Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti has announced that Lackawanna College has been awarded a $150,000 CARES Technology Assistance Grant to support an initiative that will create e-commerce solutions for struggling Scranton restaurants.

Grant funding will be used to support 36 restaurants in the Lackawanna College Rally for Restaurants: E-commerce Edition presented by the Venture Lab. Participants in the program will be able to launch websites, create online ordering systems and receive training on how to use digital media to boost sales. The goal of the initiative is to ensure that restaurants have the tools they need to continue operations during the pandemic and afterward.

“Local restaurants are a foundation of our community,” said Mayor Cognetti. “We have worked hard to help provide resources the restaurants need to survive during the pandemic. This partnership with Lackawanna College and the $800,000 in small business grants are strategic investments of the city’s COVID Cares Act funding in our local businesses community.”

“Lackawanna College’s Rally for Restaurants has infused much-needed revenue into our local restaurants. With this grant, we can now equip them to respond to the trends predicted in a post-COVID world,” said Stephanie Decker, Lackawanna College AVP of Social and Economic Impact. “Experts warn that restaurants will need to provide online ordering and have a web presence to meet consumer demands post-pandemic. For most of our restaurants, that added expense is unrealistic. With this grant, we can bridge that gap and see more social and economic impact in the city of Scranton.”

Participants who complete the program will receive one year of ongoing and cost-free tech support through the Lackawanna College Venture Lab for marketing, online ordering, social media, and the restaurant’s website.

“We are pleased to be able to assist the small business community during this challenging time,” said the Office of Community Development Director Eileen Cipriani. “These businesses are the heart and soul of our community and we are focused on seeing them succeed.”

These funds are awarded to the city through the Federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program from the Housing and Urban Development Administration (HUD).

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) today announced that a team of students from the Dallas School District in Luzerne County has been selected as the PennDOT District 04 winner for its fourth Innovations Challenge.

Mentored by, Elizabeth Redington, team members include: Colin Marshall and Evan Plank.

Since last fall, students have been working hard to solve this year’s challenge that asked students to develop an innovative and implementable solution that helps address Pennsylvania’s transportation revenue shortfall by identifying potential new funding streams, aside from additional gas taxes, tolls, or mileage-based user fees, to help ensure adequate transportation funding for the future.

“With vehicles becoming more fuel efficient and electric vehicles becoming more affordable, gasoline-based revenues can no longer generate the funds needed,” said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian. “To meet the needs of our aging infrastructure, Pennsylvania needs to establish a funding stream that will inject an additional $5 billion per year into our transportation system.”

The winning regional team’s innovation was a development of app that would promote safe driving and reward those safe drivers, as well as discipline drivers that enlist in the app. The app would be based around a monthly fee, for a lowly cost of $4.99. The app would generate extra income and improve the roadways of Pennsylvania.  

Now in its fourth year, the PennDOT Innovations Challenge invites high school students in grades 9-12 to use their problem-solving, creative and strategic-thinking abilities to solve real-world transportation challenges. The Innovations Challenge aims to not only help students explore actual transportation challenges that PennDOT is facing, but also open their minds to the very real possibility of working for PennDOT after graduation.

Regional winners will now move on to compete virtually in Harrisburg for the state championship.

The Transportation Policy and Education Foundation, an educational arm of the Associated Pennsylvania Constructors (APC), the American Council of Engineering Companies of PA (ACEC/PA) and the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) are providing a combined total award of $5,500 to be divided among the first, second and third place statewide winning teams. Follow PennDOT on Twitter at www.twitter.com/PennDOTNews and like the department on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaDepartmentofTransportation and Instagram at www.instagram.com/pennsylvaniadot.

The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education recently welcomed four new community members with diverse backgrounds in education, public service and business to its Board of Directors. 

As the largest Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Consortium in the country, The Wright Center offers comprehensive, community-focused residency programs in Northeast Pennsylvania and across the United States. In NEPA alone, close to 250 physician learners gain hands-on experience serving a diverse population in physician-lead, fully accredited Internal Medicine, Family Medicine and Psychiatry residencies, as well as Cardiovascular Disease, Gastroenterology and Geriatrics fellowships.

Board members provide oversight of academic excellence and programming efforts to support The Wright Center’s mission of training caring primary care physicians who connect with and plant roots in the communities they serve.

Teri Ooms is the Executive Director of The Institute, an applied social science research and economic  consulting organizations formed through a collaborative of higher education and business. Based in NEPA, The Institute produces community-based research and client solutions that provide strategies for growing organizational impact and sustainability. Ooms earned her master’s degree in finance and her bachelor’s degree in public administration from the University of Scranton.

Attorney Gertrude C. McGowan is the Chief Executive Officer of Family Service Association of Northeastern Pennsylvania, a nonprofit agency that provides professional counseling, guardianship and operational services and programs to vulnerable populations in Luzerne, Lackawanna, Monroe and Wyoming counties. McGowan is a graduate of Villanova University School of Law and earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration and English from King’s College, Wilkes-Barre.

Debra Youngfelt is the Executive Director of the East Central and Northeast Pennsylvania Area Health Education Centers, a nonprofit agency that aims to enhance access to healthcare and improve the distribution of healthcare professionals through academic and community partnerships, and offering programs that are designed to recruit, train and retain a diverse healthcare workforce. Youngfelt earned her bachelor’s degree in health and safety education from Indiana University School of Health, Bloomington, Indiana.

Ronald Bukowski is a retired math and engineering educator, having taught high school and college for 40 years. He currently serves on the school boards for Mid Valley School District and Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County. Bukowski earned bachelor’s degrees in engineering/physics from The Pennsylvania State University and education/mathematics and psychology from the College of William and Mary, and Old Dominion University. 

On Saturday, March 20, 2021, Dr. Katie Leonard, President & CEO of Johnson College, congratulated students from The Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County for receiving certification for completing Johnson College Continuing Education’s Forklift Operator Training Course. 

The forklift operator training is designed to familiarize students with OSHA Powered Industrial Truck Operator Training Requirements (29CFR Standard 1910.178 and ASME B56.1), provide current training requirements under the newly adopted standards, and assist participants in becoming an authorized operator of forklifts through theory and tactile testing. Instructional topic include pre-operational inspection, picking up, traveling, and placing loads, parking procedures, refueling, and practical operation.

For additional information on Johnson College’s Continuing Education Program, please call 570-702-8979, email continuinged@johnson.edu, or visit Johnson.edu/continuingeducation.

Michael Karcutskie was recently named president of Quandel Construction Group Inc., a Quandel Enterprises Company, a Central Pennsylvania construction management and general contracting firm.

Based in the firm’s corporate headquarters in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Karcutskie is responsible for overseeing the firm’s operations and developing its corporate strategy. Previously, he served as vice president of pre‐construction and estimating.

Michael began his career with Quandel Construction Group in 1999 and over the past 22 years has
demonstrated a deep understanding of the construction industry, starting out in the field, working on the operations side as a project manager, and contributing to the business development and estimating side of the business.

“In his years with our firm, Michael continues to provide invaluable technical knowledge in construction, estimating, and scheduling; exhibit clear and effective communication, and demonstrate outstanding leadership,” said Gregory Quandel, president and chief executive officer of Quandel Enterprises, Inc. “As president of Quandel Construction Group, Michael will bring this same dedication and drive to our entire firm’s operations, ensuring that we continue to be attentive and responsive to our clients while reinforcing Quandel’s position as a leader in construction innovative solutions.”

Michael is a graduate of Temple University, earning his Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil/Construction Engineering Technology. He has been involved in multiple affiliations including the Construction Association of America, American Society for Healthcare Engineering, and Leadership Lackawanna Board of Directors. He was a recipient of The Times Leader “Forty Under Forty” and is an alumni of Leadership Lackawanna. Michael resides in Northeastern Pennsylvania with his wife, Andrea, and their two daughters, Annie and Carmella.

At Quandel, our strength is our people and their unique abilities to care for clients, while taking ownership of projects. They work smart, honor commitment, and do the right thing. With expertise in civic/government, commercial/corporate, healthcare, higher education, industrial/manufacturing, K‐12, retail, and senior living, our clients experience the quality driven approach of our employees on each project. Since its founding in 1882, Quandel has maintained the same sense of integrity, honesty, respect, and strong work ethic.

Johnson College will hold an in-person Open House on its campus in Scranton on Saturday, March 27, 2021, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. To register for the Open House visit Johnson.edu/openhouse or contact Johnson College’s Enrollment Department at 570-702-8856 or enroll@johnson.edu.

During the in-person Open House, same-day acceptance will be available, if students bring their high school or college transcripts. The event will include discussions about the admissions process, financial aid for those who qualify, and student services such as student life, student support, and career services. Tours of each technical area will be conducted and department chairs will be available to review the specifics of their programs. Social distancing and sanitization guidelines will be followed and face coverings must be worn at all times while on campus.

FNCB Bank, locally based since 1910, is pleased to announce our support of the United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania with a $1,000 donation to help them meet the needs of our local community.

United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania is one of the largest, and longest operating, nonprofit organizations in the region.  The agency’s purpose is to meet the needs of local low-income families, seniors, youth, and new immigrants while also empowering them to attain self-sufficiency.

The donation represents part of FNCB’s larger Community Caring initiative. Through outreach programs, donations and an employee volunteer network, FNCB is committed to helping the communities they serve.