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Five new Luzerne County 911 telecommunicators were hired in July, but the county still had 14 openings as of last week, said the agency’s Executive Director Fred Rosencrans.

The department has stepped up public advertising for the position through social media and in newspaper advertisements, he said.

Telecommunicators must process incoming emergency calls and dispatch police and other emergency personnel, he said.

“It’s a fast-paced job that’s also very rewarding,” Rosencrans said.

The new telecommunicators, all hired at $15.38 per hour: Ariel Branigan, Brittany Colson, Jessica Crawford, Ryan Hughes and Breanna Walker.

Other personnel

The seven other employees hired in July, along with their positions and hourly pay, according to the new released monthly personnel report: Nathan Fritz, central court case management coordinator, $19.23; William Kingsbury, assessor real property field investigator, $13.64; Joseph McBride, Mark Sueta and Lynn Watt, Children and Youth caseworker 1, $15.82; Marie Rondinella, Aging Agency clerk, $12.46; and Amber Wanko, Aging Agency care manager, $17.38.

Prison correctional officer Jacob Dohmen left employment during the month in a departure described as an “involuntary separation,” and 911 telecommunicator Jeffrey Beisel was terminated, the report said.

Court branch senior law clerk Lawrence Klemow retired, and the following workers resigned, it said: Christine Corbett, Aging Agency care manager; Vincent Peter Fayock, assessment real property field investigator trainee; Catherine Lee, prison nurse; Lynn Lesh, Children and Youth caseworker 2; Philip Schlegel and Edwin Velez, deputy sheriffs; Sarah Schultz, district attorney adult victims witness coordinator; John Sobota, assistant public defender; and Mara Stella, solicitor’s administrative support worker.

Promotions

The report listed six “internal merit hires.”

The employees promoted, along with their new positions and hourly pay: Peter Ackourey, IT network administrator, $23.63; Alexandra Bolsar, district attorney adult victims witness coordinator, $14.66; Stephen Geist, court law clerk, $38; Michael Jablonski, mental health/developmental services caseworker 2, $17.83; Justin Paul Richards, assistant conflict counsel, $26.72; and Joshua Scott, prison correctional officer, $15.88.

Employee alerts

Several county departments have been working on a policy and procedures to send mass notifications to all workers, according to the July division head report.

County Manager C. David Pedri had initiated the idea after a March 2017 firebombing at the county Children and Youth offices in Wilkes-Barre that was quickly extinguished without injuries and a May 2018 bomb scare that turned out to be unfounded.

Human Services event

Registration is now open for the free 2019 county Community Cares Expo, which runs from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sept. 25 at the Woodlands Inn and Resort in Plains Township.

Topics will include Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, transgender culture, older adult protective services and navigating the substance use disorder treatment system.

More information is available at https://lwsoc.org/expo2019.

Road work

The $1.4 million reconstruction of Chase Road in Jackson Township should be finished in mid-October, county Operational Services Division Head Edmund O’Neill told council last week.

O’Neill said the project was tackled in sections to help with traffic flow. It will include new piping, rock outfalls and guiderails.

Luzerne County Courthouse
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/web1_courthouse.jpeg-2.jpg.optimal.jpgLuzerne County Courthouse

By Jennifer Learn-Andes

[email protected]

Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.