TimesLeader.com

February 18

Official contests sick pay

Luzerne County Controller Walter Griffith said he won’t pay $48,440 to nine prison employees for unused sick days because he doesn’t believe the union contract allowed them to rack up the excess time.

February 18

Embattled Patte has fans on Facebook

WILKES-BARRE – Supporters of popular sports bar owner Patrick Patte Jr. are rallying to his defense following his arrest on gambling charges, with one person creating a page on the Facebook social networking site in his honor.

February 18

Shickshinny authority chairman’s actions disputed

NANTICOKE – The chairman of the Shickshinny Sewer Authority defended himself Wednesday at a hearing on allegations that he harassed a fellow board member.

February 18

‘Unto dust you shall return’

WILKES-BARRE – Thousands of Catholics filed into churches throughout Luzerne County to receive their ashes as the annual Lenten observance of Ash Wednesday began.

February 18

Development head takes on new task

Luzerne County Community Development Director Andrew Reilly will temporarily oversee the county Redevelopment Authority, which has been without an executive director since Allen Bellas got caught in the federal corruption probe, county officials announced Wednesday.

February 18

New judge to hear Banks case

The state Supreme Court on Wednesday directed Luzerne County President Judge Thomas Burke to reassign the competency hearing for convicted mass murderer George Banks to a new county judge in hopes of speeding up resolution of the decades-old case.

February 18

Obituaries

Bochniak, Thomas

February 18

Kanjo: My clout needed more than ever

WILKES-BARRE - U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski on Wednesday said his seniority in Congress is needed more than ever and residents of the 11th Congressional District will benefit from his re-election.

February 18

Woman accused of stabbing boyfriend

EDWARDSVILLE – A Shickshinny woman was arrested on charges she stabbed her boyfriend several times at an apartment complex late Tuesday night.

February 18

Judge allows trip for Patte

WILKES-BARRE – A sports bar owner who is facing federal gambling charges was granted permission Wednesday to take part in a pre-arranged trip to the Bahamas that’s scheduled to leave today.Patrick Patte Jr., through his attorney, Mike Butera, filed a motion Wednesday that asked a judge to overrule the U.S. Attorney’s office decision to deny Patte permission to travel outside the region.

February 18

Cost to store county records to drop $12,888 a year

Luzerne County government will continue storing old records at the Thomas C. Thomas building in downtown Wilkes-Barre – at $12,888 less per year, officials said Wednesday.

February 18

Charges in baby assault advance to court

WEST PITTSTON – A man accused by Exeter police of seriously injuring a 2-month-old girl in retaliation against the infant’s mother waived his right to a preliminary hearing on Wednesday.

February 18

Home builder running to replace Yudichak

RICE TWP. – Saying he’s the right person at the right time, Rick Arnold announced his candidacy on Wednesday for the state House seat representing the 119th district.

February 18

Doherty now to vie for state Senate

SCRANTON – Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty has dropped his pursuit of the governor’s mansion, instead focusing his attention on the Capitol in Harrisburg and a seat in the Senate.

February 18

Home explosion charges forwarded

WEST PITTSTON – Eileen Dewey and her mother, Rosalie Murtha, said they are lucky to be alive.

February 18

Stimulus results mixed

WASHINGTON — Did the stimulus work or not? A year after Congress passed President Barack Obama’s huge economic revival plan, the results are mixed — and hardly final.

February 18

Study: States must fill pension gap

HARRISBURG — States may be forced to reduce benefits, raise taxes or slash government services to address a $1 trillion funding shortfall in public sector retirement benefits, according to a new study that warns of even more debilitating costs if immediate action isn’t taken.

February 18

Students voiced concern over prof

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Students banded together to let administrators know something wasn’t quite right about Professor Amy Bishop. She taught by reading straight out of the textbook, never made eye contact and liked to remind people constantly that she went to Harvard.

February 18

Toyota probing Corolla steering woes

TOKYO — Could the Corolla be next?

February 18

International News brief

Air travelers might have their hands swabbed more often as part of a stepped-up effort to screen passengers for explosives, an Obama administration official said Wednesday.

February 18

Park planned near airport in doubt

DUPONT – A missed deadline could signal the end of the $30 million Landing Pointe office park planned near the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport.

February 18

Rigases fight second trial

PHILADELPHIA — Justice Department efforts to pursue a second fraud trial for an imprisoned cable television mogul and his son amount to constitutionally prohibited double jeopardy, a defense lawyer argued Wednesday before an 11-judge U.S. appeals panel.

February 18

Tablets, smartbooks aiming to fill PC-phone gap

BARCELONA, Spain — Wireless carriers are pushing devices bigger than a phone but smaller than a laptop.

February 18

Positive earnings and economic reports boost stocks

NEW YORK — A stream of good news has the stock market back on an upward path.

February 18

Business News brief

The production of natural gas from tightly compacted shale in the U.S. is attracting more capital from around the world.

February 18

Building Trust

Due to an error by the school, Chad Wasickanin was omitted from the names on the Grade 5 High Honor Roll for Hanover Memorial Elementary School that ran on Page 10B on Feb. 14.