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Domestic violence report leads to arrest

Our Opinion: Resolve infighting among Wilkes-Barre Police Department – for everyone’s protection

<p>NANTICOKE &#8212; Carl Coates only expected the line to take 15 minutes to get through.</p><p>He was wrong. It took 45 minutes.</p><p>Coates, of Plymouth, was one of an &#8220;expected 300 to 400 people&#8221; who lined up at Greater Nanticoke Area High School for a free shredding event state Rep. Jerry Mullery, D-Nanticoke, and his office staff hosted Saturday morning.</p><p>Residents of the district were invited to bring documents containing personal information, such as Social Security and bank account numbers, to be destroyed, lest they get into the hands of identity thieves who aren&#8217;t afraid to sully their hands picking through household trash to score some personal data.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s pretty popular,&#8221; Mullery said of the event. &#8220;People lined up about 9:30 a.m. for the 10 a.m. start.&#8221;</p><p>He was at the front of the line helping dump papers into large bins. Those bins were then shredded in a truck outside the high school.</p><p>Mullery has been sponsoring the shredding event for the past four years.</p><p>&#8220;I hold two events each year, one in the spring and one in the fall,&#8221; Mullery said in an email to the Times Leader late last week.</p><p>Constituents of Mullery&#8217;s district braved the snow and mid-20 degree temperatures for a chance to have their personal documents shredded.</p><p>&#8220;To be here (under cover) is pretty good,&#8221; Mullery joked. &#8220;We&#8217;re usually in a parking lot.&#8221;</p><p>Coates called the line a &#8220;wind tunnel.&#8221;</p><p>Mullery&#8217;s staff gave individuals in line an option for those who didn&#8217;t want to wait to drop off the papers and go.</p><p>&#8220;You can&#8217;t cut the grass today,&#8221; Coates said about why he stayed in line.</p><p>When Coates joined the line there were roughly 50 people in front of him. To get from one end of the line to Mullery, people were kicking boxes full of papers or carrying garbage bags full. Some even had large Tupperware containers. When Coates was finished, there were roughly 50 people waiting for their turn.</p><p>The quickest part of the event for Coates was dumping his papers into the bin.</p><p>&#8220;No problem,&#8221; Coates said.</p><p>&#8220;We, as a state, should be providing (this service) for residents,&#8221; Mullery said.</p><p>People, though cold, wore smiles, which Mullery appreciated.</p><p>&#8220;They don&#8217;t mind waiting in line,&#8221; Mullery said. &#8220;They all have good attitudes when they come to me.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;There&#8217;s no use getting aggravated,&#8221; Coates shrugged.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">State Rep. Jerry Mullery, D-Nanticoke, and his office staffers sort papers Saturday morning during a free shredding event his office held for his constituents. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_20160409_103200-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>State Rep. Jerry Mullery, D-Nanticoke, and his office staffers sort papers Saturday morning during a free shredding event his office held for his constituents. </caption0><photoCredit0>Melanie Mizenko | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Melanie Mizenko</p><p>mmizenko@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Melanie Mizenko at 570-991-6116 or on Twitter @TL_MMizenko.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Shredding event a hit with area residents in state Rep. Gerald Mullery’s district