TimesLeader.com

8:52 PM

Cost to repair sewer lines concerns Laflin officials

LAFLIN – Collapsing terra-cotta sewer lines are likely to mean the borough has more repair work in the future, council noted during Monday’s borough council meeting.

8:50 PM

Duryea police to enforce code regs

DURYEA – Borough police officers were assigned a new task Tuesday when council voted to assign them the duties of carrying out code enforcement activity.

8:49 PM

Conservative spokesman, public policy expert to talk

WILKES-BARRE – International perceptions of America will be the focus when public policy expert and author Dinesh D’Souza delivers the Allan P. Kirby Lecture in Free Enterprise and Entrepreneurship on March 2 at Wilkes University.

8:47 PM

Stormwater operation costs mulled

NANTICOKE – The county is likely to have a more stringent stormwater management plan by July, but attendees at a meeting on the proposed county-wide ordinance voiced concerns that increased regulations will likewise increase maintenance costs in already cash-strapped municipalities.

8:45 PM

Hughestown interested in Dupont chipper

HUGHESTOWN – Hughestown Borough Council will submit an official letter of interest as a part of a Dupont Borough grant request that would fund the purchase of a chip conveyor, council President Wayne Quick Jr. announced during Monday’s council meeting.

6:09 PM

Body of missing Air Force major found in Haiti

MIAMI (AP) — The body of a U.S. Air Force officer visiting Haiti at the time of last month's earthquake has been found in the rubble of a hotel in the country's devastated capital.

6:10 PM

Haiti raises earthquake's death toll to 230,000

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti's government has raised the death toll for the Jan. 12 earthquake to 230,000 from 212,000 and says more bodies remain uncounted.

6:08 PM

Gov. Rendell makes nominations for county judge / sheriff posts

Gov. Ed Rendell has announced his nominations to fill two vacant seats on the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas and the Sheriff's department.

3:42 PM

Weather Alert: Winter storm warning, eight to 14 inches of snow

A winter storm warning has been issued for Northeastern Pennsylvania for eight to 14 inches of snow beginning Tuesday night into Thursday morning, according to the National Weather Service in Binghamton, N.Y.

5:44 PM

Sen. Bob Mellow announces he will not seek re-election

HARRISBURG -- Sen. Robert J. Mellow, D-Peckville, the state Senate’s longest-serving member and its highest-ranking Democrat, announced today that he will not seek re-election.

2:46 PM

Back Mountain man announces run for Congress

KINGSTON – On a campaign kickoff tour announcing his candidacy as a Republican in the 10th congressional district race, Dave Madeira made a stop in Luzerne County Tuesday to introduce himself to voters and ask them for their support.

1:18 PM

Man charged with assaulting officer, resisting arrest

WILKES-BARRE - A man accused of assaulting a city police officer and resisting arrest will face charges in Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas.

1:17 PM

Rendell proposes lower sales tax but on more items

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Gov. Ed Rendell on Tuesday presented lawmakers with a $29 billion spending plan that would devote more money to schools, prisons and health care for the poor while taxing the sale of many services for the first time.

1:09 PM

Northwest Area students charged for roles in 'fight club'

UNION TWP. -- State police at Shickshinny have charged more than a dozen Northwest Area High School students for their participation in two separate fights off of school property.

12:32 PM

Doctor: One of four gunshot wounds victim received was alone fatal

WILKES-BARRE -- Forensic pathologist Gary Ross testified Tuesday morning that one of the four gunshot wounds Aaron Witko received was in of itself fatal.

12:19 PM

GOP wary of pitfalls in Obama's health care summit

WASHINGTON (AP) — Even as Republicans publicly welcome President Barack Obama's call for a bipartisan confab on health care, some privately worry that he might be laying a trap to portray their ideas as flimsy.

12:46 PM

State Farm says it warned NHTSA on Toyota in 2007

WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation's largest auto insurer said Tuesday it alerted federal safety regulators in late 2007 about a rise in reports of unexpected acceleration in Toyota vehicles, the latest warning sign to emerge about the massive recall.

12:04 PM

Man charged for killing cat

JENKINS TWP. - A man is facing an animal cruelty charge for allegedly killing a cat because the feline urinated on a wood pile, according to arrest records.

11:31 AM

Plains Township man jailed on heroin charges

PLAINS TWP. - A township man is jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $200,000 total bail on various drug related charges that he sold heroin in parking lots since November, according to arrest records.

12:17 PM

Toyota recalls Priuses

Toyota says it is recalling about 437,000 Prius and other hybrid vehicles worldwide to fix brake problems — the latest in a string of embarrassing safety lapses at the world’s largest automaker.

February 9

Firm paid by county outsourced

Luzerne County paid Continental Consultants Group $807,770 to process payroll for retirees and flood workers, but Continental hired another company to do most, if not all, of the work, county Solicitor Vito DeLuca said Monday.

3:40 AM

Snow coming, and driving could be tricky

Folks in Luzerne County can expect at least 3 to 5 inches of snow to accumulate on Wednesday, with high winds and drifts that will impede driving and impact schedules, according to a local meteorologist.

4:10 AM

Property value case in court

Property owners packed a Luzerne County courtroom Monday to show support for Vic Kopko, who plans to challenge the legality of the countywide reassessment as part of his assessment mediation.

6:38 AM

Blum Brothers buildings in W-B to be razed

WILKES-BARRE – Two buildings that once housed the former Blum Brothers dress shop in the city’s downtown will be demolished.

4:04 AM

Locals don’t back Doherty for gov.

Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty is staying in the governor’s race and Monday he discounted reports that he would shift gears and run for lieutenant governor.

6:37 AM

Butler Twp. lawyer wants Eachus’ seat

A Butler Township attorney will formally announce her intention to run for the state House seat currently held by fellow Butler Township resident and House Majority Leader Todd Eachus.

4:15 AM

Dallas approves changes for construction project

DALLAS TWP. – Six change orders for the Dallas Senior High School construction project were approved Monday evening by the School Board.

February 9

McGuire takes over as W-B Area head

WILKES-BARRE – The Wilkes-Barre Area School Board accepted the resignation of President Frank Pizzella – the third member to plead guilty to corruption charges – and elected Teresa McGuire president.

February 9

Friend testifies Fann shot, killed Witko in 2008

WILKES-BARRE – Devon Gipson said Monday there is no doubt in his mind that his friend, Gregory Fann, shot and killed Aaron Witko near the Black Diamond Bridge in May 2008.

3:47 AM

Rep. Yudichak running for Musto’s Senate seat

State Rep. John Yudichak on Monday made it official – he will seek to replace the retiring Raphael Musto in the state Senate.

3:57 AM

Dog cruelty trial will be delayed

WILKES-BARRE – The trial of a man accused of animal cruelty in the shooting death of a dog will be delayed until later this week after a Luzerne County judge tries a rape case.

4:17 AM

Area politicians praise Murtha’s efforts

On Saturday, U.S. Rep. John “Jack” Murtha surpassed Joseph McDade as the longest serving congressman in Pennsylvania history. On Monday, he died following complications from gallbladder surgery.

3:55 AM

U.S. Rep. John Murtha, 77, dies

HARRISBURG — U.S. Rep. John Murtha, the tall, gruff-mannered former Marine who became the de facto voice of veterans on Capitol Hill and later an outspoken and influential critic of the Iraq War, died Monday. He was 77.

February 9

Fugitive from Ga. jailed on firearm, other counts

WHITE HAVEN – A fugitive from Georgia has been charged by police with a firearm offense, harassment and removing a survey marker from a yard of a Berwick Street home.

February 9

Hanover Area already focused on 2010-11 budget

HANOVER TWP. – School board officials Monday met in what will be the first of many budget meetings between now and July to deal with increased health care and staffing costs while still holding any tax increases to less than 4.1 percent.

February 9

Garrison school-closing talk irks parents

UNION TWP. – Parents of students who attend the Garrison Elementary School in the Northwest Area School District expressed their displeasure with the School Board at Monday’s public hearing held to discuss the possibility of closing the school.

February 9

Thousands still without power after storm

PITTSBURGH — Tens of thousands of people were still without power across Pennsylvania on Monday as yet another winter storm bore down on the snow-weary region.

February 9

Blood test on infants being questioned

WASHINGTON — A critical safety net for babies — that heelprick of blood taken from every newborn — is facing an ethics attack.

February 9

Survey: Toyota still in a fix

DETROIT — Consumers say they have heard more negative news about Toyota in recent days than they heard about General Motors and Chrysler during their bankruptcies last spring, according to BrandIndex, a consumer survey that tracks perceptions of hundreds of companies.

February 9

Gov. calls for safety review of plant

HARTFORD, Conn. — Connecticut’s governor is calling for a review of state safety codes following a deadly explosion at a power plant in Middletown.

February 9

More bad milk is found in China

BEIJING — The discovery has punched a 170-ton hole in China’s promises to overhaul its food safety system. Officials say they’ve found yet another case where large amounts of tainted milk powder from the country’s 2008 scandal that should have been destroyed were instead repackaged.

February 9

Jackson’s doctor pleads not guilty to allegations

LOS ANGELES — Michael Jackson’s doctor has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the death of the pop star.

4:07 AM

International News brief

Nevada’s budget is so far out of balance that by one account the state could lay off every worker paid from the general fund and still be $300 million in the red. The economic downturn has hit so hard that prisons may be closed, entire colleges shuttered and thousands left without jobs.

February 9

Auto recalls put spotlight on electronics

NEW YORK — Your most expensive piece of electronics probably is not your flat panel TV or your computer. More likely, it’s your car, which can pack 50 microprocessors to control everything from the fuel mix to the rearview mirrors.