Thanks for visiting ! The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. © 2025 BVM Sports. Best Version Media, LLC. In.- The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced their forty-team field for the upcoming NCAA Division III Men’s Lacrosse Tournament on Sunday evening Immaculata won their first Atlantic East Conference Championship on Saturday and will be making their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament The Immaculata Men’s Lacrosse team will travel to Scranton Pennsylvania where they will face the Landmark Conference Champion Scranton in the first round of the NCAA Tournament The first-round contest with the Royals will take place on Wednesday at Weiss Field on the campus of the University of Scranton.… A fan We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it OK Privacy policy The Carbondale native has packed a full life into those years He served aboard two Navy cruisers patrolling the Mediterranean Sea during a 1958 crisis in Lebanon he received a National Defense Service Medal and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal there is more to the man who was honorably discharged a few years later and received the Navy Good Conduct Medal He and his father used to go fishing on Dyberry Creek He was a paperboy and later worked as an usher at the Irving Theater in Carbondale He loves Frank Sinatra’s music — really loves it While working in the shipping department at a local nursing home Hollenback would sing the crooner's songs for residents Once he and wife Nancy were "within distance of shaking Frank's hand" during a concert in New Jersey But the heart of Hollenback's story is Nancy to whom he was married for over a half century We can share these deeply personal details thanks entirely to the work of two University of Scranton students who interviewed Hollenback several times this semester at the Gino J Merli Veterans Center in downtown Scranton “I just love connecting with older people,” said Dermot Alvidrez, who interviewed Hollenback alongside classmate Daniel Bohenek for Kim Pavlick’s COM224 Media Writing course "I think it's awesome to hear their stories and get their wisdom who obviously has a wealth of experience,” Alvidrez said COM224 students gathered with veterans at the center Thursday afternoon to present the fruits of their labors: two printed biographies per veteran — one from each of the students they were paired with — and digital versions of the interviews on thumb drives for the veterans and their families to save for posterity The reports have even been used by some families in preparing memorial tributes for loved ones who have passed That's not surprising: Pavlick said students often elicit details from the veterans which even their families did not know “Sometimes I think it's easier as a human to tell your story to a stranger than it is to someone you could possibly be burdening or that person would look at you in a different way,” Pavlick said “They're different faces,” she said of the students which is a teaching tool for students and the community at large Pavlick partners with nonprofit community organization Scranton Tomorrow which will display the reports for the group's monthly First Friday event in November ahead of Veterans Day The reports also will be archived as part of the Scranton Stories Oral History Project at the University of Scranton which is how the class project originally began "This is a community-based learning project," she said Gino J. Merli Veterans Center Commandant Vito P Ruggiero said the state-owned center can house up to 196 residents "To care for a veteran in any capacity is truly humbling," Ruggiero told the students "This doesn't mean that you need to take a blood pressure or give a medication students in the classes have interviewed a spy who passed messages during the Cold War "I can attest that the time you took to speak put smiles on a lot of faces," Ruggiero said during Thursday's gathering "I know this because I see it every day I walk through our doors." For veterans who may or may not receive regular visitors "I got an email from a participant's wife who told me that he gets very excited his Scranton friends are coming and the staff here says they look forward to the kids coming down," Pavlick said a therapeutic activities aide at the center for over three years "It's interesting to learn someone's background and story how they ended up being in a community with us," Murphy said "And it's interesting to see the young people taking an interest." The staff's assistance is crucial: They help connect the students with family members This is important in cases where the veterans may need help telling their own stories "A lot of residents have dementia or Alzheimer's and they can't share their stories with us So it's nice to see (with) the ones who can what they've been through and where they were stationed and what their experiences were," Murphy said which is under the university's Department of Communication and Media The veterans assignment teaches students interviewing skills but the course is mostly filled with sophomores Those eager students are not limited to future journalists "There are actually only six students out of the 18 who are studying journalism," Pavlick said of the current cohort "The other 12 wanted to participate in this project." “And our students are just so genuine," she said "The kids who take this class to do this project have huge hearts The students love hearing the stories and preserving them." is studying broadcasting and hopes to become a sports journalist He was interested in the class because of the veterans project but also because he had a favorable view of Pavlick's teaching style so I know the kind of ship that she runs," Alvidrez said "And I know that it's going to be a lot of work but we have the greatest assignments in Dr interviewed Hollenback twice with their classmates and twice outside of class "I think it's a great way of getting to know someone and then also preserving their story over time," Bohenek said of the assignment "I think it's a good way of just having them have a good feeling and getting their family to know them in a way they didn't think they could before." Alvidrez paused to think about the question and they got called into the Mediterranean," Alvidrez said of Hollenback and his crewmates Hollenback recounted the deployment bluntly in his interview with the students “We got back out to sea and patrolled around Beirut until the disturbances subsided.” But the lessons for Alvidrez went much deeper than a long-ago military engagement He learned about Hollenback's youth when his father had supported his decision to enlist in the Navy after high school she "came around," feeling the experience would be best for her son they were the greatest parents in the world," Hollenback told Alvidrez He also learned about Holleback's post-military work and family life — particularly about his wife Nancy There also were practical lessons: How to confirm details and fill in the parts of a story where human memories grow dim that meant looking up his wife's obituary to confirm dates and biographical details But Hollenback's deep love for his wife was a frequent theme in their interviews "I think it really reinforced to me how important human connection can be to somebody," he said "I learned from John that the best experiences that you can have in life are with the connections you make with other people." and I'm very proud of them both," Hollenback said of Alvidrez and Bohenek WVIA News wants to hear from you! If you have a story idea for one of our journalists, it's as simple as sending an e-mail. Reach out anytime at wvianews@wvia.org ScrantonMeet the Marshal: Scranton biology student marshal Puja Patel Penn State Scranton's biology student marshal Join us as we explore their academic journeys Major: Biology, B.S. Patel: I plan to pursue a master’s in anesthesiologist assistant studies My goal is to build a career in anesthesia where I can make a meaningful impact on patient care It was the perfect stress reliever and such a fun unique experience that brought everyone together during a busy semester Patel: Organic chemistry lab experiments were my favorite learning experience and learning to manage my time and stay organized really prepared me for the next chapter Patel: Associate Professor of Chemistry Jiyoung Jung has been incredibly supportive and always offered great guidance throughout my journey. I’m also grateful to the biology faculty who believed in me and pushed me to grow.  Patel: Don’t be afraid to ask for help, get involved, and take your time figuring out your path. Your journey is your own, and it’s okay to change directions. Just stay committed and remember why you started. Stay tuned for as we continue to highlight our student marshals for their outstanding accomplishments. Each individual represents the dedication, talent and spirit of excellence that define the Penn State Scranton community.  The catcher has reached safely in all 15 games he’s played at Triple-A Opposing Triple-A pitchers are having a tough time getting out Jesus Rodriguez Since being promoted from Double-A Somerset to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders on April 13 the 22-year-old catcher from Venezuela has appeared in 15 games through May 2 and safely reached base in all 15 He is batting .377 (20-for-53) with three doubles He also is 4-for-4 on stolen bases and has an on-base percentage of .485 and an OPS of .976 Rodriguez has gotten a hit in 12 of the 15 games and drew at least one walk in the three games he did not get a hit he is batting 14-for-28 with three three-hit games His first Triple-A hit was an RBI single against Rochester’s Clay Helvey in the fifth inning of the second game of a doubleheader April 13 that capped an 8-0 victory for the RailRiders RBI Rodriguez. In his Triple-A debut, Jesús Rodríguez extends the lead to 8-0. #WhereLegendsRise #RepBX pic.twitter.com/HEsUsSZLNT in the bottom of the first inning against Charlotte righthander Nick Nastrini Rodriguez sent a 2-0 pitch out to left field 370 feet for his first Triple-A home run It was a good pitch and I just tried to put the ball in play I got good contact to it and gratefully it was a home run.” Jesús Rodríguez hits his first Triple-A home run! 100.7 mph | 370 ft.#WhereLegendsRise #RepBX pic.twitter.com/6e15cW2TzP he has thrown out four of eight would-be base stealers RailRiders manager Shelley Duncan likes what he has seen so far from Rodriguez the skills needed to be a successful big-league catcher keep improving and develop the mental mindset to sustain a big-league season and deal with those ups and downs on a day-by-day basis and a bat-to-bat basis.” “Almost everybody here on this team – and the other teams too – has big-league experience So they try to do their best job,” Rodriguez said “That’s why you have to be smart every day and be patient.” Signed by the Yankees as a undrafted free agent in 2018 Rodriguez spent the 2019 and 2021 seasons in the Dominican Summer League and the 2022 season in the Florida Complex League He was a DSL midseason all-star in 2019 and a FCL postseason all-star in 2022 after helping the Yankees’ rookie-level team capture the league title In 2023, he played a combined 109 games at Class A with Tampa (84) and Hudson Valley (25) and batted .310 (122 for 393) with 20 doubles, four triples, nine home runs, 62 RBI, 55 walks and 21 stolen bases. Those numbers earned him MiLB.com organizational all-star honors he played 56 games at Hudson Valley and 23 games at Double-A Somerset and batted a combined .302 (89-for-295) with 15 doubles Rodriguez started at Somerset and was only batting .107 (3-for-28) with three doubles two RBI and two walks in seven games before being promoted to the RailRiders “Everybody here has a lot of big-league experience so I’m trying to learn from everybody,” Rodriguez said “I know some of the guys from spring training I’m just trying to do my best to help the team Duncan believes Rodriguez has a bright future “The way he takes his at-bats and the way he handles himself is impressive,” Duncan said (WOLF) — One man is arrested after multiple home burglaries in Scranton Scranton police say 33-year-old Anderson Cortez reportedly broke into an occupied home in the 300 block of Beech Street on April 27 as well as an unoccupied structure in the 400 block of Koch Court on May 2 Cortez was apprehended after an "extensive foot pursuit," police said criminal trespassing and other related charges A preliminary hearing is set for later this month Last weekend, downtown Scranton was buzzing with excitement as fans of The Office laced up their sneakers for the annual The Office 5K—Season Four! Hosted by Valley in Motion, the streets of the Electric City were packed with fans dressed in full costume including a sea of Prison Mikes and plenty of Scranton pride on display Runners of all ages raced past iconic locations from the beloved show, making the event a unique treat for fans. For those who wanted a bit more than just a run, the day also offered a chance to meet Jackie Debatin who appeared in multiple episodes of The Office adding an extra layer of nostalgia to the event And even if you weren’t participating in the race the enthusiastic cheering sections and plentiful photo-ops made for an unforgettable experience Whether you were racing or just soaking in the fun atmosphere, there ain’t no 5K like an Office 5K. Scranton always knows how to bring the show to life in the best way possible Check out some of the highlights from this memorable event below Springtime at Lakeland Orchard & Cidery is bursting with excitement as new baby animals arrive at the Orchard families are invited to visit the stunning new facility and meet adorable Baby Highland Cows say hello to new additions like Mini Donkeys Bring your family to meet these lovable animals and make the most of this charming spring event We saw the opportunity to dress up and walk the run Around 400 people gathered for Scranton’s annual Office 5K a road race that brings fans of the hit TV show together and give back to the local community “What I love about the show is that Scranton is like a special character It’s got its own personality—and that really reflects the people here a local nonprofit that promotes community health and engagement This year’s crowd included visitors from across the country This is the town the whole show is based on It’s great to go to Cooper’s and see the little things like the town square and the Welcome to Scranton sign there it is.’ It’s really a real town," said Jackie Debatin Evan Stanley and his friends traveled all the way from Los Angeles I think you get a small picture from the show We’ll be back every year," said Stanley “Now I feel like we know Scranton a little more so we’re kind of figuring out where to hang out," added Lindsey Heckler We went to coopers and Alfredros last night The University of Scranton’s women’s basketball team laced up for the race We run out to the theme song and people think that’s really cool Some would call it electric," said Lizzie Halligan everyone left with memories and maybe a new favorite spot in downtown Scranton - The University of Scranton men's lacrosse team took down Elizabethtown College 10-6 in the Landmark Conference Championship as the Royals won their third straight Title on Saturday afternoon at Weiss Field Game Recap: Men's Lacrosse | 5/3/2025 5:39:00 PM Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here PA – The University of Scranton women's lacrosse team took down the Catholic University Cardinals in the Landmark Conference Championship Game to win its third straight Conference Title Game Recap: Women's Lacrosse | 5/3/2025 3:49:00 PM Thanks for visiting ScrantonMeet the Marshal: Scranton nursing student marshal Darla Lattimer Penn State Scranton's nursing student marshal Major: Nursing, B.S.N. (bachelor of science in nursing) with a minor in English Lattimer: My post graduation plan is to work at Geisinger CMC in the PCU Lattimer: My favorite memory at Penn State University Scranton is studying with my friends, and getting to do the SEN Grant with Michael Evans, assistant dean for undergraduate nursing education at the Commonwealth Campuses  Lattimer: My favorite learning experiences were clinicals with Assistant Teaching Professor of Nursing Annette Blasi-Strubeck and Instructor of Nursing Marybeth Mecca They both challenged me in clinical skills and emulated the kind of nurse I want to be with empathy for patients having the opportunity to give back by tutoring second- and third-year nursing students Lattimer: The experience that prepared me the most for what's next is the one-on-one patient interactions that I was able to have at our clinical sites Becoming more comfortable interacting with patients throughout nursing school has made me more confident for the nurse I am going to be when I graduate Lattimer: The people who have supported me at Penn State University Scranton are the entire nursing faculty specifically Mecca who was the first clinical instructor to push me in a clinical setting Blasi-Strubeck and Assistant Teaching Professor of Nursing Theresa Baker who have never said no to their open-door policy Lattimer: My advice to incoming students is to take advantage of your professors and your tutors and try not to take yourself too seriously Stay tuned for as we continue to highlight our student marshals for their outstanding accomplishments talent and spirit of excellence that define the Penn State Scranton community the Commission on Economic Opportunity says 128 million pounds of food have gone out the doors of the McGowan Center for Healthy Living As she marked the Weinberg Northeast Regional food bank’s 10th anniversary Executive Director Jennifer Warabak said it’s important to celebrate the service they’ve been able to provide even as they wish there wasn’t as much need in the community “We’re celebrating all the volunteers and the supporters that we have,” she said “Everything we do - packing senior food boxes packing emergency boxes - is all volunteer-based.” Warabak said the Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank in Pittston has seen requests increase by 23 percent over the last year By working with community organizations and food pantries the food bank distributes boxes of food to people in need throughout Lackawanna Staff and volunteers marked the food bank’s 10th anniversary on Thursday gathering in a new expansion to the facility The extra 15,000 square feet adds more space for volunteers to pack those food boxes “We were also able to add two additional loading dock doors…and another 1,500 square feet of cold storage in terms of refrigeration.” Hunt led tours around the existing 50,000 square feet of warehouse space but the space is hardly ever fully stocked Hunt says that’s a testament to how quickly the food bank is turning over its supply in response to growing need “Every year we're distributing more product than the year before,” she said The Commission on Economic Opportunity says the Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank distributed 17.6 million pounds of food in 2024 in the form of take-home groceries or prepared meals Food Bank Director Mary Ellen Spellman said the expansion also adds space for more pallets of food while enhancing the volunteer experience “I think it adds a significant amount of dignity and respect for the mission of CEO,” she said “It adds another level…of who the intended product is for and the work that we’re doing here.” Banners and artwork decorate the food bank’s new expansion Four banners hanging from the ceiling recognize the memory of four of the food bank’s supporters: Monsignor Andrew McGowan former CEO; Executive Director Gene Brady; Judge Hugh Mundy and former CEO staff member Rich Kutz Warabak said Brady and Kutz were instrumental in opening the food bank 10 years ago and Brady first imagined the expansion project during the COVID-19 pandemic “I think (Brady) would just be very genuinely proud of all the staff and how we collectively have stayed together to just keep the mission moving forward,” Warabak said making sure all the staff were on board and they believed in what they did every single day.” and Mundy each served as the chair of CEO’s board of directors On the farthest wall of the volunteer space is a photo and memory of James Blewitt a staff member of CEO who passed away in 2023 Warabak said his time with CEO was “just not enough.” came to the celebration with others from the Blewitt family She said her son found his passion working with the food bank and running the Senior Food Program “He just truly loved the work and wanted to help other people,” she said She said while James never looked for praise she was proud to see him recognized in the place he loved and federal government websites often end in .gov Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address Before sharing sensitive or personal information make sure you're on an official state website PA – PennDOT will close Parker Street between North Main Avenue and Boulevard Avenue in Scranton beginning on Monday to finish paving as part of the Parker Street Bridge reconstruction project The road will be closed for approximately two weeks Access to the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Trail parking area for the Parker Street Landing trailhead will be restricted on days when paving and milling operations will be taking place head north onto North Main Avenue and travel 1.8 miles to the intersection of North Main Avenue and Boulevard Avenue turn right and head southeast along Boulevard Avenue for 1.7 miles to the intersection of Boulevard Avenue and Parker Street head north onto Boulevard Avenue and travel for 1.7 miles to the intersection of Boulevard Avenue and North Main Avenue and travel for 1.8 miles to the intersection of North Main Avenue and Parker Street motorists are encouraged to use both lanes of travel to the merge point and take turns merging into the open lane Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne, and Wyoming counties at www.penndot.pa.gov/District4 MEDIA CONTACTS: Elizabeth Fabri, efabri@pa.gov or 570-963-3502 or Jessica Ruddy, jeruddy@pa.gov or 570-963-4044 — North Pocono baseball fans turned out in force Wednesday to watch one of the region's top young pitchers work his mound magic — and they weren't disappointed Sophomore ace Cael Hafner simply overpowered West Scranton batters throughout a key Lackawanna League contest firing a no-hitter en route to a 7-0 victory “Cael really threw well today,” said veteran skipper Brian Jardine which allowed him to work his other pitches into the mix.” More: Carbondale Area ace Krystel Calderon fans 18 in complete game win over Blue Ridge Also by Kevin Edwards: Sophomore sensation Connor Tirney anchors the Honesdale infield at shortstop North Pocono improved its league record to 9-1 and kept the heat on division-leading Abington Heights The Trojans remain just a half-game behind the Comets with two weeks left in the regular season North Pocono will be back on the diamond Saturday at home versus Paupack Hafner dominated West Scranton batters from first pitch to final out The flame-throwing southpaw needed just 89 pitches in cruising through seven innings Hafner piled up an eye-popping 17 strikeouts along the way while issuing just a single free pass the Trojans provided their ace with more than enough support scoring three runs in the first three frames en route to the shutout Senior shortstop and lead-off man Josh Staples ignited the Trojan offense roping a pair of doubles and scoring a run Junior third baseman Jake Reese and senior catcher Aidan Bassi each contributed an RBI two-bagger Hafner helped his own cause with a stellar day at the dish as well The young slugger went 2-for-3 with a solo homer “Cael is showing a lot of potential as a hitter," Jardine said so he's still a work in progress at the plate he's a good gap-to-gap hitter with some serious power." Hafner has already carved out a spot for himself among the league's top twirlers he's posted a 5-2 record with a minuscule 1.03 ERA and a team-best 70 strikeouts “Cael has done a great job competing on the mound for us all season,” Jardine said “He's a talented young man with a very high ceiling.” Lackawanna and Schuylkill counties have finished reassessing the value of all real estate and almost simultaneously let homeowners know their new property values Schuylkill mailed new-value notices that also let people know their estimated county property taxes next year Lackawanna mailed new-value notices without estimated taxes Governments use assessed property values to set property tax rates Lackawanna County residents have repeatedly criticized the county for failing to estimate taxes on new-value notices They say knowing estimated taxes helps a property owner determine whether to appeal a new assessment “If they (Tyler officials) haven't provided those details to you Green specifically compared Lackawanna to Schuylkill County “They’re (Schuylkill is) sending out the old valuation The estimated new tax amount,” Green pointed out Lackawanna County and Tyler Technologies officials have repeatedly said actual future property taxes can’t be known until the values are finalized Nov The county hired Tyler in 2022 to carry out the reassessment we keep hearing the same question,” Tyler project manager Samantha Edwards said at a Feb 25 public meeting at North Pocono Middle School none of us can answer that question tonight.” carried out Schuylkill’s reassessment and calculated estimated county taxes said the calculation can be done because several factors are known the total revenue collected in the year before new values take effect must equal the total revenue collected in the first year that new values take effect Reassessments generally raise property values That means the total value of all properties in a county borough or township must rise after a reassessment tax millage rates must drop to keep revenues the same Calculating the new millage rate becomes a simple matter of math If you know the total revenues will remain the same and you know the current tax rate the current total assessed value of all properties and the new total assessed values of all properties Barr said he did essentially that but adjusted for two other factors he took into account that upcoming informal reviews and former appeals of new values between Aug 31 will lower the total assessed value of all properties more farms are likely to apply for exceptions that lower assessments under a state program known as Clean and Green Barr declined to say by what percentage he reduced the new total assessed value of all 92,000 Schuylkill properties but he used the new total number to calculate an estimated county tax millage The county even posted the results in a sample 2026 preliminary value notification on its website Barr acknowledged he could be off and the estimated tax millage rate he used — 3.846 mills — could be higher after all values are finalized in November and I've been doing tax impact estimates on all my reassessments for decades “This is why the law doesn't require tax impact estimates and why many counties don't choose to do it.” Lackawanna County’s total assessed property values will also likely decline by the time values are finalized in November and more farms will apply for Clean and Green Lackawanna isn’t providing an estimated tax a WVIA reporter asked Lackawanna County Commissioner Bill Gaughan to look into whether the county could provide estimated taxes and noted what Schuylkill did Green and others returned and asked again for more transparency “Schuylkill County is almost at the exact same level of their reassessment as Lackawanna County .. you won't know your new taxes until next year WVIA again asked Gaughan about the difference between the two counties Gaughan referred to an email from Mary Noldy Tyler’s appraisal mid-Atlantic regional manager Noldy argues “the scope of work for a reassessment is never about taxes.” “It's always about restoring equity through updated That's the message we convey to the public throughout the process; educating people that good data equals good values and bad data may result in bad values,” Noldy wrote in the email She cites state law governing reassessment and says the law never cites taxes clients may choose to prepare an estimated tax impact statement,” Noldy acknowledges “I never recommend doing so when the base year exceeds 30 years and/or the county anticipates a large increase in C&G properties Lackawanna checks off both of those boxes.” Lackawanna’s base year for property taxes is 1968 C&G refers to the Clean & Green program someone who appeals a new assessed value can’t use higher taxes as a reason But people decide whether to appeal based on whether their taxes will go up which Commissioner Chris Chermak pointed out at the April 16 meeting Chermak said Schuylkill’s notice is “much more informative.” because that is what everyone is afraid of,” he said “They're afraid of what they don't know and what they're going to possibly receive next year Lackawanna County Director of Assessments Patrick Tobin said the county commissioners don’t want to issue tax estimates because upcoming appeals will lower the total assessed value “We have no idea how many people are going to appeal,” Tobin said “We also have no idea who's going to appeal Some of the so-called big hitters may appeal and they may win which would create significant differences in values.” Taxpayers could get angry when the higher millage rates turn out higher in November than before appeals you said it was going to be this (tax millage rate),’” he said we want to wait until the values are finalized before we release the information to the public then millage rates could be definitively set.” Barr said he doesn’t think Lackawanna County is wrong for refusing to provide a tax estimate “I'm not trying to just give Lackawanna some cover but I want you to understand the reasoning,” he said they’re not the county's official values yet.” Both counties’ final totals of all assessed values will drop any tax estimates now will be higher later “The commissioners didn't have anything to do with deciding what it was Told them I'll take the heat if it's not the right number when it all comes down.” WVIA News wants to hear from you! If you have a story idea for one of our journalists, it's as simple as sending an e-mail. Reach out anytime at wvianews@wvia.org.