MEHOOPANY — Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Patrick McDonald got a first-hand look at conservation efforts in the Northeast on Wednesday during a tour of two farms in Wyoming County.

The secretary visited the Henningstead Holstein Farm in Mehoopany and the Faux Family Farm in Monroe Twp., where farmers provided information on efforts to make their operations more environmentally friendly.

Although McDonald was primarily interested in water conservation, he said all environmental programs are beneficial to each other.

“Part of what we’re doing is to meet our Chesapeake Bay obligation,” McDonald said. “The other part is what we can do for the individual communities.”

Because they work extensively with animals and the soil, farmers often have a great impact on the environment, the secretary explained. By showing how using good environmental practices benefits farms, DEP hopes other farmers will be encouraged to use similar practices.

Henningstead Holstein Farm, owned and operated by Stephen and Tina Henning, is an organic dairy operation with more than 100 cows. They recently built a shed to store manure until it can be used as fertilizer.

A major share of the storage shed’s costs are funded through a grant by the Conservation Fund and other agencies, said Peter Tarby, a Chesapeake Bay Field representative for the DEP.

“It smells much better than a slurry tank, and is also much safer, particularly with young children around,” Tina Henning said.

She said the farm’s environmental practice goes back to the 1960s, when Stephen’s father, the late Carlton Henning, installed drain tile and diversion ditches to control water runoff.

The Henningstead Holstein Farm also has a “no till” policy, which allows for better soil control.

“We plant tillage radishes,” Stephen Henning said. “They loosen the soil up so the water can soak in better.”

McDonald said soil improvement efforts help to improve water quality.

At the Faux Family Farm, Chris Faux explained how he installed a stream bank fence to prevent his cows from wandering into nearby Marsh Creek.

Faux explained that when he was growing up on the farm, his grandfather Albert Wyda allowed the cows to graze in the swampy area surrounding the creek, which wasn’t great for the environment

“A lot of the underbrush was torn up. A lot of the vegetation disappeared,” he said.

Through a grant from DEP, Faux installed 1,680 feet of fence to keep his 18 cows from getting too close the creek. As a result, the vegetation surrounding the creek has made a comeback.

McDonald said DEP and other agencies are working with farmers, encouraging them to incorporate programs to lessen their environmental impact.

Pennsylvania and other states are working to reduce the amount of discharge going into the Chesapeake Bay, he said. Although Pennsylvania has made improvements, it still discharges about 95 million pounds of nitrates into the bay each year, he said. About 70 percent of it comes from Pennsylvania farms.

“We want the farmers to see the benefits of taking a proactive stance concerning the environment,” McDonald said.

Contact the writer:

cjmarshall@wcexaminer.com, 570-836-2123, ext. 36

PITTSTON
Security officers sue school district

Two men who have served as security officers for years at the Pittston Area School Distinct claim in a federal lawsuit they have not been called to work since backing an outsider school board candidate in the 2017 election.

Charles Jones II, of Avoca, and Donald F. Toole, of Old Forge, allege the district violated their First Amendment rights to political free speech.Jones worked for the district for nine years, while Toole was employed there for four years.

The men admit they had no set work schedule, but were called to work between 20 to 40 hours a week until the May 2017 primary election. They claim their support of Dr. Lori Cooper cost them their jobs.

Jones was politically active, while Toole merely put up a yard sign for her.

— BOB KALINOWSKI

Tough. That’s the first word Dory Browning used to describe the brown dog that arrived at True Friends Animal Welfare Center in Bridgewater Twp. about a month ago.

The person who brought her there found her lying in the middle of a Vandling street, an apparent stray. She was severely malnourished, dehydrated and obviously neglected for a long time. Her nails were long and unkempt and she had several mammary tumors. Fleas infested her fur. Staff there called her Margo.

“When she came to us, she could barely stand on her own,” Browning said, adding they had to rush her to a veterinary hospital. “We didn’t think she would make it.”

That’s when the toughness kicked in. Margo fought for her life and is on the road to recovery, said Browning, executive director of the center. Weeks after Margo arrived, they learned she was involved in a domestic violence case in Vandling and had been abandoned, Browning said.

Christopher Skorets, 19, 122 Archbald St., Carbondale, faces animal cruelty charges related to letting Margo, then named Tara, off her leash after a fight with his girlfriend and Tara’s owner, Megan Dalrymple. He also faces animal cruelty charges after police said he threw seven cats from the second floor window of a Vandling home.

He was charged with aggravated assault and other offenses after Dalrymple told police Skorets punched her in the face and threatened her, her children and her pets on Sept. 10, then kicked her and went after her with a knife and screwdriver on Sept. 15, according to court documents. During a third incident on Sept. 20, Dalrymple told officers Skorets beat her with a belt, stabbed her with a screwdriver and bit her, police said.

Police are still following up on leads in efforts to locate and arrest Skorets, Forest City Police Chief Jim Johnson said. Skorets is 5 feet 9 inches tall and 130 pounds with blue eyes and brown hair. Anyone with information on his whereabouts should call 911.

September proved an especially tough month for True Friends Animal Welfare Center, with medical expenses for animals taken there exceeding $10,000, Browning said. They take in many abused animals, and neglected ones come in about every other day, Browning said. They are using Margo as the face of an online fundraising campaign to raise money to help care for animals at the shelter. To donate, visit www.gofundme.com.

Margo is staying with a foster family in Susquehanna County who treat her like gold, Browning said. Now that she is on the mend, other parts of her personality besides her grit are shining through.

Contact the writer:

cover@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5363;

@ClaytonOver on Twitter

SCRANTON — Union employees in the Lackawanna County Domestic Relations Department and the offices of adult and juvenile probation have a new contract that guarantees a total of about $1.4 million in salary increases over four years.

The pact is the product of an arbitration that began last year after negotiations between the county and the Lackawanna County Adult and Juvenile Probation and Domestic Relations Section Employees Association, the union representing approximately 75 full-time employees across the three departments, failed to produce an agreement.

Officials declared the end result of the arbitration a victory for the county and taxpayers at a Wednesday meeting where commissioners voted unanimously to ratify the arbitration award. The union’s proposal called for a total of about $9 million in increases over the term of the contract, county human resources Director Justin MacGregor said.

The contract, which is retroactive to Jan. 1, 2018, and runs through Dec. 31, 2021, does not call for an increase in employee health care contributions but does include some changes in prescription drug co-payments, per the pact.

“It was a great decision (to pursue arbitration),” Commissioner Laureen Cummings said. “I think that we should have done it with all of our (union) contracts. ... The arbitrators are there to be fair, and obviously asking for $9 million in taxpayer money is an outrage as far as I’m concerned.”

Employers take a gamble when they enter the arbitration process because it gives a neutral third party the power to issue a binding decision that often does not favor the employer, county Acting Chief of Staff Donald Frederickson said, noting the county was optimistic about this arbitration because of the amount of pay increases the union sought.

“I think the reason that we went for it was we felt it was going to come stronger in our favor because they were reaching for a lot,” Frederickson said. “They were looking for ($9 million in increases), which we thought was awful high.”

While the original contract negotiations failed, MacGregor described them as respectful. He also called the employees in the union a “good group of hardworking law-enforcement professionals.”

“There’s no animosity or ill will,” he said.

Efforts to reach union representatives Ryan Griffiths, Dan Ebersole and Gary DiMattia were unsuccessful Wednesday.

Contact the writer:


jhorvath@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9141;
@jhorvathTT on Twitter

Charl-Mont to reopen at Globe site

The Charl-Mont Restaurant is returning to the former Globe store on Wyoming Avenue in Scranton and Lackawanna County commissioners are looking for an entity to run it.

Commissioners on Wednesday voted unanimously to release a request for proposals seeking an operator for the restaurant, which, like the original, will be housed on the first floor of the landmark building that will soon serve as the Lackawanna County Government Center. No furniture, fixtures or equipment will be provided by the county and the eventual operator must maintain the Charl-Mont name.

Plans are for the new Charl-Mont to serve both county employees and members of the public weekdays between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. It also may open for brunch on weekends if demand allows.

— JEFF HORVATH

Payment to law firms in prison probe approved

County payables commissioners approved Wednesday included a $13,237 payment to J. Riley & Associates LLC, one of the law firms representing the county related to the ongoing statewide grand jury probe into sex abuse at the county jail.

The $13,237 expense brings the running total of legal bills incurred by the county stemming from the probe to approximately $579,000, county Controller Gary DiBileo said. That does not include a roughly $45,000 bill submitted by the Scranton-based law firm Myers, Brier & Kelly that has yet to be audited the controller’s office, he said.

— JEFF HORVATH

The county election board Wednesday tabled a decision to move four Carbondale polling places to the Hotel Anthracite downtown after Carbondale Mayor Justin Taylor voiced concerns about the plan in The Times-Tribune.

While the county Department of Elections determined that polling places at the Russell Park Recreation Facility, St. Rose Family Center, Mitchell Hose Company and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church did not meet federal accessibility standards, Taylor worried moving the polling places to the hotel would affect voter turnout and disenfranchise voters without access to transportation.

With that in mind, the board comprised of county Commissioners Patrick O’Malley, Laureen Cummings and Jerry Notarianni decided to delay closing the polling places until after the Nov. 6 general election, and to explore other potential options.

The board did unanimously approve changes that would send voters who vote at the Dickson City Civic Center, 935 Albert St., to one of two new sites. Voters in ward 1, precinct 1 would vote at the Eagle Hose Co. No. 1, 1 Eagle Lane, while voters in ward 2, precinct 1 and ward 3, precinct 2 would vote at Dickson City Community Ambulance, 2 Eagle Lane.

It also approved moving another polling location from Lackawanna County Housing Authority, 1 Veterans Drive, to the Dickson City Borough Building, 901 Enterprise St.

Finally, the board approved relocating the polling place in North Abington Twp. from the former township building on Route 407 to the new township building, 138 Sullivan Road, and the polling place in Covington Twp. from the North Pocono Senior Center, 12 John J. Michaels Drive, to Covington Independent Fire Company, 452 Daleville Highway.

Contact the writer:


jhorvath@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9141;
@jhorvathTT on Twitter

LEHMAN TWP. — Dallas High School sophomore Drew Lojewski started a Future Business Leaders of America chapter at his school because there wasn’t one and it now has about 12 members.

Lojewski, 15, who finished second in a national FBLA competition for digital video production, said his goal is to have at least 15 members.

His passion for FBLA started when he was in seventh grade. He said he wanted to start an FBLA chapter at his school because he wants to be like his father Chad Lojewski, a financial adviser.

“I always wanted to improve on my leadership and my communication skills,” he said.

Lojewski was the keynote speaker at the seventh annual FBLA interactive workshop Wednesday at Penn State Wilkes-Barre that was attended by more than 175 high school students from throughout Northeast Pennsylvania.

He told the students that he likes the networking opportunities that the FBLA offers and it helps with college and beyond.

“FBLA isn’t just a competition. You want to learn from it and apply it to your future experiences later on in life,” he said.

Andrew Gallia, 16, a junior at Pittston Area High School who has been in the FBLA for two years, said he thought the workshop was a good opportunity to meet new people and he liked the session that allowed students to create video games in 2D.

Frouke de Quillettes, associate teaching professor at Penn State Wilkes-Barre who led the 2D game design session, said there’s a range of levels and not everyone does the same but the students “really had fun.”

“If they stay involved in gaming, they see that this is a team effort and see there are communication skills involved, listening and competition,” she said. “Hopefully, they go into a field that is IT-related because we don’t have enough people to fill these positions but I just wanted them to get hooked into something that is technology-based.”

Terry Clemente, assistant teaching professor of business, invited students to take the Coke and Pepsi taste test challenge. She recalled how the introduction of “new Coke” in 1985 was considered a major failure that led the company to reintroduce its original formula which was rebranded as “Coca-Cola Classic.”

“In business, we have to be able to make good decisions and identify information that is meaningful and useful and sometimes it gets clouded,” Clemete said. “That’s a perfect example of problems businesses have making decisions.”

Students participating in the workshop on Wednesday came from a number of area schools including Berwick, Coughlin, Dallas, GAR, Greater Nanticoke Area, Hanover Area, Old Forge, Pittston, Northwest Area, Meyers and Riverside high schools and Wilkes-Barre Career and Technical Center and West Side Career and Technology Center.

Contact the writer:

dallabaugh@citizensvoice.com;

570-821-2115;

@CVAllabaugh on Twitter

SCRANTON — A New York man who investigators say traveled to Scranton in 2015 to have sex with a person he believed to be 14 years old was convicted on child exploitation charges Wednesday in U.S. District Court.

A federal jury deliberated about two hours before returning the guilty verdict against Charles J. Senke, 61, of Syracuse, following a two-day trial before U.S. District Judge James M. Munley.

Senke was arrested Feb. 4, 2015, after an online undercover sting operation by the state Attorney General’s Office targeting adults seeking unlawful contact with minors.

After communicating online with an investigator masquerading as a 14-year-old, Senke traveled from Syracuse to Scranton for the specific purpose of engaging in sexual activity with the supposed minor, investigators said.

Senke was originally charged in state court. However, those charges were dismissed after a federal grand jury indicted him in December 2016. A superseding indictment was returned against him in October 2017.

Senke was convicted on three counts: travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, online enticement and attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor.

He faces a potential sentence of life imprisonment.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Olshefski. Senke was represented by attorneys Matthew Comerford and Curt Parkins.

Contact the writer:

dsingleton@timesshamrock.com, 570-348-9132

SOUTH ABINGTON TWP. — The discovery of a skimmer installed on a gas pump at a Valero station on a busy South Abington Twp. road prompted a warning from local police for people to check their financial statements.

Numerous people reported to police “thousands and thousands” of dollars scammed from their accounts, Police Chief Robert Gerrity said. The victims used their cards at the 330 Northern Blvd. gas station.

Police opened an investigation with federal agencies Sept. 27. The device used was attached directly to the motherboard of the pump to record card numbers. The investigation continues.

Customers who uses that gas station should check their finances and report any suspicious activity to police at 570-342-9111.

— JOSEPH KOHUT

The Charl-Mont Restaurant is returning to the former Globe store on Wyoming Avenue in Scranton and Lackawanna County Commissioners are looking for an entity to run it.

Commissioners today voted unanimously to release a request for proposals seeking an operator for the restaurant, which, like the original, will be housed on the first floor of the landmark building that will soon serve as the Lackawanna County Government Center. No furniture, fixtures or equipment will be provided by the county and the eventual operator must maintain the Charl-Mont name.

“My grandmother used to love going to the Charl-Mont,” Commissioner Patrick O’Malley said. “It was one of the highlights of going downtown.”

Plans are for the new Charl-Mont to serve both county employees and members of the public weekdays between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. It also may open for brunch on weekends if demand allows.

— Jeff Horvath

HERSHEY, Pa. (AP) — Hersheypark will get a new roller coaster that officials say will be the park's "tallest, longest, fastest and sweetest" ever.

The Pennsylvania amusement park said Wednesday its $150 million Chocolatetown attraction will "unlock an all-new chapter." The 23-acre (9-hectare) area will include a restaurant and bar, a confectionary kitchen and an ice cream parlor. Patrons will also be able to shop at a 10,000-square-foot (929-sq. meter) store.

According to park filings with the Federal Aviation Administration, the ride will be classified as a "hypercoaster" because it rises over 200 feet (60.96 meters).

Officials say the expansion project is the largest capital investment in Hershey Entertainment & Resorts history. Chocolatetown is expected to be completed in time for the 2020 season.

One by one they came forward, members of a group tied together first in grief at the loss of a loved one, and then in anger, shock and disbelief: The person they entrusted to bury their dead had made a mockery of the last hours before the final rest.

The scene Wednesday was the Monroe County Courthouse, where former funeral director Angeliegha M. Stewart came to admit that she took pictures of corpses to “gross out” her friends.

Stewart’s guilty plea to 16 counts of abuse of a corpse equaled one count for each of the families whose loved one was violated. Judge Jonathan Mark sentenced her to 10 years of probation, 250 hours of community service and a permanent ban on working in the funeral business again.

But it was the family members who said they were the ones who were punished by Stewart’s actions.

In eight statements, the speakers said they were devastated by the images, which Mark sealed in the court file. Several said they have suffered sleepless nights and emotional and psychological turmoil.

“It wasn’t just photos; it was my mom,” Debra Erdman told Stewart, seated a few feet away in the courtroom.

“You have no idea of the damage you caused,” she said, saying she suffers from nightmares and has needed therapy and medication.

Judy Blauvelt, grieving for her deceased granddaughter, said Stewart presented a compassionate, caring side when they made funeral arrangements. Five months later, her family was shocked to learn about the photos.

“It’s almost unbearable,” Blauvelt said. “You compromised my granddaughter’s dignity.”

Marianne Connell said Stewart even took a selfie with her late husband on the mortuary table. Those kinds of images were not taken and deleted, she said, but kept on Stewart’s phone for years.

Stewart was charged with multiple counts of abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence and drug charges last year after informants alerted police to the images.

Stewart, of East Stroudsburg, was arrested about a year ago at Lanterman & Allen Funeral Home on Washington Street in the borough, where she worked as a funeral director.

The police investigation found four photos showing a person during the harvesting process of organ donation, and four other photos of a decomposed corpse. In addition, they found six photos of unidentified dead people and 13 photos of the dead in caskets.

Also, detectives said, they found photos and text messages that showed Stewart was selling marijuana.

Detectives then served a search warrant at her apartment, which was also at the funeral home. During a search of the apartment, Stewart admitted taking the photos on her cellphone and said she understood how they would be alarming to people. She tried to explain that she took them to share with colleagues, but also admitted she showed one specific, gruesome photo to her ex-boyfriend to “gross him out.”

She also said she took some of the photos to show her colleague as a joke.

In a tearful statement, Stewart faced the families and apologized.

“I can’t imagine how you feel. If I could take away the pain, I would,” she said.

She said she hoped the sentencing would start the process of closure for the families.

The families were mixed in their views of Stewart’s fate. Some said they wanted her to be sentenced to some jail time, but none wanted the trauma of a trial.

“You are mourning the loss of your job, of your happiness,” said Jolene Kuna, who was mourning the loss of her father and then Stewart’s “mocking” of him “for your sick pleasure. I do not forgive you.”

Stewart was offered forgiveness from one survivor, the Rev. Cait Finnegan Grenier of Cresco. A minister in the Celtic Christian Church, Grenier, wearing her clerical collar, said she was commanded by her God to forgive, even though she wanted “to smack the crap out of” Stewart. She also said she thought Stewart’s best chance for changing was if she spent time in jail.

She recalled the Prayer of St. Francis: “Where there is injury, pardon … Where there’s darkness — and there has been — let me spread light.” Then, recalling the words of the Lord’s Prayer, she said she was called to forgive just as God forgives her.

“It’s meaningless if I don’t do that,” Grenier said.

tdarragh@mcall.com

Twitter @tmdarragh

610-820-6691

The organizers of the popular Scranton-oriented, downtown holiday shopping festival have decided against running one this year, but Lackawanna County plans to step in and do it instead.

The re-dubbed Lackawanna Winter Festival at The Globe will take place Dec. 7-9 on the 100 block of Wyoming Avenue, instead of inside the former Globe Store, its home for the last two years.

The county expects as many as 80 vendors, spokesman Joe D’Arienzo said. He said vendors interested in the county festival may call 570-963-6590 to register.

“We are going to have it,” D’Arienzo said. “It’ll be smaller.”

With the Globe undergoing conversion into the new Lackawanna County Government Center, ScrantonMade Holiday Festival organizers Chrissy Manuel and Cristin Powers hoped to find a different venue for their sixth annual festival. They even talked with the county about running the outdoors version. They couldn’t find a suitable alternate indoor venue with enough parking and close enough to downtown. Plenty busy with other ventures like the summertime Lackawanna Arts Festival, she and Manuel decided to step away and let the county handle the outdoor event with hopes of resuming their festival next year, Powers said.

“We’ll definitely do something next year,” she said.

Power and Manuel initially announced their withdrawal on ScrantonMade’s Facebook page.

“We’re taking this as a sign that it’s time to take a break, a breath, and focus on other projects we have in the works,” they wrote in a post. “We are thrilled that this ScrantonMade movement has gained such momentum over the past 6 years and there are many great holiday events to participate in and support!”

ScrantonMade’s first two holiday festivals — in 2013 and 2014 — took place in heated tents on Courthouse Square. The three-day event moved into the former Bon-Ton department store in the Marketplace at Steamtown for 2015 and the Globe the last two years.

“It sparked such a movement,” Powers said, noting other similar buy-local events take place year-round.

Besides the county event, The Connell Lofts, in the 100 block of North Washington Ave., has announced its own holiday market for November and December, according to its Facebook page.

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

Childs

Envelope drive: Meredith Hose Company annual envelope drive during Fire Preven­tion Week; distribution, Friday; collection, Oct. 13.

Dunmore

Reunion meeting: Dunmore High School class of 1969 reunion planning meeting, Oct. 11, 6 p.m., Two Brothers Restaurant, Dunmore Corners.

East Scranton

Bus trip: East Scranton Casino bus trip to Tioga Downs, Oct. 30, $34/person, $30 slot rebate, $10 food voucher, bus leaves at 9:30 a.m., leaves casino at 5 p.m., photo ID required; Tom, 570-280-5096.

Exeter

Culinary event: Taste of the Parish culinary event, Oct. 13, 5-8 p.m., St. Anthony’s Parish, 224 Memorial St., dishes created by our very own parish family chefs and various local restaurants, gift baskets and raffles, $10/at door.

Forest City

Community luncheon: Stone Soup Kitchen at Christ Church, free community luncheon, Oct. 27, noon-1 p.m., Delaware and Dundaff streets.

Jermyn

Icon visit: Hawaiian Myrrh-Streaming Iveron Icon of the Mother of God will be present at St. Michael’s Orthodox Church, Wednesday, 7 p.m., for a service of intercession; 570-876-0730.

Keyser Valley

Seniors meet: Keyser Valley Seniors meeting, Monday, 1 p.m., community center, games and refreshments following meeting.

Lackawanna County

Arts breakfast: Lackawanna County Arts, Culture and Educa­tion Council 10th annual Wake Up with the Arts Breakfast, Friday, Electric City Trolley Museum, registration and breakfast, 8:30 a.m., and program, 9-10:30 a.m., featuring Matthew Serio, program director; 570-963-6590, ext. 106, or arts-cul

ture@lackawannacounty.org.

Lake Ariel

Soup supper: Soup supper, Oct. 20, 4:30-6:30 p.m., Lake Ariel Methodist Church, 110 Maple Ave., takeouts available, free-will offering.

Midvalley

Catholics meet: Mid Valley Catholic Golden Age meeting, Oct. 11, 6 p.m., 205 Grant St., Olyphant, pizza party.

Pike County

Constituent visit: State Sen. Lisa Baker (R-20th) field representative Andrew M. Seder will be available for consultation, Tuesday, 10 a.m.-noon, commissioners’ conference room of the Pike County Administration Building, 506 Broad St., Milford, and Oct. 18, 9-11 a.m., Greene Twp. Municipal Building, 198 Brink Hill Road, Greentown, questions or problems relating to state matters, appointments encouraged but not required; www.senatorbaker.com or calling the office at 570-226-5960.

Regional

Chapter luncheon: Northeastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the United Nations Association of the USA 50th anniversary luncheon, Oct. 24, 11:30 a.m., St. Mary’s Center, guest speaker: Chris Whatley, executive director of UNA-USA, $30; 570-842-6846.

Scranton

Garbage collection: City of Scranton Department of Public Works is off Monday in observance of Columbus Day, garbage and blue recycling containers will be a day behind.

West Pittston

Rummage sale: Women’s Asso­ciation of First United Presby­terian Church of West Pittston annual rummage sale, Saturday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., the Institute, Wyoming Avenue and Institute Street, Wyoming, “bag day” begins at 1 p.m., coffee and cake available at the snack bar.

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.

HONESDALE — A Covington Twp. man will serve up to 15 years in prison for having his 11-year-old daughter drive his car while he was too drunk to drive it himself.

A jury convicted Sean Hannon, 49, 590 Drinker Turnpike, Covington Twp., on all counts including several counts of endangering the welfare of children, a DUI and recklessly endangering another person after a trial in July. He was sentenced to seven to 15 years in prison, said Wayne County District Attorney Patrick L. Robinson.

Hannon had a blood alcohol level of 0.228 percent when he let his daughter drive approximately 10 miles from his house to Salem Twp. in November. His 8-year-old-son was a passenger. The car eventually crashed into a pine tree.

Robinson noted Hannon’s long criminal history, which includes 16 arrests and two prior convictions for DUI.

“He richly deserves the 7 to 15 years sentence he received today,” Robinson said.

— DANIEL ROSLER

A Lackawanna County judge upheld the decision of Scranton’s nonuniform pension board to strip 22 double-pension recipients of half their benefits, expressing sympathy for the retirees’ plight but saying the court must follow the law.

In affirming the board’s 2017 decision, Senior Judge Robert Mazzoni swept aside the retirees’ challenges to the underlying recommendations by a pair of hearing officers who concluded the double benefits were never properly authorized by the city or the pension board.

The ruling affects 22 former city employees who received the increased benefits when they retired, some in 2002, others in 2007.

In a 48-page memorandum and order handed down Wednesday, Mazzoni said he is sensitive to the fact his affirmation of the board’s decision will create “considerable economic hardship” for the retirees. The retirees relied on representations made to them “by those in a position of trust and they relied upon those representations to their detriment,” he said.

“This court takes no pleasure in rendering this decision, but nonetheless, it is obligated to follow the law in its application to the credible evidence in this case,” the judge said.

Mazzoni’s decision did have one significant ruling in favor of the retirees: The judge dismissed a counter-petition by the pension board to recoup overpayments made to the former employees before the extra benefits were halted last year.

The case stems from a 2002 retirement incentive offered by then-Mayor Chris Doherty’s administration that increased the pensions of employees who retired by Dec. 31, 2002. The incentive was later offered to some people who retired in 2007 after they were deemed to qualify retroactively for the benefit based on a 2006 court ruling.

In all, 35 people were awarded double benefits. Twelve settled their cases, and the board opted not to pursue a case against one retiree who died. Hearings for the remaining 22 people were held in 2016.

Although no one disputes city officials offered the increased benefits to certain employees, the hearing officers found the double pensions had no valid and legal foundation because city council never enacted an ordinance authorizing them and the pension board did not vote to approve them.

In upholding the hearing officers’ recommendations to the board, Mazzoni ruled a modification to an otherwise valid benefit structure without supporting legal authority “is simply a nullity.”

“Pension levels are set by city council and the administration through an appropriate ordinance,” he said. “No ordinance was ever passed changing the pension levels to reflect the double pension.”

Pension board solicitor Larry Durkin said he was pleased with Mazzoni’s decision.

“It’s obviously a difficult topic, and we’re glad he upheld both the process and the result that the board came to,” Durkin said.

Efforts to reached Allentown attorney Samuel Cohen, who represents the retirees, were unsuccessful.

Durkin said the pension board was obligated by statute to seek to recoup the excess benefits already paid to the retirees. Although he stands by the arguments he made to the court, he said, he also understands Mazzoni’s reasoning in denying the petition.

Each of the 2002 retirees would be forced to repay more than $100,000, and each of the 2007 retirees would have to pay at least $60,000, if repayment were ordered, said the judge, who noted some retirees learned of the increased benefits offer from pension board officers themselves.

“Analyzing how this enhanced incentive evolved and fully recognizing that the retirees played no culpable role in its implementation, it is unconscionable to permit the (board) to recoup overpayments based on the board’s own ‘mistake,’” Mazzoni said.

The judge lamented that when the representations made to the retirees are peeled back, what are left are “simply empty promises.” While the reason those promises were never made official is a matter of speculation, the judge suggested if it were a simple oversight, it could be rectified by an ordinance authorizing the increased benefits retroactively.

“Although unlikely, that avenue is still available today,” Mazzoni said.

Durkin said that is an issue the mayor and city council would have to address, but added any change to the benefit structure would be difficult given the current funding status of the nonuniform pension.

John Hazzouri, who is president of the nonuniform board, said everybody feels badly for the retirees who, through no fault of their own, had their benefits slashed. However, the pension is on the right track and the board is committed to keeping it there, he said.

“It’s a shame,” he said of the retirees. “There is nothing we can really do for them.”

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

SCRANTON — A Scranton man who state prosecutors said illegally practiced law argued key motions in court today ahead of his trial set for later this month.

Joseph Pilchesky, 69, sparred Thursday with lawyers from state attorney general’s office before Lackawanna County Judge James Gibbons on a myriad of issues to settle before his Oct. 15 trial.

The issues include whether the attorney general violated Pilchesky’s right to a speedy trial and whether he can introduce a defense that his actions were a necessary remedy for the people who sought him out. The issues may be decided by Tuesday, when a pre-trial conference is scheduled.

Pilchesky, who is not an attorney, represented himself and said he intends to represent himself before the jury. By law, Pilchesky can do that. He ran into trouble, however, when prosecutors said he assisted several people with legal matters and accepted their money.

State agents charged Pilchesky in February 2013 with four counts of unauthorized practice of law. Pilchesky, known for a controversial website centered on local politics, said he is the victim of selective prosecution.

By the end of Thursday’s hearing, Deputy Attorney General Philip McCarthy approached Pilchesky with a plea deal. They moved out of earshot to discuss the deal. After that conversation, Pilchesky said it was “insulting” but declined to discuss what the offer was.

During the hearing, Pilchesky began to outline what his defense strategy may be — that people who approached him for help with legal work found no satisfaction from every other avenue they pursued.

“Let’s cut right to the chase,” Pilchesky said. “These people were screwed without any help.”

That defense doesn’t excuse the conduct of doing legal work without a license to practice law.

The case was repeatedly delayed because of appeals of pretrial matters, most of which were filed by Pilchesky, and the decision of two judges to recuse themselves. By law, the commonwealth must bring him to trial within 365 days, but the clock can run against one side or the other for delays.

McCarthy argued Pilchesky’s right to a speedy trial was not violated because the defendant caused most of the delay.

McCarthy acknowledged prosecutors also share some blame because they appealed a 2015 pretrial ruling Gibbons made regarding the burden of proof that must be met to secure a conviction.

Prosecutors argued they need only prove Pilchesky acted as an attorney. Gibbons said the state also must prove Pilchesky intentionally misled people to believe he was licensed to practice law. The state Superior Court reversed that ruling in December 2016.

Gibbons will decide by Tuesday if the speedy trial rule was violated.

Contact the writer: jkohut@timesshamrock.com, 570-348-9144; @jkohutTT on Twitter

A stun gun didn’t stop a man accused of confronting officers who stopped him as he sped through an Interstate 81 construction zone, endangering PennDOT employees working nearby.

Shawn Christopher Oneil, 40, 169 Iroquois Ave., Plains, is also accused of trying to pull a gun on troopers, who said a PennDOT worker helped disarm him.

Oneil swerved through the closed lane of I-81 North on a 2017 Harley Davidson around 10:14 p.m. Wednesday. He nearly struck a piece of machinery, authorities said.

Troopers who pulled him over said he smelled like alcohol and repeatedly refused orders to lie down, eventually approaching the officers in a rage, ripping off his jacket and yelling.

Trooper Michael Lohman used his stun gun, but Oneil still refused to lie down. He started to comply with the office’s orders but then made a gesture like he was reaching for a gun, Lohman said. A construction worker removed Oneil’s gun from its holster.

Once police arrested Oneil, they searched him and found a .45 caliber pistol and a .357 caliber revolver. Oneil refused to take a blood alcohol test, police said.

In addition to a DUI, Oneil is charged with recklessly endangering another person, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and several summary offenses.

Oneil is in Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $7,500 bail and awaits a preliminary hearing.

Contact the writer: drosler@timesshamrock.com, 570-348-9100, ext. 5365; @droslerTT on Twitter

Angela Ceccarelli keeps a list handy in the kitchen of her Bridge Street home in Jermyn, a grocery order a year in the making.

Her cursive script notes an assortment of foodstuffs that span from the sweet to the sour: Swedish fish, powdered Gatorade, oranges, bananas, pickles and more. There’s even a reminder of what not to pick up: no M&Ms.

“Those, they didn’t like so much,” Ceccarelli said.

This week is one of preparation for Ceccarelli and the other members of the 12 Mile Crew. The group sets up an unofficial aid station for runners in the Steamtown Marathon who pass by Ceccarelli’s house. Buying the items on the list is just one of the many things to accomplish before Sunday, race day.

The operation offers more than mere calories for the runners. Last year, a port-a-potty made its debut, a feature that will return for this year’s race. Band aids, Vaseline and other first aid and anti-chafing agents are also available. The group also offers humor, motivation and encouragement by cheering while holding homemade signs as runners pass by.

“At least you’re not at work,” reads one.

“Blisters are Braille 4 awesome,” reads another.

“The runners usually get a kick out of the signs,” Ceccarelli said, noting the fun can help them get their minds off the distance. “We want them to laugh and keep going.”

Offering a respite for the stream of marathoners that annually flood the area started for Ceccarelli years ago, a few miles down the road. When she lived in Archbald, the marathon route also passed in front of her home, at about the 14-mile mark. One year, as she watched participants go by, many noticed a Notre Dame shirt she wore and offered shouts of “Go Irish.” The interaction sparked the idea of offering Gatorade at the next year’s event, Ceccarelli explained.

The aid station grew from there. Runners that first year stopped for a drink or a rest on her porch stoop. Others, some with bleeding feet, asked her if she had band aids or other first aid items.

At the time, she was not a runner and didn’t know about blisters and other physical traumas the 26.2 mile distance can cause. She decided to expand to some tables with more offerings.

As the years went on, the station continued to grow. Friends and family members started to help out. Ceccarelli started keeping the list of items that were popular or unpopular or suggestions of things to add.

Ceccarelli eventually took up running herself. When she moved to Jermyn last year, the 12 Mile Crew was born. People she runs with, including her boyfriend’s daughters, Brittany and Kate Bianchi, and running group friends Mary Melisky and Ginny Snyder Ashman, all help out.

While only Brittany has run the Steamtown Marathon, experiences in half-marathons and other runs provide an understanding of what the runners might need and just how much some encouragement can help.

The runners seem to love the aid station. Some stop for pictures or selfies with the group, Ceccarelli said. Last year, one hugged her and thanked her for providing motivation, Kate said. The 12 Mile Crew stay at their stations until the last person passes through.

“When people stop here, they’re like, ‘I love you,’” Ceccarelli said. “It helps them get through.”

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

Fast facts

Things to know about the

23rd annual Steamtown

Marathon:

When: Sunday

Starting line: Forest City

Finish line: Downtown Scranton

Start time: 8 a.m.

Number of registered runners: About 1,500

Official aid stations: 14

MARRIAGE LICENSES

• Josh Ernest Houghtlin, Duryea, Denise Marie Cole, Madison Twp.

• Tyler Robert Stull and Aleia Crystine Lewis, both of Old Forge.

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

• J. Briggs McAndrews, Sackets Harbor, N.Y., Helen McAndrews Salamone, Edgartown, Mass., Dennis C. McAndrews, Wayne, in their capacity as beneficiaries and trustees of the McAndrews trust, and Brian H. McAndrews as beneficiary, to Lorraine and Nathan Trygar, Clarks Summit; a property at 610 McAndrews Road, Moscow, for $101,500.

• Aminderjeet S. and Simrat Kaur Aulakh, North Abington Twp., to Dennis E. Phelps and Patricia J. Fox, Hop Bottom; a property at 220 Grouse Hill Road, North Abington Twp., for $335,000.

• Catherine L. Feeney, South Abington Twp., to Peter P. and Jane Tayoun, Waverly Twp.; a property at 151 Jermyn Drive, Waverly, for $344,300.

• James P. Vorozilchak, Lackawanna County, to Kenneth Heater Jr., Lackawanna County; a property at 620 Ferdinand St., Scranton, for $45,000.

• Robert J. and Janet M. Hoffer to Aaron J. and Channon M. Cunningham; a property at 432 Dogwood Drive, South Abington Twp., for $195,000.

• James Pizzutti, also known as James Pizzuti, and Margaret Pizzuti, also known as Peggy Pizzuti, Madison Twp., to Kathleen M. and Brian Nealon, Dunmore; a property at 4410 Dawn Acres Drive, Madison Twp., for $239,500.

• Arthur A. and Cynthia L. Freeman, Roaring Brook Twp, to Melissa Novak and Alec Sewatsky, Peckville; a property at 207 Velview Drive, Roaring Brook Twp., for $264,000.

• Ivanka Realty LLC, Scranton, to Hebron Housing LLC, Phila­delphia; a property at Swetland Street, Scranton, for $91,000.

• Patricia A. Kanton, Scran­ton, to Arthur and Cynthia L. Freeman, Roaring Brook Twp.; a property at 102 Little Spike Way, Scranton, for $212,000.

• Thomas J. Jr. and Candace S. McColligan, Scranton, to Hebron Housing LLC, Philadel­phia; a property at 1104 N. Main Ave., Scranton, for $74,500.

DIVORCES SOUGHT

• Glen M. Mayers, Browndale, v. Margaret Mayers, Scranton; married May 1, 1999, in Negril, Jamaica; Raymond W. Ferrario, attorney.

• Holly Liss, Lackawanna County, v. Brian Liss, Scranton; married March 31, 2011, in Wawarsing, N.Y.; pro se.

• Kim Biancarelli, Scranton, v. Damian Biancarelli, Jessup; married Sept. 22, 2007, in Throop; pro se.

• Elizabeth Smith, Clarks Summit, v. Larry Arvin Smith Jr., Factoryville; married June 1, 2011, in Clarks Summit; pro se.

• Patrick Cherkoski, Moscow, v. Alison Cherkoski, Moscow; married in July 2012 in Lackawanna County; Frank J. Ruggiero, attorney.

DIVORCE DECREES

• Stephen Yakely v. Melissa Yakely.

• Scott Goldman v. Kimberly Danlek.

• Brian Rogers Jr. v. Jessica Rogers.

• Laura Enderline v. Lawrence Enderline.

• Albert Taylor v. Kim Barron-Taylor.

• Heidi Lavolpe v. Vincent Lavolpe.

• Peter Mendos v. Dawn Mendos.

• Lisa Romanski v. John Romanski.

• Raisbel Ordehi v. Fernando Ordehi.

• Jennifer Correll v. Edward Correll.

ESTATES FILED

• Kenneth M. Shepard, 314 Highland Ave., Clarks Summit, letters of administration to Tonya Shepard, same address.

• Salvatore A. Fortese, 2006 Green Ridge St., Dunmore, letters of administration to Eileen Fortese, same address.

ONLINE: thetimes-tribune.com/courts

MEHOOPANY — Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Patrick McDonald got a first-hand look at conservation efforts in the Northeast on Wednesday during a tour of two farms in Wyoming County.

The secretary visited the Henningstead Holstein Farm in Mehoopany and the Faux Family Farm in Monroe Twp., where farmers provided information on efforts to make their operations more environmentally friendly.

Although McDonald was primarily interested in water conservation, he said all environmental programs are beneficial to each other.

“Part of what we’re doing is to meet our Chesapeake Bay obligation,” McDonald said. “The other part is what we can do for the individual communities.”

Because they work extensively with animals and the soil, farmers often have a great impact on the environment, the secretary explained. By showing how using good environmental practices benefits farms, DEP hopes other farmers will be encouraged to use similar practices.

Henningstead Holstein Farm, owned and operated by Stephen and Tina Henning, is an organic dairy operation with more than 100 cows. They recently built a shed to store manure until it can be used as fertilizer.

A major share of the storage shed’s costs are funded through a grant by the Conservation Fund and other agencies, said Peter Tarby, a Chesapeake Bay Field representative for the DEP.

“It smells much better than a slurry tank, and is also much safer, particularly with young children around,” Tina Henning said.

She said the farm’s environmental practice goes back to the 1960s, when Stephen’s father, the late Carlton Henning, installed drain tile and diversion ditches to control water runoff.

The Henningstead Holstein Farm also has a “no till” policy, which allows for better soil control.

“We plant tillage radishes,” Stephen Henning said. “They loosen the soil up so the water can soak in better.”

McDonald said soil improvement efforts help to improve water quality.

At the Faux Family Farm, Chris Faux explained how he installed a stream bank fence to prevent his cows from wandering into nearby Marsh Creek.

Faux explained that when he was growing up on the farm, his grandfather Albert Wyda allowed the cows to graze in the swampy area surrounding the creek, which wasn’t great for the environment

“A lot of the underbrush was torn up. A lot of the vegetation disappeared,” he said.

Through a grant from DEP, Faux installed 1,680 feet of fence to keep his 18 cows from getting too close the creek. As a result, the vegetation surrounding the creek has made a comeback.

McDonald said DEP and other agencies are working with farmers, encouraging them to incorporate programs to lessen their environmental impact.

Pennsylvania and other states are working to reduce the amount of discharge going into the Chesapeake Bay, he said. Although Pennsylvania has made improvements, it still discharges about 95 million pounds of nitrates into the bay each year, he said. About 70 percent of it comes from Pennsylvania farms.

“We want the farmers to see the benefits of taking a proactive stance concerning the environment,” McDonald said.

Contact the writer:

cjmarshall@wcexaminer.com, 570-836-2123, ext. 36