Wilkes-Barre

2025 has been a year of change for many in Northeast Pennsylvania. Where one organization celebrated the opening of a new home, another downsized and closed a major shelter for people experiencing homelessness. Independent book sellers found success and support in downtown Scranton, and a new feature at WVIA brought together the avid readers of Northeast Pennsylvania.

With presents unwrapped and with most schools closed for winter break through next week, it’s now time to keep the family active until the normal routine of work and school.

For Aidan McFarlane, cooking is an act of love. From pies to lamb chops, the 21-year-old Wilkes-Barre resident wants his cooking to do more than satisfy appetites. His sweet potato pie recipe takes him back to second grade at Wilkes-Barre Academy.

Members of St. Nicholas-St. Mary Parish in Wilkes-Barre gathered Friday for morning prayers, a two-hour afternoon procession, and Mass at St. Nicholas Church in downtown Wilkes-Barre to mark the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Mexico's patron saint is revered by Roman Catholics of Mexican descent, many of whom are now members of the parish.

Wilkes-Barre Mayor George Brown announced today that Horton street is now open to traffic.

As snow fell and a biting cold settled over Wilkes-Barre last week, Pastor Sam Garnett opened the doors of Calvary Bible Church to anyone needing a warm place to sleep. In Scranton, Catholic Social Services did the same at Weston Field. Both cities have found new partners for the Code Blue Emergency shelter program that was previously run by Keystone Mission.

Both Wilkes-Barre and Scranton have found alternative partners for the Code Blue program that was previously organized by Keystone Mission in both cities.

This season's first signifcant winter storm has moved out of Northeast Pennsylvania after dumping several inches of snow around the region, but intense cold is expected in the coming days.

On this week's News Voices, WVIA's Roger DuPuis and Lydia McFarlane talk about the No One Dies Alone program, which partners Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine students with patients at Allied Services Hospice facilities in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre.

Geisinger Life Flight 3, based at the Wilkes-Barre/ Scranton International Airport, or AVP, recently celebrated one year at its new hangar, built from the ground up with COVID-19 grants. The team works with Geisinger’s other Life Flight bases across the region to transport more than 400 patients each month by ground and through air.