Latest news with #KathrynO'Leary
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
24 hours of fundraising, vital for local nonprofits
LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Get ready to give back! NEPA Gives, the region's largest 24-hour online fundraising event, kicks off Thursday night. 28/22 News Reporter Kathryn O'Leary shows us how it all works and why this event is making a big difference across our community. If you've ever wanted to give back to the community but didn't know where to start, the NEPA Gives event is the time to do it. It's a 24-hour online giving event starting Thursday night at 7:00 p.m., and it's shaping up to be bigger than ever. Whether it's mental health, education, animal shelters, or the arts, NEPA Gives brings more than 250 local nonprofits into one place for one purpose: giving back. 'This is our sixth year, so in a five-year time span, we've raised over $4,000,000, which is amazing. So this is really great money that goes right back into the community, stays local, and helps a lot of these nonprofits do the great work that they're doing,' Brittany Pagnotti, Director of Donor Relations and Communications, Scranton Area Community Foundation, explained. For donors, it's easy; Just head to NEPA Gives, browse by cause or organization, and your donation gets a boost thanks to matching dollars and bonus prizes from community sponsors. Rain Rally raises money for Special Olympics 'It's great to have an event like this, because, first of all, being a part of the community is number one, and it helps us not only raise additional funds for our organization, but it helps us reach a broader audience and get the organization in front of new donors as well,' stated Art Levandowski, Coordinator of Marketing and Development, Jewish Family Service. Jewish Family Service is one of dozens of organizations hoping to benefit. They say this event is a vital funding source. 'It's just another point of revenue, revenue source for the organization to allow us to do more work within the community with the extra funds that we get from an event like this. It's just a fun, exciting day for the organization, for our organization, and for our staff,' expressed Levandowski. To close it all out, there's a block party Friday at 5:00 p.m. on Wyoming Avenue in downtown Scranton with food trucks, live music, and the nonprofits themselves. 'I'm just looking forward to all, the whole community, coming together. It's great energy to see everybody coming together to make a difference right here in northeastern Pennsylvania,' Pagnotti added. So again, it all starts Thursday at 7:00 p.m. and runs until Friday at 7:00 p.m. For 24 hours, it's your chance to give where you live. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Lower gas prices bringing record Memorial Day weekend travel
(WBRE/WYOU)— Memorial Day weekend is here, and its looking to be one of the busiest travel weekends on record. 28/22's Kathryn O'Leary has more with how people here in NEPA are getting to their holiday destinations. While more people are hitting the road and taking to the skies this year, one thing that's making it a little easier for travelers? Lower gas prices. According to AAA, more than 45 million Americans are expected to travel for Memorial Day weekend with a record 39 million hitting the road. Celebrating 50 years of LCCC nursing amid shortage Here in Pennsylvania, the average price for gas is $3.31 a gallon down from $3.77 last year. 'This is my first year having a truck, so it's a much bigger tank. I'm glad I don't have to, you know, pay as much as I might have in the last couple of years,' said Cole Hoffen, Gettysburg. Travelers say those lower prices are a welcome surprise. 'In oil city, they are like 3.59, 3.60, here they are 3.19, so it's kind of nice,' said Dan Robertson, Oil City. 'I usually don't pay attention to the gas prices as much but the cheaper the better, especially when you got three young kids and you're traveling all over the place,' stated Drew Stem, Pittston. While most travelers are driving, airports are also busy. AAA estimates over 3.6 million people will fly this weekend Despite weather issues in other parts of the east coast, flyers in NEPA are optimistic. 'Everything looks like it's going to be on time for us, and then we are going to a much hotter part of the country so very excited about that,' expressed Roxanne Hernandez, Long Island. 'Visiting some family and going to high school graduation, I'm fine. I just go with the flow, you know, whatever happens, happens,' added Chris Koytek, Moosic. And with record-breaking travel numbers this year, AAA says it's important to plan ahead and expect delays. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Low turnout for Scranton primary race
SCRANTON (WBRE/WYOU)— It's Primary Election Day in Pennsylvania. Voters in Scranton are deciding who they want to represent their party in the race for mayor. Kathryn O'Leary and Gianna Galli are in Lackawanna County watching the Scranton mayoral race. Incumbent Paige Cognetti is seeking another term, while former school board president and retired police officer Bob Sheridan is hoping to unseat her. 28/22's Kathryn O'Leary has all you need to know on the Democratic candidates vying for a spot in November's general election. Both candidates say they're deeply invested in the future of Scranton but offer different approaches to getting there. Cognetti is running on her administration's record highlighting financial stability, a stronger credit rating, and no tax increase for 2025. Despite light turnout, voters value local elections She says she wants to continue investing in public safety, infrastructure, and making city government more efficient. Sheridan says it's time for new leadership pointing to concerns about crime, potholes, and blight. He believes the city needs a full-time mayor who's more present in neighborhoods and responsive to everyday issues. We caught up with both Cognetti and Sheridan, both say the day is filled with excitement and nerves. 'We're always anxious, of course you couldn't be in this business, if you're not anxious, we always, always run all the way through the tape, working hard all day, going all over the city greeting voters, thanking our volunteers, we can't think our volunteers are not out since before 7 am this morning,' voiced Mayor Paige Cognetti (D) Scranton. 'I feel great, it's in the air, supports in the air, win is in the air, people are coming out to vote. They're coming out, Bob, we're coming out to support you and vote for you. It feels fabulous,' stated Bob Sheridan (D), Scranton mayor candidate. Both Democratic candidates say they're running because they love Scranton and want to make it the best place it can be. On the Republican ticket for Scranton mayor, 28/22's Gianna Galli is working the race between two women fighting for the GOP nomination. The battle in this race is between accounting executive Patricia Beynon and business owner Lynn Labrosky. Labrosky tells 28/22 News she's ready to change the direction of Scranton's future. The mom to four is centered on improving infrastructure, combating crime and addressing homelessness concerns. She believes the root to several Scranton conflicts is because of ongoing mental health issues and drug use in the Electric City. The Scranton business owner believes bringing more people together is where positive change begins. 'I think first and foremost everyone needs to have a seat at the table. There's a lot of really smart people in our community and they have really good ideas, so I think bringing everyone to the table would bring solutions,' said Lynn Labrosky (R) Scranton mayor candidate. Beynon believes this city should be a place to call home. She says she wants to instill more resources to teenagers in the community, provide elderly with greater financial stability, and bring about improvement to city infrastructure. Beynon is leaning on her 30 plus years experience in accounting and construction management to benefit her in better organizing Scranton's finances. She says her daughter left the area when she was younger which is why she is now in search of making Scranton the place to stay. 'It's a nice area it just needs help at this point and I feel like I'm the person that could help the city, I know I am,' expressed Patricia Beynon (R) Scranton mayoral candidate. Beynon also says she wants to strengthen relationships with first responder unions. Labrosky says she has spent 8,000 on her campaign. Voter turnout here is still low. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
