Luzerne County

WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU-TV) — Lack of training, as well as poor communications and planning. These are just some of the findings of a Special Elections Committee inquiry into the Luzerne County Bureau of Elections.

The report was made public today.

The elections Inquiry Committee was formed, in part, after questions and concerns were raised about the operations of the Luzerne County Bureau of Elections last September after 9 military ballots had been tossed into the trash.

SHICKSHINNY, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) - Multiple crews in Luzerne County respond to an early Sunday morning structure fire in Shickshinny.

The fire began around 5 A.M on 47 Grant Street in Shickshinny.

According to the Mocanaqua Volunteer Fire Company Facebook page, the structure was fully involved, and everyone inside the home made it out safely.

This investigation is still ongoing, no word on the cause of the fire at this time.

The Mocanaqua Volunteer Fire Department took part in helping put out the fire.

Reliance Fire Company

WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU-TV) — Tobacco use has long been considered a major public health threat. Health experts call it the leading cause of preventable disease and death.

A new report looks at how Pennsylvania and the rest of the country is doing to curb tobacco use.

For nearly two decades, The American Lung Association has evaluated the state of tobacco control in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

HAZLETON, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU-TV) — Police in the area are warning people to be on guard for an online scam targeting nonprofit groups.

This comes after someone targeted a Hazleton-based nonprofit. The scammers targeted Hazleton Power, a nonprofit organization comprised of business professionals. The group sponsors a wide variety of community events in the Hazleton area.

Officials of the group say they are stunned by the scam attempt.

WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU-TV) — City officials have notified Eyewitness News that the Wilkes-Barre City Hall phone lines are currently down. Emails and service requests at the Wilkes-Barre website are functional.

They are currently working to fix the issue.

KINGSTON, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) - A pedestrian was hit by a vehicle Saturday morning while crossing Wyoming Ave.

Police were called around 10:30 A.M. for a pedestrian struck by a vehicle while crossing the streets of Northampton and Wyoming.

According to law enforcement, the vehicle was turning onto Wyoming Ave when their car collided with the man using the crosswalk.

Kingston ambulance was on scene however the man did not sustain any life-threatening injuries. The extent of his injuries is unknown at this time.

WRIGHT TOWNSHIP, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU-TV) — A Luzerne County man passed away after a skiing accident earlier this week.

His family shared memories of their son who was just about to turn 23 this weekend.

"He was just such a special kid and we're going to really miss him," said his father, Butch Kahlau.

Bernhard Tanner Kahlau, who is known to his friends and family as Tanner, died unexpectedly Tuesday afternoon as he was skiing at Whiteface Mountain Ski Resort in New York. Tanner lost control and struck a tree while skiing down the upper approach trail.

WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU-TV) — More than 228,000 Americans are expected to be diagnosed this year with lung cancer.

For years, many lung cancer patients have also had to deal with the stigma surrounding the disease which has often been linked to smoking.

Now, a cancer doctor and a lung cancer survivor are raising awareness about the danger of that stigma.

WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU-TV) — As we enter into the second full week of 2021, the coronavirus continues to cast a long shadow over the nation. And with the pandemic, law enforcement is concerned about COVID-19 related scams.

Federal, state and local law enforcement officials are sounding the alarm about COVID scams and cons. They advise everyone to keep your guard up and be alert for scammers that target your money and your personal information.

"If you want to receive a free testing kit delivered overnight to your home, press 1," says a recorded robocall.

LAUREL RUN BOROUGH, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU-TV) — A cement truck and another vehicle were involved in an accident State Route 2007, East Northampton Street, also known as Giant's Despair Road, in Lauren Run Borough.

Police say the cement truck was traveling downhill when it overturned and crashed into a pickup truck. PennDOT closed Giant's Despair for about seven hours. Officials say it's possible the cement truck should not have been traveling there in the first place because of weight restrictions.