WASHINGTON — Former Sen. Howard H. Baker Jr., who cut to the core of the 1973 Watergate hearings when he asked, “What did the president know and when did he know it?” has died. He was 88.

Mr. Baker died Thursday at his home, according to an email distributed at the law firm where Mr. Baker was senior counsel. He died as a result of complications from a stroke suffered Saturday, the email said.

The scion of a political family, Mr. Baker served 18 years in the Senate, winning widespread respect from Republicans and Democrats alike and rising to the post of majority leader.

But it was his instantly famous question during those Senate hearings about what President Richard Nixon knew that made him an enduring household name. It instantly focused the nation’s attention on the cover-up that perhaps more than the Watergate break-in itself eventually brought down Nixon’s presidency.

It came as he was serving as vice chairman, and thus leading Republican, on the Senate committee probing the June 1972 break-in at the Democratic headquarters and the cover-up by the Nixon administration.

Watergate, though it brought Mr. Baker national recognition, marked “the greatest disillusionment” of his political career, Mr. Baker said in a 1992 interview with The Associated Press.

“I believed that it was a political ploy of the Democrats, that it would come to nothing,” said Mr. Baker, who had seconded Richard Nixon’s nomination at the 1968 Republican convention. “But a few weeks into that, it began to dawn on me that there was more to it than I thought, and more to it than I liked.”

He said he always considered his time as Senate majority leader, 1981 to 1985, the high point of his political career. He called it “the second-best job in town, only second to the presidency” — an office for which he ran in 1980.

Putting aside his own reservations about Reagan’s economic proposals, Mr. Baker played a key role in passage of legislation synonymous with the “Reagan Revolution” — major tax and spending cuts combined with a military buildup.

He left the Senate with an eye to another presidential bid in 1988, but instead returned to Washington in 1987 at Reagan’s request to serve as chief of staff. He left the White House in mid-1988.

During much of the 1980s and ’90s, Mr. Baker had to grapple with the illness of his wife, Joy. She died in 1993 after an 11-year battle with cancer.

In 1996, Mr. Baker remarried, taking as his bride Kansas Sen. Nancy Landon Kassebaum, who was about to retire from the Senate after serving three terms. It was the first time two people who had served in the Senate had gotten married.

MOOSIC — Police nabbed a couple from Queens accused of using counterfeit $100 bills at the Shoppes at Montage on Wednesday afternoon.

Yerif Infante-Rosario, 31, 5628 Van Cleef St., Queens, N.Y. and Andres Parra, 23, address unavailable, were both charged with theft by deception, retail theft, forgery and marijuana possession.

The pair made several small purchases with the fake bills, which according to the U.S. Secret Service originated in Peru. Police recovered $7,000 in counterfeit bills from Ms. Infante-Rosario and Mr. Parra.

Bail for the pair, who are in Lackawanna County Prison, was set at $25,000 each. Preliminary hearings are scheduled for Wednesday.

— PETER CAMERON

People often joke about time standing still in Scranton.

At the Lackawanna County Courthouse, it is literally true.

County officials have shut down the clock at the top of the 5½-story tower at the southwest corner of the courthouse after noticing this week it was not keeping the proper time.

Depending on which of the four faces you look at, the hands are stopped at between 1:25 and 1:27.

Chester Lenceski, county director of maintenance, said the clock’s gears apparently are out of alignment.

Bob Rodgers, owner of Harrisburg-based Rodgers Clock Service, which specializes in servicing and repairing tower clocks in municipal buildings, is due in town the week of July 7 to take a look, he said.

“I contacted Bob and he said the safest thing for us to do is leave it off so we don’t damage anything,” Mr. Lenceski said.

County spokesman Joseph D’Arienzo, whose office in the Administration Building overlooks Courthouse Square, said he called Mr. Lenceski on Tuesday morning when he realized the clock was running about 30 minutes behind.

At that point, the clock appeared to be losing roughly 30 seconds every hour, said Mr. Lenceski, who turned off the mechanism later that day after consulting with Mr. Rodgers.

The maintenance director said he was not certain how long it has been since the clock was serviced by a specialist, although Mr. Rodgers indicated he had worked on the clock in the past.

“He was excited about coming up and seeing it,” Mr. Lenceski said. “You know, when you do something like that, you are excited by what you do.”

Contact the writer: dsingleton@timesshamrock.com

DICKSON CITY — Several area animal shelters are hosting a “Cool Cat & Canine Carnival” Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Pet Smart, 650 Commerce Blvd., to raise funds for homeless animals.

Also, Raymour and Flanigan, 85 Viewmont Mall, Scranton, will host a benefit for the Griffin Pond Animal Shelter Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Shoppers donating cash or pet food will receive a store coupon for 12 percent off.

— PETER CAMERON

Two Scranton councilmen gave an unambiguous thumbs-down to the pension board’s idea of suing the city’s Act 47 coordinator over what the board views as bad advice that led to the city’s fiscal pickle.

On Wednesday, the city’s Composite Pension Board voted to explore a possible lawsuit against Pennsylvania Economy League over the city’s severely underfunded pension funds.

The lawsuit issue was raised during council’s meeting Thursday by resident Lee Morgan, who said blame for the city’s financial problems rest with the city’s elected leaders — not the advisory PEL agency.

“I don’t know how much money the PEL has (to win in a lawsuit), but the residents of the city paid taxes so that those pensions would be funded and they weren’t,” Mr. Morgan said. “I think city government and city councils of the past, over decades, they led us to where we are now.”

Council did not address the matter during its meeting. Asked after the meeting if the pension board should sue PEL, council President Bob McGoff and Councilman Joe Wechsler each said no.

“That’s their argument. Not mine,” Mr. McGoff said.

The state Department of Community and Economic Development appoints and oversees PEL as Act 47 coordinator for Scranton. Mr. Wechsler said of the notion of a lawsuit, “Where would the money come from? It’s all our money. It’s all taxpayer money.”

Councilman Bill Gaughan said, “If they’re going to sue PEL, they should sue the Supreme Court, too.” Asked if that meant no, Mr. Gaughan declined to elaborate.

The Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling in 2011 in favor of the city’s fire and police unions that requires the city pay to the unions a $22 million-and-growing arbitration award. The city has been unable to secure financing for it. The city’s severely-distressed pension fund requiring larger allocations each year has been described by a city consultant as the city’s worst long-term fiscal problem.

Pension Board Chairman John O’Shea blamed PEL for hardball tactics and holding the city “hostage” to fight the arbitration in court rather than negotiate with the unions. Such decisions cost the city money, which directly impacted the pension funds, he claimed.

Councilman Jack Loscombe, a former union firefighter, said of the pension board exploring a lawsuit, “If there’s any validity to it, let them go with it.”

Councilman Pat Rogan was absent. Reached after the meeting by phone, Mr. Rogan said the decision on whether to sue PEL would be up to the pension board.

That board, representing police, fire and non-uniform unions, voted Wednesday to direct its solicitor to review whether a lawsuit would be feasible.

Contact the writer: jlockwood@timesshamrock.com, @jlockwoodTT on Twitter

Olyphant

Reunion meeting: St. Patrick’s High School class of 1964 50th anniversary reunion planning meeting, Wednesday, 6 p.m., Angie’s, 834 Main St., Dickson City; 570-489-1820.

Pittston

Special meeting: Pittston Knights of Columbus Home Association special meeting, Wednesday, 8 p.m., hall, 55 S. Main St., agenda: review/vote on new bylaw changes, light refreshments.

Regional

Responder day: Emergency Responder Day, today, Montage Mountain, 1000 Montage Mountain Road; first-responders and military receive complimentary water park admission all day and half-price admission for three family members; bring badge, pay stub or other proof of employment.

Scranton

Association meeting: Hill Neigh­borhood Association meeting, Wednesday, 7 p.m., Immaculate Conception Church Hall, Taylor Avenue; Patrick Hinton will discuss the city ordinance of not permitting household furniture on front porches and enforcing the ordinance; other topics include the proposed Nay Aug Park cell tower and raising funds for kids to swim free at the Nay Aug pool.

Wayne County

Kids fair: Wayne County Safe Kids Committee Safe Kids Fair, Saturday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Park Street Complex; bike safety, toy safety, fingerprinting, gun safety (free gun locks); Wayne County YMCA, Victims’ Intervention Pro­gram, Wayne Memorial Hospital, Wayne County Drug & Alcohol, Wayne County Sheriff, Wayne County Public Library, Wayne County Emergency Operations Center & 911; free refreshments, activities, handouts.

CLIPBOARD ITEMS may be emailed to yesdesk@times

shamrock.com or mailed to clipboard, c/o the YES!Desk at 149 Penn Ave., Scranton, 18503. For details, call the YES!Desk at 570-348-9121.

PLAINS TWP. — Geisinger Health System bought four buildings for $48.5 million in Northeast Pennsylvania in its largest one-time real estate transaction excluding mergers and acquisitions.

Three of the properties, including one in Moosic, the nonprofit formerly leased. One will be an expansion of services, said Geisinger spokesman Matt Van Stone. All the purchases were from Mericle Commercial Real Estate Services.

Geisinger bought a 60,000-square-foot office building it formerly leased at 5 Lakeview Drive in the Glenmaura Corporate Center in Moosic for $12.7 million. The Glenmaura office houses several corporate offices, including a call center. Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center purchased three buildings in the East Mountain Corporate Center in Plains Twp. for $35.8 million.

Geisinger formerly leased two of the buildings it bought, Mr. Van Stone said. The purchase includes a 25,200-square-foot orthopaedics facility at 1175 East Mountain Boulevard for $8 million and a 41,434-square-foot outpatient specialty center at 675 Baltimore Drive for $12 million.

“This is a result of an analysis of our space needs and the cost of providing the necessary facilities for our caregivers to provide the level of care our patients deserve,” Mr. Van Stone said.

Geisinger will move several services to a 42,294-square-foot building at 1155 East Mountain Boulevard it purchased for $15.8 million. An obstetrics and gynecology women’s health office will move to the building from Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center and fertility services will relocate there from an office on Route 315 in Plains Twp.

Pre-surgical testing will relocate from Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre and the urgent care center currently in Geisinger’s heart hospital also will move to the new building. Two podiatry offices, currently located in Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre and River Street, Plains Twp., will be consolidated in the building, which also will have internal medicine, laboratory and x-ray capabilities.

Additionally, dermatology and skin cancer surgery services will move to the building from 675 Baltimore Drive in Plains Twp. Geisinger will close its dermatology office in Dunmore because the physician at that office left the health system.

In all, about 70 employees will relocate to 1155 East Mountain Boulevard and the target completion date is mid-September, he said.

Mericle originally constructed the building in Moosic for Alliance Capital. After Alliance moved out, Geisinger leased it and now has purchased it, said Mericle spokesman Jim Cummings. The purchases all were made June 13.

Contact the writer: dallabaugh@citizensvoice.com

SCRANTON — A hearing for a Lackawanna County deputy sheriff charged with assault was continued Thursday.

William Hyduchak, who is also a part-time Olyphant police officer, is charged with attempted simple assault by menace, DUI and terroristic threats. His blood-alcohol content was 0.265 percent when he was taken into custody in April, more than three times the legal limit to drive, 0.08 percent.

Louis Gerdon told police Deputy Hyduchak had been idling at a stop sign. When Mr. Gerdon approached his vehicle, Deputy Hyduchak pointed a gun at him and said, “Have respect.”

Efforts to reach Sheriff Mark McAndrew to inquire about Mr. Hyduchak’s employment status were unsuccessful.

A preliminary hearing has been rescheduled for July 17 at 10:15 a.m.

— REBEKAH BROWN

JESSUP — The largest fire in the borough since the 1960s destroyed a factory in the industrial park Friday, with exploding metal barrels sending shrapnel flying more than 100 feet from the building.

No one was injured in the fire at Scranton Cooperage Inc., 1264 Mid Valley Drive, Jessup Fire Chief Steve Pitoniak said. Several factory workers were able to escape unharmed. By 9:30 p.m., crews were clearing rubble from the scene after the blaze was extinguished.

The fire began just after 3 p.m. As firefighters used water hoses from three points to pummel the blaze, a river of purple liquid flowed out of the building. The facility’s management indicated it was likely ink, said Rich Barbolish, director of Lackawanna County Emergency Management.

The chemical stench in the air persuaded many of the approximately 150 responders to cover their faces with paper masks. An air quality test conducted by the State Department of Environmental Protection to check for toxic emissions, such as carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide, was negative, Mr. Barbolish said.

About 30,000 people live within a three-mile radius of the facility.

The cause of the blaze is under investigation by state police fire marshals, said Chief Pitoniak. He expected the cause would be determined sometime next week.

The century-old company began, as its name suggests, as a barrel-maker in 1907. The company evolved from the conventional wooden barrels to different materials, such as plastic, steel, and fiber. The company relocated to its current site in 1993.

According to its website, Scranton Cooperage reconditions, distributes, and repairs industrial containers.

JESSUP — Erin Conway heard the first bang around 3:30 p.m.

It sounded like a gun fired 100 yards behind the housing project apartment she shares with her husband and two children.

Then she heard several more bangs and saw the first hints of black smoke blot the blue summer sky. A tongue of flame followed, and she knew the noises she heard weren’t gunshots.

“It was scary,” her husband, Robert Conway, said two hours later in the common room of the Jessup Family Housing complex’s community center on Mary Jo Drive.

They were one family of dozens told to leave their apartments Friday and get away from the nearby Scranton Cooperage Inc., where a fire raged for most of the afternoon and into the evening.

Fire companies from several municipalities attacked the blaze from all fronts, while a column of thick, black, acrid smoke rose between 500 and 600 feet into the air, visible for miles around. Drivers pulled to the sides of highways for a better look at it.

Nearby, Gabe Fascianna was watching firefighters battle the blaze. The employee at Hale Trailer Brake & Wheel, a business on Mid Valley Drive not far from Scranton Cooperage, was almost finished for the day when a co-worker pointed out the fire down the street. He would need to drive over fire hoses crisscrossing the road to get home. So instead, he waited.

“I’m appreciative of what they’re doing,” Mr. Fascianna said.

Back at the housing complex’s community center, Mrs. Conway said her thoughts were for her family once she learned they would have to leave their home.

Mr. Conway, recently sick, is in a wheelchair and needs medication and oxygen. The family was told to make for the complex’s community center. They moved fast as the smoke rose.

“My priority was to get him out,” Mrs. Conway said.

About 30 people crowded into the community center at one point in the afternoon. They all waited for word that they can return home, but the prospect of that happening quickly was bleak. Many gathered a few belongings and pets and left with friends or family, Mrs. Conway said.

As the smoke lightened and then died down as firefighters battled the fire, about eight people remained in the center, including the Conway family.

They watched television and browsed through magazines, books and their cell phones. Kahlil McMullen, a 9-year-old who lives in the housing project, kept himself occupied by playing a skateboarding video game on his smart phone.

Residents at the housing complex were allowed to return to their homes Friday night. The majority of fire crews left the scene by 9:30 p.m.

Contact the writer: jkohut@timesshamrock.com, @jkohutTT on Twitter

Olyphant

Reunion meeting: St. Patrick’s High School class of 1964 50th anniversary reunion planning meeting, Wednesday, 6 p.m., Angie’s, 834 Main St., Dickson City; 570-489-1820.

Pittston

Special meeting: Pittston Knights of Columbus Home Association special meeting, Wednesday, 8 p.m., hall, 55 S. Main St., agenda: review/vote on new bylaw changes, light refreshments.

Regional

Responder day: Emergency Responder Day, today, Montage Mountain, 1000 Montage Mountain Road; first-responders and military receive complimentary water park admission all day and half-price admission for three family members; bring badge, pay stub or other proof of employment.

Scranton

Association meeting: Hill Neigh­borhood Association meeting, Wednesday, 7 p.m., Immaculate Conception Church Hall, Taylor Avenue; Patrick Hinton will discuss the city ordinance of not permitting household furniture on front porches and enforcing the ordinance; other topics include the proposed Nay Aug Park cell tower and raising funds for kids to swim free at the Nay Aug pool.

Wayne County

Kids fair: Wayne County Safe Kids Committee Safe Kids Fair, Saturday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Park Street Complex; bike safety, toy safety, fingerprinting, gun safety (free gun locks); Wayne County YMCA, Victims’ Intervention Pro­gram, Wayne Memorial Hospital, Wayne County Drug & Alcohol, Wayne County Sheriff, Wayne County Public Library, Wayne County Emergency Operations Center & 911; free refreshments, activities, handouts.

CLIPBOARD ITEMS may be emailed to yesdesk@times

shamrock.com or mailed to clipboard, c/o the YES!Desk at 149 Penn Ave., Scranton, 18503. For details, call the YES!Desk at 570-348-9121.

Alleging an abuse of the state’s Right to Know Law, an attorney for Lackawanna County asked a federal judge to preclude a woman suing the county from filing any more requests.

Attorney Joseph Joyce of Scranton claims Donna Davis has “inundated” the county with Right to Know Law requests in an attempt to gain an advantage in her employment discrimination lawsuit.

Similar issues have been raised in other cases involving lawsuits against public entities, said John Audi, a Pittston attorney who represents numerous area school districts.

In a letter Thursday to U.S. District Judge Christopher C. Conner, Mr. Joyce said Ms. Davis filed 20 Right to Know Law requests from February 2012 through last week. The requests have allowed her to “weaponize” the Right to Know Law to “harass and burden” the county, Mr. Joyce said.

Attorney Barry Dyller of Wilkes-Barre filed suit on behalf of Ms. Davis in January. The lawsuit alleges she was denied the position as deputy human resources director in 2012, because she was not a political supporter of majority commissioners Corey O’Brien and Jim Wansacz.

Parties in a civil case are permitted to seek documents from their opponents via pretrial evidence gathering known as “discovery.” Mr. Joyce contends Ms. Davis is trying to subvert that process through the requests, which she filed personally.

“The Right to Know Law is not intended to replace or supplement the discovery of private litigants engaged in litigation with public entities,” Mr. Joyce said.

Contacted Friday, Mr. Dyller declined to comment on whether the requests were proper. He said he believes the matter was resolved during a conference call Friday morning with Judge Conner at which it was agreed Ms. Davis will submit any further requests for information through him, which he will then request through the discovery process.

“The judge did not make an outright ruling that this was improper. He felt because we are involved in litigation it should go through me,” he said.

Mr. Audi, who is not involved in the Davis case, said he understands the concerns raised by governmental bodies. While he suspects some litigants use the law to try to gain an advantage, he doesn’t necessarily see all instances as an abuse because the public is entitled to certain documents without regard to why they are seeking them.

“I do think it can be overused or abused. I’ve seen that in certain instances. At the same time, it’s an important law,” Mr. Audi said. “I advise my clients whenever you can reply, you should reply.”

Contact the writer:

tbesecker@timesshamrock.com

A Scranton burglary victim was charged Friday for harboring the woman who broke into his home and stole from him in May.

James Beavers, 73, 639 Deacon St., was charged with hindering apprehension after Detectives Jeff Gilroy and Michael Mayer found Alycia Alward in his upstairs bathroom, according to city police.

Ms. Alward was charged earlier this month with burglary, receiving stolen property, criminal trespass and theft for breaking into Mr. Beavers’ home on May 20. Detectives did not say what Ms. Alward took.

She was released on bail and did not show up to her preliminary hearing earlier this month, so authorities issued a warrant for her.

Detectives received a tip she may have returned to the scene of the crime and stayed there. They went to Mr. Beavers’ home and asked where she was. The pair’s relationship was not clear.

She locked herself in the bathroom, but came out when police announced they were at the door. Mr. Beavers was told he was also under arrest. He said he tried to report her whereabouts on Sunday, but detectives told him it was now Friday. Mr. Beavers knew who was handling the case and sat on the information, detectives said. Mr. Beavers nodded his head in acknowledgement.

Bail and preliminary hearing information was unavailable Friday night.

Contact the writer:

jkohut@timesshamrock.com,

@jkohutTT on Twitter

Five young men cleared of sexually assaulting two girls in Monroe County six years ago will share in a $1 million settlement of a suit against four detectives from Pocono Mountain Regional Police.

Details of the settlement were released Thursday by attorneys Frank J. Tunis Jr. and George A. Reihner of the Scranton law firm of Wright & Reihner, which represented the men in a federal civil rights suit.

The complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Scranton in 2010 accused the four police officers and other defendants of conspiring to wrongfully arrest and prosecute the five men — William Spiess, Kasheen Thomas, Gene Thomas II, Jaleel Holden and Jose Lacen — for gang-raping the teenage girls at a Tobyhanna area home in February 2008.

The charges against the men, three of whom were juveniles at the time of their arrests, were dismissed in 2009 prior to trial when the girls admitted lying at the preliminary hearing.

The federal complaint alleged the arrests were racially motivated. Four of the five men are black or Hispanic, and investigators wanted to appear tough on crime, the suit said.

In March 2013, U.S. District Judge James Munley dismissed the Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department and several other parties as defendants in the suit but let the case continue against the four individual officers, Richard W. Luthcke, John P. Bohrman, Lucas Bray and Chris Wagner.

The suit’s claims against two Monroe County officials, Assistant District Attorney Michael Rakaczewski and Detective Wendy Bentzoni, remain active.

Contact the writer:

dsingleton@timesshamrock.com

Keystone Sanitary Landfill must conduct a mining subsidence study and assess concerns of Dunmore and Throop borough officials before the state Department of Environmental Protection will consider its application to expand skyward.

“DEP has determined that the application cannot be accepted and will not be processed until the ... issues are addressed,” wrote Jeffrey Spaide, a DEP environmental engineer manager, in a letter to landfill officials.

Louis DeNaples, president of Keystone Sanitary Landfill, could not be reached for comment Friday.

Keystone Sanitary Landfill is Pennsylvania’s third-busiest landfill, as measured by the 7,250 tons of waste the landfill accepts on an average day, according to DEP records.

The Dunham Drive landfill has nearly nine and a half years of remaining life in its current space, and the proposal would add nearly 48 years to the lifespan, landfill officials estimated in their application to expand upward.

Requiring a mining subsidence investigation by an engineer was a particularly important step because piling garbage will increase stress on underground mines, said Thomas Lukasewicz, president of Throop Borough Council.

“That’s a lot of weight on mines that might have voids,” Mr. Lukasewicz said. “If the waste starts sinking and gets into the mine water, it could be a catastrophe.”

He worried runoff would then reach Lackawanna River and contaminate the water.

Nearly 77 percent of the garbage the landfill accepted in 2012 was municipal solid waste from four states, and nearly 10 percent of the refuse was drill cuttings, largely from Marcellus shale wells. The landfill also reported small quantities of sludge, construction and demolition waste and asbestos.

“Lackawanna River is the best trout stream in the whole northeast corridor of the United States,” Mr. Lukasewicz said. “I don’t want to take the chance that we go back to the way it was 50 years ago ... when it was an eyesore.”

Both Dunmore and Throop boroughs have sent letters to the DEP requesting more time to review and respond to the landfill’s application, financial assistance to hire an engineer to evaluate it, a public meeting and a public hearing.

“The department will incorporate a public hearing on the application review process before a decision is made on the harms and benefits portion of the application review,” Mr. Spaide wrote.

Dunmore borough Councilwoman Carol Scrimalli hopes residents turn out for public meetings, ask questions, express their views and learn about the proposal to help vet the application.

Although she has some environmental concerns, in the end, Ms. Scrimalli expected landfill officials to “follow the application process so they will continue to be a good asset to the community.”

Contact the writer:

kwind@timesshamrock.com,

@kwindTT on Twitter

HARRISBURG — House lawmakers approved legislation by a near-unanimous vote Friday that toughens penalties against hit-and-run drivers as a response to the tragic death of a young boy in Wilkes-Barre.

This is the provision known as “Kevin’s Law” supported by the Luzerne County legislative delegation.

The House action sets the stage for final approval of the legislation in the Senate on Monday, lawmakers said.

The legislation was written following the death of 5-year-old Kevin Miller just days before Christmas in 2012. Kevin was struck by a hit-and-run driver on North Street in Wilkes-Barre, near Franklin Street, while leaving a family Christmas party with his parents and two brothers.

The bill would make the penalty for fleeing the scene of a fatal crash the same as homicide by vehicle while drunk: a mandatory minimum sentence of three years in prison.

Currently, drivers who flee and are caught after they can no longer be tested for alcohol face a mandatory minimum prison sentence of one year. Bill supporters said the current penalty is too lenient to act as a deterrent and can give someone an incentive to leave the scene of a crash.

Kevin’s mother, Caroline Miller, and a bus full of loved ones will travel to the state capitol in Harrisburg on Monday to urge the state Senate to do the same.

“I am very hopeful and have to remain optimistic about Monday,” she said in a telephone call Friday after the 199-2 vote. “I’m praying it’s going to pass through the Senate.”

BOB KALINOWSKI, staff writer, contributed to this report.

Contact the writer:

rswift@timesshamrock.com

SCRANTON — In order to observe the Fortnight for Freedom, which started June 21 and runs until July 4, the Diocese of Scranton will join churches around the country in dispersing information to their members on threats to religious liberty.

Bishop Joseph C. Bambera will celebrate a special Mass on Sunday at 12:15 p.m. in the Cathedral of St. Peter in Scranton. Catholic Television of the Diocese of Scranton will broadcast it live.

— PETER CAMERON

JASON FARMER / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Kevin Osipower, 5, of Dallas, picks out a perfect strawberry while spending the day with his family at Pallman Farms in South Abington Twp. on Friday. Temperatures will reach the mid-80s again today and Sunday, AccuWeather senior meteorologist John Feerick said. Winds will bring in less humid air this weekend, but temperatures will still peak around 84 both days, he said. Details, B10

MARRIAGE LICENSES

■ Dominick Joseph Augustine Sr. and Diana Marie Berkhimer, both of Throop.

■ Franco Gerald Forgione and Amanda Michele Szewczyk, both of Peckville.

■ Harry L. Gardner and Jenni­fer P. Fanning, both of Scranton.

■ Thomas D. Mazzell and Jennifer Lee Pastecchi, both of Scranton.

■ Kyle Anthony McCloe, Roar­ing Brook Twp., and Melissa Lynn Winters, Madisonville Twp.

■ Paul John Vinciguerra and Melody Sarah Ziegler, both of Scranton.

■ Santo David Zanghi III, Scran­­ton, and Megan Grace Butler, Clarks Green.

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

■ Kevin J. and Mauri A. Conforti, Lackawanna County, to Thomas I. Vanaskie, Dunmore; a property at 715 Swinick Drive, Dunmore, for $315,000.

■ Fannie Mae by its attorney in fact, KML Law Group P.C., to Nar Acharya; a property at 824 Prescott Ave., Scranton, for $60,000.

■ Arthur W. and Mary Karbow­ski, Black Mountain, N.C., and John J. and Joanne Farrence, Peckville, to Michael J. and Sarah A. Bodner, Dunmore; a property at 718-720 E. Drinker St., Dunmore, for $120,000.

■ Linda Carol Farabelli and Martin Walker, Edgewater Park, N.J., to Paul L. and Rita P. Damato, St. James, N.Y.; a property at Lyman Lane, Clifton Twp., for $181,110.

■ Mark P. McAndrew, sheriff of Lackawanna County, to R & A LLC; a property at 119 E. Taylor St., Taylor, for $45,000.

■ Lorraine E. Krauss, Hollis­ton, Mass., to Diane Trager, Scranton; a property at 538 N. Filmore Ave., Scranton, for $79,800.

■ Maribeth Humphrey to Jason Yander; a property at 510 Church St., Old Forge, for $154,500.

ESTATES FILED

■ Helen C. Trently, 714 Lincoln Ave., Jermyn, letters testamentary to Margaret Trently, same address.

■ Theresa D. Metrinko, 543 Green Grove Road, Scott Twp., letters testamentary to John Metrinko, 32 Elsworth Drive, Sicklerville, N.J., and Judy A. Metrinko, 543 Green Grove Road, Scott Twp.

DIVORCES SOUGHT

■ Jennifer Caccamo, Jefferson Twp., v. Nunzio Caccamo; married Sept. 9 in Moscow; pro se.

■ David F. Phillips Jr., Old Forge, v. Mary A. Phillips, Albany, N.Y.; married June 3, 1995, in Albany; pro se.

STATE TAX LIEN

■ Enterprise Machine and Tool Inc., 1313 Meylert Ave., Scran­ton; $796.07.

LAWSUIT

■ Katherine and Bernard Jean-Philippe, 322 S. Ninth Ave., Scranton, v. Weis Markets Inc., 1000 S. Second St., Sunbury, seeking in excess of the arbitration limits of the Court of Common Pleas of Lackawanna County plus interest and costs on two counts, for injuries suffered in a slip and fall at 601 Route 940, Mount Pocono, on Aug. 21; John P. Finnerty, attorney.

ONLINE:

thetimes-tribune.com/courts