SCRANTON

A Scranton church is opening a bakery to help former inmates gain professional and marketable skills.

For her birthday, Rev. Rebecca Barnes of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church on Wyoming Avenue aims to raise $10,000 to help launch Cypress House Bakery through a Facebook fundraiser campaign.

The nonprofit will serve as a prison reentry program based on the Homeboy Bakery program in Los Angeles. Former inmates will make gourmet sandwiches using bread baked on site daily.

The $10,000 goal will seed a total $300,000 goal needed to start the bakery.

Donations can be made directly to Cypress House at St. Luke’s, 232 Wyoming Ave., Scranton, PA 18503, Attn: Mother Barnes’ Birthday Fundraiser

— STAFF REPORT

PLAINS TWP. — Elise Mosca — who appeared on “The Bachelor” while on leave as a teacher in 2013-14 — has resigned from her Wilkes-Barre Area School District job.

The school board approved her resignation at Tuesday’s meeting. Her resignation is the result of a resolution to a workers’ compensation case with an insurer, and she had not been working for the district because of the workers’ compensation claim, district Solicitor Raymond Wendolowski said.

Workers’ compensation is a form of insurance that provides wages and health benefits to employees injured on the job. Officials at the meeting did not know when Mosca stopped working for the district. She could not be reached fore comment.

Mosca, 33, was a teacher at Kistler Elementary School in 2018-19, state records show. Her annual salary was $62,163 in 2017-18.

The school board approved two unpaid leaves of absence for Mosca during the 2013-14 academic year, and she has appeared on two reality dating shows on ABC — “The Bachelor” and “Bachelor in Paradise” — in 2014.

In August 2014, the school board rejected a request to grant Mosca another leave from her job, and she returned to teaching third grade at Kistler Elementary School.

Also at Tuesday’s meeting, the school board approve a few change orders and contract amendments for the new high school under construction in Plains Twp. The changes are all covered by the project’s $121 million budget, which includes $6.4 million for contingencies.

A new contract will provide an up to $27,000 to WKL Architecture for design services associated with the expansion of the pool from six lanes to eight lanes. The board agreed to a contract with Geo-Science Engineering & Testing to spend up to $33,000 for a radon mitigation system.

The change orders add $26,816 to the building contract with Quandel, $4,572 to the sitework contract with Stell Enterprises Inc. and $27,164 to the electrical contract with Everon Electrical Contractors Inc.

Board member Melissa Etzle Patla, a critic of the project, voted against the project change orders and contracts. The district is building a new high school on a former mining site in Plains Twp. to merge its three highs schools — GAR, Meyers and Coughlin — when the 2021-22 school year starts.

Michael Krzywicki of Apollo Group Inc., the district’s building project manager, gave a report on the project at the meeting. He noted the district collected soil samples on the north side of the site between Maffett Street and parking lots.

Lab results showed no detectable amount of hexavalent chromium, a carcinogen often found in coal ash, and two samples tested slightly above the non-residential standard for arsenic. The state Department of Environmental Protection authorized placing an additional 6 inches of topsoil in that area, on top of the 6 inches originally planned there, Krzywicki said.

Critics want to keep three district high schools and dispute assertions from school and state officials that the new high school will be on an environmentally safe reclamation site.

Also at the meeting, the board recognized the accomplishments of high school athletes in the fall. The district consolidated sports at its three high schools this fall, competing as the Wolfpack for the first time.

Board member John Quinn said he regretted voting against the motion to consolidate sports.

“I was wrong, and this was the right move,” Quinn said.

The board also recognized James Geiger and Dr. James Susek, who were attending their last scheduled meeting as board members. Their terms expire at the end of the month.

Susek, who had served for 12 years on the board, emotionally recalled the accomplishments of his three children, who graduated from Coughlin.

Contact the writer:

mbuffer@citizensvoice.com

570-821-2073, @cvmikebuffer

Already on probation for failing to pay tens of thousands of dollars in state taxes, the owner of The Chicken Coop restaurant pleaded guilty Tuesday to a felony charge alleging he also failed to pay nearly $400,000 in federal payroll taxes.

John T. Stuchkus, 58, of Pittston, pleaded guilty to the felony count of wilfully failing to collect or pay over taxes, a crime that carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

According to federal prosecutors, Stuchkus, as president and chief executive of Chick-N Enterprises, Inc., was responsible for collecting federal income taxes as well as Medicare and Social Security taxes.

Between the final quarter of 2013 and the end of 2017, Stuchkus withheld the taxes from employees’ paychecks but made almost no corresponding deposits with the Internal Revenue Service, according to the charges.

According to a plea agreement Stuchkus reached with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the total tax loss the government incurred as a result of his conduct was $397,407.

Under the plea agreement, prosecutors agree to recommend Stuchkus get consideration if he can “adequately demonstrate recognition and affirmative acceptance of responsibility.” However, the prosecution reserved the right to recommend up to the maximum penalty during the sentencing hearing.

U.S. District Court Judge A. Richard Caputo accepted the plea and set sentencing for April 9.

Last year, Stuchkus pleaded guilty to 43 misdemeanor tax violations in state court, including failure to remit collected sales tax to the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. In that case, he admitted the business at 165 N. Wilkes-Barre Blvd. had collected $62,759 in sales taxes between April 1, 2012, and July 31, 2016, that Stuchkus failed to remit to the state.

Luzerne County Judge Michael T. Vough sentenced Stuchkus in May 2018 to serve 12 years of probation for his crimes.

Contact the writer:

jhalpin@citizensvoice.com

570-821-2058

The actor who played Mr. McFeeley in “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood” will greet fans at a special screening of the film “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” presented by WVIA.

On Sunday, Dec. 8, David Newell will introduce the film and then greet fans afterward for photos and autographs at Cinemark 20 & XD, Moosic. Doors open at 2 p.m., and the movie starts at 3.

The film stars Tom Hanks as Fred Rogers, the legendary children’s television show star, and focuses on his interaction with a reporter writing a profile about him and the lessons the man learns from him.

Seating is on a first-come, first served basis. Guests are encouraged to wear cardigans in honor of Mr. Rogers, and prizes will be given out for best dressed.

Tickets cost $30 for VIA Members and $40 each for nonmembers, with all proceeds going to VIA Public Media. For tickets, visit eventbrite.com.

PRINGLE — A Wilkes-Barre man led police on a high-speed chase early Wednesday, taking to some railroad tracks and ramming a police car before running from his disabled vehicle and being captured in a foot chase, according to police.

Kingston police say they saw Dario Collado, 21, of 319 Lehigh St., driving a silver Nissan Xterra with an invalid license plate on Grove Street near Division Street in Pringle around 2:35 a.m. When an officer turned on his lights for a traffic stop, Collado promptly sped away, according to the complaint.

Making his way to the Cross Valley Expressway, Collado led police on a chase reaching speeds in excess of 90 mph, police said. He turned off at the Kingston exit and then took Wyoming Avenue north to Forty Fort before circling back on Welles Street and getting back on the Cross Valley, police said.

Collado continued southbound until getting off at Kidder Street, speeding in excess of 80 mph until he hit Conyngham Avenue, the complaint says. The chase continued up Wilkes-Barre Boulevard and then back out to the Cross Valley, this time heading northbound, police said.

Collado took the Forty Fort exit and continued fleeing on Rutter Avenue, crossing the center median and driving in the oncoming lane of traffic, according to the charges.

After making his way up Slocum Street, Collado made an abrupt turn onto the railroad tracks behind the Fortis Institute, police said. An officer pursuing Collado drove his cruiser parallel to the tracks in a dirt parking lot before Collado veered off to his right and rammed the police car’s driver’s side door, the complaint says.

The impact caused the cruiser to swerve right toward a building, and Collado’s vehicle returned to the railroad tracks, where it finally broke down, according to police.

Collado and an unidentified passenger jumped out of the car and ran into some trees, police said. Officers caught Collado a short time later without further incident, but the passenger escaped.

Collado claimed he only ran because he had a suspended driver’s license and he knew the vehicle he was driving was not registered, the complaint says. He also claimed no knowledge of the identity of the passenger who fled the scene, according to the charges.

The Kingston police cruiser that Collado hit sustained moderate damage in the crash, while a Forty Fort cruiser got a flat tire and a damaged wheel during the chase, police said.

Police charged Collado with two counts of aggravated assault and one count each of fleeing and eluding, reckless endangerment, simple assault, driving without a license, driving an unregistered vehicle and careless driving.

Magisterial District Judge Brian James Tupper arraigned Collado on the charges Wednesday morning and ordered him jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility with bail set at $15,000.

A preliminary hearing was set for Dec. 4.

A main break cut water service to an unknown number of homes and businesses in Scranton’s Green Ridge neighborhood starting early this morning.

Attempts to reach a Pennsylvania-American Water Co. spokeswoman were unsuccessful, but Zummo’s Cafe general manager Lindsay Colan said the business will not open today.

Colan said employees arrived about 4 a.m. and found they had no water. The shop relies on water for coffee, cooking, bathrooms, cleaning and other things, Colan said.

Water company officials told her the company would restore water at the latest by 6 p.m., the cafe’s normal closing time.

“So we’re going to take the day,” she said.

Check back for updates.

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

DICKSON CITY — Flames damaged a multi-family home in Dickson City early today.

Borough firefighters who responded to the 400 block of Bowman Street around 3:30 a.m. found a working fire with heavy smoke in the basement of the two-story structure.

Crews brought the flames under control within minutes, and the fire was contained to the basement.

The fire is under investigation by the state police fire marshal.

— STAFF REPORT

MARRIAGE LICENSES

■ James Thomas Munley Jr., Scranton, and Janey Ramos Gatchalian, Baguio City, Philippines.

■ Rose Carme Destine and Justin Eugene Williams, both of Scranton.

■ Sandra Dalla-Riva, Scranton, and Louis Robert Burke, Taylor.

■ Richard Anthony Marcano Jr. and Janice Soto, both of Olyphant.

■ Brooke Rose Marie Benson and Brian Joseph Newhart, both of Scranton.

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

■ Charles and Jennifer Grabow to Mark A. and Megan E. Deshaies; a property on Second Street, Dalton, for $221,450.

■ Paul M. and Candida A. Smola, Blakely, to LMK Investments LLC; a property at 1708 Main St., Blakely, for $157,400.

■ Megan J. McLaughlin, Scranton, to Paul A. Datti, Scranton; a property at 417 Colfax Ave., Scranton, for $95,000.

■ Gerald P. and Cynthia L. Gilroy, Myrtle Beach, S.C., to Theodore J. and Deborah A. Zenzal; a property on Willard Road, Greenfield Twp., for $55,000.

■ Eileen F. Fedele, Covington Twp., to Adam and Melissa Kieselowsky, Jefferson Twp.; a property on Winship Road, Covington Twp., for $200,000.

■ Denise Youorski, Jermyn, to Michael and Emily Repecki; a property in Greenfield Twp. for $132,000.

■ Edward Jr. and Christine M. Volovitch, Newton Twp., to Joseph E. Ferris, Dunmore; a property at 1065 Newton Road, Newton Twp., for $239,900.

■ Ryan M. Cavanaugh, Taylor, to John H. Hickey and Lindsay P. Iacovazzi, Scranton, as joint tenants with rights of survivorship; a property at 406 Third St., Taylor, for $165,000.

■ Mayankkumar R. Patel, Chino, Calif., to Paul and Geralyn Vecerkauskas, Clarks Green; a property at 717 E. Elm St., Scranton, for $25,000.

■ Vicky Varady, Benton Twp., to Joseph C. and Susan Chiochio, Scranton; a property in Benton Twp. for $47,500.

■ Minooka Pastries Inc., Scranton, to Joy Sensi, Scranton; a property at 3282 Birney Ave., Scranton, for $55,000.

DIVORCES SOUGHT

■ Toby D. Watson, Clarks Summit, v. Natalia Galyutina Watson, Omsk, Russia; married Jan. 25, 2008, in Fort Worth, Texas; Brian J. Cali, attorney.

■ Chelsy Esperance, Lackawanna County, v. Salvatore Tomazzolli, Tobyhanna; married May 5, 2016, in Las Vegas; Brian J. Cali, attorney.

DIVORCE DECREES

■ Brianne Dzwieleski v. Curtis Dzwieleski

■ Christopher Shimko v. Tina Shimko

■ Carolyn Diehl v. Joseph Diehl

■ Roldan Maradiaga v. Norma Argueta

ESTATES FILED

■ John Bartovsky, 300 Lillibridge St., Peckville, letters of administration to Helene Moyles, same address.

■ Jean Waespi, 111 Center St., letters of administration to James Pettinato, 142 Center St., Carbondale.

■ Norma Jean Wagner, also known as Norma J. Wagner and Norma Wagner, 100 Terrace Drive, Roaring Brook Twp., letters of administration to Randy L. Wagner, same address.

■ Regina Noll Fisch, also known as Regina M. Fisch, 1 Lake Scranton Road, Scranton, letters testamentary to attorney Elaine C. Geroulo, 1550 Penn Ave., Scranton.

■ Thomas J. Slater, also known as Thomas Slater, 403 Moltke Ave., Scranton, letters testamentary to Bonita Slater, same address.

■ Anna Kozlowski, 1335 Rundle St., Scranton, letters testamentary to Robert Petillo, 910 Moosic Road, Old Forge, and Anne Petillo, 121 S. Keyser Ave., Taylor.

■ Lillian Pearce, 946-948 Wheeler Ave., Scranton, letters of administration to Deborah Borst, 1009 N. Ridge Road, Newfoundland.

ONLINE: thetimes-tribune.com/court

SCRANTON — A Scranton man who was accused of sexually abusing a 3-year-old girl will spend three to 23 months in Lackawanna County Prison.

Nicholas John Puchalski, 41, was sentenced Wednesday by Judge Margaret Bisignani Moyle after pleading no contest to corruption of minors.

Scranton police arrested Puchalski in January after the girl told investigators at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Northeastern Pennsylvania that he touched her genitals in September 2018.

The Times-Tribune does not identify victims of sexual assault.

Originally charged with indecent assault of a person younger than 13 and corruption of minors, Puchalski entered his plea to the misdemeanor corruption charge June 27.

Addressing the court Wednesday, the victim’s mother asked Moyle to impose the maximum penalty on Puchalski. The newspaper is not naming the mother to protect the identity of the girl.

The mother spoke of her daughter’s lost innocence, telling the judge the girl asks if the monsters ever go away. The victim is seeing a therapist and being treated for behavioral issues, she said.

“I tell her to keep fighting and always be brave,” the mother said.

Puchalski’s attorney, Kim Giombetti, told the court her client has undergone a remarkable change since the incident, addressing both his drug and alcohol problems and his mental health issues. He is working, with his employer so pleased with his performance that he plans to put him in a management position, she said.

“He’s a different man. He’s enjoying life,” said Giombetti, who asked Moyle to fashion a sentence that would allow Puchalski to continue on his current path.

In handing down the jail sentence, Moyle called it a case of competing interests but said she had to consider the seriousness of the offense. She told Puchalski she would consider an application for his entry into the work release program at the appropriate time.

She also ordered the defendant to have no unsupervised contact with minors after his release from jail.

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

SCRANTON — A city woman who had a sexual relationship with a teenage boy faces at least five months in Lackawanna County Prison.

County Judge Margaret Bisignani Moyle on Wednesday sentenced Leanora Propes, 40, to five to 23 1/2 months in jail plus two years of probation for corruption of minors.

Scranton police opened an investigation in February after the mother of the 14-year-old boy reported to detectives that Propes had a relationship with the minor.

The Times-Tribune does not identify victims of sexual assault.

Although both the boy and Propes both initially denied the accusation, Propes eventually admitted to having intercourse with the teenager, according to investigators. She blamed it on depression and loneliness, telling police her boyfriend was incarcerated at the time.

Charged with statutory sexual assault and other offenses, Propes pleaded guilty to a felony corruption count June 21.

Attorney William Thompson, who represents Propes, told Moyle on Wednesday that the arrest represents his client’s first involvement with the criminal justice system.

At the time of the incident, she was in an abusive relationship and, while that is not an excuse for what she did, it does provide context, Thompson said.

Noting Propes has a very young child and is also four months pregnant, the attorney suggested the judge craft a sentence that would allow her to care for both of the children.

Propes addressed the court briefly and told Moyle she was not in the right state of mind when she committed the offense.

Moyle, who cited the seriousness of the offense in handing down the sentence, ordered Propes to undergo parenting and sex offender classes. She is also to have no contact with the victim, the judge said.

Deputy District Attorney Sara Varela noted at the outset of the hearing that Propes is a “tier 1” offender under state law.

Moyle told Propes that status requires her to register as a sex offender for 15 years.

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

With about six weeks left in her term, Lackawanna County Commissioner Laureen Cummings is making a renewed push to have Jesus Christ’s name added to a monument on Courthouse Square.

In June 2018, commissioners voted 2-0, with Cummings abstaining, to award a roughly $58,000 contract to Honesdale-based Martin Caufield Memorial Works to correct dozens of verifiable errors and make other changes to the monuments surrounding the courthouse. Cummings took issue with a particular change involving a Bible verse engraved on the Veterans Memorial wall located near the courthouse’s front entrance.

The county’s request for proposals for the monument work was informed by a 2014 review by the Lackawanna Historical Society, which identified numerous misspellings, incorrect dates and other issues with the monuments. The RFP calls for the attribution of the Bible verse to be changed from “Anonymous” to “John 15:13 KJV” — a reference to the book, chapter and verse of the King James Bible where the excerpt appears.

Cummings, however, wants the quote attributed directly to Jesus Christ. She argued in June 2018 that the attribution in the RFP is not the appropriate way to reference scripture and argued this week the verse should be attributed to Christ, who is speaking in the Biblical passage.

County Arts and Culture Director Maureen McGuigan said an internal committee of officials working in partnership with the historical society researched MLA and APA citation guides and consulted with various faith leaders and others before determining the attribution should read “John 15:13 KJV.” McGuigan also personally researched examples of Bible verse attributions on other public monuments, she said.

Maria Johnson, Ph.D., a professor in the University of Scranton’s Department of Theology/Religious Studies, said the attribution in the RFP is proper.

“John 15:13 is an entirely appropriate way to do it,” she said.

Nonetheless, Cummings contends the Bible verse attribution was still an open question when commissioners voted on the monument resolution in June 2018. Meeting minutes confirm the issue was unresolved and that arts and culture department program manager Chris Calvey planned to meet with faith leaders to further discuss the matter.

Reached Wednesday, Calvey said he polled both protestant pastors and Catholic monsignors who agreed the attribution should include the chapter, book and verse of the Bible. Calvey did not hold a formal meeting with the faith leaders and did not communicate their opinion directly to Cummings, though he did apprise other officials, he said.

A frustrated Cummings said she’s been “getting the runaround” with regard to the attribution and suggested officials may be trying to run out the clock on her term.

If the county is to add Christ’s name to the monument, county General Counsel Donald Frederickson said commissioners will have to approve a resolution to that effect by vote. It’s unclear if that resolution would have sufficient support.

Commissioner Jerry Notarianni said he’d stick with the opinion of the experts and faith leaders officials consulted. Efforts to reach commissioner Patrick O’Malley were unsuccessful.

Aside from the Bible verse attribution, McGuigan said the monument corrections are largely complete. Attempts to reach Martin Caufield were unsuccessful Wednesday.

Cummings said she’ll continue to fight for the addition of Christ’s name.

“I’ve been pushing for it since I found out about it,” she said.

Contact the writer:
jhorvath@timesshamrock.com;
570-348-9141;
@jhorvathTT on Twitter

SCRANTON — A Lackawanna County judge told Eric Leidel she initially planned to sentence him to state prison for statutory sexual assault.

Instead, he’ll do his time at Lackawanna County Prison with a chance to prove Judge Margaret Bisignani Moyle made the right choice.

Moyle sentenced the 25-year-old Scranton man on Wednesday to 11 to 23 1/2 months in jail followed by four years of probation for sexually assaulting a pre-teen girl several years ago.

Scranton police accused Leidel in June of having a sexual relationship with the victim in 2011 or 2012, when she was 11 years old. The abuse, which included oral sex and intercourse, happened at a home in North Scranton.

The Times-Tribune does not identify victims of sexual assault.

Describing it as a difficult case, Leidel’s attorney, Curt Parkins, argued for leniency for the defendant.

He asked Moyle to consider the Leidel’s age at the time of the crime,

“When the offense started, he, too, was a minor,” Parkins said.

Although probation officials recommended a state prison sentence, Parkins said he believed Leidel was someone who could be rehabilitated at the county level.

Moyle, who received and reviewed a letter from the victim at the outset of the hearing, told the defendant it made some very compelling points.

However, she said, Leidel’s attorney also made compelling points. There is no indication the defendant has reoffended in the years since the original assault, she said.

Moyle told Leidel that because the crime was a serious, violent offense committed against a child, incarceration was necessary.

In sending him to the county jail instead of state prison, Moyle warned Leidel she was still giving him “enough rope to hang yourself” by imposing the four-year probationary period along with a series of other conditions the defendant must meet when he is released.

Among them, Leidel must find full-time employment, avoid drugs and alcohol, have no contact with the victim and have no unsupervised contact with minors, the judge said.

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

SCRANTON — The Department of Public Works will pick up leaves instead of newspapers during the week of Nov. 25-30.

Bagging of leaves is suggested.

Leaf bags are available free of charge for residents at the DPW, 101 W. Poplar St. or at the Weston Field House, 982 Providence Road.

— JIM LOCKWOOD

SCRANTON — A Carbondale man was sentenced Wednesday by Lackawanna County Judge Margaret Bisignani Moyle to 18 months to four years in state prison for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl.

Alfred H. Pratt IV, 36, was accused by Carbondale police in January of assaulting the teen starting in 2017, after an investigation prompted by a ChildLine report.

The Times-Tribune does not identify victims of sexual assault.

Charged with statutory sexual assault and other offenses, Pratt pleaded guilty in July to corruption of minors and furnishing alcohol to minors.

— DAVID SINGLETON

SCRANTON -- A Scranton man faces charges after hitting a woman with his SUV and leaving the scene Monday, police said.

Julio Calixto, 29, 1513 Von Storch Ave., struck Margarta Flores, 71, at 6:42 p.m. at West Linden Street and North Main Avenue and fled south toward Taylor Avenue, police said. He returned about 45 minutes later and told police he was driving the Jeep that hit Flores.

Calixto told police he looked back to talk to his daughter when he struck Flores.

Flores was transported to Geisinger Community Medical Center and diagnosed with a broken wrist and broken ribs, police said. She was in fair condition Wednesday, Geisinger spokesman Matt Mattei said.

Calixto was charged Monday with failure to stop and render aid and accidents involving death or personal injury.

He remains free on $10,000 unsecured bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 25.

— ROBERT TOMKAVAGE

SCRANTON — School property taxes would increase 3.4% for 2020 in a spending plan the Scranton School District must balance by the end of the year.

The tax increase — $45 for a property assessed at $10,000 — still leaves an almost $2.7 million deficit. School directors approved the proposed budget with a 5-0 vote tonight.

Without reserves and vowing not to borrow additional money to balance the budget, district officials now plan to trim expenses in the $168 million spending plan.

“We have to continue the hard work of trying to find savings,” Director Katie Gilmartin said. “We’ll hopefully be able to close that gap.”

Just in the last three years, the board voted to borrow about $30 million to pay for expenses like salaries, textbooks and copier paper — a practice that helped lead the state to place the district in financial recovery earlier this year. The district also depleted other one-time revenue sources, including the health care fund.

School directors have the ability to raise taxes up to 4.63% for 2020, but that would still leave a $2.1 million deficit. The district had originally sought exceptions from the state to raise taxes as high as 6.7%, or a total increase of 9 mills. A mill is a $1 tax for every $1,000 of assessed value. The state only granted the district the ability to levy an additional 6.2 mills, or 4.63%.

With a 3.4% increase — the original increase allowed by the state Act 1 index, taxes would increase 4.5 mills, to a total of 137.6 mills.

The recovery plan approved by the board in August calls for the district to raise taxes to the state Act 1 index, usually about 3.4%, for the next five years. The plan also calls on the district to apply for exceptions from the state to raise taxes higher than the Act 1 index if necessary.

School directors said they want to keep the increase as close to 3.4% as possible.

The proposed budget includes projected revenue of more than $7.2 million in business privilege/mercantile taxes. Although voters approved a referendum this month for the district to move from those taxes to a payroll tax, officials remain undecided whether to do so.

The budget, 71% of which is used to pay employee salaries and benefits, does not provide raises for teachers. In their third year of working under an expired contract, teachers on Wednesday said their colleagues are seeking employment in other districts.

“Morale is at an-all time low,” said Scranton High School teacher Kevin Kays, a union leader. “I don’t know why a young teacher would want to stay in the district at this time. You’re likely to see an exodus.”

Directors Tom Borthwick, Barbara Dixon, Paul Duffy and Bob Lesh were absent Wednesday.

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

ATLANTA (AP) — The Latest on tonight’s Democratic presidential debate (all times local):

9:35 p.m.

New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker is disagreeing with the wealth tax proposed by Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren as they join other Democratic presidential candidates for a debate Wednesday night.

Booker says Warren’s proposal “is cumbersome,” has failed in other countries and would stunt economic growth in blighted urban areas.

Warren has proposed raising taxes by 2 cents on income over $50 million to finance a host of programs including universal preschool and higher teacher pay.

Warren, who has come under attack recently for the proposal, called her policy “transformative.”

Booker is fighting to break out in the debate, hosted by MSNBC and The Washington Post, in part because he has not yet qualified, by fundraising and polling criteria, for the December debate.

9 p.m.

Pete Buttigieg’s dramatic rise in the Democratic race for president makes him a prime target at Wednesday night’s debate.

The candidates bunched at the front of the pack are seeking to distinguish themselves on the debate stage in Atlanta with just three months until 2020 presidential voting begins.

The 37-year-old mayor of South Bend, Indiana, has gained significant ground in recent months in Iowa, which holds the nation’s first caucuses on Feb. 3. But with top-tier status comes added scrutiny, as the other front-runners discovered in four previous debates throughout the summer and fall.

SCRANTON — Parking at downtown city garages and on streets — and parking tickets — will cost more in 2020.

Most increases were authorized under a rate schedule approved as part of the city’s 2016 monetization of the parking system that unloaded operations to an outside firm, the nonprofit National Development Council.

Two changes that deviated from the 2016 schedule were approved Tuesday by the Scranton Parking Authority.

The monthly parking rate in a city-affiliated garage downtown will increase $2, or from $90 to $92.

That’s a smaller increase than had been pre-approved under the city’s 2016 parking monetization, which called for the $90 monthly rate to rise to $100 in 2019.

But NDC and its subcontractor, ABM Parking Services, have been able to keep the $90 rate this year, NDC Directors David Trevisani and Robert “Bud” Sweet told SPA Tuesday. NDC/ABM can hold the monthly parking increase to $92 because of various efficiencies and because “the system is performing well,” Trevisani said. The city-affiliated garages are Casey, Connell, Linden, Medallion, Electric City and the Marketplace at Steamtown, all operated by NDC/ABM.

In addition, downtown residents will be offered a

discounted monthly parking garage rate of $74, applicable only in the Linden, Casey or Electric City garages on any floors other than the ground and top level.

The other garage fees approved in the 2016 lease deal between the city and NDC include:

n The parking rate will increase from $3.50 to $4 for the first hour; from $6 to $7 for up to two hours; from $8 to $9 for up to eight hours; from $9 to $10 for up to 12 hours; and from $12 to $13 for up to 24 hours.

n Weekend/special event parking will increase from $5 to $6.

n The lost parking ticket charge will rise from $20 to $22.

n Reserved monthly parking will rise from $120 to $122.

The on-street parking rates will include:

n A metered rate paid at kiosks replacing old street meters will rise from $1.50 to $2 per hour.

n A new, all-day rate in certain downtown periphery areas, but payable only through the Pango mobile app, will be $3.25 per day, under a pilot program.

n There will be a new pay-by-mobile convenience fee of 25 cents per transaction.

Citation fine increases will include:

n Overtime parking citations will increase from $25 to $35.

n A violation of the no-parking zone will increase from $35 to $45.

n A violation for fire hydrant/disabled space will rise from $55 to $75.

All of the new parking rates and fines will take effect Jan. 1.

The Scranton Parking Authority on Tuesday — with SPA Chairman Joseph Matyjevich, James Wintermantel and Michael Salerno all in favor, and the other two board seats vacant — approved the $92 monthly garage rate and the downtown resident discount, both requested by NDC.

The SPA had to vote on these two rates because they were not pre-approved under the 2016 monetization that had NDC taking over the parking system under a longterm lease.

Meanwhile, ABM crews have been removing old parking meters downtown and replacing them with modern payment kiosks.

As of Tuesday, 84 kiosks were put into operation with more expected to come online in the near future, AMB Operations Manager Chris Emerick said.

Motorists should expect parking hours to be enforced in areas where meters have been removed and kiosks put into operation, Trevisani said.

JEFF HORVATH, staff writer, contributed to this report.

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

CARBONDALE — Carbondale police found a man wanted for rape walking up Main Street on Tuesday morning, Chief Brian Bognatz said.

Justin Brown, 24, was arraigned on charges of rape, sexual assault and other related counts.

Police said Brown sneaked into a woman’s apartment early Sept. 13 and raped her once she discovered him hiding in her living room.

The Times-Tribune does not identify victims of sexual assault.

Brown threatened to kill her family if she made any noise.

Brown, who police have said is homeless, went on the run. He was found Tuesday at about 11 a.m.

He remains in Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $200,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 26.

— JOSEPH KOHUT

The main local airport’s long streak of monthly departure records ended in October, but a new annual record remains likely.

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport saw 25,359 departures last month, off 1% from 25,604 the previous October, airport figures show.

Before that, the airport set records 14 months in a row.

Airport officials attributed the monthly decline to United Airlines’ decision to curtail its service to Chicago.

In September, United had three flights daily Sundays through Saturdays. In October, the airline dropped a flight each weekend day, eight days in all, and the last four weekdays of October, according to online airport schedules.

The reduced flight schedule continues in November, December and January.

Airport Director Carl Beardsley Jr. said flight reductions typically occur in slower travel months with demand driving what happens.

Typically, the airport returns to three flights daily by March, Beardsley said.

Attempts to reach United officials were unsuccessful.

United faced stiffer competition for Chicago-bound local passengers all year this year. American Airlines added two more daily flights to Chicago in June 2018.

Through October, 250,396 passengers flew out of the airport, not far off the annual record of 268,197 set in 2017. That record should fall by the end of the year, despite the lost flights. More than 45,000 people flew out of the airport the last two months of last year.

“It’s been a fantastic year, no matter what,” Beardsley said.

Airport board member David Pedri joked that he’ll have to note the failure to break another monthly record in Beardsley’s personnel file.

“Obviously, it had to stop at some point,” Pedri said. “It was an absolutely amazing run. ... They’re doing some good things there.”

Contact the writer:

bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9147;

@BorysBlogTT on Twitter