Checks written to "cash" by state Sen. Robert J. Mellow's chief campaign committee exemplify why reform to Pennsylvania's campaign finance law is long overdue, leaders of watchdog groups said Tuesday.
Tim Potts, president of Democracy Rising, and Eric Epstein, coordinator of RockThe Capital.org, said their groups might file complaints asking the Department of State to investigate the payments to cash.
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Strong mayor, meet strong council.
Tuesday's victory for incumbent Councilwoman Janet Evans and her running mates sets the trio in position to appoint a fourth member and create a "supermajority," with the power to challenge normally dominant mayoral authority and advance its own legislative agenda.
"I guarantee that Chris Doherty's skills are going to be put to the test in January," Mrs. Evans said of the mayor, who was successful in his own bid for a third term Tuesday.
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Margaret Bisignani Moyle easily defeated Frank Castellano on Tuesday, winning a new judgeship at the Lackawanna County Courthouse, where she will become the second woman judge on the bench.
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Mayor Chris Doherty easily fended off a write-in campaign by former City Councilman Gary DiBileo, trouncing his longtime foe to win a third four-year term.
But the mayor, if he serves out his term, will face a council supermajority led by Councilwoman Janet Evans, his most frequent critic, whose ticket swept three City Council seats.
With votes tallied in 46 of 48 city precincts, Mr. Doherty had led more DiBileo by about 2,900 votes.
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NICHOLSON - State police and Wyoming County Coroner Thomas Kukuchka are on the scene of a fatal collision on Route 11 near the scenic overlook. The road is closed and may not reopen for several hours according to Nicholson Fire Police Capt. Sheila Roberts.
The collision, which involved a late model Jeep and a Ford Escort, was reported at about 8:30 this morning.
Emergency personnel on the scene said each vehicle had just one occupant. Mr. Kukuchka confirmed that one of the drivers is dead. The other has been taken from the scene by ambulance.
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Lackawanna County Judges Terrence R. Nealon and Michael J. Barrasse appeared on track to win re-election to new 10-year terms Tuesday night.
The judges had been concerned that a judicial corruption scandal in neighboring Luzerne County could damage their retention chances.
Both Judge Barrasse, a former Lackawanna County district attorney who specializes in criminal court cases, and Judge Nealon, who has presided mainly over civil court matters, stressed their integrity and efficiency as county court judges.
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Three sitting council members in Clarks Summit won re-election Tuesday, despite a controversial case that could end up costing the borough $4 million or more.
The race for three open council seats in the borough was colored by a jury verdict in September that requires the borough to pay a local landowner $2.3 million in damages for closing Grandview Street in 2003. The closure blocked access to a 101-acre housing development in South Abington Twp., forcing developers to improve other roads to gain access to the 39 single-family homes and 140 townhouses they planned to build.
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Scranton City Council 11/3/2009
Janet Evans Victory Speech 11/3/2009
Margaret Bisignani Moyle Victory
Election Day 11/3/2009
Valley View SWAT practice
Video: Demolition of Quint's building
Video: Guinness World Record holder
Video: West Scranton Fire 9/14/2009
