For years, the Volkswagen Jetta played to its Germanic strengths, offering solid engineering and a taste of premium-level transportation for a price that a working person could afford.

The company’s smallest four-door could be counted on to deliver a smooth ride, lively acceleration with certain engine choices, and imaginative interior designs. Prices tended to be a bit dear compared to competitors from Japan and stateside, but the VeeDub’s Teutonic vibe kept it squarely in the game.

Then came a major redesign roughly six years ago that yielded a larger and less expensive car, but also one that in some ways felt less special. The exterior lines were plain and largely unornamented, and the interiors were bland in contrast to those in earlier models.

Meanwhile, the competition was catching up. Most recent versions of the Honda Civic and Mazda3 sedans were upping the ante with lively designs and performance. Sure, the Jetta was attractively priced and competent in almost every way that one would expect from a budget-minded sedan, but it was missing its earlier mojo … its Jetta-ness.

VW has tinkered around the edges of the most recent generation of Jettas, adding a little panache and premium feel here and there in a largely successful effort to restore the car’s groove. And it’s worth mentioning that the 2018 Jetta will be a completely redesigned vehicle.

For the time being, the Jetta is sold in four basic trim levels, all of which are front-wheel driven. S and SE models are powered by a 1.4-liter turbocharged inline-four engine making 150 horsepower and 184 foot-pounds of torque. A five-speed manual transmission is standard with a six-speed automatic offered as an option. The EPA estimates that the 1.4-liter engine will deliver a very good 32 mpg in combined driving with the automatic transmission.

The more deluxe SEL model gets a 1.8-liter turbo-four under the hood. Output is rated at 170 horsepower and 184 foot-pounds of twist. A six-speed automatic transmission is standard. The EPA estimates the SEL will get 29 mpg in combined driving.

Buyers looking for sportier performance can kick the tires on the GLI model. Powered by a 2.0-liter turbo-four making 210 horsepower and 207 foot-pounds of torque and riding on sport-tuned suspension, the GLI gets a standard six-speed stick shift or an optional six-speed dual-clutch (DSG) automatic. Expect about 27 mpg combined, according to the feds.

Asking prices start at a budget-minded $17,895 for base S models and ascend with successive trim levels. Equipped with 16-inch steel wheels, LED daytime running lights, heated outside mirrors, keyless entry, tilt-and-telescope steering wheel, rearview camera and more, the most basic Jetta is still well-appointed.

VW provided an SEL for my kids and I to sample during a long-distance jog to Grandma’s house in Lexington, Kentucky, a roughly 1,300-mile round trip that takes in the flatlands of southeastern Pennsylvania, western Maryland’s mountains, the hills of West Virginia and Kentucky’s rolling horse-farm country.

In all, the Jetta provided a comfortably buttoned-down ride in line with what one would expect from the Germans. The suspension is firm but forgiving, delivering smooth and — aside from a little road roar — mostly quiet transportation. Handling is precise and nimble but not particularly engaging.

Firm and supportive, the front seats proved comfortable over the course of the 10-hour drives to the Bluegrass and back. There’s plenty of legroom and headroom, and the seatbacks recline enough to allow a quick snooze without being in the rear-seat passenger’s lap.

The 60/40 split-folding rear bench also is large enough to accommodate smaller adults on medium-distance hops — a real improvement from Jettas of not so long ago. More in keeping with the car’s reputation is the large, 15.7-cubic-foot trunk.

The conservative exterior design on our SEL tester was helped by a handsome metallic bronze paint job and a tasteful application of chrome detailing and LED running lights. The interior design was likewise understated with a no-nonsense arrangement of easy-to-read-and-operate gauges and controls. And any lack of showiness in the cabin’s design was offset by the high-quality materials used throughout.

The 1.8-liter turbo-four provides good but not great acceleration, with 60 mph taking a tick or three longer than seven seconds to arrive. Still, it was more than quick enough to deal with our interstate travel requirements. Our observed 32.8 mpg slipped neatly between the EPA highway and combined estimates.

2017 Volkswagen Jetta 1.8T SEL

Vehicle type: Four-door, five-passenger compact sedan.

Base/as-tested prices: $24,995/$25,815.

Engine and transmission: 1.8-liter turbocharged inline-four, 170 horsepower, 184 foot-pounds of torque, six-speed automatic transmission.

EPA estimates: 25 mpg city, 35 mpg highway, 29 mpg combined (regular fuel).

The good: Good fuel economy from smooth-running turbo-four engine; roomy cabin; solidly screwed together; nimble handling; large trunk; calm and comfortable ride quality; clearly marked and easy-to-operate instrumentation and controls; attractively priced German engineering.

The bad: Interior and exterior designs are a little bland compared to the competition; not particularly exciting to drive in lower trim levels; poorer fuel economy than models powered by smaller (and almost as powerful) turbo-four engine.

Bottom line: Following a major redesign that felt more like a de-contenting, the Jetta is regaining its rep for delivering a taste of German luxury for a working man’s budget.

Two city property owners question the continued existence of the Scranton Sewer Authority and whether its transfer of millions of dollars in sewer sale proceeds to the city and Dunmore was proper.

The cases stem from the authority seeking easements of two properties on Glenn Street near Von Storch Avenue for an authority construction project called the Von Storch Combined Sewer Overflow Facility.

These easements, and many others, were sought before the $195 million sale of the Scranton sewer system to Pennsylvania American Water. The easements were necessary to ensure the utility has access to the infrastructure.

The dispute goes to the heart of whether the authority’s transfer of sewer sale proceeds and continued existence in a post-closing phase were done properly and thus valid. It’s unclear what an adverse outcome for the authority may mean.

Similar questions — of whether the sewer authority’s continued existence after the sale is valid and whether it properly transferred sale proceeds — have been raised in recent months by some Scranton residents at authority and city council meetings. At Thursday’s council meeting, council Solicitor Amil Minora said he believes the authority had the right to transfer sale proceeds “without termination ever being an issue.”

Owners of two properties on Glenn Street, Keystone Concrete Block and Supply Co. and Stone Facility Limited Partnership, objected to the authority seeking easements on several grounds, according to legal filings by their attorneys. Ann Lavelle Powell represents Keystone; Boyd Hughes and William Jones represent Stone.

Some of those questions include:

• Whether the authority “has a legal existence” after the closing, because the city in December passed an ordinance approving the termination of the authority as a step in accomplishing the sewer sale. The authority remains operational after the sale in a post-closing phase.

• Whether the authority’s transfer of sewer sale proceeds to the city and borough under the closing was done properly, if the authority has not formally dissolved.

• Whether the authority’s transfer of proceeds without first resolving contested easements was proper.

To render such questions moot, the authority on June 23 tried to drop the two easements on the Glenn Street properties, according to documents filed in the cases in Lackawanna County Court.

However, Judge Margaret Bisignani Moyle on June 28 preliminarily struck down those revocations and set a hearing for Tuesday in Lackawanna County Court on that issue and other questions raised by the two property owners.

The authority’s legal counsel on these two disputed cases, Greco Law Associates, on Monday filed an appeal to state Commonwealth Court, and on Wednesday filed an emergency motion in county court for a stay or injunction of the matter pending the outcome of the Commonwealth Court appeal.

On Friday, Moyle denied the authority’s emergency motion for a stay.

In response to a request for comment on the overall dispute, sewer authority Executive Director/Solicitor Jason Shrive said in an email Friday, “As the matters are involved in ongoing litigation, the Scranton Sewer Authority has no comment at this time.”

Contact the writer: jlockwood@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5185; @jlockwoodTT on Twitter

BMW of North America has agreed to drop a lawsuit against Wyoming Valley Motors that sought to stop the proposed $17 million sale of the dealership chain’s assets.

The lawsuit alleged the dealership, doing business as Wyoming Valley BMW in Kingston, entered into an asset and real estate purchase agreement with entities affiliated with the Ed Napleton Automotive Group in July 2016, without the knowledge of BMW of North America.

The agreement called for Wyoming Valley BMW to transfer its BMW assets — along with the dealership’s Volkswagen, Audi, Kia, Mazda, Porsche and Subaru businesses — to North American Automotive Services Inc., the Napleton dealership buyer.

The lawsuit alleged that the agreement put a $17 million price tag on all seven brands without assigning a specific value to each one. BMW of North America claimed the transaction would have violated its contractual rights, which include the privilege to approve the transfer of the company’s BMW assets or exercise a right of first refusal.

In a one-page agreement filed late Thursday, BMW of North America and Wyoming Valley Motors agreed to dismiss the case, with each side bearing its own court costs. The filing does not specify a reason for the dismissal.

A message left for BMW of North America attorney Stephen M. Bledsoe, of Kansas City, Missouri, was not immediately returned Friday afternoon.

Contact the writer:

;

570-821-2058;

@cvjimhalpin on Twitter

DELAWARE TWP.

State police arrested a York man Friday on accusations he sexually abused a child.

Michael Paul Kin, 29, is accused of performing oral sex on a 7-year-old boy in May, according to troopers. He is charged with child rape, statutory sexual assault, intimidation, retaliation or obstruction in a child abuse case and related charges.

Kin is being held in Pike County Correctional Facility pending arraignment today.

— CLAYTON OVER

SCRANTON

Authorities arrested a city man Friday on charges of sex offender registration violations.

City police and members of the U.S. Marshal’s Task Force took Jeremy Reeder, 39, 603½ N. Cameron Ave. , into custody outside of his home. He is charged with failing to comply with sex offender registration, city police said.

Reeder is held in Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 17.

— CLAYTON OVER

Carbondale and its zoning board agreed to pay $600,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by the owner of a drug and alcohol treatment center who alleged city officials conspired against her business because they had a bias against drug addicts.

Cynthia Bellino, owner of Just Believe Recovery Center, filed suit last year against the city, zoning board and 20 residents who filed multiple court challenges that sought to stop her from opening the center at the former Marian Community Hospital.

Bellino’s attorney, Joel Wolff of Scranton, filed notice Friday that the case against the city and zoning board settled out of court. Bellino previously voluntarily dismissed the residents and individual zoning board members from her suit.

Attorney Frank Ruggiero, solicitor for the city, said neither the city nor the zoning board admit any wrongdoing. He said officials agreed to settle the case after discussions with the insurance carrier. The city is responsible for a $5,000 deductible. The balance will be paid by the insurance carrier.

“Based on the facts and the manner in which the case was presented, it was in the city’s best interest to enter into the settlement agreement,” Ruggiero said.

Bellino’s battle with the city began in 2014, when the zoning board denied a variance needed to open the facility. Senior Lackawanna County Judge John Braxton overturned that ruling in November 2014. Bellino opened the center in May 2015, and continues to operate it.

The zoning board and numerous residents appealed Braxton’s ruling to Commonwealth Court. The zoning board later withdrew its appeal. Commonwealth Court dismissed the residents’ appeal in April 2016.

Ruggiero said some good did come from Bellino’s lawsuit because it led the city to re-examine its zoning ordinances. It is now in the process of revamping the ordinances to ensure they comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and other laws.

“We were able to look at the zoning code and realized we needed to make changes,” he said. “We have begun implementing the process to do that.”

Contact the writer:

tbesecker@timesshamrock.com;

579-348-9137;

@tmbeseckerTT on Twitter

SCRANTON

A former player coordinator at the Mount Airy Casino Resort faces federal charges in a scheme investigators say provided a co-conspirator with about $140,000 worth of fraudulent free slot machine play.

Ashley Brosius, 30, of Stroudsburg, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering in a criminal information filed Monday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Brosius allegedly used stolen information to create about 30 duplicate players’ club cards that she loaded with “free slot play” credits between November 2014 and November 2015. The unindicted co-conspirator then used the cards to gamble.

When the co-conspirator cashed out the winnings, Brosius received a cash “tip” of approximately $150 to $300 multiple times each week, investigators said.

— DAVID SINGLETON

BANKS TWP. — Coal isn’t just for heating anymore, U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta said.

While the local anthracite companies sell hard coal to China as an alloy for steel, Barletta, R-11, Hazleton, said a new process might draw out rare earth metals from the coal land in his hometown. Now the U.S. buys those rare metals from China for use in commercial electronics like cellphones, electric cars and the defense industry.

“We have something here that the world needs,” Barletta said Friday while addressing the Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce at Capriotti’s Catering.

Speaking at the chamber’s Red Carpet Breakfast for the 18th time since becoming mayor of Hazleton in 1999, Barletta said to start extracting rare earth metals from Jeddo Coal in Hazle Twp., he helped arrange for a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy last month.

Researchers joined the program from Texas Mineral Resources Corp., Inventure Renewables, K Technologies and Penn State University, where scientists already have published about the process. They found rare earth elements such as scandium and yttrium in coal seams, but said concentrations lie within the shale above the coal. The scientists liquefy the rock and draw out rare earth metals with a solution of ammonium sulfate, a process that they say is better for the environment and uses less energy than a roasting process used earlier.

Texas Mineral Chairman Anthony Marchese, telephoned after the breakfast, said Barletta and other members of the Pennsylvania delegation were “incredibly supportive” of the pilot project. The Pennsylvania team will compete against pilot projects in West Virginia and Kentucky for a $20 million grant that the Energy Department will award in 18 months to the group that shows the most potential for extracting the rare metals economically, Marchese said.

Barletta said his district can develop manufacturing jobs from assets like rare earth metals and natural gas. Pennsylvania has great reserves of natural gas, but Barletta advocated building pipelines to deliver the gas to a world market.

Contact the writer:

kjackson@standardspeaker.com; 570-501-3587

HARRISBURG — Giant Food Stores, Turkey Hill and Weis Markets won bids for four expired restaurant liquor licenses in the region, state regulators said this week.

In the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board’s most recent round of auctions, Giant submitted winning bids of $62,001 for an expired license in Lackawanna County and $105,201 for one in Luzerne County. Giant owns grocery stores in Dickson City, Hazleton and Scranton.

In Lackawanna County, Giant hasn’t decided which store will get the license, marketing Director Mary St. Ledger Baggett said.

Convenience store and gas station chain Turkey Hill’s $75,500 bid won the second Luzerne County license up for auction. Weis Markets’ $185,419 bid won the only Wyoming County license.

During the auction stage, companies do not disclose where they plan to do business in each county, PLCB spokeswoman Elizabeth Brassell said.

The liquor control board distributes licenses by county through a quota system, with one license for every 3,000 residents.

Businesses have six months to file a license application after making their bid payments. The PLCB holds the payments in escrow until applications win board approval.

Out of 50 available in this, the third auction authorized by the state’s revised liquor law, the PLCB received no bids for five total licenses in Beaver, Clearfield, Forest, Fulton and Potter counties. For the other 45, the state received a total 131 bids.

Act 39 of 2016 washed away many restrictions on Pennsylvania’s tightly regulated booze business. The liquor law revision ignited a race among grocery and convenience store operators to sell wine and beer.

Contact the writer:

joconnell@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9131;

@jon_oc on Twitter

JESSUP — Invenergy no longer plans to discharge hundreds of thousands of gallons of industrial wastewater into Grassy Island Creek daily when its 1,500-megawatt power plant becomes operational — a development environmentalists call a major victory.

Amid a Sierra Club legal challenge and water testing by Citizens for a Healthy Jessup to establish baseline pollution levels, the Chicago-based company informed state regulators the facility won’t release treated wastewater from its cooling system into the creek.

“That was a tremendous win for this community,” Citizens for a Healthy Jessup member Jason Petrochko said. “It makes you wonder if, when challenged like this and they decide not to put the water in the creek, what else they might decide to do differently had they been challenged by anyone.”

Citing pending litigation, Invenergy spokeswoman Mary Ryan declined to discuss the decision beyond saying it has nothing to do with the Sierra Club’s or the Citizens’ efforts. Company officials, however, briefly described their new plan in a letter to the state Department of Environmental Protection.

“Lackawanna Energy Center has eliminated its plans to discharge industrial wastewater to Grassy Island Creek,” wrote Bryan Schueler, senior vice president of development. “The project has adjusted its water balance to implement recycling of steam-cycle blowdown and a water recovery-and-reuse system, thereby reducing wastewater generation.”

Invenergy originally planned to use a wet cooling system at the natural-gas-fired power plant but in May 2015 announced the operation instead would develop a dry cooling system that cuts consumption about 90 percent.

The most-recent version of the plan, which DEP approved before Invenergy recently amended it, would have required sending daily totals of up to 290,000 gallons of treated wastewater into Grassy Island Creek, DEP spokeswoman Colleen Connolly said.

Invenergy now seeks permission to discharge the by-product into the municipal sewer system but could also apply for a permit to truck it away.

“The proposed method was selected because it minimizes environmental impacts as well as administrative and financial burdens, while also assuring applicable water quality standards are attained,” Invenergy officials said in their application to amend the borough’s sewer facilities program.

Michael Matechak, executive director of Lackawanna River Basin Sewer Authority, said Invenergy is looking to release 58,000 gallons of industrial wastewater and sanitary sewage into the system daily with an average of 52,000 gallons a day.

The plant can handle 10 million gallons a day and now takes in about 5 million gallons, leaving Matechak with no capacity concerns.

“They’ve sent us some data on the constituents that would be in the wastewater, and there’s nothing really to be concerned about there either,” he said. “It’s a boiler-condensate type of water with salts, minerals and things normally found in wastewater anyway in low concentrations. There’s nothing there that raised any red flags with us.”

Prior to Invenergy’s change of disposal plans, the Sierra Club appealed DEP’s permit approval to the state Environmental Hearing Board, a limited-jurisdiction court that hears cases concerning DEP decisions.

Among the Sierra Club’s contentions is that the agency granted the permit for the power plant without a required evaluation of nondischarge alternatives.

With Invenergy withdrawing its plans to discharge into the creek, attorneys from the company, Sierra Club and DEP agreed to request the case be dismissed because the appeal is moot.

Joanne Kilgour, director of the Sierra Club PA Chapter, saw the outcome as a success.

“It protects Grassy Island Creek from what would have been a significant industrial wastewater discharge,” she said.

The facility still will send stormwater into Grassy Island Creek, which is a 6-mile long tributary of Lackawanna River and a protected cold-water fishery that Lackawanna River Corridor Association plans to conserve by eventually creating a greenway to protect it.

Contact the writer: kwind@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100, x5181; @kwindTT on Twitter

What’s next

■ Jessup borough is accepting written public comments through July 28, on the plan to discharge industrial wastewater into the sewer system, borough solicitor Richard Fanucci said.

■ The planning commission also will review the proposal and make a recommendation to borough council about how to proceed.

Q: When I bought my 2011 Toyota Camry, the dealer told me that the synthetic oil didn’t need to be changed so often, say only about every 10,000 miles or so.

Since I had free service at the dealer initially, I took it there for regular maintenance, and despite what they told me, they kept changing the oil and filter much more frequently than they said was required. I didn’t care, since I wasn’t paying for it.

Once my free service visits ran out, I started taking it back to my regular mechanic, who changed the synthetic oil every three months.

Since the synthetic oil is more expensive, when my husband asked about this, one of the other guys at the shop (not the head mechanic) told him, “The dealer just wants you to ruin your engine and buy another car.”

The head mechanic suggested I could go 5,000-6,000 miles between oil changes, depending on the type of driving. Yet the reminder sticker they put on my windshield is again for 3,000 miles.

I pointed out that the mechanic might want us to pay extra, more often, for the more expensive oil changes that aren’t necessary.

What’s the real deal with synthetic oil?

— SUSANNE

A: The dealer is right. Unless you drive the car extraordinarily hard — like using it as a taxi in Phoenix in the summer — synthetic oil is designed to go about 10,000 miles between changes.

Changing synthetic oil every 3,000 miles is far too often.

As mechanics, it takes us a while to catch up with reality. Oil changes used to take place every 1,000 miles. And it took years before mechanics accepted that 3,000 miles between changes was OK. So there’s a lag in acceptance among mechanics that synthetic oils are really far superior to conventional oils.

If you want to be extra safe and err on the side of caution, I’d say you can change your synthetic oil every 7,500 miles, which is the typical service interval for lots of cars anyway. But I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend that most of my customers go 10,000 miles. While changing it any more frequently than 7,500 won’t harm anything — except your bank account — it’s really not necessary.

So buy a bottle of Wite-Out, Susanne, and keep it in your glove box. And then every time you drive away from an oil change, just change the mileage on the reminder sticker.

Blakely

Prayer service: Blakely borough 150th anniversary nondenominational prayer service, July 16 (rain date, July 23), 3-5 p.m., borough recreation complex pavilion area (clergy and choir will be seated, all others please bring chairs), birthday cake and coffee served.

Dunmore

Reunion meeting: Dunmore High School class of 1957 60th anniversary reunion planning meeting, July 17, 7 p.m., home of Frances Pacifico Banick, Dunmore; reunion: Sept. 23 at La Buona Vita, Dunmore.

East Scranton

Club meets: 800 Club of Immaculate Conception Church meeting, Thursday, 1:30 p.m., church hall.

Forest City

Community luncheon: Stone Soup Kitchen at Christ Church free community luncheon, July 22, noon-1:30 p.m., Christ Epis­copal Church, Delaware and Dundaff streets.

Lackawanna County

Addiction awareness: Second annual Addiction Awareness Rally, July 16, 3-7 p.m., Lackawanna County Courthouse Square, held in conjunction with judges Michael J. Barrasse, Andy Jarbola and Julia Munley, Lackawanna County District Attorney Shane Scanlon, the Lackawanna County Commissioners, state Sen. John Blake, state Rep. Marty Flynn and the Forever Sammi Foundation; free.

Moosic

Club picnic: After 50 Club summer picnic, Thursday, 1 p.m., Greenwood Hose Company, Birney Avenue.

North Scranton

Neighborhood watch: North Scranton Neighborhood Crime Watch meeting Monday, 6 p.m., Weston Park Field House.

South Scranton

Seniors meet: Young at Heart Senior Citizens meeting, Tuesday, 1 p.m., St. Paul of the Cross Parish Center, Prospect Avenue.

Prayer shawl: St. Paul of the Cross Prayer Shawl Group meeting, Monday, 6 p.m., parish center, Prospect Avenue.

Neighbors meet: South Scranton Neighborhood Association meeting, July 19, 6:30 p.m., 509 Cedar Ave., Adam Guiffrida speaking about garbage fees.

West Scranton

Chicken barbecue: SS. Peter and Paul Russian Orthodox Church chicken barbecue dinner, July 16, noon-2 p.m., $10; takeouts available (containers provided); 570-343-8128 or day of at 570-961-3147; www.saintspeterandpaulscranton.com.

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.

Lakeland’s superintendent, who is credited with improving the school district and having a strong vision for its future, died Friday morning after suffering a heart attack.

R. Scott Jeffery, who became superintendent in 2013, was 51.

“Scott was a great person who made a huge impact on the entire Lakeland community,” school board President Mary Retzbach said. “He was a fantastic leader, husband, father and friend who changed the entire climate and culture at Lakeland. He led by example, always enjoying working with others, to help them reach their full potential.”

A former professional baseball player, Jeffery rallied for innovation and achievement at Lakeland.

Under his leadership, the district created engineering, biomedical sciences and computer science programs. He oversaw districtwide renovation projects, pushed transparency and financial accountability, and increased the district’s social media presence. On Facebook and Twitter on Friday, teachers and students called the loss “devastating.”

Especially active on Twitter, Jeffery used the site to connect with educators around the country to share ideas.

“My favorite thing about teaching is connecting with (students) and helping them learn to navigate through life, both in/out of school,” he posted on Twitter earlier this year. “I love a ‘kids come first’ mentality. It’s our purpose.”

Jeffery, who lived in West Scranton with his wife, Karey, and two daughters, Marina and Jinelle, served as Old Forge’s superintendent from 2011 to 2013. He also worked as Abington Heights’ science coordinator, an assistant principal in the Western Wayne School District and the principal of Blue Ridge High School. His older daughter attends medical school and his younger daughter planned to start seventh grade at Lakeland in the fall.

Jeffery graduated from Mansfield University in 1989 with a degree in secondary education, after being drafted to play for the Cincinnati Reds’ minor-league teams in Tennessee, Iowa and Florida. A pitcher, he worked as a substitute teacher when not on the baseball field.

James Pivirotto, principal of the junior/senior high school, credited Jeffery with always looking for ways to move the district forward.

“He always tried to make decisions based on the best interest of our students,” Pivirotto said. “He pushed everyone to constantly improve and never be satisfied with just the status quo.”

Business Manager Joseph Caputo said he admired and looked up to Jeffery, especially his commitment to education and his family, and the way he treated others.

“His family will miss him, and the Lakeland family will not be the same,” Caputo said. “He was nothing but positive for Lakeland.”

Contact the writer:

shofius@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9133;

@hofiushallTT on Twitter

A New York man faces criminal charges after police said he tried to get loans at local PNC Bank branches using other people’s information and then fled when officers arrived.

Daniel L. Saul, 47, of the Bronx, faces a felony charge of theft by deception and misdemeanor charges of resisting arrest and escape.

Scranton police Patrolman Eugene Groysman first responded to a report of a man trying to take out a loan with someone else’s identification at the PNC branch at 136 S. Main Ave. on Thursday.

When Groysman arrived, bank Manager Patricia Potenza told him the man left when he saw the patrolman arrive. She pointed to a man wearing a gray suit who was walking away quickly, Groysman wrote in a criminal complaint.

Police caught up to the man — who turned out to be Saul — in the 100 block of South Hyde Park Avenue and reported finding a driver’s license for Michael T. Charles of Nazareth and Chase Visa credit cards belonging to both Charles and Todd F. Bellinger.

When Groysman returned to the bank, Potenza told him Saul had left behind a driver’s license belonging to Bellinger, of Pittsburgh.

The driver’s licenses looked real and had Saul’s picture on them, but the font appeared to be wrong, Groysman said.

Police found the licenses actually referred to real people with correct addresses and dates of birth, but had the wrong license numbers. Chase Bank told police Charles and Bellinger also really had accounts, but the account numbers on the cards were fake.

The real Charles had filed a report with the Upper Nazareth Police Department reporting a fraudulent purchase on a Best Buy credit card totaling $4,972.

Potenza told police she recognized Saul from an alert issued by PNC’s Penn Avenue branch.

Saul told police he bought the fake IDs and credit cards for $60 in the Bronx and planned to use them to make as much money as possible before returning to New York, Groysman said.

Saul was being held at Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $15,000 unsecured bail.

Contact the writer:

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

@kwindTT on Twitter

A traffic stop on Mulberry Street led to the arrest of a Pittston man who identified himself as a “sovereign citizen” and tried to fight with a Scranton police officer, city police said.

Aaron Markert, 36, 163 Tompkins St., is charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and drug offenses after an incident at 1429 Mulberry St.

Officers stopped Markert’s vehicle Thursday after noticing the registration was expired, police said. Markert became disorderly and refused to give police his name because he was a “citizen of the United States” and no law required him to tell police who he was, according to court documents.

Officers asked Markert if he was a “sovereign citizen” and Markert said he was, police said.

Sovereign citizens are a loose subculture of people who hold complex, anti-government beliefs. Many feel certain laws don’t apply to them, including paying taxes and traffic laws requiring driver’s licenses, license plates and vehicle registrations, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Officers eventually identified Markert when his ex-wife arrived to get their children, who were in the vehicle. Officers issued citations to Markert, who unsuccessfully tried to rip them up and, upon failing, threw them in the trash, according to court documents. He then told a city police officer to take off his badge and fight, police said. Police arrested Markert when he chased after a police vehicle on foot and continued to act aggressively toward officers, police said.

Officers searched Markert after his arrest and found a vial containing amphetamine salts, a controlled substance, according to court documents. Markert is free on $20,000 unsecured bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.

Contact the writer:

cover@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5363;

@ClaytonOver on Twitter

Ryan M. Taylor sat in an interview room at the Scranton Police Department last winter and put his head down.

The detective passed a photograph of a dead woman under the homicide suspect’s face.

“She’s dead,” Detective Joseph Lafferty testified Friday. “This is what you did to her. She’s dead.”

Taylor, 25, cried for five minutes. Then he confessed, the detective testified during a preliminary hearing Friday — an interview not memorialized in a recording and one defense attorney Matthew Comerford said he intends to challenge.

Magisterial District Judge Terrence V. Gallagher on Friday found that the Lackawanna County district attorney’s office met its burden to bring Taylor to trial for the Feb. 28 death of Danee Mower. City police arrested Taylor on an open count of criminal homicide, which encompasses charges ranging from involuntary manslaughter to first-degree murder.

District Attorney Shane Scanlon said that a specific charge will be levied in the coming months.

Police believe that Taylor, whom police listed as homeless, had an argument with Mower, 28, that turned into a shoving match. Police said Taylor pushed Mower into the Lackawanna River near West Olive Street. Mower died from the combined effects of hypothermia and drowning; Lackawanna County Coroner Tim Rowland testified that he ruled her death a homicide.

An eyewitness, 69-year-old Salvatore Catalano of South Scranton, testified that he and his wife were out for a walk along the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail that day and say a person wearing red, whom police said was Taylor, “tugging” at the arm of a person in dark clothing, whom authorities said was Mower.

At first, Catalano thought it was “horseplay” but considered it something more serious once he saw the person wearing red standing over top of the other.

“I actually yelled over, ‘stop,’” Catalano testified.

The person in red “flipped” the other person and they “tumbled” into the Lackawanna River “like a rag doll,” he testified. He called 911 soon after. Catalano testified he did not give police a written statement.

Lafferty testified police were able to identify Taylor as the person in red Catalano saw by using surveillance footage from the Keystone Mission on West Olive Street, which is near where Mower died.

Detectives found Taylor a short while later on Linden Street and took him to police headquarters for an interview. He ate two cheeseburgers, french fries and a soda. Then, he started talking.

What he said will be in dispute as the case moves forward.

Lafferty testified that Taylor first spun stories that mitigated his role but caved once challenged on his lies.

After the hearing, Comerford said Taylor “completely denies” that as an accurate account of his interview. Under questioning from Comerford, Lafferty testified that there is no audio or video recording of the interview and Taylor did not give investigators a written statement, which is up to the defendant, the police department administration later said.

Technical problems with recording equipment have hampered quality and the department generally does not record interviews, the department’s top two administrators said. However, with camera and microphone upgrades, the department plans to make it a more common practice.

“It’s been an ongoing issue,” Police Chief Carl Graziano said.

Scanlon did not want to comment specifically on how the lack of a recorded or written statement may affect Taylor’s prosecution but said that, in 15 years in the county prosecutor’s office, he does not believe that the city police ever had audio or video recordings of a confession.

“When and where available, it helps,” Scanlon said. “I think that’s fair, but I don’t think it’s any type of fatal issue.”

Comerford said the purported confession is among the main issue in this case and he intends to litigate it as the case proceeds, which he, at this point, intends to take to trial.

Taylor will next be formally arraigned in the Court of Common Pleas. He remains in Lackawanna County Prison without bail.

Contact the writer: jkohut@timesshamrock.com, 570-348-9144; @jkohutTT on Twitter.

BANKS TWP. — Coal isn’t just for heating anymore, U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta said.

While the local anthracite companies sell hard coal to China as an alloy for steel, Barletta, R-11, Hazleton, said a new process might draw out rare earth metals from the coal land in his hometown. Now the U.S. buys those rare metals from China for use in commercial electronics like cellphones, electric cars and the defense industry.

“We have something here that the world needs,” Barletta said Friday while addressing the Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce at Capriotti’s Catering.

Speaking at the chamber’s Red Carpet Breakfast for the 18th time since becoming mayor of Hazleton in 1999, Barletta said to start extracting rare earth metals from Jeddo Coal in Hazle Twp., he helped arrange for a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy last month.

Researchers joined the program from Texas Mineral Resources Corp., Inventure Renewables, K Technologies and Penn State University, where scientists already have published about the process. They found rare earth elements such as scandium and yttrium in coal seams, but said concentrations lie within the shale above the coal. The scientists liquefy the rock and draw out rare earth metals with a solution of ammonium sulfate, a process that they say is better for the environment and uses less energy than a roasting process used earlier.

Texas Mineral Chairman Anthony Marchese, telephoned after the breakfast, said Barletta and other members of the Pennsylvania delegation were “incredibly supportive” of the pilot project. The Pennsylvania team will compete against pilot projects in West Virginia and Kentucky for a $20 million grant that the Energy Department will award in 18 months to the group that shows the most potential for extracting the rare metals economically, Marchese said.

Barletta said his district can develop manufacturing jobs from assets like rare earth metals and natural gas. Pennsylvania has great reserves of natural gas, but Barletta advocated building pipelines to deliver the gas to a world market.

Contact the writer:

kjackson@standardspeaker.com; 570-501-3587

Food, friends and music drew local residents to Olyphant’s ninth annual Queen City Nights on Saturday.

The annual three-day event — featuring live music, food, vendors and other attractions — supports the borough’s two firehouses, Olyphant Hose Company 2 and Queen City Hose Company 8. The event began Thursday evening and concluded Saturday night.

Residents of Olyphant, Throop and other neighboring communities enjoyed Northeast Pennsylvania staples like kielbasa, pierogies, and cabbage and noodles while listening to live music from Velvet Soul, the Jeffrey James Band and the Tommy Guns Band. Vendors included Bosak’s Choice Meats, Paparazzi Accessories and LuLaRoe.

Bryan Finegan, a firefighter with Olyphant Hose Company 2, said Queen City Nights is a major source of funding for the fire companies.

“It’s our biggest fundraiser for both companies,” he said. “It’s a big chunk of the funding.”

Although donations from local businesses were lower than usual and there were no rides like in previous years, nice weather, the food and popular local bands contributed to one of the best turnouts the event has had in years, he said.

“You just roll with the punches and do what you can,” Finegan said.

Because of the large organizationanal effort that goes into Queen City Nights, the hose companies begin planning as early as January or February by divvying up responsibilities and talking to vendors, Finegan said.

“We’re kind of in a groove now — everyone knows what to do,” he said

Finegan emphasized the community element of Queen City Nights.

“It’s nice when you see everyone from the community come in,” he said. “You see the same faces over and over.”

Jeff and Barbara Panetti were among those familiar faces. The Panettis, of Throop, attended Queen City Nights with their children, Jeff and Ashley, this year, and they have attended Queen City Nights regularly for the past few years, they said.

“I enjoy coming out here, I really do,” Jeff Panetti said. “It’s fun here for my family.”

Barbara Panetti shared the sentiments. “We’ve been coming for years — it’s always good here,” she said. “The food’s good, but you know a lot of people, which is nice.”

The Panettis will “definitely” be back next year, they said.

Contact the writer:

flesnefsky@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9100 x5186

July 12: Wayne Pike Workforce Alliance in partnership with the Educational Opportunity Center free career and college kick-start test preparation classes at Workforce Alliance, opportunity to work with peers or individually, brush up on math and reading skills needed in today’s workplace, or for entrance into higher education institutions, Wednesdays and Thursdays in July, 10-11:30 a.m., 92 Main Ave., Hawley; Annette, 570-931-0060.

July 13: 3D printing instruction, including Solidworks, AutoCAD and Cura, Thursdays through Aug. 10, 4-7 p.m., Stourbridge Project, 648 Park St., space limited; jwolk@wpworkforce.org.

July 18: Free career decision making workshop, “What you should be when you grow up?” on July 18, Aug. 8 and Sept. 22, 10 a.m., Wayne Pike Workforce Alliance, 92 Main Ave., Hawley; 570-931-0060.

July 18: Resume writing workshop, July 18, Aug. 8 and Sept. 22, 1 p.m., Wayne Pike Workforce Alliance, 92 Main Ave., Hawley; 570-931-0060.

Aug. 2: Penn State Extension ServSafe course, Aug. 2 and 9, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Penn State Worthington Scranton, 120 Ridgeview Drive, Dunmore, exam for the program, Aug. 9, 11 a.m., $185, www.foodsafety.psu.edu (choose ServSafe under “Courses and Workshops”) by July 27; questions, Nicole McGeehan, 570-421-6430 or nmd5140@psu.edu.

Aug. 3: Unemployment Compensation 101 hosted by Wayne County Employment and Training Center and Wayne Pike Workforce Alliance (WPWA), 8:30-10 a.m.; www.wpworkforce.org/calendar by Aug. 2; disability accomodations, 570-390-7613.

SUBMIT BUSINESS BRIEFCASE items to business@timesshamrock.com or The Times-Tribune, 149 Penn Ave., Scranton, PA 18503.

Rabbi Steven Nathan looked over three loaves of bread and gently tapped them with his knuckles, testing to determine if the baked goods were ready for the cooling rack.

“It needs another couple minutes,” the proprietor of Sweet and Savory Heavenly Challah said as he guided the loaves back into the stove of his North Webster Avenue apartment and shut the door.

Nathan has baked challah from home and sold the traditional Jewish bread, typically consumed on Fridays for the Jewish Shabbat and on Jewish holidays, for a little more than a year. Before he started the business, baking the bread spanned roles ranging from a hobby to physical therapy, Nathan said.

The Hill Section native can recall a time when there were three Jewish bakeries in the city.

“Getting challah was not a problem,” he said.

He first started baking his own about 15 years ago. Kneading the dough and braiding it, which gives challah its distinctive shape, proved a lot of fun. Making it was rewarding, Nathan said.

“It was nice to have a challah that I made as opposed to one that was bought from a bakery,” he said.

He started making the bread more consistently in late 2015 after suffering a mild stroke. He cooked soups and other dishes while recuperating before deciding to bake challah. The kneading and braiding provided an exercise that helped regain strength and coordination in his hands.

“It was great therapy for my hands,” Nathan said.

He eventually made a full recovery. Friends he shared his challah with around that time loved it and encouraged him to consider taking orders. Others with business experience helped him make a business plan and obtained all of the necessary licenses from the state to start Sweet and Savory Heavenly Challah.

He also added to the varieties of challah available, hence the sweet and savory parts of the business name. Raisin challah, traditionally popular around Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, was one of the first sweet types he added. An olive and rosemary variety was one of the first savory options. The menu now includes options ranging from lemon poppyseed and pina colada to garlic and Indian spice. Larger loaves for parties, weddings and bar and bat mitzvahs are also available.

He sells the bread on his website, challahsteve.com, and set up phone ordering at 570-995-1703. He ships the loaves for customers out of the area.

“The good thing is, because of the ingredients in challah and the fat content, the oil content and the sweetness, it actually helps keep it fresh longer,” Nathan said.

For local customers, Nathan has an agreement worked out with Nibbles & Bits, 1759 Sanderson Ave., Scranton. Nathan drops off orders there once a week, so buyers can swing in and pick them up. The arrangement brings people into the shop, opens up the possibility of further collaboration and is an example of how small businesses can assist one another, said Maggie Calpin, owner of Nibbles & Bits.

“It’s a nice partnership,” Calpin said. “You help each other out and it makes the whole better.”

Back in his Hill Section kitchen, Nathan waited 10 more minutes before moving on to the next step. He removed the three loaves — a regular, chocolate chip and “everything” version, like an everything bagel — from the oven and moved them to an adjacent room to cool.

As for the next step for Sweet and Savory Heavenly Challah, Nathan said he’s working on developing a vegan challah and also exploring the options of adding a larger or additional mixer to facilitate making more loaves.

Contact the writer:

cover@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9100 x5363;

@ClaytonOver on Twitter

For more information on Sweet and Savory Heavenly Challah, visit the company website or social media pages: www.challahsteve.com, Sweet and Savory Heavenly Challah on Facebook, challahsteve on Instagram and @ChallahSteve on Twitter.