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Police seek man who threw officer down 40-foot embankment

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Sen. Casey calls on U.S. AG to take ‘proactive steps’ over KKK in W-B

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; With Labor Day serving as the unofficial sendoff of the summer, commuters will hit the road in full force to make the best of the weekend.</p><p>According to AAA Mid-Atlantic, nearly 37,500 residents from the Wilkes-Barre area will embark on a final trip before the summer ends.</p><p>Of those residents, 84 percent will travel by car.</p><p>&#8220;While increasing travel volume is great news for the industry and economy, our survey shows a decidedly &#8216;un-laboring&#8217; take on the Labor Day holiday,&#8221; said Jana Tidwell, spokeswoman for AAA Mid-Atlantic. &#8220;Many would rather spend the holiday at cookouts, relaxing or simply at home to avoid heavy holiday traffic congestion or additional spending, especially if they have already taken a vacation this summer.&#8221;</p><p>According to a survey conducted by AAA of Mid-Atlantic residents, going to cookouts with family and friends, relaxing or simply &#8220;catching up on things at home&#8221; is the most popular activity, as 68 percent of respondents begin to make the transition from the lazy days of summer to the busy fall and winter months.</p><p>For those who travel, the price at the pump should be less painful than a year ago. Tidwell said Wilkes-Barre&#8217;s average gas price on Thursday was $2.43 per gallon &#8212; on Labor Day last year, the area&#8217;s average gas price was $3.39.</p><p><strong>Busy Turnpike</strong></p><p>The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) expects nearly 2.2 million vehicles to travel its road system over the four-day Labor Day weekend. Traffic is expected to be the heaviest today from 3 to 7 p.m. and on Monday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.</p><p>To prepare for this surge in travel, maintenance and construction activities were suspended at 3 p.m. on Thursday, and will remain suspended until 6 a.m. on Wednesday. A news release indicated the suspension will allow all travel lanes to be open to traffic except in the case of emergencies.</p><p>Construction activity that does not impact travel lanes may continue behind concrete barriers in some areas, thereby reducing shoulder widths, but at least two lanes in each direction will remain open except in the case of emergencies.</p><p>&#8220;We plan to have additional maintenance personnel on duty during the holiday weekend to patrol the road and assist motorists if they break down or have a problem,&#8221; said PTC chief executive officer Mark Compton. &#8220;We also want drivers to stay alert and be aware of the speed limits &#8212; including in work zones &#8212; in order to keep our workers and customers safe.&#8221;</p><p>With heavy traffic volumes expected, Pennsylvania State Police will increase patrols and enforcement efforts throughout the holiday weekend. Captain David L. Cain of Troop T, the unit responsible for patrolling the Pennsylvania Turnpike, said in a news release that patrols and enforcement efforts will be to ensure safety.</p><p>&#8220;Motorists are reminded to avoid distractions, such as texting and cell phone use,&#8221; Cain said. &#8220;Patrols will be concentrating on aggressive driving violations such as speeding, following too closely and unsafe lane changes. If you speed, tailgate or weave in and out of traffic, you may be pulled over by one of our troopers and cited.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Travis Kellar</p><p>tkellar@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>Take a break</strong></p><p>To promote safe driving, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission will sponsor a Safety Break event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sept. 4 at the Sideling Hill Service Plaza in Fulton County.</p><p>PennDOT is also coordinating a group with community groups throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania to provide safety break areas to encourage drivers to take a break during their holiday trips.</p><p>The following rest areas will host safety breaks over the holiday weekend in Luzerne and Lackawanna counties:</p><p><strong>Luzerne County</strong></p><p>&#8226; White Haven, Interstate 80 eastbound near mile marker 270. The safety break area will hosted by Boy Scout Troop 279. The safety break area will be open around the clock on Friday and Saturday.</p><p>&#8226; Dorrance, Interstate 81 northbound near mile marker 156. The safety break area will be hosted by American Legion Post 795 on Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and by Boy Scout Troop 60 on Sunday and Monday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.</p><p>&#8226; Nuangola, Interstate 81 southbound near mile marker 158. The safety break area will be hosted by the Luzerne County Fire Police from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and by the Mountain Top Relay for Life Cancer Benefit from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday and Monday.</p><p><strong>Lackawanna County</strong></p><p>&#8226; Tomkinsville, Interstate 81 northbound near mile marker 202. World Cup Genesis will host the safety break area from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and the Lakeland Parents Club will host from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday and Monday.</p></factboxMeta></div>

Labor Day weekend commute to be a busy one