Carbondale

Spring cleanup: Spring cleanup sponsored by the Carbondale Shade Tree and Civic Pride Com­mission, Memorial Park, Main Street, across from City Hall, Saturday, April 27, 10 a.m.; rain date, Saturday, May 4, 10 a.m.; bring rakes, shovels, brooms. Information: 570-282-4218.

Dalton

Bunny event: Dalton Lions Club Breakfast with Bunny/Easter egg hunt, April 20, break­fast, 9:30-11 a.m., fire hall, donation accepted; hunt, noon, park (across from fire hall), Bunny photos.

Bake sale: Dalton Fire Company Ladies Auxiliary bake sale and raffle, April 20, 9:30 a.m.-noon, fire hall, raffle tickets from auxiliary members and during sale; drawings for prizes.

Dunmore

Family weekend: Jerry’s For All Seasons hosting annual family weekend to help benefit St. Joseph’s Center, Dunmore, Saturday, 201 Jessup St., Dunmore, 10 a.m., activities, games, carnival food, bounce houses and more; Easter egg hunt, 11 a.m.; free to the public with a donation to St. Joseph’s Center. Contact: Patrick Massino, 570-215-9215, x1000.

Forest City

Chicken dinner: Christ Episco­pal Church chicken and biscuit dinner, May 4, Delaware and Dundaff streets; takeouts, 3:30-4:30 p.m., family-style dine-in, 5-7 p.m., $10/dinner; advance tickets: 570-785-3425.

Jessup

Lions meet: Jessup Lions meet­ing, May 14, 12:30 p.m., Colarusso’s Cafe, Bridge Street; discussion topic: community activism.

Luzerne County

Divine Mercy Sunday: Divine Mercy Sunday, April 28, SS. Peter & Paul Parish, 15 Hudson Road, Plains Twp. Contact: coordinator, Cathy Mack, 570-654-6063.

Old Forge

Leo Club: The Leo Club will hold and support three Eater holiday-related activities: Saturday, Easter egg hunt, Old Forge Veterans Memorial Stadium, noon; Lions Club annual chicken dinner, Sunday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Arcaro & Genell; brunch with the bunny, Saturday, April 20, Arcaro & Genell, $5, kids enter free, pictures with the bunny for $15, 9 a.m.-noon.

Pike County

Alzheimer’s education: Belle Reve senior living monthly Alzheimer’s educational series, next session, Thursday, May 2, 5 p.m.; free, open to public, pizza served. RSVP: 570-409-9191.

Scranton

Moonlight walk/run: Children’s Advocacy Center of Northeastern Pennsylvania 15th annual moonlight walk/run, Saturday, May 4, Nay Aug Park, also offering a kids’ fun run and a 1.5-mile walk, 5k and 10k run. Preregister online or register at the event. Registration starts at 5 p.m.; kids’ fun run at 6; walk, 6:15; runners start at 7. Contact: 570-969-7313; or visit .

Egg hunt: Easter egg hunt, Saturday, noon, in front of the concession stand by the pool at Nay Aug Park.

Taylor

Breakfast event: Taylor Fire & Rescue semiannual pancake and sausage breakfast, May 19, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., 1137 Reynolds Ave.; takeouts available.

Wayne County

Veterans: Department of Veterans Affairs community town hall meeting, Thursday, April 25, 5 p.m., Park Street Complex, old cafeteria, 648 Park St., Honesdale. Contact: William Kaips, 570-830-7042.

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.

TUNKHANNOCK — A 49-year-old Noxen man was sentenced Wednesday to six to 15 years in state prison for possessing and disseminating child pornography.

George Lee Deiter of Wilson Road appeared before President Judge Russell Shurtleff in Wyoming County Court in a case that was prosecuted by the state attorney general’s office.

According to court records, on July 26, 2017, the AG’s office received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that images allegedly depicting child pornography were being accessed by a computer with an Internet Protocol address that was eventually linked to a computer at a Noxen residence.

A search warrant was executed Jan. 23, 2018, at the Noxen address, where authorities located Deiter, who told them he had been staying there off and on for years.

At the time, a computer and hard drives were seized.

Soon after, he was charged with four counts of disseminating photographs or films depicting child sex acts, 55 counts of possessing child pornography and one count of criminal use of a communication facility.

He was sentenced to a $500 fine and 42 to 120 months in prison for disseminating film of sex acts involving children, which court records show he did via Microsoft Skype software. He also was sentenced to a $500 fine and 30 to 60 months in state prison for each of five counts of child pornography.

The sentence from the first count of child porn is to be served consecutive to the dissemination charge; the four other child porn charges were to be served concurrently.

Deputy Attorney General Michelle Laucella said the state’s sexual assessment board did not find Deiter to be a sexually violent predator, but he still had to register for 25 years as a sexual predator.

Deiter apologized to the judge for what he called “a one-time thing for which I take responsibility.”

Laucella argued, however, that what Deiter did happened over multiple times and was not isolated.

Shurtleff also ordered that Deiter was to have no access to the internet as well as no contact with children. He was given credit for 442 days already spent in the Wyoming County jail

Also sentenced by Shurtleff in Wyoming County Court on Wednesday:

Daniel Blaine Adams Jr., 26, Wysox, to 12 months of probation and a $500 fine for unsworn falsification to authorities on June 9.

Christopher Allen Buckas, 48, Scranton, to seven to 18 months in county jail and a $500 fine for receiving advance payment for services and failure to perform on May 3, 2017.

Kimberly Sue Cragle, 48, Meshoppen, to six months of intermediate punishment commencing with 30 days’ house arrest and a $1,000 fine for DUI on March 24, 2018; and to six months’ intermediate punishment commencing with 30 days’ house arrest and a $1,000 fine for DUI, second offense, on Oct. 13, with sentences to be served consecutively.

Kimberly Ann Eastwood, 43, Tunkhannock, to 15 to 60 months in state prison and a $500 fine for corruption of minors on Jan. 1, 2012. She also faces a 15-year requirement to register as a sexual predator.

Kenneth James Fenton Huntingcut, 28, Dushore, to nine to 18 months in county jail and a $500 fine for possession with intent to deliver on April 19; and to one to five months in county jail and a $500 fine for terroristic threats on Aug. 3, with sentences to be served consecutively. He also faces one to five months and a $500 fine for simple assault on Aug. 3, with that sentence to be served concurrently.

Kellie Ann Gillette, 47, Nicholson, to two to 18 months in county jail and a $500 fine for flight to avoid apprehension on Aug. 4.

Tonya Louise Harrison, 42, Tunkhannock, to 12 to 23 months in county jail followed by 37 months’ probation and a $1,500 fine for DUI of a controlled substance, second offense, on April 11, 2018; and to 12 months’ probation and a $500 fine for possession of drug paraphernalia on Oct. 9, with sentences to be served concurrently.

Courtney Lynn O’Hara, 32, Factoryville, to 72 hours to six months in county jail and a $1,000 fine for DUI of a controlled substance on Feb. 17, 2018.

William David Poltersdorf, 30, Milford, to 29 days to six months in county jail and a $500 fine for DUI with accident on Oct. 20.

Mark Anthony Rohan, 36, Mehoopany, to five to 12 months in county jail and a $500 fine for possession of a controlled substance by a person not registered on June 26, 2017; and to two to 11½ months in county jail and a $500 fine for possession of drug paraphernalia on June 26, 2017, with sentences to be served consecutively.

Andrew Lee Shaver, 21, Noxen, to 12 months’ probation, a $500 fine and $30 restitution for theft by unlawful taking on Oct. 15, 2016.

Joshua Andrew Thomas, 28, Tunkhannock, to nine to 60 months in state prison and a $500 fine for contraband on Aug. 6; and to two to 12 months in a correctional facility for theft by unlawful taking on Feb. 15, 2018, with sentences to be served concurrently.

Billie Jo Warner, 39, Susquehanna, to 14 days to 12 months in county jail and a $500 fine for false identification to law enforcement on May 19.

Dustin Wayne Brian Williams, 28, Factoryville, to 18 months’ probation and a $500 fine for endangering the welfare of children on Oct. 27, 2017.

Contact the writer:

bbaker@wcexaminer.com

FACTORYVILLE — Lackawanna Trail students will return to classes after the summer break on Aug. 29, and end the 2019-20 school year as early as May 29, 2020.

Next school year’s academic calendar, which the Lackawanna Trail School Board approved this week, includes three options for graduation next year, depending on snow days — May 29, June 5 and any time between June 8 and 30.

After some feedback, Superintendent Matthew Rakauskas revised his first proposed calendar to make Jan. 20 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day) a full school day rather than a makeup snow day.

The calendar will be made available on the district’s website, ltsd.org.

The board also approved resolutions supporting Senate Bill 34 and House Bill 526, which would allow districts with their own cyber programs to stop paying tuition to cyber charter schools.

School districts, not families, now pay for cyber charter schools, which are privately operated, publicly funded schools authorized by the state that allow students to learn virtually on charter school-provided computers.

Lackawanna Trail recently signed a contract with VLN Partners, a cyber charter group the district will use instead of the Northeast Online Learning Academy through the Northeastern Educational Intermediate Unit. Carbondale Area and Scranton school districts also have their own cyber charter schools.

The 37 school districts in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties pay a combined $42 million in cyber charter school tuition each year. In the 2017-18 school year, 2,799 students in the seven counties attended cyber charter schools. If the bills pass, the savings to the districts could be as much as $24.5 million each year.

Rebekah King, Lackawanna Trail’s principal of school management, said VLN will begin its marketing campaign for Trail next month.

The school board also:

■ Voted 8-1 to appoint Sweet, Stevens, Katz and Williams (John G. Audi) as the school solicitor with no increase in rates, effective July 1 to June 30, 2020. Board member Joseph Strauch voted against Audi, saying the board should search for other legal counsel.

■ Approved contracts for the 2019-20 school year with Pivot for athletic training at $22.50 per hour, physical therapy at $100 per hour, occupational therapy at $100 per hour and speech pathology services, which is for the extended school year only, at $90 per hour.

■ Approved an agreement between the district and the Dalton Police Department to employ school resource officers at $38 per hour for the 2019-20 school year.

Contact the writer:

bwilliams@wcexamine­r.com;

570-836-2123 x36

April 12, 1945

Franklin D. Roosevelt dies; Truman president

Franklin D. Roosevelt, the nation’s 32nd president, died of a cerebral hemorrhage at the Little White House in Warm Springs, Georgia. He was 63.

According to reports, Roosevelt took ill shortly after 1 p.m. at his desk in his study. While placing his hand on the back of his head, he said his final words to his cousin, Laura Delano: “I have a terrific headache.”

Commander Howard Brueen of the Naval Hospital at Bethesda, Maryland, who was traveling with the president, and Dr. James E. Paullin of Atlanta confirmed that the president died from a massive cerebral hemorrhage.

Vice President Harry S. Truman was sworn in as president by Chief Justice Harlan F. Stone at the White House shortly after 7 p.m. Truman’s family and members of the Cabinet were in attendance for the oath.

In his first statement as president, Truman said, “The world may be sure that we will prosecute the war on both fronts, East and West, with all the vigor we possess to a successful conclusion. In that faith and with the spirit of courage we must carry on.”

Tributes were held for Roosevelt all over Scranton. The Koch-Conley Post, American Legion, held a memorial service as soon as members heard the news. The Rev. W.S. Golightly, post chaplain, led the service.

The Wyoming Conference of the Methodist Church, which was holding its annual session in Scranton, announced plans for a memorial service to be held April 13 at Elm Park Methodist Church.

The Most Rev. William Hafey, bishop of Scranton, announced that all churches in the Diocese of Scranton would hold a memorial service for the president the evening of April 15.

Temple Israel announced a memorial service for the deceased president would take place during regular Shabbat service April 13.

Scranton Mayor Howard Snowdon released a proclamation on the death of the president. In it he wrote, “President Roosevelt died on the field of battle, striving vigorously at all times for a victorious peace and a new postwar world based upon liberty, justice and equality for all the peoples of the world.”

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.

Geographically speaking, the flu has finally started to retreat in Pennsylvania, according to the latest weekly update from the state Department of Health.

Since the start of the year, the state has classified the flu as “widespread,” which meant more than half of the state’s regions saw outbreaks or increases in cases each week. In the week ending April 6, that classification at last bumped down to “regional,” meaning less than half of the state saw that kind of activity.

Lackawanna and Luzerne are among the counties experiencing downward momentum on the flu front.

Lackawanna County saw a modest 4 percent increase in laboratory-confirmed flu cases last week as 58 new cases brought the total since the season began to 1,599. That came two weeks after the county experienced a 16 percent jump in cases.

The number of cases in Luzerne County grew 7 percent, from 2,738 to 2,935, a slightly slower pace than the 9 percent increase from the week before.

Influenza is a contagious respiratory illness caused by viruses that infect the nose, throat and lungs. It can cause mild to severe illness and, at times, can lead to death, according to the Health Department. The best way to prevent the flu is by getting a flu vaccine each year.

Overall the state has collected 91,462 reports of the flu for the entire season, an increase of about 5,600 from the previous week.

The Northwest region of the state saw the most activity this time, health officials say.

Eight more people died from flu-like illnesses last week, bringing the total to 115 for the season, which includes two children.

Other common measures of flu activity are still above epidemic threshold, such as the percentage of outpatient visits associated with influenza.

But according to the state’s data, we’ve at least retreated to levels not seen since the beginning of the year.

SCRANTON

Parts of two city roads will be closed next week as Pennsylvania American Water crews install a second water line from the Lake Scranton Water Treatment Plant.

Work on the new 24-inch main is expected to begin Monday at East Mountain Road and Moltke Avenue and last through Friday, weather permitting. It’s part of a $21.5 million project to better serve Scranton residents.

East Mountain Road will be down to one lane at that intersection; flaggers will be in place to direct drivers through the construction area.

Moltke Avenue will be closed to all traffic at that intersection. A one-block detour will be in place allowing drivers to access Moltke Avenue via Wintermantle Avenue. Earth Court will also be closed to traffic at the intersection.

Work will take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

East Mountain Road will reopen at the end of each workday.

Customer water service will not be affected during the construction.

— STAFF REPORT

KINGSTON — Talia Johnson chose “I Will Always Love You,” by Whitney Houston, for her performance in the final round of NEPA Sings.

When the 21-year-old from Nazareth was called on stage for an encore, she went back into Houston’s repertoire, belting out “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” while her fellow competitors and some audience members danced to the music.

Johnson won the second annual NEPA Sings contest, hosted Tuesday by Wyoming Seminary’s Kirby Center for the Creative Arts. Judges picked her from a field of 12 finalists.

The event benefited Court Appointed Special Advocates of Luzerne County, a volunteer group that advocates on behalf of abused and neglected children. The competition raised more than $20,000 for the organization, host Dave Kuharchik said.

“I was assigned my first case over the summer and I’m working on it now, and it’s just amazing, the people who have gone through the program and volunteer their time. It’s amazing what they do. And it’s simply to advocate for the children,” said Carol Wills, a volunteer from Harding.

CASA recruits and trains volunteers to serve as the voice of local abused and neglected children.

“Whatever the children need, you are there to help to facilitate that, with Children and Youth, with the family, with the agency, with (Luzerne County) Judge (Jennifer) Rogers,” Wills said.

Rogers works with CASA in her role as judge in the county’s family court and dependency court.

In a video before the competition, she addressed prospective volunteers considering helping the organization’s mission.

“Do you want to be a voice for child who doesn’t have one right now? Do you want to better the life of another human being?” she asked.

CASA honored Rogers as a “Champion of Children” during intermission.

“What is most impressive is she brings an energy, enthusiasm, wisdom, compassion and understanding to make insightful decisions for the safety and best interests of the children of Luzerne County,” said Executive Director John Aciukewicz.

Also impressive was the performance Rogers gave after receiving her award, a rendition of “Something Worth Leaving Behind,” by Lee Ann Womack.

It was just one of the musical performances the crowd appreciated during the night.

“You filled this room right up,” contest judge Amanda Greene of 98.5 WKRZ told Johnson after her song. “And before, you were backstage championing for everyone. Go you.”

Johnson’s fellow competitors championed her right back, when they rushed to embrace her after she was crowned the winner.

“That tells you all you need to know,” Kuharchik said.

Johnson earned three hours of studio recording time, a one-track demo recording and the opportunity to sing the national anthem at a Wilkes-Barre/Scranto­n Penguins game. Second-place winner Maria Rinkunas, 16, of Clarks Summit, received a $500 gift card to Guitar Center.

Contact the writer:

bwellock@citizensvoice.com;

570-821-2051;

@CVBillW on Twitter

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders will come to Mohegan Sun Pocono in Plains Twp. on Monday to speak to delegates from the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals union, a union spokesman said Thursday.

Sanders will talk to about 250 union leaders in the union’s House of Delegates who represent registered nurses and other health care professionals throughout the state, he said.

A press release from Sanders’ campaign said he is scheduled to be at the meeting at 12:30 p.m. and the event is closed to the public.

“The 8,500 members of PASNAP are proud that a front runner for the Democratic nomination has decided to address our annual House of Delegates, where our leaders gather to set the strategic direction of our union for the year,”

PASNAP Vice President Roben Schwartz, a registered nurse at Gesinger Community Medical Center, said in an emailed statement. “Bernie Sanders is a strong ally of Pennsylvania’s nurses and health care professionals, and we look forward to welcoming him to northeast Pennsylvania.”

Sanders last visited the region on Oct. 8, 2016, when he spoke before about 300 people in Scranton High School’s gymnasium in support Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. The event was organized by the Scranton Federation of Teachers and the Pennsylvania State Education Association and included many educators.

The event is part of Sanders’ visits to battleground states over the next few days.

He plans to hold a rally in Pittsburgh on Sunday at 5 p.m. following rallies in Madison, Wisconsin, on Friday and Warren, Michigan, on Saturday.

He will meet with community members in Gary, Indiana, and union workers in Coopersville, Michigan, on Saturday.

On Sunday in Lordstown, Ohio, Sanders will sit down with AFT President Randi Weingarten, experts and workers in the community to discuss everything from plant closures to schools.

Sanders will end the swing with a stop in Bethlehem on Monday at 6:30 p.m. to participate in a town hall hosted by FOX News. This event also is closed to the public.

A press release from Sanders’ campaign says at rallies in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan — three states that flipped and voted for Donald Trump in 2016 — Sanders will deliver a message “focused on fighting against unfair trade deals that undermine workers wages and enrich CEOs, rebuilding and strengthening unions and guaranteeing health care as a right to all with Medicare for All.”

Contact the writer:

dallabaugh@citizensvoice.com;

570-821-2115;

@CVAllabaugh on Twitter

MARRIAGE LICENSE

• Richard Joseph Robinson Jr. and Alyssa Lauren Corey, both of Scott Twp.

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

• Andrew J. and Kimberly M. Gombar, Olyphant, to Deidre and Michael Frazier, Moscow; a property at 128 Delaware Ave., Olyphant, for $80,000.

• Martina Marino, executrix of the estate of Rose M. Napolitano, to Frank P. Cosentino, Staten Island, N.Y.; four parcels in Scranton for $32,000.

• James P. Trunzo, Dunmore, to John J. Quinn and Maria Angela McCool, Archbald; a property at 501-503 Boyle St., Dunmore, for $233,750.

• U.S. Bank NA, Owensboro, Ky., to Steven Krauss, Moscow; a property at 434 Phelps St., Scranton, for $38,500.

• Michael J. and Patricia A. Crawford, Avoca, to Emerson Beach Land Holdings LLC, Gouldsboro; a property at 213-215 N. Main Ave., Taylor, for $195,000.

• Ray and Lenore Cramer, Honesdale, to Robert and L. Natalie Warchola, Clifton, N.J.; a property at 126 Weatherby and Elm Street, Dalton, for $220,000.

• Jane Pardue, Dalton, to Neilton and Aline Barroso Dias, South Abington Twp.; a property at Fords Pond Road, Newton Twp., for $66,000.

DIVORCES SOUGHT

• Louise Kelly, Olyphant, v. Stacy W. Kelly II, Carbondale; married May 13, 2015, in Clarks Summit; Dominic J. Mastri, attorney.

• Frances Bartocci, Scranton, v. Shelly Sherman, Taylor; married June 27, 2014; Marjorie DeSanto Barlow, attorney.

• Janet R. Siglin, Dickson City, v. Allen Siglin, Tunkhannock; married Aug. 13, 1994; Marjorie DeSanto Barlow, attorney.

• Stephanie Cook, Hop Bottom, v. Earl Cook IV, Nicholson; married July 2, 2011, in Wyoming County; Kim A. Giombetti, attorney.

FEDERAL TAX LIEN

• Paul M. Biko, 352 Smith St., Apt. 1, Dunmore; $8,626,648.55.

LAWSUIT

• Anna Stocker and Clifford Smith, 2010 Edna Ave., Scranton, v. Deborah and Lee Beavers, 1508 Wood St., Scranton, seeking an amount in excess of $50,000, plus interest, costs and such other relief as the court deems appropriate, on four counts, for injuries suffered in an automobile accident on or about April 17, 2017, at approximately 1:57 p.m. on North Main Avenue, Scranton; Caroline Munley, attorney.

ESTATES FILED

• Forrest Compton, also known as Forrest C. Compton, 143 Pumphouse Road, Jefferson Twp., letters testamentary to Robert Neil Compton, 151 Pumphouse Road, Jefferson Twp.

• Ethel M. Locker, 318 Warren St., Scranton, letters testamentary to Jeffrey D. Locker, 1804 McDonough Ave., Scranton.

• Robert LaMorte Jr., also known as Robert D. LaMorte Jr., 446½ Grove St., Peckville, letters testamentary to Robert D. LaMorte III, 638 Miller St., Eynon.

• Helder C. Azevedo, Dunmore Health Care Group, 1000 Mill St., Dunmore, letters testamentary to Edward D. Azevedo, 4200 Juniper Drive, Reading.

ONLINE: thetimes-tribune.com/courts

Two parents and a grandmother are accused of tying a girl to a bed, forcing her to eat out of a soiled diaper and encouraging her siblings to beat her, according to police.

Michael Thomas Law, 29, and Cydney Alexis Magana, 26, both of 251 W. Shawnee Ave., Plymouth, and Joann Marie Ortmann, 60, of 89 William St., Pittston, are facing child endangerment charges alleging they abused and neglected a 9-year-old girl and her siblings for an extended period.

Police said Law is the father and Magana is the mother and stepmother of the children, while Ortmann is their grandmother. They are each charged with what police termed “severe child abuse” offenses in Plymouth and Duryea.

According to the complaints filed by Plymouth police, the adults locked the 9-year-old girl in a bedroom for extended periods and tied her to a bed.

The girl was also forced to wear urine-soaked clothing and prevented from showering for extended periods, according to police. The charges also allege the girl had a urine-soaked diaper placed on her head and that on several occasions she was forced to urinate in a bucket containing her toys.

She was deprived of food for extended periods, and when she was given food it was thrown on the floor so the girl would have to eat from the ground, police said. She was also forced to eat food out of a soiled diaper, police said.

The charges also allege the adults made the girl’s siblings beat her, and that Ortmann threw her against the wall and hit her with a small baseball bat. On one occasion, Ortmann smashed a coffee cup on her head, causing a large cut, police said.

During questioning, Law and Magana both said they were aware Ortmann had been abusing the girl and they were aware of the coffee cup attack. Law told police that Ortmann said the girl was ugly like her biological mother, the charges allege.

Both parents were aware of the abuse but failed to do anything to stop it, police said.

The charges said Law claimed Ortmann manipulated him into not calling the police because she took care of the finances and threatened to stop paying the rent and to not let him use the car.

The charges filed by Duryea police allege while the family lived at a home on Ferguson Street, Ortmann used zip ties to bind the wrists and ankles of two children, ages 7 and 4. The children were tied to the inside of a playpen, which was covered to prevent them from getting out, police said.

Law and Magana were present but failed to stop the abuse, according to police. Their uncle cut the zip ties and freed them when he visited the next morning, police said.

Police arrested the trio Wednesday after a four-month investigation. Police said the children were placed into protective custody before the investigation began and that they remain in protective custody.

Law is charged with two felony counts of child endangerment. Magana is charged with two felony counts of child endangerment as well as a felony count of false imprisonment. Ortmann is charged with two felony counts of child endangerment and one count each of false imprisonment, criminal conspiracy and simple assault.

Magisterial District Judge Donald L. Whittaker arraigned all three Wednesday evening and set bail at $500,000 for Law and Magana. Ortmann’s bail was set at $325,000.

They were being held at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility, with preliminary hearings set for April 24.

Contact the writer:

jhalpin@citizensvoice.com;

570-821-2058

Times-Shamrock honors staff

Current employees of Times-Shamrock who have served the company for 15-plus years were honored at a cocktail reception Thursday at the Scranton Club, during which new members Frank Andruscavage, Robert Baker, Peter Bortner, Leroy Boyer, Mike Brilhart, Barry Brower, Kathryn Clews, Arlen Day, Jacqueline Dormer, David Ebert, Aimee Eckley, Abigail Haggerty, Christine Heintzelman, Michael Joyce, Gina Krushinski, Stephanie Kunstek, Joanne Leffler, Robert Lipsky, George Marx, John McCool, Margaret McGrath, Julian Milewski, Neal O’Brien, Elizabeth Platko, Catherine Scheipe, Brian Smith, Deborah Spinelle and Grace Stallman were inducted. Times-Shamrock President and Publisher Donald Farley presented the club’s shamrock pins to the new members.

Modeled after the Scranton Times-Tribune 25 Year Club, now in its 97th year, the 15+ Year Club was established in April of 2013 to give the 15- to 24-year employees a taste of what’s to come. That taste included a glass of the famous milk punch served at the Times 25 Year Club party. The evening also included cocktails, light fare and a special toast by Farley to the new 15-plus-year employees.

The honorees

Other actively employed 25 Year Club members and current members of the Times-Shamrock 15 Year Club honored at the gathering include Denise Allabaugh, Mark Altavilla, Theresa Arcure, Ted Baird, Lawrence Bannon, Vanessa Baptista, Steven Bennett, Leonarda Bilbow, Terry Bonifanti, Victoria Bost, Ann Boylan, Daisy Ann Brack, Mary Jo Burch, Joseph Calogero, Catherine Collins, Cecelia Collins, Clare Collins, Donald Collins, Joseph Collins, Mauri Collins, Frank Cossa, Ronald Davis, Paul Deninno, Michael Digregorio, Kevin Donlin, Catherine Dowd, Janice Dowdell, Anthony Duchnowski, Donald Duffy, Daniel Duggan, Michael Durr, Donald Farley, Joby Fawcett, Kevin Fitzgerald, Faith Golay, Jeanette Gorman, James Grill, David Haas, Cecelia L. Haggerty, Christina Haggerty, Daniel Haggerty, James G. Haggerty, James J. Haggerty Jr., Matthew Haggerty, Karen Hallock, Lisa Hallock, Patrick Hannon, Joe Heffron, Eric Hetsko, Elizabeth Hill, Lawrence Hoban, Sheryl Hoggarth, Larry Holeva, Mark Hoover, Patricia Houston, Christopher Imperiale, Kathleen James, Robert Jones, Frank J. Jurkiewicz, Frank M. Jurkiewicz, Robert Kalinowski, John Kapp, Christopher Kelly, Steve Kleszyk, Glenn Knarr, Borys Krawczeniuk, Stephen Kroptavich, Jeffrey Lewis, Ann Luke, Anna C. Lynett, Brigid Lynett, Christopher Lynett, Edward Lynett Jr., Edward Lynett III, Elena Lynett, George Lynett, George Lynett Jr., Gregory Lynett, Gregory Lynett Jr., Jack Lynett, James Lynett, Jamie Lynett, Jean Lynett, Jennifer Lynett, Lynda Lynett, Mary Jean Lynett, Noelle Lynett, Patricia Lynett, Robert Lynett, Robert Lynett Jr., Scott R. Lynett, Sharon Lynett, William Henry Lynett, William R. Lynett, William Scott Lynett, Zoe Lynett, Alice Manley, Jessica Matthews, John McAndrew, Nadine McCue, Cecelia McGrath, Christopher McGrath, Christopher McGrath Jr., James McGrath, Jean McGrath, Nora McGrath, John McGurk, Patrick McKenna, Mark Moran, Lisa Ann Murray, Marty Myers, Kevin Naniewicz, Cynthia Nat, Joe Nealon, William Nish, Christina O’Hora, Kristin Dickinson O’Malley, Kevin O’Neill, Cecelia O’Rourke, Mari Olshefski, William Peck, Joseph Pesavento, Heather Petrikonis, Edward Pikulski, Claudia Pope, Vincent Puchalski Jr., Marguerite Rade, James Reeser, Ronald Reino, Beth Rensa, Rebecca Reynolds, Kathleen L. Rose, Kathleen M. Rose, Madeline Rose, Rachael Rose, Timothy Rose, Timothy Rose Jr., Michelle Ross, Paul Ross, Warren Ruda, Richard Seprish, Amy Seroska, David Singleton, Michael Slusser, Brady Stallman, Jamie Stallman, Sheila Stallman, Joseph Stokas, Michael Stone, Chantel Thompson, Joyce Thompson, Eric Toffey, Sharon Venturi, Bobby Walsh, Scott Walsh, Kathleen Weaver, Scott Wenrich, Tara Wilbur, Donna Yeager, Lisa Zaccagnino, Stanley Zdun and Joseph Zombek.

High notes

During the gathering, Alice Manley passed the presidency of the 15+ Year Club to Vanessa Baptista. Paul Ross was unanimously elected vice president.

SCRANTON

A hearing for the operator of the new Charl-Mont Restaurant in the Lackawanna County Government Center on drunken driving charges was postponed Thursday in Central Court.

The preliminary hearing for Eugene E. “Gino” Majewski Jr., 47, 128 Seneca Drive, Old Forge, has been rescheduled for May 9 at 11:30 a.m.

Majewski, who was awarded the lease to operate the Charl-Mont in January, was charged with driving under the influence after Old Forge police stopped his vehicle in the 200 block of Oak Street the night of March 1.

Originally scheduled to open in March, the new Charl-Mont is currently aiming for a mid-May opening.

— STAFF REPORT

A Scranton firefighter previously charged with two other DUIs is under investigation on suspicion of driving under the influence again after a two-car crash in Moosic on Wednesday night that injured several people, including two children.

Police requested a blood test and medical records on Kyle Armbruster, 32, 23 Marion Circle, Throop, from Geisinger Community Medical Center. Emergency medical personnel took him there from the scene of the crash on the 4400 block of Birney Avenue in Moosic, according to a search warrant.

Armbruster has worked with the Scranton Fire Department since Sept. 20, 2016, and earned a salary of $47,988.51 in 2018, according to city payroll documents.

“Kyle Armbruster is an employee of the Scranton Fire Department,” city fire Chief Pat DeSarno said Thursday, but declined to comment further on Armbruster’s status with the department.

Emergency medical personnel and police responded to the 4400 block of Birney Avenue at about 9:40 p.m. Wednesday for the report of a two-vehicle crash. Officers arrived to find a GMC Terrain and a Ford Explorer, both with heavy damage, blocking the road. All four people, including a 3½-year-old and a 6-month-old, in the Terrain were taken to the hospital with injuries, according to Moosic police.

Police found Armbruster, who drove the Explorer, walking away from the crash scene. He smelled of alcohol, stumbled as he walked and acted confused, according to the search warrant. He told police he was a Scranton firefighter and had been in Wilkes-Barre for a certification class, but he wasn’t sure how the crash happened and could only remember getting out of his vehicle, police said. Officers noticed a broken bottle of Evan Williams Honey bourbon in the Explorer.

A witness told police he followed the Ford traveling north on Interstate 81 and saw the vehicle swerve back and forth and strike the barrier wall before it got off the interstate at the Moosic exit, according to court documents. The witness also got off at the exit and happened upon the crash, police said.

Later, at the hospital, Armbruster changed his story and told police he was at an Alcoholic Anonymous meeting in Pittston and swerved to miss a deer when he hit a wall and noticed another car crash near his vehicle. Police then noticed an electronic ankle monitoring anklet on his leg; Armbruster told police he was on house arrest, according to court documents.

If Armbruster is charged with DUI related to the Moosic crash, it will be the third DUI he has faced in as many years. Court documents indicate Throop police filed charges against Armbruster in 2016 related to an incident on Aug. 18. He received a six-month accelerated rehabilitative disposition sentence for that charge. Under ARD, a program for first-time offenders, defendants’ records are expunged after completing the program.

State police in Luzerne County filed DUI charges against Armbruster related to an incident in Jenkins Twp. on April 9, 2018, according to online court dockets. Court documents indicate he pleaded guilty to those charges and last month, Luzerne County Senior Judge Joseph Augello sentenced Armbruster to 18 months on Luzerne County’s Intermediate Punishment Program. The program typically utilizes a period of house arrest with electronic monitoring followed by community-based supervision and usually includes additional conditions for offenders to fulfill, such as drug and alcohol treatment, random testing, community service and fines or restitution, according to the county website. Armbruster was permitted by the court to go to work while on house arrest and had been working, DeSarno said.

While court documents list Armbruster’s address as being in Throop, DeSarno also said he has been living in Scranton since working for the fire department. Provisions in the city’s general code requires city employees to live in the city unless they receive a waiver.

There’s no update on the conditions or identities of the four injured people. The investigation into the crash is ongoing, borough police said.

Contact the writer:

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

@ClaytonOver on Twitter

Two Scranton women shot during a February robbery in Wilkes-Barre turned themselves in to Blakely police Thursday on charges stemming from an armed robbery of a 16-year-old in the Midvalley in January.

Nichole Renee Santiago, 21, Scranton, who was paralyzed from the waist down during what police called a botched drug robbery on Feb. 12, is accused of dropping off Adam Matthew Miller, 18, in Blakely on Jan. 6 to meet with the teenage victim.

Blakely police said Miller met the unidentified victim on Facebook and developed a relationship. After asking the victim for gas money to give to Santiago on Jan. 6, Miller noticed she was carrying a lot of cash and began messaging Santiago, police said.

“We should rob her,” Santiago told Miller, according to the criminal complaint.

Santiago then involved her fiancee, Alanah Rose Sobrinski, 19 — who was shot in the back during the Wilkes-Barre robbery — and their friend, Gavin Michael Kuplinski, 22.

As Miller and the victim walked down River Street in Blakely around 6:30 p.m., Sobrinski and Kuplinski approached them and demanded their money. Police said Kuplinski had a knife and Sobrinski had a stun gun.

Miller and Kuplinski fled, leaving the victim with Sobrinski, who tried to shoot the teen with the stun gun. The victim told officers she gave them all the cash she had in her backpack, around $50.

Police found Miller at his home, 433 N. St. Frances Cabrini Ave. in Scranton. At first, he denied playing a role in the robbery but police watched surveillance footage that did not back up his statements. When questioned again, he confessed to the robbery, giving details about the conspiracy amongst Santiago, Sobrinski and Kuplinksi, police said.

Police filed criminal charges against him in January. Bail information was not available Thursday.

Kuplinski, who also confessed, told police that Santiago said Miller “set up his girlfriend to be robbed” and that he “had done this before.” He told officers that Sobrinski gave him the knife and a trench coat to wear during the robbery.

Santiago and Sobrinski would later be involved in a plot to rob a marijuana dealer in Wilkes-Barre, according to Wilkes-Barre police. However, Santiago said she was hired to drive the other suspects and she had no idea what they planned.

Santiago, 132 S. Filmore Ave., Scranton; Kuplinski, 2311 S. Webster Ave., Scranton; Sobrinski, 820 Eynon St., Scranton; and Miller each face charges of robbery, aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person and related counts.

Sobrinski’s and Santiago’s preliminary hearings are scheduled for April 22 at 11 a.m. Kuplinski’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 16 at 11 a.m. Bail was not immediately available.

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

BLUE RIDGE — Members of the Blue Ridge High School band and chorus had their instruments and equipment stolen while on an annual trip to Universal Studios Florida, the superintendent said.

A local family volunteers their truck and trailer to bring the equipment down to Florida every year, said Superintendent Matthew Button. When the students and their chaperons walked out of their hotel rooms on Thursday, both the truck and trailer were gone. They are working with local authorities in Florida to find the gear and are set to return home today, said Button.

The students also missed out on a music workshop at the University of Central Florida because of the stolen equipment, he said.

— KATHLEEN BOLUS

A young family of four injured Wednesday night in a wreck on Birney Avenue have all been released from the hospital, Moosic police said today.

Connor Knott, 21, and Kaila Kays, 23, and their two children, ages 3 ½ years and 6 months old, left Geisinger Community Medical Center on Thursday night, Officer James Decker said.

The young children, one of whom was initially reported as unconscious and possibly not breathing, will be OK, Decker said.

Meanwhile, the investigation into how the crash happened remains ongoing.

Investigators suspect a Scranton firefighter, Kyle Armbruster, was driving his Ford Explorer under the influence when he collided with Knott and Kyas’ GMC Terrain on the 4400 block about 9:30 p.m.

At the scene, Armbruster, 32, had difficulty walking and smelled of alcohol, police said. Officers found a broken bottle of Evan Williams Honey bourbon in his Explorer. Decker filed a search warrant for medical records pertaining to blood drawn while he was at GCMC to determine if he was under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

“We are just waiting on some lab results and the accident reconstruction report,” Decker said. “So it’ll be some time.”

Armbruster has not been charged in the crash.

Decker said that Armbruster’s driver’s license is listed by the state Department of Transportation as “expired, pending suspension.” Investigators are awaiting a certified copy of his PennDOT records.

“Kyle Armbruster is an employee of the Scranton Fire Department,” Fire Chief Patrick DeSarno said Thursday. However, whether he is on leave or actively drawing a city paycheck was unclear; DeSarno refused to say.

A call to Mayor Bill Courtright’s office Friday morning was returned a few hours later by DeSarno, who repeated his earlier statement and declined to elaborate “no matter how many different ways” the question was posed. Armbruster has been a firefighter since Sept. 20, 2016 and earned $47,988.51 in 2018.

If he’s charged in Wednesday’s wreck, it will be Armbruster’s third DUI in as many years.

Throop police charged him with his first DUI after an incident in August 2016.

He was charged with another DUI in May, after an April 9 crash on Interstate 81 North in Jenkins Twp.

In that case, a toxicology test of Armbruster’s blood reflected he was under the influence of morphine, fentanyl, norfentanyl and acetyl fentanyl, according to a complaint filed by Trooper Arron Visneski.

Fentanyl is a narcotic many times more powerful than heroin and its abuse has become the primary driver of the nation’s opioid epidemic.

Acetyl fentanyl, unlike fentanyl, however, has not been approved for medical use in the United States, according to an October U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration report.

Armbruster pleaded guilty to DUI in December and was sentenced in March to 90 days of confinement and 18 months of probation under Luzerne County’s Intermediate Punishment Program.

He was on house arrest at the time of Wednesday’s crash.

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

SCRANTON — The Lackawanna County Recycling Center rejected four truckloads from the city this week, forcing DPW employees into a sorting scramble that delayed curbside pickups by a day or two, officials said.

The city on Monday trucked the loads rejected that day to the DPW headquarters on Poplar Street, where employees hand-sorted out the recyclable items that the county recycling center will accept, and tossed out the rest as trash, officials said. During the rest of the week, DPW employees did curbside sorting on collection routes. That also contributed to pickup delays.

The situation was not unexpected, but it is avoidable.

In February, the Lackawanna County Solid Waste Management Authority authorized Lackawanna Recycling Center Inc., the private operator of the authority-owned facility, to alert municipalities that it will begin monitoring each load of recyclables before and after they are dumped there.

The recycling crackdown began April 1, when the center began rejecting loads from municipalities and private haulers contaminated with trash or materials that cannot be recycled.

The city and county have been trying to better inform residents about the developments. The city has posted a brochure on its website explaining what and how to recycle.

Recycling information also is available online at recycling.lackawannacounty.org.

“It is a problem. Education is going to be very important,” Scranton city Business Administrator David Bulzoni said.

Part of the problem stems from reduced demand abroad for recycled materials and acceptance of only higher quality plastic resins, Bulzoni said.

“For the longest time, there was a lot of demand for recycled material. The demand isn’t there any longer and the recipient countries in some cases are looking for more quality material,” Bulzoni said. “It’s got a pretty wide-reaching effect.”

The larger economic forces filtering down to the street will increasingly mean “you’ve got to improve your game” in recycling, Bulzoni said.

That’s where education comes into play. Many items bearing triangular recycling arrow symbols and numbers are no longer recyclable.

“You’re almost going back to the way it was when recycling was first introduced,” with only a few numbered symbol markings on bottles, cans and jars.

The recycling center uses a dual-stream process. Newsprint, corrugated cardboard and magazines make up one stream, while certain glass, plastic, aluminum and tin cans and containers make up the other. While many private haulers serving municipalities accept single-stream recycling, which allows materials to be mixed together, municipalities and haulers using the facility must keep the two streams separate.

The recycling center operator bears the cost of hauling and disposing nonrecyclables at Keystone Sanitary Landfill. Rejection of contaminated deliveries reduces the disposal cost. Both the landfill and Lackawanna Recycling Center Inc. are owned by businessman Louis DeNaples.

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

What can I recycle?

— Clean bottle and jars, but throw the metal lids away.

— Clean tin and aluminum cans.

— Clean plastic bottles and jars, including lids and tops.

— Heavy and lightweight cardboard boxes, but discard all liners.

— Empty paper towel rolls and pizza boxes.

— Newspaper, magazines, catalogues, phone books, office paper, mail and envelopes but check with your municipality if they should be kept separate from bottles and cans.

What can’t I recycle?

— Toys and plant pots.

— Straws.

— Plastic bags. You can usually return them to the store where you got them.

— Food wrappers, styrofoam containers, plastic utensils, snack bags and plastic wrap.

— Plastic, foam or paper cups and plates.

For more information, visit recycling.lackawannacounty.org.

LAKE TOWNSHIP — A tractor rollover in Wayne County claimed the life of a township man today.

Richard Chamberlain, 87, 105 Keystone Road, died when a tractor overturned on him in a wooded area near 115 Keystone Road, according to the Wayne County coroner’s office. County Coroner Edward Howell declared him dead at the scene at about 12:50 p.m.

Authorities ruled the death an accident and determined the cause of death to be asphyxiation, according to the coroner’s office.

— CLAYTON OVER

SCRANTON — Two city residents face charges after police seized close to $12,000 in drugs and cash Thursday.

The city police Street Crimes Unit arrested David Bomboy, 59, 523 S. Webster Ave., Apt. 2, at about 4 p.m. on the 500 block of South Webster Avenue after pulling him over on traffic violations.

Believing he was selling crystal methamphetamine from the apartment, officers searched Bomboy and found Naloxone and more than $9,000 in his wallet and a fanny pack concealed under his shirt, police said. Police also found prescription drugs in a purse of passenger Jennifer Harvey, 38. Officers searched the couple’s apartment and seized crystal meth, marijuana, fentanyl and prescription drugs worth $2,740 in street value.

Bomboy is held in Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $125,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 25. Harvey will be charged via summons.

— CLAYTON OVER

April 13, 1969

Valley View will have daily prayer

The new Valley View School Board voted unanimously to have daily prayer in the district’s schools starting in the fall.

School board member Michael Skovira suggested having daily prayer and said the Hazleton Area School Board had recently OK’d the return of daily prayer.

The U.S. Supreme Court in 1963 ruled that prayer and Bible readings as an opening exercise in public schools was unconstitutional. The Clairton School District in western Pennsylvania returned to daily Bible readings, and the state Education Department notified the district that it was in violation of the Supreme Court ruling.

“The worst they can do is to get an injunction to stop us,” Superintendent Robert LaFrankie said.

First artificial kidney machine

Scranton State General Hospital was home to the first artificial kidney machine in the area — the result of a conversation between a doctor and nurse.

According to the hospital, Dr. Edward P. Swartz, attending physician, was treating an Archbald woman who had kidney failure.

Patricia Kruper, a nurse and Archbald resident who was also working with the patient, told Swartz she had previously worked with Dr. William G. Esmond, a University of Maryland professor, who developed an artificial kidney machine for home use.

Swartz phoned Esmond to learn more about his machine. Swartz found the machine would work for his patient.

Swartz contacted the local Social Security office and found that Medicare would pay for 80% of the $1,000 machine. He ordered the machine, and the local patient was reported to have responded well to the treatment.

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.