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Lottery numbers for Thursday, June 30, 2017

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Luzerne County officials discuss pension fund struggles

<p>MOOSIC &#8212; Officials from Luzerne and Lackawanna counties announced Thursday they will once again &#8220;play ball&#8221; after they finalized a $4 million settlement in a lawsuit Luzerne County filed against Lackawanna County over proceeds from the sale of a Triple A baseball franchise to the New York Yankees.</p><p>The settlement follows approval by Luzerne County Council earlier this week.</p><p>The lawsuit was filed in 2010 and was followed by a countersuit from Lackawanna.</p><p>The counties disagreed which should keep $7.3 million, or half of the $14.6 million the New York Yankees and Mandalay Baseball Properties paid the counties&#8217; joint limited liability company, SWB Yankees LLC, for the franchise in the 2012 sale.</p><p>A 1986 agreement, in which the two counties purchased the franchise for $1 million each, directed that both counties would share in any proceeds of a future sale.</p><p>Lackawanna County countered that it had spent millions on repairs and additional construction at the stadium, unmatched by Luzerne County.</p><p>Still, officials from both counties seemed eager to put these details behind them and move forward.</p><p>During a press conference at PNC Field, complete with bobbleheads, baseball caps and RailRiders mascot Champ, Lackawanna County Commissioner Patrick O&#8217;Malley said that although both counties had consistently worked together during the course of the lawsuit, a shadow had been lifted from the relationship with the signing of the agreement.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s been a long seven years,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And this is a great day.&#8221;</p><p>Luzerne County Manager C. David Pedri credited officials from both counties with making the settlement a reality.</p><p>&#8220;When we look at future success,&#8221; he said, &#8220;we see it in the context of the region, with counties working together.&#8221;</p><p>Pedri called Luzerne County Council Chairwoman Linda McClosky Houck to the podium, citing her spirit of compassion and commitment to county residents.</p><p>&#8220;We can talk abut what we disagree on, we can read pages and pages,&#8221; said McClosky Houck. &#8220;But what is more important is the things that we do agree on.&#8221;</p><p>Christopher Munley, of the Lackawanna County Stadium Authority, likened the litigation to a &#8220;family dispute, rather than a fight.&#8221;</p><p>Josh Olerud, president of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, told attendees he was blessed to be in a partnership with both counties.</p><p>&#8220;We are looking forward to the future,&#8221; said Olerud, &#8220;including the Triple A Minor League Championship game to be held here in September.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Lackawanna County Commissioner Patrick M. O&#8217;Malley signs off on the finalization of the lawsuit settlement. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_TTL063017baseball2-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Lackawanna County Commissioner Patrick M. O&#8217;Malley signs off on the finalization of the lawsuit settlement. </caption0><photoCredit0>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_TTL063017baseball1-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Luzerne County Manager C. David Pedri speaks during a press conference Thursday at PNC Field in Moosic on a lawsuit settlement between Luzerne and Lackawanna counties over the 2012 sale of the counties&#8217; Triple A baseball franchise. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_TTL063017baseball1-1.jpg</photo1><caption1>Luzerne County Manager C. David Pedri speaks during a press conference Thursday at PNC Field in Moosic on a lawsuit settlement between Luzerne and Lackawanna counties over the 2012 sale of the counties&#8217; Triple A baseball franchise. </caption1><photoCredit1>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Geri Gibbons</p><p>For Times Leader</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach the Times Leader newsroom at 570-829-7242 or on Twitter @TLnews.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Luzerne, Lackawanna counties finalize Triple-A baseball franchise settlement