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Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Scranton: FEMA funding cut erases $2.5M for 21 flood buyouts in city
SCRANTON — The Trump administration's elimination of a Federal Emergency Management Administration funding program translates to the city losing $2.5 million for buyouts of 21 flood-prone properties that were swamped by flash floods in 2023, according to Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti. On Friday, FEMA announced its ending of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program and canceling all applications from fiscal years 2020-2023. Calling the program 'wasteful and ineffective,' FEMA said in a press release posted online that BRIC funds not yet distributed will be immediately returned either to the Disaster Relief Fund or the U.S. Treasury. * A homes impacted by flooding at 121 N. Merrifield Avenue in Scranton. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO) * Homes impacted by flooding at 120 and 122 N. Merrifield Avenue in Scranton. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO) * A homes impacted by flooding at 209 N. Merrifield Avenue in Scranton. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO) * A home impacted by flooding at 207 N. Merrifield Avenue in Scranton. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO) * A home impacted by flooding at 120 N. Merrifield Avenue in Scranton. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO) * A home impacted by flooding at 120 N. Merrifield Avenue in Scranton. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO) * Homes impacted by flooding at 120 and 122 N. Merrifield Avenue in Scranton. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO) Show Caption 1 of 7 A homes impacted by flooding at 121 N. Merrifield Avenue in Scranton. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO) Expand Cognetti issued a letter Tuesday to Republican U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick, Democratic U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, and Republican U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan of Dallas, whose district includes Scranton, to advocate in Congress for reinstating and preserving BRIC or an equivalent funding source. Ending BRIC 'will have a direct and detrimental impact on our city's ability to mitigate flood risks, modernize infrastructure, and protect residents in vulnerable neighborhoods,' Cognetti said in her letter to the legislators. The city has been working on BRIC-funded buyouts of 18 homes rendered uninhabitable in flash flooding of Sept. 9, 2023, and three vacant lots also deluged, Cognetti said. Those properties are on North Merrifield Avenue and Leggett, Mary and Jackson streets. A pickup truck flipped onto its roof by flood waters on Sept. 9, 2023 on Leggett Street in Scranton. Photo taken Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023. (TIMES-TRIBUNE / FILE PHOTO) The city intended to pay for the $3.4 million total buyout cost using $2.5 million of BRIC grant funding and $849,000 of city funds, as the city's portion was a 25% contribution. The flood-prone parcels were to have vacant, condemned homes demolished and the properties repurposed for floodplain restoration and green infrastructure, which would be 'vital strategies to reduce public safety risks and avoid future disaster recovery costs,' Cognetti said. FEMA's announcement said ending BRIC will help ensure that grant funding aligns with President Donald Trump's executive orders and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's direction 'and best support states and local communities in disaster planning, response and recovery.' Cognetti said Scranton has invested significant time and resources in coordination with the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) on applications for BRIC funds. The city also was pursuing a BRIC Building Code Program Grant to update the city's outdated building codes and provide staff training to better address natural hazards like flooding, according to the mayor's letter. In July, Scranton's BRIC applications advanced past the initial federal review, which was a key step, and as recently as March 11 had continued progress in the review phase. 'We were hopeful and prepared to move forward. The abrupt cancellation of the BRIC program now threatens to erase years of planning, collaboration and federal-state-local investment — all at a time when climate-related disasters are accelerating,' Cognetti's letter said. The FEMA announcement said: 'The BRIC program was yet another example of a wasteful and ineffective FEMA program. It was more concerned with political agendas than helping Americans affected by natural disasters. Under Secretary Noem's leadership, we are committed to ensuring that Americans in crisis can get the help and resources they need.' Nationwide, $882 million of funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will be returned to the U.S. Treasury or reapportioned by Congress in the next fiscal year, according to FEMA. That 2021 law made $1 billion available for BRIC over five years. Of that, $133 million went to about 450 applications. FEMA estimates more than $3.6 billion will remain in the Disaster Relief Fund to assist with disaster response and recovery for communities and survivors. Scranton City Business Administrator Eileen Cipriani said Tuesday in a phone interview the city is contacting affected property owners of the buyouts about the federal funding being pulled and the city will be looking for alternative funding sources.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Nancy Pelosi appears at Scranton ‘Hands Off!' rally
SCRANTON — A personal tie to Scranton brought the U.S. House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, D-California, to the city's version of the national Hands Off! protest. She was a surprise speaker at Courthouse Square, delighting a crowd of a few hundred people who called who briefly chanted her name after she spoke on a wet day. Pelosi was in Scranton for the wedding of the grandson of her college roommate and the maid-of-honor at her wedding, the late Cecelia Lynett Haggerty. She started with a focus on Medicaid, saying about 30 percent of Lackawanna County uses the federal low-income and disability health insurance program. She went on to refer to President Donald J. Trump as 'what's his name,' and thank Scranton for naming a street after former President Joe Biden. Pelosi, who recently gave up her trademark high heels, wore immaculate beige sneakers with a lace design, which appeared to be from the Chloé brand, a dark green tartan raincoat and pearl earrings and necklace. She spoke for a few minutes, behind a podium with an 'Abington Democrats' sign, beginning just before the planned noon start time, during a respite from rain. Without the wedding, she would be rallying in her hometown of San Francisco, Pelosi told the crowd, prompting a few to call out 'Thank you, Nancy.' Gail Jackson, of Olyphant, arrived 45 minutes before the rally was scheduled to start with two friends and a homemade sign. 'I can't think of one policy of the President's that I am in favor of,' she said. 'I am appalled at what is going on in our government right now and I just can't believe Elon Musk is allowed free reign in the White House when he is not an elected official.' Jackson is a retired teacher. 'Why are none of our congressmen and senators standing up and saying stop? Why is this being allowed?' Jackson said. * Demostrators gather on Courthouse Square in Scranton on a rainy Saturday to protest the President Donald Trump and his administration. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO) * Demostrators gather on Courthouse Square in Scranton on a rainy Saturday to protest the President Donald Trump and his administration. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO) * Demostrators gather on Courthouse Square in Scranton on a rainy Saturday to protest the President Donald Trump and his administration. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO) * Kathleen Zinskie, of Olyphant, who said she is descended from 14 Revolutionary War soldiers, made a sign that said: 'I descend from those who would not be ruled by a king.' (MELISSA JANOSKI/STAFF PHOTO) * Demostrators gather on Courthouse Square in Scranton on a rainy Saturday to protest the President Donald Trump and his administration. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO) * Demostrators gather on Courthouse Square in Scranton on a rainy Saturday to protest the President Donald Trump and his administration. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO) * Demostrators gather on Courthouse Square in Scranton on a rainy Saturday to protest the President Donald Trump and his administration. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO) * Demostrators gather on Courthouse Square in Scranton on a rainy Saturday to protest the President Donald Trump and his administration. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO) * Demostrators gather on Courthouse Square in Scranton on a rainy Saturday to protest the President Donald Trump and his administration. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO) Show Caption 1 of 9 Demostrators gather on Courthouse Square in Scranton on a rainy Saturday to protest the President Donald Trump and his administration. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO) Expand Another Hands Off! Event was scheduled in Wilkes-Barre later on Saturday, without Pelosi. The primary local organizer is Action Together Northeastern Pennsylvania, a progressive group that has endorsed Democratic candidates. On Friday, ahead of the rally, Jessica Brittain, communications director for Action Together Northeastern Pennsylvania, said the goal was 'to publicly say that they are not willing to accept what the Trump administration and Congress have been doing. Ripping away many, many services for constituents here in NEPA and across the country, stealing private data with Elon Musk. We have so many folks in this region who rely on services like Medicaid, who rely on nutritional assistance through the SNAP program, who rely on rental assistance that is on the chopping block and that is just scratching the surface. We are seeing the attacks on the National park Service and massive cuts to the VA when we should be doing more, not less to service our veterans.' Speakers scheduled for Wilkes-Barre's Public Square included: State Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-121, Wilkes-Barre; Jimmy Romanelli R.N., a Geisinger Wyoming Valley nurse; John Hellman, a Pike County activist and drag queen; and Alisha Hoffman-Mirilovich, executive director, Action Together Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
The Real ID deadline is May 7: Here's what you need to know
A ticking clock on Pennsylvania's Real ID homepage counts down the days, minutes and seconds until May 7, the date the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has set as the official Real ID deadline, after several extensions due to COVID and the national emergency declaration. With the date now looming less than two months away, Northeast Pennsylvanians who haven't gotten their Real IDs yet may be feeling pressure to get the task done. Due to the increase in demand that PennDOT has observed, some driver's license centers are offering Real ID Days, 'as a way to ensure we are meeting the needs of the public and providing them with the best possible customer service,' said PennDOT Deputy Secretary for Driver and Vehicle Services Kara Templeton. 'PennDOT is committed to making it as convenient as possible for Pennsylvanians to obtain a Real ID if they want one,' Templeton said. Real ID Days are taking place Mondays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at centers across the commonwealth, including the Wilkes-Barre Drivers License Center at 1805 Hanover St. The center is one of 15 'same-day' centers in the state, said Aimee Inama, PennDOT's statewide community relations coordinator at Driver and Vehicle Services. * While normally closed on Mondays, certain PennDOT Drivers License centers, including the Wilkes-Barre Drivers License Center, will be open on Mondays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to help accommodate the higher than usual number of people scurrying to obtain a REAL ID. (PENNDOT / SUBMITTED) * Vehicles move past the Driver's License Center in Dunmore on Friday afternoon. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO) * Vehicles move past the Driver's License Center in Dunmore on Friday afternoon. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO) Show Caption 1 of 3 While normally closed on Mondays, certain PennDOT Drivers License centers, including the Wilkes-Barre Drivers License Center, will be open on Mondays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to help accommodate the higher than usual number of people scurrying to obtain a REAL ID. (PENNDOT / SUBMITTED) Expand 'We're usually closed on Mondays, but we're opening up certain driver's centers on Mondays to offer that service,' Inama explained, adding that driver's license centers will also process Real IDs on other business days, during normal business hours. Real IDs come with an associated fee. 'You will pay a one-time fee of $30, plus a renewal fee (current renewal fee is $39.50 for a four-year non-commercial driver's license or $42.50 for a photo ID),' states REAL ID Frequently Asked Questions page. In addition to Real ID Days, PennDOT also built a 'REAL ID online wizard' to potentially help interested parties organize their paperwork and save time. Inama explained that the IDs are optional for Pennsylvania residents. Another federal ID, such as a U.S. passport, will be required, however, when boarding domestic commercial flights, when entering a federal facility, such as a military base or federal courthouse, or if accessing a nuclear power plant. Inama said there is currently an uptick of visitors to PennDOT driver's license centers in anticipation of the approaching deadline, and some anxiety around the Real ID requirement. 'We're finding people are concerned, and there's no reason for concern,' Inama said. 'We're here, we're offering special hours, during regular business hours we're processing Real IDs, and we will be processing them now until the end of time, because it's just part of our business now.' Gene Katapski, of Jefferson Twp., expressed his frustration at the stringent documentation requirement necessary to obtain his Real ID. 'I tried 3 times. Each time they found something to deny,' he commented on a social media website. 'I gave up and received a passport card in 30 minutes.' The popular post had 263 comments and 75 shares, with Northeast Pennsylvanians expressing everything from much ease to extreme difficulty around the process. In a phone interview, Katapski explained that PennDOT took issue with small discrepancies on his documents. 'One piece of mail would have 'Road' spelled out, the other one had it written as 'Rd.,' Katapski said. 'I'm in Jefferson Twp., one would have Twp. abbreviated, and another would say Township. They'd say, 'Nope, doesn't work.'' There was also an issue with his middle initial on one document and his full middle name on another document, he said. 'It was very frustrating,' he said. Inama recommended arriving at the driver's license centers with correct documentation, to help avoid any complications. 'Make sure that they come to the driver's centers prepared, definitely go on our website and check out the documents needed, we have a complete list of documents required, make sure you have your paperwork in order,' Inama said. She recommended that, in lieu of a Social Security card, visitors make sure their W-2 forms reveal their entire Social Security number with no numbers blocked or blacked out. Buildings in Northeast Pennsylvania that may require a Real ID to enter include the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport, the William J. Nealon Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Scranton, the Scranton Federal Bureau of Investigation Field Office, the Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center, Tobyhanna Army Depot in Coolbaugh Twp., the U.S. Penitentiary, Canaan, in Wayne County, and the U.S. Social Security Administration building in Wilkes-Barre, among others. Federal Aviation Administration and Transportation Security Administration facilities, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration offices, and military recruitment centers may also require Real IDs to enter. Valid U.S. passports or other approved IDs may also be used to enter the buildings, in some cases. Checking the building's ID requirements for entry before arriving is recommended. Some Pennsylvanians already have a Real ID-compliant driver's license, which is marked with a gold or black star on the top right corner. If an ID is marked 'not for federal identification,' this is an indicator that it is not a Real ID, and may not be used in the manner that a Real ID can. Those who plan to fly domestically and don't have a U.S. passport, and frequent visitors of federal buildings are required to obtain a Real ID, only if they have business to do after May 7 that will require the ID, Inama said. 'Say I'm flying out in August, and I can't get down to the center by May 7, but I have my passport, I can use that, or come later, in June,' Inama said, adding the office strives to help everyone. 'We are always here to serve the people of Pennsylvania, and we always do it with the best customer service.' Necessary documents required for obtaining a Real ID include proof of identity, such as a U.S. passport or birth certificate, a Social Security card or W-2 form, two proofs of Pennsylvania residence, such as with a bank statement or utility bill, and proof of any change of name, for example, with a marriage certificate. Check PennDOT's website for details. Documents must be taken, in person, to a Department of Motor Vehicles Driver's License Center. Anyone who is unable to obtain a Real ID can still use their U.S. passport, a military ID or a 'green card' in its place for domestic travel and federal building access.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Two Dickson City parks slated for improvements with lighting, veterans monument
Dickson City council voted Tuesday night on projects to improve two of the borough's parks, adding lighting to Riverfront Park and preparing for a veterans monument at VFW Park. Council voted to approve an agreement for engineering consulting firm GPI to carry out the design, bidding and construction management of the borough's Riverfront Park lighting project, as well as voting to award a $194,110 bid to Tobyhanna-based Kobalt Construction — pending review by the solicitor — to install everything but the monument itself for the borough's VFW Veterans Monument project at VFW Park, according to borough Manager Cesare Forconi and the meeting agenda. The borough hired GPI for $6,130, Forconi said. Dickson City opened its Riverfront Park in October 2023 as the culmination of an $800,000-plus project to build a park in the 800 block of Enterprise Street that includes a Lackawanna River boat launch and fishing area, a dog park with sections for large and small animals, picnic tables, benches and a walking trail. However, the park lacks lighting. With the help of a $165,000 Local Share Account grant, the borough will now complete the lighting and electric installation throughout the park, Forconi said, explaining the only lighting now is in the parking lot. There will be about 18 lights in a circle around the park, the access road and walking trail, he said. 'This will light up, basically, the rest of the park,' Forconi said. * A sign near the entrance of Dickson City's Riverfront Park on Enterprise Street on Tuesday. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO) * The base of a yet-to-be-installed light pole at Dickson City's Riverfront Park on Enterprise Street on Tuesday. The borough plans to run electricity and install lights throughout the park using a $165,000 grant. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO) Show Caption 1 of 2 A sign near the entrance of Dickson City's Riverfront Park on Enterprise Street on Tuesday. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO) Expand The bases and conduits for the lights are already there, but they're not wired, he said. There will also be receptacles on the poles to power Christmas lighting, Forconi said. The timeline is contingent on the supplier of the lights, but borough officials hope to install the lighting by the middle of summer, Forconi said, noting that it's an ambitious timeline. As a second project, the borough plans to use a $175,000 grant from the state Department of Community and Economic Development to build a pavilion/band stand at the park, he said. Dickson City's 150th Anniversary Committee plans to hold concerts by the Lackawanna River at the park, Forconi said. 'By potentially adding a band stand/pavilion and this lighting, it'll certainly allow for much more usage and longer hours of usage,' he said. 'Right now, it's pretty much a daytime park.' Elsewhere in the borough, Dickson City is working toward building a veterans monument at its VFW Park on Walker and Jermyn streets. The borough received $75,000 from the Robert H. Spitz Foundation for the project, which requires the borough to also contribute $75,000. * Dickson City's VFW Park at Jermyn and Walker streets on Tuesday. The borough is working to install a veterans monument at the park. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO) * Dickson City's VFW Park at Jermyn and Walker streets on Tuesday. The borough is working to install a veterans monument at the park. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO) Show Caption 1 of 2 Dickson City's VFW Park at Jermyn and Walker streets on Tuesday. The borough is working to install a veterans monument at the park. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO) Expand Kobalt will install walkways, benches, a flagpole, lighting and a water feature for the monument, Forconi said. 'Basically, this is to complete everything there except the actual monument itself,' he said. The monument will have six slabs to honor the six branches of the armed forces, he said. There is not yet a definitive timeline for the work, but borough officials hope to complete it later this year before winter, Forconi said. If that goes to plan, the monument would be installed in 2026, he said.
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Donated ambulance to give CTC students real-world experience
SCRANTON — A 'new' ambulance will give students at the Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County an opportunity to practice skills needed to become an emergency medical technician on a real device. Pennsylvania Ambulance donated the AEV Type 2 ambulance van to the school's Protective Services Program Friday afternoon. The ambulance, which was in use for 11 years, is stocked with first-aid items and medical supplies, including a stair chair, stretcher, bandages, gauze, gloves, bag valve mask, oxygen supplies, cervical collars and oxygen tank. Students in the program, which teaches skills for first responders and other safety services, explored the ambulance, sitting in the front cab and lying on the stretcher after it arrived at the school in North Scranton. The school has a cooperative education agreement with Pennsylvania Ambulance for students to train to become certified emergency medical technicians. Bruce Beauvis, Pennsylvania Ambulance's operations manager, said they chose to donate it to allow students to practice EMT skills they are learning in a real ambulance. 'We felt … it would be smart and it might be even a bit of a draw if we had an ambulance here that the students can practice on and see if EMS might be a field that they want to get into,' he said. Beauvis said the ambulance service is working with Program Instructor Jonathan Coyne to put together EMT gear bags for students to practice with. The ambulance had been in use, mostly as a backup vehicle, until a few months ago when it was replaced with two larger Type 3 ambulances. The ambulance service typically replaces its ambulances every five years or when one reaches 200,000 miles, but they kept the AEV Type 2 vehicle because of delays with the manufacturing of ambulances since the COVID-19 pandemic. Beauvis and school officials say the ambulance gives students a chance to practice skills needed to become an EMT, allowing them to gain real-world experience. They also hope it will get more students interested in becoming an emergency medical technician. 'This allows them to be field ready as an EMT,' he said. * Pennsylvania Ambulance Operations Manager Bruce Beauvais talks to Career Technology Center students about an ambulance donated by Pennsylvania Ambulance at the school Friday. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO)] * Career Technology students look over an ambulance donated by Pennsylvania Ambulance to the school to provide hands-on emergency medical technician traning to students.(CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO) * Career Technology gather around an ambulance donated by Pennsylvania Ambulance to the school to provide hands-on emergency medical technician traning to students Friday.(CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO) * Career Technology students look over an ambulance donated by Pennsylvania Ambulance to the school to provide hands-on emergency medical technician traning to students.(CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO) Show Caption 1 of 4 Pennsylvania Ambulance Operations Manager Bruce Beauvais talks to Career Technology Center students about an ambulance donated by Pennsylvania Ambulance at the school Friday. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO)] Expand CTC Director Karla Carlucci said having the ambulance, which costs $25,000, gives students a chance to use skills that can't be practiced in the classroom. 'This will help simulate what they would be doing in the real world,' she said. Coyne, an EMT with Archbald Community Ambulance and Rescue Squad and National Event Services, likes having an ambulance fully on site for students to use. Prior to the donation, he borrowed one from Archbald to use for a day, which would put the ambulance out of service. 'Now we have it all the time, we could actually pull it in here … actually use it,' he said. It isn't just students in the Protective Services Program that can benefit from the ambulance. School officials said it provides hands-on experience for those in the school's automotive, collision repair and print production technology programs. The ambulance is the second emergency services vehicle given to the school for the program. In November, the school received a 2015 Ford Taurus Interceptor police car from the city of Scranton. Carlucci said the school is working with the Scranton Fire Department to develop a training operations center at the school for students interested in firefighting. Students in the Protective Services Program are excited to have the ambulance. They said it helps them practice real-world skills. 'We have everything we would need to run through a real-life scenario,' said junior Madilyn Amorine.
