Schuylkill court news
Divorces granted
Holly M. Deem, 326 Summer Valley Road, New Ringgold, was granted a divorce from Christian L. Deem, 105 Dorsel Road, New Ringgold. They were married Aug. 14, 2006.
Emma J. Wolfgang was granted a divorce from John R. Wolfgang, both of Hegins. They were married Oct. 8, 1988.
Gabriel E. Gitman, Pottsville, was granted a divorce from Allison J. Hartman, of Illinois. They were married June 7, 2008.
File for divorce
Michael J. Watkins, 34 W. High St., Coaldale, started a divorce action against Laura E. Watkins, 504 W. Water St., Coaldale. They were married April 29, 1989.
Revoke parole
Sean David Black, 36, Gilberton, admitted in court to violating the conditions of his parole and it was revoked by Judge John E. Domalakes. Black was recommitted to the county prison with a loss of 534 days at liberty which were added to his current maximum date, creating a new maximum expiration date of Aug. 17, 2014. He received credit for serving 240 days in the county prison.
The judge is allowing him to apply for re-parole on May 1. Black entered a guilty plea in February 2008 to charges driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol, fleeing police and driving while his license was suspended. He was sentenced on March 1, 2008, to serve six months to five years in the county prison and was placed on parole after his minimum sentence was completed. He was cited by Sgt. John Kaczmarczyk, Mahanoy police, in March 2007.
High court appeal
Frank K. Russell IV, 35, Ashland, had his appeal from a sentence imposed by Judge Cyrus Palmer Dolbin denied by the state Superior Court which ruled a mandatory sentence statutorily was required in this case.
He was tried without a jury on a charge of DUI and adjudged guilty by Dolbin, who sentenced him to a mandatory 30 days to six months imprisonment and fined $1,000. In imposing the sentence Dolbin also noted Russell had 18 prior convictions for driving with a suspended license.
Property tax appeals
Pine Grove Area School District scored a bonanza in winning two apeals which greatly increased the assessment on two properties on which the real estate tax is based.
The property of Robert G. Kimmel Jr. and Adrienne E. Conforti, 517 PIne Hill Drive, Pine Grove, the market value was increased from $87,020 to $181,000 which increased the asessed valuation from $43,510 to $67,513 for tax year 2009 and to $72,219 for 2010 by Judge Domalakes.
In the appeal on the property of Jennifer Renninger, 512 American Legion Boulevard, PIne Grove, market value was increased from $61,910 to $123,570 and the assessment from $30,955 to $46, 091 for 2009 and $49,304 for 2010.
Settle suit
A jury was to begin hearing testimony in the civil suit brought by Thomas N. and Veronica T. Flannery, 234 E. Main St., Girardville, against Nationwide Mutual Fire Insurance Company, of Ohio; Barclay Contracting Company and Permanent Odor Removal Inc., both of Allentown. The jury was seated in the jury box when a court official entered the courtroom to inform them the case was settled out of court and their services were no longer needed.
Judge Dolbin then addressed the jury and thanked them for their appearance stating the case would not have been settled without their presents.
The Flannery home was insured by Nationwide when in January 2003 an employee of Spring Crest Fuel Company Inc. was delivering fuel oil to the home and a massive oil spil occurred throughout the basement. Nationwide provided coverage for such an accident and began adjusting the loss by retaining third parties to remove contaminated material, placing personal property in storage until cleaning was completed. The Flannerys brought suit claiming there was a mishandling of property and sued each defendant. The amount of settlment was not recorded in the court.
