The Lackawanna County district attorney’s office will deny a private criminal complaint filed by a defendant who accused First Assistant Public Defender Joseph Kalinowski of assaulting him during a courthouse confrontation, District Attorney Shane Scanlon said Friday.

The decision followed a review of Jaray Pelier’s complaint along with an investigative report prepared by the sheriff’s office that included witness statements and surveillance video of the Sept. 1 incident, he said.

“It lacks prosecutorial merit,” Mr. Scanlon said.

Mr. Pelier, 26, who is jailed at Lackawanna County Prison as he awaits sentencing on felony drug charges, maintained in the Sept. 4 complaint that Mr. Kalinowski threatened him, choked him and scratched his chest during the argument outside a second-floor courtroom.

Sheriff’s deputies were escorting the defendant, who was shackled at the wrists and ankles at the time.

Mr. Scanlon said the incident happened after Mr. Pelier, who court records show was unhappy about his representation by Mr. Kalinowski at his trial in May, became loud and belligerent toward the attorney in the courtroom and was removed by deputies.

As Mr. Kalinowski followed him in the hallway, Mr. Pelier continued to curse at him, Mr. Scanlon said. According to Mr. Pelier’s statement to investigators, he then told Mr. Kalinowski he hoped the attorney’s children “die, die, die.”

“At that point, they step toward each other and it appears (Mr. Kalinowski) pushes him away,” Mr. Scanlon said. “It doesn’t last but a split second and it’s over. They’re separated.”

There is no evidence Mr. Kalinowski choked Mr. Pelier, he said.

“Most of this is caught on video, and you don’t see anything that even resembles that,” Mr. Scanlon said.

Reached late Friday afternoon, Mr. Kalinowski declined to comment.

His boss, Chief Public Defender Larry Moran, said he is pleased the complaint will not go forward.

“It’s no surprise,” he said. “It’s a superb decision and I’m sure it considered everything fully and fairly.”

Mr. Pelier’s complaint indicated it also was filed with the state attorney general’s office. As of Friday, Attorney General Bruce Castor had not received any correspondence from Mr. Pelier, his office said.

Contact the writer:

dsingleton@timesshamrock.com

The water company wants people to stop messing with fire hydrants.

After fielding dozens of calls in the last month from customers irate about dirty water or low water pressure, Pennsylvania American Water Co. officials want citizens to report if they see anyone who fiddles with hydrants who isn’t a firefighter or a company worker.

“We need customers to call us,” company spokeswoman Susan Turcmanovich said.

The number is ­800-­565-7292.

Theft of water and tampering with the operation of a public water system are crimes.

Citizens easily can identify Pennsylvania American workers and trucks by their insignias and clothing, Ms. Turcmanovich said.

Water company officials suspect paving companies or other contractors that use a lot of water tap into hydrants, she said. That leads to customer complaints because most contractors don’t know how to properly open hydrants without a major drop in water pressure, she said.

Regularly, she said, company staffers follow up on complaints only to find the company had nothing going on in the neighborhood from where the complaints came.

The company permits contractors to use hydrants with advance notice and its help and gives them portable meters to measure water usage.

Contact the writer:

bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com

BLAKELY — A philanthropic program offering tax rebates for donated cars is up and running again in the Midvalley after an almost decadelong hiatus.

Between 2004 and 2007 the Valley Community Library in the Peckville section of Blakely collected $8,800 through the Cars for Books memorial fund — an initiative Jessup Tax Collector Genie Lupini launched as a memorial fund after her husband, Ron Lupini, died in 2003.

The program encouraged residents to donate their old cars to the library as a tax write-off. The library kept the money the cars fetched at auction. In those first three years, the library auctioned 13 donated vehicles. Then, interest in the program stalled.

Now, motivated by the first donation in almost nine years, Mrs. Lupini and library officials are working hard to jump-start Cars for Books and get it rolling again.

A 2004 Nissan Sentra donated by Kim Mecca of Jessup this summer served as the catalyst.

“I felt it was my message,” Mrs. Lupini said of the latest donation. “It was just something that was in my heart and I wanted to do again.”

Along with helping the library, Mrs. Lupini said keeping the memory of her husband alive through the program also motivates her. He loved cars, especially antique cars, and they often talked about starting such a fundraiser.

“I knew that, if anything, he would really be very happy to have this take place,” she said. “His love for cars and car shows really just set a spark in me to do this. He was such a community-minded person that he would like if I did something like this for the library.”

Library Executive Director Mary Barna, who has been involved with the program since the beginning, appreciates the effort.

“It means a lot, because every little bit helps,” said Ms. Barna. “It might help us be able to make a payment that month. ... It’s a lovely augmentation to the funds we get from other fundraisers, because it does reward the people for their donation.”

The money garnered from Cars for Books goes into the library’s building fund, freeing up cash in the general fund for books and programming.

While it took three years to collect 10 cars the first time around, Mrs. Lupini has big ambitions for the program this time.

“If we get 10 by the end of the year, that would be super,” she said.

Now Mrs. Lupini is revving up efforts to meet that ambitious goal. She contacted Jessup Police Chief Joe Walsh, who will contact other police chiefs who frequently encounter junked cars. She also has reached out to the borough.

Anyone interested in donating a vehicle to Cars for Books should call the Valley Community Library and pick up a donation form. Whatever the car sells for at auction can be deducted from this year’s taxes. For more information, call Ms. Barna at 570-489-1765, ext. 3.

Contact the writer:

jhorvath@timesshamrock.com,

@jhorvathTT on Twitter

Q: I own a 1955 Ford Fairlane Victoria hardtop (two-door). The car is almost entirely original and runs very well, except for the blast of furnace heat I get from the engine when sitting in the driver’s seat. (It’s great in the cold weather, though.) I enjoy driving this vehicle, and I get many compliments for it. But I bought it in its present condition, and I’m not a mechanic. I haven’t worked on cars for 40 years. Perhaps owning this car is just an expression of my love of vintage cars, or trying to recapture my youth. My question: Given my lack of mechanical skills and limited resources to repair this vehicle, is keeping this car, if only for sentimental reasons, a good idea? Or, put another way, are there other old guys who can’t change a tire but who own these types of cars and still love just the sight of them in their garage, hoping they never break down? Thank you. — Vince

A: Vince, love is everything. If that car makes you happy when you see it and when you drive it, it’s a great idea to keep it. In fact, I insist.

But you’ll need two things: (1) a backup car — like a 2008 Hyundai Elantra — so that when your ’55 Ford breaks down, your life will still go on until you get it fixed. And (2) an old mechanic — someone who still knows how to adjust valves and clean carburetors. When you go into a prospective shop, ask the oldest mechanic in there to smile. If he still has more than four teeth, he’s not the guy for you, Vince.

Actually, the best way to find someone like that is to find your local old-car club. There are plenty of wackos — I mean people — like you who have an unnatural affection for these inanimate objects. They probably get together on a regular basis to admire each other’s cars ... and compare the deals on reverse mortgages.

You need to find those guys near you and sign up. You may find that some of the owners are pretty good mechanics themselves, and are willing to work on your car. Or they’ll certainly know mechanics in the area who do work on vintage cars.

Since you can’t do the work yourself, having a good mechanic is essential. At the very least, you want to make sure the car is safe — and that the furnace blast from the firewall isn’t actually fire.

And when you find a good mechanic, it’s best to formally adopt him.

Good luck, Vince.

SCRANTON — The parent company of WNEP-TV is offering voluntary buyouts to employees.

Chicago-based Tribune Media Co. looks at its businesses each year to determine where it can gain efficiency and this year, decided to offer a number of buyouts to employees at several of its broadcast stations, said Gary Weitman, senior vice president of corporate relations with the company. Mr. Weitman declined to comment on the number of buyouts or whether any have been offered locally.

On Friday, WNEP News Director Carl Abraham referred questions to Mr. Weitman.

— CLAYTON OVER

PLAINS TWP. — There is more to Oktoberfest than good beer.

The three-day festival at Mohegan Sun Pocono features lots of food options, wiener dog races, a 5K race for humans, a huge covered tent with a makeshift dance floor and nearly nonstop music and entertainment.

The festival grounds, near the Pocono Downs harness racing track, filled up quickly after Oktoberfest opened late Friday afternoon. Lines quickly formed in front of the beer stations, which offered a large selection of craft beers and ciders.

Susan Gregory said she planned to have fun even though she was the designated driver.

She and her husband, Jim Gregory, traveled from their Pottsville home to enjoy their first Oktoberfest, she said.

They were accompanied by one of the few nonracing dogs at the festival: Ocean, a 7-month-old guide dog for the blind in training. The Gregorys, who have raised five guide dogs, wanted to make sure Ocean got comfortable being around crowds of people and other dogs, they said.

Mr. Gregory said he decided to make the long drive to the festival “to get the dog socialized and have a beer.”

At the other end of the festival, a crowd gathered near a two-person group that made music through alphorns, long pipe-shaped horns once used by mountain folk in northern Europe to communicate across long distances.

Oktoberfest, in its sixth year, has become an annual tradition for festivalgoers and vendors.

Wendy Faux of Nice’s Old Country Style Almonds in Tunkhannock said she looked forward to a busy weekend. Workers at the booth offered free samples of sweet roasted nuts to the curious.

Nice’s, a family-owned business, has taken part in Oktoberfest for several years and plans to return, Ms. Faux said.

Rocco and Rita Saya of Wilkes-Barre enjoyed their third Oktoberfest on Friday.

“It’s a beautiful night for it,” Ms. Saya said, adding that she and her husband love the atmosphere at Mohegan Sun.

Mr. Saya said he and his wife like to dance to the bands, which played a variety of music, including Bavarian and polka.

As he spoke, a handful of people were already dancing inside the covered tent. Others sat at tables, eating, chatting, watching and listening.

Oktoberfest, a 21-and-over event, continues from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. today and concludes on Sunday, when it opens at 11 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m.

Oktoberfest is sponsored by Times-Shamrock Communications, which publishes The Times-Tribune.

ONLINE: http://the570.com/pa-oktoberfest

Contact the writer:

emark@citizensvoice.com

SOUTH ABINGTON TWP. — Steven Farmer knelt next to the preschoolers playing with zoo animal toys and began to sign.

“Hi, my name is Steve,” he signed. “What’s your name?”

The children smiled as they spelled their names.

“I could stay here all day, every day,” Dr. Farmer, the new CEO for the Scranton School for Deaf & Hard-of-Hearing Children, said through a sign language interpreter. “I like to come see the little kids because it reminds me why I’m here.”

Dr. Farmer succeeds Donald Rhoten as CEO of the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf and the Scranton campus. Mr. Rhoten, who spent more than 23 years at the Pittsburgh school, was instrumental in the Scranton school’s transition from state-run to private ownership in 2009.

A Maryland native, Dr. Farmer spent the last 30 years in Tennessee, earning his Doctor of Education and master’s degrees in educational administration and policy studies from the University of Tennessee. He most recently served as the director of student life at the Tennessee School for the Deaf. He and his family now live on campus at the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf in Pittsburgh.

On Friday, during his second visit to the 100-acre campus on Venard Road, Dr. Farmer met students and their parents, many for the first time. In the hallway, he shook children’s hands and gave them high-fives.

A “country boy” at heart, Dr. Farmer said the school’s campus is a positive environment for its 61 students, including six who live on campus.

“It’s a good place for kids to live and learn,” he said.

In the next year, Dr. Farmer said he will take time to observe and look at options for improvements. Jon Konzelman

, director of the school, said he plans to continue to boost enrollment and work on increasing achievement to ensure the deaf students are on the same level as their hearing peers.

Dr. Farmer will look at the current practice of only offering high school on the Pittsburgh campus, with students from the Scranton school having to commute each week. He also wants the school to become more of a resource for school districts and to teach the public about deaf education and the many abilities of his students.

“I want to see what the possibilities are,” he said. “They are vast. We need to choose carefully and wisely.”

Contact the writer:

shofius@timesshamrock.com, @hofiushallTT on Twitter

A judge will hear Friends of Lackawanna’s case that Keystone Sanitary Landfill’s operating permit should be revoked.

In its three-front battle seeking the closure rather than expansion of the Dunmore and Throop facility, the grass-roots group appealed the state Department of Environmental Protection’s April 2015 decision to renew the operation’s existing permit until 2025.

Both sides reported after settlement talks earlier this year that the case would go forward. Earlier this month, Environmental Hearing Board Judge Bernard Labuskes strongly rejected Keystone’s request to throw out the appeal, setting the stage for a Nov. 14 hearing in Harrisburg.

The complaint to the quasi-judicial body that hears appeals on DEP decisions is separate from Friends of Lackawanna’s efforts to persuade the DEP to reject Keystone’s 44.6-year expansion request and the nonprofit’s zoning challenge against the plan.

In its case that the state agency should not have renewed the operation’s existing permit, Friends of Lackawanna raised recurring problems with leaking leachate for the last 13-plus years among other issues.

Keystone’s attorneys Jeffrey Belardi, David Overstreet and Christopher Nestor claimed in written arguments that the group doesn’t have legal standing to challenge the DEP decision, and that the appeal seeks to circumvent the state’s Solid Waste Management Act.

The challenge against the standing of Friends of Lackawanna and its individual members echoed one of the landfill legal team’s tactics in the zoning case.

The Dunmore zoning board agreed the group didn’t have legal standing among a broader ruling stating the borough’s height restrictions on buildings and/or structures don’t apply to the landfill — a decision that is under appeal to Lackawanna County Court.

The Environmental Hearing Board was less receptive to the argument about legal standing.

“We reject Keystone’s attempt to narrow standing law before the board,” Judge Labuskes wrote. “We have never adopted anything even approaching Keystone’s meager view of standing.”

Members who live near Keystone credibly alleged they have been affected by landfill odors, dust, bird droppings and traffic, the judge said, and can cite specific reasons for concerns about the operation’s impact on their communities and their families’ health.

Attorney Jordan Yeager, who represents Friends of Lackawanna, said he never had any question about the group’s legal standing, while landfill consultant Al Magnotta described Judge Labuskes as adopting a liberal view of the concept.

The judge also disagreed with Keystone’s assessment that the board doesn’t have jurisdiction over the permit because the agency issued it under guidelines spelled out by state law, meaning constitutional guarantees about environmental rights were already accounted for.

“Keystone takes the rather extreme position that once the legislature has passed an environmental statute, neither the executive branch nor the courts have any further role to play with respect to (the state Constitution),” Judge Labuskes wrote. “This position is, quite simply, wrong.”

Mr. Magnotta said getting summary judgments is always difficult, expressed confidence in Keystone’s legal position and expected the landfill’s legal team to put on a “vigorous case” showing the operation fulfilled the standards of laws and regulations for the permit.

He expects the leaking leachate issue to be central to the hearing and said he believes Keystone identified the issue causing the problem — penetrations in a lagoon liner.

The plan is to address the problems with a $150,000 to $200,000 project to rebuild the liners and lagoons, eliminate penetrations and abandon underground pipes in favor of suction-lift pumps.

Mr. Yeager said he believed there were other “live issues” but saw leaking leachate as a big problem after so many years.

“When you’ve got pollution that has gone on as long as that has, you’re not complying with state law and regulations,” Mr. Yeager said.

Contact the writer:

kwind@timesshamrock.com,

@kwindTT on Twitter

Scranton will put video cameras in several police vehicles and surveillance cameras in some parks.

Separate initiatives involve plans to install video cameras in 14 police patrol vehicles, and 18 surveillance cameras in five parks — Nay Aug, Connell, Connors, Fellows and Rockwell.

Though unrelated, the two initiatives have similar goals: to increase safety and improve policing, Police Chief Carl Graziano said.

Cameras in police cars, called mobile video recorders, or MVRs, will help with gathering evidence, increase transparency and accountability and enhance public trust in the Police Department, Chief Graziano said.

MVR usage has increased nationwide. The Scranton Police Department’s testing of an MVR in a patrol car during the past two months has gone well, the chief said. As a result, the department has ordered 10 such video cameras that he hopes will be installed by late October.

Money for those 10 cameras, each costing about $5,000, came from capital budget and drug forfeiture funds, he said.

Meanwhile, the city received in August a $21,000 federal grant to fund most of the $23,280 cost of equipping four additional police vehicles with video cameras. These 14 video cameras will equip nearly half of the department’s 30-vehicle fleet, the chief said. He hopes to get the rest of the vehicles equipped with video cameras next year.

City Council on Thursday introduced an ordinance to accept the federal grant.

At the same meeting, council also introduced a resolution for the city to apply for a $97,000 state gaming grant to fund the additional cost of 18 surveillance cameras in five parks. Of these, Nay Aug Park in the Hill Section would get six cameras, while Connell and Connors parks, both in South Side, Fellows Park in West Side and Rockwell Park in North Scranton each would get three cameras.

Three parks, Weston Field, Weston Park and Gerrity Park, already have surveillance cameras, Chief Graziano said.

The 18 new surveillance cameras in the five parks will feed into a video monitor network at police headquarters that already receives feeds from 125 surveillance cameras throughout the city.

“It keeps expanding,” Chief Graziano said of the surveillance camera network that began last year. “It’s definitely a force multiplier.”

The community video-camera surveillance network also includes private surveillance cameras in public outdoor areas that link to the police station on South Washington Avenue. There, a wall of about three dozen video monitors shows live feeds. On Monday, one midnight-shift officer on light-duty assignment began exclusively watching the wall of monitors, the chief said.

“That’s his entire job, to watch the cameras,” he said.

Contact the writer:

jlockwood@timesshamrock.com,

@jlockwoodTT on Twitter

MARRIAGE LICENSES

■ Eric Paul Vennick, Roaring Brook Twp., and Joanne Margaret Mongognia, Throop.

■ Vijalkumar P. Patel, Suffolk, Va., and Kinjal A. Patel, Scranton.

■ Todd Joseph Szymaszek and Jenna Marie Doyle, both of Carbondale.

■ Keith Fernando Mancia and Jennifer Maureen Mancia, both of Jessup.

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

■ Paul D. and Pamela C. Kobierecki, to Casey Murray; a property at 612 Dundaff Road, Dickson City, for $136,000.

■ Julian Castro, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, to Erick David Ramirez; a property at 120 N. Everett Ave., Scranton, for $26,000.

■ April L. and Paul Krehel, to David S. Tigue Jr., Old Forge; a property at 3026 Main St., Ransom Twp., for $133,000.

■ Vincent Jr. and Elaine Bevilacqua, both of Factoryville, to James M. Kiballa, Peckville; a property at 2nd Street, Blakely, for $59,500.

■ Jeffrey Jakubowski, administration of the estate of Frances Jakubowski aka Frances A. Jakubowski, to Frietto Realty LLC, Scranton; a property at 1343 Penn Ave., Scranton, for $60,000.

DIVORCES SOUGHT

■ Jennifer Pappas, Moscow, v. Timothy Joseph Pappas, Scranton; married Nov. 16, 2006; Curt M. Parkins, attorney.

■ Jessica S. Sherman, Clarks Summit, v. Michael Sherman, Dunmore; married May 23, 2014 in North Abington Twp.; Brian J. Cali, attorney.

ESTATE FILED

■ Rose A. Corrigan, 10 Hart Place, Carbondale, letters of administration to Jeffrey Arthur, 72 River St., Carbondale.

ONLINE: thetimes-tribune.com/courts

Scranton City Council going paperless with its voluminous, weekly meeting agendas will save $27,000 — and five trees — a year.

Council plans to implement a new system for posting full meeting agendas, which average 140 pages per week, on the city website, scrantonpa.gov.

The move will save the city $27,216 a year in paper, ink and labor by no longer printing numerous copies of agendas on reams of paper.

Council’s full agenda for Thursday’s meeting contained 243 pages.

Council voted Thursday to introduce a resolution to authorize a two-year service agreement with Granicus Inc. of Denver, Colo., which will integrate its software with the city website for a paperless agenda process and product.

The cost for Granicus of $800 a month, or $9,600 a year, will come out of the council’s budget allocation under the city budget.

Printing 3,684 sheets of paper for agendas per month, or 44,208 pages per year, costs an estimated $36,816, factoring in labor costs of city employees, paper and printing.

A paperless system would save the difference between current agenda costs and using Granicus, or $27,216, according to the firm’s proposal.

The company also cited a study determining that it takes 0.6 trees to produce one carton (10 reams) of copier paper.

Switching to an online agenda will translate into 5.3 trees saved a year, the firm estimated.

Council currently posts on the city website only a skeleton of an agenda that typically runs a few pages. The rest of the agenda — including full texts of ordinances and resolutions and related backup documents, as well as minutes and correspondences from other city departments and agencies — is only available on paper.

Residents who want to see a full agenda can only do so by visiting council’s office in City Hall, and those who want to obtain a copy must pay a fee, said Councilman Bill Gaughan, who led the paperless project.

Granicus’ paperless system will result in full agendas also posted on the city website, as well as delivered electronically to tablets of council members, and searchable by word.

“We literally waste hundreds of pieces of paper a week, thousands a year, with multiple agenda packets being created manually,” Mr. Gaughan said. “My goal was to get council’s office to become virtually paperless and at the same time more transparent to the public.”

Next, the resolution moves to a vote on adoption at council’s meeting this Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall. Assuming it passes, Mr. Gaughan hopes the paperless system will go online within a few months.

Contact the writer:

jlockwood@timesshamrock.com,

@jlockwoodTT on Twitter

Seeing the need to improve health care in South Scranton, United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania moved out of its offices so Scranton Primary Health Care Center can move in.

Officials at the health center, which serves people who are uninsured and underinsured, plan to open a family medicine clinic at 425 Alder St. in early November.

“It was a natural fit,” said Joseph Hollander, executive director of the health center. “It’s a great example of social service agencies working together to help the community.”

UNC, which began work a few years ago to revitalize South Scranton through its Elm Street Project, moved out of its administrative offices in August. The organization rents temporary space at 777 Keystone Industrial Park Road in Throop, while new office space for UNC is being renovated. UNC plans to start construction work at the Peoples Security Bank & Trust Co. building on Cedar Avenue this fall, with the goal of moving administrative offices to the space in the next two or three years, said Michael Hanley, UNC chief executive officer. The bank donated the building to UNC two years ago.

“As part of our looking at needs of South Scranton, we really needed medical offices,” Mr. Hanley said. “They needed a clinic faster than we could get our other offices ready.”

When UNC built the Alder Street office space in 2000, the agency intended the second floor to be used for a medical practice. That didn’t work out, so UNC converted the space to its administrative offices. Crews for Scranton Primary will work to convert the second-floor offices back to exam rooms.

The South Side Senior Center will remain on the first floor and the agency’s community health department will share the second floor with the new medical offices.

Last year, Scranton Primary Health served 8,900 patients, for a total of 30,000 visits. The clinics at 959 Wyoming Ave. offer many services, including pediatrics, internal medicine, dentistry and prenatal care. The satellite clinic in South Scranton will offer family medicine, and the center is in the process of hiring a provider for the new office, Mr. Hollander said.

Transportation is always an issue for the low-income residents of South Scranton. This will remove a major barrier to health care access, Mr. Hanley said.

“It’s going to be great,” he said. “It’s a natural partnership.”

Contact the writer:

shofius@timesshamrock.com,

@hofiushallTT on Twitter

Clarks Green

Outreach visit: State Rep. Marty Flynn, D-113, Scranton, office outreach visit, Wednesday, 9 a.m.-noon, Clarks Green Borough Building, 104 N. Abington Road, assistance with PennDOT paperwork, unemployment compensation, workers’ compensation, PACE/PACENET prescription-drug coverage, unclaimed property searches and any other state-related matters; 570-342-4348.

Clarks Summit

Junior council: Junior Council Person Program seeking to fill two open seats; high school juniors/seniors may apply to sit with council October to May by writing to Virginia Kehoe at clarkssummitmanager@gmail.com or Clarks Summit Borough, 304 S. State St., Clarks Summit, PA 18411, letters will be reviewed at council work session, Sept. 27, 7 p.m., applicants encouraged to attend session; decision due at Oct. 5 council meeting.

Dunmore

Twirling registration: Sherry’s Royalettes baton twirling registration, Monday, Dunmore Community Center; 570-961-3635.

Board meetings: Dunmore board of education meeting, Wednesday, 6 p.m., high school cafeteria, public work session, Monday, 6 p.m., board room.

Seeking classmates: Dunmore High School class of 1966 Oct. 22 reunion committee seeking classmates: John (Scott) Brier, Marie Fodoraro, Robert Golden, Ann Barrett, Mary Ann Simsick, Salvatore Ross, Robert Patrick, James Barrett; send contact information by email to Mary Beth Sandone McCarthy, mbmmcc@comcast.net.

Chicken/biscuit dinner: Dunmore United Methodist Church chicken and biscuit dinner, Oct. 22, 222 S. Blakely St., takeouts, 3:30-5 p.m., sit-down dinners, 4:30-6:30, $10/adults and $8/children; 570 343-3789.

Eynon/Archbald

Crime watch: Eynon/Archbald Crime Watch meeting, Wednesday, 7 p.m., Eynon-Sturges Hose Company 3, 441 Thomas St., Eynon, guest speakers: Teddy Michel and Jennifer Spitler from NeighborWorks of NEPA.

Lackawanna County

Historical program: Slocum Hollow Players presenting “Legends of Slocum Hollow, Tales from the Grave,” Oct. 1, 6:30 p.m., Forest Hill Cemetery, 1830 Jefferson Ave., Dunmore, night of scary historical stories, no reservations needed; 570-346-6179.

Fundraising event: Friends of the ARC auxiliary of NEPA main fundraising event, “Night at the Races,” Nov. 4, doors open, 6 p.m., post time, 6:30, St. Mary’s Center, 320 Mifflin Ave., Scranton, $10, includes free food and soft drinks or water, door prizes, basket and 50/50 raffles, cash bar available until 10 p.m., no BYOB; Corolla Sawka, 570-698-9632; or Eileen Rempe, 570-346-4010.

Fundraising event: Judi H Rock On 6, Oct. 1, 6-11 p.m., St. Mary’s Center, Scranton, $25, includes food, musical entertainment, entry into grand prizes including Apple iPad, Greater Scranton YMCA gym membership, two tickets to “Jersey Boys” at the Scranton Cultural Center, dinner at Posh and a driver for the evening; music by Janice Gambo Chesna, Paul LaBelle and the Exact Change, the Gene Dempsey Orchestra and Old Friends.

Chapter meets: Lackawanna Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited meeting, Sept. 21, 6 p.m., Sweeney Beach, end of the summer cookout with food and refreshments; directions, A&G Outfitters, 570-489-4650.

Midvalley

Crafters wanted: Mid Valley Secondary Center craft fair seeking crafters and direct selling vendors for Nov. 20; 570-307-2109 or piorkowskis@mvsd.us.

Peckville

Community event: Peckville United Methodist Church S’more Party in the Park, Oct. 2, 4-6 p.m., Blakely Borough Recreation Complex, Peckville, near Keystone Avenue and River Street, campfire, s’mores and music, donate perishable food items for Bread Basket of NEPA or monetary gift; 570-489-6093 or 570-383-2119.

Roaring Brook Twp.

Race night: St. Eulalia’s Parish Center, Night at the Races, Oct. 22, doors open, 5:30 p.m., first race, 6, 214 Blue Shutters Road; $10, includes buffet, soda, coffee, tea and water, beer and wine for sale, no BYOB; 570-842-9754 or 570-842-9829.

Simpson

Cabbage dinner: Ss. Peter and Paul Greek Catholic Church takeout only stuffed cabbage roll dinner, Oct. 9, 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m., lower portion of Formel Hall, Doris Avenue; $10, pre-orders: Linda, 570-282-0796; Dorothy, 570-282-2084; Marge, 570-282-5680.

Throop

Company breakfast: Throop Hose Company 1 annual all-you-can-eat egg, pancake and sausage breakfast, Oct. 2, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., 512 Center St., $7/adults and $3/10 and under, from any member; or Ralph Obelinas, 570-489-9782 or Dave Benson, 570-383-1019.

Valley View

School District

Yearbooks ready: Valley View 2016 Yearbooks can be picked up starting Monday, from 1-2:30 p.m. at high school lobby desk.

Wayne County

Free training: Pa. Link to Aging and Disability Resource Center free training, “Protective Services Across the Ages,” Sept. 27, registration, 8:30 a.m. and presentation, 9 a.m.-noon, Park Street Complex, 648 Park St., Honesdale, presentations by Wayne County Area Agency on Aging, Wayne County Children & Youth Services and a representative from the Adult Protective Services Agency; Juliann Doyle, 570-253-4262 or jdoyle@waynecountypa.gov by Monday.

Book swap: America Recycles Day free book swap, Nov. 19, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Wayne County Park Street Complex, 648 Park St., Honesdale, seeking volunteers/sponsors, $750/event sponsors, $250/book sponsors, donations listed on website, in memory of, in support of, or otherwise and including anonymous; checks can be deposited at Honesdale National Bank, account Free Book Swap, funds must be received by Oct. 3 for marketing benefits, community sponsorships through the event; Jenna, jw1704@gmail.com; freebookswap.wordpress.com.

Membership meeting: SEEDS (Sustainable Energy Education & Development Support) annual general membership meeting, Tuesday, 7 p.m., the Cooperage, 1030 Main St., Honesdale; guests from Haven for Humanity and Park Street Café kitchen, free baked goods from Park Street Café; doors open, 6:30; www.seedsgroup.net, jocelyn@seedsgroup.net or 570-245-1256.

West Scranton

Seniors meet: Sloan Senior Citizens meet Tuesday, 1:30 p.m., Ss. Peter and Paul Church Hall, 1309 W. Locust St., refreshments and bingo follow.

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.

CARBONDALE — A Greenfield Twp. man is charged with aggravated assault and resisting arrest after struggling with city police this week.

Officers tried to arrest Brian Barney, 24, 166 Pierce Road, for a parole violation around 8:35 p.m. Tuesday in the Eighth Avenue Turkey Hill parking lot, but Mr. Barney tried to run and struggled, according to court documents.

Mr. Barney also faces charges related to a car stolen in the city last month.

Mr. Barney is in Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of a combined $75,000 bail. Preliminary hearings are scheduled for Tuesday.

— CLAYTON OVER

SCRANTON — A city woman was charged after city police said they caught her dealing narcotics at Green Ridge Corners on Friday, authorities said.

Jamie Trainor, 37, 642 E. Market St., sold Suboxone, a narcotic used to treat opioid dependency, and Klonopin, used to treat anxiety. The city’s Special Investigations Division said officers made two purchases from her in the area of Sanderson Avenue and East Market Street and took her into custody on felony and misdemeanor charges. A female officer found a crack pipe and two more pills hidden in Ms. Trainor’s bra.

Ms. Trainor was held at Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $10,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 29 at 9 a.m.

— JOSEPH KOHUT

BLAKELY — Fire crews doused a blaze at a borough home Friday afternoon.

Crews were called to 429 Hickory St. shortly before 12:30 p.m., according to a neighbor, Nordi Gambini. Mr. Gambini said he saw flames about 3 feet high jutting from a first-floor window near an air conditioner. The family was not home at the time. The home appeared moderately damaged.

Firefighters were wrapping up their hoses by 12:50 p.m. Fire crews from Blakely, Jessup and Archbald responded.

— JOSEPH KOHUT

SOUTH ABINGTON TWP. — Work at an iconic bridge in South Abington Twp. likely will cause a traffic headache for commuters beneath it, officials said Friday.

Road shutdowns lasting 10 to 15 minutes on Routes 6 and 11 may begin Monday and last through the week, state Department of Transportation officials said. The shutdowns will happen between 7 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.

Contractors will be removing painters’ platforms from underneath the former Freedom Bridge, now called the John Fitzgerald Bridge, which carries the Pennsylvania Turnpike over Routes 6 and 11.

— JOSEPH KOHUT

Lackawanna County detectives seized thousands of dollars’ worth of heroin Thursday after searching an apartment in Scranton’s Hill Section, authorities said.

Detectives searched 429 Prescott Ave. and found 2½ grams of crack in a sandwich bag and 813 glassine packets of heroin stamped “Top Ten,” “Top Secret” and “Frank Lucas,” a nod to the midcentury drug kingpin from New York City.

Police arrested Calvin Randa Moore, 42, at his Prescott Avenue apartment and charged him with several drug felonies and misdemeanors after his girlfriend allowed police to search the home, detectives said.

If sold, the drugs could go for more than $8,000, detectives said. Mr. Moore was under state parole supervision at the time of his arrest.

Detectives also found $250 in his apartment. Authorities believe he just returned to Scranton after resupplying in New Jersey. Mr. Moore is in Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $100,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is set for Thursday at 10 a.m.

Contact the writer:

jkohut@timesshamrock.com,

@jkohutTT on Twitter

Today is Saturday, Sept. 17, the 261st day of 2016. There are 105 days left in the year.

On this date in NEPA
100 years ago, local theaters: At the Poli, “The Auto Maniacs,” a live race between two teams to see who can assembling an entire automobile in less than two minutes. At the New Academy, a musical comedy, “Lady Luxury.”
75 years ago, Carbondale Mayor William J. Monahan announced that a huge ornamental tree would be planted in Memorial Park. The tree would be in honor of the young men from Carbondale that are serving in the armed forces.
50 years ago, Dr. Frederick Robinson of Scranton died at his home following a short illness. Dr. Robinson practiced medicine in the city for 41 years.
25 years ago, volunteer firefighters from across the state extinguished the tire fire at Coxton Rail Yards. The fire started in the early morning hours of Sunday, Sept. 15. It is estimated that 500,000 tires were stored at the rail yards.
10 years ago, Old Forge Pizza Express was expanding its take-and-bake pizza outlets in the region. The company, which had a store in South Abington Twp., was looking to open additional locations in the Wilkes-Barre area.

- Times-Tribune Archives

Almanac
In 1862, more than 3,600 men were killed in the Civil War Battle of Antietam in Maryland.
In 1955, Tennessee Ernie Ford recorded "Sixteen Tons" by Merle Travis for Capitol Records in Hollywood.
In 1986, the Senate confirmed the nomination of William H. Rehnquist to become the 16th chief justice of the U.S.
In 1996, former Vice President Spiro T. Agnew died in Berlin, Maryland, at age 77.
In 2006, Pope Benedict XVI said he was “deeply sorry” his recent remarks on Islam and violence had offended Muslims, but the unusual expression of papal regret drew a mixed reaction from Islamic leaders, some of whom said it wasn’t enough.

- Associated Press

CARBONDALE — City police are looking for a man who fled from an officer late Friday after a traffic infraction.

Patrolman Dominick Andidora on Saturday described hearing the roar of a light blue Chevrolet truck’s engine as it approached on Brooklyn Street and seeing it speed by before passing another car that was turning into the Carbondale School District.

The officer pursued the truck until in the Meredith Street area. The driver almost flipped the vehicle while turning — at which point Patrolman Andidora stopped the chase to avoid a potentially tragic ending.

Police were continuing to investigate the incident and following up the truck’s license plate number.

— KYLE WIND