Free Republic

A black man has been acquitted of all charges in the shooting death of a white man outside a bar in a case his attorney said stemmed from “ugly racism.” Jurors deliberated for four hours Friday before acquitting Stephen Spencer of homicide, aggravated assault and terroristic threats. He was freed after 453 days in Luzerne County Correctional Center following the July 2017 shooting. Spencer, 31, was accused of killing Christopher Williams, 32, in a confrontation outside the Pittston bar in July 2017 after another man refused to shake his hand because of Spencer’s race following a dispute over a game...

PITTSTON TWP. – A group of inventors from China has found a way to take water, the nation’s top-selling bottled drink, and infuse it with omega-3 fatty acids, the second-best-selling supplement. And Nature’s Way Pure Water Systems Inc., the Pittston-area bottler, will be the only source in the U.S. of the revolutionary product for years to come. The product is going into limited-batch testing in December, followed by full production in January. “Omega-3, next to multivitamins, that’s the No. 2 item that’s sold in health stores throughout the country … but it’s never been in water because (the industry) never...

09-23-06 10:30 pm WHT FEMALE CHILD 5 YEARS OLD, BRO HAIR, BRO EYES, SUSPECT 47 YEAR OLD WHT MALE, BLK HAIR, BRO EYES, WHITE SHRT, BLUE JEANS, VEH: BLK KIA SOPHIA, PA TAG EDD-1922 CALL 911 IF SEEN. The Pennsylvania State Police has issued an Amber Child Abduction Alert for the Pittston Township Police Department, Luzerne County. The Pittston Township Police Department is searching for Cassidy BETCHER, a 5 year old white female, 3’, 40 pounds, brown hair, and brown eyes. Cassidy was last seen at 136 Oak Street, Pittston Township, Luzerne County, this day at approximately 1730 Cassidy was...

PITTSTON - The grand finale of a fireworks display sponsored by Pittston and West Pittston in the Riverfront Park area went awry Sunday, sending possibly 50 people to area hospitals and igniting a small fire at Cooper's on the Waterfront. "Fireworks went errant during the grand finale and went into the crowd of people," said Mike Lombardo, who is with the Pittston ambulance. "About 50 people were injured, five to ten pretty severe. There were a tremendous amount of walking wounded." A chaotic scene erupted as the crowd tried to dash to safety. Maria Noone of Pittston was watching the...

Ex-Housing Authority boss says report he pulled strings to get a tenant's nephews on the Patriots is just a rumor. Former Pittston Housing Authority Board Chairman Albert "Butch" Serino was investigated for allegations that he helped a tenant get nephews on a lease so they could play football for Pittston Area High School, according to Housing Authority documents. In addition, Serino must reimburse the authority $1,100 for cell phone expenses he incurred with an authority phone. The tenant mentioned in the U.S. Inspector General investigation is Tom Smith, whose son, Peter, transferred from Rochester, N.Y., to Pittston Area in 2001...

PITTSTON, Pa. - The son of a Pittston council candidate was accused of throwing a stick of dynamite that exploded several feet from two police officers, but his father said the charges are politically motivated. Dino Argo, 24, was arrested early Friday after police said he threw a quarter-stick of dynamite from his apartment and it exploded near police who were helping a motorist. Dino Argo is the son of Danny Argo, a 51-year-old Democrat who last week lost a bid for a seat on the Pittston council. Mayor Michael Lombardo said Dino Argo's actions were likely connected to Danny...