The LuLac Edition #3684, Decemberr 30th, 2017

TOP STORIES OF 2017

LOCAL

1. OPIOD ABUSE IN LULAC LAND….This year saw a major spike in opiod drug deaths in both Luzerne and Lckwanna County. Groups have decried this as a health crisis. There were and will be many events and seminars on this but this video crystallizes what has happened recently. 

2. DEMOCRAT BECOME DA IN THE LAC SINCE MOON LANDING…. Democrat Mark Powell became the first Democrat District Attorney in The Lac since the year men landed on the moon, 1969. Powell ran a smart, focused campaign against Assistant DA Gene Talerico who beat incumbent Shane Scanlon in the spring primary.

3. ARRESTS MADE IN TWO UNSOLVED MURDERS IN LUZERNE COUNTY…the Luzerne County District Attorneys office has painstaking been doing their due diligence in bringing accused murders to trial. This year arrests were made in the 2013 death of Deejay Mo outside of Outsiders Bar in Wilkes Barre. Roberto “Ruthless” Battle, 28, and David “D-Rock” Nealy, 36, to trial on charges of homicide and conspiracy to commit murder in connection with the shooting. It was determined that Dee Jay Mo was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Then a few weeks back, a big break came in a senseless murder on Thanksgiving night a few years ago.
State police said Anthony Spudis broke into the home of Gertrude Price, 97, on East Grand Street in Nanticoke, in November of 2013, ransacked the home, and beat Price to death.
During a news conference Thursday morning at the state police barracks in Wyoming, Luzerne County District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis announced the arrest.
"After four years of the investigation, this morning, thanks to the unending, diligent work by the Nanticoke city police, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Luzerne County detectives and prosecutors, we have arrested Anthony Spudis."
According to police, Spudis broke into Price's home that night through a basement window and burglarized the home and When he came in contact with Price, he proceeded to beat her to death.

4. STILL A NATIONAL MEDIA CURIOSITY ….even after President Trump took office, national news media outlets still converged on Luzerne County to see why The Lu gave such a thumbs up to Trump. Everybody from NPR to a film crew tagging 5th District Vice Chair Lynette Villano at Blogfest wanted to know what the story was. Look for them to arrive here in 2018 for a reprise.

5. TWO CHARGED IN PENN STATE HAZING DEATH….two local men were charged in that Penn State Hazing death in February of this year. Gary DiBileo and Ed Gilmartin of Scranton were arraigned at the Centre County Courthouse. Gary DiBileo, Jr. was released on $100,000 unsecured bail. He does have some travel restrictions and the judge ordered him to stay away from drugs and alcohol.
The second man with local connections is Ed Gilmartin of Scranton. He is facing tampering with evidence charges in connection with the case.

6. TRUMP MAJORITY DOESN’T TRANSLATE WELL IN LOCAL ELECTIONS …..Donald Trump pretty much won Luzerne County by a landslide in 2016 when Democrat Hillary Clinton lost. However in 2017, the Luzerne county GOP faltered in trying to get new registrations, build a campaign war chest and capitalize on the win. They had no Lincoln Day Dinner, had a very weak and unattended summer outing and lost two  open seats for Luzerne County Council and the Controllers race.
They did end the year strongly though with a well attended event honoring outgoing Kingston Mayor Jim Haggerty where a significant amount of money was raised by the 5th District.

7. WHERE IS KEVIN HAGGERTY ….Kevin Haggerty didn’t show up for work as a State Legislator for over 200 days. Haggerty said he was attending to his children because of a very tough divorce. Now I always liked Kevin Haggerty but when is any divorce easy?
Haggerty was chastised by House members, who by the way were Democrats who put their displeasure in the House record. Haggerty recently gave an interview saying he still liked his job, still cared about the district and wanted to get back to work.
Good for him. Look, there are many people who go through brutal divorces and have child care issues. But they GO TO THEIR JOB  EVERY DAY and MAKE IT WORK at significantly less salaries than Haggerty’s. When you look at the last three individuals who held this seat, you have to wonder just what the hell is in the water up there in that area of The Lac.

8. PROPERTY TAX MOVEMENT LOCALLY RAMPS UP....Local residents who are sick and tired of paying property taxes have held rallies throughout the bi county area saying that Property Tax Reform is needed. There are even State Legislatures behind the effort. Expect to see more in 2018 on this.

9. SCRANTON SCHOOL BOARD IN DEBT FOR MILLIONS BECAUSE OF MISMANAGEMENT…The disgrace that is the Scranton School District announced that because of past mismanagement they are 19 million dollars in debt. Incredible. They just noticed it now. If there needs to be layoffs, let it be. But I’d start with administrators who are overpaid and under-worked. Plus Senator John “I cast the decisive vote for NOT SUPPORTING PROPERTY TAX relief” Blake and Representative Marty Flynn have obtained money from the state to give some sort of a bailout to the District. So citizens in The Lac are paying DOUBLE TAXES, first from the money pissed away by the District all those years and then from “the bailout” coming from the state now.

10. BLIZZARD OF 2017 …March saw a significant blizzard here in NEPA. While it was scary when it was going on, we got through it. The area and state were prepared and the damages to both heart and mind were, thank goodness minimal. 

(Source: Scranton Times Tribune, Citizen's Voice, LuLac)