SHAMOKIN -- It's hard to find someone in Shamokin who does not know about the charges against Mayor Bill Milbrand, regarding desecrating graves and covering them with dirt.
Over the weekend, the Northumberland County district attorney announced plans to drop those charges. But the case still has people talking.
This whole situation involves accusations that grave sites at Shamokin Cemetery were damaged during the construction of a cell tower.
Mayor Bill Milbrand heads the cemetery association.
Now after a weekend of news releases and news conferences, people in Shamokin are digesting the news that the charges against the mayor are being withdrawn.
"It's their word against his word," Kurt Sliker said.
The case surrounds a cell phone tower construction project at the Shamokin Cemetery. Mayor Bill Milbrand heads the cemetery association.
Last month, Shamokin police charged Milbrand with 42 counts, including vandalizing graves. But over the weekend, things changed.
Northumberland County District Attorney Tony Matulewicz announced plans to withdraw all charges.
Milbrand and his attorney held a news conference the next day.
"This has been an incredibly difficult experience for me. I knew that I did nothing wrong," Milbrand said Sunday.
But not everyone in Shamokin agrees.
"People in high places, unfortunately, they get away a lot more with doing bad things than the average joe citizen," Abdul Faiz said.
"I think it shouldn't be. Because that's dealing with the dead," Sliker said.
Others are pleased.
"The mayor didn't do any digging. (It was) the guys that were putting the pole up. So if he was going to go after anybody he should have gone after them," Nellie Nadzon said.
"They're just trying to give him a fair shake. He did the contract, supposedly. He told them what was said, maybe not be documented. Give him the benefit of the doubt," Don Kozar said.
Mayor Milbrand says he wants the state attorney general to investigate the Shamokin police officer's actions. Northumberland County District Attorney Tony Matulewicz says he plans to do just that.
Matulewicz said, "Given the facts and circumstances of this case I believe that an investigation is fully warranted."
The Northumberland County D.A. also says that he never approved the charges against Mayor Milbrand.
As for the cell phone tower, there's no word on if or when it will be finished.
The mayor says he wanted to use money from the tower for the upkeep of the Shamokin Cemetery.