Local News

PITTSTON TOWNSHIP, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A local tradition continues in Luzerne County. The Annual Fireman's Picnic kicked off on Wednesday with rides, food, and live music.

The five-day carnival is put on by the Pittston Township Fire Department, and it is a big part of how they keep the lights on.

There was something for everyone there, from thrill rides to a beer tent and classic carnival snacks.

Officials announce lineup for 2025 Bloomsburg Fair season

(WBRE/WYOU) — The stage is set for this year's Bloomsburg Fair. Wednesday morning, fair officials announced their final act for the 2025 fair season.

TikTok star and up-and-coming country singer Cooper Alan will perform on the Weis Market Grandstand stage Monday, September 22. Some of his biggest hits include Take Forever and First Rodeo.

Coroner weighs in on new report shows decline in overdose deaths

Presale tickets are already on sale and public ticket sales begin this Friday at 9:00 a.m.

Alan will be joined by Thomas Mac.

SOUTH WHITEHALL TOWNSHIP, LEHIGH COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A man was found shot to death Wednesday afternoon in South Whitehall Township.

The Lehigh County coroner says the 73-year-old Gary J. Moyer was pronounced dead just after 3:00 p.m. on North 38th Street.

100-year-old piece of Carbondale history is coming home

An autopsy was performed Friday, May 30, and Moyer's cause of death was due to multiple gunshot wounds.

The coroner says the manner of death will be determined after an investigation by the Lehigh County District Attorney's Office is complete.

(WBRE/WYOU) — 28/22 News is learning about a frightening ordeal for several rafters on the Lehigh River. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission says eight adults in three unpowered rafts entered the water late Monday night near Jim Thorpe.

Some became stranded just before 1:00 a.m. when firefighters were dispatched for a water rescue.

100-year-old piece of Carbondale history is coming home

Several were found on an island and brought to shore. Two were taken to a hospital to get checked out.

The case remains under investigation.

MONROE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — After leading police on a 40-mile chase with a child in the car last year, he is now a convicted felon. A Monroe County jury found 37-year-old Adam Booker guilty on all counts on Wednesday, including child endangerment and fleeing police.

The pursuit happened on July 31 last year and lasted nearly an hour.

I-81, I-84 expected to have delays for road work

In a post on Facebook, the Monroe County DA says the defendant showed "complete disregard for the lives of innocent motorists, pedestrians, and even his own four-year-old child."

(WBRE/WYOU) — The "Scripps National Spelling Bee" is underway this week right outside Washington, DC. More than 240 kids are spelling words that some of us have never heard before.

The quarterfinals kicked off Wednesday morning, and the semifinals will get underway later.

There are two spellers from our area who made their way down to the nation's capital: 10-year-old Anjali Agarwal from Danville and 13-year-old Rowena Creswell-Blickley from Pottsville.

They both shared what this opportunity means to them.

SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A new report shows a promising trend nationwide: drug overdose deaths are on the decline, but what does that mean for us here in NEPA?

28/22 News Reporter Julie Dunphy spoke with the Lackawanna County Coroner to find out if this national trend is taking root locally, and what's behind the shift.

In Lackawanna County, the coroner says the trend is cautiously encouraging, but fentanyl remains a major threat.

For years, the drug overdose crisis has devastated communities across the country.

CARBONDALE, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A more than a century-old piece of Carbondale history is finally coming back home! A granite fountain, once a fixture in the city in the early 1900s, is making its return thanks to a remarkable story of postcards, connections, and community pride.

It all started with a postcard from California. A man’s “happiness project” of an old 1907 postcard of Carbondale mailed to city hall. That small act of kindness set off a chain of events from other Carbondale residents that led to something much bigger.

STROUDSBURG, MONROE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A man is on the run and a woman is facing several charges after police say they found children in a car with pot after a chase in Monroe County Sunday.

According to court documents, on Sunday at about 11:10 p.m., a state trooper was driving east on State Route 611 in Stroudsburg when they saw a silver Mercedes traveling in front of them.

State police say the car was seen swerving on the road and driving above the posted speed limit.

The trooper then activated their emergency lights and attempted to pull the car over.

WEST WYOMING, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Something stinks in a part of Luzerne County, and residents say their quality of life is being destroyed by that odor. The smell is coming from a business which admits it is the source of the problem.

The company at the center of the concerns and controversy is KB Crash Creations in West Wyoming.

Company officials say they have taken steps to mitigate the odor problems and insist they want to be a good neighbor, but many residents say they just want the odor to go away once and for all.