HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Lawyers for the people who won a court ruling about the use of Pennsylvania's tobacco settlement money say the state government should now restart adultBasic, its shuttered health insurance program for adults.

The lawyers for dozens of former adultBasic enrollees said the decision Tuesday by a Commonwealth Court judge is a win for low-income Pennsylvanians.

The judge said state law requires a portion of the tobacco settlement proceeds to go to both Medicaid for disabled workers and to adultBasic or a similar plan.

Republican Gov. Tom Corbett shut down adultBasic shortly after taking office in 2011, saying it wasn't affordable.

Corbett hasn't commented on the new ruling, which invalidated laws passed in 2010 and 2011 that diverted the money to other uses.

Pocono Mountain Regional Police arrested a 10th grade social studies teacher at his Monroe County home Tuesday on charges he had a sexual relationship with a then 15-year-old male student in 2011.

Christopher Martinelli, 40, 1193 Arbutus Drive, a teacher at Pocono Mountain West High School was charged with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, statutory sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor and corruption of minors after a now 17-year-old student described a sexual relationship between the two with police.

The allegations were made known to the school district Tuesday, and police were immediately contacted, interviewing the boy the same day.

The Times-Tribune does not identify victims of sexual assault.

Police served a search warrant on Mr. Martinelli's residence where they seized numerous items for evidence.

Police said the teacher is also involved with several youth organizations and is currently a youth basketball coach, and are asking anyone with information to contact authorities.

Mr. Martinelli was suspended by the school district and banned from school property, and was directed not to have any contact with students, parents or staff while the investigation is ongoing, police said.

Mr. Martinelli was arraigned Wednesday and is slated for a preliminary hearing March 13. He remains in Monroe County Correctional Facility in lieu of $200,000 bail, police said.

Contact the writer: ksullivan@timesshamrock.com, @ksullivanTT on Twitter

HARRISBURG — Penn State alleges in a new lawsuit that its insurance carrier has not been honoring its legal obligation to cover claims related to sexual misconduct by former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky.

The university said in the 18-page complaint filed in Bellefonte on Tuesday that it has been sued or contacted by 29 claimants but that the Pennsylvania Manufacturers' Association Insurance Company has not provided coverage.

The lawsuit alleges breach of contract and bad faith, and seeks damages and costs.

The filing lists five lawsuits and letters from attorneys for 24 other claimants who have contacted the university related to Sandusky.

It said the school has been a customer of the insurance company for more than 50 years.

"Despite the substantial insurance premiums that Penn State paid PMA over the course of those years, when various individual claimants began to raise claims and file lawsuits against Penn State concerning the alleged sexual misconduct of Sandusky, PMA failed to provide the coverage for which Penn State had bargained and paid," the school's lawyers wrote.

Pennsylvania Manufacturers' spokeswoman Diane Nafranowicz said Wednesday the company would not comment.

The lawsuit arises as Penn State is attempting to negotiate settlements with Sandusky's victims and accusers, and university officials have been given settlement offers by some of them.

A statement by Penn State spokesman Dave La Torre said the school believes its insurance policies will cover those settlements and costs, and that student tuition, taxpayer money or donations will not be used.

La Torre said Penn State has paid PMA more than $23 million since 1983.

Sandusky, 69, is serving a 30- to 60-year prison term for sexual abuse of 10 boys, and is pursuing appeals of his 45-count guilty verdict.

Chalk up another distinction for Pottsville brewery D.G. Yuengling and Son, which proudly boasts on its labels that it is the oldest brewery in America.

In 2011, the family business became the biggest American-owned brewery.

And now its fifth-generation owner Dick Yuengling Jr., who transformed the company from a regional brewery serving thirsty coal miners into an East Coast powerhouse, has made an annual list of billionaires published by Forbes magazine. And he's the only American on the list who made his fortune by making beer.

The 69-year-old beer-maker has a net worth of $1.3 billion, making him one of only eight billionaires living in Pennsylvania, according to Forbes. It also further differentiates him from most of his neighbors in economically depressed Schuylkill County, where the median household income is $44,150, 15 percent below the state median, according to the U.S. Census.

Other Pennsylvania billionaires, according to Forbes, are:

Hansjoerg Wyss, 78, a citizen of Switzerland who lives in West Chester and made his fortune selling a medical device company to Johnson & Johnson. He has a net worth of $8.7 billion.

Mary Alice Dorrance Malone, 63, granddaughter of the founder of Campbell Soup, who lives in Coatesville and has a net worth of $2.7 billion.

Henry Hillman, 94, who diversified his family fortune by investing in real estate and providing venture capital. The Pittsburgh resident has a net worth of $2.3 billion.

Richard Hayne, 65, the Philadelphia founder of Urban Outfitters clothing stores, who has a net worth of $1.6 billion.

Susan Hirt Hagan, 76, the only daughter of Erie Indemnity insurance company's founder. The Erie resident has a net worth of $1.6 billion.

Richard Scaife, 80, investor and nephew of Andrew Mellon who lives in Pittsburgh and has a net worth of $1.4 billion.

Edward Stack, 58, who purchased his father's small bait shop business and expanded it into the national chain Dick's Sporting Goods. The Sewickley, Allegheny County, resident has a net worth of $1.1 billion.

Sorry, Lehigh Valley. None of Forbes billionaires lives here.

Yuengling makes beer at two breweries in Schuylkill County and another in Florida, which is sold through a network of wholesalers, distributors and retailers in 14 states.

In 2011, it surpassed Samuel Adams-maker Boston Beer to become the largest American-owned brewery. The most popular mega-beer brands sold in the United States, including Budweiser and Coors, are owned by foreign companies.

In 2012, Yuengling sold 2.8 million barrels of beer, up 10.6 percent from the previous year. That amounts to 1.3 percent of the United States beer market and makes Yuengling the country's No. 6 brand, according to Beer Marketer's Insights in Suffern, N.Y., a magazine that tracks beer sales.

Spencer.soper@mcall.com

610-820-6694

Copyright © 2013, The Morning Call

http://www.mcall.com/business/mc-yuengling-billionairre-20130306,0,6132903.story

A West Scranton man faces child rape and other charges for sexually assaulting a boy on multiple occasions over a two-year period.

Robert Frisbie, 31, of 1001 W. Lackawanna Ave., turned himself in to city police Detective Vince Uher on Wednesday at the Lackawanna County Courthouse. He was arraigned in Central Court before Magisterial District Judge Paul Ware and held in the county prison on $75,000 bail.

Mr. Frisbie is accused of assaulting the victim, now 14, at two different locations in the city beginning when the boy was 12 years old. The Times-Tribune does not identify the victims of sexual assault.

According to the arrest affidavit filed by Detective Uher and Detective Jennifer Gerrity, the boy told an interviewer at the Children's Advocacy Center that Mr. Frisbie repeatedly engaged in anal intercourse with him, most recently on Feb. 14.

As recently as Feb. 22, Mr. Frisbie forced the boy to perform oral sex, the victim told investigators.

Mr. Frisbie admitted in an interview with Detective Uher that he had anal sex with the victim twice and made the boy perform oral sex once, the affidavit stated. Mr. Frisbie told the detective he knew it was wrong but said the victim forced him to do it by threatening to assault him.

In addition to rape of a child, Mr. Frisbie is charged with rape by forcible compulsion, statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a person less than 16, sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor and corruption of minors.

Judge Ware set Mr. Frisbie's preliminary hearing for Wednesday at 11:30 a.m.

Contact the writer: dsingleton@timesshamrock.com

Quality pre-kindergarten programs are vital for the economy and the current and future well-being of children across the country, Sen. Bob Casey said Wednesday.

Mr. Casey has renewed his effort to provide federal funding for pre-kindergarten programs nationwide. On Wednesday, he unveiled his Prepare All Kids Act, which would work to provide at least one year of high quality pre-kindergarten to children.

"This is one of the best ways to ensure we have the skilled workforce we're going to need not only in Pennsylvania but across the country," he said.

During the State of the Union address, President Barack Obama called for an early learning initiative, and Mr. Casey said he hopes to work with the President on the issue.

Mr. Casey's plan would create a partnership between the states and federal government on pre-k education for children, with a focus on children from low-income families and children with special needs. Class sizes would be limited, bachelor's degrees for teachers would be required, and school districts would be first to receive funding.

Especially with the federal sequestration, Mr. Casey said he knows funding will not come easy, but he is willing to accept a low level to get the program started. He would also work to make sure the funding continued yearly, so districts are not left with programs they can no longer afford.

In 2007, as a freshman senator, he proposed the Prepare All Kids Act of 2007. He sought to make $5 billion in grants available to help states provide pre-kindergarten education, but the proposal never became law.

Joan Benso, president and CEO of Harrisburg-based nonprofit Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, said the organization supports Mr. Casey's renewed proposal.

"While Pennsylvania began to invest in pre-kindergarten over roughly the past 10 years, our investments still only provide publicly funded pre-k to about one in six 3- and 4-year-old children in our state," she said in a statement. "We need to build on this effort. A partnership with the federal government would allow Pennsylvania and many other states to expand our efforts and serve more children."

Contact the writer: shofius@timesshamrock.com, @hofiushallTT on Twitter

A Wilkes-Barre woman had more than a just a baby on board in her vehicle Tuesday night.

Ashanti Canales, 24, 165 North Sherman St., was driving more than 480 bags of heroin around her car, along with an infant boy, on her way to a drug deal at the Mall at Steamtown.

Lackawanna County detectives served a search warrant on Ms. Canales, where they discovered the heroin, along with approximately one ounce of marijuana and more than $1,000 in cash in her vehicle. They also noticed an infant boy in the back seat of her 2004 Ford Explorer who was not properly secured, detectives said.

Ms. Canales told police she was meeting someone at the Mall at Steamtown to deliver the drugs.

She was charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, criminal attempt to deliver a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, detectives said.

Police did not specify who the infant in her backseat was.

Dickson City police as well as Scranton police Officer Jerry Tallo and his K9 partner assisted in the investigation.

Ms. Canales was arraigned Wednesday and is slated for a preliminary hearing March 14. She is in Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bail.

Contact the writer: Ksullivan@timesshamrock.com, @ksullivanTT on Twitter

DUNLAP, Calif. (AP) - A female intern-volunteer was killed Wednesday by a lion at a private wild animal park in Central California, and state and local authorities were trying to determine what might have caused the fatal attack.

Cat Haven founder and executive director Dale Anderson was crying as he read a one-sentence statement about the fatal mauling at the exotic animal zoo he has operated since 1993.

The 26-year-old intern was attacked and killed when she entered the lion's enclosure, Anderson said, but he refused to answer questions or provide more details.

Sheriff's deputies responding to an emergency call from Cat Haven, in the Sierra Nevada foothills about 45 miles east of Fresno, found the woman severely injured and still lying inside the enclosure with the lion nearby, Fresno County sheriff's Lt. Bob Miller said.

Another park worker had unsuccessfully tried luring the lion away and into a separate pen, so deputies shot and killed it so they could reach the wounded woman, who died at the scene, Miller said.

Investigators were trying to determine why the intern was inside the enclosure and what might have provoked the attack, sheriff's Sgt. Greg Collins said. The facility is normally closed on Wednesdays, and only one other worker was there when the mauling happened, Collins said.

The male African lion, a 4-year-old male named Couscous, had been raised at Cat Haven since it was a cub, said Tanya Osegueda, a spokeswoman for Project Survival, the nonprofit that operates the animal park. Osegueda did not know how the park acquired the cub.

Cat Haven is a 100-acre facility just west of Kings Canyon National Park. Since the property opened in 1993, it has housed numerous big cats, including tigers, leopards and other exotic species. It is permitted to house exotic animals by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and is regulated as a zoo by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Results of the last 13 inspections by the Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service show no violations dating back to March 2010. The most recent inspection was Feb. 4, USDA records show.

Despite state regulations that require annual inspections, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife most recently inspected the facility in January 2011.

"We have to do the best we can with the resources we're provided," said department spokeswoman Jordan Traverso.

The inspector's written comments were "facility in good condition." The inspector checked gates, enclosures, water supplies, drainage, cleanliness, ventilation and the general health of the animals.

Department spokeswoman Janice Mackey said she was unaware if any state regulations would prohibit an employee from entering an exotic animal's enclosure.

She said each species is identified on the permit, and the animals must be used for scientific or educational purposes only.

"We don't allow them to be used as pets," Mackey said.

Actress Tippi Hedren, who founded the founded the Shambala Preserve in Southern California, home to 53 seized or abandoned exotic pets, expressed dismay over the killing of the lion.

"It wasn't the lion's fault. It's the human's fault always. I've got 40 years behind me. I know what I'm talking about," Hedren said.

A movie was made at Shambala several years ago and several people were injured. "Two were nearly killed," she said.

"Lions are one of the four most dangerous animals in the world. There is nothing you can do. When they get a thought pattern, there is nothing short of a bullet to the brain that will stop them," Hedren said.

Nicole Paquette, vice president of the Human Society of the United States, voiced similar concerns.

"She should have never been in the enclosure with him," Paquette said of the victim. "These are big cats that are extremely dangerous, and they placed a volunteer in the actual cage with a wild animal. That should have never happened."

Officials at another big cat sanctuary, Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, Fla., told The Associated Press last year that at least 21 people, including five children, have been killed and 246 mauled by exotic cats since 1990. Over that period, 254 cats escaped and 143 were killed.

Tatiana, a tiger at the San Francisco Zoo, was killed by police after jumping out of its enclosure and fatally mauling a 17-year-old boy and injuring two other people in 2007.

Cat Haven has housed Bengal tigers, Siberian lynx, caracals, jaguars and leopards of various types as well as bobcats native to the area. Anderson described the private zoo several years ago as one of a handful of facilities across the U.S. that has all of the big cat species in one place.

The facility's website says it promotes conservation and preservation of wild cats in their native habitats and offers visitors tours and educational outreach.

Anderson said Project Survival would investigate to see if the intern and the other worker who was on-site followed the group's protocols.

"We take every precaution to ensure the safety of our staff, animals and guests," he said in a written statement.

---

Associated Press writers Garance Burke in San Francisco and Sue Manning in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

ST. CHARLES, Mo. (AP) - A St. Louis-area animal shelter has found a home for a 37-pound cat named Biscuit. It even found him a sympathetic shoulder to meow on.

Operators of the St. Charles County shelter say recent news coverage of the tubby tabby's plight led to more than 100 adoption requests for him.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (http://bit.ly/10gClxR ) reports that Biscuit will go to live with Ed and Lisa Pyatt next week. The Eureka couple adopted another fat cat, Max, several years ago, and Ed Pyatt says it'll be good for Max to have a buddy.

Biscuit is roughly three times the weight of a normal adult cat and will have to stay on a strict diet. His previous caretakers had to give him up because they could no longer care for him.

---

Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com

THROOP - Officials from three Mid Valley School District boroughs are working together to increase security in the district.

Council members from Dickson City, Olyphant and Throop attended a special school board meeting Thursday to propose a joint effort. Olyphant Mayor Jayme Morano said he hoped to see all three communities share costs for a resource officer.

"This is just our first step," he said of the group's attendance. "If we can make this happen, it would be a big step."

Discussion primarily focused on how to add an officer, but no decisions were finalized. Mid Valley School Board member Paul Macknosky cautioned there could be other options.

"Everybody is jumping to a resource officer as the best way to secure schools," he said. "We don't know that that's the case."

If the district were to add a resource officer, the cost would be shared between the school and Throop borough, where the school is located. Mr. Morano and council members said that they were willing to discuss dividing that cost to benefit the children of all three municipalities.

The effort would require a cooperative agreement between the municipalities. If the officer came from Dickson City or Olyphant, there would need to be an agreement to allow jurisdiction because the school is in Throop.

"It's definitely worth exploring," Superintendent Randy Parry said.

Though a consensus was not reached Thursday, all three communities planned to discuss how to share the cost and what option to take.

"I just don't want to talk about it for three years," Olyphant Councilwoman Dina Harrington added.

A meeting between borough and district officials was tentatively set for March 26 at 7 p.m. at the high school.

Contact the writer: rbrown@timesshamrock.com, @rbrownTT on Twitter

On this date in NEPA

75 years ago, state Rep. William Munley suffered a stroke at a wrestling match at Town Hall. Mr. Munley was taken to State Hospital where he was listed serious condition. He had represented the area in Harrisburg since 1922.

50 years ago, 950 people packed the Masonic Temple for a community salute to Gov. and Mrs. William W. Scranton. It was the first time the Scrantons returned to Scranton since the governor was sworn in. The event was organized by the Scranton Chamber of Commerce.

25 years ago, Prudential Asset Management Co., a subsidiary of Prudential insurance, announced it would bring 450 new jobs to somewhere in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metro area by 1990.

10 years ago, the State Department of Environmental Protection was in the process of fining the parent company of Alliance Landfill. Since June 2002, the DEP issued 120 violations. Most of the fines were over odor control problems. Today is Friday, March 8, the 67th day of 2013. There are 298 days left in the year.

In 1854, U.S. Commodore Matthew C. Perry made his second landing in Japan; within a month, he concluded a treaty with the Japanese.

In 1862, during the Civil War, the ironclad CSS Virginia rammed and sank the USS Cumberland and heavily damaged the USS Congress, both frigates, off Newport News, Va.

In 1917, the U.S. Senate voted to limit filibusters by adopting the cloture rule.

In 1965, the United States landed its first combat troops in South Vietnam.

In 1971, Joe Frazier defeated Muhammad Ali by decision in what was billed as "The Fight of the Century" at Madison Square Garden in New York. Silent film comedian Harold Lloyd died in Beverly Hills, Calif., at age 77.

In 1983, in a speech to the National Association of Evangelicals convention in Orlando, Fla., President Ronald Reagan referred to the Soviet Union as an "evil empire."

In 1988, 17 soldiers were killed when two Army helicopters from Fort Campbell, Ky., collided in mid-flight.

Ten years ago: The militant Islamic group Hamas vowed revenge after one of its founding members and three bodyguards were killed in an Israeli helicopter attack in Gaza; the Israeli army promised to strike the militants again.

Five years ago: President George W. Bush vetoed a bill that would have banned the CIA from using simulated drowning and other coercive interrogation methods to gain information from suspected terrorists. Barack Obama captured the Wyoming Democratic caucuses.

One year ago: Syria's deputy oil minister (Abdo Husameddine), looking tense, announced in a video that he had defected from President Bashar Assad's regime. Jesse Owens was posthumously made an inaugural member of the IAAF Hall of Fame more than 75 years after he won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. (Owens, Carl Lewis, Jackie Joyner-Kersee and nine others were the first athletes to be honored by the IAAF in its newly created Hall of Fame.) James T. "Jimmy" Ellis, 74, the frontman for The Trammps who released "Disco Inferno," died in Rock Hill, S.C.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Sue Ane (correct) Langdon is 77. College Football Hall of Famer Pete Dawkins is 75. Baseball player-turned-author Jim Bouton is 74. Songwriter Carole Bayer Sager is 69. Actor-director Micky Dolenz is 68. Singer-musician Randy Meisner is 67. Pop singer Peggy March is 65. Baseball Hall-of-Famer Jim Rice is 60. Singer Gary Numan is 55. NBC News anchor Lester Holt is 54. Actor Aidan Quinn is 54. Country musician Jimmy Dormire is 53. Actress Camryn Manheim is 52. Actor Leon (no last name) is 50. Rock singer Shawn Mullins (The Thorns) is 45. Actress Andrea Parker is 43. Actor Boris Kodjoe is 40. Actor Freddie Prinze Jr. is 37. Actor James Van Der Beek is 36. Rhythm-and-blues singer Kameelah Williams (702) is 35. Rock singer Tom Chaplin (Keane) is 34. Rock musician Andy Ross (OK Go) is 34. Rhythm-and-blues singer Kristinia (kris-teh-NEE'-ah) DeBarge is 23.

Thought for Today: "Contemplation seems to be about the only luxury that costs nothing." - Dodie Smith, English playwright (1896-1990).

Lakeland locked down after threat

SCOTT TWP. - Lakeland High School was in lockdown for about two hours Thursday morning after a student reported a threat written on a stall in a girls' bathroom.

Scott Twp. police and school resource officers investigated and found there was no danger, said police Chief James Romano.

While police investigated, students were ordered to remain in their classrooms to minimize movement within the building, said Lakeland Superintendent Margaret Billings-Jones, Ed.D. Although they declined to specify what the threat said, Chief Romano and Dr. Billings-Jones said the correct procedures were followed for such a situation.

OLD FORGE - Looking around at a room full of police officers, James Gray reflected that there is no better honor for officers than to be recognized by their peers.

On Thursday, during the monthly meeting for the Fraternal Order of Police Northeastern Lodge 63, five officers from the region were recognized for their service soon after they retired.

Former Jessup police Chief Anthony Ligi, Lt. Larry Witt of Honesdale police and Capt. Joe Pilcavage, Sgt. Joe Laguzzi, and Detective Sgt. Jesse VanDeusen, all of Carbondale City police, received Career Recognition Awards for their combined 114 years of service to Northeast Pennsylvania.

Most said that the time went by too quickly. All said that they will miss serving their communities but will continue to find ways to give back.

"Time went by a lot faster than I thought," Sgt. Laguzzi said, who has taken over as Clarks Summit police chief.

"I'm still going to stay in law enforcement training cadets," Detective Sgt. Jesse VanDeusen said. "It's in my blood."

Mr. Gray, the former Dalton police chief and borough mayor, said that all five of those men were tremendous assets to the communities they served and will be missed.

"But you have officers that work under them who will do the same," Mr. Gray said. "They have been taught well."

Contact the writer: jkohut@timesshamrock.com, @jkohutTT on Twitter

Borough updates move ahead

ARCHBALD - The council advanced a project to enhance Betty Street at a meeting Wednesday.

Borough Manager Jack Giordano opened six bids for a project to add lighting along the street, ranging from $62,000 to $130,000. Council members Ken Propst, Randy Grandinetti and Shirley Barrett were appointed to a committee to review the bids and select a contractor for the project.

Also at the meeting, Brian T. Kelly was hired to complete an audit of the borough's accounts, at a price not to exceed $7,575.

Marshals arrest sex offender

SCRANTON - U.S. Marshals took a New York man who violated Megan's Law into custody Tuesday after finding him in Scranton.

Anthony Walker, 28, was sought for failing to register as a sex offender after a May 2006 conviction in Franklin County, N.Y., on forcible touching/sexual fondling charges with a 16-year-old.

Acting on a tip that he was in the Scranton area, marshals based here found him Tuesday afternoon in the 100 block of South Washington Avenue.

He was charged as a fugitive from justice and is awaiting extradition to New York.

Local bars cited for gambling

DALTON - Three Lackawanna County bars have been cited by the Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement based on incidents in the fall.

Frank Fratamico and the Casanova, 901-903 S. Webster Ave., Scranton; Edward P. Dunn and Dunn's Tavern, 905 S. Main Ave., Scranton; and McGrath's Pub and Eatery, 112 E. Main St., Dalton, were all cited with gambling charges.

The penalties range from $50 to $1,000 for minor offenses and up to $5,000 for serious offenses, according to state police.

Two accused of endangerment

PITTSTON - An Avoca couple is facing child endangerment charges after authorities found their children living in "deplorable conditions," including beds soiled with dog feces and floors with open holes.

William Paul Tucker Jr., 30, and his wife, Brianna C. Tucker, 33, of 607 Valley St., Avoca, are charged with two counts each of endangering the welfare of a child after a Luzerne County Children and Youth Services caseworker reported the living conditions Monday.

Officers entered the home to find dog feces and urine throughout, with large piles of clothing also soiled with excrement, according to the affidavit.

The kitchen sink was unusable because it was so full of dirty dishes, and a bathroom was in "deplorable" condition, with a tub filled with dirty clothes, Avoca Police Chief David Homschek wrote.

Upstairs, police found holes in the floors and dog feces in the children's beds, he wrote.

Riverside eyes price of NEIU

TAYLOR - At a work session Thursday, the Riverside School District discussed the price tag for next year's contract with the Northeastern Educational Intermediate Unit.

The board is expect to vote Monday on whether to contract with NEIU for special-education services for the 2013-2014 school year at an estimated cost of $731,177.90.

It is also expected to vote on Riverside's projected $37,919.91 share of NEIU proposed operating budget. The board will meet Monday in the high school library at 7 p.m.

MARRIAGE LICENSEs

n Jeffrey D. Schmierer, Brooklyn, Ind., and Kimberly Marie Burns, West Lafayette, Ind.

n Joseph John Macciocco III and Nicole Chiodo, both of Dickson City.

n Ivor John Rodney III, Olyphant, and Rebecca Christine Harris, McClure.

n Bret Christopher Bockelkamp and Jennifer Lori Rinkus, both of Clarks Summit.

n Ganga Pradhan and Yan Maya Gurung, both of Scranton.

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

n Nent Property Holdings LLC, Scranton, to Michael A. and Michele A. Wilk, Roaring Brook Twp.; a property at 922 Jefferson Ave., Scranton, for $90,000.

n Bart A. and Lisa M. Clementoni to Anthony Scerbo; a property at 156 Laurel Drive, Thornhurst Twp., for $144,000.

n Sallie Motter, individually and executrix of the estates of Sallie R., Sandra Lee, Robert F. and Richard F. Moss, to Gary T., Lu Ann H., Gregory P. and Donna L. Schmidt; a property at 406 Marion St., Moscow, for $122,300.

n Mark Seigle, Carbondale, to Pietro and Elma Virgili, East Stroudsburg; a property at 27 Archbald St., Carbondale, for $43,000.

n Deutsche Bank National Trust Co., to Canz Holdings LLC, Scranton; properties at 1741 and 1743 Sanderson Ave., Scranton, for $27,199.

n Karen A. Machemer, Millerstown, and Robert R. Puksta, Conshohocken, to Ryan M. and Sara A. Puksta, Scranton; a property at 1023 Prospect Ave., Scranton, for $95,400.

lawsuits

n Barbara Brophy, 923 Pancoast St., Dickson City, v. Mary Lloyd, 76 Spring St., Apt. 2, Carbondale; seeking in excess of $50,000 for injuries suffered on July 27, 2011, in a motor vehicle crash on Business Route 6; Edward G. Krowiak, attorney.

n Maurice and Christine Nehme, 307 Center St., Taylor, v. Robert Casterline, 539 Main St., Side 2, Old Forge; seeking in excess of $50,000 on two counts for injuries suffered on Dec. 7, in a motor vehicle crash on Main Street in Dickson City; Brian J. Walsh, attorney.

divorce sought

n Rachel Cartier, Scranton, v. Robert Lucas, Fairfax, S.C.; married Dec. 27, 2002, in Walterboro, S.C.; Curt M. Parkins, attorney.

divorce decrees

n Michael Cyganick v. Eleanor Cyganick.

n Scott E. Gaylets v. Phailihn Gaylets.

n Tracy Ann Johnson v. Thomas W. Johnson IV.

n Nathan J. Ragin v. Joan A. Ragin.

n Paul J. West v. Amy K. West.

n Amy Owens v. William J. Owens Sr.

n Denise A. Czerwinski v. Eugene J. Czerwinski.

n Jocelyn Woodman v. Jason Woodman.

n Donna Marie Miller v. Jeffrey Donald Miller.

n Stephanie L. Marsico v. Paul J. Marsico.

n Tracy Scott Stahl v. Scott Kenneth Stahl.

n Donna M. Iannuzzo v. Richard J. Iannuzzo.

estates filed

n Diane Marinchak, 355 N. Lincoln Ave., Scranton, letters of administration to Christopher Marinchak, same address.

n Douglas William Goodall, 304 E. Elm St., Dunmore, letters of administration to Gary Goodall, 615 Kohler Ave., Old Forge; and Elizabeth Lavelle, 416 Champion Circle, Throop.

n Anna Kusner Fabri, 813 Harrison Ave., Scranton, letters of administration to William Rinaldi, same address.

n Kelly Theresa Kearney Gibbons, 9133 Valley View Drive, Newton Twp., letters of administration to James A. Gibbons, same address.

n Rita C. Battenberg, 363 Washington Ave., Jermyn, letters testamentary to Charles H. Battenberg, same address.

n Joanne Marie Gabriel, 511 Park St., Taylor, letters of administration to Kaitlin Marie Gabriel, 208 W. Atherton St., Taylor.

state tax liens

n Daniel A. Mello Jr., 501 Von Berger St., Old Forge; $691.56.

n Lester R. and Rosalie M. McCament, 4270 Haas Pond Road, Madison Twp.; $4,565.89.

n James J. McGrath, 425 Brook St., Peckville; $907.15.

n Dana Lausterer, 2706 S. Webster Ave., Scranton; $1,153.56.

n Maurice and Louise Abdalla, 2 Scranton/Pocono Highway, Scranton; $9,088.93.

n Maria L. and Paul T. Lisowski, 101 Howard St., Old Forge; $1,705.24.

n Michael A. and Karen C. Brady, 154 Cemetery St., Archbald; $4,427.38.

n Michael and Margaret Kiernan, 1680 Lisa Lane, Clarks Summit; $1,680.72.

n Nicholas Stanley, 16052 Airport Drive, Dalton; $10,791.92.

n Nora M. Boczar, 508 Deacon St., Scranton; $24,273.67.

Bench Warrants

Judge Vito Geroulo issued warrants for failure to appear, fines, costs and restitution, for:

n Brandi Grace Martin, 1512 Washburn St., Scranton; $1,516.

n Caridad Tina Wilkins, 1834 Phelanp Place., Apt. 4l, Bronx, N.Y.; $873.50.

n Courtney Elizabeth Port, 408 Center St., Clarks Summit; $4,420.

n Sean Fairweather, 817 Prescott Ave., Apt. 1a, Scranton; $1,072.51.

n John Calvey, 39 Wilford St., Pittston; $256.50.

n Jennifer Bush, Road 7 Box 7852, Stroudsburg; $329.50.

n Amar Bell, 98 S. Main St., Wilkes-Barre; $3,310.

ONLINE: thetimes-tribune.com/courts

City man charged with assault

SCRANTON - Police arrested a city man after they said he hit and choked his girlfriend when they got into an argument about her hanging out with friends when another man was present. Naquan McClarence, 25, 367 N. Evans Court, was charged with simple assault and harassment, for shoving Michelle Connors to the ground, choking her, then hitting her several times, leaving her with bruises and marks on her back, arm and chest, police said. He is in Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $2,500 bail. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.

PITTSTON TWP. - Mericle Commercial Real Estate Services has begun constructing four building pads in Grimes Industrial Park in Pittston Twp. in conjunction with its "Ready to Go" program.

The parcels are located along Sathers Drive and are served by rail. Mericle expects to have the four pads substantially completed by late spring.

Mericle has designed industrial buildings ranging from 24,000 square feet to 112,800 square feet for the parcels and the four buildings will total about 260,000 square feet.

Mericle spokesman Jim Cummings said proximity to active rail service will distinguish the parcels from most other available sites in Northeast Pennsylvania.

Police search for hit-run vehicle

JESSUP - State police at Dunmore are investigating a vehicle that took off after a hit-and-run collision on the Casey Highway on Wednesday.

Phillip Bridges, 49, told police he was traveling west passing Exit 3 to Jessup when a gray sport utility vehicle traveling in the left lane struck his Toyota Tacoma at about 4:40 p.m., police said. The SUV should have passenger-side damage with traces of blue paint. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 963-3156.

DIMOCK TWP. - About 760 student delegates from more than two dozen schools converged on Elk Lake on Wednesday for the annual District IX Student Leadership Conference.

This is the 38th consecutive year that student government representatives have gathered for the informational session, which is organized by the Pennsylvania Association of Student Councils.

It is the first time Elk Lake Area School District has hosted the event.

Decked out in a coat and tie, Principal Ken Cuomo said he was actually underdressed and then pulled out a John Deere farmer's cap to underscore the rural nature of his district and the conference's theme to "Start a Moovement!"

Motivational speaker Derek Felton flew in from Cincinnati to get the youths pumped about their responsibilities as student leaders. He drew from his own background with ordinary folks as well as famous athletes who had inspired him.

Following an opening assembly, the students had their choice of 19 high school-level and 13 middle school-level workshops.

Subject matter included "Stomping out Bullying," "Stress Is a Mess," and "Perks of Not Being a Wallflower."

Logan Garrison and Emma Vasky of Lackawanna Trail led a session on "Fantastic Fundraising," which left students with a lot of ideas on how to fund school activities.

Elk Lake student council adviser Kristine Smith was recognized as high school student adviser of the year. Joan Rakowski of Dallas was named middle school student council adviser of the year.

Contact the writer: bbaker@wcexaminer.com