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Northwest Area, former aide sued for injuries to autistic boy

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AG DePasquale flags Wilkes-Barre pension issues

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Last June, Joe Stager was working at the Wilkes-Barre Township Barnes and Noble in the Arena Hub Plaza when an EF-2 tornado formed and barreled right through the store.</p><p>&#8220;Joe said the wind was so powerful, he thought the roof might collapse,&#8221; said presenter Maureen Hornlein, Senior Director of HR, RCN, and member of the Red Cross Luzerne County Leadership Council. &#8220;While fearing for his own life, Joe still shielded two of his fellow employees from flying glass and other debris by hiding them under an anchored information desk.</p><p>Hornlein said Joe covered them as the tornado ripped through the building.</p><p>&#8220;The wind left substantial damage to cars in the parking lot and the store itself, but Joe&#8217;s quick thinking and selflessness kept his colleagues safe,&#8221; Hornlein said.</p><p>Stager was one of eight honorees at last week&#8217;s American Red Cross Heroes Celebration event. He was honored with the Good Samaritan Hero Award.</p><p>As the tornado hit, Stager, 47, told the Times Leader he experienced the most harrowing five minutes of his life.</p><p>He had just locked the front doors at 10 p.m. and it was already raining hard. Stager said the noise of rain pounding the store&#8217;s roof was nothing new, but this time was a little different.</p><p>&#8220;The sound kept getting louder and louder,&#8221; he recalled. &#8220;All of a sudden, it just went to a whole other level.&#8221;</p><p>The side window violently blew in. Stager said he yelled to the other four people in the store to stay away from the front windows and to seek cover. He said the back wall of the store just blew off.</p><p>He shepherded those nearest to him toward an information desk, likely helping save co-workers from serious injuries. He was in the store with employees Mary Zoltewicz, Patrick Abdalla, Rachel Trojan and Tara Steffon.</p><p>Stager said he later returned to the front of the store, and the employees safely made their way out of the building, all without a scratch.</p><p>&#8220;After everything that happened, I found I wanted to spend more time with my girlfriend and my family and to work on special projects,&#8221; Stager said. &#8220;I&#8217;ve decided to focus more on enjoying life.&#8221;</p><p>Stager said he has been overwhelmed by the support he has received from the community.</p><p>&#8220;I am honored to be among the other Red Cross honorees,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I&#8217;m glad everything worked out that night and that nobody was hurt. I think it was a miracle. It&#8217;s been a very humbling experience.&#8221;</p><p>In August, Stager was named the national winner of the Barnes and Noble Above &amp; Beyond award, which recognizes employees who go the extra mile. He received an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City, where he was recognized by senior leaders of Barnes and Noble.</p><p>The annual American Red Cross breakfast and awards ceremony honors community heroes in categories from Good Samaritans, to law enforcement, to firefighters, to emergency services and community impact.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/web1_Joe-Stager.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Joseph Stager received the American Red Cross Good Samaritan Award for his help during the tornado that hit Barnes and Noble. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/web1_Joe-Stager.jpg</photo0><caption0>Joseph Stager received the American Red Cross Good Samaritan Award for his help during the tornado that hit Barnes and Noble. </caption0><photoCredit0>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Bill O&#8217;Boyle</p><p>boboyle@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

Hero Stager: ‘It’s been a very humbling experience’