Scranton School Board members will soon discuss a possible resolution to a lawsuit filed by a city resident seeking to recoup money lost due to the board’s alleged mishandling of district finances.

Board President Katie Gilmartin and member Tom Schuster said they believe the board would be amenable to Paul Catalano’s offer to drop a lawsuit he filed against the board if it assigns its right to seek payment from the district’s errors and omissions insurance policy to him.

Catalano wants to try to recoup money taxpayers lost due to the board’s alleged negligence in paying $4 million in questionable fuel surcharges to the district’s busing contractor, DeNaples Transportation, and for failing to monitor payments to the district’s former fleet manager, Daniel Sansky, who pleaded guilty last year to overcharging the district for vehicle repairs.

Catalano had to seek court permission to take the action because he is not a member of the school board.

Catalano’s attorney, Michael Mey of Dunmore, filed a similar lawsuit against Scranton’s nonuniform pension board in 2017 that sought to recoup about $3 million in double pension payments to 35 retirees. That lawsuit, filed by city Councilman Pat Rogan and Angela Sulla, a former clerical union employee, was dropped in December 2018 after the pension board agreed to assign to them the right to seek payment from an insurance company.

Catalano’s suit named nine people who were on the school board at the time the payments were made — Robert Sheridan, Robert Casey, Cy Douaihy, Paul Duffy, Robert Lesh, James Timlin, Mark McAndrew, the late Carol Oleski and Schuster. Schuster is the only defendant still on the board.

Mey said he hopes new board members will realize his offer is a “win, win” situation for the board and taxpayers.

“The fact of the matter is most of these people did not have any involvement in the matters,” Mey said of current board members. “If they have the ability to obtain a recovery on the part of taxpayers, what’s the down side of that?”

Schuster and Gilmartin said the board has not met recently to discuss pending litigation. They expect to do that soon and believe members will agree to the offer since it won’t cost the district any money.

“The last time we had (an) update, I thought that was the direction the district was going,” Schuster said.

Contact the writer:

tbesecker@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9137;

@tmbeseckerTT on Twitter

MONDAY UPDATE brings

Times-Tribune readers up to date on past or pending stories of interest. To offer a suggestion for a Monday Update, please email metrodesk@timesshamrock.com with

“Monday Update” in the

subject line.

When she got to high school in the late 1980s, Kristine Young found a kindred spirit in Arlene Kakareka.

The North Pocono High School Latin teacher was cool yet commanding, and knew how to make her students feel welcome.

Kakareka died in May following a lengthy bout with multiple sclerosis. She was 74.

In the wake of her death, Kristine Young and her mother, Maggie Young, are putting together a one-time scholarship for a North Pocono student in Kakareka’s honor.

They’re striving to hit their maximum fundraising goal of $1,500 with less than three weeks to go.

So far, they’ve raised about $1,000 and need $500 more to make their Jan. 31 deadline.

Kakareka began her 35-year career as a substitute. She proved her mettle by adequately jumping in for shop, French and chemistry teachers.

She also had an uncanny way of building rapport with her students.

“When you’re entering high school, some people march to the beat of different drummers,” Kristine Young said. “Ms. Kakareka had also

heard those other drums her entire life, had followed them, and was successful in that.”

The college administrator described a narrow band between pandering for points and inaccessible aloofness.

“She somehow hit that middle space. We wanted to learn from her,” she said. “She was never goofy. She found a way to treat us like the little adults we were.”

Kakareka wore crazy costumes and introduced her students to art and music they might never find elsewhere in the rural district.

Though she doesn’t have a particular conversation that inspired her own career path, the Latin teacher’s influence “undoubtedly” nudged her toward a career in academia, Kristine Young said.

She’s president of Orange County Community College in Middletown, New York.

When she started to get sick, Kakareka would teach classes remotely, from her living room, until finally retiring about a decade ago.

“She did that as was necessary to continue the program,” Maggie Brown said. “It was very unusual at the time.”

Kakareka didn’t just teach.

She started a small business, Out of its Element. She was a prominent member and past president of the Moscow Shade Tree Commission. She also was involved with the Moscow Business Association, North Pocono Public Library, the North Pocono Cultural Society and Moscow Country Fair.

She organized field trips and frequently lobbied the school board on behalf of her students.

Kristine Young said the winning scholarship candidate will have a strong academic record, they’ll be involved in their community inside and outside of class, and someone who is at least open to the idea of pursuing a career in education. The winner will receive the award during a scholarship dinner in May.

Contact the writer:

joconnell@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9131;

@jon_oc on Twitter

How to donate

You can send donations

to Arlene Kakareka Scholarship Fund, Community Bank, 942 Drinker Turnpike,

Covington Twp., PA 18444.

Clarks Summit

The Gathering Place, 304 S. State St., will host Coffee, Chocolate & Movies at noon on the next three Wednesdays — Jan. 15, 22 and 29.

Hot cocoa, coffee, popcorn and chocolate pieces will be provided while guests watch the films.

“It’s just something to make people comfortable and friendly,” said Anne Armezzani, Gathering Place board member and secretary.

Wednesday’s showing will be “Arsenic and Old Lace.” “Waking Ned Devine” will be shown Jan. 22, and a third movie, yet to be determined, will be shown Jan. 29.

“We don’t have classes in January, so it gives people an opportunity to get out of the house and enjoy an afternoon out,” Armezzani said.

The films are suitable for all ages, she said. A small donation is encouraged.

— ROBERT TOMKAVAGE

rtomkavage

@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9100 x5365:

@rtomkavage on Twitter

Moscow

The North Pocono Trails Association is raffling off works by local artists Renee Emanuel and Bill Teitsworth.

Entrants will receive a raffle ticket for each $10 they pledge. The proceeds will help cover annual insurance and maintenance costs for the trail system, which winds through Moscow and Madison and Roaring Brook townships.

Donations should be sent to North Pocono Trails Association, c/o Moscow Borough Building, 123 Van Brunt St., Moscow, PA 18444.

The drawing is scheduled for April 18, opening day for the trails.

For information on the artists, visit wildaboutpaint ing.com. Information on the trails association is available on the organization’s Facebook page.

— JEFF HORVATH

jhorvath@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9141;

@jhorvathTT on Twitter

Olyphant

The Olyphant Neighborhood Watch is raising money to help fund the training expenses for a police dog in the borough, Chief James DeVoe said.

DeVoe and the 8-week-old German shepherd, King, will be training for the next eight to nine months . He estimates the cost of training will be about $14,000.

The department has discussed adding a police dog to the force for more than a year, DeVoe said.

The dog will also assist surrounding communities’ police departments.

“We looked, and the closest police dog is in Carbondale,” DeVoe said. “We’ll have a faster response time for drug activity.”

King K-9 T-shirts and hoodies to support the dog’s training expenses are available for purchase on the Olyphant Neighborhood Watch Facebook page.

The Neighborhood Watch and Police Department will hold a porketta sandwich sale from noon to 4 p.m. Jan. 25 at the Italian American Club, 101 N. Garfield Ave. The cost is $6 for two sandwiches, and proceeds will go toward training costs.

A GoFundMe Page has also been set up by the Olyphant Neighborhood Watch and can be accessed on its Facebook page.

The police dog will be trained in apprehension and drug detection, DeVoe said.

Hometown Animal Hospital donated its services for the dog’s veterinary needs, DeVoe said.

— ROBERT TOMKAVAGE

rtomkavage

@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9100 x5365;

@rtomkavage on Twitter

Scranton

The University of Scranton recently presented a $200,000 contribution for 2019 to the city of Scranton.

As it has done since 2017, the university will target its contribution to specific priorities in the city based on conversations with city officials and economic and community development partners.

The university’s $200,000 contribution for 2019:

$100,000 toward economic development initiatives undertaken by Scranton Tomorrow on behalf of downtown Scranton.

$25,000 for neighborhood improvement and affordable housing efforts through the Beautiful Blocks Program administered by NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania.

$25,000 toward the Scranton Homeownership Assistance Program, also administered by NeighborWorks.

$25,000 to help support a city walkability study.

$25,000 toward developing a master plan for Nay Aug Park.

The university’s voluntary contributions to the city have totaled more than $4 million since 1983.

— JIM LOCKWOOD

jlockwood@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9100 x5185;

@jlockwoodTT on Twitter

AROUND THE TOWNS appears each Monday, spotlighting the people and events in your neighborhoods. If you have an idea for an Around the Towns note, contact the writer for your town, or the Yes!Desk at 348-9121 or yesdesk@timesshamrock.com.

Dear J.T. & Dale: I keep reading that applying online to jobs is a waste of time. If that’s the case, then how do you get a job today? Do you just walk in and apply? What actually works?

— RAFAEL

J.T.: I wouldn’t suggest walking in and applying. These days, it’s seen by most employers as overly aggressive or even desperate. Unless it’s a retail or hourly job, then I would focus on networking your way in.

DALE: I’d say that you’d just walk in and apply only if there’s a “Now Hiring” sign out front. Even then, if it’s a large organization, you’ll likely be directed to a computer station to do an online application. However, if you’re friendly and inquisitive, you’ll meet an employee or two and might have a chance to ask, “How did you get your job here?” and maybe even ask to meet someone who does hiring. Doing so amounts to a kind of guerilla networking and, hey, that’s a start. Meanwhile, your networking plan would involve coming up with a list of companies where you’d like to work, and then starting to make connections.

Dear J.T. & Dale: My boss just hired a new “assistant,” and I was told that the new person would back me up. There were times over the past few months where I got in the weeds and couldn’t get my work done or made some mistakes. I personally think she’s been hired to replace me. Should I confront my boss about this?

— MARISSA

J.T.: I think “confront” is the wrong word. I would share your concern. Ask your boss for a meeting and say: “This is really hard for me. While I’m so grateful for the additional help you’ve hired and think ___ is great, it makes me worried that perhaps the real goal is to replace me. I know we had a few missteps several months back, but I hope it didn’t make you rethink my abilities to do the job. I love working here and working for you. I want to stay long-term and would hate to be blindsided if the goal is to let me go. Do I have anything to be worried about?” This way, she can hear the sincerity in your voice and hopefully feel more inclined to be honest with you.

DALE: Well ... that approach certainly would get you an answer. But I think this is like those courtroom dramas where the rule for lawyers is to never ask a question they don’t know the answer to. It sounds to me like your management is intending to replace you, and bringing up the issue may just accelerate them doing so. I can’t envision your boss saying, “Yeah, the plan was to dump you, but now that you’re so sweet and sincere, we’ll keep you and fire the new person.” Not going to happen. So, I’d recommend that you put off the conversation J.T. is suggesting and use the time to get aggressive about a job search.

JEANINE “J.T.” TANNER O’DONNELL is a career coach and the founder of the leading career site www.workitdaily.com. DALE DAUTEN is founder of The Innovators’ Lab. Visit them at jtanddale.com, where you can send questions via email, or write to them in care of King Features Syndicate, 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803.

Oil prices topped $70 a barrel last week for the first time in over three months thanks to the latest mess in the Middle East.

Higher prices at the gas pump seem sure to follow.

And if you’re like me, you’ll probably ask yourself: Why is it that gas prices always seem to go up really fast whenever there’s turmoil in the oil market and come down again really, really slowly?

“It isn’t just a perception,” said Lea-Rachel Kosnik, an energy economist at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. “There is some evidence that gas prices rise faster than they fall.”

Thus the more pertinent question: Are oil companies and gas stations ripping us off? Isn’t this just price gouging?

“One can call it that if they want,” Kosnik told me, although she and other experts I spoke with were reluctant to use such terminology.

“Price gouging isn’t really a technical term,” she said. “So it’s not like there is a way to define it empirically and say yes, we’ve crossed it, or no, we haven’t.”

But there’s sufficient historical evidence to wonder why gas prices routinely behave in a way that favors businesses and punishes consumers.

“The perception is correct,” said Robert Kaufmann, an energy economist at Boston University. “Gas prices do go up quickly and come down very slowly. But I wouldn’t say we’re being gouged.”

It’s complicated

Rather, it’s complicated. “There are a number of factors at work,” Kaufmann said.

These can include limited inventory of gasoline, especially in California, where strict environmental standards add to refining costs.

Another factor is that people still have to drive every day, which means it’s difficult for consumers to signal their displeasure by cutting demand for higher-priced petrol. That reduces economic pressure for price cuts.

And perhaps the biggest hurdle to leveling charges of price gouging: It’s darned hard to prove.

Stephen Brown, an economist at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and senior editor of the academic journal Energy Policy, said that dubious pump prices “are likely the result of tacit collusion” and that “the sellers are likely taking advantage of consumers.”

However, “a lack of competition is a primary cause,” he said, rather than a deliberate (and illegal) effort by industry players to fleece customers.

In other words, everyone raises prices quickly and lowers them slowly because, well, they can.

And because every other gas station is doing it, you’d be a fool not to do the same.

Station operators don’t deny that pump prices often rise faster than they fall. But they insist nothing nefarious is going on.

Not trying to gouge

“Gas stations are not trying to take advantage of an unfortunate circumstance,” said James Allison, spokesman for the California Fuels and Convenience Alliance, a trade group representing about 12,000 gas stations statewide.

“They’re not trying to gouge people,” he said. “They’re just responding to what’s going on in the marketplace.”

The key element, Allison said, is uncertainty.

“When something interrupts the supply chain, there can be an instant reaction,” he said. “It can then take a significant amount of time to deal with that uncertainty and get things back on track.”

Fair enough. All markets price uncertainty into goods and services, and it’s only prudent for a business to anticipate the worst so it’s not caught unprepared.

That said, it’s hard to escape the conclusion that consumers are being taken advantage of — or soon could be, depending on coming days.

A gallon of regular gasoline was going for an average of $3.61 on Monday in Los Angeles, one cent lower than a week ago and 16 cents lower than a month before, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California.

The statewide average was $3.55 on Monday, two cents lower than last week and 18 cents lower than last month.

Iran’s oil exports are limited by economic sanctions, which has kept a lid on economic fallout from the current tension between Washington and Tehran.

The concern among industry analysts is that the conflict may expand to other oil-producing countries — not least Saudi Arabia — which could have catastrophic effects on oil supplies and the global economy.

Moreover, nearly a quarter of the world’s oil moves through the narrow Strait of Hormuz, which is in Iran’s backyard. A military conflict in the region would almost certainly disrupt global supplies.

Marie Montgomery, a spokeswoman for AAA, said the group’s analysts are still watching to see how things play out. If the current situation is resolved quickly, pump prices could stay relatively flat, she said.

If things worsen, all bets are off.

‘Rockets and feathers’

David Rapson, co-director of UC Davis’ Energy Economics Program, said some in the field refer to the fast-rise, slow-descent dynamic for gas prices as “rockets and feathers” — that is, they go up like a rocket and drift gradually downward like a feather.

Information is key, he said.

“Oil companies and gas stations know how others are setting prices, and they adjust their prices to match those prices,” Rapson observed. “That’s why prices can go up quickly.”

They come down slowly, he continued, because consumers are at a disadvantage. People likely don’t know what’s happening in the broader market or even what gas prices might be on the other side of town.

“Consumers have more important things to do with their lives,” Rapson said. “They’re not going to drive around looking for the lowest price.”

But that doesn’t mean we’re powerless.

Apps such as GasBuddy and Gas Guru can help you find the cheapest gas in your area. This, in turn, will allow you to flex your economic muscle by reducing sales at gas stations that keep prices too high for too long.

It’s all about sending a message. If your local station seems to be taking advantage of market price swings, take your business elsewhere. The station owner will notice any decline in sales and will set pump prices accordingly.

Wilkes-Barre PA -- Unique Lives & Experiences is proud to present an Evening with John Cleese, on Monday October 19, 2020 at 7:30 PM as he examines the dysfunctional world we live and “Why There is no Hope”.

Tickets go on sale Friday, January 17 at 10am and can be purchased at the Sundance Vacations Box Office at the F.M. Kirby Center, charge by phone at 570-826-1100 and on line at www.kirbycenter.org Prices range from $59-124*. VIP tickets to meet John Cleese are also available. A Kirby Member pre-sale begins Wednesday, January 15 at 10am.

John is a legendary comedic actor best known for: “Monty Python’s Flying Circus”, “Fawlty Towers” and “A Fish Called Wanda”. “The world’s funniest man” first made his mark as a member of the legendary Monty Python troupe in the 1960s and has gone on to write, produce, direct and star in some of the greatest comedic hits of the last forty years, even receiving an Oscar nomination for best screenplay for “A Fish Called Wanda”.

SCRANTON - A Scranton woman threw a can of spackle at her boyfriend during an argument early Sunday morning, police said.

Desiree Miller, 23, 1514 Cedar Ave., Apt. 2, is charged with simple assault, ethnic intimidation, disorderly conduct and harassment.

Police said she returned home from drinking Sunday at 4 a.m. and got into an argument with her boyfriend, Brian Richardson.

Police charged that Miller called Richardson an offensive ethnic slur and threw a full plastic container of spackle at him, which hit him in the ribs and sprayed spackle everywhere.

Miller later admitted she threw the spackle.

Miller is free on $10,000 unsecured bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled 11:15 a.m. on Jan. 21.

— JOSEPH KOHUT

A Scranton woman beat her 11- and 12-year-old sons Saturday morning, believing she had been locked out of the house, city police charged.

Aminda Lee Matthews, 30, 659 N. Washington Ave., was free Monday on $25,000 unsecured bail on charges of endangering the welfare of children, recklessly endangering another person and simple assault.

Her two sons each held an ice pack on their faces as Patrolman Brett Griffiths spoke with them. The older boy explained that his mother came home and started yelling because the door was locked and she believed she had been locked out.

Matthews grabbed her 11-year-old by his neck and started to choke him. The 12-year-old tried to stop her but was pushed to the ground.

Kimberly Matthews, their grandmother, managed to get the 11-year-old away but Aminda Matthews turned on the 12-year-old, who grabbed a chair to try and put some distance between himself and his mother.

Matthews took the chair and hit him with it and then started to punch the child while he was on the ground, Kimberly Matthews told police. At one point, Aminda Matthews put her thumb in the child’s eye.

Aminda Matthews soon after returned to her 11-year-old and started to kick him.

Kimberly Matthews told police she has had full custody of the children for the last six years because her daughter has a history of drug abuse. She believed Aminda Matthews was high Saturday morning.

Aminda Matthews, crying and yelling on the couch, told Griffiths that the only thing she did was discipline her children for lack of respect and it suddenly turned into a big deal, police said.

Magisterial District Judge Alyce Hailstone Farrell arraigned Matthews on Saturday afternoon. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. Jan. 21.

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

Dunmore borough’s longtime solicitor resigned today, hours before a borough council led by a new majority gathers for its first monthly meeting.

Attorney Thomas P. Cummings Jr. called serving as solicitor for two decades “my honor and great pleasure.”

“I am very proud of the work performed and the successes achieved for my friends and neighbors, the borough residents at large,” he wrote in a resignation letter. “It is my belief that the council should have the freedom to choose an attorney, whomever that may be, that best fits the new majorities (sic) agenda and ideology.”

Cummings offered “my full cooperation going forward” and wished the new council “the best in your endeavors to preserve and promote the quality of life in our community while doing so in a fiscally responsible fashion.”

The November election put the council in the control of a majority that opposes Keystone Sanitary Landfill’s expansion. The previous majority, with Cummings as its lawyer, sided with the landfill on over a zoning matter that could decide whether the expansion can happen. The zoning matter remains pending in a state appeals court.

Check back for updates.

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

A 31-year-old Scranton woman performed a sex act on a 15-year-old girl at a home in the city early in August, detectives charged.

Brittany Bacon, 601 Loop Ave., is charged with aggravated indecent assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, unlawful contact with a minor and indecent assault, Detectives Jeff Gilroy and Christian Gowarty wrote in a criminal complaint.

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

Bacon had been drinking heavily while children, including the victim, were in a pool in August. Bacon suggested they all skinny dip and it made everyone uncomfortable, police said.

Later, while the victim got changed in a bathroom, Bacon came in and started to perform oral sex on her. Bacon told the girl that she knew the child did not want her to and that excited her more.

Bacon reportedly admitted what had happened to the victim’s father once he pressed her for the truth.

A police investigation began in November once someone found the victim walking along a highway reportedly on her way to Port Jervis, New York.

Magisterial District Judge Laura M. Turlip arraigned Bacon this morning and released her on $50,000 unsecured bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Jan. 22.

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

As the nation heads into a presidential election year, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and other Democrats in Pennsylvania will find themselves in the middle of a political maelstrom.

It could exceed 2016 when President Donald Trump became the first Republican to win the state since 1988.

Before that, there’s still the matter of governing. That includes dealing with the aftermath of Trump’s orders for a drone strike that killed Iranian Maj. Gen. Qaseem Soleimani, and the Iranian shooting down of a Ukrainian passenger jet that killed 176 on board amidst an attack on U.S. military bases in Iraq.

The governing also includes a Senate impeachment trial for the president and acting on his new trade deal with Canada and Mexico.

Each issue will likely influence the election.

Last Friday, Casey, the third-term senator from Scranton, visited his hometown and Wilkes-Barre to meet with newly elected leaders, including Scranton Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti and Wilkes-Barre Mayor George Brown, and offered them his help. In between meetings, he sat down with The Times-Tribune to discuss the major issues facing the country.

This transcript of the interview was edited for length and conciseness.

Q: Well, given what we seem to know about the Iranians shooting down the passenger jet, I had a friend this morning suggest that it was Trump’s fault. Is it fair to blame the United States or the president for that incident?

CASEY: I think (it) ... seems like there’s a strong intelligence basis for the conclusion that the Iranian military took down the plane. As to whether or not the reason it happened is because of the tension between our two countries, I don’t have enough information to say that.

It’s rather easy to point to taking out someone like that and the harm that he (Soleimani) caused. But I hope the president also considered not just the upside of doing it but what were the downsides. What impact does it have on the security of the region? What impact does it have on our national security?

Q: You commended the president’s decision to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement in 2017. You weren’t sure about the renegotiated deal that came out. There’s now a deal that (Democrats) worked on. How do you feel about that?

CASEY: I commended him for initiating the negotiations. I’ve been very critical of what they produced. They produced a renegotiation which was a corporate, only-a-right-wing-Republican-could-love kind of agreement ... Because of good Democratic work ... you had a totally different agreement that I believe I can support ... Because of those labor provisions, enforcement provisions, environmental provisions, we can begin to say that we’re moving in the direction of leveling the playing field so that our workers and our companies aren’t undermined in these trade deals.

Q: We now have specific articles of impeachment. Where do you stand on these specific articles?

CASEY: I’ve got to consider the evidentiary record the House developed ... So I’ve been through a lot of that already, I still have more work to do on it and then to consider other evidence that might be part of a trial, meaning any witnesses ... Is it a really radical position to say a trial has witnesses? The (President Bill) Clinton (impeachment) trial had three witnesses in a much less complicated fact pattern. It didn’t involve national security data, it didn’t involve appropriations, it didn’t involve pressuring a foreign government.

Q: There’s a recent federal appeals court ruling (declaring) the individual mandate in the Affordable Care Act (unconstitutional). What does that mean for the future of the law?

CASEY: I think one piece of good news here is we have an election for president coming up and for Congress and that will focus the attention of the American people again on health care. And my party better do a good job of focusing the attention of the American people on health care ... It’s fine to have a debate about some other new ideas, but our first priority has to be focusing on what I see as the three existential threats to health care. Number one is this lawsuit (on the mandate) ... Number two is the sabotage (of the Affordable Care Act) this administration has engaged in from literally day one ... The third threat to health care are the proposed cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, proposed by the administration and supported by every Republican in Congress ... $2.3 trillion in cuts ... which means that hospitals in Lackawanna County and a lot of counties will close if they cut it by that much ... lose health care and lots of people will lose jobs. Remember, 1.1 million Pennsylvanians got health care because this legislation ... It’s the official position of the Republican Party to eliminate Medicaid expansion ... It’s the official position of the Republican Party to support this lawsuit. It’s the official position of the Republican Party to support the sabotage.

Q: The economy is, by I think most measures, in good shape. In fact, there was Bureau of Labor Statistics report that said lower wage earners saw their wages rise faster than wealthier wage earners for the first time ever. Doesn’t this make a really good argument for Donald Trump and why would anyone vote against Donald Trump if the economy is going so well?

CASEY: Well, if you look at it, there’s not much wage growth when you factor in costs. There’s a difference between wage growth and real wage growth. Ask a lot of families, has the cost of childcare come down in the last couple of years? I don’t think so. Has the cost of prescription drugs come down in the last couple of years? I don’t think so ... I thought the president was going to come and get rid of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and he was going to invent something that would be a lot better. And costs would go down, your coverage would be great, nobody would lose coverage. That was a lot of fiction ... The cost of college tuition. I thought he was going to lower costs. Costs are not down much and that just eats away at all, most of, if not all of the wage growth ... When you compare the 35 roughly months of (growth in) the Obama administration, and the comparable time period under President Trump, the monthly job numbers are higher under Obama than under President Trump ... As President Obama, working with Democrats like me, got the car out of the ditch it was in ... and got the car rambling down the road, President Trump just grabbed that steering wheel and he’s kept his hands on it ... President Obama did the hard work.

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

Two Pike County women face drug delivery resulting in death charges for their roles in an Old Forge man’s overdose death in July, state police said.

Rebecca S. Moore, 31, 108 Beaver Court, Dingmans Ferry, sold the heroin and fentanyl that led to the death of Angelo Michael Genell, 30, on July 28, state troopers charged.

Nell Theresa Sheehan, 23, 752 Twin Lakes Road, Shohola, bought the drugs from Moore, troopers wrote in a criminal complaint. Sheehan and Genell then got high together in Genell’s truck on River Road in Milford.

Sheehan passed out in the car with Genell and woke up to find him cold to the touch, state police said.

Genell’s family told state police that he had been sober for about a year and took regular drug tests at a rehabilitation facility, according to the criminal complaint. He was on a three-week pass from the facility.

State police launched an investigation when a woman, who refused to give her name, called 911 using Genell’s cell phone at 9:06 p.m. on July 28 to report a man not moving inside a white truck on River Road, state police said. Troopers later determined the woman was Sheehan, according to the complaint.

Responding officers found Genell dead in the vehicle with packets of heroin strewn on the ground outside, troopers said. They also found three unopened packets containing suspected heroin/fentanyl stamped with “On Demand” inside a cigarette box, as well as empty packets stamped with “On Demand” and “Venom” nearby. A lab analysis determined that the packets contained both heroin and fentanyl, according to troopers.

Genell’s phone was not in the vehicle, but investigators traced the phone to Sheehan’s home, where her father answered the door and said his daughter had come home at about 2 a.m. on July 29 and threw the phone at him, according to the criminal complaint.

A River Road resident told troopers she saw a Genell’s white pickup truck drive past her house, and later that night, she saw a frantic woman running down the street holding a cell phone. Milford borough maintenance employees later found a purse on River Road that contained heroin paraphernalia and a bus pass belonging to Sheehan.

Troopers traced the drugs back to Moore and purchased heroin from her through a confidential informant, according to the complaint. Moore told the informant the drugs had apparently killed someone.

On Aug. 1, troopers stopped Moore and found 70 packets of “suspected heroin/fentanyl” and money from the informant in her trunk, state police said. They found additional packets of drugs, including packets stamped with “On Demand,” during a search of her house.

Moore told troopers that Sheehan purchased four packets of the drugs from her, state police said. Sheehan told her someone had died from the drugs, Moore told troopers.

Moore and Sheehan are charged with drug delivery resulting in death, possession with intent to deliver and related charges. Both women are held at the Pike County Correctional Facility in lieu of $500,000 bail with preliminary hearings scheduled for Jan. 22 at 10:30 a.m.

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

SCRANTON — Lackawanna County residents would face an 11.3% property tax hike this year under an amended 2020 budget commissioners may approve later this month.

Commissioners will meet 10 a.m. Wednesday to introduce an amended budget ordinance that hikes county real estate taxes by 6.5 mills. At the new rate of 63.92 mills, with a mill being a $1 tax on every $1,000 of assessed value, the annual county tax bill for a typical single-family home assessed at $12,000 will increase by about $78.

The tax hike would generate slightly more than $9 million in new revenue the county would use to make a roughly $3.87 million employee pension fund contribution and close a roughly $5.8 million operating deficit the original 2020 spending plan carried, county Chief Financial Officer Tom Durkin said. The original budget included a $500,000 pension fund contribution.

“We can do it or we can depend on the next administration to do it,” Commissioner Jerry Notarianni, board chairman, said of the potential tax hike. “It’s something that’s necessary, or we could end up like the City of Scranton or the Scranton School District.”

During the last administration, Notarianni regularly voted against county budgets ultimately approved by commissioners Patrick O’Malley and Laureen Cummings. He often criticized his colleagues for not sufficiently funding pensions and relying on large but dwindling budget surpluses to close shortfalls between yearly revenues and expenditures.

The $3.87 million pension fund contribution included in the amended 2020 budget represents the county’s 2019 annual required contribution as determined by an actuary. The county contributed $500,000 to the pension fund in 2019 and nothing in 2017 or 2018.

While he doesn’t want to raise taxes, Notarianni argued the 11% hike is necessary after four years of irresponsible financial decision making by O’Malley and Cummings. The new administration is working to cut spending and boost revenues by broadening the tax base, Notarianni said.

Whether Notarianni can convince fellow commissioners Debi Domenick and Chris Chermak to support the amended budget remains unclear.

Chermak, the board’s lone Republican, said he’s willing to reopen the budget but did not commit to vote one way or another at this point. Chermak called a tax hike “the last thing that I ever want to do,” but said he’s still studying the matter.

Efforts to reach Domenick were unsuccessful.

If introduced Wednesday, commissioners would likely vote on the amended budget Jan. 22.

County property taxes have held steady for the past six years.

Before leaving office, Cummings tried in vain to pass a 2020 budget that would have cut property taxes by 5.2%. Neither O’Malley nor Notarianni supported that effort.

Wednesday’s meeting will take place in the fifth-floor conference room of the Lackawanna County Government Center at the Globe, 123 Wyoming Ave.

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

Green Ridge

Sportsmen meet: Green Ridge Sportsmen’s Club meeting, Friday, 7 p.m., Lace Works Pub & Grill, Court Street, annual “Breakfast in the Woods” will be held Saturday.

Regional

Chapter meets: Lackawanna Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited general membership meeting, Wednesday, 7 p.m., Tripp Park Community Center, 2000 Dorothy St., Scranton, speaker: Kathleen Lavelle, Trout Unlimited field technician.

Insulin support: Insulin Pump Support Group meeting for insulin pump users with/without a sensor meeting, Thursday, 6 p.m., 6 p.m., bring suggestions for future programs; 570-222-4665.

West Pittston

Committee meeting: West Pittston Cherry Blossom Committee meeting, Sunday, 6 p.m., Corpus Christi School Building, to discuss upcoming events with the preparation of the festival, the committee will be selling banners as a fundraiser, cost for the first year is $150 and $50 renewal fee due beginning of April, information regarding the banners may be sent to treasurer Toni Valenti, 360 Damon St., West Pittston, PA 18643. All checks must be made payable to the West Pittston Cherry Blossom, all proceeds go toward West Pittston Cherry Blossom Committee and also for the West Pittston community.

West Scranton

Neighbors meet: West Scranton Neighbors Association meeting, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., Fraternal Order of Police Lodge, Luzerne Street at Railroad Avenue, Todd Pousley of NeighborWorks will speak and take questions regarding the West Scranton Revitalization project.

CLIPBOARD ITEMS may be sent to yesdesk@timesshamrock.com or Clipboard, c/o YES!Desk, 149 Penn Ave., Scranton, PA 18503. YES!Desk, 570-348-9121.

SCRANTON — Lackawanna County residents would face an 11.3% property tax hike this year under an amended 2020 budget commissioners may approve later this month.

Commissioners will meet at 10 a.m. Wednesday to introduce an amended budget ordinance that hikes county real estate taxes by 6.5 mills. At the new rate of 63.92 mills, with a mill being a $1 tax on every $1,000 of assessed value, the annual county tax bill for a typical single-family home assessed at $12,000 will increase by about $78.

The tax hike would generate slightly more than $9 million in new revenue the county would use to make a roughly $3.87 million employee pension fund contribution and close a roughly $5.8 million operating deficit the original 2020 spending plan carried, county Chief Financial Officer Tom Durkin said. The original budget included a $500,000 pension fund contribution.

“We can do it or we can depend on the next administration to do it,” Commissioner Jerry Notarianni, board chairman, said of the potential tax hike. “It’s something that’s necessary, or we could end up like the City of Scranton or the Scranton School District.”

During the last administration, Notarianni regularly voted against county budgets ultimately approved by Commissioners Patrick O’Malley

and Laureen Cummings

. He often criticized his colleagues for not sufficiently funding pensions and relying on large but dwindling budget surpluses to close shortfalls between yearly revenues and expenditures.

The $3.87 million pension fund contribution included in the amended 2020 budget represents the county’s 2019 annual required contribution as determined by an actuary. The county contributed $500,000 to the pension fund in 2019 and nothing in 2017 or 2018

.

While he doesn’t want to raise taxes, Notarianni argued the 11% hike is necessary after four years of irresponsible financial decision making by O’Malley and Cummings. The new administration is working to cut spending and boost revenues by broadening the tax base, Notarianni said.

Whether Notarianni can convince fellow Commissioners Debi Domenick

and Chris Chermak

to support the amended budget remains unclear.

Chermak, the board’s lone Republican, said he’s willing to reopen the budget but did not commit to vote one way or another. He called a tax hike “the last thing that I ever want to do,” but said he’s still studying the matter.

Efforts to reach Domenick were unsuccessful.

If introduced Wednesday, commissioners would likely vote on the amended budget Jan. 22

.

County property taxes have held steady for the past six years

.

Before leaving office, Cummings tried in vain to pass a 2020 budget that would have cut property taxes by 5.2%

. Neither O’Malley nor Notarianni supported that effort.

Wednesday’s meeting will take place in the fifth-floor conference room of the Lackawanna County Government Center

, 123 Wyoming Ave.

Contact the writer:

jhorvath@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9141;

@jhorvathTT on Twitter

MARRIAGE LICENSES

• Tiffany Marinello and Daniel Andrew Coleman, both of Dunmore.

• Kevin Alexander Space and Kaitlin Brooke Reed, both of Dickson City.

• Bernardino Varela Rodrigues and Maribela De Jesus Fernan­des-Tavares, both of Scranton.

• Ivette Gonzalez-Acevedo and Carlos Luis Quintana-Gonzalez, both of Scranton.

• Kim Nicole Patrick and Hafeez Barie Jihad Arnold, both of Moosic.

• Danielle Maria Yeselski and David Marshall Yanetti, both of Dunmore.

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

• Northern Tier Properties LLC, Throop, to 536 Deacon LLC, Scranton; a property at 48 Lincoln Ave., Carbondale, for $145,000.

• Andrew S. Butsko, Pennsyl­vania, to Michael W. and Debra A. Duvall, Pennsylvania; a property at 127 North Point Drive, Olyphant, for $248,000.

• Valerie Taylor, executrix of the estate of Catherine Louise Whiting, also known as Cather­ine Whiting and Catherine L. Whiting, Waymart, to CMI Capi­tal Management LLC, Wantage, N.J.; a property at 307 Franklin St., Jermyn, for $65,000.

• Krista and Mark Suchter, Moosic, to Kenneth and Kelly A. Burdick, Lexington, S.C.; a property in Moosic for $277,500.

• Judy Weeks to Eagle Lake Realty Inc.; a property at 638 Drinker Turnpike, Covington Twp., for $200,000.

• Virginia Jones, agent for Clara E. Adcroft, Clarks Summit, to Kaitlyn and Max Lubin, Kings­ton; a property at 406 Main Ave., Clarks Summit, for $290,000.

• Barbara Trembach, Mayfield, to Emily Lee and Michael Fran­cis Maher; two parcels at 915 Hill St., Mayfield, for $155,000.

• Thomas Drewes and Kath­leen Fage to Michele Solivan; property in Scranton for $235,000.

• Patrick William O’Dell to Robert C. Lombardo; a property in Clarks Summit for $33,000.

• John D. Wagner to Michele Atkinson and Christopher Hunt, as joint tenants with rights of survivorship; a property at 302 McKinley Ave., Jermyn, for $53,000.

• Gerald and Joan Manley, Moosic, to Joseph Jude Gildea and Dorothea Messina, Moosic; a property at 636 River St., Moosic, for $147,000.

• James J. and Beverly J. Pap­pa, Taylor, to Katie M. Aniska, Taylor; a property at 110 Laurel Lane, Taylor, for 100,000.

• Karl J. and Kayla M. Kincel, Old Forge, to Alyne Scartelli, Scran­ton; a property at 214 Hoover St., Old Forge, for $140,000.

• James S. Gallo, attorney-in-fact for Frances A. Gallo, Dun­more, to Daxesh and Roshni­bahen Shah, Scranton; a property at 609 Shirley Lane, Dun­more, for $205,000.

• Joseph F. and Karen Cra­paro, Forest City, to William A. Kerl, Simpson; a property in Fell Twp. for $66,500.

• Fidelity Deposit & Discount Bank to JBAS Realty LLC; three parcels in Scranton for $275,000.

• Carrington Mortgage Servi­ces LLC, attorney-in-fact for the Bank of New York Mellon, formerly known as Bank of New York, Anaheim, Calif., to Ouditnarine Toolsie and Deborah Dhrigpaul, South Ozone Park, N.Y.; a property at 926 Crown Ave., Scranton, for $37,500.

• Donald Hopkins and Deb­orah Hopkins, co-executors of the estate of Mae Hopkins, also known as Mae F. Hopkins, and Deborah Hopkins, Lackawanna County, to William A. Jr. and Nora Kern, Lackawanna County; a property at 88 S. Waterford Road, Glenburn Twp., for $222,000.

• Nicholas Rudy, Glenburn Twp., to Deborah M. Hopkins, Glenburn; a property at 23 S. Waterford Road, Unit 2, Glen­burn Twp., for $170,500.

• Daniel P. and Janet M. Kos­tick, West Hazleton, to KARF Ltd., South Abington Twp.; two parcels in Archbald for $400,000.

LAWSUIT

• Kevin E. Davis, 542 Boule­vard Ave., Dickson City, v. Mag­nolia E. Jones, 107 Jennifer Drive, South Abington Twp., seeking in excess of $50,000, plus costs of suit, which sum is in excess of the amount requiring compulsory arbitration, for injuries suffered Feb. 10, 2018, in an automobile accident at Maple Avenue and South Abing­ton Road, Lackawanna County; Harry P. McGrath Jr., attorney.

ONLINE: thetimes-tribune.com/court

As the nation heads into a presidential election year, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and other Democrats in Pennsylvania will find themselves in the middle of a political maelstrom.

It could exceed 2016 when President Donald Trump became the first Republican to win the state since 1988.

Before that, there’s still the matter of governing. That includes dealing with the aftermath of Trump’s orders for a drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, and the Iranian shooting down of a Ukrainian passenger jet that killed 176 on board amid an Iranian attack on U.S. military bases in Iraq.

The governing also includes a Senate impeachment trial for the president and acting on his new trade deal with Canada and Mexico.

Each issue will likely influence the election.

On Friday, Casey, the third-term senator from Scranton, visited his hometown and Wilkes-Barre to meet with newly elected leaders, including Scranton Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti and Wilkes-Barre Mayor George Brown, and offered them his help. In between meetings, he sat down with The Times-Tribune to discuss issues facing the country.

At the time of the interview, U.S. and allied officials had claimed to have intelligence linking missiles fired by Iranian military forces to the downing of a Ukrainian jetliner. Iran later took responsibility for the incident, claiming it was unintentional and blaming human error.

When asked if he thought if heightened tensions between the United States and Iran contributed to the plane being shot down, Casey said he didn’t have enough information to say.

In discussing the American drone strike that killed Soleimani, he said, “It’s rather easy to point to taking out someone like that and the harm that he (Soleimani) caused. But I hope the president also considered not just the upside of doing it but what were the downsides. What impact does it have on the security of the region? What impact does it have on our national security?”

The following is a transcript of the rest of the interview, edited for length and conciseness.

Q: You commended the president’s decision to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement

in 2017.

You weren’t sure about the renegotiated deal that came out. There’s now a deal that (Democrats) worked on. How do you feel about that?

CASEY: I commended him for initiating the negotiations. I’ve been very critical of what they produced. They produced a renegotiation which was a corporate, only-a-right-wing-Republican-could-love kind of agreement. ... Because of good Democratic work ... you had a totally different agreement that I believe I can support. ... Because of those labor provisions, enforcement provisions, environmental provisions, we can begin to say that we’re moving in the direction of leveling the playing field so that our workers and our companies aren’t undermined in these trade deals.

Q: We now have specific articles of impeachment. Where do you stand on these specific articles?

CASEY: I’ve got to consider the evidentiary record the House developed. ... So I’ve been through a lot of that already, I still have more work to do on it and then to consider other evidence that might be part of a trial, meaning any witnesses. ... Is it a really radical position to say a trial has witnesses? The (President Bill) Clinton (impeachment) trial had three witnesses in a much less complicated fact pattern. It didn’t involve national security data, it didn’t involve appropriations, it didn’t involve pressuring a foreign government.

Q: There’s a recent federal appeals court ruling (declaring) the individual mandate in the Affordable Care Act (unconstitutional). What does that mean for the future of the law?

CASEY: I think one piece of good news here is we have an election for president coming up and for Congress and that will focus the attention of the American people again on health care. And my party better do a good job of focusing the attention of the American people on health care. ... It’s fine to have a debate about some other new ideas, but our first priority has to be focusing on what I see as the three existential threats to health care. Number one is this lawsuit (on the mandate). ... Number two is the sabotage (of the Affordable Care Act) this administration has engaged in from literally day one. ... The third threat to health care (is)

the proposed cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, proposed by the administration and supported by every Republican in Congress. ... $2.3 trillion in cuts. ... which means that hospitals in Lackawanna County and a lot of counties will close if they cut it by that much ... lose health care and lots of people will lose jobs. Remember, 1.1 million Pennsylvanians got health care because of this legislation. ... It’s the official position of the Republican Party to eliminate Medicaid expansion. ... It’s the official position of the Republican Party to support this lawsuit. It’s the official position of the Republican Party to support the sabotage.

Q: The economy is, by I think most measures, in good shape. In fact, there was a Bureau of Labor Statistics report that said lower wage earners saw their wages rise faster than wealthier wage earners for the first time ever. Doesn’t this make a really good argument for (President) Donald Trump and why would anyone vote against

(him) if the economy is going so well?

CASEY: Well, if you look at it, there’s not much wage growth when you factor in costs. There’s a difference between wage growth and real wage growth. Ask a lot of families, has the cost of childcare come down in the last couple of years? I don’t think so. Has the cost of prescription drugs come down in the last couple of years? I don’t think so. ... I thought the president was going to come and get rid of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and he was going to invent something that would be a lot better. And costs would go down, your coverage would be great, nobody would lose coverage. That was a lot of fiction. ... The cost of college tuition. I thought he was going to lower costs. Costs are not down much and that just eats away at all, most of, if not all of the wage growth. ... When you compare the 35 roughly months of (growth in) the Obama administration, and the comparable time period under President Trump, the monthly job numbers are higher under Obama than under President Trump. ... As President Obama, working with Democrats like me, got the car out of the ditch it was in ... and got the car rambling down the road, President Trump just grabbed that steering wheel and he’s kept his hands on it. ... President Obama did the hard work.

Contact the writer:

bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9147;

@BorysBlogTT on Twitter

SCRANTON — The president of the American Federation of Teachers will speak at a community meeting Wednesday about the financial condition of the Scranton School District.

The meeting, scheduled for 4 p.m. at Scranton High School, will include participation from both district officials and local politicians, said Rosemary Boland, president of the Scranton Federation of Teachers.

AFT President Randi Weingarten is scheduled to spend the day in Scranton on Wednesday, visiting classrooms and meeting with teachers, before speaking at the event.

— SARAH HOFIUS HALL

Jan. 14, 1930

Six men in custody after fatal bombing of payroll car

Six men were arrested after a fatal bombing Jan. 13 at the Truesdale Colliery in Warrior Run, Luzerne County. It was believed the explosion was used to gain entry into the payroll car to steal the $35,000 inside.

The blast killed four men: Arthur Webb, paymaster, of Scranton; Martin Burns, assistant mine foreman, of Sugar Notch; James Shovlin, section foreman, of Hanover Twp; and Frank Brezinski, miner, of Plymouth. Two men were injured in the blast: Fred Pfaff, payroll guard, of Scranton, and John Sookie, payroll guard, of Plymouth.

According to police, the suspects planted 18 sticks of dynamite behind a barricade about 200 feet from the railroad tracks leading to the colliery. When the blast occurred, it ripped through the car.

The bandits approached the car, but Sookie, though injured, stood to defend the payroll box. Seeing Sookie on his feet, the bandits ran into the woods.

Harry Powell, the motorman pulling the payroll car, was unhurt. He sped toward the colliery to alert the miners and authorities to the blast.

The police soon arrived to take over protection of the payroll. Some of the cash was blown into the trees at the blast scene. A first-aid crew from the colliery attended to the injured.

The Truesdale Colliery was operated by Glen Alden Coal Co.

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.