MONTROSE — A teachers’ strike left Montrose Area School District classrooms empty Tuesday as union members picketed in downtown Montrose, Lathrop Street Elementary and the Montrose Area Jr.-Sr. High School.

Montrose Education Association President Teri Evans said about 125 teachers are involved in the showing of “solidarity and unity.” MEA issued a strike notice in late February, after contract negotiations stalled. The teachers’ contract expired in August 2015.

Ms. Evans said MEA had presented what it believes to be a fair and reasonable proposal that was within the financial means of the district.

“Everything can be solved over the negotiation table,” Ms. Evans said. “At any time, we’re ready to meet.”

The district and union last met on Wednesday, March 23, according to Superintendent Carol Boyce.

“At that time, the district presented a full explanation of its proposal,” Ms. Boyce said. “MEA rejected that proposal completely and did not offer a counter-proposal or one of its own.”

Ms. Boyce said the district offered to take the negotiations to neutral, state-appointed fact-finding in February and again last week. She said MEA refused the offer.

“It’s actually the next logical step in the process of negotiation once you reach impasse,” Ms. Boyce said. After the offer in February, she said, “MEA countered with the strike notice.”

Pennsylvania State Education Association representative James Maria said the district’s offers have moved backward since talks began, with less money being offered than had been. He said MEA had proposed a contract that would bring savings to health care but the large amount of dollars on the table “kept evaporating.”

“There was a half million dollars of savings,” Mr. Maria said. “All of a sudden, it goes away.”

Negotiations also hinge on raises. Ms. Boyce said MEA has been unwilling to discuss the district’s public school retirement obligations.

“They said the retirement amount is ‘not in their purview,’” she said, adding that Montrose can’t shoulder the cost of the union’s proposal and continue with its “PSRS obligation, which continues to increase.”

This year, Montrose Area will pay over 21 percent of its salary amount into the state pension; that amount is expected to increase over the years until the district pays 30 percent of its salary obligations to PSRS.

Ms. Boyce said that she and school board members have received emails and phone calls from district residents and taxpayers encouraging the board to “hold firm.”

“They say they can’t afford to pay more,” Ms. Boyce said.

Ms. Evans said MEA has also received support from community members and by passersby as they hit the picket line Tuesday morning.

Both side expressed a willingness to come to the table.

Ms. Boyce said the district is open to continuing negotiation session but said no dates for meetings have been established. Ms. Evans said MEA is willing to meet with the board to work toward a resolution.

Montrose teachers can strike until April 11, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Classes must resume on April 12 in order for the district to meet its 180 educational days by June 15.

Sports and activities are not affected by the strike, Ms. Boyce said. Coaches and club activity advisors are handled on a salary schedule outside the collective bargaining unit. “We expect coaches and advisors with after-school activities to be there to supervise and coach,” Ms. Boyce said.

Families have been asked to bring students to the school and the late bus is providing transportation after activities.

Students taking classes at the Susquehanna County Career & Technology Center are also being transported, as are special education students enrolled in programs outside of the district.

Nine Montrose Area students will also be attending All-State music festival this week, Ms. Boyce said.

During the strike, members of the Montrose Education Association planned use their time to perform some community service, including a clean-up at Memorial Park in Montrose and work on dugouts in Choconut.

They are also coordinating a canned food drive and will be handing out food donations today from 5-6 p.m. at the Laundromat located on the corner of Lathrop Street and Grow Avenue, Montrose; and Choconut Children’s Center near the intersection of state Route 267 and Quaker Lake Road.

Families will receive a jar of peanut butter, a jar of jelly, a box of graham crackers, a can of pears, a can of peaches, a box of granola bars, cups of applesauce and a loaf of wheat bread.

Contact the writer: swilson@independentweekender.com

SCRANTON — Repair work to a bridge on Interstate 81 South closed a lane and will likely cause traffic delays for rush-hour commuters heading home.

Crews are completing repairs to a bridge between Exit 184, River Street, and Exit 182B, Davis Street, and are expected to finish sometime between 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m., state Department of Transportation spokesman Michael Taluto said.

The left lane is closed while crews work.

In one of the first increases in joblessness in the last six months, unemployment in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metro area rose two-tenths of a percentage point in February, to 5.3 percent.

However, observers of local employment say the uptick is most likely a minor fluctuation and not a twist of fortune.

“For that time of year, February, you typically see pressure on employment as retail and activities such as construction, mining and logging slow down,” said Dana Harris, Ph.D., professor of business at Keystone College.

“Without signs of a broader trend, that move is more of a statistical fluke,” Dr. Harris said.

According to data released Tuesday by the state Department of Labor & Industry, the increase came as the labor force nudged down 300 in February and the number of those employees fell by 1,000 on a seasonally-adjusted basis. Those factors resulted in a small jump in the unemployed. The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area had the fifth highest jobless rate among the state’s 18 metro areas. Johnstown had the highest unemployment rate at 6.1 percent; Gettysburg has lowest at 3.3 percent.

Within the local metro area, Luzerne County had 5.8 percent joblessness, Lackawanna County 5.2, and Wyoming County 5.9.

Year-over-year establishment data, the count of jobs in the area based on sector, showed gains of 2,300 jobs in the catch-all sector of professional and business services. Retail trade saw 900 fewer jobs, offset somewhat by 500-job gain in transportation warehousing and utilities. Other changes from February 2015 were more minor.

It was an uneventful month overall with joblessness unchanged on the state and national levels at 4.6 and 4.9, respectively. Considering broader economic trends, Dr. Harris expects local unemployment to be stable in the near term.

“We were at 6 percent unemployment a year ago and since then we had only moderate decreases in the labor force and now have more people working,” Dr. Harris said. “We are still moving in the right direction.”

Contact the writer: dfalchek@timesshamrock.com

Kevin Ryce forced Renee Williams to marry him under threat of death. He punched her in the face just hours after the wedding. Now he’s going to jail for six years.

A Lackawanna County judge punished Mr. Ryce Tuesday with a heavy sentence of 33 months to six years in state prison.

On Friday, June 26, police arrived at Mr. Ryce’s Mayfield home at 508 Hudson St. to find Ms. Williams with a bloody nose. Mayfield police were familiar with the pair, having answered previous calls for domestic violence. In the past, she had not wanted to pursue charges against Mr. Ryce for fear of retaliation, according to the police report.

The couple had just been married earlier in the day. At their wedding reception in Jessup, Mr. Ryce grabbed Ms. Williams by the neck, then later punched her in the face, accusing her of being unfaithful.

In the days leading up to the wedding, the defendant had threatened his reluctant fiancee with a knife, saying he would cut her throat if she didn’t go through with the marriage.

On Tuesday, Mr. Ryce, a 36-year-old former personal trainer, appeared in court in green prison clothes and shackles. He accepted full responsibility “for punching Renee,” he said, and vowed to stay away from alcohol.

He has been serving six months in jail for a violation of the protection from abuse order she had filed against him. While incarcerated, he sent a “non-threatening” letter to Ms. Williams, who has moved out of state, Deputy District Attorney Gene Riccardo said. The PFA against him forbid him from contacting her.

Prior to the sentencing, Mr. Ryce had pleaded guilty to terroristic threats, simple assault and criminal mischief, all misdemeanors.

Mr. Riccardo called the long prison sentence one of the more significant he had seen for a domestic abuse case in more than a decade as a prosecutor. Because of Mr. Ryce’s long history of violent abuse, Judge Michael Barrasse sentenced him in the aggravated range of state sentencing guidelines.

The judge told Mr. Ryce he had turned something beautiful into a tragedy.

The marriage has been annulled, Ms. Williams’ attorney, Kurt Lynott, said.

Contact the writer: pcameron@timesshamrock.com, @pcameronTT on Twitter

If you are facing danger of abuse, call the Women’s Resource Center’s crisis hotline at 1-800-257-5765 or 570-346-4671.

Scranton double pension recipients challenging attempts to halt their excess benefits will be permitted to subpoena witnesses and documents in preparing their cases, according to an agreement reached Tuesday.

The deal between nonuniform pension board solicitor Larry Durkin and several attorneys representing the retirees resolves one of the issues in the case. A dispute still remains over the procedure the board selected to determine if the payments will cease and/or if retirees will have to pay back money already received.

Judith Price, lead attorney for the retirees, wants to question people who were involved in negotiating and instituting the 2002 retirement incentive that is at the heart of the dispute. She was unable to do so, however, because Mr. Durkin maintained the legal procedure under which the pension board is acting does not allow for that.

Mr. Durkin agreed to drop his opposition to the request following an hourlong, closed door meeting with the retirees’ attorneys and Senior Lackawanna County Judge Robert Mazzoni.

Speaking after the hearing, Ms. Price said it’s crucial that attorneys for the retirees be able to question people to fully understand what transpired. She declined to identify who she will subpoena.

“We are doing this to get to the truth. To get to the truth you need documents and to subpoena witnesses,” she said.

Ms. Price said she appreciates Mr. Durkin’s cooperation because it hopefully will help expedite resolution of the key issue in the case — whether the benefits were awarded properly.

The city’s nonuniform pension board voted in July to try to halt excess benefits granted to 26 people who retired under a 2002 incentive offered by then-mayor Chris Doherty and nine other people who retired in 2007, who were later deemed to qualify retroactively for the perk.

The decision was based on state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale’s June report that concluded that the double pensions were never authorized properly. The report noted that the city passed several ordinances approving an unspecified increase, but none specifically authorized the doubling of pensions.

The board settled with 12 of the retirees and opted not to pursue one case involving a retiree who died. It scheduled hearings for the remaining 22 people.

Mr. Durkin is proceeding under a section of the city code that dictates what must be done if a mistake is discovered in a retiree’s pension. The code obligates the city to correct the error and to recoup any money erroneously paid.

Ms. Price contends there was no mistake. Documents, including several ordinances and pension board and city council meeting minutes, show the city clearly agreed to increase benefits to entice people to retire, she said.

The case has been emotionally trying for the retirees, she said, as they did nothing wrong yet have been “demonized” by the public.

“They feel as though they are being made out as being greedy,” she said. “They’re in the grocery store and people come up to them and make accusations.”

The reality, she said, is many of the retirees wanted to continue working because they could not afford to retire on a normal pension, which paid $600 to $700 a month. The increased pension and promise of health care coverage was too good of a deal to refuse.

“They took it in reliance on that promise,” she said. “Now, 13 years later, the pension board is saying we made a mistake?”

Judge Mazzoni did not hear any evidence Tuesday regarding the propriety of the payments. The hearing was called to hear arguments on an injunction Ms. Price sought to prevent the pension board from holding hearings on the matter.

Ms. Price filed a lawsuit in January that challenges the board’s appointment of two hearing examiners to hear the cases. She contends the case centers on a contract dispute, therefore a labor arbitrator should hear the matter.

Judge Mazzoni postponed ruling on that matter to give attorneys time to subpoena witness and obtain documents. The new hearing is scheduled for June 16 at 9:30 a.m.

Contact the writer: tbesecker@timesshamrock.com, @tbeseckerTT on Twitter

Their baking benefits

Griffin Shelter pets

Pet owners bringing their animal companions to Memorial Veterinary Hospital of Dickson City got to help other pets with the assistance of Cara and Julia Noto.

Cousins Cara and Julia baked and sold their creations during a bake sale at Julia’s dad’s (Dr. Robert J. Noto’s ) pet hospital. Robert matched what they raised, allowing them to present $876 to Griffin Pond Animal Shelter.

Both avid animal lovers, the girls presented the check to Sam Rutkowski and puppy Jasper at the shelter earlier this month.

Super students

Alex Frisbie of Springbrook Twp. and Michael J. Genello of Scranton were among the third-year dental students at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine chosen to make a presentation at the American Dental Education Association annual session in Denver on March 13. They presented “A Student Perspective: Andragogy in Today’s Curriculum” under the direction of faculty adviser Dr. Alexandre Vieira . Michael is a graduate of West Scranton High School and the University of Scranton. Alex is a North Pocono graduate. ... Brianna Caprio and Kristine Lewis, both of Carbondale, were initiated into the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines, at Arcadia University. ... Wilkes University students Morgan DeAngelo of Exeter, Emily Herron of Pittston Twp., Mariah Kresefski of Old Forge, Neishmy Rodriguez of Scranton and Leslie Shumlas of West Pittston chose to spend their break contributing to underprivileged communities in Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and rural Kentucky.

High notes

Beta Rho Chapter of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International officers for the 2016-2018 biennium including Dr. Nancy Simon, president; Ann Gay, first vice president; Pat Carpenter, second vice president and corresponding secretary; Kathy Fuller, Barbara Davis, recording secretary; and Carol Davis, treasurer, will be installed during the next meeting of women educators from Bradford, Susquehanna and Wyoming counties at the First Presbyterian Church in Montrose on Saturday, May 7.

Abingtons

Senior day: Voluntary Action Cen­ter Senior Day at Waverly Com­mu­nity House, Thursday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., information on Medi­care, eligibility for financial assistance programs, volunteering, health and wellness opportunities.

League meeting: Abington Heights Civic League meeting, Monday, 7 p.m., clubhouse, 115 Colburn Ave., Clarks Summit; 570-587-3101.

Carbondale

Pasta dinner: Boy Scout Troop 8 pasta dinner, Saturday, 4:30-7:30 p.m., St. Rose Family Center, 6 N. Church St.; $8, takeouts available; 570-510-7391, 570-785-5216 or at door.

Lackawanna County

Food distribution: Scranton-Lackawanna Human Develop­ment Agency Inc. Emergency Food Assistance Program admin­istered commodities distribution today to income eligible county residents, 9 a.m., Jeffer­son Twp. Lions Club, Lions Road, Mount Cobb and Throop Civic Center, 500 Sanderson St., first-come, first-served, bring bags and boxes.

Pig roast: Keystone Chapter UNICO charity pig roast, April 9, 6-10:30 p.m., Fiorelli’s, $50, to benefit Voluntary Action Center; sponsorship opportunities, Mark McDade, 570-343-7009; reservations, James Mack, 570-342-7975.

North Pocono

School play: North Pocono High School presents ​“Lucky Stiff,” Friday-Saturday, 7 p.m., auditorium, $10/adults, $7/senior citizens and students; dinner theater, Thursday, for community members 55 and older, 5 p.m. dinner and 6 p.m. show; 570-842-7606.

Regional

Group meets: Blankets for Vets meeting, Monday, noon-2 p.m., VFW Shopa-Davey Post, 123 Elec­tric St., Peckville; 570-587-5087 or blanketsforvets@gmail.com.

Scranton

Society events: Dante Literary Society “Night of Comedic Vig­nettes” directed by Lou Bisig­nani, Friday-Saturday, doors, 7 p.m., curtain, 8; $10, cash bar; tickets, 570-342-1770.

West Pittston

Photo session: West Pittston Cherry Blossom Committee photo session/meeting Thurs­day, 6 p.m., river bank of Sus­quehanna Avenue; wear Cherry Blossom attire for photos, meeting on upcoming events follows.

South Scranton

Prayer shawl: St. Paul of the Cross Parish prayer shawl group meeting, Monday, 6 p.m., parish center, Prospect Avenue.

Seniors meet: South Scranton Friendly Seniors meeting Tues­day, 12:30 p.m., St. Paul of the Cross Parish Center.

CLIPBOARD ITEMS may be sent to yesdesk@timesshamrock.com or Clipboard, c/o YES!Desk, 149 Penn Ave., Scranton, PA 18503. YES!Desk, 570-348-9121.

UPDATE: The closure has been pushed back to April 22.

The Central Scranton Expressway will close for the April 8 weekend so crews can safely install safeguards to limit the chances of more wrong-way drivers on Interstate 81.

They will install flexible posts to delineate the inbound and outbound lanes created as part of the Harrison Avenue Bridge project and repave parts of the expressway’s increasingly rough surface, state Department of Transportation spokesman James May said.

Mr. May said the department will install the posts on existing double-yellow lines that separate the lanes and stretch a couple of hundred feet east and west of the bridge.

The flexible posts are meant as a further preventive measure to limit the possibility that someone headed out of the city mistakes the left, inbound lane as an outbound travel lane, he said.

Mr. May reminded that state police did not find definitive evidence that the current setup contributed to northbound drivers entering the southbound lanes of Interstate 81. Nonetheless, PennDOT surmised that someone used to traveling the normal two-lane expressway out of Scranton might have confused the left, inbound lane with the normal alignment, Mr. May said.

Continuing to drive in the left lane could lead a driver to head north on I-81 south.

Three wrong-way I-81 south crashes killed six people since October, including five in a Jan. 23 collision that led to homicide by vehicle and multiple other criminal charges against driver Gennadiy Manannikov, 28, of Lake Twp. Mr. Manannikov is still awaiting the scheduling of a new date for a preliminary hearing. He remains in Lackawanna County Prison, unable to post $750,000 bail.

State police said they do not know where Mr. Manannikov and the other wrong-way drivers entered the interstate. In a criminal affidavit, a trooper says Mr. Manannikov’s car was first spotted near mile marker 185, the location of the expressway interchange.

Early last month, PennDOT established flashing electronic billboards on the expressway to warn drivers of “Two-way traffic,” to “Stay in lane,” and “Do not pass.”

The flexible posts will give way if a vehicle hits them. PennDOT chose posts because the inbound and outbound lanes are too narrow to have room for concrete barriers, Mr. May said.

Crews will close the expressway and all its access points at 8 p.m. on Friday, April 8. The expressway is scheduled to reopen at 8 p.m. on Sunday, April 10. PennDOT originally planned to close the expressway this weekend, but decided to postpone the work a week to allow for paving.

Officials at the University of Scranton, situated near the city end of the expressway, welcomed the postponement. The university’s annual preview day for accepted incoming freshman is scheduled for Saturday.

“You’re looking at a couple thousand people coming in,” university spokesman Stan Zygmunt said. “It’s much more convenient if it’s open.”

The Harrison Avenue Bridge spans the expressway and Roaring Brook and connects South Scranton to the city’s Hill Section. PennDOT is replacing the bridge at a cost of $17.8 million. The construction began in the fall of 2014 with completion in expected in the summer of 2017.

Contact the writer: bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com

PLAINS TWP. — Luzerne County’s district attorney says federal authorities will handle the case of a VA nurse accused of assisting in a surgery while drunk.

District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis made the announcement Tuesday after Magisterial District Judge Joseph D. Spagnuolo withdrew three charges against former nurse Richard Pieri at a preliminary hearing.

It’s unknown what federal charges Pieri will face.

Pieri had been charged with recklessly endangering another person, public drunkenness and driving under the influence after police said he assisted with an emergency surgery on the night of Feb. 4 at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center after he admitted to drinking between four or five beers at Mohegan Sun Pocono casino earlier that evening.

Pieri, 59, of Drums, told police he had forgotten he was on call that night. Surveillance footage showed him stumbling out of his pickup and nearly falling into a concrete barrier on his way into the hospital for the surgery, police said.

Pieri resigned from his position at the hospital on March 2, just two days after medical center officials initiated disciplinary action against him. The state Board of Nursing suspended Pieri’s license that same week.

Leaving the judge’s office, Pieri declined multiple times to comment on his alleged actions.

Federal charges against Pieri had not been filed by Tuesday afternoon.

sscinto@citizensvoice.com

@sscintoCV, 570-821-2048

SCRANTON — The U.S. Marshals Service announced the arrest of a woman facing sex abuse charges.

Dunmore police filed charges, including indecent assault of a person less than 13 years old, against Brittany Lepkowski, 25, formerly of Scranton, earlier this month. After receiving a tip that she might be in western Pennsylvania, marshals apprehended Ms. Lepkowski Tuesday in New Castle.

DICKSON CITY — Borough council unanimously approved on Tuesday a memorandum regarding the seniority of acting police chief William Bilinski.

Mr. Bilinski resigned as chief in January and agreed to serve as acting chief until a replacement is found, after which he will return as a full-time borough officer.

The agreement states that Mr. Bilinski retains his seniority for longevity pay, vacation computation, attrition and tenure used to calculate his retirement.

For shift picks, time-off requests, overtime, extra duty and mandatory work, Mr. Bilinski agrees to be the eighth pick.

PLAINS TWP. — A former Mohegan Sun Pocono employee accused of stealing more than $25,000 from the casino will face charges in Luzerne County court.

At a preliminary hearing Tuesday, James Clayton Benczkowski, of Duryea, waived charges of theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property onto Luzerne County Court. Magisterial District Judge Joseph Spagnuolo withdrew a third charge of theft by deception at the hearing.

State police said Benczkowski worked as a slot supervisor at the casino and used the money he stole to buy prescription painkillers from a casino patron who is related to another employee.

Police started investigating Benczkowski in September.

According to a criminal complaint, Benczkowski would fill out fraudulent “paid out” slips when resolving patron disputes involving the slot machines. The casino audited all of his transactions, finding that of 523 transactions Benczkowski initiated between May 2014 and September, 314 involved theft, police said.

The total loss was $26,152, according to police.

Benczkowski is no longer employed at the casino.

The alleged theft marked the second time this year a casino employee was accused of cheating the business. In January, state police charged three people — including Robert Joseph Pellegrini, the casino’s former vice president of player development — with using $478,100 in free slot play to win $418,793 between May 2, 2014, and April 4, 2015.

Benczkowski will be arraigned on the remaining charges on June 2 at 9 a.m. in Luzerne County Court.

sscinto@citizensvoice.com

@sscintoCV, 570-821-2048

A demolition crew razes the former Martz Trailways station, 23 Lackawanna Avenue in Scranton on March 29, 2016 to make way for a state office parking lot.

Bus companies now operate at 30 Lackawanna Avenue in the Lackawanna Intermodal Center that opened in January.

Michael J. Mullen / Staff Photographer
 

Once the site of the former Delaware & Hudson passenger station, Greyhound built the terminal in May of 1974 at a price of $600,000. Martz moved to the location in 1988.

Michael J. Mullen / Staff Photographer

Lackawanna County agreed to a tentative settlement of two federal lawsuits filed by two inmates who were sexually assaulted by a prison guard, a county spokesman confirmed Wednesday.

Details of the settlements were not immediately available. Donald Frederickson, general counsel for the county, said terms of the deal have not been finalized and attorneys were instructed by the court not to discuss the case until the agreement is final.

The two sides reached an agreement Tuesday following a settlement conference. The agreement resolves lawsuits filed by women who were sexually assaulted by prison guard Joseph Black.

Mr. Black pleaded guilty in September to sexually assaulting the two women and three other inmates and was sentenced to 45 months to eight years in state prison.

Attorney Matthew Comerford of Scranton filed suit in June 2013 on behalf of April Pleasants, who alleged Mr. Black sexually assaulted her several times between August and September 2011. The abuse came to light in October 2011, when Ms. Pleasants was transferred to a federal prison and revealed the assaults to an official there.

By policy, The Times-Tribune does not normally identify victims of sexual assault, but Ms. Pleasants gave permission to release her name. The other woman, represented by Joseph Welsh of Easton, filed suit in April 2013. She alleged she was sexually assaulted several times, starting in May 2011.

The settlement comes as Mr. Comerford took depositions of current and former guards, including Mr. Black, who identified several other guards whom he claims also engaged in sexual activity with inmates.

Mr. Comerford said on Wednesday he could not comment on the settlement. In a previous interview he was highly critical of the prison’s handling of allegations made against Mr. Black. Documents he obtained indicated the prison knew as early as January 2011 that Mr. Black was accused of having sexual contact with an inmate, but it failed to take action. Seven months later Mr. Black assaulted Ms. Pleasants.

Attempts to reach Mr. Welsh for comment were unsuccessful.

Contact the writer: tbesecker@timesshamrock.com, @tbeseckerTT on Twitter

SCRANTON — The preliminary hearing for the part-time Carbondale police officer charged with homicide for shooting a Fell Twp. man has been postponed until Tuesday at noon at the Lackawanna County Courthouse.

Patrolman Francis Schulze, who was off duty at the time of the shooting, turned himself in Thursday.

The officer is accused of exchanging words outside his Carbondale home with Joseph Molinaro, then following him before shooting him the night of Feb. 2. Patrolman Schulze said it was self-defense. He was initially denied bail and was housed in Lackawanna County Prison, but has been moved to the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for safety reasons.

His attorney Corey Kolcharno is trying to have him released on bail.

— PETER CAMERON

OLYPHANT — Firefighters from three towns converged on an Olyphant apartment Wednesday afternoon for a report of a fire.

Firefighters responded to 200 Lincoln Ave. at about 1 p.m. and fought the fire. By about 1:20 p.m., the fire appeared extinguished, but a second-floor window appeared burned. The siding above the window melted slightly.

It’s unclear if there were any injuries.

State police fire marshals responded to the blaze.

— JOSEPH KOHUT

SCRANTON — The planned temporary closing of the Central Scranton Expressway has been postponed to the April 22-24 weekend.

The state Department of Transportation had planned to close the expressway April 8-10 for paving and to install flexible posts on a double-yellow line that separates inbound and outbound lanes. The posts are meant to safeguard against the possibility of outbound drivers heading the wrong way on Interstate 81.

PennDOT spokesman James May said the department postponed after consulting with planners of the April 10 Scranton Half-Marathon. The marathon will close other city streets and city police will also busy with the event, Mr. May said.

A contractor couldn’t do the job the April 15-17 weekend so the project was pushed back another week, he said.

— BORYS KRAWCZENIUK

CARBONDALE — Crews from across the Upvalley are battling a blaze at a tavern in Carbondale this afternoon.

The call for the fire at Moran’s Tavern, 24 S. Main St., came in about 3:40 p.m. Less than an hour later, smoke pouring from the roof of the building could be seen from a mile away. Firefighters were ordered to vacate the building about 4:40 p.m.

Crews have Main Street blocked off between Salem Avenue and Eighth Avenue while firefighters work. A crowd of spectators gathered across the street to watch firefighters work.

Carbondale Mayor Justin Taylor said Moran’s is a landmark in Carbondale. The former owner was former Carbondale mayor, John Moran.

“It’s been here as long as I can remember,” Mr. Taylor said. “It’s our only true Irish pub on the main street.”

Mr. Moran’s nephew, Edward Larkin, is the current owner, Mr. Taylor said.

There are some apartments above the bar, Mr. Taylor said. Next door at Five Oaks Floral Shoppe, 26 S. Main St., people were taking bows, gift tags, flowers and other items from the rear of that building as crews worked. Apartments are above that business as well, Mr. Taylor said.

A narrow walkway separates Moran’s from the other neighboring building at 20 S. Main St., which is vacant, Mr. Taylor said. Wind pushed water and smoke toward that property and water sometimes dropped — and sometimes poured — from its roof.

Check back for updates.

Blakely

Pasty sale: Blakely Baptist Church pasty sale, April 23, 11 a.m.-noon, 201 Main St., $5.50; 570-489-9326, 570-489-3715 or 570-586-0797 by April 18.

East Benton

Chicken barbecue: East Benton United Methodist Church takeout-only spring chicken barbecue, April 9, 4-6 p.m., 200 Jor­dan Hollow Road; $9, $6/half chicken only; 570-983-8951.

Hamlin

Wreath class: Community Library of Lake & Salem Twps. springtime wreath class, Satur­day, 11 a.m., lower level of Community Library, $6, includes materials, pre-registration, pre-payment required; 570-689-0903.

Lackawanna County

Spring tea: Anthracite Heritage Museum spring tea time, April 16, 1:30 p.m., museum, McDade Park; teas, scones and savories; interactive program by Rosalind Benton, basket raffle, local artisan jewelry boutique; $20, ages 12 and up; 570-963-4804 by April 8; 570-963-4804 or www.anthracitemuseum.org.

Library fundraiser: Seventh annual Swingin’ On Vine for the Albright Memorial Library, May 27, 5-8 p.m., 500 block of Vine Street, Scranton; Paul LaBelle and the Exact Change, beer, wine, margaritas, raffles, food from local businesses; must be 21, $20/at event, $15/advance at Albright Memorial Library, Nan­cy Kay Holmes Branch Library, Library Express and online.

Prayer service: Lackawanna Bar Association National Day of Prayer service, May 5, noon, Posh at the Scranton Club, 570-969-9161.

Conversation hour: SIAMO Italian conversation hour, April 24, 2 p.m., Taylor Community Library, 710 S. Main St.; 570-290-7212, info@siamonepa.com or www.siamonepa.com.

Veterans concert: West Point Band and the Marywood Univer­sity Wind Ensemble “A Salute to Our Veterans — An American Celebration,” concert, April 17, 4 p.m., Sette LaVerghetta Cen­ter for Performing Arts at Mary­wood University, patriotic selections, renowned works by Amer­i­can composers, free; 845-938-2617 or www.westpointband.com, or West Point Band on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

Maplewood

Spring dinner: Maplewood Fire and Rescue Company Auxiliary spring dinner, April 30, 4-7 p.m., Lake Henry and Silkman roads, takeouts, 3-4 p.m., $10/adults, $5/10 and under, free/

preschool.

Pittston

Communion Mass: Knights of Columbus John F Kennedy Council 372 Communion Mass, Sunday, 9 a.m., Oblates of St. Joseph, Route 315; breakfast follows, Knights home, 55 S. Main St., honoring new life mem­bers; $10, Knights home or officers; G.K. Rick Korpusik, 570-814-2189, F.N. Fran Anken­brand, 570-954-8147.

Regional

BSA dinner: NEPA Council of Boy Scouts of America annual dinner, April 19, 6 p.m., Best Western Genetti Hotel and Con­ference Center, Wilkes-Barre, Joyce Fasula and Denise Cesare recipients of 2016 Disting­uished Citizens Awards, speaker: Joe Theisman; Becky Mozel­eski, rmozeleski@nepabsa.org or Marcel L. Cinquina. mcinqui

na@nepabsa.org or 570-207-1227, ext. 226.

Scranton

Flea market: Salvation Army flea market, May 7, vendor registration: call office, $20/indoor table, $15/outdoor, bring own table; Sally Cafe open for lunch.

Pierogi sale: St. Nicholas Orth­odox Church selling fresh homemade pierogies, Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., 505 Jeffer­son Ave., $7/dozen; 570-344-1522.

Clothing drive: Providence United Presbyterian Church Used Clothing and Shoe Drive for North Scranton Food Pan­try, Friday-May 1, dropbox in court off 1145 Providence Road; clothing, shoes, handbags, stuffed animals, curtains, drapes, other textiles, 570-346-0804.

South Scranton

Watch cleanup: South Side Neighbor­hood Watch cleanup at South Webster and Breck Street, Sunday, noon-2 p.m., volunteers needed; 570-955-0258.

Wyoming County

Bus trip: Wyoming County Players bus Trip to Sight & Sound, Lancaster, April 15, leaves Tunkhannock, 8 a.m., returns, 10 p.m., $99, includes bus fare and ticket; 570-836-6986 or kimdwhip

ple@frontier.com.

CLIPBOARD ITEMS may be emailed to yesdesk@times

shamrock.com or mailed to Clipboard, c/o the YES!Desk at 149 Penn Ave., Scranton, 18503. YES!Desk, 570-348-9121.

JESSUP — The growing need for volunteer firefighters around the state was part of a discussion State Fire Commissioner Timothy Solobay had Wednesday with several local fire and ambulance personnel.

The meet-and-greet, held at the Lackawanna County Dispatch Center in Jessup and hosted by State Rep. Frank Farina, D-112, Jessup, gave members of local companies the opportunity to meet the commissioner, ask questions and raise concerns, many of which involved the lack of volunteers and a need for funding.

“Twenty- and 30-year-old folks, for whatever reason, just haven’t put their time into volunteering,” said Mr. Solobay, who noted that his office is working with the Legislature to “come up with incentive ideas to make an individual interested in volunteering.”

Almost 90 percent of Pennsylvania communities are covered by volunteer fire companies, which saves those communities a total of $10 billion per year, according to Mr. Solobay.

But volunteer firefighters often spend time raising money for gear, trucks and operational costs instead of fighting fires. Potential volunteers aren’t interested in being “full-time fundraisers,” said Mr. Solobay. He said that making grant money and other funding more accessible could reduce the financial burden felt by volunteer companies and allow firefighters time for other things, thereby making the prospect of volunteering more appealing.

There is currently a $30 million grant program available to Pennsylvania ambulance and fire companies. The application process begins in September and closes in the middle of October.

Mr. Solobay also suggested that offering training courses in an online format would make training more convenient and “give firefighters the ease of training when they want to.” Online courses would teach theory and show examples of practical skills that firefighters would later practice in hands-on demonstrations.

Ultimately, Mr. Solobay believes companies can attract more volunteers by “reducing the burden of fundraising and making the training aspect more convenient and conducive to people’s lifestyles.”

Others in attendance, such as Blakely Fire Chief Jeff Cruciani, offered their own suggestions.

He believes that a system similar to the GI Bill, which provides money for college for military service members, would be instrumental in attracting volunteers.

“I look at the template the government uses, the GI Bill,” he said. “You get your money after. You serve first. I think it really is the answer.”

Recommendations offered by others included debt or tuition forgiveness in exchange for volunteering, or “live-in programs” where college students would live in fire house dormitories and serve as a volunteer in exchange for room and board.

“If you get four or five years out of these kids, that training stays with them for their whole lives,” Chief Cruciani said.

Contact the writer:

jhorvath@timesshamrock.com, @jhorvathTT on Twitter