THROOP — State Sen. John Blake’s office will hold a series of sessions this month throughout Lackawanna County to help people apply for the state’s property tax and rent rebate program.

The rebate helps recoup some money for state residents 65 and over, widows and widowers 50 and over and adults with disabilities. Homeowners with a maximum annual income of $35,000 and renters with a maximum annual income of $15,000 are eligible. The maximum standard rebate is $650.

Upcoming meetings are:

• Friday, 9 to 11 a.m., 202 Academy St., Moscow.

• Monday, 9 to 11 a.m., 440 Jefferson Ave. Jermyn.

• Feb. 12 , 10 a.m. to noon, 66 N. Church St., Carbondale.

• Feb. 14, 10 a.m. to noon, 935 Albert St., Dickson City.

• Feb. 22, 9 to 11 a.m., 304 S. State St., Clarks Summit.

• Feb. 25, 9 to 11 a.m., 1038 Montdale Road, Scott Twp.

— JOSEPH KOHUT

SCRANTON — The Lackawanna County district attorney’s office asks a county judge to shut down Rocky’s Lounge in the city’s downtown as a nuisance property, citing several violent incidents that occurred outside the establishment since 2013.

“After reviewing the outrageous number of incidents inside and outside Rocky’s Lounge, which have become increasingly dangerous in recent months, we decided it was high time to step in and attempt to close the bar before a college student or innocent bystander gets seriously injured,” county District Attorney Mark Powell said in a statement.

The district attorney’s office is seeking to have the court order the lounge, 141 Jefferson Ave., forbidden to serve alcoholic beverages for one year, according to a petition for an injunction filed in Lackawanna County court Tuesday.

Rocco Fiore, the owner of Rocky’s, said Tuesday evening he hadn’t yet seen the petition. After reading the district attorney’s statement, he acknowledged there have been some incidents outside the lounge over the years, but said he couldn’t recall any inside the establishment. He also said many of the cases that occurred outside his bar involve people who aren’t patrons or weren’t inside the place at any time on the days of police involvement.

“We’ve had some incidents outside and I didn’t know the people involved,” Fiore said. “The inside thing, I don’t know what he’s talking about. I can’t think of anything inside.”

Among the incidents prosecutors cited in the filing are shots fired at people standing outside the bar Oct. 6, a shooting involving bouncers at the bar a week later and another altercation that resulted in an assault and shots fired Dec. 2.

On Oct. 6, a bouncer at the bar told police he stood outside the building when he saw Rajuhn Lavan, 45, 803 Madison Ave., Scranton, climb out of a silver vehicle. The bouncer then heard the sound of a gun slide rack — which loads the chamber and prepares a gun to fire — followed by several gunshots. The silver vehicle then sped off.

A week later, the bouncer and another man, Louis Hairston, 44, 207 Edgar St., Olyphant, saw Lavan peer inside the window of the establishment. The pair confronted him outside about the earlier gunshots, according to court documents. Video footage from a nearby county building showed a confrontation between the three men at Kressler Court and Spruce Street. Lavan turned away from them when Hairston struck him in the back of the head with the pistol and fired five shots at him, according to court documents. Lavan went to Geisinger Community Medical Center with a gunshot wound to the chest, police said.

Lavan is accused of shooting three or four rounds at the bouncer on Oct. 6 and also firing shots during the Oct. 13 confrontation. He is charged with aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person and possessing a firearm illegally. Hairston is charged with aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person, a firearms offense and related counts. Both are held in Lackawanna County Prison awaiting trial.

Fiore said Hairston worked at the lounge off and on, doing assorted tasks and sometimes helped at the door.

On Dec. 2, police said Jalel Monroe, 23, of Scranton, checked himself into a hospital after he was shot just before 2 a.m. outside Rocky’s. Police found a single shell casing on Jefferson Avenue. The shooter is still at large.

As a result of the shootings, city police redeployed officers to monitor Rocky’s, which diverts patrols from covering other parts of the city and poses risks for citizens, according to the injunction.

Scranton police also responded to Rocky’s 125 times from Jan. 1, 2013, to Dec. 4, prosecutors wrote in court documents. The district attorney’s office filed an incident report outlining the calls, compiled by city police, in the petition. The list includes shootings, stabbings, fights and assaults but also incidents labeled “parking complaint,” “assist motorist,” “motor vehicle violation” and “motor vehicle crash,” “lost/recovered property” and “service of subpoena” and “warrant service,” according to the court filing.

“The effect of the unusually large number of calls/incidents for violent, assaultive, predatory and criminal behavior has created a large and unprecedented burden on the very limited resources of not only the Scranton Police Department but also the Lackawanna County Communications Center, local ambulance companies” and security from the University of Scranton and neighboring establishments, according to the filing.

The filing also cites the effects calls to Rocky’s have had on surrounding businesses and institutions. For instance, staff at the Radisson Hotel, 700 Lackawanna Ave., experienced security concerns for patrons there and complaints from guests about calls to Rocky’s, prosecutors wrote in Tuesday’s filing. The Lackawanna County Work Release and House Arrest Program, 614 Spruce St., was also forced to upgrade security at a “significant financial cost” as a result of illegal activity at Rocky’s and also experienced a labor shortage because officers fear working there during night hours, prosecutors wrote in the injunction.

Fiore said he retained an attorney, Jack Brier, and will attend hearings on the injunction.

“It’s unfortunate I have to answer this stuff,” Fiore said. “If they shut me down, they shut me down. I don’t know.”

Contact the writer:

cover@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9100 x5363;

@ClaytonOver on Twitter

By Denise Allabaugh

PLAINS TWP. — Former President George W. Bush, rock band Aerosmith, comedian Jerry Seinfeld and the late baseball great Mickey Mantle were among the thousands of people who have stayed at The Woodlands over the years, said second-generation family owner Mitch Kornfeld.

The Woodlands, a long-time fixture in Northeast Pennsylvania known for its hotel with 151 rooms, restaurants, nightlife, banquets, dance and party venues, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

“To this day, we still sell about 31,000 rooms a year annually. About 51,000 people put their heads on our pillows every year,” Kornfeld said. “Hundreds of thousands visit through weddings and the nightclub.”

Over the years, Kornfeld said the business has constantly reinvented itself and adapted to changes in the market.

He and his brothers, Ross and Rick Kornfeld, grew up in the building and watched their father, the late Mark Kornfeld, and brother, Gary, build the foundation.

Rick Kornfeld retired two years ago and Mitch and Ross now run the business.

“I can’t believe we’ve been here this long,” Mitch Kornfeld said. “We’re very proud of the fact that when people think of Wilkes-Barre, The Woodlands always seems to be in the conversation.”

The family-owned and operated facility opened in 1969. It is situated on 20 acres of land by the Laurel Run stream and forested grove.

The Woodlands formerly was named The Treadway, Mitch Kornfeld said. His grandmother, the late Esther Kornfeld, and family formerly operated S&B Restaurant on East Northampton and South Washington streets in downtown Wilkes-Barre but that burned down in 1968.

In 1979, the Kornfelds invested hundreds of thousands of dollars to create the 25th Hour nightclub. It formerly was called the “Penny Arcade” until 1977 and featured live music, Kornfeld said.

For the last 10 years, The Woodlands also has included a successful Japanese restaurant, Shogun.

Kornfeld said what sets The Woodlands apart is “our uniqueness, the quality of our food and the excellence of our staff.”

“There’s a sense of pride amongst the family and our staff,” he said. “We’ve hosted so many baby showers, bridal showers, weddings, sweet 16 parties, post-funeral meals. We feel like we’ve been connected to a big part of people’s lives, throughout their entire lives. How many couples have met here? Before match.com, there was the 25th Hour.”

After Mohegan Sun Pocono opened a casino in 2006 on Route 315, Kornfeld said The Woodlands has adapted to become more of a “destination resort.” A shuttle service is offered back and forth from Mohegan Sun Pocono and The Woodlands.

Future plans for The Woodlands include adding more than 25 luxury apartments and expanding its wellness salon and outdoor venues, Kornfeld said.

To celebrate The Woodlands’ golden anniversary, a series of special celebrations and events will be held throughout the year.

On June 21, it will host a Woodlands Anniversary Gala open to the public at 9 p.m.

In July, The Woodlands will host an outdoor festival in its recently expanded Bridal Gardens. The family-friendly event will include food trucks, games, crafts and face-painting.

Contact the writer:

dallabaugh@citizensvoice.com, 570-821-2115,

@CVAllabaugh on Twitter

ARCHBALD — State police arrested a Scranton man Monday after he crashed his motorcycle during a pursuit that exceeded 130 mph.

Just before 3 p.m., Charles Anthony Anderson, 31, passed a state trooper “at an extremely high rate of speed” traveling west on the Casey Highway on his Kawasaki sport bike, according to state police. The trooper tried to pull Anderson over, but he sped off, weaving in and out of traffic, police said.

He crashed while getting off Interstate 81 South at exit 184, police said.

Anderson is charged with fleeing or attempting to elude police, 25 counts of recklessly endangering another person and related charges. He is free on $5,000 unsecured bail.

— FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY

SCRANTON — A Madison Twp. man pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government funds.

Timothy Scheitlin, 43, is accused of stealing more than $1,000 from vending machines at the Tobyhanna Army Depot, where he was employed from January 2014 to February 2017. Part of his job involved collecting money from the machines.

The Army Criminal Investigation Division handled the case. Scheitlin entered the guilty plea before U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion on Jan. 31.

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment and a fine.

— KATHLEEN BOLUS

JESSUP — A borough man faces criminal charges after police said he fired a gun near houses several times Tuesday afternoon.

Police arrived at 111 Front St. for reports of a possible domestic with gunshots fired, according to Jessup police Chief Joseph Walsh. Officers at the scene heard several more shots fired.

Walsh said a 61-year-old man fired a handgun several times in the backyard of his home. No one was injured, although there are several homes between 100 to “several hundred feet” away, the chief said.

The man will be charged with simple assault, reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct. Bail and preliminary hearing information was not immediately available.

— STAFF REPORT

COVINGTON TWP. — Two people robbed a township man at gunpoint early Monday, police said.

Around 2:50 a.m., Robert Sheridan, 35 started his tractor-trailer cab on Winship Road when a gunman and an accomplice, both in dark clothing, approached him. Police said the pair robbed Sheridan of a credit card and $550 in cash before fleeing toward Route 307 in an older-style pickup, believed to be a dark Ford Ranger or Toyota Tacoma.

The gunman is described as a thin male with reddish, blonde hair, has deteriorating teeth and a tattoo of a skull and teeth on his right hand. There were no details provided on the accomplice.

Anyone with information is asked to call Trooper Nicholas DeSantis at 570-963-3156.

— DANIEL ROSLER

SCRANTON — After a woman testified at a preliminary hearing on Tuesday about being forced to perform a sexual act during a chiropractic appointment, a magistrate judge found enough evidence to send a Clarks Summit chiropractor to a possible trial.

John William Stevens, 51, 300 Mountain Crest Drive, was arrested in November on felony charges of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse by forcible compulsion as well as misdemeanor counts of indecent assault, unlawful restraint and simple assault. Magisterial District Judge Kipp Adcock also allowed a charge of false imprisonment to be added at Tuesday’s hearing.

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

The victim told county investigators she met Stevens through a mutual friend, had been out with him in social settings with groups of people and attended an appointment in March at his South Abington Twp. practice, Stevens Chiropractic, without any issue. The victim and Stevens kept in touch with each other through Facebook and text messages.

The victim said she scheduled another appointment with Stevens’ secretary and, before arriving, asked Stevens in a text message if she could get undressed.

Stevens asked her to park on the side of the building, which she thought was strange. When she arrived, no one else was in the office. She removed her clothes, got beneath a sheet on the massage table and waited for Stevens.

After massaging her back and neck, he became more aggressive, touched her buttocks and inner thighs and eventually held her shoulders down, she said. The victim kept telling Stevens that she had to go and to stop, she said.

He unzipped his pants, saying he hadn’t gotten his massage yet, she said. Stevens took out his penis and said he wanted oral sex; the victim complied for a few seconds in order to placate him, she said.

“I did what I could to get out of there,” she said.

Stevens’ defense attorney, Michael Goffer, cross-examined the victim closely about the incident, asking her why she didn’t run, fight back or even get up to get her phone. He pointed to inconsistencies in the criminal complaint and noted she asked whether to get undressed for the massage and did so voluntarily.

“They have a girl who says she wants to take her clothes off,” Goffer said. “She knew exactly what was going on. This was consensual.”

Deputy District Attorney Gene Riccardo said the victim’s credibility was not an issue and that there was enough evidence to move forward.

He remains free on $50,000 unsecured bail.

Contact the writer:

drosler@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9100, x 5365;

droslerTT on Twitter

Rudolf “Rudi” Huber grew up in Austria, where he was taught to ski practically before he could walk.

When he moved to the United States, he kept skiing and taught his son to ski as soon as he could walk, too. They played a game:

“He would ski and I’d have to catch him, which I never could,” said his son, also named Rudolf Huber, 51, of Bethlehem Township.

The elder Huber died Sunday night. He was skiing on a trail at Camelback Resort in Monroe County on Saturday morning when he crashed after skiing over a drop on one of the slopes. He was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest and died from complications of multiple traumatic injuries. The coroner ruled his death accidental.

Huber, of Pocono Township, turned 80 on Saturday. He was a common sight in the Camelback community. He regularly sped down the slopes in his 1980s red, one-piece snowsuit and for years ran the Village Deli, a sandwich shop in Tannersville, with his wife, Anna.

It was there that Bernie Connelly, of Bethlehem, first met the couple about 40 years ago. He remembers that they made big, filling sandwiches and had the kind of loving relationship that younger people dreamed of having as they aged.

“Rudi treated everybody with the loving kindness and gentle care everyone in this world should,” Connelly said.

On Monday, Connelly and a close group of friends returned to the area where Huber crashed. They formed a circle and spoke about how much they would miss him. The group didn’t clap, but tapped their ski poles together, he said.

Even at 80, Huber was a better skier than 99.9 percent of people on the slopes, his son said.

The Austria native came to the United States in 1960 to start a new life in New Jersey. He moved to Pennsylvania in 1988 and opened the deli, which he sold in 2004.

Huber was an electrician by trade and lived the American dream, working his way up to become the vice president at a German-based company, his son said.

Huber coached his son’s soccer team and came to his grandchildren’s games. He also loved to travel, his son said.

Huber served a mandatory two years in the Austrian army before he came to the United States, and then enrolled in the Army for four years in the 1960s. He was stationed in Alaska because of his skiing prowess, his son said.

He continued to ski like a pro and lived on the access road to Camelback.

On skis, Huber only had one speed: fast.

“He was a little guy and he had a little limp when he walked, but on skis he was smooth. He was perfect,” his son said.

In a statement Monday, Camelback Resort described Huber as a longtime season pass holder and offered condolences to his family. Camelback Ski Patrol provided first responder care before Huber was taken to the hospital.

Connelly was on the slopes with Huber on Saturday and rushed to his side after he crashed, trying to keep him still.

“He said, ‘Bernie, I bet I got the most air anybody got off of that,” Connelly said.

“He looked in my face and he saw how upset I was that he was hurt, and he was more concerned for my feelings than his own,” Connelly said. “He started joking to try to make me feel better when he was laying there battered and broken. I’m so sad that he’s gone.”

mmerlin@mcall.com

Twitter @michellejmerlin

610-820-6533
 

A former Luzerne County man will serve at least 13 years in state prison for his role in a bizarre child sex trafficking case in which men dressed up in animal costumes to rape a young boy at so-called “furry” parties, prosecutors announced Tuesday.

Craig Knox, 37, formerly of Pittston, previously pleaded guilty to rape of a child and sexual exploitation of children.

Luzerne County Judge Joseph Sklarosky on Monday sentenced Knox to 13 to 26 years in state prison.

Knox, who was living in Virginia at the time of his arrest, and four other defendants were arrested and charged with sex offenses in connection with the predator ring. The assaults occurred at a home in Pittston and in Bucks County.

The victim, who was 9-years-old at the time of the assault, told investigators he was forced to dress as cereal mascot “Tony the Tiger” while members of the ring took turns raping him while also dressed in animal costumes, authorities said.

“Thanks to the courage of this brave survivor, we were able to hold this man accountable for his crimes,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said. “We are pleased with the results from today’s sentencing, which will take a predator off the streets. My office will investigate and prosecute anyone we uncover who sexually abuses children to the fullest extent of the law.”

Contact the writer:

bkalinowski@citizensvoice.com

570-821-2055, @cvbobkal

WILKES-BARRE — A Lancaster County man is facing charges after urinating on the floor and fighting with security guards at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital, according to police.

Officers were dispatched to the hospital on North River Street around 12:35 a.m. Tuesday to a report of a man who refused to leave hospital property and fighting with security officers.

Police discovered Dereje Tasew Woldemariam, 25, of Salunga-Landisville, had been taken to the hospital by ambulance but then refused treatment, proceeding to urinate on the floor.

Officers arrested Woldemariam and charged him with resisting arrest, defiant trespassing, disorderly conduct, marijuana possession, possessing drug paraphernalia and public drunkenness.

He was being held at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility with bail set at $10,000.

JESSUP — A borough man charged with firing a handgun in the backyard of his home several times Tuesday afternoon is out on bail.

Jeffrey C. Robbins, 61, of 111 Front St., is charged with four counts of recklessly endangering another person, simple assault and disorderly conduct. No one was injured. Magisterial District Judge Kipp Adcock set bail at $10,000 unsecured and released Robbins.

Robbins’ preliminary hearing is scheduled for 10:50 a.m. Tuesday in Central Court.

— BORYS KRAWCZENIUK

SCRANTON — Lackawanna County Commissioner Jerry Notarianni announced today that former county economic development director George W. Kelly Jr. is his Democratic running mate for commissioner in the May 21 primary election.

Kelly, 60, of 1640 Whitetail Run, Dunmore, retired from his county job Tuesday.

Notarianni’s announcement sets up a primary election challenge to Commissioner Patrick O’Malley, his 2015 running mate. O’Malley and Notarianni had a major falling out over the appointment of a chief of staff when their four-year terms began in January 2016.

At the time, Notarianni said he thought he and O’Malley agreed to hire county Recorder of Deeds Evie Rafalko McNulty as chief of staff. O’Malley said they never agreed and teamed up with Commissioner Laureen Cummings, a Republican, to appoint Andrew Wallace to the job.

Notarianni sued O’Malley and Cummings to reverse the appointment. Arguing he was the actual minority commissioner, Notarianni also wanted his own solicitor. A judge denied Notarianni’s claims and the Commonwealth Court denied his appeal.

Commissioners earn a base annual salary of $76,017, but the present commissioners voted in December to increase that by 4 percent in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023.

O’Malley has not announced a running mate.

Check back for updates.

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

SCRANTON — Prosecutors rested their case against a former Lackawanna County Prison guard accused of sexually abusing an inmate in 2009.

The state attorney’s general office, which is prosecuting George T. McHale, 51, 513 Florin St., Scranton, called its final witnesses at his Lackawanna County Court trial this morning.

The defense will begin presenting its case this afternoon at the federal courthouse, where county Judge Julia Munley is presiding over the proceedings.

McHale, who is accused of forcing a female inmate to masturbate him, is charged with one count of institutional sexual assault and two counts of indecent assault.

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

The defendant is among seven former guards arrested last February after a statewide grand jury investigation. His case is the first to go to trial.

The victim, who testified Tuesday, told jurors the assault happened between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve in 2009, when she was housed in the jail’s restricted housing unit.

Much of the testimony this morning dealt with access to the restricted housing unit and how individuals were logged in and out of the unit.

Although prosecutors agreed to stipulate McHale’s name does not appear in the unit’s log book during the period when the woman was housed there, guard Paula Bondy testified it was not a requirement at the time that everyone who entered the unit be logged in.

Under cross-examination by defense attorney Joseph Toczydlowski, Bondy said she never saw McHale on the unit. The victim also never reported to her that she had been assaulted, Bondy said.

Check back for updates.

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

SCRANTON — As a city businessman attempts to recoup some of the money he says the Scranton School District wasted, a Lackawanna County judge asked Wednesday why the school board hasn’t made efforts on its own.

Paul Catalano sued the school board in November 2017, seeking authorization to make claims on the district’s errors and omissions liability insurance on behalf of the district. In his suit, Catalano said the board acted negligently in paying more than $4 million in questionable fuel surcharge increases to busing contractor DeNaples Transportation from 2007 to 2016, and in failing to supervise payments and benefits to former fleet manager Daniel Sansky.

On Wednesday, the suit took a small step forward, as Judge Terrence R. Nealon heard oral arguments on whether to allow Catalano to amend his petition. Based on a review of the insurance policy, Catalano’s attorney, Michael R. Mey, seeks to change the complaint from Catalano bringing his claim solely on behalf of the board, to letting Catalano pursue the claim on behalf of himself and other district taxpayers.

Attorney Joseph Joyce, appointed by the district’s insurance company to represent the school board, said the school board has government immunity and that Catalano lacks standing.

Nealon, who has not ruled yet, questioned whether Joyce had a conflict of interest, and told Joyce that his arguments should be made by the insurance company, not by the district.

If Catalano had the ability to file the insurance claim, any money recovered would go back to the district’s general fund.

“Why would the school board not want that?” Nealon asked.

Instead, the financially challenged school district is incurring more expenses by trying to have this case dismissed, the judge said.

Of the nine board members sued in 2017, only four remain on the board — Paul Duffy, Bob Lesh, Mark McAndrew and Tom Schuster.

When questioned by the judge if the current board had been briefed on the case and still wanted to pursue its dismissal, Joyce said he had not had that discussion.

In his suit, Catalano claimed the board acted negligently in paying more than $4 million in questionable fuel surcharge increases to busing contractor DeNaples Transportation from 2007 to 2016, and in failing to supervise payments and benefits to former fleet manager Daniel Sansky.

Since Auditor General Eugene DePasquale uncovered those issues in his 2017 audit, the district has faced growing criticism from his office. A corruption investigation from the state attorney general is ongoing, with Sansky and former district business manager Gregg Sunday facing charges.

Mey said his client, who owns Catalano Importing Co. in West Scranton, feels deeply invested in the community and wants to see the district recoup some of its losses.

“He feels it’s his obligation,” Mey said.

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

HAWLEY — The Chamber of the Northern Poconos has canceled Wally Ice Fest activities scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at Lake Wallenpaupack.

Concerns about a lack of ice and unsafe ice led to the cancelation. This is the second time the event has been canceled this year.

— STAFF REPORT

JESSUP — A roughly four block section of Church Street in the borough is once again open to traffic.

State Department of Transportation officials closed part of the road between Grassy Island Avenue and Lane Street on Sunday due to a subsidence.

PennDOT announced the reopening of the road today.

— JEFF HORVATH

The former superintendent of the Delaware Valley School District will attempt to lead the Scranton School District to financial solvency.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education announced Wednesday that Candis Finan, Ed.D., will serve as chief recovery officer for the district, responsible for creating a broad plan to decrease the deficit and find stability.

Finan, who spent 14 years as superintendent and 13 years as assistant superintendent of the Pike County school district, led the district through major expansion and building projects and into an era of increased accountability and higher standards. She retired in 2012 and has served as an education consultant for Nebraska-based McPherson & Jacobson. She has served as an adjunct professor at local colleges and president of the Pike County Chamber of Commerce. She holds a bachelor’s degree in secondary education/English from Penn State, a master’s degree in reading education from the University of Scranton and a doctorate in educational administration from Fordham University.

As early as this spring, Finan is expected to present the comprehensive plan, which then must be approved by the school board. With the district’s deficit continuing to grow, the Department of Education placed Scranton in financial recovery last month — one step closer to state receivership.

The status provides the district with expertise from the recovery officer while the school board retains ultimate control. If the district’s finances do not improve under recovery or the board refuses to follow the plan developed with the recovery officer, the state could take control of operations.

Of 500 districts statewide, Scranton joins five other districts in recovery. The state placed Chester Upland, Duquesne City, York and Harrisburg in recovery in 2012. The state also placed Penn Hills, near Pittsburgh, in recovery last month. Chester Upland and Duquesne City are now under state receivership. No district has left recovery.

Scranton Superintendent Alexis Kirijan, Ed.D., spoke to Finan on Wednesday afternoon.

“I really feel like an extra set of eyes looking at things will be very helpful to us,” Kirijan said. “We have all positive thoughts and ideas about the district moving forward. I think it’s going to be a great match for the district and will help us get the students the best possible education we can get them.... I’m very, very, very pleased to have her on board.”

Board Vice President Greg Popil visited Delaware Valley when he worked for the state auditor general’s office and said he was always impressed with Finan.

“I can remember from the audits she was well-versed in finance,” Popil said. “She’s an excellent choice. It’s the kind of advice and guidance we need.”

Efforts to reach Finan were not immediately successful Wednesday.

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

A South Abington Twp. man is accused of assaulting a 17-year-old boy with a teapot, knocking the teen unconscious, during a domestic dispute last month.

Edwin Garcia, 60, 240 Scott Road, is charged with aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children, simple assault and related charges stemming from an incident on Jan. 6, when township police twice responded to the Scott Road residence. Garcia is accused of choking the boy and later, hitting him with the pot hard enough to dent it, township police wrote in court documents.

Police first responded to Scott Road about 6:15 p.m. A woman there, Joy Petroski, told police Garcia threw a cup at her and chased her before the boy intervened and Garcia choked him, according to court documents. Police said everyone refused medical treatment and Garcia would be charged with harassment. The teen told police he was going to leave the home and officers left because they felt the situation had deescalated, according to court documents.

At 7:30 p.m., officers again responded to the home for the report of a 17-year-old with a head injury. Police talked to Garcia on scene, who told them the boy kicked him in the groin as he was leaving, so he struck him in the head with the teapot in self-defense, according to court documents. However, Petroski told police she heard Garcia yell at the boy to “fight him like a man” and saw him push the teen to the ground, then hit him in the head with the teapot as he tried to get up, police said. The blow knocked him unconscious and emergency medical personnel took him to a hospital for treatment.

Township police filed an arrest warrant shortly after the incident. Garcia was to turn himself in but never did, police said. Lackawanna County sheriff’s deputies arrested Garcia this morning at the county courthouse in Scranton after he showed up for an unrelated civil hearing, police said.

Magisterial District Judge Paul Keeler arraigned Garcia today and set bail at $30,000. Garcia is held in Lackawanna County Prison. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 13.

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

LACKAWAXEN TWP. — State police are seeking a Bronx, New York man wanted for charges of drug delivery resulting in death.

Francisco Alberto Abreu-Pena, 44, faces three counts of drug delivery resulting in death, plus other drug charges, related to an incidents in the township in August, according to online docket sheets. He was one of eight people charged late last week following a five-month investigation.

While Abreu-Pena’s primary residence is in New York, he is known to frequent the Bethlehem and Allentown areas and Atlantic City, New Jersey. He may be operating a 2017 Blue Honda Accord bearing Pennsylvania license plate KVT8643 or a 1978 maroon Buick Lesabre bearing Pennsylvania license plate KVT8690. Anyone with information is asked to call troopers at 570-963-3156.

— CLAYTON OVER