LARKSVILLE — Authorities are investigating a fatal all-terrain vehicle crash that took place Sunday evening.
One person was killed in the crash reported in the area of the 1100 block of East Main Street around 5:15 p.m. The Luzerne County Coroner’s Office did not immediately release the victim’s name, pending notification of the family.
Authorities reported that the crash took place when the ATV flipped over about 100 yards in the woods.
The cause of the crash was under investigation.
SCRANTON — Jury selection began this morning in the federal trial of a McAdoo man charged with fleeing prosecution after making online threats against President Donald Trump and another person.
Shawn Christy was indicted on July 10, 2018, for making threats on Facebook against Trump and Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli. Christy fled and remained on the lam until Sept. 21, 2018, when he was captured in Ohio.
Christy faces multiple charges for the threats and crimes he’s accused of committing while on the lam, including interstate transportation of stolen vehicles and firearms and being a fugitive in possession of a firearm.
Christy, who is representing himself, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis Sempa began questioning a pool of 60 jurors around 10:30 a.m. Of those people, 45 indicated they had heard about the case and are being individually questioned about whether they can be impartial.
As of 11:15 a.m. one jury was excused for cause after he indicated he might have trouble putting aside information he learned from media reports.
Christy has a history of outbursts in court. He remained calm throughout the first portion of the case. He questioned several potential jurors about whether they felt threatened by the manhunt, but made no other statements.
Jury selection is expected to continue most of the day before U.S. District Judge Robert D. Mariani. It’s not clear yet if opening statements will being today.
Check back for updates
A Canadensis man sentenced to death for the 2014 ambush that killed one state trooper and wounded another is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to hear his case.
Eric Matthew Frein’s death sentence was unconstitutional because emotional testimony prosecutors presented went far beyond what is permitted by law, his attorney, Michael Wiseman of Philadelphia, says in court papers. Frein’s sentence should also be overturned because he was denied his right to an attorney when he was first questioned, Wiseman says.
The arguments are similar to issues Frein previously raised in an unsuccessful his appeal to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Wiseman contends the court erred in denying the appeal because it failed to address constitutional issues.
The U.S. Supreme Court hears only a small fraction of cases referred to it each year. It will decide on whether or not the hear Frein’s appeal after Pike County District Attorney Ray Tonkin files a reply, which is due Thursday.
Frein, 36, was convicted in April 2017 of first degree murder and other charges and sentenced to death for killing Cpl. Bryon K. Dickson II and wounding Trooper Alex T. Douglass in a sniper attack outside the Blooming Grove State Police barracks on Sept. 12, 2014.
Wiseman argues the death sentence should be vacated because Tonkin violated Frein’s rights under the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which limits evidence in the death penalty phase to information about the victim and the impact their death had on their family.
The evidence included the testimony of 10 witnesses, a 15-minute video of Dickson’s graduation from the state police academy and information regarding his wife’s difficulty in giving birth to one of their children. That unfairly inflamed the jury against him, he argues.
The state Supreme Court considered the same issue, but dismissed the appeal, finding that decisions on evidence admissibility are up to the trial judge. Wiseman contends the court should have evaluated the evidence based on the constitutional challenge, but did not.
Wiseman also argues police violated Frein’s rights when they refused to allow his attorney to see him once he arrived at the barracks shortly after Frein was taken into custody. Frein made incriminating statements during the questioning.
The state Supreme Court agreed police violated Frein’s rights, but said it was a harmless error because evidence against him was so overwhelming he would have been convicted even if his statements were suppressed.
Wiseman argues the court failed to consider the impact Frein’s confession had on jurors during the death penalty phase, which raises constitutional issues that are not subject to the “harmless error” analysis.
“Frein’s confession was used to show the casual, detached and apparently uncaring man who killed one state trooper and wounded another, in cold blood,” Wiseman said. “In a very real sense, the confession was the tent pole from which the rest of the Commonwealth’s theory of the case hung.”
Contact the writer: tbesecker@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9137; @tmbeseckerTT on Twitter
Carbondale police are looking for a man they say snuck into a woman’s apartment early in the morning more than two months ago, raped her and threatened to kill her family.
Justin Brown, 24, who is listed as homeless, is charged with rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, burglary, criminal trespass, sexual assault, loitering and prowling at night time and unlawful restraint.
The Times-Tribune does not identify victims of sexual assault.
About 3 a.m. on Sept. 13, the victim woke to a noise downstairs, according to a criminal complaint filed by Officer Tim Mackrell. She investigated and found a window open.
In the living room, she caught a glimpse of a man hiding near the cubby holes where her son keeps his toys.
She turned to run and the man, whom police would later identify as Brown, tackled her. He raped her so violently that she became ill, police said.
During the attack, Brown made several comments that led the victim to believe he had been following her. Brown claimed an ex of hers hired him to scare her and paid $2,500 up front with the promise of $2,500 more once he was done. He told the victim she was being watched and her family would be killed if she made any noise.
She was able to get a look at her attacker. He was a black man with a shaggy beard and wore an all-black sweat suit.
Before he left, he tied her hands with the cord of a phone charger and stole a laptop and a Google Home voice-activated unit, according to police.
Police investigated and soon identified Brown, the boyfriend of a neighbor with whom the victim had problems, as a suspect.
In early October, a judge approved a search warrant for Brown’s DNA. Those results eventually came back matching the evidence collected during the investigation, Police Chief Brian Bognatz said.
Authorities filed charges Thursday. Bognatz said investigators are still looking for Brown.
Anyone with information on Brown’s whereabouts is asked to contact either 911 or 570-342-9111.
Contact the writer: jkohut@timesshamrock.com, 570-348-9144; @jkohutTT on Twitter
SCRANTON — Mayor-elect Paige Cognetti’s transition team has begun studying the way city government works.
At a joint news conference with Mayor Wayne Evans on the steps of City Hall, Cognetti, 39, the first woman elected mayor in Scranton, promised to identify transition team members when she fills out her team. She and Evans also promised a smooth handoff of power.
She did announce a website — www.scrantonmayoraltransition.com — where citizens can track the transition’s progress and offer ideas. People interested in working for her administration must apply through the website, she said.
She declined to comment on whether she will ask any department heads to stay or add new staff. A consultant has recommended expanding the city’s business administration and economic development offices. Cognetti has said economic development will be a priority.
“I’m not ready to make any comments on any type of personnel,” Cognetti said. “That’s why I have the transition team to help me think through all of this.”
Transition team members, all volunteers, have begun talking to department heads to provide her with an understanding of each office’s policies, procedures and organization, Cognetti said.
It’s about finding “what are the things that are working, what are the things that maybe could be improved and taking an X-ray of each department piece by piece,” she said.
She also plans working groups separate from the transition. The groups will focus on community engagement; external funding; financial review; jobs, economy and business engagement; personnel; policy and ethics; public health, housing and environment; and technology, infrastructure and operations.
They will join Evans’ arts and leadership councils as advisory groups. Cognetti credited Evans with “paving the landing strip for the incoming mayor.”
The groups will help her form an agenda for the next two years. She called external funding the key working group because it will focus on finding outside money for projects the city may not be able to afford.
Cognetti is scheduled to fill the remaining two years of former mayor Bill Courtright’s term starting Jan. 6. Courtright resigned and pleaded guilty in July to federal corruption charges, and the city council appointed Evans to replace him temporarily. Voters elected Cognetti from among eight candidates Nov. 5.
Evans called the working groups a great idea.
“This administration is on board with the mayor-elect to have a smooth and historic transition and that’s what we’re looking for. Paige and I have talked several times and I wouldn’t say we’re old friends, but we’re good friends,” Evans said during a joint news conference on the steps of City Hall. “And I think we’ll be better friends over the next couple of months.”
Both characterized the transition as smooth so far, though Cognetti had nothing to do with the drafting the city’s 2020 budget, unveiled Friday. The budget includes no property tax hike, cuts the trash disposal fee to $250 and shifts the fee into the annual tax bill to improve collections.
Cognetti, who can amend the budget after she takes office, said she is open to the proposal, but hasn’t looked at finances closely. Evans said he left the budget flexible so Cognetti can alter it.
“I feel like I’m part of your team right now,” Evans told her. “I know this was a change election, but I also think it was a hope election ... I know you’re going to do a wonderful job for the city of Scranton.”
Contact the writer: bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9147; @BorysBlogTT on Twitter
Scranton police charged three people with felonies for severely beating a man in West Side.
One of them — Kyler Kenyatta Marshall, 22, 329 14th Ave. — remained at large Monday. The others —Nicholette Minich, 24, 229 Hollister Ave., and Marshall’s younger brother, Corey Marshall, 19, 154 Lawerance St., Wilkes-Barre — were jailed on $10,000 bail.
The three are charged with beating Adam Clark early Nov. 4 on the 1000 block of West Elm Street, according to a series of criminal complaints.
Kyler Marshall had been slashed across his abdomen as authorities arrived. Clark appeared to have been knocked out and had numerous face injuries.
Police received conflicting reports of what happened.
The trio whom police ultimately charged described Clark as the aggressor that they needed to subdue.
Surveillance footage from a nearby home security camera told a different story.
The footage showed Kyler Marshall appeared to start the fight after Clark used a racial slur to offend one of them.
Police later interviewed Clark. His mother explained to investigators that her son is autistic and is diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome.
Clark’s mother explained to investigators that her son does not understand the racial slur is degrading, instead thinking he is befriending people, according to police.
Clark told police he went to Walmart to buy Pokemon cards, coffee and energy drinks and believed that three people were following him.
Once Clark said the slur, Kyler Marshall came after him and Clark drew a knife.
Fighting ensued. Corey Marshall and Minich, who were walking with Kyler Marshall, joined in, police said.
The three are charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, conspiracy and recklessly endangering another person. Kyler Marshall is also charged with making a false report for telling police that Clark attacked him.
Preliminary hearings are scheduled Monday for Corey Marshall and Minich. If anyone has any information on the whereabouts of Kyler Marshall, they should call either 911 or Detective Sgt. David Mitchell at 570-558-8415.
Contact the writer: jkohut@timesshamrock.com, 570-348-9144; @jkohutTT on Twitter.
PRINGLE -- State police have released the name of a man who died in a wrong-way crash on state Route 309 South in Pringle on Saturday night, as well as other details of the accident.
James McNulty, 69, of Scranton, died at a local hospital following the accident, according to police.
McNulty was a passenger in a vehicle that was traveling north in the south travel lanes at about 9:35 p.m. Saturday, about a half-mile north of Exit 4 (Kingston/Forty Fort), according to police.
The wrong-way vehicle struck a southbound vehicle head-on, then crossed the travel lanes and struck another southbound vehicle, police said.
Police did not provide information on injuries to others involved in the accident. The accident is under further investigation.
— ERIC MARK
SCRANTON
A city man struck a 71-year-old woman with his SUV on Monday, fled the scene and later returned, police said.
Julio Javier Calixto, 29, told police he was distracted by a child in the back seat of his vehicle when he hit the woman as she crossed North Main Avenue toward Linden Street, Lt. Marty Crofton said.
Calixto hit the woman at 6:42 p.m. and fled the scene, telling police he got scared. He returned within about 45 minutes, the lieutenant said.
The woman suffered a broken wrist and broken ribs, but her injuries didn’t appear to be life-threatening, Crofton said. She was transported to Geisinger Community Medical Center and was undergoing a CT scan Monday night.
Calixto was not charged Monday, but police are speaking with the district attorney’s office regarding charges.
— FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY
SCRANTON — Records provided by the city’s department of public works director may explain more than $1,300 in diesel fuel charged to a single employee’s taxpayer-funded gas card on two days exactly one year apart.
At tonight's caucus, DPW Director Dennis Gallagher furnished city council with a pair of invoices for 7,500 gallons of diesel fuel delivered to the DPW on Jan. 22, 2018, and Jan. 22, 2019, respectively. Those are the same days DPW Foreman Pat McMullen’s gas card was used to buy more than $1,316 worth of diesel fuel, which Gallagher said was to fuel city garbage trucks.
The Times-Tribune discovered the diesel charges during a broader review of billing records that revealed errors, discrepancies and a clear lack of city oversight of gas card usage. The newspaper’s reporting prompted new written policy and provoked scrutiny by city council, which asked Gallagher to address questions at the caucus session.
Gallagher explained the department didn’t immediately have access to the diesel on the days it was delivered. Unable to tap its own supply, the DPW used the gas card to fuel the garbage trucks, he said.
The director could not account for a $25.48 non-fuel purchase charged to McMullen’s card on Jan. 22, 2018, and said he has no way to track which employees had access to McMullen’s pin number.
Gallagher maintains that, to the best of his knowledge, no DPW employee purchased personal gas with a taxpayer-funded card.
“I’m just taking people at their word,” Gallagher said, noting he didn’t independently analyze past gas card bills before signing off on them and sending them to the city controller’s office.
Gallagher also denied having a handshake agreement with former Mayor Bill Courtright allowing him to use his gas card as he saw fit.
“I wouldn’t do that,” he said.
In a September statement to Mayor Wayne Evans, city Fire Chief Patrick DeSarno said he had an inferred agreement of that nature with Courtright’s administration. DeSarno acknowledged that was a “wrong-headed assumption” made without “malice or deceit,” and recently determined via a self-audit that he owes the city $559.19 for gas used for personal travel over the past 5½ years.
Council members thanked Gallagher for attending the caucus and said they appreciated his answers, though the city will pursue an outside audit of gas card use.
With a 3-1 vote, council introduced legislation Monday to award a contract for that audit to Moretti CPA of Old Forge, one of three firms that submitted proposals. Moretti’s proposal includes a $9,675 estimate for the audit.
Council President Pat Rogan voted no, arguing the audit should be conducted internally by the city controller’s office. Councilman Tim Perry was absent.
“I definitively feel better after speaking to (Gallagher), but I’m still anxious to review the results of the audit,” Councilwoman Mary Walsh Dempsey said.
City budget
Council also introduced an ordinance appropriating funds for Mayor Wayne Evans’ proposed 2020 city budget. Tonight’s introduction constitutes the first of three votes needed to adopt the $116 million spending plan.
The budget Evans proposed Friday would drop Scranton’s annual $300 trash fee to $250 and collect it through property tax bills. Property taxes and underlying millages will remain the same next year, but officials believe levying the trash fee in the property tax bill will boost collection. Vacant buildings will not be charged the trash fee.
Property tax bills have a higher rate of collection, 90%, than the collection rate of prior garbage bills, about 65%, Evans said last week.
The new garbage fee would have to be authorized under separate legislation that the administration expects to present to council for enactment before the end of the year.
Acknowledging he had yet to thoroughly review the proposed budget, Councilman Bill Gaughan expressed concern Monday with apparent one-time revenue sources, salary hikes and other elements of the fiscal blueprint.
Councilman Kyle Donahue voted against introducing the budget ordinance, arguing council should wait until it receives the city’s most recent audit.
Council will hold a caucus on the proposed budget Dec. 4 at 5 p.m. at City Hall.
Contact the writer:
jhorvath@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9141;
@jhorvathTT on Twitter
In other business, council:
n Advanced an ordinance updating the city’s list of historic properties by creating a local downtown historic district. If approved, the ordinance would expand the list of historic properties to include all buildings located within the city’s central business district. It would also amend the process for the legislative review of recommendations made by the city’s historical architecture review board.
n Advanced an ordinance regulating city BYOB clubs that allow patrons to carry in and consume their own alcohol, often allowing the businesses to avoid the state’s 2 a.m. closing time for typical bars. Among other restrictions, the legislation would bar BYOB clubs from operating between 2-8 a.m. and prohibit anyone under 21 from entering without a parent or legal guardian. It would also prohibit BYOB clubs from conducting business without displaying the club’s hours of operation and a valid city occupancy permit.
n Approved legislation to use about $127,000 in unspent federal funding to build a two-unit rental house or to acquire and rehabilitate two vacant houses in the city for low-income housing. The money was awarded through the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. Council tabled the legislation last month.
n Approved legislation to contract with Allentown-based Barry Isett & Associates to review the city’s embattled Licensing, Inspections and Permits Department for efficiency and best practices. Council announced the term of the contract changed from two years to one before approving the legislation with a 3-1 vote. Donahue voted no, arguing the some form of a LIP review should happen but city should leave its options open for the time being. The review should cost around $91,000, Councilman Bill Gaughan said.
— Jeff Horvath
More high school students than ever are taking advantage of discounted credits at local universities and college programs to get a jump-start on their postgrad schooling, especially at Valley View.
Valley View High School has the most students — 114 — in its history participating in dual enrollment coursework during school hours at five local colleges and universities in Lackawanna County, said Superintendent Michael Boccella, Ed.D.
Two students are enrolled in courses at Johnson College; 19 at Lackawanna College; 33 at Marywood University; five at Penn State Scranton; and 55 at the University of Scranton, noted Boccella.
“I thought it was a great opportunity to expand my horizons and to get to know the college and get a jump- start,” said Valley View senior Mackenzie McHale. “It was definitely intimidating at first but I think it’s great to get the exposure at such a young age.”
Mackenzie, who has participated in dual enrollment since sophomore year, has taken more than five courses, which is between 15 and 20 college credits.
Around 20 years ago, high schools across the country began collaborating with colleges and universities to offer credits for high school classes, sometimes called concurrent enrollment. Colleges then began opening up their classrooms and creating programs for high school students to learn alongside their college peers.
Professors at the University of Scranton created the High School Business Scholars program in 2018; Lackawanna College started the associate degree track program Level Up Lackawanna in 2018; and Johnson College offers an Industry Fast Track program for high school juniors and seniors.
Credits through any number of dual enrollment programs come at deeply discounted rates.
For example, the cost for a three-credit course for a high school student from Valley View is $525 at the University of Scranton; $450 at Johnson College; $300 at Lackawanna College; $525 at Marywood University; and $912.50 at Penn State University.
A full-time nontraditional undergraduate student at the University of Scranton pays $1,164 per credit, according to the school’s website; and part-time students at Lackawanna pay $535 per credit, according to the school’s website.
“Students and parents are realizing how economically efficient this is,” said Boccella. “They are paying less for the credits they’re getting and minimizing the number left you have to take.”
Valley View High School has a block schedule that operates like college semesters so students are able to have an open first or last period of the day to spend in a college classroom, he said. High school guidance counselors work with the students to identify which classes and programs work for them and their future and help them enroll.
“We find that having our students on the college campuses is important. We want them to be immersed in a college experience,” said Lori Kelley, Valley View High School guidance counselor.
Students are able to lessen their class load in college because of dual enrollment, she added.
Dual enrollment benefits high school students on a personal, professional and practical level, said Rebekah Bernard, University of Scranton Information and Technology Specialist for Admissions and Enrollment.
Students have new and advanced academic experiences which increases their confidence, it lets them try out majors and courses they might pursue after high school graduation and it gives students a discounted head start on their degree, she said.
They are also able to double or triple major once in college, said Bernard.
The University of Scranton works with 25 local high schools to offer courses even if their schools do not. Students who have finished their sophomore year and have a good GPA are eligible to take classes at the university, said Bernard.
The high schoolers are in class with their college peers who often times, along with the professors, do not know they aren’t technically college students, she said.
Valley View senior Lauren Walsh wants to attend Marywood University for early childhood education next year. She is enrolled in an English and Retoric Course, her second class at the university in Scranton.
“It’s a really good opportunity to get the feel for what being on campus every day is like,” she said.
Her peer, senior Michael Sklareski, plans to study automotive technology at Johnson College next year and is already taking his required algebra general education course.
Dual enrollment gives him a head start on the feeling and experience of college, he said.
The students and their families are responsible for paying for the courses and, at Valley View, are expected to pass the college class.
Boccella said the students by and large do really well and have a great experience.
“I‘m very proud of our dual enrollment numbers,” he said. “Among other things, it shows that we have a great number of students who are academically and socially/emotionally capable of handling collegiate-level coursework while in high school.”
Across the county
Local school districts approved agreements with local colleges to receive often transferable credits for passing certain high school classes.
Students can earn up to 31 dual enrollment credits through teachers at Riverside, said Superintendent Paul Brennan. While the courses are already discounted, Riverside works with donors and nonprofit organizations like the Scranton Area Foundation to provide free credits, he said.
“If we can remove some financial barriers, get our kids to dream a little bigger and walk together toward the light at the end of the tunnel, everyone wins,” he said.
Abington Heights Superintendent Michael Mahon, Ph.D., estimates that the district is approaching 100 students enrolled in dual enrollment courses.
The district worked with Lackawanna to align classes offered at Abington with the college’s courses.
Mid Valley is also growing its dual enrollment offerings, said Superintendent Patrick Sheehan.
The district is partnering with Johnson College to offer a technical mathematics course, is part of LevelUP Lackawanna and recently met with Penn State Scranton.
“Some of our students are leaving with a semester worth or more of credits,” Sheehan said.
Twenty one students out of a graduating class of 50 leave Old Forge High School to take courses, said Principal Christopher Gatto.
“College is a completely different animal than high school and for them to get that taste will still being in high school gives them a leg up,” he said.
Contact the writer: kbolus@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5114; @kbolusTT on Twitter.
The Waverly Community House is halfway to its goal of raising $5 million to support the nonprofit over the next 100 years, Executive Director Maria Wilson said.
The capital campaign began in July as part of a 100th anniversary celebration of the building’s groundbreaking.
“We’ve had strong support from families who have been involved with the Comm for generations,” Wilson said.
Their plan is to reach out to the community through mailings and seek more large donations from businesses and charitable foundations over the next year to fill the gap.
The Comm, 1115 N. Abington Road, has been a staple in the community for many people, Wilson said.
Some of the activities offered include adult fitness classes, art classes, lectures and music, and after-school programs for kids.
“It’s a local, affordable, beautiful resource for families, many who use it on a daily basis,” she added.
The money will be put in an endowment fund to support the future needs of the 100-year-old building and fund new programs to meet the modern needs of the community, Wilson added.
Margaretta E. Belin created the Comm as a memorial to her husband, Henry Belin Jr. , in 1917. The cornerstone was laid in 1919 and the building was deeded to the municipality, then called Abington Twp., in 1920 for the benefit and use of residents.
Emily Karam, 38, of Waverly, has fond memories of the place as a young child and teen, and passed on the traditions to her four boys, who have participated in the preschool and after-school programs.
“The Comm is a landmark in the community,” she said. “ I served as a Comm Camp counselor when I was 17 and I’m still friends with the other counselors.”
Karam views the venue as an important space for gathering and making memories.
“Events like the Santa Breakfast allow people to create connections that are vital to the lifeblood of the community,” she said.
Her family and their business, Karam Orthodontics, make annual donations to support the organization.
“For all the Comm gives to us, it’s an easy gift every year,” Karam said. “I can’t put a value on it.”
Donations may be mailed to Waverly Community House, P. O. Box 142, Waverly, PA 18471, or made on waverlycomm.org.
Contact the writer:
rtomkavage@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5365;
@rtomkavage on Twitter
LEHMAN TWP.
State police arrested seven people Monday afternoon for threatening people in the Pine Ridge community, troopers said.
State police were dispatched to the community clubhouse about 12:45 p.m. and took five men and two women into custody without incident, according to state police.
There were no injuries and no threats to any schools in the area, troopers said.
State police are investigating the incident. No further information was released late Monday.
— FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY
SCRANTON
Pennsylvania American Water plan to begin paving Green Ridge Street today as part of a $1 million project.
Crews will pave Green Ridge Street between Dickson Avenue and Gardner Avenue. Work will occur from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is expected to wrap up by the end of the week, according to the company.
Traffic restrictions will be in place during work hours, and Pennsylvania American Water recommends that drivers use alternate routes.
The paving is part of an investment project to install more than 3,500 feet of new pipe in the area, according to the company.
— FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY
SCRANTON
The Lackawanna County commissioners and prison board meetings originally scheduled for Wednesday have been rescheduled to Nov. 27, the day before Thanksgiving.
The new meeting date likely will be the commissioners’ last opportunity to vote on the county’s 2020 budget, which must be adopted by Dec. 1. The county is closed Nov. 28 and 29 for the holiday. Next year’s budget does not raise property taxes.
Both meetings will be held in the fifth-floor conference room of the county government center at the former Globe store, 123 Wyoming Ave. The commissioners meeting begins at 10 a.m. and the prison board meeting starts at 1:30 p.m.
— JEFF HORVATH
MARRIAGE LICENSES
■ Jennifer Rachel Frey and George Daniel Abdalla, both of Moosic.
■ Brianna Lynn Miller and Robert Christopher Hine Jr., both of Jefferson Twp.
■ Jamie Lynn Montella and Jared Joseph Eigen, both of South Abington Twp.
PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS
■ Kevin and Michele Walsh, Lyndhurst, N.J., to Jeff Taisey, Maspeth, N.Y.; a property at Big Bass Lake, Clifton Twp., for $95,700.
■ Douglas and Kathy Robbins, and George and Darnell Garcia, Ringwood, N.J., to Stoneledge II LLC, Lackawanna County; a property in Carbondale for $117,900.
■ Carol P. Stemrich, Lackawanna County, to Keborah and Nidia Ravenell, Lackawanna County; a property on Lily Lake Road, Dalton, for $196,000.
■ Thomas J. Heffron, Dickson City, to Danny Jude Glodek, Dickson City; a property on Dimmick Street, Dickson City, for $45,000.
■ Patrick J. and Donna M. O’Shea, Olyphant, to Italian American Club of Olyphant, Olyphant; a property at 510 E. Scott St., Olyphant, for $40,000.
■ Aleksandnr Yankovskiy and Yelena Yankovskaya, Scranton, to Washington Pesantez, Belleville, N.J.; two parcels at 542 Elm St., Scranton, for $45,000.
■ Eugene P. Dolinish and Anne Marie Dolinish-Meltzer, Pennsylvania, to Ryan Ermel, Pennsylvania; a property at 136 W. Morton St., Old Forge, for $67,000.
■ Cloverleaf Developers LLC, Archbald, to John M. and Sharon A. Kleback, Peckville; a property at 133 Forest Drive, Archbald, for $252,000.
■ Jose A. Lazo, Scranton, to Wanderlisse Vargas-Diaz, Bronx, N.Y.; a property at 3020 Cedar Ave., Scranton, for $135,000.
■ Adele Constantino, individually and as executrix of the estate of Sylvia S. Sklanka, Moosic, Dominic Sklanka, individually, of Moosic, and Arlene Markiewicz, individually, of Moosic, to Scott Dominic Sklanka, Moosic; a property at 3617 Laurel Ave., Moosic, for $90,000.
■ Bettina Dorow, Lackawanna County, to Charles Kearney, Lackawanna County; a property at 1373 Adams Ave., Dunmore, for $62,500.
■ Mark E. and Aimee Finan, and Marie Luciano Finan, life tenant, all of Lackawanna County, to Sean O’Neill; a property at 117 Willow St., Dunmore, for $175,000.
■ Michael J. and Catherine Soltis, Old Forge, to Rajesh A. and Shilpa Patel, Scranton; a property at 121-123 Morris Court, Scranton, for $35,500.
DIVORCE DECREES
■ Kirstie Seymour-Kerekes v. Brad Seymour
■ Kelly Stavish v. Stephen Stavish
■ Chong Huber v. Karl Huber
■ Lisa Burrier v. Richard Burrier
■ Nicole Kolodzieski v. Michael Kolodzieski
■ Brenda Barrett v. Scott Barrett
■ Susan Pileggi v. Salvatore Pileggi
■ Timothy Walker v. Lynn Walker
■ Brent Davies v. Jennifer Davies
LAWSUITS
■ Mary and James M. Marra, 1064 Cottage Ave., Scranton, v. Paul T. Prendergast, 1632 Dickson Ave., Scranton, seeking in excess of $50,000, plus interest and costs on two counts, for injuries suffered April 20, 2018, in an automobile accident at Green Ridge Street and Dickson Avenue, Scranton; Caroline Munley, attorney.
■ Robert Mieczkowski, 532 Bantam Ridge Road, Wintersville, Ohio, v. Alex Marchel, 250 Kathleen Drive, Peckville, seeking in excess of the amount requiring compulsory arbitration on two counts, for injuries suffered Feb. 5, when the plaintiff was struck by the defendant’s automobile in a parking lot in Harrisburg; Scott B. Cooper, attorney.
■ Mary Ellen Beavers, 308 Ferdinand St., Scranton, v. Rebecca Hoover, 502 N. Hyde Park Ave., Scranton, seeking in excess of $50,000, for injuries suffered Feb. 8, 2018, in a fall on the defendant’s premises; Christopher T. Powell Jr., attorney.
FEDERAL TAX LIENS
■ Tico Maintenance Inc., North Valley Avenue, Olyphant; $1,636,531.09.
■ Bolus Truck Parts and Towing, 922 Sanderson St., Throop; $16,014.06
STATE TAX LIENS
■ Collura Excavating LLC, 1223 W. State St., Archbald; $3,707.35.
■ American Painters LLC, P.O. Box 54B, Gouldsboro; $2,292.59.
■ Mike Bevilacqua Sheet Metal Inc., 916 Capouse Ave., Scranton; $1,000.
ESTATES FILED
■ Donna L. Lewis, also known as Donna Lou Lewis and Donna Lewis, 1521 W. Gibson St., Scranton, letters testamentary to Warren J. Lewis, same address.
■ Lawrence J. Warner, Gino J. Merli Veterans Center, 401 Penn Ave., Scranton, letters testamentary to Lori Ann Gurnari, 715 N. Bromley Ave., Scranton.
■ Ann Louise Benedict, also known as Louise L. Benedict, 626 Shirley Lane, Dunmore, letters of administration to Elizabeth A. Benedict, same address.
■ Joan Gavin, 1614 Monroe Ave., Dunmore, letters of administration to Mara Gavin, same address.
■ Joseph F. Ercolani, 407 Cemetery St., Peckville, letters testamentary to Sharon M. Hazzouri, same address, and Joseph F. Ercolani Jr., 217 Woodhaven Road, Peckville.
■ Frank Chapchuk, 717 Warren St., Dunmore, letters testamentary to David Chapchuk, 1012 Buenzli Court, Scranton, and Frank Chapchuk, 46223 Trillum Square, 204, Sterling, Va.
ONLINE: thetimes-tribune.com/court
More than $2 million was wagered in sports bets at Mohegan Sun Pocono in October, according to numbers released Monday by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
The Plains Twp. casino, which opened its sports betting lounge in September, brought in $305,697 in sports wagering revenue in October. The revenue is the amount a sportsbook retains after paying out winners.
According to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, more than $10 million was wagered in sports bets at Mount Airy Casino Resort in Monroe County in October.
The numbers showed the total sports betting revenue at Mount Airy Casino Resort in October totaled $509,253. Mount Airy also opened its sportsbook in September and partnered with the Stars Group and FOX Bet to launch online sports betting. Mount Airy brought in $422,453 in online sports wagering revenue in October.
Mohegan Sun spokesman Cody Chapman said the executive team at Mohegan Sun Pocono is encouraged by performance in October and more information would be available soon about “exciting enhancements underway” in addition to just launching an online version of the sportsbook that can be found at pa.unibet.com.
Pennsylvania’s total online and retail sportsbooks’ handle surpassed $240 million in bets in October as the state’s bettors increasingly turned online, according to analysts for PlayPennsylvania.com.
Overall, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board’s numbers showed total gaming and fantasy contests revenue statewide was up 11% in October from October last year.
The board regulates slot machines, table games, internet gaming, retail and internet sports wagering, fantasy contests and video gaming terminals. Total revenue statewide from all gaming revenue sources totaled more than $283.7 million in October.
That included the more than $19.1 million in total revenue that Mohegan Sun Pocono brought in, a 5.5% increase from last October, and more than $16 million in total revenue at Mount Airy, a 5.9% increase from last October.
According to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, October’s sports wagering taxable revenue from both retail and online outlets was more than $14.9 million.
The 1,130-square-foot Unibet Sportsbook that opened across from Molly O’Sheas Irish Pub & Eatery in Mohegan Sun Pocono in September features a 28-foot-wide video wall with three additional displays near the sportsbook tables for additional viewing.
Officials at Mount Airy Casino Resort recently cut a ribbon to officially open a sportsbook in the former Gypsies Lounge.
Contact the writer:
dallabaugh@citizensvoice.com; 570-821-2115;
@CVAllabaugh on Twitter
HONESDALE
Officers found about 80 bags of heroin when they arrested a Beach Lake man last week, borough police said.
Police arrested George Hazimof, 47, on Nov. 13 after investigators say they learned that he was involved with drug sales in August and September.
Authorities obtained a warrant, and while arresting Hazimof, they found heroin and money.
Hazimof is charged with possession with intent to deliver and criminal use of a communication facility. He remains in custody at Wayne County Correctional Facility on $60,000 bail. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday.
— FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY
Nov. 19, 1974
Officials deny military probe
of Carbondale UFO
On Nov. 9, 1974, something fell from the sky and landed in a silt pond near Russell Park in Carbondale. Was it a UFO? Was it a Soviet missile?
People were looking for answers. An Air Force spokesman told The Scranton Times, “The Air Force is not investigating the Carbondale incident.”
But Robert Barry of the 20th Century UFO Bureau in New Jersey told The Times, “The military had been in touch with acting Police Chief Francis Dottle of the Carbondale Police Department on the possibility of a downed Russian missile.”
Dottle’s response to Barry’s claim: “Never, at any time.”
A dive team searched the pond and found an electric lantern. After that discovery, Carbondale police closed the case on the UFO sighting, calling it a hoax.
Greyhound strike halts local service
Local Greyhound Bus employees joined their brethren in a nationwide strike on Nov. 18. The 26 local employees, all drivers, walked off the job at 4 p.m.
Greyhound terminal manager Edward Rojek said “no passengers were stranded as a result of the strike.” He said those who arrived aboard Greyhound buses after 4 p.m. were taken to the Martz-Capitol Trailways terminal to continue their journeys.
Negotiations between the union and the company were taking place in Phoenix, but talks broke down just before the strike was called.
Sale at Sugerman’s
Ladies sportswear separates priced between $6.97 and $11.97; boys cuffed flared dress-up jeans, $2.33; men’s warmup jackets, $18.99; compact 8-track car stereo, $22.88; Spirit of ’76 eight-piece glass set, $2.88; and a tin of throat lozenges, 64 cents.
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 Canadensis man sentenced to death for the 2014 ambush that killed one state trooper and wounded another is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to hear his case.
Eric Matthew Frein’s death sentence was unconstitutional because emotional testimony prosecutors presented went far beyond what is permitted by law, his attorney, Michael Wiseman of Philadelphia, says in court papers. Frein’s sentence should also be overturned because he was denied his right to an attorney when he was first questioned, Wiseman says.
The arguments are similar to issues Frein previously raised in an unsuccessful appeal to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Wiseman contends the court erred in denying the appeal because it failed to address constitutional issues.
The U.S. Supreme Court hears only a small fraction of cases referred to it each year. It will decide
whether to hear Frein’s appeal after Pike County District Attorney Ray Tonkin files a reply, which is due Thursday.
Frein, 36, was convicted in April 2017 of first-degree murder and other charges and sentenced to death for killing Cpl. Bryon K. Dickson II and wounding Trooper Alex T. Douglass in a sniper attack outside the Blooming Grove State Police barracks Sept. 12, 2014.
Wiseman argues the death sentence should be vacated because Tonkin violated Frein’s rights under the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which limits evidence in the death penalty phase to information about the victim and the impact their death had on their family.
The evidence included the testimony of 10 witnesses, a 15-minute video of Dickson’s graduation from the state police academy and information regarding his wife’s difficulty in giving birth to one of their children. That unfairly inflamed the jury against him, he argues.
The state Supreme Court considered the same issue, but dismissed the appeal, finding that decisions on evidence admissibility are up to the trial judge. Wiseman contends the court should have evaluated the evidence based on the constitutional challenge, but did not.
Wiseman also argues police violated Frein’s rights when they refused to allow his attorney to see him once he arrived at the barracks shortly after Frein was taken into custody. Frein made incriminating statements during the questioning.
The state Supreme Court agreed police violated Frein’s rights, but said it was a harmless error because evidence against him was so overwhelming he would have been convicted even if his statements were suppressed.
Wiseman argues the court failed to consider the impact Frein’s confession had on jurors during the death penalty phase, which raises constitutional issues that are not subject to the “harmless error” analysis.
“Frein’s confession was used to show the casual, detached and apparently uncaring man who killed one state trooper and wounded another, in cold blood,” Wiseman said. “In a very real sense, the confession was the tent pole from which the rest of the commonwealth’s theory of the case hung.”
Contact the writer:
tbesecker@timesshamrock.com;
570-348-9137;
@tmbeseckerTT on Twitter
High notes
The 111th Columbus Day Association Dinner was held in October at Fiorelli’s Banquet Hall in Peckville.
Monsignor Constantine Siconolfi began the program with an invocation and past state commander of Disabled American Veterans, Mike Iacavazzi, led the Pledge of Allegiance. Giovanni Antidormi performed the national anthem. President Mark E. McDade also announced that Siconolfi was celebrating his 60th anniversary as a priest, which was followed with a standing ovation. Peter Noto was toastmaster and entertained the guests. After dinner, Judge Robert Mazzoni presented the Spirit of Columbus Award to Joe Fazio, association secretary. McDade presented the 2019 Italian American Men of the Year awards to brothers attorney Daniel Penetar and Dr. Martin Penetar and the Columbus Day Association’s Past President’s Award to Joe Parise.
Siconolfi gave the benediction, which included a solemn tribute to the men and women of the armed services and first responders.
Antidormi then sang “Ave Maria.”
The rest of the evening was spent congratulating the honorees and dancing to the music of the Luongo Brothers’ Band.
Columbus Day Association members and distinguished guests at the dinner included Judge Michael Barrasse, Judge Vito Geroulo, Judge Tom Munley, Judge Terry Nealon, Judge Margaret Moyle, Judge Julia Munley, attorney Joe DeNaples, Mike Colangelo, first vice president; Alec Senofonte, Frank Ruggiero, Jim Baress, Frank Morell, Leo Vergnetti, Jim Colangelo, Dr. Peter Cognetti, Ron Cordaro, treasurer; Pat Scarpino, Charles Spano, Justin Gagliardi, T.J. Savero, Ernie DeStefano, John Mecca, second vice president; Joe Alu, Leo Wentline, Ed Cammerota, Ross Macciocco, Joe Macciocco, incoming president; and Richard Belardi.
Lackawanna County ethnic organizations representatives at the dinner included Ltc. A. Joe Albert, ret., B’nai B’rith representative; David Fitzpatrick, M.D., president, Friendly Sons of St. Patrick; Ed Karpovich, president, Friends of Poland; Jerry Notarianni, Lackawanna County commissioner; and Rick Sabato, past Columbus Day Association president.
Columbus Day Association raffle sellers included Marianne Cognetti, Eileen Parise and Michele McDade. Proceeds benefit the St. Francis Kitchen and St. Joseph’s Center.