1. Why did children at South Scranton's Lil Tikes Playschool Center release balloons Friday?
A. They were sending last-minute letters to Santa.
B. They were doing a project to see how far the balloons would travel.
C. They were cleaning up their daycare center.
D. They were honoring the 26 people killed in Newtown, Conn., earlier this month.
2. A man was charged with solicitation of criminal homicide and related counts after he asked an undercover state trooper to kill ...
A. His mother and father.
B. Three psychic mediums.
C. Janet Evans and Chris Doherty.
D. The producers of the "Twilight" movie series.
3. Why did Tunkhannock Area School District cancel classes Friday?
A. It was too cold and windy for kids to wait at the bus stop.
B. The kids were too excited about Christmas to pay attention in class.
C. There were rumors of threats made via text and Facebook.
D. They couldn't afford to heat the school.
4. Why did Mid Valley Elementary Center kindergarteners spend time with Dickson City police last week?
A. The officers helped the kids do their Christmas shopping.
B. They attended an assembly about bullying.
C. The class got in trouble for prank-calling 911.
D. They were learning about how to be safe in school.
5. Why were Old Forge School District teachers picketing in front of the school Thursday and Friday?
A. They want security officers posted at each of the schools.
B. They are on strike or are locked out, depending on who you ask.
C. They are protesting the PSSA tests, which they don't feel is an accurate measure of student success.
D. They are asking for another election to replace board members.
6. Why did a panel of judges reject Scranton's bid for a 1 percent commuter tax?
A. The city failed to pass a required hurdle of having "substantially implemented" a revised recovery plan.
B. The tax would have gone beyond a legal threshold of balancing the 2013 budget by generating a surplus.
C. The judges were commuters and didn't want to pay the tax.
D. Both A and B.
7. Why did people line up outside the Lackawanna College's Student Union Building on Tuesday?
A. It was registration day for the college's spring semester.
B. They were getting free debt counseling by city financial experts.
C. They were picking out presents at the annual Friends of the Poor toy drive.
D. They were waiting to be picked as extras for a reality show to be filmed in Dunmore.
8. How did a 70-year-old man escape from two black-clad, gun-wielding thieves at his home last week?
A. His dog attacked them.
B. He faked a heart attack.
C. His screams got the attention of a passing mailman.
D. He scrambled out a side door and ran to a neighbor's home.
9. A 37-year-old man was sentenced last week to serve up to 216 years in prison for ...
A. giving bad financial advice to the city.
B. repeatedly raping two young girls.
C. setting fire to a house where two elderly women lived.
D. killing stray cats that wandered onto his property.
10. Scranton police are investigating a string of muggings in which thieves take ...
A. certain types of cellphones, including iPhones.
B. luxury-brand purses like Gucci and Louis Vuitton.
C. electronic cigarettes.
D. newspapers and magazines.