WC Examiner News

DEP: Water will be restored

2010-03-16T23:36:00Z

BY ROBERT L. BAKER

Wyoming County Press Examiner

DIMOCK - Scott Perry, a lawyer working for the Department of Environmental Protection, was supposed to address a proposed Dissolved Solids Standard for returning water to something close to its natural state.

While the issue wasn't overlooked, Perry, who is director of DEP's Bureau of Oil & Gas Management office in Harrisburg, said something to the people of Dimock gathered at Elk Lake High School that resonated more clearly.

"Your water supplies are going to be addressed," he told about 200 people gathered for the last of three forums set up by the Susquehanna County League of Women Voters.

His comments were directed at the 14 families and their neighbors who 16 months ago found their groundwater contaminated allegedly by methane that gravitated from nearby gas drilling activity of Cabot Oil and Gas.

"That's the law," Perry declared and said without reservation that "people's water supplies would be restored."

Cabot spokesman Ken Komoroski was even contrite when in response to an audience question he acknowledged, "We have not done as good a job as we should have, and as we intend to in the future."

The revelations were small comfort for the families who can't take showers using once fresh water brought to them by wells and springs which freely flowed but are now shut down.

Instead the families are relying on water via a water buffalo, mandated by a DEP consent order to Cabot of last summer.

But, consulting geologist George Turner of Tunkhannock spoke for many when he pointed out that Cabot should do the right thing and clean up the ground water.

"Of course, it will take generations to clean that up," Turner said, estimating that it could cost as much as $100 million.

He outlined a scenario of one path that might be followed to isolate the present water problem, and create a new system that brings the area residents the water they reasonably should have expected would never be damaged.

"But, nobody is going to do it unless they are forced to clean up the messes that they make," Turner said, looking over at Komoroski.

"You know who's going to end up footing the bill for the cleanup?" Turner asked, while using a sweep of his hands to suggest the taxpayers would do it.

"Our Department understands your frustration," Perry said. "Your water supply will be restored."

The evening opened with a program introduction by LWV president Julanne Skinner, and then moved quickly to U.S. Sen. Bob Casey's legislative aide, Charlie Lyons, who came to the audience via Skype technology.

Lyons spoke to the Frac Act, proposed federal legislation that aims to "let people know what's being put in the ground during the hydrofracturing process used to bring gas up from the Marcellus shale 5,000-7,000 beneath the surface of the earth.

Lyons said if the frac act makes it through Congress it will in all honesty be part of a larger energy bill which he suspects is many months away.

Indeed Senate Bill 1215 has not been moving, Lyons acknowledged, while the House Bill 2766 had a committee hearing in the last month.

"How do we protect ourselves until it happens?" Skinner asked.

Lyons said he felt DEP was already regulating this.

Others on the water quality panel included Jerry Washo of Resource Environmental Management, who gave a stark demonstration of the porous nature of the ground by running water through a sponge, and Jim Llewellyn of Appalachia Hydrogeologic and Environmental Consulting.

The water quality specialists were all agreed that the most valuable thing for residents to do was to stay educated, and make sure your water is adequately tested and re-tested by a certified lab.

One resident's question focused in on whether Cabot shared with the neighbors of gas drilling rigs what they were about to face a couple of years ago before drilling got under way.

Komoroski said, "The honest answer is no. We can tell you there was not as much info that could have and should have been shared."

But, he added, "It wasn't intended to mislead anyone."

Man sentenced for stealing from employer

2010-03-16T23:35:00Z

BY MICHAEL J. RUDOLF

Wyoming County Press Examiner

TUNKHANNOCK - A man who nearly put his employer out of business by writing bad checks and taking money is headed for jail, and also must pay back what he took.

Donald L. Miller, 21, of Washington Park Road, Tunkhannock, was sentenced in Wyoming County Court on Wednesday to serve 8 to 23.5 months in jail, plus pay restitution of $56,328.38 to Schaefer's Heating & Plumbing of Tunkhannock.

Miller received the sentence on a charge of theft by making required deposits. He also was placed on probation and ordered to pay a $100 fine on each of seven forgery charges.

Miller worked as an office manager for the company from August 2008 through January 2009. On several occasions during that time, he purchased equipment without permission, wrote extra paychecks to himself, and cashed payments made by customers and kept the money rather than depositing it.

"He has caused extreme hardship for Schaefer's Heating & Plumbing, including financial ruin," District Attorney Jeff Mitchell said at Miller's sentencing hearing.

The owner of the business, Eric Schaefer, said even though Miller is going to jail and has to pay some money back, the damage to the company's reputation is far worse.

"His lenient sentence doesn't do anything to apologize to all the customers he's driven away," he said.

Schaefer noted that Miller even had calls forwarded to his cell phone when he was out of the office, so that no one could check up on him. Often, calls from customers weren't returned and they didn't get the service they expected, Schaefer added.

"He shows no remorse for what he did," Schafer said.

As Miller was escorted to the Wyoming County Correctional Facility, he declined to comment on his actions or the sentence.

In the criminal complaint filed by Wyoming County Detective David Ide, Miller admitted that starting in October 2008 he started to give himself extra hours in his paycheck. He then started forging additional checks, paying himself more than once a week.

Investigators also discovered that Miller was collecting customers' money from Schaefer's, depositing the business proceeds in a company bank account and then taking cash out of the account. He told bank officials that the withdrawals were authorized when they were not.

In January 2009, business owner Eric Schaefer told the Wyoming County District Attorney's office that a computer company had contacted him, requesting payment for approximately $10,000 worth of computer equipment and other electronic items. Schaefer said none of the purchases were authorized.

Also, Schaefer noted that Miller opened credit card accounts using the business's name without permission.

In another case, a 31-year-old Noxen man was sentenced to 12 to 36 months in prison on two counts of endangering the welfare of children and four counts of driving under the influence of a controlled substance.

Christopher M. Ely was charged in connection with four separate incidents. In one of them, Ely was involved in a DUI-related crash with two children in his car.

According to the criminal complaint for that incident, on Aug. 13, 2008, Ely was driving erratically when his car hit another vehicle along Sugar Hollow Road in Eaton Township. At the time, three boys, ages 12, 9 and 7, were passengers in the car. Police said there were no child safety seats visible.

As a result of the crash, one of the boys received a concussion, and another had fractured bones in his face and broken teeth.

Also, a Nicholson woman who tried to burn down her own house as a suicide attempt was ordered to pay a $200 fine for recklessly endangering another person.

Shirley Byrd, 65, of Nicholson, was also placed on 12 months probation for her offense.

Byrd was accused of setting fire to her Maple Avenue home around 1 a.m. on Aug. 11, 2008. She had originally been charged with arson and related offenses. Neighbors tried to rescue Byrd from her burning home, while at the same time she shouted that she had set the fire.

Larry P. Denmon, 55, of Noxen, received 30 days house arrest, 12 months probation and a $2,500 fine for three counts possession of a controlled substance.

Denmon was arrested in October 2008 after state police found marijuana growing and drying in and around his mother's Noxen home.

Others sentenced Wednesday included:

Gary Tripp, 38, of Montrose, 23 days to 12 months in jail, with credit for 23 days time served, plus a $300 fine and $85 restitution for defiant trespass.

Cheryl Gramlich, 44, of Laceyville, 30 days to 12 months in jail and a $300 fine for retail theft.

Kristie L. Cox, 19, of Montrose, 12 months probation and a $200 fine for possession of drug paraphernalia.

Joshua A. Bass, 25, of Sugar Run, 90 days house arrest, 12 months probation and a $1,500 fine for driving under the influence.

Eric J. Ashley, 27, of Meshoppen, 30 days house arrest, five months probation and a $750 fine for driving under the influence.

James A. Faux, 48, of Tunkhannock, 30 days house arrest, five months probation and a $750 fine on each of two driving under the influence charges.

Mary H. Gormley, 29, of Montrose, 30 days house arrest, five months probation and a $750 fine for driving under the influence.

Tamara Santarelli, 41, of Wilkes-Barre, 12 months probation, a $300 fine and restitution of $246.53 for writing bad checks.

Kim Gyesek, 31, of Harveys Lake, $100 fine for writing bad checks.

Two arrested in pharmacy burglaries

2010-03-16T23:34:00Z

BY MICHAEL J. RUDOLF

Wyoming County Press Examiner

Two men have been arrested in a string of burglaries at two Wyoming County pharmacies and a tavern in February and March.

Michael William Hillier, 20, of Montrose, and Sean Michael Smith, 20, of Peckville, are charged with breaking into Lech's Pharmacy in Nicholson Borough, Winola Pharmacy in Overfield Township, and Gin's Tavern in Clinton Township.

The police complaints also indicate the two may be involved in a similar burglary at a pharmacy in Lenox, Susquehanna County.

According to the criminal complaints, the break-in at Lech's happened on Feb. 11. Police said at 5:10 a.m., they responded to a burglar alarm, and discovered the basement door behind the pharmacy counter was partially open.

As police investigated the scene, they found that the rear door to the building was also open, and its lock cut off, and the light bulb near the door was unscrewed. There were two sets of footprints in the new-fallen snow, police said.

Pharmacy owner Joe Lech told police that a surveillance video showed two men at the back of the store about 4:15 a.m., carrying bolt cutters.

Two days later, on Feb. 13, police were called for a burglary at Gin's, on Route 107 in Clinton Township. They discovered the front door ajar, and pry marks on the door frame. An interior door was also pried open.

Upon entering the tavern, police said the only visible damage was broken glass on a cigarette machine.

Owner Mark Vanko told police that a cleaning man found the damage shortly before 5 a.m. Vanko said there were security videos covering other parts of the building, but not that section. He said the only missing items were eight packs of cigarettes from the machine.

A man who lives above the bar told police he heard noises downstairs between 4 and 4:15 a.m., but assumed it was the cleaning person.

When police interviewed the cleaning man, he told them he did not see any vehicles in the area when he arrived.

Then on March 8, state police responded to a burglary report at Winola Pharmacy on Route 307 in Overfield Township. They discovered pry marks and yellow paint on the front doors. There were also pry marks on the rear doors, and the rear door was damaged.

The pharmacy manager, Carol Daniels, told police there was a pillow case on top of the dumpster next to the rear door, and she threw it away.

Police again responded to Winola Pharmacy two days later, on March 10. When they arrived, they found the left front door smashed out, and a dent on the push bar with yellow paint on it.

According to police, numerous bottles of Oxycontin and Percocet were removed from the pharmacy.

Later that day, police said they obtained information that Smith was involved in an attempted burglary at a pharmacy in Lenox, Susquehanna County. Smith and Hilliard were located at a residence in Peckville and placed in custody. They were taken to the state police Dunmore barracks.

When questioned, Smith admitted his involvement in all of the Wyoming County incidents.

He said he and Hillier cut the lock on the outside door at Lech's and entered through the basement. When the alarm sounded, he said they fled to their car, where Smith's 17-year-old girlfriend was waiting for them. The girl also admitted being at the scene when questioned by police.

At Winola, Smith told police he and Hillier, along with two 17-year-old girls, went to the pharmacy the first time and tried unsuccessfully to pry open the rear door. They fled when the alarm went off, he said.

The complaint said Smith admitted he and Hillier returned to the pharmacy two days later and smashed the front door to get in. He said they took numerous bottles of pain medication from behind the pharmacy counter.

Smith also admitted his and Hillier's involvement with the tavern burglary, saying the two of them pried open the door and took the cigarettes. He said they fled when they heard a truck pull up outside.

Police also searched the home in Peckville, where they found a bag of pills in a drop ceiling of Smith's bedroom, and a backpack with pills in the ceiling of another room. The pills were still in bottles with the Winola Pharmacy logo on them.

Tunk Twp. takes on Falls police coverage

2010-03-16T23:33:00Z

BY PAT FARNELLI

Wyoming County Press Examiner Correspondent

Tunkhannock Township supervisors voted Monday night for a police agreement whereby the township's police department will provide coverage for Falls Township.

Tunkhannock's supervisors approved a 6-month trial period for the police agreement, which will provide Falls Township with sixteen hours of patrol per week for $12,500.

Tunkhannock will also hire another Falls officer part time.

In Monday night's meeting, the Tunkhannock supervisors also modified their gas lease with Chesapeake Gas, and discussed a proposed pipeline ordinance presented by Roadmaster Ken White.

The supervisors also discussed the road bonding now in progress, and amended a road ordinance adopted in 2007.

The township's gas lease was altered due to the discovery that some of the property no longer had mineral rights, as a previous owner of five of the township's 76 acres had sold their mineral rights years ago. This will lower the township's sign on bonus to $5,762.

The township amended a road ordinance adopted in 2007, and the proposed new ordinance was submitted by the roadmaster as drafted by the Wyoming County Office of Community Planning.

The ordinance focuses on the occupancy of highways by utilities, especially regulating the location of utility and gas company lines within the municipal right of way.

The purpose is to ensure the structural integrity of the highway, economy of maintenance, preservation of proper drainage, and convenient passage of traffic. The township is miodifying the design definition of a culdesac.

Paving projects for 2010 will include Aspen, Walnut, Gary, Dixon and Butternut streets.

Road bonding is now in process, and Roadmaster Ken White has been driving all of the townships roads with the bonding officer. "Most of them are done," said White. He said that the bonding signs for the roads will be different, and that they had to buy 150 of them at $70 each for the more than 44 roads in the township. He said that he attended an equipment show in Somerset County, and that Somerset gave him copies of the necessary paperwork and contracts.

A seller permit was approved for a flower tent that has been a regular fixture in Tunkhannock, across the road from McDonalds.

The flower tent will open March 25, and is hoping to sell franchises of similar flower tents, supervisors said.

All of the invoices listed for public view were approved and paid for the first half of March 2010. Several of the largest amounts billed to the township were diesel, gas, and heating oil delivered by C.S. Verbryck, Inc. These included 1,166.9 gallons of diesel at $2.399 and $2.599, totalling $2,929.41; 625.4 gallons of gas at $2.599 totaling $1,625.41; 839.9 gallons heating oil at $2.299 for the main building, totaling 1,930.93; and heating oil for the lower shop: 321.4 gallons at $2.649 and $2.599 at a total of $844.00.

Medical insurance was $4,984.80 for uniform, $4552.47 for non uniform, billed by Northeastern PA Business Assoc.

After the public meeting, the supervisors recessed to a closed executive session.

Falls drops its police dept.

2010-03-16T23:32:00Z

BY MICHAEL J. RUDOLF

Wyoming County Press Examiner

FALLS TWP. - The township supervisors voted Monday night to contract with Tunkhannock Township for police coverage.

With the agreement, Falls will no longer operate its own police department. Instead, officers from Tunkhannock Township will patrol both municipalities.

The agreement is for six months, during which time Falls will pay Tunkhannock Township $12,500 for the service. After that, the supervisors will decide whether to continue the contract.

"If we get what we want for six months, and we get along with Tunkhannock, we may go back," said Supervisor Robert Kenia.

Falls is in need of police coverage because its chief, Robert Reimiller, recently took a full-time position with Tunkhannock Township. Under the terms of his employment, he is not permitted to work for another community.

Tunkhannock Township supervisors have allowed Reimiller to stay with Falls until that municipality settled its affairs. This agreement takes care of that situation.

The move should also save Falls Township some money, the supervisors said. Secretary Christine Shook estimated the township paid between $19,000 and $20,000 for police coverage last year.

According to Tunkhannock Township Police Chief Stanley Ely, Falls will get a minimum of 16 hours of patrol per week. He noted that if police need to spend extensive time in Falls due to a major incident such as a crash or an investigation, excess hours would be adjusted over a period of time, so that patrols are not curtailed to any great extent.

One resident wondered about the response time of police coming from Tunkhannock Township. Ely explained that would depend on where in the township the officer on duty happens to be, but in most cases it would be no more than 15 to 20 minutes.

He pointed out that if Falls did not have any police service, the response from state police would likely be much longer, because they have a much larger territory to cover.

"Chances are we are going to get here faster than the state police will," Ely said.

Besides adding Reimiller as a full-time officer, Tunkhannock Township will hire current part-time Falls officer Andrea Carrasco to its staff, Ely noted.

In other business, the supervisors approved several traffic-related ordinances.

One ordinance lists all of the stop signs on intersections of township roads. No new signs are being added, the supervisors noted. This regulation merely lists them for enforcement purposes.

Also speed limits were established on township roads throughout the municipality. Most paved roads were set at 35 miles per hour, while secondary roads will be at either 25 mph or 15 mph. Again, this was for better enforcement. Most of the roads are already posted, and those that aren't will be.

Woman charged with theft from dead ex

2010-03-16T23:31:00Z

BY MICHAEL J. RUDOLF

Wyoming County Press Examiner

TUNKHANNOCK TWP. - A 38-year-old Tunkhannock woman is accused of stealing from her late ex-husband shortly after his death.

Amy M. Yakoski, of Avery Station Road, faces charges of theft by unlawful taking or disposition, criminal conspiracy o commit access device fraud, criminal conspiracy to commit fraud in insolvency, criminal conspiracy to commit identity theft, corruption of minors and abuse of corpse.

According to the police report filed by Tunkhannock Township Police Chief Stanley J. Ely, on Dec. 28, 2009, the administrator of Dennis Mooers' estate told police that Mooers had died on Christmas Eve.

The administrator said that while she was making funeral arrangements, she learned that someone had taken Mooers' wallet after his death and was using his credit and debit cards.

Police interviewed a man who was at Mooers' home in Tunkhannock Township at the time of his death. The man said Yakoski came to the house, and before police and ambulance crews arrived, she took Mooers' wallet from his body while it was still in a wheelchair. The man added that Yakoski began grabbing things from around the house and taking them to her car.

Police also viewed a video of Yakoski and a juvenile using Mooers' cards at a bank ATM machine to get cash advances. They also received information that the cards were used to make purchases at the Viewmont Mall in Lackawanna County.

When police interviewed the juvenile, he told them after Mooers' death he called Yakoski and told her to come. The youth said when Yakoski arrived, she told him to take Mooers' wallet from his body, but the boy couldn't bring himself to do so.

He said Yakoski then took the wallet herself. Yakoksi and the boy also went through the house, taking two computers, keys and other items. When police and medical personnel arrived, Yakoski and the boy left and went to her house.

The boy told police that Yakoski wanted to get money from Mooers' bank account before the administrator could close them. On Dec. 25 and 26, they went to a Tunkhannock bank and withdrew cash, then went to the mall to buy things for Yakoski, her daughter and her new husband.

The police report says that on Dec. 30, the administrator of Mooers' estate received a text message from Yakoski admitting that she took the wallet and used the cards. The message said Yakoski would return the items.

The charges against Yakoski were filed in the office of Magisterial District Judge John Hovan. Bail was set at $10,000. Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 19.

Gas wells making inroads in Mehoopany

2010-03-16T23:30:00Z

BY MICHAEL J. RUDOLF

Wyoming County Press Examiner

MEHOOPANY - Natural gas drilling is starting to make its presence known in Mehoopany Township.

At their meeting last Tuesday, March 9, the township supervisors were apprised of issues involving three proposed wells. Only one required any action by the township; the other two were presented to them for informational purposes only.

The supervisors approved a road access permit for Chesapeake Energy along Nimble Hill Road, to construct a well pad on the Farr property.

There was some concern that the planned access road did not have a wide enough curve on it to handle the expected truck traffic, but after reviewing the plans the supervisors agreed that all of the paperwork was in order.

Chesapeake also informed the supervisors that it has applied for a drilling permit from the state Department of Environmental Protection at the Clarence Henning property on Farr Hollow Road. Because the access will be via a state road, no township action is required.

Citrus Energy Corp. notified the supervisors that it is seeking a permit from the Susquehanna River Basin Commission to withdraw more than 1.9 million gallons of water a day from the Susquehanna River on property owned by Procter & Gamble Paper Products Co.

Citrus is in the process of drilling five wells on P&G's site, which is just across the river from the river.

Supervisor Neal Wintermute noted that a representative from Chesapeake plans to attend next month's meeting on April 13 to address some concerns at its water withdrawal site along Jayne's Bend Road. Chesapeake received approval more than a year ago to take up to 999,000 a day from that location.

In another matter, the supervisors noted there is still some work needed at the new township ballfield and park before the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources will release the final grant payment for the project.

The park is located at the site of the former Mehoopany schoolhouse.

Supervisor Art Henning said the end of the parking lot needs to be leveled. Also, access to the players' bench on the third base side of the ballfield must be made more handicapped accessible. And a snow fence must be placed around the old school cupola to keep people off of it.

Henning said the work should require only one truckload of material, and about an hour or two of work.

Also, Wintermute informed his colleagues that the Wyoming County Commissioners approved the township's request for $19,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds to make the sidewalk at its municipal building compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Noxen chase leads to DUI arrest

2010-03-16T23:29:00Z

BY MICHAEL J. RUDOLF

Wyoming County Press Examiner

Police arrested a man after leading them on a chase in Noxen Township, after he was pulled over for allegedly driving under the influence on Friday night.

Bradley Jay Cease Jr., 19, of RR 1, Harveys Lake, reportedly drove on public roads and through yards to evade police during the pursuit. He eventually crashed into a police car, at which time he was taken into custody.

Cease is charged with fleeing or attempting to elude police, DUI, reckless driving, trespass by motor vehicle, illegal stopping, standing or parking, not driving at safe speed, running a stop sign, not driving on the right side of the road, and underage consumption of alcohol.

According to the police complaint, at 9:45 p.m. Trooper Edward J. Urban was on patrol along Route 29 in Noxen, approaching Tannery Street. The trooper said he saw headlights of a vehicle parked in the middle of Tannery Street, so he turned and attempted to pull alongside the vehicle.

Urban wrote that the vehicle, driven by Cease, started to move and passed by him. The trooper turned around and activated his flashing lights.

Cease accelerated and turned onto Route 29 without stopping for the stop sign. With lights and sirens going, Urban chases Cease south on Route 29 toward Main Street. Urban's report says Cease went though the stop sign at the intersection of Main Street, nearly losing control and crashing.

According to the complaint, Cease regained control and fled up Main Street in the opposing lane. He slammed on the brakes and turned right into a private driveway. Cease then fled though some backyards of homes along Route 29, then turned back on the highway headed north.

As Urban followed the vehicle, Cease slammed on his brakes, causing the police car to hit the rear of Cease's vehicle.

Cease then drove into the front yard of a home. Urban pulled alongside, forcing Cease to a stop.

Cease and a passenger were taken into custody. Cease was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Carl Smith. He is in the Wyoming County Jail in lieu of $15,000 bail.

The passenger, Dean Kreidler, 19, of Hunlock Creek, was cited for underage drinking and released.

Fann gets life in prison

2010-03-16T23:28:00Z

BY MICHAEL R. SISAK

Times-Shamrock Writer

WILKES-BARRE - Convicted killer Gregory Orlando Fann remained on the offensive last Tuesday, March 9, as he was sentenced for shooting an acquaintance near an Edwardsville railroad bridge in May 2008.

Fann derided the Luzerne County court as a "kangaroo court," not a "real court," and accused the judge who convicted him, Joseph M. Augello, of napping during his trial last month.

Fann, facing a mandatory life sentence, had little to lose.

Augello, who took the place of a jury at the trial after prosecutors agreed to not seek the death penalty, absorbed Fann's attack and then issued his sentence: life in prison for the death of Aaron Witko, and an additional five to 40 years for robbery and criminal solicitation.

Fann, 22, of Wilkes-Barre, maintained his innocence as he spoke at the hearing and, continuing a theme established during his trial testimony, shifted the blame to a neighborhood acquaintance named Walter Parfait.

Fann's attorney, Enid Harris, said Fann would appeal.

"Most people never get closure in a case like this," Harris said. "That's akin to losing hope for a lifer."

Prosecutors said Fann shot Witko, of Tunkhannock, after agreeing to purchase an assault rifle from him for $300 and an ounce of marijuana. Witko met Fann and two of his teenage friends on the Wilkes-Barre side of the bridge and walked with them to the Edwardsville side, prosecutors said.

The teenage witnesses, Quadir Shannon and Devon Gipson, said Fann ignored Witko's pleas of "Stop! Please!" in the seconds after the first shot was fired.

Fann took a step closer and fired three more times, Shannon said. The bullets struck Witko in the head and wrist and the impact knocked him to the ground, the witnesses said.

"At no point during this trial did he ever admit an iota of honesty or a true iota of remorse," Assistant District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce said after the sentencing hearing. "He was still up there blaming everyone, blaming the court and never actually came clean about committing the offense."

Fann later plotted to kill the witnesses, typing detailed descriptions of Shannon and Gipson as a guide for the potential assassin, prosecutors said. He provided a photograph of Shannon with the inscriptions "target" and "big joker," Hughes said.

"It is closure. The record is closed. There will be no more evidence introduced. His chances on appeal almost don't exist," Sanguedolce said. "In this case, we had two eyewitnesses, the murder weapon found in his room, various witnesses to him at the scene of the murder. He was the person with the motive. There hasn't almost been this good a case in the history of Luzerne County."

On Thursday, Fann receive another sentence - this one for five to 10 years in prison for his part in the unrelated January 2007 robbery of a pizza delivery man.

Senior Judge Chester B. Muroski sentenced Fann in the robbery case, the culmination of Fann's earlier plea deal with prosecutors. Fann pleaded guilty to one felony count of robbery in October 2008, admitting to robbing a Domino's Pizza delivery man in front of Fann's 150 Lehigh St. home.

Fann's sentence in the robbery case will run concurrently with his life sentence.

Woman sentenced for deception

2010-03-16T23:27:00Z

BY MICHAEL J. RUDOLF

Wyoming County Press Examiner

TUNKHANNOCK - A New Jersey woman who claimed to help people with potential foreclosure problems was sentenced in Wyoming County on Thursday.

Shirley Matthews, 54, of Willingboro, N.J., was ordered to serve six months to two years in prison on a theft by deception charge for bilking a Tunkhannock man out of $8,000.

Matthews will serve that sentence after she finishes a two-to-five-year prison term on similar charges from Monroe County, Judge Russell Shurtleff ordered.

Also, additional charges are now pending against Matthews in Luzerne County.

In all of the cases, Matthews was accused of taking payments from homeowners in exchange for helping solve mortgage foreclosure problems, then failing to follow through..

At the sentencing hearing in Tunkhannock, one of her victims, Gary Hackling, told Shurtleff that Matthews preys on people who have very little to begin with.

"She's not the one dealing with losing her house," Hackling said. "I don't care if she says she's sorry. I feel sorry for those other people who are homeless."

Matthews wouldn't comment on the charges or the sentence.

However, her attorney, Robert Saurman, told the court that Matthews may have made some poor business decisions, but it wasn't her intent to hurt anyone.

"I don't look at her as someone who sets out to be deceptive. She has helped a lot of people," Saurman said.

Matthews was arrested on the Wyoming County charges in September 2009 as she exited the Monroe County Courthouse after a hearing there.

Since December, Matthews has been incarcerated at the State Correctional Institute in Muncy.

Immediately following her sentencing by Shurtleff, Matthews was taken downstairs to be arraigned on the Luzerne County charges.

Magisterial District Judge Carl Smith said he was handling the arraignment because Matthews was already in the building. The case will be assigned to Magisterial District Judge Diana Malast in Plains for scheduling of a preliminary hearing.

In that case, Matthews is also charged with theft by deception. She is accused of taking $2,864.72 from Robert F. Lawton of Plains for help with a mortgage foreclosure, but then not following through.

Commissioners review cell phone policy

2010-03-16T23:26:00Z

BY MICHAEL J. RUDOLF

Wyoming County Press Examiner

TUNKHANNOCK - The Wyoming County Commissioners on Tuesday reviewed the county's policies on cell phone and credit card usage.

They noted that while personal calls are permitted on county-owned cell phones, employees are required to reimburse the county for such calls.

County Clerk Bill Gaylord said he can spot check the county's cell phone bills to estimate what percentage of calls are personal. He noted that employees are responsible for accurately reporting the specific calls themselves.

Gaylord said there are relatively few county-owned phones in use. Most of them are in the probation department, with a few others in the sheriff's office, emergency management, the district attorney's office and the correctional facility.

As for credit cards, Gaylord said he has been researching the policies in place in other counties, specifically regarding their use to pay for out-of-town conferences.

He said many counties don't even issue cards to their employees, while others have limited usage on them.

The commissioners said they believe the best way to handle paying for conferences is probably to allow employees to book conferences using the in-house card in the commissioner's office. Other expenses should be paid on an employee's personal card, then reimbursed, they said.

The commissioners are also looking at a means to allow residents to pay fees, fines and other items at the courthouse using credit cards.

Also, the commissioners plan to check out a county-owned bridge to see what kind of repairs are needed.

They believe work is needed on the bridge along Lockville Road in Exeter Township, not far from Fitch's Corners. They plan to look at the structure around 10 a.m. today.

According to County Clerk Bill Gaylord, some improvements may be needed to wing walls and guide rails. Also, he said the weight limit on the bridge will probably have to be lowered from 35 tons to 33 tons.

570 area code overlay seems likely

2010-03-16T23:25:00Z

BY JEREMY G. BURTON

Times-Shamrock Writer

If a public hearing Thursday in Scranton was any indication, the 570 area code will soon have a whole new area code laid over it and assigned to new phone accounts.

Northeast Pennsylvania is close to running out of phone numbers, so the state Public Utility Commission is debating whether to overlay a new area code on top of 570 or carve out another code next to it geographically and requiring some people to change numbers.

A decision will not come until late spring or early summer, but officials at the hearing at the State Office Building downtown said the overlay plan appears to have the edge.

The telecommunications industry is backing it, and so is the state Office of Consumer Advocate. Most of the public input also supports an overlay, said David Screven of the PUC's law bureau.

Thursday's hearing was the fifth on the topic in the 570 region, and presenters included representatives from PUC, Verizon and the consumer advocate's office.

The benefit of an overlay is current users do not have to change their phone numbers, making it "less intrusive and disruptive," said Joel Cheskis of the advocate's office.

The drawback is everyone must dial 10-digit numbers instead of seven, and households or companies could end up with two area codes.

Ten-digit dialing is avoided with a geographic split, but that option means new numbers, including a new area code, for a host of people and local businesses.

Whatever the decision, the cost of what is now a local phone call within the 570 code will not change, said Daniel Monague, a public policy adviser for Verizon.

The 570 area code took effect in 1999, a spinoff from the 717 area code that used to be one of only four in the entire state. But by the third quarter of 2011, the 570 will exhaust all phone numbers because of a sharp rise in devices such as cell phones and competition between telecommunication providers, officials said.

Whatever the PUC chooses, the overlay plan is projected to last only 16 years, and the geographic splits would fill up in 14 to 20 years, according the area code administrator, NeuStar Inc.

Thursday's hearing drew only four public speakers, though Cheskis called the comments "relevant and insightful."

Marie Schumacher of Scranton voiced support for an overlay, saying it would be less costly. James Caswell of Jefferson Twp. said an overlay would be confusing, and businesses would adjust to new geographic numbers.

Neither fix would last long "the way things are going, when every two-year-old has a cell phone," he said.

TA board debates, hires coaches

2010-03-16T23:24:00Z

BY MICHAEL J. RUDOLF

Wyoming County Press Examiner

TUNKHANNOCK - Tunkhannock Area School Board on Tuesday appointed athletic coaches for this spring and next fall, but without its usual unanimity.

There were dissenting votes among board members for both the football and boys' soccer coaching staffs. In the end, all of this past year's coaches were returned.

The meeting was held Tuesday after being postponed by snow on Feb. 25.

Board members spent about 20 minutes in an executive session discussing personnel before making their vote. The board did not discuss any of the appointments in public.

The vote on the football coaches was 6-3, Gerald Grimaud, Steve Colley and Don Nowels in opposition.

That staff includes head coach, Frank Beradelli, who will be paid $6,780 for the coming season; assistants Patrick Conaboy, Richard Seaberg and Rod Azar, who will each get $3,842; junior high head coach Joe Dominick, $3,842, and junior high assistant Robert Richards, $3,141.

The vote for the boys' soccer coaches was also 6-3, with Grimaud, Colley and Mick Cronin voting no. They include head coach Scott Benedict, at a stipend of $3,277, and assistant John Joseph, at $2,396.

In naming next fall's cross-country and field hockey coaching staffs, the board voted 8-1, with Lori Bennett as the lone opposition.

For cross-country, Randy White was retained as head coach at $2,757, with Sara Whipple as assistant at $2,034.

Field hockey coaches will be Liz Stackhouse, head coach, at $3,548; Christine Swilley, assistant, $2,441; and Kristy Buchman, eighth grade, $2,260.

Fall coaches approved unanimously were:

Golf, Andy Neely, boys' and girls' head coach, $2,486.

Girls' volleyball, Mick Goodwin, head coach, $3,277, and Scott Howell, assistant, $2,396.

The positions of girls' tennis head coach and athletic filmer are still open, the board noted.

All of the spring coaching positions on the agenda were accepted unanimously as well. They are:

Baseball, Mike Pasko, assistant coach, $2,441, and Nolan Robinson, junior high assistant, $2,441.

Soccer, Kaaron Swanson, girls' assistant, $2,396.

Softball, Ron Hampsey, assistant coach, $2,441, and Bob Hegedty, junior high assistant, $2,441.

Track, Jan Cechak, boys' assistant coach, $2,441; Victoria Borel, girls' assistant, $2,441; Kenny Young, boys' junior high assistant, $2,441, and Kristy Buchman, girls' junior high assistant, $2,441.

Boys' volleyball, James Foresman, assistant coach, $2,396.

Lacrosse, Joe Appolonia, head coach, $3,548, and Eric Janiszewski, assistant, $2,441.

Several volunteer assistant coaches were also approved unanimously, including, for the spring: Joe Romano, girls' soccer; Ted Christy, boys' tennis; and Vince McClain and David Ell, boys' baseball.

Fall volunteer assistants hired were: Doug Wilson and Ed Rhinard, cross-country; John Holdredge, girls' volleyball; and Cale Newswanger, football.

Following the vote, former board member Rob McCauley informed the board that his name was missing from the list of volunteer football assistants. He said he had made his interest known to athletic director Morris Jackson, and had substantial football experience. The board voted unanimously to add McCauley to the staff.

The board also made a number of academic appointments, including:

Ellyn Harvey and Eric Buffington, GED instructors, $22.52 an hour; Jean Choplick and Kelly Kozlansky, individual student and classroom / instructional aides, $9 an hour; Justin Yadlosky, Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) project evaluator, $8,500, funded by a REMS grant.

Several board committee meetings were scheduled for this month. Grimaud asked for a special meeting to discuss the No Child Left Behind policy as it affects the Race To The Top program.

Upcoming committee and board meetings include:

Thursday, March 18 - Building & Grounds Committee, 7 p.m..; Budget & Finance Committee, 7:30 p.m.; board work session, 8 p.m.

Thursday, March 25 - Curriculum Committee, 7 p.m.; board meeting, 8 p.m.

New Trail board member appointed

2010-03-16T23:22:00Z

BY ROBERT L. BAKER

Wyoming County Press Examiner

Mark Lombardi, a physical therapist for Scranton Orthopedic who resides in Dalton was appointed to the Lackawanna Trail School Board Monday night.

He fills the Region 3 vacancy left by the resignation last month of 20-year veteran board member Jacque Petherick for family reasons.

Lombardi has a daughter in the high school, and his son, a Trail grad, is presently a senior at Penn State.

Michael Mould was appointed board treasurer, and Dan Naylor was appointed to represent Trail on the Northeast Intermediate Unit 19's Board of Directors. Both posts had previously been held by Petherick.

The Trail board approved a new school policy on controlled substances/paraphernalia and bullying/cyberbullying.

The approved policy on drugs clarifies four different situations involving the use of drugs or alcohol and in the case of three of them, if violated, mandates a 10-day suspension.

Also if a student is found in violation of the prohibited use of anabolic steroids, that student will be suspended from school athletics for the remainder of the season.

Regarding bullying, the new policy mandates that a K-12 anti-bullying program be introduced into the general curriculum.

In other business, Carlee Laubach was appointed assistant volleyball coach at a $3,150 stipend, and Stacy Fron was appointed assistant sotball coach at a salary of $3450. Both appointments are per collective bargaining agreement. Carol Selwood was also appointed volunteer volleyball coach.

Kim Ruotolo was named a part-time teacher assistant Debra Josephite was appointed as a full-time special needs teacher assistant.

The board also approved to have a new district-wide phone system to be installed by Guyette Communication, to replace what Superintendent Matt Rakauskas called a "very antiquated system." It will be installed in July.

Rakauskas also noted the school had utilized four snow days and they would be made up on April 1, and June 2, 3 and 4, with graduation staying as previously approved at June 4.

Business manager Rick Kordish said that he was in the process of replacing one of the 15 mph signs missing from in front of the high school, and acknowledged that drivers "are going too fast."

Board member Joe Ross asked if the cross walks that led to the school's athletic fields were included in the reduced speed limit, and Kordish said no, that the distance covered was 500 feet from each driveway entrance in front of the school..

Kordish said he would look into the possibility of having the posted area lengthended but said it would require a PennDOT study.

Landowners’ pipeline group forms

2010-03-16T23:21:00Z

A group of Susquehanna and Wyoming County landowners concerned about natural gas pipeline easements has formed, and is willing to share information with other landowners to form their own neighborhood groups or for others to join them.

The Lemon Township Pipeline Group has been meeting for months and its members are looking at a range of easement and right-of-way agreements that leaseholders need to consider as more and more drilling companies come into the area looking to get the gas from the Marcellus shale to market.

Core Lemon group members are concerned that property owners lack adequate information about what's coming to the area as well as what their rights are when negotiating a natural gas pipeline easement or ‘right-of-way agreements.

Such issues as price, nature, location, type, pipeline depth below surface, installation, road repair, pressure, timetable, abandonment, rights, restrictions and environmental responsibilities are among the many issues that individuals need to consider.

Members of the core group want to impress a sense of strength in numbers in requiring both the drilling and pipeline industry to move forward in a way that indeed is responsible to the region's environmental well-being, and land stewardship.

Anyone interested in joining the discussion should contact pipelinerowinfo@yahoo.com