. The manner of death was ruled homicide.

Two days before the shootout, Connor had said he wouldn't go down quietly.

According to an arrest affidavit:

Connor shot at the ground in front of his family members, threatening them, "yeah you better run," according to court records. At one point, Connor put a revolver to his mouth "acting as if he was going to shoot himself in front of his family," the records say.

Upset that he ran out of ammunition from a revolver and a handgun, Connor went back into the family's house and retrieved a bulletproof vest and a shotgun, which he fired several times before heading into the woods.

Connor's father, Maurice Connor, told police his son had acted this way before. "He has threatened in the past to want to provoke the police so they would shoot him, suicide by cop," according to an affidavit of probable cause filed Tuesday.

According to a news release from state police, a fugitive task force comprising members of the Berks County Sheriff's office, state police from the Hamburg barracks and the federal marshals service attempted to serve an arrest warrant on Connor for burglary, criminal trespass, simple assault, terroristic threats, recklessly endangerment and a weapons charge for illegally possessing, selling or transferring firearms.

When the task force arrived, they were speaking to Connor's girlfriend when Connor ran out of the back of the house into the woods. Members of the detail followed him into the woods. Pagerly, a K-9 officer, came upon a rise in the terrain and Connor came up over the rise armed with an AK-47. State police said Connor ignored an order to drop the weapon, and gunfire was exchanged.

The news release from state police does not specify which officers discharged their weapons. The investigation is ongoing, and state police have scheduled a news conference for 1 p.m. today at the Reading station.

Court records show state police in Hamburg filed a criminal complaint against Connor on Tuesday, charging him with burglary, criminal trespass, persons not to use fire arms, three counts of terroristic threats, four counts of simple assault and four counts of recklessly endangering another person. Trooper Matthew S. Brady from the Hamburg barracks filed the complaint.

State police said the charges stem from incidents that occurred Monday at his home at 26 Pine Swamp Road and at a nearby residence at 43 Pine Swamp Road. Berks County tax records show both properties are owned by Maurice L. Connor and include one-story homes. The property at 25 Pine Swamp Road contains about 12.5 acres and the property at 43 Pine Swamp Road is nearly a quarter acre in size.

The Berks County Sheriff's Department website, says Pagerly was born in Reading and graduated in 2001 from Wilson High School in West Lawn, Berks County. He also was a U.S. Army Military Police graduate and served in Kosovo in 2002 and Iraq in 2002. He was promoted to sergeant in 2004.

He graduated from the Reading Police Academy in 2005, federal Bureau of Prisons basic training in 2006, Berks County Sheriff's Department in 2006 and Philadelphia Police Canine Academy in 2009. He also was a lieutenant in the Spring Township Fire Department. His K-9 partner Jynx is a German Shepherd.