CMYK Apassion for Sehawks cage holiday finery Birds in Seattle AVictorian Christmas being Philadelphia’s struggles held at Eckley Miners Village continue with 31-14 loss $ VOUCHER $ the GUIDE, INSIDE SPORTS, 1B 60 FOR ONLY 22 727281 The Times Leader WILKES-BARRE, PA timesleader.com FRIDAY,DECEMBER 2, 2011 50¢ A CHRISTMAS TREE THAT’S FIT FOR KING’S DOWNTOWN W-B SPORTS SHOWCASE ing’s Col- Klege stu- dents Sana Rahman of Feds set Mountain Top and Andrew Classen of Phi- ladelphia hug one another as they and other to probe students gath- er to witness the annual Christmas tree lighting in Mon- arch Court on Sterling Thursday after- NHL noon, just be- fore dusk. The PENGUINS 2 tree is located CAPITALS 1 at one of the project busiest spots RANGERS 5 on the campus of the down- Luzerne County officials are ordered to turn HURRICANES 3 town Wilkes- Barre college over documents to a federal grand jury. JETS 1 and is visible COYOTES 0 not only to By JENNIFER LEARN-ANDES members of [email protected] the King’s com- Afederal grand jury is investigating the Hotel VALENTINE TAKES munity, but Sterling project in downtown Wilkes-Barre, though HELM OF RED SOX county officials say they don’t know what aspect of Bobby Valentine took also anyone the project is under investigation. over as manager of the else passing County officials Boston Red Sox on Thurs- nearby or have been ordered to day, promising to be through the provide all documents hard- campus. It be- related to the project working, comes a focal to a federal grand jury open- point for on- in Scranton by Mon- minded campus activity day morning. County and officials said they will even during the sea- fully comply with the humble son as classes subpoena by provid- for the semes- as he ing the information. THE STERLING Valentine tries to ter draw to an The county is in- help the end and the volved because it Location: Corner of River loaned the building’s and Market streets franchise return to the community Parcel size: 3.34 acres playoffs and forget the prepares to owner, the nonprofit Built: 1890s disappointment of this celebrate its CityVest, $6 million to When closed: 1998 season’s unprecedented restore the property Number of stories: 7 September collapse. holidays. and attract a develop- Ownership: The nonprofit Sports, 1B PETE G. WILCOX/THE TIMES LEADER er. CityVest acquired the That money was building from a back-tax sale in 2002. largely spent to de- INSIDE molish an attached 14- story high-rise, clean up environmental hazards ANEWS: Local 3A and acquire two adjoining land parcels. Nation & World 5A Plan to kill officials charged CityVest asked the county to take control of the Obituaries 2A, 8A project in April, saying it was out of funds and Birthdays 10A couldn’t come up with the estimated $26.8 million Editorial 11A Alocal man offered to pay for the officer. Park hasbeenjailedattheLackawan- to $35.6 million to fully restore the 113-year-old BSPORTS: Scoreboard 2B deaths of district judge, ADA and Richard Allen na County Prison for lack of $100,000 landmark building. Wilkes-Barre has since con- College Football 3B Park, 24, with a last bail on child sex charges filed by Ha- NFL 4B police officer, authorities say. known address of nover Township police in October SeeSTERLING, Page 12A Business 9B Turner Street, has 2010. CCLASSIFIED: Funnies 14C been charged by the According to a criminal complaint: By STEVE MOCARSKY Lackawanna County Detective Chris Kolcharno, of the THE GUIDE [email protected] Park District Attorney’s LuzerneCountyDistrictAttorney’s Of- Movie/Entertainment DUNMORE – A Plymouth man fac- Office with criminal fice, said he and Detective Justin Leri County courts Crossword Television ing child sex charges in Luzerne Coun- solicitation to commit murder, intimi- wenttotheprisontospeaktoPark after ty Court is charged with soliciting to dation of a witness or victim and two the DA’s office received information WEATHER kill a Luzerne County district judge, an counts of retaliation against a prosecu- assistant district attorney and a police tor or judicial official. SeeSOLICIT, Page 12A face huge cuts Tyler Kelly Mostly sunny. Commissioners’ draft budget for 2012 High 48. Low 30. Details, Page 10B includes reduction in funding for United Way’s new boss has goal court-related offices totaling $5.5 million. Bill Jones of Mountain er, chairman of the United Top has been leader with Way board, made the an- By JENNIFER LEARN-ANDES nouncement. [email protected] Volunteers of America. Since 2000, Jones has Luzerne County commissioners plan to cut served as vice president/ court branches by $5.5 million, according to an in- chief operating officer of ternal copy of the county’s draft budget obtained By BILL O’BOYLE Volunteers of America. He Thursday afternoon. [email protected] will take over at United Way County President Judge Thomas Burke said he WILKES-BARRE -- Bill on Jan. 2. would await the budget figures released by com- Jones hopes he will be able “We are pleased to have missioners at 1:30 p.m. today and digest them over to reduce need in the com- someone of such great the weekend. munity during his tenure as knowledge and talents as- “I understand these continue to be tough eco- president and chief execu- sume the reins of this orga- nomic times. I fully understand the fiscal challeng- tive officer at the United nization,” Soper said. “We es for Luzerne County in particular,” he said. Way of Wyoming Valley. conducted an extensive na- “It’s the court’s intention to carefully review the Jones, 48, of Mountain tional search for this role AIMEE DILGER/THE TIMES LEADER county’s proposed reductions for the court. How- Top, was named to the posi- Bill Jones is taking over leadership of the United Way of 6 0981510011 tion Thursday. Bobby Sop- SeeUNITED, Page 12A Wyoming Valley. He succeeds David Lee. SeeCOURTS,Page 12A K PAGE 2A FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2011 ➛ timesleader.com THE TIMES LEADER www.timesleader.com EVENT AIMS TO HELP AIDS ORPHANS Senate defies Obama DETAILS LOTTERY on new defense bill MIDDAY DRAWING DAILY NUMBER 6-2-0 The plan would increase $43 billion less than what Con- BIG FOUR 1-6-1-2 military role in handling gress gave the Pentagon this year. QUINTO 6-1-4-9-4 terrorism suspects. Shortly before final passage, TREASURE HUNT the Senate unanimously backed 03-10-16-19-21 crippling sanctions on Iran as By DONNA CASSATA fears about Tehran developing a NIGHTLY DRAWING Associated Press nuclear weapon outweighed DAILY NUMBER 0-9-6 WASHINGTON — Ignoring a concerns about driving up oil BIG FOUR 4-6-1-4 presidential veto threat, the prices that would hit econom- Democratic-controlled Senate ically strapped Americans at the QUINTO 3-6-3-4-6 on Thursday overwhelmingly gas pump. The vote was 100-0. CASH FIVE approved a massive, $662 bil- The Senate’s version of the 03-07-10-12-42 lion defense bill that would re- defense bill still must be recon- MATCH SIX quire the military to hold sus- ciled with the House-passed 17-21-25-26-36-47 pected terrorists linked to al- measure in the final weeks of the Qaida or its affiliates, even those congressional session. HARRISBURG – One player captured on U.S. soil. Defense Secretary Leon Pa- matched all five winning The vote was 93-7 for the bill netta and FBI Director Robert numbers drawn in Thurs- authorizing money for military Mueller both oppose the provi- day’s “Pennsylvania Cash 5” personnel, weapons systems, sions as does the White House. game and will receive national security programs in Late Thursday, a White $225,000. the Energy Department, and the House official said the veto Lottery officials said 93 wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in threat still stands. BILL TARUTIS/FOR THE TIMES LEADER players matched four num- he Universal African Dance and Drum Ensemble of Camden, N.J., performs traditional the fiscal year that began Oct. 1. The bill would require mili- bers and won $197. 50 each Reflecting a period of austerity tary custody of a suspect Tcultural music and dance Thursday night at Arts YOUniverse in Wilkes-Barre to raise and 3,741players matched and a winding down of decade- deemed to be a member of al- money for Tanzanian children orphaned by AIDS. The event was co-sponsored by Wilkes three numbers and won $8 old conflicts, the bill is $27 bil- Qaida or its affiliates and in- University’s Zebra Communications, a student-run public relations agency, in connection each. lion less than what President volved in plotting or commit- with World AIDS Day. Monday’s “Pennsylvania Barack Obama requested and ting attacks on the U.S. Match 6 Lotto” jackpot will be worth at least $1,130,000 because no player holds a COURT BRIEFS aphernalia. She was jailed at the new locks that she installed, the was jailed at the Luzerne Coun- Kidder Street on Sept. 7. The ticket with one row that Luzerne County Correctional criminal complaint says. ty Correctional Facility for lack van was found on Maxwell matches all six winning Facility for lack of $5,000 bail. Police allege they found mari- of $10,000 bail. Street. numbers drawn in Thurs- SCRANTON – Anderson Kingston police allege Guido juana and a pipe in Guido’s Police allege Olszyk stole a Apreliminary hearing is day’s game. Arnold, 43, of Kingston, was changed two door locks to a purse. van, owned by Fast Signs, from scheduled on Dec.