Diamonds to Penn State football co-captain Dominic DeLuca for joining in a fundraiser for the Greater Pittston Santa Squad. The Wyoming Area High School grad who landed on the Nittany Lion squad as a walk-on said his mother brought the Santa Squad to his attention and that he “always wanted to be able to give back to the community.” The GPSS was an obvious opportunity to do that; he donated photos and T-shirts for an event at The Red Mill in Pittston, where he chatted with visitors and gave autographs to fans. The non-profit Santa Squad helps assure children in the area find toys under the Christmas tree each year, and DeLuca’s active support for the worthy cause deserves a shout-out.
Coal to the Pittston man who not only got charged for allegedly distributing fentanyl and cocaine but also for coercing a woman to purchase firearms for him. According to police, the 44-year-old man took the 29-year-old woman to two firearm dealers, pointed out a handgun and left the store for the woman to make the purchase. Fortunately, both times the sales were not completed, purportedly due to computer issues at the stores. Dealing such dangerous drugs is bad enough. Seeking to acquire guns through this sort of “straw purchase” tactic makes it worse.
Diamonds to Wilkes University for plans to host an academic panel and ball in honor of Jane Austen’s 250th Birthday. The event serves multiple purposes. It is being held March 27 in recognition of Women’s History Month, and certainly Austen can be a prominent part of any such celebration. It will feature a Keynote presentation by Juliette Wells, a Goucher College professor who is currently co-curating an exhibition in New York City called “A Lively Mind: Jane Austen at 250.” It gives attendees the option of dressing in period costumes that, while not required, certainly can add to both the atmosphere and the historical lessons of the evening. And overall it shows once again the value our local institutions of higher learning bring to this region.
Coal to the hotheads in the latest incident of road rage. Two men, ages 20 and 17, were taken to the hospital for injuries from a collision with a vehicle on Barney Street in Wilkes-Barre. The men told police they were traveling in a vehicle when the driver of a Ford sedan illegally passed them. They all stopped and the two men confronted the occupants of the Ford, leading to a physical fight. The occupants of the Ford allegedly got into their vehicle, fled up the street, turned around and struck the first two men. It always seems like common sense: Drive legally, obey the rules, and if someone else ticks you off by their driving, take a breather and count to 10. Confrontation and the resulting risks are never worth it.
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