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Residents brave cold, snow to mark Knox Mine Disaster

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Greg Zuerlein’s 57-yard field goal sends Rams to Super Bowl

<p>This year&#8217;s race for six Luzerne County Council seats will be the fifth since the customized home rule structure was implemented.</p><p>What to expect?</p><p>Nine Democratic and five Republican contenders appeared on the primary ballot in 2017, when five seats were open.</p><p>Two years earlier, in 2015, the number of Democrats seeking six primary nominations was the same &#8212; nine. Only four Republicans ran in the primary that year.</p><p>The 2013 primary race for five seats attracted six Republicans and five Democrats.</p><p>Some have questioned why more candidates were not running. One argument was that the bar may have been set unreasonably high in the first sweeping 2011 race for all 11 initial seats, when 49 Democrats and Republicans entered the primary race.</p><p class="n_ 50 v2">Democrats and Republicans can start circulating their petitions Feb. 19 and must submit their collected nomination signatures by March 12.</p><p class="n_ 50 v2">Voters in the May 21 primary will select six from each party to advance to the November general, when voters will be free to select six from any political party, including any post-primary Independent or third-party additions.</p><p class="n_ 50 v2"><strong>Litigation settlement</strong></p><p class="n_ 50 v2">Council will meet at 6 p.m. both Monday and Tuesday at the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre to publicly interview applicants for the vacant council seat.</p><p class="n_ 50 v2">A voting meeting and work session will follow Tuesday&#8217;s interviews.</p><p class="n_ 50 v2">The voting agenda includes the proposed settlement of litigation filed against the county by former deputy budget/finance chief Donna Magni over her 2014 termination.</p><p class="n_ 50 v2">The amount of the settlement was blank on the agenda because the county law division has concluded the specifics should not be publicly released until council is convened to vote.</p><p class="n_ 50 v2"><strong>Zoning change</strong></p><p>Council also may revisit a proposed zoning change in Huntington Township on Tuesday.</p><p>Huntington Mills DG LLC wants to buy the Huntington Township property in question to build a Dollar General, officials said.</p><p>Currently owned by the Huntington Valley Volunteer Fire Co., the 2.153-acre parcel along Route 239 is in a suburban residence district zone and must be converted to a highway business district zone for the project to proceed.</p><p>Council tabled the matter last month after a resident expressed concerns.</p><p>On Jan. 16, township supervisors sent a letter asking council to vote on the zoning request, saying they believe the project is an opportunity to boost the municipality&#8217;s tax base and provide funds to the volunteer fire department from a land sale.</p><p>If council opts to remove the matter from tabled status, it would not vote on the change until Feb. 12. A new Feb. 12 voting date must be publicly advertised in case impacted parties want to attend.</p><p><strong>Board openings</strong></p><p>Two openings have come up on the nine-member county planning commission, according to vacancy declarations on Tuesday&#8217;s council agenda.</p><p>Member Christine McLaughlin has resigned from her unpaid seat. And Richard Kramer has declined council&#8217;s recent appointment.</p><p>County officials have encouraged citizens to consider applying for vacancies on county boards, authorities and commissions, including a registered Democrat to serve on the county election board.</p><p>Applications are available on the authorities, boards and commissions section at <a href="https://www.luzernecounty.org/747/Authorities-Boards-Commissions-Listing" target="_blank">www.luzernecounty.org.</a></p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Luzerne County Courthouse </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_web1_luzerne-county-courthouse-1-2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Luzerne County Courthouse </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jennifer Learn-Andes</p><p>jandes@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

County notebook: Field of council contenders has leveled off since 2011