Our Opinion: Autism and other disorders require our patient understanding, not snappy judgments

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Police: Man wielding hatchet, gun dead at movie theater

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Several area school board elections have become more competitive thanks to the entry of independent candidates.</p><p>Wyoming Area School Board, which had the same number of candidates and available seats, got five new names on the slate. In the Hazleton Area School Board race, incumbent Robert Childs, who had not sought a place on the primary ballot, decided to run as an independent, as did three other candidates.</p><p>Crestwood School Board got an independent as well.</p><p>After the primary Wyoming Area&#8217;s slate lacked any actual races. Five candidates &#8212; newcomer Bob Trusavage and incumbents Estelle Campenni, Deanna Farrell, Elizabeth Gober-Mangan and Carl Yorina Jr. &#8212; won both party nominations for five available 4-year seats. Carmen Bolin &#8212; originally appointed to fill the term of his brother John, who died from cancer &#8212; was the lone candidate for a two-year seat.</p><p>But the November slate should now include five more candidates. Former board members Nick DeAngelo, Toni Valenti and Samuel Aritz filed as independents, as did Matthew Bartoli and Michael Aufiere. All filed for the four-year seats.</p><p>The Hazleton Area School Board race similarly lacked competition after the primary, with five candidates moving on to the November election for five seats. Dr. Childs, a pediatrician who regularly has nabbed high votes during his 16 years on the board, opted not to run in the primary for re-election but filed to run as an independent.</p><p>Lori Losen and retired vice-principal Thomas Chirico also filed for a crack at the board as independents, while Casey Dillon Herseim filed as &#8220;non-partisan.&#8221;</p><p>In the primary, Crestwood School Board had only five candidates running for five seats. Robert Alan Sturgeon filed to run as an independent.</p><p>The race for Hazleton mayor also gained two candidates: John Medashefski filed as an independent and Scott Cahalane filed as non-partisan.</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Mark Guydish</p><p>mguydish@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Luzerne County school board races get competitive with independent candidates