2025 Nanticoke News

3/25/2025

Luzerne County manager details timeline of Nanticoke/West Nanticoke Bridge closure decision
jandes@timesleader.com

Luzerne County Manager Romilda Crocamo released more details Monday about last week’s closure of the county-owned Nanticoke/West Nanticoke Bridge over the Susquehanna River.
She said her release was prompted by a “significant amount of misinformation circulating,” including assertions that the county purposefully gave short notice.
“I want to take a moment to clarify the situation and ensure that everyone has the correct information,” her statement said.
According to Crocamo, the county “acted swiftly in response to the urgent situation” on March 20.
She released this timeline:
• 10 a.m.: The county was notified that engineers conducting the scheduled routine bridge inspection required a meeting with the county administration.
• 11 a.m.: During the meeting with engineers, the administration was informed of advanced deterioration and section loss of primary, load-carrying components — the floor beams and truss members — that were deemed critical deficiencies. Based on this information, Crocamo decided to close the bridge to all vehicular and foot traffic.
• By noon: The county had notified county and municipal officials and emergency responders to ensure they were informed and prepared. The county also requested engineering design of a permanent barrier and reached out to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation for assistance.
• By 2:30 p.m.: Temporary barriers were successfully erected with PennDOT’s assistance to secure the area.
The county has ordered permanent barriers and is attempting to install them by Thursday, she said, noting the county will inspect the barriers daily, including weekends.
County administrators also have been working with the county engineer to respond to inquiries from municipal leaders, she added.
The decision to close the bridge was “not taken lightly” and was made “after careful consideration” of the information presented by bridge inspection engineers, Crocamo said.
“We understand that this may cause inconvenience, but the safety of our community is our top priority,” she said of the bridge closure.
Inspections were required every six months due to the bridge’s condition, officials had said.
Totaling 2,072 feet, the bridge connects Nanticoke and the West Nanticoke section of Plymouth Township. The crossing was constructed in 1914 and last rehabilitated in 1987.
The weight limit of the bridge was reduced to 5 tons last May, which allowed passenger vehicles but not fire trucks and emergency rescue vehicles.
With the closing, the alternate route is the Route 29/South Cross Valley Expressway crossing, officially called the John S. Fine Bridge.
Crocamo said the closure ultimately was “compelled by years of neglect and decay” and that the bridge weight limit was “a clear indication that we were facing an inevitable outcome.”
“Just as Father Time eventually prevails, a bridge in the condition of the Nanticoke one is not like a fine bottle of wine — it will not improve with age,” her release said.
The county is in the process of selecting an engineer who must come up with three options to address the bridge.
In addition to $10 million in federal funding allocated through the state for this project, the county has access to a $55 million casino gambling fund established for county infrastructure.
Three options were already presented for the bridge early last year by Alfred Benesch and Associates, which had been hired by the county before federal funding was involved.
However, the county must start from scratch in determining a solution for the bridge because federal funding has been allocated to the project through the state, officials have said. Benesch’s work thus far cannot be applied to the final project because the selection process for the engineer must go through the PennDOT procurement system, officials have said.
Prospective engineering firms were required to file statements of interests by March 20, and their submissions are under review, Crocamo said.
The bridge replacement process will take years, officials have said. Meetings will be held with municipal and state representatives and the public to provide status reports and seek input, she said.
“Whatever the final decision may be, we must ensure that we approach it with careful consideration and commitment to doing it right,” she said.

 

3/20/2025
County orders ailing Nanticoke bridge to close
jhalpin@citizensvoice.com

 
The aging Nanticoke-West Nanticoke Bridge was ordered closed effective immediately amid concerns about public safety due to its deteriorating condition, county officials said Thursday.
“This decision has been made in response to the recent inspection that was conducted which saw advanced deterioration of load carrying members,” County Manager Romilda Crocamo said in a statement. “Luzerne County is working in coordination with PennDOT District 4 to implement this closure.”
The county will release additional information about the closure at a later date, she said.
The abrupt news of the closure caught even local officials and first responders off guard.
“It’s short notice,” said Nanticoke Mayor Kevin Coughlin, who learned about the closure as it was happening Thursday. He said he expects the bridge to be out of service for at least several years. “I just hope they move on finding a new engineer and everything and sort of fast track this to help our city and everybody who uses that bridge.”
The subject of the bridge’s safety has been an ongoing concern for the county as well as area residents, with Plymouth Twp. supervisors seeking an exemption last May to allow Nanticoke City’s emergency vehicles to use it to respond to calls in the West Nanticoke section of the township.
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The city’s fire department is the primary responder for the township’s West Nanticoke section, while its ambulance is the primary responder to all of Plymouth Twp.
Township Supervisor Gale Conrad and Nanticoke Fire Chief Mark Boncal joined about 20 residents in seeking the exemption after the county, which owns the aging bridge, deemed it structurally deficient and imposed a maximum 5-ton per-vehicle weight limit.
The exemption did not materialize, however, forcing firefighters and medics responding to West Side emergencies to take the the next-closest span — the Route 29 bridge via Hanover Twp. — which doubles response times to West Nanticoke from about 3½ minutes to 7 minutes.
Now, with all motorists being forced to use the alternate route, traffic congestion in the area is expected to worsen.
Nanticoke Police Chief Mike Roke said traffic has already been backing up in the area, with congestion accumulating on Main Street and in Hanover Twp.
“On the community, it’s going to have a major impact,” Roke said. “The traffic problem is going to be at the forefront of what we’re going to have to deal with now that the bridge is closed.”
Roke said he too was surprised by the abrupt closure and that he had not received further information beyond the county’s brief announcement.
“This basically tells me that bridge is going to be closed indefinitely and will never be open again. That’s my opinion,” Roke said, noting that county officials knew this week’s inspection had been approaching. “There was no contingency plan. They did not have anything.”
Roke also noted the closure could have a major impact on area business, including a used car lot and a gas station that are now cut off from West Nanticoke.
“That business is driven by traffic. They didn’t even tell him,” Roke of the car dealership’s owner. “I don’t know what he’s going to do. It’s going to close his business. … It’s a dead end road now. It’s a road to nowhere with two businesses at the end of it.”

 

3/20/2025
The Nanticoke/West Nanticoke Bridge over the Susquehanna River is closed due to recent inspection findings, Luzerne County Manager Romilda Crocamo announced Thursday.
jandes@timesleader.com

Crocamo said closure of the county-owned span is necessary “in the interest of public safety” because the inspection detected advanced deterioration of load-carrying bridge components, according to an email she sent to council.
The closure will be permanent as the county pursues bridge replacement options, Crocamo said.
The county is in the process of selecting an engineer who must come up with three options to address the bridge.
In addition to $10 million in federal funding allocated through the state for this project, the county has access to a $55 million casino gambling fund established for county infrastructure.
The weight limit of the bridge was reduced to 5 tons last May, which allows passenger vehicles but not fire trucks and emergency rescue vehicles.
Inspections were required every six months due to the bridge’s condition, officials had said.
Totaling 2,072 feet, the bridge connects Nanticoke and the West Nanticoke section of Plymouth Township. The crossing was constructed in 1914 and last rehabilitated in 1987.
Three options were already presented for the bridge early last year by Alfred Benesch and Associates, which had been hired by the county before federal funding was involved.
However, the county must start from scratch in determining a solution for the bridge because federal funding has been allocated to the project through the state, officials have said. Benesch’s work thus far cannot be applied to the final project because the selection process for the engineer must go through the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation procurement system, officials have said.
Crocamo said the county is working in coordination with PennDOT to implement the closure, promising additional information at a later date.
“The public’s cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated,” Crocamo said.

 

3/8/2025
Fatal crashes lead to new safety measures at intersection
Andy Mehalshick  (WBRE/WYOU)

NANTICOKE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Efforts are underway to improve safety at a busy Luzerne County intersection that’s been the site of numerous crashes in recent years.
The intersection in question is located at the boundary of Nanticoke and Newport Township.
There have been two deadly crashes at the intersection in the last year.
Efforts on underway to improve the safety of a Luzerne County intersection that some community leaders and drivers say is a tragedy waiting to happen.
It’s been the site of two deadly crashes within the last year, the most recent just last week.
We are near the intersection of Alden Road and West Main Street in Nanticoke. It is close to the the boundary of Nanticoke and Newport Township.
Just this past week, Newport Township officials set up this speed warning sign underneath the actual speed limit sign. Newport Township and Nanticoke Police tell me they believe speed is a factor in many of the crashes.
The most recent deadly crash occurred last Monday when a 71-year-old woman was killed when two vehicles collided at the intersection of Alden Road and West Main Street. That crash is still under investigation by Nanticoke Police.
Less than a year ago, a woman was killed in a crash at this same intersection.
This past week, Newport Township installed a speed warning sign. It tells drivers how fast they are going. The speed limit here is 35 miles per hour.
Joseph Waiter owns an auto repair shop near the intersection. He’s been in business here for more than 50 years. He says he has seen way too many crashes.
“I got to give credit to Newport Township because it wasn’t too long after your segment they went down there and moved a sign back to give us more vision. It got a little bit better and a speed warning radar sign they put up I guess you call it, and it seems to be working; people are slowing down,” said Joseph Waiter, Owner of Broadway Garage.
Newport Township Manager Joe Hillan believes speed is one of several factors that may be contributing to some of these crashes.
“The speed limit should be lowered. Main Street in Glen Lyon, the speed limit is 25 miles per hour and there’s less traffic that in that area,” voiced Hillan.
Nanticoke Police Chief Michael Roke says the state has to take a close look at this intersection and all possible factors that may be leading to crashes.
“We’re looking at and working with PennDOT. We sent them a letter requesting a traffic study done at that intersection and once they come and do that, we most certainty will be able to focus on some of the mitigating factors in that intersection basically leading to the crashes that we have been having,” explained Roke.
A memorial is at the site of last week’s deadly crash. People in this area say they want this to be the last memorial ever set up here.
“Again it’s been terribly unsafe for all this time, but again got to thank you and the Eyewitness News Team for coming down and bringing this to light,” stated Waiter.
A PennDOT spokesperson tells the I-team once the receive the traffic study request, they will review the area and see what if any additional safety measures can be taken. We are still working the story more in the days ahead.

 

2/11/2025
Nanticoke City Fire Department promotes, adds firefighter
bkalinowski@citizensvoice.com

NANTICOKE  — The Nanticoke Fire Department has a new firefighter and a new lieutenant.
Nanticoke City Mayor Kevin Coughlin recently swore in Dave Hoffman as the newest career firefighter.
The mayor also promoted veteran firefighter Justin Gildea to the position of lieutenant.
“Wishing you both the very best,” the department said in a Facebook post.
Hoffman is an emergency medical technician and recently received many certifications.
“New hire Dave Hoffman comes to the Nanticoke City Fire Department from Newport Twp., where he was a full-time firefighter for the past couple of years,” Chief Mark Boncal said.
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Firefighter Gildea, who has a long list of credentials, was sworn into the rank of lieutenant. He has been a full-time career firefighter for Nanticoke for almost 11 years.
“Lt. Gildea brings much experience and possesses the leadership skills to fulfill this position,” Boncal said.

​

2/11/2025
Jumper pulled from Susquehanna with no signs of life

Bob Kalinowski/The Citizens’ Voice

jhalpin@citizensvoice.com

 

The West Nanticoke Bridge was closed Tuesday while authorities searched for a reported jumper.
Authorities closed down the West Nanticoke Bridge on Tuesday morning as firefighters launched a water rescue operation to recover a man who jumped into the Susquehanna River.
The 55-year-old man was pulled from the water a short time later showing no sign of life, Nanticoke Police Chief Mike Roke said.
The incident was reported shortly before 11 a.m., when the unidentified man was reported to have stopped a vehicle on the bridge and then jumped into the frigid river.
Police shut down the bridge as water rescue and dive crews from area fire departments responded to the scene.
Crews from Nanticoke, Newport Twp., Plymouth and Hanover Twp. responded for the water rescue.
The man’s body was recovered from the river within about an hour.
 

1/29/2025
Nanticoke leading the way in girls wrestling
by Robert Ide – FOX56 WOLF

Girls have always been wrestling at Nanticoke but when the PIAA sanctioned their sport two years ago the school district was one of the first 100 that pushed the sport over the top.
Michelle Pastuizaca, Nanticoke Senior says, “ "My sophomore year. So I had to wrestle big guys and stuff like that. I was wrestling this big boy from Crestwood. My second year wrestling we added girls distinction and we were happy. With my teammate Sierra Ripka from there, we started recruiting girls to come down. "
Josh Ryan, Nanticoke girls wrestling coach added,” Last year from very winning any team matches because low numbers this year were are undefeated right now in team duals.. And every tournament we placed within the top 12 in every tournament. "
Sierra Ripka, Nanticoke Junior says, “ Wrestling with a bunch of the boys definitely pushed me. And then I did my first competition. And then after that, I never stopped. "
Junior Sierra Ripka has risen to the 2nd ranked 170 pounder in the state and is 20 and 1 this season. The district champ finished 4th at states last March.
Ripka says, "Going the states and placing fourth was it was amazing. Wrestling always was winning matches, most of them being by pins. I, I just kept knowing that I wanted to keep going. And I was very excited about how I finished last year, by the way, I want to do better this year. "
Ryan added, “ Aggressive. She's not afraid to grab somebody and throw them around. But other than that her mindset is a good asset this year "
Michelle Pastuizaca’s brother signed her up for wrestling her freshman year. Since she moved to just wrestling girls the senior won a district title and was 6th at regionals. And freshman Emily Kivler has stormed in and won 24 matches this season.
Pastuizaca says, "Like, my first year, I didn't know what to do. We just got on the mat, shake the hand, and just like, you know, try to defend. I like my second year. I started doing a lot of, like, full breeze and some headlocks. This year. I am practicing trying my doubles and singles. "
Ryan added, “ All right. She's (Emily) good on her feet. She's aggressive and she just loves the sport.
Next up for Nanticoke will be the second year of the district two championships and then onto states. There are high hopes for this Nanticoke team, especially with the experience.
Pastuizaca, says"My goals is to get a district champ again and go to regionals. So, get first or second, hopefully first make it to states this year. "
Ripka added, "if I was with the boys, I would not be where I am right now. And I mean, that's not my fault, no physical difference, but I am really happy that I have a spot to show about what I can do compared, then rather being compared to only boys. "

 

1/28/2025
Greater Nanticoke Area planning demolition of vacant Lincoln school building
mbuffer@citizensvoice.com

 
The Greater Nanticoke Area School District plans to demolish the vacant Lincoln Elementary School building on Kosciusko Street in Nanticoke, Superintendent Ronald Grevera said, noting the “building has become an eyesore in the community and a potential safety hazard.”
The school board voted Jan. 9 to begin the demolition process. Board President Tony Prushinski appointed a committee of the board “to take the building down after the brutal fire” that engulfed the former Pulaski school on Market Street in Glen Lyon in late December, Grevera said.
After that fire, Prushinski insisted the old Lincoln school building “be demolished due to the proximity to” the Greater Nanticoke Elementary Center on the district school campus along Kosciusko Street, Grevera said.
The former Pulaski school closed in 1980 and had been under construction for years as part of a developer’s plan to create 29 luxury loft apartments at the property.
The Lincoln Elementary School building opened in 1913 and remained in use until 2001. The board will solicit bids in the future for the demolition after the district works with Verizon and T-Mobile to remove cell towers on the building, Grevera said.
Also at the Jan. 9 meeting, the board voted to limit any potential property tax increase this year to 6.1% – the index amount set by the state to limit property tax increases in the school district. School officials “don’t anticipate having to raise taxes this year,” Grevera said.
The school board is required to propose a budget for 2025-26 by the end of May and adopt a final budget for 2025-26 by the end of June. School districts must either seek voter approval in a referendum or get state approval for allowed spending exemptions if they want a tax increase that exceeds the index amount.

 

1/9/2025
Nanticoke City Council votes to place term limit question on primary ballot
mroarty@timesleader.com

NANTICOKE — Residents might once again have the opportunity to vote on whether or not council members should have term limits.
During Wednesday’s combined work session and regular meeting, council unanimously voted, on first reading, to place a question on the May 25 municipal primary election ballot to eliminate Section 2.10 of the City of Nanticoke Home Ruler Charter, which states that council members may not serve more than three elected, consecutive terms.
Nanticoke previously put the same question on the ballot in 2023, with the majority of voters opting to keep term limits in place.
Former council member John Telencho asked council why they wanted to ask voters a question they seemingly already answered.
“What message are we sending to the people of Nanticoke?” he asked. “Why are we doing this again?”
However, several council members stated that many residents had told them they were confused by the wording of the question and didn’t understand what they were voting for in 2023.
“A lot of ‘em were misunderstood on the question,” said Council President William Brown, adding that the residents he spoke with asked him to put the question on the ballot again.
City Clerk Jennifer Polito agreed and said she fielded multiple calls from residents who were confused about the question.
Council member Mark O’Connor echoed those same thoughts.
“So many people told me they couldn’t understand the wording in it,” he said.
O’Connor was appointed to council last year, when his wife, incumbent Democrat Lesley Butczynski, was unable to take her seat due to the term limits remaining in place.
Butczynski was first appointed to council in 2012, when she filled the seat vacated by Councilwoman Margaret Hydock, following her resignation.
Butczynski then won a one-time, two-year term in 2013. She subsequently won a four-year term in 2015 and a second four-year term in 2019.
City Solicitor William Finnegan told The Times Leader back in August of 2023 that the language in Section 2.10 of the Home Rule Charter is vague, adding that the drafters of the charter did not define how long a term is — but that he would interpret it to be a period of four years.
At the meeting, O’Connor said Butczynski’s initial reelection was reason enough to believe voters didn’t understand the term limit question.
“So we’re gonna try it again because of the people coming to all of us saying, ‘What happened here? Why isn’t Leslie there? What was wrong?’ It was misworded. They didn’t understand it,” he said.
When it was asked why Butczynski was able to run again even though it was unclear whether or not she’d be able to serve, Finnegan reiterated that the home rule charter does no prohibit someone from doing so. They just can’t take office.
Finnegan also stated that it’s likely there will be other charter amendments in the future.
“There are areas in the charter that, frankly, lack clarity,” he said.
Also at the meeting, council approved several of Mayor Kevin Coughlin’s re-appointments including:
• Christina L. Josefowicz to the Nanticoke City Municipal Authority
• John Gregorowicz to the Nanticoke Police Civil Service Board
• Larry Karnes to the Nanticoke Fire Civil Service Board
• Tony Prushinski to the Nanticoke City Housing Authority.
City Hall will be closed Monday, Jan. 20 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The next council meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22.