A Black History Month art exhibit, Scranton Shakespeare Festival shows and animal-focused painting classes are among dozens of projects and programs recently awarded Lackawanna County arts and culture grants.

Commissioners last week approved $269,830 in total grants, including $216,000 in 2020 program stream grants representing yearly allocations to established nonprofits and $53,830 in smaller 2020 project grants benefiting specific events or initiatives.

All the grant awards are funded through county’s 1-mill arts and education tax

While modest compared to some other awards, Glynis Johns, founder of the Black Scranton Project, will use a $1,500 project grant to present a special February art exhibit in recognition of Black History Month. The exhibit at Artists for Art Gallery in downtown Scranton will feature artifacts and works by local artists highlighting the black community’s historic contributions to life in Scranton and Northeast Pennsylvania.

“As we celebrate black history, we always celebrate the national figures, but blackness exists everywhere,” said Johns. “I think we don’t realize that those stories exist here, and the power of those stories.”

The monthlong exhibit will feature work by local artists Jorge Ariza, Alessio Ayuninjam and Travis Prince, Johns said. blackscranton.org/bhm2020

Also receiving support was the Scranton Shakespeare Festival, which will use a $6,000 program grant to pay actors who’ll perform five free shows, including two Shakespeare plays, this summer.

“(The grant) allows us to audition in New York City (and) to bring professional actors to town in the summer to participate the festival,” Shakespeare festival board Chairman Paul Blackledge said. “It opens up some doors and allows us to improve the quality of our product.”

Blackledge said the festival receives support from other organizations, including the National Endowment for the Arts, but called the county grant one of the largest local contributions it receives.

The festival’s 2020 schedule, which runs from late June to early August, includes performances of “The Wizard of Oz,” “Henry IV,” “The Merry Wives of Windsor,” “We Will Rock You” and “The Humans,” a one-act play by local playwright Stephen Karam.

After the slate of summer plays, local theater lovers can look forward to the Dunmore Cemetery Tour, the annual outdoor celebration of local history reimagined by members of the Dearly Departed Players acting troupe. Tour Director Julie Esty said the group will use an $1,800 project grant to fund both technical and theatrical elements of this fall’s offering — the “Shady Lady Tour,” Esty said.

County Arts & Culture Director Maureen McGuigan touted the diversity of projects, programs and organizations receiving grants this year. People and groups specializing in various artistic disciplines and serving various populations are represented, she said.

Indraloka Animal Sanctuary, for example, received a $1,000 project grant to support an art program for at-risk youth. Participants will get to play with animals at the shelter while creating animal-inspired art, sanctuary founder Indra Lahiri said.

“When we are creating art we are expressing ourselves and we have a chance to be heard,” Lahiri said. “When we are creating art of the animals we are looking at the animals constantly, and we see the love reflected back in their eyes.”indraloka.org

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2020 Community Project Grant recipients include:

• Abington Area Joint Recreation Board, $1,500 for a summer concert series at Hillside Park.
• Arts at First Presbyterian Church, $2,500 for a concert series.
• Marnie Azzarelli, $1,800 to present “Dawn of Lackawanna,” an original two-act historical play.
• Leela Baikadi, $750 for a traveling photograph exhibit.
• Jeff Boam, $2,000 to present his original play “Behind the Six” in Scranton.
• Sandra Burgette-Miller, $1,500 to present “Tell’Em,” a multi-disciplinary performance piece about her family’s escape from slavery through the Underground Railroad.
• Creative and Performing Arts Academy of NEPA, $1,500 to present the play “The Last Séance for Harry Houdini.”
• Marylou Chibirka, $2,000 for Good Grief Portrait Painting, a program for adults who have experienced loss.
• Covenant Public Concerts, $2,000 for public concerts.
• Diva Theater at the Olde Brick, $1,000 to fund their one-act play festival featuring local playwrights.
• Julie Esty, $1,800 for the Dunmore Cemetery Tour.
• First Presbyterian Church of Carbondale, $1,250 for a concert series.
• Friends of the ARC Auxiliary, $2,000 for a theater arts program for adults with disabilities.
• Rosemary Hay, $1,800 for theater workshops and performances in partnership with United Neighborhood Centers of NEPA.
• Indraloka Animal Sanctuary, $1,000 for a paint animals with animals program.
• Glynis Johns, $1,500 for a Black History Month art gallery exhibition at AFA Gallery in Scranton.
• Lackawanna County 4-H, $1,000 for the program “Reading, Cooking and Decorating the 4-H way.”
• Lexington Entertainment, $2,000 for “Living History of America,” a musical performance.
• Michaela Moore, $2,500 for Camp Create.
• Sujata Nair-Mulloth, $1,800 to present “Unity and Diversity,” a performance of Indian classical dance.
• Pennsylvania Prison Society, $2,000 for a prisoners’ art exhibit.
• Amy Pinder, $1,800 for an Inclusion Festival.
• Travis Prince, $1,500 to create an interactive art exhibit celebrating iconic African Americans from Scranton.
• Saint Joseph’s Center. $1,530 for a musicians in residence program.
• Ihor Shablovsky, $2,000 to present a concert of European and American music at local senior centers.
• Snow Forge, $1,800 for a community holiday event.
• Summer Music Festival Inc., $1,500 for a musical performance at the Scranton Cooperative Farmers Market.
• The Gathering Place, $1,200 for Bears in Clarks Summit, a series of sculptures celebrating the bear as a symbol for the borough.
• The Greenhouse Project, $1,000 for a Secret Garden Tour.
• Wally Gordon Community Singers, $1,400 for free choral music concerts.
• Waverly Community House, $2,500 for a film festival featuring short films.
• Women to Women: Thrive, $2,400 for “Arts Thrive,” a festival showcasing local artists’ talents.

2020 Program Stream Grant recipients include:

• United Neighborhood Centers’ Project Hope & Illumination Arts program, $23,000.
• Lackawanna County Heritage Fair, $20,000.
• Lackawanna Historical Society, $20,000.00.
• Broadway Theatre League of NEPA, $15,000.
• The Northeast Pennsylvania Philharmonic, $12,000.
• Scranton Civic Ballet, $7,000.
• La Festa Italiana, $7,000.
• Ballet Theatre of Scranton, $7,000.
• Anthracite Heritage Museum & Iron Furnaces Associates, $7,000.
• Actor’s Circle, $7,000.
• St. Ubaldo Festival, $6,000.
• St. Patrick’s Day Parade Association of Lackawanna County, $6,000.
• Scranton Tomorrow-Downtown Events, $6,000.
• Scranton Shakespeare Festival, $6,000.
• Scranton Jazz Festival, $6,000.
• Artists for Art Gallery, $6,000.
• First Friday Scranton, $5,000.
• Boys and Girls Club of NEPA, $5,000.
• Scranton Music Association, $5,000.
• Scranton Fringe Festival, $5,000.
• City of Carbondale Pioneer Nights Festival, $4,000.
• Abington Business and Professional Association (Ice Festival), $4,000.
• Scranton Public Theatre, $3,500.
• North Pocono Cultural Society, $3,500.
• Choral Society of Northeast Pennsylvania, $3,500.
• Lyric Consort, $3,000.
• Lackawanna River Conservation Association (RiverFest), $3,000.
• Catholic Choral Society, $3,000.
• Arcadia Chorale, $3,000.
• Mostly Opera, $1,500.
• N.E.I.U. No. 19 Poetry Out Loud Program, $1,000.
• Lackawanna Heritage Valley (Heritage Explorer and Santa Train), $1,000.
• All County Band, $1,000.

SCRANTON

A city man who was accused of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl in 2018 was sentenced Thursday to three months to one year in Lackawanna County Prison.

Quintin S. Smith, 20, who pleaded guilty in November to corruption of minors, will also spend three years on probation under the sentence handed down by President Judge Michael J. Barrasse.

City police obtained an arrest warrant for Smith, then 18, on statutory sexual assault and other charges in June 2018 after he was accused of engaging in a sex act with the girl. The Times-Tribune does not identify victims of sexual assault.

Smith was a fugitive for about a year until federal authorities located him in New York City in June.

— DAVID SINGLETON

TAYLOR

The Taylor Post Office will reopen today as scheduled after it was damaged by a vehicle Thursday, the U.S. Postal Service said.

The building at 910 S. Main St. has been deemed safe after an assessment by structural engineers and will remain occupied, said Ray Dauitolo, a spokesman for the Philadelphia district office.

The Postal Service shut down the post office after the vehicle slammed into an exterior wall Thursday morning.

Contractors were on site later in the day to shore up the damaged wall, and full retail operations will resume this morning at the regular time, Dauitolo said.

“We expect the building to remain open during the repair phase,” he said.

— DAVID SINGLETON

SCRANTON

Lackawanna County detectives arrested a homeless man Wednesday who sold cocaine at a North Scranton beer store, authorities said.

A confidential informant told detectives that a man known as Cricket, who was later identified as Isui Malquisua, 41, sold both crack and cocaine from a beer store near North Main Avenue and Oak Street, detectives said.

Detectives arranged a buy with Malsquisua around 6:30 p.m. Thursday, when an informant purchased cocaine from him. Detectives arrested him and found 3.5 grams of cocaine, $239, including the money the informant used, and a cellphone.

Malquisua is charged with delivery of a controlled substance and related charges. He remains at Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $100,000 bail, with a preliminary hearing scheduled Thursday at 9 a.m.

— FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY

Former local newscaster and convicted child molester Jim Renick was again arrested for taking photos at a swim meet, this time at the University of Notre Dame.

Renick, 70, of Beach Grove, Indiana, was charged Friday with a felony count of unlawful entry by a serious sex offender after he was caught shooting photos of participants at the university’s Rolf’s Aquatic Center.

The arrest marks the second time in about 1½ years Renick was charged in connection with taking swim-meet photos. In August 2018, authorities in Ashtabula County, Ohio, charged him with obstruction of justice after spectators reported he took photos at a meet held at the Spire Sports Center Complex in Harpersfield Twp. He pleaded guilty Oct. 24, 2018, and was sentenced to 90 days in jail and two years of probation, court records shows.

In 1995, Renick, a former newscaster with WNEP-TV, was charged with photographing children at swim meets in Lackawanna County and with molesting a 12-year old boy in Luzerne County. He pleaded guilty that year to the molestation and photographing charges and was sentenced to three to six years in prison. He served the maximum sentence and was released in 2002.

The new arrest appears to violate his Ohio probation, which does not expire until Oct. 23. Lt. Terry Moisio of the Ashtabula County sheriff’s office said it will be up to a judge to determine whether to bring Renick back for a probation violation hearing if he’s convicted of the Indiana offense.

Moisio said Ohio officials had concerns about Renick, but based on the facts of the case, the most they could charge him with was obstruction of justice. He said they did alert the Internet Crimes Against Children task force about him.

“He’s someone who is considered a traveler. He goes all over the place doing these things,” Moisio said. “He has a problem. That’s all there is to it.”

In the latest case, authorities in St. Joseph County, Indiana, were called after spectators became suspicious of Renick’s activity. Questioned by police, Renick told officers he drove from his home, which is about three hours away, because he “likes to take pictures.”

Officers asked him if he had ever been convicted of anything and he replied there was “some issue in Ohio several years ago about confusion with him taking photos.”

Police did a record check and discovered Renick had been convicted of multiple sexual offenses against children in Pennsylvania and was subject to lifetime registration in Indiana as a sex offender.

Renick has had other run-ins with the law in addition to his latest Ohio and Indiana arrests.

Shortly after his 2002 release from prison, he was charged with violating parole after he had a chance encounter with the teenage victim he molested at a Luzerne County store. A Lackawanna County judge ruled the incident was not a violation, however.

In 2015, Renick was again accused of violating his parole after he was found outside his Indiana home with a camera. A Lackawanna County judge sentenced him to an additional two years of probation for that offense.

In the Indiana case, Renick is incarcerated at the St. Joseph County Jail in lieu of $2,000 cash bail. He faces a hearing Tuesday at 9 a.m. in the Superior Court of Indiana.

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One way or another, Mr. Peanut will be honored Monday in his hometown of Wilkes-Barre.

There will either be a somber vigil or a celebration of the iconic mascot’s life at noon on Public Square, just a few blocks from where the global brand Planters Peanuts was founded.

It all depends what happens during the snack food company’s ad during Sunday’s Super Bowl.

After killing off the 104-year-old Mr. Peanut during a pre-Super Bowl ad, the company announced it will air a commercial of Mr. Peanut’s “funeral” during the third quarter of the big game.

Many locals, who remember seeing Mr. Peanut walking Wilkes-Barre streets selling peanuts, say they can’t believe the company would eliminate the face of its franchise and are hopeful it wont.

Mr. Peanut was created in 1916 to be the mascot, about a decade after Planters was founded on South Main Street in Wilkes-Barre.

Visit Luzerne County, the tourism arm of Luzerne County government,  is organizing Monday’s event.

“A Wilkes-Barre icon, Mr. Peanut, has found himself in quite the predicament, according to previews of the Super Bowl ad for Planters Peanuts,” Visit Luzerne County wrote on Facebook.

“However it may end,  join us as we gather to either hold vigil or to celebrate our local legend ...”

The event will be held at noon in front of the Visit Luzerne County office at 56 Public Square, Wilkes-Barre.

“Whatever the future may hold for the lovable nut, Mr. Peanut will always have a home here in his birthplace of Luzerne County,” Visit Luzerne County wrote.

James May resigned today as local PennDOT press secretary to run for state representative of the 114th state House District.

May, 49, of Ransom, will seek the Republican nomination to the seat that Rep. Bridget Kosierowski, D-Waverly, won in a special election last March 12 against Old Forge School Director Frank Scavo.

Check back for updates.

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

The Scranton School Board is once again looking for a new member.

Former President Barbara Dixon resigned from the board on Friday, just hours after she and her husband sold their West Scranton home. Her resignation, which is effective immediately, will mean that one-third of the directors will be appointed by the board, not elected by voters.

“I really regret I have to do this,” Dixon said. “I’m proud of all of the accomplishments during my tenure on the board... by the end of it we were all cohesive and worked together.”

The retired Scranton teacher and principal won her four-year seat in 2017 and served as president for two years. She will now live at her home on Acre Pond in Lenox Twp., Susquehanna County.

“I have enjoyed the experience of working with all of my current and past colleagues,” she wrote in her resignation letter. “I wish the current school board the best of luck in the serious decisions that they will need to make and am confident that (the) Scranton School District will continue to do what is best for its students and staff.”

The board has not announced when it will begin accepting applications for her replacement.

In the last month, the board appointed Gretchen Welby, academic director for the physician assistant program at Marywood University, to fill Tom Schuster’s two-year term. He won both two-year and four-year seats in November and resigned from the two-year position. This week, attorney James Malloy became the newest member, filling the vacancy caused by Mark McAndrew’s resignation. McAndrew won a seat on Scranton City Council in November.

Only Gilmartin and Schuster remain on the board from last year.

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

The Scranton School District will keep Northeast Intermediate School closed on Monday as experts assess the asbestos present and the work necessary to remove it.

Administrators are also working on a short-term solution to provide education to the school’s nearly 900 students.

Meanwhile, the district awaits results from air quality tests done at Robert Morris, Frances Willard and William Prescott elementary schools this week, after crews completed emergency asbestos remediation. In a statement, Superintendent Melissa McTiernan said the district should receive those results this weekend and “will notify parents, students, staff and the school community immediately.”

District officials revealed the widespread asbestos and lead issues this week, which leaders say the previous administration knew about and largely ignored.

In January, the district turned off or placed warnings at 38 sinks and fountains across the district, including at West Scranton and Northeast Intermediate schools, Memorial Stadium and Prescott, McNichols Plaza, Armstrong, Bancroft and Whittier elementary schools. Asbestos exists in all buildings except the newest: Scranton High School and Whittier, Tripp and Kennedy elementary schools, according to documents.

Built in 1904, Northeast is the district’s oldest building and one of the largest.

“The full scope of the work that needs to be completed in order to remediate Northeast Intermediate School is still being determined,” according to McTiernan’s statement. “The administration is currently working on a short-term solution to provide continuous education for our students. The administration continues to work with the environmental experts on a long-term plan.”

Board President Katie Gilmartin said she is confident that administration is prioritizing the safety of students and staff.

“It’s an evolving situation,” she said. “We’re trying to err on the side of utmost caution.”

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

SCRANTON — No attorney or law firm met the deadline to apply for the job of solicitor of the city’s newly revived ethics board, officials said.

A request for qualifications for the post issued in a public notice in The Times-Tribune on Dec. 20 had a deadline of Jan. 23, but none were submitted, board Chairwoman Mary Jo Sheridan said.

The board is trying again.

It issued another public notice in the newspaper Wednesday, again requesting qualifications from attorneys or law firms interested in the solicitor position.

The second attempt to receive qualifications for the solicitor post has a deadline of Feb. 14 at noon.

Submissions should be mailed to the City of Scranton Controller’s Office, 340 N. Washington Ave., Scranton, PA 18503.

Sheridan thinks the first RFQ attempt may have gotten overshadowed by the holidays.

She expressed optimism the second attempt would generate submissions.

Both first and second RFQs called for a one-year solicitor term with a one-year renewal, Sheridan said.

After the Jan. 23 deadline expired, the city received some inquiries about submitting proposals, said Stephanie Pisko, chief of staff for Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti.

“There does seem to be some more interest now, as we ran it (the RFQ) again,” Pisko said.

The ethics board needs to retain a solicitor to move ahead with carrying out its various functions, Sheridan said.

Given the nature of the board, which is charged with investigating ethics complaints, it cannot proceed in a substantive way without a legal advisor, she said.

“I do think this is a board that really does need a solicitor,” Sheridan said.

Since being reconstituted last year, the board got rolling in early fall and has since held five meetings that have largely dealt with organizational matters.

The board will schedule its next meeting after the Feb. 14 deadline for RFQ submissions, Sheridan said.

The other members are Andrew Heller, Carol Migliorino and Bruce Reddock. The fifth seat remains vacant.

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

CLARKS SUMMIT -- Borough police want residents to be on the lookout for oddly behaving animals after officers shot a potentially rabid fox today.

The fox bit a woman walking on Bedford Street at about 10 a.m. and later acted aggressively toward a person trying to get out of a car on nearby Powell Avenue, said Police Chief Chris Yarns. Officers located the fox and shot it soon after. On Thursday, a resident also reported a fox acting aggressively on Depot Street, but police couldn’t find it, Yarns said.

The state game commission will test the fox for rabies, he said.

Although police killed the fox, the chief is concerned that it could have bitten another animal.Rabies symptoms

in animals include paralysis, seizures, difficulty breathing and swallowing, excessive salivation, abnormal behavior and aggression, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

To report a potentially rabid animal, call borough police at 570-587-3026 or the Lackawanna County 911 center non-emergency line at 570-342-9111.

— FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY

Different Vets for Trump groups endorsed different decorated and wounded Afghanistan war veteran Republicans for the 8th Congressional District seat.

One backed Teddy Daniels; the other, Earl Granville.

Daniels and Granville are among six seeking the Republican nomination for the 8th Congressional District in the April 28 primary election. The others are Luzerne County Councilman Harry Haas of Kingston, former Hazleton Mayor Michael Marsicano of Hazle Twp.; former Export/Import Bank official Jim Bognet of Hazle Twp.; and bar/restaurant manager Mike Camissa of Hazleton.

So far, incumbent U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, a Moosic Democrat serving his fourth two-year term, has no primary opposition.

The Democratic and Republican winners face off in the Nov. 3 election.

The Vets for Trump backing Daniels appears larger and has a higher national profile.

In a Facebook video, co-founder Joshua Macias, a Navy veteran, praised Daniels as someone who understands veterans and “understands our president and has stood with him, as I have, since 2015.” The group claims more than 400,000 members. Its Facebook page has more than 134,000 followers.

Daniels said he’s honored to have the “real Vets for Trump” endorsement and noted its many Facebook followers.

In a statement posted on his group’s website, Mike Kelly, a retired Air Force sergeant who founded the Vets for Trump group that endorsed Granville, praised Granville for his resilience and community work, “despite losing his leg in war and his brother to the invisible scars of war.”

He said Granville “will stand side by side with (Trump’s) America First agenda and is committed to vote for our commander-in-chief, President Donald Trump in 2020.”

Kelly’s group’s Facebook page lists 282 followers but Kelly said the group has about 8,000 members.

In 2018, Kelly’s group endorsed Republicans in two local congressional races — Dan Meuser for the 9th Congressional District and John Chrin for the 8th. Meuser won, Chrin lost.

Kelly said he spoke with Macias about the conflicting endorsements, and they plan to coordinate next time to avoid a repeat.

Daniels portrayed his endorsement as more significant than Granville’s.

“Switching from a (Sen. John) McCain-loving non-Republican to a Republican at the last minute backed by the swamp, and (having) a small Vets for Trump … endorsement is not very good,” Daniels said in an email.

Granville, an unaffiliated voter for years, registered as a Republican on Nov. 20, about three weeks before announcing his candidacy, according to voter registration records. Last week, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, endorsed Granville.

Matt Beynon, a spokesman for Granville’s campaign, declined to respond directly to Daniels’ criticism.

“Earl commends all fellow veterans for their service to our country,” Beynon said. “He has said from the very beginning he is not in this race to attack fellow Republicans. He’s in this race to defeat Matt Cartwright and kick Nancy Pelosi out of the Speaker’s chair.”

The 8th District, which includes all of Lackawanna, Pike and Wayne counties and parts of Luzerne and Monroe counties, has almost 46,000 veterans among its voting age population of more than 556,000, or about 8.3%, according to the 2018 U.S. Census American Community Survey. That ranks the 8th District eighth among the state’s 18 congressional districts in percentage of veteran population.

Attempts to reach Macias were unsuccessful.

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

@BorysBlogTT on Twitter

Unseasonably warm weather and rain means a popular ice skating spot in South Abington Twp. has yet to open for the year.

If the weather cooperates, Lake Eston Wilson at Hillside Park may open for skating in time for the Clarks Summit Festival of Ice on Feb. 14-16. If it does open then, it’s the latest since part-time park employee Ken Lee started maintaining the ice four or five years ago.

“We usually look at opening around Jan. 1 each year,” Lee said. “We were almost ready the week before Christmas, but then we got all that warm weather.”

In addition to that stretch from Dec. 22 to Dec. 31 when temperatures were in the 40s or 50s, temperatures were 8½ degrees above normal during the first four weeks of January, according to AccuWeather senior meteorologist Dave Dombek.

Temperatures even soared into the high 60s on Jan. 11 and 12.

“That’s very significant,” Dombek said. “The really cold days have been few and far between. It’s not surprising the ice isn’t safe.”

Lee, who maintains the lake with the help of volunteers, said it takes about two weeks of cold weather — with temperatures at or below freezing — for the ice to get thick enough for skating.

“It needs to be at least 4 inches before anyone goes on the ice,” Lee said. “We follow guidelines from the state of Minnesota.”

The ice was nearly ready last weekend, but warm weather combined with rain melted a large chunk of it.

“Once temperatures get into the 40s, the ice starts to deteriorate,” Lee said.

But there is hope on the horizon. Some computer models are forecasting colder temperatures for the second and third weeks of February, Dombek said. Lee is hoping the expected stretch of chilly weather will help thicken the ice on the lake.

Once the ice is safe, it takes a lot of work — including resurfacing, which is done about once a week and takes two to three hours — to get the lake ready for use, but Lee finds it rewarding to see people out on the ice.

“Last year, there were more than 100 people skating every day it was open,” he said.

Anyone can enjoy winter activities on the lake. Ice skates and hockey equipment may be rented from the pump house from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

“All you need to do is show up wearing warm clothes,” Lee said.

To check on the status of the lake, visit Hillside Park’s Facebook page.

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rtomkavage

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570-348-9100 x5365;

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The Scranton School District will keep Northeast Intermediate School closed Monday as experts assess the asbestos present and the work necessary to remove it.

Administrators are also working on a short-term solution to provide education to the school’s nearly 900 students.

Meanwhile, the district awaits results from air quality tests done at Robert Morris, Frances Willard and William Prescott elementary schools this week, after crews completed emergency asbestos remediation. In a statement, Superintendent Melissa McTiernan said the district should receive those results this weekend and

“will notify parents, students, staff and the school community immediately.”

District officials revealed the widespread asbestos and lead issues this week, which leaders say the previous administration knew about and largely ignored.

In January, the district turned off or placed warnings at 38 sinks and fountains across the district, including at West Scranton and Northeast Intermediate schools, Memorial Stadium and Prescott, McNichols Plaza, Armstrong, Bancroft and Whittier elementary schools. Asbestos exists in all buildings except the newest: Scranton High School and Whittier, Tripp and Kennedy elementary schools, according to documents.

Built in 1904, Northeast is the district’s oldest building and one of the largest.

“The full scope of the work that needs to be completed in order to remediate Northeast Intermediate School is still being determined,” according to McTiernan’s statement. “The administration is currently working on a short-term solution to provide continuous education for our students. The administration continues to work with the environmental experts on a long-term plan.”

Board President Katie Gilmartin said she is confident that administration is prioritizing the safety of students and staff.

“It’s an evolving situation,” she said. “We’re trying to err on the side of utmost caution.”

Contact the writer:

shofius@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9133;

@hofiushallTT on Twitter

Who are you calling old?”

Six model years into its most-recent design, the Mazda 6 makes it clear that it cedes nothing to young whippersnappers like the recently redesigned Honda Accord and Toyota Camry.

Since its last stem-to-stern redo for the 2014 model year, many of the 6’s main competitors have gone under the engineers’ and designers’ knives, upping their games with sleeker profiles, improved driving dynamics and, of course, more power.

The 6 — long a favorite among family-oriented driving enthusiasts — has kept pace with incremental improvements that largely center on what’s spinning away under the hood. While the 2020 model features no significant changes from the previous model year, it continues to offer a rewarding driving experience thanks to a well-balanced chassis, sport-tuned suspension and optional turbocharged engine capable of amusing acceleration.

There are five trim levels — Sport, Touring, Grand Touring, Grand Touring Reserve and Signature — each featuring a specific list of creature comforts and technology (Mazda doesn’t do options packages in the manner of other manufacturers) and equipped with front-wheel drive and a six-speed automatic transmission.

Sport and Touring models are powered by a normally aspirated 2.5-liter inline-four making 187 horsepower and 186 foot-pounds of torque. The remaining three are equipped with a turbocharged version of the same engine, tuned in this case to produce a definitely stouter 250 horses and 310 foot-pounds of twist.

Pricing starts at a budget-minded $24,000 for Sport models, which are well-equipped for the dough with LED headlamps, an 8-inch LED infotainment screen, forward collision sensing and avoidance, lane-departure sensors with steering assist, smart cruise control and more. Upgrading to the Touring adds a power sunroof, keyless entry, power adjustable driver’s seat, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and more.

And so Mazda lays on the goodies, all the way up to the top-dawg Signature trim, which sports two-tone leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats and heated rear seats, 11-speaker Bose audio, adaptive headlights, satellite navigation, a larger LED interface, upgraded safety system and a surround-view camera array.

We spent a recent week putting a Signature-trimmed 6 to work, carting me, the missus and the kids on our regular rounds of commuting and errand-running. The $35,100 base price rose to a heftier $36,250 with the addition of a special Machine Grey paint job, carpeted floor mats, some scuff plates and the delivery tab. Pricewise, the 6 tracks the Accord almost down to the penny while delivering comparable output from their optional turbocharged engines.

The 6’s sleek and sophisticated profile has aged well over the course of six model years, and holds its own against competitors like the new and (dare I type it?) sexier Toyota Camry. The gaping front fascia and its slotted headlight housings meld into a body featuring a long and low hood, swept-back passenger compartment and muscular-looking rear fenders.

Likewise, the attractively designed cabin is tastefully ordered with controls centered in a console-mounted knob that runs the infotainment interface, and a row of small buttons and knobs located beneath. Said buttons and knobs were a little too small for my aging eyes to read at first, but a day into its visit they became second nature.

The front seats offer more than enough room for adults; the split-folding second row is large enough to accommodate same, provided the front seats are slid forward a bit. The trunk will accept up to 14.7 cubic feet of cargo.

Handling and acceleration are crisp and even entertaining, as the 6 carves through curves with aplomb and makes short work of highway on-ramps and passing maneuvers. It takes a bit for the turbocharger to spool up, making for leisurely launches. Once spinning, though, it briskly propels the 6 to 60 mph in rough 6½ seconds, all the while accompanied by a musical exhaust howl. We managed to eke out 25 mpg in combined driving, 1 mile shy of the EPA estimate.

2020 Mazda 6 Signature

Vehicle type: Four-door, five-passenger midsize sedan.

Base/as-tested prices: $35,100/$36,520.

Engine and transmission: 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-four (250 horsepower and 310 foot-pounds torque), six-speed automatic with manual-shift mode and steering-wheel-mounted shifter paddles.

EPA estimates: 23 mpg city, 31 mpg highway, 26 mpg combined

The good: Responsive handling makes it the fun-to-drive entry in the midsize four-door segment; aging design still holds its own against recently redesigned competitors like the Honda Accord; stout turbo-four engine delivers brisk acceleration and good fuel economy; handsome exteriors and tastefully designed cabins are a Mazda hallmark, and the 6 does nothing to diminish that; comfortable and spacious interior accommodations; long list of standard equipment; adult-friendly rear seats and spacious trunk.

The bad: Tightly tuned suspension delivers sporting performance, but also a busier ride quality than competitors like the all-new Toyota Camry; capable though it is, the 6 is due for a redesign.

Bottom line: Still a go-to choice for a family-friendly sports sedan.

Business: Michael Mootz Candies

Location: 1246 Sans Souci Parkway, Hanover Twp.

Owners: Jason and Meagan Mootz

Year established: 1975

How many employees: 35

Tell us about your business: At Michael Mootz Candies, our motto is “confections for the discriminating taste.” We offer a great variety of handmade sweets using 100-year-old family recipes. Our focus is on great quality and outstanding customer service. We are known for our peanut butter meltaways, chocolate-covered pretzels, sea salt caramels and fudge.

Our candy can be purchased online and we ship all over the country. The busiest seasons are Christmas, Easter and Valentine’s Day, but we also operate the Creamery at Michael Mootz Candies in the summer that offers high-quality ice cream and one-of-a-kind inclusions using our homemade confections. We have an incredible staff and amazing customers who really make our job enjoyable.

What are some secrets to your success? Focus on quality, pay attention to detail, work hard and remember that the customer is always right.

What is your biggest challenge? Maintaining our old-fashioned processes using our antique equipment. We love that our machinery could be in a candy museum, but it requires a lot of upkeep and in-house fabrication. We are lucky to have a very handy plant manager who keeps all of our machines humming.

WEST SCRANTON

INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL

GRADE 8

Jacob Argenta, Nathan Barbuti, Katherine Barnansky, Jamie Barrett, Patrick Battle, Hunter Baumgardner, Shaela Bello, Ryan Boyce, Camila Bracho, Darian Calleja Alvarado, Dinello Capalongo, Caiden Carlson, Colby Celuck, Kole Chandler, Melanie Charlery, Magdalene Churilla, Alaina Cigliano, Tyson Cook, Holden Cravetts, Roman Cruciani, Logan Cullen, Caiden Davis, Kydasia Deas, Katelin DeRonda, Heisy Duverge, Daniel Ebersole, Kyle Eckardt, Celia Emiliani, Noe Escalante, Kate Evans, Mariah Feaggins, Joseph Felker, Genesis Fernandez, Edward Fox, Samantha Fuchylo, Nina Gallagher, Fabrice Gatsinzi, Emma Gaughan, Trinity Geeting, TJ Giannetti, Michael Gilgallon, Michael Grasso, Layla Guillory, Xavier Guy, Landon Hirschler, Kali Holbeck, Anna Holman, Kiera James, Blaise Jordan, Evan Kane, Madison Kingsborough, Jack Kizer, Kenneth Kizer, Landyn Kochis, Ava Krysko, Daniel Laabs, Arthur Levandoski, Julainna Lewonczyk, Noah Lynch, Aubrey Mackie, Corrina Maldonado, Jeiline Maldonado, Tessa Mangan, Colin Manley, Kacey Marte, Janise Matias Santiago, Paul Matteo, Laci McDonald, Vincentia McDonough, Quienton McMillan, Karen Mendoza Lopez, Mia Meyers, Benjamin Miller, Angel Moya, Jacob Muracco, Emma Neiswender, Khloe Neuls, Paige Newcomb, Amelia Noll, Madison Nowakowski, Christopher Ogden, Marcos Ortega, Kevin Ortiz, Juliana Pano-Leyva, Ryan Paulton, Gerson Perdomo Dominguez, Alexandra Perez, Ana Perez, Justin Peters, Carson Price, Natalie Ramos, Samson Repshis, Dominique Rivera, Tait Rivera, Camryn Roche, Alicia Rodezno, David Rodrigues, Camila Rodriguez, Brayden Rosencrans, Elizabeth Russell, Rahmel Sanders, Paris Santee, Christian Santiago, Mercedes Santiago, Adaury Santos, Gianna Savani, Jacob Schultz, Ann Sconfienza, Aaliyah Seifert, Kateryna Smirnova, Drew Sphabmixay, Aidan Spindler, Ava Stanton, Emily Stefani, Amya Stott, Christopher Strenkoski, Angelina Tabone, Emily Thomas, Brayden Tomlinson, Justine Townsend, Rebecca Tumavitch, Gabriel VanLeuven, Isabelle VanWert, Emily Walton, KaeSean Wearing, Elaina Welby, Andrew Williams, Jason Williams, Qasim Williams, Nyema Woods, Wyatt Worsnick and Zoey Zimorowicz.

GRADE 7

Avronus Abdul Quddus, Angel Agosto, Christian Alers, Brandon Amorim, Kendall Antoine, Amairany Ayala, Valerie Ayala, Mason Bennett, Brieya Berrios, Kelvin Berrios, Paul Bidwell, Olivia Bloom, Mason Borie, Kyleigh Boylan, Ramses Bracero, Dylan Brijmohan, Justus Bronson, Madison Cali, Ryleigh Campbell, Delyza Centeno, Antonio Cordaro, Jaydin DeLosSantos, Kevin Do, Eyby Donaciano, Gianna Dupuy, Nicolas Evans, Gabryelle Fairweather, Kaitlyn Fassett, Sukayla France, Gianna Fratzola, Rachaurie George, Jose Gonzalez Cosme, Jamal Graham, Grace Griffiths, Kenneth Hazelton, Jada Hobbs, Ahilyn Inoa, Tyrone Jackson, Bryan Jean Philippe, Giovanni Jimenez, Tierney Joyce, Mia Keenan, Gabriela Keiser, Kate Kowanick, Alena Lee, Rocco Leonard, Yahir Lopez, Javier Lugo, Connor Luscher, Ediana Macancela, Felix Maldonado Torres, Ydelisa Maleta, Anthony Margavitch, Bianca Markovitch, Logan Marsico, Mandie Martin, Shatiara Matthews, Madison May, Kali Mayer, Gavin McGraw, Emma Miller, Zachery Miller, Elizabeth Mitchell, Katherine Morante Paulino, Michelle Moreira, Randy Mursch, Ryan Newcomb, Mathias Ngongo, Jadin Niare, Alyssa Notari, Angel Olavarria, Jamira Osgood, Tyler Ovens, Jasmine Patackas, Vidhi Patel, Emilee Penny, Ciara Phillips, Lindsey Popil, Emelia Ramirez, Eidan Ramirez Contreras, Aiden Ratchford, Christopher Raymer, Jose Restrepo Zuluaga, Desthiny Reyes Trochez, Keegan Reynolds, Alana Rezzino, Avery Richter, Anye Robinson, Mopfe Rose-Sanders, Jayliezer Ruiz, Marc Russo, Alexis Sanchez, Katiusca Santos Frias, Ashlee Selemba, Robert Sessions, Zacharee Shackelton, Ashton Shiner, Ethan Smith, Mila Smith, Mark Snyder Jr., Phoenix Souryavong, Tom Spangenberg, Abygail Stevens, Angelina Talarico, Reese Tanner, Gianni Torres Lugo, Ryan Tuffy, Michael Turi, Hayleigh Urbanowicz, Ava Wallace, Laneica Wallace, Chase Walsh, Jenna Watkins, Amerie Watt, Makayla Webb, Emily Whitaker, Michael Wiktorek, Ky Asja Williams, Tymeir Winstead, Emma Wood, Tabbitha Wyrauch, Virginia Yanul, Abigail Young, Jazmin Zempoaltecati and Antonio Zumba Taylor.

GRADE 6

Lauro Aguilar, Alexander Aquino Estevez, Kimberly Aquino Vidal, Adilene Ayala Vargas, Layla Badalova, Brooke Baldan, Michael Barnett, Maggie Barr, Melvin Barragan, Jake Barrett, JaMiria Black, Jayden Boyd, Aidan Brewster, Justice Campos, Lianah Carter, Janice Castro, Karen Castro-Matias, Michael Chippa, Cameron Cole, Lucas Collins, Carmela Cordero, Brody Coyle, Savannah Davis, Tiara Davis, Anthony Demkowich, Allisson Diaz, Jayden Dombrowski, Jenna Dorneman, Maddison Eggar, Nina Emiliani, Michael Evanosky, Paige Everett, Kathyrn Fahey, Julia Farkaly, Cayden Farr, David Fernandez, Giovanna Fiorillo, Addison Flannery, Brian Fried, Nora Frounfelker, Nicholas Giordano, Violet Gontkowski, Giulianna Gonzalez, Jada Gonzalez, Reece Griffiths, William Griffiths, Abygaile Groover, Genan Halayqa, Joseph Hanley, Liam Hart, Isabella Hubert, Beatie Jean Philippe, Kara Jimmerson, Alex Juarez, Alexis Kacaba, Caleb Kane, Jake Kizer, Ambrielle Knoch, Natalya Lee, Emily Lopez, Madison Lucas, Jaslyn Lugo Aquino, Rebecca Lyons, Lola Macciocco, Brooke MacGregor, Dayne Martin, Mackenzie May, Jason McClelland, Arianna McGuire, Rodney Mendoza Lopez, Riley Merrifield, Jonathan Morales, Kimberly Morales, Lea Morgan, Scarlett Muklewicz, Sadiki Murindabangabo, Santino Nallo, Avianna Natale, Jonathan Noll, Michael Anne Osborne, Yadhira Paramo, Elisabeth Pellegrino, Kiara Perez, Kaliyah Polk, Emily Powell, Brianna Propes, Juan Ramos, Sincere Ramos, Natalya Ransom, Elias Rios, Jaelyn Roberts, Zoie Roche, Jason Rodney, Adolphe Rukundo, Amaris Sanchez, Brandon Sanchez, Jan Sanchez, Robert Sandman, Nathan Schimelfenig, Claire Schloendorn, Cara Schultz, Tyler Scotch, Sahmira Shareef Menifee, Max Snyder, Lloyd Sobotka, Christopher Solsman, Isabella Stanton, Mia Summa, Mia Tallo, Emily Taveras Molina, Madison Tesluk, Killie Thomas, Noah Thomas, James Tolentino, Lauren Tumavitch, Abigail VanWert, Carmella Vidota, Peyton Vidra, Evan Walsh, McKenzie Walsh, Alexa Waltman, Zoey Wiktorek, Aiden Williams, AlynzaWilloughby, Leisha Wilson, Jessica Zelenski and Kaden Zimorowicz.

WEST SCRANTON

HIGH SCHOOL

GRADE 12

Naithyn Nicolas Allert, Alexandra Baena, Brianne K. Baker, Rachel Beidler, Jillian Bennett, John Ryan Bianco, Robert Bogaski III, Olivia Bolsar, Randall Bonitz Jr., Ryan Bresser, Alyssa Campbell, Anthony Caramanno, Connor Carlton, Jose Cazares, Kayla Chofey, Mackenna Cole, Brianna Coleman, Trystan Cook, Zachary Darbenzio, Kyle Thomas Decker, Kailey DeFina, Maxwell Derosier, Justin Dorneman, Joseph Evanosky, Bryanne Freeman, Kaidyn Gallagher, Tiffany Marie Gallo, Geremia Gil, Maura Lynn Gockley, Gabrielle Goodrich, Ciara Grasso, Nicholas James Greaves, Nicholas Guerra, Stephannie Hall, Ashley Harmer, Gemma Terez Hashem, Leandria Evellyn Hercules, Talia Herrera Centeno, Sky Taisha La Shawn Holmes, Cole Hunter, Danielle Jenkins, Nya Jewel Johnson, Daniel Keeler, Ava Knoch, Amy Koch, Serena Kay Kuehl, Samantha Kulp, Arianna Lazuka, Fushawn Liggins, Jacquelin Lipisko, Blendina Lluga, Taryn Loney, Carter Loureiro, Margaret Mahoney, Bryauna Lynn Manuel, Madasen Leigh Mariano, Edwardo Marrero, Bangelene Marte, Digne MBinge, Cali McDonald, Francessca Mehl, Elijah Sharrieff Messiah Johnson, Ashlyn Meyers, Mark Anthony Miller, Kamden Miller, Leishka Marie Montalvo, Angelina Moraca, Brianna Moraca, Cassandra Moraca, Jared Morris, Samantha Mushak, Jonathan Theodore Nickol, Abbie O’Brien, Marina Pacheco, Caitlin Pagnotti, Jessica Parr, Gabriela Petorak, Abby Profka, Antonio Pugliese, Gabriel Petorak, Yasmin Ramirez, Ashley Ramos, Tarrah Rebernik, Samantha Morgan Reese, Jacob Raul Rodgers, Ava Karla Rodriguez, Ryan Rodriguez, Savon Sansook, Mark Sedelnick, Shantie Sewah, Gina Shafer, Kyle Slater, Ryan Sophabmixay, Blake Satchaphone Sphabmixay, Jamie Joseph Spindler, Jamie Stine, Stephen Tabone, Makayla Taft, Raphael Tiatelpa, Nicholas Ryan Tonkin, Paola Torres Reyes, Morgan Brittany Truskoloski, Abigail Tulaney, Emily Tunis, Janet Uwiringlymana, Emily VanWert, Dominic Viscomi, Garrett Walsh and Cassidy Lynn Weber.

GRADE 11

Gabriella Amaya, Zachary T. Anderson, Madlyn Anglin, Brian Asakiewicz, Hallie Bannon, Bibi Shameeza Bacchus, Ashley Morgan Belles, Kasandra Berrios, Xavier Benjamin Bronson, Brennan Patrick Burnside, Cameron Butka, Cabre Anella Capalongo, Jordan Capwell, Raphael Cintra Leita Carvalho, Nicholas Cesario, Eashwa Chaitram, Erin Chesek, Devin Vaughan Chollette, Haleigh Cigna, Mary Grace Covey, Nashalee Ivellis Cruz, Meadow Rae Curyk, Ava Layne Decker, Vyvain Do, Kevin Donovan, Molly Dougherty, Nicholas Michael Doyle, Mackenzie Kolleen Duffy, Jhordan Saul Duy, Brianna Eckardt, Antonio Evanosky, Austin Fashouer, Kevin George Fernandez, Nicholas Forsette, Crystal Lenore Fox, John Cole Fuller, Sydney Marie Fuller, Harmoine Elizabeth Gallagher, Sierra M. Gallucci, Dominique Heidy Gomez Juarez, Arron Bradley Gonie, Jesus Manuel Gonzalez Jr., Joshua Greenfield, Brandon Gregory, Zaniya Aquarius Grissom, Matthew John Hamm, Nathan Hazelton, Lariely Hernandez Burgos, Peter J. Hilburn, Nicolas Hipolito, Alyvia Emma Janes, Jaela Dymond Johnson, Celeste Juarez, Kelly Lynn Kennedy, Matthew Patrick Kerrigan, Jacob Kizer, Zachary Michael Kowanick, Steven Kyriazis, Emily Catherine Laabs, Madison Eve Lane, Keyla Lantiqua, Austin Lewis, Camdyn Olivia Lewis, Gianna Licata, Anthony Loureiro, Tiahna Lugo, Anajah Sheree Magee, Aubrey Mangan, Kylie Danielle Markovitch, Julianna Martinez, Marissa Matto, Danilo McDonough, Taralee McGlocton, Nathan Mehl, Ethan Zander Menichini, Juliana Maria Mercedes Rodriguez, Cayden Merrifield, Jacob Metzger, Matthew Metzger, Alivia Minich, Allison Beth Morris, Lylah Mosley, Mulisa Mukamuganga, Joel Kaliya Ngongo, Jacob O’Boyle, Matthew Pfohl, Marytere Quintara, Camryn Ratchford, Victoria Reilly, Lexyann Rezzino, Nicholas Roche, Mark James Romero, Joshua Safuto, Zenee Salaman, Cristian Sanchez, Hailey Carmen Santiago, Alana Scanlon, John Robert Sinclair III, Ayiannah Shahidah Smith, Jacob Bruce Smith, Lenah Stefani, Zoe Lynn Steffie, Jasmine Stevens, Madison Theobald, Olivia Rose Trapper, Anthony Viscomi, Brianna Vongmany, Abigail Walsh, John Walsh, Julian Wells, Robert Wharton and Quinn Williams Mayers.

GRADE 10

Arnold Aquiliar, Heiron Albert, Rusbelly Almonte Martinez, Enzo Alessandro Antonetty, Julia Marie Aris, Aaron Christopher Bauman, Allison Ann Beidler, Jessica Bennett, Robert Donald Bray, Kaleigh Madelyn Brown, Anthony Maurice Calhoun Jr., Emily Camacho, Kayla Rebecca Camacho, Odalys Camarillo, Bryan Cano Monzon, Adriana Marie Cardona Rosa, Zacharia Casella, Dyllon Chavis, Jonah Christopher Chen, Vito Thomas Ciullo, Makyla Lynn Cordaro, Patrick Cosgrove, Gloria Estelle Cruz, Angely Marie Davila, Jazmin Defreitas, Angy Arely Diaz, Anthony Diaz, Jesus Antonio Donaciano, Molly Ann Donovan, Olivia Dougher, Emily Fagerlin, Jack Francis Fahey, Natalie Ferrer Feliciano, Alanys Figueroa, Paolo Joseph Fiorini, Kemar Kebie Frazer, Shiela Frazier, Omar Andres Frias, Ryan Adrian Garcia, Justin Scott Gockley, Nicholas J. Gowarty, Abigail Griffiths, Brandon Joseph Griffiths, Jaquelin Guevara, John David Guichay Cardenas, Navaeh Marie Hammond, Rachel Elizabeth Heil, Victoria Herne, Mirian Herrera, Kaylei Janesko, Destiny Helena Jones, Ethan John King, Aaliyah Gianna Kochis, Ian Bryan Koehler, Aiden Richard Kologe, Leanne Brooke Krupski, Emily Elizabeth LaBar, Marissa Rose Labonich, Timberlee Jane Lasher, Alexys Lazuka, Ryan Daniel Lewis, Eljesa Lluga, David Perry Locker, Erin Taylor Lona, Madison Alexis Maloney, Anthony Marsico, Jayden Elizabeth Matute, Haylee May, Kohibin McDonough, Finley Patrick McHale, Madison Margaret McGivern, Gianna Marie Merryfield, Tyler Michel, Alyssa Miller, Kevin Alevandr Morales, Abdullah Rahiyam Muhammad, Austin Hunter Muir, Thomas William Noll, Natalie Catherine Nowakowski, Janine Nyiramasengesho Jr., Jennifer M. Ojeda, Noah Jerome Palauskas, Jose Luis Paramo Jr., Nathan James Parker, Briana Perea, Alisha Pettway, Michael John Reed Jr., Danielle Reese, Jaclyn Rose Rencavage, Jasmine Rohlic, Cyan Marie Roman, Michael John Romiti, Gavin Royce, Gianna Marie Russo, Isabella Marie Salerno, Drianna Santiago, Lacey Alecia Santiago, Nicholas Joseph Shimo, Anthony Silva, Mary Catherine Sinclair, Chloe Nadya Slater, Bobbi Rose Smith, Kelisiana Maryah Ari Smith, Camilla Phanthamith Sphabmixay, Ava Ann Stabryla, Gianna Loren Tallo, Vicky Tang, John Francis Tirva Jr., Joshua Torres, Jahaira Ester Torres-Santiago, Joshua Francis Truskoloski, Ariann Varela, Makalya Rose Walker, Cecelia Walsh, Victoria Elizabeth Watkins, Jade Katherine Weber II, Haley White, Jairo Yanez and Kevin Daniel Yaurincela.

GRADE 9

Jacob Paul Allert, Alex Manuel Alvarado, Ally Margaret Anderson, Haylie Marie Anderson, Kaylee Ann Bachman, Emmanuel A. Beason, Alyssa Marie Bestricki, Molly Kristina Bingham, Emilie Raeanne Bloom, Laurie Faith Bogaski, Emily Elizabeth Bresser, Briana Jasmine Brjmohan, Luke Steohen Brink, Aidan David Burke, Mia Catherine Butka, Junior De Jesus Cabrera Gutierrez, Janielle Arelyz Calderon, Ashly Camacho, Camia Rosella Capalongo, Jada Nashawn Caple, Alexis Capone, Jessica Lee Carpenter, Christian Jarvis Carpio, Joel Alsonso Hidalgo Castro, Jonah Zachary Castro Joyce, Gabrielle Alexis Chantiloupe, Michael Paul Cole, Josepj Randall Collins, Nykolas Joseph Corman, Gustavo Cortez, Missveli Cruz Reyes, Elizabeth Marie Curet, Amanda Cusick, Kaitlyn Marie Davila, Zachary Joseph Deeley, Justyce Atara DeGraw, Sandra Angelica Diaz, Tony Duy Anh Do, Brayan Dominguez, Michael Jeffrey Doyle, Allen Duverge, Michael Anthony Esposito IV, Jayden Elijah Farinas, Everett Valentine Fitch, Joshua Michael Flaherty, Edith Fiores, Ella Grace Frounfelker, Brithany Mairyn Galdamez Moesses, Kimberly Guadalupe Gallardo, Evan James Gariepy, Xander Aiden Geeting, Nirajan Ghaley, Therese Giacomini, Anthony James Gieda, Christian Jay Gieda, Isabella Brooklyn Gigliotti, Kathryn Ann Gilgallon, Pratichhya Glan, Evelyn Gonzalez, Jennifer Cesarina Gonzalez Rodiguez, Gabriella Grasso, Ashley Rose Gregory, Emily Jean Haberstroh, Rayyan Mohamad Halayga, Joseph John Harris Jr., Courtney Alexa Hazelton, Oscar Hernandez, Jake Horrocks, Jinelle Lee Jeffery, Gabriel Lee Jones, Tonya Rose Joyce, David Juarez, Robert Paul Kalinich Jr., Thomas Kane IV, John Joseph Keeler, Xavier Alexander Keiper, Abby Shannon Kerrigan, Dylan Kizer, Samichya Koirala, Aubreanna Elizabeth Laureano, Giorgena Lema Sumba, Michael Zachary Lloyd, Madison Lynn Lockard, Sean Michael Lucke, Luis Antonio Maldonado Jr., Hunter Amber Marcen, Christopher John Marhefka, Henry Robert Matute, Divine MBinga, Nova Brionne McAndrew, Joshua Scott McConlogue, Camron Daijon McMillan, Ariel Marie McNear, Abby Lynn Megotz, Cecelia Rose Mellen, Jendryk Dashiel Mercado Cortes, Julenny Mercedes, Kimberly Lisabeth Michel, Mia Michel, Brett Christopher Miller, Alejandro Monroy, Yazmin Moreir, Layla Christine Nabried, Osselle Bethany Nedd, Grace Aingel Nee, Sierra Neely, Joshua O. Nickens, Jesus Ernesto Nunez-Pazos, Jasmine Ojeda, Quentin Robert Olsen, Julia Crystal O’Neill, Giovanni Lucas Palmitessa, Grace Pawluck, Lucy Pawluck, Colin Peffer, Brandon Perea, Andy Perez Temozihul, Louis Robert Petrosky Magana, Olivia Patricia Pfohl, Hailey Noel Pinto, Victoria Danyce Pointon, Zilbeth Quinones Ramos, Hannia Monserrath Rameriez, Samantha Christiane Raphael, Derek Charles Reese, Thomas Jefferson Reynolds, Vincent Michael Rinaldi, Gabriela Nicole Rios Cruz, Lyryck Nazalia Rivera, Brooke Marie Rodney, Mya Lynn Rodney, Eliseo Angel Rodriquez, Naysha Rosado, Sydney Noel Royce, Shania Noel Ruiz, Jasmine Ricia Salaman, Alexa Issamar Sanchez, Abagail Rose Smith, Abigail Rose Smith, Ethan Tyler Smith, Beria Zurisadai Soriano, Emily Ann Stevens, Justin Robert Stoveken, Isabella Mary Summa, Aida Stephanie Tenezaca, Tea Leigh Tomlinson, JaeAnna Marie Topa, Lindsay Tomlin Tunis, Martin Joseph Turi Jr., Dakota Marie Turner, Amelia Rose VanFleet, Autumn Marie Walsh, Ariannah Maria Watkins, Mariah Marie Webber, Ciara Michelle Williams, Elijah Xavier Williams, Patrick Joseph Williams, Mason Cooper Wilson and Anderson Zou.

WYOMING SEMINARY LOWER SCHOOL

GRADE 8

High honor roll: Chayanka Boruah, Moosic; David Geyfman, Scranton; Aiden Jordan, Factoryville; Andrew Kuloszewski, Scranton; Eliana Parra, Wyoming; Paul Stevenson, Duryea; Faith Stoshak, West Wyoming; Tiffany Stoshak, West Wyoming; Cameron Taylor, Waverly.

Honor roll: Isabel Barcia, Clarks Green; Mariah Bentler, Roaring Brook Twp.; Adrien Hazzouri, West Pittston; Celeste Perry, Wyoming; Calvin Platt, Clarks Summit; Olivia Sekel, Harding.

GRADE 7

High honor roll: Salvatore Aita, Pittston Twp.; Abigail Lott, Olyphant; Jacob Nivert, Scranton; Kylie Romanchick, Tunkhannock; Phineas Ruderman, West Pittston; Brandon Scotto DAbusco, Exeter.

Honor roll: Sophia Cordaro, Moscow; Colin Donovan, Moosic; Daniel Fisher, Moscow; Luciana Valvano, Scranton.

GRADE 6

High honor roll: Alex Chen, Duryea; Elizabeth Hannon, Wyoming; Benjamin Mauriello, Duryea; Farrah Polit, Moosic; Christopher Ramos, Peckville; Isabel Shoemaker, Wyoming.

Honor roll: Dino DeMarzio, Scranton.

WYOMING SEMINARY UPPER SCHOOL

DEAN’S LIST HIGH HONORS

Emily Aikens, Jenkins Twp.; Armeen Ali, Jenkins Twp.; Chloe Brennan, Inkerman; Shawna Casey, Jenkins Twp.; Marai Castellanos, Waverly; Ryan Chun, Clarks Summit; Charles Cox, Pittston; Rebecca Cruciani, Scranton; Dominica Delayo, Moosic; Katharine Getz, Pittston; Jacob Gilbert, Waverly; Alexis Greene, Moosic; Philip Gristina, Pittston; Ava Hazzouri, Scranton; Campbell Kelly, Clarks Green; Jacob Koretz, West Pittston; Matthew Kuloszewski, Scranton; Charles Kutz, Clarks Summit; Lily Anne Kutz, Clarks Summit; Gabriel Lott, Olyphant; Andrew Mauriello, Duryea; Logan McGowan, Pittston; Harrison Peairs, Clarks Summit; Nahisha Pokhrel, Scranton; Samantha Quinn, West Pittston; Francesca Ramos, Covington Twp.; Giovanni Ramos, Peckville; Delaney Romanchick, Tunkhannock; Jacob Ruderman, West Pittston; Alyssa Shonk, Clarks Summit; Ava Smith, West Pittston; and Bridget Tost, Scranton.

DEAN’S LIST

Samantha Barcia, Clarks Green; Mystere Bartal, Pittston; Camilla Caporale, Dunmore; Benjamin Carron, Moosic; Samantha Casey, Jenkins Twp.; Grace Cimini, Roaring Brook Twp.; Marshall Curtis, Forest City; Jose de los Rios, Dalton; Hannah Frels, Dalton; Eric Gardner, Harding; Philip Gelso, Duryea; Aiden Gilbert, Waverly; Lincoln Heck, West Wyoming; Kylie Hillebrand, Clarks Green; Quinn Kelly, Clarks Green; Tyler Kotowski, Scott Twp.; Rhianna Lewis, Scranton; Abigail McDonald, Scranton; Andrew Morgan, Clarks Summit; Kate O’Brien, Moosic; Lane Oravic, Moosic; Nathaniel Puksta, Waverly; Skylar Roerig, Tunkhannock; Alexandra Roumyantseva, Covington Twp.; Jacob Shoemaker, Wyoming; Michael Stanczyk, Wyoming; Stephen Vanesko, Harding; Charles Wright, Clarks Summit; and Leanna Yatcilla, Old Forge.

MOOSIC

U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright announced his re-election bid Friday evening with a rally at the Greenwood Hose Company.

Amid friends, family and other supporters, Cartwright, a Democrat from Moosic who represents the 8th Congressional District, said he will seek a fifth two-year term representing all of Lackawanna, Pike and Wayne counties and parts of Luzerne and Monroe counties. The job pays $174,000 a year.

Six Republicans have announced candidacies for a seat expected to be one of the most hotly contested in the country.

— BORYS KRAWCZENIUK

One way or another, Mr. Peanut will be honored Monday in his hometown of Wilkes-Barre.

There will either be a somber vigil or a celebration of the iconic mascot’s life at noon on Public Square, just a few blocks from where the global brand Planters Peanuts was founded.

It all depends what happens during the snack food company’s ad during Sunday’s Super Bowl.

After killing off the 104-year-old Mr. Peanut during a pre-Super Bowl ad, the company announced it will air a commercial of Mr. Peanut’s “funeral” during the third quarter of the big game.

Many locals, who remember seeing Mr. Peanut walking Wilkes-Barre streets selling peanuts, say they can’t believe the company would eliminate the face of its franchise and are hopeful it won’t.

Mr. Peanut was created in 1916 to be the mascot, about a decade after Planters was founded on South Main Street in Wilkes-Barre.

Visit Luzerne County, the tourism arm of Luzerne County government, is organizing Monday’s event.

“A Wilkes-Barre icon, Mr. Peanut, has found himself in quite the predicament, according to previews of the Super Bowl ad for Planters Peanuts,” Visit Luzerne County wrote on Facebook.

“However it may end, join us as we gather to either hold vigil or to celebrate our local legend ... ”

The event will be held at noon in front of the Visit Luzerne County office at 56 Public Square, Wilkes-Barre.

“Whatever the future may hold for the lovable nut, Mr. Peanut will always have a home here in his birthplace of Luzerne County,” Visit Luzerne County wrote.

Contact the writer:

bkalinowski@citizensvoice.com;

570-821-2055;

@cvbobkal on Twitter

Local government consultant Andrew Holter will seek the Republican nomination for the state’s 118th House District seat in the April 28 primary election.

Mike Carroll, a Democrat from Avoca, represents the district, which includes parts of Luzerne and Lackawanna counties. Carroll plans to seek a new term.

Holter, 32, and his wife, Elyse, own a home in Laflin.

“I grew up in a blue-collar household where my parents taught me the value of hard work and the importance of giving back to the community that has been good to us,” Holter said in a released statement. “Throughout my life, I have always strived to live up to these values and now I am running to do even more as state representative.”

Holter, a Berwick Area High School graduate, earned associate and bachelor’s degrees in fire science, a paramedic certification and a master’s degree in public administration.

Holter has served as a firefighter and paramedic for more than a decade, currently volunteering as a captain in the Laflin Fire Department. In 2016, he started Strategic Municipal Group to help local governments with unfunded mandates, code and zoning enforcement and other issues. He promises to staunchly defend taxpayer money “and put northeast families first and people before politics.”

The 118th includes Moscow borough and Clifton, Covington, Elmhurst, Jefferson, Madison, Roaring Brook, Spring Brook and Thornhurst townships in Lackawnana County. In Luzerne County, the district includes Avoca, Bear Creek Village, Dupont, Duryea, Hughestown, Laflin, Penn Lake Park and Yatesville boroughs, and Bear Creek, Buck, Jenkins, Pittston and Plains townships.

The primary election winners will face off in the Nov. 3 election.

Contact the writer:

mbuffer@citizensvoice.com;

570-821-2073;

@cvmikebuffer on Twitter