HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Democrats in Pennsylvania have gone with their party establishment's choice for a U.S. Senate candidate and rejected an ex-congressman who six years ago nearly won the office.

Katie McGinty is a former state and federal environmental policy official who got millions in dollars from the party to run her campaign. She also received the endorsements of top Democrats from President Barack Obama on down.

She defeated second-time candidate Joe Sestak (SEHS'-tak), a retired Navy admiral the party didn't consider a team player. Two other candidates finished far behind in Tuesday's voting.

McGinty will challenge Republican incumbent Pat Toomey (TOO'-mee) in the November election. Toomey was unopposed for the Republican nomination.

This is McGinty's second run for statewide office. She finished last in a four-way gubernatorial primary in 2014.

The fall contest could tilt control of the Senate.

Updated 11:30 PM

According to a release issued by PennDOT:

Dunmore – Beginning at 9 am this morning there will be a single lane closure on Interstate 81 South, just beyond Exit 165 (Business Route 309) for emergency bridge repair. A hole has opened up on the deck of the bridge and work is expected to continue until mid-afternoon. Major delays are expected in the area and motorists are encouraged to seek alternate routes.

MARRIAGE LICENSES

■ Jason Joseph Verrastro and Jackie Lyn Swendsen, both of Dunmore.

■ Laura Elizabeth Hart and Michael Edward Fiscus, both of Scranton.

■ Michael Robert Heffron, Scranton, and Meghan Jade Gillespie, Dunmore.

■ Raquel Valvano and Tracy Marie Pearce, both of Carbondale.

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

■ Massimo and Joann R. Fremiotti, Tunkhannock, to Adam Ruane, Scranton; a property at 1029 Monroe Ave., Scranton, for $137,500.

■ Susan Nichols, executrix of the estate of Robert J. Turano, also known as Robert Turano, Greenfield Twp., to Dean Vermeersch, Montrose, and Tracy A. Long, Kutztown, as joint tenants with rights of survivorship; a parcel in Scott Twp. for $185,000.

■ Kathy M. Smith to Harry J. Jr. and Joyce L. Garis; a property at 187 Dorantown Road, Covington Twp., for $109,900.

LAWSUIT

■ Brenda M. Figliomeni, 626 Electric St., second floor, Scranton, v. AAA North Penn and Motor Club of Northeastern Pa., doing business as Motor Club of Northeastern Pa., 1035 N. Washington Ave., Scranton, seeking in excess of $75,000, plus interest, costs and all such other relief deemed just and appropriate on two counts, for injuries suffered May 22, 2014, in a fall on the defendants’ premises; Kevin M. Higgins, attorney.

STATE TAX LIENS

■Darlene Hrywank, 413 Fourth St., Dunmore, $3,611.17.

■Patrick A. Bednash, 414 Main St., floor 1, Eynon, $3,250.84.

■ Thomas Hill, 1607 State Route 502, Spring Brook Twp., $11,068.11.

■ Daniel Ubaldini and Kimberly Mellen, 1916 Farr St., Scranton, $2,296.26.

■ Endless Mountains Hams LLC, 709 Business Route 6, Scranton, $699.80.

■ Qinliang Chen, Fashion Mall, 265 Business Route 6, Scranton, $3,775.35.

■ Qinliang Chen, Fashion Mall, 265 Business Route 6, Scranton, $1,201.58.

■ Charles Hebden, 4704 Birney Ave. rear, Moosic, $3,249.04.

■ Iynaya LLC, 17 University Drive, Dunmore, $1,301.37.

■ Lambert & Sons, 112 Center St., Taylor; $1,709.65.

■ Portofino Salon LLC, 240 Penn Ave., Suite 201, Scranton, $786.92.

■ Colfax Avenue Enterprises LLC, 619 Colfax Ave., Scranton, $1,080.16.

■ Colarussos Restaurant Inc., 3 W. Olive St., Scranton, $3,142.21.

■ Peoples Financial Services Corp., 150 N. Washington Ave., Scranton, $5.073.88.

■ 119 Productions Inc., 119 Penn Ave., Scranton; $1,327.57.

■ Robert F. Purcell, 2024 Newton Ransom Blvd., Clarks Summit, $3,372.27.

■ Arturo Vazquezherrera and Leticia Vara, 425 New St., Scranton, $1,495.80.

■ Joseph Macareo, 441 Putnam St., Scranton, $1,838.54.

■ Thomas Kuduk, 406 Fourth Ave., Jessup, $1,153.35.

■ Izzy VS LLC, 210 Main St., Vandling, $1,583.69.

■ Millers Country Store LLC, 1148 Old Trail Road, Clarks Summit, $705.89.

■ Bernard Kosinski, 45 Mount Cobb Highway, Lake Ariel, $2,648.56.

■ Joseph Przybylski, 336 Adams Ave., Scranton, $16,307.34.

■ Sullums Bridals of Olyphant Inc., 129 Lackawanna Ave., Olyphant;, $3,257.25.

■ Edward and Anna M. Marushock, 717 Kossuth Ave., Throop, $4,520.01.

■ Pediatric & Adult Therapy Services, 851 Commerce Blvd., Suite 107, Dickson City, $668.98.

■ Antoinette Hamidian, individually and as owner of Pediatric & Adult Therapy Services, RR 7 Box 7568, Moscow, $1,047.73.

■ Andrew W. Abeloff, 201 Boulevard Ave., Throop, $5,353.54.

■ Thomas Kuduk, 406 Fourth Ave., Jessup;, $364.26.

■ Gerard Grealish, 171 Park St., Carbondale, $3,233.48.

■ Randy L. Plumley, 114 Putnam St., Scranton, $7,470.57.

■ Gregory W. Bormes, M.D., P.C., Floor 2, 321 Spruce St., Scranton, $805.88.

■ Facility Development & Planning LLC, 417 Lackawanna Ave., Floor 5, Scranton, $2,247.77.

■ Dietrich Oil & Gas Consulting Inc., 124 Devonshire Drive, Roaring Brook Twp.; $852.39.

■ Thomas and Renee Hill, 1607 State Route 502, Spring Brook Twp.; $9,794.30.

DIVORCES SOUGHT

■ Leslie A. Olmo, Scranton, v. Louis Olmo, Scranton; married Dec. 5, 2009, in Scranton; pro se.

■ Kelly Ann Jackson, Taylor, v. William Walter Jackson Jr., Salem, Ore.; married Nov. 11, 2007, in Pike County; pro se.

DIVORCE DECREES

■ William Leader v. Athena Leader

■ John Moran v. Jacqueline Young

■ Sean O’Neill v. Jessica Rutkowski

■ Karen Yatzun v. Michael Yatzun

■ Nancy McPhillips v. Robert J. McPhillips

ONLINE:

thetimes-tribune.com/courts

Former state Rep. Kevin Haggerty’s strong showing in four Midvalley boroughs propelled him to win the Democratic nomination in the 112th House district, a Times-Tribune analysis of unofficial returns from Tuesday’s primary found.

Mr. Haggerty still lost Archbald, Blakely and Jessup by large numbers and Olyphant by a substantial margin to state Rep. Frank Farina, who grew up in Archbald and lives in Jessup. He just lost by small enough margins, compared to 2014, to allow him to win the race. He won despite improved showings by Mr. Farina in Scranton and Dunmore, where Mr. Haggerty lives.

Throop Council President Thomas Lukasewicz’s presence in the three-way race didn’t help Mr. Farina either.

Mr. Haggerty represented the 112th before it was redrawn and combined with large parts of the 115th district that Mr. Farina represented. He lost to Mr. Farina in a primary election for the redrawn 112th in 2014 by 908 votes. This time, he won by 329, unofficial results show.

Crediting his campaign manager, former Lackawanna County Commissioner Randy Castellani, with helping him run the race, Mr. Haggerty said his campaign targeted the Midvalley from the start.

“We put our headquarters in Olyphant, and we worked up, we worked up from Olyphant,” Mr. Haggerty said Wednesday. “We got beat really hard in Olyphant in 2014.”

The total numbers of votes cast Tuesday in Archbald, Blakely and Jessup were virtually the same as 2014. About 200 more votes were cast in Olyphant on Tuesday compared to 2014. It was Mr. Haggerty’s proportion of the votes that changed. He campaigned daily for five or six hours since January and it showed. A breakdown of Tuesday’s votes show:

■ Archbald: Mr. Haggerty went from earning 10.6 percent of the vote to 23 percent. Mr. Farina declined from 70.3 percent to 60 percent.

Mr. Lukasewicz’s 16.8 percent was slightly worse than the 19 percent that Bob Munley, the Jessup resident and third candidate in the 2014 race, received.

■ Blakely: Mr. Haggerty doubled his proportion, going from 11.2 percent to 23.6 percent. Mr. Farina dropped from 65 percent to 49.9 percent. Mr. Lukasewicz did a little better than Mr. Munley, 26.2 percent to 23.7 percent.

■ Jessup: In Mr. Farina’s hometown, Mr. Haggerty really gained ground. In 2014, he received only 8.5 percent of the vote as Mr. Farina, who received 59.7 percent, and Mr. Munley, who received 31.8 percent, split up the rest. This time, Mr. Haggerty pulled 31.4 percent while Mr. Farina declined to 50.9 percent. Mr. Farina acknowledged his support of the controversial planned Invenergy natural gas plant in Jessup probably cost him some votes. Mr. Lukasewicz pulled 17.3 percent.

■ Olyphant: Mr. Farina saw his numbers slashed the worst here, dropping from 58.1 percent two years ago to 37.2 percent Tuesday. Mr. Haggerty, with the support of most borough elected officials, rose from 18.8 percent to 31.6 percent. Mr. Lukasewicz really hurt Mr. Farina in Olyphant, picking up 31 percent of the vote. Mr. Munley had 22.9 percent in 2014.

■ Throop: Running in his hometown, Mr. Lukasewicz really hurt Mr. Farina and Mr. Haggerty here. Mr. Lukasewicz received 61.3 percent as Mr. Haggerty dropped from 35.8 percent two years ago to 19.1 percent and Mr. Farina from 43 percent to 19.5 percent.

Though the presidential election clearly brought out more voters in Dunmore (almost 400 more) and in Scranton (almost 550 more), Mr. Haggerty did substantially worse in Dunmore and slightly worse in Scranton.

Mr. Lukasewicz, perhaps because the controversial Keystone Sanitary Landfill straddles the Dunmore-Throop border, is well-known in Dunmore.

With 15.6 percent in Dunmore, he more than doubled Mr. Munley’s 7.3 percent in 2014, and hurt Mr. Haggerty, who dropped from 71.6 percent to 56.6 percent. Mr. Farina rose from 20.7 percent to 27.3 percent.

In Scranton, Mr. Farina went from 23.3 percent in 2014, to 27.5 percent this year. Mr. Haggerty dropped slightly from 58.9 percent to 56.2 percent. Mr. Lukasewicz won 15.9 percent, a somewhat lower share than Mr. Munley’s 17.6 percent in 2014.

Mr. Farina blamed the power-plant controversy, voter discontent with Harrisburg, controversy over his $197 reimbursement for travel to a Penn State football game and himself for the loss. He said he felt “relieved” by losing.

“I didn’t work as hard this time as I have in the past,” he said Wednesday. “My heart wasn’t in it.”

He did not believe controversy over his campaign expenses — the campaign reimbursed him for buying shoes, parking, coffee, food, cell phones and other expenses — played a role, he said.

Mr. Farina said he contemplated not running and mostly ran because he didn’t want to let down supporters and leave the seat to Mr. Haggerty or Mr. Lukasewicz. He defended his support of the power plant.

“I wholeheartedly believe that’s something very beneficial for our community and something you can be proud of,” he said. “If it means me not getting re-elected, then I don’t get re-elected.”

Contact the writer: bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com

The official count of Lackawanna County votes from Tuesday’s primary election is scheduled to begin Friday. Lackawanna County Director of Elections Marion Medalis said she hopes to complete the count Monday.

— BORYS KRAWCZENIUK

CARBONDALE — Main Street revitalization strategies were the focus of a Wednesday roundtable held at the Greater Carbondale Chamber of Commerce.

Hosted by the Pennsylvania Downtown Center — a statewide nonprofit that assists in various aspects of community rejuvenation — the event offered attendees advice on how to envision, launch and sustain revitalization efforts.

Carbondale was an appropriate location for the discussion, as the Pioneer City’s own decade-plus long Main Street makeover catalyzed an era of growth that others can look to as a model. Representatives from Wyalusing, Bloomsburg, Carbondale and Scranton numbered among the about two dozen who attended, hoping to share their experiences or learn from those of others.

“It’s all about having a vision,” said Chamber of Commerce board member Cindy Klenk. “It sounds simple, but you’ve got to dream, and you’ve got to do it with the people in your town first. We had a plan, we didn’t know how we were going to get money for it, but the point was we actually had a plan and a vision.”

And while the vision often precedes the money necessary to make the vision reality, strong strategic plans are invaluable when it comes to getting resources, according to Pennsylvania Downtown Center Executive Director Bill Fontana.

“In a time when resources are scarce, the people with the best plans are the people who are going to get access to the resources that are available,” Mr. Fontana said.

The state’s Keystone Communities Program, which includes the state’s Main Street and Elm Street Programs that assist in community revitalization, had a budget of only $6 million in 2015. Nonetheless, the return on that investment generated “almost $80 million in private investment, created over 1,000 jobs and (created) 200-plus new businesses,” according to Mr. Fontana.

When seed money is lacking, Mr. Fontana said communities must demonstrate a willingness to invest in themselves, even if just in terms of time or effort to get revitalization efforts off the ground.

This was the case in Scranton, where a strategic plan for downtown revitalization was signed off on by more than 30 downtown businesses, according to Stephanie Longo, director of marketing and communications for the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce.

The hope is local efforts can inspire an attitude of growth that attracts people, fills storefronts and inspires future projects.

An example of this strategy in action was highlighted prior to the round table, as a trolley tour of the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority Riverwalk project and Anthracite Center gave several a first-hand look at the progress Carbondale has made.

Contact the writer:

jhorvath@timesshamrock.com,

@jhorvathTT on Twitter

Years of community effort to improve air quality monitoring in areas surrounding natural gas operations is getting a big boost.

The state Department of Environmental Protection on Wednesday announced it is spending $1.56 million on 10 installations that will continually monitor fine particulate matter, or particles in the air about one-thirtieth the width of a human hair.

DEP Secretary John Quigley called the new monitoring sites an “unprecedented expansion” of air quality monitoring prompted by ongoing community concerns in areas around natural gas development.

Monitors are to be installed in Wyoming and Susquehanna counties, as well as Fayette, Indiana and Lycoming counties by the end of the year. The DEP also will install monitors in Clarion, Jefferson and McKean counties by fall 2017. Installations in Towanda Twp., Bradford County, and Holbrook Twp., Greene County, were completed in March.

“We don’t have any expectations coming into this expansion, merely the ambition to get a more comprehensive data set on air quality in Pennsylvania,” Mr. Quigley said during a telephone news conference Wednesday.

The news is an affirmation for activists who have been calling for more government oversight of the natural gas industry since the early days of the shale gas boom.

“I have been advocating for these monitors for well over five years,” said Emily Krafjack, a Wyoming County activist who doesn’t oppose gas development, just wants it to be more tightly regulated.

“But the devil is in the details,” she said.

At this point, the DEP has not announced where it will position the monitors, and with only one planned for each county, placement is critical, Mrs. Krafjack said.

Most of Wyoming County’s industrial activity — the Procter & Gamble factory complex in Washington Twp., natural gas well pads and compressor stations — takes place in its central and northwestern sections. So an air monitor in the mountainous southwestern corner, mostly state game lands, might not reveal possible effects of gas production.

There is no public comment period before the department decides where to place the monitors, DEP spokesman Neil Shader said.

The monitors will detect fine particulates less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter. Fine particles are created by industrial activity but also by seemingly more innocuous things like burning firewood or driving a car. They can irritate the lungs and throat, cause asthma attacks and, in some cases, trigger heart attacks, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The DEP announcement makes no direct mention of the group Breathe Easy Susquehanna County’s citizen science efforts, which draws a knowing chuckle from the group’s co-founder Rebecca Roter. Her organization has been calling for more monitoring in areas with heavy drilling concentration for years, and in 2013, launched its initiative to track fine particles on its own.

“This is something we intended to do coming in last January — to be a more data-driven organization,” Mr. Quigley said. “Certainly, we have heard from citizens in the shale fields expressing their concern, and that did nothing more than pile onto what we wanted to do.”

Breathe Easy started by working with the University of London researcher Jennifer Gabrys, Ph.D., to begin monitoring air quality around natural gas infrastructure. Using equipment provided by Carnegie Mellon University, the group continues to operate 10 monitors and collect its own data, Ms. Roter said.

“This is an example where citizen science is working,” she said. “The challenge of citizen science is getting credible data to put it on the desk of policy makers and regulators and get them to find it credible.”

Mounting research says ultrafine particles, those that are 0.1 micrometers in diameter or smaller — 25 times smaller than fine particles — are far more dangerous, Ms. Roter said. Just like fine particles, some scientists believe the smallest of microscopic particles can absorb pollutants and toxins in the air and deliver them deep into the lungs.

Federal and state agencies, however, do not regulate ultrafine particles, which means Ms. Roter’s work is not done.

Contact the writer: joconnell@timesshamrock.com, @jon_oc on Twitter

The Lackawanna County administration reached a tentative agreement to buy the former Globe Store from the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce as the site of a new county services hub in downtown Scranton.

County commissioners scheduled a special meeting to vote on the deal Friday despite objections from Democratic Commissioner Jerry Notarianni, who believes the plan needs to be vetted further.

“We had a discussion as to whether to go forward on it,” Mr. Notarianni said. “Both (Democratic Commissioner) Pat (O’Malley) and (Republican Commissioner) Laureen (Cummings) said they were willing to go forward. I said I was not yet and I had more questions. And I was told that they feel they have answered my questions.”

The most recent county financial analysis pegs the total cost of the project at $18.63 million, with a $1.4 million purchase price and the rest dedicated to renovating and moving into the 255,964-square-foot building at 119-131 Wyoming Ave.

That figure is higher than the $17 million total county officials highlighted earlier this month when commissioners hired accountant Michael Barbetti to evaluate the county’s analysis that concluded the project should be at least budget-neutral after getting out of leases.

The discrepancy between those two numbers was among 11 concerns Mr. Notarianni felt could be deal breakers. He also worried an $800,000 difference between two estimates on renovating the Globe’s sixth floor could mean the price tag would be even higher. He was unhappy the financial analysis did not commit to offsetting project costs by selling the current Administration Building.

The Democrat said he is philosophically in favor of consolidating numerous spaces the county leases all over the county into one central office, but until he gets answers to all of his questions, he saw closing the deal as a bad business decision.

“Measure twice, cut once,” Mr. Notarianni said. “Let’s do this right the first time.”

Andy Wallace, chief of staff to the commissioners, said he addressed in detail each of 20 questions Mr. Notarianni provided and felt there is enough support on the board to approve the transaction.

“It would save the taxpayers money, and they would own their own building,” Mr. Wallace said.

The county analysis Mr. Barbetti reviewed highlights nine sites the county currently leases whose combined annual rents total $1.2 million and estimated yearly debt service over 25 to 30 years would total between $1.05 million and $1.14 million.

Commissioners haven’t decided to offset the cost of creating the Lackawanna County Government Center because they haven’t sold the current 200 Adams Ave. building yet, Mr. Wallace said. Options include defraying the project cost, spending it on other capital projects or paying down other county debt, he added.

Reasons Mr. Wallace highlighted for the estimated retrofit costs growing included needs for additional basement renovations that cost $500,000, creating a sixth-floor corridor for $300,000 and another $250,000 to fix the roof at the Gateway Center on Jefferson Avenue that is already covered in the 2016 capital budget.

The prior analysis also assumed the county spends $100,000 less on the purchase.

Mr. Wallace did not envision the county borrowing more than $17 million and expected to either offset the additional cost with money from selling the current Administration Building or tapping into the county’s approximately $11.2 million reserves.

On differing renovation estimates on the sixth floor, Mr. Wallace said commissioners won’t know the precise costs for sure until they put it out to bid. If they are unaffordable, the county could skip some of that work and moved planned offices to other parts of the building.

The project got Mr. Barbetti’s qualified seal of approval.

“We believe the county’s feasibility analysis is reasonable and the project to acquire the Lackawanna County Government Center should go forward,” he wrote to commissioners. “However, if any of the assumptions provided materially change, it could affect the results of our procedures.”

Mr. Notarianni now has 25 more follow-up questions and can’t understand the rush to approve the purchase.

Commissioners should have announced the upcoming vote on the purchase and held public hearings rather than just advertising “a special meeting for the purpose of discussing real estate issues” in a legal ad today, said Mr. Notarianni, who initially informed The Times-Tribune about the progress of the Globe deal.

Mr. O’Malley declined to comment and authorized Mr. Wallace to speak on his behalf Wednesday. Ms. Cummings couldn’t be reached Wednesday afternoon.

Reached after hours, Stephanie Longo, director of marketing and communications for the Scranton Chamber of Commerce, said “we cannot comment on that matter at this time.”

Friday’s board of commissioners meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. at the former Globe Store.

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

SCRANTON — LA Commercial Services has moved it office from Clarks Green to Scranton, at 1006 Pittston Ave.

LA Commercial offers both unconventional business mortgage loans up to $400,000 and personal consumer loans from $500 to $25,000.

The move follows the sale of a sister business, LA Mortgage, to Wyalusing-based PS Bank, which will continue to operate the business as PS Mortgage at the Grove Street, Clarks Green, location.

— DAVID FALCHEK

SCRANTON — Albright Memorial Library will host a disaster response and recovery workshop Tuesday for Northeast Pennsylvania library, museum and archive staff who manage historic collections, along with emergency management personnel.

The Alliance for Response governance meeting is scheduled from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

The newly formed group also hopes to develop relationships between local cultural heritage and emergency management professionals.

The group asks participants to RSVP by Friday. For more information, contact Martina Soden at msoden@albright.org, or Samantha Forsko of the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts at sforsko@ccaha.org.

— KYLE WIND

Avoca

Golf tournament: Queen of the Apostles Parish ninth annual St. Mary’s Classic golf tournament, Sunday, Pine Hills Country Club, 140 S. Keyser Ave., Taylor, registration, noon; shotgun start, 1 p.m.; captain-and-crew format, singles will be placed on a team, $80, includes prizes and dinner following tournament at parish hall, 742 Spring St.; sponsorships available; parish office, 570-457-3412, Jim McMahon, jimmcmahon1@verizon.net or John Soy, johnsoy@comcast.net.

Carbondale

Community carnival: Creekside Health and Rehab Center free community carnival in celebration of National Nursing Home Week, May 13, 2-4 p.m., 45 N. Scott St., concession stand, dunk tank, petting zoo, basket raffles with plenty of donated items from community businesses, balloon makings, photo booths, DJ, games and prizes.

Clarks Summit

Dutch auction: Countryside Community Church Warm Hugs Dutch Auction and potluck dinner, Saturday, 5-9 p.m., 14011 Orchard Drive; 570-587-3206 or www.-countryside-church.org.

Dundaff

Mother’s dinner: St. John’s Orthodox Church annual Mother’s Day dinner, May 8, church, off Route 247, takeouts, 11 a.m.-noon, serving, noon-sold out, $12/adults and $6/children; 570-955-8758 or 570-585-8940.

Fleetville

Wellness fair: East Benton United Methodist Women craft/health/wellness fair, May 7, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Fleetville Fire Company, Route 407, crafters, American Heart Association, Apprise (Medicare options), Gift of Life/organ donor awareness, Griffin Pond Animal Shelter, staff from State Rep. Karen Boback’s office with Pace/Pacenet, rent/property rebate forms, fingerprinting kits for first 85 families, touch a fire truck activity for children, bake sale and lunch, refreshments available for purchase, $1/adults and free/under 12.

Lackawanna County

Language hours: SIAMO Italian-American Heritage Society of NEPA Italian language hour, May 22, 2 p.m., Taylor Community Library, 710 S. Main St.; www.siamonepa.com.

District derby: Cub Scouts of the Dan Beard District of the NEPA Boy Scouts of America District Derby, Saturday, SteamWorks at the Mall at Steamtown, championship race, 10:30 a.m., registration, 10-10:30, registration for the open race, 11:30-noon, open race, noon, available to the public, regardless of Scouting membership, $5/registration; www.nepabsa.org.

Open house: Penn State Master Gardeners spring open house, Saturday, noon-3 p.m., hosted by Plow & Hearth, Shoppes at Montage, 2111 Shoppes Blvd., Moosic, free publications, advice on tree care, container gardening, the birds in your backyard, pollinators and native plants, information about composting provided by Barbara Giovagnoli from the Lackawanna County Office of Environmental Sustainability; 570-963-6842 or LackawannaMG@psu.edu.

Geocaching event: Lackawanna River Heritage Trail guided geocaching walk with naturalist Jane Frye, Saturday, meet 10 a.m., Elm Street Trailhead, South Scranton, walk along the Central New Jersey extension of the trail toward Taylor and double back to Elm Street, rain or shine, treasure hunt, free; www.lhva.org.

Industry night: Johnson College industry night, today, 5-7 p.m., for prospective students interested in transportation and business programs; www.john

son.edu/industry-night-registra tion or 800-2-WE-WORK.

Defense seminar: Scranton Mixed Martial Arts training center self-defense seminar for women to benefit the Catherine McAuley Center CMC, Saturday, 2 p.m., Scranton MMA training center, 1000 Dunham Drive, Dunmore, ages 12 and up, bring two donations of the following: kitchenware, school supplies, bathroom supplies, bedding, infant necessities, non-perishable food items and/or personal toiletries; Facebook.com/ScrantonMMA, 570-851-2987 or ScrantonMMA@gmail.com.

Research symposium: Commonwealth Medical College seventh annual research symposium, May 5, 9 a.m., Medical Sciences Building, 525 Pine St., Scranton. highlights the achievements of TCMC students, faculty and community partners.

Mid Valley

Benefit Zumbathon: Zumbathon to benefit family of 4-year-old stage IV neuroblastoma patient Elijah Sabo, Saturday, 6-9 p.m., Zumba, 6:30; Dickson City Civic Center, 935 Albert St., two hours non-stop Zumba fitness, basket raffles, food, beverages; T-shirt, wrist band, key chain sales; $12/adults, $7/children; details, Wee Care Daycare, 570-489-5273.

Planning meeting: Organizers of the Mid-Valley Relay for Life, American Cancer Society planning meeting, Sunday, 6 p.m., Dickson City Municipal Building, 801 Enterprise St.; relay set for May 21, 4 p.m., Mid Valley High School; www.RelayForLife.org/PAMid-Valley.

North Pocono

Library meeting: Friends of the North Pocono Public Library meeting, June 7, 5:45 p.m., election of officers. and regular business.

Old Forge

Historical meeting: Old Forge Historical Society meeting, today, 7 p.m., lower level meeting room of the borough building, bring purse bingo ticket returns and old photos of Old Forge.

Report cards: Old Forge School District third quarter report card distribution, Wednesday, May 4, and parent teacher conferences, Friday, May 6, high school dismissal, 11 a.m., conferences 12:30-3 p.m.; elementary school dismissal, 11:25 a.m., conferences 1-3:30 p.m.

Peckville

Bus trip: Double “R” Twirlettes bus trip to New York Spectac­ular at Radio City Music Hall starring the Rockettes, June 18, bus leaves from Peckville, $99, includes roundtrip motor coach, orchestra seat to the 2 p.m. show and free time in New York City; 570-489-1935.

Pike County

Community events: Safe Haven of Pike County SAAM Empowerment Day, Saturday, 3-6 p.m., 402 Broad St., Milford, yoga, jewelry making, mini canvas painting, face painting, music, vendors, and Take Back the Night, 6-7 p.m.; 570-296-2827, ext. 209.

Pittston

Trunk sale: St. Michael’s Byzan­tine Catholic Church trunk sale, June 4 (rain date, June 11), church parking lot, 205 N. Main St., set up 7 a.m., sale 8 a.m.-3 p.m., $10/prepaid spots, limited space available, no refunds, food available; 570-905-7387, lindahando@hotmail.com.

Regional

Quilting meeting: Pa. Quilters Guild meeting and spring social, Monday, 6 p.m., John Heinz, Mundy Street, Wilkes-Barre Twp., business meeting, show and tell.

Annual dinner: Junior Achieve­ment annual Hall of Fame Din­ner, May 20, Mount Airy Casino Resort, honoring Lawrence Cohen, Benco Dental; Lisa DeNaples, Mount Airy Casino; Procter & Gamble Paper Prod­ucts, and Pride Mobility, $175; semi-annual raffle drawings for $1,000 in gift cards to many area restaurants, $10/raffle ticket; www.givegab.com/nonprofits/junior-achievement-of-nepa/camp aigns/2016-ja-business-hall-of-fame.

Scranton

Retirees meet: AARP Scranton Chapter 3731 meeting, Monday, Keyser Valley Community Center, 101 N. Keyser Ave., elections, noon-1:30 p.m., followed by meeting and refreshments, last call for donations to Griffin Pond Animal Shelter.

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.

The former president of the defunct Old Forge Ambulance and Rescue Association was sentenced to jail, house arrest and five years of court supervision Tuesday for embezzling thousands from the organization.

Robert Gotay, 50, 1216 Washburn St., Scranton, told Old Forge police he has a severe gambling problem and admitted writing checks to himself from the ambulance organization’s account, police said.

Judge Michael Barrasse ordered him to serve one month in the Lackawanna County Prison and three months of house arrest followed by court supervision.

Mr. Gotay had previously pleaded guilty to theft by unlawful taking, a misdemeanor, in exchange for the dropping of two felony charges.

After he was initially accused of stealing $16,000, prosecutors agreed he would pay $12,600 in restitution after he showed documentation that led to the reduction, Deputy District Attorney Jennifer McCambridge said.

The ambulance association, which is out of service, is a private entity separate from the borough, Old Forge Police Chief Jason Dubernas said. Pennsylvania Ambulance covers the borough.

Contact the writer:

pcameron@timesshamrock.com, @pcameronTT on Twitter

Scranton police seized 1,000 bags of heroin, cellphones and cash following the arrest of a Luzerne County man Wednesday afternoon.

Erwin “Happy” Roa-Mustafa, 33, 405 W. Hemlock St., Hazleton, faces drug delivery and related charges. Officers with the city police Special Investigations Division arrested Mr. Roa-Mustafa about 2:20 p.m. as he was about to sell the drugs in the parking lot of the Kmart in Moosic, according to court documents. Officers searched Mr. Roa-Mustafa and found two large packages hidden in the waistband of his pants, police said.

Each package contained 10 bricks of heroin for a total of 1,000 bags of the drug. The heroin has a street value of between $8,000 and $10,000, according to police. Police also seized two cellphones and $431.

Mr. Roa-Mustafa remains at Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $150,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 5.

Contact the writer:

cover@timesshamrock.com,

@ClaytonOver on Twitter

DUNMORE — Trooper Alex Douglass will attend a blood drive today in Dunmore, Saber Healthcare Group said.

The drive will run from 2 to 7 p.m. at Dunmore Health Care Center, a Saber Healthcare facility, on Mill Street. Trooper Douglass will be there from 4 to 7 p.m.

The drive is in honor of Trooper Douglass, of Olyphant, who was severely wounded in a Sept. 12, 2014, sniper attack outside of the Blooming Grove barracks in Pike County and received numerous blood transfusions during his recovery.

Funds raised from a basket raffle at the event will benefit a fund established in honor of Cpl. Bryon Dickson, of Dunmore, who died in the Blooming Grove shooting.

— JOSEPH KOHUT

SCRANTON — Someone shot a car in Scranton four times Tuesday night, city police said.

Police responded to the 1000 block of Fairfield Street at 9:23 p.m. after multiple people called to report the sound of gunfire, Capt. Dennis Lukasewicz said.

There, police found 23-year-old Shane Letthand’s gray Chevrolet Impala parked on the street with four bullet holes in it, Capt. Lukasewicz said.

No one was injured and there were no witnesses.

Anyone with information should contact detectives at 570-348-4139 or leave an anonymous tip using the TipSoft website at scrantonpa.gov/scrantonpd.

— JOSEPH KOHUT

HARRISBURG — More than two dozen volunteer fire and ambulance companies in Susquehanna and Wayne counties received state grant funding that can be used for construction and renovation, equipment repair and purchases, training and debt reduction.

The $341,603.04 in total grant funding will be divided among 31 different companies in the 111th Congressional District.

The grants are administered annually by the Office of the State Fire Commissioner, according to a press release.

Forest City Area Emergency Services will receive $14,000 in grant funding, while the Clifford Towp. Volunteer Fire Company will receive $13,789.79.

The full list of companies receiving grants can be found at repmajor.com, under the “latest news” tab.

SCRANTON — The Junior League of Scranton and Goodwill Industries of Northeastern Pennsylvania are holding a free public screening of a documentary about women.

“‘Miss Representation’ ... exposes how the media’s representations of women have led to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence,” according to a release. It will be shown at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Theatre at North, 1539 N. Main Ave, Scranton. The screening will be followed by a moderated discussion led by league member Amy Betts and others from the community.

For more information, visit www.juniorleagueofscranton.org.

SCRANTON — A former Scranton resident has been sentenced to 24 months in prison for conspiracy related to the harboring and transporting of illegal aliens, according to a release.

Lihn Lam, 45, formerly of Scranton, had operated Ready Management Services Inc. since 2007 and used the business to place people living in the country illegally in jobs under temporary labor contracts. Mr. Lam then paid the individuals in cash for their work.

Mr. Lam was indicted by a grand jury in April 2014 after being investigated by several government and law enforcement agencies, and was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Court Judge Edwin M. Kosik.

BLOOMING GROVE — State police arrested a man who escaped from police custody in Milford on Tuesday, but the search continues for his teenage girlfriend in Pike County.

Troopers said Leanna Walker, 17, left her home in Dingman Twp. on April 18 with her boyfriend, Sky McDonough, 24, of Milford. Milford police arrested Mr. McDonough on Tuesday on a warrant out of New Jersey, but he escaped.

Police found him in Milford Twp. on Wednesday morning. He was arraigned Wednesday on charges of escape and criminal trespass, and is being held at Pike County Correctional Facility in lieu of $250,000 bail.

Leanna is 5 feet 2 inches tall, weighs about 150 pounds and has blonde hair and blue eyes. Anyone with information on her whereabouts should call state police at 570-226-5718 or Pike County 911.

BLAKELY — During a special meeting Wednesday. Blakely Borough Council awarded the bid for a police station renovation and addition project to Derman Associates.

The Wyoming, Pennsylvania-based contractor’s bid of $310,019 was the lowest of the eight bids the borough received for the project, which includes expanding the police station and renovating the building’s interior.

Bids came in higher than the expected $250,000 for the project.

“We are hoping that they can start as soon as possible,” borough manager Tom Wascura said. “As soon as we get everything signed, we are ready for them to start.”

Borough officials expect the project to be done within the year.

Editor's Note: The above article has been changed to correct an error. Blakely Borough awarded the bid not Dickson City Borough as previously reported.