HARRISBURG — Times-Tribune Staff Photographer Butch Comegys won the Pennsylvania Associated Press Managing Editors’ top photography award Friday night.

Mr. Comegys, 48, of Blakely, received the Paul Vathis Memorial Photography Portfolio Award for photographs shot in 2015. The award was presented during the organization’s annual convention in Harrisburg.

The award honors Mr. Vathis and his 56-year photojournalist career with the AP in Pennsylvania. Mr. Vathis, who was born in Mauch Chunk, since renamed Jim Thorpe, won a Pulitzer Prize in 1962 for his 1961 photograph of President John F. Kennedy and former President Dwight D. Eisenhower walking together at Camp David after the Bay of Pigs invasion.

“I’m humbled and very honored to win this very prestigious award among other very talented photographers in the state — and an added bonus is to have my father (Fred Comegys) here,” Mr. Comegys said. “I was very surprised.”

Contest entries consist of five photos, three of which must be news, sports and feature photography.

Mr. Comegys’ winning entry includes photos of the Sandone Tire warehouse fire and demolition in downtown Scranton, the funeral of Scranton Patrolman John Wilding and an all-star baseball game in Dunmore.

“Butch is an extraordinary photojournalist with tremendous instincts for news and action,” said Larry Holeva, Times-Tribune executive editor. “He anticipates situations and almost always positions himself to capture a photograph that conveys energy, artistry or emotion. He matches his keen vision with great work ethic.”

A Wilmington, Delaware, native, Mr. Comegys has been a staff photographer at the paper for the past 18 years.

Mr. Comegys won eight state awards this year for news, feature and sports photographs he shot last year, including four first places. He also received two second-place photography awards in the Pennsylvania APME News Excellence Competition, which were presented Friday night.

So far this year, the newspaper and its staff have won 41 state and national awards. Other state awards will be presented today in Harrisburg.

MARRIAGE LICENSES

■ Armando Camacho-Sanchez and Teresa Torres, both of Scranton.

■ Thomas Jerome Cain and Angelica Gutierrez, both of Dunmore.

■ Jose Santos Martinez and Leah Renee Rollison, both of Scranton.

PROPERTY TRANSACTION

■ Carmine F. and Elaine M. Mendicino, both of Mayfield, to Bao Hai Zhang, Carbondale; a property at 45 S. Main St., Carbondale, for $80,000.

ESTATES FILED

■ Marilyn Ann Chesna, 1259 Mine St., Old Forge, letters of administration to John Chesna, 1605 Summit Lake Road, Clarks Summit.

■ Sophie Tisi, 100 Edella Road, South Abington Twp., letters testamentary to Bernice Tully, 205 Squirrel Run, Clarks Summit.

■ Alexander Andrake, 935 Pancoast St., Dickson City, letters of administration to Marge Standarski, 610 Campbell St., Scranton.

■ Pauline Bartkowski, 623 Warren St., Peckville, letters of administration to John Sewitsky, same address.

■ Thomas E. Osieski, 221 Prynn St., Peckville, letters of administration to Robert Osieski, 2000 S. Ocean Blvd., Apt. 303, Delray Beach, Florida.

LAWSUIT

■ Charles Thomas, 1118 Washburn St., Scranton, v. William Salerno, trading as Brownie’s Famous Pizzeria, 401 S. 9th Ave., Scranton, seeking in excess of $50,000 for injuries suffered in a personal injury on July 20, 2014, at Brownie’s Famous Pizzeria; Arthur J. Rinaldi, attorney.

DIVORCE DECREES

■ David Kellock v. Michelle Kellock.

■ Charles R. Grimes v. Jo Ann M. Grimes.

■ Fanda Eraprakoso v. Bestry Adriana Kauntu.

■ Antonio Tertuires Lima v. Debora Vilela Pacheco.

■ William Turner v. Maryann Turner.

STATE TAX LIENS

■ Colarussos Lapalazzo Inc., 305 Glenmaura Drive, Moosic; $4,885.95.

■ Owb Reo LLC, 2900 Esperanza Crossing, Austin, Texas; $3,850.45.

■ Duffy’s Coffee House LLC, 312 S. State St., Clarks Summit; $6,857.04.

■ Foundation Healthcare LLC, 929 Cedar Ave., Scranton; $3,246.08.

■ Epstein & Associates LLC, 501 Ash St., Vandling; $1,332.48.

■ James Talarico, individually and as vice president of Margies Luncheon Inc., 40 Jay Ave., Apt. 2, Scott Twp.; $2,346.17.

■ Joseph J. Kuniegel, individually and as president of Kuniegel Brothers Inc., 210 Wolf St., Elmhurst Twp.; $282.83.

■ Leonard A. Krappa, individually and as president of Tri K Inc., 238 Hoover St., Old Forge; $3,867.80.

■ Darrell Yarbrough, 231 Prescott Ave., Scranton; $2,330.95.

■ Salvatore Clemente, 138 Walnut St., Dunmore; $1,742.03.

■ Douglas Durosky, 1106 Sloan St., Floor 2, Scranton; $6,209.93.

■ Jonathan Sawko, 652 Commerce Drive, Scott Twp.; $1,601.93.

■ Xavier Meyers, 71320 Layton Road, Clarks Summit; $1,728.58.

■ Michael McCormick, 638 Fairview Road, S. Abington Twp.; $3,602.94.

■ Justin S. Ashman, 152 Laurel Road E, Covington Twp.; $13,297.97.

■ Luis M. Penetra and Catherine M. MacFarlane, both of 114 Country Club Drive, Gouldsboro; $5,258.12.

■ Anthony M. Lamandre, 700 Route 6, Eynon; $9,110.48.

■ Al T. and Carol Hughes, both of 1003 Greenbriar Drive, South Abington Twp.; $10,942.32.

■ Richard Timlin, 310 Wilbur St., Scranton; $321.95.

■ Michael Giordano, 5 University Drive, Dunmore; $2,357.

■ John J. and Ann E. Lynch, both of 400 E. Warren St.; $613.88.

■ Donald A. Nowalk, 183 Thomas St., Jessup; $8,068.44.

■ Thomas Hill, 1607 Route 502, Spring Brook Twp.; $19,011.49.

■ Brian J. McIntosh II, 2 Abington Highlands, South Abington Twp.; $5,761.32.

■ David James Wall, 635 Fallon St., Old Forge; $6,751.03.

■ Robert Loughlin, 119 W. Drinker St., Dunmore; $4,709.93.

■ Jason S. Pniewski, 408 Storrs St., Taylor; $5,185.62.

■ John J. Sopp, 139 River St., Jessup; $907.86.

■ Nina Macciocco, 802 E. Drinker St., Dunmore; $1,097.18.

■ Maurice Richard McGeehan, 1515 Capouse Ave., Scranton; $1,212.72.

■ Kevin and Wendy Cleveland, 39 Washington St., Carbondale; $1,191.52.

■ Margarito Paez Cruz, 1547 Dickson Ave., Scranton; $1,111.90.

■ North Washington Group LLC, 622 S. Blakely St., Dunmore; $1,621.78.

■ Ben Covey Construction Co. Inc., 418 Christ Court, Scranton; $594.76.

■ Retail Store Painting LLC, 329 S. Keyser Ave., Taylor; $2,006.96.

■ Endless Mountain Hams LLC, 709 Scranton Carbondale Highway, Scranton; $5,083.03.

ARDS

The following were admitted to the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program for driving under the influence:

■ Anthony Walsh, 67, Scranton, stopped July 7 by Scranton police.

■ David Robert Breschi, 51, Carlisle, stopped Oct. 17 by Moscow police.

■ Matthew T. Rinkunas, 26, Dickson City, stopped Nov. 5 by Throop police.

■ Tulsi Dhungel, 25, Scranton, stopped Aug. 29 by Taylor police.

■ Michael Robert Morrell, 27, Union Dale, stopped Sept. 12 by Scott Twp. police.

■ Nathan Dewilde Engh, 23, Clarks Summit, stopped July 28 by state police.

■ John Gary Walsh, 60, Dalton, stopped Oct. 10 by state police.

■ Douglas Bennett, 70, Moscow, stopped Nov. 18 by state police.

■ Drew Wilson, 27, South Abington Twp., stopped April 11, 2015, by South Abington Twp. police.

■ Mylo David Welter, 23, Scranton, stopped Sept. 10 by Moosic police.

■ Kimberly A. Morris, 44, Jessup, stopped Oct. 14 by state police.

The following defendants were admitted to the ARD program for other crimes:

■ Tyaire Austin Quiller, 20, Scranton, arrested July 17 by state police for use and possession of drug paraphernalia.

■ Tyaire Austin Quiller, 20, Scranton, arrested Sept. 16, 2014, by Dickson City police for use and possession of drug paraphernalia.

■ Brandon R. Lankford, 29, Gouldsboro, arrested Nov. 7 by Scranton police for simple assault.

ONLINE: thetimes-tribune.com/courts

Bucking a countywide trend of decline from 2010 to 2015, Scranton’s population rose from an influx of immigrants in neighborhoods and apartment dwellers downtown, officials said.

Scranton had 77,118 residents in July 2015, up from 76,089 in April 2010, for a 1.4 percent gain of 1,029 people, according to U.S. Census Bureau population estimates released Thursday.

Scranton’s net gain of 1,029 residents likely came from immigrants, particularly Nepali-Bhutanese refugees and Hispanics transforming neighborhoods, and young and empty-nest professionals living in apartments and condos downtown, said city Councilman Wayne Evans, a local Realtor, and Teri Ooms, executive director the Institute for Public Policy & Economic Development, a local think tank.

Because Scranton has had population decreases over several decades, a gain may signal a shift that bodes well for the city, Mr. Evans said.

“That’s significant, no doubt about it. That’s a turnaround we really haven’t seen in quite awhile,” Mr. Evans said.

“There are two factors: The immigrant population is increasing, specifically the Bhutanese population, and downtown certainly helped out. If those apartments weren’t there, a lot of those people living downtown would not be living in the city.”

The Nepali-Bhutanese community largely in the Hill Section has grown to about 2,500 residents in recent years, according to a recent estimate by a leader of that community.

As for downtown living, the addition of The Commonwealth Medical College and expansions of hospitals helped fuel conversions of several buildings downtown into apartments. They have attracted people seeking more of an urban vibe, instead of a typical single-family home setting.

“Scranton has done some significant work to build up the downtown. There is an interest back in urban living,” Ms. Ooms said.

Census estimates are based upon components of population change, such as births and deaths, and domestic and international migration.

Data for Lackawanna County shows that “net international migration” of foreign-born and U.S. citizens of 2,583 people who moved into the county offset the domestic outmigration of the 2,644 people who left. Lackawanna County also had 2,300 more deaths (13,881) than births (11,564).

Lackawanna County’s population decreased 1.2 percent, from 214,436 in 2010 to 211,917 in 2015,a drop of 2,519 residents.

Only four of Lackawanna County’s 40 municipalities had population gains. Scranton (1.4 percent) led, followed by Roaring Brook Twp. (1.3 percent), West Abington (0.8 percent) and Moosic (0.6 percent).

The other 36 municipalities had population declines, ranging from Dunmore’s 4.8 percent plunge to Archbald’s 0.3 percent loss. Carbondale also had a 3.7 percent drop.

Meanwhile, populations of Luzerne County’s cities also fell: Wilkes-Barre (1.7 percent), Pittston (1.1 percent), Nanticoke (2 percent) and Hazleton (2 percent).

Pottsville in Schuylkill County had a 3.6 percent drop.

Overall, Pennsylvania had a 0.8 percent increase, or a gain of 99,616 residents, up to a total of 12,802,503.

Philadelphia was the largest and fastest growing city, while Pittsburgh had a slight population decline.

Eight of nine cities that had population growth are in the southeastern and south central parts of the state.

Scranton was the only city in the Northeast to post a gain.

Contact the writer: jlockwood@timesshamrock.com, @jlockwoodTT on Twitter

SCRANTON — A woman faces child-endangerment charges after police say she was asleep upstairs while her two small children played under a porch unattended.

Officers filed charges against Tiffany Ponce, 24, 127 George St., Jessup, on Wednesday after they were called to 2121 Rear Myrtle St. for a report of the children playing outside alone. Officers had received a similar report the day before.

Officers arrived about 11:44 a.m. and found Ms. Ponce upstairs. She told police she had been sleeping, according to police.

The boys are about 3½ and 1½ years old, according to court documents.

Ms. Ponce was arraigned and released on $5,000 unsecured bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.

— CLAYTON OVER

Carbondale

Softball meeting: Greater Carbondale Miss C Softball League meeting, Sunday, 6 p.m., Fell Field, 11 Lord Ave., Simpson; Robert Wall, 570-766-0621.

East Scranton

Bus trip: East Scranton Seniors bus trip to Hollywood Casino near Harrisburg, June 29, leaves Monroe Avenue parking lot across from Dun­more Senior Center, 9:30 a.m., casino, 5:30 p.m.; $26, $30 free play, $5 food; must be 21; Isabelle, 570-347-7394 or Tom, 570-430-1441, by June 22.

Keyser Valley

Seniors meet: Keyser Valley Senior Citizens meeting Monday, 1 p.m., community house; games, refreshments follow.

Lackawanna County

County program: Lackawanna County special program to mark National Missing Children’s Day Wednesday, 6 p.m., Spruce Street side of Courthouse Square near the Michelle Jolene Lakey kiosk, remarks by law enforcement personnel and family members.

Sponsors needed: Hole sponsors wanted for John Cavanaugh Memorial Golf Tournament, July 10, Sleepy Hollow Golf Course; $30/hole, benefits Dive Rescue Specialists Water Emergency Response Team; checks payable to Dive Rescue Specialists, P.O. Box 134, Peckville, PA 18452.

Leadership applications: Leadership Lackawanna accepting applications for Tomorrow’s Leaders Today class of 2016-17, teen program open to sophomores in all of Lackawanna County, Lackawanna Trail and Western Wayne schools; www.LeadershipLackawanna.com, via school guidance offices or Nicole A. Morristell, 570-342-7711 by Sunday, May 27.

Antiques show: Lackawanna Historical Society teaming with Ros-Al Antiques and Floral for Great Summer Expo antiques show, June 11, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., June 12, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Four Points Sheraton, Meadow Avenue, Scarnton; preview party, June 10, 6-8 p.m., $25/preview party tickets include raffle entry to win a four day/three night package for Flamingo Bay Taino Beach Resort in the Bahamas; show includes books, lamps, pottery, country pieces, art, vintage jewelry; brief seminars on book collecting and appraisal by Linda Roller, Liberty Book Shop in Avis, appraisal, June 11, 12, 1 and 2 p.m.; local historian/author Ronald Moskalczak’s signing “Scranton’s Automotive Heritage,” June 11, noon-2 p.m.; 570-344-3841 or lacka-wannahistory@gmail.com.

Catholic gathering: International Juventutem Federation new Scranton Chapter social gathering for Catholics 18-26 years of age, inaugural meeting, May 28, 10 a.m., St. Michael’s Parish, Jackson Street, Scranton.

Mayfield

Bookmobile visit: Lackawanna County Bookmobile visit, Monday, 9-9:30 a.m., Municipal Building, 739 Penn Ave.

Fund drive: Mayfield Lions Club’s 2016 fund drive donations can be dropped at Penn Star Bank, Borough Building or Lions Building, 605 Walnut St.

Regional

Birding event: Lacawac Sanctuary bird walk and bagel breakfast, June 4, 7-11 a.m., observation of bird banding with university professors Meg Hatch and Robert Smith follows breakfast, bird walk along trails led by Peter Wulfhorst; dress for weather, sturdy footwear; $15/nonmembers, $10 w/Lacawac membership card; pre-registration required; 570-689-9494, nfo@lacawac.org.

Center benefit: First Home Happy Hour, Monday, 5-8 p.m., Morgan’z Pub and Eatery, 315 Green Ridge St., Scranton, $30; light fare, coffee/iced tea/soft drinks, benefits First Home Program which helps furnish apartments for mothers moving from St. Joseph’s Center’s shelter or transitional housing to permanent housing; 570-963-1290, walk-ins welcome.

Scranton

Social group: Tech Social Group ‘62 meeting, Tuesday, 5 p.m., Sacco’s, Meadow Avenue; Jan, 570-842-6034.

Rib barbecue: St. Mary’s Byzantine Catholic Church rib barbecue, June 12, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., St. Mary’s Center, Mifflin Avenue and Linden Street; takeouts available; $12/adults, $6/children; 570-342-8429, limited tickets at door.

Rummage sale: First United Church of Christ rummage sale/flea market June 3, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., June 4, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.; Price and North Bromley.

South Scranton

Seniors meet: Young at Heart of South Scranton meeting Tuesday, 1 p.m., St. Paul of the Cross Parish Center.

Wayne County

Tasting fundraiser: Wayne County Historical Society Taste of Wayne, June 1, Twisted Rail Restaurant, 505 Main St., Honesdale, portion of proceeds benefits the Wayne County Historical Society; reservations, 570-253-9923.

CLIPBOARD ITEMS may be emailed to yesdesk@timessham

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

Two friends of murder victim Stephanie Tyminski testified Friday they heard her scream for help from the hallway in their apartment building the day before she was found dead in her bathtub.

“It sounded like bloody murder screaming,” Hypatia Smith testified on the first day of 28-year-old Joseph Thornton’s preliminary hearing on criminal homicide and other counts.

Ms. Smith and her fiance, William Savage, said they heard Ms. Tyminski yell, several times, “Somebody please help me.” They still live together at Valley View Terrace, where the murder happened.

Mr. Savage and Ms. Smith said they never called police because they feared Mr. Thornton, Ms. Tyminski’s accused murderer and their neighbor, would harm them.

Ms. Tyminski, 29, was found dead Dec. 10, 2014, in the Valley View apartment she planned to depart for a nicer place within a week. An autopsy showed she died of blunt force injuries of the head and neck and maybe strangulation. The hearing is expected to resume Monday at 10 a.m. with a detective expected to testify about how police fingered Mr. Thornton as the killer.

Mr. Thornton’s hearing was delayed for more than a year because for several months he was considered mentally incompetent.

Ms. Smith, 21, and Mr. Savage, 31, testified they heard regular arguments between Ms. Tyminski and Mr. Thornton, who was obsessed with her. A drunken Mr. Thornton would often pound on her door at night when he forgot his apartment keys, Ms. Smith said.

When they heard her scream for help, Mr. Savage said he grabbed a pocket knife, opened their apartment door and saw Mr. Thornton crouched in the hallway in front of his apartment 6 or 7 feet away. Mr. Thornton ordered him back into their apartment, claiming he defecated in his pants and didn’t want to be seen that way, Mr. Savage said.

“Keep the door shut,” Mr. Thornton shouted at least four times in a nervous voice, Ms. Smith said.

Only a few minutes later, Mr. Savage and Ms. Smith stepped into the hallway where they saw two red fake fingernails near Mr. Thornton’s apartment door and four blood spots on the walls, but no sign of Mr. Thornton or Ms. Tyminski. When they returned from a visit to a nearby store, the fingernails and blood were gone. Ms. Smith, who occasionally cleaned Mr. Thornton’s apartment for $4 a visit, said she smelled the “fruity, citrusy” odor of Mr. Thornton’s liquid cleanser.

Later the same day, in a cellphone text full of misspellings, Mr. Thornton asked Ms. Smith to check on Ms. Tyminski’s welfare.

The couple never checked.

“She didn’t want us to be involved in any of their fights,” Ms. Smith said.

The next day, after a maintenance man discovered the body, Mr. Thornton offered Ms. Smith and Mr. Savage $20 each to keep quiet about seeing him the day before and upped the offer to $40 when they refused.

That night, they felt scared enough to barricade their apartment door with a couch, Ms. Smith testified.

They feared Mr. Thornton because he had shown a dangerous side, they said. He boasted of killing once before, owning an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle and displayed a retracting baton that he called his “beating stick.”

The hearing almost didn’t begin Friday.

First, Mr. Thornton’s lawyers, attorney James Elliott and attorney Christopher Osborne, showed up late. Mr. Osborne showed up about 75 minutes late - he said he was unaware of the hearing because Mr. Elliott and the court did not notify him of the hearing. Mr. Elliott showed up two hours and 15 minutes late.

After they both arrived, Mr. Thornton wouldn’t stop protesting that he wanted to represent himself and saying a judge promised him access to all the evidence against him. Magisterial District Judge John Pesota ordered him removed.

“Are you serious?” Mr. Thornton asked several times.

The judge let him return once he promised to stay calm, which he did.

Mr. Thornton is held at Lackawanna County Prison. No bail has been assigned.

Contact the writer: bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com

NORTH ABINGTON TWP. — Water in the pool at Lackawanna State Park rippled and chopped with a light breeze Friday afternoon, reflecting sunlight all the while.

The only thing missing from the pool: swimmers. That will soon change. The pool had been closed while the swimming facility at the park underwent renovations, and the updated facility is slated to open on Saturday, May 28, just in time for prime swimming season.

“We’re putting the finishing touches on it,” park Manager Kevin Koflanovich said. “We’re basically complete.”

The previous pool was as old as the park, which opened in 1972, Mr. Koflanovich said. The old pool, which was round, is replaced by a keystone-shaped pool with a maximum capacity of 1,000 occupants, he said.

The pool is not the only renovation. The project also included replacing shower and changing facilities for men and women, as well as a new food concessions building, first-aid area, ticket booth and lifeguard facilities, Mr. Koflanovich said.

There is also a new splash pad with buckets, hoses, water cannons and other features that shoot, spray and otherwise splash water. The pad has separate areas for children of different ages, Mr. Koflanovich said.

While no one is yet allowed inside, the nearly finished and functional facility drew the curiosity of park visitors Friday.

Barbara Bergeron

of Avoca stopped to admire the new outbuildings, each with a fresh coat of brown paint, while taking a walk at the park. Ms. Bergeron took her children, now grown, to the old pool almost every weekend when they were growing up. The facilities were always nice, she said, but in recent years were showing their age.

“It’s amazing,” Ms. Bergeron said of the renovated complex. “It looks gorgeous.”

The project cost more than $4 million and is part of the Enhance Penn’s Wood initiative, a two-year, $200 million statewide investment plan to repair and improve parks and forests.

“We were fortunate enough to completely replace the whole pool facility,” Mr. Koflanovich said.

Contact the writer:

cover@timesshamrock.com,

@ClaytonOver on Twitter

If you go...

The new pool and splash pad at Lackawanna State Park opens Sat., May 28 at 11 a.m. and will be open daily thereafter from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. through the summer.

Daily rates

Swimmer: $5

Senior Citizen: $4

Late Arrival (after 4 p.m.): $4

Children under 42 inches in height: Free

Season passes are also available.

For more information on Lackawanna State Park and other state parks, visit www.dcnr.state.pa.us.

SCRANTON — The second annual Northeast Pennsylvania Yoga Festival is scheduled for early next month.

Teachers from throughout the region will hold 14 classes on Saturday, June 4, at Montage Mountain. The event also features live music and vendors providing various goods and healthy foods.

The event will go on rain or shine. Tickets cost $69 on the day of the festival, $60 if purchased in advance, and $50 for students and veterans. Children under 12 get in for $25.

For further information on Yoga Fest, visit www.nearmeyoga.com or contact Chelsea Manganaro at nearmeyogafestival@gmail.com or 570-840-3220.

— STAFF REPORTS

SCRANTON — It will be called the “Marketplace at Steamtown.”

Workers Friday replaced the Mall at Steamtown sign near Lackawanna and Franklin avenues revealing the new name and then concealed it with black fabric.

Mall spokesman Joe Gibbons said the mall will remain the Mall at Steamtown until a formal announcement.

The sign at the mall’s main entrance at Lackawanna and Penn avenues still bears the old moniker.

The name change is part of sweeping, ambitious revitalization efforts by area businessman John Basalyga, who bought the ailing mall last year.

— JON O’CONNELL

WILKES-BARRE — Luzerne County Children and Youth Services wants to keep secret the details of how its caseworkers got involved in placing a toddler in a home where he later died of a head injury.

Wilkes-Barre residents Nichole Puscavage and Anthony Cook filed suit against the agency in January, accusing caseworkers of “sheer incompetence” for placing 21-month-old Anthony L. Puscavage into a Plymouth home where he died after suffering a head injury in January 2015.

The lawsuit alleges the agency failed to perform even a “cursory review” before placing the boy with Ms. Puscavage’s mother and stepfather, Brenda and Kenneth Wilkes.

Mrs. Wilkes, the plaintiffs allege, has an “extensive history” with child services and previously lost custody of her own children.

County officials have denied wrongdoing and are fighting the lawsuit.

The filing Friday offers the county’s most detailed explanation yet of why the agency removed Anthony from his home.

The document says Children and Youth Services removed Anthony and his brother from his home in November 2014 because it did not have heat and the family was facing eviction. By that point, caseworkers had been monitoring the family for several years because of numerous complaints, including unsanitary conditions, “non-accidental head trauma,” neglect and overcrowding in the home, says the filing by attorney Thomas J. Johanson.

Although the parents accuse the county of failing to conduct adequate background checks on Mrs. Wilkes, the filing alleges Ms. Puscavage herself gave Mrs. Wilkes custody of her older children when they were born and that Mrs. Wilkes has raised those children.

Children and Youth Services is seeking a court order keeping confidential records about the family that must be turned over during discovery, saying Ms. Puscavage’s four other children, who are under the care of the agency, must be protected to protect them from embarrassment.

By keeping those details secret, the county hopes the children will avoid ridicule and grow up to be “emotionally stable adults,” the filing says.

Anthony’s death was a major factor in the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services downgrading the agency’s license to provisional status last year, citing shoddy background checks conducted in the case.

Contact the writer:

SCRANTON — The Steamtown National Historic Site announced a pair of train excursions over Memorial Day weekend.

The first, on Saturday, May 28, is a round trip to Jessup on a World War II troop train re-enactment. Riders can enjoy the Jessup Fireman’s Picnic and a historic tour upon arrival. The excursion leaves the Steamtown boarding platform at 12:30 p.m. and returns at 5:45 p.m.

On Sunday, May 29, a train departs Steamtown at 12:30 p.m. for Moscow for a tour of the restored passenger station and freight depot. The train returns at 3 p.m.

Admission to each event costs $24 for adults, $22 for senior citizens and $17 for children ages 6 to 15. Children up to age 5 require a free ticket.

— CLAYTON OVER

Among the many who immigrated to the Lackawanna Valley from the Irish city of Ballina were the ancestors of Vice President and Scranton native Joe Biden, new research confirms.

Researchers at the Mayo North Heritage Centre in County Mayo, Ireland, recently traced Mr. Biden’s ancestry back to the Garden Street area of Ballina, where his great-great-grandfather Patrick Blewitt was born in the early 1830s. It has been long believed that Mr. Biden’s ancestors hailed from the Ballina area, but only recently did researchers pinpoint a specific location.

The connection between Ballina and Scranton is so strong that they became official sister cities in 1991, a relationship that endures today. In 2014, for example, a group of dignitaries from Ballina attended Scranton’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Ballina was home to many of the early immigrants who flocked to our area from Ireland seeking the opportunity offered by its then-burgeoning iron and coal industries.

“The number of people from here who settled (in Scranton) over the decades is remarkable,” Mayo North Heritage Centre researcher Brendan Walsh wrote in an email. “The research we do for clients from all over the U.S. often leads back to the Scranton area as the first place their ancestors settled (when) coming into the country.”

Mr. Biden’s ancestors left Ballina for the neighboring parish of Ardagh following Mr. Blewitt’s birth and came to America in the late 1840s, according to information provided by the heritage center.

The job opportunities in Scranton, created by the boom of iron and coal around this time, explain why many of these families settled here, according to Lackawanna Historical Society Executive Director Mary Ann Savakinus.

“It would make sense that they would come at the beginning (of iron and coal) and stay because the work was here,” said Ms. Savakinus, who added that it wasn’t until those industries started to decline after World War II that people started to leave.

“(That) would line up with Biden’s lineage pretty well,” she said.

It also makes sense that many from the Ballina area would settle together in the area.

“It wasn’t unusual for people from one community in the old country to create neighborhoods with the same families they knew over there,” she said. “They created communities with people who shared a lot of traditions.”

This also explains, in part, why Scranton and Ballina became sister cities, according to Maureen McGuigan, Lackawanna County deputy director of arts and culture.

“There are so many people from Ballina here, and with the rich heritage and connections between the two (cities), it made logical sense that they be twins,” she said, adding that many Irish families like Mr. Biden’s came to Scranton seeking the American dream.

Contact the writer:

jhorvath@timesshamrock.com, @jhorvathTT on Twitter

The Mid Valley School Board passed a preliminary budget Wednesday with a proposed 6.9 percent tax increase.

The 2016-17 proposed final budget includes expenditures of $24.94 million and revenue projected at $24.68 million. The millage rate will increase 7.4 mills, raising the rate to 113.259. A mill is a $1 tax for every $1,000 in assessed property value. A home assessed at $10,000 would see an increase of $74 for the year.

The district applied for exceptions to raise taxes past the Act 1 Index, a state cap, because of special education and pension increases.

Mid Valley is projected to end the year with a $175,415 fund balance, the first time in several years the district would have a positive balance, said Superintendent Patrick Sheehan. The district is continuing cost controls and will not replace a few staff positions lost through attrition, he said.

Mid Valley, which uses Albert B. Melone Co., Pittston, as its business office, budgeted its state funding at the 2015-16 level.

Contact the writer:

kbolus@timesshamrock.com,

@kbolusTT on Twitter

Lackawanna County and Scranton will soon begin a new effort to help the region recover economically and environmentally from the decline of its coal mining and manufacturing industries.

Commissioners awarded a $471,500 contract to Langan Engineering & Environmental Services to inventory contaminated industrial sites known as brownfields that dot Lackawanna County.

“This will do a first-level assessment of what’s in the ground and what it’s going to take to clean it up,” Economic Development Director George Kelly said. “The second part of this project is to apply for additional funds to actually do the cleanup of these brownfields and hopefully get them to be productive properties in the county.”

Besides anecdotal knowledge of old mine sites and factories concentrated in the center of the valley from Carbondale to Old Forge, no one knows the full scope of the problem, said Bernie McGurl, executive director of the Lackawanna River Conservation Association.

Many of the companies responsible for lingering contamination are long gone, and the land they left behind is difficult and costly to develop.

“These brownfield sites are in the heart of our communities,” Mr. McGurl said. “They’re right down the street from our downtowns. They’re adjacent to some of our residential areas. They stick out like rotten teeth. If we can clean them up and re-utilize them, we can create an asset instead of a liability.”

The inventory and assessment, which Mr. Kelly expected to take a year or two, is funded by a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

County officials hope that when Langan’s work is done, they will be able to go back to the EPA and tap into larger pots of grant money for remediation work, making some locations that would otherwise be marketable attractive to developers while reducing exposure to residents.

The pollutants Mr. McGurl highlighted range from asbestos insulation in repurposed manufacturing or mining buildings to chemicals left behind at sites that used to be gas stations or dry cleaners.

The inventory effort will include outreach to communities throughout the county as organizers work to develop a comprehensive list of problem properties.

Contact the writer:

kwind@timesshamrock.com,

@kwindTT on Twitter

LARKSVILLE — A former Pennsylvania State Police trooper with a history of violence was hit Friday with charges alleging he beat his wife, held her head under water in a bathtub and threatened a murder-suicide hours after she got a restraining order against him.

Michael Thomas Hartzel, 50, of 272 Church St., is accused of telling his estranged wife, Christine Hartzel, 47, she was “not leaving the house alive” after locking her inside the family home Thursday evening.

Filed for divorce

Court records show Mrs. Hartzel got a protection-from-abuse order against her husband — against whom she filed for divorce in January — alleging the retired Hazleton-based trooper tracked her using GPS, then pulled her hair and bit her nose.

The application alleges Mr. Hartzel threw his wife’s clothes outside the home and threatened to “bash (her) skull in” after accusing her of having a boyfriend.

The charges filed Friday allege Mrs. Hartzel went home about 6:35 p.m. Thursday thinking her husband was gone, then got locked inside as Mr. Hartzel began dragging her by the hair.

Mr. Hartzel dunked his wife’s head under water in a bathtub while slapping and punching her, saying he “was going to beat her up until she stopped breathing,” according to the complaint.

‘Piece of paper’

Mr. Hartzel also hit his wife’s head against a wall and told her he would kill her despite the PFA, which was “just a piece of paper,” the complaint alleges.

The former trooper told his wife he didn’t care if he died, too, because he hated her and it would be worth it, police allege.

Mrs. Hartzel managed to escape and run to her car as Mr. Hartzel chased her, police said.

Larksville police charged Mr. Hartzel with simple assault, making terroristic threats, reckless endangerment and harassment.

Court records showed Magisterial District Judge David A. Barilla arraigned Mr. Hartzel on Friday afternoon and released him on $5,000 unsecured bail.

A preliminary hearing is set for 11 a.m. on June 9.

Previously charged

The charges are not the first time Mr. Hartzel has made the news for alleged violence.

While an active state trooper in July 2008, he was charged with simple assault, official oppression and intimidation of a witness after he assaulted a man while responding to a burglary at Holly Lynn Mobile Home Park.

Police said Mr. Hartzel stomped on the head of the victim, who was trying to subdue the burglar, and left him with a broken nose. The trooper later pleaded no contest to simple assault and was sentenced to a year of probation.

Court records indicate troopers later settled a civil lawsuit over the assault for an unspecified amount.

BOB KALINOWSKI, staff writer, contributed to this report.

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Former Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty is among several former and current city officials asked to testify about the circumstances surrounding a 2002 retirement incentive that doubled the pensions of some city employees.

Attorney Judith Price notified Mr. Doherty last week that she wants to question him under oath in connection with a lawsuit she filed on behalf of 13 retirees who are challenging the nonuniform pension board’s attempt to halt the excess payments.

Mrs. Price is also seeking to question City Controller Roseanne Novembrino; Thomas Barrett, the pension board president at the time; and Gerald Cross, executive director of the Pennsylvania Economy League, which is Scranton’s Act 47 distressed city adviser. Lisa Moran, who served as director of human resources under Mr. Doherty, is scheduled to be interviewed Wednesday.

Attempts to reach Mrs. Price for comment Friday were unsuccessful. In a previous interview, she said she wanted to speak to all people who were involved in negotiating and implementing the retirement incentive Mr. Doherty offered, which doubled the pension of employees who retired by Dec. 31, 2002.

Contacted Friday, Mr. Cross said he doesn’t believe he can provide any useful information because he was not the executive director of PEL at the time the incentive was offered.

The nonuniform pension board voted in July to try to halt the excess payments and/or recoup the tens of thousands of dollars in extra money that has been paid to the retirees. It took the action after a Times-Tribune investigation published in December 2014 revealed the retirement incentive was never properly approved by the pension board or city council.

Mrs. Price filed a lawsuit in January seeking to preclude the pension board from holding hearings on the matter, which are scheduled to be heard by a specially appointed hearing examiner July 11-12. The lawsuit contends the case should be heard by a labor arbitrator because it involves a contract dispute.

Senior Lackawanna County Judge Robert Mazzoni held a hearing on the matter in March but postponed ruling to give attorneys time to question witnesses and gather more information. He scheduled another hearing for Thursday, June 16.

Contact the writer:

tbesecker@timesshamrock.com, @tbeseckerTT on Twitter

THROOP — Ever since liver cancer claimed the life of her son, Matthew Zaluski, 4½ years ago, Kim Trubia has felt a constant void.

“I still talk to him every day,” said the Dunmore resident. “I feel like part of me is still here for my (18-year-old) son Zachary and part of me is in heaven with him.”

Mrs. Trubia got involved with Mid Valley Relay for Life to connect with other people who have endured similar experiences, honor her late son’s memory after he died at age 20 and support other people’s fights against cancer.

She was one of between 150 and 200 people to again take up the cause at Mid Valley High School during Saturday’s relay, which raises money for cancer research and American Cancer Society programs.

Wearing purple or red shirts, representatives from seven teams began walking the track shortly after 4 p.m. The goal was for at least one person from each group to always be walking through the night until 8 a.m. today.

“The symbolism behind the relay is that cancer never sleeps for one night, so neither do we,” said Ryan Schofield, community manager for the American Cancer Society.

The Mid Valley event is one of three scheduled in Lackawanna County through the end of next month.

The fundraising goal for Saturday’s event was $15,000, and the goal for the three events combined — including another relay at Abington Heights High School June 11 and the countywide event at PNC Field on June 25 — is $70,000.

Despite her deceased son’s age, Mrs. Trubia’s story is all too common, Mr. Schofield said.

“Almost everybody you know has been affected in some way, whether it’s themselves or a loved one or a friend,” he said. “If you haven’t, you’re one of the very lucky ones.”

Mrs. Trubia described her son as a smart, outgoing person. He worked as an assistant youth counselor, was good with kids and faced his prognosis bravely.

For other caregivers fighting the same battles as her, she offered some advice.

“Don’t lose faith in God,” she said. “Stay close to your friends and family. People will rally around you. Go to support groups or a grief counselor if you can.”

Contact the writer:

kwind@timesshamrock.com, @kwindTT on Twitter

VETERANS

Cellphones collected to benefit soldiers

First Presbyterian Church in Honesdale is an official collection point for Cellphones for Soldiers during the month of May, collecting used cellphones and tablets. The program provides calling cards to deployed service men and women to aid them in staying in touch with family and friends.

Rep. Flynn sets veterans outreach

State Rep. Marty Flynn, D-113, Scranton, veterans support program with American Legion service officer, Wednesday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., constituent service office, Jay’s Commons, 409 N. Main Ave., Scranton, appointments requested, 570-342-4348.

Post 4712 auxiliary sets flea market

Walter Paciga VFW Post 4712 Ladies Auxiliary flea market, Saturday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., VFW grounds, 500 Main St., Simpson, vendor tables, $15, basket raffles and refreshments available, rain or shine; Kerrie, 570-281-3826, by May 14.

Veterans plates available

Sen. Lisa Baker (R-20, Lehman Twp.) reminding bike owners of an easy way to show their patriotism and support Pennsylvania veterans — the “Honoring Our Veterans” license plate, cost is $35, and $15 of the fee goes directly to helping veterans in need; those renewing their vehicle registrations and driver’s licenses can also make a $3 donation through a voluntary check-off box; www.dot.state.pa.us or Sen. Baker’s office, 570-226-5960.

USS Independence sets reunion

USS Independence CVA-62 27th reunion, Sept. 5-9, Seattle, for all Navy, Marine and Air squadrons serving on the Independence and their families; USS Independence CVA-62, 65 Pioneer Ridge Road, Canton, NC 28716, 828-648-7379 or ussindycva-62@hotmail.com.

Flag placement

IN CARBONDALE

Carbondale Memorial Committee placing flags on the graves of veterans, Saturday, 9 a.m., meet at Carbondale Memorial Park, Main Street, at 8:45, following the placement of the flags, group meets at American Legion Post 221, Hospital Street, for a flag retirement ceremony by Boy Scouts of Troop 8, refreshments provided by American Legion Post 221.

IN THROOP

Herbert Clark Post 180 Throop American Legion placing new flags on veterans graves at St. John’s, St. Mary’s, and Holy Family Cemeteries, Tuesday, 5:30 p.m. starting at St. Mary’s on Sanderson Avenue; rain date, Thursday.

Memorial Day services

POST 7069

Abington Memorial VFW Post 7069 annual Memorial Day parade, May 30, forms at Clarks Summit Elementary Center, 401 Grove St., 10 a.m., starts, 11, any groups or individuals who want to participate in the line of march can call the post at 570-586-9821 after 10 a.m.; memorial services will be conducted at the following locations before the parade: Abington Hills Cemetery, 8:30 a.m.; South Abington Memorial at the tank, 9; Clarks Green Cemetery, 9:30; Hickory Grove Cemetery, Miller Road, Waverly, 10; and the post home immediately following the parade.

CARBONDALE MEMORIAL COMMITTEE

Carbondale Memorial Committee Memorial Day Parade and service, May 30, meet at the Benjamin Franklin Apartments, Lincoln Avenue, at 10:15 a.m., parade starts, 10:40, and ends at Memorial Park on Main Street, service, 11; refreshments follow.

POST 5207

John J. Michaels VFW Post 5207 Memorial Day weekend schedule: flags at Fairview Memorial Park, May 26-27, 9 a.m.; poppies at Bill’s Market, May 28-29, 9-3 p.m.; Memorial Day services, May 30: post service, 9:15 a.m., post home; John Michaels gravesite ceremony, 9:45, St. Catherine’s Cemetery; Fairview Memorial Park service, 11; and Covington Twp. service, 1 p.m.

AMVETS POST 189 AND VFW POST 4909

AMVETS Post 189 and VFW Post 4909 Memorial Day activities: meet at the Dupont VFW on Main Street, memorial service, 8:30, Polish National Cemetery, followed by a memorial service at Sacred Heart Cemetery, Lackawanna Avenue; Parade Marshall: George Parick, participants assemble 10 a.m., VFW parking lot, Grant Street, parade starts 10:30, memorial service, 11, Dupont Borough Memorial Lawn; food and refreshments follow, children at the Dupont Hose Company and adults at the VFW Post Home.

POST 6520

Thomas A. Snook VFW Post Memorial Day services, May 30: South Canaan, 9 a.m.; Simontown, 9:30; Kizer, 10; Maplewood Methodist, 10:15; Maplewood Evangelical, 10:30; All Saints, 11; Hollisterville, 11:30; Mount Cobb, 1 p.m.; and Elmdale Independent, 1:30; immediately following the Hollisterville service, lunch in the Hollisterville Bible Church Fellowship Hall, donation of any type of covered dish needed; Regina Polley, 570-842-4394, Susan Ciscoe, 570-842-3268, or Elouise Wood, 570-690-7226.

POSTS 5544 AND 411

Jessup VFW Post 5544 and American Legion Post 411 combined Memorial Day services, May 30, Mass at 9 a.m., Holy Ghost Church, Third Avenue, by Monsignor John Sekellich, both organizations then proceed to Holy Ghost Cemetery, where the Honor Guard will give a rifle salute for fallen comrades, to Veterans Memorial Park for remarks by Mayor Merkel and comrades of both organizations, members of Post 5544 meet at the post home no later than 8:30, food and refreshments follow at Post 5544, 205 Dolph St.

POST 209

American Legion Six Star Post 209, Lakewood, Memorial Day services, May 30, at the following and times: Balls Eddy Cemetery, 9 a.m.; Shehawken Cemetery, 9:30; Orson Cemetery, 9:45; Little York Cemetery, 10:10; Rock Lake Cemetery, 10:30; Lake Como Cemetery, 11; and Lakewood Memorial Park, noon, refreshments follow.

POSTS 513 AND 4954

Old Forge Memorial Day parade, by American Legion Post 513 and VFW Post 4954, May 30, 10 a.m., starting point is Main and Miles streets, participants arrive by 9:30, travels down Main Street to Moosic Road, ceremony at Old Forge Cemetery follows.

POST 327

Raymond Henry American Legion Post 327 Memorial Day ceremony, May 30, 11 a.m., post home, 101 Willow Ave., Olyphant, guest speaker: state Rep. Frank Farina; refreshments follow.

POST 6082

Shopa-Davey VFW Post 6082 parade steps off May 30, 8:30 a.m., post home, 123 Electric St., Peckville, proceeds to Veterans Memorial on Main Street and Sgt. Argonish Memorial on Keystone Avenue, procession continues to Union Cemetery to honor John Shopa, participants return to post home where refreshments will be served, A. Pierson Hurd American Legion Post 236 in Peckville will join in the procession, post members will proceed to Valley View Cemetery to honor Charles Davey and to Finch Hill to honor Gino Merli, participants should meet at VFW post home at 8 a.m.

SCOTT TWP. VETERANS MEMORIAL COMMITTEE

Scott Twp. Veterans Memorial Day service, Saturday, 10 a.m., veterans memorial in front of Municipal Building, 1038 Montdale Road, guest speaker: Mark Volk, Col., USA (Ret), president of Lackawanna College, Montdale Boy Scout Troop 265 has taken responsibility for putting together Memorial Day service, local Boy and Girl Scouts, the Rev. Michael Kirwin, pastor, St. John Vianney Parish, Lakeland High School Band and Chorus and several World War II veterans also participating, Boy Scouts conducting a flag retirement ceremony following the service, refreshments follow; Ed Sokoloski, 570-587-3120.

EZRA GRIFFIN CAMP 8

Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War Ezra S. Griffin, Camp 8 and Auxiliary 10, ceremony, May 30, 10:30 a.m., veterans section of Dunmore Cemetery, Dunmore band to play selection of music, speakers and wreath-laying, public asked to be there by 10.

POST 25

VFW Post 25 and City of Scranton Memorial Day ceremony, May 30, noon, Nay Aug Park, patriotic songs, presentation of the wreath.

POST 4712

Simpson VFW Post 4712 service, May 30, 9 a.m., post home, 500 Main St., guest speaker: Col. Michael Konzman; refreshments.

INDIANTOWN GAP NATIONAL CEMETERY

Indiantown Gap National Cemetery Memorial Council Memorial Day program, May 29, 2 p.m., rain or shine, co-sponsored by Marine Corps League Auxiliary of Pennsylvania, Washington Band playing several musical selections and wreaths will be symbolically placed memorializing those who died in the service of their country, Avenue of Flags flown from May 7-Nov. 19, massed colors also be displayed as part of the program, shuttle bus transportation to and from designated parking areas provided, signs posted indicating designated shuttle bus and parking areas, limited handicapped parking on the cemetery grounds, bring lawn chairs; Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, 717-865-5254 or Liz McCleaster, public affairs chairman, Indiantown Gap National Cemetery Memorial Council, 267-736-5066 or 215-233-2728.

Meetings

POST 7251 AUXILIARY

Throop VFW Post 7251 Auxiliary, today, 1 p.m., installation of officers.

VFW POST 5209

VFW Post 5209, today, post home, 1849 Bloom Ave., Scranton, home association, 12:30 p.m., and officers, 1 p.m.

NERMA

Northeast Retired Military Association, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m., Maira’s Cafe, 327 Chestnut St., Dunmore.

POST 25

VFW Post 25, June 5, 1 p.m., post home, canteen meeting, noon.

POST 610

Mayfield American Legion Post 610, June 6, 7 p.m., post.

POST 327 AUXILIARY

Olyphant Legion Raymond Henry Post 327 Auxiliary, June 6, 7 p.m., post.

POST 6082 AUXILIARY

Shopa-Davey VFW Post 6082 Auxiliary, June 14, 7 p.m., post home, 123 Electric St., Peckville, election, nomination and installation of officers.

POST 5207

VFW Post 5207, July 10, 10 a.m., post home, routes 502 and 307, Covington Twp.; department service officer visits post, first Thursday of each month, 11 a.m.

Merli Center

Today: Coffee, 8:30 a.m.; morning visits, 8:45; Eucharistic ministers, 9:15; room visits, 11; banana splits and music, 2 p.m.

Monday: Morning visits, 8:45 a.m.; Bible study, 9:30; Octaband with music, 10:15; Vincenzo’s dine-in by American Legion Auxiliary 154, noon; Damian the Magician, 2 p.m.; Lawrence Welk music video, 7.

Tuesday: Morning visits, 8:45 a.m.; bingo social, 10:15; volunteer ministry visits, 1:15 p.m.; choir practice, 1:45; Catholic service, 3; root beer floats with music, 7.

Wednesday: Morning visits, 8:45 a.m.; Target shopping trip, 9; Women’s Zonta Social Club bingo, 2 p.m.

Thursday: Morning visits, 8:45 a.m.; John F. Kennedy School celebrating America trip, 9; chapel, 10; bingo by Dickson City American Legion Post 665, 2 p.m.; ice cream social, 7.

Friday: Morning visits, 8:45 a.m.; exercise, 10:15; Five Guys dine-in, noon; bingo by Marine Corps League, 2 p.m.; happy hour, 3:30.

Saturday: Morning visits, 8:45 a.m.; coffee and doughnuts by the Stone family, 10:15; movie and pizza day, 2 p.m.

VETERANS NEWS should be submitted no later than Monday before publication to veter

ans@timesshamrock.com; or YES!desk, The Times-Tribune, 149 Penn Ave., Scranton, PA 18503.

HAZLE TWP. — Two women and an 8-year-old girl from the Scranton area were severely injured in a crash Friday evening on Interstate 81.

Melanie Ann Burleson, 33, Jessup, was northbound at high speeds about 8:40 p.m. in Hazle Twp. when she lost control of the vehicle and slid of the raod into an embankment, state police said.

Passenger Amailey Charlotte Gonzalez, 8, Jessup, was the only one wearing a seatbelt. Ms. Burleson and the third passenger, Brittany Erin Gallagher, 25, Scranton, were thrown from the vehicle. All three were taken by helicopter to Lehigh Valley Hospital with severe injuries, and they were in critical condition Saturday afternoon, according to a hospital spokesman.

The interstate was closed until about 1 a.m. Saturday while crews cleared the scene.

— JON O’CONNELL

The Scranton community rallied around a 5-year-old who is battling a rare form of pediatric cancer — and had a little fun in the process.

The Vault Tap & Kitchen hosted a Saturday fundraiser for Elijah Sabo, who was diagnosed with neuroblastoma last year, that drew about 150 people before it was even half over.

The first few hours were heavily geared toward children, with a bounce house, face painting and balloon animals accompanying live music and food. The event switched gears later in the evening for adults with a happy hour and wine tables.

“This is a labor of love and a community that really comes together when someone is in need,” said Clarks Summit resident Jessica Shaffer, a family friend who is president of Team Elijah. “It takes a village to raise a child, and no one is going to fight the battle alone.”

Julie Zaleski, a kindergarten teacher at Isaac Tripp Elementary School, doesn’t know Elijah but brought her two nephews — 3-year-old Zae and 7-year-old Troy — to the event to help the cause because his sister Karina goes to her school.

“It’s sad,” she said. “I’m just glad there are all these people out here to support them.”

Her nephews jumped around in the bounce house before getting balloons shaped like a blue snake and a T-rex from Jubilee balloons. Then they couldn’t wait to get their faces painted.

Meanwhile, state Rep. Marty Flynn manned a nearby dunk tank as part of a lineup that also included Tax Collector Bill Fox and Northeast Scranton Intermediate School Principal Robert

Butka.

The event wasn’t all fun and games, however.

At one point, Ms. Zaleski addressed the crowd and noted only 4 percent of federal funding for cancer research is earmarked for pediatric cancer.

The National Cancer Institute estimated 15,780 children and adolescents were diagnosed with cancer in 2014 and as of Jan. 1, 2010, there were 380,000 survivors of childhood and adolescent cancer.

“Cancer is scary for anybody, much less a child,” Ms. Zaleski said.

Elijah’s father, Nick, said he was overwhelmed by the outpouring of support.

Contact the writer:

kwind@timesshamrock.com,

@kwindTT on Twitter