The Mifflin County Library reopened on March 3, after an extended closing due to remodeling and construction.

Since reopening, the library has served as a “vibrant community (hub), connecting people with knowledge, technology, and resources,” and it is for that reason, among many others, the Commissioners adopted April 6 through 12 as National Library Week for 2025.

The proclamation was approved unanimously on the board of Commissioners, stating that libraries “spark creativity, fuel imagination, and inspire lifelong learning.”

Present at the meeting to accept the Proclamation was Executive Director Susan Miriello who expressed gratitude on behalf of the board and staff.

Sentinel photo by LIV SUYDAM
The Mifflin County Library’s Assistant Director, Shelly Sweigart accepts the National Library Week 2025 Proclamation from Mifflin County Commissioner Kevin Kodish at Thursday’s Commissioner meeting. Also pictured, from left, Commissioner Noah Wise, Children’s Librarian Kelly Rodenbaugh, Kodish, Sweigart, Library Executive Director Susan Miriello, Commissioner Rob Postal, Library board member Marsy Zook, and Library Board President Roxie Garrett.

In addition to national Library Week, April will be busy as it has just been deemed as Child Abuse Prevention Month and Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

“Every 11 seconds, a child is reported abused or neglected in the United States, one in ten children will be sexually abused before they are 18 and for every incident of child abuse reported, its estimated that two incidents go unreported,” shared Children and Youth Executive Director Nicole Patkalitsky. “Hearing statitics like these are hard, its hard to comprehend and even harder on our hearts, shying away from a difficult subject like child abuse doesn’t make it go away, silence about child abuse allows perpetrators to continue hurting children, even one instance of child abuse is too many.”

The Child Abuse Prevention Month Proclamation was adopted, stating that the “early experiences of a child impact them throughout life” and “we must work together as a community to increase awareness about child abuse” so that we can promote the well-being of children in safe environments.

Patkalitsky and the Commissioners expressed gratitude to the case workers who respond to child abuse incidents to ensure the safety of children.

“April is child abuse awareness month, but we should be thinking about this every day,” said Patkalitsky.

The month of April will also be dedicating to raising awareness for sexual assault under the theme “Together We Act, United We Change.”

Sexual abuse affects individuals of every background and April will be focused on “(promoting) education around consent, healthy communication, and bystander intervention.”

The Proclamation states, “everyone in our community deserves to live in safe and supportive environments where they are treated with respect.”

Rebecca Wills, the Public Training Coordinator of the Abuse Network, thanked the Commissioners for “showing (their) support to survivors and partnering with (the Abuse Network) to bring awareness to the fact that sexual violence is a pervasive issue in Mifflin County.”

To raise awareness, this year the Abuse Network will be hosting a social media competition- “Selfies with the Goose.

The Network has a goose in the community as well as a “travelling goose” that will be the object of the social media event.

Selfies with either goose during the month of April can be submitted to the Abuse Networks social media page to be entered in a drawing to win a 25 dollar gift card to Giant.

Also discussed at Thursday’s meeting was an election update from Paula Hoffman, Director of Elections.

According to Hoffman, mail in ballots are being prepared and are estimated to be sent out in the end of April or beginning of May.

The last day to apply for a mail-in ballot will be May 13, 2025; the last day to register as a new voter or and make changes to your address, your party, or your name is May 5, 2025.

Currently, if a person is interested in registering as a new voter, they must present a valid driver’s licence or the last four digits of their social security number.

In other business, the Commissioners:

Approved the request of exonerating the county delinquent real estate taxes and relieving Kathy Whitsel, Assistant Director of Tax Services from collecting these taxes;

Approved two Parcels for the removal of mobile homes;

Extended the termination date for the Subrecipient with the Municipal Authority to Dec. 31, 2025;

Agreed to act as the host to allow the financing for Geisinger School of Nursing to progress under the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant;

Approved paying Mid-State Construction, Inc. $59,961.28 for improvements to the Derry Township Senior Center;

Approved paying SE Construction Group, LLC $324,622.80 for the Hawstone Water Extension Project;

Approved the Armagh Township Act 13 Grant for $13,843.00 to be used for enhancements to the walking trail;

Approved the Purchase of Service Agreement by Children and Youth to continuing working with Meagan Hopkins, Esquire of Johnson, Duffie, Stewart and Weidner PC in Lemoyne;

Approved the following personnel changes: Rescinded the hiring of Caden Stine that was to be effective March 10; Promotion of David Villega from part-time to full-time Corrections Officer effective April 6; Hiring of Suzanne Vecanski for Children and Youth Caseworker effective April 7; Retirement of Laurie Kozak from Chief Deputy Sheriff effective April 9; Promotion of James Aumiller from Sheriff Deputy to Chief Sheriff Deputy effective April 9; Promotion of Nicholas Loudenslager from Part-time to Full-time Sheriff Deputy effective April 9; Hiring of Robin Smith for a Clerk in the Sheriff’s Office effective April 28; Hiring of Zoey Johnson for Children and Youth Caseworker effective May 27; Retirement of Ann Ford from Clerk in the Sheriff Office effective May 30; Hiring of Makenzi Beward for Probation Officer effective June 2; Hiring of Sonya Yoder for a Probation intern for the period June 9 through July 11.

The Commissioners will meet on Thursday, April 17 at 9 a.m. for the next regularly scheduled meeting.