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The 2023 Pennsylvania Greenways & Trails annual summit will be held in Scranton this September for the first time. Registration is now open for the WeConserve PA event from September 17 to 19. “Connecting an Industrious Past to an Innovative Future” features 44 workshops and mobile seminars about the trail world. The event features cycling and hikes around Northeast Pennsylvania. Local, state, national and international leaders in Outdoor Recreation and planning will also speak during sessions. The summit is Pennsylvania’s premiere training, networking and inspirational event for greenways and trails, according to WeConserve. The nonprofit organization was formed in 1996. For more details or to register, visit weconservepa.org/blog/greenways-trails-summit-registration-is-open/
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A waterfall at Ricketts Glen State Park will be featured on one of 12 new stamps from the U.S. Postal Service Stamp.Harrison Wright Falls, one of 24 named waterfalls in the park, joins falls from across the country on the new stamp series.Harrison Wright is around 27 feet tall.Each stamp features a photograph of the waterfall, its name and the state it’s located in.The Waterfalls Forever collection debuts on Tuesday, June 13.
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On Thursday, a representative from the PA Department of Education visited a Montour County school to highlight their agricultural programs. Executive Deputy Secretary Angela Fitterer traveled to Danville Area High School to meet with teachers and learn how students are being prepared for the future. Van Wagner, the school’s agriculture science teacher, expanded a class last year to let students in a veterinary science program gain hands-on experience at the Montour County SPCA. Fitterer also used the opportunity to discuss Governor Josh Shapiro’s budget proposal to expand funding for basic education and career and technical programs.
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The Rainbow Alliance will kick off Pride month by raising the Pride Flag over Wilkes-Barre.Members of the Rainbow Alliance, the NEPA Pride Coalition and Queer NEPA will host the flag raising on Friday, June 2 at 10 a.m. on Wilkes-Barre’s Public Square. The community is invited to attend.The Rainbow Alliance was established in 2004 to provide education, support and advocacy for LGBTQ+ individuals and families while working to advance equality in the region.
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The Williamsport Crosscutters baseball team kicks off their season next week. The team belongs to the MLB Draft League alongside five other regional teams, including the State College Spikes. Ahead of opening night, the Williamsport team will host a “Meet the Cutters” event on Wednesday May 31 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Muncy Bank Ballpark. Attendees will be able to meet and get autographs from players, coaches and the mascot, Boomer. There’s no charge for the preseason event, and the team said in a statement free hot dogs and soda will be available. The Crosscutters first game of the season on June 1 at 6:35 p.m. will be against the State College Spikes. The team announced all veterans and active-duty military can receive two free tickets by showing their military IDs at the box office. More information available at https://www.mlbdraftleague.com/williamsport.
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Celebrations are scheduled for Juneteenth in the Poconos.The Juneteenth Freedom Festival will be held on June 17 from 2:30 to 6 p.m. The event in downtown Stroudsburg will feature games, entertainment, vendors, face painting, food and more.On June 18, the Greater Pocono National Council of Negro Women and the Monroe County NAACP are hosting the Pocono Juneteeth Festival.That will be held at East Stroudsburg University.
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PennDOT’s driver license and photo centers will be closed throughout the Memorial Day holiday weekend.All driver license and photo centers throughout the state will close Saturday, May 27 through Monday, May 29.Customers may still obtain a variety of driver and vehicle products and services, including all forms, publications and driver training manuals, online through PennDOT’s Driver and Vehicle Services website, www.dmv.pa.gov.
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Develop Tioga is hosting its second photo contest.The organization is seeking original photographs in five categories, which include: hometown pride, Tioga at Work, Tioga County selfies, beauty of Tioga County and photos by kids and teens.Contestants have the chance to win eGift Cards to various Tioga County businesses.Deadline for entries is June 30.For more details and to enter, visit www.developtioga.org/photocontest.
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Pregnant and postpartum women struggling with mental health issues have access to a free hotline to call for help.The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Professional counselors provide confidential emotional support, resources and referrals before, during and after pregnancy.The hotline celebrated its first anniversary on Mothers Day. Since opening one year ago, it has helped around 12,000 women and their loved ones.The number is 1-833-TLC-MAMA. It’s available in both English and Spanish.
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Authorities found more skeletal remains in Old Forge. Lackawanna County Coroner Timothy Rowland said on Thursday that state Pennsylvania State Police, Old Forge Police Department and investigators from the coroner's office and the county's detective unit conducted an additional survey of a wooded area above Pagnotti Park. Rowland said other searches will be scheduled in coming weeks in a homicide investigation to find more remains of the late Robert Baron Sr. Baron was reported missing on Jan. 26, 2017 after he failed to show up at his family's business, Ghigiarelli's Restaurant in Old Forge. Barons’ remains were found in the area of Pagnotti Park in March, and a suspect was later taken into custody.
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Pennsylvania State Police arrested a 17-year-old from Monroe County for making fake emergency phone calls across the country.The practice, known as swatting, is when someone calls 911 and describes an emergency that is not actually happening. The goal is to dispatch a large number of armed police officers to a certain address.On April 10, criminal investigators at Fern Ridge were contacted by the Collin County Sheriff’s Office in Texas about the incident. Officers, using digital forensics, tracked the calls to an address in Jackson Township. Police secured a search warrant for the location on May 2.During a forensic download of the 17-year-old’s computer, a total of nine swatting calls were discovered to have been made to Florida, Oregon, California, Tennessee, Kentucky and other locations. Child pornography was also discovered on his computer.The teen, whose name has not been released, was taken into custody. A juvenile petition was filed. He has been charged with possession of child pornography, false alarms and other related charges.He is awaiting a preliminary hearing at the Bucks County Juvenile Detention Center.
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At the Shikellamy State Park Marina, outdoor enthusiasts and novices can browse gear and learn from experts during the Susquehanna Greenway Expo on June 3. The event is hosted by the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership. It will feature 50 booths with gear and information. Hiking, biking, paddling, fishing, climbing and camping experts and hands-on clinics, presentations and demos will also be available. The event is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the park at the confluence of the West Branch and North Branch of the Susquehanna River in Sunbury. For more details, visit https://susquehannaexpo.com/.