Adezzo Now Offering Free Downtown Delivery

Starting January 18, Adezzo will be offering FREE downtown delivery. Make sure to call 570-955-0130 to place your order. They offer a wide variety of coffee, salads, smoothie bowls. sandwiches, soups, wraps, and much more!

United States Air Force Education Benefits

SSgt. Taylor Holt, the U.S. Air Force Enlisted Accessions Recruiter at the 314th
Air Force Recruiting Squadron in Scranton, has announced a program that allows Air Force
training to count as college credit toward an associate degree from the Community College of
the Air Force(CCAF). All active duty Air Force members are automatically enrolled in the
program that provides transferable, accredited college credits upon completion of technical
school, basic military training(BMT), and upgrade training. The CCAF is accredited by the
Southern Commission of Colleges and Schools.


Other education benefits from the Air University include a unique “Associates-to-Baccalaureates”
initiative between the Air Force and civilian higher education institutions, offering baccalaureate
degree opportunities to every Air Force enlisted member.


“Unlike common perception, we in the U.S. Air Force are more than just pilots. In fact, the
majority of service members lead careers in finance, administration, engineering, cyber security,
maintenance, and more,” explained SSgt Holt, who was recently named Enlisted Accessions
Recruiter in the Scranton office serving most of northeastern Pennsylvania. Prior to his new
position, SSgt. Holt served as a Munition Systems Technician and has been an Airman for over a
decade.


Contact SSgt. Holt at the Scranton Air Force Recruiting office, 3 West Olive Street, by email at
taylor.holt@us.af.mil or phone (570) 840-9871 to learn more.

WVIA Invites Veterans to Mind Over Matter Taping

Veterans are invited to be part of a studio audience and community conversation for the next Mind Over Matter television special, Veterans: Wounded Within on Thursday, February 2nd, 2023 at 6 pm at WVIA studios in Pittston.

Part of WVIA’s Mind Over Matter mental health initiative, Veterans: Wounded Within will feature moderator Tracey Matisak and a panel of regional mental health experts discussing the mental health challenges of veterans. Hear stories from people who are coping with mental health challenges and find out where to get help. Audience members will have an opportunity to ask panelists questions during the program taping.

Panelists include:

  • Brian Keller, a clinical psychologist who is a veteran of both the Navy & the Army.
  • Brigadier General (PA) Maureen Weigl, Deputy Adjutant General for Veterans Affairs
  • David Eisele, Director of Lackawanna County Veterans Affairs

Reservations are free but limited and can be made at: wvia.org/mindovermatter

About Mind Over Matter

Those suffering from mental health issues often become victims of discrimination and social isolation due to the stigma attached to these disorders. This stigma is a significant public health issue and can inhibit those with mental illness to seek proper treatment and recovery.

In order to combat the stigma and increase awareness, prevention, treatment, and management of a range of mental illnesses, WVIA and Geisinger present Mind Over Matter: A Mental Health Initiative. Like WVIA’s successful Battling Opioids series, this public health initiative aims to improve the mental and physical health of our community through a multi-platform approach that includes television, radio, and digital content.

Mind Over Matter is presented by Geisinger.

WVIA Mission

WVIA educates, inspires, entertains and fosters citizenship, diverse cultures, and perspectives to nurture community.

Geisinger Announces Chief of Structural Heart Disease

Shikhar Agarwal, M.D., M.P.H., has been promoted to chief of structural heart disease at Geisinger.

In his new role, Dr. Agarwal oversees the integration and growth of services across the health system for patients with diseases of the heart valves. Over the past decade, there has been a substantial increase in the number of patients with heart valve disorders, including aortic valve stenosis (narrowing of the aortic valve) and mitral valve regurgitation (leaking of the mitral valve).

A Geisinger provider since 2016, Dr. Agarwal specializes in valve-related interventions and complex coronary interventions. He leads the structural heart disease program at Geisinger Medical Center (GMC), performing minimally invasive procedures, including transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), transcatheter mitral valve repair and replacement, paravalvular leak closure and coronary interventions that require only a skin puncture.

In 2020, Dr. Agarwal was recognized as one of the Pennsylvania Medical Society’s Top Physicians Under 40 for significant successes early in his career. To date, he has performed more than 100 mitral valve repairs and more than 550 TAVR procedures and led the GMC structural heart team’s implantation of more than 1,000 replacement valves via TAVR. 

Dr. Agarwal’s leadership at GMC was integral to the hospital’s investment in its interventional hybrid suite, which has expanded availability to patients in the region and established the medical center as a destination for structural heart care.

“As a system, we have witnessed tremendous growth in structural heart disease care in recent years,” Dr. Agarwal said. “I look forward to working with my colleagues in interventional cardiology and cardiac surgery to offer our patients in every community a full team of experts to consult on the best approach to their care.”

As system chief of structural heart disease, Dr. Agarwal will work closely with regional chiefs of cardiology and the chair of the Department of Cardiology, George Ruiz, M.D., to coordinate care across the system, create new programs that complement clinical efforts, provide the communities Geisinger serves with expanded clinical expertise and review any clinical quality challenges that arise.

“Our vision is to make better health easier for our patients and members regardless of where they live,” Dr. Ruiz said. “With Dr. Agarwal’s leadership, we’re bringing outstanding care for structural heart disease to every region in our service area.”

HNB Makes Donates to Friendship House

The Honesdale National Bank has recently made a $20,000 contribution to Friendship House through the Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP) Tax Credit. The funds will help offset the cost of architects and engineers for their building project in Scranton, PA.

HNB President & CEO, Thomas E. Sheridan Jr., stated, “We are glad to make this contribution to support an organization who truly cares about our community members.” He continued, “Friendship House gives many individuals, with physical or mental disabilities, a chance to maximize their well-being with proper support and care.”

The building project in Downtown Scranton is a personal care center. This facility will provide mental health, substance abuse, and primary physical health care.


Friendship House is dedicated to serving families and their children with autism, with emotional and/or behavioral difficulties, and/or who are traumatized by loss, abuse, or neglect. Friendship House is also dedicated to serving adults with mental illness and/or developmental/intellectual disabilities. Their dedication manifests itself by providing individualized services which promote resiliency in children and recovery in adults, and maximize physical, emotional, behavioral, and social well-being of those they serve.

The Honesdale National Bank, established in 1836, holds the distinction of being the area’s oldest independent community bank headquartered in Northeastern PA, with offices in Wayne, Pike, Susquehanna, Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties.  The Honesdale National Bank offers personal banking, business banking and wealth solutions. HNB is a Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender with NMLS ID # 446237.

Photo Caption (from left to right): Ray Ceccotti, SVP, Business and Relationship Development Manager at HNB & Alex J. Hazzouri, President/Chief Executive Officer of Friendship House.

Lackawanna College Receives Grant Funding

Lackawanna College received a grant award of $20,000 as part of the Pennsylvania’s Office of the First Lady and the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s 2022-23 PA Hunger-Free Campus grant program.

Joining 27 other postsecondary institutions across the state, Lackawanna College will work to reduce student hunger insecurities on campus, provide awareness programs, create student advocacy opportunities and supply access to healthy food options so students can continue to learn and grow in the community.

“At Lackawanna College we are grateful to receive the PA Hunger-Free Campus grant for this year,” Lackawanna College President Dr. Jill Murray said. “The funds from this grant will be used to address any student food insecurities through education and school resources to make Lackawanna College a hunger free campus.”

The grant will provide information for students on how to get the help they need to not go hungry and issue Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. SNAP helps lower income Pennsylvanians purchase food through an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) ACCESS Card and students can sign up for the program if eligible.

“One-third of post-secondary students are at risk of hunger and are potentially forced to withdraw from school,” Associate Vice President of Student Engagement Dr. Dan LaMagna said. “We have the resources to help students at the Student Life Office and this grant will help us communicate with students, getting the assistance they need to not go hungry.”

First Lady Frances Wolf launched the PA Hunger-Free Campus campaign in August, 2022, inviting postsecondary institutions to support efforts on addressing student hunger needs on campus. The Governor’s PA Hunger-Free Campus grant program’s goal is to support postsecondary institutions’ efforts to demonstrate their commitment to addressing these needs and diminishing barriers for learners.

“There are many great initiatives at Lackawanna College but this one is special in that it is a tool to help students focus on their education, not their next meal,” Dr. LaMagna said. “The grant program will be open to everyone, if there is a need at Lackawanna College, we will fill it and continue to build a culture of care on campus.”

Lackawanna College will utilize the funding from the PA Hunger-Free Campus now through December 31, 2023.

Pennsylvania American Water Environmental Grant Program

Pennsylvania American Water announced today that applications are now being accepted for the company’s 2023 Environmental Grant Program. The program offers funding for innovative, community-based environmental projects that improve, restore or protect the watersheds, surface water and groundwater supplies in local communities.

“So many of our communities and local organizations work to improve our environment and our water resources,” said Marcus Kohl, director of water quality and environmental compliance for Pennsylvania American Water. “We’re proud to continue offering this grant to support those initiatives and positively impact our natural resources.”

To qualify, proposed projects must be:

  • Located within the Pennsylvania American Water service area
  • Completed between May and November of the grant funding year
  • Be a new, innovative community initiative or serve as a significant expansion to an existing program
  • Be carried out by a formal or informal partnership between two or more organizations
  • Provide evidence of sustainability (continued existence after the grant monies are utilized)

A panel of judges will evaluate the applications based on environmental need, innovation, community engagement and sustainability. Information and applications can be found on the Environmental Grant Program page of the company’s website, under News & Community. For additional information, please contact pa.communityrelations@amwater.com. Applications must be postmarked by March 31, 2023, and recipients will be notified in late April.

In 2022, the program awarded nearly $75,000 to 13 recipients, including: Berks Nature (Berks County); Dormont Stormwater Authority (Allegheny County); Eastern Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation (Luzerne County); East Pikeland Township (Chester County); Ellwood City (Lawrence County); Fairview Township (York County); Indiana County Conservation District; Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority (Lackawanna County); Lackawanna River Conservation Association (Lackawanna County); Three Rivers Waterkeeper (Allegheny County); Silver Spring Township (Cumberland County); Warren County Conservation District; and Watershed Coalition of the Lehigh Valley (Northampton County.)Established in 2005, this annual grant program has donated more than $650,000 to fund more than 135 projects to protect and improve the environment across the Commonwealth. Last year, 13 organizations received funding for their community-based projects, including the Watershed Coalition of the Lehigh Valley.  Funding was used to plant live-stake nurseries to be used for future riparian zone plantings and streambank stabilization projects.  One of these nurseries was planted in Lake Heritage, Adams County.  More information about this nursery planting can be found on Pennsylvania American Water’s YouTube page.

SWB RailRiders Valentine’s Dinner

You don’t have to leave NEPA for an Evening in Paris with a French-inspired five-course meal, this is a unique experience/venue for a private Valentine’s dinner. RailRiders game tickets are included. Other couples or children can be added to your suite for a larger celebration. 

Marywood University Art Galleries Announce Exhibits

Marywood’s Art Galleries have announced exhibits for the first half of the spring semester, running from January 28 through March 10, in the Mahady and Suraci Galleries. All gallery exhibits, receptions, and talks are free and open to the public. For the most updated information, including gallery hours, go to marywood.edu/community/galleries/ and click on the specific gallery link.

Mahady Gallery: Solunar, collaborative work by UNAPXLXGETIQ (Emmanuel Adjei) & Eric Bussart

Exhibition dates: January 28–March 10, 2023
Opening Reception: Saturday, January 28, 2023 • 2–5 pm
Gallery Talk: Monday, January 30, 2023 • 3 p.m.
Website: marywood.edu/community/galleries/mahady-gallery

Solunar is an introspective and collaborative art experience created by artists UNAPXLXGETIQ (Emmanuel Adjei) & Eric Bussart. This mixed media series explores the solunar (Sun and Moon) and how it relates to the human experience on earth while drawing from mythological, philosophical and spiritual teachings from cultures around the world. The artists have previously collaborated on the creation of a public art project, “The Dream,” which depicts Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., located at the intersection of Adams Avenue and Mulberry Street, Scranton, Pa.

Suraci Gallery: Sue Jenkins, Natural Natural Wonders, mixed media and collage

Exhibition Dates: January 28 – March 10, 2023
Opening Reception: Saturday, January 28, 2023 • 2-5 p.m.
Gallery Talk: Thursday, February 2, 2023 • 2-3 p.m.
Website: marywood.edu/community/galleries/suraci-gallery

Sue Jenkins is a fine artist, designer, and educator based in Scranton, PA, who delights in combining her photography with analog and digital collage materials. Using elements like scanned objects, handmade marks, botanical illustrations, acrylic paints, and cut paper with her photos, she crafts richly layered nature inspired digital collage and mixed media worlds filled with plants, animals, and vibrant color. Collectively, the works echo the artist’s biophilic yearning to make work that inspires others to embrace earth and live in harmony with all of nature.