Man threatened to shoot 3 people
LANESBORO - A Susquehanna County man faces charges after he threatened to shoot three people in a Lanesboro home Christmas morning, state police at Gibson said.
Scott Groover, 46, address unavailable, was charged with terroristic threats, simple assault, harassment, criminal mischief and possession of drug paraphernalia, police said.
Mr. Groover was arraigned Tuesday and is slated for a preliminary hearing Jan. 7. He was being held in the Susquehanna County Correctional Facility in lieu of $10,000 bail, according to court documents.
No tax increase in South Abington
SOUTH ABINGTON TWP. - Supervisors adopted the township's 2013 budget Thursday with no tax or sewer rate increase.
Supervisors unanimously voted to approve the budget, which includes $3.2 million in general fund expenditures.
Under the adopted budget, the millage rate will remain at 14.
A mill is a $1 tax on every $1,000 of a property's assessed value. The average residential assessed value in South Abington Twp. is $21,876, meaning the average tax bill is about $306.
The township's sewer rate will remain at $120 a quarter.
Ransom approves 2013 budget
RANSOM TWP. - Supervisors unanimously voted to approve the 2013 budget the keeps tax rates at the status quo.
At a meeting Thursday, supervisors voted 3-0 to adopt the approximately $1 million 2013 budget.
The millage rate will remain at 7. A mill is a $1 tax on every $1,000 of a property's assessed value.
Taxes rising in West Pittston
WEST PITTSTON - With the borough in precarious financial condition due to last year's flooding, council voted at a special meeting Thursday to significantly raise property taxes.
The tax rate will go from 1.5192 mills to 2.4762 mills, which council President Barry Hosier said will mean an average increase of $75 to $100 per household. A mill is a $1 tax on every $1,000 of assessed property value.
In addition, residents recently learned they will have to pay $50 extra for federally backed flood insurance because deficiencies in West Pittston's flood management plan weren't remedied by the Dec. 1 deadline and the Federal Emergency Management Agency put the borough on probation.
Borough officials blame the Sept. 8-9, 2011, Tropical Storm Lee flood that devastated neighborhoods near the Susquehanna River for the state of West Pittston's finances.
Beside the flood-related expenses, the borough lost residents and therefore lost property and wage taxes. And the borough depleted what little "slush fund" it had.
COLTS to use some snow routes
SCRANTON - The County of Lackawanna Transit System will begin service at its regular time today, though some buses will be on snow routes or abbreviated stops.
n No. 21 East Mountain/Wintermantel/Lutherwood is turning around at the Salvation Army on River Street.
n No. 25 Valley View/Hilltop is only going as far as South Webster Avenue and Cherry Street.
n No. 36 Lafayette: Regular route to Garfield Avenue to Price Street to Van Buren Avenue, then regular route to COLTS. Inbound: Van Buren to Price Street to Rebecca Avenue to Lafayette Street, then regular route.
n No. 41 High Works is going to Keyser Oak Plaza and Allied Services, but will not use Theodore Street.
n No. 43 Viewmont/Bangor is not going to Bangor Heights.
n No. 52 Carbondale: No Pancoast Street and Olyphant Avenue. Use Boulevard Avenue.