Whitehall-Coplay Press

For the 19th consecutive year, Lehigh Valley Health Network hosted the Lehigh Valley DUI/Highway Safety Task Force annual spirit-free mix-off Dec. 19, 2019, at Lehigh Valley Hospital, Salisbury Township.

Supported by business and community leaders, the event promotes a critical message of not mixing the consumption of alcoholic beverages and driving during the holiday season.

Guest servers representing local media outlets offered tastes of nonalcoholic drinks and encouraged tasters to judge the ones they enjoyed the best.

JAN. 6

Stations 35, 36 and 3501 were on the scene of a motor vehicle accident with injuries on MacArthur Road.

An unintentional smoke detector activation at 3768 Wentz Court brought out Stations 36, 37, 38 and 39.

JAN. 7

Station 39 assisted North Whitehall with a building fire at 3220 Mauch Chunk Road.

JAN. 8

A boiler malfunction brought Stations 35, 38 and 3501 to 3129 N. Third St.

Stations 35 assisted the police or another governmental agency at 1988 Schadt Ave.

JAN. 9

U.S. marshals have arrested a Whitehall Township man whom they believe to be the final suspect in a double homicide that occurred last month in Chestnuthill Township, Monroe County.

Marshals arrested Zaire Unique Burkett, 20, of Whitehall, Jan. 17.

Burkett is the fourth suspect charged in the Dec. 4, 2019, shooting of Dylan Beinert, 22; Khalil Durante, 23; and Walter Howard Durante at a home on Silver Maple Road in the Sun Valley area. Beinert died at the scene, and Khalil Durante later died at a hospital, while Walter Durante was left in critical condition.

At the first meeting of the new decade, held Jan. 16, Coplay Whitehall Sewer Authority reorganized its slate of officers and support staff. There were no surprises, as all officers and staff remained in place.

The board re-elected John Schreiner as chairman, James Hahn as vice chairman, Paul Geissinger as secretary, Joseph Marx as public relations/community affairs, Joseph Bonshak as treasurer, Paul Boyle as assistant treasurer and James Roth as assistant secretary.

At its Jan. 14 regular meeting, council President Louis Bodish set committee assignments for the 100th session of Coplay Borough Council.

Councilwoman Janet Eisenhauer will continue as finance committee chair, Mark Molitoris will chair the public buildings committee, Bodish will continue with the public works and streets committee, and Steve Burker will continue as chairman of the parks and recreation committee.

Dave Royer was appointed as the liaison representative with the Ironton Rail Trail Oversight Commission.

At the Jan. 13 Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners meeting, the board voted on a number of ordinances and resolutions, including two pertaining to the construction of a new warehouse along South Church Street, just off MacArthur Road.

Representatives from Bohler Engineering came before the board to make their case for an ordinance deferring the construction of curbing and sidewalks on South Church Street. The proposed sidewalk would give pedestrians a path from the site of the new warehouse to the nearby shopping center on MacArthur Road.

JANUARY

TUESDAY 28

Coplay Borough Planning Commission meets 7 p.m. at the borough municipal building, 98 S. Fourth St.

A nativity scene displayed for decades in front of Coplay Borough Hall has been deemed unconstitutional, prompting borough officials to move the display off government property this past holiday season. Instead, they opted to place the display on the St. Peter Roman Catholic Church grounds, 4 S. Fifth St.