TUNKHANNOCK — The Tunkhannock Area School Board voted 8-1 Thursday night to close three of its four elementary schools and realign grades in the remaining school buildings in Tunkhannock.

Evans Falls, Mehoopany and Mill City will be closed beginning in the 2018-19 school year. The move is designed to improve the schools’ educational quality while keeping the district financially solvent for the future.

About 75 people attended the meeting, but no one in the audience addressed the board before the vote.

School board member William Swilley cast the lone no vote, saying he saw transportation, loss of personnel, and attention to special needs and pre-K kids as challenges in the new setup.

“I see the dream of wanting to make this a destination school district, but I don’t see the reality of achieving it by closing three buildings,” Swilley said, to a chorus of applause.

Board member John Burke said none of the options was optimal, “but if we do nothing, the quality of education will go down in a very big way.”

Burke noted that student enrollment was down to almost half of its peak enrollment of 5,200 in 1975. He also noted that, with increasing pension contributions, the district was facing a deficit of $1 to $3 million annually, with its reserve fund balance now exhausted.

The district had been mulling the idea of closing one or two of the outlying buildings for nearly four years. It hired KCBA Architects to analyze the costs for a number of scenarios and present some options.

Four public meetings by the board were held across the district since Dec. 22, including one each at the schools that are now going to be closed, giving the public time to weigh in on pluses and minuses of five options under consideration.

At their most recent meeting March 9, board members mulled a new option that put three of the four elementary schools on the chopping block and reconfiguring grade levels for the remaining schools, all in Tunkhannock.

All four elementary schools had taught students from kindergarten to fourth grade. Now, Roslund Elementary will teach kindergarten, first and second grade. The middle school, which had taught grades 5 through 8, will become an intermediate school for grades three through six. Some space in the middle school will also house an academy for seventh-graders, with the administration building across the street on Philadelphia Avenue also being used for that grade.

Students will begin attending the high school in eighth grade under the new plan.

“I am excited to see how we deliver a better education,” Burke said.

The board set a public meeting for 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 30, to discuss how to implement the changes.

Contact the writer:

bbaker@wcexaminer.com

Lakeland schools are getting about $6.7 million in renovations.

Among the work, the Mayfield Campus will get new lighting, Lakeland High School’s auditorium, two classrooms and locker rooms will be renovated and the Scott Campus will have a new roof.

Lakeland school directors recently approved the renovations project, as well as a $7 million bond to fund it. The project should begin at the end of this school year and finish before the start of next school year.

The district identified areas that need repairs during a 2012 district-wide facility study.

“There was a laundry list of things from the facility study and we’ve been revisiting it periodically and prioritizing based on that list,” said Superintendent R. Scott Jeffery.

Other renovations planned this summer include:

Mayfield Campus

• Exterior site lighting and window replacement.

• New flooring in instructional areas and hallways and air conditioning installed in classrooms.

• Roof replacement that includes all rooftop mechanical units.

• New electrical service and miscellaneous distribution panels.

Scott Campus

• New flooring in instructional areas and hallways and a roof replacement

High school

• New flooring in instructional areas and hallways

• A complete renovation of the auditorium, as well as renovation of two science classrooms and the boy’s and girl’s gym locker rooms

• Asbestos abatement

Meanwhile, bids for a separate paving project came in higher than expected, said Mr. Jeffrey. Lakeland is prioritizing sidewalks and roads that need paving and will rebid the project.

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

Lakeland school directors appointed this week acting high school principal James Pivirotto as principal and Dave Rosenkrans, current dean of students, as high school assistant principal. Mr. Pivirotto’s salary will remain at $85,000 and his appointment is effective immediately. Mr. Rosenkrans’ salary as assistant principal is $69,000 and he begins the new role on July 1.

- KATHLEEN BOLUS

WILKES-BARRE — As she stood in court waiting to be sentenced for partially blinding her 5-month-old baby, Ashley Nicole Jackson faced the parents who adopted the boy and two of his siblings to apologize.

“I just want to say thank you for taking care of my children,” said Jackson, 26, of Edwardsville. “I’m just really sorry (the child) got hurt, and I pray for him. I pray for all my children, and I’m sorry.”

Luzerne County Judge Michael T. Vough sentenced Jackson — who previously pleaded no contest to charges of aggravated assault, child endangerment and reckless endangerment — to serve 30 to 60 months in state prison and to have no contact with the boy unless his adoptive family permits it.

According to prosecutors, police began investigating Jackson in March 2012 after her son was admitted to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville to be treated for severe head injuries, including bleeding in the eyes and brain, as well as a fractured arm.

Jackson claimed she had been holding the baby when her 2-year-old daughter swung a toy laptop computer and hit the child in the eye. Doctors, however, told police the boy’s injuries weren’t consistent with being hit with a toy, prosecutors said.

During questioning, Jackson, a single mother of two, admitted that she “lost control and hurt her baby boy,” shaking him and causing his head to flop back and forth because the child wouldn’t stop crying.

During the hearing Friday morning, the child’s adoptive parents described how he continues to live with his injuries, which include a head deformity and being legally blind in his left eye.

“He’s doing well,” said the father, Dennis Surace. “Because it’s so long ago, we forget the devastation, but there still has to be a consequence.”

The mother, Tracey Surace, broke down in tears as she described the “mixed bag of emotions” she has experienced since getting involved in the lives of the boy and two of his siblings.

Noting Jackson’s history — which a defense witness told the judge included a chaotic upbringing after losing her mother at a young age — Tracey Surace said she could sympathize but that she felt Jackson still needed to be held responsible.

“I struggle as a mom to have compassion,” Tracey Surace said.

Still, before the hearing was over she wished Jackson well in her rehabilitation.

Defense attorney Mary Deady also cited Jackson’s past in seeking a reduced sentence, saying it is a “sad case for everyone involved.”

Vough agreed that Jackson did not have a proper upbringing conducive to learning how to properly care for children.

“But that doesn’t excuse what you did,” Vough said.

The judge ordered Jackson to serve 30 to 60 months in state prison, giving her credit for 421 days time served, and barred her from having unsupervised contact with any children.

Vough also ordered Jackson to attend parenting classes and to undergo a mental health evaluation, saying he hopes the treatment she gets in prison will help her turn her life around.

“You’re still a young individual,” Vough said. “This might be the best thing that ever happened to you, to be honest with you.”

After the hearing, the Suraces nodded goodbye to Jackson as sheriff’s deputies escorted her from the courtroom. Assistant District Attorney Nancy Violi, who prosecuted the case, said she felt the sentence was appropriate.

“We feel that the sentence does reflect the seriousness of what happened to Zahair, the victim in this case,” Violi said. “At the same time, we’re just very grateful that he has the opportunity now to have this life with these wonderful, adoptive parents that he has. He’s extremely lucky right now.”

570-821-2058, @cvjimhalpin

Daughtry, lead by former “American Idol” finalist Chris Daughtry, hits the F.M. Kirby Center this summer.

The band famous for hits such as “It’s Not Over” and “Home” will perform at the downtown Wilkes-Barre venue at 8 p.m. July 15.

Since its inception, Daughtry released four studio albums, which earned it four No. 1 hits. The group also received four Grammy nominations, won four American Music Awards and won three People’s Choice Awards.

Tickets go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. Friday and 10 a.m. Wednesday to Kirby members. Tickets start at $39.50 and can be purchased through the Kirby Center box office, online at kirbycenter.org or by calling 570-826-1100.

The 7-month-old made it to the hospital last month with a 104.5 degree fever and a diaper rash eating at his skin. Those were just the beginning of the ailments doctors would soon find.

“It looks like he is going to die,” his mother, Rebecca Ann Palukonis told emergency room staff.

The baby survived. On Friday, Scranton police charged his 35-year-old mother.

Palukonis, 626 N. Irving Ave., Scranton, is accused of endangering the welfare of children and recklessly endangering another person, Detective Jeffrey Gilroy of the Special Victims Unit wrote in a complaint. Police allege she failed to provide adequate medical care and should have known the child was failing to thrive.

By the time Gilroy charged Palukonis, doctors determined the baby had kidney and liver damage, seemed malnourished and had atrophied muscles.

The malnutrition may have contributed to the organ damage, but pediatric physicians caring for the infant believe oxygen deprivation, possibly due to “minor suffocation episodes” inflicted on him at “numerous varying times,” also contributed, Gilroy wrote.

The investigation began when Palukonis carried the infant into Moses Taylor Hospital’s emergency room at midnight on Feb. 25, once she realized that she could not cut his high fever with cool baths and children’s Tylenol.

A helicopter flew the baby to a children’s hospital in Danville. Palukonis went home to her 2-year-old and fell asleep. She didn’t go to Danville until the following evening, when a police officer and case worker from the Lackawanna County Office of Youth and Family Services visited her home.

Gilroy questioned Palukonis on March 2. She provided photographs of the baby’s thermometer reading and diaper rash, which showed peeling skin, police said. The rash happened overnight, she told him, and she had no idea how it started.

“Whatever was wrong with him, it was eating away his skin,” she told Gilroy.

Palukonis explained to police that she had been feeding the infant nine ounces of formula five to six times per day. The physicians doubted that because that would have amounted to twice the calories the baby needed to thrive and flourish.

Since his admittance to a hospital, the baby has gained weight and some of the liver, kidney and muscle damage started to correct itself, police said.

Arraignment information and a preliminary hearing date for Palukonis was not available.

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

The owner of a Dunmore motel groped a 13-year-old girl visiting a friend there last week, borough detectives charged Friday.

Mayurkumar Shah, 62, is charged with felony counts of unlawful contact of a minor and corruption of minors as well as a misdemeanor count of indecent assault, Detective Michael Lydon and Officer Stephon Burgette wrote in a criminal complaint.

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

The victim told authorities that she went to visit a friend staying at the Scottish Inn, 1027 O’Neill Highway, on March 17 because the blizzard that dumped more than 20 inches of snow last week damaged her friend’s home in Scranton.

On that day, the parents of the victim’s friend, an 11-year-old boy, had to go to Scranton to remove belongings from the home. The two children stayed behind to watch television and play games.

The 13-year-old called Shah in the main office and asked for a coffee machine and a broom. Shah, whose address is listed as the motel, came to the room with two cups of coffee and a vacuum cleaner. He told the girl he had creamer in his pocket but asked that she retrieve it because his hands were full. She did.

Before he left, Shah hugged her and grabbed her breasts hard enough to make her think it wasn’t an accident, according to the complaint. Shah had hugged her and touched her breasts earlier in the day as well but not forcefully enough to make her think anything of it.

Once the adults returned to the motel, the girl explained what happened and they notified police, who arrested Shah on Friday.

Magisterial District Judge Joanne Price Corbett arraigned him and set bail at $7,500. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 3.

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

The failure of a health care reform bill to muster enough votes before House Republican leaders pulled it from consideration Friday pleased the Democrats and disappointed the Republicans who represent the region in Congress.

U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-17, Moosic, opposed to replacing the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, with the Republican American Health Care Act, referred to as Trumpcare, said he hopes Congress turns to strengthening Obamacare.

“That is the very last thing that this (Republican bill) did and it was getting worse as time went on and they tried to corral more of the Freedom Caucus members by making the bill even more draconian than it was,” Cartwright said. “It’s obviously a bitter pill for the folks who have been wanting to repeal the ACA since this month seven years ago.”

He expressed hope Republicans “get past the bitterness” and work with Democrats “to make the ACA work better for everybody.”

A disappointed Rep. Lou Barletta, R-11, Hazleton, who planned to vote for the Trumpcare bill, said fixing the “fundamentally flawed” Obamacare system is impossible and predicted “it will crash under its own weight.”

“The theory was great, we understood the theory, but the reality was the young people were not going to pay premiums for health insurance they didn’t need and be told by the government what they had to buy so they were willing to pay the (tax) penalty (for not having health insurance),” Barletta said. “The challenge is how do you get younger people to buy something they don’t feel they need and at the same time not charge older people who are more likely to get sicker more money that they can’t afford.”

Barletta said pulling the bill made sense because Republicans lacked the votes, but probably ends reform efforts for now.

“The American people are going to continue to suffer as their premiums continue to go through the roof, their deductibles will be unreachable and people who had health care won’t because they simply won’t be able to afford to go to their doctors,” he said. “People will continue to see their premiums go through the roof and at that time we’ll be forced to pass something.”

A spokesman for U.S. Rep. Tom Marino, R-10, Lycoming Twp., issued a statement saying only that “Obamacare has failed the American people” and Marino remains committed to repealing it.

The spokesman declined to say if Marino supported Trumpcare, but various published reports counted him as a supporter.

In a statement, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey said Trumpcare died because “millions of Americans” exposed it as “a massive tax cut for the wealthiest at the expense of middle class families, seniors and individuals with disabilities.” He called on Republicans “to end this obsession” with repealing Obamcare and strive “to keep what’s working in health care and fix what isn’t.”

Contact the writer: bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com

The Lackawanna County district attorney’s office has the results of DNA tests from evidence collected in the search for missing Old Forge restaurant owner, Robert Baron.

Shane Scanlon, the district attorney, declined to discuss what those results are until his office has the chance to speak with Baron’s family, he said.

“We have a meeting scheduled with the family next week to discuss portions of the case and testing,” Scanlon said.

Saturday marks two months since Baron, the 58-year-old owner of Ghigiarelli’s on South Main Street, was last seen. His son, 30-year-old Bobby Baron, reported him missing to police when he learned his father was neither responding to text messages nor in the restaurant or upstairs apartment.

Since then, police have found evidence that suggests Baron may have been assaulted inside his restaurant. The discovery of a tooth and a bloody afghan raised their suspicions.

Police also found Baron’s 2006 Hyundai Elantra parked on the 100 block of Howard Street a few days later. The car had “excessive mud” on the tires and undercarriage, along with what appeared to be blood stains in four locations.

Scanlon said detectives from his office and officers from the Old Forge Police Department are still following up on tips.

Meanwhile, Baron’s family continue waiting for answers. A GoFundMe page set up to increase the cash reward for information had garnered more than $2,000 and hundreds of shares on social media by Friday evening.

“It’s certainly difficult,” Baron’s brother, Mark Baron, said. “His daughters and son are the ones who are struggling the most. They really miss their dad.”

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

SOUTH ABINGTON TWP. — Some Pennsylvania Turnpike lanes locally will be closed over the weekend due to bridge work.

The Northeastern Extension, Interstate 476, will be closed in both directions on Sunday from midnight to 6 a.m. between the Wyoming Valley Interchange at exit 115 and the Clarks Summit Interchange at exit 131. The closure is required to protect travelers and workers while six beams are removed from a bridge near milepost 120 in Lackawanna County.

Single-lane closures and traffic stoppages may occur Saturday night to prepare for the Sunday closure.

— STAFF REPORTS

A stop sign put the brakes on Dominic Kustrin’s run.

The 24-year-old Scranton man, arrested Thursday for rolling over a police officer’s foot, bought cars with bounced checks from at least two dealerships since October and had been on the lam ever since, according to a series of court documents.

Kustrin, 1128 Albright Ave., had two warrants out for his arrest when Scranton Police Patrolman Joseph Janczak pulled him over for running a stop sign on Wednesday near South Webster Avenue and Park Drive.

Kustrin fled in a Toyota Corolla and ran over Janczak’s foot as the officer approached. Police caught him on Albright Avenue on Thursday, Lt. Glenn Thomas said. He is in Lackawanna County Prison on $25,000 bail for aggravated assault.

His arrest on Thursday meant that prosecution could move forward in two other cases filed against him on charges of defrauding dealerships out of cars.

Ray Novak, general manager of Scranton Dodge Chrysler Jeep RAM on Wyoming Avenue, filed a private criminal complaint against him on Jan. 23 for a charge of bad checks.

Novak said Kustrin wrote him a $5,000 check in October as a down payment for a Dodge Nitro. The check bounced and Kustrin never made good on the debt, he wrote in the complaint.

Novak’s complaint, filed with Magisterial District Judge Paul J. Ware, had a preliminary hearing scheduled for Feb. 28. Kustrin never showed, Novak said.

“Everyone was looking for him, I know I was looking for him,” Novak said.

Eight days before the Feb. 28 hearing, Kustrin pulled the same scheme with an Archbald car dealership, borough police said.

Kustrin wrote Eynon Pontiac Buick GMC a $5,000 check as a down payment on Hyundai Accent. The check bounced and Kustrin didn’t pay the debt or return the car. Larry Benson, the owner of the dealership, had police file a bad check charge. Magisterial District Judge Theodore J. Giglio arraigned him on the charge on Friday.

On March 1, Officer Michael Fenton reached Kustrin by telephone and asked him why he did not drop the vehicle off as agreed upon. He couldn’t, he explained.

He was afraid someone would pull him over.

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

The Times-Tribune and its staff won nine Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association Keystone Press Awards for work last year.

Kevin O’Neill, a graphic designer, won the prestigious first-place Distinguished Visual of all newspapers across the state for a group of his designs. The paper also won three first-place awards, two second-place awards and three honorable mentions in its circulation division, 30,000 to 74,000.

More than 3,330 entries were submitted by 130 news organizations around the state. Journalists from Oregon and Washington judged the contest.

“These awards underscore the quality of our work when judged by industry peers. This is a proud accomplishment for our staff,” said Larry Holeva, executive editor at The Times-Tribune, The Citizens’ Voice and the Standard-Speaker. “It’s gratifying to see such a large section of staff share in these awards across all departments of the news operation. Nearly every department in the newsroom received some recognition and honor, including reporters, artists, designers and editors in news, sports and features.”

Award winners include:

n Assistant Lifestyles Editor Kristin O’Malley, first place, page design.

n Graphic designer Jesse Musto, first place, graphic/photo illustration.

n Assistant Metro Editor and Business Editor Joe Healey, first place, headline writing.

n Sports Editor Chris Imperiale, second place, headline writing.

n Sports writer Joby Fawcett, second place, sports event coverage, PIAA track and field championships.

n Staff writers Borys Krawczeniuk, Jeff Horvath, Kathleen Bolus and staff, honorable mention, ongoing news coverage, stories on the presidential candidates’ visits.

n Times-Tribune staff, honorable mention, niche publication, Gameface.

n Staff writer Terrie Morgan-Besecker, honorable mention for investigative reporting, Stalking Horse, a story that showed drugs and weapons charges against two local men had to be dropped because police compromised the case by phoning in anonymous tips.

Two other Times-Shamrock daily newspapers won awards in the state contest. The Citizens’ Voice of Wilkes-Barre won six awards and the Standard-Speaker of Hazleton won five awards in the 15,000 to 29,999 circulation division.

Winners will be recognized May 20 at the Pennsylvania Press Conference in Lancaster.

SCRANTON — Two women are accused of selling drugs from a vehicle while their children sat in the back seat.

Danielle Alexander, 38, 316 N. Sumner Ave., Scranton, and Kearrah Chalmers, 19, 400 Chestnut St., Dunmore, are charged with drug counts and endangering the welfare of children. City police say they sold amphetamine pills from a vehicle at the intersection of Front Street and Kirst Court on Friday. Officers discovered more amphetamine pills, plus Oxycodone pills and drug paraphernalia in the vehicle, police said.

A 4-year-old and 1-year-old sat in the back seat, police said.

Bail and preliminary hearing were not available Friday night.

— CLAYTON OVER

Sister Ann Walsh, I.H.M., is giving up her position but not the work she loves.

Walsh will step aside as the titular head of Friends of the Poor on July 1 as the charitable organization transitions to a new leadership structure that will shift many of the administrative responsibilities she now handles to a paid president and chief executive officer.

She is not going away, she said Friday, as she will continue to have a direct role in Friends of the Poor’s day-to-day operations and the services it provides to less fortunate children, adults and families in the Scranton area.

“I’m keeping my day job,” Walsh said.

The difference, she said, is she’ll now have another set of hands helping with “all the work I would have to do before I go to work or after I finish the day’s work.”

“What I’m really looking forward to is having someone to work with me and to

share all of what I have experienced and learned,” she said.

During her seven years as president and CEO, Friends of the Poor has greatly expanded its services in the community.

It is something she said she never really envisioned when the Congregation of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, selected her in May 2010 to lead the organization.

“When I came to Friends of the Poor, it was really a very new ministry that I didn’t know much about,” she said. “But as I grew into it, I could see all of these additional needs surfacing.”

Her organization now operates two full-time food pantries and six part-time satellite pantries. It conducts regular furniture giveaways, holds after-school programs for children, hosts three annual community dinners and provides a long list of other programs and services. That is in addition to helping people with housing, utility and life emergency needs.

One of the most successful new programs has been the Clothes Line for Men, which provides gently used suits, slacks and outerwear to men of all ages. In just three years, the program clothed its 1,000th man last summer.

“That one just really took off and there’s nothing else like it in the area,” Walsh said. “We’ve had a group of such dedicated, passionate volunteers who handle that. It has been just wonderful, both the donations we’ve gotten and what we’ve been able to offer men in the area.”

As all that was happening, Walsh, who turns 70 this year, said she slowly came to recognize it was time to share some of her responsibilities and form what she called a “leadership team” with a new president and CEO who will be the organization’s public persona.

“I’m the first one to say I need help,” she said. “That’s how this all came about.”

Although Friday was the deadline for interested individuals to submit resumes to Sister Ellen Maroney, IHM president, Walsh said some leeway will be granted.

“They should get it in pretty quickly,” she said. “I want anybody who is interested to have a chance.”

She said the position will “most likely” be filled by a layperson. That would be a change for Friends of the Poor. Since the late Sister Adrian Barrett founded the organization in 1986, it has been led by IHM sisters.

What won’t change, Walsh said, is her congregation’s commitment to the Friends of the Poor or the organization’s commitment to the values, mission and ministry of the IHM.

“We want to be clear about that,” she said. “We will continue to maintain our unique personality.”

As she anticipates her new role with Friends of the Poor — and the prospect of some reduced work hours — Walsh feels fortunate to have had the opportunity to lead the organization for seven years.

“I’m just in awe of my experiences day to day and what we have been able to do. We have been very blessed,” she said. “I’ve met such wonderful people and it has been so enriching for me. There are just so many people who do good things in our community and it’s my privilege to work with them.”

Contact the writer:

dsingleton@timesshamrock.com

The Mini Cooper is inarguably a lovable thing.

It’s fun to drive, particularly when equipped with one of the upmarket turbocharged engines. Nimble, quick and low, there are few cars that deliver so much performance for a nonpremium price.

Second, the Cooper manages to pull off the neat trick of being “aggressively cute.” While its design suggests speed and handling, its snubbed and rounded profile and variety of Easter-egg colors are enough to make one want to start a Hot Wheels-style collection.

The drawback for the Cooper is, of course, right there in the brand name: It’s … mini. While there’s room enough up front for adults, accommodations in the second row are tight, and cargo area is negligible. Obviously, it’s not the go-to choice for a family of four on the move.

Mini has a couple of larger offerings, though. The tallish Countryman seeks to satisfy the American taste for sport-utes, while the lower-riding Clubman wagon adds more space in back for humans and their stuff.

The BMW-owned British carmaker provided a sample of the latter, which arrived immediately following the historic March 14 blizzard. Thankfully, it was equipped with the company’s AWD system (called ALL4), which represents the biggest change to the model from the previous year.

There are three basic configurations for the 2017 Clubman. The base Cooper is powered by a turbocharged, 1.5-liter three-cylinder making a not particularly exciting 134 horsepower and 162 foot-pounds of torque. A six-speed manual transmission is standard, with a six-speed automatic offered as an option.

The midpack Cooper S gets a more powerful 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 (189 horses and 207 foot-pounds of torque) under its hood and an optional eight-speed automatic. Top-of-the-line John Cooper Works models get a brawnier version of the same turbo-four (228 horses and 258 foot-pounds of twist), as well as the optional eight-speed automatic. The Cooper and Cooper S are equipped with standard FWD with AWD offered as an option. John Cooper Works samples are AWD-only.

Base models are well-equipped affairs, featuring such standard goodies as Mini’s BMW iDrive-derived Connected system (featuring a console-mounted control knob connected to an LCD infotainment display), 16-inch alloy wheels shod with run-flat tires, dual-zone climate control, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, multicolor ambient interior illumination, automatic headlights, heated mirrors and more.

Moving up to the Cooper S adds a set of steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters for the automatic transmission-equipped models, dual exhausts, 17-inch alloys, front sport seats, fog lights and additional exterior bling. John Cooper Works models up the ante with 18-inch wheels, LED headlights, rear-deck spoiler, stiffened suspension, rearview camera, simulated suede upholstery inserts and more.

There’s also a long list of options packages that allow buyers to add certain upscale items from higher trim levels to their otherwise lesser Clubman. Our tester, a Clubman Cooper S ALL4, included a $1,750 premium for the Technology (rearview camera and parking assist) and Wired (satellite navigation and enhanced USB and Bluetooth connectivity) packages, $1,750 for the eight-speed automatic tranny, $500 for a set of heated front seats, $500 for keyless entry and other smaller ticket items. So accoutered, the base $29,450 asking price rose to $35,840.

Our tester provided zippy performance and acceleration as well as a comfortable and surprisingly quiet ride. Tire roar and wind noise were kept to a minimum, which made it easier to enjoy the turbo-four’s insolent exhaust howl under hard acceleration. Handling was superb, with instant and spot-on-precise steering response and strong braking.

The heated front seats were roomy and comfortable, and the main controls and gauges easy to read and operate. Markings on the profusion of small switches and buttons mounted low on the center stack and on the headliner were hard to read, though.

Our kids issued little complaint regarding the 60/40 split-folding rear bench’s accommodations, although I suspect a long road trip might change their tune. There’s a decent-enough 17.5 cubic feet of cargo space in back; volume swells to 47.9 cubic feet with the second row stowed.

2017 Mini Cooper S Clubman ALL4

Vehicle type: Four-door, five-passenger subcompact all-wheel-drive wagon.

Base/as-tested prices: $29,450/$35,850.

Engine and transmission: 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four, 189 horsepower, 207 foot-pounds of torque, eight-speed sport-mode automatic.

EPA estimates: 22 mpg city, 31 mpg highway, 26 mpg combined.

The good: Sporty driving experience, now with room in back for people and their stuff; punchy turbo-four provides good acceleration; handsome exterior design with playfully illuminated cabin layout; ultra-nimble handling; amusingly insolent exhaust snort; compact dimensions make for easy maneuvering in urban environments and parking lots; solid-feeling chassis; easy-to-use console-mounted control knob for audio, phone settings, etc.; reasonably comfortable ride quality for such a small thing.

The bad: So-so fuel economy; pricey for compact hatchback; some control markings are hard to read; wonky voice recognition.

Bottom line: The Clubman captures the fun-to-drive essence of the smaller Mini Cooper in a larger and more useful package.

Q: I’m 64 years old and drive a 2005 Buick LaCrosse with 56,000 miles. Dealers want me to trade in my car.

OK, here is what I want in my next car:

(1) Manual roll-down windows for front and back. I’m not lazy. (2) I want the little triangular window in the front window. I won’t need to use air conditioning and will be able to save gas with this window. (3) I want a wide car. The length of a car doesn’t impress me; make the cars wider for heavier people. (4) I want to be able to open all of my doors with a key. It will come in handy when locks are frozen. (5) I don’t want all the high-tech gadgets. Give me heat, AC, rear-window defroster and radio. I know how to back up without assistance; I know enough to slow down when approaching a vehicle; I know enough to look when changing lanes. (6) Get rid of the rear slanting window. I don’t want to bend down to look through the back window. Your comments and suggestions?

— LEO

A: That’s a tough shopping list, Leo.

I think you’ll be able to find a wide car. That won’t be a problem. And there are plenty of cars that still use keys, for the time being (sometimes as backups to remote key fobs), so I think you’ll be able to find one of those, too.

But manual roll-down windows are hard to come by these days. And the triangular windows up front are gone — at least the vent-style windows that open.

Touch screens are becoming ubiquitous, as are backup cameras, which will be mandatory starting in model year 2018 — so you’d better move fast, Leo.

And the other safety equipment you refer to (automatic pre-collision braking, blind-spot monitoring, etc.) is trickling down into lots of less-expensive cars, too.

You still can avoid that stuff by buying the lower or lowest trim levels. Since most people want those features (and we strongly recommend them), car makers sell them as part of more-expensive option packages. But you can just decline those.

And the extreme slant of the rear window is the current style. It’s aerodynamic, and hard to avoid unless you buy a station wagon or a squared-off SUV.

So I don’t think you’re going to get everything on your list, Leo. Actually, now that I think about it, I may have the perfect car for you. When you’re ready to sell this ’05 Buick, what you need is ... a 1955 Buick! Or maybe a DeSoto. No, wait ... the DeSoto doesn’t have the rear-window defroster. But maybe you can get a hibachi and leave it on the shelf behind the rear seats.

I’m not sure what to suggest, Leo. A bare-bones “stripper” version of a wide-ish car probably is going to come closest to what you want. But even then, it’s going to be a challenge. Let me know what you end up with, so at least I’ll have something to steer my other readers away from.

Good luck!

WILKES-BARRE — Daughtry, led by former “American Idol” finalist Chris Daughtry, hits the F.M. Kirby Center this summer.

The band famous for hits such as “It’s Not Over” and “Home” will perform at the downtown Wilkes-Barre venue at 8 p.m. July 15.

Since its inception, Daughtry released four studio albums, which earned it four No. 1 hits.

Tickets go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. Friday and 10 a.m. Wednesday to Kirby members. Tickets start at $39.50 and can be purchased through the Kirby Center box office, online at kirbycenter.org or by calling 570-826-1100.

— CHARLOTTE L. JACOBSON

DUNMORE — Using a wooden skewer and wet sponge, Audrey Marrow began to mold the gray clay that eventually will become a candleholder.

Before any math or reading lessons or even homeroom, a program at Dunmore Elementary Center aims to mold students as they begin their days with art.

“It’s great,” said Audrey, an 11-year-old fifth-grader. “It puts me in a good mood for the day.”

While funding cuts and rising costs have forced many area school districts to eliminate programs, Dunmore has offered the before-school art program for at least 20 years. The 30 minutes each day build both creativity and confidence and help students mentally prepare for the day, teachers said.

At 7:45 Wednesday morning, about a dozen students molded clay into Tiki mask candleholders that the artists will bake in the kiln, paint, glaze and eventually display at a school art show. Dunmore offers the program for students in fourth through sixth grades 10 times a school year, with about 20 students participating in each 2½-week session.

The art teachers, Jenny Ondek and Suzanne Jimmie, volunteer their time. Other students also come to school early to be part of a before-school chorus program.

Art students usually work with clay, and sixth-graders also get a chance to decorate ceiling tiles that are then placed in the school’s hallways.

“It’s wonderful when they can find their niche,” Ondek said.

Around 8:15 Wednesday morning, the students headed to homerooms, already looking forward to working on their projects later this week.

“They’re so proud of what they’re doing,” Jimmie said. “It gives the students confidence.”

Contact the writer:

shofius@timesshamrock.com

@hofiushallTT on Twitter

HARRISBURG — Former Penn State President Graham Spanier was convicted Friday of hushing up child sexual abuse allegations in 2001 against Jerry Sandusky, whose arrest a decade later blew up into a major scandal for the university and led to the firing of beloved football coach Joe Paterno.

The jury found Spanier guilty of one misdemeanor count of child endangerment over his handling of a complaint against the retired assistant football coach but acquitted him of conspiracy and a second child endangerment count.

Spanier, 68, showed no emotion when the verdict was read after 13 hours of deliberations. He could get up to five years in prison. His lawyer said he will appeal.

Not reported

The trial centered on how Spanier and two other university administrators handled a complaint by graduate coaching assistant Mike McQueary, who said he reported seeing Sandusky sexually molesting a boy in a team shower in 2001. The three officials told Sandusky he could not bring children onto the campus anymore but did not report the matter to police or child welfare authorities.

Sandusky was not arrested until 2011, after an anonymous tip led prosecutors to investigate the shower incident. He was convicted the next year of sexually abusing 10 boys and is serving 10 to 30 years behind bars. At least four victims at Sandusky’s trial said they were molested after 2001.

“Evil in the form of Jerry Sandusky was allowed to run wild,” prosecutor Patrick Schulte told the jury.

The scandal sent shockwaves through Penn State. It led to the ouster of both Spanier and Paterno and resulted in the school paying out more than $90 million to settle claims by over 30 Sandusky accusers. In addition, the NCAA fined Penn State $48 million and briefly erased more than 100 of Paterno’s football victories from the record books.

The Hall of Fame coach was never charged with a crime. He died of cancer in 2012 at age 85.

Another prosecutor, Laura Ditka, said Spanier was “convicted for all the children who came to Penn State after what Mike McQueary saw that night.”

Two of Spanier’s former lieutenants, athletic director Tim Curley and vice president Gary Schultz, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor child endangerment charges a week ago and testified against Spanier. But all three denied they were told the encounter in the shower was sexual in nature.

“The verdict, their words and pleas indicate a profound failure of leadership,” Penn State said in a statement. “And while we cannot undo the past, we have re-dedicated ourselves and our university to act always with the highest integrity, in affirming the shared values of our community.”

The prosecution’s key evidence included notes and email exchanges in which the three debated what to do after McQueary’s report.

Spanier approved a plan to tell the retired coach to stop bringing children to athletic facilities and to inform The Second Mile, a charity for at-risk youth that Sandusky founded.

At one point, the administrators planned to inform the state Department of Public Welfare. Instead, Spanier approved putting that on hold, and the agency was never contacted. That decision formed the heart of the case against him.

“The only downside for us is if the message isn’t ‘heard’ and acted upon, and we then become vulnerable for not having reported it,” Spanier told Curley and Schultz in 2001 in the email exchange. He called the plan “humane and a reasonable way to proceed.”

Spanier’s attorney, Sam Silver, said the case involved judgment calls by the administrators. He said there was no evidence of a crime by Spanier.

Ditka said during closing arguments that the three university leaders wanted to protect the university’s reputation at the expense of children.

“They took a gamble,” she told the jury. “They weren’t playing with dice. They were playing with kids.”

A report commissioned by the university and conducted by former FBI Director Louis Freeh concluded that Paterno and the three others hushed up the allegations against Sandusky for fear of bad publicity.

Carbondale

Chicken dinner: Trinity Episcopal Church ECW takeout-only chicken and biscuit dinner, Thursday, noon-5 p.m., Trinity Church Hall, 58 River St., $10/adults, $5/12 and under; office, 570-282-3620; Linda, 570-282-6176; Mary, 570-282-3581.

Keyser Valley

Seniors meet: Keyser Valley Seniors Citizens meet Monday, 1 p.m., Community Center; planning for spring luncheon; games and refreshments follow.

Lackawanna County

Club luncheon: Century Club luncheon, May 4, noon, $15, Katie Gilmartin on spring fashions and ways to maximize your wardrobe, bring challenging piece from your closet for suggestions on fit, accessories or what might be missing; Eileen, 570-342-0204 by May 1.

Mayfield

Pizza sale: Mayfield Crime Watch pizza sale pickup Friday, William Walker Hose Company, 803 Penn Ave.; 12-cut cooked or uncooked tray/$10, see members; next Crime Watch meeting, Wednesday, 6 p.m., Borough Building.

Peckville

Free lunch: Free lunch in the Red Door Cafe, today, noon-1 p.m., Peckville United Methodist Church, 732 Main St., ground floor door.

Regional

Bake sale: Carmelite Easter bake sale, pickup, April 5, noon-5 p.m., St. Mary’s Center, 320 Mifflin Ave., Scranton; plain or raisin Pascha bread, walnut, poppyseed, prune and apricot rolls, cheesecakes, Pecan Apricot Brandy Heavenly Comfort Cake, yogurt, jams and jellies; orders: 800-882-0028 or giftfromthenuns@ptd.net leave number by Monday.

Autism benefit: Autism Awareness—NEPA Taste of the Valley, April 2, 1-5 p.m., Pittston Memorial Library, 47 Broad St., Pittston, $20; Tara Quinn, autismawareness.nepa@gmail.com or 570-760-3952; restaurant and food vendor information: www.autismawarenessnepa.org.

Scranton

Easter dinner: Parish Family of Scranton’s St. Vladimir Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church annual Easter dinner, “Sviachene” celebration, April 30, 12:30 p.m., parish center, 428 N. Seventh Ave., takeouts, 11:30 a.m.-noon, $13/adults, $8/6-12 and free/5 and under, door prizes awarded, theme basket raffle, advance reservations only; Maria Black, 570 503-1514, by April 24, no tickets at door.

West Pittston

Committee meeting: West Pittston Cherry Blossom Festival Committee meeting Monday, 7 p.m., Corpus Christi Parish school building, Luz­erne Avenue; upcoming events, festival on agenda.

Wyoming County

Rabies clinic: Humane Society of Wyoming County rabies clinic, May 6, 9 a.m.-noon, State Department of Agriculture Building, Route 92, Tunkhannock, $8/shot, cash only, open to pet owners from any county; 570-836-4745.

Representative visit: State Sen. Lisa Baker Field Representative Tom Yoniski constituent consultation, April 4, 1:30-3:30 p.m., Commissioners’ Office Confer­ence Room, Wyoming County Courthouse, 1 Courthouse Square, Tunkhannock; appointments welcome, but not necessary; www.senatorbaker.com or 570-675-3931.

CLIPBOARD ITEMS may be emailed to yesdesk@timesshamrock.com or mailed to Clipboard, c/o the YES!Desk at 149 Penn Ave., Scranton, 18503. YES!Desk, 570-348-9121.