Chamber collects for Toys for Tots
The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce collected more than $700 in donations and toys to benefit Toys for Tots. The chamber's holiday business card exchange, hosted by the American Red Cross, gathered more than 100 business owners and professionals.
Repairs complete: Technicians at Tobyhanna Army Depot completed repair of an AN/TPS-59(V)3 Tactical Missile Defense, Early Warning and Situational Awareness Radar System for the Marine Corps. It is now undergoing final testing at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., ahead of the scheduled deadline.
Seeking interested farms: Penn State Extension free booklet, "A Guide to Farm Products," a directory of family farms, farm markets, vegetable and honey producers, community supported agriculture farms, you-pick farms, Christmas tree growers, restaurants, grocers, and other businesses that sell locally grown farm products within Susquehanna County, is seeking local farms to be included in it's 2013 edition. The piece will include a short description of the farm or business along with products available and hours of operation, if open to the public and its location on a map of the county. The guides are placed throughout the county and will also available on the Penn State Extension website.
Area's first LVAD implanted: Surgeons at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center performed the area's first locally implanted left ventricular assist device into George C. Welliver, 71, from Mifflinville.
Employment event held: More than 200 job seekers attended the Hiring Our Heroes employment event at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, Wilkes-Barre Twp. The Greater Scranton, Pittston, Wilkes-Barre, Hazleton, Carbondale and Wayne County chambers of commerce along with government offices joined with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Hiring Our Heroes Foundation to draw 47 employers and 13 service providers offering hundreds of local jobs. This national program assists veteran job seekers, active-duty military, members of the National Guard and Reserves, and military spouses with employment opportunities.
New app available: The newest version of the Wegmans Food Markets app can now be installed free. The app allows users to make sure they don't forget anything and estimates what they'll pay at checkout. Other features include more nutrition information.
Health system mentioned: Geisinger Health System's Genomic Medicine Institute received an honorable mention in an international contest led by Boston Children's Hospital in which 30 teams of professionals from around the world competed to interpret the DNA sequences of three children with rare conditions whose causes were a mystery. The goal of the competition was to compile enough information to establish "best practices" for interpreting genomic data.
Candy company donates: Sugar Plum Chocolates donated treats to Ruth's Place, a shelter for homeless women in Wilkes-Barre. More than 100 lollipops and assorted hand-crafted chocolate treats were given to the shelter for residents to enjoy. In addition to donating to Ruth's Place, Sugar Plum Chocolates is also helping Wilkes University's Alternative Spring Break program raise funds for students to go on volunteer trips this spring.
Bank supports program: First National Community Bank donated $950 to the United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties as part of its $181,000 Education Improvement Tax Credit commitment for 2012. The donation helps provide United Way scholarships to quality pre-school programs for children from income-eligible families.
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