DANVILLE
Geisinger signs blood supplier

Geisinger Health System has a new primary blood supplier for its northeastern facilities.

Bethlehem-based Miller-Keystone Blood Center on Monday announced that it was named the health system’s primary supplier of blood products, effective Feb. 1.

The nonprofit is a member of the national network America’s Blood Centers.

Miller-Keystone plans community donation events and to start donor groups, as well as a new donor center in Pittston where people can donate whole blood, automated red cells and platelets. That’s to open in the coming months.

LifeSource was Geisinger’s previous primary blood supplier.

— JON O’CONNELL

The F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts is pleased to welcome Lyle Lovett and His Large Band to Wilkes-Barre on Sunday, July 28th.  

Tickets for this performance will go on sale this Friday, March 15th starting at 11:00 a.m. A Kirby Member pre-sale begins Thursday, March 14th at 11:00 a.m.

A singer, composer and actor, Lyle Lovett has broadened the definition of American music in a career that spans 14 albums.

AN EVENING WITH LYLE LOVETT AND HIS LARGE BAND
F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts

Sunday, June 28th 2019
Doors: 7pm
Show: 8pm
Price: $48 - $65 (+$3 day of show for all tiers)
All ages are welcome
Tickets will be available at the Sundance Vacations Box Office at the F.M. Kirby Center, online at kirbycenter.org and by phone at 570-826-1100.

WILKES-BARRE —  Japanese restaurant Katana will close June 1 after 27 years in business in downtown Wilkes-Barre, one of the owners said Tuesday.

Teresa Ei, who owns the restaurant with her husband Takeshi Ei and partner Naoto Suzuki, said they are retiring.

“It’s kind of bittersweet. We’re going to miss our regular patrons,” Ei said. “It’s just time.”

They have been trying to sell the restaurant since 2016 and Ei said they had a few potential buyers but none followed through and it remains for sale.

The restaurant has two hibachi rooms and two sushi rooms. Customers enjoyed many authentic one-of-a-kind Japanese food items, Ei said.

Since the restaurant opened in 1992, it has expanded twice to accommodate increased volume.

The owners formerly leased their space at 41 S. Main St. in Midtown Village from Humford Equities. They have been leasing from Insalaco Development Group since it acquired Midtown Village from Humford Equities in 2014.

Twenty-two employees work at the restaurant, Ei said. Her husband is a chef with more than 45 years of experience with Japanese cuisine. 

Ei’s message to the restaurant’s many loyal customers on Tuesday was, “Thank you for supporting us over the years and enjoying the products we put out.”

WILKES-BARRE — City police investigating the recent rash of shootings raided a Heights section home on Monday, seizing thousands of bags of heroin and fentanyl along with five handguns.

Police raided the home at 390 Grant St. as part of their investigation into four related shootings that took place between Feb. 16 and Feb. 19 on Bowman, Lockhart, Dana and Dagobert streets. Police say they connected the property to 22-year-old Nigel Velardo, who was arrested Friday.

The raid turned up 81 bricks of heroin and fentanyl, which equates to 4,000 individual bags, half a kilogram of high-grade marijuana and another 70 grams of uncut heroin and fentanyl, according to police.

Police also seized drug paraphernalia, drug packaging materials, several hundred rounds of ammunition and five handguns investigators say were tied to the drug trafficking operation. Police say the guns are suspected to have been involved in at least two of the recent shootings, and that they were being sent for ballistic testing.

Velardo, who was initially wanted for failing to appear in court, was charged last week in two cases on counts including drug trafficking, receiving stolen property, possessing guns as a felon, dealing in the proceeds of illegal activity, conspiracy and theft.

Velardo was captured during a raid Friday in an apartment at 127 Academy St., at the intersection of Carey Avenue. He is being held without bail at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility after Magisterial District Judge Thomas F. Malloy Sr. found him to be a danger to the community, according to court records.

Investigators are also seeking five other individuals in connection with the series of shootings. On Friday, police announced they were looking for Elijah Jones, 21, Colin King, 20, and Genrie Smith, 19, all of whom reportedly last lived at 390 Grant St., and Tareem McDonald, 21, of New York City.

Investigators previously announced they were seeking Onje Crowder, 19, last known address of 37 McCarragher St. Crowder remains wanted on aggravated assault charges.

In late February, police arrested Jyzah Michael Morgan, 21, on charges alleging he drove Crowder to the scene of one of the shootings.

The case is being investigated by Wilkes-Barre and Kingston police, state troopers, the Luzerne County Drug Task Force, the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service.

Choice Canning Company Inc. of Pittston is recalling approximately 35,459 pounds of chicken fried rice products due to misbranding and undeclared allergens, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Services announced Tuesday.

According to the USDA, the products contain milk, a known allergen, which is not declared on the product label. The chicken fried rice products were produced on Feb. 13 and Feb. 19 this year.

Nithin Poulose, vice president of operations for Choice Canning Company, said the company uses scrambled eggs to make the products and typically buys them from a different supplier and they do not contain milk.

In these instances, Poulouse said company officials used another supplier and they were not informed at the time of purchase that the scrambled eggs contained milk. He said while any recall impacts business, this would not drastically affect the company.

Products subject to recall include 22-ounce printed polybags of “FUSIA Asian Inspirations, Chicken Fried Rice, Complete Skillet Meal,” with a packaging date of Feb. 13, 2019 and a “best if used by” date of Aug. 13, 2020 on the label and 22-ounce printed polybags of “FUSIA Asian Inspirations, Chicken Fried Rice,

Complete Skillet Meal,” with a packaging date of Feb. 19, 2019 and a “best if used by” date of Aug. 19, 2020 on the label.

The products subject to recall bear establishment number “P-45217” inside the U.S. Department of Agriculture mark of inspection. The items were shipped to retail locations in California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia.
T
he problem was discovered on March 11 by USDA personnel during routine label verification.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products, according to the USDA. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a health care provider.

USDA officials said in a news release they are concerned that some products may be frozen and in consumers’ freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. The products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

USDA routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify that recalling firms are notifying their customers of the recall and that actions are being taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. When available, the retail distribution lists are posted at www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls.

Consumers with questions about the recall may call Frank Joyce, senior quality assurance manager for Choice Canning Company, at 570-569-2662.

Consumers with food safety questions can “Ask Karen,” the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline 1-888-674-6854 is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day. The online electronic consumer complaint monitoring system can be accessed 24 hours a day at www.fsis.usda.gov/reportproblem.

SCRANTON — A judge told Robert Joseph Hoover he was beyond rehabilitation before sentencing him to 10 to 20 years in state prison for selling fentanyl-laced heroin to two men who both died from the drug.

Hoover, 55, appeared in shackles and a dark green Luzerne County Correctional Facility jumpsuit before Lackawanna County President Judge Michael Barrasse Tuesday. In the courtroom, around 15 family members and friends of Matthew Passeri, 30, of Archbald, and Thomas John Pernice, 51, of Dunmore, who died from the fatal-laced heroin delivered by Hoover, hugged and wiped tears from their eyes during the proceeding.

A victim advocate from the Lackawanna County district attorney’s office read Barrasse letters from Passeri’s grandmother, Judith Martin, father, Rodney Passeri, and mother, Charisse Messina.

“This could have just been a setback for him, not death,” Martin, who at times called Hoover an “evil dealer,” wrote in her letter.

Rodney Passeri’s “world has forever changed” since his son’s death. He asked for a strict sentence for Hoover in his letter.

“My heart is completely shattered,” Messina wrote in her letter. “I miss him every second of every day.”

She called Hoover a “monster” who “needs to spend the rest of his life in prison.”

Hoover then asked to address the families.

“I never meant to kill or hurt anybody,” he said, adding he “loved” Matthew Passeri. “If I could take their place, I would.”

Barrasse said he does not believe that rehabilitation is possible for Hoover, who has had trouble with drugs since 1986.

“The truth is you are a drug dealer and you have been a drug dealer,” the judge said.

Hoover will serve 10 to 20 years in state prison followed by 20 years of probation.

“We’re happy with the sentence, the family is happy with sentence, but ultimately it never brings the victim back. It’s tragic and somber,” said Lackawanna County Assistant District Attorney Brian Gallagher. “We’re investigating drug delivery deaths as homicides because ultimately that’s how things are going to change.”

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

JERMYN — A number of fire companies responded to a house fire in the 600 block of Lincoln Avenue in the borough this afternoon.

One of the residents was sleeping inside when the fire broke out, according to Jermyn Fire Chief Stan Hallowich. Neighbors pounded on the front door and the man escaped without injury, he said.

Crews responded around 1 p.m. and got the flames under control in about 30 minutes. A state fire marshal is on the scene.

Check back for updates.

Clarks Summit

Cruise trip: The Abington Senior Community Center is sponsoring a seven-day cruise to the Bahamas aboard the Carnival Pride Dec. 1-8. Details: call the center, 570-586-8996.

Clifford

Easter egg sale: Clifford Community Youth Group 12th annual homemade Easter egg sale through Wednesday, March 27, $2 for either homemade peanut butter or coconut cream eggs; available for pickup March 30 and April 6 at Clifford United Methodist Church. Orders: Robin Correll, 570-222-4344; Lisa Barhite, 570-222-5493.

Dalton

Food/craft sale: Soup, baked goods and craft sale, Saturday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., East Benton United Methodist Church, 200 Jordan Hollow Road, Dalton. Information: 570-309-1377, 570-209-6713 or 570-563-2218.

Fleetville

Rescheduled dinner: Fleetville Volunteer Fire Company rescheduled the Mardis Gras Fat Tuesday, March 5, event to Saturday for St. Patrick’s Day; takeout, 4:30-5 p.m., eat-in, 5 p.m. until sold out; $10/adults, $5/children 10 and under. Contact: Beverly, 570-335-6212, or Bonnie, 570-945-5557.

Jermyn

Sesquicentennial meeting: This month’s Jermyn 150 meeting has been rescheduled for Sunday, March 24, at 7 p.m. at the Borough Building.

Mayfield

Pizza/soup sale: William Waker Hose Company pizza and Manhattan clam chowder sale every Friday during Lent until April 5, 3-7 p.m., 803 Penn Ave., Mayfield, $10/pizza (cooked or uncooked); $10/32 oz. clam chowder; $5/16 oz. clam chowder.

Milford

Paint and sip: Paint and sip for a cause at Belle Reve Senior Living, 404 E. Harford St., Friday, March 29, at 1 p.m. Information: 570-409-9191 or www.bellerevesenior living.com.

Olyphant

Queen City Days: Annual Queen City Days carnival and picnic sponsored by Eureka Hose Company 4, 717 E. Grant St., May 29, 30, 31 and June 1. Any business interested in securing space on the midway is asked to contact Mayor John Sedlak Jr., chairman, 570-383-1406, as soon as possible.

South Scranton

Seniors meet: Young at Heart Club meeting today, 1 p.m., St. Paul of the Cross Parish Center, Prospect Avenue.

Seniors meet: South Scranton After 50 Club meeting, Thursday, 1 p.m., St. Paul of the Cross Parish Center, Prospect Avenue.

Throop

Neighborhood watch: Throop Neighborhood Watch meeting Wednesday, March 27, 7 p.m., Throop Civic Center, with presentation by the city’s recycling office.

Annual breakfast: Throop Hose Company 1, 512 Center St., annual all-you-can-eat egg, pancake and sausage breakfast, Sunday, April 7, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; $7/adult, $3/children 10 and under. Tickets: any member; or Ralp Obelinas, 570-489-9782; or Dave Benson, 570-383-1019.

Wayne County

Designer bingo: Wayne Memorial Hospital Auxiliary second annual designer handbag bingo Sunday, April 7, 1 p.m., Camp Ladore PARC/Pavilion, Waymart, $25/advance, $30/door. Tickets: pettinatoj@wmh.org; or 570-903-7120.

West Scranton

Neighbors meet: West Scranton Neighbors Association meeting, today, 6:30 p.m., FOP Lodge, Luzerne Street and Railroad Avenue.

CLIPBOARD ITEMS may be sent to yesdesk@timessham

rock.com or Clipboard, c/o YES!Desk, 149 Penn Ave., Scranton, PA 18503. YES!Desk, 570-348-9121.

SCRANTON — The first two parking payment kiosks in Scranton were installed today in a lot at the Pennsylvania CareerLink office building to replace several meters there.

Other payment kiosks will eventually follow throughout the downtown, replacing the existing street meters, officials have said.

The modern, multi-parking space pay stations installed by contractor IPS Group will allow motorists to pay for a space in several ways, according to the scrantonpaparking.com website of the parking system operator ABM Parking.

Those payment methods include coins, credit card, debit card and the Pango smart-phone app, said Robert Sweet, a director with the nonprofit National Development Council that leases the city’s meters and garages and hired ABM to operate them.

Dollars bills will not be accepted at the kiosks in the Pennsylvania CareerLink lot, Sweet said.

A motorist will input their vehicle’s license plate into a kiosk’s alphanumeric pad to identify the vehicle with paid parking space time. When that vehicle leaves the parking space, the time would automatically expire. That means a new motorist would have to pay anew for time in that particular space.

Currently, if time remains on a parking meter when a vehicle leaves, another motorist can park there and piggyback on the leftover time.

Kiosks went into the CareerLink lot first because it’s the only surface parking lot with metered spaces under the NDC/ABM operational umbrella, Sweet said.

Getting kiosks installed elsewhere on streets downtown remains a work in progress, but there is not yet a definitive timetable, he said.

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

SCRANTON — A Fell Twp. man who killed 13 or 14 cats and two dogs before burning down his house will serve two to five years in state prison.

Ronald Thomas Vancosky, 41, who pleaded guilty to arson and aggravated cruelty to animals in December, appeared before Lackawanna County President Judge Michael Barrasse for sentencing today.

At the time of his arrest, Vancosky, who has schizophrenia, told police he believed his house at 219 Hillside St., Richmondale, was infested with mites and burning it down would solve the problem. He admitted committing the crimes and told police he deserved to go to jail. He also told officers he first killed the pets so they would not suffer in the flames.

His attorney told Barrasse that Vancosky was recently diagnosed with delusional disorder and is taking new medication to treat the illness.

Vancosky, who does not have a previous criminal record, told Barrasse he regrets what he did.

“I wish it never happened but it did,” he said.

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

DUNMORE — A Scranton man accused of strangling a woman in Newton Twp. late last month is in custody after state police arrested him over the weekend.

South Abington Twp. police filed charges against Jayvon Jordan, 21, last month. He is accused of assaulting a woman in a car outside of a Newton Twp. home on Feb. 19, ultimately grabbing her by the neck until she had trouble breathing, police said.

State police arrested Jordan in Dunmore on Saturday on charges of providing false identification to police and several traffic violations, according to court documents.

Jordan is held in Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $25,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Monday.

— CLAYTON OVER

SCRANTON — A city man faces drug charges after police discovered marijuana plants in his apartment over the weekend.

City police arrested David Reed, 61, 934 Sanderson St., Apt. B, on Sunday after a neighbor called to report the smell of marijuana in the building and that Reed constantly smokes it, according to court documents.

Officers then spoke to Reed, who first told them he had a medical card for cannabis, but then told them he didn’t and he had a small amount of marijuana inside the apartment. Officers searched the apartment and found eight four-foot tall marijuana plants inside a closet, seven smaller plants elsewhere in the apartment plus paraphernalia and $2,600, police said.

Reed is free on $10,000 unsecured bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 21.

— CLAYTON OVER

SCRANTON — Geisinger Community Medical Center’s offer to donate lighting in part of neighboring Nay Aug Park — partly as compensation for the hospital continuing to get about 280 free parking spaces for employees — turned off some residents.

They see a donation from the nonprofit GCMC of 62 street lamps as an unacceptable tradeoff for the hospital getting free parking inside Nay Aug Park.

The hospital noted the city long ago agreed to the arrangement because it would help the hospital grow and its success would in turn benefit the city.

“This was a commitment made to us by the city of Scranton in exchange for our maintenance of the parking lot and the city helipad,” Geisinger Northeast Chief Administrative Officer Ron Beer said in a statement Tuesday. “It’s been a mutually beneficial arrangement that has allowed GCMC to grow and thrive in the city of Scranton. It ultimately benefits the entire community as Geisinger brings family-sustaining careers, better health care and more employees to Scranton and the surrounding communities. We strive to be good neighbors and we’ll continue working together for the betterment of our community.”

The issue arose Thursday during a meeting of the Scranton Municipal Recreation Authority, which heard a presentation from GCMC on its proposal to install lighting in the southern section of the park, in the area between the Everhart Museum and the greenhouse.

At first, residents were not aware that the hospital does not pay for parking inside Nay Aug Park. GCMC uses a rectangular parking lot near the Davis Trail that has about 200 spaces and also a smaller adjacent lot with about 80 spaces.

But the street lamp proposal also illuminated some tensions between the hospital, which three 1/2 years ago completed a $97 million expansion, and its Hill Section neighbors.

“We know we’re impacting all of you. We know we impact the park on a daily basis,” GCMC Administrative Director Renee Blakiewicz said in presenting the lighting offer.

Some residents questioned why GCMC would install — at no cost to the city — lighting in Nay Aug Park when the park closes at dusk. Edmund Scacchitti thinks lights would only attract bad elements to the park after dark and he’d prefer GCMC to devote “excess funds to cleaning up the mess you made” with the expansion and pave nearby roads.

“There’s no real rhyme or reason in my mind to do this project,” Scacchitti said of lights. “I can tell you that the neighbors are not going to be in favor of this.”

“I just don’t see it. I don’t understand the reason for it,” added Joanne Davis, who operates the nonprofit St. Cats & Dogs Inc. spay/neuter clinic at the former zoo on the opposite end of the park.

Getting to the heart of the matter, resident Jess Nolan asked if the GCMC donation of lighting would be in lieu of a payment for parking.

Recreation authority Chairman Bob Gattens explained the offer arose from GCMC parking encroaching from the big rectangular lot to the smaller adjacent lot, and then to another, smaller lot behind the Everhart Museum. This other small lot, with about 30 spaces, is intended for museum and park visitors and the authority posted it on Jan. 1 as 3-hour parking. Gattens then raised with GCMC the issue of the other smaller lot filled with GCMC parkers and negotiations ensued.

“I felt that we should let them remain there parking with idea they’ll maintain that lot, the trade-off to have this (lighting) project, or a project of this scope, put into the park was beneficial to the park,” Gattens said. Booting GCMC parkers out would only result in them swamping the neighborhood, he said.

Nolan asked if GCMC is paying rent for parking inside Nay Aug Park.

“At this point, no,” Gattens said.

“Then that’s problematic,” Nolan replied.

Scacchitti asked if GCMC pays to park on the large rectangular lot. Gattens again said no.

“Oh my god,” Scacchitti said.

He asked how much installation of the lights would cost. GCMC Facilities Director Stacy Haddix declined to divulge a figure, saying the hospital has one vendor estimate and the project would be bid out. The street lamps would have an old-fashioned look but modern LED bulbs, she said.

For many years — long before Geisinger acquired Community Medical Center in 2012, and with city approval — the hospital has used parking lots inside Nay Aug Park for hospital employees, city and hospital officials said.

Under an arrangement reached many years ago, the former CMC agreed to make improvements and payments to the city in exchange for having hospital employees park inside Nay Aug Park, recreation authority solicitor Paul Kelly said.

But citing a cost for daylong weekday parking downtown at $8 per vehicle in a private lot, Davis equated the situation to the city giving to GCMC about $582,000 worth of free parking each year. If the hospital instead paid even a quarter of that amount per year for the Nay Aug parking, the authority would have adequate funds to maintain and upgrade the park, she said.

Geisinger Vice President Robert Markowski said he and the other two GCMC representatives came to the authority meeting to talk about the lighting and was not prepared to discuss parking. GCMC also is working with the city on neighborhood improvement initiatives involving street, sidewalk and landscaping upgrades, he said.

“I think we got a lot of good feedback tonight. We’re going to take that back. We understand that parking is an issue,” Markowski said. “We want to be a good neighbor. But our volumes continue to grow, which is a good thing, but it’s a double-edged sword.”

The recreation authority did not take any action on the matter and continued it to the board’s next monthly meeting, scheduled for April 4 at 6 p.m. at the Everhart Museum.

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

TAYLOR — With 19 of 60 precincts reporting, Democrat Bridget Malloy Kosierowski is leading 61.37 percent to Republican Frank Scavo’s 38.14 percent in a special election to fill the remainder of late state Rep. Sid Michaels Kavulich’s two year term.

Polls closed about at 8 p.m. Scavo, watching the results from his election night party at Arcaro & Genell’s in Old Forge, said, “It’s still a race.”

Tonight’s winner will serve in Harrisburg until Nov. 30, 2020, when Kavulich’s term ends. First elected in 2010, Kavulich, a Taylor Democrat, died in October of complications from heart-valve replacement surgery but remained on the ballot and won re-election in November.

The salary for state legislators this year is $88,610.42.

The 114th state House District includes the city of Carbondale, Waverly, Fell, Glenburn, Greenfield, Newton, North Abington, Ransom, Carbondale and Scott townships and Clarks Summit, Dickson City, Jermyn, Mayfield, Moosic, Old Forge, Taylor and Vandling boroughs.

Check back for updates.

SOUTH ABINGTON TWP. — Township and county officials recognized three local fire departments and other first responders for their work saving the life of a trapped trucker last month.

Chinchilla Hose Company, Clarks Summit Fire Company and Dickson City Fire Department spent six hours freeing John Bunalski of New Jersey from the crumpled cab of his truck after the vehicle rolled over on the Interstate 81 interchange in the township. On Monday night, officials gathered at a South Abington Twp. supervisors meeting to recognize those who helped at the scene. Township officials read a resolution honoring the fire departments.

“It was a long extrication, but it was rewarding at the end,” Chinchilla Fire Company Chief Sean Connolly said.

Though Bunalski was in danger of losing a leg — his limb was pinned inside the cab — the efforts of fire crews and medical personnel saved the extremity, though he did suffer broken bones, Connolly said. He remains in stable condition at Geisinger Community Medical Center, Geisinger spokeswoman Alysha Davis said.

First responders arrived at the township’s Interstate 81 interchange about 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 14 to find the cab and trailer atop the concrete and steel barrier that separates lanes and Bunalski trapped inside. Extricating him proved difficult because of the way the truck landed on the barrier, which pinned him between the dashboard and seat. About 40 firefighters from the three departments, plus a trauma team from Geisinger Community Medical Center in Scranton, all responded to the scene.

Initially, both Bunalski’s arms and legs were stuck inside the vehicle, said Assistant Engineer Nathan Rehder of Chinchilla Hose Company. Bunalski remained awake and alert over the six hour rescue and did what he could to help rescuers, Rehder said.

“He’s tough as nails,” Rehder said. “He was very cooperative, as much as he could have been because he was in a situation that wasn’t the best for him.”

Medical personnel kept the driver stable and administered IVs and pain medication to him as crews worked. Crews first got his arms loose and then worked to free his legs, Rehder said. The rescuers succeeded about 4:30 p.m., the result of sheer determination and commitment on the part of the fire personnel on scene, Rehder said.

“Hour after hour went by,” Rehder said. “Once we did free him, we took a sigh of relief.”

Emergency medical personnel then rushed Bunalski to GCMC. Rehder and a colleague visited him there about a week after the crash to find a thankful Bunalski in good spirits, committed to making a full recovery.

A cause of the crash is still under investigation, state police said. In addition to the fire departments, Lackawanna County officials also recognized state police, state Department of Transportation personnel and Brayer’s Auto Service and Towing in Scranton for their work on the scene.

It was nice to see everyone who responded recognized Monday, Rehder said.

“It was an all around effort,” Rehder said. “We got him out as a team.”

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

SCRANTON — The city will pay about $71,100 to 544 property owners as part of a settlement of a class-action lawsuit that challenged its rental registration program.

The settlement, approved Monday by Lackawanna County Judge Terrence Nealon, resolves a lawsuit that lead plaintiff Adam Guiffrida filed in May 2015 alleging the registration program was arbitrary and took in more money than it cost to operate, which violates state law.

The deal calls for the city to refund $75 — half of the $150 registration fee — for each property for which an owner paid the fee in 2014 and 2015. The city also agreed to reduce the fee to $45 per unit next year and agreed it will not try to retroactively collect the old fee from owners for prior years.

The city estimated the refunds will cost $71,100 but said the figure might be slightly higher because several additional people recently joined the case. In addition, it will pay $71,100 in legal fees to the property owners’ attorney, Paul Batyko. It also will pay about $6,000 to an outside firm, Settlement Services Inc., to calculate how much each plaintiff is owed and distribute the money.

Funding for the settlement will come from a portion of the registration fees the city holds in an escrow account. A judge last year directed it to deposit half the money it collected into the account pending resolution of the case. The fund currently has about $350,000, said city solicitor Jessica Eskra.

Nealon approved the settlement following a brief hearing Monday at which Batyko and city attorneys affirmed they had contacted the affected property owners to advise them of the deal. Both sides said no one objected.

“It’s a fair and equitable resolution,” Batyko said following the hearing. “People are getting refunds, the fee is reduced and they don’t have to worry about retroactive enforcement.”

“We’re pleased to have this matter behind us so we can move forward with our progress,” Eskra said.

The dispute centered on changes the city made to the registration program in 2014 that tripled fees to $150 per building, raised the per-unit fee from $15 to $50 and required that rental units be inspected. It revised the program in 2016 to scrap inspections and the $150 fee but kept the $50-per-unit fee.

Under state law, government bodies must show fees are “reasonably commensurate” with the cost to run programs. Guiffrida, who owns multiple properties, alleged the fees were excessive and acted as a revenue generator for the city. The suit was certified as a class action in March 2016, meaning the ruling would impact all property owners who opted into the case.

Nealon said the settlement benefits property owners because it lowers the fee and ensures they recover part of their money. He noted a recent Commonwealth Court ruling in a similar case filed in Allentown significantly increased the burden of proof for property owners to prevail. In that case the court said the plaintiffs had to show fees were “grossly excessive” rather than “reasonably commensurate” with the cost to run a program.

Nealon also noted that, although the case was certified as a class action, that ruling related only to the determination that the fees were unlawful. Had the case gone to trial and the property owners proved the fees were grossly excessive, they would still have had to spend time and money to file individual claims to get a refund.

Contact the writer:

tbesecker@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9137;

@tmbeseckerTT on Twitter

Tuesday’s regional jobs reports look a little wonky.

One state analyst cautioned about putting too much faith in the half-point drop in unemployment for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton metro area from December to January because the Department of Labor and Industry is in the middle of a routine, yet sweeping annual data revision, a process called “benchmarking.”

“It’s making comparisons a little bit difficult,” said state industry and business analyst Steven Zellers, who stopped short of calling the data inaccurate. “They’re more than likely going to change once the annual processing is complete.”

Unemployment for the local metro, which includes Lackawanna, Luzerne and Wyoming counties, was at 4.6 percent.

Within the metro, Lackawanna and Luzerne each saw a six-tenths drop to 4.2 percent and 5 percent respectively. Wyoming dropped five-tenths to 4.3 percent.

The state rate was at 4.1 percent and the national rate was 4 percent.

The department’s Center for Workforce Information and Analysis, which publishes the numbers each month, chose not to compare January’s data from the month before until after the benchmark process.

Economists often warn about comparing month-to-month unemployment.

Yearly differences draw with cleaner lines a picture of the regional workforce landscape.

That said, over the year unemployment in the region is down eight-tenths of a point from 5.4 percent in January last year.

The revised numbers come out April 30 with March’s unemployment data.

One block of data included in Tuesday’s report, however, should be accurate.

Analysts finished the benchmarking process for establishment numbers, the account of how many jobs are located within the region.

Those numbers show what amounts to typical drops in retail, warehousing and transportation sectors as the holiday season stepped down and businesses and temp agencies cut seasonal positions.

Educational services dropped 1,500 jobs from December, a result of the winter break in schools when support staff might find themselves out of work.

Contact the writer:

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

@jon_oc on Twitter

WILKES-BARRE — City police have a warrant for the arrest of a man they say is responsible for a triple shooting that took place during an attempted drug robbery last month.

Terence Bradley, 19, of 475 S. Franklin St., is charged with aggravated assault and reckless endangerment in the Feb. 12 shooting that injured Nichole Santiago, 20, Alanah Sobrinski, 19, both of Scranton, as well as an unidentified man. Santiago was paralyzed from the waist down, according to her family.

According to police, officers arrived to the area of 412 S. Main St. around 6:30 p.m. Feb. 12 and found the two women suffering from gunshot wounds.

Police said their investigation revealed the woman, along with two minors and an unidentified man had come to Wilkes-Barre from Lackawanna County with the plan of ripping off a marijuana dealer.

After they met up with Bradley, a dispute erupted that led Bradley to open fire into the car, police said. In addition to the two women, the man was also shot in the leg but he ran from the car along with the juveniles, police said.

Officers eventually located and interviewed all three witnesses, police said.

The man was treated for a gunshot wound to the leg and Sobrinski was treated and released from a hospital. But Santiago will be paralyzed for life, her mother has said.

Police said Tuesday the investigation was ongoing and that additional charges were pending.

They asked anyone with information on Bradley’s whereabouts to call Detective Matt Stash at 570-208-0911 or Detective Dave Sobocinski at 570-208-4201.

Contact the writer:

jhalpin@citizensvoice.com, 570-821-2058

MARRIAGE LICENSES

• Alan Jay Sardo, Dickson City, and Esme M.B. Kostiw, Scranton.

• Jose Francisco Sanchez Cor­tez and Rubidia Yaqueline Vasquez Zelada, both of Dunmore.

• Shane D. Boice, Harveys Lake, and Amanda Marie Pietrowski, Throop.

• Jason M. Gambucci, Jessup, and Karen Paciotti, Olyphant.

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

• Madison Revolving Trust 2017, by its attorney-in-fact, Nationstar Mortgage LLC, doing business as Mr. Cooper, Coppell, Texas, to JP Homes Inc., Maple Glen; a property at 1351 Penn Ave., Scranton, for $32,000.

• Samuel and Kimberly B. Dennison, Pennsylvania, to Rorry Altmann, Tampa, Fla.; a property at 264 Carbondale Road, Waverly Twp., for $390,000.

• Wells Fargo, successor by merger to Wachovia Bank, National Association, Frederick, Md., to Aleksandr and Elena Blintsova Bogdanov, Jackson Heights, N.Y.; a property at Big Bass Lake, Clifton Twp., for $62,000.

• RR Organization LLC, Scran­ton, to Christopher Beavers, Scranton; a property at 1229-1231 Diamond Ave., Scranton, for $76,500.

DIVORCES SOUGHT

• Robin Mascaro, Peckville, v. Ronald Mascaro Jr., Peckville; married Aug. 28, 2009, in Scranton; pro se.

• Jessica Nicole Walsh, Scran­ton, v. John Francis Walsh, Scranton; married Ocr. 28, 2006, in Montdale; pro se.

ESTATES FILED

• Michael A. Polizzi, 103 Bel Air Drive, Archbald, letters

testamentary to Michael J. Polizzi, 722 Sunset Drive, Dickson City.

• Grace Richione, also known as Grace M. Richione, 1833 S. Webster Ave., Scranton, letters testamentary to Marco Richione III, 1305 Elkview Drive, Clarks Summit.

ONLINE: thetimes-tribune.com/courts

A hotly contested race for Lackawanna County commissioner will highlight the May 21 primary election ballot.

With the Tuesday deadline for filing candidate nomination petitions now passed, four Democrat and three Republican commissioner candidates will battle in the primary hoping to advance to the municipal election Nov. 5. That’s when the top two primary vote-getters from each party will compete for spots on the three-member board of commissioners.

On the Democratic side, incumbent Commissioner Patrick O’Malley and political newcomer Debi Domenick face off against incumbent Commissioner Jerry Notarianni and former county Economic Development Director George Kelly.

Fighting for the two Republican nominations are incumbent Commissioner Laureen Cummings, Scott Twp. Supervisor Michael Giannetta and businessman Chris Chermak.

Seeking the Democratic nomination for Lackawanna County controller are incumbent Gary DiBileo and challenger Robert J. “Bob” Casey, who served as a Scranton school director from 1979 to 1991. Republican Mary Noldy is running for county controller, too, but is unopposed in the primary.

The Democratic primary for Scranton city controller also is contested, with John J. Murray and Steven Coyne seeking the nomination. No one filed to seek the Republican nomination.

City Controller Roseann Novembrino, who’s held the post for more than 30 years, is not running for re-election and will retire at the end of the year.

DANIEL ROSLER, staff writer, contributed to this story.

Contact the writers:

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

570-348-9132

List of candidates

Here is a complete list of candidates who filed petitions to run in the Lackawanna County primary as of Tuesday’s 4 p.m. filing deadline.

Democrats are listed with a “D” next to their names and Republicans with an “R.” School board candidates who have filed for both party nominations are listed with both letters.

Lackawanna County

COMMISSIONER: Debi Domenick (D), Dunmore; Patrick O’Malley (D), Peckville; Jerry Notarianni (D), Scranton; George Kelly (D), Moscow; Laureen A. Cummings (R), Old Forge; Chris Chermak (R), Dalton; Michael Giannetta (R), Scott Twp.

CONTROLLER: Gary A. DiBileo (D), Scranton; Robert J. Casey (D), Scranton; Mary Noldy (R), Dunmore.

CLERK OF JUDICIAL RECORDS: Mauri Kelly (D), Spring Brook Twp.

CORONER: Tim Rowland (D), Clarks Summit.

TREASURER: Edward Karpovich (D), Clarks Summit.

Cities, boroughs

and townships

ARCHBALD: Council: Thomas Mancuso (D), Erin Owen (D), David Moran (D), Lawrence West (D), Laura Tomassoni Lewis (D), Michael Ossont (D), Anthony Distler (D).

BENTON: Supervisor: Bonnie Rosiak (R); Tax collector: Sarah DeBree (R); Auditor: Nicholas Shyshuk (R).

BLAKELY: Council: Patrick S. Zwanch (D), Joseph E. Ercolani Jr. (D), Michael J. Henzes (D), Kevin Swift (D), Denise Boyle (R); Controller: Edward Alco (D).

CARBONDALE CITY: Mayor: Justin Taylor (D); Council (4-year): Joseph P. Connor (D), Joseph “Doc” Marzzacco (D), Gerald J. Arnese (D); Council (2-year unexpired): Walter Martzen (D), Joe McDonald Jr.

CARBONDALE TWP.: Supervisor: Richard Colosimo (D); Auditor: Marisa Wormuth (D).

CLARKS GREEN: Mayor (2-year unexpired): James Curran (D), Kenneth McGraw (D), Joe Barrasse (R); Council: Keith Williams (D), David J. Rinaldi (D), M.J. Igoe (D), Maureen O’Dea Palmer (D), Anthony Madera (R), Dr. Terry Cochran (R).

CLARKS SUMMIT: Council: Frank Besten (D), David Jenkins (R), Robert Bennett (R), Robert P. Sheils III (R), Walter Savitts (R), Jim Evans (D), Kathleen Simrell (D), Harry Kelly (D); Tax collector: Shirley S. Skinner (R).

CLIFTON: Supervisor: Ted Stout (R).

COVINGTON: Supervisor: David Petrosky (R), Melissa Hughes Kearney (D).

DALTON: Council (4-year): James Fitzpatrick (D), William “Bill” Brandt (R); Council (2-year unexpired): Eric Johnson (R).

DICKSON CITY: Council: Judith Senkow-Richards (D), Jeffrey R. Kovaleski (D), John Horvath (D), Michael Fedorka (D), Georgia Adamitis (D), Paul Kwiec (D).

DUNMORE: Council: Vincent Amico (D), Michael Hayes (D), Michael A. Dempsey (D), Michael F. McHale (D), Beth McDonald Zangardi (D).

FELL: Supervisor: Ann Marie Torch (D), Jerry Slick (D).

GLENBURN: Supervisor: Jim Davis (D).

GREENFIELD: Supervisor: Susanne Totsky (D).

JEFFERSON: Supervisor: John L. Peters Sr. (D); Tax collector: Geraldine Karsnaic (D); Auditor: Paula Lee Sorg (R).

JERMYN: Council: Robert M. Hunt (R), Jennifer Schreiner (R), Carl J. Tomaine (R), Frank Kulick (D), Kevin Napoli (D).

JESSUP: Council: Rella Scassellati (D), Gerald Crinella, (D), Teresa Colarusso (D), Tony Cuz Rotell (D), Francis Craig Shander (D), Robert V. Petrini Jr. (D), Kevin Gordon (D).

LAPLUME: Supervisor: Gerald Henry (D).

MADISON: Supervisor: Andrew Nazarenko (D).

MOOSIC: Council: Robert Besecker (D), Scott Flanagan (D), Stanley Kania (D).

MOSCOW: Council: Joseph Castrogiovanni (D); Edward D. Gaughan (D), Marc Gaughan (D).

NEWTON: Supervisor: Robert Naegele (R).

NORTH ABINGTON: Supervisor: Thomas Mundrake (R); Auditor: Carolyn Lewis (R).

OLD FORGE: Council (4-year): Lou Febbo (D), Rick Notari (D), Russ Rinaldi (D), Mike Lettieri (R), Chuck Karam (D); Council (2-year unexpired): Lou Febbo (D), Russ Rinaldi (D).

OLYPHANT: Council: Mark Zinskie (D), Jeff Havrilchak (D), Michael Abda (D), Beth Frushon (D), Dina Harrington (D), Robert E. Hudak (D), Eric Hartshorn (D).

RANSOM: Supervisor: David W. Bird Jr. (R).

ROARING BROOK: Supervisor: Eric Schield (R).

SCOTT: Supervisor: David Makala (D), Brian Brenzel (R), Edward R. Hlavaty (R), Naomi “Mimi” Johnson (D); Auditor: Gayle Hart (D).

SCRANTON: Controller: John J. Murray (D), Steven Coyne (D); Council: Jessica Rothchild (D), Tim Perry (D), Andy Chomko (D), Mark McAndrew (D).

SOUTH ABINGTON: Supervisor: Giles W. Stanton (R).

SPRING BROOK: Supervisor: Kenneth Genovese (R), Steven Slesh (R), William A. Herne (R), Rochelle McAllister (D); Auditor: Sharon Volpe (D).

TAYLOR: Council: Rob Naro (D), Brian Fallon (D), Francis DeAngelo (D).

THORNHURST: Supervisor: Elaine Evans (D); Auditor: Candice Dibble (D).

THROOP: Council (4-year): Charlene DePasquale Tomasovitch (D), Robert Magliocchi (D); Wayne Williams (D); Council (2-year unexpired): Anthony Gangemi (D).

VANDLING: Council: William Boyle (D), John F. Mayers (D), Francis Pantzar (R), William M. Matos (R).

WAVERLY: Supervisor: Eric Parry (D).

School districts

ABINGTON HEIGHTS: Region 1: Warren T. Acker (D/R); Region 2: Enis Murtaj (D/R); Region 3: Gregory C. Madensky (D/R); At large: Philip Edward Robeson (D/R), Michael Fleming (D/R).

CARBONDALE AREA: Region 1: Lynnette Lepre-VanDeusen (D/R), Joseph Totsky (D/R); Region 2: Gary Smedley (D/R); Region 3: David J. Osborne (D/R), Joseph F. Caviston (D/R).

DUNMORE: Joe Muracco (D/R), James C. McHale Jr. (D/R), Robert Holtham (D/R), Jessica Libassi (D/R), Paul Nardozzi (D), Francis X. Kranick Jr. (D/R), John Mandarano (D).

FOREST CITY: Bernice Lukus (D/R).

LACKAWANNA TRAIL: Region 1: David A. Thorne (D/R), Joe Strauch (D/R), Brian Petula (D/R); Region 2: Michael W. Mould (D/R); Region 3: Joseph F. Ross (D/R).

LAKELAND: Region 1: Angela Giglia-Morrison (D/R), Thomas J. Walsh (D); Region 2: John Yanochik (D); Region 3: Casey Patuk (D/R), Bobby Boyarsky (D/R).

MIDVALLEY: Region 1: Anthony Barrett (D/R); Region 2: Gerald Luchansky (D/R), Donna Dixon (D/R), Peter P. Kolcharno (D/R), Glenn M. Cashuric (D); Region 3: Ronald Bukowski (D/R).

NORTH POCONO: Region 2: Bill Burke (D/R), Ralph Colo (D/R); Region 3: Diane Croom (D/R), John Martinelli (D/R), Mark McDade (D/R); Sarah Hubbard-Samudio (D/R), Michael May (D/R), George Walz (D/R).

OLD FORGE: Marie Pero Ciuferri (D/R), Jenna Jones Shotwell (D/R), Robert J. Notari (D/R), Brian P. Guida (D/R), Vanessa Malinowski Nee (D/R), Megan McCabe (D/R), Elizabeth Rushefski, (D/R), William Zupko (D/R), Devon Brown (D/R), Robert McDonnell (D/R), Kelly Dougher Tansley (D/R), Frank Scavo (D/R).

RIVERSIDE: Caryn Emilani (D/R), George J. Bieber (D/R), Kevin Harchar (D/R), Linda Smerdon Joyce (D/R), Mary Antoniacci McHugh (D/R).

SCRANTON: (4-year): Tara Yanni (D/R), Tom Borthwick (D), Greg Popil (D), Tom Schuster (D/R), Sarah E. Cruz (D/R), Ro Hume (D), Catherine Fox (D); 2-year unexpired: Tom Borthwick (D), Tom Schuster (D/R).

VALLEY VIEW: Region 1: James M. Addley (D/R); Region 2: Joseph J. Koniszewski (D/R), John Evans Sr. (D/R); Region 3: Curt Camoni (D/R), Laurie Marino (D/R).