SCRANTON — The Soup Chic, a specialty soup maker from Forty Fort, plans to open at The Marketplace at Steamtown’s new Scranton Public Market.

Housed at Chic Chic Marketplace in Forty Fort, The Soup Chic participated in organizing the “Trim the Table” holiday-themed opener of the Scranton Public Market held in December at the downtown mall.

The business is run by Jessica Dal Santo Zielen and Megan Mould.

“The Soup Chic will be slinging soup once again … get excited Scranton! Our little soup stand should be up and operational by March-ish if all goes well,” a web post on Friday said. “Being a part of a diverse multi-use building in the heart of Scranton opens us up to traffic far beyond our customer base, especially in a new town where we may not be soup legends … yet.”

— JIM LOCKWOOD

SCRANTON — City police are seeking a woman accused of attacking another woman with a Snapple bottle on Thursday night.

Blair Hart, 30, 1614 Linden St., second floor, Scranton, is charged with aggravated assault, robbery and related charges after an altercation near the Lackawanna County Prison at about 7:10 p.m. A bloody Kassandra Matthews told police she and Hart were both at the prison to visit a common ex-girlfriend. Afterward, Hart confronted her in a nearby restaurant before hitting her in the head with a Snapple bottle several times. Hart then fled with Matthews’ cell phone, police said.

Anyone with information on Hart’s whereabouts is asked to contact city police by submitting an anonymous tip on their website or call 570-348-4134.

— CLAYTON OVER

MARRIAGE LICENSE

• Raffaele Lubrano and Yessenia Cruz-Salazar, both of Old Forge.

DIVORCES SOUGHT

• William H. Lovell III, Clarks Summit, v. Gabriela E. Lovell, Clarks Summit; married Oct. 25, 2014, in Dickson City; pro se.

• Francis Edward Schumacher, Spring Brook Twp., v. Doris Marie Schumacher, Bethlehem; married May 4, 2004, in Bethlehem; pro se.

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

• John L. Kennedy, South Abington Twp., to Joseph P. and Janet B. Incelli, Archbald; two parcels in Jermyn for $300,000.

• Specialized Loan Servicing, attorney-in-fact for Bank of New York Mellon, formerly known as the Bank of New York, as trustee for the certificate holders of the CWALT Inc. alternative loan trust 2006-OA10 mortgage pass-through certificates, Highlands Ranch, Colo., to William and Susan Lee Felins, Gouldsboro; a property on Lake Natalie Drive, Clifton Twp., for $142,500.

• Udren Law Offices PC, attorney-in-fact for Freddie Mac, aka Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp., to Ann Marie and Ivan Pagan; a property at 1414 St. Ann’s St., Scranton, for $44,900.

• Daniel John and Shawna Patrice Marx, Scranton, to James M. and Marilee A. Sweeney, Scranton; a property at 203 Yesu Drive, Scranton, for $207,000.

ESTATE FILED

• Rose Bauer, 700 Davis St., Scranton, letters of administration to Charles Bauer, 7372 North Papago Road, Douglas, Ariz.

LAWSUITS

• Martha Marsico, 514 Electric St., Scranton, v. Thomas F. Mazur, 1210 Melnes St., Scranton, seeking an amount in excess of $50,000 exclusive of interest and costs and in excess of any jurisdictional amount requiring compulsory arbitration for injuries suffered Sept. 3, 2016, in an automobile accident on Boulevard Avenue, Scranton; Edward G. Krowiak, attorney.

• Victor Bolcavage, 112 Old Ridge Road, Archbald, v. Nicole Davies, 177 Railroad Ave., Peckville, seeking in excess of $50,000 plus all costs and other relief deemed necessary for injuries suffered June 15 in an automobile accident on Commerce Boulevard at or near the intersection of Route 6, Dickson City; Marc I. Simon, attorney.

ONLINE: thetimes-tribune.com/courts

Honesdale

Blood drive: American Red Cross blood donation opportunity, Wednesday, 1:30-6 p.m., Honesdale High School, 459 Terrace St.

Lackawanna County

Blood drives: American Red Cross blood donation opportunities, today, 1-6 p.m., Greenfield Fire Hall, 424 Route 106, Greenfield Twp.; Thursday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Keystone College, Evans Hall, 1 College Green, La Plume; Jan. 30, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Penn State University Worthington Scranton Campus, 120 Ridgeview Drive, Dunmore.

Sewing club: The Glenburn 4-H Sewing Club is taking registrations for youth to sign up for 4-H textile science projects; members learn basic clothing construction skills to complete a garment of their choice; all levels of experience are accepted, including tailoring and formalwear; boys and girls 8-19 years old can register by calling Hilda Lewis, 570-563-1369; info, 570-963-6842.

Vegetable meeting: The local commercial vegetable growers Northeast Vegetable Meeting will be Thursday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Newton Ransom Fire Company, Newton Ransom Boulevard; registration fee for the meeting is $36 if registering now or at the door; fee includes morning refreshments, buffet lunch and handouts; to register, https://extension.psu.edu/vegetable-meeting or 877-345-0691; questions, John Esslinger, 570-316-6516.

Scranton

Blood drives: American Red Cross blood donation opportunities, Mondays, 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Wednesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays, 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Scranton Blood Donation Center, 3 W. Olive St. (in the Icebox Complex); Tuesday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Marywood University, Nazareth Hall, 2300 Adams Ave.; Wednesday, noon-5 p.m., Regional Hospital of Scranton, General Services Building, 746 Jefferson Ave.; Jan. 30, noon-5 p.m., Moses Taylor Hospital, 700 Quincy Ave.

Throop

Chicken barbecue: Throop Hose Company 1 annual Super Bowl Sunday chicken barbecue, Feb. 4, noon-3 p.m., 512 Center St.; takeout or sit-down; $9 donation, tickets available from all members or call Dave Benson, 570-383-1019; all members and auxiliary are asked to bake; baked goods can be dropped off at the hose company hall on the morning of the barbecue.

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

Jan. 19, 1918

Scranton’s oldest native son dies

Edward Merrifield, a lawyer and historian, died Jan. 19 at Hahnemann Hospital. He was 86.

Merrifield was born in Hyde Park in 1832, making him the oldest native son of Scranton. He attended Judge MacCartney’s law school in Easton. In 1855, he was admitted to the Luzerne County Bar. He would become a recognized barrister throughout the area.

In 1878, Merrifield took a break from his law practice to draft the legislation for the creation of Lackawanna County. He also worked to get it passed in the state Legislature. He was survived by an adopted daughter and a nephew.

Mayor Connell confined to bed

Scranton Mayor Alex Connell was confined to bed with a possible appendicitis. According to those close to the situation, Connell had been complaining of abdominal pain for several weeks, and the pain grew worse the evening of Jan. 18.

Connell was staying at the home of his physician, Dr. Charles Noecker, under the care of Mrs. Noecker, who was Connell’s cousin. Dr. Noecker was expected to return to Scranton Jan. 19 to diagnosis and develop a treatment plan for Connell.

Councilman’s idea to ‘get out’ tabled

Scranton Councilman Robert Bauer proposed at a council meeting that council should take a day each week to get out and see what is going on around the city.

Councilman D.J. Campbell said, “Do you mean, Bob, to go out looking for trouble?” Bauer said the idea was for council to get “acquainted with conditions and familiarizing itself with things generally.”

Council President Thomas Saville said, “The members of the council are concerned in the affairs of the city seven days of every week.”

Council tabled the idea.

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.

HONESDALE — Wayne County has a new first assistant district attorney.

District Attorney Patrick Robinson named Deborah Rothenberg, who has worked as a Wayne County prosecutor for more than five years, as first assistant. Rothenberg primarily focused on child abuse and sexual abuse cases during her tenure with the office.

“Debbie Rothenberg is a fierce advocate for the victims of child abuse and sexual assault. She is smart and tenacious,” Robinson said in a statement. “The taxpayers of Wayne County will certainly get their money’s worth from Debbie Rothenberg.”

— CLAYTON OVER

SCRANTON — High school students in ninth through 11th grades have until Jan. 31 to enter the state Department of Transportation’s Innovations Challenge.

The challenge asks students to look at technologies and innovative methods, aside from traditional paid advertising, marketing and social media channels, that can be developed in the next five to 10 years to curb unsafe teen driving practices.

The Innovations Challenge aims to not only help students explore real transportation challenges that PennDOT is facing, but also open their minds to the possibility of working for PennDOT after graduation.

Eleven regional winners will be selected and invited to compete in Harrisburg for the grand championship in April. PennDOT intends for the Innovations Challenge to become an annual event.

For Innovations Challenge details, visit www.penndot.gov/innovation.

— STAFF REPORT

LAFLIN — State troopers suspect alcohol is to blame for a head-on crash that severely damaged a Greater Pittston Regional Ambulance Association vehicle on Thursday night.

The crash occurred around 7:20 p.m. on Route 315 a little south of St. Joseph’s Oblates. A gold Toyota Sienna operated by Lawrence Vanburen-Morgan of Nanticoke was heading north on the highway when it crossed the center line and struck the ambulance, driven by Michael Ankenbrand of Shavertown, according to troopers.

Troopers said Vanburen-Morgan was at fault in the crash and that alcohol is a suspected factor, but the investigation is ongoing. No charges have been filed.

— JAMES HALPIN

WILKES-BARRE — Nonunionized employees of the Luzerne County Court system received a 3 percent raise in paychecks issued Friday, according to court administrator Michael Shucosky.

The raise for more than 90 employees of the court administration, probation and domestic relations departments is overdue, Shucosky said. Court employees not represented by unions last received a percentage-based raise eight years ago, though they received a fixed $1,500 pay increase in 2014, he said.

The raises, which will add about $110,000 to the court system’s payroll costs this year, are factored into the court’s 2018 budget and will not require any budgetary transfers, according to Shucosky and county Manager David Pedri.

— ERIC MARK

SCRANTON — Many federal facilities in Northeast Pennsylvania will remain open under a government shutdown, officials said Friday.

Federal employees at the William J. Nealon Federal Building in Scranton, the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Plains Twp., the Tobyhanna Army Depot in Monroe County, and with the Transportation Security Administration at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport in Pittston Twp., all stay on their jobs as usual, because those operations are deemed essential by the federal government, officials said.

However, the approximately 40 employees of the Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton are not as lucky.

Steamtown National Historic Site has about four hours early today to clear out and close, park Superintendent Debbie Conway said.

Having gone through a prior 16-day shutdown in 2013, and later near-shutdowns, some federal employees generally have a good idea about where they stand.

Operations remaining open in a shutdown still may have a few nonessential employees furloughed, while other facilities closing down may have some essential employees remain for vital maintenance or security.

VA Medical Center spokesman William Klaips said while that facility, which serves 38,000 veterans, will not close in a shutdown, a few employees perhaps could end up furloughed.

The same holds true for the larger Veterans Health Administration, according to its statement provided by Klaips:

“The Veterans Health Administration received advance appropriations for fiscal year 2018, as part of the 2017 budget. So in the event of a government shutdown, VHA would continue full operations. In addition, even in the event that there is a shutdown, 95.5 percent of VA employees would come to work, and most aspects of VA’s operations would not be impacted.”

Tobyhanna Army Depot told its 3,800 employees to report for duty as usual, depot spokeswoman Kristyn Smith said.

“In the event of a government shutdown, Tobyhanna Army Depot will continue to operate as normal” and employees should report to work as scheduled, Smith said.

All functions at the federal courthouse in Scranton, including hearings and jury proceedings, also go on as usual under a shutdown, said courthouse operations manager Kevin Calpin.

“We’re deemed essential,” Calpin said.

Contact the writer:

jlockwood@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9100 x5185;

@jlockwoodTT on Twitter

Aided by another strong year of investment returns, Scranton’s composite pension fund had assets of $75.2 million as of last week, an increase of roughly $1 million over the prior month’s value, according to the funds’ financial adviser.

The fund, which consists of the police, fire and nonuniform pension plans, reaped about $8.7 million on investments in 2017, for a 14.1 percent rate of return, Mark Yasenchak of PFM Asset Management said at a composite pension board meeting earlier this week. That’s more than double the $3.05 million, or 6.7 percent investment return, the fund saw in 2016.

The increase in assets continues an upward trend of the past several years. The fund had assets of $50.7 million as of Jan. 1, 2015, according to the biannual Act 205 report the funds’ actuary sends to the state auditor general’s office. That grew to $61.5 million as of Jan. 1, 2017.

The huge spike to start 2018 comes compliments of the city’s deposit of its required contribution, known as the minimum municipal obligation, of $18.8 million Dec. 18. About $3.6 million of the total was covered by state aid. The remaining $15.2 million came from the general fund.

That’s all good news, and it’s set to get better once the fund receives the $22.9 million in sewer system sale proceeds the city earmarked for pensions.

The sewer sale money is currently held in an interest-bearing account the city controls. City officials and the composite pension board are in the process of finalizing the transfer of the funds into a trust account that will be set up by the composite board.

The pension board Wednesday approved the creation of the trust fund, which was the final remaining obstacle to the transfer. Several administrative issues still need to be resolved, but board members said they’re hopeful the transfer will be finalized by February or March.

Contact the writer:

tbesecker@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9137;

@tmbeseckerTT on Twitter

SCRANTON — City police are investigating a burglary at a South Side residence.

The burglary happened Friday between 11 a.m. and 5:15 p.m. in the 500 block of Stafford Avenue, when a resident returned home to find a door had been kicked in, police Lt. Marty Crofton said. Residents reported a handgun and jewelry stolen, Crofton said.

Anyone with information about the burglary is asked to call police at 570-348-4134.

— CLAYTON OVER

A 21-year-old Carbondale man who gagged when investigators showed him a photo of child pornography admitted about an hour later that he seeks the images, Lackawanna County detectives said.

Damian J. Robinson, 72 Cemetery St., had 10 sexual images of prepubescent girls on his Samsung phone when detectives searched his devices Thursday. One of the photos displayed a young girl having sexual intercourse with an adult male, Detective Sheryl Turner wrote in a criminal complaint.

Detectives went to Robinson’s home because they had information that child pornography was uploaded from there, according to the complaint. Robinson denied ever seeing child pornography and gagged at an image detectives showed him. That image was provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Detectives told him they were checking his devices using forensic equipment, and Robinson hedged, saying he may have seen child porn once or twice on Kik, a messaging app, but he would immediately block the person who sent it.

Turner then checked on the status of the examination of Robinson’s electronic devices. About 45 minutes later, Robinson told the detective a different story: He has a Facebook friend in Pittsburgh from whom he would solicit child porn via Kik.

Robinson is charged with 10 counts of possession of child pornography, a third-degree felony. He is in Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $20,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is set for Wednesday.

Contact the writer:

jkohut@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9144;

@jkohutTT on Twitter

Lackawanna County detectives arrested two Scranton men and seized heroin and cocaine during a raid at an apartment in South Scranton, according to a criminal complaint.

Jack Tully, 39, 1242 Loomis Ave., and Robert Brownstein, 46, 315 Cedar Ave., were each arrested on several drug charges Wednesday night. Detectives also charged Tully with weapons counts once they discovered a stolen handgun in his trunk. Tully, who has a criminal history stretching back nearly 20 years, according to state records, is prohibited from owning a handgun because he pleaded guilty to a felony theft charge, according to detectives.

While investigating Brownstein, detectives bought heroin and cocaine from the Cedar Avenue apartment and applied for a search warrant. They learned Brownstein’s supplier, “Jack,” would be at the apartment and moved to arrest both of them.

Detectives and members of the Drug Task Force searched the apartment and said they found 30 bags of heroin, 10 twist bags of cocaine and, on the coffee table, the buy money the police used to make their purchases.

Tully is in Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $75,000 bail and Brownstein is free on $75,000 unsecured bail. Preliminary hearings are scheduled for Thursday.

Contact the writer:

jkohut@timesshamrock.com,

570-348-9144;

@jkohutTT on Twitter

Say one thing for German luxury automaker Mercedes-Benz: They put the sizzle in the steak.

The latest cut in question is the all-new 2018 E400 midsize coupe, which comes hot on the heels of last year’s redesigned E Series Sedan and Convertible.

Sharing much of its running gear and chassis with its E Series brethren, the Coupe is slightly shorter than the four-door and comes wrapped in one of the more lovely configurations of sheet metal and glass currently offered.

True to Benz tradition, the new car sports a pillarless coupe design, meaning there’s no metal support between the front- and back-seat windows. Combined with an aerodynamically swept-back roofline, low hood, dovetailed backside and undulating lines, the E400 is a looker.

The B pillar’s absence works also with the large sunroof to create an open and airy feel in the cockpit. Unfortunately, our test vehicle arrived just in time for winter’s latest snowy blast, which left us to imagine the foregoing.

The aesthetic fireworks intensify inside with a cabin design that’s a sophisticated tour de force. Crafted using top-drawer plastics, open-pore wood and chromed accents, the cockpit bristles with technological gizmos and goodies that, frankly, can be a bit intimidating at first.

Unlike the Sedan and Convertible, the Coupe is offered with only one engine choice, that being a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 making 329 horsepower and 354 foot-pounds of torque. Other engine options will no doubt be added later, but for now that’s it. The engine channels its ponies to either the rear wheels or to the optional 4Matic AWD system via a nine-speed automatic transmission with row-your-own steering-wheel-mounted shifter paddles.

Pricing starts at $58,900 for rear-wheel drive models. Our all-wheel sample carried a base asking price $2,500 north of that and included the sort of standard amenities one expects at this price point: keyless entry and ignition, eye-popping multicolor ambient lighting throughout the cabin, power-folding side mirrors, power-adjustable front seats, COMAND navigation with complimentary map updates for three years, LED exterior illumination, a full range of safety systems and tech, rearview camera and so forth.

Onto all this Mercedes piled yet more wonderfulness, which added basically another car’s price to the bottom line. Factoring in the $9,350 Premium Package (it’s huge; see dealer for details), $5,400 Burmeister premium audio system, $4,200 Designo appearance package, $2,500 AMG appearance package, $1,900 adjustable-height air suspension system, seven additional three-figure options plus delivery, the as-tested ticket rose to $89,735.

By almost any measure, that’s a lot of euros. Indeed, the Coupe stickers for thousands more than even its four-doored sibling. Still, the car’s luxury-plus performance makes it a fair price for those of means.

The E400 goes through its motions with the sort of effortless grace one expects of higher-end autos. Handling is surgically precise, and the billet-stiff chassis and sublime suspension deliver a very comfortable and quiet ride.

The turbo-six engine spools out power in a smooth, linear fashion with little in the way of low-rev lag, while the quick-shifting nine-speed automatic picks its shift points in strict accordance with the console-mounted dynamic driving mode switch settings. There are four modes from which to choose — Economy, Comfort, Sport and Sport+ — all of which bring forth a distinctly different driving experience from the E400. Comfort, which I used frequently, lives up to its name with almost docile acceleration; Sport+ turned our tester into a decidedly hairier and more entertaining beast. Expect a reported 0-to-60 mph run of roughly 5.2 seconds.

The leather-upholstered, heated-and-ventilated (and massaging, no less) front seats are sublimely comfortable, offering loads of leg, hip, head and shoulder room. The two-passenger split-folding second-row seats are roomy enough, although our kids complained about the awkward access and having to wait for the slow-sliding front seats. Add to this the relatively meager 10.7-cubic-foot trunk, and it’s apparent the E400 isn’t the best pick for a family car.

2018 Mercedes-Benz E400 4Matic Coupe

Vehicle type: Two-door, four-passenger luxury coupe.

Base/as-tested prices: $61,400/$89,735.

Engine and transmission: 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-6, 329 horsepower, 354 foot-pounds torque, nine-speed automatic with manual-mode paddle shifters.

EPA estimates: 20 mpg city, 26 mpg highway, 22 mpg combined.

The good: Multimode dynamic handling settings deliver either serene road manners or genuinely amusing performance and acceleration; handsomely sculpted exterior design; extravagant and eye-popping cabin crafted of top-grade materials; “oh wow” ambient illumination; loads of tech controlled by intelligently arranged instrumentation; supremely comfortable front seat accommodations; all-wheel-drive system laughs at slippery wintertime conditions; capacious cargo area.

The bad: Smallish second row accessible after motorized front seat sli-i-i-i-ides slowly forward; options added the cost of a second car to the asking price; so-so fuel economy despite efficiency-minded engine shutoff system.

Bottom line: Mercedes’ all-new midsize two-door serves up a super-premium look and feel to justify its lofty asking price.

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

■ Thomas Jennings, 21, 311 Charles St., Scranton, to six months’ probation and a $300 fine for DUI — tier one, first offense.

■ Gavyn Humphrey, 30, 90 Mary St., Apt. 3, Binghamton, New York, to one year of probation for disorderly conduct.

■ Reyna Thomas, 20, 960 Matthew Ave., Scranton, to three years’ probation and $3,501.27 in restitution for bad checks.

■ John Brennan Jr., 52, 112 Route 690, Spring Brook Twp., to six months’ court supervision, including two months’ house arrest, and a $1,000 fine for DUI — tier three, first offense.

■ Louis Florio, 20, 1121 Aberdeen Road, Madison Twp., to 11 to 23 months in county prison, followed by three years’ court supervision, including 90 days’ work release and 90 days’ house arrest, seven years’ probation and $14,863.94 in restitution for theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property.

Judge Vito Geruolo sentenced:

■ Brandi Clark, 33, 72 Canaan St., Carbondale, to six months’ probation and a $300 fine for DUI — tier one, first offense.

■ Daquan Palmer, 25, 595 Calhoun St., Apt. 4C, Bronx, New York, to 11 to 23½ months in county prison followed by one year of probation for possession with intent to deliver.

■ Damien Blake, 19, 929 Froude Ave., Scranton, to six months’ probation for disorderly conduct.

Judge Margaret Bisignani Moyle sentenced:

■ Christian Clark, 20, 1109 Curtis Lane, Scranton, to 90 days’ probation for criminal mischief.

■ Theodore Kalinowski, 40, 600 E. Drinker St., Dunmore, to nine months’ probation for possession of drug paraphernalia.

SCRANTON — The state Department of Transportation reminds residents that Pennsylvanians may use their current driver’s license or ID card to board commercial aircraft or enter federal facilities that require ID under an enforcement extension from the Department of Homeland Security until Oct. 10.

Beginning Jan. 22, travelers who have driver’s licenses issued by a state that is not yet compliant with REAL ID and that has not received an extension will need to show an alternative form of acceptable identification for domestic air travel. Because Pennsylvania is under a REAL ID extension, travelers with PennDOT-issued driver’s licenses or ID cards may continue to use their licenses as usual.

A federally accepted form of identification must be used to board a commercial flight or visit a secure federal building as of Oct. 1, 2020.

REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses and ID cards are expected to be available in spring 2019. For information, visit www.penndot.gov/REALID.

— STAFF REPORT

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

■ Maureen S. Scotti, Maureen S. MacDonald and Christopher B. McGavin to Nolan S. Robinson, property in Tunkhannock for $145,000.

■ Broad Street Funding Trust I, Compulink Corporation AIF, and Celink AIF to Brent Reed, property in Forkston Twp. for $47,500.

■ Andrew Jubinski Jr. and Reta Ella Mae Jubinski to Noah J. Fields and Whitney L. Fields, property in Overfield Twp. for $228,000.

■ Thomas Gino Spigarelli, excr., Robert P. Spigarelli, decd., and Robert Philip Spigarelli, decd. to Michael James Vavrek and Marissa Kintner Vavrek, property in Tunkhannock Twp. for $175,000.

■ Margaret L. Santich to Andrew J. Franko and Amber Franko, property in Eaton Twp. for $105,000.

■ PNC Bank to Bruce W. Herron, property in Nicholson for $21,000.

■ Wyoming County Tax Claim Bureau, Stephen J. Colley and Annemarie Colley to Old Muddy Rivers Bottom LLC, property in Mehoopany Twp. for $3,704.

■ Bradley G. Stevens and Debora J. Stevens to James Stevens and Renee L. Stevens, property in Overfield Twp. for $119,000.

ESTATES FILED

■ Agnes L. Thorne, late of Tunkhannock, letters testamentary, Robert A. Thorne, c/o Judd B. Fitze, 7 Marion St., Tunkhannock.

■ Eleanor Smith, late of Tunkhannock Twp., letters testamentary, Lisa Ann Pacifico, exex., c/o Rinaldo DePaola, Griffin, Dawsey, DePaola & Jones, P.C., 101 Main Street, Towanda.

WYOMING COUNTY Court Notes appear weekly in The Times-Tribune.

The region’s only medical college could soon train the area’s newest nurses.

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine is in the “earliest stages” of creating a nursing school, according to a statement from the college.

The exploration comes amid a nursing shortage at both local and national levels and as the college looks to offer additional programs, such as population health, genomics, health system informatics and neuroscience.

Geisinger Health System, which acquired the medical college a year ago, operates a hospital-based nursing school in Lewistown and partners with several colleges and universities in their nursing degree programs.

“The growing Geisinger presence allows for multiple collaborative opportunities and locations for nursing education,” the statement read.

While the college explores the feasibility for a nursing school, officials will determine its future location after

the research and development process. The college declined to provide further comment.

The news has local health care providers — and even schools that might compete for students — optimistic that a local nursing shortage could be lessened.

The University of Scranton typically has a waiting list for its undergraduate nursing program. The 321 students now in the program make nursing the largest undergraduate major on campus. The university also has 103 students in nursing graduate programs.

Marywood University’s program includes 240 students.

“We are all aware of the great need for nurses today, especially in our region,” said Juneann Greco, university spokeswoman. “Marywood is very proud that our nursing program has been playing a significant role in fulfilling that need for over 60 years. Anything that helps the community is a good thing.”

Elizabeth Leo, chief human resources officer for the Scranton market for Commonwealth Health, said hospitals such as Moses Taylor and Regional offer sign-on bonuses and tuition reimbursement in an effort to attract nurses.

Commonwealth, a subsidiary of Community Health Systems, plans to hire at least 160 registered nurses this year, along with support staff.

“We’re always looking for nurses,” she said. “I would like to see more opportunities for nurses to go to school ... more nursing schools would be fantastic.”

Contact the writer:

shofius@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9133;

@hofiushallTT on Twitter

Carbondale

Twirlerettes fundraiser: Lynnette’s Twirlerettes will hold a fundraising Me & My Guy Dance, Feb. 2, 6-8 p.m., Carbondale Grand Hotel; $45 per couple, reservations required; contact Lynnette, 570-281-9797, by Friday.

Moosic

Club meeting: After 50 Club will meet Thursday, 1 p.m., Greenwood Hose Co., Birney Ave.

Nicholson

Blood drive: Red Cross blood drive Feb. 1, 1-6 p.m., Nicholson United Methodist Church, 64 State St.

Scranton

Neighbors meet: Tripp Park Neighborhood Association meeting, Feb. 6, 6:30 p.m., Tripp Park Community Center.

Lenten food: St. John’s Byzantine Catholic Church will have a Lenten food sale on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 14, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., 310 Broadway; haluski, $7.25/quart; red clam chowder, $8.25/quart; order deadline is Jan. 31; 570-343-8820 or 570-587-2738.

South Scranton

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

West Pittston

Banner fundraiser: West Pitts­ton Cherry Blossom Commit­tee selling banners to support the borough/festival; $150/banner, $50/renewal; send check payable to West Pittston Cherry Blossom Committee; mail check with the name wanted on the banner to Toni Valenti, treasurer, 316 Damon St., West Pittston, PA 18643, 570-655-0416.

Committee meeting: West Pittston Cherry Blossom Festival Committee meeting Feb. 5, 7 p.m., Corpus Christi Parish school building; all committee members asked to attend; pictures will be taken; arrive early and wear cherry blossom attire.

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