Home → Columnists ( March 4, 2026 )
Montrose – Miss Eliza J. Brewster, an aged and lifelong resident of Montrose, died at her home on Cherry Street, March 2, 1926. Deceased was a daughter of the late Andrew Jackson Brewster, for many years a blacksmith and wagon maker. The family home was at the corner of Chestnut and Maple streets [now Commonwealth Telephone parking lot]. With the exception of a few years, while she was employed as private secretary to Mrs. Chas. M. Schwab, wife of the steel magnate, she had lived in Montrose. She was a member of the DAR and other organizations. She was of a frank, outspoken nature, having decided opinions and was ready to express them. Yet, she was a woman of deep sympathetic traits. During middle life she taught in the Montrose school and was possessed of more than ordinary intellectual attainments. She is survived by two nieces and a nephew. Funeral was held from the Presbyterian church. Interment in Montrose Cemetery. ALSO Montrose Lodge, Knights of Pythias, has rented the lower half of the third floor, of the Robinove block, for their future quarters. Mr. Robinove has carpenters and electricians at work remodeling the rooms and removing partitions, which will make a large lodge room, kitchen, clothes closets, etc. The lodge takes possession the first of April.
New Milford – New Milford appears to be threatened by an outbreak of typhoid fever, which is serious enough to approach an epidemic. Ten cases were reported, the first of the week, with seven persons under observation. It is rather unusual to have this disease manifest itself at this time and one of the theories followed is an examination of the sources of water supply.
Dimock – The Lehigh Valley freight train got stuck in a snow-filled cut near Woodbourne station. It was unable to go ahead or back out. The passenger train, following, was delayed some hours. ALSO February 12th, Montrose teams came to Dimock in sleighs. This trip was indeed a journey worthy of mention, with snow, snow, then a little more of the beautiful snow, and what with walking part of the way and all the other hardships of true pioneer travel, two thoroughly exhausted teams finally reached Dimock that night. Montrose boys were defeated, 10 to 4; Montrose girls lost, 25 to 1.
Forest City – John Vitkus, of Railroad Street, was instantly killed while at work at No. 2 breaker. He was a car repair man, patching the railroad cars on the Hillside switch before they are loaded. He was said to have been working under the car when it was bumped by another and he was dragged about 30 feet and sustained severe injuries. He was born in Lithuania in 1878 and came here in 1903. In 1907 he was married to Anna Gurdusky and is survived by her and four children.
North Harford – The death of Japhet Richardson, aged 79, was reported here on Feb. 12th. On the date, March 5th, a lengthy obituary gave more information on his life. It sees that for a great many years he had lived alone on his small farm, near Tingley Lake, never having married. His home, however, was kept meticulously clean and he had learned to cook and preserve foods as well as a capable woman. Living thus as a recluse, he had formed a distrust of banks, and for years he had turned his surplus money into gold, which he secreted in his home. Just before it was decided to remove him to a hospital where he might have proper care, he told a friend to look beneath a stone in the earthen floor of his cellar, where he had hoarded a considerable amount of gold coins. His funeral was conducted at the Methodist church and burial in the Harford cemetery. He is survived by one sister, Mrs. Marantha Osmun, of Harford, age 87.
South Montrose – TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: My wife, Margaret, having left my bed and board, I will pay no bills contracted by her. Thos. Reilly, South Montrose.
Franklin Forks – Mr. and Mrs. E. (or L.) F. Palmer were very pleasantly surprised on their 25th anniversary, by 50 of their friends. Popcorn, home-made candy and apples were served. All had a jolly good time. ALSO A surprise party was given Mr. and Mrs. Philip Wheaton on their 2nd anniversary. Seventy-six were there. Pancakes, sausage and maple syrup were served.
Elk Mountain – Thomas Butler, Harry Williams and Elmer Davis are hustling the prop business while the sleighing is good. The mine strike situation cut off this business, for the farmers, during the winter months.
Uniondale – Wm. Curtis recently sold a plot of ground to the Honesdale Milling Co. It is reported a new industry will be started up. The house he is building on Church Street is nearing completion. ALSO Mrs. Thomas R. Butler entertained a covered dish luncheon and an old-fashioned Rag Bee at her home last week. The idea of everything “Old Fashioned” was most successfully carried out from the old red table cloth and napkins to the antique sugar bowl. Those who enjoyed the affair were: Mrs. O. C. Chandler, Mrs. L. M. Owens, Mrs. Fred Burns, Mrs. Walter Baker, Mrs. W. W. Watkins, Mrs. Wm. M. Bowen, Mrs. Thomas Watkins, Mrs. Glenn Wells and children.
Brooklyn – The ice crop is being harvested from Ely Lake and McKinney’s ponds.
Clifford – Mrs. Jane Wells is suffering from another stroke. Her case is very serious and she is likely to pass away at any time.
Susquehanna – Frank A. Perry, a carpenter and builder of this place, died at his home Feb. 28th. He was a native of Jackson Township and his funeral took place on the 89th anniversary of his birth. A large number of the largest and most substantial buildings here were erected by him, including the First National Bank, the Barry Hotel and the Canawacta House. He is survived by two sons and two daughters.
South Auburn – The neighbors and friends of C. A. McMicken made him a wood-bee because of his illness.
News Brief: Geese have been flying northward, and some of them southward, having decided that it was too early to go into summer quarters, in Labrador. Weather observer, Silas Jagger, predicts we will get a foot more of snow before warm weather. The last week, however, has seen several good “sap runs” and the first robins and phoebes are being reported.
LOST, On the Turnpike, on the 6th instant, somewhere between Springville and Friendsville, a small red morocco POCKET BOOK, (partly worn) containing 10 or 12 dollars in Bank notes; two of the Washington and Warren, one a $3 and the other a $2; one of the Franklin Bank, of the city of New York; one of two dollars of the Bank of Geneva; one of two dollars of the Bank of Cherry Valley; also a Promissory note given by Alvan Dana, Owego, bearing date, April 1825, and some other papers of little use to any except the owner. Any person finding the same shall receive a generous reward by delivering it to the owner at Owego, or leaving it at the Office of the Register, Montrose. ELEAZOR DANA, 2nd. Feb. 9, 1826.
TAKE NOTE: The Susquehanna County Historical Society will present a Fireside Chat, “The Intrepid Irish of Susquehanna County,” at 1:30pm, March 21 at 18 Monument Street, Montrose. This is a free event. The museum will be open for tours from 10:00am-2:00pm.
ALSO: “Get Out of Town With MRC,” find information on the Pink Arrow Montrose website.
Kayle Ray Mealy and William Hoffman had one son together, and, after their separation, Kayle, a single mother, had primary custody of their son. William saw his son every other weekend, with his last period of custody occurring on the weekend of January 8, 9 and 10, 2021. On January 20, 2021, Kayle found their son dead in his crib at her home. She called 911 at 2:11pm, and emergency personnel responded to confirm that the child had died.
A subsequent autopsy revealed that the child had died from severe nutritional wasting due to nutritional neglect, i.e., starvation. The autopsy revealed that the child “dried lips, retracted eye globes, [and] a conclave abdomen.” Kayle was arrested and charged with first degree murder and a felony count of endangering the welfare of a child.
At trial, the Commonwealth presented evidence from Kayle’s phone records demonstrating that she was communicating with a new boyfriend during the time leading up to the child’s death, and the communications involved both telephone calls and voluminous text messages. The Commonwealth also presented messages sent to Kayle by her mother who was reprimanding Kayle for her lack of attention to and care for the child. The Commonwealth argued that Kayle made the deliberate decision to starve the child, i.e., Kayle had the specific intent to kill her son, because she opted to spend time on social media rather than care for her child. The jury agreed and convicted Kayle of first-degree murder as well as the felony count of endangering the welfare of a child. Given the first-degree murder conviction, the trial court sentenced Kayle to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
Kayle filed an appeal contending that there was insufficient evidence to support a first-degree murder conviction. While Kayle conceded that she was a grossly neglectful parent, she contended that there was no evidence to that she specifically intended to kill her son. The Superior Court noted that the specific intent to kill requires a “killing which was willful, deliberate and premeditated.” To sustain a first-degree murder conviction, the evidence must demonstrate that Kayle had the “conscious purpose” to “end the life of [her son]” through starvation.
The Superior Court observed that William (and the entire paternal family) had seen the child just 10 days prior to his death – and the paternal family observed no problems with his health, his weight or his eating habits. Thus, at that point, there was nothing to suggest that the child was starving – and nothing to place Kayle on notice that her son had nutritional struggles. William returned his son to Kayle without any concerns. While it was clear that the child had been neglected, the Superior Court determined that there was insufficient evidence to demonstrate that Kayle specifically intended to kill her son by her neglect. In conclusion, the Superior Court stated: “While [Kayle’s] shameful neglect may be characterized in many ways, without reweighing the evidence, we cannot conclude the evidence suffices to sustain a specific intent to kill, or in other words, [Kayle] desired the death of her child. The evidence relied upon by the trial court may support a grossly negligent appreciation of the child’s condition and misplaced priorities to the detriment of the child’s welfare, but we cannot find in this evidence a specific intent to kill to support a first-degree murder conviction. [Kayle] certainly may be guilty of a lesser degree of murder, but not first-degree murder.” The Superior Court reversed Kayle’s conviction but affirmed the conviction for felony endangering charge and sent the case back to the trial court for a new sentencing proceeding.
Judge King filed a dissenting opinion contending that the majority judges failed to properly weigh the evidence in favorable of the verdict winner, i.e., the Commonwealth, as required on appeal. Upon reviewing the evidence in such a manner, Judge King concluded: [T]he evidence supported the jury’s conclusions that [Kayle] was responsible for killing Child, and [Kayle] acted with specific intent. [Kayle] ignored the obvious physical signs of Child’s failing health. . . . [Kayle] disregarded her own mother’s warnings about the amount of care that Child required. [Kayle’s] decisions to prioritize vacation planning, video games, social media and telephone conversations over the health of Child revealed the deliberation required to support a first-degree murder conviction.”
Good day dear hearts, I love you. Can you believe it? 40- and 50-degree temperatures, yikes! Could Spring be here. By my experience living here, sorry, but the answer is no. Maybe another month. As winter begins to loosen its grip and the first hints of spring push through the cold soil, Christians around the world enter the season of Lent, a forty-day journey of reflection, repentance and renewal. Lent invites us to slow down, to look honestly at our lives, and to draw nearer to God. And in a season that often feels heavy with self-examination, one of the most comforting companions we can walk with is the beloved Psalm 23. Few passages in Scripture are universally recognized or deeply cherished. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” These opening words have soothed anxious hearts for centuries. They are read at bedside, whispered in hospital rooms, spoken at grave side and recited in moments when life feels overwhelming. Yet Psalm 23 is not merely a poem for the hurting. It is a roadmap for spiritual life, a guide for anyone seeking peace in a restless world. And perhaps that is why it speaks so powerfully during Lent.
Lent is often misunderstood as a season focused on what we give up. But at its heart, Lent is about who we follow. It is about turning our attention back to the One who leads us, restores us and walks beside us through every valley. Psalm 23 gives language to that journey. It reminds us that faith is not about striving harder but about trusting more deeply.
“The Lord is my shepherd.” With that single sentence, David shifts the focus from human effort to divine care. A shepherd provides, protects, guides and stays close. Lent invites us to rediscover that posture of dependence to remember that we are not the ones holding our lives together. God is. And when we allow Him to lead, we find that we “shall not want,” not because life becomes easy, but because God becomes enough.
“He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters.” Lent often calls us to slow down, to step away from the noise, and to make space for God. But slowing down does not come naturally in a culture that prizes productivity and constant motion. The psalm reminds us that rest is not optional, it is essential. The shepherd “makes” the sheep lie down because they rarely choose rest on their own. Lent becomes a holy interruption, a season when God gently invites us to breathe, to listen and to rediscover the quiet places where our souls can be restored.
“He restores my soul.” Restoration is at the heart of Lent. It is not about guilt but about grace. It is not about dwelling on our failures but about returning to the One who heals us. Lent gives us permission to admit our weariness, our wounds and our wandering. And Psalm 23 assures us that God meets us not with condemnation but with restoration. The shepherd does not scold the sheep for getting lost; he brings them home.
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” Lent inevitably leads us into the valleys, those places where we confront our fears, our mortality and the parts of ourselves we would rather ignore. But the psalm does not say we walk into the valley alone. “You are with me.” That simple shift from talking about God to talking to God, is the turning point of the psalm. It is also the turning point of Lent. When we realize that God is not distant but present, not watching from afar but walking beside us, the shadows lose their power.
“Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” The shepherd’s tools were not weapons of punishment but instruments of protection and guidance. Lent reminds us that God’s correction is always rooted in love. His guidance is not meant to shame us but to keep us close. In a world where many feel lost or uncertain, the steady presence of the shepherd becomes a source of deep comfort.
“You prepare a table before me.” As Lent moves toward Holy Week, this line takes on profound meaning. The God who leads us through the valley is the same God who welcomes us to His table. The table of grace. The table of forgiveness. The table where Christ offers Himself for the world. Lent prepares our hearts for that feast not by making us worthy, but by making us willing to receive.
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me.” Lent is not a season of despair but of hope. It reminds us that God’s goodness does not depend on our perfection. His mercy does not run out. And His presence does not fade when the season ends. The shepherd who leads us through Lent continues to lead us into Easter and beyond.
As we journey through these forty days, Psalm 23 invites us to walk with confidence not in ourselves, but in the One who calls us His own. It reminds us that even in seasons of reflection, we are never alone. The shepherd goes before us, walks beside us, and follows behind us with goodness and mercy. In a world filled with noise, fear and uncertainty, Psalm 23 offers a simple but profound truth: God is with us. And that is enough.
God Bless. Dear Lord, we thank you for your Word and direction. We lift up all the people of Suski and pray for peace for the broken-hearted, healing to the sick and restoration to the downtrodden. Amen.
Join us Saturday, March 21st for a complimentary dinner of corned beef and cabbage from 12:00pm to 1:00pm, 1361 Main Street, Susquehanna. We, along with 4 other churches in our community invite you to join us in a Lenten service Wednesday, March 11th followed by a soup and sandwich lunch at 1361 Main Street. Pastor Vince, 570-853-3988.