Carbon prison earns safety grant

Carbon County was named the recipient of a safety grant for improvements at the prison.

On Thursday, Mike Bartoletti of the Housing and Redevelopment Insurance Exchange, the company that handles Carbon’s workers’ compensation insurance, announced that the county is receiving $15,000 from the company’s new safety grant program. The money will be used for technology improvements at the Carbon County Correctional Facility in Nesquehoning.

“We have been very good partners for many years,” he said.

Commissioners’ Chairman Wayne Nothstein thanked Bartoletti and Wildoner’s Insurance Agency in Jim Thorpe for the good working relationship between the three entities regarding the county’s workers’ compensation insurance.

He said that over the past several years, there has been great improvement in the workers’ compensation.

Veterans Affairs

In other matters, state Rep. Doyle Heffley, R-Carbon; and Katie Hetherington Cunfer, deputy district director for Congressman Dan Meuser, awarded Henry Desrosiers citations for his years of service to the veterans of Carbon County. Desrosiers will be retiring next month after nearly 12 years as the director of Veterans Affairs for Carbon County.

Desrosiers thanked the pair, but said being honored is not the reason he does this job.

He said it is his desire to serve those who served this country that has helped him in his career.

Weatherly auxiliary

The commissioners also recognized Weatherly American Legion Auxiliary Unit 360 on its 100th anniversary and named Nov. 10 as American Legion Auxiliary Centennial Day in Carbon County.

The American Legion Auxiliary was founded in 1919 “to support the American Legion and honor the sacrifice of those who serve by enhancing the lives of our veterans, military and their families, both at home and abroad,” the proclamation states.

Nothstein thanked the auxiliary members in attendance for their support of the veterans and the community.

Georgeann Herling, president of the Weatherly American Legion Post 360 Auxiliary, said that the auxiliary members love what they do for the military and their families.

“Without them, we wouldn’t be here,” she said. “It’s our honor to help in any way we can.”