It was announced today that singer-songwriter, musician and actor, Dwight Yoakam, will be Live in Concert at the F.M. Kirby Center on Friday, October 5 at 8:00 p.m.

Tickets go on sale Friday, June 15 at 10:00 a.m. and will be available at the Kirby Center box office, online at www.kirbycenter.org and charge by phone at (570) 826-1100. 

A Kirby Member Pre-Sale begins Tuesday, June 12 at 10:00 a.m.

Tickets: $39.50, $59.50, $69.50 & $89.50, plus applicable fees

Matthew Sacchetti eluded police twice, but his girlfriend helped officers track him down.

After Sacchetti, 31, attacked Deyanna Dickey about a week ago, she turned him in for that and a February police car chase where she and their 2-year-old son were in his car, police said.

Driving a black Ford Focus, Sacchetti passed Blakely Patrolman Gary Gifford’s police car on Business Route 6 about 9 p.m. Feb. 18. When the officer checked the Ford’s registration, he found it was for a Chevrolet, according to an arrest affidavit.

Gifford pursued and activated his warning lights and siren. Sacchetti wouldn’t pull over. The pursuit started at normal speed, but then Sacchetti started speeding away down Commerce Boulevard and ran a red light near Walmart.

When Sacchetti spotted a waiting Dickson City police car, he made a U-turn back up Commerce, ran a red light at Route 6, turned left toward Scranton and sped away.

Gifford broke off the pursuit.

Police finally caught a break June 3 that helped them nab him. That night, 911 dispatched Archbald Patrolman Matt Carter to 528 N. Main St. for a domestic abuse call.

Carter arrived and found Dickey in the road, screaming for police. She told Carter that Sacchetti ran into the woods behind their home. Carter chased him on foot, but he got away.

Dickey told police Sacchetti yelled at her all afternoon. When she asked him to watch their son, he kicked a car seat that struck the boy in the face.

Dickey called 911. That set Sacchetti off. He punched her in the face with both fists, then smashed her cellphone with a small axe, according to a separate arrest affidavit.

Police tracked him down two days later when Sacchetti messaged Dickey on Facebook and said he planned to go to their home.

She called police, who were waiting for him and arrested him, Archbald Police Chief Tim Trently said.

Dickey told police he was taking her to work the day of the February car chase.

“I told him to please pull over, we have the baby in the car and he was like, he does not want to go to jail,” she told police, according to the affidavit.

He remained in the Lackawanna County Prison on Monday, unable to post $50,000 bail. He is also the subject of a protection from abuse order filed by Dickey.

Police have charged him with aggravated and simple assault, fleeing to avoid apprehension, fleeing police, recklessly endangering another person, driving with a suspended license, fraudulent use of a license plate, careless and reckless driving and running stop signs.

He has preliminary hearings scheduled for Tuesday at 10 a.m. and June 19 at 11 a.m.

Contact the writer: bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9147; @BorysBlogTT on Twitter

SCRANTON — The Lackawanna County Coroner’s Office has ruled a Greenfield Twp. man’s drowning death as accidental after an autopsy today.

David J. Nicoteri, 24, of Greenfield Twp., died Saturday night after he fell out of a kayak while on the lake at Lackawanna State Park earlier in the day.

Nicoteri died as result of drowning, according to the autopsy results. The autopsy concluded no foul play was involved.

— CLAYTON OVER

The majority of Lackawanna County municipalities are participating in a free electronics recycling program that’s already underway and continuing through July.

The county’s environmental office recently posted a June collection schedule for the program, which is being coordinated by the county in conjunction with 33 of its 40 municipalities at this point.

“It’s Lackawanna County taking care of nature,” Commissioner Patrick O’Malley said of the program, which allows residents of participating municipalities to recycle a range of electronics, from televisions and computer monitors to cameras, copiers, video game consoles and circuit boards, free of charge.

Several of those communities already conducted curbside or drop-off electronics collections this month, but residents of 14 municipalities still have a chance to unload unwanted electronics in June.

They are:

n Archbald: Today, curbside collection.

n Benton Twp.: June 23, 9 a.m.-noon, drop off at township maintenance building on State Route 107.

n Carbondale: June 28, 6-8 p.m., drop off at 1 N. Main St.

n Jefferson Twp.: June 23, 9-11:30 p.m., drop off at 487 Cortez Rd.

n Jermyn: Curbside collection every Wednesday and Friday in June.

n Jessup: June 19, 3-7 p.m.; June 23, 9 a.m.-noon, drop off at 395 Lane St. both days.

n Madison Twp.: June 16, 8-11 a.m., drop off at 3200 Madisonville Road.

n Mayfield: June 21, 3:30-6:30 p.m., drop off at borough DPW yard, intersection of May and Ash streets.

n Moosic: June 14 and 15, curbside collection both days.

n Newton Twp.: June 19, 8-10 a.m.; June 21, 1:30-3:30 p.m.; June 23, 8 a.m.-noon, drop off at 1528 Newton Ransom Boulevard all three days.

n Roaring Brook Twp.: June 18, 4-8 p.m., drop off at 220 Elmhurst Boulevard.

n Scott Twp.: June 23, 9 a.m.-noon, drop off at 279 Commerce Drive.

n South Abington Twp.: June 16, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., drop off at 104 Shady Lane Road.

n Waverly Twp.: June 26 and 28, noon-7 p.m. both days, drop off at municipal building at Lake Henry Drive both days.

Officials are expected to release a July collection schedule in the coming days.

Noting that the program is municipally driven, county Recycling Coordinator Barbara Giovagnoli lauded the participating boroughs and townships for their efforts collecting and delivering the electronics to the Lackawan­na County Recycling Center.

“I feel pride in our municipal leadership, because that’s the only way this would happen,” Giovagnoli said. “It points to the need for proper disposal of electronics, and to the fact that people want to do it the right way.”

For more information on the program, including a list of recyclable electronics and the collection schedule, visit recycling.lackawannacounty.org. Electronics must be intact to be recycled, officials said.

Contact the writer:

jhorvath@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9141;

@jhorvathTT on Twitter

ESTATE NOTICES

■ Olieta Travis, 10775 N. Weston Road, Montrose; letters testamentary to Duane Travis, 100 Victoria Drive, Binghamton, N.Y.

■ Felix Oleniacz, 187 Lathrop St., Montrose; letters testamentary to Jean Allen, 115 Kelly St., Montrose.

■ Mary Cizike, 1228 Main St., Apt. 201, Susquehanna; letters testamentary to Cynthia Kulikauskas, 3106 Colgate Drive, Longmont, Colo.; Andrew Cizike, 77 Halls Road, Great Bend.

MARRIAGE LICENSES

■ Cameron Barnes, Great Bend, and Madeline Ord, Kingsley.

■ Michael Paulo and Susan Stone, both of Susquehanna.

■ Chad Axtell and Katelyn Kilmer, both of Nicholson.

■ Seam Homes and Heather Hayes, both of Clifford.

■ Aaron Hitchcock and Amanda Bledsoe, both of Hallstead.

PROPERTY TRANSFERS

■ Lucille Edsell, James Savage, Teresa Forys-Savage to Nathan Savage, a property in Friendsville for $130,000.

■ Frank III and Lisa Barhight to Todd and Jennifer Schmidt, a property in Lenox Twp. for $155,500.

■ Warren Morgan (trust) to Kathryn Swingle, a property in Montrose for $90,000.

■ Mary Gesualdi, Danella Anderson to Lauren Kenyon, a property in Clifford Twp. for $174,300.

■ Thomas and Laurie Ann Laskowski to Brian Hollenbeck and Brandi James, a property in Silver Lake Twp. for $227,500.

■ Ann VanLenten to Tina Drazba, a property in Dimock Twp. for $219,900.

■ Susan Kozma to Vanessa and Bryant Kasson, a property in Springville Twp. for $135,000.

■ Frances Lehrfield to Mary Donahoe, a property in Herrick Twp. for $160,000.

■ Randal Pettinato to Mark Wilcox, a property in Clifford Twp. for $170,000.

■ Hope Long to Michael and Beth O’Leary, a property in Franklin Twp. for $95,000.

■ Anthony Giannetti to Douglas and Jill Hilfiger, a property in Auburn Twp. for $175,000.

■ Mark Wilcox to David and Kimberly Stafursky, a property in Clifford Twp. for $593,500.

■ Northeast Investments LLC to Phillip and Susan Tiffany, a property in Montrose for $142,000.

SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY COURT NOTES APPEAR WEEKLY IN

THE TIMES-TRIBUNE

TUNKHANNOCK — Local businesswomen expressed concerns about health care, infrastructure, high-speed internet access and other issues during a meeting Monday with U.S. Rep. Tom Marino.

The roundtable discussion in Tunkhannock was organized by Marino’s office, Women in Small Business and the Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce.

Laura Wulff, who owns Just One More Page Books in Tunkhannock, shared concerns about health care — particularly when a business has to provide it for employees.

Marino, R-10, Lycoming Twp., said there is a movement in Congress to overturn the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, which has drawn criticism from various quarters since it was approved several years ago during President Barack Obama’s tenure. He said the penalty imposed on those who do not have insurance has been rescinded.

In response to concerns about infrastructure, the congressman explained that the Trump administration recently released a $1.2 trillion package aimed at improving infrastructure across the nation. The package includes about $50 billion to help bring high-speed internet access to certain rural areas.

Local businesswoman and Wyalusing Mayor Susan Burgess found the news encouraging, saying there are facilities in Bradford County hurting because they can’t get high-speed internet access.

Another concern expressed at Monday’s roundtable was stifling of businesses by government overregulation. Marino said the Trump administration has been “cutting regulations with a chain saw.”

Under the Obama administration, he said, more than 100,000 pages of regulations were put into effect. Now President Donald Trump is working to remove those regulations to help promote business.

Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce President Gina Suydam said the morning forum was valuable in opening the door for local women to see what small-business loans are available through the Small Business Administration and U.S. Department of Agriculture and how to work through the application process.

Contact the writer:

cjmarshall@wcexaminer.com;

570-836-2123 x36

SCRANTON — City council preliminarily backed a $9.3 million plan Monday by the outside operators of the parking system to renovate four garages and eventually replace street meters with kiosk payment stations.

Council voted 5-0 — with President Pat Rogan, Tim Perry, Kyle Donahue, Bill Gaughan and Wayne Evans all in favor — to introduce an ordinance approving release of certain escrow funds toward capital projects by the operator, the nonproft National Development Council.

Council heard from NDC directors David Trevisani and Robert “Bud” Sweet about the plan that calls for:

• $5.88 million for various repairs to the four garages under NDC’s purview: Connell, Casey, Linden and Medallion. Most work is needed at the Linden garage. An initial plan called for demolition of the top two floors of the older section of the Linden garage and the upper part of its spiral helix ramp. But the new plan calls for keeping the top two floors intact, while still removing the upper part of the spiral ramp. The top floors remain accessible from the winding of the parking decks.

• $1.8 million for a kiosk system for metered street parking; a time frame for this changeover is undetermined as equipment has not yet been selected.

• $1.2 million for repairs of out-of-service elevators in the older section of the Linden garage, in the North Washington Avenue lobby access. NDC hopes these elevators are working again this summer.

• $426,000 for a contingency fund.

NDC took over the parking system in a monetization completed in summer 2016. The city unloaded its garages and meters under an approximately 40-year lease to NDC.

Kiosk-style payment stations would be positioned within street blocks. Time bought at a kiosk would link to license plates, such that any time remaining when a vehicle leaves a spot will not remain for the next vehicle; it would have to buy time anew.

Kiosks are seen as a more effective, less expensive alternative to traditional parking meters. Communities all over the country are going to kiosks, Trevisani and Sweet said.

“Meters are a dying breed,” Rogan said. “On the whole, I’m very supportive of the idea of moving from the old-fashioned meter system to a (modern) kiosk system, which would bring us in line with many other cities.”

Also at Monday’s presentation, NDC discussed structural repairs and preventative maintenance of garages, including:

• Demolishing the upper spiral ramp in the Linden garage.

• Installing a vehicle barrier system in the Casey garage; and new doors/frames in all garages.

• Repairing steel, concrete and sealing/waterproofing in all garages.

• Upgrading in all garages the commercial spaces; the electrical, mechanical, plumbing and fire-protection; security cameras; pigeon controls; and overhead doors.

• Installing directional signs.

Trevisani described 2017 as “a transition year.” Projects completed so far by NDC and the firm it hired to operate the parking system, ABM Parking, include:

• Power washing, sweeping and painting of garages.

• Installation of new LED lights, revenue-control gates and equipment and signs in garages.

• Repair of the Mulberry elevators in the newer section of the Linden garage.

• Upgraded wifi capability and operational enhancements.

• Added security cameras to the money room in the ABM office in the Medallion garage.

• Renewed leases for most first-floor commercial spaces in the four garages.

Meanwhile, the Electric City parking garage, which was sold under the monetization to John Basalyga, the owner of the Marketplace at Steamtown, was not directly part of NDC’s capital plans, as repairs and maintenance of the Electric City garage now fall under Basalyga’s purview.

Gaughan asked that council send a letter to Basalyga asking when that garage will be renovated and repaired. Gaughan noted the original monetization plans called for immediate repairs to the Electric City garage.

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

SHOHOLA

State police are investigating after someone shot at the rear window of a motor carrier enforcement vehicle sometime Sunday or Monday.

Investigators believe the vandal used a BB gun to damage the window somewhere between Lee Road in Shohola Twp. and the rest area on Interstate 84 in Palmyra Twp. The damage, which totaled about $440, occurred sometime between 2:15 p.m. Sunday and 4:39 p.m. Monday. No one was injured.

Anyone with information can call Cpl. Carrie Gula at 570-226-5718.

— STAFF REPORT

Alison, Aileen and Erin Barrett went to high school with the goal to be good people and students, not necessarily Scranton High School valedictorians.

By their graduation, the sisters were top of their classes — Alison, 21, in 2015; Aileen, 19, in 2016; and now Erin, 18, is this year’s Scranton High School valedictorian. It is the first time three siblings have been valedictorians in the district.

Erin, who graduates Friday, said there was definitely some pressure to be top of the class after her sisters paved the path. She was thrilled when she learned her grade point average of 101.22 (higher than a 4.0) earned her the honor of being the valedictorian of her class of about 410 students.

“I didn’t really care what my rank was as long as I worked hard,” she said.

The sisters began their schooling at St. Clare/St. Paul School in Scranton. At Scranton High School, they were on similar tracks and took high level and Advanced Placement courses.

Erin also had an additional responsibility than her sisters as a student athlete and captain of the school’s winning girls’ basketball team.

“She went into Scranton with the best mindset, to become friends with everyone,” Alison Barrett said of Erin.

Their mom, Lori Barrett, is impressed by her daughters.

“They’re very self-motivated,” she said at their Hill Section home. “They just have a very good work ethic and they always have. I never had to ask them to do their homework or check their homework. I’m proud of their academic accomplishments but I’m equally proud that they’re nice kids. They’re kind. They’re caring young adults.”

Their father, Matt Barrett, taught them to look at the big picture, keep things in perspective and remember what they’re working toward — advice the sisters said guided them through their academic pursuits.

They are humble about their achievements and credit their successes to the many teachers who helped them through the years, including staying after school to make sure they understood Advanced Placement lessons or to prepare for tests.

“Every teacher we’ve encountered very much took an effort to invest in their students,” said Aileen Barrett.

They also are complimentary of their school.

“I did put in the work but there were so many resources within Scranton High School that made it an easy process and I owe all the success to the teachers and the program,” said Alison Barrett. “I just felt really comfortable in that environment and it fostered into success.”

Erin added that everyone helped each other at Scranton High School.

“I’m never afraid to ask anybody for help,” she said.

While they’re proud of their scholastic achievements, the sisters prefer to talk about their friends and fellow students who come from different — often more difficult — backgrounds and still achieve high grades and accolades.

“When you meet some of the kids at Scranton High School, they’re juggling so much more then we’ve ever had to handle,” said Aileen Barrett. “I feel like they should be giving us advice.”

Erin will follow in her sisters’ college footsteps and attend a five-year Bachelor of Science and Masters of Business Administration program at Penn State University’s Schreyers Honor College. She plans to take science courses during her first three years of college, like her sister, Alison Barrett, who is majoring in biology and plans to attend medical school after graduation next year. During Erin’s last years in college, she plans to take business classes like her sister, Aileen Barrett, who is a junior finance major.

The family’s valedictorian record may not be over.

The Barrett parents have two more children — Elizabeth, an upcoming junior at Scranton High, and Matthew, a soon-to-be seventh-grader at Northeast Intermediate.

“I’m sure there’s a little bit of pressure on them but we don’t really talk about it,” Lori Barrett joked.

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

Super students

MARRIAGE LICENSES

■ Theresa A. Delfino and Frank Brozzetti Jr., both of Scranton.

■ Emily Isabelle Gray and John Joseph Powell, both of Scranton.

■ David M. Gasper and Denise M. Bannon, both of Jessup.

■ Craig Michael Rosenberger and Elizabeth Ann Eich, both of Sayre.

■ Casey Lee Swift and Matthew Ryan Zeiders, both of Baltimore.

■ Patrick John Doherty, Scranton, and Kathleen Elizabeth Jordan, Clarks Summit.

■ Rebekah Kathleen Meredith and Ian Keith Beavers, both of Dunmore.

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

■Robert T. Sr. and Linda L. O’Leary, Waverly Twp., to Edward J. and Amy K. Polifko, Covington Twp.; a property in Madison Twp. for $35,000.

■ Lynn A. Wormuth, Mayfield, to John J. Jr. and Paula Yanochik, Mayfield; a property at 325 Depew Ave., Mayfield, for $116,600.

■ Maryann Veno, executrix of the estate of Kenneth Santarelli, also known as Kenneth C. Santarelli, Peckville, to Bel Aire Real Estate LP, Eynon; a property at 715 Carmalt St., Dickson City, for $65,000.

■ Maryann Veno, as executrix and successor trustee of the estate of Kenneth C. Santarelli, Peckville, to Bel Aire Real Estate LP, Eynon; a property at 312 Brook St., Blakely, for $70,000.

■ Keith Cherry, Moosic, to Gary DeSanto, Avoca; a property at 103 Emerson Close, Moosic, for $600,000.

■ Todd Occulto, Peckville, to Enrico A. Vitaletti and Gianna Puteri, Dunmore, as joint tenants with rights of survivorship; a property at 150 Chestnut St., Dunmore, for $97,500.

■ John J. and Joann Ruby, Scranton, and Helen A. Ruby, Long Pond, to MVLS Investments LLC, Long Pond; a property at 526 E. Market St., Scranton, for $37,000.

■ James F. Mangan and Maryam Mansour, Scranton, to Gary E. and Christa Irwin, Scranton; two parcels at 908 N. Webster Ave., Scranton, for $201,276.

■ Deborah Cornell, executrix of the estate of Sophie Muscosky, also known as Sophie Mucosky, Lackawanna County, to Josette Panettieri, Eynon; a property at 20 Margaret Ave., Archbald, for $139,500.

■ Leo J. and Mary Ann O’Boyle, Scranton, to Elheth Scranton; a property in Dunmore for $142,000.

■ Roy J. and Mary Loretta A. Hart, Bethlehem, to Jason J. and Charlene K. Pearce, Jefferson Twp.; a property in Roaring Brook Twp. for $38,500.

DIVORCES SOUGHT

■ Genevieve Long, Dunmore, v. Michael Abbott, Scranton; married May 25, 2017, in Scranton; pro se.

■ Mark Francis Legg, Scranton, v. Connie Jean Legg, address unknown; married July 25, 2015, in Scranton; pro se.

STATE TAX LIEN

■ Associated Insurance Agency of Pa. Inc., 5 Zimmerman St., Clarks Summit; $3,987.10.

FEDERAL TAX LIENS

■ Linda Ho, doing business as Nail Trix, 832 Viewmont Mall, Scranton; $7,715.07.

■ Arcman Corp., 807 Center St., Throop; $3,148.14.

LAWSUITS

■ Jessica and Paul Traver, 2225 Cherry Hill Road, Clarks Summit, v. Michael Voorhees, 11046 Valley View Drive, Clarks Summit, seeking in excess of $50,000 on two counts, for injuries Dec. 11, 2016, in an automobile accident on Newton Ransom Boulevard, Clarks Summit; Brandon A. Swartz, attorney.

■ Fred and Elpida Fenton, 526 Alder St., Scranton, v. Anthony J. Sandone, 2309 Adams Ave., Scranton, seeking in excess of $50,000, plus interest, costs, delay damages and such other relief deemed appropriate on three counts, for injuries suffered Jan. 6, 2017, in an automobile accident on Carbondale Road, Waverly Twp.; Caroline Munley, attorney.

ONLINE: thetimes-tribune.com/courts

STROUDSBURG

The Monroe County Courthouse closed temporarily Monday afternoon after someone called the Lackawanna County Communications Center and threatened to bomb the courthouse.

Lackawanna County officials relayed word of the threat to Monroe County, according to a county dispatch supervisor.

A Monroe County 911 supervisor said the threat was unfounded and the courthouse reopened around 1 p.m.

— JON O’CONNELL

JESSUP — Several people gathered Monday for the fourth of four “Blight to Bright” meetings see potential in a state law designed to help communities raze blighted buildings.

At the Lackawanna County 911 Center for the final community meeting of a burgeoning Blight to Bright program administered by the Lackawanna County Land Bank, the crowd of about a dozen residents and officials agreed that blighted structures diminish quality of life and the value of surrounding properties. The group also agreed such structures can be expensive to tear down.

Several attendees, including Jessup resident James Moran, endorsed state Act 152, signed into law by Gov. Tom Wolf in 2016, which allows counties to impose an additional fee of up to $15 for each deed or mortgage recorded and use that revenue to demolish blighted properties. In Lackawanna County, such a fee would likely generate between $165,000 and $190,000 annually, county Economic Development Director George Kelly said.

While Act 152 can be an effective tool to tackle blight issues, blight expert Christopher Gulotta — who ran the four community meetings and who will facilitate four additional meetings of a yet-to-be-formed blight task force as a later stage of the program — said enacting it can be a political challenge.

“To the extent that politically you can get that done ... it is a source of funds that allows you to leverage other funds,” Gulotta said, noting revenue from the fee can be used as a match to get additional grant money for demolition. “Where it is being used I think there is agreement that it’s something that is helpful in terms of addressing blight.”

Lacking support

Kelly said he supports Act 152, but noted that enacting it would require the support of the majority of county commissioners and that the votes aren’t there at this time.

Nonetheless, a goal of the Blight to Bright program is to amass information and data — such as the amount of blighted properties and the extent of that blight in different municipalities — that will shape blight-fighting strategies. That data also can help make the case for enacting Act 152 in the county, Kelly said.

Many of the issues raised Monday, from absentee landlords and derelict out-of-state owners to low-income homeowners who can’t afford to make repairs, also were identified at prior meetings as reasons why buildings become blighted. Arguing for the land bank’s expansion outside of Scranton, former county Tax Claim Bureau Director Ron Koldjeski raised the issue of blighted but vacant parcels on the county repository list that are too small to be developed.

Growing concept

If the land bank expands, Koldjeski argued, it can take in hundreds of small, substandard properties in municipalities like Clifton Twp. or North Abington Twp. and conjoin neighboring lots into larger parcels that can be sold and developed. The land bank also could offer small, substandard lots to neighboring property owners, giving them the option of taking the small parcel and adding it to their existing property. That property owner would pay slightly more in taxes, but the additional land would boost the property’s value, Koldjeski said.

Municipalities have the choice of whether to join the land bank, which at this point includes only Scranton. If others joined, Koldjeski believes it would both reduce blight on those small lots and help grow their respective tax bases.

Now that the community meetings are complete, officials plan to convene a blight task force of both volunteers and officials from across the county. That task force, which will use information garnered from the meetings to form a “blight plan,” could meet as soon as late July.

The goal is to have the blight plan established by late October and then invite municipal officials in to discuss that plan and blight-battling strategies, Gulotta said, noting the final step is implementing those strategies.

“It takes a community to fight blight,” Kelly said.

Contact the writer:

jhorvath@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9141;

@jhorvathTT on Twitter

June 12, 1918

City police confiscate slot machines

In coordinated raids throughout the city, Scranton police confiscated 40 slot machines from saloons, cigar shops and pool rooms.

The names of the places raided by the police were not released, and no arrests were made.

Some saloon owners said the police ignored certain slot machines on the raids because they were “union” machines. In response, police released a statement saying, “we don’t know who owned the machines or what agency had them out. All we know is we were ordered to go get them.”

Two ministers decline to take loyalty pledge

At the annual meeting of the Lackawanna Presbytery, two ministers declined to take a loyalty and patriotism pledge on technical grounds.

The ministers, the Rev. O.H. Dietrich of the German Presbyterian Church on Prescott Avenue and the Rev. G.B. Van Dyke of the Moosic Presbyterian Church, said they were loyal but both felt that taking the pledge would violate their personal privileges, which they believed to be unconstitutional. They both said they were willing to prove their patriotism personally.

Other ministers speaking at the meeting said all should be strong enough to declare their loyalty.

White sale at the Globe

Women’s white canvas 8-inch lace boots for $3.95, and children’s sizes starting at $2.25; bleached bedsheets for $1.95; 10 yards of bleached hospital gauze for 75 cents; women’s white dresses for $2.98; snow-white Turkish towels, 25 cents each; 4-by-6-foot U.S. flag with 7-foot pole for $1.69; patriotic bunting priced between $5 and $44.

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.

WILKES-BARRE

The F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts added two shows to its season’s roster.

Singer-songwriter Dwight Yoakam will perform Oct. 5, while Swedish heavy metal band Ghost will perform Dec. 5.

Tickets for Yoakam’s show, which start at $39.50, go on sale 10 a.m. Friday or 10 a.m. today for a Kirby Member presale.

Tickets for Ghost’s show start at $37.75, and go on sale 10 a.m. Friday or 10 a.m. Wednesday for Kirby members.

Tickets can be purchased at the Kirby Center box office, by calling 570-826-1100 or online at kirbycenter.org.

— CHARLOTTE L. JACOBSON

Clarks Summit

Tea/banner exchange: Rotary Club of the Abingtons, afternoon tea/banner exchange, celebrating District Governor Karin Susan Breitlauch’s year and commemorating the installation of Roger Mattes Jr. as District Governor, Sunday, July 1, 2 p.m., Ramada Inn, 820 Northern Blvd., Clarks Summit. RSVP: leadrudolph@gmail.com or 570-586-0864 before Friday, June 29. Guest welcome, attire casual.

Damascus

Farm tour: Willow Wisp Organic Farm in partnership with Clean Energy Co-Op, hosting a free community farm tour, meal and information sharing session about a solar energy project in development, Sunday, June 24, 3-6 p.m., 38 Hickory Lane, Damascus. www.willowwisporganic.com.

Susquehanna County

Office hours: Senator Lisa Baker, R-20, announced Field Representative Tom Yoniski’s availability for consultation, 10-noon, Tuesday, June 19, Forest City Borough Building, 535 Main St., Forest City, and 1-3 p.m., Lenox Twp. Municipal Building, 2811 State Route 92, Kingsley. Appointments recommended, walk-ins welcome. Contact: Andrew, 570-226-5960.

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.

WILKES-BARRE — Michele Gay remembers the morning of Dec. 14, 2012, as a day that her daughters were excited to go to school to participate in holiday activities.

Her youngest daughter, Josephine, had suffered a concussion on the playground, and Gay considered not sending her to Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, that day.

Gay said her daughter, however, wanted to go to school and “it was no surprise to me because this was a wonderful place.”

Josephine, 7, a first-grader at the elementary school and a special needs child, was one of 20 children and six teachers who were fatally shot that day by 20-year-old gunman Adam Lanza in a tragedy that still haunts the nation more than five years later.

Gay, a former elementary school teacher, came to the F.M. Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre on Monday to tell her story and recount the lessons she learned in 2012 and in the aftermath of the tragedy.

Gay’s daughter was autistic, and she described her as “affectionate, amazing and brilliant.”

Showing four photos of Josephine from the seven years and three days she was alive, Gay said she was always smiling.

“She was known for that smile,” Gay said. “She was also known for being an incredibly persistent child and never giving up.”

After her daughter’s death, Gay became the co-founder and executive director of Safe and Sound Schools. She travels across the country to share her message of inspiration, recovery and school safety education and advocacy.

She told the audience Monday, “I ask you to never give up.”

“We can’t give up for the safety of those who we love, those who are our most precious, those who are our future,” Gay said.

On the morning of the shooting, Gay recalled a “snapshot moment” after dropping Josephine off at school when she watched her daughter walking hand in hand with one of her favorite teachers.

Afterward, she received an automated call from the superintendent informing her that all the schools in Newtown were on lockdown after there had been a shooting in one of the schools.

Gay waited for more information. She didn’t know which school, whether anyone was hurt or what she should do next.

She began to panic and started calling the schools, but no one answered. She headed into town, following a stream of police cruisers, ambulances and firetrucks that led her to Sandy Hook Elementary School.

“It was unlike any emergency response I had ever seen,” Gay said. “People were running every which way. There was nobody tending to people like me arriving.”

Gay quickly found her fourth-grade daughter evacuating to the nearby firehouse with her class and set out to find her first-grader, but didn’t.

For hours, she paced back and forth between the firehouse and the school. She was in shock. Her husband, who was on a business trip in Massachussetts, was on his way back home.

“It will take me a lifetime to fully accept that it happened in our sweet little town and it happened to my family and 26 others,” Gay said.

Lanza entered the school by shooting through a window and gained access to children and teachers within seconds.

Gay said some had enough time to find hiding places or run and saved their own lives. One first-grade teacher was able to close her door, and Lanza passed by that classroom. The door window was covered with black paper.

Her daughter’s classroom was the last one attacked.

Then Lanza killed himself.

Not all teachers were able to lock their doors, which was the most “critical step,” Gay said.

She said tragedies could be prevented by doing something simple such as having a key or some kind of barrier between danger and safety.

“For us, the ability to be able to lock the door quickly could have made all the difference,” Gay said. “Had our children and teachers in those first classrooms been able to lock those doors, then 20 children and four educators would still be alive today.”

She said one thing everyone can learn from the tragedy is that all everyone has in a crisis is whatever they were trained to do.

“You have the power to learn from what they experienced,” Gay said. “It’s important for us to step back from time to time and think about how are we prepared to protect the people who are most important to us, how are we prepared to protect ourselves, how are we prepared for safety.”

Her presentation was free. The Pennsylvania Department of Education, Luzerne Intermediate Unit, Luzerne County district attorney’s office, the F.M. Kirby Center, Pennsylvania State Police, Commonwealth Health and other organizations offered support to bring the program here.

For resources and information about prevention and response to a school crisis and recovery, Gay encouraged everyone to go to the website www.safeandsoundschools.org.

Contact the writer:

dallabaugh@citizensvoice.com;

570-821-2115;

@CVAllabaugh on Twitter

LENOX TWP.

Motorists can expect a single lane closure on Interstate 81 northbound in the township on Wednesday and Thursday as construction crews complete final repaving work on the new bridge carrying Route 2021 over the interstate there.

The closures will take place from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Schedules are subject to change. This bridge is referred to as JV-154 and is one out of the 558 bridges being replaced under the Rapid Bridge Replacement Project.

— CLAYTON OVER

CLARKS SUMMIT — A hearing to determine if a former Abington Heights teacher acquitted of assaulting a student will get his job back started Monday night, with attorneys for William Yelland and the school district delivering opening statements on why he should or shouldn’t be reinstated.

For Yelland, 34, the hearing comes more than three years after district officials fired him in the wake of allegations he abused a district student. Prosecutors charged Yelland, a science teacher with the district, with simple assault and endangering the welfare of children stemming from an incident in April 2015. A student, Trey Koehler, then 13, claimed Yelland put him in a chokehold. District officials fired Yelland a month later. At his trial in November 2015, a jury deliberated only 10 minutes before finding Yelland not guilty on the charges.

On Monday night, district administration attorney John Audi told school board members, who will ultimately decide Yelland’s fate, that just because jurors cleared Yelland of the charges doesn’t mean he should get his job back. He pointed to other incidents involving two other students. District administrators say another student reported Yelland stabbed and jabbed him with a pen several times, causing contusions. Yelland is also accused of grabbing that student’s hand, forcing him to hit himself in the face and pushing him toward stairs to the point he was in danger of falling. Administrators made several allegations against Yelland involving a third student, including an incident where Yelland is accused of forcing the student to lick the floor.

Audi also addressed changes students made in statements about the events over the years. Several downplayed the incidents as joking or horseplay in efforts to save Yelland’s job despite statements made at the time of the incidents that indicate otherwise, Audi said.

“Take it as a joke or take it as a teacher who can’t control his emotions. Neither, I would say to you, is acceptable. Neither is something that I would believe this board thinks is appropriate, professional behavior for a teacher teaching at the Abington Heights School District,” Audi said to board members.

Jason Gosselin, Yelland’s Philadelphia-based attorney, disputed the administration’s depiction of events and characterization of the former teacher. He pointed to depositions by students that contradict charges laid out by the administration for Yelland’s dismissal.

For example, some in the room at the time of the Koehler incident recalled that Yelland only put his hand on his shoulder or playfully messed with the boy’s hair, Gosselin said. Both were laughing and smiling at the time, he said. The student involved in the pen jabbing described the incident as playful and the student involved in the floor licking said Yelland never touched him or made him lick the floor.

Gosselin also painted a picture of the type of teacher Yelland was and how the events of the past few years have been difficult for Yelland and his family. Teaching had been a lifelong goal of Yelland’s; many students interviewed over the course of the attorney’s investigation claimed Yelland was a favorite of theirs.

Although he was acquitted, Yelland has not been able to find employment in education and works as a truck driver. He also waits tables at a restaurant to help make ends meet.

“The only thing he wanted to do was teach students in a classroom so he can make a difference. That is Bill Yelland,” Gosselin said before he pointed emphatically at a board outlining the charges against his client. “That is not Bill Yelland.”

Yelland and his wife, Ashley, both attended Monday’s hearing. After the hearing, Gosselin said both declined comment but will speak soon.

Both will testify during the hearing, which continues today at 6:30 p.m. at the administration building, 200 E. Grove St. Abington Heights Superintendent Michael Mahon, Ph.D., will testify for the district administration, Audi said.

A third hearing for closing arguments would be scheduled for a date to be determined later.

The board could decide to dismiss Yelland, reinstate him or any action in between, like a verbal warning or suspension with pay, said George Shovlin, the hearing officer overseeing proceedings.

Reinstatement proceedings, which take place as a federal lawsuit Yelland filed against the district winds through the legal system, took years to occur due to disputes over whether the school board or a labor arbitrator should decide the issue. Yelland sought to have an arbitrator hear his case, arguing he could not get a fair hearing before the school board because of the lawsuit. U.S. District Judge Malachy Mannion rejected that claim in December.

The federal suit, filed in October 2016, alleges school officials pressed police to file meritless charges against Yelland to appease Trey’s mother, Margaret Koehler, a friend of former District Attorney Andy Jarbola, now a Lackawanna County judge.

The lawsuit alleges the district did not give Yelland a proper pre-termination hearing. It also seeks damages against the district for malicious prosecution.

Contact the writer:

cover@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9100 x5363;

@ClaytonOver on Twitter

WILKES-BARRE — An intoxicated member of a biker gang threatened his father with a meat tenderizer and spit on police officers as they arrested him Sunday night, according to police.

Justin Martin, 30, of Rear 291 Parrish St., repeatedly threatened officers and warned he would see them again when they didn’t have their badges on, police said.

Officers responded to Martin’s home around 10:25 p.m. Sunday to a report of a fight between Martin and his father, Frank Maloney Sr., who told police Martin was out of control and needed to be arrested.

Another man, Frank Maloney Jr., told police Martin asked him for marijuana or cocaine. When Maloney Jr. told Martin to sober up, Martin began slapping him repeatedly, police said.

Maloney Jr. also reported that Martin threatened kill him and that he would “get my boys after you” — a reference to his membership in the Pagans Motorcycle Club, according to police.

The altercation moved outside and Martin tried to damage Maloney Jr.’s new car, but Maloney Sr. stopped him, police said.

Police found Martin highly intoxicated and directed him to go inside the house, according to the charges. As officers spoke to Maloney Jr. about filing charges, they heard Martin screaming from inside the home and saw Maloney Sr. run outside saying, “He has a hammer!” police said.

Officers entered the home and found Martin holding a meat tenderizer, which he raised at the police briefly before complying with their commands, the charges allege.

Police say that as they loaded Martin into a transport van, he threatened them repeatedly, warning he would come back when he got out of jail. Martin then spit at police once he was placed into the van, striking two officers with his saliva, police said.

Police charged Martin with aggravated harassment by a prisoner, making terroristic threats, simple assault and disorderly conduct. Magisterial District Judge Joseph D. Spagnuolo Jr. arraigned him on Monday morning and ordered Martin jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility with bail set at $100,000.

A preliminary hearing was set for June 19.