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Man killed by fallen tree in Back Mountain

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Big-ticket assessment refunds impacting Luzerne County budget

<p>Panzitta Enterprises Inc., of Wilkes-Barre, has received a $159,030 contract to repair the stairway and elevator access tower at Luzerne County&#8217;s Water Street parkade near the courthouse, according to a contract recently approved by county Manager C. David Pedri.</p><p>Council earmarked $200,000 for the project in the new capital budget in addition to $300,000 for rehabilitation of the parking area.</p><p>County Engineer Lawrence Plesh said Panzitta will replace the parkade tower roof, improve drainage and repair deteriorated concrete in the stairwell and other sections. Six companies submitted bids, and Panzitta&#8217;s was the lowest for all requested work, records show.</p><p>The project is set for completion Nov. 29. The parking area project will be bid out separately at a later date, Plesh said.</p><p><strong>Courthouse restoration</strong></p><p>Brooklyn-based EverGreene Architectural Arts Inc. is expected to complete the latest phase of courthouse restoration the end of this month, Plesh said.</p><p>Council had earmarked $650,000 for this phase, which addresses all first-floor artwork and finishes that were not part of a restoration completed in 2018. The current project includes work on extensive mosaic sections largely intact but dirty and murals that were inaccurately touched up during a past restoration, covering the original intent, Plesh has said.</p><p>While restoration on the upper floors has not yet been funded, EverGreene&#8217;s contract also includes work on two sections of the second-floor ceiling that have visible plaster damage from past leaks and restoration of one courtroom judge&#8217;s bench as a test case for future projects, Plesh has said.</p><p>EverGreene&#8217;s $527,645 contract was recently increased by $25,553 for added work on fire pull stations and marble joints, records show.</p><p><strong>New hires</strong></p><p>Ten county government employees were hired in September, according to the latest personnel report.</p><p>The new hires, along with their positions and hourly pay:</p><p>James Cease, aging agency network specialist, $22.29; John Jones and Qui-Shayne Riddick, Children and Youth caseworker 2, $19.02; Nancy Kaminski, district attorney clerk/typist, $14.17; Kaitlin Keating-Storz, coroner field investigator/lab assistant, $16.41; Victoria Scavo, part-time district attorney adult victims witness coordinator, $10; Jeffery Searles, aging agency alternate food service worker, $11.58; Giavanna Sico, assistant public defender, $25.44; Samantha Yanora, prison bookkeeper, $12.63; and Andrew Zbikowski, information technology technician, $20.</p><p><strong>Departures</strong></p><p>In addition to the already-reported departures of county election director Marisa Crispell and coroner Daniel Hughes, 17 employees resigned last month: 911 CAD/GIS supervisor Michael Ankenbrand; aging agency care manager David Booth; Children and Youth caseworkers Marilyn Calderon, Desiree Dymond and Robert Yanik; prison correctional officer Rory Corcoran, information technology database administrator Nesreen Daher; prison nurse Kristin Eggert; deputy sheriffs Samantha Harris, Maurice Lamoreux, Mark Sadowski and Tyler Sepcoski; Children and Youth social service aide Andrew Jackloski; Aging agency clerk typist Albert Keefe; public defender clerk/steno Leah Naylor; assistant solicitor Morgan Palermo; and part-time assistant public defender William Thompson.</p><p>Road and bridge equipment operator Angelo Salerno also retired in September.</p><p><strong>Transfers</strong></p><p>Six workers were promoted, the report said. These employees, their new positions and hourly pay: Janice Bonner, Children and Youth program specialist, $23.65; Lisa Calabro, Mental Health/Developmental Services caseworker, $17.83; Mayra Castro, Children and Youth clerk typist, $13.11; Alison Evans, public defender office manager, $22.16; Deana Prochaska, correctional services executive secretary/payroll clerk, $17.46; and Margaret Vergaretti, Children and Youth clerk typist, $12.83.</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/2019/10/web1_courthouse.jpeg.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>

Luzerne County addressing parkade tower work and wrapping up courthouse restoration