REGIONAL BRIEFS
Police search for robbery suspect
SCRANTON - City police are searching for a man who robbed a convenience store on Mulberry Street on Tuesday night.
Scranton Police Lt. Marty Crofton said a man walked into the Turkey Hill, 1429 Mulberry St., at 5:47 p.m. and told the cashier he was robbing the store, claiming he had a gun, although he never displayed one.
The man took an undisclosed amount of cash, put it into a bag and left the store, heading west on foot. He is described as being a while male, about 5 feet 6 inches tall, 180 pounds with gray hair. He was wearing a navy blue hooded sweatshirt, navy pants, glasses and a black baseball cap with white letters.
Anyone with information about the robbery should call police at 348-4134.
Firefighters help woman escape fire
SCRANTON - Firefighters had to help a 99-year-old woman leave her house when a fire started on the kitchen stove and spread to the cabinets of her Monroe Avenue home Tuesday night.
Assistant Scranton Fire Chief Paul Laskowski said the home at 733 Monroe Ave. sustained only minor damage and that the woman, whose name was not disclosed, was allowed to return to her home after the fire.
The woman's caretaker was injured a fall while leaving the home and was taken to the hospital with pain in her ribs, Assistant Chief Laskowski said.
Cops say clerk lied about robbery
DICKSON CITY - A gas station attendant who told police he was robbed at gunpoint Sunday night faces charges after police discovered he made the incident up and took the money himself.
Chace Kucharski, 21, of Archbald, was charged with theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property and making false reports, after a police investigation found he was the one who took an undetermined amount of money from the Gulf gas station in Dickson City, according to court documents.
Mr. Kucharski was arraigned Monday and is slated for a preliminary hearing Dec. 17. He was released from Lackawanna County Prison on $10,000 bail.
Delivery driver robbed in Scranton
SCRANTON - Three unknown assailants satisfied their craving for Chinese food by punching a delivery driver in the face and absconding with the takeout Tuesday night.
Scranton Police Lt. Marty Crofton said a man called in an order of fried chicken wings, iced tea and General Tso's chicken from the Hot Wok Chinese Restaurant on Pittston Avenue and asked for the food to be delivered to 529 Taylor Ave., a condemned property.
When the driver arrived, he approached the property, where three men jumped him and took the food, fleeing west behind the house.
Anyone with information is asked to call 348-4134.
Man injured in motorcycle crash
DICKSON CITY - One man was taken to the hospital with a head injury after a motorcycle crash early Tuesday.
Borough Police Chief William Bilinski said a man, whose name and address were unavailable, crashed his motorcycle on Business Route 6 about 4 a.m.
Alcohol is suspected to have played a role in crash and charges are pending the results of a blood-alcohol test, Chief Bilinski said. The tags on the vehicle did not belong to that motorcycle and the driver's license was already suspended for a previous DUI, he added.
Man arrested for bad checks
HONESDALE - Police on Monday arrested a borough man accused of buying $5,500 worth of jewelry with bad checks, then selling the merchandise to other businesses last month.
Authorities secured an arrest warrant for Jason Ginnetto, 29, of Honesdale after learning he 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, police said.
He was arrested Monday on one count of theft by deception and six counts of misdemeanor bad checks in Honesdale.
He was sent to the Wayne County Prison in lieu of $30,000 bail, and a preliminary hearing was scheduled for Dec. 19.
Moscow event to light tree
MOSCOW - The borough will hold a tree-lighting ceremony Thursday at 6 p.m. at Centennial Park.
Located near the Borough Building on Van Brundt Street, the event will include entertainment and caroling led by music teacher Erica Castaldo and her students from Musical Dreams Studio, said Rose Warner, a member of the Moscow Borough Council and recreation chairwoman.
After Santa arrives on a firetruck, festivities will move inside the Moscow Methodist Church, where the bell choir will perform and light refreshments will be offered.
Dunmore hosts community rally
DUNMORE - Dunmore High School will host a communitywide pep rally for the school's football team today at 7 p.m., showing support as the team prepares to play in the state Class A championship game on Friday.
Dunmore High School Principal Robert Galella said the school band, cheerleaders and others will highlight support of the varsity football team at the pep rally.
"This community has a tradition of school spirit," Mr. Galella said. "We just want the community to see what this team is about."
Dunmore's Bucks will face the Clairton Bears at Hersheypark Stadium.
Epilepsy-monitoring site opens at GCMC
SCRANTON - Geisinger Community Medical Center will unveil its new epilepsy-monitoring unit today.
The epilepsy-monitoring unit will observe patients for several nights to better identify the source of seizures.
An epilepsy-monitoring unit uses long-term video monitoring to track seizures during a patient's time at the hospital unit. On average, patients spend between four and eight days in an epilepsy-monitoring unit, said Anthony Aquilina, D.O., chief medical officer at the hospital. By collecting data from electrodes attached to a patient's head over the course of multiple days, physicians can use the data to identify the specific area of the brain that is causing seizures and then create a more targeted treatment plan for each particular patient.
W-B may raise meters, garbage
WILKES-BARRE - City council will vote Thursday on ordinances increasing garbage prices and parking meter fees.
The fee increases are part of Mayor Tom Leighton's proposal to increase revenue next year that also includes a 31 percent property tax hike and increased recycling, building and rental permit fees and parking ticket fines. However, council and Mayor Leighton have only been able to agree on 25-cent increases to city garbage bags and parking meters. Raising the price of garbage bags will increase revenue by $80,000, according to Mayor Leighton's 2013 budget proposal submitted in October.
The two hikes will go into effect Jan. 1 if council approves them Thursday. If passed, a package of five garbage bags will cost $10, and parking will cost $1 per hour.