Local News

(WBRE/WYOU) — As tax season approaches, AARP Pennsylvania is warning residents 50 years old and older about the rise in scams involving criminals posing as agents from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

AARP Pennsylvania says the fraudsters aim to steal personal information and money by exploiting uncertainty and fear.

IRS imposter scams oftentimes begin with a phone call, email, letter, or even a knock at the door, AARP PA explains.

SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Johnson College showed off its latest addition to its Scranton campus on Wednesday.

It's called Bracey Hall. The building will house HVAC, electrical construction technology, and building property maintenance classes.

The new space will help expand the college's growing building trades program.

Plans in motion for new Scranton splash pad

BETHLEHEM — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro railed Wednesday against President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs that the White House argues are necessary to correct imbalances in international trade and to restore manufacturing power in the U.S.

LEWISBURG — The family of a deceased student-athlete who died in July filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Bucknell University.

LEWISBURG — A 23-year-old Maryland man accused of possessing images of child pornography on his cellphone pleaded guilty in Union County Court to a felony count of criminal use of a communication facility.

HARRISBURG — Members of the Pennsylvania Senate split along party lines in approving a proposed bill Wednesday that if enacted would restrict how long cabinet officials could lead state agencies in an “acting” role and without formal confirmation.

TURBOTVILLE — The fenced-in Turbotville Children’s Playground adjacent to the Community Hall has been closed until further notice due to vandalism.

LEWISBURG — Judges of election and pollworkers in Union County received raises during Tuesday’s public meeting.

BRIAR CREEK TOWNSHIP, COLUMBIA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A family is now without a home after a fire ripped through it in Columbia County.

The fire started on Evansville Road, in Briar Creek Township, around 12:00 p.m.

Brush fire burns acres of forest near buildings

They believe it started on the back porch and was fueled by the wind, which caused a brush fire on the property behind the house.

The Assistant Fire Chief of Summer Hill Fire Company says the cause of the fire is not yet known.

SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Plans are in motion for a new splash pad in the City of Scranton. Officials announced they are now accepting bids for its installation. This comes as part of a broader effort to revitalize an area long overdue for renewal.

What was once an abandoned pool site is soon to be a cornerstone of community life in Scranton, thanks to a multi-million-dollar investment.