WILKES-BARRE — The last remaining killer from Luzerne County to await execution is officially off death row.

After spending the past 23 years appealing his death sentence for molesting and strangling his 3-year-old niece, Michael Bardo, now 46, was resentenced Tuesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

“This case has lingered through the appeal process and the state court system — and into the federal system — for the past 23 years, routinely tearing open the old wounds associated with revisiting the death of this young, beautiful little child,” Assistant District Attorney Jarrett Ferentino said after the hearing. “We have a disposition here that ends all of that.”

The move takes the death penalty off the table for the last Luzerne County defendant who was still facing it. It has been more than 77 years since an inmate from Luzerne County was actually executed.

According to prosecutors, the murder took place in September 1992 after Mr. Bardo came home drunk and found Joelle asleep on a couch with his mother. Mr. Bardo ate some soup and bread, began to molest the sleeping child, then choked her to death when she began to whine, prosecutors say.

He later wrapped the girl’s body in a garbage bag and threw her body into a South Wilkes-Barre creek.

A Luzerne County jury convicted Mr. Bardo of first-degree murder and sentenced him to die in 1993 — the last time a Luzerne County jury imposed a death sentence.

After years of appeals, Mr. Bardo won a new penalty phase in December 2014. The Supreme Court split on whether a lower court erred in granting Mr. Bardo a new sentencing hearing. Several justices found it “highly unlikely” a jury would have given him life based on expert testimony that Mr. Bardo had a personality disorder, while others said the testimony could have had an impact on the sentence.

During a resentencing hearing Tuesday morning, Mr. Ferentino said Joelle’s mother, her sole surviving relative, requested prosecutors “not to tear open this old wound.”

He requested Luzerne County Judge Joseph F. Sklarosky Jr. resentence Mr. Bardo — who has agreed to waive all future appeal rights — to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Mr. Bardo spoke only briefly during the hearing, saying “Yes, your honor,” when asked if he agreed to give up his right to further appeals.

Judge Sklarosky agreed to the resolution and ordered Mr. Bardo to serve life in prison without parole.

After the hearing, defense attorney William Ruzzo said Mr. Bardo had thought about his actions for nearly 25 years and that he is now a “completely different person.”

Mr. Ferentino said that had prosecutors pursued a new penalty phase and won a verdict of death once more, that would have triggered a new round of appeals that could have left the case in limbo for decades more. The agreement puts an end to all of that, he said.

“This man will die in the hands of the state, but not at the hands of the state,” Mr. Ferentino said. “It’s not easy when you’re dealing with a child to forego that ultimate punishment, but it’s the right thing when the family is on board and considering the history of this particular case.”

Contact the writer:

@cvjimhalpin on Twitter

Employment Expo set at the arena

WILKES-BARRE TWP. — The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce will host its 2016 Employment Expo today, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre Twp.

The chamber said more than 100 employers will be at the job fair. More than 2,000 job-seekers from throughout the region are anticipated to attend.

— STAFF REPORT

PITTSTON — Leaders of Luzerne County cities gathered Tuesday to discuss ways to fight housing blight and refurbish downtowns and neighborhoods.

The housing summit at Pittston Memorial Library was the first of several such gatherings local officials and business leaders hope to organize, said Mike Lombardo, former mayor of Pittston and a member of the city’s redevelopment authority.

“We want to put a group together,” Mr. Lombardo said. “We want to have another meeting soon.”

Chris Latona, Pittston’s city controller, said he likes what he sees when he looks around the city where he has lived all of his 87 years. Pittston’s downtown has featured several streetscape improvement projects recently, Mr. Latona said.

“It’s coming back,” he said. “Everything is starting to come together now.”

Featured speaker Maura Kennedy suggested ways officials can coax reluctant property owners and landlords to fix up vacant and dilapidated properties, based on her experiences working for Pennsylvania’s two largest cities.

Ms. Kennedy, who worked for Philadelphia from 2008 to 2014, is now director of the Pittsburgh Department of Permits, Licenses and Inspections. Mr. Lombardo called her “the Tom Brady of housing and code enforcement.”

She outlined a three-pronged game plan, or “vacant property strategy,” to fight the problem of vacant and abandoned properties seen in nearly all urban areas: focus on finding property owners, enforcement measures and dedicated legal resources.

Taking owners of blighted properties to task — and to court — improves not just property values in the affected neighborhoods, but the overall quality of life there, Ms. Kennedy said.

One study showed a 40 percent decrease in gun violence in neighborhoods that Philadelphia officials targeted for housing code enforcement, while other studies show a decrease in diabetes cases among residents of those areas, she said.

Aggressive enforcement of all codes and regulations on the books works in everyone’s best interests since sometimes even reluctant property owners who find that bringing their properties up to code can greatly increase their market value, Ms. Kennedy said.

She said that while she has some sympathy for cash-strapped owners of dilapidated properties, she has far more sympathy for neighbors of such properties, who have to deal with “raccoons in their yard” and find no takers if they want to sell their homes.

Mr. Lombardo followed Ms. Kennedy’s presentation with a call to action among leaders of Luzerne County and its four cities: Hazleton, Nanticoke, Pittston and

Wilkes-Barre.

Officials need to work together and “speak with a unified voice,” he said, noting that slumlords and the people who rent their properties, often as a base for criminal activities, look for the towns with the easiest regulations.

“They will pick a fight where they think they can win the fight,” he said. “So when we go to battle, we need to go to battle together.”

The next meeting to discuss housing and redevelopment issues will likely be held in one of Luzerne County’s three other cities, rather than Pittston, Mr. Lombardo said.

Contact the writer:

emark@citizensvoice.com

Clinton in Scranton

Former President Bill Clinton will appear Thursday in Scranton to promote his wife’s presidential candidacy.

Mr. Clinton will campaign for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at a location and time her campaign did not disclose in its announcement about his appearance. He will also campaign Thursday in Philadelphia and on Friday in Erie.

The campaign said additional trip details will be released soon.

It’s not the first time Mr. Clinton has been to the area.

• March 19, 2008: Campaigns for Mrs. Clinton’s presidential bid at Coughlin High School in Wilkes-Barre.

• April 19, 2008: Campaigns for Mrs. Clinton at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre.

• Oct. 12, 2008: Campaigns for Sen. Barack Obama for president at Riverfront Sports in Scranton with Mrs. Clinton and U.S. Sen. Joseph Biden, Mr. Obama’s running mate.

• Nov. 3, 2008: Campaigns for Mr. Obama’s election and U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski’s re-election at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre.

• Aug. 10, 2010: Campaigns for U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak, who was running for the U.S. Senate, at Scranton High School.

• Oct. 26, 2010: Campaigns for Mr. Kanjorski’s re-election at Greater Nanticoke Area High School.

• Nov. 5, 2012: Campaigns for the re-election of President Barack Obama at Scranton High School.

• Dec. 10, 2015: Raises money for Mrs. Clinton’s latest presidential campaign at the Radisson at Lackawanna Station Hotel.

— BORYS KRAWCZENIUK

E.J. Lynett is an American success story published since 1895. From the first edition he edited, The Scranton Times was a crusading newspaper that championed the underdog and challenged the ruling class.

Born in Dunmore in 1856, Mr. Lynett was one of seven children of Catherine and William Lynett. E.J. started his working life as a breaker boy. He studied law, but saw journalism as the surest path to serving his community. When he bought The Times, it had a daily circulation of 3,000. By 1915, circulation soared to more than 40,000.

During the anthracite coal atrike of 1902, American and international news organizations trusted Scranton Times accounts of the conflict primarily because Mr. Lynett had earned a reputation as an honest, populist journalist. He gave miners a voice heard far and wide. Mr. Lynett’s love for the underdog was passed on to the three children he had with the former Nellie Ruddy. William R. Lynett, Elizabeth R. Lynett and Edward J. Lynett were raised to understand that people living hand to mouth can’t afford a paper that doesn’t speak for them.

E.J. Lynett died on New Year’s Day in 1943. His legacy is carried on by a fourth generation of family publishers of what, since 2005, is The Times-Tribune.

-- CHRIS KELLY

Lackawanna County Commissioner Jerry Notarianni contended Wednesday that Commissioner Patrick O’Malley continues to marginalize his role in important county business.

Mr. Notarianni balked at a late addition to Wednesday morning’s meeting agenda authorizing key roles for Chief of Staff Andy Wallace and Solicitor John Brazil in refinancing $72.28 million in county debt to avoid complications from his lawsuit seeking to void several high-level administration appointments. The Democrat said he supports refinancing the debt but not getting the resolution until 3:45 p.m. Tuesday was another sign of other administration officials trying to keep him in the dark.

“I’m not going to be led down this garden path by people I absolutely do not trust,” Mr. Notarianni said. “In my opinion, people shouldn’t trust them. You’ve seen what they’ve done in the past. This has got nothing do with (Republican) Commissioner (Laureen) Cummings. This is strictly my position on Commissioner O’Malley and my position on attorney Brazil. I have absolutely no faith in their ability to tell the truth.”

Mr. O’Malley, who last year switched from Republican to Democrat, said he didn’t see the resolution until about the same time as Mr. Notarianni. The only reason for the rush, Mr. O’Malley said, was to safeguard the transaction — which Chief Financial Officer Thomas Durkin said will save $16.1 million over two decades.

“This isn’t about the case,” Mr. O’Malley said. “This isn’t about John. This isn’t about me. This isn’t about Jerry. This isn’t about Laureen. This isn’t about (minority solicitor John) Cerra. It’s about the 214,000 citizens of Lackawanna County and our taxpayers. We’re the stewards of their money. And, I’m not here to not save money for them. County government moves forward.”

Mr. Notarianni’s lawsuit contends, among other things, several appointments of top administration officials were illegal because they did not happen at a public meeting and that party affiliation aside, he is the minority commissioner who should appoint the minority solicitor.

He argued he lacks official legal advice he trusts and wants a judge to rescind the appointments, which could cause problems for the refinancing if officials involved with the transaction lose their positions.

Ms. Cummings and Mr. O’Malley argue the appointments were part of their executive powers and don’t require a public vote. They also contend party affiliation determines majority and minority status, and a different interpretation would create an impractical shifting majority.

Attorney Brian Koscelansky, bond counsel for the county, said consultants expected the case to be resolved by now, but there is still no judgment. The county is scheduled to close on the bond deal next week.

The resolution on Wednesday was designed to have no implications for the lawsuit and ensure the transaction goes through smoothly — so the county does not have to revise any disclosures to investors, giving them a chance to back out of the deal, Mr. Koscelansky said.

Mr. Wallace said he gave Mr. Koscelansky’s cell phone number to Mr. Notarianni so the commissioner could ask questions about the resolution. Mr. Notarianni said he asked Mr. Wallace if he knew about the situation before Tuesday, and his chief of staff told him he did.

Attorneys for both sides clashed at the meeting.

“Is this a way to get around the lawsuit?” asked Paul Walker, one of the attorneys who has been working with Mr. Notarianni. “Was there legal advice given to either Mr. Brazil or the other county commissioners indicating that the method by which Mr. Wallace or Mr. Brazil was appointed was defective, as a result of which these bond issues can’t go through? And if that legal advice was given, why wasn’t Mr. Notarianni notified?”

Mr. Cerra contended the lawsuit lacks merit and Mr. Notarianni already approved an ordinance requiring him to sign any documents to make the bond transaction happen.

“This is simply an effort to ratify and make sure that the bond is delivered in the proper manner so that the financing can be put in effect so that hundreds of thousands of dollars can be saved,” Mr. Cerra said. “It avoids any complications from the people that are putting the financing through and certifying to the holders of the bonds that would be enforceable. It does not correct any errors because there are no errors. The lawsuit is completely frivolous.”

Mr. Cerra said the attorneys who were appointed as the county legal team are always available to Mr. Notarianni and argued the Democrat would be better off if he listened to them. Mr. Notarianni said he does not have confidence in the legal advice he would get.

Ms. Cummings called for an executive session to discuss a litigation issue amid the debate, and after the approximately 40-minute closed-door meeting, the resolution was pulled from the agenda to give Mr. Notarianni more time to review it.

Aside from the bond issue, Mr. Notarianni said another example of his isolation happened last week when Mr. Wallace was directed not to answer questions about the proposal to consolidate county offices at the former Globe Store if they come from his volunteer legal advisers.

The commissioner said Mr. Wallace, however, was helpful when he gave his lawyer’s list of questions to the chief of staff directly, and commissioners agreed Wednesday to hire accountant Michael Barbetti to audit the county’s financial analysis of the potential move.

Susquehanna County Senior Judge Kenneth Seamans heard arguments on the lawsuit last month. Both sides got 20 days to file additional legal briefs and are waiting for a judgment.

Contact the writer: kwind@timesshamrock.com, @kwindTT on Twitter

Archbald

Ash pickup: Ashes will start being picked up every other week beginning Tuesday.

Dickson City

Neighbors meet: Dickson City Neighborhood Watch meeting, Wednesday, April 13, 7 p.m., Dickson City Borough Building.

Forest City

School play: Forest City Regional Mask and Hammer Drama Club presenting musical “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m.; Sunday, 3 p.m., high school auditorium, $5/adults, $3/students, senior citizens, free /children under 3.

Great Bend

Breakfast buffet: United Methodist Church all-you-can-eat breakfast, Saturday, 7-10 a.m., Main Street, $8/adults and $4/under 10, benefits church youth group trip to Kingdom Bound Christian Festival.

Hamlin

Beef dinner: St. John’s Episcopal Church roast beef dinner, Saturday, 4-7 p.m., Route 191 South (next to Jack Williams Tire and Auto); takeouts, 3:30 p.m.; $10/adults, $5/children.

Bingo event: Community Library of Lake & Salem Twps. Bingo in the Afternoon, Saturday, 2 p.m., community room (lower level) library, Hamlin, limited seating,$8/ pre-registration encouraged, $10/at door if available, two singles, pack of five specials; 570-689-0903.

Jefferson Twp.

Flea market: Jefferson Twp. Volunteer Fire Company, second Sunday of each month, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., firehouse, Cortez Road and Route 348, lunch items available for purchase, moves outdoors beginning in May.

Jermyn

Informational meeting: Sesquicentennial (150 years) organization/information meeting, Sunday, 7 p.m., Jermyn Community Center, 440 Jefferson Ave.

Jessup

Association meets: Jessup 21st Century Association meeting, Monday, 7 p.m., borough conference room, 395 Lane St., to discuss wine tasting and brick paver project.

Lackawanna County

Legal advice: Lackawanna Pro Bono Family Law Help Desk free legal advice for low-income family law problems, Monday, 1-3 p.m., Family Court Admin­istra­tion Office, 200 Adams Ave., Scranton; household income below 125 percent of poverty level, not represented by attorney; 570-961-2714.

Spring tea: Anthracite Heritage Museum spring tea time, Saturday, 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 Friday, April 8; 570-963-4804 or www.anthracitemuseum.org.

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

epa.com.

Volunteer awards: Voluntary Action Center celebrating National Volunteer Week by presenting Volunteer of the Year Awards, Thursday, April 14, 9 a.m., POSH at the Scranton Club, 404 N. Washington Ave., Scranton, honorees: Carol Angerson, nominated by Dunmore Senior Center and Women in Transition Together Mentors nominated by EOTC; Nancy Post, 570-347-5616, ext. 207.

Scranton

Pierogi sale: St. Michael’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Friday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., 540 N. Main Ave.; sold every Friday; 570-961-1795.

Spaghetti dinner: St. Lucy’s Church, annual spaghetti dinner, Wednesday, April 13, and Thursday, April 14, 949 Scranton St.; takeouts, 3-5 p.m. (containers provided); sit-down, 5-8 p.m.; $10/adults, $5/children under 12; sauce for sale, $14/gallon.

Bingo: St. Michael’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church, 50/50 Bingo, Sunday, April 17, 1-5 p.m., 540 N. Main Ave.; raffles and refreshments; 570-961-1795.

Social gathering: Cathedral “64” graduates get-together, Thursday, April 14, 6 p.m., Stirna’s, Market Street; 570-344-2974.

West Scranton

Breakfast: St. Joseph Melkite Greek-Catholic Church’s Women’s Society, annual breakfast, Sunday, April 17, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., 130 N. St. Francis Cabrini Ave., enter off lower Jackson Street; eggs, pancakes, ham, olives, potatoes and beverages; $8/adults, $4/children six to 10, free/five and under; traditional bread for sale; Divine Liturgy 10 a.m.; 570-343-6092, melkite.scranton@gmail.com or melkitescranton.org.

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

CLUE: He was a five-and-dime pioneer.

Known as C.S. or “Sum,” the enterprising brother of F.W. Woolworth revolutionized the retail sales game in Scranton and later, the world. Opened on Nov. 6, 1880, his original “five-and-dime” store at 125 Penn Ave. was among the first in the city to use electric light and display windows to showcase goods. Early success led F.W. to open an office in New York City and aggressively expand the chain. C.S. kept his headquarters in Scranton.

Over 65 years, the chain that began with two stores in Pennsylvania grew to over 3,000 stores worldwide. C.S. Woolworth served on the boards of banks and businesses and contributed to causes like the Women’s Domestic Institute. The WDI building is now home to Scranton Preparatory School. After F.W. died in 1919, C.S. served as Chairman for 25 years, stepping down at 87. He died in 1947, at 90.

On July 17, 1997, Woolworth closed its remaining stores in the U.S. C.S. Woolworth’s mansion at 520 Jefferson Ave. in Scranton, sold in 2015 for $295,000.

-- CHRIS KELLY

Consignment sale at mall

An empty department store at the Mall at Steamtown will soon boast a large selection of children’s clothing, toys and gear.

The weekend-long consignment sale, called “Moments of Magic,” is held twice a year. The last was held at the Watres Armory.

Between April 15 and 17, the consignment sale will be held at the former Bon-Ton. For more information, visit www.momentsofmagickids.com/.

WILKES-BARRE TWP. — Wilkes-Barre resident Shaquille Rolle said he wants to upgrade from his current housekeeping job making the state minimum wage of $7.25 an hour to a higher paying job.

He was one of more than 2,000 people who came to the 2016 Employment Expo on Wednesday at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.

Mr. Rolle met with officials from global business process outsourcing company WNS, which just announced it is expanding operations at its Hanover Twp. facility and creating more than 300 new jobs over the next five years.

WNS was one of more than 100 companies participating in the Employment Expo.

Vicki Feller, senior human resources manager at WNS, said the company is a call center that works specifically in the travel industry and is looking to hire customer service employees. The starting pay is $10.25 an hour, she said.

“These are not sales positions. We’re not looking to do commissions or quotas,” Ms. Feller said. “We really are representing the brands that we have contracts with, so we want to provide the very best in customer service that we can on behalf of those brands, specifically in the travel industry.”

Jennifer Hampton of Tobyhanna scheduled an interview for a job at WNS. Her temporary job ended two weeks ago and she has been looking for work.

“There’s not many jobs out there and there’s also the pay. The pay is so low,” Ms. Hampton said.

All the companies and service organizations that participated in the Employment Expo were offering a total of about 2,000 jobs, including 1,200 full-time jobs and 800 part-time jobs, said Mari Potis, director of membership and events for the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce.

“I think it’s great for the economy,” she said. “This gives people the opportunity to either be gainfully employed, to increase their current employment or to supplement their current employment, which is really important. The more money people are making, the more they’re going to put back into our economy.”

Contact the writer:

dallabaugh@citizensvoice.com

WILKES-BARRE — EBay Enterprise Marketing Solutions, headquartered in downtown Wilkes-Barre, will now be called Pepperjam at its locations all over the world.

The company rebranded Wednesday to the name Pepperjam, resurrecting the original brand name from when entrepreneur Kris Jones founded the company.

Mr. Jones founded Pepperjam in 1999 as a gourmet food company while he was a graduate student at Villanova University, selling products based on his late grandmother’s recipes. It later became an Internet marketing agency. It quickly grew into one of the largest affiliate networks and performance marketing agencies. The company was sold to GSI Commerce in 2009. EBay acquired GSI in 2011 for $2.4 billion.

Mr. Jones said he was honored that the team at eBay Enterprise Marketing Solutions would rebrand back to the name Pepperjam.

“The Pepperjam brand represents entrepreneurship and innovation,” said Mr. Jones, who is now president and CEO of ReferLocal.com.

Michael Jones, CEO, worked with Kris Jones at Pepperjam beginning in 2004 and they built the company together. They are not related. He served as general manager and has led as CEO since eBay sold off its enterprise division for $925 million to private equity firms last year.

Bringing back the name Pepperjam “wasn’t an absolute no brainer from the beginning,” Michael Jones said.

While its headquarters is located in the Innovation Center in downtown Wilkes-Barre, the company has 10 offices around the world.

About 400 people work for the company globally. About 110 employees work in

Wilkes-Barre.

Contact the writer:

dallabaugh@citizensvoice.com

Purse snatcher caught in W-B

SCRANTON — Authorities in Luzerne County arrested a man suspected of stealing a woman’s purse in West Scranton.

Scranton police issued an arrest warrant for Frank Turner, 33, homeless, after the reported robbery Tuesday morning in the 1000 block of Oxford Street. Natasha Hanson, 35, 619 Dean St., reported Mr. Turner pushed her down and took her purse after an argument.

Mr. Turner faces robbery, assault and harassment charges. Scranton police Lt. Marty Crofton said he was apprehended in Wilkes-Barre Wednesday evening.

When officers were talking to Ms. Hanson Tuesday morning, she fidgeted with her bra and a needle fell out, according to court documents. She will be charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, according to police.

— CLAYTON OVER

Burglary probed

In S. Abington

NEWTON TWP. — South Abington Twp. police are seeking more information about a burglary earlier this week.

Police responded to the 2100 block of Laurel Hill Road about 7:45 p.m. Sunday. Homeowners Michael and Leslie Stalica had returned to find a door open and the bedrooms ransacked, according to police. Most of Mrs. Stalica’s jewelry had been placed in a box and left on the floor. Police do not believe any items were actually taken.

Neighbors reported seeing a white pickup in the driveway at the time the incident is believed to have happened. Another person reported seeing the vehicle heading toward Duryea on Main Street in Ransom Twp.

Anyone with information about s asked to call South Abington police at 570-586-2111 ext. 2, or 570-342-9111.

— CLAYTON OVER

Northeast Pennsylvania school districts will see an additional $10.1 million in state funding under the budget that became law last month.

After nine months without a state budget, payments — especially an increase — are welcome, superintendents said Wednesday. However, the leaders also said they have greater concerns, such as being reimbursed for construction projects or charter school costs.

During the budget impasse, districts borrowed millions and warned that schools may be forced to close.

This week, school leaders received their first glimpse at what they can expect to receive.

For the remainder of the 2015-16 school year, an additional $50 million will be allocated to districts to restore partially the charter school reimbursement program and restore other cuts made by former Gov. Tom Corbett.

In January, the state released emergency funding, including an additional $50 million for the Ready to Learn Block Grant program, which many districts use to fund full-day kindergarten.

“Obviously, we’re happy with any type of money we can accept into our budget,” Carbondale Area Superintendent Joseph Gorham said.

Carbondale will receive an additional $254,779, or about 3.2 percent more than the 2014-15 school year. Of that, $25,517 is being allocated as charter school reimbursement funding. In 2011, the first budget signed by Mr. Corbett eliminated that line item, which was as high as $488,000 for Carbondale.

Since 2011, the district should have received $2.3 million in charter reimbursements, Mr. Gorham said.

In Lackawanna County, funding increases range from $55,672 for the Riverside School District, to $1.3 million for the Scranton School District. Those figures include increases to both basic education funding and the block grant program.

The 37 public school districts in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties will share the $10.1 million.

Western Wayne School District is projected to receive $163,662 in additional funding, or an increase of about 3.4 percent.

However, that increase means little if the district does not receive its construction reimbursement payment from the state, Superintendent Joseph Adams said. The district is owed $550,000 from the state for this year. Mr. Adams does not know if the district will receive the payment due from the construction of EverGreen Elementary.

“That’s critically important,” Mr. Adams said. “If it’s not there, it’s a much more significant impact than getting the additional money from the state.”

Mid Valley, which will receive $76,552, or an increase of 1.92 percent, is also owed nearly $1 million in reimbursements from the state for its elementary school expansion project.

“We are urging our legislators to start making good on their promises,” Superintendent Patrick Sheehan said. “It is time that Harrisburg realizes that our students deserve much more than to be treated as political leverage.”

Contact the writer:

shofius@timesshamrock.com, @hofiushallTT on Twitter

SCRANTON — A Scranton man was arrested after punching his mother in the face during an argument at his home Tuesday, city police said.

Kevin Matthew Puckett, 24, 918 Corbett Ave., is charged with simple assault and harassment.

He and his mother, Barbara Puckett, argued and threw things at each other. The fight ended when Mr. Puckett punched her.

Mr. Puckett admitted he hit his mother out of frustration when questioned by Patrolman William Turner. He also said there was no justification for doing so.

He is free on $5,000 unsecured bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.

— JOSEPH KOHUT

STERLING TWP. — A fire equipment company is moving part of its truck-building operations to Wayne County.

After years of planning and a bumpy start, Sutphen East, a division of Sutphen Corp., announced Wednesday that it has purchased a new, 25,000-square-foot building in the Sterling Business and Technology Park, where it plans to install equipment and occupy by the year’s end.

Sutphen is the first tenant in the park, which is being developed by the nonprofit Wayne Economic Development Corp.

The company, which touts its 125-year history as the oldest continuously owned fire apparatus maker in the country, is based in Ohio, and specializes in custom-made tanker and pumper trucks, as well as rescue and ladder trucks, for fire companies.

With its arrival, Sutphen plans on hiring about 20 new employees over the next three years, said Sutphen East President Julie Sutphen Phelps during an announcement Wednesday. Sutphen will transplant about 40 employees from its existing Sullivan County, New York, plant, which will close.

“They looked at expansion in New York, which could have occurred, but they chose Wayne County, Pennsylvania,” said state Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Dennis Davin during the event. “We’re thrilled that Sutphen has shown such commitment to Pennsylvania, so thank you for that.”

The company considered the Sterling park in 2013, but decided then that it was more practical to stay in New York.

WEDCO still had the blueprints, however, and constructed the building prompting a gush of inquiries from other companies. Meanwhile, Sutphen continued to expand.

Construction wrapped up in November 2015; in December, Sutphen came back to the bargaining table.

“And by January, we had a contract,” said Mary Beth Wood, executive director at WEDCO.

The new building has ignited interest in the Sterling business park, Ms. Wood said, and she hopes that excitement will spread to fill the remaining 22 lots.

Ms. Wood said the park’s 252 total acres has the potential to employ about 1,200 people.

The average pay at Sutphen is about $18 an hour with full benefits, Mrs. Sutphen Phelps said.

One of the company’s first trucks may never leave Wayne County.

Lake Ariel Volunteer Fire Company is marking its 100th anniversary this year, and has decided to buy a new truck to celebrate.

“It is with great pleasure that we accept today a contract from them for a new Sutphen custom-built pumper,” said plant manager Darryl Rhyne with Lake Ariel fire company President Al Rae and other officers standing beside him. “This truck will be one of the first to ship out of this new facility here in Pennsylvania.”

Contact the writer:

joconnell@timesshamrock.com, @jon_oc on Twitter

MARRIAGE LICENSES

■ Allison Margaret Martyn and Christopher Robert Samuels, both of Denver, Colorado.

■ Joseph Michael Grasso and Leanna Marie Kurtanick, both of Tobyhanna.

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

■ Chad M. Rosar, Dunmore, to Kathleen Hudak and John J. Fedorchak, Dunmore, as joint tenants with rights of survivorship; a property at 153 E. Pine St., Dunmore, for $121,500.

■ Eric and Stacy Clum, Scott Twp., to Denise I. Rowan, Summerland Key, Fla.; a property at 138 Burcher St., South Abington Twp., for $207,000.

■ Charles A. and Jessica M. Stevens, Lackawanna County, to Kara Lynn Cordaro, Throop; three parcels in Olyphant for $158,500.

■ George Pavlopoulos, Ridgefield, N.J., to Panagiotis Grigoropoulos, Woodside, New York; a property at 229 Hill St., Scranton, for $47,000.

■ Shawn Ashworth and Shannon Jackson, South Abington Twp., to Shelby Wease, Scranton; a property at 113 Spring St., Carbondale, for $69,000.

■ McDonalds Corp. to KARF Ltd.; parcels in Moosic for $250,000.

■ Joseph P. and Stella Roque, Throop, to William Michael Unger and Teresa Coyer, Dunmore, as joint tenants with rights of survivorship; a property at 531 Edgar St., Throop, for $116,600.

■ Darren and Becky Kizer, Cumming, Ga., to Ryan C. Dellaglio, Farmington, Missouri; a property at 1779 Newton-Ransom Blvd., Newton Twp., for $235,000.

■ Levi Daniel and Thalia Mariel Jaramillo, Rocky Point, New York, to Justin William Eimers, Moscow; a property at 829 Matthew Ave., Scranton, for $119,250.

DIVORCES SOUGHT

■ Lucianna Hargis, Scranton, v. Jonathan Hargis, Scranton; married May 1, 2004, in Reno, Nev.; pro se.

■ Bernadine Welcome, Clarks Summit, v. Michael P. Welcome, Clarks Summit; married July 4, 2007, in Lackawanna County; Anne Marie Howells, attorney.

■ Nicole A. Walters, Factoryville, v. James P. Walters, Dalton; married Dec. 16, 2010, in Lackawanna County; Howard M. Spizer, attorney.

■ Maria A. Serafin, confidential address, v. Mark A. Serafin, Pittston; married March 11, 2010, in Pittston; Stephanie L. Tigue, attorney.

■ Brian Kozlowski, Scott Twp., v. Kimberly L. Kozlowski, Scott Twp.; married May 3, 2009, in St. Petersburg, Florida; Stephanie L. Tigue, attorney.

■ Frederick A. Colonna, Carbondale, v. Kristy L. Colonna, Carbondale; married May 24, 2003, in Montego Bay, Jamaica; pro se.

DIVORCE DECREES

■ Franklin G. Belcher v. Amy Belcher

■ Melissa Lowry v. David Lowry

■ Julie A. Loomis v. Mark E. Loomis

■ Flora Koroneos v. William Koroneos

LAWSUIT

■ Carol Ashman, 113 Raymond Drive, Jermyn, v. Lackawanna Executive Park LLC, 112 Estate Drive, Clarks Summit, seeking in excess of $50,000, plus interest and costs for injuries suffered Sept. 12, 2014, in a fall on the defendant’s premises at 235 N. Main St., Dickson City; John M. Mulcahey, attorney.

ESTATES FILED

■ Elvira Seng, also known as Elvira M. Seng, 22 Bay Drive, Covington Twp., letters testamentary to Judith Mulally, 23 Bay Drive, Covington Twp.

■ Eva Cerminaro, also known as Eva L. Cerminaro, 6 Duffy St., Carbondale, letters testamentary to Delores Bockelkamp, 312 Dundaff St., Carbondale.

■ David J. Reeves, 61 Primrose Drive, Spring Brook Twp., letters of administration to Steven T. Deiter, 241 E. Main St., Wilkes-Barre.

■ Lillian M. Kurcin, also known as Ludmilla Kurcin, 41 Electric St., Peckville, letters testamentary to Mary Ann Bobar, 5 Hermel St., Scott Twp.

ONLINE: thetimes-tribune.com/courts

LA PLUME — Environmental scientist Brian Oram looked at the college students before him and offered a stern warning.

“If you don’t want to be fact-based ... pick something else,” he said.

The water quality consultant from Dallas spoke Wednesday to a group of about 60, including aspiring public health and environmental science workers, at Keystone College on the importance of standing their ground amid an onslaught of emotions and personal and political agendas.

“We got to tell people the whole story,” he said.

He built the nearly two-hour lecture around the types of people who try to alter or ignore science for their own purposes. He took exception with sensational reports that seem to avoid the big picture because it might dilute a story’s edginess. Social media hype can turn misleading stories into needless widespread panic, he said.

He used the lead-contaminated water crisis in Flint, Michigan, and the controversy surrounding natural gas development as examples of situations where scientists might be swayed to sacrifice their values anchored in the scientific method. Although gross mistakes by officials may sometimes be at play, a scientist has to keep his eyes on only the facts, he said.

Vicki Stanavitch, assistant professor of biology and public health, said each year they bring in one speaker to talk about a current topic during National Public Health Week, the first full week in April.

“So that they get the book stuff from us and then they get the practical applications from people in the field,” she said.

Contact the writer:

joconnell@timesshamrock.com, @jon_oc on Twitter

Stories of the city’s successes and failures echoed throughout Brennan Hall at the University of Scranton on Wednesday during a forum designed to give out-of-town journalists a snapshot of local life.

The “Rust or Revival” forum, hosted by statewide journalism collaborative Keystone Crossroads, invited residents of Scranton and the surrounding area to discuss the issues that either propel or hinder life in the Electric City. Some of the attendees praised the city’s burgeoning arts scene. Others raised concerns about Scranton’s image, from bad roads to corruption.

Many were enthused by the revitalization of the downtown and efforts to kickstart a cultural renaissance.

“My hope would be that we continue with the momentum and the current interests in arts and culture in the area,” said Alex MacNamara of Scranton, a fifth-generation resident of the area.

Others feared the city hasn’t done enough in this respect.

“My family doesn’t live around here, and they don’t want to visit me,” said Daniel Sputa, a native of the Czech Republic who moved to the area 10 years ago. “They don’t think that there is anything here.”

Words attendees associated with the city of Scranton expressed both great optimism and lingering pessimism. Answers ranged from history, downtown, family, architecture and home to corruption, landfills and bad roads.

Ultimately, the forum spurred a dialogue that focused on Scranton’s achievements and challenges, all while giving attendees the chance to paint a picture of their city and frame future media coverage for Keystone Crossroads journalists. The journalism collaborative has conducted six other such forums in different Pennsylvania cities.

During refreshments prior to the forum, attendees discussed shortcomings, successes and goals for the city.

“I feel like all eyes are on us but we’re still the red-headed stepchild to Philadelphia and New York,” said Jennifer Healey, who returned to the area after spending seven years in Florida. “We’ve embraced First Friday, that younger, hipper jazz market, and it brings people back to the city. Scrantonites want to be part of something.”

Some suggested that Scranton has an image problem that it is now in the process of correcting.

“I think we’ve had an inferiority complex around here for a long time,” said Natalie Gelb, a Scranton resident who also serves as the executive director of the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority. “But young people are starting to appreciate it more.”

Contact the writer:

jhorvath@timesshamrock.com, @jhorvathTT on Twitter

State Auditor General Eugene DePasquale will conduct another audit of Scranton’s three pension funds to determine if they are administered properly and assess if corrective action was taken to address findings in a prior audit, he announced Wednesday.

Two years ago, Mr. DePasquale warned the city is heading toward bankruptcy if it does not address serious funding issues with its police, fire and nonuniform pension plans. While the city has taken several positive steps, it still faces a “huge” pension funding crisis, Mr. DePasquale said in a news release.

“We must be sure that Scranton officials are doing everything in their power to protect the interest of the city’s taxpayers, police, firefighters and other municipal employees,” he said.

The new audit will look at the plans’ financial condition between Jan. 1, 2014, and Dec. 31, 2015.

Mayor Bill Courtright said he believes Mr. DePasquale will be pleased with the progress the city made since the last audit, which was released in August 2014. That report, which covered Jan. 1, 2011, to Dec. 31, 2013,painted a dire picture, with Mr. DePasquale warning that the fire pension fund would be insolvent in less than 2½ years. The nonuniform fund had about 2.6 years, he said, while the police fund would be broke in about five years.

A separate audit, released in June 2015, harshly criticized the city for a 2002 retirement incentive that doubled the pensions of 35 non-uniform employees. That audit found the city never properly approved the incentive and failed to evaluate the impact it would have on the fund. Since then, the city took several important steps to reform police and fire pensions, Mr. Courtright said, while the non-uniform pension board also took action to halt double pensions.

“I know there is more to be done, but I think we’ve done a pretty good job so far,” Mr. Courtright said.

Mr. Courtright pointed to concessions made by the police and fire unions, which both agreed to increase contributions to their pension funds. The unions also agreed to other reforms, including the appointment of a third-party administrator for the pension funds and to have all disability pensions approved by a physician with no ties to the city or union.

Most recently, the fire and police unions agreed that part of the interest members are owed on a $31.5 million back pay award would be deposited into the pensions funds, rather than be paid directly to employees. That equates to $1.6 million.

Scranton officials also are working on finalizing the $195 million sale of its sewer authority to the Pennsylvania American Water Company, which is expected to net the city a profit of $96 million. Mr. Courtright has not revealed yet how that money will be spent, but it’s anticipated that part of the windfall will be paid into the pensions funds.

Regarding the nonuniform fund, the pension board reached settlements with 12 of the double pension recipients, who agreed to forgo the excess payments going forward in exchange for the board agreeing not to try to recoup money they already received. The board appointed a special hearing examiner to determine if payments can be halted to the remaining retirees. Those hearings are pending.

Mr. Courtright said he believes the city is on the right path in addressing its pension woes. He recently met with Gov. Tom Wolf in Harrisburg to discuss the progress.

“I don’t want to put words in the governor’s mouth, but he seemed happy about the reforms we made,” he said.

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

CARBONDALE TWP. — A single lane is closed on the Casey Highway in the Upvalley as the state Department of Transportation works to install a traffic signal.

The closure at Exit 7, for Business Route 6 in Carbondale Twp., will be in place for the next few weeks while the department removes the median and installs a temporary traffic signal, PennDOT said in a news release.

The department also said the off-ramp from Route 6 West to Business Route 6 will be widened and lengthened with the goal of improving safety at that intersection.

The entire project costs $1.9 million and is slated for completion sometime in the fall, PennDOT said.

— JOSEPH KOHUT