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Kingston man who sold bath salts in Luzerne County gets five years in federal prison

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Local dancer takes many outstanding awards

<p><strong>Diamonds</strong> &#8230; make that, gold, to figure skater Adam Rippon. The Clarks Summit native captivated at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships on Sunday in Minnesota, finally claiming the men&#8217;s title at age 26. On two other occasions, in 2012 and 2014, he had finished second. During this performance, Rippon fell while attempting a quadruple jump but continued his routine with a flawless blend of strength, style and showmanship. &#8220;Just because you can&#8217;t do one element that your competitors can do more proficiently than you,&#8221; he told a Minneapolis Star Tribune reporter, &#8220;it doesn&#8217;t mean you should hang up your skates and give it up.&#8221; That lesson can be applied far beyond the ice rink.</p><p><strong>Coal</strong> to ATV-riding numbskulls in Newport Township. After last weekend&#8217;s snowfall, they apparently enjoyed zipping up and down the slopes on Earth Conservancy-owned land known as the Bliss Bank site. Their vehicles&#8217; tires, however, tore up the turf, causing damaged estimated in the thousands of dollars, conservancy employees said. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call township police at 570-735-2000.</p><p><strong>Diamonds</strong> to the General Federation of Women&#8217;s Clubs-West Side, a civic group long active in the Wyoming Valley. The service-focused club recently inducted 21 new members &#8211; an enviable number for most any volunteer organization involved today in community-building efforts. Congratulations to Deidre Kaminski, club president, and other women helping to power the group&#8217;s growth and continued good work. For information on the international federation, visit <a href="http://www.gfwc.org/" target="_blank">www.gfwc.org</a>.</p><p><strong><strong>Coal</strong> </strong>to scammers trying to fleece the area&#8217;s utility customers. UGI Utilities, a Reading-based company that provides energy to the region, this week cautioned its gas and electric users to beware of callers threatening to shut off services for supposed non-payment of bills. Don&#8217;t follow the caller&#8217;s instructions to purchase a money order or pre-paid cash card. Instead, hang up and contact UGI by calling 1-800-276-2722.</p><p><strong>Diamonds</strong> to cost-conscious public servants. Two big changes under consideration &#8211; one in the county&#8217;s judicial setup, one impacting several area school districts &#8211; could soon begin saving taxpayers&#8217; dollars. Luzerne County aims to reduce its monthly lease expenses by housing both magisterial district judges in Wilkes-Barre in one building. The respective offices must maintain distinct courtrooms but could share support staff. Separately, the Wilkes-Barre Area Career and Technical Center&#8217;s elected leaders decided this week to explore a way to adjust students&#8217; schedules that would slash busing costs. Both ideas merit full consideration.</p><p><strong>Coal</strong> to no-shows. Donald Trump ducked a Republican presidential debate. Closer to home, Tony George, Democratic mayor of Wilkes-Barre, said this week he intends to skip city council meetings unless certain agenda items compel his attendance. At least Trump made good use of his recent &#8220;free time,&#8221; raising money for veterans groups; what will George be doing on nights when the council convenes?</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Adam Rippon, seen here during his free skate program Sunday at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, won the men&#8217;s title. The Clarks Summit native, 26, is expected to compete later this winter in the world championships in Boston. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_Rippon-4.jpg</photo0><caption0>Adam Rippon, seen here during his free skate program Sunday at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, won the men&#8217;s title. The Clarks Summit native, 26, is expected to compete later this winter in the world championships in Boston. </caption0><photoCredit0>Jim Mone | AP photo </photoCredit0></div></div>

Our Opinion: Figure skating champion and NEPA native Adam Rippon delivers golden lesson