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Reliving the Knox disaster: Film on mine tragedy debuts to sellout crowd

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Wilkes-Barre officers seeking wanted man

West Hazleton manpleads to child-sex countsWILKES-BARRE &#8212; A West Hazleton man pleaded guilty to two counts of corruption of minors after investigators said he sexually assaulted two children during a sleepover.Ralph Simmons, of West Green Street, entered guilty pleas on the two misdemeanor counts on Tuesday before Luzerne County Judge Michael T. Vough.Two charges of indecent assault of a person less than 13 were withdrawn.Simmons was accused of molesting two children, ages 8 and 4, at a sleepover late last May.Police said the children were staying at Simmons&#8217; home for a sleepover when he began molesting one of them. When the child got out of bed and moved farther away from Simmons, he began molesting the other child.Vough set Simmons&#8217; sentencing for March 27. Simmons&#8217; bail was revoked and he was remanded to the Luzerne County Correctional Facility.Ashley woman admitsindecency with teen boyWILKES-BARRE &#8212; An Ashley woman entered guilty pleas on two charges Tuesday after investigators say she had sex with a 15-year-old boy.Kala Evon Fuller pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count each of corruption of minors and indecent assault of a person less than 16 before Luzerne County Judge Michael T. Vough.The most serious charge against her, a felony count of statutory sexual assault, along with misdemeanor counts of tampering with evidence and furnishing alcohol to a minor were dropped by prosecutors.Police say Fuller was in a relationship with the teen for months and was caught having sex with the boy in a bedroom of her home by his older brother in June 2017.When police arrived, they say Fuller and the boy ran out the backdoor. A used condom was found discarded in a creek behind the house.Vough set Fuller&#8217;s sentencing for April 23. She remains free on $15,000 unsecured bail.NYC man pleads guiltyin Hazle Twp. assaultWILKES-BARRE &#8212; A New York City man who had been charged with numerous counts after he allegedly assaulted both an EMS worker and a police officer pleaded guilty to a single count of simple assault Tuesday.Christopher Pichardo, originally of the Bronx, pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor count before Luzerne County Judge Michael T. Vough.Additional charges, including a felony count of aggravated assault, were withdrawn.Pichardo was accused of punching an EMS worker from American Patient Transport Systems in the pelvis in November 2017. The EMS worker was responding to a Hazle Township home for reports of a man in respiratory distress.State and local police were called to the scene, and Pichardo continued to struggle. While officers were preparing to transport him to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Hazleton to be checked for respiratory issues, he kicked a Hazleton officer in the chest and spit in his eye.Vough set Pichardo&#8217;s sentencing for March 27. &#8212; By Patrick Kernan<style>
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<div class="neCaption">Simmons </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_Ralph-Simmons-07182018.jpg</photo0><caption0>Simmons </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>

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