Luzerne County Election Director Emily Cook paused shortly before the polls closed at 8 p.m. Tuesday to assess the day.

“So far, so good. There was nothing that raised any major concerns on our part,” Cook said.

Voters marked their selections on paper ballots rather than touchscreen ballot-marking devices as part of the switch to new leased voting equipment from Hart InterCivic that took effect in Tuesday’s election. Voters fed the ballots into a tabulator to be cast, as they did with the past ballot-marking device printouts.

Cook said she did not receive any complaints about the paper ballots.

“The paper worked out pretty well as far as I hear. We had no negative feedback on it,” she said.

Turnout was low, she said.

According to unofficial results at 11 p.m., with all 186 precincts reporting, 47,023 ballots were cast.

A total of 175,316 county residents were eligible to vote in Tuesday’s primary election — 91,205 Republicans and 84,111 Democrats, the state’s latest registration tally posted Monday shows. Pennsylvania has closed primaries, meaning only Republican and Democratic voters get to nominate which candidates advance to the general election.

As a result, the unofficial turnout equates to 26.8%. Tuesday’s tally did not break down votes cast by party.

In the last gubernatorial primary election four years ago, county turnout was 42.88% for Republicans and 30.99% for Democrats based on each party’s total registration at that time.

County Manager Romilda Crocamo said the county is “proud to celebrate another successful election,” indicating credit starts with the “dedicated professionals of the Luzerne County Election Bureau.”

“Under the steady and capable leadership of Director Emily Cook, our Election Bureau once again delivered an election that Luzerne County residents can be proud of: one that is safe, secure, fair, and transparent from start to finish,” Crocamo said.

Cook and the county Election Board have “built a foundation of public trust that is essential to our democratic process,” she said.

She thanked judges of elections and poll workers across the county, saying they give their time, patience, and energy so their neighbors can exercise their right to vote.

Finally, she praised county workers — “a dedicated group of public servants who give far more than is asked of them” in a “spirit of collaboration that crossed departmental lines.”

“From our Elections Bureau, whose staff anchored every phase of the process, to colleagues in Information Technology, Facilities, Emergency Management, and beyond, county employees showed up, stepped up, and delivered,” Crocamo said. “Whether the work was visible to the public or quietly carried out behind the scenes, every contribution mattered.”

Prior county Controller Walter Griffith, who worked as a poll watcher in Kingston Township, said he did not observe any problems and believes the election “went pretty well” based on his observations.

He received positive feedback on the poll worker training and was not aware of any issues with the use of paper ballots.

“I will say I am pleasantly surprised, so kudos to the bureau,” Griffith said.

Griffith said he is pleased the county used color coding by issuing paper ballots with a blue label on top for Democrats and a red one for Republicans — a measure he had advocated.

“It’s all about accountability because everybody is so skeptical,” he said.

Griffith said he looks forward to post-election audit reports that will show how many ballots were voided, or “spoiled,” because it may show if some voters had issues acclimating to the switch to paper.

Voters were informed they could request a new ballot if they made a mistake, selected more than the allowable number of candidates (overvoting), or incorrectly scribbled, known as an extraneous mark.

When new ballots are issued, poll workers must write “spoiled” across both sides of the first ballot, cross out the QR code and barcode, and place those ballots in a spoiled ballot envelope kept in secure storage for auditing, according to county Assistant Solicitor Gene Molino.

At the state level, Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt said the primary “ran smoothly with few issues reported by counties.”

“Thanks to hundreds of county election officials and approximately 45,000 poll workers, Pennsylvania held another safe and secure election,” Schmidt said.

Luzerne County’s Democratic Party will be notifying primary election winners of local committee seats in each of the 186 voting precincts.

Democrats selected one male and one female in each precinct.

Many seats will be filled through write-in votes because only approximately 40 men and 38 women filed paperwork to appear on the primary election ballot.

The county is expected to start tallying write-in votes on Friday, the first day of post-election adjudication.

Because these are party offices, not public offices, the county supplies the full write-in tally to the party, which then follows party procedures to determine the winners, officials said.

The unofficial results for committee candidates who appeared on the ballot are posted on the county site at luzernecounty.org.

County Democratic Party Chairwoman Mary Ann Petyak said Tuesday she will send a letter to the winners and possibly call them, depending on the timing.

A primary function of these 372 committee members is to select a county Democratic Party chairperson at a reorganization meeting on June 10.

The developer of a planned data center complex, Project Hazelnut, on a 1,280-acre site near Interstate 81 in Hazle Township, announced details of its community benefit package Tuesday.

It includes the developer’s creation of a $30 million fund that would provide direct financial support to “help offset potential short-term localized utility rate increases” for township residential customers and pay for “other community-directed initiatives.”

Township Supervisor Jim Montone said Tuesday he cannot comment on the announcement by Kansas City, Missouri-based NorthPoint Development due to pending litigation.

NorthPoint is appealing the township’s denial of the land development application for the complex — Project Hazelnut — in the county Court of Common Pleas.

“While the land development application is currently under appeal in the Court of Common Pleas, we are incredibly excited about the transformative opportunity this project represents and the lasting positive impact it could bring to the community,” Brian Stahl, NorthPoint’s executive vice president of development, said in the announcement.

According to the release:

The community benefit initiative is “designed to provide immediate and long-term support to the local community, create high-quality jobs, and ensure the project is a responsible and sustainable partner for years to come.”

NorthPoint cannot directly control the establishment of new energy generation capacity and the updating of regulatory frameworks surrounding utility tariffs, it said.

The direct benefits it announced Tuesday can “help bridge the gap and protect local residents” and “uplift the communities we call home from day one,” Stahl said in the release.

“At NorthPoint Development, we believe that responsible development is a partnership with the community, and partnerships require proactive solutions,” Stahl said. “We know that while the energy market works to bring new generation online and the utility market works to update tariff structures, our communities deserve guarantees now.”

In addition to the $30 million fund, NorthPoint is committed to:

• Partnering with Pennsylvania community colleges, vocational schools, and local trade unions to support specialized training, certification, and apprenticeship programs to ensure the local workforce is fully equipped to secure the high-paying construction, operations, and IT jobs these facilities create.

• Preserving local water supplies by not using local drinking water infrastructure for cooling. Project Hazelnut is designed to use reclaimed wastewater for thermal management, and all infrastructure required for this solution will be paid for by the project, not the community.

• Collaborating with energy providers to “align strategies that aim to make our development a net positive contributor to regional energy stability.”

• Engaging openly and transparently with residents and elected officials through the continued supply of clear information about the development and participation in the “constructive, civil exchange of ideas.”

“This will allow for productive, good-faith dialogue that is focused on collaborative problem-solving rather than rhetoric,” the release said.

Luzerne County’s Ethics Commission convened at the county courthouse on Tuesday afternoon but postponed the meeting because it was not posted on the county website to alert the public.

County Manager Romilda Crocamo said the meeting was publicly advertised in the newspaper, and the agenda had been posted outside the meeting room at least 24 hours before the meeting.

However, due to miscommunication between the county law office and the information technology department, the meeting notification was not posted on the website 24 hours in advance, which she said is required by the state Sunshine Act.

Crocamo said the law office sent an online posting notice to IT, but it unknowingly landed in a spam folder.

The commission tentatively agreed to continue the meeting to June 2.

Two pending ethics complaints are before the commission. Complaint details remain confidential unless the matter results in a commission finding.

The five-member commission is filled by the county controller, district attorney, county manager or designee, and two council-appointed citizens — a Democrat and a Republican.

The commission must reorganize and select a chair and vice chair because two council-appointed citizens were seated earlier this year — Republican Mike Attanasio and Democrat Adiel Tyson.

Luzerne County’s Redevelopment Authority met in closed-door executive session Tuesday to review a draft settlement agreement in litigation County Council filed over the authority’s rail line.

Authority Board Chairman Scott Linde said the settlement details are still under discussion, which is why the board did not vote on the matter Tuesday.

After Tuesday’s executive session, Linde said the authority and its related, nonprofit Rail Corp. reviewed the “complex, 15-page draft settlement agreement” and provided input to their legal counsel on “areas required to be clarified and/or negotiated.”

County Council initiated the litigation in July against the authority, which owns the line, and the Rail Corp., which maintains a lease agreement with a rail operator.

Scheduled for trial in the county Court of Common Pleas in August, the litigation sought a declaration that the $3.28 million the county loaned to the authority is immediately due.

Although the litigation centers on the delinquent loan, it appears part of a broader county effort to privatize the track, with the hope of adding recreational passenger rail excursions while expanding commercial use.

Reading & Northern Railroad Chairman and CEO Andy M. Muller Jr. made an unsolicited $10 million offer to purchase the county line in October, stating he would increase freight service and introduce passenger train excursions from Wilkes-Barre to Pittston, with the option to continue to Jim Thorpe.

Authority board members had reluctantly decided that purchase offers should be considered, but only through a public process open to all interested entities.

However, authority members have said plans to solicit offers were delayed due to unanticipated hurdles in documenting rail line holdings.

According to officials familiar with the proposed settlement terms, the agreement would ensure the property is sold through a public request-for-proposals and that the county will be involved in preparing that solicitation and have the right to accept and reject bids.

When the rail is sold, the county would recover its costs and the amount required to satisfy the mortgage, approximately $3.3 million, officials said.

The agreement is also expected to delineate how any remaining funds would be disbursed.

Both sides were scheduled to appear in court on May 12 for a hearing before County Judge Lesa S. Gelb, who is presiding over the matter, for arguments related to the county’s April filing seeking a court-appointed third-party receiver to manage the rail line. The authority also filed a motion asking the judge to order the county to furnish information it sought in discovery.

Due to the tentative settlement agreement, that hearing was not held. Gelb issued an order indicating that “any and all matters” in the litigation are rescheduled to Aug. 12.

A $650,150 project to stop erosion near part of the Wyoming Valley Levee wall in Wilkes-Barre is still expected to begin in the middle of June, Laura Holbrook, Luzerne County Flood Protection Authority executive director, said during Tuesday’s meeting.

Soil and rock have been sliding downhill at the site near the intersection of Riverside Drive and Academy Street, adjacent to the Black Diamond railroad bridge. Dirt must be replaced with large stone rip-rap to restore stability to the bank, officials have said.

The Susquehanna River must be down to 5 feet to initiate the project. It was 4.08 feet on Tuesday, and Holbrook said the authority is hoping for an extended period with little or no rain.

“We have to assess upcoming weather patterns to ensure a drier climate that is needed for this project,” she said.

DGR Excavating LLC, the Granville Summit, Pennsylvania-based contractor that submitted the lowest bid, has obtained bonding and other required certificates and is “ready to mobilize,” Holbrook told the authority board.

DGR’s first task will be to construct an access road, which should take about a week, she said.

The authority is prepared to tap its capital fund to pay for the portion of the project not covered by outside awards, which could impact other scheduled projects tied to the levee, officials said.

Authority Board Chairman Dominic Yannuzzi publicly thanked state Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre, on Tuesday for securing $100,000 toward the project.

That means $200,000 is available because State Sen. Marty Flynn, D-Dunmore, also obtained a $100,000 legislative grant for the project, authority representatives said.

Pashinski said Tuesday he accessed funds for the emergency project through the Democratic leadership team and encourages other legislative colleagues to also seek assistance for the flood control project that “affects all of us.”

“That dike is absolutely critical,” Pashinski said.

An emergency action plan would be put into effect at the site if the Susquehanna rises before work is completed, authority officials have stressed.

Fence removal

Authority representatives recently met with Norfolk Southern Railway to start planning the next steps for a project aimed at eliminating an unpopular fencing barricade on the levee trail in Edwardsville, Holbrook said.

The fencing was installed in April 2023 to prevent the public from crossing an intersecting active Norfolk Southern train line, but it has been an unwelcome obstruction to many accustomed to freely walking, biking, and jogging on the path between Edwardsville and Kirby Park in Wilkes-Barre.

The authority has secured state and federal grants totaling $1.2 million to design and construct safe alternatives for the crossing.

Holbrook said Tuesday the authority is “looking at minimum requirements,” such as audio and visual warnings and signs both on and along the path.

She has emphasized that fencing must remain in place until another solution is designed, approved, and completed. The rail crossing is near the Wilkes University women’s softball field and Kirby Park tennis courts.

WEST PITTSTON — Dallas softball had a strange sequence against Wyoming Area in Monday’s District 2 Class 4A quarterfinal game.

The Mountaineers had six consecutive batters reach base, yet failed to score. But from that oddity came confidence there would be a breakthrough and there was.

Dallas scored four times in the fifth inning to erase a three-run deficit and end Wyoming Area’s season with a 4-3 victory.

Lacey Youngblood grounded a single up the middle to score the tying and what proved to be the winning run as fifth-seeded Dallas (11-10) moved to the semifinals at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday against top-seeded Tunkhannock (20-1). Tunkhannock won the regular-season matchups 11-2 and 8-0.

Fourth-seeded Wyoming Area finished its season at 12-7, but with a bright future. Only senior pitcher Alexa Gacek will need to be replaced.

“We had some great plays in the field today,” Wyoming Area first-year coach Kayla Taddei said. “Honestly, we couldn’t get hot with the bats today. It was one inning, that was it, one inning.”

Now back to how Dallas had six consecutive players reach base only to come up empty.

Dallas’ Emma Eick singled with one out in the third, but was thrown out stealing by catcher Allison Layland while Annie Osipower was batting. Osipower then singled and Sydney Haydu reached on an error. Alyssa Traver singled up the middle, but center fielder Josie Kivak threw out Osipower trying to score to end the inning.

Dallas’ Elliot Rigol started fourth with a single, becoming the fifth consecutive Mountaineer to reach base. Cadance Hudgins then singled, but Rigol was thrown out at third by right fielder Jailyn Park. A pop and groundout ended the inning.

“I just told them in the huddle ‘Thanks, girls, for saving my butt’,” Dallas coach Buzz Buchinski said. “I made a mess of things the inning before. The last game we stole on them, so credit to their catcher. She got a lot better during the season.

“Then sending Annie home, that’s on me and I told them that. They bailed me out and that’s a credit to the team helping their coach out on that one.”

Madeline DeSanto singled and Eick doubled to start the Dallas fifth. Osipower then reached on a fielder’s choice when DeSanto managed to scramble back to third on a comebacker to Gacek. Haydu walked with the bases loaded and Rigol hit a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to 3-2. Youngblood then delivered a two-run single.

Youngblood gave up four hits and three runs in the first three innings before shutting down Wyoming Area the rest of the way.

The Warriors scored in the first as Kivak led off with a single. Consecutive bunts by Allison Gaylord and Layland brought her home. Gaylord hit a two-run home run in the third, curving her blast just inside the left-field foul pole.

“I just try to reset,” Youngblood said. “I know my teammates, my catcher always have my back. We all work together, so I know they’re there to back me up no matter what happens.”

Wyoming Area’s best chance to tie came in the sixth. Gacek led off with a double. Olivia Tokash ran for her and moved to third on a sac bunt by Sophia Wardell. Youngblood, though, retired the next two batters and all three she faced in the seventh.

Tunkhannock 11, Nanticoke Area 0

Michaela Howell threw a no-hitter and struck out 12 as top-seeded Tunkhannock defeated Nanticoke Area in five innings.

Alli Kinney had a double and four RBI for Tunkhannock. Addisyn Waterman was 3-for-3 with two RBI and four runs scored.

Tunkhannock (20-1) will host fifth-seeded Dallas in the semifinals at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. Eighth-seeded Nanticoke Area finished its year at 4-17.

Valley View 17, Hanover Area 0

Second-seeded Valley View scored 15 times in the second inning and Abbi Call threw an abbreviated no-hitter as the Cougars defeated Hanover Area in a D2-4A quarterfinal game.

Call was also 3-for-3 with a double and four RBI. Nevaeh Evans was 2-for-2 with a double and two RBI. Ella Swingle had two RBI.

Valley View (18-3) will host third-seeded Wallenpaupack (12-9) at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday in the semifinals. Seventh-seeded Hanover Area ended its year at 6-14.

Wallenpaupack 4, Berwick 1

Berwick pitcher Makayla Brown held Wallenpaupack to three hits, but the Buckhorns pushed across three unearned runs in the fifth inning for a victory in a D2-4A quarterfinal game.

Emma Welsh was 2-for-2 for Berwick and knocked in her team’s only run in the first inning. Ashlyn Klahold and Liliaa Belles each singled for the Dawgs’ other hits.

Madison Haynes and Hannah Daidone each had an RBI for Wallenpaupack. Lexi Laing pitched six innings to get the win.

Sixth-seeded Berwick ended its season at 10-11. Third-seeded Wallenpaupack (12-9) will play at second-seeded Valley View (18-3) in the semifinals at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.

District 2 Class 4A Quarterfinals

Dallas 4, Wyoming Area 3

Dallas`AB`R`H`BI

Osipower ss`4`1`2`0

Haydu cf`3`0`0`1

Traver 3b`4`1`2`0

Rigol rf`3`0`1`1

Hudgins c`3`0`1`0

Youngblood p`4`0`1`2

Fostock 2b`3`0`0`0

DeSanto 1b`3`1`1`0

Eick lf`3`1`3`0

Sypniewski cr`0`0`0`0

Totals`30`4`11`4

Wyoming Area`AB`R`H`BI

Kivak dh`4`2`3`0

Gaylord ss`2`1`1`2

Layland c`3`0`1`1

Gacek p`3`0`1`0

Wardell lf`2`0`1`0

Gustitus 1b`3`0`0`0

Lewis 2b`3`0`0`0

Sobeck 3b`3`0`0`0

Park rf`3`0`0`0

Tokash cr`0`0`0`0

Totals`26`3`7`3

Dallas`000`040`0 — 4

Wyoming Area`102`000`0 — 3

2B — Eick, Osipower, Gacek. HR — Gaylord.

Dallas`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Youngblood (W)`7`7`3`3`0`3

Wyoming Area`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Gacek (L)`7`11`4`4`2`4

District 2 Class 4A Quarterfinals

Wallenpaupack 4, Berwick 1

Berwick`AB`R`H`BI

Klahold ss`3`0`1`0

Belles rf`3`1`1`0

Brown p`3`0`0`0

Welsh c`2`0`2`1

Ashworth cf`2`0`0`0

Drauschak 3b`3`0`0`0

Bankes 1b`3`0`0`0

Schnerr 1b`2`0`0`0

Weaver 2b`2`0`0`0

Krepich cr`0`0`0`0

Totals`23`1`4`1

Wallenpaupack`AB`R`H`BI

Haynes cf`4`1`1`1

L.Babyak ss`2`1`0`0

Anderson lf`3`0`1`0

Daidone 1b`3`0`0`1

Milutinovic 2b`2`0`0`0

Lake 2b`0`0`0`0

Mancino c`3`0`0`0

Laing p`1`0`0`0

A.Babyak p`0`0`0`0

Decker rf`2`1`1`0

Story 3b`2`0`0`0

Sterner cr`0`1`0`0

Totals`22`4`3`2

Berwick`100`000`0 — 1

Wallenpaupack`000`031`x — 4

3B — Haynes.

Berwick`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Brown (L)`6`3`4`0`3`3

Wallenpaupack`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Laing (W)`6`4`1`0`2`2

A.Babyak (S)`1`0`0`0`0`1

Luzerne County’s Election Bureau recently sent letters to approximately 200 primary election mail ballot voters informing them that identification must be furnished for their ballots to be counted, said county Election Director Emily Cook.

Mail ballot applications require voters to provide their Pennsylvania driver’s license or Pennsylvania Department of Transportation ID card number. If they do not have those, they must submit the last four digits of their Social Security number.

Cook said Monday the letters went to mail ballot applicants flagged during subsequent screening because the names and numbers they submitted did not match records from PennDOT or the Social Security Administration.

Based on voter responses to the letters so far, most mismatches stem from name changes, misspellings, and variations, she said.

For example, an identification number under the first name Anthony would be flagged if that voter applied for a mail ballot under Tony, Cook said. The use or lack of a space in a first name, such as Rosemary/Rose Mary, would be held up if it is not the same as it appears in that voter’s PennDOT or Social Security number, she said.

Identification verification is not new, but the county typically only formally contacts mail ballot voters with data mismatches after they return completed ballots, Cook said.

For Tuesday’s primary, the bureau decided to notify all affected voters in advance, earlier this month, to give them more time to remedy the situation if they intend to cast ballots, Cook said.

“We sent them all out ahead of time to be more proactive and help the voters,” Cook said of the letters.

Ballots have been rejected in past elections because voters did not present the required identification.

The letters instructed voters to visit the election bureau to provide a copy of their identification. As authorized by state law, the deadline to supply identification is May 26 — a week after Tuesday’s primary. Inquiries may be directed to elections@luzernecounty.org.

Returned ballots flagged for identification verification remain segregated and cannot be accepted unless voters present the required information before the deadline, Cook said.

Ballots from those providing verification in the week after the election would be processed during the county’s post-election adjudication.

County Election Board Vice Chairman Rick Morelli said Monday he sought an explanation on the matter because he has received phone calls from multiple letter recipients questioning the reason, including many long-time voters in the area.

Cook said Monday she would have to analyze the data after the election to determine if the number of mismatches is higher than usual and assess the reasons.

In addition to the letters, the county Election Board supplies party representatives with lists of voters who have identification verification issues and other ballot deficiencies, so they can contact the voters — a process known as curing — if the voters want to remedy them.

This same identification information — the last four Social Security digits or driver’s license/PennDOT identification — is required on voter registration applications.

The Pennsylvania Department of State reminded new voters — or those voting for the first time in a new precinct — that they must show identification in Tuesday’s election. Acceptable options include both photo and non-photo identification. A detailed explanation is available at www.pa.gov.

Luzerne County’s explosive-detecting canine Hylee has completed additional training to search for missing people, county Manager Romilda Crocamo told County Council last week.

The county added the Labrador Retriever to the Sheriff’s Department last year. The K-9 is also certified to find firearms.

County Sheriff Corporal Michael Flynn is her handler.

Crocamo regularly notes that the friendly Hylee (pronounced I-lee) is “employee of the month, every month.”

“I’m very proud of her. She’s our best girl,” Crocamo said during her council work session monthly division head report.

Recreation funding

Council members expressed support last week for a committee proposal to earmark $240,000 of its Marcellus Shale natural-gas recreation funding to municipalities and nonprofits.

The county has received funding from natural gas drilling annually since the state authorized such allocations under Act 13 in 2012. Because excess funds have accrued, Council’s Act 13 Committee recommended reviving outside awards, which have not been made since 2018.

Act 13 Committee Chairwoman Patty Krushnowski presented the proposal at last week’s work session. If council approves the amount, the committee will present proposed program parameters to council so it can announce the opportunity and start accepting applications.

Funding must be used for recreation and conservation projects, including parks and trails, officials have said.

The Act 13 Committee is scheduled to hold its next meeting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre. Instructions for the remote attendance option will be posted in council’s online meeting section at luzernecounty.org.

Blighted property

The county’s reactivated Blighted Property Review Committee met last week to discuss its plans.

When the committee last met years ago, it was working to compile a countywide blighted property database that never got off the ground.

The committee plans to invite municipalities to an informational session, possibly in July, to brief them on documentation that will be required to submit properties for inclusion in the database.

Owners of properties deemed eligible for the database will have an opportunity to address deficiencies. If an owner does not act, the county Redevelopment Authority will have the authority to consider the reuse of the property.

Committee members agreed to meet again on June 22 to ensure all paperwork is in order for the future presentation to municipalities.

Election adjudication

The county’s five-citizen, volunteer Election Board will meet at 9 a.m. Friday in the Penn Place Building, 20 N. Pennsylvania Ave. in Wilkes-Barre, to begin post-primary election adjudication.

During this public process, the board votes on the acceptance or rejection of paper provisional ballots cast at polling places and of mail ballots flagged for potential deficiencies.

Provisional ballots are cast at polling places when workers determine additional voter verification is needed. The county reviews provisional ballots last to ensure the voters are properly registered and did not cast a second ballot by mail.

The adjudication will be held in courtroom A on the third floor at Penn Place. Additional sessions will be scheduled as necessary to complete the process, which also includes the tallying of write-in votes and other reviews required before the board’s final election certification vote.

Cash Bingo, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 21, at Wyoming Hose Co., 70 East Third St., Wyoming. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Cost is $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Cards are 6 on. There are 15 regular games with a $100 payout, and three bonus games. Proceeds benefit Zara Court #113. Purchase is not tax-deductible. Call 570-332-9272 or any Zara Member for tickets. Seating is limited. Food and beverages will be available for purchase.

Exeter Borough All-Community Yard Sale, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 23. Sell your clothes, furniture, kitchen stuff, games, toys, baby items, bags, and more. It is free to register your yard, porch, or driveway on our Google Form. Please register before Monday, May 18, to be added to our Yard Sale Treasures Searchable & Printable Map.

Flower Sale, all varieties, hanging baskets, potted plants, and annuals, 11 a.m., May 23 at the Brick United Methodist Church, 935 Foote Ave., Duryea, 18642.

Mike Millennium performance, 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday, May 23, at the Dupont VFW Post 4909.

West Pittston Writers Workshop, 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 26, at West Pittston Library, 200 Exeter Ave., West Pittston. Whether you’re penning heartfelt poetry, diving deep into your memoir, crafting epic fantasy, or just trying to finish one paragraph without distraction, we are here to be your creative haven. Each session includes time to write, share your work (only if you want to!), receive thoughtful, constructive feedback, and connect with fellow writers. The program is free to the public. Teens may come with a registered adult. Register in person at the library, or over the phone at 570-654-9847.

Beer For Books, a fundraiser for the Wyoming Free Library, 6 to 8 p.m. May 29 at The Lighthouse Inn, 1019 Shoemaker Ave., Wyoming. $30 per ticket. Buffet includes hot dogs, mac ‘n cheese, and salad. Drink tickets may be redeemed for either two domestic beers, one glass of wine or a signature drink. This is a 21+ event. Entertainment will be by Jon and Kate. Tickets available at beerforbooks.com.

T-Rex Tea Tasting, 6:15 to 7:15 p.m. Wednesday, June 3, at the West Pittston Library, 200 Exeter Ave., West Pittston. It’s the last class before Summer Reading Camp begins, and the T-Rex just can’t wait, so he’s crashing the party. We’ll taste a flight of freshly brewed fruit and dessert-flavored iced teas, blended with some fun dino activities and crafts to get us excited to Unearth A Story this summer. For ages 6 and older. Note: This activity may not be suitable for those sensitive to small amounts of caffeine or certain food allergies. Register on the West Pittston Library website.

The Pittston Area High School Class of 1981 is planning a 45th anniversary reunion for June 6 at Colarusso’s La Palazzo on Birney Avenue in Moosic, and the committee is attempting to contact classmates. If you have contact information for yourself or any other classmate, please get in touch with Kelly Gowran Steiner at 480-414-5671 or kellysteineraz@gmail.com/. For more information, see the Pittston class of 1981 Facebook page.

The Dupont V.F.W. Post 4909 Home Association’s 2nd Flag Day Party, Saturday, June 13, at the Post Home. Entertainment by The Fabulous 45’s. Doors open at 4:30 p.m., dinner buffet at 6 p.m., and dancing from 7 to 10 p.m. Cash bar available from 4:30 to 10 p.m. Cost: $30. For tickets and reservations, call Bob Lopata at 570-472-1152. The reservation deadline is the Friday before the party. Tickets cannot be sold at the door. All PLCB regulations apply.

I know it’s not Father’s Day, and we barely are over Mother’s Day, but I’ve been thinking of my dad lately. He’s gone 30 years now, and as the saying goes, I think about him every day, but lately, it’s intensified.

Granted, tomorrow would have been his birthday, and maybe my feelings of loss also intensify when May 18 comes around each year.

One thing my dad did was organize his class reunion every five years. After he passed away, I felt the need to carry on that tradition with my own class, so for the last three decades I’ve been doing just that.

Maybe that’s another association that is making me think of him.

I drive past Modern Lanes, and I think about him. He was the president of his bowling league, and he bowled for many years at the 9 p.m. Fides League on Thursday nights all winter long.

The New York Yankees remind me of my dad, and the Mohegan Pennsylvania casino horse race track reminds me of my dad, as he worked there for 18 seasons as a teller.

Armed Forces Week reminds me of my dad. He worked at Tobyhanna Army Depot, and each year he’d give tours during Armed Forces Week. He was also voted Commander of the Veterans Council. I always told him that position was the equivalent of being the class president in high school. He found that amusing.

Driving past my homestead is a big reminder of him, and when I think of mom, you know I have to think of dad.

Yes, maybe because he would have turned 97 years old tomorrow, and that’s why he’s on my mind. You know, he was diagnosed with a form of Alzheimer’s disease when he was just 53 years old and died a month before he turned 67.

The last 30 years without him have left a large hole in my life, and he died so young, I can’t even imagine what he’d be like in his later years. In many cases, our later years are not so kind to us, and maybe I don’t want to think about that either.

There’s no doubt in my mind that my hard-working father, who usually worked two jobs most of his life, is someone I needed to lean on and help me get through so many things. My father was a great peacekeeper, and he tried very hard to smooth things over when it got out of hand.

As a Taurus, and I don’t really believe in astrology, he was very reliable and patient, and I could have used him throughout my life.

Living with women in my family for most of my adult life, Dad would have been a great partner in crime. It just didn’t work out that way, and as many of you reading this, you too may have been in the same position as me.

Life isn’t all party balloons and roses; there are plenty of sad cases out there, and I know I’m not alone, but like many of you, we never forget, and May 18 is a day I get to honor my dad.

Well, Dad, I wish I could tell you it’s been great for the past 30 years, but it hasn’t … especially without you, but I want you to know you are loved and missed as we honor you on your 97th birthday.

As I eluded, life is not fair, and that was evident this past week when my sweet friend of many years, Kitty Bruce, passed away after undergoing knee surgery.

Kitty was the daughter of comedy legend Lenny Bruce, a man she adored from childhood until her dying day. She loved her mother, Honey, deeply and endlessly. One of her last posts was to her late mother on Mother’s Day.

I’m sure Lenny and Honey and her Grandma Sally were waiting for her on the other side.

Kitty had many struggles in her life, all of which she had behind her. Just a few years ago, she fell and broke her back, and it’s been pretty rough. All she wanted to do was get her knees fixed and enjoy the summer. That wasn’t in the master plan, and we lost one of the biggest-hearted people I know.

A very long time ago, she started Lenny’s House: A Recovery Home for Women in Honor of Lenny Bruce. I did photo work for her and had the privilege of designing Lenny’s House brochure. She helped many, many women, and that was a good thing.

After her back injury, I took her for an ice cream ride, walker and all, and she was in Heaven. It had been a while since she was anywhere but hospitals, rehabilitation, and the confines of her own home.

I said we would do it again once she got on her feet and was feeling better, but that, too, is sadly gone.

It’s funny, I watched the movie “Lenny” about her dad way before I knew her, and I felt it was strange, but I watched it again after we met, and the movie broke my heart. Lenny just wasn’t a famous comedian; that was my friend’s dad, and he was gone.

Good-bye to you, my friend Kitty Bruce — until we meet again.

Quote of the week

“When someone you love becomes a memory, that memory becomes a treasure you carry quietly in your heart forever.” —Unknown

Thought of the week

“Grief is not a sign of weakness, nor a lack of faith. It is the price of love, and the shadow left behind when someone dear is gone.” —Queen Elizabeth II

Bumper sticker

“Love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation.” —Kahlil Gibran

WEST PITTSTON — Ten nominated Wyoming Area Primary Center students had the chance to visit the courtroom of District Magistrate Matthew Carmody at the West Pittston Borough Building on May 7.

The 10 students were nominated by Primary Center teachers for the chance to be the monthly Junior Deputy.

Nominations are submitted by observed acts of kindness, exemplary anti-bullying characteristics, safety awareness demonstrations, or any other observed act that embodies the “Warrior Way.”

Once selected, the student was awarded the chance to shadow Primary Center Police Officer John Bell, for half a day, learning about police work and school safety.

On May 7, each of the monthly “deputies” was afforded the opportunity to meet Judge Carmody and learn about his day-to-day responsibilities as district magistrate.

“This program is in its second year, and it is already starting to become something bigger than I ever could have imagined,” Officer Bell said. “It is a spin-off from our Anti-Bullying Program, and I couldn’t be happier with the results and the positive impacts it has had on our school and the children in it. These programs are such a confidence booster, leaving them with an experience they will never forget at such a young age.”

According to Bell, it has given students something to really work toward and gives them a sense of pride in their school and an awareness of making responsible decisions that help better their school community.

Any Primary Center student from grades 1st through 3rd Grade can be nominated and can participate in this program.

SCRANTON — Wyoming Area sophomore Janesa Sancho conquered a busy schedule to win one title, earn a second state berth, and claim a total of four Class 3A girls medals Monday and Tuesday in the District 2 Class 3A Track and Field Championships at Memorial Stadium.

With teammate Lucia Campenni in close pursuit, Sancho won the 300-meter hurdles title and met the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association state qualifying standard in the 100 hurdles.

Sancho also led off a fourth-place 1600 relay team and a fifth-place 400 relay.

The top six in every event earned district medals, and the top eight scored points for their team.

Sancho, Taylor Gashi, and Campenni helped the Lady Warriors edge North Pocono 68-67 for third place in the 18-team field.

Abington Heights beat out Crestwood 110-98 for the title.

Sancho was part of one of the first events of the two-day meet when she was the second-fastest qualifier, and Campenni was third to get in the next day’s finals in the 100 hurdles.

In the first individual track event to be decided, Sancho and Campenni finished 1-2 in the 300 hurdles.

“It’s definitely very difficult,” Sancho said after finishing in 46.26, 1.52 seconds in front of Campenni. “It gets very tiring, so I have to push through it.

“I wanted to break the record. I didn’t happen, but I still did my best.”

Sancho was second in the 100 hurdles final in 15.40 seconds. Campenni took fourth in 16.49.

Gashi had Wyoming Area’s other silver medal, placing second in the triple jump in 36-9½. She was also third in both the long jump, with 17-1¾, and the discus, with a throw of 105-1.

Isabella Costa finished fifth in the 400 run in 1:00.90 and anchored the 1600 relay and the sixth-place 3200 relay.

Shannon Kearns and Lucia Campenni were the other members of the fourth-place 1600 relay team. Julianne Potter, Talia Pizano, and Kinley Park completed the fifth-place team in the 400 relay.

Ella Campenni, Sofia Menta, and Briella Wallace joined Costa on the 3200 relay, the first event to be decided.

Adriana Fanti placed eighth in the discus with a throw of 95-9.

Pittston Area was 11th with 23 points.

Isabella Dessoye was second in the 800 run with a time of 2:20.42, and Elinor Schardien tied for second in the pole vault by clearing 10-6.

Paige Bittman was the other medalist, taking fifth in the high jump with 5-1.

Lexi Drozginski was seventh in the 100 hurdles with a time of 17.52.

Maddie Lis, with 98-7 in the javelin, and Grace Schardien, with 16-2 ¾ in the long jump, each finished eighth.

SCRANTON — Wyoming Area’s Luke Kopetchny and Josh Mruk each won a title and added second medal in Class 3A boys during the District 2 Track and Field Championships Monday at Tuesday at Memorial Stadium.

Pittston Area’s Lucas LoPresto and Wyoming Area’s Ben Gravine will join Kopetchny and Mruk in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Championships at Shippensburg University Friday and Saturday after meeting the PIAA’s challenging, qualifying standards.

Kopetchny, the top seed in the event, won the long jump Tuesday with a leap of 22-4½ after going 45-2¼ Monday to place third in the triple jump and clinch his trip to Shippensburg in the process.

“I’m definitely excited because I also qualified for triple jump, too,” said Kopetchny, a junior who has received all-state honors for his play on the basketball court and football field. “I feel like it will be a good experience for me. It’s my first time.”

Mruk also secured his state berth Monday, winning the shot put in dominant fashion with a distance of 54-4¼. He took fifth in the javelin with a throw of 175-7.

The top six in each event earned medals and the top eight scored points for their teams.

“Leading up, I was getting a little nervous, but I came through, put it out there and got the gold,” said Mruk, who had the longest four puts of the competition and had all six of his attempts among the nine in the competition that exceeded 50 feet.

Gravine secured his chance to join them when he finished third in the discus with a throw of 160-11. He also placed eighth in the shot put with 44-8¾.

Nicholas Kondrosky was fourth, right behind Kopetchny, in the triple jump with 44-6.

Jack Gravine took eighth in the 100-meter dash in 11.63.

The Warriors came out of the first day in fifth place in the team standings, but slipped to seventh with 43 points.

Dallas won with 100 points, 15½ more than Wallenpaupack.

Pittston Area was eighth out of 17 teams with 35 points after climbing six spots on the second day.

LoPresto was one of three silver medalists, with a javelin throw of 189-½.

Caden Boettger was second in the 800-meter run in 1:58.89 and added a fourth-place finish in the 1600 in 4:36.08. He also anchored the 3200 relay team to fourth place in 8:22.32, following up the combination of Jake Mead, Jacob Ivey and Brady Tucker.

Freshman Deondre Miller was second in the 100 in 11.26.

Nick Logan was seventh in the 110 high hurdles in 16.81.

Pittston Area and Wyoming Area are the top seeds in District 2 baseball playoffs after each going 17-3 in the regular season.

The Patriots are 18-3 overall, but their playoff victory over Hazleton Area on Friday to win the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 title was not part of the records used to determine power ratings that decide playoff seeding.

The ratings were not to be finalized until the completion of four Saturday games, but the Patriots and Warriors were far enough ahead in Class 5A and 4A to be sure to hold on to the top spots.

The Saturday baseball games all involved District 2 small schools. Games involving those seven small schools (and one outside the district) could still impact ratings of large school teams that they had faced, but playoff matchups can be anticipated based on ratings going into Saturday.

Class 5A baseball

Pittston Area has earned one of the two quarterfinal byes in the six-team field.

The Patriots will be home Friday against the winner of Tuesday’s semifinal between Abington Heights, one of three teams that tied for first place in Lackawanna League Division 1, and Dallas. The Comets are 13-6, and the Mountaineers are 14-6.

Wallenpaupack, another of the first-place finishers in Lackawanna Division 1, is the second seed in a tournament that also includes North Pocono (10-10) and West Scranton (5-15). The Buckhorns are 15-5.

The final is set for May 28 on a neutral field.

Class 4A baseball

Wyoming Area (17-3) beat out Mid Valley (15-5) for the top seed in a tournament where the top eight schools out of 10 qualified.

The Warriors will open Tuesday at home with a quarterfinal game in which Valley View (5-15) is the likely opponent. Berwick (4-16) is another possibility.

Hanover Area (13-7) and Honesdale (9-10-1) are the most likely semifinal opponents for Wyoming Area, which will get to host again Friday if it wins the quarterfinal.

Scranton Prep (11-8) and Crestwood (5-14-1) complete the field.

The final is scheduled for May 29 on a neutral field.

Class 2A baseball

This is the bracket most likely to have undergone late adjustments on Saturday.

Old Forge went 4-10 to finish seventh of eight teams in Lackawanna League Division 2. The Blue Devils are 9-10 overall and had a .472 power rating going into Saturday, in fifth in the race, just behind Wyoming Seminary, which was 10-9 with a .474 rating, but a game remaining.

Mid Valley was close behind at 11-8 with a .453 rating.

The playoffs are set for Tuesday, Friday, and May 29.

Class 5A softball

This tournament is a six-team District 2-4 Subregional.

Pittston Area will open at home Tuesday, likely against sixth-seeded Shikellamy (4-15), unless they slipped behind Crestwood Saturday. The Lady Patriots finished 11-8 and took a .608 rating into Saturday, while Crestwood was at 12-8 and .591, with the teams possibly minimally impacted by some of the seven games involving 10 district teams that were being played Saturday.

Abington Heights (19-1) is the top seed.

North Pocono (15-5) earned the other bye and is positioned to host Pittston Area in a likely Thursday semifinal matchup.

The final is on May 27 on a neutral field.

Class 4A softball

Wyoming Area will be home for Monday’s quarterfinal before likely hitting the road in a potential Wednesday semifinal. The neutral field final is set for May 26.

The top four teams in the eight-team field start at home.

Wyoming Area, which finished 12-6 and had a .598 rating, went into Saturday in third place in the power ratings, just in front of Wallenpaupack, which was 10-9 with a .586 rating, with a game against West Scranton remaining.

Tunkhannock (19-1) is the top seed. Valley View (17-3) is a potential semifinal opponent for Wyoming Area.

The rest of the field includes Dallas (10-10), Berwick (10-10), Hanover Area (6-13), and likely Nanticoke (4-16).

Class A softball

Old Forge went 10-4 to place third in Lackawanna Division 2 and brings an 11-6 record into the four-team district tournament.

The Lady Devils are the second seed behind Lackawanna Division 2 champion Holy Cross (16-3).

Old Forge will probably open Monday against Susquehanna (4-12).

Forest City (3-13) is the other team in the field.

Semifinals are on Wednesday, with the final set for May 26.

Paul Russick has a large group of players from his championship Pittston Area football team to build around, beginning Sunday at noon, when the Pioneers kick off practice for the 75th annual UNICO Football Classic.

The all-star game for graduating seniors of Wyoming Valley Conference schools moves to a new location this season. The game is scheduled for May 28 at Wilkes-Barre Area at 7 p.m.

Pittston Area High School will also be the site of Pioneers practice sessions on May 20 and 27, in addition to Sunday’s first workout.

Mohegan Pennsylvania will be the site for the game’s annual banquet on May 26 at 6 p.m.

The Pioneers will face the Miners, who Wilkes-Barre Area’s Ciro Cinti will coach.

When WVC coaches met in December to choose rosters for the game, Pittston Area had the most players chosen with 15.

The Patriots picked for the game were: two-way linemen Nico Cielo, Brandon Lockett, Kayden Walker, and Gunnar Zaledonis; running back/linebackers Victor Narsavage, Brody Spindler, and Zak Ridgley; wide receiver/defensive backs Stephen Barnic, Malcolm Blackshear, and Billy Dessoye; quarterback Paulie Ferentino; running back/defensive back Aiden Brody; defensive lineman Matt D’Aiello; center/linebacker Brian Hankey; and kicker/punter Cole Baldwin.

The Pioneers roster will also include players from Crestwood, Dallas, Hazleton Area, Lake-Lehman, Wyoming Seminary, and Wyoming Valley West.

Wyoming Area players will be part of the Miners team.

The Warriors selected were: two-way linemen Max Getzie, Tyler LaNunziata, and Cayden Reynolds; running back/defensive backs Nick Ciampi and Trustin Johnson; linebacker Donovan Miller; and running back/linebacker Jamari Yates.

Berwick, Hanover Area, Holy Redeemer, Nanticoke, Tunkhannock, and Wilkes-Barre Area also have players on the Miners roster.

Wyoming Area made the most of eight hits, taking advantage of 11 walks, six hit batters, and a pair of Tunkhannock errors to beat the visiting Tigers 15-2 in five innings Friday in the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 baseball finale.

The offensive outburst capped a championship season for the Warriors, who finished 11-1 in the division. They went into the game with the title wrapped up and finished ahead of Hanover Area 9-3, Lake-Lehman 9-3, Holy Redeemer 5-7, Wyoming Seminary 5-7, MMI Prep 2-10 and Tunkhannock 1-11 in the division.

Jake Snyder tripled for the only Wyoming Area extra-base hit and had two hits and three runs scored.

Ben Rogish did not have a hit, but found other ways to get on, then stole four bases and scored four times.

Robbie Yatsko drove in three runs and Zach Smith drove in two.

Mitchell Rusinchak was 1-for-1 with three walks and scored four times. He also struck out all three batters he faced to finish off a two-hitter with Marco Altavilla.

Pittston Area 19, Nanticoke 2

Pittston Area scored seven times in the first inning, then a dozen in the third to win Thursday’s game in three innings and secure the share of first place that the visiting Patriots used to win a playoff for the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 title.

The victory left the Patriots even with Hazleton Area at 12-2 and in front of: Wyoming Valley West 10-4, Dallas 9-5, Wilkes-Barre Area 6-8, Crestwood 4-10, Berwick 3-11 and Nanticoke 0-14.

Nick Innamorati, Beau Widdick and Josh Barr all had RBI doubles in the third inning. Barr’s double drove in two runs, giving him three RBI for the game.

Widdick had another hit and scored three runs.

Dom Salvo went 2-for-2 with a double and scored twice.

Alex Rosencrance had a triple and drove in two runs.

Zach Budzak scored twice and drove in two runs. Ryan Tonte scored three times and Jacoby Harnen scored twice.

Wyoming Area 18, Western Wayne 0

Alex Vacula drove in five runs Tuesday as Wyoming Area pounded host Western Wayne in a five-inning, non-league game.

Vacula blasted a grand slam in the second inning, then doubled to drive in another run in the third.

David Favata also homered. He finished 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored.

Favata also worked the final inning of a combined five-hitter with Caleb Pavinski, striking out two and walking one without allowing a hit.

Jake Snyder singled, doubled and scored three runs. Bruno Pizzano doubled, singled and scored twice.

Matteo Argenio doubled in two runs in his only at-bat and also scored as part of the six-run fifth inning.

Pittston Area 4, Holy Redeemer 0

Pittston Area’s Alex Rosencrance tossed a four-hit shutout in Tuesday’s non-league game at Holy Redeemer.

Rosencrance was efficient, walking one and striking out four while throwing 54 of his 79 pitches for strikes.

Josh Barr doubled and scored two runs. Joe Bradley went 2-for-2. Jacoby Harnen drove in two runs.

Wallenpaupack 2, Wyoming Area 1

Ryan Nemshick and Jake Snyder combined on a three-hitter Tuesday, but Wyoming Area allowed two unearned runs in the fifth inning to fall at home in the non-league game.

Nemshick struck out four in five innings. Snyder struck out two and retired all six batters he faced. They combined to throw 64 of 92 pitches for strikes and neither issued a walk.

Jake Snyder singled with two out in the first, went to second on a Ben Rogish single, then stole third and scored on the wild throw that he drew.

SOFTBALL

Pittston Area 2, Berwick 0

Samantha Herbert threw a four-hitter and drove in one of the runs Friday when Pittston Area closed out its regular-season schedule with the shutout of visiting Berwick in a non-league game.

Herbert walked two and struck out four.

Julia Long led off the second with a triple and scored on a Mikaila Sarf one-out single.

Lili Hintze led off the fifth with a triple and scored when Herbert followed with an RBI single.

Jillian Haas also had a triple.

Hazleton Area 7, Wyoming Area 4

Hazleton Area did all of its scoring over its final three at-bats to rally past visiting Wyoming Area in Tuesday’s non-league game to close out the regular season.

Josie Kivak, who finished with two RBI, doubled to drive in the first run and scored the second for the Lady Warriors in the top of the first.

Allison Layland had two hits and scored twice.

Wyoming Area had finished its WVC Division 2 schedule earlier and wound up tied for second.

The final division standings: Lake-Lehman 10-0, Wyoming Area 7-3, Holy Redeemer 7-3, Berwick 4-6, Nanticoke 1-9, Hanover Area 1-9.

Tunkhannock 4, Pittston Area 0

Michaela Howell struck out nine in a three-hitter Monday as unbeaten WVC Division 1 champion Tunkhannock shut out visiting Pittston Area.

Lili Hintze, Samantha Herbert and Julia Long had the only hits for the Lady Patriots in the matchup between the division’s top two teams.

The final division standings: Tunkhannock 10-0, Pittston Area 8-4, Dallas 7-5, Crestwood 7-5, Hazleton Area 5-7, Wilkes-Barre Area 2-10, Wyoming Valley West 1-11.

The Wyoming Area team of Joseph Allegrucci and Trevor Winslow made it to the second round of the District 2 Boys Tennis Doubles Tournament on Thursday at Kirby Park before being eliminated.

Allegrucci-Winslow topped Berwick’s Thomas Dibattista-Hayden Wark 6-4, 6-2 in a Class 2A opener.

Both Wyoming Area teams were eliminated by opponents from Dallas.

Sixth-seeded Nate Linnen-Theo Barr knocked out Allegrucci-Winslow 6-1, 6-1.

The Dallas team of Andrew Avila-Zade Drezek stopped Jason Wang-Keanen Edwards 6-0, 6-0.

Both Pittston Area teams lost in their first match in Class 3A on the Wilkes University courts.

Brandon Tiru-Collin Stillitino received a first-round bye, then lost to Scranton’s Veer Patel-Yax Patel 6-1, 6-3.

Hazleton Area’s Mateo Feola-Jayden Forte defeated Nick Jones-Isaac Adames 6-4, 6-4.

Ava Butcher and Ali Butcher were part of a series of school record-setting performances as relay teammates on the King’s College women’s track and field team.

The Pittston Area graduates were on 4x400-meter relay teams that set records three times this season. They were part of a 4:00.11 effort during the regular season, were on the first King’s team to break four minutes with a win at the Middle Atlantic Conference Championships in 3:58.13, then lowered that Wednesday with a time of 3:55.67 while taking seventh at the All-Atlantic Region Track & Field Championships at Ursinus.

The Butchers also were part of two records in the 4x100 at the MAC Championships, with a time of 49.59 seconds in preliminaries and a 49.32 for fifth place during the finals.

King’s used those relay efforts as part of the school’s best-ever finish at the MAC Championships with 96 points to place third in the 14-team field.

Ava Butcher, a junior, also earned a bronze medal in the 400-meter dash in 58.14 seconds. Ali Butcher, a freshman, scored team points by placing sixth in the 100 dash in 13.03.

Preston Klem, a sophomore on the King’s men’s team, was an MAC Championships bronze medalist in the 1500 run with a time of 3:58.57.

Klem was ninth in the 1500 at the AARTFC with a time of 4:01.69. He also won his heat Monday in the 800 run with a time of 1:54.88 at the Widener Final Qualifier.

PLAINS TWP. — Two rockets and a roller summed up Elijah Barr’s four-RBI game Friday.

There was more, though, to the Pittston Area standout’s performance in the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 baseball championship game.

Barr also quelled Hazleton Area’s batters as the Patriots posted a 6-1 win for their second consecutive divisional championship.

Barr, a Pitt commit and Major League Baseball draft prospect, struck out seven and scattered four hits in pitching a complete game as the Patriots finished 11-2 in the division and improved to 18-3 overall.

“I thought it was incredible,” Pittston Area coach Paul Zaffuto said. “We’ve been waiting all year for him, but he wasn’t full and wasn’t himself. He has a lot to think about. He has a lot of scouts that are calling. He’s a major league prospect and a Division I prospect.”

Barr missed a few weeks after injuring his left, non-throwing wrist on a slide. He has methodically worked back to form.

“It’s amazing being back after three weeks and being able to go seven innings,” said Barr, who says he’s 6-foot-6 but looks taller.

Logan Hearity had two of Hazleton Area’s four hits. He doubled in the third and scored on two wild pitches, one of the few mistakes Barr made on the mound.

As for the hitting, Barr blasted a solo home run to left in the first inning. He rolled an infield single in the second to score Zach Budzak, who started a two-out rally with a single to right.

Barr added a two-run homer to left in the sixth, not as impressive as his first homer but more effective as the Patriots took a 6-1 lead.

Pittston Area scored its other two runs in the third. Jacoby Harnen led off with an infield single, moving to second on a error on the play. Dom Salvo and Gavin Wardecki followed by getting hit by pitches, with Salvo taking his off the helmet. He was able to stay in the game.

Joe Bradley and Budzak then hit consecutive RBI singles, but a double play prevented more damage.

Pittston Area is set up well for the District 2 Class 5A playoffs. The Patriots have a bye to the semifinals as the top seed and Barr would be available to pitch that game as well as the championship game if they get that far.

Hazleton Area (10-3 Div. 1, 16-5) will be the second seed in the D2/4 Class 6A playoffs, but will enter off a three-game losing streak. The Cougars also lost non-conference games to Central Mountain and Mount Carmel.

“We got some questions that need to be answered for sure,” Hazleton Area coach Russ Canzler said. “Dropping three in a row and really not playing characteristic Hazleton Area baseball the last week and a half.

“It was a great opportunity today to figure some things out and see how guys respond and react.”

The championship game had no bearing on the District 2 power rankings which determine seedings for next week’s playoffs. District seedings are based on regular-season games only.

WVC Division 1 Championship

Pittston Area 6, Hazleton Area 1

Pittston Area`AB`R`H`BI

Widdick ss`3`1`1`0

E.Barr p`4`2`3`4

J.Barr dh`3`0`0`0

Rosencrance 3b`0`0`0`0

Harnen c`4`0`2`0

Bernardi cr`0`1`0`0

Salvo lf`3`1`0`0

Wardecki 1b`3`0`0`0

Bradley rf`4`0`1`1

Budzak 2b`3`1`2`1

Innamorati cf 2`0`0`0

Totals`29`6`9`6

Hazleton Area`AB`R`H`BI

Hearity ss`2`1`2`0

Knelly c`3`0`0`0

Marino dh`3`0`0`0

Glickert rf`0`0`0`0

Esposito p`0`0`0`0

Hidalgo 3b`3`0`1`0

Masias 2b`2`0`0`0

Rinker cf`2`0`0`0

Ortega ph`1`0`0`0

Cunniffe lf`1`0`0`0

Spare rf`0`0`0`0

Serra rf`2`0`0`0

Corrado p`3`0`1`0

Eckert 1b`1`0`0`0

Welch ph`1`0`0`0

Totals`23`1`4`0

Pittston Area`112`020`0 — 6

Hazleton Area`001`000`0 — 1

E — Hazleton Area 1. DP — Pittston Area 1, Hazleton Area 1. LOB — Pittston Area 8, Hazleton Area 4. 2B — Harnen, Hearity. HR — E.Barr 2.

Pittston Area`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

E.Barr (W)`7`4`1`1`2`7

Hazleton Area`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Corrado (L)`2`5`4`3`2`6

Esposito`4`4`2`2`0`1

HBP — Salvo, Wardecki (by Corrado)