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Indigo Moon Brass Band to play Winter Warmer concert at St. Stephen’s on Feb. 5

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Wilkes-Barre Township Police searching for woman accused of retail theft from Kohl’s

<p><strong>Diamonds</strong> to Punxsutawney Phil, for finally seeing things our way. The state&#8217;s most famous you-know-what supposedly couldn&#8217;t spot his shadow Tuesday morning, which means, by longstanding legend, that winter has surrendered early this year and yielded to spring. Amends are overdue on our part, Phil. Last February in this space, we referred to you as a &#8220;varmint&#8221; and expressed the desire to see your 2015 prognostication proven flat wrong. That was unprofessional of us. A year earlier, before you emerged from the den, we issued <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/archive/234814/news-ouropinion-1141047-our-opinion-groundhogs-prediction-warm-communication-with-regarded-rodent-3" target="_blank">a thinly veiled threat</a> in which we called you &#8220;Chuck&#8221; and referred to your &#8220;rodent brain.&#8221; Totally out of line. Just goes to show that sometimes emotions can get the better of us and the opinions we express here, well &#8230; you just can&#8217;t predict.</p><p><strong>Coal</strong> to lead-poison alarmists. Certain people recently stoked fear among state residents by unfairly drawing comparisons between the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, and Pennsylvania&#8217;s high incidence of lead poisoning. But it&#8217;s not the public water supply here that is the culprit. Instead, as has long been known, infants and children can be at particular risk because of lead-based paint, commonly used in homes prior to 1978. Serious health problems, even death, can occur when kids accidentally ingest paint chips and dust. To learn about this household hazard, visit the <a href="http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/lead_poisoning_prevention___control/14175" target="_blank">Department of Health&#8217;s website</a> or call the Lead Information Line: 1-800-440-LEAD. To read the Times Leader&#8217;s recent news coverage of this issue, click <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/509653/as-kingstons-jade-dudley-travels-to-flint-michigan-to-help-people-affected-by-water-problems-pennsylvanias-lead-problem-is-linked-to-paint-not-water" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p><strong>Diamonds</strong> to budding entrepreneur Jim Tunison. The 21-year-old Misericordia University student devised the grand prize-winning entry in a Taffer Virtual Teaching contest, winning $10,000 and an upcoming trip to Las Vegas to meet the contest&#8217;s namesake. Last month, Tunison submitted an entry form and 60-second video outlining his new notion for online teaching: connect musical artists with their fans who want to learn to perform favorite songs. <em>Ka-ching!</em> Even before earning his master&#8217;s degree in business administration, Tunison has found himself in the money.</p><p><strong><strong>Coal</strong></strong> to mannerless Super Bowl party guests. No double-dipping in the guacamole bowl. Keep your questions and commentary to a minimum during Sunday&#8217;s on-field action. And don&#8217;t block the screen. (The latter rule applies equally during the game, the commercials <em>and</em> the half-time show.)</p><p><strong>Diamonds</strong> to centenarian Jane Davies. The longtime Wyoming resident, who more recently relocated to Kingston, this week marked her 100th birthday, surrounded by loved ones and other well-wishers. A former UGI Electric employee, Davies drove until she was 92 and routinely exercised at the YMCA until only a few years ago, a relative said. Wyoming&#8217;s mayor referred to her as &#8220;a cherished resident of Wyoming Borough for nearly 85 years.&#8221; Others recalled her service as a Sunday school teacher and food pantry volunteer. Summing up her past and present situations, Davies said, &#8220;I&#8217;m happy&#8221; &#8211; two words that tell a lot about a life.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">The state&#8217;s most famous you-know-what supposedly couldn&#8217;t spot his shadow Tuesday morning in Punxsutawney. It&#8217;s about time, Phil! </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_Groundhog-Day_Jone.jpg</photo0><caption0>The state&#8217;s most famous you-know-what supposedly couldn&#8217;t spot his shadow Tuesday morning in Punxsutawney. It&#8217;s about time, Phil! </caption0><photoCredit0>Keith Srakocic | AP photo </photoCredit0></div></div>

Our Opinion: Our feud with Punxsutawney Phil thawing