Ross Wayman has two bits of advice for anyone still cleaning up from recent natural catastrophes and for when the next inevitable storm arrives.

First: Use a local contractor, or at least one from inside the state.

Second: Have that contractor close by when the insurance adjuster arrives.

“There’s a lot of companies that come into an area because of a storm,” said Wayman, general manager with Forty Fort-based Blue Square Builders.

Like many companies ramping up in the wake of several damaging storms, Blue Square specializes in guiding homeowners through the insurance claim process. Blue Square does 400 to 500 roofs a year in Eastern Pennsylvania.

“One of my best pieces of advice is at least use somebody that’s from Pennsylvania,” he said. “If you don’t use me, make sure the homeowner does their research on the company that they’re using.”

A storm May 28 brought a tornado that touched down in Newton Twp. and sent heavy winds and pelting hail through the Abingtons down into Scranton.

Hail storms also struck in parts of Luzerne County on April 15.

Both storms easily caused hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of damage. While officials reported no injuries, some affected property owners still have months to go before their homes and businesses are fully restored.

The cleanup is finishing at Red Barn Village Bed and Breakfast in Newton Twp., near where the tornado landed, but restoration work is just getting started and the business remains closed, owner Bert Ayers said.

The storm damaged the roof and miniature golf course at the bed and breakfast.

Edward Gilmartin, chief executive at Gilmartin Insurance Agency, expects to receive claims stemming from the hail storms over the next one to two years, he said.

“Roofing companies are going to know that there was a hail event here, and they come in like storm chasers,” he said. “We’ll be getting claims for this for a while.”

The April storm in Luzerne County drummed up more claims for Gilmartin, nearly 100, compared to the May storm in Lackawanna County, which produced about 60 claims in the immediate aftermath.

Gilmartin, who has offices in Scranton, Pittston and Lehighton, suggested that’s because the April storm struck more populated areas while the May storm caused the heaviest damage in rural places.

Insurance claims typically take a few weeks to approve, Wayman explained. His crews are working on several roofs in Luzerne County from the April storm, with jobs pending in Lackawanna County.

The contractor said using local — or at least in-state — builders is best because it makes tracking them down easier if something goes wrong down the road. While insurance companies and homeowners might groan over how much they’re shelling out, contractors in the service industry are comfortably on the other side of the coin with a steady stream of work.

“The storm work for us has been fairly busy,” said Matt Isaac, owner of Apex Tree and Earth in the Back Mountain. “We’ve had some storms that have done a lot of tree damage, but this year it seems like we’re getting them more frequently.”

Maple and white pine tend to come down easier in the wind; however, he saw more damage to oak trees in the most recent storms.

“I don’t really have a good reason for it,” he said, noting that oak trees tend to be more sturdy.

Add to that, he’s been especially busy felling dead ash trees now starting to rot away amid the statewide emerald ash borer pest infestation.

His best advice to landowners: If it’s dead, get it down, because insurance won’t cover damage from a falling dead tree.

“If it’s a live tree, they call that an act of nature or an act of God. It’s a whole different thing,” he said.

Contact the writer:

joconnell@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9131;

@jon_oc on Twitter

SCRANTON — A judge transferred to Lackawanna County Court from Montgomery County Court a potential class-action lawsuit by two Scranton residents against the firm that collects the city’s delinquent trash fees, according to court records.

A judge also ruled that the plaintiffs, Mark Schraner and Mari Carr, must name the city as a defendant for the case to proceed.

The suit, filed in September, claims the collection firm, Northeast Revenue Service of Plains Twp., improperly charges more in delinquent fees, penalties, interest and costs than state law allows. In preliminary objections, the firm denies the allegations.

The complaint did not name the city of Scranton as a defendant, but cited the city’s authorization of the firm to collect delinquencies in the annual garbage fees set at $300 since 2014, and previously set at $178.

As the suit challenges the city ordinance underlying and authorizing the delinquent trash fee collections, the firm contended the plaintiffs failed to also the name the city as a defendant. A judge agreed and recently directed the plaintiffs to amend the lawsuit to include the city as a defendant, said the firm’s attorney, John Dean of the Elliott Greenleaf & Dean law firm in Scranton.

An amended lawsuit has not been filed.

Plaintiffs’ attorney Patrick Howard, of the Saltz, Mongeluzzi, Barrett & Bendesky law firm in Philadelphia, noted there has not been a determination made about the substance of the allegations. The case is still in an early phase called discovery that involves exchanges of information between both sides.

“We’re pressing forward,” Howard said.

Schraner and Carr filed the suit as a potential class action and seek to have the case certified by a judge as a class action.

Approval of such a step would open the case up to at least hundreds of other affected residents to join as co-plaintiffs, and damages could exceed more than $50,000, the suit says.

The lawsuit contends the state Municipal Claims and Tax Lien Law caps interest rates at 10% a year on all municipal claims. At first, the city did not authorize collection of interest on delinquent trash fees. Instead, it had limited penalties to a 12% delinquent charge on each late unpaid balance. The city also had not permitted that penalty to be recurring or compounding. However, the firm charged and collected interest on both delinquent garbage fees and interest on the 12% penalties, the lawsuit claims.

Then, “in an attempt to correct this wrong,” the city on March 5, 2018, amended its refuse ordinance to permit the retroactive collection of interest at 10% a year for all unpaid fees and penalties, dating to Jan. 1, 2017, the lawsuit says.

Claiming violations of the state Fair Credit Extension Uniformity Act and Unfair Trade Practices Act, the lawsuit seeks triple damages, penalties, costs and fees.

Meanwhile, an unrelated class-action lawsuit filed in 2016 by Scranton resident Adam Guiffrida challenging the city’s $300 annual garbage collection fee as excessive also remains pending in Lackawanna County Court.

Last month, court notices in the Guiffrida suit were mailed to about 18,000 Scranton residents asking if they want to join the class-action case, and setting a deadline of July 25 to do so.

Those who join this class-action lawsuit as co-plaintiffs may receive partial refunds of trash fees paid between 2014 and the present if they win the lawsuit. They receive nothing if they lose the case.

The city claimed in court proceedings that the annual trash fee is equivalent to costs of trash pickup and disposal and not excessive.

For information on the Guiffrida lawsuit, visit, CityofScrantonRefuseClassAction.com or call 1-855-571-5832.

Guiffrida is represented by Howard and attorneys Paul Batyko of the Batyko Law Firm of Moosic, and Joseph Healey of the Burns White law firm of Kingston. City solicitors Jessica Eskra and Joseph Price have represented the city.

Contact the writer:

jlockwood@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9100 x5185;

@jlockwoodTT on Twitter

SCRANTON — A popular voucher program providing low-income seniors access to fresh local produce is back with new features aimed at boosting usage rates and eliminating barriers.

More than 5,000 Lackawanna County seniors each year benefit from the popular farmers market voucher program, which is administered locally by the county Area Agency on Aging, with more than 22,000 vouchers provided by the state Department of Agriculture. Qualifying seniors may receive up to $20 worth of the vouchers to exchange for fresh fruits and vegetables at participating farmers markets and farm stands.

Like in past years, officials will distribute the vouchers at various locations throughout the county in June and July. For the first time, however, the agency and its partners will host three pop-up senior centers in the coming weeks where older adults can collect and redeem their vouchers, participate in a slate of activities and even have the produce they pick prepared into a meal to take home.

While officials have had no trouble distributing the vouchers in recent years, Area Agency on Aging Director Jason Kavulich said the voucher usage rate dipped to just 83 percent last year. The pop-up center concept is designed in part to boost that rate.

Pop-up events will feature a variety of health-focused activities, such as yoga and mural painting. Local farmers using portable produce stalls made by students at the Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County will be on hand to redeem vouchers and sell their products to the public. Volunteers operating a food-prep station will help seniors prepare their produce.

“This is about seniors’ nutrition, health and well-being,” Kavulich said. “This is also a way to combat isolation. This is also a way to combat diseases in the community like diabetes, which is an epidemic in our community, and to celebrate that we have a valuable resource with our farmers.”

This year officials will host pop-up senior centers in Scranton, Carbondale and Moscow, though Kavulich said he hopes to expand into more communities in the future. Pop-up events will be held:

July 2: Lackawanna County Courthouse, 200 N. Washington Ave., Scranton; 9 a.m. to noon.

July 16: Carbondale City Hall/Memorial Park, 1 N. Main St., Carbondale; 9 a.m. to noon.

July 30: North Pocono Middle School, 701 Church St., Moscow; 9 a.m. to noon.

Megan Maslousky, a program coordinator at United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania who manages the South Side Farmers Market, also touted the pop-up concept and the food-prep stations in particular.

“As we talked about the different obstacles that seniors in our area face, one thing that comes out to be a point of concern is the physicality of cooking and preparing a meal,” she said, noting the stations will provide residents who might have arthritis, trouble standing or other issues with a pre-cut, nutritious dish. “We really are trying to access a wide variety of people.”

To qualify for vouchers, residents must meet certain income guidelines, provide proof of age, such as a driver’s license or birth certificate, and proof of Lackawanna County residency. If seniors are unavailable to collect vouchers, a proxy may be appointed to pick the vouchers up in their place.

Income cutoffs are: single person, $23,107; married couple, $31,284; three-person household, $39,461.

For information about income qualifications and how to obtain proxy forms, contact the Lackawanna County Area Agency on Aging at 570-963-6740.

Contact the writer:

jhorvath@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9141;

@jhorvathTT on Twitter

Where to go for vouchers

2019 Farmers Market Voucher Program distribution sites include:

Friday: Pennsylvania Anthracite Heritage Museum, 22 Bald Mountain Road, Scranton; 9 to 11 a.m.

June 22: South Side Farmers Market, 300 block of Alder Street, Scranton; 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

June 29: South Side Farmers Market, 300 block of Alder Street, Scranton; 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

July 2: Pop-up event, Lackawanna County Courthouse, 200 N. Washington Ave., Scranton; 9 a.m. to noon.

July 10: Dunmore Community Center, 1414 Monroe Ave.; 9 a.m. to noon.

July 11: The Marketplace at Steamtown, 300 Lackawanna Ave., Scranton; 2-7 p.m.

July 16: Pop-up event, Carbondale City Hall/Memorial Park, 1 N. Main St., Carbondale; 9 a.m. to noon.

July 19: Taylor Community Center-Senior Center, 700 S. Main St., Taylor; 9 a.m. to noon.

July 22: Mid Valley Senior Center, 310 Church St., Jessup; 9 a.m. to noon.

July 27: South Side Farmers Market, 300 block of Alder Street, Scranton; 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

July 30: Pop-up event, North Pocono Middle School, 701 Church St., Moscow; 9 a.m. to noon.

SCRANTON — Two county-owned, structurally deficient bridges in Waverly and Madison townships will be replaced.

The county solicited bids for the work, which entails replacing the Stevenson Road Bridge over Ackerly Creek in Waverly Twp. and the Bear Brook Road Bridge, which spans Bear Brook in Madison Twp. Commissioners voted unanimously Wednesday to award construction contracts to the lowest responsible bidder for both projects.

Carbondale-based T. Brennan Heavy Equipment submitted the low bid of $525,500 for the Stevenson Road Bridge replacement. State Act 13 money designated for bridge work, not county taxpayer dollars, will fund the project, county engineer Gary Cavill said.

Minichi Inc. of Dupont, which submitted the low bid of $322,000, will do the Bear Brook Bridge work. State Act 44 dollars will fund that project, said Cavill.

Both bridges are “very old,” made of concrete and deteriorating in different ways, said Cavill, adding that the wing walls of the Stevenson Road Bridge are starting to collapse and the abutments of the Bear Brook Road Bridge are beginning to lean into the water. The bridges are located in relatively rural areas and aren’t heavily traveled, he said.

When work starts on both bridges, likely in the fall, crews will remove the bridges’ abutments and decks, drain the area underneath, lay bedding for new box culverts there and then install the culverts, said Cavill. The rest of the work includes backfilling the affected areas and paving, he said.

The Stevenson Road Bridge project should take between one and two months, while the Bear Brook Bridge project should take between two weeks and a month, officials said.

Loan program paused

Also Wednesday, county officials clarified that a revolving loan program administered by the county Department of Economic Development has not ended, but is not processing any new loan applications.

The county issued a statement last week that said the loan program, which caused some controversy in recent months, ended in January, after the economic development department approved a $25,000 small-business loan for the new Charl-Mont restaurant at the former Globe store in Scranton.

However, after consulting recently with acting Economic Development Director Brenda Sacco, county General Counsel Donald Frederickson said the program has not been canceled.

“The program still exists, it just is not currently processing any applications at this time,” Frederickson said, noting the economic development department is seeking another organization to administer the loan program.

Between June 8, 2016, and Jan. 23, the program awarded 11 total loans. Recipients include: Blu Wasabi, $25,000; Collura Excavating, $25,000; JFK Technologies, $25,000; Benedetto Auto Sales, $10,000; Sanderson Street Tavern, $25,000; Glenburn Grill & Bakery, $25,000; Northeast Casket Sales, $25,000; MJC Iron Works, $15,000; NEP Tax & Accounting, $6,500; Allure Salon, $25,000; and the Charl-Mont, $25,000.

Of the 11 businesses, two, Blu Wasabi and Collura Excavating, defaulted on the loans, Frederickson said.

The county solicitor’s office is trying to recoup that money, he said.

Contact the writer:

jhorvath@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9141;

@jhorvathTT on Twitter

■ Chris Chermak and Michael Giannetta will host a fundraising reception Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Posh at the Scranton Club, 401 Jefferson Ave., Scranton.

Former U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta will be their special guest. Tickets are $150 a person, $250 for a pair. RSVP to chermakandgiannetta@gmail.com or 570-209-5960.

WILKES-BARRE — The former Toys R Us store on Kidder Street has been transformed into a discount store with an array of merchandise ranging from brand name clothing to kayaks to patio furniture to beach and pool supplies to food, household goods, rugs and pet supplies.

Rhode Island-based discount chain Ocean State Job Lot will hold a grand opening for the new store in Wilkes-Barre, its first in Pennsylvania, at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Affiliate companies of Ocean State Job Lot bought the former Toys R Us stores in Wilkes-Barre for $2.5 million and in Dickson City for $2 million, according to deeds.

A date has not yet been set for the opening of the Dickson City store, but the Wilkes-Barre store already held a soft opening.

Its name “The Ocean State” comes from Rhode Island’s nickname and “Job Lot” means a miscellaneous group of items, especially when sold or bought together.

The Kidder Street store’s team leader Ed Stephens led a tour of the new location Wednesday and showed all the miscellaneous items sold at discount prices.

When customers first walk in the doors of the 37,000-square-foot building, they will find seasonal products as well as some brand name clothing at discount prices. Among the clothing, women’s brand name bathing suits are marked $25 and men could find cargo shorts for $10.

“A lot of our clothing is closeout. We’ll get it from retailers like Macy’s, Kohl’s and Nordstrom,” Stephens said. “They are either overstock or closeout. They could be from a company that has gone out of business or somebody isn’t selling something anymore and wants to sell off its inventory.”

Ocean State Job Lot also features “crazy deals” that if customers buy certain products, they will receive free gift cards to buy more merchandise in the store at a later day with no expiration date, Stephens said.

One such deal included “BigMouth” giant beach towels. If customers buy them for $20, they receive a $20 gift card. Customers who buy a pool for $750 will receive a $400 crazy deal card.

Showing a display of kayaks, Stephens said they initially bought the small and narrow watercraft in a closeout sale. Then, customers said they also needed paddles, vests and racks so they turned it into an entire category and now sell all the accessories.

Stephens, who lives in East Stroudsburg, said the store will be the 139th for the Ocean State Job Lot, which has locations in nine states.

Most of its stores are in the New England states and the chain has expanded into New York and New Jersey in recent years, and now Pennsylvania.

About 50 people, including cashiers, supervisors and department heads, were hired to work in the Wilkes-Barre store.

In addition to the former Toys R Us stores in Wilkes-Barre and Dickson City, Ocean State Job Lot recently purchased four other former Toys R Us locations in Montgomeryville in Pennsylvania as well as stores in New York, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

Owners Marc Perlman, Alan Perlman and Roy Dubs started the business at a flea market in New York and Ocean State Job Lot opened its doors in Rhode Island in 1977.

“We started out as a closeout business but we’ve expanded into all kinds of categories,” Stephens said.

The new store received good reviews from customers who visited the store Wednesday, including Steve David of Albrightsville, who bought a trash can and rug. He said he found good prices and will be back.

Sharon Barker of Wilkes-Barre, who looked at pool supplies, added, “It’s big and there’s lots to look at it and you need to come back several times before you could get it all in.”

The new store will be open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday.

Contact the writer:

dallabaugh@citizensvoice.com;

570-821-2115; @CVAllabaugh

HAZLETON

After 73 years, Civil Air Patrol Pennsylvania Wing Squadron 203 will be leaving Hazleton Regional Airport following a formal change-of-command service today.

Maj. Tom Hall will be stepping down as squadron commander after serving as commander or deputy commander for the past decade. Capt. Frederick T. Herman will become the new commander. The change of command service will be at its building at the airport in Hazle Twp.

Squadron 203 will then move to the Wyoming Valley Airport in Forty Fort.

The squadron has had a presence at the Hazleton airport since 1943 and provides search and rescue, disaster reconnaissance and other missions, as well as aerospace education and a cadet program, Hall said. This community service will continue at the Forty Fort airport.

— KELLY MONITZ

June 13, 1969

Saturday school in Dunmore?

After Dunmore School District students missed school June 11 and 12, district officials were considering holding classes on a Saturday to make up.

The state Education Department told district officials they would only need to make up classes for June 11, the day of the teachers’ sickout.

Dunmore Superintendent William Tedesco said he was going to speak to teachers union President Robert Holtham about polling the district’s teachers on making up the day on a Saturday.

The teachers conducted a mass call-off June 11 in a salary dispute with the Dunmore School Board.

Top songs

The top seven songs in Scranton for the week were “Get Back” by The Beatles, the “Romeo and Juliet” theme by Henry Mancini, “Love Can Make You Happy” by Mercy, “Gitarzan” by Ray Stevens, “Bad Moon Rising” by Creedence Clearwater Revival, “In the Ghetto” by Elvis Presley and “The Boxer” by Simon & Garfunkel.

Out and about

At the movies: “House of Cards” at the Comerford, “Guns of the Magnificent Seven” at the Strand, “Goodbye Columbus” at the Center Theatre, “The Star” at the West Side, and “Heaven with a Gun” and “Green Slime” at the Circle Drive-In.

At the clubs: Freddie Cole Revue at the Weldwood, the Magic Bus at Lu Jon’s, Leona and Al the Banjo Baron at Clancy’s Bar, Hue Main Society at Tuesday’s Discotheque, Little Ronny Dee and the Triangles at Cafe 4-U and the Mid-Night Sound at El Dorado.

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.

A brief on Page A10 of Tuesday’s edition should have said Michael R. Gray, 35, of Kittanning, was arrested on suspicion of DUI.

A story on Page A5 of Tuesday’s edition incorrectly reported the County of Lackawanna Transit System added three trips to its No. 12 Jessup bus route as part of its upcoming schedule change. The number of Jessup trips, 13, remains the same.

MARRIAGE LICENSES

■ Brian Young and Jessica Lynnellen Cummings, both of Scranton.

■ Scott Alexander Bukoski and Macy Elizabeth Kuklewicz, both of Plymouth.

■ Joseph T. Fisher and Mark Philip Amico, both of Pittston.

■ Kylah Rose Brennan, Carbondale, and Joseph Terry Pozza, Lake Ariel.

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

■ John, Angela and Carol Grow; Marlene and Jerome Jordan, Lackawanna County, to CC POCOMOKE MD LLC, Vienna, Va.; two parcels in Dickson City for $925,000.

■ Jeannine McKnight to Ryan and Karina O. Sheehan; two parcels in Waverly Twp. for $350,000.

■ Cindy M. Oetzel and Debra Evonishon, co-administratrixes of the estate of Anna Bolak, also known as Annie Bolak, Carbondale, to Mary Ann Kelly, Carbondale; a property at 705 Main St., Fell Twp., for $91,600.

■ Ronald J. and Kelly A. Bernacki, Gouldsboro, to John and Kellie Rice, New Jersey; a property in Covington Twp. for $225,000.

■ Runco Elite Academy LLC, Lackawanna County, to TNT Elite FC LLC, Lackawanna County; two parcels in Jessup for $100,000.

■ Mountain Lake Estates LLC, Scranton, to Ilimdar L. and Miyasar Alimzhanovna Kadyrov, Scranton; two parcels in Scranton for $55,000.

■ Grace Petro, Scranton, to Noah Doncses, Scranton; a property at 323 Seymour Ave., Scranton, for $82,500.

■ Daniel and Sarah Owens, Mayfield, to Doreen Lepre, Carbondale; a property at 406 Glenwood St., Mayfield, for $145,000.

■ Vincenzo and Shayna Cicco, also known as Shayna Bartlett, Scranton, to Corky’s Garden Path Greenhouse LLC; a property at State Route 347, Scott Twp., for $195,000.

■ Kurt Stiles, Greenfield Twp., to Corey Furdin, Spring Brook Twp.; a property at 114 Healey Hill Road, Greenfield Twp., for $345,000.

■ Ryan J. and Carissa Butler, South Abington Twp., to Richard Bisignani, Carbondale; a property at 3 Hunts Court, South Abington Twp., for $124,000.

■ Dawn Baldassari Albert and Mia Cara Baldassari, Dunmore, to Bonnie Woodruff, Clarks Summit; a property at 1506 Green Ridge St., Dunmore, for $130,000.

■ HSB Realty LLC, Matamoras, to Oudit & Deborah Real Estate Investors Inc., Jamaica, N.Y.; a property at 429 Leggett St., Scranton, for $44,250.

■ Michael Maikranz, Eustis, Fla.; Cynthia Stromwall, Old Forge, to Joseph and Jennifer Lutkowski, Old Forge; two parcels in Old Forge for $80,000.

■ Michael J. McKeefery to Annie Marie and William Borent; a property at 313 Church St., Taylor, for $172,500.

■ Agnes Padovan, by Christine Padovan, her attorney-in-fact, Morgan Hill, Calif., to Elena Nadolny, Long Beach, N.Y.; a property in Clifton Twp. for $185,000.

■ Fannie Mae, also known as Federal National Mortgage Association, Dallas, Texas, by its attorney-in-fact, KML Law Group, to Naim Kurtovic; two parcels in Scranton for $27,250.

■ Aimee M. Holdren to Christian and Mary Ann Theresa Weed; a property at 832 Church St., Moscow, for $122,340.

■ James A. and Linda S. Specht, South Abington Twp., to Marisa L. Pell, Scranton; a property at 102 Meadow Creek Road, South Abington Twp., for $281,500.

■ CHRISMARQ LLC, Scranton, to Gary Sr. and Frances Hughes, Dunmore; two parcels in Scranton for $400,000.

LAWSUIT

■ Cathy J. and Leonard Mickavicz, 1009 S. Main St., Taylor, v. John Roy and Sandra L. Minelli, individually and as owners of Taylor Ultra Car Wash, 600-610 N. Main St., Taylor, seeking an amount in excess of $50,000, as well as delay damages and costs, on two counts, for injuries suffered by the plaintiff on the defendants’ property on or about Feb. 10, 2018; Michael D. and Michael A. Dempsey, attorneys.

ESTATE FILED

■ Andrea M. Zilla, 513 Dunmore St., Throop, letters testamentary to Brian J. Zilla, 11 Falmouth Road, Wellesley, Mass.

ONLINE: thetimes-tribune.com/courts

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

■ Kevin W. Sheehan, agent, and Iona M. Sheehan, to Eric Scott Chilson and Stephanie Chilson, property in Laceyville for $90,000.

■ Philip E. Lindner and Audrey M. Lindner, to Jared Lindner, property in Falls Twp. for $107,000.

■ Frederick Harding and Donna G. Harding, to David Harry Weidler, property in Eaton Twp. for $206,000.

■ Audi Management V LLC to BCKK LLC, property in Tunkhannock Twp. for $510,000.

■ Graham Shoemaker, Joann M. Wood and Joann M. Shoemaker to Nicholson United Methodist Church, property in Nicholson for $8,711.

■ S. Borel Inc. to Meshoppen borough, property in Meshoppen for $98,500.

■ George Kirchner and Bernice A. Kirchner, to Matthew A. Parsons and Amanda S. Robinson, property in Tunkhannock Twp. for $217,300.

■ Bruce R. Arrowood and Memory A. Arrowood, to Thomas D. Boris and Chrystal L. Boris, property in Mehoopany Twp. for $245,000.

■ Select Sires Inc. to Winding Creek Ranch LLC, property in Eaton Twp. for $290,000.

■ Lori A. Rider, executrix, Gloria J. Eastwood, deceased, Gloria Eastwood, deceased, Lori A. Rider and Lisa M. Eastwood, property in Tunkhannock for $148,000.

■ Jean M. Brick and Nancy J. Burdick, agent, to Christopher M. Breita, property in Factoryville for $189,000.

■ David Mayer to William Ferrick, property in Overfield Twp. for $175,000.

MARRIAGE LICENSE

■ Kiri N. Koziol and Leor Cooper, both of Vienna, Va.

ESTATES FILED

■ Harry B. Yatsko, late of Northmoreland Twp., letters testamentary to Harry B. Yatsko II, administrator, c/o attorney James P. Blaum, New Bridge Center, Suite 216, 480 Pierce St., Kingston.

■ Julia A. McFadden, late of Tunkhannock, letters testamentary to Anna Overfield, c/o attorney Judd B. Fitze, 7 Marion St., Tunkhannock.

■ John V. Hoffman, late of Clinton Twp., letters testamentary to John V. Hoffman Jr., c/o attorney Catherine J. Garbus, 24 E. Tioga St., Tunkhannock.

WYOMING COUNTY COURT NOTES appear weekly in The Times-Tribune.

The tick bite Armand Desormeaux received while gardening two weeks earlier was mostly forgotten by May 5, as he spent several hours with his son-in-law at Mount Airy Casino Resort in Paradise Twp.

“They were out gambling and having a great time,” Desormeaux’s daughter, Dianne Rude, said.

The next day, the 80-year-old Marine Corps veteran from Sussex County, New Jersey, fell ill with what Rude now knows was a rare tick-borne disease called Powassan virus. A day after that he was hospitalized.

As his condition deteriorated, Desormeaux would not recover. He died late May 15.

“I never expected a little bug to take down my strong Marine,” Rude, 48, said Wednesday.

Desormeaux’s death is raising renewed concerns about the Powassan virus, a rare but potentially fatal tick-spread sickness that made its first Pennsylvania appearance eight years ago in Lackawanna County.

His was one of two Powassan cases confirmed last week in Sussex County, which is just across the Delaware River from Pike County.

The second case was confirmed in an individual who is now recovering at home, Donna M. Leusner, a spokeswoman for the New Jersey Department of Health, said in an email.

Named after the Ontario town where it was first discovered in the 1950s, the Powassan virus is spread by the bite of an infected black-legged or deer tick — the type also responsible for Lyme disease — or an infected woodchuck tick, according to New Jersey health officials. It cannot be spread from one person to another.

Only about 100 cases of the virus have been reported in the United States over the past decade, with most of those in the Northeast and Great Lakes states, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control said.

Although many people infected with the Powassan virus do not develop symptoms, others may experience fever, headache, swelling of the brain or encephalitis, swelling of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord or meningitis, vomiting, weakness, confusion, loss of coordination, trouble speaking and memory loss, according to health officials.

The symptoms can show up one week to one month after infection. There are no vaccines to prevent or medicines to treat Powassan, according to the CDC.

While Lyme disease is by far the most prevalent tick-borne disease in Pennsylvania — with 11,900 confirmed cases in 2017, the last year for which figures are available — it is far from the only one, state Department of Health spokesman Nate Wardle said in an email.

Although he described Powassan as “somewhat common” in Pennsylvania, he also acknowledged there have been only six cases ever documented in state.

“We do encourage physicians to test for it,” Wardle said.

Powassan was unknown in Pennsylvania until a case was identified in Lackawanna County in 2011.

The virus didn’t appear again in the state until 2017, when four cases were documented, all in eastern Pennsylvania — one each in Pike, Susquehanna, Northampton and Lehigh counties. Four cases were also reported that year in northern New Jersey, including the two in Sussex County.

The sixth case happened last year in Northampton County.

At the Pennsylvania Tick Research Lab at East Stroudsburg University in Monroe County, which offers free tick testing to Pennsylvania residents using $500,000 in state funding it received last year, the Powassan virus is one of the pathogens it checks for, lab director Nicole Chinnici said.

“Residents send in their ticks and we test them and determine what you have been exposed to,” she said. “We are not diagnosing anybody with any disease. We’re just letting you know that, hey, this tick was a carrier of, say, Lyme disease or Powassan virus.”

The test results can help guide the resident and their physician toward early diagnosis and treatment if symptoms consistent with a tick-borne illness later appear, Chinnici said.

Since the free testing began April 1, the lab has tested almost 5,500 ticks submitted by Pennsylvanians.

About half of the black-legged ticks tested were infected with something, including about 30% with Lyme disease, Chinnici said. The infection rate found so far for Powassan virus is about 3%.

Chinnici called Powassan “tricky,” saying it can be difficult to diagnose.

One thing that distinguishes Powassan is how quickly an infected tick can transmit the virus to a human host, she said. For a tick to infect a human with Lyme disease, the tick needs to be attached for at least 18 to 24 hours; the tick can transmit the Powassan virus in 15 minutes.

“So any tick bite can put you at risk of the Powassan virus,” Chinnici said.

Although New Jersey officials have not disclosed the identities of the Powassan-positive residents, and Leusner said the state cannot confirm if the elderly resident’s death resulted from the virus, Rude said she will seek to have her father’s death certificate amended to list Powassan as his official cause of death.

Desormeaux would be the 10th confirmed Powassan fatality in the United States since 2008, according to the CDC.

Rude, who lives next door to her father’s home and shared his story on social media to make their friends and neighbors aware of the potential danger, said she had never heard of Powassan virus until Desormeaux’s infectious disease doctor mentioned it at the hospital.

The doctor wanted the CDC to run some tests “on the outside chance” Desormeaux had the virus, but explained it is very rare and downplayed the possibility, Rude said. She was shocked when the physician called her and said the CDC confirmed Powassan.

“Everything completely made sense,” Rude said. “It was like click, click, click. It was just all of the exact symptoms.”

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

Tick testing

The Pennsylvania Tick Research Lab at East Stroudsburg

University offers free basic tick testing to all Pennsylvania residents. The lab will analyze your tick, testing for tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease, anaplasmosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. To order your test online and learn whether you’re at risk before symptoms appear, visit www.ticklab.org. The website also provides information on tick identification, tick-borne diseases and tick-bite prevention.

WILKES-BARRE

Engineers, architects and urban planners walked around downtown Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday as part of a study aimed at creating a bicycle and pedestrian network in the city.

“What’s really amazing is Wilkes-Barre has a riverfront. You have open space here,” said Bob Thomas of the Philadelphia-based Campbell Thomas and Co.

Thomas’ firm is working with Barry Isett and Associates and urban planners in Wilkes-Barre and Scranton to bring bike lanes to both cities.

Larry Newman of the Diamond City Partnership and Wilkes-Barre Councilman Tony Brooks, along with officials from the Luzerne County Transportation Authority and the state Department of Transportation, took part in Tuesday’s tour and a public hearing afterward at King’s College.

A similar meeting was previously held in Scranton.

— BOB KALINOWSKI

WILKES-BARRE

Comedian Billy Gardell’s performance scheduled for Oct. 3 at the F.M. Kirby Center has been canceled due to a scheduling conflict, the center said in a news release.

Refunds are available to customers at the point of purchase.

— STAFF REPORT

POCONO TWP. — The quintessential snacks for shopping are now in one spot at the Crossings Premium Outlets.

Auntie Anne’s, Carvel and Cinnabon opened a new eatery, the Crossings announced Wednesday.

The co-branded shop sells breakfast items, hot sandwiches and bakery treats, as well as ice cream, the shopping center said.

The new treat shop follows another new option for peckish shoppers, Barley Creek Tasting Room & Pub, which sells spirits, craft beer and wines from Pennsylvania vineyards. Barley Creek also has a menu of light fare.

— JON O’CONNELL

LA PLUME TWP.

Luzerne County Community College early childhood education graduates who meet certain requirements will now be guaranteed admission to Keystone College under a new articulation agreement.

Luzerne students who graduate with an associate degree in applied science: early childhood education and meet transfer requirements can now transfer into Keystone’s bachelor’s degree programs in early childhood education and teaching: child and family studies, according to the colleges. The students will be able to complete bachelor’s degrees within four regular semesters.

— KATHLEEN BOLUS

DICKSON CITY — A grocery store in the borough is rolling out a new same-day pickup service.

Giant Food Stores shoppers now can place orders online at www.giantfoodstores.com, www.peapod .com or using the Peapod mobile app, Giant said in a Wednesday announcement for its new Giant Direct pickup service.

In step with shopper experience trends sweeping the nation, Giant supermarket employees pick the orders and bring them to customers waiting outside in their cars.

For now, the Dickson City location, 1550 Main St., and the one in Hazleton are the only area stores with the Giant Direct pickup service.

Pickup will be available at the Scranton store later this year, the company said.

— JON O’CONNELL

WILKES-BARRE

A lawyer for a 15-year-old Wilkes-Barre boy who was hit by a car while crossing the street filed suit this week against Lyft and its driver.

The boy, who was identified only as “A.T.” in the suit, and his father, Jonathan Townes of Wilkes-Barre, are suing driver Timothy W. Nevel of Exeter and Lyft Inc. for negligence.

According to the complaint, the boy and a friend were crossing Wilkes-Barre Boulevard at East Northampton Street the evening of March 1 when Nevel failed to stop at a red light and hit him.

As a result of the crash, the teen suffered head trauma, impaired motor ability, loss of sensation in his right extremities, and other ailments, said the complaint filed by Munley Law.

The lawsuit alleges Nevel had been acting within the scope of his employment with Lyft at the time and had been using the mobile app on his cellphone.

Nevel and Lyft are each accused of negligence in the crash — Nevel for failing to drive safely and Lyft for “promoting distracted driving” by the use of its app.

— JAMES HALPIN

A 38-year-old Luzerne man was sentenced Wednesday to 16-84 months in state prison for his role in a Wyoming County home invasion Dec. 23.

Charles Dale Atkinson Jr. appeared before President Judge Russell Shurtleff with his attorney, Jonathan Blum, who acknowledged his client’s long history of heroin use.

“I take responsibility for being at the scene,” Atkinson told the judge. “I should have known better than to go on someone else’s property.”

According to court records, Atkinson and two others — Kevin Isbel Jr., 35, of Hunlock Creek, and Joseph Anthony Dickson, 47, of Trucksville — were rounded up by police Dec. 23 after a neighbor observed three males running from a Sheehan Road house and called police.

Another neighbor said he heard a knock on the door from a stranger to the area who claimed to be broken down and was covered in mud, so that neighbor also called authorities.

That’s when police stepped in and began to unravel why three Luzerne County men were at a home in rural Mehoopany Twp.

Isbel, who, like Atkinson, entered a guilty plea in April for a lone felony charge of criminal trespass, was also on Wednesday’s court docket to be sentenced but did not show up.

Judge Shurtleff issued a warrant for Isbel’s arrest.

Dickson is on the court calendar for a jury trial in the matter on July 15.

After his hearing, Atkinson was taken into custody, received credit for 24 days’ incarceration in the county jail, and also faces a $500 fine.

Other sentences handed down Wednesday morning by Shurtleff in Wyoming County Court:

William Louis Adams Jr., 32, of Troy, to 12-24 months in state prison, a $500 fine and $700 in restitution for theft by unlawful taking on July 17.

Reed Scott Atkins, 19, of Tunkhannock, to a $500 fine for a small amount of marijuana Dec. 29.

Joyce Ann Barber, 62, of Tunkhannock, to 12 months’ probation and a $500 fine for theft by unlawful taking on Nov. 17.

Kevin Richard Belcher Jr., 25, of Troy, to 1-18 months in county jail, a $500 fine and $1,200 restitution for flight to avoid apprehension May 22, 2018.

Scott Anthony Carachilo, 46, of Laceyville, to an intermediate punishment treatment court sentence of six months commencing with 90 days’ house arrest for DUI, second offense, on Nov. 26, 2017; and to an intermediate punishment treatment court sentence of 30 months followed by 54 months of probation, commencing with 12 months’ house arrest for DUI, third offense, on Jan. 15.

Melinda Marie Dunn, 32, of Nicholson, to six months’ intermediate punishment commencing with 30 days’ house arrest and a $500 fine for DUI on July 30; and to 12 months’ probation and a $500 fine for retail theft on Dec. 18, with sentences to be served consecutively.

Kayla Elizabeth Dziki, 25, of Tunkhannock, to 90 days-23 months in county jail followed by 37 months’ probation and a $1,500 fine for DUI of a controlled substance, second offense.

Norman Orrin Fassett, 58, of Scranton, to 18 months’ probation and a $500 fine for firearms not to be carried without a license on April 12, 2018.

Kory Warren Jones, 24, of Clarks Summit, to seven-23 months in county jail and a $1,000 fine for recklessly endangering another person on Sept. 14.

Derek Gerald Mahler, 27, of Scranton, to 72 hours-six months in county jail and a $1,000 fine for DUI of a controlled substance on June 26.

Levi Joseph McDermott, 28, of Stroudsburg, to two-12 months in county jail and a $500 fine for possession of drug paraphernalia on March 14, 2018.

Corin Royale Olshan, 27, of Laceyville, to nine-16 months in state prison and a $500 fine for access device fraud on May 11, 2018.

Joseph Michael Rosser, 31, of Kingston, to 90 days-23 months in county jail, followed by 37 months’ probation, and a $1,500 fine for DUI, second offense, on Feb. 3, 2018.

Benjamin Leo Southworth, 38, of Mehoopany, to three-six months in county jail and a $1,000 fine for DUI of a controlled substance on Jan. 1.

Michael James Vacaro, 24, of Montrose, to four-12 months in county jail and a $500 fine for possession of drug paraphernalia on March 21; and to a $300 fine and $53.17 restitution for retail theft on March 21.

Joshua Allarue Wood, 34,of Sugar Run, to six months’ probation, a $300 fine and $800 restitution for DUI on Dec. 21, 2018.

Contact the writer:

bbaker@wcexaminer.com