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Firefighters return to blaze that destroyed mechanic’s garage in Wyoming County

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Forty Fort man on parole for 2001 double fatal crash arrested on drunken driving charges

WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Wilkes-Barre Area School Board has set a special meeting Wednesday to borrow $9.5 million and award contracts for the renovation of the long-closed Mackin Elementary school. While most of the borrowed money will be used on Mackin, about $1 million will pay for a new roof at Heights Murray Elementary school.The meeting also would serve as a board hearing in the termination of former Coughlin High School dean of students and wrestling coach Stephen Stahl, if Stahl requests a hearing, Solicitor Ray Wendolowski said. Stahl was convicted in January on one count of Corruption of minors. He was sentenced this morning.The board wants to renovate Mackin for this fall. While the board has repeatedly said it wants a dual-use building that could serve high school students temporarily before becoming an elementary school, paperwork filed with the state lists it as a high school project.The idea is a contingency plan as the board mulls options with three aging high schools, two of which &#8212; Meyers and Coughlin &#8212; have structural issues that have prompted emergency work to stabilize parapets and facades, as well as perimeter fencing and protective scaffolding at entrances.A feasibility study looked at the cost of renovating the two schools or replacing them, either at the existing sites or with a new school at one of five possible locations. Mackin would house about 500 Coughlin Students during any work at that site, or if recurring inspections determined the building had deteriorated and created a risk to students. Superintendent Bernard Prevuznak has repeatedly stressed the buildings are currently safe and are being monitored.The Mackin renovations have been estimated at anywhere from $5.5 million to $7.5 million after the state provides an expected reimbursement, but that money wouldn&#8217;t come until the project is completed, so the board plans to borrow about $8.5 million. An additional $1 million will cover the cost of yet another roofing project.The district has barely kept up with roof leaks and repairs, and in fact faces a new problem at the former Wilkes-Barre Township high school, which was being used for storage and offices for the transportation staff, but was recently vacated when a chunk of the roof collapsed. No action has been taken on that building.Stahl faces termination with the district following his conviction in January on one count of corruption of a minor. He was accused of having a sexual relation with a female student for about a year, an accusation he has repeatedly denied, though a Luzerne County jury sided with his accuser.The board sent a certified letter to Stahl earlier this month with the reasons for termination, and by law Stahl is entitled to a hearing before the board. He would have the option of requesting a closed-door hearing or opening it to the public. Stahl had 10 days to request a hearing, and today is the last day, Wendolowski said. March 23rd was set as a potential hearing date when the letter was sent. Wendolowski said as of this morning no hearing was requested.Wendolowski would not comment, but a hearing before the board is almost certainly moot. The state suspended Stahl&#8217;s license after he was charged and will almost certainly revoke it as a result of the conviction, unless Stahl chooses to surrender the license.

Wilkes-Barre Area School Board sets meeting to borrow $9.5 million, award renovation contracts