Historian and Wilkes-Barre City Councilman Tony Brooks and Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic Musical Director Mélisse Brunet speak before Friday’s performance for students to celebrate Luzerne County’s 240th anniversary.
Diamonds go out to anyone who signs up to serve as a poll worker for an election. We ran a Spotlight PA story on Monday with a how-to guide for those interested in this civil service, and it is important to take the time to recognize those willing to help make our democracy work. Pennsylvania has about 9,000 voting locations this year, and counties historically struggle to fill all the necessary slots. That’s why it is worth recognizing and celebrating those who choose to serve their community on Election Day. And for those who might not know, you get paid for your time as a poll worker. Anyone intrigued should read Monday’s story to learn more, because poll workers are a vital part of our election process.
Coal to the officials in Newport Township who approved data center-related zoning permits that seemed to catch township residents by surprise. “A lot of us woke up in the morning to a newspaper article about 15 data centers and three new gas power plants that were permitted for our township,” said Newport Township resident Jennifer Lobb at a public meeting on Saturday. This highlights an issue that many local communities seem to be facing about data center projects. Too often, non-disclosure agreements and shell corporations hide who is quietly buying up land, what the purpose is and what businesses are coming to town with these data centers. According to Lobb, now it is time for residents to stay engaged, ask questions, and take an active part in local government. When it comes to these data center stories, transparency with the community is key. It seems like that might not have happened here.
Diamonds are well deserved for 240 years of history. That’s right, last weekend Luzerne County celebrated its 240th anniversary while also celebrating our nation’s 250th. As a county in one of the original 13 states, Luzerne County is connected to a lot of United States history. That history deserves to be celebrated, so last Friday community members and county officials gathered at the F.M. Kirby Center to enjoy music, history lessons and more.
Coal to multiple parties involved in a story that is in today’s paper. If the allegations are true, then coal deserves to be given to not only the CDE Exotics pet store owner who was charged with felony animal cruelty but also the investigators that waited so long to file charges. Humane officers with the SPCA of Luzerne County executed a search warrant in mid-April 2026, but it took nearly six months to file charges, including 20 felony counts and 22 misdemeanor counts. If the conditions are as bad as what is alleged, then it begs the question of what else has happened in the past six months and whether these animals have been safe since the search warrant was executed.
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