Latest news with #PottsvilleHighSchool
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Saint Clair Council candidate aims to bring fresh ideas to the borough
At 24, Blake Herndon is younger than most who run for municipal posts in Schuylkill County, but the Saint Clair Council candidate is hoping voters will give him the opportunity to bring fresh ideas to the borough. Herndon is one of nine candidates running for three four-year seats on council, making it one of the busier races in the county. The municipal primary election on May 20 will send three candidates from each party on to the general election, where the three council seats will be filled. Herndon is running against fellow Republicans Justin Cappel, Thomas Kelly, Shirley Tina Campion, John Zachar and Vaughn Vesay. The Democrat candidates are Michael Petrozino, Anthony J. Klazas and William M. Dempsey. Dempsey and Klasas are current council members. Herndon grew up in Saint Clair and graduated from Pottsville High School in 2019, having also attended Schuylkill Technology Center North, where he studied diesel technology. He currently works as a rollback truck driver for a local garage, and for years has been a volunteer firefighter for Rescue Hook & Ladder Company in Saint Clair. He joined the company as a teenager because he felt it was important for everyone to serve their community and help their neighbors, and that is also his motivation in running for council, he said. Herndon said that he has a lot of respect for Saint Clair's current leaders, but said he thinks having a younger voice like himself join them would benefit the borough. 'It's something I've wanted to do for a long time,' he said of his run for office. Herndon said that if elected, he would prioritize supporting small businesses in town, try to get more children involved in youth programs such as sports, work to attract more volunteers to Saint Clair's five fire companies, and attempt to bring natural gas service to the borough, which he feels could save residents money on their home heating bills. He said that he hopes his efforts as a firefighter shows his commitment to the borough, and said that work has taught him a lot about the town. 'We're a tight-knit community, and I get to see how we pull together even during tough times,' he said of the fire calls he has responded to. Herndon invited anyone with questions about his plans for the borough to reach out to him. 'I'm hoping people are willing to give a young guy a shot,' he said.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pottsville parents' testimony supports suspended athletic director
Several Pottsville parents testified Tuesday during a termination hearing for a suspended athletic administrator that they did not worry about messages and social media interactions that their daughters received from him. The second round of the hearing for Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, 37, a former University of Iowa football star hired May 22 as Pottsville School District's director of athletics and student activities, included about seven hours of testimony. In October the district suspended him — first with pay and a day later without pay — after school officials charged him with violating 11 district policies and the state school code and ignoring repeated instruction and warnings from administrators to correct his behavior. District officials say that he did not perform his job well, that his conduct was improper and that he crossed professional boundaries with children through text messages and by commenting on, reposting and adding emojis to Instagram posts. On Tuesday, though, the mothers of two female Pottsville High School students said that they never thought of Johnson-Koulianos's online communication with their girls as being sexually suggestive or otherwise out-of-line. The parents were called as witnesses for Johnson-Koulianos by his attorney, Joseph Nahas of Frackville. Suspended Pottsville School District athletic administrator Derrell Johnson-Koulianos during his termination hearing Tuesday. (MICHAEL URBAN/STAFF REPORTER) One mother spoke about his commenting on a photo of her daughter, who is a junior. As a parent she saw his use of fire emojis and phrases like 'fire fits' and 'immaculate vibes' in reference to their clothing and appearance as his way of communicating with students in language they can relate to. When asked by Nahas whether it bothered her, the parent said, 'absolutely not.' 'I really thought nothing of it,' she said. 'That's typical of the way kids to talk to kids.' Another mother, whose daughter's post about winning a volleyball award was reposted by Johnson-Koulianos, said that she saw that action as him promoting a Pottsville athlete. Nahas also called as a witness a 19-year-old Pottsville senior who testified that she was called in to speak with district officials and Pottsville Police about a rumor circulating the school that she and Johnson-Koulianos had sexual contact, which she denied. When asked where the accusation came from, she said, 'I have no idea.' Her mother also testified, and she, too, denied the allegation made about Johnson-Koulianos having sex with her daughter. Johnson-Koulianos was never criminally charged with that offense, but Nahas said that accusation was still the main reason behind his suspension. The Pottsville administration was represented by attorney Sarah Modrick, who said that is not accurate. While the district investigated that allegation, it was not among the district's charges against him and did not bring his suspension, she said. The real reasons behind his suspension, Modrick said, were explained by the witnesses she called: Dr. Jared Gerace, the district's director of curriculum, instruction and assessment and its safety and security coordinator; Tiffany Hummel, who is the high school principal; and Scott Mattea, assistant athletic director and activities treasurer. The three testified about Johnson-Koulianos's failures to fulfill his duties as an administrator, to follow district guidelines about staff-student relationships, and his insubordination as he continued to reach out to district staff, students and officials during his suspension although administrators ordered him not to. The district's investigation into Johnson-Koulianos 'substantiated that he violated professional boundaries,' Gerace said. The hearing is tentatively scheduled to resume on April 7, with Johnson-Koulianos to be the next witness to testify. When the hearing concludes, hearing officer Marc Fisher of Allentown will make a report to the board and recommend that it either fire or retain Johnson-Koulianos. That recommendation is not binding, though, and the board members are free to vote as they choose. Several board members were present during Tuesday's testimony. An expanded version of this story will be posted Wednesday on and will run in Thursday's print edition.
