Police seek wreath thief
DUNMORE - Dunmore Police are looking for the man who snatched a decorative wreath off the front door so they can put him on Santa's naughty list.
Police Chief Patrick Reese said someone drove up to 1701 Madison Ave. at about 2:30 a.m. Sunday, walked up to the resident's front porch and took a wreath valued at $150 the door.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Dunmore police at 343-0851.
Man sought on bad checks
HONESDALE - The Wayne County District Attorney's office announced Monday an arrest warrant for a borough man accused of using bad checks to buy $5,500 worth of jewelry.
Authorities said Jason Ginnetto, 29, of Honesdale, bought the jewelry in several stores in the Honesdale area in November with what turned out to be six bad checks. He later sold the jewelry for cash at other businesses.
He is wanted on one count of theft by deception and six counts of misdemeanor bad checks. More charges are expected.
The district attorney's office asks that businesses who also received bad checks from Mr. Ginnetto contact Detective Sgt. Sean LeStrange of the Honesdale Police Department at 253-1900.
Recovered bikes could be donated
SCRANTON - City police will donate all of the lost or stolen bikes they have recovered to charity next week if owners do not claim them.
Acting Scranton police Capt. Glen Thomas said the bike owners can come into city police headquarters with identification and claim the bike until Dec. 19, when they will be donated to a local nonprofit.
Capt. Thomas said there are about 30 bikes, most of which appear to be for small boys, in storage at the police station.
One displaced in Dupont fire
DUPONT - Firefighters quickly put out a blaze at 318 Chestnut St. on Monday morning.
Authorities were alerted to the fire about 7 a.m. and extinguished it within the hour, acting Dupont Police Chief John Saranchuk said. Property damage was minimal and no one was harmed, as the lone tenant had already left for work. But the tenant is now displaced and must find a new residence, Chief Saranchuk said.
State police are still investigating.
Courts adopt new juvenile rules
WILKES-BARRE - The state Supreme Court, reacting to the kids-for-cash scandal, adopted new rules that will speed appeals by juvenile offenders who challenge their placement in a treatment or detention center.
The change was recommended by a state commission that held hearings on the scandal involving former Luzerne County Juvenile Court Judge Mark A. Ciavarella Jr., who was convicted of taking kickbacks for placing juveniles in for-profit detention centers.
The changes would give juveniles 10 days to appeal a detention order and prosecutors 10 days to reply, with no additional filings allowed, allowing for expedited hearings.
Under previous rules, a juvenile had 30 days to appeal, prosecutors had 14 days to reply and additional filings were possible.
Same leadership in Forest City
FOREST CITY - The school board will be led by familiar faces in 2013.
President Mary Emmett and Vice President Linda Zefran will retain their respective positions, the board voted at a reorganization meeting last week.
Also at the meeting, the board appointed Dennise Yankauskas as the varsity softball coach and Amanda Collins as the fifth and sixth grade girls basketball coach.
The regular meeting schedule in 2013 follows: Jan. 14, Feb. 11, March 11, April 8, May 13, June 10, July 15, Aug. 12, Sept. 16, Oct. 8, Nov. 12 and Dec. 4.
The board also congratulated Denise Bolcavage, who was honored last week as one of the 12 finalists in the Pennsylvania 2013 Teacher of the Year contest.