COOLBAUGH TWP.

Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department are seeking three suspects related to a robbery and assault Saturday.

Craig Smith, 19, of Long Pond, and Nasio Terrence and Keanu Kasaba, both 18 and of Tobyhanna, are accused of punching a man as he rode his electric scooter at the intersection of state Route 196 and the K gate of A Pocono Country Place. The three men then went through his pockets and took $19 and a cell phone, police said. Descriptions of the men were not provided.

Anyone with information is asked to call Pocono Mountain Regional police at 570-895-2400.

— CLAYTON OVER

WILKES-BARRE

Convicted double murderer Kenneth Carl Crawford III now has a glimmer of hope.

After serving nearly 18 years of a mandatory life sentence, Crawford, 34, was re-sentenced Monday to 52 years to life in prison — a term that makes him eligible for parole, although it won’t be until he is in his late 60s.

Crawford had been serving life without parole in prison ever since he was convicted of first-degree murder for using a silenced .22-caliber rifle to execute Diana Algar, 39, and her friend Jose Molina, 33, during a robbery at her trailer in Hollenback Twp. in 1999. Algar had taken in Crawford and accomplice David Lee Hanley, who were drifters, in an effort to help them get food and shelter, according to prosecutors.

Hanley, who was 18 at the time, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and is serving life in prison. But Crawford, who was 15 years old at the time of the crime, won a new sentencing hearing based on a U.S. Supreme Court decision that juvenile killers can’t receive mandatory life in prison.

— JAMES HALPIN

MARRIAGE LICENSES

• Vijay Kumar Gongale, Scranton, and Deepika Jain Naresh, Philadelphia.

• Thaddeus Paul Stefanski, Moscow, and Brenda Lee Hineline, Madison Twp.

• Trista Marie Moran and Jeremiah James Morgan, both of Knoxville, Tenn.

• David Krakovitz and Lisa Ann Krakovitz, both of Selinsgrove.

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

• Alexander and Catherine Koch to N.P. Dodge Jr., as trustee of trust agreement of National Equity Inc. and N.P. Dodge Jr.; a property at 129 Parkview Drive, South Abington Twp., for $269,000.

• N.P. Dodge Jr., as trustee of trust agreement of National Equity Inc. and N.P. Dodge Jr., to Marybeth Langdon and Thomas M. Krivak, Scranton, as joint tenants with rights of survivorship; a property at 129 Parkview Drive, South Abington Twp., for $269,000.

• Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp., by its attorney-in-fact, Powers Kirn & Associates LLC, formerly known as Powers Kirn & Javardian LLC, to Jacqueline Cerra; a property at 261 Main St., Archbald, for $89,900.

• John T. and Diane Lewis, Scranton, and Jeffrey P. and Shannon Lewis, Scranton, to Luis Carlos Naula Naula and Analy Julia Rojas Arteaga, Queens, N.Y.; 20 Throop St., Scranton, for $82,500.

• John D. and Laurel A. Sober, Scott Twp., to Stephen J. Miller, Madison Twp.; a property at 33 Westview Drive, Scott Twp., for $220,000.

• Alexandra Alonso and Heraclio Alonso Santiago to Edgar and Dimas A. Hernandez; a property at 526 Pittston Ave., Scranton, for $150,000.

• Chris W. and Marian Roberto, Taylor, to John and Cheryl Thiel, Scranton; a property at 1310-1312 Loomis Ave., Taylor, for $110,000.

• Elizabeth F. Randol, Philadelphia, to Carolene Olah; a property at 622 S. Webster Ave., Scranton, for $71,020.

• Lynn Taylor, Willow Grove, Diane and Michael Gavin, Taylor, to Louis Angelo and Jesus Piccolini, Taylor; a property at 402 Rosedale Drive, Taylor, for $125,000.

• Michael and Amanda Sciandra to Randy A. Mursch and Kayla Lucas, as joint tenants with rights of survivorship; a property at 1423 Price St., Scranton, for $155,000.

• Jason Thomas, Old Forge, to Shane F. and Kathryn Miller, Pennsylvania; a property at 819 Moosic Road, Old Forge, for $134,900.

• Debra Spott Pace and Alan Pace, Dunmore, Linda Spott Lombardo, Clarks Summit, and Ann Spott McDonough, Moscow, to Ram K. Glan and Harka L. Rai, Scranton; a property at 516-520 N. Fillmore Ave., Scranton, for $171,500.

• Ryan A. and Marissa A. Grebb, Old Forge, to Robert G. Dougher Jr. and Laura J. Tompkins, Lackawanna County; a property at 11 Oakwood Drive, Old Forge, for $396,000.

• Nina Lawall, Philadelphia, to Ryan and Marissa Grebb, Throop; a property at 300 Schoolside Drive, Throop, for $390,000.

• Ann Mullen to Leah D. Dean; two parcels in Jefferson Twp. for $218,500.

• Anthony and Greta Luong, Scranton, to Yaakov and Zahava Slae, Dickson City; two parcels in Dickson City for $257,500.

• Robert and Alice Thiel, Scranton, to JNH Investments LLC, Dunmore; a property at 1301-1303 Wyoming Ave., Scranton, for $182,500.

LAWSUIT

• Ardelia A. James-Burris, 717 Mill St., Apt. 3, Dunmore, v. Mia Robb, 415 Arthur Ave., Scranton, seeking in excess of $50,000, for injuries suffered May 12, 2016, in an automobile accident at the intersection of Harrison Avenue and Vine Street, Scranton; James J. Powell III, attorney.

STATE TAX LIENS

• Greentown Medical Associates P.C., 1623 Route 507, Greentown; $18,361.55.

• VB Restaurant Group, trading as Van Brunt Grill, 109 Van Brunt St., Moscow; $3,606.93.

• Sweet Home Primary Care of Scranton LLC, 329 Penn Ave., Scranton; $24,206.99.

• Winola Construction Corp., 199 Highland Road, Dalton; $30,149.64.

• Regency Heights LLC, 164 S. Main St., Carbondale; $1,305.82.

FEDERAL TAX LIENS

• Sports Page Great Haircuts LLC, 135 Welles St., Forty Fort; $4,394.47.

• Matthew D. Comp, 2312 Milwaukee Road, Clarks Summit; $32,985.28.

• John B. and Alison M. Skoff, 1621 Quincy Ave., Scranton; $33,158.75.

• Brian Rochinski, 746 Boulevard Ave., Dickson City; $80,982.60.

• Mac Sign Systems Inc., 232 S. Sherman Ave., Scranton; $139,220.70.

• Ronald J. Zymblosky, P.O. Box 214, Scranton; $106,606.01.

• Litts & Sons Stone Co. Inc., 19 Primrose Drive, Spring Brook Twp.; $75,574.68.

ESTATE FILED

• Elaine M. Tacij, 107 Sugar Maple Lane, Roaring Brook Twp., Moscow, letters testamentary to Eugene Gary Wandalowski, same address.

ONLINE: thetimes-tribune.com/courts

May 1, 1918

2 dead, 1 hurt

in train crash

James Jennings, of Scranton, and William Green, of Binghamton, New York, died when a pusher engine crashed into the caboose of a Lackawanna Railroad freight train about 6 miles outside of Scranton. Oren Stiff, of Mount Pocono, was injured in the crash.

According to information provided by the railroad, the pusher engine was traveling at a high rate of speed and crashed into the caboose of the freight train. Jennings, Green and Stiff were riding in the caboose. Jennings and Green died in the collision that then turned into a fire due to the headlight on the pusher engine. Stiff managed to escape with cuts to his face, right eye and arm.

Jennings worked as flagman for the railroad and lived in North Scranton with his wife and four children. Green worked as a conductor and left behind a wife and children. Stiff worked as a special officer for Lackawanna Railroad.

1 man killed in

mine collapse

The workings of the White Coal Co. in Pittston collapsed the day before. A squeeze started shortly before noon and management ordered 31 workers out of the mine.

Edward Lynch, a headman, and James Donahoe, a car runner, were seated near the opening of the slope when the collapse occurred. The force of the air from the collapse threw Lynch 50 feet, which resulted in his death. Donahoe was also thrown and he suffered a broken arm, and face and hand contusions.

The collapse damaged homes and businesses in the area of Main, Union, Chapel and Cliff streets of Pittston. Roads were torn open, water and gas mains broke and homes were shaken from their foundations. Residents ran screaming from their homes, but once outside their homes they had trouble finding a safe space because of the destruction to roads, yards and sidewalks.

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.

CASUAL Day around the region

OLYPHANT — The century-old Olyphant Borough Building is now up to date and accessible to the disabled, thanks to $210,000 in state and local grants.

The borough recently completed a $350,000 renovation project that included the installation of an elevator, upgraded bathrooms for the disabled, upgraded fire alarm systems and the removal of lead paint, borough officials said.

A $200,000 Local Share Account grant and a $10,000 Lackawanna County Community Reinvest grant funded the majority of the renovations, said Bob Hudak, councilman and building improvement committee chairman.

He credited state Sen. John Blake, D-22, Archbald, for helping secure the LSA grant.

“This project may not have been done without that,” Hudak said.

The rest of the funding came from the borough.

Renovations began in October and concluded early in April, and the Borough Building is now fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, borough engineer Lou LaFratte said.

Officials installed the elevator so disabled individuals can access the second-floor council chambers. Since the borough was already working toward ADA compliance with the elevator, LaFratte said officials decided to make bathrooms ADA compliant, too.

Other renovations included new carpets, the addition of a canopy over a rear handicap-accessible entrance, electrical upgrades and repairs to ceilings, walls, floors and windows.

Installing an elevator in a nearly 107-year-old building required a fair deal of rearranging. The borough initially considered building an addition to the Borough Building to house the elevator, but officials determined the elevator would fit “snugly” indoors, said C.J. Mustacchio, borough manager and solicitor.

“When we realized that we said we’d probably be able to save an awful lot of money by putting it on the first floor and just going up ... to the second floor instead of trying to put it outside,” he said.

The elevator is located in what was the employee break room on the first floor and a former men’s bathroom on the second floor. Now, the break room is on the second floor with a handicapped-accessible men’s room on the first floor. An ADA-compliant women’s bathroom is on the second floor as well.

Although the project went smoothly after securing funds, construction still required workers to relocate plumbing, heating/ventilation/air conditioning and electrical components to accommodate the elevator, LaFratte said.

The conclusion of the renovation marks the end of a longer renovation and restoration project in the building.

“It was an ongoing three- or four-year gradual improvement of the entire structure to make it ADA compliant and safe,” Mustacchio said.

Previous improvements included updating fire safety measures by replacing a decaying wooden fire escape with metal stairs and adding double doors to the second floor. Over the course of the renovations, the borough always strived to maintain the building’s historical authenticity.

“We modernized it and we improved its functionality,” Mustacchio said. “At the same time, we didn’t change the original character and structure.”

Contact the writer:

flesnefsky@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9100 x5181

SCRANTON

SCRANTON A fire displaced four people in the city’s South Side on Monday evening.

Fire crews responded to 2118 Cedar Ave. at about 6:55 p.m. for the report of a fire in a garage, city Assistant Fire Chief Jeff White said. Police arrived to find heavy smoke and flames in the garage.

Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire, White said. The garage sustained extensive damage.

The windows were open to the home, which sustained smoke damage, White said.

The homeowner told authorities he was welding in the garage when the fire started. It is listed as accidental, but fire inspectors will return today to investigate further.

Four residents are staying with family after the fire, but should be able to return to the home soon, White said.

— CLAYTON OVER

TAYLOR — Borough fire crews responded to a fire at Rock Ledge Terrace late Monday night.

Crews responded about 11:30 p.m., when a shed there caught fire and spread to a trailer, according to Lackawanna County dispatchers.

Crews extinguished the flames, but remained on scene after midnight. There was no immediate word on the extent of the damage or any injuries.

— CLAYTON OVER

WILKES-BARRE — Authorities on Monday announced a woman captured at Mohegan Sun Pocono last week has been charged with first-degree murder.

Elizabeth Ann Chinn, 32, of South Point, Ohio, is charged with murdering Timothy Pahl, 67, during a burglary of his Morgantown, West Virginia, home on April 22. In a press release issued Monday, the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office said witnesses told investigators Chinn had admitted shooting Pahl.

Evidence and statements Chinn subsequently made to police backed up the account that she had been burgling Pahl’s home when he confronted her and she fatally shot him, according to the sheriff’s office.

Investigators say charges are also pending against Elizabeth Victoria Hartley, 35, of Grafton, West Virginia, and Glenn Richard Weaver, 25, of Morgantown, West Virginia, for “post-offense crimes.”

Deputies found Pahl dead of multiple gunshot wounds to the abdomen in his home on April 24. Investigators learned that after Pahl died, his bank cards had been used at a number of businesses in Luzerne County, according to police.

State troopers conducting surveillance at the casino last week spotted Chinn driving Pahl’s stolen truck, and subsequently captured the three suspects along with Moriah Lari Weaver, 42, of Fairmount, West Virginia, in a casino hotel room.

The room contained guns, drugs, money counterfeiting equipment and Pahl’s personal documents, according to police.

All four are facing drug, conspiracy and theft charges in Luzerne County in addition to the charges in West Virginia. They are being held at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility with bail set at $500,000 for Chinn and $350,000 for the others.

Contact the writer:

jhalpin@citizensvoice.com

570-821-2058

Clarks Summit native and 2018 Olympic medalist Adam Rippon made his “Dancing with the Stars: Athletes” debut Monday night.

Rippon and his partner Jenna Johnson danced a cha cha to 'Sissy That Walk' by RuPaul. The pair received a score of 24 out of 30 for the routine.

Watch “Dancing with the Stars: Athletes” Mondays at 8|7c on ABC.
 

SCRANTON — Efforts have resumed this morning in the search for a possible third victim in the rubble of an arson fire, determined to be a murder-suicide, at a West Scranton home.

Scranton Mayor Bill Courtright said crews will pull the house apart and go through it to look for the possible remains.

Police say Alan Smith, 49, shot and killed his mother, Rosemary Smith, 72, before setting a double-block home at 2114-2116 Washburn St., ablaze on Saturday, killing himself, as police attempted to serve an emergency protection-from-abuse order.

Rosemary Smith died from a gunshot wound to the head and her death was ruled a homicide, according to Scranton Police Chief Carl Graziano. Alan Smith died as a result of smoke inhalation and burns and his death was ruled a suicide.

The body of Rosemary Smith’s sister, Sister Angela Miller, I.H.M., has yet to be located. She lived on one side of the home; Rosemary Smith and Alan Smith lived on the other side, according to neighbors.

Check back for updates.

SLATINGTON, Pa. (AP) — Federal investigators say steel straps holding electrical conduits to the ceiling of a Pennsylvania Turnpike tunnel had corroded before a portion of conduit crashed through the windshield of a truck, killing the driver.

The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday issued a preliminary report on the Feb. 21 accident inside the Lehigh Tunnel, about 70 miles (112 kilometers) north of Philadelphia.

The report says a 2016 inspection had found the corrosion and that the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission was in the process of awarding a contract to replace the straps when the accident happened.

A New Jersey truck driver was killed when the section of conduit struck him in the head.

The NTSB plans to identify a cause in its final report along with safety recommendations.
 

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania prosecutors are dropping involuntary manslaughter and assault charges against five Penn State fraternity brothers related to the death of a pledge ahead of a hearing to determine whether there's enough evidence to head toward trial on the remaining allegations.

Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced the decision Tuesday, one day before the preliminary hearing for 12 members of Beta Theta Pi over the February 2017 death of 19-year-old Tim Piazza of Lebanon, New Jersey.

The set of 12 defendants due in court this week is separate from 14 members of the same fraternity whose charges were previously sent to county court.

Piazza consumed a dangerous amount of alcohol and suffered severe injuries in a series of falls inside the now-closed fraternity the night of a pledge bid acceptance ceremony.
 

SCRANTON — A West Scranton man charged with pushing his way into a city home and sexually assaulting a woman last summer will spend up to seven years in state prison.

Robert William France, 32, was sentenced Tuesday by Lackawanna County President Judge Michael J. Barrasse to 42 to 84 months of imprisonment for his Dec. 20 guilty plea to a felony count of strangulation and a misdemeanor count of simple assault.

France was on parole after serving time for a 2015 assault in Luzerne County when city police say he forced his way into a female acquaintance’s home and carried her to a bedroom on July 27. As the woman struggled and told him to stop, he choked her into unconsciousness before assaulting her, police said.

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

In a statement to the court, the victim described the impact the assault has on her life. What France did to her that night, she told the judge, continues to play “over and over and over” in her mind.

France told Barrasse he is sorry for his actions and apologized to the victim and for the embarrassment he caused his family and friends.

As part of the sentence, Barrasse also placed France on probation for five years. In addition, the judge reinstated France’s six-month probationary sentence for an unrelated drunken driving conviction in 2016.

In the Luzerne County case, France pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and was sentenced to one to two years in jail for accidentally shooting a woman when a handgun he was handling discharged inside a vehicle.

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

The trial for a Wyoming County dentist charged with illegally prescribing controlled substances to a woman who died from an unrelated heroin overdose is scheduled to begin July 2.

Christopher Bereznak of Clarks Green is charged with nine counts of unlawful distribution and dispensing of a controlled substance.

Prosecutors say Bereznak, who had a dental office in Tunkhannock, wrote prescriptions for carisoprodol, a muscle relaxant, and other controlled substances for Ashley Gammon that had no legitimate medical purpose.

Bereznak, who prosecutors say had a romantic relationship with Gammon, maintains he prescribed the medication to treat Gammon for a jaw disorder. He also denies he was romantically involved with her.

Gammon, 25, died from an overdose of heroin and fentanyl in July 2016. Bereznak is not charged with her death because authorities determined none of the drugs he prescribed contributed to her fatal overdose.

In a related development, Senior U.S. District Judge A. Richard Caputo denied Bereznak’s motion to prevent prosecutors from introducing at trial text messages between Bereznak and Gammon, which were retrieved from Gammon’s phone.

Bereznak’s attorney, Lawrence Kansky, argued authorities violated Bereznak’s Fourth Amendment right against unlawful search and seizure because he had a reasonable expectation that the messages were private.

Caputo said Bereznak did not own the phone from which the messages were retrieved, therefore that protection does not apply to him.

“By sending the text messages to (Gammon), Bereznak assumed the risk that she would reveal the messages or their contents to others,” the judge said.

Caputo scheduled the trial to begin at 9:30 a.m. at the federal courthouse in Wilkes-Barre.

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

DUNMORE — “Amazing Grace” streamed from bagpipes as a blue and white wreath was laid on a state police memorial honoring its fallen officers by those affected by the troopers’ deaths.

“As I look out I also see the faces of our widows, sons and daughters of our departed brothers and sisters. Although no longer with us, they are never forgotten,” said Captain Christopher L. Paris, commanding office of Troop R. “This memorial ... is a loving memory to them.”

Paris stood at a podium outside of the Dunmore state police barracks today during the local troop’s memorial day to commemorate the 98 officers from the troop killed in the line of duty. Tiffany Dickson — wife of Corporal Bryan K. Dickson II, killed during an attack on the Blooming Grove barracks in September 2014 — was among those who laid the wreath during the service. Tuesday marks the 113th anniversary of the founding of the Pennsylvania State Police, said Paris.

Two officers stood guard at memorial monument throughout the ceremony.

Paris also mentioned the 11 recent retirees from the troop and awarded officers for their efforts in helping catch criminals who committed recent crimes, including a string of bank robberies and an incident in Honesdale. He also recognized the efforts of the Northeast Search and Rescue group.

“We stand on the shoulders of giants. Your legacy is ours to safeguard and carry forward,” he said.

Paris will be promoted to major next month and head the agency’s Bureau of Integrity and Professional Standards in Harrisburg. At the service, Paris passed the mantle to Captain Sherman Shadle, who will lead Troop R as commanding officer beginning Saturday. Shadle is a 20-year veteran of the state police and the criminal investigations commander of Troop F in Montoursville in Lycoming County.

“When Captain Paris extended the invitation to come, my thoughts instantly went back to those days in September of 2014 as we all watched those events unfold,” he said, referencing the 48-day manhunt for Dickson’s killer. “I can’t think of a more fitting location to be part of state police memorial day than right here at Troop R.”

Contact the writer: kbolus@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5114; @kbolusTT on Twitter

Jimmy Reddington was 19 when he last felt the sun on his face. He was a Marine lance corporal from West Scranton who volunteered to fight in Vietnam. In a firefight, Jimmy witnessed what he believed was the death of his best friend.

In a fit of pain, rage and bravery, Jimmy charged the enemy and was cut down. He was killed on March 23, 1967. eight months before I was born.

His best friend — 21-year-old Lance Cpl. Joe Silvestri — survived and made it his mission to keep Jimmy’s memory alive.

“Jimmy was one of a kind,” Joe Silvestri — who’s been called “Silver” since Vietnam — said Tuesday as a glorious May Day sun baked Courthouse Square.

“We all loved Jimmy.”

Six years younger than the fallen Marine, Charlie Boylan loved Jimmy the same way. To Charlie, he was an ace pitcher who never turned down a dare and was handsome, funny and popular — a natural role model for the kids in his neighborhood..

“He was somebody any 12-year-old boy would want to be like,” Charlie says.

Silver and Charlie were brought together by their memories of Jimmy. It’s as if the fallen Marine introduced them and asked that they live like brothers. Both were on Courthouse Square in Scranton on Tuesday, along with about 50 others who gathered to honor Jimmy and other Vietnam veterans.

Maj. Gen. James T. Jackson — a Vietnam veteran and director of the federal Vietnam Veterans Commemorative Commission — paid tribute to the veterans on hand.

Honorees included Lackawanna County Court Judge Tom Munley, who earned a Bronze Star for his service in Vietnam; former Scranton Mayor David Wenzel, who lost his legs to a Vietnamese landmine; Gerry McNamara, who served with the Second Battalion, 5th Marines; and Silver, who is determined to make “Jimmy Reddington” a household name in the city he assured his brothers in arms was a wonderful place filled with wonderful people.

On Saturday, May 26, at 11 a.m., Lance Cpl. James Thomas Reddington will be posthumously awarded two Purple Hearts. At 11 a.m. the next day, he will receive full military honors at his grave in Cathedral Cemetery in Scranton.

I hope to see you there.

I’ve written many columns about Jimmy Reddington, but he never gets old. He is always 19, always a handsome, funny ace pitcher who died trying to avenge his best friend. I never met Jimmy, but I know him. Silver and Charlie made sure of that.

It’s easy to forget that it’s a blessing to feel the sun on your face. It’s hard to find a better reason to cherish the experience than knowing Jimmy Reddington was 19 when he last saw the light of day.

CHRIS KELLY. the Times-Tribune columnist, thanks Silver and Charlie Boylan for sharing Jimmy’s story. Contact the writer: kellys

world@timesshamrock.com, @cjkink on Twitter. Read his award-winning blog at timestribuneblogs.com/kelly.

CORRECTION

South Scranton

fire was Monday

A brief on page A4 of Tuesday’s edition incorrectly stated the day a fire displaced four people in South Scranton. The fire happened Monday night.

SCRANTON — With the primary election two weeks away, two adversaries provided the fireworks as five Democratic House candidates debated Tuesday evening and largely agreed on issues.

Tom Carlucci, Randy Castellani, Rob Castellani, Francis McHale and Kyle Mullins, candidates for the 112th District state House seat, said they favor raising the minimum wage, imposing a natural gas extraction tax, encouraging more wind and solar power, prison and sentencing reforms, banning legislators from taking gifts, limiting political contributions and letting an independent citizens commission set congressional districts.

The candidates appeared at a League of Women Voters of Lackawanna County debate at the University of Scranton’s DeNaples Center.

Only Carlucci, 32, of Dunmore, a behavioral interventionist, criticized anyone by name. During the contributions question, Carlucci targeted Mullins’ contributions from Harrisburg-based lobbying groups.

Mullins’ $16,000 raised through March 31 include contributions from political action committees that represent grocery stores, taverns, accountants, bankers, psychologists, government employees and rural electrification. Most contributed $300 or less.

Carlucci accused Mullins of accepting “an extreme substantial amount of money from outside this district from lobbyists and special interests.”

“In my eyes, if you want to represent this district, then your fundraisers will be here,” Carlucci said.

Randy and Rob Castellani, who are brothers, alluded to the issue during their answer without mentioning Mullins.

Rob Castellani, 52, of Blakely, a car dealership sales manager, said big money in campaigns leads to television commercial-based electioneering.

“We’ve gotten away from grass roots, we really have, we’ve gotten away from door-to-door campaigning,” he said, ignoring Mullins’ door-to-door campaigning.

“We can’t afford to have our candidates taking money from lobbyists and special interest groups and ultimately determining the outcomes of elections,” said Randy Castellani, 51, of Archbald, a former Lackawanna County commissioner on unpaid leave from his job as chief legislative assistant to state Rep. Kevin Haggerty.

Haggerty, a Dunmore Democrat, represents the 112th but decided against running for re-election.

Mullins, 33, of Blakely, who resigned as legislative director to state Sen. John Blake to run for the office, said he supports contribution limits.

“I’ve been hearing these attacks since the last debate (two weeks ago) and frankly it’s pretty sad,” he said. “When a campaign gets desperate, they do and say desperate things to impugn the character of another candidate. I’m not interested in attacking my opponents or the way they run their campaigns. I’m interested in making our community stronger and safer, I’m interested in good jobs and good wages.”

He said service workers, public school teachers and electricians support him.

After that, the candidates mostly played nice, though Carlucci returned to the same attack in his closing statement.

“We can go down one path and empower the good-old-boy network and the lobbyists or you can choose a representative who will put the power into the hands of the people,” he said. “This is in total contrast of my opponent Kyle Mullins, who’s accepting wads of cash from lobbyists to fund his campaign.”

That drew boos and whistles from some audience members. A League of Women Voters official escorted one especially vocal man out of the auditorium. After he finished, Carlucci’s supporters applauded loudly.

McHale, 67, of Scranton, a retired lawyer, accountant and state worker, used his closing to highlight his adamant stance against abortion, which never came up during the debate otherwise.

“So I ask how is it fair (in) the American system of government since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, tens of millions of humans who are just like us at our earliest stages, for whatever reasons have had their rights taken away?” he asked.

Mullins said he represents “new direction, new leadership” and wants to make the area “vibrant” so his young son can stay here as an adult.

“That’s on us,” he said. “We can create a better job climate.”

Randy Castellani said he has shown leadership at critical times, pointing to his rounding up snowplows and other help for citizens during a blizzard last year.

“I have proven experience and leadership,” he said.

During his closing statement, Rob Castellani vowed to contribute 20 percent of his legislative salary to charity, and said he would listen to Republican constituents but vowed Democrats would unite to keep the seat regardless of who wins.

“No Republican will take this seat,” he said.

That prompted a brief boo from a supporter of Republican candidate Ernest Lemoncelli, who was not invited to participate in the debate because he is unopposed for his party’s nomination in the May 15 primary election. Lemoncelli sat and listened in the back row.

Contact the writer:

bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9147;

@BorysBlogTT on Twitter

8th District debate Thursday

The three Republican candidates in the 8th Congressional District race are scheduled to debate at 7 p.m. Thursday at the University of Scranton.

The debate, sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Lackawanna County and the university’s political science department, will take place in the Moskovitz Theater on the fourth floor of the DeNaples Center, 900 Mulberry St., Scranton.

The candidates are Robert Kuniegel of Spring Brook Twp.; John Chrin of Palmer Twp., Northampton County; and Joe Peters of Scranton.

The Republican winner of the May 15 primary election will face Democratic U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright in the Nov. 6 general election. Cartwright, who is seeking his third term, is unopposed in the primary for the Democratic nomination.

The district encompasses all of Lackawanna, Wayne and Pike counties, and parts of Luzerne and Monroe counties.

Admission is free and open to the public.

— BORYS KRAWCZENIUK

Abingtons

League meets: Abington Heights Civic League meeting, Monday, 7 p.m., clubhouse, 115 Colburn Ave., Clarks Summit; Abington Heights Civic League Dance Studio will be provide entertainment; 570 587-3101.

Clarks Summit

Rummage sale: Countryside Community Church rummage sale, Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., 14011 Orchard Drive.

Duryea

Authority meeting: Duryea Borough Sewer Authority meeting, Monday, 6 p.m.

Midvalley

Class of 1978: Mid Valley class of 1978 40th reunion planning meeting, May 11, 6:30 p.m., Happy Valley Sports Bar, Storrs Street, Dickson City; Facebook page: Mid Valley Class of 78 or Judie Senkow, 570-489-7756.

Scranton

Retirees meet: AARP Chapter 3731 Northeast Pa. meeting, Monday, Keyser Valley Community Center, 101 N. Keyser Ave.; election of officers and directors, noon, and meeting, 1:30 p.m.; guest speaker, Renee Aldridge, “The Benefit of Reiki.”

Taylor

Club meets: R & L Civic Club meeting, Friday, 8 p.m., St. George’s Hall.

Throop

Shredding event: Borough shredding event, Saturday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., municipal parking lot.

Wayne County

Church concert: The Musical Hinkle Family performance, Sunday, 9:45-11 a.m., South Clinton Baptist Church, Route 296 and Stanton Drive; love offering; 570-937-4360.

West Scranton

Class of 1969: West Scranton High School class of 1969 spring fling planning meeting, Thursday, 5:30 p.m., St. George’s Restaurant, Jessup; spring fling: meet and greet, June 1, and dinner-dance, June 2, food and beverages available to purchase; anyone who hasn’t received an invitation, contact Janet Butka or Donna Lavelle on Facebook or the class of 69 page.

CLIPBOARD ITEMS may be sent to yesdesk@timessham

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