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Cartwright introduces legislation to end reliance on China for PPE supply

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Luzerne County virus cases, positivity rate rising

KINGSTON &mdash; As Wyoming Valley West&rsquo;s Tyler Weidman streaked down the field for a 78-yard score to open up Friday night&rsquo;s game with Williamsport, a noise that has been unfamiliar so far this year sounded out: a roar from the crowd.
				&ldquo;The kids out there feed off that energy,&rdquo; said Brendan Woods, a former Spartan standout watching from the crowd on Friday. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s so much different without that crowd noise.&rdquo;
				After Gov. Tom Wolf eased spectator restrictions on high school sporting events on Tuesday, changing from a 250-person maximum at outdoor events to restrictions based on capacity, Wyoming Valley West and the rest of the Wyoming Valley Conference&rsquo;s teams were able to let some more people into their stadiums on Friday night.
				While the crowd at Spartan Stadium wasn&rsquo;t massive by any stretch, it was still a big step up from previous weeks, something not lost on those in attendance.
				&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know much about football, but without a big crowd it was pretty boring,&rdquo; said Barbara Harned, whose son Benjamin plays in the marching band. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s much better this way.&rdquo;
				Harned was masked, as was everyone at Spartan Stadium. When possible, groups of fans tried to distance themselves from one another. It was a shot at bringing back the Friday night football feel that this area loves so much, but as safely as possible.
				&ldquo;I think everyone could do things at their own risk,&rdquo; Woods said. &ldquo;This could work if everyone is responsible about it.&rdquo;
				For some like Woods, playing under the lights in front of a packed house is in their blood. For others with family on the field or in the band, it&rsquo;s a chance to show their support.
				Emma Caruthers, a student at West Side Technical School, was excited to be allowed inside the stadium this week to cheer on her boyfriend.
				&ldquo;I&rsquo;m so glad I could be here to support him, I haven&rsquo;t gotten to watch any of the games yet this year,&rdquo; Caruthers said. &ldquo;This is so important for the team, especially the seniors.&rdquo;
				&ldquo;They deserve this,&rdquo; she said.

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