SCRANTON — City police charged a man with throwing a cell phone at his roommate’s face, pinning her to the ground and choking her Monday evening at their South Scranton home.

After “drinking all day long,” Kyle Baker, 30, 536 Alder St., threatened to slit Breanna Bazic’s throat and said “no one in the house would ever make it to court” if she called police, according to an arrest affidavit charging him with strangulation, victim intimidation, simple assault and harassment. Bazic told police it was only when another roommate walked in that Baker stop choking her. Bazic called police shortly after 9 p.m.

Baker could not post $25,000 bail and is in Lackawanna County Prison. His preliminary hearing is set for 11:45 a.m. Wednesday.

— BORYS KRAWCZENIUK

Michael Peregrim spent 25 years teaching young children. He will now head to trial because prosecutors contend he put one of those children in danger.

The impending trial has caused parents to rally in support of the teacher, who police charged after a 3-year-old child was left on a bus in April. Police found her later that morning, still strapped in her seat, as the bus sat unattended in a grocery store parking lot. The bus driver and bus aide admitted to not checking the vehicle after they unloaded the children at the Head Start classroom in Covington Twp., and police say Peregrim, of Old Forge, failed to count the children when they got to the classroom.

The charges against Peregrim, including a felony count of endangering the welfare of children, and a misdemeanor count of recklessly endangering another person, have his attorney questioning the judgement of prosecutors.

“It’s devastating in the senses that not only has his identity been tarnished, but he’s been accused of endangering children he has spent his entire life protecting and caring for, as though they were his own,” attorney Corey Kolcharno said. “This is a horrific experience for both him and his family.”

The bus driver, David Durdock, who worked for Red Top/Northeastern Transportation, and Stacey Webber, a bus aide for Head Start, also face the same charges.

Prosecutors said all three — the bus driver, aide and teacher — violated their “duty of care” that April morning.

“We felt we had to file charges to hopefully deter conduct of this nature,” Lackawanna County First Assistant District Attorney Judith Price said. “This child was placed in a very dangerous situation.”

Missing student

Rain fell as Peregrim stood outside the Head Start classrooms on the North Pocono High School campus on the morning of April 25. Head Start was short two staff members that day, and Peregrim was in a hurry to get the children inside the building from the buses.

The children used the restrooms, washed their hands and sat down for breakfast. Peregrim did not immediately count the children or check the attendance sheet handed to him by Webber, according to the affidavit. As a teacher’s aide entered meal data into a computer, she called the student’s mother to ask why the girl was not in school. Staff members then realized the girl was missing and believed she may still be on the bus.

The driver of the bus, Durdock, routinely parked the vehicle in the parking lot near Bill’s ShopRite on the Drinker Turnpike between pick-up and dismissal. As North Pocono’s school resource office approached the unattended bus, he could hear the girl crying. He found her in the second seat from the front, buckled into her booster seat.

Durdock, 65, said he never did a sweep of the bus and never saw or heard the student. Webber, 42, said she also never checked to make sure all of the students got off the bus, as her job required her to do.

Peregrim, Durdock and Webber were all fired after the incident. If convicted on both charges, each faces fines of up to $20,000 and up to nine years in prison.

Difficult decision

Durdock, of Jefferson Twp., and Webber, of Covington Twp., waived preliminary hearings. During Peregrim’s preliminary hearing last week, nearly a dozen parents and others who know Peregrim came to support him.

A petition online, signed by more than 100 people, asks for the Scranton Lackawanna Human Development Agency, which operates local Head Start preschool classrooms, to rehire Peregrim.

Barbara Findeis, whose grandchildren and great-nephew all had “Mr. Mike” as their teacher, has helped lead the efforts to support him.

“He is absolutely wonderful ... he’s very attentive and very polite. He’s always there for the children,” she said. “The kids in this area benefitted from Mr. Mike. He’s not just a teacher. He’s family.”

Peregrim may be an exceptional teacher, but Price said he made an “egregious mistake” when he failed to immediately look at the attendance sheet. Three people failed to do their jobs that morning, she said.

Filing charges was “very painful and difficult decision for us to make,” Price said.

Kolcharno called the charges a “travesty.” A trial date has not been set yet.

“In no way, shape or form should this man be facing criminal charges based on this set of circumstances,” Kolcharno said. “This is a highly dedicated, caring and compassionate individual who has devoted his entire life to protecting children.”

Contact the writer: shofius@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9133; @hofiushallTT on Twitter

The Diocese of Scranton does not plan to disclose the names of clergy accused of sexually abusing children within the diocese prior to the release of a statewide grand jury report later this month, diocese officials said Wednesday.

Bishop Joseph C. Bambera will release the full list of “credibly accused individuals” upon public release of the grand jury report, a statement released by spokesman William Genello said.

A redacted version of the report, which will outline the findings of a two-year investigation into child sexual abuse claims dating back decades in Scranton and five other Roman Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania, is expected to be made public no later than Aug. 14.

“More than listing the accused individuals, the grand jury report will include a detailed overview of the cases involving clergy who served in any of the six dioceses, including the Diocese of Scranton,” the statement said.

The Diocese of Harrisburg on Wednesday became the second of the six dioceses to make public the names of clergy accused of abuse in advance of the grand jury report’s release. Bishop Ronald Gainer released the names of 71 individuals, including 37 priests, who have been the subject of allegations since the 1940s.

In April, the Diocese of Erie published a list of 34 priests and 17 lay people who it said faced credible accusations of sexual abuse or inappropriate behavior.

In its statement, the Diocese of Scranton indicated the list of individuals Bambera will release was previously provided to the attorney general’s office for the grand jury investigation and to the district attorneys for the 11 counties in which the diocese operates.

The diocese noted it has disclosed the names of all credibly accused individuals to authorities, the public and the press since 2010.

The Diocese of Allentown said Wednesday it also plans to release a list of credibly accused priests on the day the grand jury findings are made public, The Morning Call reported.

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

ARCHBALD — Discarded oily rags spontaneously combusted and sparked a fire that damaged an uninhabited home Wednesday in the Eynon section, state police said.

The fire at 261 N. Main St. was reported about 9:35 a.m. Jacqueline Cerra bought the single-family home in April, according to Lackawanna County records. She was renovating it so she could move in soon, police said.

The home sustained moderate damage and is uninhabitable, Fire Marshal Jason Mills said in a news release. Mills deemed the fire accidental.

— BORYS KRAWCZENIUK

ARCHBALD — Police arrested a borough man Monday for tightly squeezing his girlfriend’s neck, then smashing the windshield on her friend’s car when the friend intervened.

Police charged Joseph Conserette III, 27, of 101 Sandlot Drive., with simple assault, harassment and criminal mischief. Conserette’s girlfriend, Alexis Hazleton, told police she kicked his injured knee to escape. When her friend, Larissa Lamotta, arrived and questioned the assault, Conserette “went crazy,” smashed the windshield on her car and began fighting with her, according to an arrest affidavit. Police broke up the fight.

Police said Hazleton suffered bruises on her neck and abrasions and scratches on her neck and face. The incident happened about 6:50 p.m.

Conserette posted a $5,000 bail bond and was released from the Lackawanna County Prison.

— BORYS KRAWCZENIUK

President Donald Trump invited Democratic and Republican Congress members to watch him sign a jobs-training bill Tuesday but snubbed the U.S. senator from Scranton who worked hard on the legislation.

Sen. Bob Casey, whose election opponent the president will stump for Thursday in Wilkes-Barre Twp., wasn’t invited to the Oval Office to see Trump sign the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act into law, said Jacklin Rhoads, Casey’s deputy communications director.

“While it is disappointing the White House chose to play politics with this bill signing, Sen. Casey is pleased he was able to work in a bipartisan fashion to reauthorize this important legislation for the first time in 12 years, ensuring students and workers have the skills they need to get family-sustaining jobs,” Rhoads said in an emailed statement.

She declined to make Casey available for an interview.

Efforts to obtain a comment from the White House were unsuccessful. Pennlive.com reported the snub first.

Trump is scheduled to campaign at 7 Thursday at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza for U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, the Hazleton Republican running against Casey for the Senate.

Casey was the bill’s Democratic co-author. The bipartisan bill aims to overhaul education and training for the first time since 2006 for students interested in technical careers.

By all accounts, Casey, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which oversaw the bill, worked long and hard on the bill. U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee, and the committee chairman, credited Casey for working with Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyoming, to come up with a bipartisan compromise.

“They have worked hard to reach a bipartisan result and should receive the recognition they deserve for it,” Alexander said, according to an online transcript of his Senate comments in the Congressional Record. “I would also like to thank Ivanka Trump for her leadership in helping create an environment where we could get a result.”

Rhoads said the White House invited U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, of Washington, the top-ranked Democrat on the HELP committee, but not Casey. Murray did not attend the ceremony, but let Casey know she was invited, Rhoads said.

“I don’t think it was unintentional,” Rhoads said of the White House failing to invite Casey. “He worked very hard on this bill. He wishes he could have been there.”

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Illinois Democrat who co-authored the House version of the bill with Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-Centre County, also was invited and attended the ceremony. Both are in a photo of Trump holding up the bill. Barletta co-sponsored Thompson’s bill and voted for it, but was not at the ceremony.

In a statement from his campaign, David Jackson, Barletta’s campaign spokesman, questioned Casey’s unhappiness at the snub.

“Bob Casey has spent the past 18 months claiming to ‘lead the resistance’ and calling for the President to resign, but now he wants an invitation to the White House to stand alongside the President for a photo op?” Jackson asked.

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

A Pennsylvania state representative whose wife last year sought a protection from abuse order against him is proposing a bill that would require drug and alcohol testing for people seeking a PFA under certain circumstances.

State Rep. Kevin Haggerty’s proposal to require the tests in cases where there is “no substantiative evidence” to support the filing was quickly denounced by domestic violence victim advocates.

“This would set a dangerous precedent,” said Julie Bancroft, spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence. “It often takes quite a bit for a victim to come forward. Adding another barrier is incredibly troubling.”

The fact someone uses drugs and alcohol should have no bearing on their ability to seek protection, said Anna Faramelli, crisis and advocacy services director for the Women’s Resource Center in Scranton,

“Just because someone uses drugs and alcohol does not mean domestic violence does not happen,” Faramelli said. “They are just as entitled as anyone else to file for a PFA.”

Faramelli and Bancroft also said the bill is unnecessary because the state’s PFA act already penalizes a person who makes a false report. The law allows a judge to order the person to pay the subject of the filing “actual damages” they suffered plus attorney fees.

Attempts to reach Haggerty, D-112, Dunmore, for comment today were unsuccessful.

Haggerty last week sent an email to fellow House members asking them to co-sponsor the bill, which he has not yet introduced. The bill proposes testing of “individuals filing petitions for PFA orders with a lack of substantive evidence.” He justifies the bill, saying it would help ensure the petitions “are filed without the negative influence of intoxicating substances.”

The proposal comes about 14 months after Haggerty’s wife, Jennifer, sought a PFA against him, alleging he threw two water bottles at her, striking her in the head so hard that she temporarily lost hearing. The PFA was withdrawn by mutual agreement between the Haggertys on June 2, 2017.

In the email to House members, Haggerty says PFAs play a pivotal role in protecting domestic abuse victims, but he raises concerns over what he says is a “growing yet thus far unexplored contingent” of PFAs sought under false pretenses.

“The impact a false petition for a PFA can have on its subject is incalculable,” Haggerty says in the email. “Not only does it damage the reputation of the individual ... it could lead to unjust incarceration.”

He cites a “study” in Delaware, which he says showed that 16 percent of PFAs “have been filed fraudulently, with the petitioners lodging false accusations.”

Bancroft said it appears Haggerty is referring to a 2016 article that appeared in The News Journal in Delaware. If so, he is misrepresenting what the article says.

“What it states is that in 16 percent of cases, abuse was not found. That is very different than 16 percent of the cases being filed fraudulently,” she said.

The number of cases dismissed in Lackawanna County is much lower. In 2016, the latest year for which data is available, 599 PFAs were processed. Of those, a judge dismissed 23 after a hearing, or 3.8 percent.

Haggerty did not seek re-election and will leave office on Nov. 30. His email was meant to drum up support for the bill. Two state representatives who could be reached for comment today said they would not support it.

Rep. Mike Carroll, D-118, Avoca, said the proposed bill “does not align” with his views.

“I don’t think setting up additional hurdles for people to seek a PFA is a good idea,” Carroll said.

In an email, Rep. Marty Flynn, D-113, Scranton, said he also has concerns.

“Although drugs and alcohol can be a contributor for someone to want to get a PFA, nonetheless, whether the person abuses drugs or alcohol has absolutely no bearing on whether or not someone may be a physical risk to them,” Flynn said.

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

DICKSON CITY — Crews are battling a fire at a borough home tonight.

The fire broke out in the attic of a home on the 900 block of Lincoln Avenue around 8 p.m. Parts of Lincoln Street and Jermyn Street are closed as crews work.

Check back for updates.

SCRANTON — Alexa Deal was only 111 days old when she hit her $1 million lifetime insurance cap.

The 15-year-old from Covington Twp. was born with cerebral palsy and spent the first three and a half months of her life in the neonatal intensive care unit, said her mom, Amy Zemek.

Because of Alexa’s disability, Medicaid kicked in when private insurance ran out.

Zemek worries that ongoing efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, which nixed lifetime limits and provides other protections, could soon make paying for her daughter’s care impossible, she said during a roundtable discussion Tuesday with U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-17, Moosic.

Action Together Northeast Pennsylvania, an activist group that promotes progressive issues, met with the congressman for about an hour to urge him to continue his efforts to protect Medicare and Medicaid programs. They also told him where they think those programs should be improved.

Alexa, confined to a wheelchair, needs round-the-clock care, Zemek said.

She gets nutrition through a feeding tube because she can’t swallow. She takes around 16 medicines each day, and can’t be left alone for more than a few seconds.

“It’s kind of like living with an 18-month-old for 15 years,” Zemek said.

Private insurance pays for a home nurse 16 hours a day. Medicaid pays for the other eight.

She leaned forward as she spoke, her voice wavering close to tears. Alexa gripped her mom’s fingers with both hands.

“She’s my joy in life, and I couldn’t take care of her by myself without the nursing care,” Zemek said. “Medicaid for her, it’s her lifeline for staying home. ... I can give her a safe home, and a home where she’s nurtured.”

Action Together planned the meeting to coincide with Medicare and Medicaid’s 53rd anniversary, which was Monday.

The roundtable also happened the same day Cartwright’s Republican opponent in the Nov. 6 general election, John Chrin, released an attack ad slamming the Democrat’s voting record, tax policy and alignment with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, among other things.

In a tweet last week, Chrin challenged Cartwright’s vote to preserve a tax on medical devices, an Obamacare provision.

Chrin spokesman Michael Stwarka in an email said the medical device tax is unacceptable because costs are passed on to patients.

Eleven people with Action Together packed Cartwright’s Scranton office conference room where the congressman listened and asked questions Tuesday, but he already knew he has their support for re-election.

Action Together doesn’t back candidates based on party, rather its progressive agenda, said the group’s president, Marlee Stefanelli, but their priorities usually sync with his, she said. They plan to formally endorse Cartwright this month.

Contact the writer:

joconnell@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9131;

@jon_oc on Twitter

SCRANTON — Nearly 20 high school students spent the last month learning about business fraud.

Their professor at the University of Scranton gave up his pay so they could have the chance to learn.

As part of the university’s new Business High School Scholars program, students in their junior or senior years of high school earn college credits by taking college-level courses.

While the university has long offered students the chance to earn credits before high school graduation, a group of business professors from the region who graduated from the school wanted to do more.

“Coming to the University of Scranton changed my life,” said Douglas M. Boyle, associate professor and chairman of the accounting department. “I just want to help other kids.”

Boyle, who grew up in West Scranton, is donating his compensation from teaching the additional classes so the university may give program scholarships to students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Fellow professors Daniel P. Mahoney and James F. Boyle — Douglas Boyle’s brother — are doing the same. The university’s Jesuit Center and other donors also are offering support.

Most of the students in the program’s first class received some kind of financial aid.

In Douglas Boyle’s business fraud class Tuesday, students discussed government regulations and executive compensation. Lively discussion highlighted each session during the four-week class, and the students also started their own club, the High School Business Scholar Society. The class ends Thursday.

“In the first 20 minutes, we forgot we were teaching high school students,” Douglas Boyle said. “I’m really optimistic about our future.”

Students said they plan to enroll in two courses the university will offer this fall. “It’s a great experience to earn college credits,” said Randall Bonitz, 16, a junior at West Scranton High School. “I really like the professor, too.”

Mackenzie McHale, 16, a Valley View junior, said not only did she learn about business, she learned from her classmates from other high schools. “We all feel really comfortable with each other,” she said.

For information, visit Scranton.edu/bhsscholars.

Contact the writer:

shofius@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9133; @hofiushallTT on Twitter

A controversial Wayne County church that advocates gun ownership is illegally using the trademarked symbol of the Unification Church to promote its religious and political agenda, according to a federal lawsuit.

Attorneys for Unification Church say the Newfoundland-based Sanctuary Church promotes a gun-centered theology that is “repugnant” and a “perversion” of the Unification Church’s beliefs. Its continued use of a symbol similar to the church’s “twelve gates mark” has caused the public to confuse the two religious organizations, causing extreme harm to Unification Church.

Sanctuary Church is led by the Rev. Hyung Jin “Sean” Moon, whose late father, the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, and his wife founded the Unification Church in the 1950s.

“Sanctuary Church’s conduct is willful, deliberate (and) in bad faith,” the church’s attorney, Adam Shienvold, says in the suit. “Unless restrained by the court . . . (it) will continue to cause serious irreparable injury” to the church.

The suit, filed Monday, comes five months after Sanctuary Church, also known as World Peace and Unification Sanctuary, held a highly publicized “marriage commitment” ceremony in Newfoundland, Dreher Twp., that encouraged couples to bring an AR-15 or other similar semi-automatic rifle to the event to be blessed.

That ceremony was preceded by a pro-gun “thank you” dinner for President Donald Trump in Matamoras arranged by Rod of Iron Ministries, an affiliate of the church. Both events took place shortly after the mass shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and were denounced by gun control advocates.

Also known as Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity, the Unification Church does not lobby for gun rights or incorporate guns into its religious ceremonies, the suit says.

That’s in stark contrast to Sanctuary Church, which Moon’s son founded in 2015, after he was suspended from the Unification Church for violating its tenets. Sean Moon and other church members sometimes attend church events armed with semi-automatic rifles and wearing crowns made of bullets, the suit says.

The Unification Church has used the twelve gates mark to symbolize its teachings since 1965, and trademarked the image in 2009. The Sanctuary Church’s symbol, which it displays at religious services, political demonstrations, newsletters and videos, is virtually identical, the suit says. The only difference is Sanctuary Church changed the color from red to gold and sometimes sets the mark against a background of guns and other weapons, the suit says.

The Unification Church tried to resolve the dispute without filing a lawsuit. Sean Moon refused its demands to stop utilizing the image, arguing he is the “true heir” to his father’s ministry, therefore he owns the symbol, the suit says. His father died in 2012.

The issue came to a head after the marriage commitment ceremony and Trump thank-you dinner drew extensive media coverage. News organizations “did little to nothing” to differentiate between the churches, which led some members of the public to believe the Unification Church was tied to the events, the suit says.

“Defendants expressly… political exploitation of its marks at gun rights events have, cumulatively, brought this matter... to a level that it is causing irreparable injury,” to the Unification Church, the suit says.

Tim Elder, Sanctuary Church’s director of world missions, said the church follows the teachings of Sun Myung Moon, therefore “it would be natural we also want to use that symbol.” He declined to comment further.

The lawsuit seeks an order forbidding Sanctuary Church from continuing to display the image. It also seeks monetary damages on several counts, including trademark infringement and unfair competition and punitive damages.

Contact the writer:

tbesecker@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9137;

@tmbeseckerTT on Twitter

If you sliced up West Scranton and laid it on a bun, it would be a Catalano’s hoagie. For 93 years, Paul Catalano’s family has sold simple sandwiches at reasonable prices.

They’re 5 bucks apiece and just filling enough to keep you coming back. Hot or sweet, get there before they run out.

Like many descendants of Italian immigrants, Paul, 75, is a rock-ribbed Republican. By the time his ancestors began arriving here, the Irish had locked up Democratic politics and taken to treating their Italian counterparts as shabbily as earlier bigots who insisted “Irish need not apply.”

Paul served as chairman of the Lackawanna County GOP from 2002 to 2010. An Old School Republican, Paul gives high marks to the class clown tossing spitballs at the world and redefining the American presidency.

“I think Trump’s doing a good job,” Paul said Monday. We were sitting at the legendary round table in a corner of the store, a basket of pretzels and potato chips at the center. Eric Trump, the president’s other son, is said to love Catalano’s hoagies. I asked Paul if Eric is a hot or sweet guy. He laughed and said the shop has a “confidentiality policy, like HIPPA.”

I sat down with Paul and Angelo Blasi, a 93-year-old retired paint salesman who as a kid worked for Paul’s father for 75 cents a week. Angelo is a Democrat and not a Trump fan. Next to him sat Bill Montgomery, another Old School Republican and councilman in Dalton, where Chrissy and I live and pay taxes.

“I’m here on a Visa,” Bill joked. He’s happy with Trump, too. Like Paul, he thinks I’ll eventually feel the same.

“Did you like everything your dad said and did?” Paul asked. “Later on, you found out he was right. I think down the road, you’ll see Trump is doing the right things.”

I doubt that. My father, God rest his soul, was the antithesis of Donald Trump. Dad was a veteran and family man who went to work every morning and came home every night. Dad paid his taxes, took care of his own and did what he could for others. He never asked for more than he earned and rarely got what he deserved.

Dad didn’t brag. Didn’t lie. Didn’t cheat, steal, whine or blame. Donald Trump is everything Dad raised me not to be.

All that said, Dad would love Catalano’s hoagies and feel right at home at Paul’s round table. Paul is a veteran, too, a family man who takes care of his own and does what he can for others. Dad loved his country. So does Paul and so do I.

The president is coming here Thursday to boost the flagging campaign of U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, who is running to unseat U.S. Sen. Bob Casey. Trump will stand in an arena and say Barletta is a great patriot and that John Kelly’s son and my colleagues in the media are enemies of the people.

The president’s jawing would be better spent on a Catalano’s hoagie, but Paul’s table is small and he expects visitors to treat each other with respect.

CHRIS KELLY, the Times-Tribune columnist, is a hot and sweet guy. Contact the writer: kellysworld@timesshamrock.com, @cjkink on Twitter. Read his award-winning blog at timestribuneblogs.com/kelly.

MARRIAGE LICENSES

■ Sara Rose Krukovitz and Joshua James Burney, both of Olyphant.

■ William Monge-Ayala and Massiel Vargas-Gallardo, both of Scranton.

■ Neal Anthony Nowakowski Jr. and Ashley Nicole Keller, both of Bryn Mawr.

■ Robert Pfender Jr. and Christina Maria Cicco, both of. Philadelphia.

■ Vrajani Arun Patel, Scranton, to Kishan Suryakant Patel, Iselin, N.J.

■ Kushtrim Shabani, Lake Ariel, and Qerime Sherifi, Middletown, Conn.

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

■ Patricia Valunas, Scranton, to Christine Ann Gabello and Nadyne Marie Gabello, Spring Brook Twp., as joint tenants with rights of survivorship; a property at 1341 E. Elm St., Scranton, for $55,000.
■ Mary Anne Duffy, Scranton, to Mobina, Shaheryar and Bilal Akhtar; a property at 740 Hick­ory St., Scranton, for $60,000.

■ Robert Jensen to Nathan L. and Laurie A. Gross; a property at 99 Vine St., Taylor, for $145,000.

■ Dean W. Vaughn, Scranton, to Pankaj Karki and Hema Rai, Scranton; a property at 114 Penwood Drive, Scranton, for $82,000.

■ Sean Flood, individually and as executor of the estate of William John Flood, also known as William J. Flood, also known as William Flood, Archbald, to Travis Frazier, Carbondale; two parcels in Archbald for $132,500.

■ The estate of John D. McAndrew Jr., also known as estate of John F. McAndrew, Scranton, to Bhakta K. Ghalley, Syracuse, N.Y.; a property at 617 Campbell St., Scranton, for $90,100.

■ Mary Kathleen Clarke, executor of the estate of Marian L. McGraw, Dunmore, to Jake Mancuso and Gianna Muracco, Archbald; a property at 519 Shirley Lane, Dunmore, for $215,000.

■ The estate of Bonnie Lee Gayda to Christopher, Brian J. and Eileen C. Grassi; a property at 1506 Pine St., Scranton, for $60,000.

■ Douglas Long and Eugene Francis Reed, Scranton, to Cassandra M. Pugh and Nadine Novak, Scranton; a property at 1653 Ruane Ave., Scranton, for $76,550.

■ Diane Milazzo, Roaring Brook Twp., to Lauren R. Bros­toski, Throop; a property at 301 Circle Drive, Roaring Brook Twp., for $300,000.

■ Michael and Mary Elizabeth Sokoloski, Jessup, to Melanie McAndrew, Archbald; a property at 305 First Ave., Jessup, for $127,000.

■ Ronald J. Legg, Covington Twp., to Aaron Sepkowski, Covington Twp.; a property in Covington Twp. for $170,000.

■ Thomas A. and Cheri A. Magistro to Joshua Bryer; a property at 424 W. Church St., Archbald, for $266,000.

■ Ann Marie Salva to Christo­pher M. and April Krzak; a property in Blakely for $35,000.

DIVORCE SOUGHT

■ Jill A. Kucharski, Archbald, v. Christopher S. Kucharski, Archbald; married May 16, 2003, in Scott Twp.; Ernest A. Sposto Jr., attorney.

ESTATES FILED

■ Michele H. Curtis, also known as Michele Curtis, 539 Main St., Eynon, letters testamentary to Autumn Rieman, same address.

■ Bayard B. Williams, 1248 Main Ave., Old Forge, letters testamentary to Bianca L. Williams, 1109 Rundle St., Scranton.

■ Joseph C. Abramovitch, also known as Joseph Carl Abramo­vitch, also known as Joseph Abramovitch, letters testamentary to Francis P. Mickavicz Jr., 408 Harriston St., Taylor.

■ Robert F. Simmons Jr., 85 Sturges Road, Peckville, letters testamentary to Steven W. Simmons, 1010 Limbeck Lane, Midolothian, Va.

■ Michael P. Jugan, also known as Mike Jugan, 306 Wheeler Ave., Scranton, letters of administration to Sara J. Vinskofski, 1231 Throop St., Dickson City.

■ Anna Maggio, also known as Anna Mattia Maggio, 1819 Luzerne St., Scranton, letters testamentary to Randall Win­ters, 2423 Red Oak Drive, Clarks Summit.

STATE TAX LIENS

■ Sweet Home Primary Care of Scranton LLC, 329 Penn Ave., Scranton; $46,026.95.

■ George Espinal, 5004 Birney Ave., Moosic; $660.65.

■ Ruthann White, 328 Har­wood Ave., Clarks Summit; $1,485.59.

■ Robert and Debra Faraday, 117 Decker Road, Jermyn; $1,671.

■ Mohammad and Zahra Tabatabaie, 1 Dawn Drive, Scranton; $3,639.38.

■ Tiny Treasures Child Care Center, 301 Clinton St., Vand­ling; $7,460.69.

■ Scrub Oak Hunting & Fish­ing Club Inc., 683 Main St., Vandling; $54,803.50.

■ NV Petroleum LLC, 801 Northern Blvd., South Abington Twp.; $3,770.05.

■ Robert M. and Maureen T. Flynn, 2905 Colliery Ave., Scran­ton; $816.41.

■ David R. O’Hara, 26 O’Hara Road, Jefferson Twp.; $1,442.85.

■ Ronald D. Jr. and Rebecca L. Larue, 190 rear Maile Road, Greenfield Twp.; $7,303.26.

■ Nicholas P. and Patricia A. Carcione, 1306 Dundaff St., Dickson City; $385.91.

■ Christopher L. and Alison M. Rothwell, 200 Sean Drive, South Abington Twp.; $3,233.59.

■ Satish Mallik, 205 Carpen­ter Hill Road, South Abington Twp.; $6,328.43.

■ Patrick DeNaples Jr., 119 Bush St., Dunmore; $1,525.95.

■ Dale M. Robbins, 734 Albert St., Dickson City; $1,112.75.

■ John H. Horsman, 201 S. Blakely St., Suite 334, Dun­more; $6,228.59.

■ William D. Donahoe, individually and as responsible party of Panes Et Pisces LLC, 100 Grouse Hill Road, North Abing­ton Twp.; $640.50.

■ Edward J. Kaushas Jr., 337 N. Fillmore Ave., Scranton; $5,597.80.

■ A A F Inc., 139 S. Blakely St., Dunmore; $20,620.59.

■ Colarussos Pizza Xpress Inc., 305 Glenmaura Drive, Moosic; $1,304.50.

■ Bart Madans, 810 Murray St., Throop; $935.04.

■ Thomas K. Kuduk, 406 Fourth Ave., Jessup; $1,112.50.

■ Robert A. Caramanno, 1105 S. Main Ave., Scranton; $669.03.

■ Michael Parker, 14 Washing­ton St., Carbondale; $422.54.

■ Robert Smith, 735 N. Linc­oln Ave., Scranton; $1,927.59.

■ Jason Abbott, 139 Willow St., Dunmore; $2,552.30.

■ Christopher G. Sr. and Shar­on E. Langan, 1218 Country Club Road, Clarks Summit; $903.20.

■ Philip and Joetta L. Murphy, 5 Roberts Road, Moscow; $1,772.57.

■ Milissa S. Lord, 1325 Hunt­ington Lane, Dalton; $5,082.94.

■ Nichelle M. Hricenak, 111 Junction St., Clarks Summit; $893.91.

■ Douglas and Melisa Hess, 78 Spring St., Carbondale; $7,471.78.

■ Prudence Evans, 1436 Col­lege Ave., Dunmore; $5,151.09.

■ Edward J. and Angela L. Marcinkevich, Rear 130 Oak St., Old Forge; $863.65.

■ Susan Andrews, 202 Lori Drive, Archbald; $916.87.

■ John B. and Alison M. Skoff, 1621 Quincy Ave., Scranton; $6,297.16.

■ Bruce N. and Brenda Shay, 501 Winola Road, Clarks Sum­mit; $833.36.

■ Harold W. McKinney III, 319 Third St., Blakely; $981.06.

■ Edward J. Marcinkevich, Rear 130 Oak St., Old Forge; $122.35.

■ Kevin Darcy, 1135 Olive St., Scranton; $994.93.

■ Master Millwright Industrial LLC, 1294 Mine St., Old Forge; $661.30.

■ Carl J. Greco P.C., 327 N. Washington Ave., #A, Scranton; $13,404.70.

■ Russells Cool Scoops LLC, 129 Hill St., Jessup; $776.56.

■ Nicholas Stanley, 16052 Airport Drive, Dalton; $77,773.87.

LAWSUITS

■ Allyn B. and Wendy M. Carey, 472 Scott Road, Mont­rose, v. Jeremy Klinger, 236 Lee Park Ave., Hanover Twp., seeking an amount in excess of $50,000 and delay damages, for injuries suffered in an automobile accident on Aug. 1, 2017, at approximately 6 a.m. at the O’Neill Highway and Monahan Avenue in Dunmore; Matthew D. Dempsey, attorney.

■ Alicia and Arthur Kuehner Sr., 2216 Boulevard Ave., Scran­ton, v. Seliman Abdul­qader, 111 Ponderosa Drive, Lexington, Neb., and Motor Carrier Grand Transport Services, 1239 Wel­lington Court, Buffalo Grove, Ill., seeking an amount in excess of limits for referral to arbitration by local rule, plus interest, costs and punitive damages on two counts, for injuries suffered in an automobile accident on May 1 at approximately 6:32 p.m. at the Spruce Street Complex Expressway, Scranton; Edwin A. Abrahamsen, attorney.

ONLINE: thetimes-tribune.com/courts

WILKES-BARRE — After Kim Woodrosky appeared on the front page of The Citizens’ Voice in November 2016 proudly defending her vote for Donald Trump in the presidential election, media from around the country and world sought to interview her.

She was in demand.

Woodrosky fit the profile of the people credited with making Trump’s victory possible: Longtime Luzerne County Democrats who overwhelmingly flipped to vote for the brash Republican businessman.

“It was a snowball effect. It really was,” Woodrosky said. “I had people reaching out to me from all over the place.”

Days prior to Trump’s Thursday visit to Luzerne County, Woodrosky recalled her time in the media spotlight after the election.

She appeared in Time Magazine’s 2016 “Person of the Year” edition about Trump — after an eight-hour photoshoot that included 13 wardrobe changes. She then appeared in a follow-up edition of the iconic publication.

Newspapers from Portugal, Japan and France visited to interview her.

Bloomberg News selected her as one of eight United States voters to profile and track after the election. She has given continuous commentary on a Bloomberg webpage, where she gives Trump a score of eight out of 10 in job performance.

“I think if he runs in 2020, he’s probably going to be a shoe-in. I think he’s doing a great job,” Woodrosky said. “The Democrats don’t have anyone to put against him that would be worthy enough to beat him.”

Woodrosky, 54, a property manager and real estate investor, also was interviewed extensively by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ben Bradlee for his upcoming book, “The Forgotten: How the people of one Pennsylvania county elected Donald Trump and changed America.”

That one is Luzerne County.

Contact the writer:

bkalinowski@citizensvoice.com

570-821-2055,

@cvbobkal on Twitter

Local cadet honored

Senior Cadet David W. Bors was presented the Lackawanna Bar Association’s Stanley W. Kennedy Memorial Award at the annual ROTC Awards ceremony at the University of Scranton.

Bors is a senior at the University of Scranton and is a National Distinguished Military Graduate, who ranks in the top 20 percent of cadets nationally, a four year national scholarship winner who excels academically as a physical science major and is a member of the National Science and Mathematics Honor Society.

The award is presented in honor of Kennedy, a long-time chairman of the LBA’s veteran’s committee, who died in January, 2017. Kennedy was an ROTC graduate of the University of Scranton and a career Army Officer, who achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Kennedy worked tirelessly on behalf of veterans throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Bors is active in student government and is a member of the university’s cross-country, track and swim teams.

High notes

During Leadership Lackawanna’s Celebration of Leadership at the Hilton Scranton & Conference Center, the achievements of participants in the Leadership Lackawanna Executive Program, Tomorrow’s Leaders Today and the Leadership Lackawanna Core Program Class of 2018 were honored.

Core Program Class includes: Mark Barbernitz, Boys Scouts of America NEPA Council; Julie Bialkowski, Penn State Scranton; Mark Bonfiglio, NOTE Fragrances; Terilynn Brechtel, United Neighborhood Centers; Kevin Brislin, Lightspeed Technologies; Lisa Browning, Community Bank NA; Jeff Cavanaugh, Office of State Senator John Blake; John Dean, AllOne Health Resources; Sara Dellecave, Penn Foster Career School; Kim Fanning, Sordoni Construction Services; Christine Gabello, Keystone Community Resources; Kayla Guilford, Lackawanna College; April Guse, Bedrock Technology; Logan Hansman, Fidelity Bank; Carlyle Hicks, Keystone College; Amy Hnat, Electric City Escape; Matthew Horvath, Tobyhanna Army Depot; Gary Howell, Baker Tilly Virchow Krause; Amy Kelley, FNCB Bank; Christopher Krape, Weiler Corporation; Rob Krukovitz, Benco Dental Co.; Sarah Mann, Barry Callebaut; Amanda Marchegiani, Northeast Regional Cancer Institute; Allie Marroquin, Lackawanna Susquehanna BH/ID/EI Program; Elizabeth McGill, Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine; Jannette Moran, Wells Fargo Bank; Gene Munley, Prudential Retirement; Matt Nied, Penn State Scranton; Tara Priest Rhodes, Kim Rollman, TMG Health; Bill Ruddy, Tobyhanna Army Depot; Mileise Sabbatini, NET Credit Union; Mike Stremski, Reuther+Bowen; Linda Tregea, Benco Dental Co.; and Alicia Wang, Gertrude Hawk Chocolates.

Lackawanna and Luzerne counties each will have at least two licensed facilities that grow and process marijuana for medical treatment.

PharmaCann Penn Plant LLC, a Philadelphia-based company, was one of two companies approved to produce medical marijuana in Northeast Pennsylvania in the second phase of licensing, the state Department of Health announced Tuesday.

PharmaCann plans to open at 104 Life Science Drive in Scott Twp., in Scott Technology Park. The Scranton Lackawanna Industrial Building Co., an affiliate of the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, owns the property. PharmaCann applied for six licenses across the state, but the state only approved the local one.

Attempts to reach company officials were unsuccessful Tuesday.

Pier Cove LLC, a Chicago-based company, won the other second-phase northeast license for a facility in the Humboldt Industrial Park in Hazle Twp. near Hazleton.

The plant will be called the Justice Grown Cultivation and Processing Center.

Pier Cove and PharmaCann were among 13

new grower-processor licenses announced Tuesday by the state Department of Health out of 91 applications, according to a list on the department’s website.

Jamil Taylor, Pier Cove’s chief operations officer, said the company expects to open its processing center within the state-required six months on a vacant 10-acre lot. The building, similar to a warehouse, will cover 15,000 to 30,000 square feet with the possibility of expanding to 100,000 square feet as business grows, Taylor said.

The company expects to hire 15 to 20 people in the first phase with perhaps 20 to 25 overall eventually, he said. The jobs will include plant growers, trimmers, packagers, salesmen and managers. He declined to discuss salaries, but said the benefits would include health insurance and a 401(k) pension plan.

In June 2017, the department announced a grower-processor license for Pennsylvania Medical Solutions LLC for a plant off Rosanna Avenue in Scranton’s lower Green Ridge neighborhood and another for Standards Farms LLC in White Haven in Luzerne County.

Columbia Care Pennsylvania opened the first medical marijuana dispensary in Lackawanna County in April.

Justice Grown opened the first dispensary in Luzerne County in Edwardsville in February. The Edwardsville dispensary and the new Hazle Twp. processing plant have a partnership, Taylor said.

More than 52,000 patients registered to get prescriptions for medical marijuana with more than 30,000 of them already granted identification cards that allow them to visit a dispensary. More than 1,000 doctors registered to prescribe medical marijuana with more than 700 approved as practitioners.

Columbia Care Pennsylvania on North Keyser Avenue in Scranton is one of 16 dispensaries across the state set to sell marijuana in dry leaf form starting today. Patients may not smoke it. Instead, they are permitted to use a vaporizer.

Twelve more dispensaries, including Justice Grown Pennsylvania in Edwardsville, are supposed to have the medication Aug. 8.

Dry leaf is cheaper than other products such as oils and pills, and state officials cleared it for medical use to help lower patient costs.

Contact the writer:

bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9147;

@BorysBlogTT on Twitter

Get there early and prepare for rain — but do not bring an umbrella.

Mohegan Sun Arena has released more details about President Donald Trump’s visit to the arena on Thursday to support U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta’s campaign for the U.S. Senate.

According to an updated announcement on the arena’s website:

■ The arena parking lot, off Highland Park Boulevard, will open at about noon.

■ No vehicles will be allowed on site before the parking lot opens.

■ The arena doors will open at about 4 p.m.

■ Those arriving after 5 p.m. should use the Mundy Street entrance to the parking lot.

■ Highland Park Boulevard will be closed in both directions from the Interstate 81 exit ramp to Mundy Street from about 5 till 8:15 p.m.

■ No weapons of any kind will be allowed on arena property, including the parking lot. This includes pocketknives, chains and chain wallets.

■ As of Tuesday, no umbrellas will be allowed Inside the arena. The website announcement notes that the umbrella policy is subject to change.

■ There is no protection from the weather when standing outside the arena entrances. No one will be permitted inside until doors are opened for the event.

■ AccuWeather calls for a chance of strong thunderstorms Thursday afternoon and evening.

■ Cameras, cellphones, video and audio recording devices are permitted. However, no professional lens cameras or detachable lens cameras are allowed.

Additionally, a no-drone zone will be in effect for a 15-mile radius around the arena and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport from 5 until 10 p.m., according to Wilkes-Barre Twp. police.

— STAFF REPORT

SCRANTON

Police found a man dead inside a home in the city’s Plot section Tuesday after they were called for a domestic violence incident, Scranton police Capt. Dennis Lukasewicz said.

Police were dispatched to 425 Grace St. around 3:18 p.m., Scranton police Lt. Marty Crofton said. A woman and three children escaped the house before police arrived, he said.

Police believed the man was armed so officers from the Special Operations Group, some with SWAT gear and carrying rifles, gathered around the home for about two hours. When police went inside, they found a man dead, Lukasewicz told reporters on the scene Tuesday. He did not identify the man.

The death appears to be a suicide, Lackawanna County Coroner Tim Rowland said.

— KATHLEEN BOLUS

About Trump’s visit

Parking: Arena parking lot opens at about noon; parking fee is $10 cash-only.

Doors: Arena doors open at about 4 p.m. The rally is scheduled to start at 7.

Weather: There is no covering from the weather for those waiting in line outside the arena. Forecasters predict a chance of strong storms. Umbrellas will not be allowed inside the arena. If that policy changes it will be announced on the arena website, arena officials said Wednesday.

Safety: No weapons of any kind are allowed on arena property. Walk-through metal detectors and other security measures will be in place.

Closures: Highland Park Boulevard will be closed from Schechter Drive to Mundy Street from about 5 to 9 p.m. The on- and off-ramps at Exit 168 of Interstate 81 will also be closed Those who arrive after 5 must use the Mundy Street entrance to the arena parking lot.

Updates: For updated information today, visit mohegansunarenapa.com/events/donald-trump-rally or the Wilkes-Barre Twp. police Facebook page, facebook.com/WBTPD.

Forest City

Community luncheon: The Stone Soup Kitchen at Christ Church, free community luncheon, Christ Episcopal Church, Delaware and Dundaff Streets, Saturday, Aug. 25, noon-1:30.

Jermyn

Alumni meeting: Jermyn High School Alumni Association meeting, Tuesday, 7 p.m., legion room of the Borough Building.

Justus

Church concert: Concert featuring the award-winning “the Farmhands,” 6 p.m., Mount Bethel Baptist Church, 1341 Layton Road, free-will offering, refreshments follow.

Lackawanna County

Flapjack breakfast: Friends of Poland of Lackawanna County flapjack fundraiser breakfast, Saturday, 8-10 a.m., Applebee’s at the Viewmont Mall, $7/adults and $5/under 12, benefits annual scholarship fund; Ed Karpowicz, president at 570-586-6065.

Pig roast: Lackawanna Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited inaugural fundraising pig roast, Aug. 18, 4-9 p.m., Lackawanna Heri­tage Valley Pavilion, Olive Street, Scranton, $25, tickets may be purchased at A&G Outfitters, 542 Boulevard Ave., Dickson City, proceeds from the event will be used to fund projects benefiting the Lackawanna River watershed.

5k Run/walk: Kristy Ryczak memorial prosper 5k run/walk, Saturday, Sept. 29, 9 a.m., Olive Street trailhead, Lackawanna River Heritage Trail, 3 W. Olive St., Scranton, registration, 7:30-8:30 a.m., dri-fit moisture wicking T-shirts given to first 50 registrants. Registration: runsignup.com/race/pa/scranton/

2018prosper5k. Contact: 570-963-6842.

North Scranton

Neighbors meet: North Scran­ton Neighborhood Association Watch meeting, Monday, 6 p.m., Weston Park fieldhouse; agenda: proposed development in North Scranton.

Olyphant

Furniture sale: Furniture sale, Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., St. Cyril’s school gym, 133 River St., variety of furniture.

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