WILKES-BARRE — A downtown nightclub that has been besieged by controversy was sued Thursday over an alcohol-fueled bar brawl that allegedly left a Hanover Twp. man with a gash on his face.

Michael Wilson, of 70 Hanover Village, filed suit against the Ali Baba Liquor Lounge alleging negligence over a fight that broke out at the South Main Street nightspot on June 16, 2017.

According to the complaint filed by the Comitz Law Firm, Wilson went to the club that night for a performance by Harlem rapper Dave East. The complaint says the bar was “extremely crowded” while Wilson and his friends were there, and that the bar staff provided alcohol to an unidentified person who was visibly intoxicated.

Around 1 a.m., as Wilson found himself in the midst of a large crowd at the bar, the drunk patron started a fight, according to the complaint. Wilson “became caught in the middle” of the fight and was attacked, sustaining a large cut to his face, the complaint alleges.

According to the complaint, Wilson went to a hospital for treatment by private vehicle, but he continues to suffer scarring and “embarrassment and humiliation” from the incident.

The lawsuit alleges the nightclub was negligent for failing to maintain order in the nightclub and allowing a brawl to break out. Wilson is seeking unspecified damages in excess of $50,000.

A message left for Ali Baba’s owners was not immediately returned Thursday.

The club has made headlines frequently in recent months, in part because of a scheduled performance by the controversial New York City rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine, who is free on bail pending sentencing after admitting to posting lewd videos of himself and a 13-year-old girl on Instagram.

Last month, city officials temporarily shut down the venue for a fire code violation, and club management subsequently announced the Tekashi 6ix9ine show had been canceled, without explanation. The club reopened earlier this month, about two weeks after the city shuttered it.

Last year, the venue hosted another highly controversial entertainer — Brooklyn, New York, rapper Uncle Murda, whose music calls for killing police officers.

After that performance, club operator Ali Abualburak presented $1,500 in checks to law enforcement causes, asserting that his business supported and had a great relationship with law enforcement.

Contact the writer:

jhalpin@citizensvoice.com

570-821-2058

Officials in Schuylkill County are planning to teach students to throw rocks at school shooters.

The superintendent of Blue Mountain School District testified to a state committee in Harrisburg last week that each classroom in the school has been equipped with a five-gallon bucket of river stone, according to WNEP.

“If an armed intruder attempts to gain entrance to any of our classrooms, they will face a classroom full of students armed with rocks and they will be stoned,” Superintendent David Helsel said to the House Education Committee in Harrisburg.

Helsel said teachers, staff and students have had active shooter training and routinely hold evacuation drills for active shooter simulations. But in the event of a lockdown, Helsel said, students can use the bucket or rocks to throw at shooters as a last resort.

At least one student told WNEP she liked the plan, while a parent called the plan “absurd” and said teachers should carry firearms.

Helsel said the district does not plan to arm teachers with firearms. However, Blue Mountain does have an armed maintenance employee who is certified to work as school security.

matt.coughlin@mcall.com

Twitter @coughlinreports

610-820-6564

SCRANTON — No calls were made from the Lackawanna County Prison to a hotline meant for reporting prison sex abuse prior to officials ensuring the privacy of such calls, Warden Tim Betti said.

The day after the Feb. 14 arrest of seven then active and former county prison guards on sex charges involving female inmates, state Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced that his office had established a special hotline, 570-846-4074, for victims and witnesses to report sexual abuse at the jail. At a Feb. 21 meeting of the Lackawanna County Prison Board, a member of the group Progressive Women of NEPA, Stephanie Bressler, Ph.D., asked if the prison monitored inmate calls to the number.

Reached later that day, Betti said phone systems at the prison are set up to record inmates’ calls, but the prison can prevent calls to certain numbers from being recorded. He vowed to act the next day, Feb. 22, to ensure the privacy of all hotline calls from the jail and to post the hotline number in the jail’s housing units.

At a prison board meeting Wednesday, Betti reported no inmates called the hotline in the seven days between Feb. 15, when Shapiro announced the hotline, and Feb. 22, the day Betti said he’d take steps to prevent such calls from being recorded.

“We did have the capability to record and still do have the capability to record phone calls being made out, but I also have the capability to have it set up so that it’s not recording,” Betti said, noting he made sure hotline calls from the jail are free and not recorded after Bressler raised the issue. “I checked, and not a single call had been made from the time the hotline was set up and announced and the time I took those measures to make sure it wasn’t something we could be accused of — listening in on (calls) or anything along those lines.”

Bressler, who attended Wednesday’s meeting, said Friday that Betti’s comments raised additional questions, including how he can be sure no one called the number if calls to it are not monitored.

Also reached Friday, Betti said the prison phone system “allows us to run a check on any particular phone number” to see if it’s been called from the jail, and that the process does not necessitate listening to the calls. Betti has not checked to see if the hotline has been called from the jail since officials took the aforementioned measures, and does not plan to do so, he said.

In general, Bressler said her group’s reaction to the warden’s and prison board’s method of answering questions, like the hotline questions, is “mixed.” They appreciate officials’ efforts to answer some questions, but are often frustrated by a lack of follow up on others.

“Sometimes we see what appears to be some openness to our suggestions, and then that issue disappears unless we ask follow-up questions,” Bressler said, noting they will continue to question the board. “We see some responsiveness, but we also see many times when there isn’t follow up.”

Beth Ann Zero, cofounder of the prisoners’ rights group NEPA Prison Advocates, expressed a similar sentiment, but said she’s encouraged by the board’s apparent willingness to work with them.

“We’re going to continue to address these issues, and I feel like we are being well received and ... listened to, just some months more than others,” Zero said, . “I think they are considering what we have to say ... and that is really encouraging.”

Contact the writer:

jhorvath@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9141;

@jhorvathTT on Twitter

In other business at Wednesday’s meeting of the Lackawanna County Prison Board:

n Warden Tim Betti announced there were 10 “extraordinary occurrences” at the prison since last month’s prison board meeting, all of which involved combative, uncooperative or suicidal inmates being placed in a “restraint chair.” Inmates are placed in the chair so as not to harm themselves or others, Betti said.

To insure inmates are not in possession of potentially dangerous contraband, they are disrobed and redressed in a “suicide-proof smock” — a single-piece outer garment that, unlike other clothing, can’t be tied into a noose — before being placed in the chair. Female guards monitor female inmates and male guards monitor male inmates during this process, Betti said.

n Betti announced that there were seven allegations of Prison Rape Elimination Act violations in the month of February. Of the seven allegations, five were “staff on inmate” in nature and two were “inmate on inmate” allegations, Betti wrote in his warden’s report. Of the five allegations involving staff, three were unsubstantiated and two were unfounded, and of the two inmate on inmate allegations, one was unfounded and one was unsubstantiated, Betti wrote in the report.

All PREA violation allegations are investigated by the prison’s PREA coordinator, Mari Finlon, who conducts a review process with the warden. Regardless of the findings, the information is then sent to the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s office via email, Betti said.

n Beth Ann Zero, cofounder of the prisoners’ rights group NEPA Prison Advocates, read publicly a letter she wrote opposing privatizing the jail. Commissioner Laureen Cummings, who sits on the prison board but was absent Wednesday, wants to privatize the prison and has communicated with companies that run private prisons. In October, Cummings motioned to perform a feasibility study on prison privatization, but that motion died without being seconded by another member of the prison board.

“A private prison is a business that thrives on maintaining a full bed county while reducing costs by meeting the most basic requirements, including payroll and service budgets,” Zero wrote in the letter. “There is no incentive to lower recidivism rates because that is not conducive to profit.”

n Betti again noted his desire to use funds from the inmate canteen account to reestablish a GED program at the prison at an annual cost of about1 $120,000. He plans to meet with other officials, including members of the county controller’s office, in the near future to further discuss the issue.

n Ro Hume, convenor of the NEPA Healthcare Defenders Coalition, asked numerous questions about female inmates’ access to “necessary sanitary supplies.” Betti said female inmates have access to as many “sanitary napkins” as they need free of charge.

— JEFF HORVATH

The state attorney general’s office last month established a hotline for victims and witnesses to report incidents of sexual abuse at the Lackawanna County Prison. The number is 570-846-4074.

SCRANTON — In the works for a decade, a peculiar new park downtown will finally open April 1, officials said.

The Renaissance Park at 500, one block long and 30- to 50-feet wide, sits atop a 25-foot-high former rail line between Cedar and Washington avenues behind redeveloped buildings on Lackawanna Avenue.

One of the quirkier public spaces in the city, the elevated park — not visible from nearby streets — offers long views of parts of South Side and West Side, and up-close views of trains and trollies passing by on tracks abutting the park. It is accessible by an elevator and stairwell from a sidewalk-level plaza in the 500 block of Lackawanna Avenue linking to a pedestrian bridge over Bogart Court.

“It’s a real slice of heaven up there,” said Stuart West, acting superintendent of Steamtown National Historic Site, which will oversee the new park. “It’s like an elevated island, with a beautiful manicured lawn. It just looks great up there and it’s a great vantage point of the trains, as well. The view is spectacular.”

The park will be open daily 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., from April 1 through Nov. 30, and special-use permits also could be sought, West said.

The elevated park’s structure, called the “China Wall” for its massive undertaking when constructed more than a century ago, is the last section of raised rail bed that once ran along Lackawanna Avenue, said Renaissance at 500 developer Donald Rinaldi.

Rinaldi cited former Steamtown National Historic Site Superintendent Harold “Kip” Hagen Jr., who died in 2013, as a key figure backing the concept for the elevated park. At that time, in the early-to-mid-2000s, the space was a blighted rail remnant.

“Truly, he (Hagen) had the foresight to say, ‘Let’s get this done,’” Rinaldi said. “It (now) becomes a great asset to raise awareness of Steamtown.”

Transforming the space also was a crucial piece of the larger Renaissance at 500 redevelopment, Rinaldi said. That overall project also included restoration of building facades, new sidewalks and streetscaping, condominiums, a central plaza and reconstruction of Bogart Court.

Mayor Bill Courtright recalled that the redevelopment was the first large project he voted on as a councilman in 2004.

Begun about 2008 and mostly completed in 2010, the park project, partly funded by the state, was bogged down in a lengthy contract dispute between the state and a contractor. That dispute finally got resolved a year or so ago.

Park ownership had been another issue. Both Steamtown National Historic Site and the Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad Authority claimed interest in the elevated property, and creating a clean ownership title was necessary for an overall resolution. The authority in 2015 conveyed its interest in the property to Steamtown to resolve any title dispute, officials had said.

After those steps were accomplished, the city, a Renaissance 500 condominium association and Steamtown then had to work out an operations and maintenance agreement for the park. Recently completed, that pact calls for Steamtown to operate the elevated park, and the city to maintain the stairs, elevator and pedestrian bridge, said West and city Office of Economic and Community Development Executive Director Linda Aebli.

Though closed, the park helped attract purchasers of condos in the Renaissance at 500 buildings, Rinaldi said. Of those 16 condos, 14 are sold and the last two are under contract, he said.

The park also has been much anticipated by other downtown residents and nearby merchants.

“We are thrilled to have the park open and be a part of such a unique and vibrant tourist attraction,”said Jamie Constantine, who recently opened The Velvet Elvis kitsch collectibles shop on Bogart Court.

Judith Roth, who moved into the nearby Connell Building in the 100 block of North Washington Avenue three years ago, catches glimpses of the elevated park from the top deck of parking garage at the Marketplace at Steamtown. She can’t wait to step foot in the new park.

“Just to see the sunset, I would go to the top floor of the mall parking garage and I would look at that park, lovingly and longingly, and think, ‘That would be amazing if that was open.’ This is the best news,” Roth said.

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

ORWIGSBURG — The superintendent of a Schuylkill County school district defended Friday an idea to arm students with rocks to deter a school shooter, saying it is part of a larger plan to address school safety.

Earlier this month, Superintendent David Helsel spoke before a House Education Committee school safety hearing in Harrisburg about the district’s overall safety plan. Part of that plan includes having a supply of rocks in classrooms so students do not go down without a fight.

“Each room is being equipped with a device that makes entry into the classroom extremely difficult, if not impossible. In addition, every classroom has been equipped with a 5-gallon bucket of river stone. If an armed intruder attempts to gain entry to any of our classrooms, they will face a classroom full of students armed with rocks, and they will be stoned,” a transcript of the proceeding says.

The rocks were placed in the classrooms last fall and parents and students were informed. Helsel said some students even helped to put the stones in the buckets.

However, following Helsel’s statement at the conference, rumors on social media has taken Helsel’s “last ditch effort” from its context and made it a target of derision. Helsel said he was answering a lot of phone calls Friday about his recent comments, which was picked up by media around the country

“These comments are taken completely out of context,” he said.

The “first response is to evacuate” if possible, he emphasized. The district’s comprehensive plan, developed by law enforcement professionals in response to previous school shootings like Columbine and Virginia Tech, also addresses decision-making during an attack, evacuation procedures and barricading classrooms.

Society today is not what it used to be years ago, he said.

“I think it is sad we need to face these types of circumstances,” Helsel said.

Contact the writer: amarchiano@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6028

By late April, Pennsylvania Turnpike users can leave cash at home whenever they hit the road at the Keyser Avenue and Clarks Summit toll plazas.

New, cashless tolling systems will go online there starting April 29, an extension of the turnpike’s pilot project exploring the technology. Two other cashless locations are already running. One on the turnpike bridge over the Delaware River went online in 2016 and another in western Pennsylvania opened last year.

“These segments of our system are the next in our series of staged, cashless pilot projects,” Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission CEO Mark Compton said in a statement. “We are making good on our promise to innovate and keep our customers moving safely.”

The turnpike’s cashless systems work like this: drivers don’t have to stop or slow down as they pass through cashless sites, turnpike spokesman Carl DeFebo said. Instead, cameras there will capture images of a vehicle’s license plate. A toll bill will then be mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle using the address on file with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, DeFebo said. Out-of-state drivers will also receive bills and the turnpike has already sent invoices to all 50 states and Canada from use at the existing cashless locations, DeFebo said.

Toll roads across the country are also in the midst of introducing cashless systems, DeFebo said. They offer several benefits, to include ease of use and convenience for drivers and safety, DeFebo said.

For example, drivers passing through cashless sites all go through the same lanes regardless of whether they have an E-ZPass or not, DeFebo said. Currently, tolling points have separate sets of lanes for each.

“A lot of the times now, with mixed E-ZPass and cash, a lot of people are jockeying at the last minute to get in the right lane,” DeFebo said.

Motorists will see little physical change to the tolling areas locally. The turnpike will also not lay off any employees due to the pilot location rollouts, DeFebo said. Toll collectors who work at the Keyser Avenue and Clarks Summit plazas will be reassigned elsewhere, DeFebo said.

Turnpike personnel will be ready to roll out cashless systems across the entire state by 2022, though a complete statewide conversion will need to be approved by the turnpike commission, DeFebo said.

“Agencies across the country are introducing cashless systems and we owe it to customers to continue to use the best technology available in every facet of our operations,” Compton said. “We manage more than 550 miles of roadway serving rural areas as well as major urban centers, so we want to be sure cashless tolling makes sense for all of our customers.”

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

Local women’s

art on display

In celebration of National Women’s History Month, the Waverly Community House has on display an exhibit of local women artists’ works.

Art work by Marylou Chibirka, Trudy Gerlach, Nuzhat Sultana Ibrahim and Pamela M. Parsons is now featured in the Comm’s Small Works Gallery.

Chibirka is a full-time professional portrait artist who lives on her family farm in Dalton. Chibirka’s work has been featured at solo exhibitions at the Everhart Museum, Lizza Gallery, Misericordia University, the Wyoming County Courthouse and Federal Building in Scranton and also in many group shows. Chibirka has commissioned over 400 portraits.

Born in Sayre and raised on a farm near New Era, Gerlach, was influenced by her parents’ deep love of nature, her mother’s vocation as an artist and her father’s interest in science. Recently, Gerlach’s interest has been focused on the anthracite and social history of the Lackawanna and Wyoming valleys.

Ibrahim, from Bangladesh, has been living in Northeast Pennsylvania for seven months with her husband, a Fulbright scholar at Keystone College. Ibrahim has a lifelong attachment to art and completed a semester in drawing and sketching at Keystone College.

Parsons, the art department chair at Marywood University, teaches courses in drawing, painting, collage and art history survey. Her works in oil painting and collage derive much from her travels in northern Italy. Parsons is a recipient of the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant and the F. Lammot Belin Arts Scholarship.

The exhibit runs through Saturday, March 31, at the Waverly Community, 1115 North Abington Road, Waverly.

Super teachers

Lakeland teacher Linda Stephens received a Hess STEM Grant.

With the grant, Stephens’ seventh-grade class will use 12 model Hess trucks in the Research and Presentation class. The students will use the trucks to experiment with the basics of physics and report on their findings, according to the school.

High notes

Members of the St. Joseph’s Center Auxiliary board for 2018 include: Marla Farrell, M.D.; Denise Christman, Danelle Hogan and Marlene Graham, co-presidents; Sister Maryalice Jacquinot, IHM, president/CEO; Erin Kreis, Annette Rose, Suzanne Fletcher, Karen Clifford, Maggie Pettinato, Bob Connors, Kathleen Timlin, Theresa Gilhooley, Cindy Hoban, Marianne Stoko, Sharon Pompey, Gayle DeAntona and Michelle Druther.

The members were installed during an installation brunch on Jan. 14. The auxiliary is planning upcoming events for this year, including a Night at the Races on April 13 at Immaculate Conception Parish; an Auxiliary Golf Outing on Friday, June 15, at Lakeland Golf Course; the Annual Summer Festival at Marywood University from July 27 to 29; the Chicken Dinner on Sept. 23; and the annual Dennis Crafferty Memorial Auction in November.

For more details

about joining the auxiliary or the event calendar, contact 570-963-1290 or visit www.stjosephscenter.org.

A city man is charged with sex crimes involving a young girl.

Scranton police arrested James Tisdale, 41, 614 Spruce St., today after detectives attended an interview with the child at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Northeastern Pennsylvania the day before. The girl, 9, told investigators Tisdale “touched her inappropriately” on her private parts several times and performed oral sex on her, according to court documents. The child said the incidents last happened about three years ago, police said.

The child also told investigators Tisdale took pictures of her with no clothes on, according to court documents. He told the girl he would “get in big trouble” if she told anyone what was happening, police said.

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

Tisdale is listed on the state Megan’s Law offender registry for a child pornography conviction. City police arrested Tisdale on that charge in June 2016. Court dockets indicate he pleaded no contest to the offense before Judge Vito P. Geruolo in February 2017. Geruolo sentenced Tisdale to 15 to 48 months in prison followed by two years of probation.

Tisdale is charged with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault of a child, photographing child sex acts and related offenses.

He is held in Lackawanna County Prison and will be arraigned on the charges Saturday morning.

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

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

■ Erica Dougher, 32, 1207 N. Webster Ave., Dunmore, to three years’ court supervision, including three months’ house arrest, followed by three years’ probation for endangering welfare of children and criminal use of a communication facility.

■ Rebecca Herschman, 39, 1923 Pelham Road, Bethlehem, to one year of probation for possession of drug paraphernalia.

■ Joseph Khazzaka, 66, 205 Whitetail Lane, South Abington Twp., to two years’ court supervision, including two months’ house arrest, for resisting arrest.

■ Olivia Kimble, 30, 35 Mount Bethel Drive, Scott Twp., to a $100 fine for harassment.

■ Joseph Kime Jr., 46, 1502 Monroe Ave., Dunmore, to two years’ probation for evidence tampering.

■ Harry Vega, 28, 560 N. Main St., Hazleton, to 27 to 60 months in state prison, followed by four years’ probation, for possession with intent to deliver.

■ Derrick Ward, 43, 509 S. Main Ave., Scranton, to six to 12 months in county prison for possession of drug paraphernalia.

■ Jean Quinones-Rolden, 23, to one year of court supervision, including two months’ house arrest and one year of probation, for possession of a controlled substance and evidence tampering.

■ Steven Winters, 37, 2827 Route 307, Dalton, to one year of court supervision, including three months’ house arrest, for furnishing drug-free urine.

■ Edward Paranich, 53, 312 New St., to two years’ probation for possession of a controlled substance.

■ Ammie Feduchak, 33, 2523 Jackson St., Scranton, to one year of probation and $500 restitution for accidents involving damage.

■ Jason Fashauer, 36, 120 Westgate Drive, D-11, Carbon­dale, to 18 months to five years in state prison for DUI — controlled substance, second offense.

Judge Vito Geruolo sentenced:

■ Michelle Shotwell, 23, 239 Skylar Ave., 120 Rear, Kingston, to three to 12 months in county prison for flight to avoid apprehension.

■ Brittney Gordon, 19, 137 E. Elm St., Dunmore, to one year of probation for disorderly conduct.

■ Jeremy Reeder, 39, 1128 Albright Ave., Scranton, to one year of probation for default in required appearance.

■ Irving Ruiz, 49, 74 Broad St., Stroudsburg, to six to 23 months in county prison, followed by two years’ probation, for possession with intent to deliver.

■ Johnny Feliz Pena, 18, 130 Meridian Ave., Jackson Terrace, Scranton, to five to 23 months in county prison for simple assault.

Judge Margaret Bisignani Moyle sentenced:

■ Brett Tolley, 26, 916 Snyder Ave., second floor, Scranton, to three days to six months in county prison, followed by 1½ years of probation, and a $1,000 fine for fleeing and eluding police, possession of a controlled substance and DUI — tier three, first offense.

■ Korey Minshall Jr., 37, 263 Arnold Ave., Burlington, New York, to five days to six months in county prison, followed by one year of probation, a $300 fine and $500 restitution for accidents involving damage, failure to stop and DUI — tier one, second offense.

■ Derek Criscuola, 28, 4 Beechwood Drive, Lake Ariel, to 11½ to 23½ months in county prison, followed by four years’ probation, for unlawful contact with a minor and criminal attempt, statutory sexual assault.

■ Robert McKnight, 49, 1019 Ash St., Scranton, to five years’ court supervision, including one year in county prison, followed by six months’ probation and a $300 fine for firearms not to be carried without a license and DUI — tier one, first offense.

■ Daniel Smith, 23, 1325 Lafayette St., Apt. 2, Scranton, to 28 days to one year in county prison and $85 restitution for theft by unlawful taking.

MAYFIELD — Standing among a group of parents at Mayfield Elementary School, Carrie Chase read a letter from her 7-year-old great-niece about the effects of addiction on families.

“Mommy, when you go away, I feel sad and a little bit mad. I wish you will stop doing bad things like going to jail, or do drugs, or when you don’t play with me when you come home from jail,” Chase read.

The Forever Sammi Foundation hosted a family night at the elementary school Thursday to discuss the opioid epidemic and how the parents of elementary-age children can take a proactive approach to prevent addiction. About 16 people attended.

After witnessing the effects of addiction on her niece’s 4- and 7-year-old daughters, Chase, who is also a member of the Jermyn Crime Watch, reached out to the Forever Sammi Foundation to organize the family night. Chase’s niece, an addict, is currently incarcerated for selling suboxone, she said.

“It really hits home for me,” Chase said. “I see how addiction affects kids ... and when it affects the kids, it affects the family, it affects the community. We have to start somewhere — we have to start with our kids.”

Earlier in the day, Martin Henehan, the co-founder of the Forever Sammi Foundation, addressed a group of about 200 elementary students, sharing his own story and teaching children to help those suffering from addiction with empathy — not stigmatization.

“Should they come across somebody in their journey through life, maybe they can take that stance and help them get the treatment they need instead of judging them and attaching a stigma to them,” he said.

His daughter, Sammi Henehan, died of a drug overdose in 2016 at 23.

During the evening, the small group of parents listened intently as Henehan shared his and Sammi’s stories of addiction. He listed red flags, such as a drastic change in a child’s mood or routine, and he answered questions.

Although initially dismayed at the small turnout, saying, “If this empty room doesn’t signify denial, I don’t know what does,” Henehan concluded by praising the parents.

“I don’t wish there was more,” he said. “You guys are here because you’re ready to hear the truth, and they just may not be ready, but hopefully the children will have gone home and given them a message that will resonate with them.”

Kathy Possanza wiped away tears as she listened to Henehan speak. As the mother of a 12-year-old daughter in the school, seeing Sammi’s photo on the wall and seeing her mother, Stacy Henehan, showed the devastation of losing a child.

“I saw the emotion in her eyes, and it just got to me,” she said.

Contact the writer:

flesnefsky@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9100 x5181

SCRANTON — A city man faces charges after he screamed at a woman to tell police he punched her, police said.

Jody Lee Hallock Jr., 302 William St., is charged with simple assault, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and harassment stemming from a confrontation Wednesday, according to a criminal complaint.

Police responded to his apartment at 5:18 p.m. after a caller saw Hallock, 48, and a woman throwing things at each other.

Hallock yelled at Desiree Phillips to “tell them I hit you and send me to jail,” according to the complaint. Phillips later told police Hallock punched her in the head, according to the complaint. Hallock tried to bite and kick officers while they handcuffed him, police said.

He is in Lackawanna County Prison on $12,500 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.

— FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

• Jean Niemiec, Moosic, to Stanley Tetlack, Moosic; a property at 709 Spring St., Moosic, for $62,000.

• Lindsey R. and James P. Loss, South Abington Twp., to Robert Register, Milton; a property at 503 Willow Lane, South Abington, Twp., for $234,000.

• Electric City Investments LLC, Scranton, to Alexis R. Polanco and Vivian R. Isaac, Lodi, N.J.; a property at 628 E. Locust St., Scranton, for $80,000.

• Carey and Sara Wallace, Fell Twp., to Jamique Kasheem Lundy, Bushkill; a property at 99 Morse Ave., Simpson, for $158,000.

• Andrew W. Abeloff, Throop, to Robert Schank, Throop; a property at 39 Line St., Throop, for $56,650.

• Michael and Sandra Anglin, Clarks Green, to Larry Kenneth and Donna J. Mackey, Scranton; a property at 3 Spring St., Clarks Green, for $280,000.

• Blythe Petriello, Scranton, to Gary G. and Elise L. Edwards, Hendersonville, N.C.; a property at 604 Meadow Ave., Scranton, for $35,000.

• Mark J. and Julia A. Gilvey, Archbald, to Tara S. and Matthew Murphy, Lackawanna County; a property at 115 Ledgewood Drive, Archbald, for $320,000.

• Jack Cozart, executor of the estate of Terrie L. Cozart, Clarks Summit, to S2W Property Man­agement LLC, Tunkhannock; a property at 617 Oak Lane, Clarks Summit, for $123,000.

• Daniel T. Crecca to Angela Crecca; a property at 1823 Farr St., Scranton, for $50,000.

• Michael T., Amber Lynn, Leonard T., Robert D. and Deborah R. Brady, Carbondale, to Carl and Tammy A. Galavitz, Carbondale; two parcels in Car­bondale, for $45,000.

• Sharon Smith, administratrix of the estate of Catherine Baiduk, deceased, and administratrix of the estate of Joseph Baiduk, deceased, Taylor, to Jan Pavlowski and Jan Pavlowski Jr., Blakely, as joint tenants with rights of survivorship; a property at 102 Donny Drive, Taylor, for $55,000.

• Dietrich and Susan Smith, South Abington Twp., to David and Shelby Arendt, Dalton; a property at 419 Adams Place, South Abington Twp., for $188,000.

• Angelo and Mary Ambrosecchia, Dickson City, to Sarah R. Gedrich, Throop; a property at 146 Northpoint Drive, Olyphant, for $209,625.

• Kenneth and Elizabeth Sandrowicz, Olyphant, to Matthew Mark Laubach, Susquehanna County; a property at 20 Short St., Benton Twp., for $95,000.

• Lee Chan Soong and Stacey Cheng, Seattle, to Dilip and Disha Patel, Lackawanna County; a property at 206 Abbey Drive, South Abington Twp., for $371,500.

• Habitat for Humanity of Lackawanna County Inc., Scranton, to Krishna and Bindu Kuikel, Scranton; a property on Prospect Avenue, Scranton, for $25,000.

MARRIAGE LICENSES

• Matthew Stephen VanFleet, Old Forge, and Maria Shmakov, Bear Creek.

• Tony Lamar Wentz Jr. and Emily Jane Fitzwater, both of Scranton.

• Aranda Miguel Hernandez and Maria Guadalupe Apanco Cerezo, both of Scranton.

• Dyshon Jamal Roache and Amanda Lynn Davis, both of Scranton.

• Casey Marie Murray and Robert Melvin Sims II, both of Dickson City.

ESTATES FILED

• Jo Anne M. Picchio, 120 River St., Jessup, letters of administration to Mary Ann R. Picchio, same address, and Angela Picchio Wiltz, Rear 405 River St., Olyphant.

• Ralph Giordano, 246. S. Main St., Old Forge, letters testamentary to Arthur J. Rinaldi, 2 W. Olive St., Scranton.

• Joan E. Bennie, 207 Main St., Moosic, letters testamentary to Mildred A. Cesare, 400 Main St., Moosic.

• Karen Wilmot, 1303 Summit Pointe, Scranton, letters testamentary to Chad Wilmot, 100 E. Eighth St., Wyoming.

DIVORCES SOUGHT

• Arlene Jaquish, Carbondale, v. Kevin Jaquish, Avenel, N.J.; married Jun. 26, 2012, in Car­bon­dale; pro se.

• Gary Hoover, Scranton, v. Lisa Marie Hoover, Old Forge; married Aug. 18, 1993, in Lackawanna County; Anne Marie Howells, attorney.

• Syrita LaVant, Old Forge, v. Jerell LaVant, Pittston; married Sept. 1, 2007, in Newark, N.J.; pro se.

• Bermidia Rodriguez, Wilkes-Barre, v. Joel A. Diaz, Frackville; married Jun. 6, 2008, in Passaic, N.J.; Jeffrey C. Nallin, attorney.

DIVORCE DECREES

• Beth Kosik v. Stephen Kosik Sr.

• Ross Cordaro v. Erika Cordaro.

• Jeff Smith v. Tamara Ann Smith.

• Jillian Fesolovich v. Brad Fesolovich.

• John Buranich v. Evonne Buranich.

• Dawn Andrews v. Robert Andrews.

• Frances Tayoun v. Jason Tayoun.

• Elisabet Guevara v. Victoriano Mixcaotl Aca.

• James Rogari v. Christine Rogari.

• Stephanie Fitzgerald v. Joseph Fitzgerald.

• Peter Smith v. Elizabeth Smith.

• Shawna Kosciuk v. James Kosciuk.

• Robert Budzinski v. Carole Budzinski.

LAWSUITS

• Joshua and Tammy Reilly, 134 Little Bay Drive, Cedar Point, N.C., v. the Sewer Authority of the City of Scranton, 312 Adams Ave., Scranton; City of Scranton, City Hall, 340 N. Washington Ave., Scranton; Pennsylvania American Water Co., 800 W. Hershey Park Drive, Hershey; KMP Real Estate Inc., 125 Prospect Ave., Scranton; Victoria Mattes, 612 Clay Ave., Scranton, seeking in excess of $50,000 plus interest and costs on 10 counts, for injuries suffered Jun. 28, 2016, after twisting his knee on an unsecured manhole cover at 630 Clay Ave., Scranton; Katie Nealon, attorney.

• Leila Pasierb, 103 Laurel Ridge Drive, Jefferson Twp., individually and as testarix of the estate of Patricia Lee Pasierb, deceased, v. Jacob A. Bennett, 203 Albermarle St., Rahway, N.J., and Cynthia L. Brophy, 9 Stoney Creek Road, Scarborough, Maine, seeking in excess of $50,000 on eight counts, for wrongful death Jan. 22 in an automobile accident on Interstate 81, Benton Twp.; Bruce S. Zero, attorney.

ONLINE: thetimes-tribune.com/courts

Downvalley

Sanitary office: Lower Lackawanna Valley Sanitary Authority business office will be closed March 30; first-quarter billing due date will be extended to April 2; extension also applies to customers who are paying for the entire year to receive annual discount; 570-655-1665.

Glenburn Twp.

Children’s event: Church of the Epiphany replacing its traditional children’s Easter egg hunt after the 11 a.m. service on Easter Sunday, by giving seedles to the children; seedles are small balls of noninvasive wildflower seeds native to this region.

Great Bend

Offering service: Divine Mercy service, April 8, confessions, 2:15-2:45 p.m., service, 3, St. Lawrence Church, 380 Franklin St.; includes Divine Mercy Chap­let, Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, St. Faustina’s Litany, rosary and benediction; light refreshments will follow at the Trinity Center.

Keyser Valley

Seniors meet: Keyser Valley Senior Citizens meeting, Monday, 1 p.m., community center, games and refreshment follow.

Lackawanna County

Roundtable meeting: Lackawanna Historical Society monthly Civil War Roundtable meeting, April 10, 7 p.m., Catlin House, 232 Monroe Ave., Scranton; this month’s program, “A Narrative Tour of Appomattox,” presented by Bill Burnell; yearly membership dues are $20/individual and $25/families; 570-344-3841 or lackawannahistory@gmail.com.

Mayfield

Firefighters meet: Whitmore/Mayfield hose companies meetings, April 10, 7:30 and 8 p.m., respectively, company buildings.

Moscow

Ecumenical stations: Ecumenical Stations of the Cross featuring the sculpture of Charles Welles, Palm Sunday, 7 p.m., 1180 Church St. (Route 690), short devotional service followed by remarks by the sculptor.

Old Forge

Pasta dinner: Old Forge Sons of Italy Gloria Lodge 815 annual scholarship fundraiser penne pasta dinner, April 15, 11 a.m-3 p.m., Felittese Chapel grounds, Third Street; takeout drive-through service only; $10, preorders available for $6/quart of sauce, $6/pint of meatballs and $3 cannoli/each; tickets and preorders, 570-498-0178.

Olyphant

Egg hunt: Easter egg hunt sponsored by the borough and council for Midvalley, March 31, 1 p.m., Wargo-Monsignor Hrynuck-Beckage Sports Complex, 700 Block of East Grant Street, Fern Hill section, for infants-12; hot dogs available at Eureka Volunteer Hose Company 4 (across from baseball field); volunteers needed, David Krukovitz, 570-780-4446, or Paula Foley, 570-351-8452.

Regional

Purse bingo: Tracey’s Hope Hospice and Pet Rescue designer purse bingo, April 15, 11 a.m., Eagle McClure Hose Company, 375 Milwaukee Ave., Old Forge; $20/20 games (and 20 purses), special games, a basket raffle and hot food; send check made payable to Tracey’s Hope and mail to Tracey’s Hope Purse Bingo, 113 Foote Ave., Duryea, PA 18642; include address so tickets can be mailed; seats limited;

www.traceyshope.com.

Scranton

Health workshops: Chronic disease self-management workshops for those managing a disease or illness or a caregiver for someone who is experiencing illness, April 16, 4-6 p.m., 509 Cedar Ave.; meets once a week for six weeks; registration or guidelines, 570-880-7130, ext. 111 or mfuchs@uncnepa.org.

Taylor

Halupki dinner: St. George’s Altar Society takeout halupki dinner, April 21, 4-6 p.m., 743 S. Keyser Ave., $10/dinner or $1.25/each for 10 halupki or more; Eleanor, 570-562-1389.

Tunkhannock

Craft show: Tunkhannock Area Middle School Band craft show, April 14, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., middle school, bake sale and refreshments also offered.

West Pittston

Car wash: West Pittston Scout Troop 302 car wash fundraiser, April 28, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., West Side Auto, Montgom­ery and Wyoming avenues; $5/tickets, sold at Corpus Christi Parish, Luzerne Avenue; more info, Patrick Messina, scoutmaster, 570-871-2204.

Committee meeting: West Pittston Cherry Blossom Committee meeting, April 9, 7 p.m., Corpus Christi Parish School Building, to discuss events and make final preparation for the upcoming festival; also, the committee will be selling banners as a fundraiser, cost for first year is $150 and renewal is $50, payments are due by April 1; send information to Toni Valenti at 316 Damon St., West Pittston, PA 18643, and make payable to West Pittston Cherry Blossom.

West Scranton

Religious event: Celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday, April 8, St. Lucy’s Church, rosary and reconciliation, 12:30 p.m., Mass, 2, and chaplet of Divine Mercy, 3, benediction and the blessing and anointing with the relic of St. Faustina, refreshments follow; church is disabled accessible; 570-347-9321, Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-noon.

Q: I had a 1991 Civic. At 105,000 miles, the timing belt broke while we were driving. I pulled off to the side of the road — the cold, dark, middle-of-nowhere, Indiana road — and just to make sure to do the worst thing I possibly could do, I then cranked the engine.

Everyone said that if the valves weren’t ruined right when the belt broke, I definitely ruined them by cranking the engine.

I happened to find a mechanic who agreed to put on a new belt and just try and see if it would work. It worked fine, and lasted another 125,000 miles. But why did it work? Everything I’ve read and everyone I’ve talked to has said that this car had an interference engine. But it survived a broken timing belt and worked fine (until it was destroyed by a Jeep, but that’s another story).

Can you explain this miracle?

— DAVID

A: Luck. You should have run right out and bought a lottery ticket after the Civic started, David.

I’d say in 95 percent of cases, when a timing belt breaks on a car with an interference engine (where the valves and pistons can collide if things go wrong), at least one of the valves gets crushed, and you end up having to rebuild the entire cylinder head.

But in order for that to happen, one of the valves has to be pretty much all the way open inside the cylinder when the belt breaks, so a rising piston can crush it.

And in about 5 percent of cases, the belt just happens to break during one of those few nanoseconds when none of the valves is fully opened. So you just completely lucked out in terms of where the valves were positioned at the moment the belt broke.

And your mechanic did absolutely the right thing. You might as well put on a new belt and try it. Even though there’s only a small chance that the engine survived, a belt costs just a few bucks and takes an hour or so to install.

If the car starts, you’d be the happiest guy in middle-of-nowhere Indiana that day. And if it doesn’t work, you already have your new belt ready for when you finish rebuilding the cylinder head.

As my late brother would have said: “You must have lived a good, clean life” up to that point, David. As to what you were up to when the Jeep hit you, I guess that’ll have to remain a mystery.

SCRANTON — In the works for a decade, a peculiar park downtown will finally open on Easter, officials said.

The Renaissance Park at 500, one block long and 30 to 50 feet wide, sits atop a 25-foot-high former rail line between Cedar and Washington avenues behind redeveloped buildings on Lackawanna Avenue.

One of the quirkier public spaces in the city, the elevated park — not visible from nearby streets — offers long views of parts of South Side and West Side, and up-close views of trains and trollies passing by on tracks abutting the park. It is accessible by an elevator and stairwell from a sidewalk-level plaza in the 500 block of Lackawanna Avenue linking to a pedestrian bridge over Bogart Court.

“It’s a real slice of heaven up there,” said Stuart West, acting superintendent of Steamtown National Historic Site, which will oversee the new park. “It’s like an elevated island, with a beautiful manicured lawn. It just looks great up there and it’s a great vantage point of the trains, as well. The view is spectacular.”

The park will be open daily 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., from April 1 through Nov. 30, and special-use permits also could be sought, West said.

The elevated park’s structure, called the “China Wall” for its massive undertaking when constructed more than a century ago, is the last section of raised rail bed that once ran along Lackawanna Avenue, said Renaissance at 500 developer Donald Rinaldi.

Rinaldi cited former Steamtown National Historic Site Superintendent Harold “Kip” Hagen Jr., who died in 2013, as a key figure backing the concept for the elevated park. At that time, in the early to mid-2000s, the space was a blighted rail remnant.

“Truly, he (Hagen) had the foresight to say, ‘Let’s get this done,’” Rinaldi said. “It (now) becomes a great asset to raise awareness of Steamtown.”

Transforming the space also was a crucial piece of the larger Renaissance at 500 redevelopment, Rinaldi said. That overall project also included restoration of building facades, new sidewalks and streetscaping, condominiums, a central plaza and reconstruction of Bogart Court.

Mayor Bill Courtright recalled that the redevelopment was the first large project he voted on as a councilman in 2004.

Begun about 2008 and mostly completed in 2010, the park project, partly funded by the state, was bogged down in a lengthy contract dispute between the state and a contractor. That dispute finally got resolved a year or so ago.

Park ownership had been another issue. Both Steamtown National Historic Site and the Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad Authority claimed interest in the elevated property, and creating a clean ownership title was necessary for an overall resolution. The authority conveyed its interest in the property in 2015 to Steamtown to resolve any title dispute, officials said.

After those steps were accomplished, the city, a Renaissance 500 condominium association and Steamtown then had to work out an operations and maintenance agreement for the park. Recently completed, that pact calls for Steamtown to operate the elevated park, and the city to maintain the stairs, elevator and pedestrian bridge, said West and city Office of Economic and Community Development Executive Director Linda Aebli.

Though closed, the park helped attract purchasers of condos in the Renaissance at 500 buildings, Rinaldi said. Of those 16 condos, 14 are sold and the last two are under contract, he said.

The park also has been much anticipated by other downtown residents and nearby merchants.

“We are thrilled to have the park open and be a part of such a unique and vibrant tourist attraction,”said Jamie Constantine, who recently opened the Velvet Elvis kitsch collectibles shop on Bogart Court.

Judith Roth, who moved into the nearby Connell Building in the 100 block of North Washington Avenue three years ago, catches glimpses of the elevated park from the top deck of parking garage at the Marketplace at Steamtown. She can’t wait to step foot in the new park.

“Just to see the sunset, I would go to the top floor of the mall parking garage and I would look at that park, lovingly and longingly, and think, ‘That would be amazing if that was open.’” Roth said. “This is the best news.”

Contact the writer:

jlockwood@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9100 x5185;

@jlockwoodTT on Twitter

ESTATES FILED

■ Sylvia Secord, 10543 Route 29, Montrose; letters testamentary to Richard Secord, 835 New York Ave., Hallstead.

■ Richard Zrowka, 5365 Route 106, Clifford Twp.; letters testamentary to Mark Zrowka, 5365 Route 106, Clifford Twp.

■ Harold Ely, 10543 Route 29, Montrose; letters testamentary to Gerald Ely, 369 Loomis Road, Montrose.

■ Marilyn Landes, 188 New York Ave., Hallstead; letters testamentary to Ray Landes, P.O. Box 284, Great Bend.

■ Harold Rinko 1383 Steam Hollow Road, Hallstead; letters testamentary to Douglas Rinko, 6359 Killoe Road, Baldwinsville, N.Y.

MARRIAGE LICENSES

■ Thomas Frailey and Hailey Morris, both of Hallstead.

■ Connor Freitag and Molly Edwards, both of Susuqehanna.

■ Devin Hurlburt and Akashdeep Tyagi, both of Clifford Twp.

PROPERTY TRANSFERS

■ William Duboe to Michael Faust, a property in Rush Twp. for $35,000.

■ Timothy Carpenter to James and Kelly McDonald, a property in Great Bend for $320,000.

■ Alan and Marie Washburn to Matthew Steele, a property in Franklin Twp. for $60,000.

■ Robert Anderson Sr. to Christopher Nyman, a property in Jackson Twp. for $97,500.

■ Vincent and Sharon Gazzo to Lars Issa, a property in Choconut Twp. for $50,000.

■ Lauretta Button to Michael Blaisure, a property in Bridgewater Twp. for $199,000.

■ Kevin and Julie Cresswell to Larry Larue, a property in Rush Twp. for $105,000.

■ Tracy Oakley (estate) to Kurt and Barbara Reploeg, a property in Lathrop Twp. for $35,000.

■ Aurelija Stosic and Josa Pounkovic to Colton Esslinger and Tristan Sorrentino, a property in Jackson Twp. for $146,280.

■ Francis and Mary Ciamaichlo, Joseph and Marissa McAndrew, to Joseph and Jennifer Arnold, a property in Herrick Twp. for $35,000.

■ John Jr. and Lorraine Mosher to Michael and Sharon Massaro, a property in Clifford Twp. for $35,500.

■ Steven Salvanto and Elizabeth Restaino to John Salvanto Jr., a property in Apolacon Twp. for $200,000.

■ Mary and Charlie Ruiz to Hal Crisman, a property in Bridgewater Twp. for $148,000.

■ Lynda Desantis to Lance Troiano, a property in Gibson Twp. for $45,142.35.

■ Ryan and Rebecca Stalker to Christopher and Breynne Damiani, a property in Lenox Twp. for $152,700.

■ Allen Family at Twin Creeks (trust) to Brenda Allen, a property in Rush Twp. for $100,000.

SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY COURT NOTES appear weekly in The Times-Tribune.

ORWIGSBURG — The superintendent of a Schuylkill County school district defended Friday an idea to arm students with rocks to deter an armed intruder, saying it is part of a larger plan to address school safety.

Earlier this month, Blue Mountain School District Superintendent David Helsel spoke before a House Education Committee school safety hearing in Harrisburg about the district’s overall safety plan. Part of the plan includes having a supply of rocks in classrooms so students do not go down without a fight.

“Each room is being equipped with a device that makes entry into the classroom extremely difficult, if not impossible. In addition, every classroom has been equipped with a 5-gallon bucket of river stone. If an armed intruder attempts to gain entry to any of our classrooms, they will face a classroom full of students armed with rocks, and they will be stoned,” a transcript of the proceeding says.

The rocks were placed in the classrooms in the fall and parents and students were informed. Helsel said some students even helped to put the stones in the buckets.

Following Helsel’s statement at the conference, his “last-ditch effort” gained traction on social media and became a target of derision. Helsel said he answered a lot of phone calls Friday about his comments, which were picked up by media around the country

“These comments are taken completely out of context,” he said.

The “first response is to evacuate” if possible, he emphasized. The district’s comprehensive plan, developed by law enforcement professionals in response to previous school shootings like Columbine and Virginia Tech, also addresses decision-making during an attack, evacuation procedures and barricading classrooms.

Contact the writer: amarchiano@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6028

Scranton’s composite pension board is considering how to distribute $22.9 million — proceeds from the city’s sewer system sale — among its police, fire and nonuniform pension plans.

Plans call for the fire and police funds each to receive 45 percent of the total, with the remaining 10 percent earmarked for the nonuniform plan. A final decision will not be made until after a special meeting, scheduled for 1 p.m. April 4, with the plan’s actuary to more fully discuss the matter.

The proposed distribution is based on a number of factors, including what percentage of the composite fund’s total assets comes from each plan.

The most recent actuarial analysis, which reports the funds’ values as of Jan. 1, 2017, showed the composite fund had assets of about $61.5 million, of which $36.2 million, or 59 percent, is attributable to the police fund. The fire fund accounted for $21.4 million, or 35 percent, while the nonuniform fund accounted for $3.8 million, or 6 percent.

The value of the composite fund changed dramatically since then. As of Friday, it had total assets of $72.3 million. A breakdown of how much each fund contributed to that figure was not immediately available.

David Mitchell, an active police officer and president of the composite board, said the board decided the distribution of the sewer proceeds should not be based solely on the percentage of assets each fund contributes. Other factors, including the number of people covered by each plan and each fund’s financial condition, also had to be considered.

The board looked at other criteria to determine how to distribute the money among the three plans, but each of those scenarios led to one fund getting disproportionately more than the others, he said.

“When we took everything into consideration, this is the fairest way,” Mitchell said. “We want to equally help the whole fund and not disproportionately make one better than the other.”

The sale of the sewer system to Pennsylvania American Water was completed in December 2016. Proceeds earmarked for the pension funds have been held in an escrow account while the city, pension board and fire and police unions worked to implement changes that were mandated as a condition for the release of the funds.

Those mandates included the hiring of a third-party administrator to manage fire and police disability pension requests and a change in how disability pensions are awarded.

Anyone seeking a disability pension now is evaluated by a single physician, independent of the city and unions, who specializes in the area of injury. Previously, three physicians — one chosen by the city, one by the employee and one by the pension board — evaluated the employee.

The pension board named VocRehab Inc. of Scranton as the third-party administrator in November, but the money still remains in escrow while the city and unions work out final issues, including obtaining agreement on the physicians who will make all disability determinations.

Danielle Kennedy, human resources director, said the city and police union reached an agreement on the specialists. She said she is close to reaching an agreement with the fire union. Board members said they hope the final issues will be resolved after the special meeting and allow for transfer of the funds by the end of the month.

Contact the writer:

tbesecker@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9137;

@tmbeseckerTT on Twitter

By late April, Pennsylvania Turnpike users can leave cash at home whenever they hit the road at the Keyser Avenue and Clarks Summit toll plazas.

New cashless tolling systems go online there starting April 29. It’s an extension of the turnpike’s pilot project exploring the technology; two other cashless locations are already running. A location on the turnpike bridge over the Delaware River went online in 2016 and another in western Pennsylvania opened last year.

“These segments of our system are the next in our series of staged, cashless pilot projects,” Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission CEO Mark Compton said in a statement. “We are making good on our promise to innovate and keep our customers moving safely.”

Drivers don’t have to stop or slow down as they pass through cashless sites, turnpike spokesman Carl DeFebo said. Instead, cameras there will capture images of a vehicle’s license plate. A toll bill will then be mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle using the address on file with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, DeFebo said. Out-of-state drivers will also receive bills and the turnpike has already sent invoices to all 50 states and Canada from use at the existing cashless locations, DeFebo said.

Toll roads across the country are also in the midst of introducing cashless systems, DeFebo said. They offer several benefits, to include ease of use and convenience for drivers and safety, DeFebo said.

For example, drivers passing through cashless sites all go through the same lanes regardless of whether they have an E-ZPass, DeFebo said. Currently, tolling points have separate sets of lanes for each.

“A lot of the times now, with mixed E-ZPass and cash, a lot of people are jockeying at the last minute to get in the right lane,” DeFebo said.

Motorists will see little physical change to the tolling areas locally. The turnpike will also not lay off any employees due to the pilot location rollouts, DeFebo said. Toll collectors who work at the Keyser Avenue and Clarks Summit plazas will be reassigned, DeFebo said.

Turnpike personnel will be ready to roll out cashless systems across the entire state by 2022, though a complete statewide conversion will need to be approved by the turnpike commission, DeFebo said.

“Agencies across the country are introducing cashless systems and we owe it to customers to continue to use the best technology available in every facet of our operations,” Compton said. “We manage more than 550 miles of roadway serving rural areas as well as major urban centers, so we want to be sure cashless tolling makes sense for all of our customers.”

Contact the writer:

cover@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9100 x5363;

@ClaytonOver on Twitter

As part of the upgrades, a new vehicle classification system and rates will go in effect at the two local toll sites on April 29. The new rates have been in place in the rest of the state since January. The turnpike commission will replace its axle and weight-based tolling system with one based on number of axles and vehicle height. Figures represent the number of axles on a vehicle. Vehicles with an L rating are under seven feet, six inches tall and ones with an H rating is above that height.

New rates for Clarks Summit and Keyser Avenue toll plazas, effective April 29:

Cashless

2L: $2

3L: $2.65

4L: $3.30

5L: $4.15

6L: $4.95

2H: $4.15

3H: $5.75

4H: $8.20

5H: $13.10

6H: $21.30

7H: $24.55

E-ZPass

2L: $.90

3L: $1.40

4L: $1.85

5L: $2.30

6L: $2.75

2H: $2.30

3H: $3.25

4H: $4.55

5H: $7.30

6H: $11.85

7H: $13.65