The LuLac Edition #4,408, September 27th, 2020

DA'S STATEMENT ON LUZERNE COUNTY ELECTIONS CONTROVERSY 

The Luzerne County District Attorney has received numerous requests for comment with regard to our joint investigation with federal authorities. As the public is aware, the Bureau of Elections reported finding military ballots associated with the general election discarded in the internal office trash which further led to additional ballots found to have been discarded. These findings were reported by Luzerne County Administration to our office, and we therefore immediately contacted the Department of Justice. Please note, the ballots found are different than absentee or civilian mail-in ballots which have not yet been transmitted to voters. These ballots are Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act ballots which were sent out on August 25, 2020.
We understand and agree that the integrity of our election process is of paramount importance to this nation, this county, and each and every voter. Our office is thankful that this issue was reported, and we are working to assure the public that every vote counts and that every vote is counted.
In order to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation, the District Attorney’s Office cannot provide further comment on the matter; however, as details can be made available, they will be released jointly by the Department of Justice and District. 

SULLY'S STORY 

Family members come in all shapes and sizes.  Some even have four legs and fur.  Our furry little family member is Sully, a 30 lb., tri-colored Beagle whom we adopted from a shelter in February 2019.  We know little about Sully’s life before adoption other than he was found as a stray in Schuylkill county and believed to be abandoned.  We had taken in two shelter Beagles previously and we were ready to welcome a third, so Sully left his shelter life behind and started a new one in Weatherly.

As Sully settled into his new home, he made fast friends with the Labrador/Hound mix next door named Dash.  They liked to explore the great outdoors together and they always wore tracking collars when doing so.  On the afternoon of Monday, 5/11/20, the two dogs went out for a stroll in the woods off of Stagecoach Road.  A short time later, Dash returned home by himself and bleeding.  He was immediately taken to the closest animal emergency hospital and admitted with serious injuries.  While that was happening, the hand-held tracker lost communication with Sully’s collar.  The last route that the tracker showed was a straight path from the top of Stagecoach Road down to a pond on state game lands across from the Weatherly Country Inn.  That’s unusual because like most Beagles, Sully rarely traveled in a straight line when his nose was to the ground.  The last signal the tracker received was from several feet into the pond and that’s odd because Sully is not a swimmer.  This suggests that Sully’s collar may have been removed and thrown into the pond.  An extensive search of the area was conducted, but neither the collar nor Sully was found.  He has been missing ever since.

As word of Sully’s disappearance spread, members of the community stepped up to help find him. Some people showed up in person and helped us search the woods and pond.  Others called and offered to assist in any way they could.  Several called to inform us of Beagle sightings.  We are extremely grateful for all those acts of kindness and to the people responsible for them, we say thank you.  We also want to thank the community for continuing to be aware and on the lookout for our beloved pup.

 It’s been four months since Sully went missing and we are still offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to his return.  Call or text 570-582-9343 day or night.  All tips received will be investigated and will remain confidential. 

 We look forward to the day when Sully is back home with his family where he belongs.  Then this incident, like his life in the shelter, will become a distant memory and he and his best friend Dash will finally be able to make new ones.

 The Thrash Family