n Frackville: Holy Ascension Orthodox Church, 209 S. Lehigh Ave., is taking advance orders for a pierogi sale with pickups set for 8 a.m. to noon Friday at the church. The deadline to order is Wednesday. Choices include boiled with butter and onions, deep fried or frozen. To order or for more information, call 570-874-7532.
n Minersville: The Minersville Area Skatepark Association will have a homemade soup sale from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 20 at the Goodwill Fire Company, 25 North St. The cost is $7 per quart, takeout only, and flavors include ham and bean, stuffed pepper, chicken corn noodle and potato. To order, call 570-294-6235. The association will also have a fundraiser at the Reading Phillies on April 5 for the 222 Showcase between the Fightins and the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs. The cost is $5 plus a $1.50 processing fee. Game time is 6:35 p.m. For more information, call the aforementioned number or email to minersvilleareaskatepark@yahoo.com.
n Pottsville: Theresa Santai-Gaffney, Schuylkill County register of wills and clerks of the orphans’ court, issued her office’s year-end activities report. Acting as an agent for the commonwealth’s Department of Revenue for the collection of inheritance taxes, the office accepted $7,425,067.44. Commission of $54,629.96 was transferred to the county’s general fund. Other fees, included state taxes, judicial computer program fees and automation fees, came to $301,874.50. The office dispersed $33,299 to the Department of Revenue for JCP fees for 938 files. For 780 marriage licenses that were issued, $7,780 was dispersed to the Department of Revenue for domestic violence surcharges, $389 for taxes, $7,780 to the Department of Revenue for child abuse surcharges and $7,410 to the county general fund for county fees. Also in 2015, $17,160 was collected in automation fees, 35 adoptions were completed and 33 incapacitated person files were opened. The office also assists people looking up their genealogy by mail, phone or in person. They are currently back scanning files to mid-1994. The index is available on the county’s public website. There is a fee to view and print files for estates on the website. In 2015, the office collected $615 for subscription fees for the service. The register of wills website can be found at co.schuylkill.pa.us, click on “Departments & Agencies” and select “Courts,” then “Register Of Wills.” A guest to the site can view indexes on estates and marriage licenses only.
n Schuylkill Haven: The South Schuylkill Garden Club has announced that applications for a $1,000 student scholarship are being accepted to benefit a Schuylkill County student who plans to further his/her education. Applicants can include any Schuylkill County high school senior with plans to attend an institution of higher learning within the following fields: horticulture, floriculture, landscape architecture, conservation, forestry, botany, agronomy, plant pathology, environmental control, land-use planning, land management and allied fields, according to a press release from Patrick M. “Porcupine Pat” McKinney, environmental education coordinator with the Schuylkill Conservation District. College students enrolled in the aforementioned majors are especially encouraged to apply. Karen Winkleman, garden club president, said that providing scholarship money is a good way for the club to give back to the community to ensure that talented young people pursue their goals to help the environment. “The South Schuylkill Garden Club is dedicated to promoting greater interest and knowledge in gardening, to stimulate interest in conservation through environmental education, and to promote community beautification,” Winkleman said in the release. The application deadline is March 31. For more information and to get a copy of an application, call McKinney at 570-622-4124, Ext. 113 or email him at porcupinepat@yahoo.com. The South Schuylkill Garden Club is a member of District II/III of the Garden Club Federation of PA and the National Garden Clubs Inc.