First Posted: 2/3/2015
Former King’s coach tabbed to run Dallas High School Football
The former King’s college football coach, Rich Mannello, will return to the sideline.
The Dallas School Board hired Mannello to take the reins.
“(We’ll) be in the weightroom tomorrow at 3 o’clock,” Mannello said. “I just missed working with the kids. I thought every year that went by it would get easier. It got harder. I’m just grateful for such a tremendous opportunity. It’s a great community. It’s all about the kids. That’s why we’re all in this. It’s why everybody puts in all the time they put in.”
The board voted 6-3 to hire Mannello, who will replace Bob Zaruta. Dallas was 14-18 under Zaruta with two appearances in the District 2 Class 3A playoffs.
Board members James Gattuso, Ronald Matusiak, Larry Schuler, Colleen Slocum, Jeff Thomas and Catherine Wega voted for Mannello. Dr. Bruce Goeringer, Sherri Newell and Charles Preece voted against his hiring.
Pair arrested on child endangerment charges
Adam W. Thompson, 24, and Liza Duddy, 27, were arraigned on charges they neglected to take an 8-month old child for medical care for a skin infection and burns.
They were each charged with endangering the welfare of children.
Police said they went to a residence in the 100 block of Conyngham Avenue to check the welfare of the toddler after receiving information the toddler was not receiving medical care for a burn injury.
Police discovered the toddler had two old burn wounds and the residence was in a state of deplorable conditions.
Police said the toddler was transported to Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center for the burn injuries. It was also learned the toddler had a skin infection, police said.
Revello’s Old Forge Pizza is coming to Kingston
Pat Revello, owner of Revello’s Pizza, confirmed his business has eyed a location off West Union Street in Kingston, near D B Auto Repair, pending the required permit approvals. No opening date has been set.
Two hurt, pets killed in Hanover Township blaze
Two people were were injured in a fire at a double block house on East Main Street on Feb. 2.
Fire Chief Joseph Temarantz said firefighters responded to 808-810 E. Main St. at about 12:30 a.m.
Temarantz said the fire originated inside 808 E. Main St. where a woman suffered a laceration on her arm and a man suffered smoke inhalation.
A family of five from 810 E. Main St. were forced out of their residence and are being assisted by the Wyoming Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross.
Three cats inside 808 perished in the blaze.
State police deputy fire marshal Trooper Ron Jarocha is investigating the cause of the blaze.
Ciavarella asks for new trial, claims counsel was ineffective
Former judge Mark Ciavarella, sentenced to 28 years in prison for his role in the Luzerne County juvenile justice scandal, has appealed his conviction, saying during his 2011 trial his attorneys failed to challenge the timely filing of charges against him.
In a filing on Jan. 30, Ciavarella, 64, raised a claim of ineffective counsel against attorneys Al Flora Jr. of Wilkes-Barre and William Ruzzo of Kingston. Ciavarella said they did not “research a point of law know that was critical to his defense,” namely that a statute of limitations defense must be raised at the time of trial.
Ruzzo provided a signed affidavit dated Dec. 1, stating he and Flora divided some defense responsibilities between them. Ruzzo said he filed pre-trial motions challenging the statute of limitations. But he admitted he made an error by failing “to contend by motion or to request a jury instruction on the applicability of of the statute of limitations” on the charges on which Ciavarella was convicted.
Based on that claim, Ciavarella again asked that his sentence be vacated and a new trial granted. In the alternative, he requested that the court order the prosecution provide him the material that he’s entitled to and schedule a hearing to determine if it resulted in him not receiving a fair trial.
State police search Wilkes-Barre spa on allegations of prostitution
A specialized unit with the state police served a search warrant at a massage business, The Aroma A Spa at 405 N. River St., on allegations sex was provided for cash.
For nearly a year, state police gathered information from a confidential informant who claimed he paid cash for sex at the spa.
According to the search warrant affidavit, the informant told state police he went to the spa on April 7 and rang a door bell. He was greeted by two Asian women named “Tina” and “Angie,” the affidavit says.
The informant inquired what he can receive with $60 and $70 that involved oral sex with intercourse costing $120 to $130. The informant told the women he only had $110. “Angie” took the money and left the room as the informant used a bathroom. When the informant returned, he allegedly found a condom under a towel left on a table, the affidavit says.
The affidavit says the informant and “Angie” had sexual intercourse in exchange for cash.
A trooper learned the spa advertised in Weekender, according to the warrant. The trooper called the phone number on the advertisement and was told the spa does not accept credit cards, only cash.
Federal prosecutors said ring leaders were transporting women to five massage parlors and spas in Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey. Women from China, Korea and Taiwan were forced to perform sex acts in exchange for cash, according to federal court records.
No charges have been filed as a result of the search warrant served on Jan. 20.
