2024 was a year when a police detective's incredible recovery from a violent shooting inspired the region.
It also was a year of of gruesome tragedies in Northeast Pennsylvania, captivating court cases, and some important developments in transportation law and infrastructure.
Gilmartin: 'God was looking out for me that night'
Kyle Gilmartin knows he is blessed to be alive.
The Scranton Police detective was critically wounded on Jan. 11 in a “gang-related” shooting in West Scranton.

On March 1, a uniformed Gilmartin stood on his own two feet, stepped up to a podium, and thanked the community for its support during a hero's welcome outside SPD headquarters on South Washington Avenue.
Six days later, Gilmartin and wife Lindsay traveled to Washington, D.C., where the detective attended President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address as the guest of Rep. Matt Cartwright.
“I took two bullets to the head. There's no medical explanation for it. There's no logical explanation for it,” Gilmartin said of his survival during an interview at Cartwright’s office ahead of the speech. “The only explanation I have is that, you know, it just wasn't my time. And God was looking out for me that night."
Aiden Deininger and Jeremiah Cleveland face charges in the case.

New law puts distracted driving in focus in Pennsylvania
Nationwide, distracted driving kills over 3,000 people each year, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data. That's more people than died in the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
This year, Pennsylvania took legal action to give law enforcement agencies tools to combat the issue, however, those tools will take time to come into effect.
Gov. Josh Shapiro in June signed Act 18, or "Paul Miller's Law," which will prohibit the use of hand-held electronic devices while driving.
Under Act 18, warnings will be given from June 2025 to June 2026, and citations will be issued beginning June 2026.
The law is named for Paul Miller Jr., a Scranton man who was killed by a distracted tractor-trailer driver in a 2010 crash in Monroe County. He was 21.
Miller's mother Eileen fought for the law for over a decade, working closely with lawmakers including state Sen. Rosemary Brown (R-Monroe County), who spearheaded the bill which was passed by the Legislature and signed by Shapiro this year.
"No phone call or text is worth a life. And you know, right now, more than ever, I see more people on their phone," Miller said.

Jury awards former Bloomsburg University dean $3.9M verdict in whistleblower termination case
Former Bloomsburg University dean Jeffrey Krug in August won a $3.9 million federal jury verdict over claims he faced retaliation and was fired for helping an administrative assistant file a sexual harassment report against the school's president, Bashar Hanna.
Krug, former dean of the Zeigler College of Business and a tenured faculty member, was improperly terminated in 2018, according to his suit.
Krug sued Bloomsburg University — now part of Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania — school president Hanna, university senior vice president for academic affairs James Krause, and the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.
The verdict was handed down following a trial before U.S. District Judge Jennifer Wilson in Harrisburg.
"We are disappointed with the decision and are reviewing options with legal counsel with every intent to appeal," the university said in a statement released in the wake of the verdict.
Commonwealth University's Council of Trustees in August expressed its "unwavering support" for Hanna, with Chair John E. Wetzel writing that Hanna was previously cleared by an internal investigation.
Faculty members and coaches at Commonwealth University's constituent campuses announced in December that they plan to hold "no-confidence" votes early next year on Hanna's leadership.
Federal court records show that state Attorney General Michelle Henry in September filed a motion seeking a judgement in the defendants' favor or a new trial.
As the year drew to a close the parties were going back and forth with court filings related to that issue and legal proceedings over how much Krug would be paid.

Wilkes-Barre torture death home at center of complex allegations
Luzerne County District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce announced in April that five people had been arrested in connection with the death of Cuevas-Ingram, who investigators say was tortured, killed, and buried in the basement of a Wilkes-Barre home.
Cuevas-Ingram's badly decomposed body was discovered buried in the dirt floor beneath 142 Carlisle St. on Feb. 28. Her remains were wrapped in a tarp, tied with electrical cords and rope. Police believe she was killed in April 2023 after weeks of torture.
Charged in Cuevas-Ingram's death are Faith Beamer, Wilkes-Barre; Desiree Linnette, Edwardsville; Sarai Doyle, Edwardsville; Jason Race, Kingston; and William Wolfe, of Wilkes-Barre.
Each defendant was charged with criminal homicide, conspiracy to commit homicide, kidnapping, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, aggravated assault and abuse of corpse.
They are still incarcerated and awaiting further court proceedings.
Still unsolved is the death of former homeowner Debra Fox, whose body was found in a wooded area near the North Cross Valley Expressway in March.
An autopsy listed her cause and manner of death as undetermined.

Jury finds Schuback guilty in Old Forge pizzeria owner's murder
Justice was finally served this year in the 2017 murder of an Old Forge business owner.
A Lackawanna County jury in May convicted Justin Schuback in the killing of Robert Baron.

Prosecutors say Schuback broke into Ghigiarelli's Pizza on the night of Jan. 25, 2017 intending to rob the business, where Baron was known to keep large amounts of cash. He apparently encountered Baron, violently attacking and killing him.
Jurors, who deliberated for about 10 hours over two days in May, were asked to decide whether Schuback was guilty of first, second, or third-degree murder, as well as burglary and robbery. They found him guilty on all counts.
Investigators said Schuback was a suspect from early in the case, but it took several years to uncover the evidence necessary to make an arrest.
Schuback’s first-degree murder conviction carried an automatic life sentence.
When Lackawanna County Judge Terrence Nealon handed down the sentence in July, he also ordered Schuback to serve 7.5 to 15 years for robbery and burglary.
Schuback will not be eligible for parole.
OTHER STORIES OF NOTE

Transportation
- Luzerne County Transportation Authority debuts new Wilkes-Barre HQ and maintenance facility
- $9M in federal funding for Scranton-NYC train infrastructure comes at critical political moment
- Chermak wants Biden's name off street in Scranton after 'Kids for Cash' judge released early
- Myrtle Beach will soon be in reach for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport
- $489K grant to improve Route 115 safety in Bear Creek Village
- On their radar: PennDOT, PSP put work zone safety in focus with Operation Yellow Jacket
- PennDOT official highlights NEPA projects completed in 2024 and continuing into 2025 and beyond
Public Safety and Courts
- Sanguedolce: Man killed in Wilkes-Barre shooting pointed firearm at police officers
- Video surveillance leads to arrest of Dunmore woman in death of fellow school custodian, 81
- Man, 35, dead following daylight shooting in Wilkes-Barre; suspect, 28, in custody, DA says
- Wyoming Area Regional Police celebrate move into renovated PSP barracks
- DOJ report critical of ex-AG Barr's role in 2020 Luzerne County ballot probe statement

Also by this reporter
- Script for disaster: PBM practices widely blamed as Pennsylvania 'pharmacy deserts' grow
- McAleese, trailblazing former Irish president, speaks of peace and reconciliation at Misericordia
- 'Today we will cry and tomorrow we will fight': Transgender Day of Remembrance marked in NEPA
- A seaworthy mission: Pa. doctor participates in nonprofit respite sails for cancer patients
- 'Scranton' firefighters for Trump? Union president didn't recognize men holding signs at rally.
- Author puts Luzerne County's 'Kids for Cash' judicial scandal in context for kids
- Geisinger doctor: Infections up as summertime COVID-19 spike rolls across U.S., Pennsylvania
- More women taking on Pa. politics, but men still dominate
- Just get the colonoscopy: Colorectal cancer presentation stresses testing
- Shapiro, Kavulich unveil 10-year 'roadmap' to improve senior services in Pennsylvania
- 'Extreme' pollen counts, climate change fuel Pa. allergy misery
Easter basket blessing a beloved ritual with Eastern European roots
Don't forget to follow along each day at WVIA.org as we publish “Year in review 2024,” a week-long series recounting the top stories of the past year through New Year's Day.