Luzerne County

KINGSTON TOWNSHIP, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Northeastern and central Pennsylvania seem to have no shortage of children who excel. Among them are some young authors, including one this week who branches out into the teen romance genre, with a twist.

What sounds like a prayer inside Cross Creek Community Church in Luzerne County's Back Mountain actually is in a way.

Colbi Cox is reading a line from a book called Keep the Faith.

"I thought, there's not a lot of clean, young adult romance stories out there, and I thought, 'I'm going to write one,'" Colbi explained.

NANTICOKE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A local community college is now set to offer one of Pennsylvania's newest police academies. 28/22 News Reporter Joe Mason takes a closer look at what this could mean for the region.

Luzerne County Community College (LCCC) aims to address the state police officer shortage and make training more accessible to residents in the area.

Jonathon Stack of Wilkes-Barre recalls how a chance phone call from Kirk changed his life and career.

(WBRE/WYOU) — Do you believe in ghosts? Demonic possession? Those are some of the questions at the center of a newly released supernatural horror movie that focuses on a local family.

The movie is entitled The Conjuring: Last Rites. It's based on the experiences the Smurl family says they endured for years in their Luzerne County home.

28/22 News I-Team Reporter Andy Mehalshick reported extensively on the Smurl case in the 1980s.

This is not the first movie made about the Smurl family haunting.

SHICKSHINNY, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — The fire chief explains a man died in a fire after he went back to save two cats from his burning home.

Crews were called to 80 South Main Street in Shickshinny around 4:00 a.m. for reports of a shed fire, according to the Mocanaqua Volunteer Fire Company.

The fire was under control after two hours with help from multiple fire departments.

Roadblocks cause delays on I-81, I-380, and more

Luzerne County Coroner Dion Fernandes stated 70-year-old Kenneth Ritchotte and his wife were inside when the fire started.

Police say a 45-year-old man opened the valve of a 20-pound propane tank following an argument

HAZLETON, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A man has been arrested after being accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old he met up with to smoke marijuana with, police say.

According to the Hazleton City Police, the Hazleton Area School District contacted officers regarding a 15-year-old being raped.

The victim claimed she met up with 25-year-old Bryan Ramirez, aka B-Roll, to smoke weed in his vehicle, police stated. Officers said Ramirez picked up the victim at a gas station near her home in Schuylkill County, then began to drive to Hazleton.

HAZLETON, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Authorities have sentenced a Luzerne County man after he produced child pornography with a seven-year-old.

25-year-old Brandon Christopher Heck of Hanover Township was sentenced to 15 years for the production of child pornography.

According to the Acting United States Attorney, John C. Gurganus, in July 2023, Heck was communicating with a 7-year-old on the app Likee.

School district says worker’s social media compromised

There will be rolling roadblocks on I-81 North and South in Wilkes-Barre from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday through Thursday as part of the Route 115 bridge project.

SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Food, music, and dancing: All to celebrate culture and community. The Annual Lebanese Festival filled West Scranton with flavors and family on Sunday.

At Saint Ann Maronite Church, grills were busy and tents were packed as hundreds turned out for the Lebanese Food Festival.

From kabobs and grape leaves to pastries and spinach pies, the event serves as a major fundraiser for the parish.