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Golden goal: Francis scores in overtime to lift Dallas to D2-3A girls soccer title

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Montana, Rice and 49ers rule the 1980s

<p>The man now overseeing the future of the State Correctional Institution at Retreat will meet with Gov. Tom Wolf this week to talk about how to proceed, the administration said Saturday.</p><p>That announcement did little to assuage skepticism by the Pennsylvania State Corrections Officers Association, however.</p><p>Department of Corrections Executive Deputy Secretary for Institutional Operations Tabb Bickell <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/760408/wolf-pulls-wetzel-off-retreat-closure-process" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">was placed in charge of the process on Tuesday</a> amid ongoing outrage over <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/759820/lawmakers-blast-pa-corrections-head-for-profane-quip-about-sci-retreat-closure" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">profane remarks made by DOC Secretary John Wetzel</a> during <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/759179/support-for-sci-retreat-overflows-at-hearing" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a public hearing</a> on plans to close the state prison, located in Newport Township.</p><p>Together with Bickell&#8217;s assignment to the role, the governor&#8217;s office announced last week that the DOC is developing an expanded schedule of community meetings to gain more input from employees, businesses, legislators, and community leaders, but did not elaborate regarding a timetable.</p><p>In response to questions from the Times Leader, the governor&#8217;s office on Saturday released a statement indicating that Bickell&#8217;s meeting with Wolf &#8220;will guide our next steps, including a timeline, locations of additional hearings or meetings and other steps in the process.&#8221;</p><p>It also added that closure of SCI-Retreat remains &#8220;only a proposal.&#8221;</p><p>Wolf&#8217;s administration and the DOC in August <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/754073/wolf-sci-retreat-is-best-suited-for-closure" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">announced their current proposal to close SCI-Retreat</a>, which <a href="https://www.cor.pa.gov/Facilities/StatePrisons/Pages/Retreat.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">has 384 full-time employees and had a prisoner population of 1,057 as of the most recent state report, released last </a><a href="https://www.cor.pa.gov/Facilities/StatePrisons/Pages/Retreat.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">month</a>.</p><p>Officials with the Pennsylvania State Corrections Officers Association have been dubious about the administration&#8217;s responses, a view that only intensified as the week closed with no specifics regarding next steps.</p><p>&#8220;PSCOA hasn&#8217;t heard anything since it was announced that there would be new hearings. Our officers and the community remain very skeptical,&#8221; said PSCOA Vice president Mark Truszkowski, a Luzerne County native.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s going to take a lot of convincing that this is a legitimate process,&#8221; Truszkowski added.</p><p>The DOC has pledged to offer Retreat&#8217;s employees positions at about a half-dozen other state prisons that are within 65 miles if the facility does close.</p><p>Anecdotal reports received by the Times Leader suggested that some employees at SCI-Retreat have already agreed to transfer to other facilities or begun looking for other employment.</p><p>The administration dismissed those reports on Saturday.</p><p>&#8220;As for employee transfers, because we have not made a final decision, employee transfer decisions have not even been discussed with the employees,&#8221; their statement to the Times Leader indicated.</p><p>&#8220;The closure of SCI Retreat at this time is only a proposal. Once we have decided upon the next steps, we will be sure to notify everyone,&#8221; it concluded.</p><p>Truszkowski said the uncertainty has been difficult for employees.</p><p>&#8220;It shouldn&#8217;t surprise anyone to learn that officers are looking at their options. They have life-changing decisions to make with their families in a very short amount of time,&#8221; he said.</p><p>&#8220;This is an incredibly stressful situation created by (DOC). It certainly won&#8217;t make this an easy holiday season for so many families in our community. They deserve better than this,&#8221; Truszkowski added.</p><p>Members of the region&#8217;s state legislative delegation who have opposed a closure reiterated their stances:</p><p><strong>&#8226; State Sen. John Yudichak,</strong> D-Plymouth Township: &#8220;The fight to save SCI Retreat has never stopped since the proposed closure announcement was made in August.</p><p>&#8220;Senator Baker and I attended the Act 133 hearing in Nanticoke to argue our case for saving SCI Retreat, and we have been in constant communication with the Governor&#8217;s office and the Department of Corrections to pursue every option available to the Department to spare SCI Retreat from closure.</p><p>&#8220;I do not believe the fight is over, and I can assure you that I never plan on giving up on the employees of SCI Retreat or the communities of Newport Township, Shickshinny, and Conyngham Township.&#8221;</p><p><strong>&#8226; State Sen. Lisa Baker, </strong>R-Lehman Township: &#8220;In terms of community respect and confidence in state government and its intentions and commitments, this regrettable series of events means they will face a much higher bar in establishing good faith and regaining credibility.</p><p>&#8220;Secretary Wetzel has already acknowledged there are significant considerations of which he was not aware until we raised them publicly, so the arguments we have been advancing as a community should carry greater weight.&#8221;</p><p><strong>&#8226; State Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski,</strong> D-Wilkes-Barre: &#8220;I have been engaged in conversations with my fellow legislators on a daily basis as well as the governor&#8217;s staff to re-engage the conversation with the true intent of allowing the facts and testimony to truly guide the ultimate decision regarding (SCI-Retreat).</p><p>&#8220;We have also connected with several Department of Corrections administrators to review information that we hope will lead to an acceptable and plausible outcome, one which may provide innovative solutions to a multitude of operational concerns within the Department of Corrections.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Attendees show their support for keeping the State Correctional Institution at Retreat open during a public hearing last month at Greater Nanticoke Area High School. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_TTL101819retreat-pk_6-3.jpg</photo0><caption0>Attendees show their support for keeping the State Correctional Institution at Retreat open during a public hearing last month at Greater Nanticoke Area High School. </caption0><photoCredit0>Times Leader file photo </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Pa. corrections officers association remains skeptical</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Roger DuPuis and Bill O&#8217;Boyle</p><p>rdupuis@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

DOC deputy, Wolf to meet on SCI-Retreat process