Bailey is home.

The little dog missing for 11 days since she escaped after a vehicle crash last month was found Thursday night in Wilkes-Barre Township.

“Now we have our family back,” Bob Loftus said.

Loftus and his wife, Toni, had steadfastly searched for the missing Yorkipoo and remained hopeful to be reunited after getting reports of sightings in the Georgetown section of the township.

The couple’s 2-year-old daughter, Lily, was happy to see Bailey this morning at their Rice Township home.

“Lily is so happy this morning that her Bailey is home,” Loftus said.

Bailey ran away on Nov. 29 after Loftus’ car was rammed by an alleged drunk driver on Highland Park Boulevard while he was on his way to Wegman’s Food Market.

While exiting the mangled car, a dazed Loftus said he realized he hadn’t put the vehicle in park and lost control of Bailey as he tried to perform the shift.

Loftus said a couple who lives on Leslie Lane in Wilkes-Barre Township called him to say they spotted Bailey last night near their home.

A family member then went to the area to search and eventually located Bailey in Karaska Park just before midnight. He lured her in with some treats.

“He threw a treat. She came out for the one. Then she came closer. Then she came closer again and he was able to get her,” Loftus said.

Loftus took the dog to the animal hospital for a check up. Bailey had lost weight — from 11 to 8 pounds — but otherwise was OK, he said.

“We were curious to see how she would react when she was home,” Loftus said. “She was excited.”

bkalinowski@citizensvoice.com, 570-821-2055

@cvbobkal

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Scranton police charged two Friday for fighting with officers who responded to their Luzerne Street home after a dispute, police said.

At 2:14 a.m., someone called 911 and reported “it’s like murder” at the rear of 814 Luzerne St., then hung up, according to a criminal complaint filed by Patrolman Carman Wega.

There, multiple officers found a man and woman drenched in blood. The woman, Menynn Thompson, put her arm through a fish tank during an argument and cut herself, Lt. Glenn Thomas said.

Police tried to assist the woman but the man, Kyle Wilson, got in their way. They asked him to move and Mr. Wilson, 30, threatened officers and called them racial slurs.

Meanwhile, Ms. Thompson, 26, leaned back and kicked Cpl. Daniel Schaufler’s legs while the officer inspected her arm. Mr. Wilson then struck Cpl. Schaufler in the chest, Patrolman Wega said.

Several officers grabbed Mr. Wilson, who fought with police until they put him in handcuffs. He threatened to shoot Cpl. Schaufler in the head, according to the complaint.

With Mr. Wilson in custody, police and medical personnel tried to aid Ms. Thompson, who was also aggressive and said racial slurs, police said.

Ms. Thompson did not want to get on a stretcher and struck Patrolwoman Aimee Redd in the face, spat on Patrolman Nicholas Hurchick, and spat at and bit the arm of Patrolman Wega.

She continued to yell racial slurs while being transported to Geisinger Community Medical Center, where she also yelled at hospital staff members, police said.

Both are charged with aggravated assault, resisting arrest, terroristic threats, simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct. Both were arraigned Friday afternoon and jailed in lieu of bail — $15,000 for Ms. Thompson and $10,000 for Mr. Wilson. Preliminary hearings are scheduled for Dec. 21.

Contact the writer:

jkohut@timesshamrock.com,

@jkohutTT on Twitter

The guilty plea of a Carbondale Navy veteran convicted of underage sex crimes with two girls will be changed and he will be resentenced on the more recent case.

In August, a judge gave Wayne Imbalzano a state prison term of six to 12 years for his 2014 relationship with a 15-year-old girl.

Mr. Imbalzano, now 28, had agreed to plead guilty to statutory sexual assault with a victim 11 years younger or more, a first-degree felony, and a misdemeanor charge of corruption of minors as part of a negotiated deal that dropped other charges against him.

However, the defendant changed defense attorneys after sentencing, and his new lawyer, Matthew Comerford, noticed Mr. Imbalzano was slightly less than 11 years older than his victim.

That fact would decrease his crime of statutory sexual assault from a first-degree to a second-degree felony and could potentially lower his sentence.

During the August hearing, Lackawanna County Judge Margaret Bisignani Moyle said she went above state sentencing guidelines because of Mr. Imbalzano’s “predatory” actions, and because it wasn’t his first time.

In April 2012, he pleaded guilty to unlawful contact with a minor — sexual offenses, a third-degree felony, for abusing another 15-year-old girl.

Despite the change in felony grade in the more recent case, the judge could still legally give Mr. Imbalzano the same sentence, Deputy District Attorney Jennifer McCambridge said.

She noted the district attorney’s office was aware that Mr. Imbalzano was 10 years and 10 months older than the victim when agreeing to the plea deal and argues Mr. Imbalzano was aware too. Rather than engage in the lengthy appeals process, her office will allow the withdrawal and resubmittal of the plea with the amended charge, she said.

A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.

Contact the writer:

pcameron@timesshamrock.com, @pcameronTT on Twitter

DICKSON CITY — Standing at a podium in the Viewmont Mall on Friday, Scranton Police Chief Carl Graziano reflected that somewhere in the area, an impaired driver is on the road.

Less than five minutes later, state police Capt. Chris Paris confirmed it. While the chief spoke, Capt. Paris stood next to a trooper and listened to his police radio.

“Not a minute-and-a-half-ago, a driver was just arrested by a Swiftwater trooper for driving under the influence at 12:23 p.m.,” Capt. Paris said during his speech at the 27th annual Holiday Safe Drive Campaign awards ceremony. “Every DUI driver we take off the road, we’re saving at least one life.”

Saving lives and promoting safe driving remained the central theme Friday at the annual ceremony, which recognizes law enforcement, drug treatment and student groups that work to combat impaired driving and substance abuse.

The event, presented by the Lackawanna Drunk and Drugged Driving Coalition, was held in the mall. Several students from the Students Against Destructive Decisions clubs in the North Pocono, Lakeland, Dunmore, Carbondale Area, Valley View and Scranton school districts attended.

“The No. 1 killer of young adults in this country is drunk driving,” Kevin J. McLaughlin, chief executive officer of the Drug and Alcohol Treatment Service of Scranton, told the young crowd.

Members of DATS said there were 457 DUI deaths in the state in 2014. In Lackawanna County, there were five that year and 27 since 2010, according to data compiled by the state Department of Transportation.

“As you’ve heard with some of those statistics, a lot of lives, too many lives, are tragically cut short by drunk, drugged and distracted driving each year,” said William “Bo” Hoban, director of the Lackawanna/Susquehanna County Office of Drug and Alcohol Programs. “All of these tragic deaths are very preventable.”

The ceremony recognized Scranton Patrolman James Weaver; state Trooper Robert Malinowski; Old Forge Patrolman Nick Bernardi; South Abington Twp. Police Chief Robert Gerrity; Lackawanna County Judges Vito Geroulo and Michael Barrasse; and Dunmore football coach Jack Henzes, who also heads the school’s SADD club.

“We average over 3,000 new cases a year coming into the system,” Judge Geroulo said. “Eighty percent of them are drug-related in some way or another.”

Two people — DATS DUI coordinator Jim Shander and Lackawanna County District Attorney Andy Jarbola — received special awards, named after former DATS clinical director Anthony Pero, who died in January 2014.

Mr. Jarbola remarked how the county sees more than one overdose death a week, a number he said is very high. The county is in an addiction epidemic, he said.

“I couldn’t tell you over the last 30 years in the DA’s office how many times I’ve had to go to someone’s house and tell a parent or a loved one that someone died as a result of a drunk-driving incident,” Mr. Jarbola said.

Mr. McLaughlin ended the nearly half-hour ceremony hoping to call attention to addiction by drawing a seemingly unusual comparison — addiction and Ebola.

“If I were to tell you that in this country, let’s say if we had an outbreak of Ebola and 150 people a week died from Ebola, what would the country be like?” Mr. McLaughlin asked. “We’d be in a total panic. You know, there’s 150 people in this country who die from drug overdoses every week? Nobody knows that. Nobody thinks about that.”

Contact the writer:

jkohut@timesshamrock.com,

@jkohutTT on Twitter

A man charged with killing a neighbor one year ago in a Scranton housing project was deemed incompetent for trial by a doctor, Lackawanna County Deputy District Attorney Gene Riccardo said.

However, that doctor found that Joseph Thornton is a good candidate for mental competency if he is willing to take medication.

“We’re asking the court administration to assign a Common Pleas judge to hear certain motions to send him to a secure state facility to get evaluated,” Mr. Riccardo said. “The determination was he can become competent if he’s willing to take the medication.”

Mr. Thornton was scheduled for a preliminary hearing Friday, but the hearing was postponed until the competency issue is settled. Efforts to reach his attorney, James Elliott, were unsuccessful Friday.

Mr. Thornton, 27, is charged with homicide and other counts for the killing of 29-year-old Stephanie Tyminski, his neighbor at Valley View Terrace. Police found Ms. Tyminski dead in a bathtub Dec. 10, 2014, and Mr. Thornton quickly became a person of interest and then a suspect. Detectives found blood stains in his apartment and learned he was obsessed with Ms. Tyminski, though she repeatedly rejected his advances.

The evaluation result is the latest procedural step in a murder prosecution that began in March, when Scranton police detectives led Mr. Thornton, visibly upset and apparently unstable, to his arraignment for the homicide. He told reporters he “would never lay a hand on a female” because murder is “a sin against God.” His sudden outbursts at an attempted preliminary hearing in June seemed to reflect a mental condition.

Police arrested him less than a week after Ms. Tyminski’s death and charged him with witness intimidation for threatening to kill another neighbor if she spoke with police and for offering money in exchange for her silence, detectives said. Those charges led to a scuffle with police and additional charges of aggravated harassment by a prisoner. He has been in custody ever since. A preliminary hearing on those charges was also postponed Friday.

Should a judge commit Mr. Thornton to a mental institution, it may be several weeks before another evaluation to determine competency to stand trial, said Mr. Riccardo.

“We have an interest in making sure he’s competent in holding him accountable for the homicide,” Mr. Riccardo said.

For now, Mr. Thornton remains in Lackawanna County Prison without bail.

Contact the writer:

jkohut@timesshamrock.com,

@jkohutTT on Twitter

School boards throughout Lackawanna County have reorganized for the upcoming year.

At reorganization meetings during the past two weeks at 10 Lackawanna County public school districts, new and re-elected school directors were sworn in, meeting dates tentatively set and presidents and vice presidents elected.

The Riverside School Board has four new members, the most in the county, while North Pocono, Carbondale Area and Lakeland school districts have no new faces on their school boards. Mid Valley, Abington Heights and Dunmore school boards each have one new director.

Scranton, Dunmore, Mid Valley, North Pocono and Riverside have new presidents leading their boards.

Regular monthly meeting dates and times, including monthly work sessions, are subject to change. Check the school district’s website or legal notices in The Times-Tribune for the most current meeting dates throughout the year.

ABINGTON HEIGHTS

President: Cathy Ann Hardaway

Vice president: Louise Brzuchalski

Other directors: Michele Tierney, Michele Pusateri, Jeanne Cadman, Phillip Robson, Gregory Madensky, Michael Fleming and Warren Acker.

Meetings: Jan. 6 (Newton-Ransom Elementary); Jan. 20, Feb. 3 (Clarks Summit Elementary); Feb. 17, March 2 (Abington Heights Middle School); March 16, April 6 (Abington Heights High School); April 20, May 4, May 18, June 1, June 22 (budget adoption); July 20, Aug. 3, Aug. 17, 6:40 p.m., administration building unless noted otherwise.

CARBONDALE AREA

President: Gary Smedley

Vice president: John Jordan

Other directors: Paul Kaczmarcik, Joseph Caviston, James Dovin, Nancy Mark, Joseph Totsky and Cindi Turonis.

There is a vacant seat on the board after director Thomas Cerra resigned on Friday. Those interested in representing Carbondale’s Region 3 on the board can send letters of intent and resumes to the attention of Mr. Smedley at the district office, 101 Brooklyn St., Carbondale, PA 18407. Applications are due by Friday, Dec. 18. The board will do public interviews and hire a new director on Monday, Dec. 22, at 7 p.m.

Meetings: The second Tuesday of each month at 7:15 p.m. in the high school auditorium, 101 Brooklyn St., Carbondale.

DUNMORE

President: Michael Hallinan

Vice president: Michael Butler

Other directors: Robert Holtham, James McHale, John Farris, Joseph Muracco, John Summa, Joseph Durkin and Francis X. Kranick Jr.

Meetings: Third Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m. in the high school cafeteria, 300 W. Warren St., Dunmore.

LAKELAND

President: Mary Retzbach

Vice president: Thomas Evans

Other directors: Thomas Walsh, Aurelio Catanzaro, Casey Patuk, John Yanochik, Henry Stachura, Greg Kopa and Stanley Stracham III.

Meetings: Jan. 5 (special meeting); Jan. 20, Feb. 17, March 16, April 20, May 18, June 29, July 20, Aug. 17, Sept. 21, Oct. 18, Nov. 16 and Dec. 5 (reorganization meeting), at 7 p.m. in the Lakeland High School Auditorium, 1355 Lakeland Drive, Scott Twp., unless otherwise noted.

MID VALLEY

President: Rick Barone

Vice president: Paul Macknosky

Other directors: Donna Dixon, Peter Kolcharno, Gerald Luchansky, Daniel Lane, Joanne Pesota, Mary Ruth Tanner and Steven Vituszynski.

Meetings: Jan. 20, Feb. 17 at the Lackawanna County CTC, March 16, April 20, May 18, June 22, Aug. 17, Sept. 21, Oct. 19, Nov. 16 and Dec. 7, reorganization meeting, 7 p.m. in the district boardroom of the administrative office, Mid Valley Secondary Center, 52 Underwood Road, Throop.

NORTH POCONO

President: Scott Keating

Vice president: William Burke

Other directors: Ralph Colo, Michael A. May, Angela Cobb, Diane Croom, Howard McIntosh, Mark Powell and Carl Scartelli.

Meetings: Jan. 12, Feb. 11, March 10, April 14, May 5, June 9, Aug. 11, Sept. 8, Oct. 13, Nov. 10 and Dec. 8 (reorganization and regular meeting), 7 p.m., high school auditorium, 97 Bochicchio Blvd., Covington Twp.

OLD FORGE

President: Debbie Stallone DeSando

Vice president: James Hoover

Other directors: Kelly Dougher-Tansley, Valerie Marcinko, Marie Pero Ciuferri, Julie Grimes, Megan McCabe, Jason O’Hearn and Robert Notari.

Meetings: Third Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. in Old Forge High School, 300 Marion St., Old Forge.

RIVERSIDE

President: Carol Armstrong

Vice president: Linda Joyce

Other directors: Barbara Fedor, George Bieber, Charles Maurer Jr., Robert Bennie, Michael Duda, Mary Antoniacci McHugh and Caryn Emiliani.

Meetings: The second Monday of each month at 7 p.m. in the high school library, 300 Davis St., Taylor.

SCRANTON

President: Bob Sheridan

Vice president: Cy Douaihy

Other directors: Robert Casey, Mark McAndrew, Carol Oleski, Paul Duffy, Tom Schuster, James J. Timlin and Bob Lesh.

Meetings: The first Monday of each month at 6 p.m. at Scranton High School, 63 Mike Munchak Way, Scranton.

VALLEY VIEW

President: Joseph Mondak

Vice president: Thomas Owen

Other directors: Ellen Nielsen, Joseph Koniszewski, Joseph Buckshon Jr., Curt Camoni, Christopher Smith, James Addley and William Shanley.

Meetings: Jan. 19, Feb. 16, March 21, April 18, May 16, June 20, July 18, Aug. 22, Sept. 19, Oct. 17, Nov. 21 and December TBA, at 7:30 p.m., in the high school library, 1 Columbus Drive, Archbald.

Contact the writer:

kbolus@timesshamrock.com,

@kbolusTT on Twitter

SCRANTON — Charges have been dropped against a Jermyn contractor accused of taking money without doing work after the defendant paid back the victim, Lackawanna County Deputy District Attorney Gene Riccardo said.

Brian Swatt, 47, was charged last month with deceptive business practices and related counts for failing to remodel Jenine Hesser’s bathroom in July 2014 after accepting $1,353.97. He made some payments but was delinquent in others and still owed more than $850 when county detectives charged him.

He repaid the full amount by his Nov. 13 preliminary hearing, and the victim authorized the district attorney to withdraw the charges, Mr. Riccardo said.

— JOSEPH KOHUT

Carbondale

Free concert: Crystal Band 32nd annual free Christmas concert, Sunday, 7 p.m., Berean Baptist Church, North Church Street and Lincoln Avenue.

Dickson City

Fundraising party: Dickson City Christmas Light Committee final fundraising Christmas party, Friday, 5-8 p.m., Mia Amore; $25, light fare, beer, wine, soda, entertainment by Lightweight, basket and 50/50 raffles, $250 Lottery Frame; Jeff Kovaleski, committee chairman, 570-878-3373.

Hughestown

Roll sale: St. Peter’s Lutheran Church nut- and poppy-seed roll sale, orders close Sunday, pickup Dec. 22, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and 4-5:30 p.m., 100 Rock St.; $8.50; call Carolyn, 570-654-1849, or Pam, 570-313-2829.

Keyser Valley

Christmas party: Keyser Valley Senior Citizens annual Christmas party, Monday, 1 p.m., Community Center; dinner followed by games, gifts, songs and refreshments.

Old Forge

Elementary concerts: Old Forge Elementary School eighth annual Christmas concert series: first/second/third-grade, Monday; fourth, fifth/sixth,

both 7:30 p.m., high school auditorium; kindergarten, Wednesday, 2 p.m.; free.

Olyphant

Tree sale: Excelsior Hose Company 1 fresh-cut Christmas tree sale, nightly/weekends, fire station, Lackawanna Avenue; $35; call 570-307-5085 and leave a message if no one at station.

South Scranton

Brick fundraiser: Connors Park accepting brick orders for the spring installation; Bob, 570-561-7584.

Susquehanna County

Christmas party: Community Neighbors Connecting Christmas party, Dec. 15, noon-2 p.m., St. Mark’s Community Center, Main Street, New Milford; games, cookie exchange: bring three dozen cookies/container, $5 wrapped gift to exchange, lunch provided, free.

Valley View

Boosters meet: Valley View Basketball Booster Club meeting, Sunday, 6:30 p.m., High School Library, 3 Columbus Drive, Archbald; discussing upcoming season, fundraising; Lori Chieffalo, 570-335-4957.

West Pittston

Christmas program: Christian and Missionary Alliance Church, “A Dramatic Christmas” program, Sunday, 7 p.m. (doors open 6:30), sanctuary, 317 Luzerne Ave., humorous/dramatic skits, sketches, readings, carols by children’s, youth and adult departments of Sunday School; free; 570-654-2500.

West Scranton

Christmas program: Berean Church Christmas program, Sunday, 10:15 a.m.

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

The building’s painted locker rooms are refinished and the floors are almost done inside the old Fell Twp. High School.

However, grant money tied up because of the state budget deadlock is creating uncertainty for a group transforming the dilapidated old building into a vibrant community hub.

The Dimes from Heaven Foundation already has completed a playground, community garden and two new ball fields on the old campus, and the group has a lot more in store.

Dimes from Heaven founder Michael Melnick said they’re counting on grants to cover some of the more costly items on the list.

“We have everything done that we could have had done without putting in the big-ticket items,” he said. “Without putting in the heating, without putting in some of the roofing, without putting in the pavement.”

In September, the group was awarded a $25,000 grant through the Lackawanna County Re-Invest program to install a splash pad, and Mr. Melnick anticipates that project will be finished next year.

After township zoning issues shut down a pending deal with the Carbondale brewers 3 Guys & A Beer’d to lease a second, unused school building for a brewery and tasting room, Dimes from Heaven is now in talks with the Anthracite Historical Discovery Center to move the educational organization’s headquarters from Carbondale to the building, Mr. Melnick said.

Meanwhile, the organization is creating ties with other Upvalley groups. The Fell Renaissance organization and VFW Post 4712 have been collaborating with Dimes from Heaven to find strength in numbers.

“It’s worked out very well. We’ve brought the community together, at least those three organizations, and there’s been some involvement with the Grattan Singer Hose Company,” said Fell Renaissance committee member Joe Scotchlas, explaining that money raised during a recent Harvest Hop fundraiser was split with Fell Renaissance for new town Christmas lights. The fundraiser also supported the Wounded Warrior Project to build a disabled-accessible fishing pier on the lake behind the park.

The three organizations and folks from the community meet to discuss new initiatives and plans at 7 p.m. on the second Tuesday of every month in the Holy Trinity Hall on Prospect Street. Their meetings are open to the public.

Contact the writer:

joconnell@timesshamrock.com,

@jon_oc on Twitter

MARRIAGE LICENSE

■ Leo A. Reilly and Melba Ann Kraycer, both of Dunmore.

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

■ Kevin M. and Francine Fitzgerald, both of Scranton, and Melissa Molinaro, Carbondale, to Sandra Majorino, Scranton; a property at 18 Villa St., Carbondale, for $25,000.

■ U.S. Bank National Association, trustee for Structured Asset Securities Corp., to David Delvecchio and Steven Yanisko; a property at 1107 Filbert St., Archbald, for $45,150.

■ Thomas M. and Sheila Czarkowski, both of Dickson City, to Brandon and Kristy Whitlock, both of Dunmore; a property at 944-46 Lincoln St., Dickson City, for $182,000.

■ Blue Shutters Land Development LLC, Covington Twp., to James J. Pallante, Moosic; a property in Covington Twp., for $55,000.

■ Thomas Walter and Kelly Collins, both of Vandling, to Suzanne J. Theony, Forest City; a property at 413 Main St., Vandling, for $97,520.

■ Anthony Joseph Scarnato, to James and Caitlin Pisa; a property at 301 Orchard St., Old Forge, for $131,000.

DIVORCES SOUGHT

■ Kevin D. McDonald, Moscow, v. Elizabeth McDonald, Scranton; married May 26, 2006, in New York; Brenda M. Kobal, attorney.

■ Michael J. Coombes Sr., Carbondale, v. Brenda L. Clark, Jermyn; married June 21 in Carbondale; pro se.

DIVORCE DECREES

■ Karen Lynn Davis Smargiassi v. Kenneth Vincent Smargiassi.

■ Roseanne Pucilowski v. Alexander F. Pucilowski.

■ Matthew Zimorowicz v. Brittany Tulaney.

■ Leona Pilkonis Neal v. David Neal.

■ Edith Small v. Zackary Small.

ESTATES FILED

■ John L. Walsh, 1216 Clearview St., Scranton, letters testamentary to Ann Colleen Walsh, same address.

■ Chester Giacomi, 216 Stark St., Old Forge, letters of administration to Lynn Giacomi, same address.

■ Robert D. Wintermantel, 1323 Birch St., Scranton, letters of administration to Robert M. Wintermantel, same address.

■ Francis Jerome Charles, 1308 S. Main St., Taylor, letters testamentary to Ryan F. Charles, 1731 Jefferson Ave., Bethlehem.

■ Sharon Brady, 221 Ash Blvd., Vandling, letters of administration to Lisa Miller, 1165 Upper Main St., Forest City and Michael Brady, 54 Hollow Road, Wapwallopen.

■ Joseph C. Gillette aka Joseph Gillette, 116 Fallbrook St., Carbondale, letters of administration to Rebekah Gillette, 23 Rittenhouse St., Scranton.

STATE TAX LIENS

■ Dennis F. Short Jr., 420 Adams Ave., Apt. 120, Scranton; $4,748.63.

■ Jose Quiles, 1428 Pittston Ave., Scranton; $659.68.

■ Norberto Letriz, 1213 Rock St., Scranton; $3,952.

■ Jeffrey L. Volovitch, 1527 Dorothy St., Scranton; $7,784.18.

■ Timothy A. Rayburn Sr., 109 Gravel Pike, Green Lane; $4,698.39.

■ Maria C. Sosa-Mendez, 1608 Townhouse Blvd., Scranton; $1,891.89.

■ Jose A. Vizcarrondo, 1034 Ferdinand St., Scranton; $1,260.96.

■ Francisco Perez, 828 E. Parker St., Scranton; $1,549.01.

■ William J. Walter, 7 Madison Estates, Moscow; $1,749.04.

■ William M. Kathalynas, 1832 Clearview St., Scranton; $12,206.25.

■ Joseph C. Costanzo, 311 N. Main Ave., Scranton; $900.38.

■ Edwin Jimenez, 306 S. Irving Ave., Scranton; $2,127.84.

■ Richard W. Erkfitz, 2025 Wayne Ave., Scranton; $1,484.04.

■ Barbara L. Nanton, 1851 Newton Ransom Blvd., Clarks Summit; $568.90.

■ Kimberly M. Hogan, 1033 Diamond Ave., Scranton; $22,962.28.

■ Joel Bonilla Arroya, 1904 12 Price St., Scranton; $1,455.60.

■ Geore A. Bolsar III, 447 Bodnick St., Apt. 8, Peckville; $1,920.90.

■ Lori A. Ogonowski, 573 Washington Ave., Jermyn; $1,260.98.

■ John J. Pacini Jr., 807 W. Market St., Scranton; $1,650.66.

■ Tyree J. Benjamin, 1001 B St., Apt. B, New Castle; $671.95.

■ Bryan M. Vadovsky, 1507 State Route 502, Spring Brook Twp.; $6,636.18.

■ Andre E. Spann, 1540 Wyoming Ave., Scranton; $620.60.

■ Shane A. Russell, 803 Electric St., Dunmore; $2,061.43.

ONLINE: thetimes-tribune.com/courts

JERMYN — A popular bar and restaurant known for its scrumptious chicken wings is on the market for $1.35 million.

Opened in 1977 and the region’s first restaurant to sell hot wings, the Windsor Inn boasts $915,000 in annual gross revenue with 10 rental units on the second floor, two currently used as office space.

The owner, who is retiring, will assist to transition ownership for 30 days after the sale. A buyer also gets the Windsor Inn’s recipe book — famed wing sauce formula included.

For more information, contact selling agency PMJ Productions Inc., 570-586-7095. Until it’s sold, the current owner will keep the Windsor Inn open.

— JON O’CONNELL

Pair jailed after alleged assault

TAYLOR — A man and a woman are in Lackawanna County Prison, accused of assaulting and trying to rob a woman Thursday night.

Holley Waldeck told police Janay Young, 28, called her to 8 Little League Boulevard to pick up some money Ms. Young owed her. But after she went inside, Ms. Waldeck told police, Ms. Young and her brother, Tevin Smith, 23, attacked her and demanded money.

Ms. Waldeck freed herself and ran to a neighboring home to call police. Witnesses reported seeing Ms. Young smashing Ms. Waldeck’s car windows as she fled.

Mr. Smith told police he had nothing to do with the incident and that “it was all his sister’s doing,” according to court documents. Ms. Young admitted smashing the car windows, but told them Ms. Haldeck broke into her house through a window. Officers noted no signs of forced entry to the residence.

Ms. Young and Mr. Smith are jailed in lieu of $30,000 bail. Each face attempted robbery, simple assault and related charges. Preliminary hearings are scheduled for Wednesday.

— CLAYTON OVER

Woman faces shoplifting charges

SCRANTON — A woman is accused of trying to steal about $830 worth of items from Boscov’s Department Store.

Loss prevention officers at the store called Scranton police to the Mall at Steamtown on Thursday afternoon and said Mary Jo Mazzatta, 44, cut security sensors off seven items of clothing in a dressing room in an attempt to take them, according to court documents. Boscov’s staff stopped her before she could leave the store and all of the clothing was recovered.

Ms. Mazzatta was arraigned Friday and released on $1,500 unsecured bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.

— STAFF REPORT

Farm cuts access after legal threat

SHAVERTOWN — The threat of legal action has prompted the Lands at Hillside Farms to close its dairy barn to the public. Visitors are still welcome to other areas of the farm, but cannot go into the active milking barn with the cows and calves.

The change came after the nonprofit farm got a letter from an attorney threatening legal action over an incident this summer, he said. In that case, a child leaning in near a cow for a picture got bumped when the cow moved and ended up with a bloody nose.

— JAMES HALPIN

Dog found after

11-day search

WILKES-BARRE TWP. — Bailey is home.

The little dog missing for 11 days since she escaped after a vehicle crash last month was found Thursday night in Wilkes-Barre Twp.

“Now we have our family back,” Bob Loftus said.

He and his wife, Toni, had steadfastly searched for the missing Yorkipoo and remained hopeful of being reunited after getting reports of sightings.

After a couple spotted Bailey, the dog was found and lured with some treats. Bailey had lost weight and was down from 11 to 8 pounds, but was otherwise OK.

— BOB KALINOWSKI

Snow showers are in the forecast in Scranton early next week.

Well, Scranton, North Dakota, that is.

Residents of the Peace Garden State might be shoveling their walks Monday, but Scranton residents in the Keystone State likely will see this weekend with uncharacteristic temperatures as high as 62 degrees.

December in the Electric City is on track to be the warmest since record keeping began in 1901.

The warmest December on record in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area occurred in 1923, when the average December temperature was 38.7 degrees. Through the first 11 days of this December, the average temperature is 41.3 degrees, 2.6 degrees above the record high. If the trend continues, December will be the ninth consecutive month with higher-than-normal average temperatures.

For cold weather businesses the unseasonable warmth is hurting bottom lines.

“We are obviously a lot slower than we would be during a colder winter,” said Ken Santarelli, owner of Santarelli and Sons Oil of Peckville. “Everyone in the oil business is taking a hit.”

Santarelli and Sons are down 30 percent in terms of fuel sales this December, with high temperatures affecting other aspects of their business. The company is also taking a 75 percent hit when it comes to heating system repairs, compared to previous years.

“When the systems aren’t being worked, they don’t need to be fixed,” Mr. Santarelli said.

While business has been slow, he is optimistic that temps will drop.

“We’ve been having colder springs,” he noted.

Colder weather this past spring caused a late opening at the Scranton Municipal Golf Course, where General Manager Edward Cimoch said a warm November and December have “made up for a bad start.”

“We try to open in late March if we can, but we didn’t get started until April 15 this year,” Mr. Cimoch said. “You catch a break like this every 15 or 20 years and we’ll probably break even because of the long season, but that’s better than getting buried.”

The last day of golf at Scranton Municipal last year was Nov. 11. Forty golfers hit the links on Friday.

High winter temperatures also promise to save local municipalities money on overtime costs.

“Sundays are double time, and nights and Saturdays are time-and-a-half,” Olyphant Borough Manager C.J. Mustacchio said. “So if workers don’t have to go out, we’ll definitely save money there,”

Contact the writer: jhorvath@timesshamrock.com; @jhorvathTT on Twitter.

CLARKS SUMMIT — A borough pet store is hosting a pet adoption meet-and-greet today featuring several dogs that were saved from puppy mills.

The event, sponsored by the Northeastern Pennsylvania Pet Fund and Rescue, will feature at least seven dogs that need foster or permanent homes, said Lisa Kanavy, director of fund­raising for the nonprofit.

Several of the dogs, including two 4-year-old Brussels griffons, a 5-year-old Chihuahua and a 9-year-old Havanese, were recently rescued from puppy mills. Other dogs up for adoption include two more Chihuahuas and a 12-year-old bichon that is deaf.

The event will be held from noon to 2 p.m. at the Stately Pet Store, 515 S. State St. Anyone interested in fostering or adopting is encouraged to attend.

— TERRIE MORGAN-BESECKER

WILKES-BARRE TWP. —It may have been in the mid-50s outside, but the Trans-Siberian Orchestra created plenty of Christmas music and magic Friday afternoon at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.

During the first of two shows, the rock orchestra won many accolades for itslight and music spectacles as they returned this year with a new holiday extravaganza called “The Ghosts of Christmas Eve.”

The crowd cheered as the welcome voice of storyteller Bryan Hicks boomed out and an elegant, red theater curtain rose to reveal the stage.

They oohed and aahed as blue and white lasers fanned throughout the arena during “The Lost Christmas Eve.” Mr. Hicks got a warm reception as he emerged and stepped up to the microphone to spin his yearly Christmas tale.

Clips from TSO’s 1999 television movie “The Ghosts of Christmas Eve,” which starred Ossie Davis and Allie Sheridan, played on a faux-theater screen as Mr. Hicks spoke of a young teenage runaway who broke into an old Vaudeville theater, where she meets spirits who help turn her life around.

“In this room, where shadows live, and ghosts that failed learn time forgives, welcome friends, please stay a while. Our story starts with one small child,” Mr. Hicks said.

Classics set tone

Some of TSO’s best classic Christmas works further set the tone — “O Come All Ye Faithful/O Holy Night” and “Good King Joy,” a rockin’ mashup on the music of “Joy to the World” and “Good King Wenceslas.”

The audience cheered in recognition for one of TSO’s most captivating and popular arrangements, “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24,” a medley of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and “Carol of the Bells.”

One of the band’s most moving numbers followed — “Christmas Canon,” a take on Johann Pachelbel’s “Canon in D.” (This year makes five times I’ve reviewed TSO’s performance here, and that song gets me every single time.)

Strong vocal performances anchored the hauntingly powerful “What Child is This,” the torch song “Music Box Blues,” and the hopeful “Promises to Keep” and “This Christmas Day.”

“The most magical thing about this night, we will now reiterate, that no matter where you are in life, it never is too late,” Mr. Hicks said, later closing out the band’s first set with warm wishes. “This story is over, and it’s time to take our leave. May God keep you, and protect you, this and every Christmas Eve. Merry Christmas!”

Longtime TSO member and guitarist Chris Caffery introduced the TSO singers before the second half of the show, during which the band performed selections from its new album, “Letters from the Labyrinth.”

But first, TSO had room for a few more popular holiday hits, including “Wizards in Winter” and “Nutcracker Suite.”

Its performance each year makes it easy to see why its shows have become a favorite holiday tradition in Northeast Pennsylvania.

Before the show, representatives from Candy’s Place — the Center for Cancer Wellness in Forty Fort — received a check for more than $12,000 from KRZ DJ Rocky. TSO picks out a local charity from each place it performs, and donates a dollar from each ticket sold.

Contact the writer:

kgaydos@citizensvoice.com

HARRISBURG — The Commonwealth Medical College in Scranton would receive nearly $4 million under a state budget package that has won bipartisan support in the Senate.

The Senate approved a fiscal code bill that would give TCMC an additional $1.85 million above the $2 million the medical school has received annually in the past few years. Pennsylvania’s other academic medical centers would see boosts in state aid as well.

The combined amount would restore state aid to near what TCMC received when it opened its doors, Luc Miron, aide to Sen. John Blake, D-22, Archbald, said Friday.

The same bill would make the Luzerne County Redevelopment Authority eligible to use a portion of local share revenue from Mohegan Sun Pocono for economic development or infrastructure projects.

In recent days, the Senate sent a spending bill, the fiscal code bill and legislation to reduce public pension benefits and end the state monopoly over the sale of wine to the House.

These bills reflect a framework agreed to by Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf and three of the four legislative caucuses. The House Republican majority passed its own budget bill this week, which differs from this framework.

A key tax bill outlining where revenue would come from to support the Senate-approved budget has yet to surface publicly.

Two House lawmakers from Northeast Pennsylvania expressed frustration with efforts to deal with the six-month budget stalemate.

The Senate should have sent a tax bill to the House as well, said Rep. Jerry Knowles, R-124, Tamaqua.

Mr. Knowles said he favors spending cuts rather than tax hikes to address the state’s fiscal problems.

Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-121, Wilkes-Barre, criticized House Republicans for relying on additional gambling revenue to erase a revenue deficit.

He said it would take up to a year for revenue from legalizing Internet gambling or slots at airports to become available.

“It wouldn’t provide any money that is needed now,” said Mr. Pashinski.

Contact the writer:

rswift@timesshamrock.com

SCRANTON — A 15-year-old city girl reported Thursday that a man in a white van threatened to kidnap her two weeks ago while she walked to Scranton High School, police said Friday.

The girl told her mother, who didn’t report the alleged threat because the teen had behavioral issues and recently had her cellphone taken away. The mother also told school officials about the threat Thursday, Lt. Glenn Thomas said.

The man was described as older and heavyset with blue eyes and brown hair. The threat allegedly happened on the 500 block of Broadway at 7:30 a.m. It may have happened every day for a week, Lt. Thomas said.

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

— JOSEPH KOHUT

Scranton’s required contribution to its police pension fund would increase by nearly $900,000 a year if the police union prevails in a dispute over whether there is an age requirement to retire, according to a study by the plan’s actuary.

The composite pension board requested the study to determine the impact should an arbitrator rule police officers hired after July 1, 1987, can retire with 25 years of service, regardless of their ages.

The report, prepared by actuary Randee Sekol of the Beyer-Barber Co., shows the proposed alteration in retirement requirements would increase the plan’s accrued liability by $6.2 million and require the city to pay an additional $888,046 annually for the next 15 years. It also would further erode the financial health of the plan, which is already severely financially distressed.

The composite board, which is composed of members from the police, fire and nonuniform funds, voted last month to request the report in anticipation of a pending ruling on a grievance the police union filed in March. The board reviewed the report Wednesday but did not discuss it.

The dispute between the union and city erupted after union officials discovered problems with one of three ordinances passed in 1987 that revised retirement requirements for police, fire and nonuniform employees.

The fire and nonuniform ordinances set years of service and include a section that states employees must be age 55 to qualify. The police ordinance omits that section entirely, however.

The problem with the ordinance was not discovered until this year, after several officers who were hired in 1990, but are younger than age 55, asked union officials to investigate if they were eligible to retire. The city maintains the omission was a clerical error. Council voted March 12 to approve an ordinance to fix the error. The union filed a grievance challenging the ordinance.

Paul Helring, president of the police union, said the union contends the city unilaterally cannot change the ordinance without bargaining the issue. He said the union’s attorney, Tom Jennings, who also represented the union in 1987, recalls the age issue was discussed at that time, but the police union never agreed to the alteration.

“They just put it through,” Mr. Helring said. “We maintain it was not a clerical error. It was just omitted for whatever reason, I don’t know.”

Mr. Helring said the union tried to negotiate the matter with the city prior to filing the grievance, but officials refused.

Councilman Wayne Evans said he believes the omission was clearly a clerical error. It’s frustrating the union does not see things that way, he said.

“It’s a shame. It seems we take one step forward and two steps back,” he said. “The union does what it has to represent its members, I understand that, but at some point it’s just like piling it on here.”

Contact the writer: tbesecker@timesshamrock.com

PLAINS TWP. — Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center is among 758 hospitals Medicare is penalizing for higher rates of patient safety incidents.

It is the only hospital from Luzerne and Lackawanna counties being fined, according to Medicare records released late Wednesday. This is the second year in a row the hospital has been on the list.

More than half of the facilities on the list had been fined last year, according to Kaiser Health News.

Geisinger Medical Center in Danville also is on the list.

Geisinger tracks patient safety incidents internally and had already begun to address some of the issues before the report was released, said Wendy Wilson, a spokeswoman for Geisinger Health System.

“When it comes to our patient care, we take it very seriously,” she said.

— DENISE ALLABAUGH