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Regional spelling champion Peter Khoudary, sponsored by Times Leader, honored at pep rally before heading to Scripps National Spelling Bee

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Robert Kulick, alleged mobster and witness in Conahan and Ciavarella case, dies at 67

<p><strong>Diamonds</strong> to painters, potters and other people who share their artistic flair in Northeastern Pennsylvania. <a href="http://fineartsfiesta.org/" target="_blank">The Fine Arts Fiesta</a> &#8211; a multi-day celebration of the visual and performing arts, held in downtown Wilkes-Barre &#8211; offers a hint at the deep reservoir of talent within area residents, both students and adults. Visit the canopy-covered displays on Public Square. Be uplifted. Be taught. Be teased. Be provoked. Be amused. Be inspired, by the photographs, sculptures and other creations, to patronize our region&#8217;s many artistic outlets: theaters, studios, museums and galleries. Likewise, be emboldened to nurture and expose your own artsy side.</p><p><strong>Coal</strong> to conditions at the former Murray Complex in Wilkes-Barre. The site at South Pennsylvania Avenue and Ross Street continues to linger in a kind of semi-demolished state. City police recently filed trespassing charges against three men allegedly found there and who might have been using the place as cover for a crude methamphetamine lab. Firefighters, who also responded during the incident this month, reportedly hosed down the trio as a precaution. But the city&#8217;s fire chief said he has instructed his crews not to enter the abandoned building, because of its precarious condition. Yikes! How much longer will this trouble spot be allowed to fester?</p><p><strong>Diamonds</strong> to the people who recently made Kirby Park more eye-catching. Eight members of &#8220;Team Kirby,&#8221; a project team participating in this year&#8217;s <a href="http://www.leadershipwilkes-barre.org/" target="_blank">Leadership Wilkes-Barre</a> program, led the effort to beautify Wilkes-Barre&#8217;s preeminent park by refurbishing benches and acquiring a nearly $24,000 sign. Placed along Market Street, the lit sign helps to ensure people don&#8217;t mistakenly pass the entrance to the site &#8211; frequently used for festivals, sporting events and other public gatherings. Smart move. Too often, certain longtime residents wrongly assume that everyone knows their way around the Wyoming Valley, which brings us to &#8230;</p><p><strong>Coal</strong> to the people who didn&#8217;t post detour signs at Public Square, Wilkes-Barre, when traffic barricades were installed for the annual Fine Arts Fiesta. How are newcomers to the city, or to the festival&#8217;s traffic patterns, supposed to know how to bypass the Square? No signs on North Main Street alerted motorists about the event or the street closure. Not surprisingly, some drivers were observed Friday wrongly changing lanes and heading toward opposing traffic.</p><p><strong>Diamonds</strong> to Wilkes-Barre Council. At its urging, the city administration is pursuing a less-costly banking setup by requesting proposals from financial institutions that want to handle some of the city&#8217;s dozens of checking accounts. Responses are due by month&#8217;s end. Council members apparently weren&#8217;t satisfied that the mayor had conducted a wide enough search when he recently proposed transferring a half-dozen accounts to a Dunmore-based bank. A penny saved, as they say &#8230;</p><style>
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Our Opinion: Artistic talent of region’s residents runs deep – and deserves recognition