Local News WB

Girl Scout gives little boy with cerebral palsy a chance to swing

Tue, 04/24/2018 - 21:00
DALLAS — A little boy with cerebral palsy will soon get to swing at his neighborhood park just like the other kids thanks to a local Girl Scout. Chase Cunningham, 3, who is turning 4 on Monday, can’t support himself on a regular swing due to his condition

County council keeps $5 vehicles registration fee on table

Tue, 04/24/2018 - 21:00
WILKES-BARRE — A proposed $5 fee on all vehicles registered to Luzerne County addresses is still alive, despite vigorous opposition at Tuesday night’s county council meeting. Council voted 7-4 to introduce an ordinance that would authorize the fee, which

Local restaurants, supermarkets unaffected by lettuce E. coli outbreak

Tue, 04/24/2018 - 21:00
FAIRVIEW TWP. — When news of tainted romaine lettuce reached Bob Orloski, he did not panic. His own delivery of romaine came from a greenhouse at a local farm, far from the reaches of the national supply chain for the lettuce that the federal government i

W-B woman accused of passing fraudulent checks

Tue, 04/24/2018 - 21:00
A Wilkes-Barre woman passed fraudulent checks while attempting to steal thousands from a Hazle Twp. woman, court papers say. State police at Hazleton said someone stole the victim’s mail in early December. Stephanie Y. McNeil, 22, of South Meade Street, t

Wilkes-Barre police Taser man who struck officer

Tue, 04/24/2018 - 21:00
WILKES-BARRE — A city man had to be subdued with a Taser after hitting an officer in the face during a struggle Monday evening, according to police. Donte Douglas, 32, of 38 N. Sherman St., is accused of causing the officer’s nose to bleed profusely after

Resolution for top W-B police officials to resign rescinded

Tue, 04/24/2018 - 21:00
WILKES-BARRE — A proposal to request the resignation of the city’s top police leadership is gone. During Tuesday’s work session, councilwoman Beth Gilbert rescinded her resolution asking police Chief Marcella Lendacky and Patrol Division Commander Ronald

Hospital: One-day nurses strike won’t affect staffing

Tue, 04/24/2018 - 21:00
By Denise Allabaugh First Hospital in Kingston and Moses Taylor Hospital in Scranton will be fully staffed and operational when registered nurses plan to strike today, hospital officials said. They would not say, however, who will staff the hospitals. “We

After more than a decade, partners selling Midvalley health club

Tue, 04/24/2018 - 21:00
BLAKELY — Friends and partners Robert Bishop, Joseph DiPasquale and George Havirlak pooled their cash more than 30 years ago to open a health club, and now they’re hanging it up. They’ve hit retirement age, so they are selling the Spectrum Health & Racque

Pittston Twp. officials settle federal suit filed by officer

Tue, 04/24/2018 - 21:00
PITTSTON TWP. — Officials have settled a federal lawsuit a police sergeant brought alleging township supervisors and the former police chief conspired to force her out of the department, according to a court filing Tuesday. Sgt. Lena Angelella filed suit

Magazine post alleges racial tension between Crestwood, Hazleton

Mon, 04/23/2018 - 21:00
Racial tension between Hazleton Area and Crestwood students is alleged in an Instagram post from National Geographic magazine. The Instagram post references an article in the magazine’s April edition — devoted entirely to race — about the impact of the gr

Police: Driver charged in Hanover Twp. hit-run

Mon, 04/23/2018 - 21:00
HANOVER TWP. — Investigators say they have arrested the driver who fled after striking a pedestrian Saturday night on Oxford Street, leaving the victim in critical condition. Police charged Emiliano Hernandez, 44, of Hanover Twp., with accidents involving

County CYS holding sock drive for kids in need

Mon, 04/23/2018 - 21:00
WILKES-BARRE — Luzerne County Children and Youth Services is holding a “Box of Socks” charity sock drive for the rest of this month, county Manager David Pedri announced Monday. The agency is collecting new socks for school-aged children in need, Pedri sa

W-B Area seeks dismissal of wrongful termination suit

Mon, 04/23/2018 - 21:00
WILKES-BARRE — An attorney for the Wilkes-Barre Area School District argued Monday that a wrongful termination lawsuit filed by former Coughlin High School administrator Stephen Stahl should be dismissed. The district fired Stahl, 51, of Hunlock Creek, in

Allied begins project to unite pediatric services

Mon, 04/23/2018 - 21:00
WILKES-BARRE TWP. — Two-year-old Gene Oscielowski, who has autism and hip dysplasia, undergoes physical therapy in one area of Allied Services John Heinz Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine and speech therapy in another. His mom, Rachel Strouse of Plains

Trial starts for professor fired for posting offensive video

Mon, 04/23/2018 - 21:00
WILKES-BARRE ­— A former Marywood University professor knew he would likely be fired for posting two satirical videos that portrayed school officials as Nazis, but he did it anyway. Dr. Frederick Fagal Jr.’s predictions proved true as he was fired about t

Public hearing on county contract ordinance tonight

Mon, 04/23/2018 - 21:00
WILKES-BARRE — The public will get a chance today to comment on a proposed ordinance that Luzerne County Councilwoman Linda McClosky Houck says would provide greater transparency for large county contracts. County council will hold a public hearing at 5:3

PennDOT announces summer road projects

Mon, 04/23/2018 - 21:00
HONESDALE — State transportation officials unveiled a $464 million summer road and bridge construction program Monday for six Northeast Pennsylvania counties that will affect 610 miles of roads and 83 bridges. In Luzerne County, the Pennsylvania Departmen

W-B council to hear about proposed $2M parkade sale

Mon, 04/23/2018 - 21:00
WILKES-BARRE — It would probably take the city a couple decades to make as much revenue from parking fees at the Park & Lock East parkade as it would to sell the structure in a deal negotiated by Mayor Tony George’s administration. City council will hear

Police: Driver charged in Hanover Twp. hit-and-run

Mon, 04/23/2018 - 17:56
HANOVER TWP. — Investigators say the have arrested the driver who struck a pedestrian Saturday night on Oxford Street and fled. Police charged Emiliano Hernandez, 44, of Hanover Twp., with accidents involving death or personal injury while not properly li

Business Briefcase

Sat, 04/21/2018 - 21:00
Law firm opens local branch Attorney Thomas Geroulo has opened a local branch of the Philadelphia-based law firm Bardsley, Benedict + Cholden LLP at 815 S. Main St., Suite 132 in Old Forge. The law office plans to go as paperless as possible using virtual