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LOCAL Illegal immigrant’s release ripped State Rep. Toohil blasts feds for recently freeing admitted illegal immigrant in area. By JENNIFER LEARN-ANDES jandes@timesleader.com
BEAVER MEADOWS – Two area state legislators held a press conference near Hazleton on Monday morning to express their outrage over the federal government’s recent release of an admitted illegal immigrant who was stopped for speeding. “We’re fed up with this. Something needs to be done. It’s time that our federal government enforces the laws,” said state Rep. Tarah Toohil, RButler Township. “We have local police who are stopping
and doing the job of the federal government. All the federal government needs to do is follow through. It’s time that they own up to their responsibility.” State Rep. Doyle Heffley, a Republican in Carbon County, also blasted federal authorities. “This was a blatant violation of American law, and I cannot believe that our federal government cannot do a better job. I call on our president and the administration to please enforce – are pleading with them to enforce – our immigration laws,” Heffley said. Michael Morresi, who is police chief in nearby Beaver Meadows borough in Carbon County, said the illegal immigrant, Oswaldo Tlalmis-Perez, had been driving 21 mph over
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BILL SUPPORTED State Sen. John Yudichak, DPlymouth Township, said Monday he supports S.B. 9 that would require individuals, at least 18 years of age, to prove that they are legal residents of the United States before receiving public benefits. The bill was passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday and now moves on for a full Senate vote. Yudichak cited the recent incident involving an illegal immigrant in Beaver Meadows as justification for the legislation.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
State Rep. Karen Boback is named 2011 Woman of the Year in Politics. WILKES-BARRE
GOP honors Boback
TIMES LEADER STAFF PHOTO
the posted speed limit. Tlalmis-Perez produced a Mexican voter registration card as identification and had two Pennsylvania ACCESS cards in other names and
State Reps. Doyle Heffley and Tarah Toohil hold a press conference outside the Beaver Meadows borough building Monday.
$3,000 in cash, Morresi said. for five years and in Hazleton The man had no job or address for one year. and told Morresi that he had lived illegally in New Jersey See IMMIGRANT, Page 10A
Selection of jury starts in ’83 death Convicted in ’84, James Strong gets new trial in slaying of John Strock. By EDWARD LEWIS elewis@timesleader.com
WILKES-BARRE – Jury selection for a man awarded a new trial in a deadly shooting near a highway rest stop 28 years ago is expected to take a week or more. James Lincoln Strong, 59, is facing a criminal homicide trial for the shotgun slaying of John Strock along Interstate 81 in Dorrance Township on Aug. 18, 1983. Strock, of Glenside, had picked up Strong and James Alexander, who were hitchhiking along the interstate near the Maryland border. During the ride, Strong and Alexander had overtaken Strock Strong Courtesy of WNEP at gunpoint, according to arrest records. When they stopped to relieve themselves, Strock was led into the woods, where he was killed by a shotgun blast. Strong was convicted of first-degree homicide and sentenced to death in 1984. The state Supreme Court overturned Strong’s conviction in November 2000, when the court ruled Strong did not receive a fair trial because prosecutors failed to reveal they had a deal with Alexander in exchange for Alexander’s testimony at the initial trial. Alexander pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and was sentenced to 40 months to 10 years. He died in prison. The District Attorney’s Office was set to retry Strong four years ago, but the trial was delayed after Strong’s former attorney filed an appeal with the state Superior Court alleging a retrial constituted double jeopardy, a provision in the U.S. Constitution that precludes a person from being tried twice for the same crime. The appellate court denied the double jeopardy argument. Before the start of jury selection on Monday, Strong’s attorneys – Shelley Centini, Brian Corcoran and William Watt – made one last attempt to have the case dismissed based on double jeopardy and the misconduct by prosecutors during the 1984 trial. President Judge Thomas F. Burke Jr., who is presiding over the trial, denied the request. “We’ve been preparing for this case since 2000. There is no basis to dismiss this case under double jeopardy,” said Luzerne County Assistant District Attorney James McMonagle, who is prosecuting the case along with assistant district attorneys Michael Melnick and Maureen Collins. A pool of more than 130 potential jurors was placed Monday morning in a courtroom, where they were addressed by Burke on what to expect during the selection process and, if picked, the trial. A total of 16 jurors will be seated for the trial.
TUESDAY, MAY 10, 2011 PAGE 3A
The Luzerne County Council of Republican Women has presented state Rep. Karen Boback, R-Harveys Lake, with the 2011 Woman of the Year in Politics. The honor was bestowed upon Boback at the Women in Politics Breakfast recently hosted by council at the Ramada Inn, Wilkes-Barre. Toohil Award presenters were Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Dallas Township, the Rev. Charles Gommer, campaign chairman of Friends of Karen Boback, and state Rep. Tarah Toohil, Baker R-Butler Township. Boback was first elected in 2006 to serve the House’s 117th District. She serves on the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Gaming Oversight, Tourism and Recreational Development and Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness committees. She is the subcommittee chairman of Military and Veterans Facilities, and Speaker of the House Sam Smith appointed her to serve on the Veterans’ Home Advisory Council for the Gino J. Merli Veterans Center in Scranton. Baker said Boback has proven herself to be an inspirational leader who “is committed to serving the citizens in her district.” Baker was the 2010 Woman of the Year in Politics at the inaugural awards breakfast last year. WILKES-BARRE
Raup files finance report
S. JOHN WILKIN/THE TIMES LEADER
New Wilkes-Barre Area School Board member Dr. Mark Shiowitz listens during Monday’s meeting. He replaced Teresa McGuire, who resigned in December because she was leaving the area.
Shiowitz joins W-B Area board He will serve the final seven months voice and new ideas. Shiowitz was sworn in Monday night of the term of Teresa McGuire.
INSIDE: District mulls how to help more students. Page 14A.
By MARK GUYDISH mguydish@timesleader.com
on a replacement for McGuire. By state law, the decision fell to Luzerne County courts. Judges picked Shiowitz last week from eight applicants, a decision he found surprising. “I submitted my name truly never thinking I’d ever be picked for this,” he
WILKES-BARRE – As the new guy with only about seven months to serve before leaving the post, Wilkes-Barre Area School Board member Dr. Mark Shiowitz concedes his chances to have a major impact are small. But the successful surgeon believes the district can benefit from a fresh
to replace Teresa McGuire, who resigned in December because she was leaving the area. He will finish her term, which ends in December. “I would not pretend that I know enough to change the world or to accomplish a great deal in that time,” he said Monday afternoon. “For the short period of time I’m there, if there is something I can do to help, at least I’ll feel I tried.” The School Board failed to agree up-
See SHIOWITZ, Page 14A
Sewer-line warranty letter for W-B residents only Firm sent letters to people with same ZIP code as any used in W-B. By BILL O’BOYLE boboyle@timesleader.com
WILKES-BARRE – Even though people living outside the city have received a letter offering low-cost warranty protection for sewer lines, the program is only for Wilkes-Barre residents. The letter, signed by Wilkes-Barre Mayor Thomas M. Leighton, offers to enroll city residents in an optional warranty program from Service Line Warranties of America covering repairs up to $4,000 on sewer lines running from houses to the sewer mains. The Plains Township Sewer Authority has nothing to do with the letter that was also sent to residents of the township. “This program does not cover Plains Township sewer lines,” said Ron Filippini, chairman of the Township Board of Commissioners. “The people of Plains should not respond to this because it will not cover their sewer lines.”
Filippini said that if any township resident has enrolled in the program, the township will contact the company and notify it of the mailing mix-up and request refunds. Filippini said the letter was deceiving to township residents. Drew McLaughlin, administrative coordinator for Leighton, said the notification mailer was handled by the company and not the city. He said the city provided the company with a list of ZIP codes for the city and the company purchased the ZIP code mailing list from the U.S. Postal Service. “The city shares ZIP codes with neighboring communities, and some residents outside of the city limits received the letter mistakenly,” McLaughlin said. “We’ve contacted the company and they are amending their list so that non-Wilkes-Barre residents will not receive future mailers.” McLaughlin said any Wilkes-Barre resident or non-resident may call 866922-9006, the customer service hotline, to opt out of future mailings from the
company. McLaughlin said the Service Line Warranty program provides low-cost, worry-free warranty protection for sewer lines. The city gets 10 percent of revenue from subscriptions. “Many citizens are unaware that they are responsible for sewer lines that go from the utility connection to their houses. If these lines break or leak, repairs can be very expensive,” Leighton said. The warranty protection covers sewer line repairs up to $4,000 plus an additional $4,000 in coverage if public street cutting is required. The program is offered at no cost to the city of WilkesBarre. According to its website, Service Line Warranties of America is headquartered in Canonsburg, Pa., and operates under the umbrella of Utility Service Partners. Formed in 1996, Service Line Warranties of America works with local municipalities and cities to bring its warranties to the local residents.
Charlotte Raup, Democratic candidate for Wilkes-Barre mayor, also filed a campaign finance report with the Luzerne County Bureau of Elections. In the report filed for Raup for Mayor, the candidate lists $1,760 raised and $1,733 in expenditures. The largest donor was listed as Raup Edward Gross of Wilkes-Barre at $500. Donating $100 each were: Kathy Reiser, Shavertown; Dolores Dlugosh, Eugene S. Pelletier, Linda Felix, Bernadette Druby, Patrick Flannery, Richard Yale, Tyler Hammond and Antonia Camera, and Rick and Marilyn Voelker, all of WilkesBarre. James Hayward, former city administrator, donated $90. No campaign finance reports were filed by candidates Frank Sorick, Lisa Cope or Nick Punko. LUZERNE
Court hearing continued
A court hearing on a petition to decrease the size of Luzerne Borough Council was continued Monday because, according to Luzerne County Judge Lewis Wetzel, the hearing was not properly advertised. A new hearing date has not been scheduled. Luzerne resident Kathleen Pajor, who is a candidate for council in the primary election, filed a petition through attorney Mark Bufalino earlier this year seeking to reduce the number of council candidates from seven to five. Pajor said the borough code allows a borough with a population of fewer than 3,000 residents to reduce council membership from seven to five. She said there are an estimated 2,845 residents in Luzerne, according to the 2010 U.S. Census. Pajor said council has taken action to reduce costs, terminated positions and eliminated all full-time employees. She said the reduction of council members is equally required to reduce borough expenses.