An article published on A3 of Friday’s editions mischaracterized a hearing held prior to Scranton City Council’s weekly meeting. The council held a public hearing Thursday on legislation to vacate an unnamed alley in the 1200 block of South Main Avenue.

MOSCOW — North Pocono Public Library will host a meet the candidates forum for North Pocono magisterial district judgeship candidates from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday.

All eight candidates are invited.

Each participant will get 5 minutes to discuss why they are interested in the office and their qualifications. A question-and-answer period will follow, during which candidates will have 2 minutes to respond.

Candidates running for the office include Tom Lynch, Justin Sulla, Kipp Adcock, Scott Keating, Susan Bowen, Joel Wolff, Christina Novajosky and Chris Caputo.

— KYLE WIND

Cinemark 20, Moosic:Baahubali 2 (Hindi) (NR): 11:15 a.m.; Baahubali 2 (Telugu) (NR): 3, 6:45, 9:05, 10:30; Beauty and the Beast (PG): 12:10, 3:20, 6:30, 9:40; Born in China (G): 11 a.m., 1:30, 3:50, 6:15, 8:40, 10:55; The Boss Baby (PG): 11:30 a.m., 2, 4:30, 7, 9:30; The Circle (PG-13): 11:45 a.m., 2:25, 5:05, 7:45, 10:25; The Fate Of The Furious (PG-13): 11:35 a.m., 2:45, 5:55; in XD: 1:10, 4:20, 7:30, 10:40; Get Out (R): 8:15, 10:50; Gifted (PG-13): 12:15, 2:50, 5:25, 8, 10:35; Going In Style (PG-13): 11:55 a.m., 2:30, 5:15, 7:50, 10:15; The Lost City Of Z (PG-13): 12:45, 4, 7:15, 10:45; Smurfs: The Lost Village (PG): 12:30, 3:10, 5:40; Unforgettable (R): 1, 3:30, 6, 8:30, 11.

Circle-Drive In, Dickson City: The Boss Baby (PG): 8; Fate of the Furious (PG-13): 10; Kong: Skull Island (PG-13): 8; Smurfs: The Lost Village (PG): 9:30.

Dietrich Theater, Tunkhannock:Beauty and the Beast (PG): 1, 4, 7, 9:35; The Boss Baby (PG): 1:10, 4:10, 7:10, 9:20; Fate of the Furious (PG-13): 12:45, 3:45, 6:45, 9:40; Going in Style (PG-13): 4:15,9:30; Smurfs: The Lost Village (PG): 1:15, 7:15.

Iron Horse Movie Bistro, Scranton: Beauty and the Beast (PG): 12:45, 3:50, 6:45, 9:35; The Boss Baby (PG): 11:05 a.m., 1:25, 3:45, 6:05, 8:30, 10:50; The Circle (PG-13): 11:20 a.m., 2:05, 4:40, 7:15, 9:50; The Fate of the Furious (PG-13): 11 a.m., 12:30, 2, 3:45, 5, 7, 8, 10:15, 11; Going In Style (PG-13): 12:50, 3:05, 5:25, 7:45, 10:05; Logan (R): 12:20, 3:25, 6:30, 9:40; The Promise (PG-13): 1:30, 4:30, 7:30, 10:30.

Regal Stadium 14 & IMAX, Dickson City:Beauty and the Beast (PG): 12:50, 4:10, 7:05, 10:05; Born in China (G): 1:45, 3:55, 6:10, 10:30; The Boss Baby (PG): 1:40, 4:45, 7:20, 9:50; The Circle (PG-13): 12:20, 4, 7:10, 9:40; The Fate of The Furious (PG-13): 1, 4:20, 7:40, 9:10; in XD: noon, 3:30, 7, 10; Free Fire (R): 3:40, 10:10; Get Out (R): 1:50, 4:25, 7:45, 10:25; Gifted (PG-13): 1:10, 4:40, 7:30, 9:55; Going in Style (PG-13): 12:40, 3:50, 6:30, 9; Phoenix Forgotten (PG-13): 1:30, 4:30, 8, 10:20; The Promise (PG-13): 12:30, 6:50; Smurfs: The Lost Village (PG): 2, 4:15, 6:45, 9:30; Unforgettable (R): 1:20, 3:45, 7:50, 10:15; The Zookeeper’s Wife (PG-13): 12:10, 3, 6:20, 9:20.

FOR UPDATED SHOWTIMES, check with local theaters.

Meet

Madison Lee

School: Lackawanna Trail Junior-Senior High School

Parents: William and Janine Lee

Plans: Attend Pennsylvania State University at University Park with a major in biomedical engineering

Madison Lee’s student council adviser once described her as a “pleasant thorn.”

“I am persistent when I am faced with any task that needs to be accomplished, yet still in a manner that encourages cooperation from others,” Madison said.

Madison utilizes her persistence and tenacity in her various student government positions. She is proud to be president of student council and treasurer of her class. Her experiences in student government have been very rewarding, she said.

“I was able to take on leadership roles and make a positive impact on the school through the various activities student council is responsible for,” she said. “It was a great way to be involved with many people in all grades from my school and meet many people I never would have.”

Playing field hockey since fourth grade has also been a rewarding experience, she said.

“Being a part of a wonderful team was such a positive part of my high school career,” Madison said. “I also loved having the opportunity to volunteer and work with the younger players.”

The talented student athlete won district championships in softball and field hockey with her teams, and she received varsity letters in both sports. Madison is also the co-captain of both teams this year.

Madison said she is most proud of her academic excellence and “the breadth and depth of my participation in the school community.” She maintained a 4.0 GPA every year of high school, and Lackawanna Trail selected her as its Scholar of the Year.

Some of Madison’s other achievements include participating in Tomorrow’s Leaders Today, working with the Children’s Advocacy Center, providing services to local nursing homes with her therapy dog, providing free tutoring at Lackawanna Trail for less fortunate students and organizing several blood drives for the National Honor Society. She previously volunteered as an altar server at Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary parish.

She will participate in Penn State’s Humanitarian Engineering and Social Entrepreneurship program by traveling to low- and middle-income countries to conduct research and field test new technologies while pursuing her biomedical engineering degree. After graduation, Madison hopes to “make a positive impact on the medical technology field” while incorporating humanitarian work, she said.

“For my career as an engineer, I hope to be a part of product development of new medical technologies,” she said. “I want to be working alongside surgeons and doctors to help innovate products for the medical field that will help treat and cure some of the most complex medical ailments.”

— FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY

• Scranton Councilman Joe Wechsler, a Democratic candidate for re-election, will host a rally Monday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Kilcoyne’s Tavern, 129 S. Main Ave., Scranton. Admission is $10.

SCRANTON — City police Thursday filed charges against a New Jersey man for hitting a woman’s leg with a rake and damaging her home, authorities said.

Terrell Smith, 27, 655 S. 19th St., Newark, is charged with criminal mischief and simple assault, Patrolman Jason Hyler wrote in a criminal complaint.

Smith fought with a man, identified only as “Occ,” in front of 1601 Washburn St. A resident there, Koren Stuart, tried to break it up and Smith struck her with a rake, police said. He also smashed her windows and caused $600 in damage.

Smith is in Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $10,000. A preliminary hearing is May 8.

— JOSEPH KOHUT

ASHLEY — Police captured one man wanted in connection with a Hazleton shooting Friday following a massive search that involved officers from throughout the region.

Police charged Alejandro Gross De La Cruz, 19, 627 N. Locust St., Hazleton with two counts of aggravated assault and one count of simple assault after taking him into custody in Ashley about 3:15 p.m. He fled after police attempted to stop the BMW he was in about 1:30 p.m. Friday.

De La Cruz is accused of telling Cesar Joel Brito Polanco, 18, of 140 S. Vine St., to shoot into the driver’s side door of another man’s car Thursday. Polanco, who turned himself in Friday, faces counts of aggravated assault and related charges.

Both remain in Luzerne County Correctional Facility in lieu of $500,000 bail.

— STAFF REPORT

To help identify and register rental units in Scranton, City Council wants Lackawanna County to give the city data from a partially completed reassessment of nearly a decade ago.

The county commissioners’ chief of staff said the county will make available any information that council seeks.

Councilman Wayne Evans raised the issue at council’s meeting Thursday, in response to the city last week requesting proposals from firms to undertake a rental registration database compilation and management program.

Evans said the county’s former reassessment project, though scuttled in 2009, produced information that could be helpful now. That reassessment data on parcels, buildings and uses, could be one key source for assembling a database as complete as possible, he said.

“Every parcel, every home, every multi-family unit, every commercial building (in Scranton) was inventoried,” before the reassessment was killed.

At that time, a former commissioner majority cited cost concerns when it suspended the reassessment.

In an interview Friday, county Chief of Staff Andy Wallace said the reassessment also had been canceled because it was replete with errors. About 8,750 of nearly 100,000 property files had mistakes, Wallace said.

Evans thinks errors involved mostly mapping mistakes in rural areas.

The never-completed reassessment data is contained in paper files in about 20 boxes in storage, Wallace said. The county also had received some electronic data from the firm that did the work, but it’s likely not as detailed as the boxes of files, he said. While the county cannot attest to the accuracy of the data, the county will make it available to the city, he said.

“We’re happy to cooperate. We’ll give them any information we have,” Wallace said.

The assessed values of 95,000-plus county properties used to calculate taxes have gone largely unchanged since the last time properties were reassessed in the late 1960s.

The county began a reassessment in September 2006 with new assessments scheduled to go into effect for 2009. However, the reassessment was indefinitely suspended in October 2009 by former commissioners because completing it would have cost up to $8 million — a cost they said the county couldn’t afford. At that time, the county had spent $4.37 million on the reassessment before suspending it.

“It’s a shame we paid millions of dollars for boxes” of files in storage, Evans said.

Meanwhile, Wallace has been exploring for several months whether the county should conduct and complete the first countywide property value reassessment in a half-century. He may have a recommendation ready for the commissioners around the end of May.

Contact the writer:

jlockwood@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5185;

@jlockwoodTT on Twitter

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

• Cashavn Nyeem Jones, 24, 320 N. Empire Court, Wilkes-Barre, to one to three years in state prison and one year of probation for criminal use of a communication facility and possession with intent to deliver.

• John Herschman, 36, 107 Chittenden St., Duryea, to one to three years in state prison for accidents involving death – not properly licensed and reckless endangerment.

• Jacob Derek Anderson, 19, 1706 Newton Ransom Blvd., Clarks Summit, to six months of court supervision including 30 days of house arrest and a $1,000 fine for DUI – tier three, first offense.

• Peter Paul Lesavage, 37, 2420 Pittston Ave., Scranton, to time served (10 days) to two years in Lackawanna County Prison, 30 days of house arrest and a $1,000 fine for obstructing emergency services and two DUI convictions.

• Luis Angel Perez-Tirado, 39, 619 Mineral Ave., Scranton, to nine to 23 months in county jail and one year of probation for possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Laquan Alshareak Murray, 37, 2333 Patridge Ave., Scranton, to two years of court supervision including three months of house arrest for accidents involving death.

• Stephanie Ann Padelski, 26, 108 E. Market St., Scranton, to five years of court supervision including 90 days of house arrest and a $1,500 fine for DUI – tier three, second offense.

• Armand Kierran Hobson, 19, 534 N. Franklin St., Wilkes-Barre, to three years of court supervision, including three months of house arrest, for possession with intent to deliver.

• Nazario Garcia, 34, 959 Providence Road, Scranton, to time served (10 days) in county jail and a $750 fine for DUI – tier two, second offense.

• Tyler Patrick Melodia, 25, 3650 Barkis Ave., Boynton Beach, Florida, to six months of court supervision including 30 days of house arrest, a $750 fine and $500 in restitution for DUI – tier one, second offense.

Judge Michael Barrasse sentenced:

• Marisol Massallo, 32, 622 Alder St., Scranton, to one year of court supervision including two months of house arrest for disorderly conduct.

• Joseph Scott Crowley, 21, 209 Seventh St., Honesdale, to four months to one year in county jail and $1,223.50 in restitution for criminal trespass.

• Carlene Gustin Ritter, 54, 101 Yesu Drive, Scranton, to five years of court supervision including three months of county prison work release and three months of house arrest for criminal use of a communication facility.

• Maurice Wood, 22, 226 E. Main St., Nanticoke, to time served (95 days) to one year in county jail for possession of a controlled substance.

• Harry Fred Blumer Jr., 53, 416 Swartz Valley Road, Spring Brook Twp., to five years of court supervision including five months of house arrest and $1,500 in fines for DUI – tier three, second offense.

• James Howell, 51, 231 Pettebone St., Duryea, to two years of probation for theft by unlawful taking.

• Christopher K. Engle, 29, 517 Madison Ave., Jermyn, to one year of court supervision including two months of house arrest for possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Sountana McGowan, 31, 358 Theodore St., Scranton, to four years of court supervision including three months in county jail and three months of house arrest for simple assault.

• Marcus Santarelli, 28, 1000 Carmalt St., Dickson City, to time served (162 days) to one year in county jail for possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Pablo Seda, 19, 730 Harrison Ave., Scranton, to 18 months of court supervision including two months of house arrest for theft from a motor vehicle.

• Robert Novack III, 24, Old Forge, to 2½ to five years in state prison and one year of probation for possession of drug paraphernalia, obtaining a controlled substance by fraud, forgery and escape.

• Edward A. Stempniak, 33, to two to five years in state prison and a $1,500 fine for DUI – third offense, tier two.

CARBONDALE — A Clifford Twp. man drunkenly walked into a city home, then drove away from the scene, police said.

Officers responded to a Porter Avenue residence about 8:45 p.m. Thursday after residents reported a man walked in and rummaged through drawers while a 14-year-old and 9-year-old were home. He then went outside to a Dodge Nitro, and, after asking the teen if she was going with him, drove away, police said. Officers found the SUV shortly thereafter.

Driver Nicholas Cost, 37, 1514 State Route 106, smelled like alcohol and could not form a coherent sentence, police said. Police found two empty beer cans inside the vehicle.

Cost, charged with burglary, DUI and other offenses, is in Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $25,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 8.

— CLAYTON OVER

GRANTHAM UNIVERSITY

March graduates: Co Bui, Master of Science, information management-project management; Dennis Lukasewicz, Associate of Arts and Bachelor of Arts, criminal justice; Julie Timins, Master of Science, information technology, all of Scranton.

The emerald ash borer’s march into Northeast Pennsylvania is nearly complete.

The state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources said this week the exotic tree-killing beetle has been found for the first time in Wayne and Monroe counties. That leaves Pike as the lone area county where its presence has not been confirmed — and even that is expected to change soon.

“It’s only a matter of time,” said Timothy Latz, the state Bureau of Forestry service forester for Lackawanna and Wayne counties.

In the 15 years since researchers documented in Michigan the metallic green beetle from Asia, the invasive bug has spread unchecked throughout the Midwest and into the Northeast, destroying tens of millions of ash trees along the way. It was found for the first time in Pennsylvania in 2007.

Latz discovered the evidence for the emerald ash borer in Wayne County in early March, when he spotted an ash tree with significant woodpecker damage along Silkmans Road near Lake Henry in Lake Twp. Woodpeckers strip away the bark on borer-infested ash trees to feed on the larval-stage insects underneath.

“That’s the thing you notice,” Latz said. “It’s a real easy telltale sign.”

Garrett Beers, the service forester for Monroe and Pike counties, found the evidence for the Monroe County infestation the same way when he stopped to investigate a woodpecker-damaged tree along a road in Tannersville in late February.

Both foresters peeled away bark and collected grubs from the trees. The specimens were shipped to the state Department of Agriculture, where entomologists identified them as emerald ash borer larvae in mid-March.

According to experts, by the time a localized infestation is verified, the emerald ash borer typically will have been already in that area and attacking ash trees for a few years. Studies have shown the beetle, once established, will wipe out 99 percent of all ash trees within three or four years.

The process may be well underway in Monroe County, where Beers said he started noticing other woodpecker damage immediately after making the Tannersville discovery.

“It was kind of like a light switch this spring when we first found it. ... Within a matter of two weeks, you were seeing it all the way from southern Monroe County to the Pike border,” said Beers, who is based at Swiftwater. “I would say a good half of the western part of Monroe County has emerald ash borer pretty prevalently, and if we are seeing it here, I’m pretty sure it’s all the way over to the Delaware River on the eastern side of the county.”

In Wayne County, Latz said he, too, is noticing ash mortality, particularly at the county’s western edge near the border with Susquehanna and Lackawanna counties. The borer was detected in Susquehanna County in 2014, and in Lackawanna County last year.

“I’m pretty sure it’s been in the county for quite a while because I’m seeing a lot of ash trees that aren’t doing too hot,” he said.

Latz, who found the first evidence of the beetle in Lackawanna County last spring in LaPlume Twp., said the discovery prompted a barrage of phone calls from woodlot owners wondering what they should do with their ash.

“Wayne is going to be even more so because there is just a lot more ash in northern Wayne County than there is anywhere in Lackawanna County,” he said.

Although property owners with ash stands in Wayne’s western and northern reaches may have some leeway in making a decision, if they have enough trees to do a timber harvest, now is probably the time, Latz said.

“Usually sooner is better than later,” he said.

Some landowners with larger concentrations of ash already did preemptive timbering in Monroe County, where the looming threat posed by the beetle “has been talked about now for a good 10 years,” Beers said.

“Your hand is kind of forced,” he said. “It’s going to die on its own and have no value or you are going to salvage it premortality and actually be able to get some value out of it.”

Homeowners who want to save a still healthy ash tree on their property for aesthetic or other reasons should contact a licensed arborist to explore at their options, Latz said. One issue in an area like Wayne County is many homes “have been built in the woods and those woods are predominately ash.”

After the borer infests an ash, the tree can become unstable very quickly, he said.

“The important thing is recognizing the signs (of infestation) and understanding the hazards and mitigating those,” Latz said. “If a tree falls in the woods, who cares? But if a tree falls on your house, uh-oh.”

The latest discoveries mean the emerald ash borer is known to be present in all but three of the state’s 67 counties: Pike, Chester and Delaware.

Beers predicted Pike’s day is coming, if not this year than next.

“Just based on how close the beetle is in Monroe and how close it is in Wayne, a smart man would put his money on saying it’s actually there right now,” he said.

Contact the writer: dsingleton@timesshamrock.com, 570-348-9132

Tracing beetle’s path in region

June 2002: Emerald ash borer, invasive beetle from Asia, found in southeastern Michigan.

June 2007: First appearance in Pennsylvania with discovery of adult beetle in Butler County.

July 2011: Detected in Northeast Pennsylvania for first time in southern Wyoming County.

August 2013: Confirmed in Luzerne County at Ricketts Glen State Park.

March 2014: Detected in Susquehanna County along Route 29 near Montrose.

May 2016: Verified in Lackawanna County in La Plume Twp.

April: Confirmed in Wayne County in Lake Twp. and in Monroe County at Tannersville.

An area restaurateur is opening Pennsylvania’s first of a growing chain of restaurants in Dickson City’s shopping district.

John Valerio of Wayne County, who owns an Italian restaurant in Honesdale, is the first franchisee to bring Mooyah Burgers, Fries and Shakes to the state. He plans to open his restaurant in June at 1249 Commerce Blvd.

Mooyah touts burger buns baked fresh daily, never-frozen meat, and French fries cut in-house from No. 1 Idaho potatoes.

It fits the description of a growing restaurant industry segment in which customers demand a “better burger” from an à la carte menu. Customers spend a little more money than at a typical fast food restaurant expecting their food to be made with better, fresher ingredients.

“I went to New Jersey to try it myself, ordered a burger, sat down with the franchisee … and just loved it,” Valerio said.

Mooyah sells turkey burgers and vegetarian black bean burgers. It has hot dogs laden with toppings, chicken fingers and fries — of both the French and sweet potato variety.

$6 to $9

Prices range from around $6 for the basic Mooyah burger up to around $9 for a deluxe “6 Degrees of Cheddar Bacon” burger. The menu also includes milkshakes, salads, turkey burgers and cheeseburgers with hot dogs as a topping. Drinks and fries cost extra.

The decor inside accentuates exposed air ducts in high ceilings and uses colorful woodwork throughout creating a bright, industrial feel.

Based in Plano, Texas, Mooyah has about 100 locations worldwide, with 80 of them in the United States. The company has been expanding on the East Coast with an eye on Pennsylvania.

“We’re really focused on building out all up and down the east side of Pennsylvania from Philadelphia to Allentown to Wilkes-Barre,” Mooyah’s franchise sales Director Jordan Duran said.

It costs between $373,000 and $623,000 to start a Mooyah, he said.

That includes everything: the initial franchise fee, equipment and decorating and the first supply order. For comparison’s sake, it costs up to $2.2 million to open a McDonald’s restaurant, according to McDonald’s franchise guide.

“We’re very proud of our cost of entry,” Duran said.

Currently, there are no plans for another Mooyah in this state.

Looking ahead, Valerio said he hadn’t ruled out starting other Mooyahs in the area, but first he wanted to gauge the success of his flagship shop.

Contact the writer:

joconnell@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9131; @jon_oc on Twitter

DREXEL UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

Frank Regal, Forest City

OREGON STATE

UNIVERSITY

Travis Nykaza, Scranton

CARBONDALE AREA JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

GRADE 12

First honors: Erica Allen, Alexandra Artone, Maresa Artone, Camryn Becker, Nicholas Bohr, Haley Boshman, Kylah Brennan, Brittany Caporali, Baylee Carey, Tyler Colachino, Kati Cotton, Brianna Daley, Alaina Gerek, Alyssa Gerek, Brett Gillott, Collin Greger, Jason Jablonowski, Chelsie Jones, Frances Maddage, Madison Mang, Thomas Miller, Robert Morgan, Zachary McDonough, Maura Nevins, Emily Orazi, Shannon Pendergrast, Paul Pisarcik, Destiny Santanna, Erin Sheridan, Christopher Smith, Devin Smith, Patrick Smith, Abigail Tierney, Hannah Tolerico, Anna Totsky, Joseph Vadella, Emily Wallis, Mikenna Walsh and Samantha Zenker.

Second honors: Jonathan Aguilar, Brianna Bartosavage, Kevin Bebla, Morgan Bevacqua, Jason Bibalo, Bradley Brennan, Kylah Brennan, Evan Dearie, Shelby Gebert, Dominic Gigliotti, Dymond Hill, Ryan Kelly, Qwintin Krenitsky, Brittanie Lee, Hilary Liuzzo, Sara Mall, Lennon Marsh, Genna Mcdonough, Haley Mulea, Marcos Ortiz Querol, Savannah Prokarym, Selena Rosar, Miranda Rossetti, Brandon Rusin, Kassidy Spall and Brittney Wittenbreder.

GRADE 11

First honors: Sydney Algayer, Ashlynn Allison, Samantha Artone, Jennifer Bach, Nina Bowen, Colin Burke, Frank Burke, Christina Carachilo, Shawn Connolly, Nathan Chludzinski, Brianna Curtis, Katelyn Dovin, Zachariah Freiman, Austin Goble, Jaden Hudson, Madeline Kelly, Andrew Larson, Kamryn Liuzzo, Cody Malaker, Andrew Manarchuck, Kayla McDonough, Chance Olsewski, Alyssa Postlewaite, Tressa Potis, Madison Puza, Olivia Regal, Dajah Romero, Abagayle Rumford, Bailey Rumford, Robert Salitsky, Kaitlyn Savage, Sarah Sawyer, Robert Scarpa, Haley Snyder, Hanna Sweet, Mark Tolerico, Melissa Torch, Isobel Turonis, Hailey VanLeuven, Anthony Voglino, Stephanie Wayman and Amelia Zazzera.

Second honors: Angel Browder, Alexis Clift, Brianna Dombroski, Faith Garretson, Thor George, Emily Gerek, Collin Heenan, Paige Jones, Megan McDonald, Emily Parry, Wilson Rodriguez, Aubree Sopko, Shane Starbuck, Brianna Taylor, Marc Waller and Summer Wormuth.

GRADE 10

First honors: Annaliese Allen, Hayly Beckwith, Jessica Borders, Calista Calabro, Patrick Durkin, Andi Fedorchak, Estelle Fuller, Alyssa George, Gretchen Giglia, David Gonzalez, Kristina Gorel, Madison Hayner, Joseph Herbert, Jeffrey Katchmore, Noah Mauro, Rory Misko, Astrid Paz, Jonathon Pugliese, Zachary Racht Dylan Rowland, Kianna Savage, Darien Schiavone, Deven Schwartz, Kaitlyn Shockey, Nicholas Vadella, Emily Wall, Megan Wallis, Stone Wormuth and Michael Zazzera.

Second honors: Brittaney Cain, Mya Casey, Sabrina El Ghoulaymi, Carl Galavitz, Devine Grimm, Rebecca Grecco, Cassidy Kimble, Gabriel Lumbag, Miranda McCormick, Emily Moser, Paxton Postlethwaite, Summer Wade and Emma Zieminiski.

GRADE 9

First honors: Michael Arendt, Colin Bannon, Lisa Blanchard, Lacey Bloom, Mckinley Borders, Payton Carey, Zoe Connolly, Madison Cost, Skylar Dearie, Taylor Emiliani, Kristym Feldra, Ryan Flemming, Liam Fox-Newcomb, Samantha Guzzi, Cora Heenan, Kaitlyn Hendrick, Emma Jones, Olivia Manarchuck, Michaela McLaughlin, Madison Mushensky, Era Nasufi, Noah Newcomb, Rana Novobilski, Jarred Rosar, Vanessa Sawyer, Brooke Staple, Eric Vaverchak, Abbie Washeleski and Damien White.

Second honors: Kaylee Beckage, Karl Browder, Justin Calabro, Declan Caviston, Benjamin Cerra, Brooke Cicio, Thomas Crabe, Christopher Dietrich, Nathan Emmett, Ian Fedorchak, Alexandria Granville, Jadden Hayner, Madison Matthews, Sean Pardoe, Hunter Ragan, Jeffrey Snyder, Alex Stolarik, Isabelle Tierney, Celeste Wingrin and Mikenna Yacinovich.

GRADE 8

First honors: Giana Arnese, Kacydi Brewen, Maria Cerra, Aniela Connolly, Connor Eibach, Amelia Esgro, Juliana Galarza, Bayley Grizzanti, Aiden Kelly, Julia Kelly, William Kovaleski, Olivia Liuzzo, Deana Mancuso, Joseph Mark, Taylor Mazza, Jade Medina, Anthony Mustica, Amelia Muta, Gianelly Prieto, Avianna Pugliese, Kaitlyn Richardson, Dynasty Romero, Alyvia Schiavone, Halley Schwartz, Sarah Tolerico, Nathan Totsky, Julian Turonis and Gianna Williams.

Second honors: Anthony Adams, Nikkia Andidora, Seth Bazink, Alexandrea Brennan, Natalie Brown, Kayla Cobb, Michael Cornall, Gianna Gillette, Kaelin Greene, Shakee Hoskins, Angel Lavaire, Brielle Marchione, Jose Mendez, Morgana McGee, Erin Mchale, Raymond Ofner, Brooke Seana, Chyanne Wade, Jack Waller, Tyler Wormuth and Crystal Yarbrough.

GRADE 7

First honors: Emma Baker, Sophia Calzola, Logan Colonna, Alyssa Cosklo, Francheliz De Jesus Correa, Tatiana Elston-Blaustein, Mackenzie Edgar, Jaden Fedorchak, Layla Gregory, Celeb Higdon, Ellen Hidgon, Emily Kelly, Luke Kovaleski, Conner Lewis,Mackenzie Miluszusky, Rogemarie Navarrete, Mia Perri, Jonathon Purvis, Glenda Marrero, Mia Marrero, Liam Misko, Kyle Perri, Alexis Price, Madison Regal, Chloee Rumford, Makena Sanderson, Joshua Tierney, Robert Wall, Donovan Williams and Logan Wormuth.

Second honors: Logan Arthur, Killian Bannon, Mackenzie Brewer, Michael Caporali, Thomas Cyganick, Michael Ednock, Rida El Ghoulaymi, Makenna Fedorchak, Alexander Laub, Guy Mushow, Sarah Parry, Roberto Romero, Paul Salvatore and Keefer Wease.

LACKAWANNA TRAIL ELEMENTARY CENTER

GRADE 6

Ethan Ankoff, Emily Beemer, Maxwell Bluhm, Jacob Breckenridge, Bethany Brooks, Cierra Burdett, Frankie Cocchini, Anabelle Demora, Austin Fortney, Emma Fowler, Jeffrey Gallagher, Jacob Holmes, Ellsbeth Hunting, Ethan Lee, Luke Leventhall, Evan Litwin, Emma Long, Kiara Nichols, Jackson Nordmark, Azalea Paluzzi, Braeleigh Phillips, Riley Prutzman, Matthew Rakauskas, Alexandra Raser, Braden Savage, Jacqueline Schneider, Joseph Shaw, Jayde Waibel, Nathan Walker, Beau Ware, Madisyn Wilson and Kayla Wood.

GRADE 5

Danielle Ainey, Brayden Clarke, Benjamin Cole, Ciera Darmock, Arik Deutsch, Lauren Fahey, Gianna Familetti, Kalee Graham, Lukas Gumble, Jase Hughes, Lilly Jagoe, Stephen Jervis, Steven Johns, Emelia Jones, Leigha Joseph, Joseph Lehman, Anthony Litwin, Gavin LoVallo, Ella Naylor, Dante Paluzzi, Hunter Patterson, Owen Polkowski, Gretchen Rejrat, Pearl Rivera, Brady Ryan, Carolena Ryon, Alyson Schirg, Kolbee Soltis, Ty Stroble, Cloe VanFleet, Anthony Venticinque, Teagan Vokes, Deana Wilhelm, Nathan Wright and Zoey Wright.

MARRIAGE LICENSES

■ Shannon Hope Wagner and Paul Joseph Thiel, both of Jermyn.

■ Holly Lynn Lukasewicz and Joshua John Gray, both of South Abington Twp.

■ Jason P. Genell and Amy Marie Nichols, both of Taylor.

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

■ James J. and Marie A. Racht of Lackawanna County to Angela M. Franko, two parcels in Carbondale for $132,500.

■ Donna Gantz, Moosic, and HBK Realty LLC, Dickson City; a parcel in Moosic for $47,000.

■ Jay and Cheri M. Houser, Lititz, to Jordan M. Pope and Rebecca M. White, Madison Twp., joint tenants with rights ofsurvivorship, a property at 2131 Madisonville Road, Madison Twp., for $109,000.

■ Gale A. Jaeger to Moksh and Abha Gupta, Dunmore; a property at 9 Waterford Road, South Abington Twp.

■ Stephen J. and Margo A. Rachko, Taylor, to Stephen W. and Christina A. Paroby, Old Forge; a property in Taylor for $118,000.

■ Anthony J. Barkowski through agent Donna M. Barkowski, Covington Twp., to Mitchel and Jeanettte Schonholz, Covington Twp.; a parcel for $375,000.

■ Daniel Devivo, Dunmore, to Sarran Sewah, Scranton; a property in Scranton for $29,500.

ESTATES FILED

■ James R. Spakowsky, 152 Daleville Highway, Covington Twp., letters of administration to James B. Evans, 156 Daleville Highway, Covington Twp.

■ Raymond M. Popovich, also known as Raymond A. Popovich, also known as Raymond Popovich, 933 Montdale Road, Scott Twp., letters testamentary to Michele L. Popovich, same address.

■ William A. Popovich, 945 Montdale Road, Scott Twp., letters testamentary to Karen A. Popovich O’Connor, 921 Montdale Road, Scott Twp.

■ Joseph J. Stefursky, 1 Gilroy St., Peckville, letters testamentary to Robert J. Stefursky, 232 Kathleen Drive, Peckville.

■ Francis E. Cunion, also known as Francis Cunion, 47 Marshwood Bend, Newton Twp., letters testamentary toBarbara A. Cunion, same address, and Jacqueline Hunt, 11 Westview Drive, Scott Twp.

DIVORCE SOUGHT

■ Jerry G. Reyes, Scranton, v. Damelvis Crespo, Scranton; married Sept. 21, 2007, Marjorie DeSanto Barlow, attorney.

■ Constance A. Mecca, Scranton, v. Paul M. Brown Jr., Scranton; married July 8, 2015, Marjorie DeSanto Barlow, attorney.

ONLINE: thetimes-tribune.com/courts

Giorgio Armand Lucido allegedly agreed to sell a handgun for $400 at a home in West Scranton.

When he arrived at the Eynon Street home on Wednesday evening, he pointed the gun at a man, took the money and ran, Scranton police said.

Officers arrested Lucido, 20, 854 W. Wilkes-Barre Turnpike, Montrose, on Friday. He is charged with armed robbery, simple assault by menace, and recklessly endangering another person.

“I know you got money,” Lucido said as he pointed the black handgun at Ricardo Rivera, according to the complaint.

Rivera’s stepson, Delvin Vargas, made a deal with Lucido earlier that day to buy Lucido’s handgun. Rivera smoked a cigarette on his porch and watched as Lucido and two other men opened his gate and walked up.

Lucido pulled a handgun resembling the kind police officers carry out of his waistband and pointed at Rivera’s face. Rivera had $200 on him. Lucido took it along with the $30 that Vargas had when he came onto the porch. Lucido and the other two men fled on foot. The police were called at 5:24 p.m.

A third person in the home, Jeanett George, told police that Lucido, whom she knew as “Gio,” sent her a Facebook message that she shouldn’t have left Octavio Jemeniz, who goes by “Nacho,” for her current boyfriend. She cursed him out. Lucido replied he and Jemeniz “would be back,” according to the complaint.

The other two men with Lucido during the robbery appeared to be teenagers, police said. They just stood lookout during the robbery. Police have not yet determined their identities, Capt. Dennis Lukasewicz said.

Magisterial District Judge Alyce Hailstone Farrell arraigned Lucido on Friday evening and set bail at $50,000. He is held at Lackawanna County Prison. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 8.

Contact the writer:

jkohut@timesshamrock.com, 570-348-9144; @jkohutTT on Twitter

Pennsylvania American Water Co. residential customers could see a 17 percent rate hike.

The water company asked the Public Utility Commission for permission Friday to raise rates to help recoup $1.26 billion it spent fixing its system over the last four years, including $241.7 million in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties.

The new rates would cover the company’s water and sewage disposal systems, but former Scranton Sewer Authority customers in Scranton and Dunmore would see only their water rates rise, not their sewer rates.

The monthly bill of a residential customer using an average of 3,630 gallons of water would rise from $55.63 to $65.12, according to the utility. The average bills of commercial customers would rise 20.5 percent and industrial customers 21.9 percent.

The new rates would take effect June 27, but the state PUC likely will suspend implementation of the rates until its investigation of the need for the hikes is completed.

The water company estimated the delay could mean rates stay the same until January.

The new rates would raise $107.9 million a year, according to the water company. The last time Pennsylvania American raised its rates was in 2013.

In a statement, Pennsylvania American president Jeffrey McIntyre said the system improvements included upgrades to treatment plants, storage tanks, wells and pumping stations, about 450 miles of new pipes, fire hydrants and other water infrastructure.

Acting state consumer advocate Tanya McCloskey said her office formally will protest the request in a complaint, probably within two weeks. The complaint triggers the PUC investigation, she said. The consumer advocate’s staff reviews rate hike requests to determine what parts, if any, are warranted.

“We will be fully participating in the case,” McCloskey said.

Pennsylvania American bought the Scranton Sewer Authority for $195 million last year and increased its number of sewer system customers statewide from 21,000 to 55,000.

When the PUC approved the sale, the commission ordered the water company to study the overall effects of acquiring and upgrading the sewer system on all of its customers before asking for higher rates. The study must also include how the city’s and Dunmore’s combined storm sewers — pipes that carry sewage and runoff rain — might affect rates. The utility acquired pipes that carry sewage and a combination of sewage and water from rain, but not pipes that only carry rain water.

Terry Maenza, a Pennsylvania American spokesman, said the study is complete and attached to the water company’s request for the higher rates. The utility did not seek higher sewage disposal rates for former sewer authority customers because the sales agreement forbid that in this request, Maenza said. Under the agreement, the utility can ask for an average of 1.9 percent a year in higher rates over the first 10 years, which means the utility can seek higher rates in future requests.

Maenza said the sewer authority sale did not prompt Pennsylvania American’s rate hike request, which is about recouping the system improvement costs.

Rate hikes often end up smaller than a utility sought.

In May 2013, the water company sought an 11.6 percent rate hike, but the state PUC slashed that to 5.6 percent before new rates took effect Jan. 1, 2014.

Statewide, Pennsylvania American has about 650,000 water customers to go with its 55,000 sewer system customers, which translates to serving 2.3 million people in 36 counties and 400 cities, boroughs and townships. In Lackawanna and Luzerne counties, the company serves about 140,000 water customers in 70 municipalities. The sewer authority served about 33,000 customers.

Contact the writer: bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9147; @BorysBlogTT on Twitter.

Avoca native Mary Pat Julias wants to open medical marijuana dispensaries in Mayfield and Wilkes-Barre as part of a larger ambition: to offer a holistic approach to helping people become healthy and lead productive lives.

Julias is among hundreds of applicants statewide seeking 39 state permits to become part of Pennsylvania’s new medical marijuana industry. Locally, she is joined by the owner of a hydroponic greenhouse in Wyoming County who wants to grow medical marijuana and the owner of a medical device firm in Bethlehem who wants to grow medical marijuana in Covington Twp., among others.

The state Health Department anticipates issuing medical marijuana permits for grower/processors and dispensaries at the end of June. Applications were due March 20.

“Our 90-day timetable to review, score and issue permits is doable,” Health Secretary and Scranton native Karen Murphy, RN, Ph.D., said late last week.

The department is busy reviewing and logging more than 500 packages, many of which contain multiple applications for the two permit categories: grower/processor and dispensary.

Grower applicants had to describe their business, undergo a federal and state criminal background check, provide a statement that they are of good moral character, show how they can keep the marijuana secure and outline how they will hire a diverse workforce. They paid a nonrefundable fee of $10,000 and a permit fee of $200,000, which can be refunded if a permit is not granted, and showed proof of $2 million in capital.

Dispensary applicants provided the same background information as grower applicants. They paid a $5,000 nonrefundable fee and a permit fee of $30,000, which can be refunded if a permit is not granted, and showed proof of $150,000 in capital.

Review underway

The permit review involves making sure that applications are complete and can be read electronically, said John Collins, director of the Office of Medical Marijuana. Applicants will be scored on various criteria, including their background, plan of operation, ownership,

capital and tax status and plans to hire a diverse workforce.

At this stage, the department is only releasing information on the trade names of applicants, nothing on the principals, address and business plans until permits are issued.

Those awarded permits then have up to six months to prove to the state they are operational. Once a grower/processor permit holder is deemed operational, they have 30 days to obtain seeds — most likely from suppliers in a legal state.

Pennsylvania became the 24th state to legalize medical marijuana a year ago. Medical marijuana will be available to patients who are certified by a state-registered physician starting sometime in 2018. The law makes medical marijuana available for a specific list of 17 serious medical conditions including epilepsy, intractable seizures and cancer. Patients will be able to take the drug as an oil, pill or liquid, but are not allowed to smoke it under the law.

The health department is charged with creating the supply chain necessary to grow medical marijuana in greenhouses, process the plant into oils and liquids, and sell the product to certified patients in dispensaries.

While the number of statewide applicants is high, local applicants actually compete in a smaller geographic pool.

The health department initially will issue up to 12 permits for grower/processors and up to 27 permits to dispense marijuana across Pennsylvania. Each dispensary permit covers up to three separate locations.

There are just two grower/processor permits and four dispensary permits available in the 10-county administrative region covering Northeast Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley. The counties are Carbon, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Northampton, Susquehanna, Pike, Wayne and Wyoming.

So far, the department has logged 20 applications for grower/processor permits and 25 applications for dispensary permits in the region. That number is expected to grow.

‘Going to get relief’

Julias and her business partner, Krista Krebs, applied to locate a dispensary in the former Panam Silk Mills site on Franklin Street in Wilkes-Barre and in the Northeast Environmental and Technology Center, a new business incubator housed in a one-time vocational technical school in Mayfield.

Julias said the business, operating under the name Keystone Center of Integrative Wellness, will be able to operate within six months of securing a permit.

The business plan combines the dispensary with a human services center and job creation center so clients can get the medicine, health education, counseling and access to job training at the same place, said Julias.

Julias and Krebs have run other health-related businesses and started researching plans for this new venture two years ago.

“We didn’t go into it lightly,” said Julias.

She said the dispensary operation would have eight employees while another 15 to 20 workers would be involved with the wellness center. Julias and Krebs already purchased the silk mill site from Wilkes-Barre for a nominal price and plan to demolish the existing building.

Julias was asked on the application to show why medical marijuana is needed in Northeast Pennsylvania. She has a ready answer: the northeast region is considered a “hot spot” for high incidences of cancer cases among residents.

In rural Wyoming County, a greenhouse owner wants to branch out to grow medical marijuana.

Bill Banta spent the past five years engaged in his passion to produce food free of chemicals and pesticides. He operates a hydroponic greenhouse in Exeter Twp. that grows lettuce, kale and herbs for sale to customers looking for healthy food. He views his application for a permit to grow marijuana plants for medical uses under the trade name PA Harvest Company as an extension of that commitment.

“I’m happy that the state is doing this,” said Banta. “I’m hoping people who are suffering from a number of ailments are going to get relief.”

There is another aspect to Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program that greatly interests Banta.

The law creates a role for hospitals, universities and academic medical centers to research the best and new uses of medical marijuana to treat diseases. A new 5 percent tax on the sale of medical marijuana by growers and processors to dispensaries eventually will generate revenue to help support this research.

The state’s commitment to foster this research convinced Banta to go through the costly and time-consuming permit process.

“What’s important to us is the medicine,” he said.

Banta hired a consultant to guide his business plan and is building a new greenhouse to shelter the medical marijuana plants. It will be protected by both electronic and physical security measures.

Banta also applied for a dispensary permit under the trade name Flowering Hope with a location slated for Plains Twp.

Another applicant is looking to get involved with both ends of the business, too.

David Davis grows hops at his second home in Covington Twp. He is president of CPG Biotics LLP, a medical device company in Bethlehem. Davis regards participating in the medical marijuana program as an extension of a career spent developing devices to help transport patients safely.

Davis applied for a permit to grow medical marijuana as CPG Biotics on a separate parcel in Covington Twp. He also applied for a dispensary permit in Phoenixville, which is in the southeast region.

Davis looked for a potential dispensary site in the Northeast, but said he had trouble finding what he considered a suitable location more than the required 1,000 feet away from a school or day care center.

‘Time will tell’

Handing permits to growers and dispensaries is not the only thing on the horizon for the health department.

The department recently hired a firm, MJ Freeway, to create the registry for patients, caregivers and physicians to participate and the electronic system to track medical marijuana from the planting of a seed until the plant is processed, sold to a dispensary and then sold to patients.

Officials are developing procedures for patients to apply for an ID card and register physicians in the program.

Sponsors of Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana law said they benefited from the experiences of other states that legalized it earlier.

Some of those states are tinkering with their laws. New Jersey is considering whether to make more medical conditions such as osteoarthritis and Lyme disease eligible for treatment with medical marijuana. Legislation to give minorities a shot at obtaining medical marijuana growing licenses failed to win passage when Maryland’s state legislative session ended earlier this month.

The Pennsylvania Medical Society takes a wait-and-see attitude toward the new program.

The doctor-oriented group stresses the need for more clinical research with medical marijuana to address concerns about how effective it is for a wide spectrum of diseases.

A nonprofit group, Americans For Safe Access, issues an annual report grading states on how well their medical marijuana program meets the needs of patients.

Pennsylvania received a B- in the 2017 report.

Pennsylvania will face challenges in meeting patient needs in coming years because it doesn’t allow medical marijuana in an edible form, the report said. Pennsylvania should consider allowing medical marijuana to be grown in direct sunlight in agricultural areas, according to the report.

“Time will tell whether it (Pennsylvania law) truly helps patients,” said Jahan Macru, Ph.D., chief scientific officer for safe access.

Contact the writer:

rswift@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9100

Medical marijuana will be available in Pennsylvania

to certified patients with one of 17 conditions:

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, autism, cancer, Crohn’s disease, damage to the nervous tissue of the spinal cord, epilepsy, glaucoma, HIV, Huntingdon’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease, intractable seizures, multiple sclerosis, neuropathies, Parkinson’s disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, severe chronic or intractable pain of neuropathic origin and sickle cell anemia.

By the numbers:

Estimated applicants: hundreds; 259 applications logged as of this week by Health Department

Grower/processor permits statewide: 12

Dispensary permits: 27

Locations for each dispensary permit: up to 3

Grower/processor permits in Northeast region: 2

Logged grower/processor applications in Northeast region: 20

Dispensary permits in Northeast region: 4

Logged dispensary applications in Northeast: 25

Counties in Northeast region: 10 — Carbon, Lackawana, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Northampton, Susquehanna, Pike, Wayne and Wyoming

The scoring process for awarding permits includes:

• Background checks for applicants, financial backers and employees on a pass/fail grade

• Operations plan covering security, transportation, labeling, storage, etc.

• Diversity workforce hiring plan

• Community impact

• Ownership, capital and tax status to provide financial details

On the afternoon of President Donald Trump’s 100th day in office, about a dozen critics of the president gathered on the Lackawanna County Courthouse grounds Saturday to denounce his agenda and recent military actions.

Billed as an anti-war, anti-Trump-agenda rally, the small assembly was organized by Joe Biscotto, a Pittston resident who founded the liberal political group Progressive Alternative. It was one of many anti-Trump demonstrations held across the country Saturday, and the second of two rallies held at the courthouse in Scranton. The other, held earlier in the day, advocated for a series of ethics reforms.

At the anti-war rally, Biscotto condemned the president’s recent military actions in Afghanistan and Syria. War, he argued, disproportionately harms the poor.

“I don’t think we should fight another war until Donald Trump’s sons suit up and man up and go and fight,” Biscotto said. “Until the burden can be shared by the rich and poor alike, there shouldn’t be any war.”

Iggie Smith, 23, of Clarks Summit, agreed, arguing that corporate interests influence military actions and calling Trump’s use of the military “disgusting to me.”

“Big corporations are pulling the strings on our military and killing our sons and daughters for no reason, because of corporate greed,” Smith said. “It’s something that I’m not going to stand for.”

Earlier Saturday afternoon, Represent NEPA, a local chapter of the national group Represent.Us, and Fair Districts PA also held a sparsely-attended rally at the courthouse. The goal of that rally was to drum up support from local governments to pass resolutions supporting the American Anti-Corruption Act and similar ordinances in Lackawanna County after gaining some traction in Luzerne County, said chapter leader Peter Ouellette, a Pittston resident.

Organizers opened the event by playing “For The Love of Money,” the 1973 funk song by The O’Jays, to underscore the focus.

The proposed legislation would make it illegal for politicians to take campaign money from interests they regulate, call for better disclosure of donors, require politicians recuse themselves from decisions involving their corporate donors and create independent commissions to draw legislative lines, among many other changes.

Ouellette hopes to eventually see the state Legislature adopt the proposal and for the effort to grow to the point at which Congress passes a national version.

“What in other countries would be considered bribery is perfectly legal in the United States,” Ouellette told about 15 supporters, several holding signs reading #DraintheSwamp. “Citizens United could be overturned by the Supreme Court tomorrow, but the problem of legal political corruption in America would still exist.”

Chris Bednar of Fair Districts PA advocated for bills to change the state constitution to require groups of citizens to redraw legislative lines to avoid gerrymandering.

“Gerrymandering has allowed politicians to take the competitiveness out of elections,” he said.

While only a handful of attendees showed at the two rallies, organizers believe the People’s Climate March in Washington, D.C., and other demonstrations may have siphoned away traffic.

Contact the writers:

jhorvath@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9141;

@jhorvathTT on Twitter;

kwind@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5181;

@kwindTT on Twitter