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Their view: The CBO reveals Republicans’ health-care cruelty

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Updated: Troopers, Luzerne County EMA encourages motorists to stay off roadways

<p>PLAINS TWP. &#8212; For the second time in her three-plus decades, Rebecca Bria had a blizzard for her birthday &#8212; and we&#8217;re not talking about the popular ice-cream treat.</p><p>This blizzard came courtesy of Mother Nature as Winter Storm Stella dumped more than 20 inches of snow on the Wyoming Valley on Tuesday, which just happened to be Bria&#8217;s 32nd birthday.</p><p>It wasn&#8217;t how the Plains Township woman had envisioned her big day. And it brought back memories of her 8th birthday, when her plans were scrambled by the Blizzard of &#8216;93.</p><p>&#8220;How many people could say they had a birthday blizzard, twice?&#8221; she asked.</p><p>The second time around, she was coping with it just fine.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s not the end of the world,&#8221; said Bria, who planned to watch Netflix and enjoy her favorite comfort food, spaghetti, after she was done shoveling.</p><p>No, not the end of the world in 2017.</p><p>But to an 8-year-old girl looking forward to celebrating &#8230; quite a different story.</p><p>In 1993, Bria had a roller-skating party planned. When she came down the steps from her bedroom that morning, her mother broke the news.</p><p>&#8220;It looked as it did now,&#8221; she recalled.</p><p>The Blizzard of 1993, which started March 13 and ended March 15, had postponed the big bash.</p><p>It was a &#8220;letdown,&#8221; Bria said, but her party was rescheduled for two weeks later.</p><p>This year, she was prepared. Her family planned around the forecast, having a &#8220;quiet&#8221; party in her honor Monday before the flakes started falling.</p><p>While Bria, who is &#8220;not a winter person,&#8221; isn&#8217;t nearly as upset as her 8-year-old self had been, you probably still don&#8217;t want to ask her about the 70-degree temperatures from a few weeks ago.</p><p>&#8220;I think next year, I&#8217;ll plan a vacation,&#8221; she joked.</p><p><ins>For more storm-related stories, please click <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/tag/stella" target="_blank">here</a>.</ins></p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>1993 storm struck when she was 8</subheadMeta></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>

Plains Township woman’s birthday bitten by blizzard hex once again