Stricter measures targeting sexual offenders in Pennsylvania recently went into effect as part of a final push to comply with a federal law named in memory of Adam Walsh, a murdered 6-year-old boy whose father became a fierce advocate for child abuse prevention laws.

In late December, Pennsylvania became one of several states to adhere to the requirements of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, federal legislation named after the son of "America's Most Wanted" host John Walsh.

Enacted in 2006, the legislation built upon previous federal laws that mainly required convicted sex offenders to register their personal information in publicly accessible state databases tracking their whereabouts so that communities can feel safer knowing who they are and where they live.

The Adam Walsh Act took further steps to eliminate a patchwork of state sex offender registration laws - commonly known as Megan's laws - to establish baseline requirements.

In Pennsylvania, state and local officials had been working to comply with the law by Dec. 20. They say they've met the deadline.

"It's a huge change, and it's definitely having a lot of impact," said state police Cpl. Steve Vesnaver of the agency's Megan's Law division.

Among the changes, convicted sex offenders must register immediately after they are sentenced by a judge. Before, they registered after fully serving out their sentence or after they were released from prison.

In Lackawanna County, convicted sexual offenders will be registered within 48 hours of sentencing at the county courthouse in Scranton, Assistant District Attorney Patricia Lafferty said.

"It's just to make sure everybody gets right into the system," she said.

In the county, four registration sites are now ready to go, including at the state police barracks in Dunmore and the Scranton Police Department, Ms. Lafferty said, which have been loaded with new software to better link with the national sex offender database maintained by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Also, offenders classified as the most sexually violent must stop by a law enforcement agency four times a year to check in and confirm their information - such as most recent address, and their photo - is up-to-date.

Of the roughly 12,200 sexual offenders currently registered in the state's database, about 85 percent will have to fulfill that requirement, Cpl. Vesnaver said.

Before, sexual offenders in that category reported once a year, although they always had to quickly provide changes to their personal information under previous laws.

The new provisions of the law also require sexual offenders to provide more information about their personal life than before, including the address of where they work and the make and model of any vehicle they drive.

Officials hope the tougher reporting measures prevent the database from being riddled with outdated information, in effect defeating its purpose. Failure to register is a felony offense.

Lastly, the changes require sexual offenders to be registered for longer periods of time, depending on the severity of the crime.

The state sex offender database can be accessed at www.pameganslaw.state.pa.us/Main.aspx.

Contact the writer: smcconnell@ timesshamrock.com, @smcconnellTT on Twitter

WAyNe COUNTY COURT NOTES

Wayne County Court notes are published Tuesdays in The Times-Tribune.

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

n Robert F., Barbara A. and Robert F. Jennings II to Karen Novobilski; a property in Honesdale for $155,000.

n Yevgenly and Yelena Oleynik to Robert J. and Christine Koczon Cain; a property in Lake Twp. for $190,000.

n Clifford J. and Tina C. Woods to Nanette Arpaio and Mark Reuter; a property in Lake Twp. for $110,000.

n Michael Jr. and Kathryn F. Nalevanko to Colin W. Snyder; a property in Lake Twp. for $162,740.

n PNC Bank to Tamara Niko­laeva and Vasyl Kanyuk; a property in Lake Twp. for $28,000.

n David Marain to Gary and Michelle M. O'Doherty; a property in Lake Twp. for $124,000.

n James and Mary Ann McEwan to George and Jose­phine Kurz; a property in Lake Twp. for $90,000.

n Michael A. and Jo Ann E. Sames to Michael Jr. and Kathryn F. Nalevanko; a property in Lake Twp. for $115,000.

n Nationstar Mortgage to Michael DiPierro; a property in Lake Twp. for $25,000.

n Anthony and Angela Perrone to John and Susan Lasker; a property in Lake Twp. for $167,000.

n Vlady Lucia Ramirez, also known as Lucia Ramirez, to Lois R. Allende; a property in Lake Twp. for $50,000.

n John E. McAndrew to Slava Brodsky and Natasha Dexter; a property in Lehigh Twp. for $323,000.

n Bank of New York Mellon Trust Co. to Patrick McDonnell; a property in Lehigh Twp. for $64,680.

n John M. and Cindy A. Lewis Kessler, to William T. Reece; a property in Lehigh Twp. for $90,000.

n Mark Walker and Merri Cyr to Thomas J. Boyle; a property in Manchester Twp. for $87,000.

n Martin Michalik to Vrseven Real Estate; a property in Manchester Twp. for $90,000.

n Adam Waxman and David Waxman to Scott and Beverly Burleigh; a property in Mount Pleasant Twp. for $26,500.

n Anthony J. and Michele M. Lasaponara to Warren F. Jr. and Manon G. Perkins; a property in Paupack Twp. for $122,500.

n Richard Foerster Reynolds to Mark and Tracey DeWitt; a property in Paupack Twp. for $310,000.

n Jean M. Corey to Dennis and Susan Eisleoeffel; a property in Paupack Twp. for $80,000.

n Suntrust Mortgage Inc. to Mark J. and Kathy A. Magno; a property in Paupack Twp. for $275,000.

n Harold W. and Emily J. Garrabrant to Tab M. and Eliza­beth C. Filipowski; a property in Paupack Twp. for $249,000.

n Richard L. Varick to Andre Gaston; a property in Paupack Twp. for $35,000.

n Zhijian Lu and Yujia Huang to John F. and Tracy K. McCor­mick; a property in Paupack Twp. for $115,000.

n John and Dawn Basford to Michael Vaccaro; a property in Paupack Twp. for $145,000.

n Andrew and Mary Steransky to Kenneth and Lucia Getz; a property in Paupack Twp. for $132,500.

n Jeanene Bibalo to Martin and Margaret Medved; a property in Preston Twp. for $100,000.

ONLINE: For court notes from around the region, visit thetimes-tribune.com/courts

Third-quarter local foreclosed property sales surged from the preceding period, according to a company that compiles foreclosure statistics.

Sales of repossessed properties in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metro area jumped by 91 percent from July 1 to Sept. 30, compared to the prior three-month span, according to RealtyTrac, a Los Angeles-area real estate company that tracks foreclosure activity nationwide.

Statewide, foreclosure sales increased 27 percent from the second quarter, RealtyTrac reported.

On an annual basis, local foreclosure sales decreased 3 percent from the same 2011 period and sales statewide increased 1 percent, the data show.

New foreclosure filings in the region have been decreasing since 2011, but the quarterly sales increase indicates plenty of repossessed homes continue to surface in the market. Third-quarter regional sales of foreclosed properties totaled 103, up from 54 in the earlier period, according to RealtyTrac.

"The foreclosure overhang is huge and there is no end in sight," said Forrest Huffman, Ph.D., a Temple University professor of real estate and finance.

The jump may reflect delays by banks to sell repossessed properties to avoid flooding the market and depreciating housing prices further, said Joe Donato, a broker at Vision Realty, a Clarks Summit agency that sells foreclosed properties.

"I have been getting a lot of older homes that have been idle for two or three years," Mr. Donato said, "Banks hold onto them. Maybe they are afraid to plug the market too much."

The targets of foreclosures have changed since the beginning of a severe recession in 2008 that was rooted in subprime mortgages, said Jesse Ergott, executive director of NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania, a nonprofit budget counseling agency based in Scranton.

"We are seeing a steady stream of people through job loss, unemployment and underemployment," Mr. Ergott said. "It's really transitioned primarily into economic hardship. That's been the name of the game for many of the folks we are seeing."

Pennsylvania is among states requiring judicial approval for foreclosures, which results in more delays in the system, Dr. Huffman said.

"The foreclosure process itself tends to make the transition longer," he said. "Sometimes, there are problems with foreclosures extending years out into a settlement."

Regional foreclosed-home offerings, though, are drawing interest from investors and buyers who do their own rehabilitation work, Mr. Donato said.

"The market is pretty active," he said. "The prices are attractive."

Contact the writer: jhaggerty@timesshamrock.com

Police catch two biking bandits

WILKES-BARRE - A pair of bike-riding bandits looted dozens of vehicles for valuables early Monday in Courtdale, Larksville, Plymouth and Swoyersville before being caught by an alert police officer who chased after them, police said.

Footprints in the snow eventually led police to where the thieves tried to hide - in the bed of an old coal delivery truck on Washington Avenue in Plymouth.

Police said Josh Kolinoski, 19, of Plymouth, and a 16-year-old boy entered at least 50 vehicles in the four boroughs before police caught them.

Charges are pending in the case until police determine the total number of victims and damages, police said.

Hooves clopped in tandem up Lackawanna Avenue, two large draft horses pulling a white-lit wagon full of families.

Music reverberated through the Mall at Steamtown as a small crowd of people listened to Continental Italian Serenades croon classic songs from the mid-1900s.

People gathered to watch improvisation comedy shows, bands, poets, story-tellers and more Monday night during the 14th annual First Night Scranton New Year's Eve celebration downtown.

Mary and Ken Cornell, who ventured down from their Hill Section home for their first-ever First Night Scranton, waited for the beginning of "Here We are in Spain," an improvisation comedy group at the Federal Building.

"We were born and raised here, but this is the first time we came down," Mrs. Cornell said. "It seems like Scranton is getting more people here to see things."

About 3,500 people picked up their event buttons and hopped from event to event, said First Night project director Paige Balitski, a number "on par" with past turnouts.

She said the response from people has been positive, with a lot of event-goers praising the array of acts and options to visit. "People are into the variety," she said.

For children, there were no shortage of activities, including a clown, a Wild West Entertainment show, a juggler and horse-drawn carriage rides.

Jay Snyder and his children, Sara, 20, and Kyle, 10, munched on warm pretzels after venturing out from the warmth of the mall where they'd watched a magic show, hula hoopers and face painters, to explore what the city had to offer. "It's nice, wholesome fun," Mr. Snyder said.

Contact the writer: ksullivan@timesshamrock.com, @ksullivanTT on Twitter

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Former Penn State President Graham Spanier learned Monday he can travel outside state lines while free on bail, but a judge said no to any foreign trips.

Spanier's lawyer Ed Spreha confirmed the one-page order, which was posted on the court system's website, but declined to comment on its substance.

The order requires Spanier to provide five days' notice of any travel outside Pennsylvania. He may not have any contact with current or past members of the Penn State Board of Trustees, or with any witnesses in the case against him.

Spanier faces charges that include obstruction and perjury for allegedly covering up complaints in the Jerry Sandusky child molestation scandal.

He had sought permission to travel to Europe for work and family matters, but the bail modification limits him to the continental United States.

A message left for the attorney general's office late Monday was not immediately returned.

Spanier served as Penn State president for 16 years before he was forced out in November 2011, shortly after Sandusky was arrested along with two other former university administrators.

Spanier and the other officials, Tim Curley and Gary Schultz, are awaiting a preliminary hearing and all three deny the allegations.

A hearing is scheduled for Jan. 10 in Bellefonte regarding Sandusky's post-sentencing motions. He was convicted in June of 45 counts of child sexual abuse, but maintains his innocence and is pursuing appeals.

HARRISBURG — Gov. Tom Corbett said Tuesday he plans to sue the NCAA in federal court over sanctions imposed against Penn State in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal.

The Republican governor scheduled a news conference for Wednesday on Penn State's campus in State College to announce the filing in U.S. District Court in Harrisburg.

The sanctions, agreed to by the university in July, included a $60 million fine that would be used nationally to finance child abuse prevention grants. State and federal lawmakers have raised objections to the money being spent outside Pennsylvania.

A message seeking comment on the expected lawsuit was left with the NCAA on Tuesday.

Last month, a Pennsylvania congressman said he was unhappy with how the NCAA responded to a request from the state's U.S. House delegation that the whole $60 million in Penn State fines be distributed to causes within the state.

NCAA president Mark Emmert had said in a Dec. 12 letter that a task force had been charged with allocating at least 25 percent of the fine money to programs in Pennsylvania.

Republican Rep. Charlie Dent said days later in a statement that Emmert's response was "unacceptable and unsatisfactory."

The NCAA said then that it stood by what Emmert said.

The fine was part of college sports' governing body's sanctions on Penn State for its handling of the abuse scandal involving Sandusky, a former assistant under head football coach Joe Paterno.

Sandusky, a former defensive coordinator, was convicted in June on charges he sexually abused 10 boys, some on campus. The 68-year-old was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in state prison.

Eight young men testified against him, describing a range of abuse they said went from grooming and manipulation to fondling, oral sex and anal rape when they were boys.

Sandusky didn't testify at his trial but has maintained his innocence, acknowledging he showered with boys but insisting he never molested them. 

Laguzzi new Clarks Summit chief

CLARKS SUMMIT - Joe Laguzzi held his right hand in the air as he swore to protect and uphold the borough law, his perfectly shined shoes poking out at the bottom of his crisp, creased, new Clarks Summit Police Department uniform pants.

He was sworn in and officially appointed police chief by a unanimous vote at the borough council meeting Wednesday night, and will officially start active duty Monday.

Chief Laguzzi said his main goal is to stay focused on the local businesses and residents during his one-year contract.

"I want to stay community oriented," he said after the meeting.

He stressed implementing educational programs to schoolchildren, as well as maintaining an open-door policy for business owners and residents to come and discuss concerns. Chief Laguzzi also said he wants to create a rank system to make the Police Department more structured and increase the commercial vehicle violation officer's visibility on the roads.

Chief Laguzzi comes to Clarks Summit after 20 years of service with the Carbondale Police Department, and experience as an instructor at the Lackawanna College Police Academy. He said he's considering staying on as a training officer with the Carbondale department as long as it does not conflict with his working hours as the Clarks Summit chief.

Original negotiations for Chief Laguzzi's Clarks Summit salary were estimated to be about $30,000, but he declined to comment on the final number.

He is currently working with the mayor of Carbondale to finalize his retirement from the Carbondale Police Department, as well as waiting on compiling final numbers to cement his pension plan.

Also appointed at the meeting were Borough Manager Virginia Kehoe, assistant secretary Jennifer Schmidt, treasurer Melissa Jones, borough council solicitor Pat Rogan, zoning board solicitor Robert P. Sheils, planning commission solicitor Michael Cowley, special labor solicitor James P. Valentine, codes enforcement/zoning officer Lori Harris, Department of Public Works foreman Neil Bartholme, borough engineer Colwell-Naegele, auditors Murphy Dougherty & Co., borough planning commission member John Recicar, borough zoning hearing board members John Jeffrey, Joseph Bontrager and Bob Krannick as the alternate, and borough shade tree commission members Josh Apr and Molly Philbin.

Council President Gerrie Carey was appointed liaison to the Abington Council of Governments, Lackawanna County Council of Governments and Abington Business & Professional Association, while Warren Watkins was appointed liaison to the Senior Site Council, the Wales Sister City program and the Abington Business & Professional Association. Bob Gilbert was also appointed as a liaison to the Senior Site Council.

Contact the writer: ksullivan@timesshamrock.com, @ksullivanTT on Twitter

Ex-cop files lawsuit to regain his job

A former South Abington Twp. part-time police officer is suing to get his job back.

William Dubiak, an Iraq War veteran and Marine Corps sergeant, claims the township denied him the right to return to work for the police department after he came back from Iraq in December 2009.

Through his attorney Scott Schermerhorn in court papers made public Wednesday, Mr. Dubiak said he informed township officials days after returning from his deployment that the military gave him the option of being released early from active duty and he could return to civilian employment.

Under the federal Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, U.S. military service members are entitled to reinstatement to their civilian jobs when they return from active duty.

The lawsuit claims the township violated the act when it chose to not reinstate him on the force and fired him in May.

Mr. Dubiak, 1002 Lookout Road, Ransom Twp., was honorably discharged from active duty in the Marine Corps on June 18, 2010, the suit said.

Township manager David O'Neill declined to comment because he had not yet seen the suit.

The township terminated Mr. Dubiak because, it said previously, he would not cooperate with providing information about a personnel matter in the Police Department. The decision to terminate came soon after the U.S. Department of Labor determined the township did nothing wrong when it decided not to put Mr. Dubiak back on patrol.

Mr. Dubiak filed a complaint with the Labor Department, alleging a USERRA violation.

Separately, the U.S. Department of Justice decided against representing Mr. Dubiak in a USERRA claim against the township and advised him to get a private attorney after he filed another claim with that agency.

"There were two past actions (by Mr. Dubiak) and they were both dismissed," Police Chief Robert Gerrity said Wednesday.

The suit, which only names the township, further seeks loss of wages, benefits and any promotions he may have earned.

Contact the writer: smcconnell@ timesshamrock.com, @smcconnellTT on Twitter

Small-business interest rates drop

PITTSTON - The state recently reduced interest rates on several business financing programs.

The interest on the Department of Community and Economic Development's Small Business First program loans was cut to 1.5 percent for applications received through March 31, according to the NEPA Alliance, a Pittston-based economic development organization that processes the loans. Previously, the rate had been 2.75 percent.

The loans generally are available to companies with 100 or fewer employees.

DCED also cut interest rates through March 31 to 1.5 percent on loans for the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority and the pollution prevention and export financing programs, the alliance said.

SCRANTON - City police are seeking information about a Tuesday night incident in which someone fired a bullet into a moving car in South Side.

Scranton police Detectives Capt. Al Leoncini said the bullet came from either a white Honda or Hyundai stopped at Genet Street and South Webster Avenue.

Three people in a car turning left past the white car heard a pop and later discovered a bullet hole in one of the car's passenger doors, Capt. Leoncini said. Anyone with information may contact city police Detectives Michael Schultz or James Pappas at 348-4139.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Attorney Matt Cartwright becomes the new congressman for Scranton and Wilkes-Barre today, and he got new shirts to mark the occasion, though he won't wear them as he takes the oath of office on the House floor.

Rep. Lou Barletta, R-11, Hazleton, visited Mr. Cartwright's new office Wednesday on the fourth floor of the Longworth Office Building and turned over the team jerseys donated to him two years ago by the former Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Because congressional district boundaries were rewritten last year, Mr. Barletta will no longer represent either city, so he thought the jerseys should go to Mr. Cartwright.

Mr. Barletta, who had displayed the jerseys in large picture frames in his Washington office, said he wanted to reach out to Mr. Cartwright and let him know "that maybe I can help with anything he needs when it comes to getting acclimated in Washington."

"I had wanted something that represented our area, and I thought he should have it so he had something that reminded him of home," he said.

Mr. Cartwright, 51, a Moosic Democrat, said he and Mr. Barletta joked about the Yankees jersey because the team has changed its nickname to the RailRiders.

"I said to him, 'Lou, you and I have to actually work together on getting rails to ride,' " Mr. Cartwright said, referring to his desire to return passenger train service to Northeast Pennsylvania. "He acknowledged that he was ceding that territory to me that covers the Penguins and the Yankees, and he was lamenting that he doesn't have any professional sports franchises in his new district.

"Mr. Barletta and I agree on almost nothing politically, but he gets it. You reach out; you make friendships. No one is more committed to Democratic, progressive ideals than I am, but I like people, and Republicans are people, too."

New district

Mr. Cartwright is scheduled to take the oath of office at noon as the first congressman in a newly written district that includes the region's two largest cities, plus Carbondale, Pittston and neighboring parts of Lackawanna, Luzerne and Monroe counties.

As Mr. Cartwright begins his first term in the U.S. House representing the 17th Congressional District, Mr. Barletta and fellow Republican Rep. Tom Marino, R-10, Lycoming Twp., will be sworn in for their second two-year terms.

In the U.S. Senate, Sen. Bob Casey of Scranton will be sworn in for a second six-year term.

The jobs pay $174,000 a year.

"There's a tremendous sense of responsibility. I represent more than 700,000 people here in Washington," Mr. Cartwright said while sitting in the lobby of a Washington hotel on the eve of his swearing-in.

Redistricting - the rewriting of congressional district boundary lines done after every census - shuffled the shape of local congressional districts.

Now, three congressmen instead of two represent the farthest northeast part of Pennsylvania.

Though today is his official first day, Mr. Cartwright began preparing weeks ago. He attended a post-election orientation session for freshman congressman in Washington in early December and later a preparatory course at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Mr. Cartwright also established his first congressional office at 226 Wyoming Ave. in Scranton. Others are in the works.

The congressman-elect also interviewed and hired top staff members, keeping in mind that he wanted people with "a boatload of experience."

"I want to be the only one on a learning curve in my office," Mr. Cartwright, 51, of Moosic, said in a recent interview. "Because I don't doubt that there are many pratfalls in Congress I hope not to fall into."

The staff includes:

- Hunter Ridgway as his chief of staff. Mr. Ridgway served the past 15 years as chief of staff to Rep. John Olver, a Massachusetts Democrat, a native of Wayne County and the most senior Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee. Like Mr. Cartwright, Mr. Ridgway trained as a lawyer, earning his law degree from Southern Methodist University in 1990. He specialized in economic development matters for Mr. Olver.

- Jeremy Marcus as legislative director. Mr. Marcus worked for U.S. Sens. Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia and John Kerry of Massachusetts. Mr. Marcus is an honors graduate with two degrees from Stanford University. Most recently he was legislative director for Rep. Russ Carnahan, D-Mo.

- Bob Morgan, of Fairview Twp., Luzerne County, as district director. A King's College graduate, Mr. Morgan has spent 25 years in the financial services industry.

- William Hanley as senior economic development specialist who will handle special projects including grant writing. Mr. Hanley, who lives in Pottsville, has worked for 20 years with Rep. Tim Holden, whom Mr. Cartwright defeated for the Democratic nomination in the primary election in April.

- Shane Seaver as communications director and chief spokesman. Mr. Seaver, who has a master's degree in public administration from West Chester University, managed Mr. Cartwright's election campaign.

Mr. Cartwright already has received his first committee assignment. He will be a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

For Mr. Marino and Mr. Barletta, today will arrive with less fanfare than January 2011 when they were sworn in for their first terms.

They'll both start the day the same way with a Mass celebrated by a friend, Monsignor John W. Jordan, at St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church on Second Street NE, not far from the Capitol.

Unlike two years ago when busloads of friends came down to Washington, Mr. Barletta said only immediate family members will join him. He will host them in a new office at 115 Cannon House Office Building.

Redistricting has meant substantial changes for Mr. Barletta, who will no longer represent any of Lackawanna County but has added Wyoming County from Mr. Marino's district. Last month, Mr. Barletta closed his Taylor and Plains Twp. offices because both municipalities are part of Mr. Cartwright's district.

Mr. Barletta said his closest permanent office will remain at 1 S. Church S., Suite 100, Hazleton. He also announced new offices in Cumberland, Dauphin and Northumberland counties.

Temporary offices

For people in Wyoming County and distant parts of the district without a permanent office, Mr. Barletta is planning to establish temporary locations and set times when staff members can periodically meet with constituents.

"The redrawn 11th District is very large, and I want to make sure my constituents don't have to travel very far to go into a congressional office," Mr. Barletta said.

A new Congress also means a new committee assignment for Mr. Barletta.

He has been appointed to the Homeland Security Committee, which oversees border security, anti-terrorism efforts and disaster responses. Most importantly to him, the committee will have a huge say in a new immigration law.

"I'm going to make sure that my voice is part of that discussion and make sure that they do it ... in the proper way and that's to secure the borders first," Mr. Barletta said.

Mr. Barletta also will remain a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Education and the Workforce Committee. He will no longer be on the Small Business Committee.

With Wyoming County now part of Mr. Barletta's district, Mr. Marino has closed his Tunkhannock offices, but opened a new office in Wayne County. Residents may still call the Tunkhannock office's main line at 836-8020 for help.

The new Wayne County office will open March 1 at 543 Easton Turnpike, Suite 101, in Hamlin. Until then, Mr. Marino's staff will have an office in the Dimmick Building of the Wayne County Courthouse at 925 Court St., Honesdale.

Mr. Marino's committee assignments remain the same - Foreign Affairs, Homeland Security and Judiciary.

Unlike Mr. Barletta, who like Mr. Cartwright planned to go through the staged swearing-in ceremony with House Speaker John Boehner after the official one on the House floor, Mr. Marino was forgoing the staged ceremony this time and keeping his day low-key compared to two years ago when a host of family, friends and supporters traveled here to celebrate his first day in office.

Mr. Marino, 60, whose Washington home is his congressional office where he sleeps on an air mattress, said the last-minute deal to keep the nation from falling off the "fiscal cliff" meant he couldn't spend New Year's Eve with his family for the first time.

"I'm looking forward to spending some time with my family," he said, assuming the House adjourns for the weekend. "It's highly frustrating because of what is going on on both sides of the aisle."

For Mr. Casey, his swearing-in for a second term will arrive with a whole lot less fanfare than 2006 when he defeat Republican Sen. Rick Santorum, one of the Senate's top ranked Republicans, in a race that received national attention.

This year, Mr. Casey, 52, of Scranton, defeated Republican tea party candidate Tom Smith in a race that grew close at one point, but that he eventually won handily. In 2006, Mr. Casey celebrated taking the oath of office with two parties, one for close friends and family, and one at the Hyatt Regency with the many people who helped him. Today, fellow Scranton native, Vice President Joseph Biden, will swear him in on the Senate floor, then again later in a staged ceremony in the Old Senate Chamber. Former Sen. Harris Wofford, whom Mr. Casey's father, Gov. Robert P. Casey, appointed to the Senate in 1991, will escort Mr. Casey to the oath-taking.

"I know my way around the (Senate) building now," he joked of the difference between now and then. "But, no, it's a great honor to be able to serve again."

Contact the writer: bkrawczeniuk@ timesshamrock.comLive updates

For live updates throug­hout the day, check the times-tribune.com (@timestribune on Twitter). Follow staff writer Borys Krawczeniuk's politics blog at blogs.the times-tribune.com/ borys, and follow him on Twitter @borysblogTT. Sign up for breaking news alerts sent to your cellphone or email at thetimes-tribune.com/newsflash.

The improving health of the Chesapeake Bay and a greater government commitment to its restoration have given bay stewards new optimism that a saved bay is coming.

The State of the Bay report released Wednesday by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation found improvement in five of the 13 indicators the organization uses to measure the health of the bay and decline in only one sector - underwater grasses that withered in higher-temperature waters and were smothered during record storms in 2011.

Overall, the bay's health increased one point since 2010 to 32 out of a possible 100 on the foundation's scale. A saved bay would score a 70 or above.

The foundation attributed the improvement to governments, businesses and individuals cooperating to curtail pollution and a mandatory pollution "diet" that is "for the first time … in place and beginning to work."

"We have never before had this level of accountability and transparency in bay restoration efforts," foundation President William C. Baker said. "This is indeed THE moment in time for the bay."

Responsibility for the bay's cleanup - and credit for its progress - is spread throughout the 64,000-square-mile watershed, which includes the Susquehanna River and its local tributaries.

The foundation's report highlights efforts to limit nitrogen, phosphorous and sediment pollution through better wastewater treatment facilities, stormwater controls and agricultural practices to limit runoff. Mandated pollution limits have spurred costly improvements to area wastewater systems in Scranton, the Abingtons and the lower Lackawanna Valley.

The report also says that Pennsylvania must do more to curb pollution from farms and roads.

The bay and many of the waterways that lead to it are still clearly damaged: Health departments still caution people to stay out of the bay water for 48 hours after a heavy rain, the report notes, and nearly a quarter of Pennsylvania's miles of streams and rivers are considered impaired.

Contact the writer: llegere@timesshamrock.com

Website design company Solid Cactus will move out of its location in Kingston Twp. into Network Solutions' facility in Drums in March, according to Solid Cactus co-founder Scott Sanfilippo.

Solid Cactus and Network Solutions are both owned by Web.com. The two companies are consolidating offices since there is more room in Network Solutions' building at 10 Azalea Road, Mr. Sanfilippo said.

About 110 people work for Solid Cactus. About 200 work for Network Solutions, said Susan Edelman, spokeswoman for Web.com.

Solid Cactus moved to the site of the former Westmore-land School at 106 S. Lehigh St. in Shavertown four years ago after closing its Wilkes-Barre office. The lease is up in Shavertown and will not be renewed, Mr. Sanfilippo said. He said there will not be any jobs lost or any name changes.

Internet services provider Web.com, a publicly traded company based in Jacksonville, Fla., acquired Solid Cactus in 2009 and Network Solutions in 2011. Web.com bought a number of smaller companies as well, Ms. Edelman said. Solid Cactus and Network Solutions operate their own brands and that will continue after the move, she said.

According to the companies' websites, Web.com helps small businesses succeed online and has more than three million customers. Network Solutions helps businesses grow online with domain name registration. Solid Cactus has designed or redesigned more than 3,500 e-commerce sites.

Contact the writer: dallabaugh@citizensvoice.com

CLARKS SUMMIT - Two area school districts have taken different stances on school safety, following the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School last month.

School board officials in the Lakeland and Abington Heights school districts met Wednesday to evaluate different safety measures to implement at their schools. The meetings followed a Dec. 14 shooting in Newtown, Conn., where a gunman killed 27 people including 20 elementary school students.

Students in the Abington Heights School District likely won't see armed officers patrolling the hallways. But that doesn't mean the district's school board is not taking a hard look at ways they can improve school security - without turning the school into a "fortress."

"We take security very seriously here, but we need to take a comprehensive approach to this matter," district Superintendent Michael Mahon, Ph.D., said at a work session Wednesday night. "Remember, these are schools, not fortresses. We cannot take actions that make our kids afraid to come to school."

In Lakeland, an armed school resource officer has been working in the high school since February. Additional officers were added to both elementary schools following Sandy Hook.

Without divulging any specifics, Dr. Mahon assured the audience the board is considering a number of safety measures. He said the improvements won't be limited to the building's security.

"We have been training our staff, faculty and administration in conflict resolution," he said.

While Lakeland has additional resource officers now it could be temporary.

They will remain in place at least until Jan. 18, but the board did not address how adding officers could be financed. The budget will be reviewed a work session Tuesday.

"I think we need to find the money to keep this job in tact," board member Casey Patuk said. "I don't think taking the SROs out of the elementary is an option."

Audience members raised questions about the enforcement of the door buzzer system, name badges for visitors and students and frequency of active shooter drills.

"It's really stopped us in our tracks and now we're rethinking everything," board President Mary Retzbach said of Sandy Hook. She added that there had been several meetings about ensuring a secure campus.

Board member Jill Yoniski also asked how the guidance department was prepared to work with students in need. District Superintendent Margaret Billings-Jones, Ed.D., explained that staff are equipped to assess and refer students to appropriate professionals and conversations about safety had been ongoing over the last several years.

"We encourage an active partnership to identify threats in the community," she said. To make an anonymous tip about a school issue, call 254-9976.

"It's a community problem, not just a school problem," audience member Rob O'Donnell said.

Contact the writers: miorfino@timesshamrock.com, rbrown@timesshamrock.com, @miorfinoTT, @rbrownTT

Scranton Prep plans info session

SCRANTON - There will be a informational meeting for parents interested in sending their children to Scranton Preparatory School in fall 2013, the school announced.

Parents of eighth-grade students are invited to hear from current students and faculty about the Scranton Prep experience on Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. in the school's Robert Bellarmine Theatre.

Information regarding financial aid, the guidance department and admissions questions will be addressed at the meeting.

Luzerne issues tax bills earlier

WILKES-BARRE - Luzerne County plans to issue all bills for county and municipal property taxes on Jan. 31.

That would be earlier than usual, and tax payment due dates also would be earlier. The change is expected to generate earlier tax payments and earlier revenue for the county and cash-strapped municipalities, said Laura Beers, office manager and tax administrator for the county treasurer's office.

Several municipalities have had cash shortages because they had hired the Central Tax Bureau of Pennsylvania and the Don Wilkinson Agency, also known as Centax, for tax collection services. Centax declared bankruptcy this year, and officially ceased operations on Sept. 21 after failing to promptly provide municipalities with tax revenue.

Scranton's 2013 budget began the new year Wednesday with a $350,000 question mark, as the city did not receive any bids for a new market-based revenue opportunity program expected to raise that much money by selling ads on city property, officials said.

The program, which has been undertaken in other cities in the state, is one of the alternative revenues to property taxes in the city's revised Act 47 recovery plan that was adopted in August and formed the basis of the 2013 budget.

The city has included $353,421 in MBRO revenue in the 2013 budget and was accepting bids for a three-year MBRO program for 2013-15, with a two-year option. A list of the city's physical assets, such as police vehicles, garbage trucks and buildings, would have been provided to prospective bidders to see what they would have proposed for using such assets to raise revenue for the city.

However, no bids were received by Wednesday's deadline, said city Purchasing Agent Eileen Hurchick.

"We'll probably do a rebid" of the MBRO program, said city Business Administrator Ryan McGowan.

If no bids are received a second time, the city then could try direct negotiation with marketing firms, he said.

The MBRO is the latest questionable alternative revenue that could cause shortfalls in the 2013 budget.

The city also has budgeted $1.3 million for payments in lieu of taxes from nonprofits that are hoped to be received but for which no commitments have been given. The city last year received $204,000 in nonprofit payments, and shortfalls in the 2013 goal would be made up from a $1 million contingency line item, officials have said.

The city also has budgeted $2.5 million from a commuter tax that was rejected last month by a panel of county judges. This budget shortfall may be made up either by tacking $2.5 million onto an anticipated leaseback borrowing package, or through the sale of an unspecified city asset, officials have said.

Contact the writer: jlockwood@timesshamrock.com

A Scranton police detective's federal lawsuit against the city will not go to trial this week because a settlement has been reached.

On Wednesday, Senior U.S. District Judge A. Richard Caputo issued an order dismissing the suit brought by Detective Tim Mayo's attorney claiming the city's then-public safety director Ray Hayes tarnished the detective's character when Mr. Hayes disclosed details about his suspension to a Times-Tribune reporter in 2008.

In a letter to the judge on Monday, the detective's attorney, Cynthia Pollick, said a resolution was reached with the city.

"Kindly be advised that we have resolved this matter," she wrote in a letter to Judge Caputo, urging him to issue an order dismissing the case.

Settlement not known

The details of the settlement were not released. Efforts to reach Ms. Pollick were unsuccessful.

Tim Foley, the attorney representing the city and Mr. Hayes, referred questions to city solicitor Paul Kelly. Efforts to reach Mr. Kelly were unsuccessful.

The city suspended and fired Detective Mayo in 2008 because he refused to immediately assist in the investigation of a shooting that year.

Police were looking for two suspects who had fled the scene of a shooting at 630 Adams Ave. on June 23, 2008.

Investigators had collected physical evidence from the crime scene, including footage from a surveillance camera, which they hoped would help them identify and find the suspects.

Since the detective was the only available officer who knew how to improve the quality of the surveillance video, then-Police Chief David Elliott sent an officer to the off-duty detective's home to tell him they needed his help.

When the officer arrived, the detective said: "Tell them to go (expletive) themselves. I'm sleeping. Tell them you didn't get a hold of me." The detective was quoted making the statement by an arbitrator in a report reviewing the disciplinary measures the city took against the him.

The police union challenged the city's punishment.

'Unacceptable'

Later, the arbitrator, Stanley Aiges, ruled that the detective's actions were "unacceptable" and "insubordinate."

However, the arbitrator determined the city's decision to fire the detective was too harsh. He did not have a prior disciplinary record.

City officials reinstated him to the force. The suspects also were apprehended.

Mr. Hayes disclosed details of the detective's suspension and the detective's decision not to immediately take part in the shooting investigation to a Times-Tribune reporter. The newspaper published his disclosure in July 2008.

On Wednesday, Mr. Hayes deferred comment to the city solicitor.

In the federal lawsuit filed in 2010, Ms. Pollick argued that the incident and the disciplinary measures should never have been "leaked" to the newspaper because of provisions in the police union's collective bargaining agreement providing confidentiality for personnel matters.

"At the time of the breach of confidentiality, Detective Mayo had always enjoyed a good reputation for truth, honesty, and reliability both in his trade and in the community," the lawsuit stated. "Detective Mayo was reputed, esteemed, accepted and considered a dedicated and hardworking employee."

After Mayor Chris Doherty reprimanded Mr. Hayes for speaking about the detective's conduct to the newspaper, Mr. Hayes defended his decision.

"I've always tried to balance the public's right to know with the privacy rights of the public safety employees," he said.

Contact the writer: smcconnell@ timesshamrock.com, @smcconnellTT on Twitter

BEZEK, ANNA, Pleasant Mount, Saturday, Kevin M. Lesjack Funeral Home, 513 Main St., Forest City. Mass, 10 a.m., St. James Church, Pleasant Mount. Interment, St. James Cemetery, Pleasant Mount. Calling hours, Friday, 7 to 9 p.m. Condolences: lesjackfuneralhome.com.

BROWN, KENNETH FRANCIS II, Avoca, Mass, Saturday, 9:30 a.m., Queen of the Apostles Parish, 715 Hawthorne St., Avoca, by the Rev. Philip J. Sladicka, pastor. Marine Corps honors follow. Calling hours, Friday, 5 to 8 p.m., Victor M. Ferri Funeral Home, 522 Fallon St., Old Forge. Contributions: Highway Federal Credit Union, c/o Christine E. Thomas, 1843 Route 315, Pittston, PA 18640. Condolences: ferrifuneralhome.com.

CAINES, RITA, Winton Village, Jessup, Wednesday, Rite of Christian Burial, St. James-St. George Church, Jermyn, by the Rev. Joseph P. Rafferty and the Rev. Graham Cliff. Pallbearers: David and Larry Black; Kenny Jr. and Brian Propst; James Jr. and Dr. Jason Lyons, grandsons. Interment, Valley View Cemetery, Montdale.

CALVEY, JOHN J., Scranton and Dunmore, today, 11:30 a.m., Miller Bean Funeral Home Inc., 436 Cedar Ave., Scranton. Interment, Fairview Memorial Park, Elmhurst. Memorials: Griffin Pond Animal Shelter, 967 Griffin Pond Road, Clarks Summit, PA 18411-9214. Condolences: millerbeanfh.com.

CHAMPAGNE, RITA T., Taylor, Wednesday, Semian Funeral Home, Taylor. Mass, Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel, Scranton, by the Rev. Stephen Krawontka. Pallbearers: Edward Coleman, Michael Krenitsky, John A. Souter and Ken Barnansky. Entombment, Cathedral Cemebery Mausoleum, Scranton.

DAVIS, ELIZABETH THOMAS, Old Forge, Friday, 10 a.m., Nebo Church, Old Forge, by the Rev. Wendy D'Agostino, pastor. Interment, Mountain View Cemetery, Harding. Calling hours, today, 4 to 8 p.m., Thomas P. Kearney Funeral Home Inc., 517 N. Main St., Old Forge. Contributions: Nebo Church, 208 N. Main St., Old Forge, PA 18518; Gift of Life Donor Program, 401 N. Third St., Philadelphia, PA 19123; or the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, 1311 Mamaroneck Ave., White Plains, NY 10605. Condolences: KearneyFuneralHome.com.

ENSLIN, RUSSELL K., Lake Ariel, today, 10 a.m., James Wilson Funeral Home, 143 Gravity Road, Lake Ariel, by the Rev. Arthur Davis. Interment, Fairview Memorial Park, Elmhurst. Contributions: Hospice of the Sacred Heart, 600 Baltimore Drive, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702. Condolences: jameswilsonfuneral home.com.

FRICK, ALAN F. "PEE WEE," Scranton, today, 10 a.m., Carlucci Golden DeSantis Funeral Home Inc., 318 E. Drinker St., Dunmore. Interment, Fairview Memorial Park, Elmhurst. Memorials: Griffin Pond Animal Shelter, 967 Griffin Pond Road, Clarks Summit, PA 18411, or Traditional Home Health and Hospice Care, 113 W. Drinker St., Dunmore, PA 18512. Condolences: dunmorefuneralhome.com.

GIDDINGS, KAREN ELIZABETH FOSTER, Union Dale, Friday, Jones & Brennan Funeral Home, 430 Main St., Forest City. Services, 11 a.m., by the Rev. Sue Hardman-Zimmerman. Interment, Lyons Street Cemetery, Union Dale. Calling hours, today, 4 to 7 p.m. Condolences: brennanfuner alhomes.com.

GLODEK, NATHALIE, Lackawanna Health Care Center, Blakely, formerly of Dickson City, today, 9 a.m., Frank T. Mazur Funeral Home Inc., 601 Dundaff St., Dickson City. Mass, 9:30, St. Mary's Visitation Church, Dickson City. Interment, St. Mary's Cemetery, Dickson City. Condolences: mazurfuneralhome.com.

JOSEPHITE, SOPHIE, Scranton, today, 10:30 a.m., Kearney Funeral Home Inc., 125 N. Main Ave., Scranton. Mass, 11, Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel, 1605 Oram St., Scranton, by the Rev. Stephen Krawontka. Interment, Cathedral Cemetery, Scranton. Calling hours today, 9 to 10:30. Condolences: www.KearneyFuneralHome.com.

KASZUBA, LILLIAN MARY, Olyphant, today, 9 a.m., Hudak-O'Shea Funeral Home Inc., 115 Garfield Ave., Olyphant. Mass, 9:30, St. Patrick's Church, Delaware Street, Olyphant. Interment, St. Patrick's Cemetery, Blakely. Contributions: Northeast Cancer Institute, 334 Jefferson Ave., Scranton, PA 18505-3234. Condolences: hudak-osheafu neralhome.com.

MARVIN, LLOYD W., Hallstead, Saturday, 6 p.m., Tuttle-Yeisley Funeral Home Inc., Hallstead. Spring inurnment, North Jackson Cemetery. Calling hours, 3 to 6. Contributions: Ronald McDonald House, 1100 E. Genesee St., Syracuse, NY 13210.

McDONALD, JOSEPH G., Carbondale, today, Oliver Shifler & Scotchlas Funeral Home Inc., 62 N. Main St., Carbondale. Mass, 9:30 a.m., St. Rose of Lima Church, 6 N. Church St., Carbondale. Interment, Our Mother of Sorrows Cemetery, Finch Hill. Condolences: shiflerfu neralhome.com.

McGEEHAN, KEVIN L., Scranton, today, 1 p.m., Solfanelli-Fiorillo Funeral Home Inc., 1030 N. Main Ave., Scranton. Interment, private. Contributions: Hospice of the Sacred Heart, 600 Baltimore Drive, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702. Condolences: solfanellifiorillofuner alhome.com.

MORCOM, PAUL, Jermyn, Friday, 11 a.m., Battenberg Funeral Home, 363 Washington Ave., Jermyn, by the Rev. Allan Rupert. Interment, Jermyn Cemetery. Calling hours today, 5 to 8 p.m. Memorials: American Cancer Society or The V Foundation for Cancer Research, 106 Towerview Court, Carey, NC 27513.

NOONE, TERESA WHITE, Clarks Summit, today, Neil W. Regan Funeral Home Inc., 1900 Pittston Ave., Scranton. Mass, 9:30 a.m., St. Patrick's Church, 1403 Jackson St., Scranton, go directly to church. Entombment, Cathedral Cemetery Mausoleum, Scranton. Memorials: Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, 906 Penn Ave., Suite LL, Wyomissing, PA 19610 or Home Health Care Professionals and Hospice, 940 Scranton-Carbondale Highway, Archbald, PA 18403.

OCENAS, STEPHEN M., Throop, today, 11 a.m., St. Stephen's Evangelical Lutheran Church, 25 Hillcrest Drive, Dickson City, by the Rev. Alan Vomhof. Calling hours today, 9 to 11, church. Internment, Dunmore Cemetery. Memorials: St. Stephen's Evangelical Lutheran Church. Condolences: jfglinskyfuneralhome@gmail.com. Arrangements: John F. Glinsky Funeral Home, Throop.

PECK, EDWARD J. SR., Scranton, Wednesday, Eagen-Hughes Funeral Home, Scranton. Mass, Church of St. Joseph, Scranton, by the Rev. Francis Pauselli, pastor. Pallbearers: Bill Sr. and Bill Jr. Layton; Walter Jr. and Jason Peck; Sean Bennie and Mike Cole. Interment, St. Mary Czestochowa Cemetery, Greenwood.

PETCH, ELIZABETH A., Scott Twp., today, 10 a.m., Howard J. Snowdon Funeral Home, 1810 Sanderson Ave., Scranton, by the Rev. Allen Rupert. Interment, Dunmore Cemetery, Dunmore. Calling hours, today, 9 to 10. Contributions: Jermyn Primitive Methodist Church, 763 Jefferson Ave., Jermyn, PA 18433. Condolences: duffyandsnowdon.com.

RODNEY, MARIE DAVITT, Scranton, private, Solfanelli-Fiorillo Funeral Home Inc., 1030 N. Main Ave., Scranton. Interment, private, Fairview Memorial Park, Elmhurst. Contributions: Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, 1101 Willow St., Peckville, PA 18452, or the Raina Santora Fund, c/o Fidelity Bank, 247 Wyoming Ave., Kingston, PA 18704. Condolences: solfanellifio rillofuneralhome.com.

ROTHERMEL, LEO B., Lake Ariel, today, 1 p.m., Duffy & Snowdon Funeral Home, 401 Church St., Moscow. Calling hours, today, 12:30 to service. Interment, private. Condolences: duffyandsnowdon.com.

RUDDY, DEBORAH C., South Scranton, Friday, 9:15 a.m., Edward J. Chomko Funeral Home, 254-268 Railroad Ave., Scranton. Mass, 10, St. Ann's Basilica, Scranton. Interment, Cathedral Cemetery, Scranton. Calling hours, today, 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Condolences: chomkofuneralhome.com.

RUNYON, JOAN, Peckville, today, 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., Teeters' East Chapel, Hawley. www.teetersfuneral chapel.com.

SALERNO, GIOVINA SULLA, North Scranton, private. Mass, St. Lucy's Church, Scranton. Entombment, Cathedral Cemetery. Arrangements: Carl J. Savino Funeral Home, 157 S. Main Ave., Scranton.

SNYDER, JOHN J., North Scranton and Abington Manor, Clarks Summit, Mass, Friday, 9:30 a.m., Holy Rosary Church, 316 William St., Scranton. Calling hours, today, 4 to 7 p.m., Knight-O'Donnell Funeral Home, 323 William St., Scranton. Interment, St. Catherine's Cemetery, Moscow. Contributions: Holy Rosary Church/Mary, Mother of God Parish, 316 William St., Scranton, PA 18508.

THOMAS, ADA K., Clarks Summit, today, noon, Washburn Street Cemetery, Scranton, by the Rev. Joseph Santos. Memorials: Bethel Baptist Church, 1132 S. Main Ave., Scranton, PA 18504. Arrangements: Lawrence E. Young Funeral Home, 418 S. State St., Clarks Summit. Condolences: lawrenceeyoungfuner alhome.com.

TIERNEY, EMILY "PAT," Clarks Green, today, Mass, 10 a.m., Church of St. Gregory, 330 N. Abington Road, Clarks Green, by the Rev. John M. Lapera and con-celebrated by Monsignor John H. Louis. Interment, Hickory Grove Cemetery, Waverly. Arrangements: Jennings-Calvey Funeral and Cremation Services Inc., 111 Colburn Ave., Clarks Summit. Contributions: Greater Scranton YMCA, 706 N. Blakely St., Dunmore, PA 18512, or the Waverly Community House, Waverly. Condolences: jennings calvey.com.

TOCHELLI, MARY, Jermyn, today, 9 a.m., Battenberg Funeral Home, 363 Washington Ave., Jermyn. Mass, 9:30, Sacred Heart of Mary Church, Jermyn, by Monsignor Dale Rupert. Interment, Calvary Cemetery, Mayfield.

TOMKO, RICHARD JOHN, Bluffton, S.C., formerly of Dickson City, Mass, Saturday, 10:30 a.m., St. Mary's Visitation Church, Dickson City. Interment, St. Mary's Cemetery. Memorials: St. Mary's Visitation Church, Dickson City; or United Hospice of Beaufort, 1605 North St., Beaufort, SC 29902.

The year 2012 was one for the record books.

The National Weather Service announced that last year was the warmest on record in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area, with the average temperature for the year of 53 degrees. It beat 1921, when the average was 52.4 degrees.

The average temperature is determined by taking the average of highs and lows for each day, said Joanne LaBounty, meteorologist for the National Weather Service. The weather service has recorded temperatures for the area since 1901, she said. Temperatures currently are recorded at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport.

Last year saw few cold spells like the one hitting Northeast Pennsylvania this week.

The beginning of January 2012 saw some lows in the single digits. The low on Jan. 3 was 7 degrees, and the low on Jan. 4 was 5 degrees, Ms. LaBounty said. Aside from those days, however, January was an unusually warm month.

Mike Pigott, meteorologist at AccuWeather, attributes the record to particular months in 2012 that were "abnormally warm," including January and March.

He said he wouldn't attribute the record to global warming. He instead pointed to how many people classify last year as "the year without a winter."

The warmest year follows the region's wettest ever recorded. In 2011, 59.99 inches of precipitation fell at the local airport. The next-highest total is from 1945, when 53.71 inches of precipitation was recorded.

Contact the writer: shazen@timesshamrock.com