In brief

A Luzerne County trial for Wilkes-Barre Township Fire Chief John Paul Yuknavich was continued Monday because his attorney, Barry Dyller, has the flu.

Judge Joseph Sklarosky Jr. rescheduled the trial to begin Jan. 29.

Yuknavich, 49, of Wilkes-Barre Township, is charged with two counts of theft and one count each of receiving stolen property and access-device fraud after state police at Wyoming allege he stole $11,865 from the fire department�??s bank account and used the fire department�??s credit card at Sam�??s Club for $3,706 in charges for personal use, according to the criminal complaint.

The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania on Monday expanded its online case database to include information regarding landlord-tenant cases and civil cases of less than $12,000 that are filed in the state�??s district courts, according to the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts.

Electronic docket sheets for more than 4.1 million of these cases will be available on the Unified Judicial System�??s website at www.pacourts.us by clicking on the �??Docket Sheets�?� button at the bottom of the page.

The online database also contains records for nearly 27 million traffic, non-traffic and criminal cases that have been filed in Pennsylvania�??s appellate, Common Pleas (criminal) and district courts. The records can be searched by court, case category and status, docket number and type, county and participant name, date of birth (if available) and date filed.

In 2012 the public accessed these case records more than 53 million times via the Internet, free of charge. The decision to expand online access to magisterial district civil and landlord-tenant cases is consistent with the Supreme Court�??s commitment to provide easy access to court records, the AOPC said.

All veterans receiving care at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities, VA outpatient clinics or who reside in a state veterans home are encouraged to participate in the fifth annual Local Creative Arts Competition on March 7 at the VA Medical Center, 111 East End Blvd., Plains Township.

The competition includes 50 art categories that range from oil painting to painting-by-numbers kits. There are also 120 categories pertaining to all aspects of music, dance, drama and creative writing.

The visual and performing arts components will be held 10 a.m. to noon March 7 in Liberty Hall at the VA Medical Center. All first-place winners will have their submissions photographed or videotaped for entry in the National Veterans Creative Arts Competition. Some national winners will be invited to attend the National Creative Arts Festival from Oct. 21-27 in Reno, Nev.

Applications may be picked up 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Recreation Therapy Office. To request an application by mail, call Amie Dorney at 570-824-3521 or toll-free 1-877-928-2621, extension 7429.

State Rep. Tarah Toohil, R-Butler Township, announced the Department of Veterans Affairs�?? Mobile Veterans Center, which provides services to veterans and their families, is scheduled to visit the Hazleton area on Jan. 15. The MVC will at the Laurel Mall, 106 Laurel Mall Road, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., weather permitting. It will remain until all veterans in attendance are served.

The Mobile Veterans Center features a 38-foot mobile counseling center, satellite communication and Internet service with the VA Medical Centers and has many other capabilities. It has a wheelchair lift and is handicapped accessible.