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Low Voter Turnout Despite Charges Against Elected Official

Submitted by WNEP Web Staff
Tuesday, May 21st, 2013, 7:53pm

WILKES-BARRE – Workers at several polling places in Luzerne County told Newswatch 16 that voter turnout was low and that there was little talk of the race for the County Controller seat.

Walter Griffith hasn’t responded to questions about his run for another four-year term for county controller, since he was charged with three felony counts of wiretapping offenses last week.

Court documents filed by the state Attorney General’s office said agents seized audio recordings of three illegally-taped phone calls and closed-door meetings from Griffith’s office in Wilkes-Barre last month.

Republican Challenger Karen Ceppa-Hirko told Newswatch 16 that her campaign has been low-key and that the future of the County Controller position is up to the voting public.

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State Lawmaker Speaks Out Over Video

Submitted by WNEP Web Staff
Wednesday, October 17th, 2012, 5:30pm

HARRISBURG — A state lawmaker from the Hazleton area wants to teach young folks a lesson after a video surfaced questioning her own behavior.

Even though she believes the video is dirty politics the lawmaker still wants to get her message out.

That state lawmaker is Representative Tarah Toohil of Hazleton and the YouTube video shows her with what appears to be illegal drugs.

Wednesday afternoon, Toohil said it is her in the video and now she wants people to learn from it.

The video shows Representative Toohil with what looks like illegal drugs.

In just a few days, the video, which is nothing more than a few photographs linked together, reached more than 16,000 hits.

“I just wanted to be honest and talk to the media and talk to the children out there about decisions that they make so they don’t make big, bad decisions in their life,” said Toohil.

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Debate Discussion

Submitted by WNEP Web Staff
Tuesday, October 16th, 2012, 11:15pm

WILKES-BARRE — For the second time this campaign season, Kings College hosted a watch party for the presidential debate.

Dozens of interested students of all political affiliations settled in to watch President Obama debate Mitt Romney. For these young people, it will be the first time they will ever vote in a presidential election.

“I thought Governor Romney came out strong tonight. He was more assertive. I feel he made Obama uncomfortable in his shoes. I like his five point plan to create jobs, 12 million jobs in the next five years. (I’ll be a) college grad in two years, it’ll be nice to come out to a job,” said Jeff Grimes, who is a Junior and a Republican.

“It was more of a dislike for Mitt Romney, his fickleness and especially his stance on women’s rights particularly on health care,” said Karley Stasko, a Sophomore Democrat.

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Longtime State Senator Charles Lemmond has Died

Submitted by WNEP Web Staff
Thursday, May 31st, 2012, 10:48am

Word came Thursday that long-time State Senator Charles Lemmond of Luzerne County’s Back Mountain has died.

Friends of his were sad Thursday learning he passed away Wednesday night.

They said he had been sick during the past couple months, and added he will definitely be missed in northeastern Pennsylvania.

Senator Lemmond of Dallas died after a lifetime of community service: assistant district attorney, Luzerne County judge, then 21 years as the state senator for the 20th District.

Newswatch 16 talked with him the night he won that seat in 1985.

“What gave you the victory tonight?” Lemmond was asked. “I suspect that the friends and following we’ve built up living a lifetime in this great fantastic 20th district,” he responded.

Lemmond went on to fight for the Route 6 bypass around Tunkhannock that opened in 2000, a big project in Wyoming County.

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Wilkes-Barre Bans Political Signs from Public Property

Submitted by WNEP Web Staff
Wednesday, April 13th, 2011, 6:27pm

Candidates who have political signs in areas that are blocking right of ways in Wilkes-Barre have until Thursday to remove them.

With so many candidates on the primary ballot next month, there are literally hundreds of signs all over the city. City officials said Wednesday the rule is in effect to protect those on the road. Drivers at Abe's Hot Dogs agree with the city's rule.

"They are very distracting. They draw your attention to them instead of your driving," said Michelle Repko of Wilkes-Barre.

Lesa Gelb is running for Luzerne County judge. Her signs are just a small number among hundreds not allowed by the city's ordinance placed along the highways. Gelb said her staff will be removing the signs in the banned areas.

"If Wilkes-Barre city wants the signs down, down they come. Our volunteers have been zealous when they see clusters of signs and we'll send them out and take them down," said Gelb.

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