FACTORYVILLE

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 Carbondale man faces charges after agents with the state Office of Attorney General said they discovered child pornography during a search of his apartment Tuesday.

An investigation that led to the arrest of Daniel Brayman, 30, 34 Wayne St., Apt. 3, started in June, when authorities discovered a file containing child porn on an online file sharing network, according to court documents. Agents linked the IP address of the computer sharing the file to Brayman, investigators said.

Agents went to Brayman’s apartment on Tuesday afternoon after getting a search warrant and talked to him there. Brayman told authorities he has been downloading, saving and looking at child pornography for five years and knows it is wrong, but he “cannot stop the urges,” according to court documents. Agents also searched some of the electronics at Brayman’s apartment and discovered at least 25 videos of apparent child pornography, which depicted children under the age of 13 engaged in sex acts, according to charging papers.

Brayman faces charges related to having and distributing child pornography. Magisterial District Judge Joanne Price Corbett arraigned Brayman on Wednesday afternoon. He is held in Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $200,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.

Contact the writer:

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

@ClaytonOver on Twitter

SCRANTON

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

SCRANTON

The Harrison Avenue Bridge won’t be closed all day today and Friday after all.

The state Department of Transportation said Tuesday the bridge would close between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. each day, but spokesman James May said the department learned today the closings would only have to happen intermittently each day.

The bridge must close intermittently to allow a PPL Electric Utilities contractor to install 69,000-volt power lines on a new tower.

Because of the uncertainty of closures, drivers should avoid the bridge until Friday evening and use alternate routes, May said.

— BORYS KRAWCZENIUK

WILKES-BARRE — Rick Bevan went fishing Tuesday afternoon like he normally does, but when he didn’t return to his Plains Twp. home by his normal time, his wife began to worry.

Deputy Fire Chief Alan Klapat said she called 911 and search crews found his boat abandoned on the Susquehanna River — launching an hours-long search that stretched into Wednesday as crews scoured the water and banks for any sign of Bevan, 54.

Klapat said Bevan’s boat was found upright between the Market Street and Black Diamond bridges after emergency crews started searching after 11 p.m. Tuesday.

Crews called off the initial search around 2:15 a.m. Wednesday and resumed in the daylight.

Klapat called Bevan an experienced fisherman who would often go out on the river in the afternoon and return home by 8 p.m.

Multiple water rescue crews, including dive crews, launched from Nesbitt Park on Wednesday to search for Bevan. Klapat said they remained hopeful and would update Bevan’s family members — many of whom gathered near the boat launch to watch the search — with any new information.

“We’re going to search as long as possible,” Klapat said.

A group of Bevan’s family and friends kept watch at the boat launch as the search continued throughout the day. Some came in and out, bringing food and bottled water to keep everyone going.

Ashley Bevan of Plains Twp., Rick Bevan’s daughter, implored friends and residents to help find her father in a widely-shared Facebook post.

“Please help bring my dad home,” she wrote. “His family needs him. I’m begging and praying to have my dad brought home to me.”

Contact the writer:

sscinto@citizensvoice.com

570-821-2048, @sscintoCV

The 14th annual Plymouth Alive Kielbasa Festival is not the only festival of its kind — many towns across the country have set aside days to celebrating the popular Polish sausage.

What is the history behind this traditional European wurst? William Woys Weaver, aka W3, shared insight and answers.

Weaver is an internationally known food historian and author of 17 books. He is director of the Keystone Center for the Study of Pennsylvania Foods and Food Tourism, based in Devon, near Philadelphia.

Weaver first clarifies that although we use it as such, the term kielbasa does not specify a particular type of sausage, it is just how one says “sausage” in Polish. This is similar to how we refer to a traditional Mexican hat as a “sombrero” — the Spanish word for hat.

“The sausage culture for which Poland is now so famous,” Weaver explained, “was transferred to Poland from Germany during the Middle Ages.”

Polish kings who considered engaging in commerce to be menial invited foreigners to settle in Poland to bring “economic vitality” to urban life, according to Weaver.

Many of these foreigners were Germans, introducing the making of sausage as an urban trade.

“Thus, sausage making was not originally a dimension of rural Polish home cookery, but rather an art preserved in the hands of professional butchers who specialized in sausages,” Weaver said.

Polish butchers embraced and reinvented the sausage-making culture of the German, Weaver said. The influence of the Germans was pervasive and spread to many parts of Poland.

This has resulted in a wide variety of Polish sausages, rather than one distinct recipe, not only throughout Poland but the world.

“Poland is a huge country … and is actually a collage composed of rich regional cuisines of highly distinctive character,” Weaver said.

The first Polish cookbook was published by chef Stanislaus Czerniecki in 1682. The recipes in this book, such as cheese kielbasa, were “rare and effete,” Weaver said.

“The message here is that old Polish cookery celebrated creativity, novelty and a flair for the unusual, all of which can be found in the story of the Polish sausage,” he said.

Weaver says many traditional Polish sausage recipes require a professional kitchen and sometimes an “army of farmers” to prepare. Still, considered the “bible” for Polish sausage recipes is the 1926 cookbook “Krakowskie Wroby Wędliniarskie,” which translates to “Krakow Sausage Products,” by Andrzej Różycki.

Weaver translated and edited “Food and Drink in Medieval Poland,” an originally Polish book by Maria Dembinska. It is available online from the University Press of Pennsylvania.

The Kielbasa Festival will be held Aug. 11-12 on Main Street in Plymouth. The festival runs from noon to 11 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday.

For information, visit plymouthalive.org. For information on William Woys Weaver and his work, visit williamwoysweaver.com.

DUNMORE — More educational opportunities are opening up for Lackawanna College students.

Lackawanna students who graduate with an associate’s degree will now have direct transfer options to the three regional Penn State campuses under an agreement signed today at Penn State Worthington Scranton.

In announcing the articulation agreement, the leaders of the four institutions said it will be beneficial to both students and their schools.

The agreement will let students who want to pursue a four-year degree to seamlessly transfer all of their credits earned at Lackawanna to Penn State Worthington Scranton, Penn State Wilkes-Barre or Penn State Hazleton.

The transfer applies to four-year programs in administration of justice, human development and family studies, letters, arts and sciences, rehabilitation and human services, and psychology.

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

A federal grand jury indicted a 56-year-old Scranton man on charges of wire and bank fraud and faces as much as 50 years in prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania said.

Jeffrey John Olson defrauded a man of more than $30,000 by persuading him to invest in a phony business venture, U.S. Attorney Bruce D. Brandler said. Olson then used the victim’s money for things like rent and a car, Brandler said.

Olson’s attorney, Joseph A. O’Brien, declined to comment.

The FBI investigated and filed a complaint in June. A grand jury then returned an indictment this week. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts is prosecuting.

In the indictment, prosecutors said Olson falsely told the victim that he has 25 years of experience in the auto parts business and once operated a successful aftermarket auto parts business. Olson claimed he wanted to restart the business but needed some start-up cash. He promised a large financial return.

The victim, whom prosecutors did not identify, paid Olson $30,940 in September, then was told to buy a truck in November for the business. The victim filled out an online credit application to receive an estimate for his monthly truck payments and texted Olson his credit card number at Olson’s request, Brandler said.

The victim then texted Olson that he changed his mind and didn’t want to buy the truck. However, his credit card was charged $3,000 and the dealership told him he did buy the truck and it was fitted with a snowplow at Olson’s request, Brandler said.

On March 14, Olson gave the victim a $200,000 personal check, claiming it to be a return on his investment, according to the indictment. The victim tried to cash it a week later but the check bounced.

On March 31, Olson gave the victim a fraudulent J.P. Morgan Chase Bank cashier’s check for $200,000, Brandler said.

Olson is in Lackawanna County Prison. He is scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph F. Saporito Jr. in Wilkes-Barre at 10 a.m. Wednesday.

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

SCRANTON — The Harrison Avenue Bridge is open and won’t have to close again Friday.

A contractor for PPL Electric Utilities finished relocating high-voltage power lines, allowing for an uninterrupted reopening ahead of schedule, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation spokesman James May said. The bridge was supposed to close intermittently during the day through Friday.

— BORYS KRAWCZENIUK

A 48-year-old Carbondale woman pointed a gun at her neighbors during a dispute Wednesday that began with her telling her dog it could defecate “where ever you want,” city police charged.

Lora Marie Zalepa-Wormuth, 8 Copeland Ave., is charged with terroristic threats, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, disorderly conduct and harassment, according to a criminal complaint.

Zalepa-Wormuth’s neighbor, Michelle Gunderman, told police that, after telling her dog to defecate while near Gunderman’s house, Zalepa-Wormuth pulled a black handgun out of her waistband, cocked it and looked at Gunderman and her son. She put the handgun back into her waistband and sat on her front porch.

Gunderman called 911. While on the phone with dispatchers, Gunderman overheard Zalepa-Wormuth ask someone “is it OK if I bring the AK on the front porch?” Zalepa-Wormuth went inside and emerged with a rifle and pointed it at Gunderman and her son.

Police arrived and took Zalepa-Wormuth into custody.

Zalepa-Wormuth is in Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $20,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday next week at 10:15 a.m.

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

Elvis Presley. Howard Hughes. Larry Holmes. Earl Granville.

The national division of the Junior Chamber International recently named veteran and public speaker Granville, of Scott Twp. , as a Top Outstanding Young American. The organization annually honors 10 people under 40 who best exemplify the finest attributes of America’s youthful achievers. The Greater Scranton Jaycees, the local chapter of the organization, nominated Granville for contributions to the community and country and for the way he’s handled adversity and inspired others, said Jen Radzwillowicz, chairperson of the local group.

“To me, it’s very humbling and I couldn’t be more honored,” Granville said in an interview Thursday.

Granville served nine years in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. An infantryman, Granville deployed to Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan. While on patrol in Zormat, Afghanistan, a roadside bomb struck a vehicle he rode in. The blast resulted in the amputation of his left leg and killed two of his comrades, Major Scott Hagerty and Specialist Derek Holland. In 2010, his twin brother, Staff Sergeant Joseph Granville, took his own life.

Earl Granville, who medically retired from the Army with the rank of staff sergeant, has since worked as a public speaker to raise awareness about mental health challenges of military personnel and veterans — and the importance of seeking help when facing mental distress. Granville is also an adaptive athlete and has competed in numerous marathons across the country, including the 2017 Boston Marathon.

Granville said being named a Top Outstanding Young American will help spread his message, one that he said applies to everyone, not just veterans.

“One way or another, we’re going to face adversity and we don’t have to face it alone,” Granville said.

The Top Outstanding Young American honors, originally called the Ten Outstanding Young Men of America, dates back to 1938. Other recipients over the years include U.S. presidents Bill Clinton, Richard Nixon, John F. Kennedy and Gerald Ford, as well as Presley, Hughes, Holmes and many other leaders in entertainment, politics and sports. The majority of recipients, like Granville, are recognized for their contributions to their communities.

Granville is the first person nominated by the Scranton chapter, Radzwillowicz said.

“He’s a great guy in general and he’s doing tremendous things,” she said.

Granvillle and nine other Top Outstanding Young Americans will be honored at an awards ceremony on Sept. 23 in St. Louis.

Contact the writer: cover@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5363; @ClaytonOver on Twitter

Top Outstanding Young American honorees, 2017:

• Caitlin Crommett, 23, speaker/trainer, CEO, DreamCatchers Foundation, North Hollywood, California.

• Jane Cummins, 40, founder/CEO, The HEART Program, Houston, Texas.

• Chinh Doan, 27, news anchor/reporter, KETV, Omaha, Nebraska.

• Senior Master Sgt. Benjamin S. Garrison, 37, United States Air Force, Germany.

• Earl Granville, 34, staff sergeant US Army (Ret.) and public speaker, Scott Township.

• Maggie Henjum, 31, owner/founder of Motion, St. Louis Park, Minnesota.

• Sam Kuhnert, 25, co-founder, NubAbility Athletics, Tamaroa, Illinois.

• Kenneth Raimondi, 36, producer/director, Schertz, Texas.

• Christopher Ulmer, 28, founder, Special Books by Special Kids, Neptune Beach, Florid.

• Senator Tony Vargas, 37, Nebraska Legislature – District 7, Omaha, Nebraska.

CARBONDALE — A woman scrolling through her boyfriend’s cellphone discovered sexually explicit messages to a 12-year-old, police said, sparking an investigation that led to child rape charges.

Police charged Charles Claude Schoonover, 32, 34 Mitchell Ave., Carbondale, with rape of a child, possessing sexual photographs of a child and a related count.

His girlfriend, Allisia Lowden, went to police on July 27 to report finding the Facebook messages between Schoonover and the child on Schoonover’s phone, police said.

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

Carbondale police obtained a search warrant for Schoonover’s cellphone and both his and the victim’s Facebook accounts. Police discovered Schoonover had deleted the messages he exchanged with the victim and had saved her in his contacts as “Special Friend,” according to the complaint.

In an interview at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Northeast Pennsylvania on July 31, the 12-year-old said Schoonover asked her to send him nude photographs of herself. He also propositioned her for sexual acts, police said.

The victim also said Schoonover forced her to have sex with him between July 17-21, the girl’s grandmother told a Lackawanna County Department of Youth and Family Services caseworker.

Schoonover is registered as a sex offender in Pennsylvania after he pleaded guilty to indecent assault and corruption of minors in 2003 and again in 2005, police said.

He was captured in Vandling with help from U.S. Marshals and Lackawanna County detectives, police said.

Bail and a preliminary hearing date were not available late Thursday.

Contact the writer: flesnefsky@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5186

Facing a deficit that is expected to approach $40 million by the end of the year, Scranton school directors unanimously rejected a state arbitrator’s recommendation tonight to give teachers regular step raises over the next two years without additional cost-of-living adjustments.

Normally when the union contract is not expired, teachers advance one step annually on a 16-step wage scale that ranges from $38,377 to $81,690, depending on years of service and educational attainment.

On Monday, the Scranton Federation of Teachers unanimously accepted the proposal to end the impasse for a successor agreement to the current contract, which expires Aug. 31, said Rosemary Boland, president of the union. She described the terms as fair and taking into account the district’s financial condition.

Asked if a strike is now possible, she responded: “The fact that they rejected it puts everything back on the table.”

“We start over again,” she continued. “It just puts us back to square one. All possibilities are available for us at this point.”

Bob Sheridan, president of the school board, described Scranton School District’s finances as “dire” and said the district doesn’t have the money. Like Boland, he spoke only in generalities because the fact finder hasn’t released the report yet.

“We have a big deficit,” Sheridan said. “We have to find the money and figure out where we’re going to find savings to bring the budget down. We’ve been very good to the teachers in the last two contracts, and now we’re asking everyone to step up to the plate and give back a little bit. ... Everybody needs to chip in and do their part.”

Boland later called the statement “nonsense” and cited raises the board has given administrators over the last four years.

“The people who are stepping up to the plate can’t always be the teachers and the paraprofessionals,” she said. “They even spent money tonight on (appointments and promotions).”

Among several personnel moves, school directors promoted Carl Pugliese — School Director Jim Timlin’s niece’s husband — to acting maintenance foreman, with the title becoming permanent when the current foreman retires at the end of the year.

The vote was 6-3, with directors Mark McAndrew, Paul Duffy and Robert Casey voting no. Timlin cast a vote in favor of the appointment, saying after the meeting it wasn’t nepotism because the move wasn’t a new hire.

The school board also heard some early analysis from Dean Kaplan, managing director of Public Financial Management, a firm tasked with doing an independent review of Scranton School District’s finances after the state placed the district on financial watch status.

Kaplan told the school board the district has a structural deficit that is on track to grow about $3 million per year without “corrective action.”

“Salaries and wages and benefits are the vast majority of your budget, and you’re going to have to address that somehow going forward in order to balance the budget,” Kaplan said.

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

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

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

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

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.

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