WVIA News

Williamsport’s mayor, Derek Slaughter, and state representative, Jamie Flick, will host a free fishing event for youths on April 20. Kids can learn the angling arts with refreshments and food available.

Farmers can apply to Wayne County’s new Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP).It helps farmers develop conservation plans to protect local streams and improve their crop and livestocks’ well-being.The Wayne County Conservation District received $1.173 million from the state’s conservation commission to start the program.Applications are open until April 30, 2024 at 4:30 p.m. and an on-farm pre-application meeting is required. To schedule a pre-application farm visit, call the conservation office at 570-253-0930.For more information on the program, visit the Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program webpage.

Tunkhannock Township Supervisors say some seasonal vendors have not paid their taxes to the township. Chair George Ewald said Pocono Raceway and AirBnB owners pay their taxes, but some short-term vendors have fallen short over recent years. Supervisors blame Berkheimer Tax Innovations. Ewald said they allowed revenue to slip through the cracks. “Berkheimer, we feel, has not done the job that we need done here,” said Ewald.

Hannah Saar, of Jersey Shore, passed actuary exam P at Lycoming College, which has a 42.5 percent pass rate. She will take exam FM next year.

Northeast Title & Tag and state Sen. Marty Flynn will host the second annual Peeling Plate Rally. The community-driven initiative will streamline the replacement process for illegible, peeling license plates. Forms will not need to be mailed to PennDOT and all service fees will be waived. A State Police officer will be on-site to inspect the plates. Attendees must bring a valid vehicle registration card, driver's license or photo ID. If vehicles are registered under a company's name, an authorization letter allowing the person present to sign on behalf of the company is required. The rally is Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Northeast Title & Tag Office, 1726 North Keyser Ave., Scranton. For more details, contact: compliance@netitle.org or 570-895-1000 x2001.

The Greater Wyoming Valley Area YMCA will hold a free Matter of Balance Falls Prevention course this month. The course is aimed at older adults with a loss of mobility because of falls or the fear of falls. A Matter of Balance helps seniors retrain their brain to improve balance and reduce fear, according to the YMCA. It also offers constructive ways to move safely and reduce the likelihood of falling. The class includes group discussion and practical solutions and exercise training. The course is taught by two trained coaches on Mondays and Wednesdays. It begins on April 17 at 11:30 a.m. at the Wilkes-Barre Family YMCA on West Northampton Street. To enroll, contact Kasey Wasylyk at 570-970-5022 or kasey.wasylyk@wvymca.org The program is supported by the Wilkes-Barre’s Health Department.

The state is hosting a Recovery Assistance Center (RAC) in Scranton for property owners who sustained damages from devastating flooding on September 9. Those visiting the RAC can apply for low-interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA), Pennsylvania Department of Human Services and Pennsylvania Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters staff will also be on site. The Sept. 9 flooding impacted homes and businesses in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties. The center is available for residents from those counties. It opens on Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Weston Field House on Providence Road in Scranton. Staff will also be on site Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. September 2023 Flood Survivors Have Until April 24 to apply for Low-interest Loans. Those who do not qualify for an SBA loan may later be eligible for other assistance, including the Commonwealth’s Disaster Recovery Assistance Program (DRAP).

Some 70 military helicopters will fly through Northeast Pennsylvania this weekend and early next week. That’s according to a public advisory Friday from the Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport (AVP). The choppers will depart from Rome, New York and continue on to Philadelphia throughout Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Exact flight times are not currently known. AVP says the flights are only an exercise and there’s no cause for alarm.

The city of Wilkes-Barre announced an addition Thursday to their community policing initiative. Mayor George Brown and Wilkes-Barre Police chief Joseph Coffay said six new bicycles will complement their crime reduction patrols. WBPD started bike patrols in targeted areas in recent years, according to the city. The bikes were funded in part by The Luzerne Foundation and The Diamond City Partnership.

Rylind Construction, started work on a $700,000 resurface and ADA reconstruction project along Route 1005 on April 2. The project consists of rehabilitation work, milling and resurfacing in Plunketts Creek Township, pavement markings and other miscellaneous work.