Reports of a man on Marywood University’s campus with a gun Wednesday afternoon drew police from Dunmore, Scranton and Throop, as well as state police and county detectives.

Officers quickly located and arrested Alexander Barowski, 28, of Archbald. No shots rang out. No one was injured. The incident was an example of how different departments work together in a crisis.

Police agencies throughout Lackawanna County have a memorandum of understanding in place where they can respond to other jurisdictions for major incidents or to support one another, District Attorney Shane Scanlon said.

Police and first responders locally train for active shooter situations and other disasters.

“We do have those MOUs in place so everyone can respond and offer assistance,” Scanlon said.

‘All hands on deck’

A large-scale incident somewhere locally, like the one in Las Vegas that left 59 dead and hundreds wounded, would elicit a response from agencies across the county.

“It would be a multi-jurisdictional response, without question,” Scranton Police Chief Carl Graziano said. “Something like that would be all hands on deck.”

All Scranton police officers have completed scenario-based active shooter training; another departmentwide training is scheduled for January, Graziano said. The department performs the drills locally, using schools that aren’t in session or vacant buildings, he said. Most of the active shooter training conducted is geared toward the patrol division, which would be the first to respond to an active shooter situation, he said.

Pennsylvania state police train continuously for responses to a variety of incidents, including active shooter and mass casualty situations, Pennsylvania state police communications director Ryan Tarkowksi said. Training scenarios include hostage situations and also scenarios that mimic real-life incidents, like a vehicle driving into a large crowd, Tartakowski said.

‘What to expect’

Local departments don’t operate in a bubble. Should a disaster strike, locals will look to departments in surrounding areas for help. They also respond to neighboring regions as needed.

The state is divided into nine regional emergency response or counterterrorism task forces. Lackawanna County is part of the Northeast Pennsylvania Regional Counter Terrorism Task Force, which also encompasses Lehigh, Northampton, Carbon, Monroe, Susquehanna, Wayne and Pike counties, according to Lehigh County Emergency Services Director and task force Chairman Scott Lindenmuth.

The task force provides avenues for funding for equipment, training and other resources for law enforcement and other first responders as well as a way for various departments throughout the task force to train together and pool resources for a variety of emergencies, including active shooter situations, Lindenmuth said.

“You want to ... get a comfort zone and good feeling of who you’re working with and what to expect,” Lindenmuth said.

Resources, like tactical vehicles or bomb robots, and manpower from one part of the task force can be shared within the regional task force upon request, he said.

The county 911 center would take the initial calls and coordinate the response to an active shooter or mass casualty incident here. The county Emergency Management Agency could also reach out to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency or to surrounding counties during or after an emergency for additional assistance, county Emergency Services Director David Hahn said.

‘Use your resources’

Like law enforcement, medical first responders and facilities also train for disasters — and they have plans and special equipment at their disposal.

It would be impossible for emergency medical responders to completely prepare for something like what happened in Las Vegas, said Joe Moran, operations manager of Commonwealth Health Emergency Medical Services. The service has about 55 vehicles throughout Lackawanna, Wayne, Luzerne and Wyoming counties. In the event of a mass casualty scenario, they could send out an alert to emergency medical personnel to staff their ambulances and respond, Moran said.

The service has a critical care team, made up of a paramedic and nurse with advanced training, who can provide care above the level of a paramedic on the scene of an incident. They also have a critical care helicopter that carries blood for transfusions that can be given en route to a hospital, he said.

A few years ago, the service also added a “Tactical Combat Casualty Care” team, Moran said. The 10 or 12 members of the team have specialized training and the service has body armor, helmets and other gear for them to use during an active shooter situation, Moran said.

“You use your resources, use them effectively and make sure you can get your patients transported to the hospital as quickly as possible,” Moran said.

The service also participates in training with hospitals when the facilities do mass casualty training, he said.

‘Have to be prepared’

The area is fortunate to have three trauma centers in close proximity.

Geisinger Community Medical Center in Scranton, Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Plains Twp. and Wilkes-Barre General Hospital in Wilkes-Barre are each level 2 trauma centers, said Cheryl McDonald-Sweet, director of trauma services at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital.

Her facility is equipped with three trauma bays. The others have five between them, Geisinger spokeswoman Megan Sobieski said. All have plans in place to utilize extra room and prioritize care, if needed, in mass casualty situations.

Geisinger hospitals practice mass casualty situations at least once a year, said Stephanie Gryboski , director of emergency management at Geisinger Health System. An outside facilitator presents a scenario and 20 to 50 patients — some live volunteers, others mannequins — are brought into the emergency department with mock injuries for treatment. Then the facilitator evaluates performance, Gryboski said.

They also do mock drills simulating an influx of patients at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital, a Commonwealth Health System facility, McDonald-Sweet said.

“God forbid, we’d hope to never have one of those situations, but in today’s society, we have to be prepared for them to happen,” she said.

Contact the writer:

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

@ClaytonOver on Twitter

According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, “An active shooter is an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area, typically through the use of firearms.”

Characteristics of an Active Shooter:

Victims are selected at random – no pattern.

The event is unpredictable and evolves quickly.

Law enforcement is usually required to end an active shooter situation.

When an active shooter is in your vicinity:

Evacuate

• Have an escape route and plan in mind.

• Leave your belongings behind.

• Keep your hands visible for law enforcement.

Hide Out

• Hide in an area out of the shooter’s view.

• Block entry to your hiding place and lock the doors.

• Silence your cell phone and/or pager.

Take Action

• As a last resort and only when your life is in imminent danger.

• Attempt to incapacitate the shooter.

• Act with physical aggression and throw items at the shooter.

Call 911 When It Is Safe To Do So

Information you should provide to 911 or law enforcement:

Location of the active shooter.

Number of shooters.

Physical description of shooters.

Number and type of weapons held by the shooters.

Number of potential victims at the location.

How to respond when law enforcement arrives:

Remain calm and follow instruction.

Put down any items in your hands.

Raise hands and spread fingers, keep hands visible at all times.

Avoid quick movements toward officers.

Avoid pointing, screaming or yelling.

Do not stop to ask officers for help or direction when evacuating.

— PENNSYLVANIA GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Outdated property assessments and an unfair tax system can hurt business and discourage new development, Pennsylvania Economy League Executive Director Gerald Cross told the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce on Thursday.

Lackawanna County voters will decide Nov. 7 if the county borrows up to $13 million to pay for a countywide reassessment, which would update assessments for each of the county’s 101,000 parcels and bring assessed values in line with what those properties are worth on the open market. Assessments were last comprehensively updated in 1968.

Cross — addressing the subject of reassessment with the chamber board and the boards of the chamber’s affiliate organizations — explained that outdated assessments often result in higher tax millage rates, while more accurate, up-to-date assessments can allow taxing bodies to keep millage rates low while maintaining the same revenue base. A mill is a $1 tax on each $1,000 of assessed property value.

Because businesses consider tax rates when choosing where to operate, outdated assessments and resulting high millage rates can put Lackawanna County at a competitive disadvantage when it comes to courting new industries, Cross said.

“So when they go in and look at a borough on one side of the border of Lackawanna that has a 30-mill tax rate, and they go across the border to Luzerne (County) and they see a smaller tax rate, they say: ‘Ah, that’s where I want to be,’” Cross said.

High millage rates also discourage existing businesses from renovating or expanding, Cross said, noting that expansions and improvements often result in a property’s assessed value increasing in a climate with already high tax rates.

“You’re getting a higher assessment ... and you’re in that environment where the millages are high because everyone else (has) lower values,” Cross said. “So you as a business owner have a higher millage that you must pay on a property that’s valued unfairly at a higher rate than someone else with an older building. To me that’s unfair, and that puts people at a competitive disadvantage.”

Attorney Andrew Hailstone, who serves on the board of the Scranton Lackawanna Industrial Building Co., or SLIBCO — the chamber’s development arm, has seen firsthand how the inequity of the county’s current tax system discourages new development.

“We’ve seen companies lost (to other locations) partially because of our tax system,” Hailstone said. “They would come in and build new buildings at current rates, and they’d be competing against people who had buildings that were assessed at a fraction.”

While the chamber has not yet taken an official position on the reassessment referendum, chamber President Bob Durkin emphasized the importance of tax fairness.

“(We) are trying to help attract, sustain and grow business in Lackawanna County,” Durkin said. “The question of taxes is certainly one that more than occasionally comes up in the conversation. ... Fairness and equity is what business wants. We’re not looking for a break for business. What we’re saying is let’s make sure we have a system that’s fair.”

Contact the writer:

jhorvath@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9141;

@jhorvathTT on Twitter

A chance to learn

Pennsylvania Economy League Executive Director Gerald Cross will give a free, public presentation on reassessment Saturday at 1 p.m. at the University of Scranton’s Kane Forum, second floor of Edward Leahy Hall. The League of Women Voters of Lackawanna County, PEL and the University of Scranton’s political science department are sponsoring the program.

A Scranton resident suing the city, Dunmore and two law firms involved in the $195 million sale of the municipalities’ sewer system claims the sale’s proceeds were improperly disbursed and should be returned to the Scranton Sewer Authority.

The plaintiff, Anthony Moses of Fisk Street, names as defendants Scranton and its special counsel for the sewer sale, the Abrahamsen, Conaboy & Abrahamsen law firm of Scranton; and Dunmore and its borough solicitor, Cummings Law of Dunmore.

Moses is represented by Philadelphia attorneys Simon Paris, Patrick Howard and Charles Kocher of the Saltz, Mongeluzzi, Barrett & Bendesky law firm.

The lawsuit filed Thursday in Lackawanna County Court claims that under the state Municipal Authorities Act, the sewer authority was allowed to expend money only for purposes directly related to its mission. State law prohibited the authority from transferring sewer sale proceeds to Scranton and Dunmore “for their general welfare,” and for paying their sewer-sale legal bills out of net proceeds, the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit seeks the return of all net proceeds to the sewer authority, which includes about $70 million transferred to Scranton, $17 million to Dunmore, $200,000 paid to the Abrahamsen firm and $256,000 paid to the Cummings firm. The authority also should be ordered to place the returned money in escrow, “until the SSA properly settles all outstanding claims against it as required” by law, the lawsuit says.

One such claim is a separate, class-action lawsuit filed by the Saltz law firm last October, against the sewer authority over an issue involving missing sewer-line easements. Moses also is one of the class-action plaintiffs in that earlier lawsuit, which remains pending in Lackawanna County Court.

Scranton special counsel Edwin “Ned” Abrahamsen said Moses’ lawsuit has no merit and is being used as leverage in the class-action lawsuit.

“Although we have not had a full opportunity to review the complaint, note that plaintiff’s law firm is the same law firm which brought the class-action suit regarding sewer easements,” Abrahamsen said in an emailed response to a Times-Tribune reporter’s request for comment. “This appears to be an attempt to force an unreasonable settlement of the class action upon the citizens of our city. We intend to vigorously defend this baseless claim.”

Attempts to reach Dunmore solicitor Thomas Cummings and Scranton solicitor Jessica Boyles were unsuccessful.

The authority’s sale of the sewer system to Pennsylvania American Water closed Dec. 29.

Moses’ lawsuit does not name the Scranton Sewer Authority as a defendant. The lawsuit notes that despite a city ordinance in late December authorizing termination of the sewer authority, it remains in existence. Since the agency has not been terminated and its outstanding claims remain pending, the transfers of sale proceeds to the city and borough should not have occurred, the lawsuit says.

It also notes that state law allows a ratepayer to an authority to seek the return of money expended by that authority in violation of that law.

The authority also placed $17 million of sale proceeds in an escrow account, of which $12 million was set aside for resolving the class-action lawsuit over easements. Moses’ lawsuit says it’s unclear how that $12 million escrow was determined and “whether it will be enough to compensate all the property owners who have undisclosed sewer lines on their properties and, in some cases, directly underneath their homes,” such as Moses.

Contact the writer:

jlockwood@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9100 x5185;

@jlockwoodTT on Twitter

The graduation date for Abington Heights seniors will remain June 13 — for now — as the district adjusts its calendar to make up school days lost during the teachers strike.

On Wednesday, the board voted on an adjusted calendar that maintains a week-long Christmas vacation and includes makeup days at the end of the school year and around holidays.

The teachers went on an eight-day strike beginning on Sept. 12. Picketing ended Sept. 22 but the threat of another strike beginning Jan. 2 looms unless a contract is settled before then.

“We tried to keep graduation the same and so we treated the eight days as if we were out eight snow days,” said Superintendent Michael Mahon, Ph.D.

Abington Heights’ last day of school typically is scheduled several days before graduation. School was set to end June 7, but the last day is now moved to June 13, the same day as graduation.

Students also will be in class on: Nov. 28; Martin Luther King Jr. Day; Jan. 15; Presidents Day; Feb. 19; and April 3.

Previously scheduled early dismissals for students Nov. 22 and Dec. 22 for teachers’ Act 80 days are now full days.

Abington Heights received an email from the state Department of Education rescinding its Act 80 days — time used for teachers’ professional development — because of the strike.

Students must be in class for 180 days a school year, according to PDE. Act 80 days are an exception to that rule and are not considered instructional days, the department said. So when a strike occurs and PDE decides how many days a strike can last, it does not calculate the Act 80 days toward the 180 days of instruction.

With winter on the horizon, the district may have to reassess makeup days and the graduation date, said Mahon. The district’s new calendar states that the final graduation date will be confirmed in April.

“We kind of extinguished our plan for a bad winter, so we’ll have to get back to the drawing board,” Mahon said.

For an updated calendar, visit the district’s website, ahsd.org.

Contact the writer:

kbolus@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9100 x5114;

@kbolusTT on Twitter

DUNMORE — Pennsylvania American Water began upgrades this week to more than 6,000 feet of water main in the borough to improve reliability, reduce service disruptions and increase water flows for firefighting.

Crews began Tuesday replacing existing cast-iron water mains with new, 8-inch ductile iron pipe along Spring Street. They will eventually do the same along Terrance Street, Walnut Street, Laurel Street, Oak Street, Potter Street and Evelyn Street.

Work will take place weekdays between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. During construction, customers might experience temporary service interruptions, discolored water and/or lower-than-normal water pressure.

The company expects to complete the water main installation, including transfer of all customer services, final restoration and paving, in early 2018.

— STAFF REPORT

HANOVER TWP. — Police charged a 17-year-old Wilkes-Barre girl in connection with a deadly crash in April that claimed the life of a 16-year-old Wyoming Valley West High School student.

The 17-year-old, whose name was not released, was charged in juvenile court with causing a fatal crash while not properly licensed, and related counts.

Investigators determined drugs and alcohol were not involved in the crash, which was the result of “speeding and inattentiveness,” Police Chief Albert L. Walker said Thursday.

The crash took place April 15 near 985 S. Main St. when the vehicle suddenly crossed over the northbound lanes upon entering Hanover Twp. The vehicle splintered a utility pole and kept going until it stopped in an open field.

Six people were in the vehicle at the time, including Jasmine Cardona, 16, of Plymouth. Cardona was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the 2007 Mercury Mariner, according to police.

— JAMES HALPIN

HONESDALE — A couple could spend up to decades in state prison after a judge found them guilty in July of a slew of child sexual abuse charges, including statutory sexual assault.

Michael Thomas Schwartz, 35, will serve between 12 years, five months and 45 years in state prison. Jamie Lynn Schwartz, 29, will serve between 11 and 40 years, according to Wayne County District Attorney Janine Edwards. Both must register as sex offenders for life.

The couple sexually abused two boys, who were both under 14 at the time, from 2011 to 2013 in their former Damascus Twp. home. Michael Schwartz told the boys not to tell anyone about the abuse, because they had a “circle of trust,” prosecutors said.

— FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY

CLARKS SUMMIT — A water main break affected service at homes and businesses throughout the Abingtons.

Crews worked Thursday night to repair the break along Brook Street, off Northern Boulevard in Clarks Summit, according to Pennsylvania American Water. The company estimated that repairs would take eight hours to complete, during which some customers in the Abingtons experienced no water service, low pressure or discolored water.

After service is restored, customers could experience cloudy or discolored water. The company recommends letting water run until clear.

For information, and a map of the affected area, visit www.pennsylvaniaamwater.com and select alert notifications, or contact Pennsylvania American Water at 800-565-7292.

— STAFF REPORT

Additional security measures and personnel will be in place to ensure the public’s safety at Sunday’s Steamtown Marathon in light of last week’s mass shooting in Las Vegas, race organizers and police officials said.

Jim Cummings, the marathon’s assistant director, said security forces will follow enhanced plans that were developed following the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.

“We are building on the already stringent security plans based on what happened at Boston,” Cummings said. “We’ve gone to great lengths to significantly increase security more than it was years ago.”

Some of those security enhancements, which include barring runners form bringing duffle bags to the start line, targeted stationary items that could pose a threat. The Vegas shooting, in which a gunman sprayed a hail of bullets into a crowd from the 32nd floor of a hotel room, highlights the threat of other types of violence.

Cummings said police asked race officials, for security purposes, not to disclose specifics regarding how they plan to address that type of threat.

“They are certainly aware of what happened in Vegas and how it happened and are taking measures to make sure it doesn’t happen here,” he said.

The 26.2 mile race starts at Forest City Regional High school and winds its way through the Midvalley before ending at Courthouse Square in Scranton. This year, nearly 1,800 people registered to take part in the race, which also draws thousands of spectators.

Scranton police chief Carl Graziano also said he could not provide specific details of security plans, other than to confirm additional personnel will be deployed.

“We have pre-race, special operations in place to try to identify threats and minimize the potential for any catastrophic events,” he said.

Cummings and Graziano reminded spectators and participants to be extra vigilant of their surroundings. Organizers prefer spectators not bring any bags, but if they do, do not leave them unattended. They also should not hold a bag for anyone they don’t know, he said.

“If they see something that seems amiss, speak to one of the police officers,” Cummings said.

Contact the writer: tbesecker@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9137

Dickson City — Crews were called to a reported building fire Friday at Valvano Construction on Main Street.

Crowds of spectators packed parking lots around Main Street and Commerce Boulevard, with many snapping photos of the towering column of smoke and flames. Firefighter hoses blocked part of Main Street.

The smoke and flames could be seen from as far away as the McDade Expressway at 10:30 p.m.

A reporter and photographer are at the scene. Check back for updates.

— STAFF REPORT

MARRIAGE LICENSE

■ Michael Fredrick Samuels and Elyse Christine Casey, both of San Francisco.

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

■ John and Delores Wehrum, Dunmore, to Frances Rafter, Jefferson Twp.; a property at Moosic Lakes, Jefferson Twp., for $32,000.

■ John M. and Bernadine T. Soroka, Forest City, to Edward J. and Kathleen R. Calafut, Vestal, N.Y.; a property in Vandling for $38,000.

■ LGP Realty Holdings LP to Dunne Manning Realty LP; a property at 1435 N. Washington Ave., Scranton, for $198,000.

■ LGP Realty Holdings LP to Dunne Manning Realty LP; two parcels in Dunmore for $2,200,000.

■ LGP Realty Holdings LP to Dunne Manning Realty LP; a property on North Keyser Avenue, Scranton, for $902,000.

■ LGP Realty Holdings LP to Dunne Manning Realty LP; a property at 300 Meadow Ave., Scranton, for $870,100.

■ Joseph and Sharon Koezeno, Lackawanna County, to Louis T. Vitucci and Alicia M. Vitucci, Lackawanna County, as tenants in common; a property on Washington Avenue, Jermyn, for $35,000.

■ William J. Graham, Scranton, to Maria M. Juca Avila, Mastic Beach, N.Y.; a property at 431 River St., Scranton, for $28,000.

■ Samuel Hugh and Sandys MacDonald Davidson to Antoine and Najat Kristen Naim; a property at 520 Fairview Road, South Abington Twp., for $427,000.

■ Mary Ellen and James Morris, Scranton, Mary Ann and Gerard Ruane, Scranton, William Dougherty, New Jersey, Daniel Dougherty and Julia McLaughlin, Virginia, to William M. Naughton, Scranton; a property on Crown Avenue, Scranton, for $56,400.

■ Donna Marie Vilogi, Mary Ann Hayes, Cynthia Gattens, also known as Cynthia Gatten, and Denise Davis, all of Pennsylvania, to Tara B. Adhikari, Pennsylvania; a property at 618 Brook St., Scranton, for $78,000.

■ Villa Inc., Old Forge, to Michael F. IV and Diana M. Martinelli, Old Forge; a property in Old Forge for $65,000.

■ Caliber Real Estate Services LLC, attorney-in-fact for LSF9 Master Participation Trust, Irving, Texas, to Xin Hua Pan, Scranton; a property at 1008 Clearview St., Scranton, for $27,000.

■ Bayview Loan Servicing LLC, Coral Gables, Fla., to Roundwoods Realty LLC, Scranton; a property at 1438 St. Ann’s St., Scranton, for $30,000.

DIVORCES SOUGHT

■ Kassie Mars, Dunmore, v. Keion Mars, East Orange, N.J.; married March 1, 2012, in East Orange; pro se.

■ Kristin Nallin, Jermyn, v. Kevin Michael Nallin, Jermyn; married July 24, 2002, in Lackawanna County; Ann Marie Howells, attorney.

ESTATES FILED

■ Angelo Mazzino, 155 Westgate Drive, Apt. L6, Carbondale, letters of administration to Robert Mazzino, 234 Elm St., Dickson City.

■ Robert Tocki, also known as Robert G. Tocki, 401 Delaware St., Mayfield, letters testamentary to Barbara Tocki, same address.

■ John Hitchcock, 131 Valley View Drive, Peckville, letters testamentary to Sonya J. Hitchcock, same address.

■ Michael O’Neill, 311 Green St., Scranton, letters testamentary to Kate Lynn O’Neill, 604 Chestnut St., Dunmore.

■ Stephen Walsh III, 514 Greenwood Ave., Clarks Summit, letters of administration to Gail Walsh, same address.

■ Louise T. Ott, 930 Hemlock St., Scranton, letters testamentary to Bernard M. Ott, same address.

ONLINE: thetimes-tribune.com/courts

Fire crews used heavy equipment to dig through the debris of a fire in Dickson City early this morning, looking for hidden pockets of flames.

Fire trucks were called to the scene off the 300 block of Main Street at 10:12 p.m. The fire appeared to start in a pile of plastic utility pipes and other construction materials belonging to TSE Inc. in an industrial area off Main Street, though fire officials could provide few details late Friday.

As flames rose high, sending a thick black column of smoke spreading over parts of Dickson City and Scranton, crowds of spectators packed parking lots around Main Street and Viemont Drive. Firefighter hoses blocked part of Main Street near the industrial park’s entrance. Smoke and flames could be seen from as far away as the McDade Expressway at 10:30 p.m.

The black smoke turned light gray by 11 p.m. as fire companies from Dickson City, Throop, Olyphant, Blakely, South Abington Twp. and Scranton worked to douse the flames. By 11:45 p.m., Dickson City Fire Chief Matthew Horvath said crews were on their way to getting the fire under control. No injuries were reported; the cause of the fire is not yet known. The fire caused some damage to a nearby garage, Horvath said.

TSE Inc., which has a Dunmore mailing address, moved to the site off Main Street just a few weeks ago, company owner Jamie Valvano said at the scene late Friday.

Around midnight, crews shifted their focus to the debris left by the towering blaze, tearing apart piles of blackened material to find flames hiding underneath. Officials expected firefighters to remain on the scene through the morning to extinguish flareups.

Check back for updates.

Contact the writers:

kwind@timesshamrock.com,

570-348-9100 x5181

enissley@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9138

Investigators believe they’ve discovered what happened to a state prison inmate who escaped from a work detail in the aftermath of the 1972 flood that devastated the Wyoming Valley.

It appears William Van Scoten, a career criminal jailed for petty thefts and burglaries, fled to Canada and assumed the alias David Paul Hudson, the U.S. Marshals Service announced Friday.

Information gathered by investigators suggests Scoten, who married and had two children, lived undetected as a wanted man and didn’t run afoul of the law again before his death in August 2003 at 74, the agency said.

Scoten, then 43, was in the second year of a 10- to 20-year sentence at State Correctional Institution at Dallas when he fled from his flood cleanup duty following Tropical Storm Agnes.

The original wanted poster for Scoten says he was assigned to a kitchen detail at Independent Hose Company in Kingston on the day he fled, July 12, 1972.

A press release from the U.S. Marshals Service said investigators recently received information about Scoten from a family member. The release links to a story about Scoten on the website for The Trentonian News in New Jersey. The article features a man named Dave Hudson, identified as Scoten’s son.

Hudson told the paper his dad would religiously watch the television show “America’s Most Wanted” and he never knew why.

Hudson, a dual citizen of Canada and the United States, told the paper he first learned his father’s secret in the summer of 2002 after completing his service with the Marines and returning home to Canada.

Scoten, a lifelong smoker, was dying of emphysema and heart disease. He took his son to a local pond, they shared some beers, and Scoten revealed he had spent the past three decades as a fugitive, the paper reported.

Hudson recently approached the U.S. Marshals Service so it could clear Scoten’s case, a spokesman confirmed.

“He came forward,” said Tony Nelson, a regional spokesman for the U.S. Marshals Service for the Middle District. “We don’t know specifically why, but we have an idea.”

Despite learning of his father’s fate 15 years ago, Hudson is not facing charges, Nelson said.

Other family members interviewed by The Trentonian News said they never knew Scoten’s fate, but confirmed through photographs that the Canadian man living as Dave Hudson was Scoten. Tattoos match as well, authorities said.

The Trentonian News said Scoten’s escape from SCI-Dallas’ flood cleanup detail was the second time he escaped from prison. In June 1961, he escaped from Trenton State Prison. The paper reported Scoten created a lifelike dummy he put in his bed and hid in a manhole in the prison yard until nightfall. He then stacked exercise benches and used bedsheets to climb over the prison fence and wall.

He told his son he swam across the Hudson River to get to New York and that’s why he chose the last name of “Hudson” as an alias, the paper reported. Scoten was on the lam for five years until being caught in upstate New York.

Contact the writer:

bkalinowski@citizensvoice.com;

570-821-2055;

@cvbobkal on Twitter

SOUTH ABINGTON TWP. — A New Jersey-based company bought the Inn at Nichols Village as part of roughly 6.8 acres of property purchased for $4.1 million.

The deed from the transaction between Fidelity Deposit and Discount Bank and 1101 Northern Boulevard LLC was recorded Thursday afternoon.

The buyer’s address was listed in the deed as care of Falcon Companies in Roseland, New Jersey. Falcon Companies describes itself as a private equity and real estate investment holding company dedicated to the acquisition, enhancement and profit maximization of operating company and real estate assets in the Northeast.

No further details were immediately available.

— KYLE WIND

Archbald

Historical society: Archbald Borough Historical Society meeting, Monday, 7 p.m., Borough Building, 400 Church St., speaker: Rob Turlip, chairman of the committee planning the Veterans Memorial Park on Kennedy Drive, discussing plans for the park and fundraising events.

Keyser Valley

Seniors meet: Keyser Valley Senior Citizens meeting, Monday, 1 p.m., Community Center, Keyser Avenue, games and refreshments follow.

Lackawanna County

Party meeting: Green Party of Lackawanna general monthly meeting Monday, 7 p.m., Marzoni’s Restaurant in Moosic.

Moscow

Community hike: North Pocono Trails Association third annual Volksmarch, a German-themed community hike, Sunday, noon, featuring two hikes of varying difficulty, hikers are asked to meet at the Old Mill Park trailhead in the 200 block of Market Street.

Regional

Support group: Crohns & Colitis Support Group meeting, Wednesday, 6:30 p.m., Geisinger Community Medical Center, 1800 Mulberry St., second floor boardroom; Maria, 570-947-3575.

Club meets: Corvette Club of NEPA meeting, Thursday, 7 p.m., Marzoni’s, 26 Montage Mountain Road, Moosic; CCNEPA.com.

Scranton

Shred event: Geisinger Sustainability Program and Shred-it free community shred day, Friday, 7-11 a.m., Geisinger Mt. Pleasant parking lot, 531 Mt. Pleasant Drive, personal and confidential paper documents, bank statements, credit card bills and tax forms, limit of three boxes per person; 570-271-6030.

West Scranton

Candlelight novena: St. Lucy’s Parish annual candlelight rosary novena, through Oct. 15, 7 p.m., 949 Scranton St.; everyone invited, handicap accessible.

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

The Golden Arches dip back in time today with a limited release of the elusive Szechuan sauce.

Starting at 2 p.m., the South Scranton McDonald’s will be one of only eight McDonald’s in Pennsylvania and 200 nationwide to have the coveted teriyaki dipping sauce, McDonald’s spokeswoman Beth Dal Santo said. Szechuan sauce was a short-lived promotional sauce that McDonald’s included with Happy Meals in 1998 to coincide with the release of Disney’s “Mulan.”

Interest in the vintage sauce roared back to life April 1, thanks to the season three premiere of “Rick and Morty,” a popular cartoon about a mad scientist grandfather and his grandson. During the episode, Rick passionately expressed his love for Szechuan sauce.

Since then, fans of the show demanded that McDonald’s bring back the 19-year-old sauce, going as far as amassing over 44,000 signatures in a petition on Change.org.

The restaurant will only have 20 dipping cups of sauce, which they’ll hand out with orders of buttermilk chicken tenders. A 4-piece order costs $4.24, according to the menu.

McDonald’s only produced 10,000 tubs of the “garlicy-sweet sauce with a hint of vinegar” in total for the event, and Del Santo expects the South Side McDonald’s packets to go quickly.

“The restaurant is already getting phone calls from people planning to camp out there,” Dal Santo said.

Brandon Wilson and Danny Granza, both of Throop, plan to make the pilgrimage for Szechuan sauce as early as possible today.

Although some might view Szechuan sauce as a collectible, Wilson and Granza are going to enjoy it.

“If I’m only allowed to get one sauce, I’m going to have to eat it,” Wilson said.

Granza agreed.

“I thought about saving it, but you’ve got to taste it,” Granza said. “There’s really no other choice, especially if it’s going to be a limited run.”

Contact the writer:

flesnefsky@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9100 x5186

FALLS TWP. — Two Exeter residents were hurt in a late-night crash Thursday in Wyoming County.

Alan Hadvance, 30, drove north on Route 92 around 11:15 p.m. when he applied the brakes too late and his Ford Escort slammed into a stone wall, Tunkhannock Twp. Cpl. Robert Reimiller said.

Two passers-by, who did not witness the crash, noticed the vehicle on fire, with its occupants trapped. Hadvance and Jodie Emmett, 30, escaped through a window.

Emmett was taken by ambulance to Geisinger Community Medical Center for treatment of unspecified injuries. Hadvance, who refused medical treatment, was taken to Tyler Memorial Hospital for blood tests.

— ROBERT L. BAKER

Additional security measures and personnel have been added to protect public safety at Sunday’s Steamtown Marathon in light of this week’s mass shooting in Las Vegas, race organizers and police said.

Jim Cummings, the marathon’s assistant director, said security forces will follow enhanced plans that were developed following the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.

“We are building on the already stringent security plans based on what happened at Boston,” Cummings said. “We’ve gone to great lengths to significantly increase security more than it was years ago.”

Some of those security enhancements, which include barring runners from bringing

duffle bags to the start line, targeted stationary items that could pose a threat. The Las Vegas shooting, in which a gunman sprayed a hail of bullets into a crowd from the 32nd floor of a hotel room, highlights the threat of other types of violence.

Cummings said police asked race officials, for security purposes, not to disclose specifics regarding how they plan to address that type of threat.

“They are certainly aware of what happened in Vegas and how it happened and are taking measures to make sure it doesn’t happen here,” he said.

The 26.2 mile race starts at Forest City Regional High school and winds its way through the Midvalley before ending at Courthouse Square in Scranton. This year, nearly 1,800 people registered to take part in the race, which also draws thousands of spectators.

Scranton police Chief Carl Graziano also said he could not provide specific details of security plans, other than to confirm additional personnel will be deployed.

“We have pre-race, special operations in place to try to identify threats and minimize the potential for any catastrophic events,” he said.

Cummings and Graziano reminded spectators and participants to be extra vigilant of their surroundings. Bags spectators bring to the race should not be left unattended, and organizers prefer spectators not bring any bags. They also should not hold a bag for anyone they don’t know, he said.

“If they see something that seems amiss, speak to one of the police officers,” Cummings said.

Contact the writer:

tbesecker@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9137;

@tmbeseckerTT on Twitter

Madison Twp. agreed to pay $100,000 to settle a federal lawsuit filed by a former secretary who alleged she was retaliated against because she ran for township supervisor in 2015, according to the woman’s attorney.

Deborah Gromlich worked for the township as secretary/treasurer for 25 years before she was forced out in January 2016, she said in a lawsuit filed last year against the township and Supervisor Philip Setzer.

According to the suit, Gromlich first expressed interest in becoming a supervisor in 1994. Setzer told her she could not be on the board because “she was a woman and not a farmer.”

Over the next two decades, Setzer took various steps to make Gromlich’s job more difficult, including preventing her from collecting mail delivered to the township, in an attempt to force her to quit, the suit says.

In 2015, Gromlich ran for township supervisor but was defeated in the November general election. When supervisors met in January 2016, they voted to drastically cut her salary.

Gromlich’s attorney, Harry Coleman of Carbondale, said supervisors later offered to return her to the position at her prior salary, but she declined the offer because of the hostile work environment.

The township agreed to settle the case Oct. 2, court records show.

Attempts to reach Setzer were unsuccessful.

Contact the writer:

tbesecker@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9137;

@tmbeseckerTT on Twitter

A city block undergoing a transformation hosted scores of locals during a monthly downtown art walk Friday, with businesses there offering Tokyo-style noodles, gourmet cupcakes and holistic health.

The 300 block of Penn Avenue has struggled with blight for years. Developer Art Russo’s construction crews continue renovations in the area between Linden and Mulberry streets. The block crackled with activity Friday, with several businesses that call the block home celebrating the ongoing revitalization.

Electric City Bakehouse, scheduled to open in November, offered cupcakes to prospective patrons. Sample flavors included vanilla with homemade lemon curd filling and organic freeze-dried raspberry dust, carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and chocolate cake with salted caramel and chocolate ganache.

Owner Michelle Cadden-Hayes envisions the specialty bakery including a retail space, a tasting area for brides and grooms, a kids’ corner with a modern play kitchen, as well as cocktail hours and cooking lessons at the courtyard out back.

“It’s going to be such a great block,” Cadden-Hayes said. “There’s so much popping up.”

Across the street, patrons queued up for spicy pulled pork ramen and Korean-fried duck fingers at the Peculiar Culinary Co. food truck, parked outside a building blocked off by plywood that will soon host the Peculiar Slurp Shop, tentatively scheduled to open Jan. 1.

Owner Gene Philbin plans to bring Tokyo-style ramen noodle restaurants that are popular in Philadelphia and New York City to Scranton.

“The closest one is probably in Easton,” he said. “We’ve done a lot of homework in the Northeast, between Boston, New York and Philly. We just fell in love with it. We fell in love with the culture and the food. We got to the point where we realized we’ve been working on these recipes for three years now, tweaking them, changing them. I think now it’s time to do something with it.”

Philbin said opening a brick-and-mortar location is an exciting step after spending years methodically building up a reputation and clientèle.

Nearby, Old Forge resident Rebekah Schreiber was among patrons waiting for a tarot card reading outside Giving Tree Wellness Center, which offers a range of services, including Reiki treatments, massage therapy and counseling.

Schreiber is a proponent of alternative medicine and thinks the business fills a need in the community.

The West Scranton native is impressed with the turnaround — not only along the 300 block of Penn Avenue but also downtown Scranton in general.

“The way the buildings are, how everything is refurbished, it looks fantastic,” she said.

Also planned for the block is a small restaurant and bar called the 16th Ward. The owners, Dmitry Starikov and his wife, Karen Sznyter, ran Jack’s Draft House for eight years. They hope to open in four to five months.

Russo said a breakfast-and-lunch venue is also slated to open next to Peculiar Slurp Shop, and he is looking for a tenant for another commercial space.

“With more apartments downtown, it’s becoming easier to rent the retail space,” he said. “A lot of these young people have gone to cities like Boston and Philadelphia and New York, and this is what they’re used to. They want to walk out of their apartment and walk across the street to (small businesses). They’re used to the boutique atmosphere.”

Contact the writer:

kwind@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9100, x5181;

@kwindTT on Twitter