MARRIAGE LICENSES

■ Oscar Leoncio Barrenechea-Saldana and Arelis Paez-Rami­rez, both of Dunmore.

■ Kelly Ann Meehan, Dun­more, and Joseph Robert Mesko, Scranton.

■ Conor James Leuthe, San Diego, and Sierra Gabrielle Self, Lake Butler, Fla.

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

■ KML Law Group P.C., attorney-in-fact for Fannie Mae, also known as Federal National Mortgage Association, Dallas, Texas, to Polarono LLC; a property at 1120 Watson St., Scran­ton, for $48,000.

■ Brooklyn Holdings LLC, Dun­more, to 411 Chestnut LLC, Dun­more; a property at 411 Chestnut St., Dunmore, for $266,458.

■ Joseph G. and Michelle S. Keegan, Scranton, to Robert Allen and Phyllis Joyce Jones, Scranton; a property at 2029-2031 Luzerne St., Scranton, for $62,000.

■ Ronald Ulitchney, executor of the estate of Nancy Ann Matthews, South Abington Twp., to Michael Graves, San Antonio, Texas; a property at 502 Ridge­view Circle, South Abington Twp., for $320,000.

■ James M. and Pamela L. Griisser Oravec, Waverly Twp., to James I. Morden Jr., Denham Springs, La.; two parcels in Waverly Twp. for $212,500.

■ LA Commercial Services LLC, Scranton, to Dickson City Lackawanna Development LLC, Jessup; two parcels in Jessup for $132,500.

■ William Hape, executor of the estate of Mary C. Hape, also known as Mary Hape, and Karen M. Hape, now by marriage Karen M. Salzmann, to Ariel Burgos, Brooklyn, N.Y.; a property at 1115 Bryn Mawr St., Scranton, for $65,000.

■ Michael and Rosa Fiorillo, Clarks Green, to Matthew Rhoades and Jaclyn Bewick, Dunmore, as joint tenants with rights of survivorship; a property at 101 Princeton Ave., Clarks Green, for $251,000.

■ Joseph M. Gnall to Robert Baron, Old Forge; a property at 305-307 W. Taylor St., Taylor, for $42,000.

■ Dena Stefanski to Edward E. III and Gretchen L. Bentler, Cov­ington Twp.; a property at 40 Bubba Lane, Clifton Twp., for $368,500.

■ Specialized Loan Servicing LLC, attorney-in-fact for Bank of New York Mellon, to Neil DeLu­ca; a property at 108 Benton Road, Dalton, for $211,000.

■ Landview Properties LLC, Dover, N.H., to Jose L. Torres, New York City; a parcel in Roar­ing Brook Twp. for $42,900.

■ Landview Properties LLC, Dover, N.H., to Carlos Bonilla and Jelissa Acosta, North Bergen, N.J.; a parcel in Roaring Brook Twp. for $34,900.

■ Gail M. Jackson, executrix of the estate of Gerald F. Pompey, Olyphant, to Victoria M. Nicho­las, Dalton; a property at Moosic Lakes, Jefferson Twp., for $122,000.

■ Deborah Mican, Greenfield Twp., to Kyle R. Pepson, Jermyn; a property at 815 Hill St., May­field, for $60,770.

■ John P. Sanderson III, Clarks Summit, to Clare C. Baruffaldi, South Abington Twp.; a property at 106 Grandview St., Clarks Summit, for $180,000.

■ Joanne A. Kuhn, administratrix of the estate of Richard Kuhn, Scranton, to Jan Zaikow­ski, Scranton; a property at 611 Deacon St., Scranton, for $27,500.

■ Doris M. Wrobel, also known as Doris Wrobel, Scott Twp., to Susan Yurkanin, Archbald; three parcels in Scott Twp. for $65,000.

■ Sally Swarts to Kenneth Frank III and Stacy Lynn Klemke; a property at Lake Henry, Jeffer­son Twp., for $35,000.

■ John P. Dietz, Dunmore, to Amy K. Morel, Dunmore; a property at 409 Fourth St., Dun­more, for $114,000.

■ Ethel A. Neary, Newton Twp., to Sean and Amanda Gilroy, Scranton; a property at 1802 Laurel Hill Road, Newton Twp., for $197,000.

■ Northstar Bank of Colorado, Highlands Ranch, Colo., to Lisa K. Makhoul and Dominic A. VanOrden, Bartonsville; a property at 1263 Mine St., Old Forge, for $135,000.

DIVORCES SOUGHT

■ Walter F. Casper Jr., Fell Twp., v. Heather R. Casper, Fell Twp.; married Feb. 14, 2008, in Lackawanna County; pro se.

■ Jessica Tirado, Olyphant, v. Jonathan Lascano, Coram, N.Y.; married June 3, 2013, in Farm­ingville, N.Y.; pro se.

BENCH WARRANTS

The following warrants have been issued by Judge Julia Munley for failure to appear for child support hearings:

■ Virgilio Almonte Arias, 1806 Cedar Ave., Floor 2 Rear, Scran­ton; $1,385.70.

■ Shawn Kitt, CEC, 537-539 Linden St., Scranton; $2,997.85.

■ Ronald Umstead, 132 Mar­ina Way, Greentown; $2,884.83.

Anyone with any information is asked to call the child support hotline at 570-963-6721, ext. 8160.

ONLINE: thetimes-tribune.com/courts

The unemployment rate in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metro area remained flat in September, according what experts have called an unexciting monthly jobs report.

Data released Tuesday from the state Department of Labor and Industry show the unemployment rate held at 6.6 percent in the area that includes Scranton, Wilkes-Barre and Hazleton.

“It pretty much was a big yawn statewide,” said state business and industry analyst Steven Zellers. “Most everybody was either flat or up or down one-tenth of a percent.”

Warehousing, transportation and utilities sectors added 500 jobs from August, likely because new distribution centers such as Amazon.com and T.J. Maxx in Pittston Twp. have started heavy recruiting for holiday laborers, said Teri Ooms, director of the Institute for Public Policy and Economic Development in Wilkes-Barre.

Among the state’s 18 metro areas, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area ranked 14th for those in the labor market seeking unemployment benefits.

The state unemployment rate also held fast at 5.7 percent. Meanwhile, the national rate fell one-tenth of a point to 5 percent.

Establishment data, the number of jobs in the region, rebounded slightly from an August drop, adding about 2,100 total nonfarm jobs.

The region’s seasonally-adjusted labor force shrank by 600 workers from August.

“The bottom line: that there was a small drop in the number of unemployed, but also there was a small drop in the employed, and the labor force decreased,” Ms. Ooms said. “When you add those three factors together, that’s why there’s no real change in the unemployment rate.”

Contact the writer:

joconnell@timesshamrock.com, @jon_oc on Twitter

SCRANTON — A pair of federal inmates will each serve additional time of more than five years in prison stemming from the assault of another inmate at Canaan federal prison.

U.S. District Judge Malachy Mannion sentenced Reuben Blajos, 42, and Manuel Vasquez-Perez, 40, to 70 months each after the men pleaded guilty to attacking another inmate at the prison with improvised weapons fashioned from padlocks attached to socks, according to prosecutors.

The other inmate suffered serious, but non-life-threatening brain injuries and cuts and abrasions all over his body, according to prosecutors.

— CLAYTON OVER

Youth Champions

to be honored

Tom Donohue; Highland Associates represented by Christopher Police; Erwin T. Kost Jr.; and Michael J. and Beverly Walsh will be honored when the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeastern Pennsylvania conducts its annual Champion of Youth reception.

Tom isLamar Advertising general manager; Christopher, design architect at Highland; Erwin, Kost Tire & Auto Service vice president, and past president and 13-year Boys & Girls Clubs board member, and Michael and Beverly of Walsh Electrical Inc. also served as officers on the board.

They are being recognized for “giving selflessly of their time and resources to ensure every child in our community will realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens” during the Thursday, Nov. 10, event at Glenmaura National Golf Club in Moosic.

‘Simpatico’

William Zeranski is director, set designer and master builder. and Jeff Ginsberg is producer of the Actors Circle presentation of “Simpatico” by Sam Shepard. The play runs Thursday to Sunday and Nov. 10-13 at Providence Playhouse Scranton.

Cast members include Nunzio Caccamo, Regina Yeager Drouse, KK Gordon, Brink Powell (also stage manager), Kelly Ann Walsh and Mark Zdancewicz. Linda C. Griffiths is assistant to the director. Bob Spalletta is lighting designer. Jacob Conrad is on the light and sound board. Cathy Rist Strauch

is publicist.

High notes

Eric Pochas of Carbondale finished first overall in the 2016 D&H Distance Run/5K. Runners from seven states followed Eric, who finished at 1:27:04.95. Area youth groups lined the trail to cheer on runners, and Ron Skubic and Pleasant Mount’s Boy Scout Troop 407 were chosen as the 2016 “spirit challenge” winners. The race, which starts and ends at the D&H Rail Trailhead in Forest City, is Rail-Trail Council’s major fundraiser. Over 100 volunteers and local emergency services donated their time and energy to the event.

I have a confession to make. Some of you won’t like it, but I need to come clean.

On Tuesday morning, while millions of American “patriots” vigilantly shared hateful memes on anti-social media, I had a conversation with a Muslim. Yep. An

honest-to-Allah adherent of Islam.

And it wasn’t the first time. I have talked with many Muslims over the past few years, both here and in Iraq and Kuwait, gaining friends and at least a rudimentary understanding of the globe’s second-largest religion. Of the estimated 1.6 billion Muslims worldwide, 2.6 million are Americans.

Most Americans who see all Muslims as an existential threat to the human race have likely never met or spoken to someone like Marwan Wafa, Ph.D. I called the chancellor of Penn State Worth-ington Scranton to discuss the response to a speaker the school will host Thursday evening.

News of the visit by Arsalan Iftikhar — an international human rights lawyer, journalist and author of “SCAPEGOATS: How Islamophobia Helps Our Enemies & Threatens Our Freedoms” — was met with mostly positive feedback, Dr. Marwan said. Some area Americans were less than enthused and took to the school’s Facebook page to vent their swollen spleens.

“Their religion is based on nothing but conflict and condemning and killing non- Muslim infidels,” one young man wrote. “Why is a collage (sic) hosting anything to do with a religious belief system that is more barbaric then (sic) both Catholic and Christians alike?”

I have a suggestion for that young man, whose Facebook page was a shrine to Republican presidential nominee Donald “Ban all Muslims” Trump: If you’re going to troll a college Facebook page, learn to spell “college.”

Dr. Wafa, 59, a native of Kuwait who came to America in the early 1980s with his wife, Sahar Al Masri, lamented the ignorance reflected in the negative posts, but took them in stride.

“This is America, and we all have freedom of speech,” he said. Diversity has become a dirty word in some circles, but Dr. Wafa, who lives in Dickson City with his wife and their 18-year-old adopted niece, has focused on creating “diversity circles,” in which regional leaders come together, discuss differences and find common cause. Scranton Police Chief Carl Graziano was part of the first circle.

“From a police perspective, it’s important that we try to understand the diversity that exists in our region,” he told The Times-Tribune. “It helps to understand everyone else’s culture, religion and background and the experiences they’ve had in life,” he said. “From a citizen’s perspective, it’s also important to understand who our neighbors are ... so we’re better able to get along together.”

That is the idea behind Mr. Iftikhar’s talk, which is free to the public and will run Thursday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Study Learning Center’s Sherbine Lounge. Dr. Wafa said skeptics and outright Islamophobes are welcome.

“I hope they’ll give themselves an oportunity to learn. I hope they’ll come and ask tough questions,” said Dr. Wafa, who believes “the worst enemy of humans is ignorance.”

I couldn’t agree more. Ignorance is a self-inflicted wound that spreads pain far and wide. I’ve had many conversations with Muslims. If your opinion of Muslims was formed with zero personal experience, you should, too.

CHRIS KELLY, the Times-Tribune columnist, would rather build bridges than walls. Contact the writer:

kellysworld@timesshamrock.com; @cjkink on Twitter. Read his award-winning blog at blogs.thetimes-tribune.com/kelly.

After lessons on civics and government, Lisa Merkel Kennedy asked

her students a highly anticipated question Tuesday morning.

“Are we ready to vote?”

The Frances Willard Elementary School third-graders cheered.

In groups of three, the students walked to the front of the classroom and sat at laptops with dividers for privacy. Across the country, more than 10,000 schools, including a few in the Scranton School District, participated in the mock election, presented in partnership with the Every Kid Learns Foundation and Studies Weekly, a social studies and science curriculum. Students wore their “I voted!” stickers proudly.

After the vote, Ms. Kennedy refreshed the screen projected in the front of the room and read the results: 70 percent of the class voted for Hillary Clinton and 30 percent for Donald Trump. As of 5 p.m., with more than 680,000 votes counted nationally, Mrs. Clinton led with 48.4 percent of the vote, followed by Mr. Trump at 36.7 percent, and Libertarian Gary Johnson and Green party candidate Jill Stein each with 7.3 percent. In Pennsylvania, Mr. Trump won 46.7 percent of the vote, compared to 42.8 percent for Mrs. Clinton. More than 14,000 students voted in the state.

Most students said they wanted to keep their presidential picks to themselves, but all said they felt inspired by the mock election.

“Voting is a right and responsibility,” Michael Evanosky, 8, explained.

Jahmire Collins, 8, agreed.

“You don’t choose a leader for nothing,” he said. “You’ve got to read about your leader before you vote. ... I want to be an active

citizen.”

Leading up to the election, Ms. Kennedy explained the candidates’ platforms — in a way third-graders can understand — and the electoral college. Since the start of the school year, Ms. Kennedy stressed the importance of civics. In a social studies test titled “Stuff I Should Know,” the students had to identify their elected officials, including mayor, state representative, county commissioners and how many people serve on city council.

“It’s such an important election,” Ms. Kennedy said. “If you start young and teach them to be informed voters, that will make a difference.”

Students cheered again when a special visitor came to see the mock election results. Scranton Mayor Bill Courtright — who the students learned about this year — answered questions ranging from his favorite color (he said he does not have a favorite color because he is color-blind) to whether the position of mayor has a term limit (it does not).

Ms. Kennedy hopes to inspire her students to be involved in their communities. On Tuesday morning, students passed a marker board posted outside the classroom door with a quote from President John F. Kennedy written on it: “One person can make a difference, and everyone should try.”

Contact the writer:

shofius@timesshamrock.com, @hofiushallTT on Twitter

JENKINS TWP. — Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Marino and Democratic challenger Mike Molesevich tangled over Obamacare, obstructionism, coal and creating jobs during a lively 10th Congressional District debate Tuesday evening.

Mr. Marino, R-10, Lycoming Twp., repeatedly called for cutting taxes and getting government out of the job-killing regulation business while Mr. Molesevich regularly said his 30 years of experience as owner of an environmental cleanup company means he’s better qualified to create jobs.

They debated live on television during a broadcast sponsored and hosted by WVIA-TV.

Mr. Marino blasted President Barack Obama’s signature health care reform bill as a failure. He said it fell short of covering as many people as promised and its

insurance rates will skyrocket 25 percent next year.

“And people can’t afford it the way it is,” he said.

The answer, he said, is passing Republican-sponsored bills that would allow citizens to buy insurance across state lines to create price-cutting competition among insurers.

Mr. Molesevich scoffed, saying he isn’t covered by Obamacare, but his health insurance rates are going up, too.

“It’s called the private sector,” he said.

He blasted Mr. Marino for voting 60 times to repeal Obamacare without offering a replacement and forgetting the health law allows children to remain on parents’ health insurance until they are 26 years old and forbids insurers from refusing to sell to people with costly, pre-existing medical conditions.

“Right now, we have the most insured people than ever before (because of Obamacare),” he said. He favors tweaking the program.

On a question on addressing illegal immigration, Mr. Marino said he would “secure the borders” and allow border patrol agents to send back illegal immigrants.

“We have no idea who’s coming into this country. The terrorists are coming into this country,” he said. “We don’t have enough people on the borders.”

Mr. Molesevich said Mr. Marino ignored a 2013 bipartisan Senate bill that would have given illegal immigrants “a path to citizenship” and added 40,000 border patrol agents.

“And it went to the House of Representatives where it met Mr. Gridlock, Mr. Obstructionist and it just got stalled,” he said.

Coal came up in questions about protecting Social Security and finding money to fix deteriorating roads and bridges.

Mr. Molesevich said he would protect Social Security first by removing the cap on income subject to the program’s payroll tax.

Mr. Marino said shoring up Social Security requires creating jobs that produce more payroll taxes, and that means cutting regulations and corporate taxes and getting a tough trade negotiator in the White House.

“If we have more people paying into Social Security with good-paying jobs, we can revive the coal industry, we can revive the steel industry,” he said.

Mr. Molesevich responded to that in the question on fixing roads and bridges, saying “coal is not coming back,” though he favors helping coal find new markets.

“We need to look at various other ways of raising revenue. It’s just like a business,” he said, never offering a specific solution to finding the money for roads and bridges.

On fixing roads and bridges, Mr. Marino again said the answer is creating jobs “to generate the money so we can fix our highways” by cutting regulations and taxes.

The 10th district includes the Abingtons, North Pocono and parts of the Midvalley and Carbondale Twp. in Lackawanna County, all of Susquehanna, Wayne and Pike counties, part of Monroe County and all or parts of 10 other counties. Congressmen are paid $174,000 a year.

Contact the writer:

bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com

Scranton School Board directors heard a proposal to reward high school students for good grades and behavior by giving them the option to sit out their final exams.

Missy McTiernan, chief academic officer, proposed that students in grades 9 to 12 could skip final exams if they:

• earned a 95 percent

average.

• had less than three absences.

• had less than three tardy

violations.

• had no behavioral issues or school rule violations.

Board Vice President Cy Douaihy was skeptical, saying “people headed for higher education” would not benefit from this policy. At Tuesday’s work session, he asked Ms. McTiernan if she ever was exempt from an exam in college or graduate school; she replied no.

He posed the same question to Superintendent Alexis Kirijan, Ed.D., who said she skipped exams for good grades and behavior at the collegiate level.

Students eligible for the exemption, however, would still have the option to take the exam if they chose, said Ms. McTiernan.

The board may vote on the proposal at its next meeting, scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9 at Scranton High School.

Also Tuesday, the board met seven local business representatives who will soon have a greater role in the Scranton School District.

Justin MacGregor, director of community relations, officially announced the district’s community partnership program during the meeting Tuesday.

The local businesses will offer tutoring and service projects for students in 17 of the district’s schools. Several participants attended Tuesday’s meeting, including The Times-Tribune, the University of Scranton, the Commonwealth Medical College and Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority.

The businesses will discuss academic goals of the schools with administration and ways the community members can help.

Board president Bob Sheridan thanked Mr. MacGregor for finding the businesses to join the partnership

“This is a great thing for the district,” he said.

Contact the writer: kbolus@timesshamrock.com, @kbolusTT on Twitter

SCRANTON — A broken heater briefly cleared a post office in Scranton, the city fire department said.

The motor in the electric heater seized and sent smoke into the vestibule of the Stafford Avenue post office, Deputy Fire Chief Al Lucas said.

Scranton police and fire officials were called to the post office not long after noon.

The building was briefly evacuated while fire officials worked.

— JOSEPH KOHUT

A Scranton man hit and shook a 4-month-old boy while baby-sitting Saturday, possibly causing brain damage, city police said.

Chester Godfrey, 24, 843 Moosic St., Apt. 2, is jailed in Lackawanna County Prison on counts of aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and endangering the welfare of children. Magisterial District Judge John P. Pesota set bail at $150,000.

Patrolman Larry Greenfield went to the Moses Taylor Hospital emergency room on Monday, where the infant was brought for treatment at 3:12 p.m.

The baby had a cut above his left eye and suffered multiple seizures. A helicopter flew the infant to Hershey Medical Center. He remained in critical condition with a serious head injury Tuesday night, Police Chief Carl Graziano said.

The child’s mother, Sabrina Edwards, told officers she worked Saturday from 1 until 9 p.m. while Mr. Godfrey watched her children. She returned home and noticed a cut on the baby’s head. Mr. Godfrey told her a 1½-year-old threw a DVD at the infant, police said.

The child seemed fine other than the cut, so Ms. Edwards went to bed.

By the morning, the baby stopped crying and eating and was drooling. Ms. Edwards took him to the emergency room. Staffers there contacted the police for a child abuse investigation.

Detective Sgt. Joseph Lafferty

forwarded the report to Detective Jeffrey Gilroy

of the Special Victims Unit.

Detective Gilroy found Mr. Godfrey’s story suspicious and questioned him further

. Mr. Godfrey made up stories that shifted as detectives continued their questions, police said.

Finally, police said Mr. Godfrey admitted he shook the baby and smacked him “upside his head.”

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.

Contact the writer:

jkohut@timesshamrock.com

@jkohutTT on Twitter

SCRANTON — A man who beat a teen outside a Scranton party with three others received jail time Wednesday.

Judge Vito Geroulo sentenced Terence Hilton, 26, to eight to 23 ½ months in county jail. He has prior convictions of aggravated assault and some drug charges in New Jersey, the judge said.

On Feb. 27, the defendants were ejected from a party on the 900 block of Crown Avenue, police said, and a fight erupted.

It spilled outside and the 18-year-old male victim was caught in the middle. They punched him to the ground, then kicked his head and body. He suffered a broken nose and bruises, according to police.

Mr. Hilton had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of misdemeanor simple assault. Standing before the judge in khaki prison clothes and shackles, he declined to speak.

— Peter Cameron

DALLAS TWP. — U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey brought his conservative pro-business message to Luzerne County on Wednesday, six days before Pennsylvania’s voters decide if he will get a second term as the state’s junior senator.

Mr. Toomey, an incumbent Republican seeking to fight off a challenge from Democrat Katie McGinty, visited Pulverman, a metal fabrication company in Dallas Twp. The senator took a tour of Pulverman’s busy manufacturing plant and addressed about 50 of the company’s workers in an informal meet and greet.

Mr. Toomey, 54, praised Pulverman — which completed an expansion that added dozens of jobs last year — as an example of how business can thrive in challenging economic times.

He said that if re-elected he will help to boost the economic recovery from the recession of a few years ago. That recovery has not been as strong as it should have been, according to Mr. Toomey. He blamed excessive taxation and stifling government regulations inflicted on businesses for the slow economic growth.

“I’m convinced we can still have the kind of recovery we’ve been waiting for,” he said.

Mr. Toomey touted the natural gas industry as one of Pennsylvania’s greatest strengths and spoke in favor of fracking, the controversial extraction process used to harvest natural gas in the Marcellus Shale Formation of the state’s northern tier.

Thanks to fracking, Pennsylvania has “the cheapest natural gas in the world,” he said.

Mr. Toomey blasted the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, as “a big obstacle” to both individuals and businesses, who have hesitated to hire more workers because of concerns over health care costs, he said.

Mr. Toomey cautioned that the world is a more dangerous place now than it was when he was elected to the Senate six years ago. He urged strong measures to prevent potential terrorists and criminals from immigrating to the United States and to deport them if they are here illegally.

“We need to stop sanctuary cities,” Mr. Toomey said.

That is a key area of disagreement between him and Ms. McGinty, the senator said.

Mr. Toomey said he has grown tired of the back-and-forth attack ads aired on television and financed by supporters of both him and Ms. McGinty. The campaign is widely reported as the most expensive Senate race in the nation this year.

“I can’t wait to turn on the TV and see a … toothpaste commercial,” he said.

Mr. Toomey confirmed he has not endorsed Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

Some of Mr. Trump’s public statements and policy positions trouble him, Mr. Toomey said. However, he said he might endorse Mr. Trump at some point before Tuesday’s election.

Contact the writer:

emark@citizensvoice.com

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton still tops Republican nominee Donald Trump in Pennsylvania in a new poll released Wednesday.

Mrs. Clinton had the support of 48 percent of likely voters to 43 percent for Mr. Trump with 3 percent each for Green Jill Stein and Libertarian Gary Johnson, according to the Quinnipiac University poll.

The poll of 612 likely voters was conducted from Thursday to Tuesday and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. That means most of the polling happened after revelations that FBI director James Comey told Congress the agency was reviewing new emails that could be relevant to its investigation of Mrs. Clinton’s emails.

Mrs. Clinton led the same poll last month by 6 points.

“Hillary Clinton’s solid 6-point lead two weeks ago is now a less comfortable 5-point lead, but it’s a lead just the same at a time when every percentage point is scrutinized and any poll movement heightens anxiety,” assistant poll director Tim Malloy said in a statement.

The poll also measured the presidential race in Ohio, Florida and North Carolina.

In Ohio, Mr. Trump was up 46 percent to 41 percent.

In Florida, they virtually were tied with Mrs. Clinton at 46 percent and Mr. Trump at 45 percent.

In North Carolina, Mrs. Clinton led 47 percent to 44 percent.

The other polls also had margins of error of about 4 points.

Contact the writer: bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com

SCRANTON — Authorities arrested three people and seized 37 packets of heroin and 13 bags of synthetic marijuana packaged for sale, city police said Wednesday.

After executing a search warrant at their 608 E. Elm St. home Tuesday, the special investigations division charged Lewis “K” Cherry and Fatima Neff, both 36, with a series of felony and misdemeanor charges related to accusations of selling heroin and the synthetic marijuana, known as “spice.”

Police also arrested Ryan Taylor of 828 Capouse Ave. after finding the 24-year-old had seven bags of heroin hidden in his buttocks and two bags of heroin concealed in his shoe along with spice.

Mr. Cherry and Mr. Neff were both being held at Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bail. Preliminary hearings were scheduled for Nov. 10. Bail and hearing information for Mr. Taylor were unavailable.

—STAFF REPORT

COVINGTON TWP. — A few weeks after Lackawanna County officials unveiled a tentative 2017 budget that does not include a tax increase, two of the three county commissioners expressed continued concerns at a meeting and budget hearing held Wednesday at the Moffat Estate.

Commissioners Laureen Cummings and Jerry Notarianni brought up the same issues as they did when the nearly $104 million budget was introduced in mid-October. Ms. Cummings had hoped for a tax cut and questioned the size of portions of the budget. Mr. Notarianni opposes the plan to convert the former Globe Store in downtown Scranton into a county office hub. He also doubled down on his support of countywide reassessment, explaining after the meeting, “If they’re looking for me to support this budget, they’re going to have to support reassessment.”

Property assessments are used to determine real estate tax distributions. Lackawanna County has not updated property assessments in almost 50 years.

Ms. Cummings asked solicitor John Brazil whether the budget and millages could still be changed — they can but must be advertised, he replied — and again expressed disagreement with some expenditures in the arts and culture department and other departments.

“Unless I see some kind of concessions in regard to that, I could not vote for this budget,” Ms. Cummings said, adding that she hopes the board can work together to make some changes to the budget that would be palatable to all three of them.

The board meets again on Nov. 16, where a budget vote will occur, said Andy Wallace, chief of staff to the commissioners. If it should not pass then, the board has until Dec. 1 to pass one.

“We’re cautiously optimistic that it will pass on Nov. 16,” Mr. Wallace said.

Contact the writer:

cover@timesshamrock.com,

@ClaytonOver on Twitter

WILKES-BARRE — The Undertaker will return to the region for the Nov. 15 broadcast of “SmackDown Live!”

The multiple-time WWE and World Heavyweight champion will be on hand for the 900th episode of “SmackDown.”

The event starts at 7:15 p.m. Nov. 15 at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre Twp. The show will be broadcast live on the USA Network beginning at 8 p.m.

Other WWE Superstars scheduled to appear include Dean Ambrose, Randy Orton, Dolph Ziggler, WWE World Heavyweight Champion AJ Styles, SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch and Natalya. The card is subject to change.

Tickets start at $15 and are available at www.ticketmaster.com, the arena box office, or by calling 1-800-745-3000.

For information, visit www.mohegansunarenapa.com.

— STAFF REPORT

SCRANTON — Crews will close the Harrison Avenue bridge starting at 7 a.m. today so beams for the new bridge can be delivered and set.

The bridge will be closed from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, according to Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Emergency responders will be able to utilize the bridge, but the public will be required to follow a posted detour. Scranton City Police will be on site to help with traffic control and to notify the contractor if an emergency response vehicle needs to be allowed across the bridge.

— Staff report

Judge Vito Geroulo sentenced the following defendants recently in Lackawanna County Court:

• Reygan M. Hartzell, 21, 433 Ripple St., Scranton, to time served (20 days) to one year in county jail and one year of probation for

possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance.

Judge Michael Barrasse

sentenced:

• Gregory Adam Hohl, 28, 508 Windsor St., Whitehall, to seven to 23 months in county jail, four years of probation and more than $1,500 in restitution for terroristic threats, criminal mischief and harassment.

• Gary Robert Kowalski Jr., 34, 191 Lucky Run Road, Scranton, to one year of court supervision including 30 days of house arrest and $600 in fines for two DUI convictions.

• Gabriel Aguilar Martinez, 28, 52 Eighth Ave., Carbondale, to six months of court supervision including two months of house arrest and a $300 fine for DUI tier one, second offense.

• Jeffrey P. Omalia, 50, 96 Glendale Road, Avoca, to two years of probation for possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Michael Charles Ray III, 20, 1386 N. Washington Ave., Scranton, to two years of probation for simple assault.

• Ronald Woodward Sr., 57, 922 Crown Ave., Apt. B, Scranton, to 90 days in county jail for criminal use of a communication facility.

• Timothy Zator, 29, 227 Second St., Blakely, to 90 days in county jail and one year of probation

for possession with intent to

deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Jesus Acosta, 46, 401 S. Valley Ave., Olyphant, to 90 days in county jail for possession with intent to deliver.

• Terrance Martin Baker, 34, 504 Main St., Simpson, to five years of court supervision including three months of house arrest for criminal use of a communication facility.

• Joel Cruz, 1902 Price St., Scranton, to four years of court supervision including 30 days in county jail and 30 days of house arrest for receiving stolen

property and theft from a motor vehicle.

• Anthony G. Dolinish, 52, 139 S. Dewey Ave., Scranton, to six months of court supervision including two months of house arrest and a $500 fine for DUI tier two, first offense.

• Judge Margaret Bisignani Moyle sentenced;

• John Michael Drutherosky, 21, Scranton, to one year of probation for defiant trespass.

• Luvasia Collins, 23, 322 Harrison Ave., Apt. 2, to one year of probation for possession of a controlled substance.

A public hearing on a routine permit renewal for Scranton Sewer Authority drew little interest Wednesday, despite the pending sale of the operation to a private utility.

The authority seeks a five-year renewal of its permit to discharge treated wastewater into Lackawanna River from the state Department of Environmental Protection.

The last permit expired in September 2014. The authority has been operating on an extension while negotiating terms for a renewal with DEP and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The meeting drew 11 people — including representatives from the sewer authority and Pennsylvania American Water, which is in the midst of purchasing the authority — and only one speaker.

Scranton resident Marie Schumacher told DEP officials she hopes the agency approves the permit, but that the utility remains public.

If the pending sale of the system is approved, the permit would transfer to Pennsylvania American Water, authority Executive Director Eugene Barrett previously told The Times-Tribune.

DEP spokeswoman Colleen Connolly said the agency will accept public comment until Friday, then prepare a document responding to public comments.

DEP has to address some questions from EPA and finish processing technical information about the permit request.

The decision on the permit could come by the end of the year or in early 2017, she said.

The state Public Utility Commission approved the $195 million sewer authority sale but delayed some aspects of the decision until the water company seeks its next rate hike. It still requires approvals from DEP, EPA, the U.S. Department of Justice and a federal judge.

The sale is a key part of Scranton Mayor Bill Courtright’s recovery plan for the financially-distressed city.

Contact the writer:

kwind@timesshamrock.com

@kwindTT on Twitter

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

■ Beverly Yablonski, Dalton, to Eric Allen, Jermyn; two parcels in Scott Twp. for $124,500.

■ Patrick M. Jr. and Elisha Nolan, Factoryville, to Kristen Gilia, West Chester; a property at 39 Plum Ave., Carbondale, for $77,350.

■ JJT Realty LLC, Moscow, to Steven J. Lavin, Scranton; a property on Fig Street, Scranton, for $130,000.

■ Tami Lipko, executrix of the estate of Terese Wagner, Car­bon­dale, to Donald E. P. Macie­jewski; a property at 22 Ritten­house Place, Fell Twp., for $63,800.

■ Esad and Jasminka Kajte­zovic, Ridgewood, N.J., to Skan Realty LLC, Yardley; a property at 710-712 Prescott Ave., Scran­ton, for $87,000.

■ Pauline Zink, Scotia, N.Y., to Skan Realty LLC, Yardley; a prop­erty at 419 Cherry St., Scran­ton, for $30,000.

■ Zoe Ellen Davis, also known as Zoe Davis, Jefferson Twp., to Jackdad Realty LLC, Moscow; two parcels in Jefferson Twp. for $77,000.

■ Ethel A. Rebar to John Scott Perry; a property at 3225 Major Road, Madison Twp., for $300,000.

■ Linda J. and Monica Kauf­man, Scranton, to Hurshadbhui and Sadhanaben Arya, Scran­ton; a property at 620 Prescott Ave., Scranton, for $45,000.

■ Philip J. and Debora Churm­blo, South Abington Twp., to Kerrianne O’Reilly Breig, North Abington Twp.; two parcels at 216 Sunnyside Ave., South Abington Twp., for $138,000.

■ Robert A. and Patricia Greg­ory, Scranton, to Andrew J. Edwards and Renee L. Zimmer­man, Scranton, as joint tenants with rights of survivorship; a property at 2113 N. Main Ave., Scranton, for $95,400.

DIVORCE SOUGHT

■ Tammy Politowski, Dickson City, v. Walter Charles Politow­ski, Scranton; married Aug. 23, 1997, in Scranton; pro se.

DIVORCE DECREES

■ Michael A. Mancini v. Lorane B. Mancini

■ Mila Hendrickson v. Peter Joel Hendrickson

■ Michelle Mecca v. Charles J. Mecca

■ George A. Galaydick v. Karen Galaydick

■ David O. Cole v. Mary Jane Cole

■ Anna Vaks v. Clayton Canall

■ Connie Edmonds v. Vincent Edmonds

■ Betty Arnson v. John Arnson

■ Robert E. Wells v. Tracy L. Wells

■ Heather L. Lord v. Shane E. Lord

■ Zoe A. Padula v. Anthony J. Padula

■ Jennifer Meza v. Deyber Meza

■ James Sherman v. Jenni Sherman

ESTATES FILED

■ William Bernavage, also known as William M. Bernavage, 110 E. Lake Road, Madison Twp., letters of administration to Karen Bernavage, same address.

■ Mary Ann Czyzyk, 1303 Quincy Ave., Dunmore, letters testamentary to Kristy A. McDonnell, same address.

■ Frances M. Blumer, 33 Blumers Road, Spring Brook Twp., letters testamentary to Megan Gilman, same address, and Kara Blumer, 121 Ashley Drive, Feasterville.

ONLINE: thetimes-tribune.com/courts