Rescue teams recovered the body of a man Sunday night from Roaring Brook’s icy waters in Nay Aug Park after a nearly six-hour search.

Scranton Fire Chief DeSarno said he believed the man had jumped in the water in the area of the park known as the gorge after a 9-year-old boy, thought to be his son, had slipped into the water around 4:30 p.m.

A dive team from Germania Hose Company in Duryea recovered the man’s body just before 10 p.m. Lackawanna County Coroner Timothy Rowland identified the deceased man as Robert Kehoe Jr. of Scranton. The coroner’s office is to conduct an autopsy, Mr. Rowland said.

Chief DeSarno said he believed Mr. Kehoe did not know how to swim, but had instructed his other son, who was around 2 or 3 years old, to stay put before plunging into the stream after his older son.

A hiker, whom Chief DeSarno could only identify as “Brian,” leapt into the water after the man, and had succeeded in pulling out the younger boy.

Two other passersby, whom Chief DeSarno said were University of Scranton students, jumped in after them, but they could not rescue the drowning man.

At press time, officials could not provide identities for the college students.

The three citizen rescuers were treated by emergency medical services on the scene, and an ambulance crew took the man’s sons to the hospital for evaluation, Mr. DeSarno said.

Mr. DeSarno said it’s unclear how the boy fell in the water.

“We’re getting all kinds of stories,” Mr. DeSarno said. “They were sitting close to the edge and one fell in or tripped in, we really don’t know how things happened.”

From an overlook along the hiking trail, John Ebert and Zack Wilbank watched solemnly as rescue workers swarmed the dark gorge below, flashlights flickering in and out of the rushing stream.

They were hiking with their friends when they saw the man jump in after his son, Mr. Wilbank said. It was their friends, whom they did not identify, who jumped in after the man and his son.

Mr. Ebert’s voice cracked as he rubbed the back of his head. “I don’t know. It was a freak accident,” he said.

The Nay Aug Gorge, which bears recognition as a National Natural Landmark, has been the site of frequent accidents and several deaths, including at least three deaths within the last decade or so, Times-Tribune archives show.

Fencing lines the hiking trails, but stopping folks from crossing the line and approaching the gorge rim is a challenge, Scranton Mayor William L. Courtright said.

“I don’t know how you solve it other than forbidding people from going down there,” Mr. Courtright said. “I don’t know if there’s a way to prevent it, to be honest with you. If there is, I’m sure we’ll take a look at it.”

Since The Times-Tribune and its predecessors started keeping a count in 1890, at least 40 people have died in Nay Aug Gorge, most by drowning, and countless others have been seriously injured in the gorge and at other nearby spots on Roaring Brook, most of them during summer months. Scranton banned swimming at the gorge in 1986, and no-trespassing laws are also in place in many areas.

Some recent incidents:

June 12, 2013: William Guziewicz, 48, of Scranton, died of multiple traumatic injuries after falling about 40 feet at the step falls, about half a mile downstream from the Nay Aug Gorge falls.

May 27, 2007: Matthew R. Grendel, 21, of Scranton, was found in Roaring Brook about 100 yards upstream from the Harrison Avenue Bridge; he had disappeared March 10 after Scranton’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade. His death was ruled an accidental drowning.

June 20, 2005: Glen Prediger, 48, of Scranton was found dead in Roaring Brook near the base of the Nay Aug Gorge falls. He had been missing since June 16; his death was ruled an accidental drowning.

June 26, 2003: Robert “R.J.” Boose, 16, of Scranton, drowned in Roaring Brook in Dunmore, about one mile upstream from the Bunker Hill bridge beneath Interstate 81.

A Moosic bridge scheduled for repairs this year will have to wait until the spring, but officials said construction should not disrupt daily life for borough residents.

The state Department of Transportation had planned to complete repairs on the borough’s Lonesome Road bridge by November. Those repairs will likely take place in the spring, after the winter weather breaks, PennDOT spokesman James May said.

“If we start it in the spring, we’ll be done by early summer,” Mr. May said. “If we started in the winter, it would take longer. The amount of work you’re able to get done in the winter is minimal and it costs more.”

Lackawanna County has started work on the Main Street bridge leading to Lonesome Road and should finish by the spring as well, Mr. May said. He predicted “minimal overlap” of the two projects.

“As of now, the county project is moving along quickly enough,” Mr. May said. “They’re going to have it done by late spring, early summer.”

The Main Street bridge remains closed, but the Lonesome Road bridge will stay open until construction begins to provide residents ways in and out of the area.

PennDOT originally planned to close the Lonesome Road bridge in June but delayed the closure to examine emergency access to the neighborhood. With both bridges closed, the only exit would be on Spring Street, which intersects with a highly trafficked railroad.

PennDOT delayed the Lonesome Road project to help the county install a temporary bridge next to the Main Street bridge, Mr. May said. The temporary bridge, for use by emergency personnel only, went into place earlier this month, he said.

“We were also working with the utilities on our bridge,” Mr. May said. “That did take a little longer than we had hoped for.”

As delays pushed the project into the autumn months, Mr. May said PennDOT decided holding off until the spring would allow the construction to have “as minimal impact on the public as we could.”

Contact the writer:

sscinto@timesshamrock.com, @sscintoTT on Twitter

Two years after Throop Borough Council ordered its police department to sell three automatic submachine guns following a procedural gaffe, the council plans to arm its officers with semi-automatic rifles.

At a budget planning meeting earlier this month, council verbally agreed to include purchasing three AR-15 rifles equipped with optic sights and flashlights in its 2015 expenditures. The guns are expected to cost about $6,000.

Citing several deadly active-shooter situations in the region recently, all council members present seemed to be of one mind: now is the time to ramp up local law enforcement’s firepower.

“The days of the handgun are falling short,” Councilman David Repchick said. “Almost every shooting that you’ve seen has been done with a rifle. It’s getting to the point law enforcement can’t keep up with what they’re being attacked with.”

Last year in Ross Twp., Monroe County, a gunman stormed a municipal meeting, killing three people. In September, two state troopers were gunned down outside a state police barracks in Blooming Grove, Pike County. Four days after that, a man in Scranton shot another man in his home and then took his own life.

All three incidents involved rifles, and criminals’ use of higher-powered weapons has law enforcement re-evaluating how to keep one step ahead.

Many municipal departments now have heavier-powered rifles, including Scranton. The Clarks Summit Police Department bought three AR-15s last year for extreme circumstances.

The planned purchase of AR-15 rifles won’t be the first time Throop has been equipped with big guns. In 2012, the department bought the MP5 submachine guns without a formal vote from council. Council chalked it up to a misunderstanding, but instructed Chief Jones to sell the guns as quickly as possible.

Chief Jones told a Times-Tribune reporter then he was looking to improve security and better equip his officers. Some Throop officers have SWAT training and the know-how to properly use the guns.

“(The department) went through improper channels, so that’s why they were sold at the time,” borough council President Thomas Lukasewicz said. “At the time, it didn’t seem like there was that much of a need for that type of rifle.”

But the recent events in Monroe County and Scranton seem to have caught everyone’s attention, and nowadays you have to arm your police department with the best-possible tools, Mr. Lukasewicz said.

Councilwoman Charlene Tomasovitch admitted at first she scorned the idea of heavier firepower in the borough.

“Years ago, when all that happened with the guns, I was totally against it,” she said.

After the guns were sold, she said one officer pulled her aside and explained why police needed them and how the department would use them.

“That really made me think differently about it,” Mrs. Tomasovitch said. “You just don’t know this day and age.”

Polled about the issue, a few residents in Throop’s western corner said they’re OK with extra firepower, as long as officers get the proper training.

Rose Kaminski said she would feel safer knowing her local law enforcement had more powerful rifles, “if they’re properly trained, of course.”

Frank Lupinski, a gun owner, said it’s important to make sure only qualified officers have access to the rifles.

“It all depends on how they’re going to be used and who’s using them,” Mr. Lupinski said.

Leona Gataveskas has her reservations about more guns, but she recognizes the need.

“I’m up in the air about it,” Ms. Gataveskas said. “I’m not about the violence, but we have to be protected.”

Mr. Repchick, a former Throop police captain who was liaison to the department when it bought the MP5s, said the department has a certified rifle instructor they use for training. He said officers are to receive extensive training before they are armed with AR-15s.

“You’ve got to be highly trained with it,” Mr. Repchick said. “To me, proficient isn’t good enough.”

Mayor Wayne Williams and the other four council members did not return repeated calls for comment last week.

At the meeting earlier this month, council members agreed it’s better to have them in the off-chance police need them.

“I hope we’d never have to use them,” Mrs. Tomasovitch said. “You know what, you don’t know what’s going to trigger something in someone.”

Contact the writer: joconnell@timesshamrock.com,

@jon_oc on Twitter

DICKSON CITY — The official lighting of snowflakes and angels brightly lining the streets of the borough was celebrated Sunday with carriage rides and cheer.

During the “Let There Be Lights — A Dickson City Christmas,” children and their families waited in line for a ride on the Happy Trails Stables’ Christmas sleigh.

The borough Christmas Light Committee organized the celebration “for all the people that contributed, helped us and came to all our events,” said Gerri Prushin-ski, committee member.

The free event featured a photo booth from the Mid Valley High School photo club and face painting from the school’s art club.

Warm and cold refreshments and food were served, and children created ornaments to hang on a large Christmas tree inside the Borough Building.

As the sun went down, the winners of a borough coloring contest hit a button to illuminate an angel to officially light the town for Christmas.

A cheery Christmas elf in a pink dress bounced around, singing “Jingle Bells” and dancing with children.

In February, borough council sought a quick way to improve its Main Street area, said Jeffrey Kovaleski, committee chairman and council vice president.

Thus the Dickson City Christmas Light Committee was born and began fundraising.

In less than a year, the group raised $34,000 for its three-year-goal of $60,000, he said. The white glowing LED lights in the shape of 12 angels and 46 snowflakes are hung on Main Street from the border of Olyphant to the interchange for Interstate 81. On the opposite side of the street, banners hang thanking the families and businesses in the borough who contributed to the fund.

Contact the writer:

kbolus@timesshamrock.com,

@kbolusTT on Twitter.

Abington Heights

Leah Stuenzi is putting off attending college for a year.

Instead, she will spend next school year in South Africa teaching English.

With the Global Year program, a Christian organization, she will teach students five days a week and spend every other day volunteering at an orphanage.

Leah heard about the program through a friend from her church, Parker Hill Community.

She was connected with an admissions counselor, applied and, last month, found out she was accepted.

“I’m a little bit nervous but more excited,” she said.

Next September, Leah will fly to South Africa and will teach until the following June. When she returns, Leah plans to attend college for a teaching degree.

Interested in photography, Leah also loves dance and plays the piano.

She is a member of the transition team at school and helps new students and freshman adjust to high school.

— KATHLEEN BOLUS

kbolus@timesshamrock.com

Carbondale Area

Bridget Connolly will perform in the choir at District Chorus.

“I feel honored to be representing Carbondale Area in the District 9 Chorus and hope to continue on to regionals,” she said.

She will practice on her own until February, when she will join a group and also audition again for regional chorus.

She thanked chorus adviser Chris Schuster and band director Theron Roberts

— KATHLEEN BOLUS

kbolus@timesshamrock.com

Career Technology Center

Masonry senior Joe Dombkowski from Forest City Regional High School has been recognized by instructor Joseph Pinto for his “strong work ethic and passion for the trade.”

Joe spent his summer working full time on the Kalahari Resorts project in Monroe County. He is a co-op student employed by Kowlton & Sons Masonry. In his spare time he enjoys fishing, hunting and driving his ATV.

— SARAH HOFIUS HALL

shofius@timesshamrock.com

Delaware Valley

Junior class treasurer Hannah Matthews likes being active in many clubs and activities at school.

“Being involved allows me to form connections and relationships with people,” she said. “It helps me to broaden my interests and to try new things.”

Hannah is involved in the National Honor Society, Future Business Leaders of America, peer buddies and the girls varsity volleyball team, as well as student council and Mu Alpha Theta. She has been a two-year participant in the American mathematics competition and a two-year student of the month honoree.

“The activities that I participate in have shaped me into the student that I am now,” Hannah said.

She is also a volunteer at Ark Farm, church events and the United Way’s Day of Caring.

— LISA ZACCAGNINO

lzaccagnino@

timesshamrock.com

Dunmore

Jillian Korgeski, 18, is a senior at Dunmore High School and serves as editor-in-chief of the Crimson Courier, the student newspaper.

As editor-in-chief, Jillian receives articles from the editors of the various sections and edits them before submitting everything to the newspaper adviser for publication.

“It gives the writers a chance to show their talents to the school community,” Jillian said when asked why she enjoys working on the newspaper. “It allows us to highlight events at the school, and we attempt to get our students involved in extracurricular activities.”

At Dunmore, Jillian is vice president of the senior class, vice president of the National Honor Society and secretary of the health careers club. She is also a member of the school’s engineering club, SADD club, TACT club, volleyball team, basketball team, and track team. She plans on attending college with a goal of becoming a physician’s assistant.

— SARAH HOFIUS HALL

shofius@timesshamrock.com

Elk Lake

Since senior Nick Donero is a new face at school this year, he wasn’t required to submit a senior project.

However, he spent his summer working at his grandfather’s garage in Long Island, N.Y.

“It was actually really fun working around him because he mentored me about certain things with cars,” Nick said. “It’s something I would like to keep myself around because even after I graduate, I would be able to go there and get a job with him easily.”

Nick is also a student in the automotive technology program at Susquehanna County Care Technical Center.

In his spare time, he enjoys video games, hunting and fishing.

— LISA ZACCAGNINO

lzaccagnino@

timesshamrock.com

Forest City

Regional

Katelyn Zembrzycki decided to help out her church for her senior project.

The senior revitalized her church’s cemetery, something that had not been done in about seven years.

“A lot of weeds grew within the plants,” Katelyn said. “I pulled out the weeds, put down weed protector and then put down mulch between the plants.”

She didn’t realize how large an undertaking the project would be but was satisfied with the result.

“I was definitely proud because I did it by myself,” Katelyn said. “It’s something that we drive by when we go to church, so to see it makes me feel very accomplished.”

Katelyn serves as president of the student council, vice president of the National Honor Society and captain of the varsity soccer and basketball teams.

Upon graduation, she hopes to go to Penn State University to study something in the agricultural field.

— JOE BARESS

jbaress@timesshamrock.com

Lakeland

Ty Nichols uses his technological abilities to help the high school evolve.

The sophomore continues to create a Web presence for the newly started school newspaper, The Lakeland Lance. He also has a passion for his techniques of research class and plans to build a cellphone from scratch.

“My highest goal for this project is to have it Wi-Fi ready by the end of the year,” Ty said.

Ty also earned the highest Keystone score for algebra last year at the high school and serves as a member of the scholastic bowl team, newspaper club and soccer team.

— JOE BARESS

jbaress@timesshamrock.com

Mid Valley

John Lasewicz went out into his community and collected donations for the student council’s annual Powderpuff flag football game.

He was able to collect 60 donations from local businesses to support the Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

A member of the Spartan football team, he is also on the mock trial team and in the A/V club and drama club.

John also enjoys reading and spending time with his family and friends.

— KATHLEEN BOLUS

kbolus@timesshamrock.com

Montrose Area

Senior Charles Daly and sophomore Krysten Morgan earned an honors for their volunteering efforts.

The high school students sold poppies during the Memorial Day and Fourth of July parades to raise money for veterans.

“I got into selling these because my grandfather is a veteran, and he asked me to help out,” Charles said.

For their hard work and dedication, they received an award at the Veterans Day assembly.

“I really enjoyed selling the poppies because it helps the veterans out,” Krysten said.

Both plan to volunteer again next year.

— JOE BARESS

jbaress@timesshamrock.com

Mountain View

Jolie Winemiller has spent four years in theater productions at the high school.

This year, the senior had an opportunity to serve as student director for the school’s fall play, “Night of the Living Beauty Pageant.” Some of her responsibilities included working with the students, going over lines if they needed help and calling out cues.

“I love working with our theater department,” Jolie said. “Everyone gets so close, and we’re a big family.”

Jolie also enjoys the freedom in acting, and the ability to transform into different characters.

“Some days you play someone who is totally different from your character,” Jolie said. “It’s a way to branch out of the bubble we put ourselves in during high school.”

She also served as the alternate Harford Fair Queen for 2014, and is the school mascot and yearbook photographer.

Upon graduation, she plans to attend Wilkes University to major in history and education and wants to become a history teacher.

— JOE BARESS

jbaress@timesshamrock.com

North Pocono

Joshua Danna was an essay winner in the Pennsylvania School Boards Association’s 2014 Poster & Essay Contest.

In 400 words or less, Josh described why public education will help him achieve his goal of using robotic technology to help the disabled.

The contest received 539 entries from 64 school districts across the state. The theme was “What does public education mean to me?”

One of four winners, Josh was invited to read his essay during the PSBA’s School Leadership Conference last month. He was also presented with a certificate and $100 prize.

— KATHLEEN BOLUS

kbolus@timesshamrock.com

Old Forge

Talia Piragas is excited about her school’s artist in residence.

The third-grader said the class is painting scenes from Australia that include animals. Talia enjoys her art class and last week used water colors to paint a winter landscape.

She is also a member of the basketball and softball teams.

— KATHLEEN BOLUS

kbolus@timesshamrock.com

Riverside

First-grader Sophia Aglialoro has been learning about Thanksgiving in her class at West Elementary.

“I even learned that Thanksgiving is a national holiday,” she said.

Sophia and her classmates were taught about the Mayflower, how the Native Americans helped the pilgrims plant and harvest food, and that the Native Americans wore deer and bear skins to keep warm during the winter.

Sophia said she likes to go to her nana’s house on Thanksgiving to see her relatives and to play with her cousins.

— KATHLEEN BOLUS

kbolus@timesshamrock.com

Scranton

Students from West Scranton High School’s Students Against Destructive Decisions club recently participated in a peer education tobacco training program, led by Anthony Delonti from the American Lung Association.

The students who completed the training will present a similar program to the students of West Scranton Intermediate School at a later date. SADD club members who attended the training included Tyler Fuller, Heather Schmidt, Neishmy Rodriguez, Diane Matteo, Joe Chesek, Ashley Dunning, Alexandra Kerecman, Nicole Sinclair, Christian Cocozello, Chrissie Kelly, Devinne Scott, Aileen Royce and Kristen Southard.

— SARAH HOFIUS HALL

shofius@timesshamrock.com

Scranton Prep

Senior Sean Lam is helping student council organize its annual Thanksgiving food drive.

On Tuesday, members of student council plan to deliver turkeys and all the fixings to 65 Scranton-area families.

“It’s nice to give back,” Sean, the student council treasurer, said. “It’s really nice to see the expressions on their faces and how happy and thankful they are.”

At Prep, Sean is also a member of the photography and business leadership clubs. He plans to attend college for business and finance.

— SARAH HOFIUS HALL

shofius@timesshamrock.com

Susquehanna Community

When students need the weather report, they turn to Jarrett Dininny.

The eighth-grader serves as the weatherman for the school news station, Sabers News Network.

“I love to be the center of attention, and I am not a bit shy,” Jarrett said.

He continues to ponder new ways to do the weather and currently gives his reports from the garden area of the school.

Jarrett also enjoys hunting, fishing and riding four-wheelers. He also enjoys acting and going tubing at his grandparents’ lake. He would love to join the military after school and someday live on a farm.

— JOE BARESS

jbaress@timesshamrock.com

Valley View

Lauren Zavada’s dedication to preparing a gourmet meal for faculty and staff won her the title of student of the month in Family Consumer Science.

Her weekly meals for the “Iron Chef” helped secure the award. The student prepared meals that are judged by faculty and staff.

“I truly enjoy preparing and cooking the food,” said Lauren.

The award is sponsored by the student council and the Blakely/Peckville Lions Club.

Out of the kitchen, Lauren is a member of the art, ski and Italian clubs. She is also on the swimming and track and field teams.

The senior plans to study petroleum engineering after

graduation.

— KATHLEEN BOLUS

kbolus@timesshamrock.com

Wallenpaupack Area

Brianna Garcia has a passion for dancing.

Residing in Hemlock Farms, the sixth-grader picked up dancing at age 2, and started to compete in dance competitions at age 6.

“I love to dance,” Brianna said.

Involved with the Scranton Dance Center, she has taken classes in jazz, tap, lyrical, hip hop and ballet, where she made “Pointe.” Pointe technique serves as part of classical ballet, in which a ballet dancer supports all body weight on the tips of fully-extended feet.

Brianna aspires to further her skills as a dancer in the hopes of attending the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City.

— JOE BARESS

jbaress@timesshamrock.com

Wayne Highlands

Hannah Hobert used her talents in support of veterans.

The seventh grader, along with Dalen Banicky, Brenna Gleim and Devin Pabon and under the direction of her Gifted and Talented Education teacher, created a musical piece to honor veterans.

“We took a gamble on a song,” Hannah said. “We didn’t know how the crowd and veterans would respond.”

The students worked together to write the lyrics, and combined them with the music from the songs “Favorite Things” and “Heart and Soul.” They performed their musical piece at a Veterans Day assembly at the school.

Hannah also participates in cross country, basketball, skiing, softball, chorus, band and the Odyssey of the Mind

competition.

— JOE BARESS

jbaress@timesshamrock.com

Bob Bolus has his reasons for saying Christmas can be a lonely day, and for the last 20 years he’s been doing his part to shed them.

Thanksgiving hasn’t even happened yet, but the Scranton businessman already is laying plans for the 20th annual Bob Bolus Sr. Christmas Day Dinner at St. Patrick’s Church, 1403 Jackson St. in West Scranton.

“To me, Christmas is probably about the loneliest day of the year for people, and I think it’s the most important day of the year on our calendar,” Mr. Bolus said. “This is a meal for everyone. It’s not a homeless dinner. It’s a meal for those who don’t want to be alone on Christmas.”

It started in 1994 after his trucking company found itself in possession of an unwanted pallet of perfectly good frozen turkeys that a grocery store had rejected.

The logistics debacle arrived at a time when Mr. Bolus was battling his own bout of loneliness, and he reached out to a few friends who he knew might also be alone on Christmas.

“There was a time, you know, we all go through some things,” he said. “The best way for us to deal with the issues we were dealing with was to do something for somebody else.”

They didn’t know what to expect, he said, but the first event was a hit.

“There might have been 100-some people in the first one,” Mr. Bolus said. The annual dinner now draws more than 3,000 people and delivers close to 600 hot meals to people who can’t get out.

Mr. Bolus pays for the food from his own pocket. He would not say how much the whole thing costs.

Community members who wish to volunteer to assist with the preparation, cleanup, delivery and rides, can call 570-346-7659.

He even sends out a shuttle bus to the interstate rest stops in the region to pick up any truck drivers who might be spending Christmas on the road and could use a meal.

At the end of the meal, which runs from noon to 6 p.m., volunteers send their guests home with a carry-out package of turkey and a few fixings to quench post-feast hunger pangs.

“And you know what, you never had a chance to be alone on Christmas,” Mr. Bolus said.

Contact the writer:

joconnell@timesshamrock.com, @jon_oc on Twitter.

LA PLUME TWP. — Keystone College has been named one of the top military-friendly colleges in the nation by Military Advanced Education magazine.

The designation honors Keystone as one of the best schools for current or former members of the military to begin or continue their education.

The college will be featured in a story and detailed list of military-friendly schools in the December issue of the publication.

Keystone has also been listed as one of the top schools for veterans and military service members by G.I Jobs Magazine and U.S. News & World Report.

— KATHLEEN BOLUS

HARRISBURG — The bad fiscal tidings for Pennsylvania started early this year.

The state’s finances ran into revenue problems shortly after Gov. Tom Corbett signed a late $29 billion state budget.

The first shot across the bow came in late July, when Moody’s, the New York-based credit ratings agency, put a lower rating on Pennsylvania’s debt. Moody’s cited reliance on one-time revenue sources and inaction on the public pension debt for that decision.

A recent report by the state Independent Fiscal Office underscores the depth of the problem facing Democratic Gov.-elect Tom Wolf and a Republican-controlled General Assembly.

The IFO forecasts a revenue shortfall of $1.85 billion for fiscal 2015-16 and a longer-term fiscal imbalance beyond that due to erosion of the tax base and greater demand for services from the state’s graying population.

The problem is exacerbated because the current budget is built on revenue sources that aren’t available next year. These include $572 million in one-time revenues, $619 million in one-time savings and $332 million in transfers of funds from other accounts, according to the IFO.

Some examples include $95 million from expanded underground drilling in state parks and forests, a $100 million transfer to the general fund from a fund to help small businesses and $74 million from issuing the second Philadelphia casino license. The state Gaming Control Board awarded that license last week to Live! Hotel & Casino.

Republican legislative leaders said they used one-time sources and other strategies such as transferring excess balances from other state funds in order to avoid increasing taxes. They rejected alternative options, such as a severance tax on natural gas or a higher cigarette tax that would yield new revenue each year.

Every state budget relies on one-time revenue and fund transfers to some extent, said Stephen Miskin, spokesman for House Speaker-designate Mike Turzai, R-28, Pittsburgh.

Meanwhile, the Corbett administration is close to tapping out a $1.5 billion line of credit issued last September to keep the General Fund from running out of cash. The state Treasury set up the line of credit as a type of in-house loan.

“We see a deteriorating financial scenario that casts serious doubt on Pennsylvania’s ability to balance its budget this year,” said state Treasurer Rob McCord.

Wolf transition advisors said things could get worse.

“The extent of the gap is massive and we do not yet know the full scope of the problem,” according to Mary Soderberg and Josh Shapiro, who head Mr. Wolf’s budget deficit and fiscal stabilization task force. “While the depth of the financial hole may not be fully known, it is obvious that a multi-billion dollar deficit and a stagnant economy will present significant challenges for the Wolf administration.”

As an incoming governor, Mr. Wolf will present his first budget address in mid-March, a month’s extension from the traditional date.

“I am quite concerned about what the Wolf administration is facing,” said Sen. John Blake, D-22, Archbald, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The deficit may bring a new look at Senate Democratic fiscal proposals to extend fully Medicaid to the uninsured, modernize the state liquor stores and further close the Delaware business tax loophole as ways to bring in new revenue, said Mr. Blake.

House GOP lawmakers still think that an anticipated $1 billion revenue yield from the sale of state liquor stores to private owners is part of the solution, said Mr. Miskin.

“If we believe we need revenue, there’s wine and spirits reorganization,” he said.

Contact the writer: rswift@timesshamrock.com

SCRANTON —Marywood University’s Campus Ministry will host its annual Jingle Bell 5K walk/run Saturday, Dec. 6.

Participants are encouraged to wear a Christmas sweater, a Santa hat, elf stockings, or other holiday apparel to the on campus event. Proceeds benefit student service trips.

Registration begins at 9 a.m. in Nazareth Student Center’s Fireplace Lounge. The race begins at 10 a.m. Preregistration (before Monday, Nov. 2 is $15; late/race day registration is $20, ages 14 and under are $8.

A post-race party will feature a DJ, hot chocolate, cookies, photos with Santa and a holiday spirit contest.

For details, visit www.marywood.edu/5K.

— STAFF REPORT

Carbondale

Electronics recycling: City electronics recycling day, Dec. 6, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., City Hall, 1 N. Main St., side parking lot, free for intact devices, small fee for stripped; 570-282-4633.

Christmas concert: Classic Voices, a community a cappella choral ensemble, Christmas concert, Dec. 19, 7:30 p.m., Chamber of Commerce Building, 27 N. Main St., donations appreciated, light dessert reception follows.

Jessup

Garbage collection: Borough Thanksgiving week garbage collection one day behind.

Lackawanna County

Information sessions: Pa. CareerLink Lackawanna County three-day event on the health care industry, 135 Franklin Ave., Scranton: Affordable Care Act information session, Dec. 2, 10 a.m.; education fair, Dec. 3, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., with a panel of labor industry experts at 10 a.m. and training providers, 11 a.m.; and job fair, Dec. 4, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.; www.pacareerlin

klackawanna.org.

Madisonville

Pie sale: Madisonville Fire Company Ladies Auxiliary Thanksgiving homemade pie sale, pickup Wednesday by 1 p.m.; apple, apple crumb, pumpkin, lemon meringue, coconut, plain custard or coconut cream; $9/10-inch, preorder by Tuesday Diane, 570-842-2906; Carole, 570-241-3518; Lois, 570-877-8952.

Mid Valley

Thanksgiving service: Mid Valley Ministerium community Thanksgiving Eve service, Wednesday, 7 p.m., Peckville United Methodist Church, 732 Main St., homily by Monsignor Michael Delaney, Holy Ghost Parish at St. Patrick’s Church, benefits Breadbasket of NEPA, time of fellowship follows.

Milford

Holiday concert: Wind​S​ync ​quintet holiday concert, Dec. 6, 5:30 p.m., Milford Theatre, $20/door and $15/advance, free/under 15; http://kindredspiritsarts.org/ or Books and Prints at Pear Alley, 220 Broad St., Milford.

Regional

Archaeology society: Frances Dorrance Chapter of the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology meeting Tuesday, 7-9 p.m., Duryea Municipal Building, 315 Main St., designed for people to bring in archaeological treasures to be identified and discussed/identified.

Railway meeting: Lackawanna and Wyoming Valley Railway Historical Society meeting, Dec. 11, 7:30 p.m., meeting room of Iron Skillet Restaurant, Petro Plaza, Avoca, “members’ choice — pictures,” with scenes from past area rail activities, free.

Scranton

Class gathering: Scranton Technical High School class of 1972 gathering, Saturday, 7 p.m., Morganz Pub, 315 Green Ridge St.; light bar food/ cash bar; reservations by Tuesday: Chris Volz Martin, 570-351-2213; Susan Torda Davidson, 570-563-1248.

Christmas bazaar: St. Thomas More Catholic Parish Christmas bazaar, Dec. 13, Saturday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., and Dec. 14, 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m., St. Joseph’s Church Hall, 1625 N. Main Ave. (at Theodore Street); dozens of local artisans and vendors, crafts, gifts, ornaments, baked goods and basket raffle, lunch available; 570-343-0634, or contact@stmscranton.org.

President’s tea: Church Women United president’s tea, Dec. 6, 1 p.m., Covenant Presbyterian Church, 550 Madison Ave., program: Christmas Light.

Valley View

Game canceled: Valley View alumni game scheduled for Friday has been canceled.

West Scranton

Cookie sale: SS. Peter and Paul Russian Orthodox Church Christmas cookie sale, Dec. 14, noon-4 p.m., parish center, Washburn Street, $8/lb. pre-packaged; rectory, 570-343-8128 or center (day of), 570-961-3147.

Wyoming Valley

Roundtable meeting: Wyo­ming Valley Civil War Round­table meeting, Dec. 11, 7 p.m.; lower level, Daddow-Isaacs American Legion, 730 Memorial Highway, Dallas; holiday party and Wendell Jones speaking on “Horses and Mules in the Civil War,” $3/nonmembers; John, 570-675-8936.

CLIPBOARD ITEMS may be emailed to yesdesk@timessham

rock.com or mailed to Clipboard, c/o the YES!Desk at 149 Penn Ave., Scranton, 18503. YES!Desk, 570-348-9121.

SCRANTON — A faulty refrigerator is blamed for a fire that damaged two downtown businesses Sunday night.

The fire broke out around 8:30 p.m. at Myer and Esther Carter Hair Salon, 313 Adams Ave., and was brought under control in about 20 minutes, Fire Chief Pat DeSarno said.

Both the hair salon and a clothing store at 311 Adams Ave. had damage, he said.

The 64 residents of a halfway next door were evacuated during the fire but later allowed to return, the chief said.

Chief DeSarno said the fire started in a refrigerator in the hair salon. Inspectors believe the appliance’s motor malfunctioned and caught fire.

Test your jigsaw puzzle skills with images from around NEPA.
Click below to begin:

TT23SantaParade_P3More jigsaw puzzles at Jigidi

A storm moving along the East Coast may impact NEPA on Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.

There is the potential for significant snowfall, primarily along Interstate 81 and points to the east, starting Wednesday afternoon and continuing into the night.

Forecasters are still uncertain about the track of this storm system but will continue to monitor the developing situation.

For the latest weather forecast, visit thetimes-tribune.com/weather.

Nina Davidowitz, an artist from Kingston, discussed her work on display at The University of Scranton at a gallery lecture on campus in November. Davidowitz discussed her evolution as an artist and spoke about her Suburban Landscape Series, which depicts suburban architecture primarily from Northeastern Pennsylvania.

A self-taught artist, Davidowitz discovered her passion early in life. As a young girl, she told her parents, “I’m going to be an artist,” although she did not seriously consider artistry as a profession until adulthood. Nonetheless, Davidowitz always had some artistic utensil in her hand and she admitted that she drew “anything that [she] came up upon that looked interesting.” In her early life, Davidowitz experimented with charcoal, ink, colored pencils and photography.

In her late twenties, Davidowitz discovered her affinity for acrylics when a family friend hired her to paint portraits of children dressed as biblical figures. At the age of forty-one, Davidowitz went to graduate school for graphic design, and she completed a thesis on Space Age Design. The distinct geometrics and colors of the Space Age inspired Davidowitz’s later paintings.

Davidowitz eventually began to base her paintings on photographs. She grew especially interested in suburban landscapes and developed a passion for ranch-style houses, the space in-between houses, and the shrubbery that separates houses. Davidowitz stated that she tends to keep her artworks as simple as possible, and she paints from a limited color palette of “a white, two blues, a green, two reds and a yellow.” She also paints in layers of thin acrylic paint, which “builds up to a really rich color.” Her paintings combine realistic scenes with some abstract elements.

Davidowitz’s exhibit, “Here and There: Paintings by Nina Davidowitz,” was on display at the Hope Horn Gallery in Hyland Hall at the University during the fall semester.

Lindsey Pelucacci ’15, Scranton, is an English, Theology/Religious Studies and Philosophy triple major and participant in the Special Jesuit Liberal Arts Honors Program at The University of Scranton.

Daniel Serwer, Ph.D., overviewed the world’s political state in his lecture “War and Peace: Current Issues.” His talk was the fifth lecture in the Schemel Forum’s World Affairs Luncheon Lecture Series, which took place on campus during the fall semester.

Dr. Serwer, professor of conflict management and senior fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, centered his lecture on the Middle East and the Ukraine. He hoped that his talk would allow his audience to “appreciate a certain parallel between ISIS and the Ukraine.”

Dr. Serwer identified the Levant’s geographic location, offered a brief history of Syria and Iraq, and described the establishment of the Islamic state. He highlighted how the concepts of monotheism and jihad form a large part of the Islamic state’s identity. He also explained the role that the determination of Caliphates, successors of Mohammed, plays in the Sunni-Shia split.

Additionally, Dr. Serwer emphasized that division of the Levant or its countries will not solve the Middle East’s problems. “There are a lot of people that say ‘We want to divide from these people, we will never get along, let’s just divide and we can govern ourselves.’ … The problem is that they never agree on a line on which they can be divided,” he said.

In fact, Dr. Serwer argued that a split could lead to more violence and instability. “Division becomes a formula for war. And in my view, to divide Iraq or Syria would be a formula for ten more years of war.”

Dr. Sewer also discussed the state of the Ukraine. He pinpointed its geographic location and briefly described the country’s history. Additionally, he spoke about modern Ukraine, its current crisis, Putin’s role and America’s policy options.

Dr. Serwer is the author of  “Righting the Balance: How You Can Help Protect America.”

For more information on Schemel Forum programs and memberships, contact Sondra Myers at 570-941-4089 or sondra.myers@scranton.edu.

Elizabeth Polishan ’17, Clarks Summit, is an English, Philosophy and Finance triple major and participant in the Special Jesuit Liberal Arts Honors Program at The University of Scranton.

DICKSON CITY — Rising pressure in a UGI Utilities station in Dickson City caused a release device to vent a large amount of natural gas into the air Monday morning, causing an earsplitting screech and closing part of a busy road during the morning rush hour commute.

“We‘re not sure what happened,” said UGI spokesman Don Brominski. “We’re investigating why the pressure rose so high.”

Shortly before 8 a.m., the valve behind the CVS Pharmacy on Main Street released the gas and blanketed the area nearby with an odor. Police responded and shut down Main Street between West Lackawanna Avenue and Pancoast Street, Police Chief William Bilinski said. The sound faded out by roughly 8:30 a.m. Traffic was flowing normally not long after.

Mr. Brominski was not sure what the pressure build-up was at when the gas was released, but said the vent acted as it should.

UGI crews will continue to investigate the build-up, Mr. Brominksi said.

“We’re on site monitoring and trying to evaluate what happened,” Mr. Brominski said.

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

SCRANTON — Seeing that two University of Scranton students and a 9-year-old boy were shivering cold on the shore of the Roaring Brook after a rescue attempt in Nay Aug Park on Sunday, 31-year-old Brian Strickland stripped “to his skivvies” and gave them his clothing to keep them warm, city Fire Chief Pat DeSarno said.

Mr. Strickland is the latest Good Samaritan to emerge from Sunday night’s incident at the gorge, in which a man died trying to save a boy. Robert Kehoe Jr. dove into the water when the 9-year-old, thought to be his son, slipped in around 4:30 p.m.

Three University of Scranton students were nearby and ran to help. Brian Teed, 19, stayed ashore with two other small children and Cesar Garcia jumped in the freezing water to help, Chief DeSarno said this afternoon.

Mr. Garcia, 18, was struggling and a friend, Michael Frawley, 18, jumped in to assist. They managed to rescue the boy and swam downstream to a railroad trestle, where they met Mr. Strickland and were rescued by firefighters. Mr. Kehoe passed away at the scene.

Mr. Garcia and Mr. Frawley were treated at Geisinger Community Medical Center then released, hospital spokeswoman Westyn Hinchey said.

Check back for updates.

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

SCRANTON — A man from New York told Scranton police Sunday he was robbed at gunpoint in the city’s Hill Section.

Wyatt Finn, 18, was approached by four men on the 1200 block of Vine Street around 1:20 a.m., acting Capt. Glenn Thomas said. One pulled out a gun and said “empty your pockets.”

Mr. Finn threw his wallet, car keys and iPhone on the ground, then the four assailants fled east on Vine Street, Capt. Thomas said.

A detailed description was not available of the assailants.

Anyone with information can contact detectives at 570-348-4139.

— JOSEPH KOHUT

SCRANTON — The Scranton Police Department added three new vehicles to its fleet using a combination of state funding and report fees, a Monday news release stated.

Two 2015 Ford police Interceptor Utility SUVs have been allocated to the department’s highway division and a 2015 Ford police Interceptor Sedan will be used by the South Side patrol unit.

Each cost around $35,000.

— JOSEPH KOHUT