In the Lake-Lehman community, Christmas time means more than just cold weather and gifts under the tree: it means that you may just see a black-and-gold toilet decorating someone’s front lawn.

MINNEAPOLIS — The former Minneapolis police officer who kneeled on George Floyd’s back while another officer kneeled on the Black man’s neck was sentenced Friday to 3 1/2 years in prison.

WASHINGTON — Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona announced Friday she has registered as an independent, a renegade move that could bolster her political brand but won’t upend the Democrats’ narrow Senate majority. She says she will not caucus with Republicans.

WILKES-BARRE — The city will have a balanced budget next year after City Council Thursday night approved the second and final reading of the ordinance to adopt the $53.2 million spending plan Mayor George Brown presented back in October.

WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s surprise announcement last July lacked any detail, but its meaning was crystal clear.

HAZLE TWP. — Gov. Tom Wolf Thursday, in conjunction with CAN DO, announced that Crop One, an industry-leader in technology-driven indoor vertical farming, is opening a vertical farm in the Humboldt Industrial Park in Hazle Township, bringing 40 new full-time managerial and farm production jobs to the region.

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang returned to practice with his teammates Thursday, just 10 days after suffering the second stroke of his career.

Brittney Griner’s loved ones and extended basketball family were ecstatic when news broke Thursday about her release from a Russian prison and that she was on her way back to the United States.

DOHA, Qatar — Lionel Messi up against Virgil van Dijk. The youngest coach at the World Cup taking on the oldest. South America versus Europe. A back catalog of famous meetings.

PHILADELPHIA — Bryce Harper lobbed Philadelphia’s first recruiting pitch over the summer when the injured All-Star used a guest stint in the broadcast booth to advocate for the future free agent and his former Washington teammate.