SCRANTON

Two arrested

on drug charges

The bags of heroin, all 1,351 one of them, were stamped “now or never,” city police said.

The men accused of bringing them from New Jersey to the city are now in county prison. Members of the Special Investigations Division found the bags and an ounce of cocaine after arresting Dujuan Littlejohn, 33, 7 Cherry Ave., Carbondale, on the 300 block of Cedar Avenue on Tuesday. The drugs have a street value of $16,500, police said. Police arrested another man Tuesday, Jose Otero, 53, 325 Cedar Ave. , Scranton, accused of conspiring with Littlejohn to transport the drugs.

Littlejohn and Otero are held in lieu of $150,000 and $100,000 bail respectively in relation to the drug arrests. Hearings are scheduled for Aug. 17.

— CLAYTON OVER

FACTORYVILLE

Charges filed

after fires

A borough man accused of setting a fire that destroyed a vacant building late last month faces additional charges for setting a fire at the Factoryville fire house.

State troopers and Dalton police charged Jacob Richmond, 19, 4 Concord Ave., in Wyoming County court with setting fire to leaves and brush under the rear deck of the station on July 31. The fire was extinguished shortly thereafter, police said. Richmond is accused to setting fire to the La Plume Twp. building later that day and then responding to help battle the flames as a volunteer firefighter with Factoryville Fire Company.

Richmond also faces charges in Lackawanna County. He is free on bail on both sets of charges.

— CLAYTON OVER

A Wilkes-Barre developer bought the last historic building for sale on Lackawanna Avenue in Scranton.

D&D SNB LLC bought the towering SNB Plaza Building at North Washington and Lackawanna avenues for $945,000 from contractor Carl Scartelli, who had bought the building in 2007 for $1.1 million.

D&D principal Nicholas Dye declined to comment about his plans for the 12-story structure.

Community Bank has a branch on the first floor with mostly lawyers’ offices above.

Hinerfeld Commercial Real Estate associate broker Patrick Sammon facilitated the deal, which closed June 30.

SNB Plaza is one of five buildings in the city built with a glazed terra-cotta tile exterior, said John Cognetti of Hinerfeld. The facade grew popular after architect Cass Gilbert used it on the Woolworth Building in New York City in the early 1900s.

Others faced with terra-cotta include the Scranton Life building on Spruce Street, the Lewis & Reilly building on Wyoming Avenue, the Lackawanna County Administration Building on Adams Avenue and the Times Building on Penn Avenue.

SNB Plaza’s sale completes a trifecta of historic buildings sold on Lackawanna Avenue to ambitious entrepreneurs.

In January, developer Charles Jefferson bought the former Samter’s Department Store at Lackawanna and Penn avenues for $500,000. He plans to fill the 43,700-square-foot building with residential units in the upper floors and retail space on the first floor.

A few months later, in May New York City developer Shimon Friedman bought the Oppenheim Building and adjacent Lewis & Reilly building — nearly 200,000 square feet — at Lackawanna and Wyoming Avenue for $1.2 million.

Friedman said he plans to restore the building and put luxury loft apartments in the Lewis & Reilly building.

Like Jefferson and Friedman, Dye and his associates have a knack for converting old office buildings into apartments and commercial space.

Last year he bought the PNC Bank building in downtown Wilkes-Barre and announced plans for 40 upscale apartments and office space, and has numerous holdings in Luzerne and Lackawanna counties.

Because of a filing error, The Times-Tribune published a property transaction listing in June that said the building was located in Dunmore, not Scranton.

Contact the writer:

joconnell@timesshamrock.com

570-348-9131, @jon_oc

Judge Michael Barrasse sentenced the following defendants recently in Lackawanna County Court:

James Potelunas, 31, 526 S. Main St., Old Forge, to 6½ years court supervision, including one month in county prison and nine months probation, and pay $2,500 in fines for simple assault, DUI — tier three, first offense, and DUI — tier three, second offense.

Mackenzie Donovan, 22, 38 Miner St., Hudson, to four years court supervision and $1,077.77 in restitution for theft by deception.

Joseph Rios, 19, 729 Moltke Ave., Scranton, to one year, three months of probation for possession of a small amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia possession.

Charles Gephart III, 34, 5 Sioux Path, Gouldsboro, to six months court supervision, including one month of house arrest, for DUI — tier two, first offense.

Megan Ruddy, 24, 1068 Cottage Ave., to one year court supervision, including two months house arrest, for drug paraphernalia possession.

Kelvin Robertson, 38, 535 Fig St., Scranton, to two to five years in state prison followed by two years of probation for possession with intent to deliver.

Fidelia McCord, 29, 85 Belmont St., Carbondale, to three years court supervision, including three months of house arrest and three months in county prison, and to pay $8,175 in restitution for theft by deception.

Marvin Brown, 39, 165 Main St., Wernersville, to six months to 12 months in state prison followed by two years of probation for possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia possession.

Judge Vito Geruolo sentenced:

Sean Bannon, 38, 150 Washington St., Carbondale, to 11½ to 23 months in state prison for possession with intent to deliver.

Ian Scott, 33, Rear 128 Hollister Ave., Scranton, to 10 to 20 years in state prison for burglary, robbery and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

James Clemens Jr., 27, 1008 S. Main St., Taylor, to 2½ to eight years in state prison followed by four years of probation for child pornography and failure to provide accurate registration information.

Dunmore’s biggest fan honored

Dunmore’s No. 1 fan, Andy Warner’s life was celebrated in downtown Scranton in June.

Organized by Brian Loughney and Patrick Ehnot, the Tribute to Andy Warner at Harry’s on Penn Avenue also served as a fundraiser for the Arc of NEPA and the Aktion Club of Scranton, a service organization comprised of people with disabilities, sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Scranton.

Warner, who died in March, was an avid volunteer and champion for people with disabilities. He served as the first “Arc Ambassador” and was board member, inspirational speaker, United Way volunteer and Aktion Club president.

Led by Loughney and Ehnot, friends including Richard Haynos, Erica Francis, Corey Martin and Patrick Quinn also helped organize the fundraiser to celebrate Warner’s life.Warner loved Dunmore and Dunmore sports. Past Dunmore students and athletes were in attendance as well as local dignitaries and politicians.

Warner’s trademark Dunmore Bucks athletic jacket was also on display during the event. The jacket will be retired at a Dunmore basketball game later this year, according to a press release.

Super students

Abington Heights Middle School students Sadie Shapiro and JohnPaul Shields attended the 28th annual Middle School Summer and Math-Science-Technology Institute in East Tennessee.Sadie and JohnPaul joined around 26 other middle school students for two weeks in July at the hands-on institute focused on math, science and technology, according to the institute.

Sadie is the daughter of Joel and Susan Shapiro of South Abington Twp. and JohnPaul is the son of Lisa Kiernan and John Sheilds of Clarks Summit.

The institute is hosted by the Appalachian Regional Commission, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and ORAU.

High notes

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey discussed the impact of potential new healthcare legislation on hospitals and patients during a visit to the Wayne Memorial Hospital in Honesdale in July.

Casey also toured the hospital’s new cardiac catheterization lab, its maternity unit and emergency department.

Wayne Memorial Hospital/Wayne Memorial Health System board Chairman Dirk Mumford and Wayne County Commissioner Wendell Kay also attended the meeting.

ARCHBALD — Borough council unanimously agreed Wednesday to extend a tax incentive on more than eight acres of property the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce’s development arm owns near General Dynamics and Ace Beverage Co. through 2024.

Scranton Lackawanna Industrial Building Co. owns 12.51 acres in the area around Betty, Chestnut and East streets, and the extension continues Keystone Opportunity Zone benefits for 8.54 acres of the land, said Andrew Skrip, the chamber’s vice president of industrial development.

Council President Maria Tomassoni said the goal was to encourage development in the area.

Skrip described it as a space that could house small businesses, whether a manufacturing, warehouse or distribution operation, among other uses.

SLIBCO agreed to pay the borough 8 cents per square foot of floor space in buildings constructed there as an annual fee for municipal services. Property taxes for the parcels would be frozen at their 2012 levels through the life of the incentive.

The move follows Jessup Borough Council also approving KOZ extensions through 2024 on Monday for two undeveloped properties near the entrance of Valley View Business Park and the Jessup Small Business Center. SLIBCO and Mericle Commercial Real Estate owns the properties, totaling about seven acres and 10 acres, respectively.

Jessup Councilwoman Maggie Alunni expressed reservations about the idea at last week’s work session, asking what guarantee there is the developers won’t come back in seven years seeking another extension, but joined the majority in approving the measure 5-1 Monday.

Alunni later said she put a lot of thought into the decision and struggled with it.

“I guess a little incentive is better than no incentive,” she said. “We have to fill the mountain. If that’s going to help, we have to do what we have to do. We need more businesses and jobs up there.”

Councilman Joseph Mellado voted against the extension after emphasizing at last week’s work session the developers didn’t have any specific interest lined up in the lots.

Bill Jones, vice president of business development for Mericle, told Jessup council that incentives are critical to successful development.

“From our experience as a company courting and engaging prospects on a national basis, sometimes a global basis, incentives is the No. 1 or 2 question out of the box,” he said. “These companies can go anywhere. If you don’t have the right answer or a strong answer for that question, you kind of fall to the bottom of the list.”

Valley View School Board will also consider KOZ extensions, followed by Lackawanna County commissioners.

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

SCRANTON

Robbery leads

to indictment

A federal grand jury indicted a city man Tuesday with robbing a Wyoming County bank.

Wyatt Erb, 47, is accused of taking $3,950 from . No one was injured during the incident and a weapon was not displayed, Dalton police Chief Christopher Tolson said last week when Erb was apprehended. South Abington Twp. police arrested Erb shortly after the heist.

Erb could face up to 20 years in prison if he is convicted of the crime, according to U.S. attorneys.

— CLAYTON OVER

Ex-city resident

aboard Argalia

William W. Wallace, former Scranton resident, was reported to be a passenger aboard the Argalia, a British steamer, that was torpedoed by a German U-boat. It was unclear if Wallace was among the dead.

Wallace was part of a team of 40 American muleteers, who handled mule teams, that were traveling from Baltimore to Glasgow, Scotland. Before becoming a muleteer, Wallace was head waiter at the Hotel Jermyn until 1915.

When asked about Wallace, the Rev. Firman W. Means, pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church, said that he “knew him very well and he was an excellent young man.”

Post Office saves

$50 a year

First Assistant Postmaster General John Koons sent an order to Scranton that a second Post Office substation would be opened in North Scranton. W.W. Watkins managed the existing substation, and Charlotte Hawk was tapped to manage the new substation. Watkins and Hawk both received $100 a year as their salary. Watkins, who has run the first substation for years, previously received $250 a year.

The Post Office found it would be cheaper to open a second substation than to continue paying Watkins his yearly salary.

Watkins was upset with the pay cut, calling it politics. Watkins and Koons were both Republicans.

20,000 women

in food effort

Melchior Horn, secretary of the Lackawanna County branch of the state committee on public safety, reported that 20,000 women in the county enrolled in the national food conservation effort.

BRIAN FULTON, library manager, oversees The Times-Tribune’s expansive digital and paper archives and is an authority on local history. Contact Brian at bfulton@timesshamrock.com or 570-348-9140.

Abingtons

Outreach visit: State outreach assistance, Wednesday, 9 a.m.-noon by state Rep. Marty Flynn’s office, South Abington Twp. Building, second-floor meeting room, 104 Shady Lane Road, Chinchilla; 570-342-4348, information on PACE/PACENET, prescription drug coverage, unclaimed property searches, other state-related matters; 570-342-4348.

Archbald

Pork dinner: Black Diamond Hose Company 2 pork roast dinner, Aug. 26, noon-5 p.m., Rock Street station, $12, takeouts available.

Clarks Summit

Wiener sale: Newton Ransom Volunteer Fire Company Texas wiener sale, Sept. 13, 5-8 p.m. or sold-out, $2.50; call-ahead orders and larger orders, 570-604-5588.

Dunmore School

District

School orientation: Dunmore Middle School orientation for seventh-grade students and eighth-grade transfer students, Aug. 29, 1:15 p.m., students meet in the school cafeteria; 570-346-2043.

Hamlin

Purse bingo: Designer handbag bingo, Aug. 26, Hamlin Fire and Rescue Bingo Hall, Route 590, doors open 11 a.m., bingo starts at noon, $30, includes 12 regular games and hot buffet lunch, four specials — $5/game, $10/25 basket raffle chances, 50/50 — MK wallet with cash; Brenda, 570-793-1021.

Lackawanna County

Association meeting: Columbus Day Association of Lackawanna County meeting, Wednesday, 5:30 p.m., Arcaro and Genell’s, Old Forge, to plan 109th annual dinner scheduled for Oct. 8 at 8 p.m. at Fiorelli’s; Joe Fazio, 570-241-1691.

Paint party: NEPA Youth Shelter Paint Party, today, 6-8 p.m., and Saturday, noon-3 p.m., 541 Wyoming Ave., Scranton, wear paint clothes, supplies and paint supplied.

Olyphant

Board nominations: American Legion Raymond Henry Post 327 and Home Association nominations For board of directors, Sept. 11, 7 p.m.

CLIPBOARD ITEMS may be emailed to yesdesk@times

shamrock.com or mailed to Clipboard, c/o YES!Desk, 149 Penn Ave., Scranton, PA 18503. YES!Desk, 570-348-9121.

A pair of Kingston attorneys who sued a Texas-based gas driller in April over alleged water contamination in Susquehanna County are now being sued by the billion dollar company for $5 million.

Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. filed suit Monday in Susquehanna County Court against attorneys Edward Ciarimboli and Clancy Boylan, of the Fellerman & Ciarimboli law firm in Kingston. The oil and gas firm is also suing a Missouri lawyer and Susquehanna County resident Ray Kemble, who has long claimed the company’s drilling in Dimock Twp. ravaged his well water.

Ciarimboli and Boylan responded Wednesday by saying Cabot is attempting to intimidate them, but they have no plans to back down.

Cabot claims in its lawsuit that the defendants tried to obtain money from the company through a frivolous lawsuit, which was later dropped. The Houston-driller said Kemble and his lawyers sought to harass and extort the company, attract media attention and “poison” the community by recycling “stale, settled claims” against the company.

“Cabot will protect its rights and pursue justice against those who irresponsibly and maliciously abuse the legal system,” George Stark, the company’s director of external affairs, said in a statement Tuesday.

Cabot’s suit takes issue with a federal lawsuit that Kemble and his lawyers filed in April but withdrew two months later. That suit accused Cabot of continuing to pollute Kemble’s water supply. The company said the claims in Kemble’s suit were the subject of a 2012 settlement between Cabot and dozens of Dimock residents — including Kemble — and were barred by the statute of limitations. Cabot’s suit also alleges Kemble had breached the 2012 settlement by publicly talking about the company.

Kemble, who has long been one of Pennsylvania’s most visible and outspoken anti-drilling activists, did not immediately return a phone message Tuesday.

A statement released Wednesday evening by Ciarimboli and Boylan said they had learned “additional information” after filing Kemble’s lawsuit that they didn’t think benefited the case, so they dismissed the suit.

“Our dismissal was not based on the underlying factual allegations in the complaint but rather our belief that the new information would negatively affect Mr. Kemble’s case,” the statement said.

They vowed to see the dismissal of Cabot’s lawsuit for a lack of merit.

“We read the lawsuit, and it seems like a clear attempt by Cabot and the entire gas industry to intimidate us, our clients and the public from protecting their rights,” the statement said. “We will continue to protect the rights of those that have been harmed by the gas industry, not only in Susquehanna County but throughout Pennsylvania.”

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

contributed to this report

Contact the writer:

bkalinowski@citizensvoice.com

570-821-2055,

@cvbobkal on Twitter

MARRIAGE LICENSES

Christine Ann Rotherforth, Waymart, and David Bowan, Forest City.

James Eric Sweeney and Jamie Marie Bamberger, both of Scranton.

Donald Joseph Yestrepsky and Emily Marie Bielski, both of Jessup.

Paul Anthony Henry Jr. and Tanyita Amelia McCoy, both of Dupont.

DIVORCES SOUGHT

Kelly Ann Meehan, Dunmore, v. Joseph Mesko, Scranton; married Nov. 12, 2016, in Skytop; Brian J. Cali, attorney.

Patrick J. Hart Jr., Scranton, v. Jill Hart, Old Forge; married May 31, 1996, in Lackawanna County; Catherine A. Gallagher, attorney.

Shawna C. Kosciuk, Scranton, v. James J. Kosciuk, Olyphant; married Aug. 15, 1998, in Lackawanna County; Anne Marie Howells, attorney.

DIVORCE DECREES

Robert P. Theis v. Patricia Ruotolo-Theis

Job Stanley v. Stella Stanley

Nicole Shiffer v. Mark Shiffer

Doris Ann Welenc v. Bernard P. Welenc

Alyson Chomko v. Edward Chomko Jr.

Christopher Frie v. Tara Amaral

Jonathan Cooke v. Karen Anne Cooke

Danielys A. Arce v. Raphael Savinon

Amy Norris v. John Norris

Barbara Ann Posten v. Leroy John Posten

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

Secretary of Department of Housing and Urban Development to Adalberto Acevedo; a property at 502 Depot St., Scranton, for $28,400.

Jerry Warsky Kaufman, North Abington Twp., to LEC Construction Services LLC, Scranton; a property on Lily Lake Road, North Abington Twp., for $250,000.

Deutsche Bank National Trust Co., as trustee for Ameriquest Mortgage Securities Inc., West Palm Beach, Fla., to B O C One LLC, Springbrook Twp.; a property in Covington Twp. for $31,649.

Michael K. Dyshuk and Karen M. Zazzera, Lackawanna County, to Frank A. Pellicci II, Peckville; a property at 53 Rittenhouse St., Fell Twp., for $47,000.

Roberta J. Castle to Despina Tsarouhis; a property at 82 Lori Drive, Archbald, for $95,700.

Caliber Real Estate Services LLC, as attorney-in-fact for LSF8 Master Participation Trust, Irving, Texas, to Suman Saha, Throop; a property at 417 Varsity Drive, Throop, for $295,000.

Curt F. Camoni, Jessup, to Gabrielle Demyan and Joseph M. Troiani, Olyphant; a property at 101 Olga St., Jessup, for $116,000.

Shirley Barrett, Archbald, to Maribeth R. Cowley, Archbald; a property at 107 Hickory St., Archbald, for $25,000.

Bel Aire Real Estate LP, Eynon, to Thomas and Mary Obelinas, Lackawanna County; a property at 1064 Lincoln St., Dickson City, for $148,500.

Jeffrey J. Nocella, Lackawanna County, to Michael J. and Roseanne Higgins, Lackawanna County; a property at 822 Price St., Dickson City, for $95,000.

Keith P. Rudat, as executor of the estate of Janet A. Rudat, to Robert J. Jr. and Jamie Bottger; a property at 307 Maggie Road, South Abington Twp., for $189,000.

Mark and Julia Whitehead, Kingsley, to Jose Pinto, Bronx, N.Y.; a property at 1027 Wheeler Ave., Scranton, for $55,000.

Barbara Dembowski, formerly known as Barbara Bukenas, Florida, to Courtney Wright, Pennsylvania; a property at 82 W. Creek View Drive, Clifton Twp., for $100,000.

Michael A. Yager, as executor of the estate of Michael P. Yager, Old Forge, to Michael C. and Jeanette M. Kowalski, Saugus, Mass.; a property at 555 Milwaukee Ave., Old Forge, for $140,000.

Patricia M. Nicastro, Jefferson Twp., to Jason and Nichole Baxter, York; a property at 110 Debbie Drive, Jefferson Twp., for $234,900.

Joanne and Joseph R. Denero, Taylor, to Shane Evan Rielly, Taylor; a property at 1285 Reynolds Ave., Taylor, for $118,000.

Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB, doing business as Christiania Trust, not individually but as trustee for Pretium Mortgage Acquisition Trust, Irvine, Calif., to Donald E. McCall, Dalton; a property at 128 N. Abington Road, Clarks Green, for $65,000.

Jeffrey J. Coval, Scranton, to Sandra Klassner, Scranton; a property at 1410 Cornell St., Scranton, for $83,210.

William J. Jones, Blakely, to John J. and Melissa Murnock, Blakely; a property at 1112 W. Lackawanna Ave., Blakely, for $35,000.

John G. and Cheryl C. Martines, Greenfield Twp., to Gordon Marvin Speights Young and Maryann Spellman Young; a property on Sunset Ave., Greenfield Twp., for $77,000.

Victor A. Sr., Mary R. and Victor A. Jr. Gazella, Carbondale, to Pietro and Elma Virgili, Stroudsburg; a property at 152 S. Church St., Carbondale, for $100,000.

Rhonda Morrell Spickard, Knoxville, Tenn., and Denise Secoolish, Olyphant, to Electric City Enterprises LLC, Blakely; a property in Olyphant for $25,000.

ESTATES FILED

Marie Manno Kerrigan, also known as Marie A. Kerrigan, also known as Marie M. Kerrigan, also known as Marie Kerrigan, 1152 W. Locust St., Scranton, letters testamentary to Thomas P. Kerrigan, 1152 W. Locust St., Scranton.

Louise Gregorowicz, also known as Louise M. Gregorowicz, 903 Woodmere Ave., Dickson City, letters testamentary to James P. Gregorowicz, 108 N. Washington Ave., Scranton.

Celia M. Konopka, also known as Ceil Konopka, 1801 Luzerne St., Scranton, letters testamentary to Aileen Gariepy, 33 Jesswig Drive, Hamden, Conn.

Joseph Chelland, 17 Casey Ave., Old Forge, letters of administration to Melissa A. Palermo, 17 Casey Ave., Old Forge.

Sharon Louise Bonning, 110 Jefferson St., Simpson, letters of administration to Justine Manning, 150 Belmont Turnpike, Waymart; and Kerstan Bonning, 1001 Oxford St., Apt. 1, Scranton.

Duane H. Wesley, 1036 Monroe Ave., Scranton, letters testamentary to Regina Rodriguez, 6203 Lake View Road, Susquehanna.

ONLINE: thetimes-tribune.com/courts

Joe Breymeier remembers air shows at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport where his father led him through a massive C-5 cargo plane on display.

The elder Joe Breymeier once worked on C-5s as an Air Force mechanic in Oklahoma.

“He would take me aside and he would show me all the different components, just about their characteristics and its mission,” said Breymeier, now 32, a 2003 Old Forge High School graduate. “Especially seeing something that size, I think I was fascinated that something that large could get off the ground … I just remember walking through all the static displays and talking to the pilots and really getting excited. It kind of planted in my brain that this is something I might want to do when I get older.”

On Saturday and Sunday, Breymeier will go to the local air show again, but this time as part of the attractions as the Northeastern Pennsylvania Air Show revives an airport tradition.

First Lt. Joseph Breymeier of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard will pilot a CH-47D Chinook helicopter onto the tarmac, where it will go on display for the air show.

“I’m looking forward to doing this show,” he said. “I’m able to come back to the area I grew up in and serve the community … and try to educate people in the military and our missions.”

He is not the only local who will host some of the displayed planes. At least three others will — Navy Lt. Commander Tom Browning, 36, a Blakely native and 1999 Valley View High School graduate, who will fly in with an E-2C Hawkeye, a domed, radar-equipped plane used for tracking aircraft and surveillance; and Air Force Maj. James A Stillwagon, a 2000 Old Forge graduate, and Capt. Sean White of Mountain Top, who will both arrive in a T-6G Texan, a plane used to train pilots.

Both planes also will be on display.

Browning, who lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia, is with Airborne Early Warning Squadron 123, based in Norfolk, Virginia. He first attended the local air show when he was 12 or 13 years old and began lobbying for his unit to appear here as soon as he heard the air show was returning. Air shows he saw here fueled his interest in aviation. He talked at one show to a pilot who encouraged him to persist even if military recruiters discouraged him from becoming a pilot because of his weaker eyesight.

“I haven’t flown into Avoca as air crew,” Browning said. “It’ll be fun to come back up … It’s a great opportunity for the region. I loved going to them. It was always a huge draw ... Air shows are great recruiting tools. To be able to talk to some aspiring area guys, it’ll be awesome.”

The revived air show will feature more than a dozen performers and at least 26 static displays — aircraft that won’t perform, but that air show fans can inspect and use as backdrops for pictures.

The airport, which always struggled to break even on air shows, lost $23,000 on the 18th and last one in 2000. The air shows ended because of the new terminal construction. The new terminal opened in May 2006, but airport officials didn’t rush to bring back the air show.

In September 2013, Lackawanna County Commissioner Corey O’Brien suggested a possible return, but the idea lagged under former director Barry Centini, who expressed skepticism because of costs and logistical issues.

After Centini retired, Carl Beardsley Jr. took over as airport director in January 2015, and thought the air show would serve as a great way to connect to the community. Beardsley, who organized air shows as head of the airport in Binghamton, New York, budgeted $380,000 for this one, but expects that number to rise because the airport had to buy fencing and other equipment that it lacked.

Officials hope for at least 15,000 visitors.

“If we had 20,000 would I feel confident that we’re going to break even? Sure,” Beardsley said. “I think we’re going to have a great response and the reason being that I’m seeing all the pent-up demand that occurred between now and 17 years ago. People are so happy that the air show is coming back.”

He encouraged people to arrive early to avoid traffic delays, especially if they plan to use remote free parking rather than paid parking at the airport grounds.

For David Schultz, whose company runs the air show, it marks a return to where his company started hosting air shows in 1994.

“I’m excited on this one because this is actually the birthplace of our company,” Schultz said. “This is a nice homecoming.”

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

If you go

Gates: Open 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday

Tickets: $20 for ages 13 and up; $15 for ages 6-12; veterans and active duty military; free for children 5 and under. Buying tickets online or at ShurSave supermarkets gets you a $2 discount that ends Friday

Parking: Free at Northeast Fair grounds, 20 Freeport Road, Pittston Twp. VIP, $20, preferred, $10, both near air show grounds.

Transportation: Free shuttles from Northeast Fair grounds lots. Free COLTS buses from Lackawanna Transit Center, 100 Lackawanna Ave., Scranton, starting at 9:30 a.m. with last bus back to Scranton at 5:05 p.m. Free LCTA buses from Wilkes-Barre Transit Center just off Public Square, starting at 9:25 a.m. with last bus back to Wilkes-Barre at 5:15 p.m.

Closures: Pennsylvania Turnpike between exits 115 in Dupont and 131 in Clarks Summit on Friday from 12:15 to 1:45 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday between 1:30 and 4 p.m. On-ramps at exit 122, Keyser Avenue in Taylor.

For more information: nepairshow.com and NEPAirshow app, available in the Apple App Store and Google Play

Performance schedules (all times tentative):

Saturday

10:50 a.m., Opening ceremony

11:00 a.m., National anthem with Army Golden Knights Flag Jump

11:08 a.m., Army Golden Knights Mass Exit Show

11:20 a.m., Rob Holland MXS Teaser

11:28 a.m., Greg Shelton PT-17 Stearman solo

11:43 a.m., T-6/SNJ Formation Flight (3 passes)

11:55 a.m., Kevin Russo SNJ-6 Aerobatics

12:10 a.m., Warbird Flight (B-25, TBM, P-51)

12:25 p.m., Andrew McKenna P-51D Mustang demonstration

12:40 p.m., ChefPitts S1S Aerobatics

1:04 p.m., Lee Leets Tucano MK.1 demonstration

1:19 p.m., Jacquie B Extra 300 Aerobatics

1:33 p.m., NASCAR vs. Airshow Race

1:42 p.m., Randy Ball MiG-17 demonstration

1:57 p.m., Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet Demonstration

2:20 p.m., Greg Shelton Wingwalking featuring Ashley Shelton

2:46 p.m., Army Golden Knights full show

3:23 p.m., Rob Holland MXS Aerobatics

3:28 p.m., Air Force F-22 Raptor demonstration

3:53 p.m., Air Force Heritage Flight (F-22 & P-51)

Sunday

10:50 a.m., Opening ceremony

11:00 a.m., National Anthem with Army Golden Knights Flag Jump

11:08 a.m., Army Golden Knights mass exit show

11:20 a.m., Rob Holland MXS teaser

11:28 a.m., Greg Shelton PT-17 Stearman solo

11:48 a.m., T-6/SNJ Formation Flight (3-passes)

12:05 p.m., Kevin Russo SNJ-6 Aerobatics

12:20 p.m., Warbird Flight (B-25, TBM, P-51)

12:35 p.m., Andrew McKenna P-51D Mustang demonstration

12:50 p.m., ChefPitts S1S Aerobatics

1:10 p.m., Lee Leets Tucano MK.1 demonstration

1:25 p.m., Jacquie B Extra 300 Aerobatics

1:39 p.m., NASCAR vs. AIRSHOW Race

1:47 p.m., Randy Ball MiG-17 Demonstration

2:02 p.m., Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet Demonstration

2:20 p.m., Air Force enlistment ceremony

2:30 p.m., Greg Shelton Wingwalking featuring Ashley Shelton

2:59 p.m., Rob Holland MXS Aerobatics

3:19 p.m., Army Golden Knights full show

4:00 p.m., Air Force F-22 Raptor demonstration

4:15 p.m., Air Force Heritage Flight (F-22 & P-51)

Scheduled aircrafts on display: Aeronca L-16; Boeing Stearman PT-17; C-17 Globemaster III; C-54E Skymaster; C-123K Provider; Cessna L-19 / O-1 Bird Dog; CH-47D Chinook; E-2C Hawkeye; EA-18 Growler; EC-130J Commando Solo; KC-135R Stratotanker; L-21B Seneca; MC-130J Commando II; MH-65D Dolphin; Navion L-17A; SNJ-5 Texan; Stinson L-5 Sentinel; Stinson 10 (L-9) Voyager; T-6A/B Texan II; T-6G Texan; T-38 Talon; T-51 (Cessna 150G); TBM-3E Avenger; Top Cub CC18-180; UH-60 Blackhawk; and UH-72 Lakota.

Lisa Ann Mecca turned to the courtroom gallery, scrunched her face and tried to speak.

Broken apologies reached the family of Shane Rivenburgh, the boy she killed while driving under the influence last year. Her heaving sobs choked off most of her words Wednesday before Lackawanna County President Judge Michael J. Barrasse sentenced her to four to 10 years in state prison.

“I’m so sorry I put you through this,” she managed to say at one point.

The Rivenburghs met her weepy mea culpa with stony eyes. They wanted an example made of her.

“She doesn’t have the right to cry over our son,” the 18-year-old’s father, Scott Rivenburgh, said later. “She doesn’t deserve it.”

Mecca, 51, of Dickson City, pleaded guilty in February to homicide by vehicle while DUI, a general impairment count of DUI and a traffic violation for the April 13, 2016, crash that left Rivenburgh, a former Lakeland baseball star, dying on Business Route 6 near Betty Street in Archbald. He died of injuries later that day.

Mecca, police charged that August, had a combination of 60 nanograms per milliliter of hydrocodone and 98 ng/ml of alprazolam in her blood. Alprazolam, a benzodiazepine used to treat anxiety and panic disorder, has a toxic threshold of 75 ng/ml.

Driving under the influence of a prescription is no less dangerous than driving drunk, Barrasse chastised.

“I hope, one day, you realize the pain you have inflicted,” Barrasse said.

Cathy Rivenburgh, the victim’s mother, spoke of wanting stricter laws governing license suspension of suspects in serious DUI offenses. Called “Shane’s Law,” she championed in court a state Senate bill which would issue a mandatory license suspension for drivers charged with DUIs involving death or serious injury or in cases where a child younger than 14 is in the vehicle. That bill, introduce by State Sen. John Blake, D-22, Archbald, among others, is before the Senate’s transportation committee, where it has been without a vote since March 24.

“There’s not a day that goes by I don’t cry for my son,” Cathy Rivenburgh said.

The 18-year-old’s sister spoke next. Ari Rivenburgh said Shane is still her brother. The past tense will never do.

Helping write her brother’s obituary and sort through his belongings have left scars. She requested the maximum sentence of 10 years and asked the judge to consider this as if Shane Rivenburgh had been his son or brother. Barrasse, who himself lost his son, Cody, in an April 2013 car crash in Pittsburgh, listened in silence as Ari Rivenburgh finished her remarks.

“I don’t want a new normal,” Ari Rivenburugh said. “I want my brother.”

Deputy District Attorney Brian Gallagher noted the homicide by vehicle charge carried a mandatory minimum sentence of three years but asked the judge to craft a sentence that “sends a message.”

Mecca, who had been arrested for DUI about a year before the crash that left Rivenburgh dead, had been dogged by prescription drug abuse for at least a decade, Barrasse said. At a court hearing last year, Mecca’s husband, Dan Mecca, said she has undergone three back surgeries.

Mecca’s previous DUI, an April 2015 traffic stop in Blakely, was disposed of through the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program, which can expunge the record of first-time, nonviolent offenders.

Mecca sought treatment after her arraignment last year. Her attorney, Thomas Munley, told the judge that Mecca has been through rehabilitation since then.

Scott Rivenburgh, though, considered it too little too late. He joined his family in calling for “Shane’s Law” and hoped that Barrasse’s sentence might spare another family their pain.

“It wasn’t an accident,” Scott Rivenburgh said. “It was a choice. She made the choice to do that every single day until she finally killed someone. Then she thought, ‘Oh, I need help.’ Way too late … I think if it starts, if they don’t just hand out the minimum, maybe it’ll scare more people. Maybe they’ll start doing the right thing.”

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

Two third-party Scranton mayoral candidates describe attempts to knock them off the election ballot as a “witch hunt” and “pathetic and dirty.”

Both Gary St. Fleur and Giovanni Piccolino vowed to fight to stay on the ballot next Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. when challenges to their being on the ballot are fought in Lackawanna County Court.

St. Fleur, who described the challenges to his nominating papers as a “witch hunt,” is the Libertarian Party candidate.

Piccolino, the Independent for Mayor candidate, called the challenges to his papers “a joke” and “pathetic and dirty.” He blamed attorney Jim Mulligan, the Republican mayor nominee because he thinks Mulligan fears his candidacy.

“I hate him, I really do,” Piccolino said.

Efforts to reach Mulligan, who is not challenging the two third-party candidates’ nominating papers, were unsuccessful Wednesday. His campaign issued a statement in which Mulligan is quoted as saying he “share(s) the objectors’ concerns” and called many of the signatures on Piccolino’s nominating papers “questionable.”

The statement did not address St. Fleur’s papers.

The challengers of Piccolino’s and St. Fleur’s nominating papers, Republican voters Barbara Marinucci and William Lodge, contend they lack the required number of signatures to get on the Nov. 7 election ballot. They say St. Fleur and Piccolino need at least 170 valid signatures each, but at least 78 of the 210 names on St. Fleur’s papers and 87 of the 228 names on Piccolino’s papers are invalid. That would leave St. Fleur with only 132 signatures and Piccolino with only 141, Marinucci and Lodge contend.

Many people who signed the papers aren’t registered to vote, have wrong addresses listed, wrote their names or addresses illegibly, or signed without including a signing date or incorrectly writing one, they allege.

They also contend that neither St. Fleur nor Piccolino were present when some people signed even though both candidates are listed as circulators of all their nominating papers.

In St. Fleur’s case, Marinucci and Lodge also claim he filed his papers too late. The Lackawanna County Bureau of Elections closes at 4 p.m., but St. Fleur filed at 4:23 p.m., had to have a notary public come to the bureau to notarize them after 4:20 p.m. and did not file required by-laws of the Libertarian Party until 4:14 p.m., according to the challenge.

“It is unfair and unjust that St. Fleur is allowed to file papers beyond the authorized time limit set for in the (state) election code and by the county board (of elections) while other potential candidates must follow (the) rules,” the challenges say.

In Piccolino’s case, Marinucci and Lodge also say some names on his papers were printed by someone other than the signer, and some names were falsified.

St. Fleur and Piccolino want to get on the ballot to run against Mulligan and Mayor Bill Courtright, the Democratic nominee.

Piccolino, 41, a downtown pizzeria owner and registered Republican, already lost an attempt to fend off a previous challenge. Piccolino withdrew in March from the Republican mayor race in the May 16 primary election after other party voters challenged the validity of his nominating petitions.

“They obviously don’t want me on the ballot,” said St. Fleur, 33, a writer and one of eight people suing the city to challenge its taxing power. “Anything that goes against the status quo is highly opposed.”

He vowed to win the challenge, saying he doubts anyone can prove 78 of his signatures invalid.

“That’s a very hard thing to do,” St. Fleur said.

Marinucci, who years ago actively ran the Greater Scranton City Republican Committee, denied Mulligan or his campaign asked her to file the challenges. She focused her comments on Piccolino, and questioned his suitability to be mayor because he briefly sought a vacant Republican city council nomination while planning his independent mayor run.

“If you had your heart set on being mayor, why would you ever ask for an appointment to council?” she asked.

Piccolino, who wrote a letter two weeks ago seeking the council nomination and promising to abandon his mayoral bid if he got it, denied offering to drop out if he got the nomination. Confronted with the letter, which Republicans provided Wednesday, Piccolino said he just was exploring his options. He said he never seriously considered the council nomination, which is why he never went to the party meeting Monday when the council nominee was chosen.

Efforts to reach Lodge were unsuccessful.

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

Three people accused of brutally strangling a man with a set of jumper cables and dumping his body in Susquehanna County last summer pleaded guilty Wednesday in Lackawanna County Court.

With the parents and other family members of victim Joshua Rose filling several rows in the courtroom, the shackled defendants shuffled in one after another and admitted their guilt — Preston Layfield, 23, Scranton, to third-degree murder and Tyler Mirabelli, 23, of Clarks Summit, and Amanda Wayda, 21, of Shickshinny, each to third-degree murder as an accomplice.

Each could face up to 40 years in prison.

Judge Andy Jarbola did not immediately set dates for their sentencings.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Mariclare Hayes said after the hearing the goal of investigators and prosecutors from the outset was to find out what happened to Rose and to hold the individuals responsible for his death accountable.

“I think that was accomplished with the pleas today,” she said.

Rose, 21, of Luzerne, was suffering from a possible drug overdose at a home in Scranton’s Hill section Aug. 25, when the defendants placed him in the front seat of a vehicle and, instead of taking him to nearby Moses Taylor Hospital, headed north on Interstate 81 with Mirabelli driving and Layfield and Wayda in the back.

According to the police narrative, Wayda put a plastic bag over Rose’s head before instructing Layfield to place the jumper cables around the victim’s neck and encouraging him to pull, which Layfield told police he did for several minutes.

When the trio stopped to get gas, someone put sunglasses and a hat on the unresponsive Rose.

They continued north on 81 for another 20 minutes before exiting the interstate and pushing Rose’s body over an embankment near railroad tracks off Glenwood Road in Hop Bottom. Investigators found his body four days later.

Before accepting the guilty pleas, Jarbola questioned each defendant at length about their understanding of the process, the rights they would be giving up and whether they committed the crime as charged.

The only hiccup came after Hayes recited the facts of the case against Wayda.

“Do you admit you did those things?” the judge asked.

“No,” Wayda replied.

After conferring quietly with his client, Wayda’s attorney, James Elliott, said she does not acknowledge placing the plastic bag over Rose’s head but does admit encouraging Layfield to strangle the victim. Both Hayes and Jarbola indicated that was satisfactory.

In exchange for their pleas, other charges against the defendants including first-degree murder, aggravated assault and abuse of corpse will be dropped.

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

WILKES-BARRE
Times-Leader parent sells 3 papers

Civitas Media, the North Carolina-based company that owns The Times Leader in Wilkes-Barre, has sold a group of three newspapers in Kentucky and Tennessee to Paxton Media Group.

The newspapers include the Grayson County News-Gazette in Leitchfield, Kentucky, the News-Democrat & Leader in Russellville, Kentucky, and the Macon County Times in Lafayette, Tennessee.

The transaction follows acquisitions of Civitas Media newspapers in North and South Carolina, a newspaper in Missouri, 16 newspapers in Ohio and five newspapers in West Virginia.

A call to Civitas Media was not immediately returned Wednesday.

The Times Leader Media Group is not among the properties that have been sold. However, its building at 15 N. Main St. in Wilkes-Barre remains for sale for $1.25 million on Lewith & Freeman Real Estate’s website.

— DENISE ALLABAUGH

PLAINS TWP.

Mohegan Sun Pocono will host a career fair Monday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Keystone Grand Ballroom.

Full- and part-time positions are available. Immediate openings are available for cooks/stewards, cleaning attendants, housekeeping attendants and Player’s Club representatives.

“We’re not certain of an exact number that we will be hiring at this time, but it will be for at least four different departments at Mohegan Sun Pocono,” said Robert Burkett, director of marketing.

Candidates are encouraged to search job descriptions and submit an online application at mohegan sunpocono.com/about-mohegan-sun-pocono/careers.html prior to attending the career fair.

— DENISE ALLABAUGH

PLYMOUTH — Kayla Dyches, who can climb more than 40 feet on aerial silks, says becoming a circus arts performer saved her life.

Dyches, 33, suffered from anorexia as a gymnast in her late teens and early 20s and, at her lightest, she weighed 90 pounds.

When she wanted to become an aerialist years ago, her trainers told her she needed to eat and take care of herself to be strong enough to do it.

“This was enough inspiration for me to actually change my eating habits and get stronger and get out of that rut so that I could actually excel here,” Dyches said.

Dyches, who is formerly from Alabama and now lives in Wyoming Borough, recently opened Riot Circus Arts in a former Methodist church at 236 W. Main St., Plymouth. She moved the business from its former location on Rutter Avenue in Kingston.

Riot Circus Arts offers training, health, fitness and event services.

Some people take classes as a hobby or to become more physically fit and some are interested in a career in circus arts, she said.

“We fit everyone’s needs,” Dyches said. “Whether you’re trying to get in shape or if you’re looking to get a job on a cruise ship or get a job in a show, we’ll help you get there.”

While the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus has come to an end after a run of 146 years, she said there are several other opportunities for performers such as Cirque du Soleil and Cirque Éloize.

Jobs are available for circus acts on cruise ships, and at casinos, hotels, theme parks and festivals around the world.

“You have so many shows and options all over the world,” Dyches said. “I’ve been offered contracts in Monaco and Dubai and casinos.

Riot Circus Arts is unique in the area and Dyches was attracted to the Plymouth building because of its 42-foot high ceilings.

“Our ceilings here are 42 feet and I’ll climb as high as you want me to go,” said Dyches, who also showed stunts she could do on an aerial ring. “The great thing about old churches is no one really has a use for vertical space but I do.”

Classes at Riot Circus Arts range from the beginner level to advanced ,with guest instructors from all over the world, Dyches said.

The classes allow students to learn about everything from aerial silks and aerial rings to flexibility contortion. The business also offers standard fitness classes and “Mommy and me” classes.

The building also can be rented for events such as birthday parties and bachelorette parties.

“I’m trying to fill classes and bring a legit circus training facility to the area,” she said.

For information, call 912-656-4649.

Contact the writer:

dallabaugh@citizensvoice.com; 570-821-2115,

@CVAllabaugh on Twitter

For the second time in as many days, local police charged Ernest Deininger with huffing electronics cleaner while with two young children.

Scranton police arrested Deininger, 23, of Dickson City, and Miranda Kipp, 21, 721 Main St., Edwardsville, at about 7:35 p.m. Tuesday at the Southside Shopping Center on South Washington Avenue. Officers saw the pair leaning against a building there with the two boys when they say Deininger tried to hide behind a stroller and inhale from a can of air duster, according to court documents. Police also observed Kipp take the can, inhale from it, then try to hide it under a towel, police said. Officers then took the pair into custody.

Duster is an aerosol product with the intended use of cleaning computers and other electronics, but can be abused as an inhalant.

Both Deininger and Kipp told city police they inhaled the product, and Deininger told them using it is “his alternative to Suboxone,” according to court documents. Suboxone is a prescription drug used to treat people addicted to opioids.

Officers later learned Deininger had previously been arrested and a condition of his bail was that he have no contact with Kipp or her children, police said.

The arrests in Scranton comes a day after Taylor police encountered Deininger and Kipp with the children, a 2-year old and a 6-month-old. Police there found Deininger unresponsive and holding a can of duster with the children nearby at about 12:45 a.m. Monday. Officers and charged him with endangering the welfare of children and offenses related to using the inhalant.

Deininger and Kipp are each charged with endangering the welfare of children and illegal use of a solvent stemming from the incident in Scranton. Magisterial District Judge Joanne Price Corbett arraigned Deininger and Kipp on Wednesday morning and set bail for each at $10,000. They are held at Lackawanna County Prison. Kipp’s mother took custody of the children, police said.

Preliminary hearings are scheduled for Tuesday.

Contact the writer:

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

@ClaytonOver on Twitter

A 21-year-old Scranton man will spend at least 5½ years in state prison on charges he fired six bullets from a handgun on a residential street in Scranton last fall, a judge ordered Wednesday.

Nyriq Johnson, of 932 Quincy Ave., appeared Wednesday before Lackawanna County President Judge Michael J. Barrasse and learned his sentence, which could be as much as 12 years in prison.

Johnson pleaded guilty in May to counts of aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person and firearms not to be carried without a license. The judge also sentenced him on a separate drug charge. Detectives said he was a Crips street gang member.

“He reacted badly,” Kim Giombetti, Johnson’s attorney, told the judge. “He reacted with fear.”

Scranton police charged that Johnson argued with a man Oct. 12, on the 300 block of Railroad Avenue then pulled out a black handgun and pointed it at him as a woman approached to ask them to take their dispute elsewhere.

Police said he fired six bullets, which struck a vehicle but did not strike anyone. Officers soon found five .380-cailber casings. Johnson fled and police and U.S. marshals captured him late the next day on Ward Place.

Giombetti described her client as a high school graduate raised by a single mother. She also said Johnson was on his way to a job interview at the time of the shooting.

“He was on his way to a job interview with a gun?” Barrasse asked.

Giombetti and Johnson said the man he shot at had clashed with him before.

County sheriff’s deputies led Johnson away in handcuffs. He was in Lackawanna County Prison on Wednesday. Once his sentence is served, Johnson will spend nine years on probation.

Contact the writer:

jkohut@timesshamrock.com, 570-348-9144;

@jkohutTT on Twitter.