n New Philadelphia: A cash bingo will be held at Advance Sports Development, 15 Alliance St., the Simon Kramer Institute, on April 7. Doors and concessions will open at 5:30 p.m. and bingo will start at 6:30 p.m. The cost is $25 for a package. There will be a player’s pool and jackpot specials. For more information, call Melissa Clarke at 570-527-9634.
n Pine Grove: Hershey’s ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park will again make an appearance at the Sweet Arrow Lake County Park Clubhouse at 7 p.m. April 19. It will present “Paws, Claws, Scales and Tails,” a variety program that focuses on the adaptations animals use in the wild for defense, finding food, eating, swimming and escaping predators, according to a park press release. Live animals will be featured in the program, which is free and open to the public, made possible through a grant from the Schuylkill Area Community Foundation. For more information, call 570-345-8952.
n Pottsville: The ASSE International Student Exchange Program is seeking local host families for boys and girls from a variety of countries around the world, according to an ASSE press release. The students are 15 to 18 years old and coming to the area for the upcoming high school year or semester. The “personable and academically select exchange students have good English, are bright, curious and anxious to learn about the USA by living as part of your family, attending high school and sharing their own culture and language with you,” organizers said in the release. The exchange students will arrive from their home countries shortly before school begins and return at the end of the school year or semester. Each ASSE student is “fully insured, brings his or her own personal spending money and expects to bear his or her share of household responsibilities, as well as being included in normal family activities and lifestyles.” Families may select the youngster of their choice from student applications, family photos and biographical essays. To become a host family or find out more about ASSE and its programs, call Sue at 732-515-8203 or 800-677-2773, or visit www.asse.com.
n Pottsville: Schuylkill County Treasurer Linda L. Marchalk and Sheriff Joseph G. Groody have announced their offices will be open from 8:30 a.m. to noon Saturday for people to buy dog licenses, fishing licenses and to renew or apply for a license to carry firearms. Groody, in a press release, said he will continue to offer Saturday hours “to better serve law-abiding county residents ... with the option to apply for a license to carry firearms.” The fee for the license is $20, payable with cash, check, money order or credit card. Current license holders can renew up to 60 days before the expiration date. Applicants must be 21 or older and must provide a current and valid Pennsylvania driver’s license or a current PA identification card that has the applicant’s current address. Applicants must provide the name, full address and phone number of two references — references cannot be family members. Applications will be processed and mailed to the applicant’s home address. Applications also are online at www.co.schuylkill.pa.us under the sheriff home page. Regarding dog licenses, state law requires that all dogs three months or older be licensed by Jan. 1 and failure to license a dog can carry a fine of up to $300 for each unlicensed dog. An annual license is $8.50 and a lifetime license is $51.50, according to the release. If the dog is spayed or neutered, the annual fee is $6.50 while a lifetime license is $31.50. Reduced rates are available for senior citizens and people with disabilities. Marchalk said the Saturday hours “give dog owners a chance to be compliant with state law and not force county residents to take time off of work to get a dog license.” Dog licenses are also available through local dog agents or by visiting www.padoglicense.com. A list of downloadable applications are available at www.co.schuylkill.pa.us/Offices/Treasurer/Treasurer.asp. Marchalk also said fishing licenses are available. The cost for an annual resident adult license is $22.70. The fee for annual senior licenses is $11.70. The cost for the trout/salmon permit is $9.70. For more information about licenses, call 570-628-1433 and about gun permits, 570-628-1440.