A 20-year-old man sought for shooting a teenager Friday night remained at large Monday, Detective Sgt. Robert Martin said.

Phillip Lynott, 101 Woodside Manor, Scranton, was sought Friday on charged of aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person, simple assault and terroristic threats.

Lynott and an 17-year-old boy, identified only by his initials, had been sending threatening messages to each other through Facebook’s messenger but Lynott escalated things when he messaged that he’d obtained the 17-year-old’s location through Snapchat and planned to come over to his house and kill his family, according to a criminal complaint.

Snapchat has a map feature which, if a user has the setting turned on, displays their location for their friends on the app.

The 17-year-old asked for a fight and had a friend drive him to Lynott’s apartment shortly before 9 p.m. When the teenager got out of the car, Lynott approached with a handgun and fired a few times. A bullet struck the victim’s shoulder and his friend drove him to Moses Taylor Hospital.

This was the first of two shootings in Scranton during the weekend. The two incidents are unrelated.

At about 1 a.m. Saturday, police were called to 57 E. Parker St. after gunfire erupted during a party, according to a criminal complaint charging 25-year-old Travis Lanzo with pulling the trigger.

Spent bullet casings and blood littered the scene.

A “heated” argument during the party with some neighbors escalated when Lanzo pulled out a gun and started shooting into a group of people. Another partygoer, Josh Coleman, was shot in both of his legs and lost a large amount of blood. He required surgery, police said.

People at the party helped police track down Lanzo’s identity. Lanzo turned himself in Sunday and faces counts of aggravated assault, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person.

Lanzo is in the Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $100,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Monday.

Anyone with information on Lynott’s whereabouts was asked to contact police at 570-348-4134.

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

A 53-year-old Scranton man will stand trial after police said he hit a woman over her head with a crowbar.

Jose Casiano, 407 Aswell Court, had a preliminary hearing Monday morning before Magisterial District Judge Terrence Gallagher.

By the end of the hearing, Gallagher ruled Casiano will stand trial on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and harassment.

Casiano swung at Cierra Otto on Dec. 22 at his Aswell Court home, according to a criminal complaint prepared by Officer Michael Morrison.

The two had been arguing and then started to attack each other.

Casiano struck Otto in the head with a crowbar, police charged. Casiano acknowledged he swung the tool but denied striking her.

Otto used a pocket knife to cut Casiano but police and prosecutors determined she had acted in self defense and will not be charged.

Otto had a lump on her head and suffered a seizure while police and medical personnel were on scene.

Casiano is in Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $25,000 bail.

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

SCRANTON — A 56-year-old man faces charges after police said he groped a woman he went home with from a bar Saturday night, police said.

David Reinhardt, 849 Capouse Ave., tried to touch the woman’s breast despite her telling him to stop several times, according to a criminal complaint.

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

The two had started to talk to each other at the Melba Bar on Capouse Avenue. Reinhardt denied groping her breast but admitted he told her he “loved her like a Christian sister,” police said.

He is charged with indecent assault and free on $15,000 unsecured bail. A preliminary hearing is Monday.

— JOSEPH KOHUT

A 38-year-old Scranton man faces multiple charges of endangering the welfare of children and one count of DUI after police said he drove erratically and failed to stop for police with five children in the car.

Sean Thomas Fitzpatrick, 621 N. Bromley Ave., was stopped Dec. 14 by Waverly Twp. police after he failed to pull over for Dalton Patrolman Scott Gaughan in Factoryville.

The North Bromley Avenue address is also St. Gregory the Great Academy’s mailing address and was used until 2017 as the address on the academy’s newsletter. Fitzpatrick, who could not be reached for comment Monday, is listed as the academy’s headmaster on its website.

According to a criminal complaint, a Toyota minivan was spotted there around 9:50 p.m., driving erratically. The vehicle continued driving on Route 6 to Route 11, where it’s only possible to turn right towards Nicholson, and turned left towards Factoryville, driving south in the northbound lane.

Gaughan followed the vehicle, noting that it was crossing lanes and going from 35 to 25 mph in a 45 mph zone. Gaughan activated his cruiser’s lights near Keystone College.

Fitzpatrick turned on his left turn signal but never pulled over. He continued fluctuating in speed and drove in the middle of the two-lane highway at times, the complaint noted. Gaughan shined his spotlight at the vehicle and attempted to drive alongside it.

Fitzpatrick eventually stopped at the intersection of Routes 6 and 11 and Humphreys Road, where Waverly Twp. police arrived. The South Abington Twp police also assisted.

When asked why he didn’t stop initially, Fitzpatrick told Gaughan he was looking for a safe spot to pull over.

Gaughan reported smelling alcohol on Fitzpatrick and noticed his eyes were bloodshot.

Fitzpatrick’s five children, ages 3-13, were in the vehicle.

When asked for his driver’s license, Fitzpatrick handed the officer a credit card twice before giving the officer his license.

Gaughan also reported that Fitzpatrick had trouble keeping his balance once he stepped out of his vehicle. He agreed to a breath test, and provided a reading of 0.194, more than twice the legal limit.

The complaint notes police called his wife to pick up the children.

In addition to DUI and five counts of child endangerment, Fitzpatrick also faces charges of careless driving, failure to keep right and obedience to traffic control devices.

His preliminary hearing before Judge David K. Plummer in Tunkhannock is set for Jan. 29. Bail information was not available.

Contact the writer: bwilliams@wcexaminer.com, 570-836-2123 x36

1918: Effort underway to make Susquehanna ‘dry’

Prohibition supporters in Susquehanna County were attempting to make the county “dry” by challenging all liquor license applications. The prohibitionists planned to do this on the opening day of the county court, Jan. 21.

There were 27 retail liquor licenses and five wholesale licenses. If the prohibitionists were successful, the county would go dry Feb. 1.

1944: Fire at Valley House

A fire broke out early in the morning at the Lackawanna Valley House on Franklin Street in Scranton. The hotel was one of the oldest in the city.

According to the Scranton Fire Department, it was believed that careless smoking caused the fire, which forced 30 lodgers out into the cold. None of the lodgers was injured in the fire, but two firefighters were treated for minor injures. The Fire Department got the fire under control within an hour.

1969: PSU wins Orange Bowl

An extra Kansas player and a two-point conversion were the keys to Penn State’s 15-14 win over the Jayhawks in the Orange Bowl in Miami.

Kansas was leading 14-7 late in the fourth quarter. Penn State quarterback Chuck Burkhart ran the ball himself for a touchdown. When Kansas returned to the field for the extra point, they had an extra player on the field — a penalty that gave Penn State the ball on the one-yard line. Penn State went for the two-point conversion, which sealed the win.

The win against Kansas gave Penn State a perfect season.

BRIAN FULTON, library manager, oversees The Times-Tribune’s expansive digital and paper archives and is an authority on local history. Contact Brian at bfulton@timesshamrock.com or 570-348-9140.

An affiliate company of a Rhode Island-based discount merchandise company bought the former Toys R Us store on Business Route 6 for $2 million.

The trustee managing real estate for the bankrupt toy seller sold the property to OSJ of Scranton LLC, a company affiliated with the Rhode Island-based retailer Ocean State Job Lot.

It was unclear Monday what the company plans to do with the former toy store, which closed in June.

— JON O’CONNELL

MARRIAGE LICENSES

■ George J. Kollar, Scranton, and Alicia A. Guimento, Dunmore.

■ Caraballo Salvador Dario Polanco and Arias Leidy Merce­des Jimenez, both of Scranton.

■ Alison Janette Edwards and George Ernest Benjamin III, both of Spring Brook Twp.

■ Lindsay Maria Lepre and Stephen William Fish, both of Scranton.

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

■ Gerald John Golosky, Scran­ton, to Antonio and Carmen Reyes, Brooklyn, N.Y.; a property at 714 Willow St., Scranton, for $44,200.

■ Edward G. Matthews Jr., Dunmore, to Michael Paranich, Dunmore; a property at 1226 Clay Ave., Dunmore, for $114,000.

■ TRU Trust 2016 LLC to OSJ of Scranton LLC, North Kings­ton, R.I.; a property at 409 Scranton-Carbondale Highway, Dickson City, for $2 million.

■ Frank R. Steinetz III, Taylor, to Robert, Kimberly and Winfield Cullen, Taylor; a property at 1005 Oak St., Taylor, for $154,600.

■ Jason and Ashley Helman, formerly known as Ashley Berkey, Scranton, to Zachary P. Fannon, Scranton; a property at 1820 Ash St., Scranton, for $112,500.

■ Robert P. Meier and Chris­tine Considine to Michael E. and Melissa Novak; a property at 3585 Hornbaker Cemetery Road, Madison Twp., for $87,500.

■ USPG Portfolio Five LLC to Quick N Easy Car Wash LLC; a property at Glenmaura National Boulevard, Moosic, for $1,767,587.

■ Jean M. Preston, by her attorney-in-fact, Casey M. Pres­ton, Chester County, to Kevin P. Murphy, Scranton; a property at 254 E. Grove St., Clarks Green, for $225,780.

■ Melanie Ferman, as administratix of the estate of Francis X. Hirt, Livingston Twp., N.J., to John Grunza Sr.; a property at 820 Hill St., Archbald, for $28,000.

BENCH WARRANTS

Judge Thomas Munley has issued the following bench warrants for failure to appear on fines and costs:

■ Taron Bodie, 112 Stafford Ave., Scranton; $1,999.

■ Michael Bettis, 240 Green­bush St., Scranton; $900.50.

■ Margaret A. Brazil, 1214 Grandview St., Scranton; $1,964.32.

■ James Brown, 2060 Scatter­good St., Philadelphia; $1,376.

■ Jose Cardoza, 2123 Wayne Ave., Scranton; $4,359.50.

■ Brandon Compton, 173 Lake­view Circle, Hawley; $1,155.50.

■ Dillon S. Clevenger, 1280 Birch St., Scranton; $100.

■ Amanda Englehart, 2316 Orthodox St., Philadelphia; $413.

■ Daniela Mary Davella, 529 Taylor Ave., Apt. 2, Scranton; $706.

■ Justin Matthew Benzele, 1254 Bennett St., Old Forge; $2,494.

■ David Hayden Barron, 1339 Main St., Apt. 1, Peckville; $615.

■ Rashid L. Banks, 7150 Crittenden St., Philadelphia; $450.50.

■ Raig Harvey, 519 Luzerne St., Scranton; $1,375.37.

■ Stephen George Haeberlein, 248 Main St., Unit 2A, Blakely; $640.50.

■ Tyrick Fahiyn William Gwat­ney, Rear 735 Main St., Avoca; $841.50.

■ Traci Nicole Howey, 520 Delaware Ave., Apt. 1, Olyphant; $1,378.50.

■ Eric E. Horton, 31 Winches­ter Place, Apt. 5, Kenmore, N.Y.; $1,581.50.

■ Geoffrey P. Glynn, 2224 Port Royal Road, Clarks Summit; $927.50.

■ Brianna A. Fetterman, 1548 Route 507, Greentown; $225.

■ Scott R. Frantz, 1107 Howell St., Scranton; $1,275.

■ William J. Frields Jr., 1017 Shickshinny Valley Road, Shick­shinny; $914.48.

■ Robert L. George, 720 Staf­ford Ave., Apt. 8, Scranton; $8,332.

■ Kendall Lamont Jackson, 1501 N. 21st St., Apt. 631, Richmond, Va.; $693.

■ Rasheem A. Hudson, 1417 Sanderson Ave., Scranton; $2,355.

■ Markus A. Jessup, Rear 640 Maple St., Scranton; $4,936.

ESTATES FILED

■ Walter Szewc Jr., 526 Pan­coast St., Dickson City, letters testamentary to John Szewc, 210 Ashworth Court South, Hiawatha, Iowa.

■ M. Carol Datto, also known as Carl M. Datto, Carol Datto, RR 1, Box 1275, Carbondale, letters testamentary to Ralph B. Datto, RR 1, Box 1274, Carbon­dale, and Brett A. Datto, 8480 Limekiln Pike, No. 1115, Wyncote.

■ George P. Misiura, also known as George Paul Misiura, 106 N. Stanton Drive, South Abington Twp., letters testamentary to Martin C. Misiura, 201 Rabbit Run, Clarks Green.

■ Riccardo Girello Sr., 14 S. Leader Lane, Scott Twp., letters testamentary to Denise Marie Reinhart, P.O. Box 312, Waverly.

ARDS

The following were admitted to the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program for driving under the influence:

■ Robert Michael Boyd, 25, 1307 Euclid Ave., Scranton, stopped April 13 by state police.

■ Aireka Olivia Fowler, 21, 204 N. Simpson St., Philadel­phia, stopped Oct. 22 by Scran­ton police.

■ Robert F. Bogaski, 78, 418 Breck St., Scranton, stopped March 17 by Scranton police.

■ Sean Patrick Pryal, 55, 606 Dean St., Scranton, stopped March 18 by state police.

■ Denise Lositski, 56, 724 Sherwood Ave., Dunmore, stopped Jan. 18 by Dunmore police.

■ John Douglas Wormuth, 32, 707 Lackawanna Ave., Mayfield, stopped May 27 by state police.

■ Briana E. Demchak, 27, 3 Clay Ave., Carbondale, stopped Jan. 20 by Jessup police.

■ Terry Kay Louise Plonski, 41, 307 Wayne St., Archbald, stopped Jan. 19 by state police.

The following defendants were admitted to the ARD program for other crimes:

■ Edward Marshall Hendricks, 30, 2751 Lees Mill Road, War­ren­ton, Va., arrested Aug. 3 by Scranton police for a DUI, marijuana — small amount for personal use and purchasing/receiving controlled substance by an unauthorized person.

■ Chelsea Gillette, 33, 27 Evergreen Drive MHP, Jefferson Twp., arrested March 17 by South Abington Twp. police for possession of marijuana, use/possession of drug paraphernalia and exceeding 35 mph in an urban district by 27 mph.

■ Nicholas Bichler, 21, 609 Clinton St., Waverly, arrested Aug. 3, 2017, by South Abing­ton Twp. police for a DUI, possession of marijuana and use/possession of drug paraphernalia.

■ Michael P. Ball, 47, 41 War­ren Drive, Dalton, arrested April 7 by South Abington Twp. police for a DUI and accidental damage to an unattended vehicle or property.

ONLINE:

thetimes-tribune.com/courts

Northeast Pennsylvania has never experienced a better year for mud.

During a year lacking in other over-the-top extremes, the unprecedented precipitation that fell over the past 12 months will be remembered as the defining weather feature of 2018.

As of Monday, total precipitation since last Jan. 1 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport stood at 60.5 inches, the most in the 118 years that official weather records have been kept locally.

But 2018 wasn’t all saturation and sogginess:

• With final calculations expected to put the average annual temperature around 51.3 degrees, the year actually finished as the coolest locally since 2014. That’s still almost 2 degrees above normal and, according to AccuWeather, it will make 2018 the 15th warmest year on record locally. The region experienced its hottest year in 2012, with an average temperature of 53 degrees.

• The hottest temperature recorded at the airport last year was 96 degrees on July 2. It was one of 13 days in 2018 when the high hit at least 90 degrees — five in July, four in August and two each in June and September. The number was up from 10 days with highs of 90 or hotter in 2017.

• On the subject of high temperatures, what’s up with February? Through 2016, the warmest temperature recorded locally in February was 74 degrees way back on Feb. 16, 1954. The record fell Feb. 24, 2017, when the high at the airport climbed to 76 degrees. But that mark was tied 362 days later — last Feb. 21 — when the temperature once again hit 76.

• The temperature dipped below zero twice in 2018 — first on Jan. 1, with a low of minus 1, and then again on Jan. 7, when the mercury slid to 5 below. The minus 5 reading was the coldest since the low dropped to 6 below on Valentine’s Day in 2016. Another notable low happened when the temperature slipped to 5 degrees on Nov. 23. That was the coldest temperature ever locally during November, breaking the old mark of 6 degrees set Nov. 30, 1929, and tied on Nov. 26, 1938.

• Snowfall during the 2017-18 winter season totalled 51.9 inches. That was slightly more than the seasonal average of 46.2 inches. For the first time, there was measurable snow on six days in April,, the National Weather Service reported.

• Interestingly, the biggest snowstorm of 2018 didn’t happen during what are typically the snowiest months — January, February and March — but in November. The 11 inches of snow that fell Nov. 15-16 included 9.4 inches on Nov. 15, which was the third largest single-day snowfall ever in November. Snowfall to date during the 2018-19 winter season is still less than a foot, with most of that coming during the November storm.

Contact the writer:

dsingleton@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9132

2018 extremes

Hottest: 96 degrees,

July 2

Coldest: Minus 5

degrees, Jan. 7

Most rain: 4.34 inches, Aug. 13

Most snow: 9.4 inches, Nov. 15

TAYLOR

Former WYOU-TV sportscaster Mike Conigliaro is seeking the Republican nomination for an open seat in the state’s 114th House District.

Conigliaro, a history teacher at Commonwealth Charter Academy who lives in Taylor, worked at the television station with late state Rep. Sid Michaels Kavulich, who held the seat from 2011 until his death in October. He’s seeking the seat with the blessing of Kavulich’s family, he said. Conigliaro identified education and fighting the opioid crisis as priorities.

Stephen Semenza of Old Forge is also seeking the Republican nomination. The county Republican Party will eventually nominate a candidate to run for the seat in a special election that has yet to be scheduled. Details on applying are available at www.lackawannagop.com.

Four Democrats are also in the running: Bridget Malloy Kosierowski of Waverly Twp., Wendy Jones of Dickson City, Leonard Longo of Scott Twp. and Rabbi Daniel Swartz of Clarks Summit.

— JEFF HORVATH

SCRANTON — Developers converting the former Scranton Lace factory into a residential complex are selling bricks from the rubble of what once was the first and largest manufacturer of Nottingham Lace in America.

Most of the century-old bricks recovered from demolition will be repurposed into new construction of Laceworks Village at the sprawling site between Meylert and Albright avenues. Remaining salvaged bricks are for sale for use elsewhere, according to signs at the property.

“This will ensure that this historic brick is on display in new residential and commercial buildings throughout our area for the next 100 years,” the signs say.

Numerous pallets of old bricks wrapped in plastic are visible at various spots on the property. It’s not clear whether salvaged bricks are for sale individually, and sale prices also could not be obtained. Several messages left at the phone number on the signs to buy bricks were not returned. Efforts to contact Laceworks Village developers also were unsuccessful.

Established in 1890 and closed in 2002, the storied Scranton Lace also made other products, including tablecloths, napkins, valances, shower curtains, parachutes and camouflage netting.

The vacant factory was bought in 2006 by local developer Lace Building Affiliates. Its multiphase Laceworks Village project would preserve parts of the property and redevelop other sections. An overview presented to Scranton City Council in 2016 described a blighted site containing 33 buildings and 608,000 square feet, all vacant since 2002; and plans to turn the 10.3-acre site into a 192-unit residential complex, with lofts in salvageable factory buildings and new townhomes along a bank of the Lackawanna River.

Scranton Lace also had long been one of the area’s largest employers, with about 1,200 workers at its peak.

Former longtime Scranton Lace employee Marie Batyko, 80, already has some bricks from — and many fond memories of — the place where she worked for 33 years, from 1968-2001.

Having lived a few blocks away from Scranton Lace, Batyko used to walk to work. Her oldest son and two of her brothers also worked there.

“I started in plastics at a cutting table. We used to make shower curtains,” she said. Later, “I had a chance to go down to the lace department and worked down there in packing and checking the work going down the line.”

After its closure, the hulking facility devolved into an eyesore, became a curiosity and gained national recognition. It was featured in a 2011 pilot episode of “Abandoned,” a reality television series. In 2012, the factory complex was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

In recent years, the redevelopment project involved environmental remediation that’s now mostly complete, according to the company website. Demolitions that followed last year have eliminated several sections.

When that razing began in June, Batyko was there to watch. One of the developers struck up a conversation with her and upon learning she worked there for 33 years, offered a mini-tour inside the then-empty shell. Time and trespassers had taken their toll.

“It’s just sad when I think of all the memories and the way it was,” Batyko said.

She also was told to take whatever mementos she wanted and came away with about four dozen bricks and a piece of a plywood cubicle imprinted with a Scranton Lace logo. She uses the bricks as landscaping decorations; the logo hangs in her home.

“It was such a beautiful place,” Batyko said of Scranton Lace. “They were great to work for.”

Contact the writer:

jlockwood@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9100 x5185;

@jlockwoodTT on Twitter

Scranton Lace Co.

1890: The Scranton Board of Trade established the Scranton Lace Curtain Manufacturing Co.; incorporated 1897.

1916: Scranton Lace Co. became standardized name; firm became first producer of Nottingham Lace in the U.S., and remained through 2002 the largest producer of Nottingham Lace in the nation. One of the largest employers in the area, the company also made many other products, including tablecloths, napkins, valances and shower curtains.

1940s: Teamed with subsidiaries to manufacture parachutes and camouflage netting. Through the 1950s and beyond, the company prospered, but risky investments eventually placed the company in financial peril.

2002: Scranton Lace closed.

2006: Lace Building Affiliates bought the property.

2011: Scranton City Council gave final approval to redevelopment; project stalled because site was in a flood zone before levee completed in 2011 and mapping not updated until 2016.

2012: The National Register of Historic Places added the factory complex.

2016: Developers outlined project to Scranton City Council; city approved 10-year tax abatement on new construction in the project.

June 2018: After most environmental remediation completed, demolition began.

— SOURCE: LACEWORKSPA.COM

A racy restaurant that featured staff in busty tops and short skirts is closed after just 13 months.

The Tilted Kilt off Commerce Boulevard in Dickson City is empty with only small signs posted on the front doors that read, “this location is permanently closed.”

Tilted Kilt franchisee Amol Kohli did not return phone calls. Kohli owns Friendly’s restaurants in the area and had opened several other Tilted Kilts on the East Coast before the one in Dickson City, in November 2017.

— JON O’CONNELL

DUNMORE

A dispute between cousins led to charges in Dunmore on Sunday.

Nico Valvano, 23, 220 Church Ave., is charged with disorderly conduct and harassment. Officer Corey Gilroy charged that Valvano verbally assaulted and threatened his cousin, Kelly Parker, and his aunt, Jackie Parker, because the former had been seen out with Valvano’s ex-girlfriend.

In a complaint, Gilroy also wrote that Valvano’s mother, Mia Baldassari, assaulted Jackie Parker, backed into Gilroy’s patrol vehicle and berated the officer.

Baldassari is not charged. Acting Police Chief Richard Barth said Monday the investigation is ongoing.

Valvano is free on $5,000 and has a preliminary hearing scheduled for 11:15 a.m. Monday.

— JOSEPH KOHUT

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

■ Ceneca Burgess, 42, 303 N. Bromley Ave., Scranton, to one year of probation and a $200 fine for possession of drug paraphernalia and public drunkenness.

■ Tyrone Davis, 42, 1204 S. Main St., Old Forge, to 30 to 60 months in state prison, followed by three years of probation, for failing to register with state police.

Judge Vito Geruolo sentenced:

■ Brian Wyda, 34, 713 Cherry St., Scranton, to six to 15 years in state prison for aggravated assault.

■ Anthony Brown, 44, 210 S. Highland Park Ave., Scranton, to eight to 20 years in state prison for robbery.

■ Gerald Smith, 56, to 90 days of suspended probation for driving without an interlock.

■ Mark Ponce, 26, 413 E. Market St., Pottsville, to four days of time served to six months in county prison and a $1,000 fine for DUI — tier three, first offense.

■ David Bishop, 33, 1331 Main St., Browndale, to two years of probation for possession of drug paraphernalia.

■ Michael Bonitz, 36, 1021 Vine St., Avoca, to six months of court supervision, including 30 days of house arrest, and a $750 fine for DUI — tier two, second offense.

■ Amy Casey, 39, 1513 Scott St., Wilkes-Barre, to 84 days of time served to six months in county prison for possession of drug paraphernalia.

■ Mark Centeno, 27, 608 Landis St., Scranton, to 11½ to 23½ months in county prison, followed by three years of probation, for unlawful contact with a minor and distribution of obscene materials.

■ Richard Cox, 44, 1233 Birch St., Scranton, to 18 months of court supervision, followed by two months of probation, for reckless endangering another person.

■ Timothy Wild, 45, 1708 Luzerne St., Scranton, to 104 to 208 days of time served in county prison for false identification to law enforcement.

Judge Andy Jarbola sentenced:

■ Leonard Jenisky, 54, 515 Hamm Court, to six months of probation for harassment.

Judge Margaret Bisignani Moyle sentenced:

■ Melissa Cruciani, 30, 108 Woodlawn Ave., Clarks Summit, to one day of time served in county prison for disorderly conduct, criminal mischief and harassment.

Signs hanging in the windows at the Gap clothing store in the Viewmont Mall proclaim discounts on everything.

The store is closing by the end of January, and it joins a number of locations the retailer has closed this year.

Gap closed 21 stores in North America and opened nine between February and November this year, bringing its total to just under 800, according to a financial report. While online sales continue to grow, the fashion brand is shedding less profitable stores.

Gap closed its store in the Wyoming Valley Mall, Wilkes-Barre Twp., in 2015.

— JON O’CONNELL

OLYPHANT

Borough council will hold a public hearing Wednesday for a proposed zoning ordinance that would rezone a portion of land from residential to light manufacturing to accommodate a proposed distribution facility.

The zoning would affect a section of land near East Lackawanna Avenue, much of which is already zoned for light manufacturing.

Following the hearing at 6:30 p.m. in the Municipal Building at 113 Willow Ave., council is scheduled to vote on the zoning ordinance.

— FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY

Good works around the region

A state law that permits school districts to lay off teachers for economic reasons could be in jeopardy if three furloughed Scranton teachers prevail on certain counts in a lawsuit challenging their layoffs.

Joshua Watters, Molly Popish and Laurie Burdett filed suit in September, alleging Scranton school directors violated certain provisions of Act 55 when they laid them off in August. The lawsuit also challenges the constitutionality of the law.

Joseph Joyce III, attorney for the school district, said the lawsuit is the first in the state to raise a constitutional challenge to Act 55. The ruling in the case, originally filed in Lackawanna County Court but later transferred to federal court, will have statewide impact.

“It will absolutely be an important ruling,” Joyce said. “This is the test case. ... The court will either preserve the tool the General Assembly gave school districts or take it away.”

Enacted in November 2017, Act 55 amended the school code to allow a school district to lay off teachers if it can show a financial need. Previously teachers could only be furloughed based on a decrease in enrollment, the alteration or elimination of educational programs or the consolidation or reorganization of schools.

Joyce said he believes Scranton is the first district in the state to use the law. He recently filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing, in part, that the financially struggling district clearly showed the layoffs were economically necessary.

In a reply to the motion, one of the teachers’ attorneys, Marc Gelman of Philadelphia, does not challenge that point. He contends Act 55 is unlawful because it infringes on the teachers’ contractual rights to their tenured positions. That violates a provision in the U.S. Constitution that says the government cannot pass a law that interferes with a private contract.

That prohibition can be overcome if a government body shows there is a “reasonable and necessary purpose” for the law. Gelman contends Act 55 does not meet that standard because it does not take into consideration a teacher’s tenure status regarding layoffs. Teachers in Pennsylvania attain tenure after three years. Watters, Popish and Burdett each have tenure.

Under the act, the decision to furlough is based on teachers’ last two evaluations. Teachers are ranked within four categories. Those with the lowest evaluations are furloughed first, with seniority the deciding factor among teachers who have the same ranking.

Gelman acknowledges the act requires districts to consider seniority, but says seniority and tenure are “two separate concepts with diverse considerations.” He does not provide further explanation regarding the difference. Attempts to reach him for clarification Monday were unsuccessful.

The lawsuit also challenges the Watters, Popish and Burdett furloughs on several other grounds, including that the district missed a deadline for voting on the layoffs. That issue is specific to their case and will not impact others, Joyce said.

The motion to dismiss and reply will be taken under advisement by U.S. District Judge Robert D. Mariani,who will issue a ruling at a later date.

Contact the writer:

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

@tmbeseckerTT on Twitter

A racy restaurant that featured staff in busty tops and short skirts is closed after just 13 months.

The Tilted Kilt off Commerce Boulevard in Dickson City is empty with only small signs posted on the front doors that read, “this location is permanently closed.”

Tilted Kilt franchisee Amol Kohli did not return phone calls. Kohli owns Friendly’s restaurants in the area and had opened several other Tilted Kilts on the East Coast before the one in Dickson City, in November 2017.

— JON O’CONNELL

An affiliate company of a Rhode Island-based discount merchandise company bought the former Toys R Us store on Business Route 6 for $2 million.

The trustee managing real estate for the bankrupt toy seller sold the property to OSJ of Scranton LLC, a company affiliated with the Rhode Island-based retailer Ocean State Job Lot.

It was unclear Monday what the company plans to do with the former toy store, which closed in June.

— JON O’CONNELL

ARCHBALD — The search for aliens started in their barbershop.

Now, three Lackawanna County barbers are wrapping up the pilot for their new show, “UFBROS,” where, according to the group’s slogan, they “search space for the old ones, while cracking a case of the cold ones.”

Shane Butler of Carbondale, Frank Froese of Peckville, and Brian “Toxic” Evans, Scranton, work together at Loyalty Barber Shop, Archbald, where the trio’s conversations about UFOs and aliens, among themselves and with customers, brought them in front of the camera.

The idea to pursue a show cemented itself in the winter of 2017, when they started making their plans for a pilot, which they started filming earlier this year.

“We would meet up and get drinks and talk about it anyway,” Butler said. “So, why not try to make a pilot and see if it goes anywhere?”

They’ve taken their interest in “ufology,” the study of UFOs, and their cases of Corona Premiers across the state, conducting on-camera interviews in Pittsburgh, Pottsville and Kecksburg. So far, the trio has interviewed five people on camera for their project.

One of these people is Maria Gillette, who, for the first time, agreed to go on camera to discuss an incident in Carbondale 44 years ago.

On Nov. 9, 1974, then-teenager Robert Gillette Jr. and two friends reported to police that they saw a red, whirring ball fly over Salem Mountain and followed it to a silt pond in Carbondale.

In 1999, Robert Gillette told The Times-Tribune that he threw a battery-powered, sealed-beam lantern into the water to scare his sister, Maria.

However, while cutting hair and discussing the project, Butler brought up both the incident and the late Gillette. Little did he know, Gillette’s nephew was in the shop getting his hair cut. He put the UFBROS in touch with Maria, who still lives in Carbondale and agreed to an interview about the incident.

“She took it as a sign to interview with us, to put it to rest for her brother, since (Robert) passed away,” Butler said.

In the UFBROS trailer on YouTube, Maria Gillette said her brother was told there would be more than a UFO in the pond if he or the other teens opened their mouths about what happened back in 1974.

With popular television shows like the History Channel’s “Ancient Aliens” finishing its 13th season, the phenomena of UFOs and extraterrestrial life continues to spark the imaginations of people everywhere.

However, despite millions of claims, confirming the legitimacy of UFO sightings is a nearly impossible task, according to Peter Davenport, director of the National UFO Reporting Center.

“There are millions and millions of UFO sightings,” he said. “It’s almost impossible to answer because it presupposes that we can positively, absolutely identify or determine whether a report is legitimate or not.”

People interested in the work being done by the UFBROS can find them at UFBROS.tv on Instagram and UF BROS on Facebook. They anticipate their 15- to 20-minute pilot, filmed by Stephen Reuther of Reuther Productions, to premiere on YouTube and Facebook in early 2019.

As for the future, Butler said he would like to combine education with entertainment. And, collectively, the UFBROS hope they can continue researching, filming and making future episodes to learn along with viewers. Most importantly, their mission is to learn about UFOs, keep an open mind, never take themselves too seriously and encourage people to study the skies.

“Nobody looks up any more,” Froese said. “We’ve got to get people looking up again.”

Contact the writer:

drosler@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100, x. 5365;

droslerTT on Twitter