News

CENTRE COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) -- Poison hemlock is an invasive species, currently at its peak bloom, along highways, waterways, and in pastures.

What may look like a tall, delicate white flower, packs a potentially deadly punch.

“It can cause different types of muscular paralysis and respiratory failure." Dwight Lingenfelter, Penn State Extension Associate in Weed Science.

History buffs may know the plant in relation to Socrates.

"He was given the option of his demise, and he chose to drink tea that had poison hemlock in it," Lingenfelter said.

SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE 28/WYOU 22 EYEWITNESS NEWS) — Voting along party lines, the Lackawanna County commissioners voted to start the process to find a company to do property reassessment.

In a Zoom meeting Wednesday, they voted 2 to 1 in favor of looking for a company to conduct the reassessment. Republican commissioners feel the timing isn't right because of the pandemic. But democrat Debi Domenick says they must move forward.

DICKSON CITY, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE 28/WYOU 22 EYEWITNESS NEWS) — The Mid Valley girls softball team, The Spartanettes, are moving on to states at Happy Valley.

Ron Augelli owner of We Talk Shirty in Dickson City says local schools are always a priority so he wanted to drop everything they had going on to take on the order to make hundreds of shirts in under 24 hours notice making sure the girls have an outpouring of support.

MOOSIC, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE 28/WYOU 22 EYEWITNESS NEWS) — Lackawanna County commissioners announced the Visitor's Bureau Building on Montage Mountain has been sold to 2020 Montage Development LLC for $1.25 million.

SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE 28/WYOU 22 EYEWITNESS NEWS) — A dog was shot after a fight with another dog in Scranton's West Side Thursday afternoon.

The incident occurred on the 100 block of South Grant Street. Scranton Police Chief Leonard Namiotka says a man was walking his dog, a German Shepherd, when another dog ran from behind a house and the dogs attacked each other.

WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE 28/WYOU 22 EYEWITNESS NEWS) — Wilkes-Barre City Police Department says they are investigating an incident where four men tried to lure a young child into their vehicle.

On Tuesday just after 9 p.m., the victim told police she was in the area of North Washington Street when a small grey sedan, occupied by four men, approached her and attempted to get her into their vehicle.

WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE 28/WYOU 22 EYEWITNESS NEWS) — A man from Drums is facing charges of unlawful restraint after police say he pursued a hit-and-run driver while holding an underage girl in his vehicle, as she demanded to be let out, for 11 minutes.

Officers were dispatched for a hit-and-run on Northampton Street in Wilkes-Barre. Police say Cui Long was an Uber driver and giving a passenger a ride home. Long was struck by an unidentified driver on Northampton Street, just around the corner from where he was supposed to drop his rider off.

DALLAS TOWNSHIP, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE 28/WYOU 22 EYEWITNESS NEWS) — Dallas Township police are looking for suspects who allegedly stole cooking oil from a local restaurant.

Police say on June 9 at 4:50 a.m., two men wearing hooded sweatshirts pulled up to CK's Cantina & Grill in Dallas in a maroon Ford Econoline truck. They used a hose and siphoned stored cooking oil from the business.

WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE 28/WYOU 22 EYEWITNESS NEWS) — Eleven Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justices along with the highest concentration of Civil War veterans in Northeastern Pennsylvania are buried in Wilkes-Barre's Hollenback Cemetery.

Walking tours of the cemetery showcase the final resting place of 16,000 people.  

"It is the movers and shakers of Wilkes-Barre," Tony Brooks, director, Wilkes-Barre Preservation Society said.

Nestled between the Susquehanna River and Wilkes-Barre General Hospital, sits the 20-acre Hollenback Cemetery.

(WBRE 28/WYOU 22 EYEWITNESS NEWS) — Pennsylvania Treasury officials are urging state residents to look into the possibility that they may have unclaimed property currently being held by the state.

It could include real estate, cash, estate settlement items and even military service medals. The treasury had upgraded its website that enables residents to search for property that belongs to them.

Do you have a "treasure" that belongs to you? State officials are reaching out to all Pennsylvanians about unclaimed property.