web1_salavantis_ebmeeting.jpg

As opioid epidemic rages, DA Salavantis tells council DUI still major problem

web1_TTL022318Courthouse1.jpg

Next phase of Luzerne County Courthouse restoration underway

<p>EXETER &#8212; Before performing &#8220;Name of the Game&#8221; from the pop group ABBA, Sarah McGowen offered a pre-excuse for sounding poorly. &#8220;I have a sinus infection.&#8221; Then she and fellow Wyoming Area Secondary Center thespian Jeremy Harman sang, her voice so clear the school board &#8212; and residents gathered for Tuesday&#8217;s monthly meeting &#8212; gave them a standing ovation.</p><p>&#8220;You don&#8217;t have a sinus infection,&#8221; Superintendent Janet Serino chided in the wake of the performance. </p><p>The students offered the rendition &#8212; one of the songs in the upcoming school production of &#8220;Mamma Mia!&#8221; &#8212; at the start of Serino&#8217;s report to the district. In fact, the meeting had been moved to the library from the auditorium, she noted, &#8220;because we care about the drama club practicing.&#8221;</p><p>The meeting itself was brief, with all board members present and all items getting unanimous votes save one. When asked to approve a request by the nonprofit Exeter Proud organization to rent the Secondary Center cafeteria for a &#8220;Meet the Candidates Night&#8221; for Exeter Borough council, three board members abstained: Nick DeAngelo, Toni Valenti and Board President Deana Farrell.</p><p>Asked about her vote after the meeting, Farrell said she was uncertain it was a good idea to allow the political event in a district building.</p><p>In other business, the board:</p><p>&#8226; Approved an agreement with the Luzerne Intermediate Unit for in-home instruction services, extending the service an additional 90 hours to the end of this school year, at $57.74 an hour.</p><p>&#8226; Approved the annual single audit report completed by Rainey and Rainey.</p><p>&#8226; Accepted the retirements of Patricia Whaley, William Schutter, Lorraine Maranick, Deborah Konopka, Patrick Messina, and Lissette Tapia.</p><p>&#8226; Appointed Cody Patton as junior high baseball coach at $2,343 for the 2018-19 spring season.</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_download-5-.jpg">
<div class="neCaption"></div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_download-5-.jpg</photo0><caption0></caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Mark Guydish</p><p>mguydish@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish</p></shirttailMeta></div>

‘Mamma Mia!’ Short meeting at Wyoming Area