SCRANTON — A former officer with the Jefferson Twp. Ambulance Association will spend at least six months in Lackawanna County Prison for stealing from the volunteer organization.

Dorothy J. Dennis, 71, Lake Ariel, was sentenced Wednesday by Lackawanna County President Judge Michael J. Barrasse to six to 23 months in jail plus four years of probation.

Barrasse also ordered Dennis, the ambulance association’s former treasurer, to make restitution of $18,486.

Investigators accused Dennis and her late husband, Gerald, in January 2018 of stealing more than $68,000 from the ambulance group and its relief association by signing the names of other people on checks from the organizations that they made payable to themselves.

The thefts happened over an almost five-year period from January 2013 until November 2017, according to arrest papers.

Originally charged with 189 counts of theft and forgery, Dennis pleaded guilty to two counts of theft by unlawful taking in August.

As he prepared to hand down the sentence, Barrasse asked Dennis what happened to the ambulance association money.

“It’s very hard to explain because I didn’t have receipts for a lot of things,” she said.

Dennis told the judge she accepts responsibility for her actions but said she was also blamed for things other people did, including not saving receipts. She described her late husband as absent-minded.

Defense attorney Keri Savage told the judge receipts were found to explain a “good portion” of the money investigators originally suspected had been stolen.

She said Dennis has struggled since her husband’s passing and is attempting to sell her property to make full restitution. Dennis told the court she has a prospective buyer coming from Colorado next week.

Investigators dropped the charges against Dennis’ husband a few months before his death in October.

Contact the writer:

dsingleton@timesshamrock.com, 570-348-9132

June 7, 1979

Announcement slated

at movie premiere

The local premiere of “Rocky II” at the West Side Theatre would have some extra excitement June 15. James B. McNulty and attorney Edmund Scachitti planned to make an announcement having to do with the general election in November.

Political insiders believed they would be announcing a run for Lackawanna County commissioner.

The cost to attend the event was $10 per person. The donation included champagne, the movie and the announcement.

Curfew to be enforced for Clarks Summit kids

A June 6 Clarks Summit council meeting was a busy one.

First on the agenda was passage of a curfew ordinance for children. Kids under the age of 18 would have to be indoors between 10:30 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless accompanied by an adult. The new curfew would be enforced by borough police.

Next, council updated the fine from a 1912 ordinance that outlawed dumping of yard waste in the street. The original fine was $2; the new fine was $25 per violation.

Council also awarded contracts for road work in the borough. The contracts went to Keystone Paving with a bid of $14,141 for the work and Wyoming Sand & Stone with a bid of $14.50 a ton for the materials.

Out & About

At the clubs: “Country Honey” at the Pub Charles, “Asparagus Sunshine” at the Wine Cellar, Bob Rogers & Ed Lenihan at Collins Tap Room and disco dancing at Time Square Disco, Studio 231 and Oz.

At the movies: “Blazing Saddles” at the Center Theatre, “Grease” at the Ritz, “The Deer Hunter,” “Battlestar Galactica” and “The Promise” at the Cinema at Viewmont Mall, “Hair” at the West Side, and “The Evictors” and “Sunnyside” at Circle Drive-In.

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.

POTTSVILLE

Charlotte, a 3-year-old redbone pit bull mix, is vying for the title of American Hero Dog.

The national award is bestowed on a dog based on public voting, and Charlotte, owned by Jennifer Lettich-Snyder of Ashland, has advanced through the first round. The pit bull helps find missing people, and her owners said she helps promote a positive image of the breed.

The second round started May 23 and runs to July 18, and the third round is Aug. 1 to Sept. 9.

The American Humane Hero Dog Awards are an annual nationwide competition to salute dogs who do extraordinary things, organizers said. A winner in each of seven categories competes in a final round in California in October.

Charlotte, “a scent discriminating trailing dog,” is competing in the search and rescue category. The public can vote at herodogawards.org.

— AMY MARCHIANO

The same company that built wind turbines throughout Wayne County has its sights set on the Upvalley for a new wind farm, but residents are concerned.

About 30 Upvalley residents filled the Meredith Hose Company in Carbondale Twp. on Thursday for the monthly township supervisors meeting, discussing the impact wind turbines could have on their community and giving supervisors suggestions on taxation, protecting property values and homes.

Florida-based NextEra Energy Resources, which constructed the Waymart Wind Energy Center in 2003, accrued nearly a dozen easements and property transactions in the Midvalley and Upvalley over the past two years. However, Carbondale Twp. officials repeatedly emphasized to residents Thursday night that they have not received any official requests.

Doing business as Waymart Wind II LLC, NextEra purchased three acres in Archbald near Routes 6 and 107, according to a property transaction recorded March 13. It also obtained easements in Archbald, Carbondale city, Fell Twp. and Jefferson Twp.

Last month, NextEra officials presented informal plans in Carbondale Twp. for a 24-turbine wind farm that spans several municipalities. Eight of the turbines would be in the township. The wind turbines, which would be west of Route 6, would run north from the township to Union Dale.

By comparison, the Waymart Wind Energy Center has 43 1.5-megawatt turbines, according to the company. Those turbines are visible along Route 6 in Wayne County close the Lackawanna County line.

Attempts to reach NextEra officials were unsuccessful Thursday.

NextEra would have transmission lines in Archbald, and it is looking into constructing a facility in the borough to link up with PPL Electric Utilities for power distribution, Archbald borough Manager Jack Giordano said. The transmission lines are considered a public utility, “so it allows them to do it more or less,” but the facility would need zoning approval, he said.

According to the easements, NextEra “intends to develop the Waymart II Wind Farm project, a wind farm in Lackawanna, Susquehanna and Wayne counties.”

During last month’s meeting in Carbondale Twp., supervisors passed an ordinance to make wind turbines a special exception in their zoning while also establishing safeguards for the community regarding noise, height, setback distances and other restrictions.

Regulations include requiring applicants to provide visual depictions of how the wind turbines would look in the township, limiting noise to 55 decibels measured at the exterior of any occupied building or non-participating landowner’s property and establishing setback requirements based on the height of the wind turbines.

Before the meeting, Board of Supervisors Chairman Paul Figliomeni explained that the township didn’t have anything about wind turbines in its zoning, nor any regulations in place.

“We can’t stop them from bringing windmills in,” he said. “We had to establish some kind of rules and regulations that we could go by and they could go by.”

The company will still need zoning hearing board approval to construct any turbines in the township, Figliomeni said.

However, a group of concerned residents who believe regulations need to be stronger have formed a grassroots group called Waymart II Community.

At Thursday’s meeting, Sharrie Woody discussed the impact wind turbines could have on endangered bat species in the area. She challenged a comment made earlier by Supervisor Frank Lapka about noise from turbines, saying, “Don’t tell me you can’t hear them — and you can hear them even more when the wind is more pronounced” and during the winter.

“I must have bad hearing,” Lapka said.

Theresa Okrak requested a property setback further than 1,400 feet, saying, “That’s 500 yards. That’s nothing.”

Bob Rossi asked that, if the plan come to fruition, supervisors establish an agreement guaranteeing property values prior to the installation of wind turbines, and that “they would be fully responsible for reimbursing the landowners for any loss that would be incurred” from a decrease in property values or any other issues that arise.

John Uram asked supervisors to consider taxing wind turbines on megawatt production rather than receiving a flat fee like other townships, and to bring the Carbondale Area School District into negotiations.

William Fife asked the supervisors to form an advisory committee comprised of residents, although the supervisors disagreed.

“Everybody wants green (energy) until it’s in their backyards,” he said after the meeting.

Contact the writer: flesnefsky@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5181; @flesnefskyTT on Twitter

HARRISBURG

A Wilkes-Barre native has been appointed commissioner of Pennsylvania State Police, authorities announced Thursday.

Col. Robert Evanchick was confirmed in a unanimous vote by the state Senate to serve as the 23rd state police commissioner.

“It is truly an honor to follow in the footsteps of those who came before me and serve as commissioner of the oldest, and what I believe is the finest, state police force in the country,” Evanchick said in a statement.

A native of Wilkes-Barre, Evanchick, 61, had been serving as PSP’s acting commissioner since March 2018. Evanchick began his career as a Wilkes-Barre police officer before enlisting as a state trooper in 1981. He is a former commander of the Dunmore barracks.

As commissioner, he will be in charge of more than 6,500 enlisted and civilian employees.

— JAMES HALPIN

A story published on Page G4 of the June 5 edition of Weekend Times contained incorrect gender pronouns for artist Nik Angel Moreno. Moreno uses he/his pronouns.

WILKES-BARRE TWP.

The Luzerne County Transportation Authority will provide free bus service to a dental clinic at Mohegan Sun Arena today and Saturday.

The Dental Mission Of Mercy in Pennsylvania and the 3rd District Dental Society of the Pennsylvania Dental Association are hosting a two-day free dental clinic at the arena, off Highland Park Boulevard, with the goal of treating about 2,000 patients.

The transportation authority will run free express buses from the intermodal center in Wilkes-Barre to the arena.

Today, buses will leave the intermodal center at 7 and 11 a.m., and 3 and 6 p.m. On Saturday, buses will leave at 9 a.m. and 1 and 4 p.m.

Also, transportation authority representatives will be at the intermodal center from 9 a.m. till 1 p.m. today to help people find bus service that will take them near the arena, if the timing of the free express buses does not work with their schedule.

— ERIC MARK

SCRANTON — St. Joseph’s Center is hiking wages for staff who care for residents and clients with intellectual, physical and developmental disabilities.

In July, the hourly starting wage for experienced direct support professionals, or DSPs, will increase to $15. That’s almost $2 per hour more than the starting wage such staff earned in January, and $4.02 more than the starting wage in July 2015. New DSPs will earn a training rate of $14 per hour, with that rate rising to $15 after six months.

The center employs about 400 DSPs who support roughly 550 clients with disabilities. Those professionals act as caretakers and advocates, and represent nearly 70% of the nonprofit’s total workforce.

Officials touted the wage hikes — which are part of a larger initiative that includes tuition assistance, leadership development, a career ladder and other incentives for DSPs — as addressing a workforce crisis in the field. That national crisis, officials said, is partly because of low wages that often force dedicated and compassionate DSPs from the profession, resulting in vacancies and high turnover that contribute to workforce instability.

Along with reductions in vacancies and overtime, Sister Maryalice Jacquinot, I.H.M., the center’s president and CEO, said the wage hikes will help the center retain qualified DSPs.

A Moses Taylor Foundation $500,000 grant supports the wage increases.

“We know that ensuring the quality and continuity of care is truly critical to improving the health of people in our region,” Moses Taylor Foundation President and CEO LaTida Smith said. “And we are really excited about this effort, and hope that St. Joseph Center’s leadership will help to increase wages among other support-care staff throughout our community.”

Also pleased with the news was Delta Medix CEO Margo Opsasnick, who developed close bonds with the DSPs who care for her 24-year-old son, Mark Opsasnick.

The family turned to St. Joseph’s Center in 2012, after Mark Opsasnick, who has Down syndrome, suffered a severe medical issue that left him paralyzed.

“It’s never been about the money for them, but to me this is a way to solidify their work at St. Joe’s, to reward them for what they do and enable them to be able to continue their work,” Margo Opsasnick said. “The problem is, if they don’t make a decent wage, they can’t continue to do what they do, and it’s so valuable.”

The center will hold a hiring event from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 25 in its Cognetti Room, 2010 Adams Ave.

Contact the writer:

jhorvath@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9141;

@jhorvathTT on Twitter

Launch party

Times-Shamrock Communications hosted a handful of the area’s top influencers and business people Thursday evening as it unveiled the company’s new, interactive entertainment website, Access NEPA.

Downtown Scranton speakeasy Madame Jenny’s set the scene for the sneak peek of AccessNEPA.com, which goes public on Thursday, June 13. (Look for users’ guides that day in The Times-Tribune, The Citizens’ Voice, Standard-Speaker and Republican Herald.) The site will feature a searchable event calendar, blogs, podcasts, videos, and news and entertainment features that cover the entire region.

Among those on the attendance list were: Vince Archer, Maria Augustine, Chris and Ivy Berry, Sherri Bouselli, Rob Burkett, Meghan Burns, Shamus Cadden, Phil Calachino, Patti Catalano, Dave Castelli, Joe and Mauri Haggerty Collins, Beth Dal Santo, Matt Dantone, Nina DeCosmo, Sandy and Randy Dickison, Chris Dubaskas, David Falchek, Erica Gallagher, Bill Genello, Aurore Giguet, Michael Golay, John Heim, Tim Holmes, Ryan and Amy Hnat, Kelcie Hromisin, Glynis M. Johns, Matt Keisling, Lisa Klee, Kurt Lowry, Sharon Lynett, Mike McAndrew, Jessica McDonough, Maggie McGregor, Virginia Doherty McGregor, Conor McGuigan, Maura McGuire, Joseph Moralez, Chloe Nawrocki, Elisha and Pat Nolan, George Oschal, Kim Pavlick, Jessica Perechinsky, Courtney Quirk, Tara and Zach Russo, Jessica Rutkowski, Kim Kost Scanlon, Shane Scanlon, Michele Scavo, Layna Schrader, Liz Sompel, Ciara and Tammy Speicher, Alex St. John, Heather Stuart, Rosemary Egan Tabone, Joe Tutino, Jenn Warnetski, Aja Wentum, Donna Will, Wendy Wilson, Micah and Lauren Woodward, Brenda Zarick and Jess Zielen.

Times-Shamrock staffers included Larry Holeva, Joe Butkiewicz, Faith Golay, Kristin O’Malley, Eric Toffey, Terry Dietz, Brian Fulton, Patrice Wilding, Gia Mazur, Caitlin Heaney West, Laura Rysz, Kevin O’Neill, Kat Bolus, Clare Collins, Danielle Gregori, Megan Campbell, Jillian Petroski, Lisa Murray, Vanessa Baptista, Jim Cuhna, Jamie Christison, Cathy Dowd, Leah Kappler, Jerry Bednash, Nancy Grand, Ann Boylan, Nico Rossi, Brittnay Garrett, Rebecca Reynolds, Dave Mehall, John Lamberton, Dan Kosloski, John Nicodem, Cali Mataloni, Lindsey Roscioli, Emma Black, Alice Manley, Paula Bohn, Janice Dowdell, Pat McKenna, Terry Bonifanti, Cecilia Baress, Kelly Finkernagel and Tara Harrison.

“We’re saying farewell to Electric City and unlocking the possibilities and adventure of Access NEPA,” Times-Tribune Advertising Director Paul Ross explained to the assembled crowd.

Times-Shamrock Publisher and President Don Farley added, “What we’re unveiling next week is very exciting. … You name it, you’ll find it there. You’re about to see an explosion of content through Access NEPA.”

— PATRICE WILDING

MARRIAGE LICENSES

■ Jennifer Lynn Dehaven and Peter Gilbert Lynch Jr., both of Richmondale.

■ Shane Patrick Farrell and Rachel Marie Dohnalek, both of Erie.

■ Theodore Eugene Frutchey and Phyllis Ann Pitch, both of Scranton.

■ Nina Cassandra Stivala and Shane Dylan Purdy, both of Dunmore.

■ Austin Kline and Sarah Charney, both of Scranton.

■ Francisco Jose Rodriguez, Scranton, and Marcia Mirqueya Rodriguez, Easton.

■ Edward John Dolinish III, Old Forge, and Natalie Rose Launchi, Avoca.

■ Mark James Siderowicz and Alexa Ann Kerecman, both of Archbald.

■ Matthew George Vacendak and Alyssa Louise Mallory, both of Dalton.

■ Nina Marie Shayka and Bradley Robert Shank, both of Archbald.

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

■ Jon P. and Ann L. Kaczmarek Strunk, Jefferson Twp., to Christopher Taylor and Maegan Lucas, Jefferson Twp.; a property at 211 Willow Drive, Jefferson Twp., for $196,640.

■ Victor Guerrero, Queens, N.Y., to David and Kristyn Rivera, Scott Twp.; a property in Dunmore for $201,000.

■ Vincent and Katherine K. Douaihy, Scranton; Yasmine and Eugene Kane Jr., Vero Beach, Fla., to Patrick T. Mineo, Scranton; a property at 1207 Richmont St., Scranton, for $143,000.

■ USA HUD, Washington, D.C., to Thomas J. Miller Jr.; a property at 1218 Reynolds Ave., Taylor, for $68,100.

■ Joyce S. and Nancy Ann Schlejen, now by marriage Nancy Ann Swendsen, Gouldsboro, to Gerald Richard and Nora Elizabeth Becker, Grandy, N.C.; a property in Clifton Twp. for $209,000.

■ Fairway Consumer Discount Co., Luzerne, to Jason and Sara Keyser, Dupont; a property in Spring Brook Twp. for $30,000.

■ James Yakavich, Moosic, to Thaddeus J. Manchak, Moosic; a property at 3800 Wylam Ave., Moosic, for $150,000.

■ Patricia Maher, now by marriage Patricia Krahl, Scranton, to Richard R. and Frances A. Ruvulo, Scranton; a property at 36 Oakwood Drive, Scranton, for $185,000.

■ Joshua Alexander Jacks to National Residential Nominee Services Inc.; a property at 48 Wyndham Road, Unit 48, South Abington Twp., for $274,000.

■ National Residential Nominee Services Inc. to James A. and Linda Specht; a property at 48 Wyndham Road, Unit 48, South Abington Twp., for $274,000.

■ Joan M. Walsh, Jennifer and Rodney Sedillo, Florida, to Eric L. and Christina L. Boylan, South Abington Twp.; a property at 206 Leach Hill Road, South Abington Twp., for $159,500.

■ Dana Marie Spinozza, now known as Dana Marie Barrett, Lackawanna County, to Boccella & Daughters Real Estate LLC, Eynon; a property at 634-636 S. Blakely St., Dunmore, for $133,000.

■ Eugene A. Jr. and Kristy A. Jankowski, Elmhurst Twp., to Ralph D. Bohn III, Scranton; a property at 421 Stafford Ave., Scranton, for $60,000.

■ Janice Suvock, trustee of the Regina Flynn Irrevocable Personal Residence Trust Agreement, Dickson City, to John Kerekes Jr., Dickson City; a property at 513 W. Lackawanna Ave., Dickson City, for $105,000.

■ Dean Sai One Enterprises LLC, Dingmans Ferry, to Siniawa Plaza LLC, Chester Springs; a property at 851 Business Route 6, Dickson City, for $1.85 million.

■ HKB Realty LLC, Dickson City, to Everyton A. Brown, Old Forge; two parcels in Olyphant for $139,000.

■ Linda Seland, Dunmore, to Eric J. Race, Carbondale; a property in Carbondale for $53,500.

■ Christa M. Lucas to Amaker Green; a property at 411 First St., Jessup, for $120,000.

■ Timothy W. and Jennifer S. Hayner to Kevin and Melinda Vinson; a property at 606 Gladiola Drive, Clarks Summit, for $245,000.

■ William F. Golden, administrator of the estate pf Robert Golden, also known as Robert J. Golden, to Katie Golden, Scranton; Alice M. Golden and Donald Thomas, Wesley Chapel, Fla.; a property at 2143 Rockwell Ave., Scranton, for $65,000.

■ Ryan and Karina Sheehan, Clarks Summit, to Matthew A. and Kathryn DeVivo, Lackawanna County; a property at 810 Hilltop Drive, Clarks Summit, for $220,000.

■ Lillian Vargas, Scranton, to John and Dawn Wagnon, Bastrop, Texas; a property at 201-203 Wheeler Ave., Scranton, for $115,000.

DIVORCES SOUGHT

■ Jacqueline Murphy, Lackawanna County, v. Jeffrey Murphy, Moosic; married on April 4, 1993; DeAnne L. Greene, attorney.

■ Jean M. Loomis, Vandling, v. Randall R. Weller Jr., Lackawanna County; married on Oct. 24, 2014, in Fairfield County, S.C.; Frank J. Ruggiero, attorney.

LAWSUIT

■ John Martz, 203 Mountain Manor, Scranton, v. PRRC Inc., doing business as Pricerite, 611 Luzerne St., Scranton; NAI Summit, 1620 Pond Road, Suite 150, Allentown; M. Mayo Striping, 2480 State Route 92, Falls Twp., seeking an amount in excess of $50,000, as well as costs, interest and any other relief the court deems just and appropriate, on three counts, for injuries suffered on the defendants’ premises on or about June 8; Patrick J. Hughes, attorney.

STATE TAX LIENS

■ Daniel Carrasquillo, 1016 Sterling St., Scranton; $872.68.

■ Joseph M. Jr. and Chrstine M. Sunday, 427 Cortez Road, Jefferson Twp.; $4,481.63.

■ Michele M. and Thomas J. Devine, 2102 S. Webster Ave., Scranton; $802.58.

■ IDGroup Inc., 101 Wyoming Ave., Floor 2, Scranton; $1,283.83.

■ Scranton Home Mirror & Glass LLC, 1930 Cedar Ave., Scranton; $8,563.60.

■ Andrew Lengel, 118 N. Lackawanna Trail, Dalton; $17,261.03.

■ 3 Jacks LLC, 233 E. Drinker St., Dunmore; $3,941.69.

■ Colarusso’s Bistro Inc., 305 Glenmaura Drive, Moosic; $11,632.92.

■ Millers Country Store LLC, 1148 Old Trail Road, Clarks Summit; $798.78.

■ Russoniello Realty Co., 521 Wyoming Ave., Scranton; $6,165.53.

■ Jessup Auto Repair Inc., 1320 Moosic Lake Road, Jessup; $4,826.08.

■ Millers Country Store LLC, 1148 Old Trail Road, Clarks Summit; $22,543.38.

■ Timothy M. and Margaret K. Earley, 926 Providence Road, Apt. 2, Scranton; $2,375.87.

■ Carlos R. Mendoza, 428 Genet St., Apt. 2, Scranton; $8,801.70.

■ Cory Dennebaum, 2328 Cherry Hill Road, Clarks Summit; $18,773.94.

■ Michael J. Voight, 116 Upper Powderly St., Carbondale; $2,618.45.

■ Christopher Summerhill, 10028 Bridge Lane, Clarks Summit; $1,776.96.

■ Olde Milwaukee Cafe Bakery, 2613 Milwaukee Road, Clarks Summit; $6,932.95.

■ Holly Sales NEPA LLC, 419 Walnut St., Scranton; $14,171.89.

■ Sleep Unlimited LLC, 600 Scranton Carbondale Highway, Eynon; $3,669.38.

■ Mackrells A&A Pizza and Hoagie LLC, 177 Handley St., Eynon; $4,671.87.

■ Top Japanese Food, 100 Viewmont Mall, Scranton; $19,315.51.

■ Al’s Tobacco & Gift Shop LLC, 220 Church St., Jessup; $40,122.55.

■ Marla C. Purdy, 1746 Wayne Ave., Scranton; $327.38.

■ Robert Caramanno, 1101 S. Main Ave., Scranton; $3,651.20.

■ Gerald Timinski, 5 Timinski Road, Spring Brook Twp.; $2,290.11.

■ Dominick Andidora, 58 Salem Ave., Carbondale; $4,028.91.

■ Drinker Pizza LLC, 739 E. Drinker St., Dunmore; $6,888.17.

■ Nicholson Distributing Co. Inc., 4 Patricia Circle, Spring Brook Twp.; $2,378.08.

■ Heath G. Goldstein, individually and as vice president of 1st Financial Investments Inc., 83 Abington Gardens Drive, South Abington Twp.; $1,193.36.

■ James P. Granville Jr., 13 Hon Ave., Clarks Summit; $1,400.04.

■ Mac Sign Systems Inc., 232 S. Sherman Ave., Scranton; $317.50.

■ Francis Hosie, 320 N. Main St., Archbald; $5,018.22.

■ Coleen O’Boyle, 404 Prescott Ave., Scranton; $12,430.82.

■ Francis W. Smith, 1420 Fordham Court, Scranton; $11,468.57.

■ Western AG Enterprises Inc., 28 Susan Drive, Scott Twp.; $16,399.88.

FEDERAL TAX LIENS

■ John P. O’Boyle, 1504 Green Ridge St., Dunmore; $34,929.94.

■ ME Enterprise Services Inc., Main Technologies Corp., 325 Bridge St., Old Forge; $11,027.50.

■ Eugene D. and Colleen Harasym, 140 Clarkson Road, Benton Twp.; $298,919.40.

■ Roy Evans, 1130 Dean St., Archbald; $19,706.16.

ESTATES FILED

■ Ruth W. Yavorski, 119 N. Garfield Ave., Scranton, letters testamentary to Chester C. Yavorski Jr., 140 Ondish Road, Shavertown.

■ Mary Lee Haglin, 705 Salisbury Road, South Abington Twp., letters testamentary to Steven A. Haglin, same address.

■ Mary Petitto, also known as Mary R. Petitto, 202 Mortimer St., Dunmore, letters testamentary to Josephine Petitto, same address.

■ Jillian M. Panunti, 618 Clark St., Old Forge, letters of administration to Maria Panunti, same address.

■ Walter A. Saavedra, 1803 Brick Ave., Scranton, letters of administration to Gloria Broussard, 164 Chestnut St., Rochelle Park, N.J.

ONLINE: thetimes-tribune.com/courts

Almost five months after FBI agents raided Scranton Mayor Bill Courtright’s home and City Hall, the mayor continues to decline to comment on whether he is innocent of criminal wrongdoing.

For weeks, rumors have circulated that he plans to plead guilty days after his daughter’s June 15 wedding. Courtright denied those rumors Thursday. And, when asked if he is innocent, the mayor referred questions to his lawyer, Paul Walker, as he’s routinely done since the raid.

“These discussions are all premature,” Walker said of speculation about the mayor’s future.

Shortly after FBI agents raided Courtright’s home and City Hall on Jan. 9, Walker issued a statement saying the mayor “has fully cooperated in the investigation and has answered the questions posed by the federal authorities.”

“The mayor vehemently denies any wrongdoing and is confident that when the investigation is complete he will be exonerated,” Walker said.

Walker declined to comment Thursday when asked if that statement still stands.

The mayor was willing Thursday to talk about trying to sell his commercial building at 110 S. Main Ave. that hosts his Summit Karate Club. Courtright, who co-owns the building with his wife, Mary Kim, said he listed it for sale for six months last year through another sales agent, but the asking price was apparently too high. He’s asking $54,900 for the building this time, according to a listing on the website of Classic Properties Inc., the sales agent.

Courtright, 62, who began studying karate at age 10, said he is only selling because “I’m only there three hours a week. I don’t have any time.”

He said he might find a smaller venue to host classes for the few students he has left.

“It’s a hobby,” he said.

The building comes with a three-bedroom, second-floor apartment. Courtright said the apartment tenant has lived there more than 35 years. The Courtrights bought the building for $30,000 in May 1983, according to the Lackawanna County’s assessment database.

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

SCRANTON — Lackawanna College will launch the only two-year registered nurse program in Lackawanna County to help address a regional nursing shortage.

The new associate of science degree in nursing program will begin in fall 2020, with a goal of 25 students in the initial class.

“It’s an exciting opportunity, and it’s much needed for the region,” college President Mark Volk said at Thursday’s announcement.

The program will take half the time of a traditional bachelor’s degree in nursing and will prepare students to take the National Council Licensure Examination-RN and directly enter the workforce. Graduates could then enroll in the college’s online RN-to-BSN program, a program for nurses who are practitioners but want extra training and a bachelor’s degree.

“This has been a dream for many years,” Volk said. “Now, we’re finally able to bring it to fruition.”

The college will use a $500,000 grant from the Moses Taylor Foundation to outfit a state-of-the-art simulation skills lab that students in the program will use. With the use of four mannequins, students will receive training in multiple scenarios.

“Lackawanna College students are from our community, and they stay in our community,” said LaTida Smith, president and CEO of the Moses Taylor Foundation. “The college has a proven track record of providing affordable, quality education that is accessible to local residents and addresses immediate needs in the local healthcare workforce.”

The need for RNs in Lackawanna County will increase 15.5% between 2014 and 2024, much higher than most occupations, according to the college.

Judith Williams, Ph.D., director of the nursing program, said that as a working nurse, she knows Lackawanna graduates can fill a vital role in the region.

Tuition has not been set, but could be slightly higher than other programs at the college, Volk said. Tuition for the 2019-20 school year is $7,650 per semester.

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

SCRANTON

A city man faces drug charges after investigators found suspected heroin and other narcotics inside a safe at a Green Ridge apartment.

Jeremy Campbell, 33, was arrested Wednesday after Lackawanna County detectives and city police stopped a car driven by Rachel Turner for a traffic violation on Wayne Avenue. She consented to a search of her apartment at 112 E. Market St., where Campbell was staying, according to the arrest affidavit.

Officers who searched a briefcase safe inside a larger safe in the bedroom discovered 162 bags of suspected heroin, along with 12 grams of suspected crystal methamphetamine and a quantity of pills, the affidavit said.

Campbell was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Paul Keeler on possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and other charges and held in the county jail on $75,000 bail. His preliminary hearing is set for Thursday at 9 a.m.

— DAVID SINGLETON

SCRANTON

A city man suspected of selling drugs led police with the department’s Special Investigations Division on a brief foot chase Thursday, Detective Sgt. Patrick Gerrity said.

Elijah Norwood, 24, 326 Spruce St., fled police in the 300 block of Dix Court shortly after noon. During the brief pursuit, police observed Norwood throw 32 bags of crack under a vehicle, Gerrity said.

Police arrested Norwood and charged him with delivery of a controlled substance, resisting arrest, tampering with evidence and related counts.

Bail and preliminary hearing information was not immediately available.

— JEFF HORVATH

SCRANTON

An Olyphant man faces drug-delivery charges after investigators said he sold crack to a confidential informant working with Lackawanna County detectives.

Robert Cornell Walton, 40, 624 E. Scott St., was arrested May 31 in the 1200 block of Cedar Avenue, where investigators say he delivered two clear plastic twists containing suspected crack to an informant for $90.

Detectives found two additional twists when they searched Walton, according to arrest papers.

Walton was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Alyce Farrell on charges of delivery of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and related counts. He was held on $100,000 bail pending a preliminary hearing Thursday at 9 a.m.

— DAVID SINGLETON

DICKSON CITY

A motorcyclist suffered serious injuries Thursday after crashing into a sedan on Business Route 6 in the borough about 7:30 a.m.

The crash occurred as the sedan turned left out of a shopping center near the intersection of Business Route 6 and Commerce Boulevard and into the path of an oncoming motorcycle. The motorcyclist, who was traveling west on Business Route 6 and had the right of way, smashed into the sedan’s driver’s side front fender and went flying over the vehicle, borough Patrolman Mike Fredericks said.

The motorcyclist was rushed to Geisinger Community Medical Center. The driver of the sedan was not injured but will be cited for proceeding into traffic without clearance, Fredericks said.

Police have not identified either person involved in the crash.

— JEFF HORVATH

SCRANTON

City police detectives are investigating a report of possible shots fired near Weston Field late Wednesday.

Police were called to Weston Field about 10:30 p.m. for a reported fight and were advised on the way that there were possible shots fired, city police Lt. Marty Crofton said Thursday. Officers spoke to several people after arriving, but no one was armed or injured, he said.

No arrests have been made.

— JEFF HORVATH

MIDDLE SMITHFIELD TWP.

A Bushkill man faces homicide charges after investigators said he killed his girlfriend.

Authorities found the body of Jeanette Sancho, 41, Bushkill, in the area of 99 Lakeview Drive in Middle Smithfield Twp. on Saturday. Sancho died from a single gunshot wound to the head, and the Monroe County coroner’s office ruled her death a homicide, state police said. An investigation implicated Gerald Neal, 43, as the primary suspect, troopers said.

Troopers obtained a warrant for Neal’s arrest Thursday. Neal is also charged with abuse of a corpse, evidence tampering and a firearms charge. He is in custody in New York City pending extradition to Pennsylvania.

— CLAYTON OVER

SCRANTON

Lackawanna College will receive a $100,000 state grant to repair the historic roof at Angeli Hall — the former Scranton Central High School.

The money awarded through the Keystone Historic Preservation Grant program was part of a $2.5 million investment in 57 historic preservation projects across the state announced Thursday.

The grant funding will replace the historic cobalt-jet black terra cotta tiles that are damaged or missing. The semicircular glazed tiles will be custom made from molds of the existing field, hip and ridge tiles to ensure its historical integrity, according to a news release from state Sen. John Blake, D-22, Archbald, and state Rep. Kyle Mullins, D-112, Blakely.

The grant program requires a 50% cash match. The total project cost is estimated to be $225,600.

“We are grateful to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission for providing a grant to help fund our project to repair the historic roof at Angeli Hall,” said Sharon Lynett, college spokeswoman. “Projects like this are part of our continued dedication to preserving and revitalizing buildings in downtown Scranton.”

— SARAH HOFIUS HALL