Home → County Living ( October 7, 2026 )
Susquehanna County Interfaith is excited to celebrate our Annual Christmas Bureau Program! For 36 years, our community has come together to make the holidays a little brighter for our neighbors who are facing financial challenges. Income-qualifying families, seniors, and individuals are encouraged to apply by calling Interfaith at 570-273-8695 between October 1-21, 2026. Last year, thanks to the incredible generosity of local individuals, families, businesses, churches and community groups, nearly 3,000 of our neighbors received help and hope during the holiday season.
The Christmas Bureau provides more than just presents. Families receive special holiday gifts, a holiday meal and additional food to help fill the gaps while children are home from school. It’s a way for our community to remind our neighbors that they are seen, valued and not alone.
This year, we experienced an overwhelming increase in new families participating in our Back-to-School Shoe Program, and we anticipate that the need will continue into the holiday season. With winter comes higher heating bills, rising expenses and additional challenges for families already struggling to make ends meet.
And this is where you can make a difference! Whether you are an individual, business, church, organization, or group of friends, there are so many ways to get involved and help make Christmas special for a local neighbor. Want to be part of the Christmas Bureau? Call 570-273-8695, go to: www.interfaithsc.org; or stop in and see us! Together, we can make sure that Christmas brings help, hope, and a little extra joy to our neighbors who need it most.
A free five-week workshop dedicated to helping people cope with the grieving process will take place at Wayne Memorial Hospital (WMH) in October and November. The workshops will encourage participants to explore their own solutions to the challenges of living without their loved ones and the many changes that often follow a loss. The workshop will provide a safe place in which individuals can sort through their thoughts & feelings and share as they are able and willing. One of the sessions will focus entirely on how to cope with the upcoming holiday season.
The workshop is facilitated by Mary Burgio-Terpak, LCSW, and Pastor Norm Demming, MA, who both have years of experience in the field of grief and loss.
Participants’ experience will be enhanced by attending all five sessions; however, it is understandable if you cannot attend each one or need to leave a session for personal reasons. The sessions will be held at Wayne Memorial Hospital from 4:00pm to 5:30pm in the Chatlos Conference Room on the second floor on October 15, 22, 29 and November 5 and 12, 2026.
No formal registration is necessary for this workshop.
If you’d like more information, please call Mary at 570-253-8383.
On October 10 and 11, members of the Susquehanna County Amateur Radio Club will set up radios, antennas, computers and independent power at the Montrose Fairgrounds to participate in the 70th Pennsylvania QSO Party.
To someone unfamiliar with amateur – or “ham” – radio, it may sound like a group of people simply trying to talk to as many other radio operators as possible.
And, technically, that is part of the contest. But there is a lot more going on.
Amateur radio is one of the few hobbies that combines communications, electronics, computers, antennas, geography, weather, public service and emergency preparedness. A ham radio station can communicate locally, across Pennsylvania, across the country and, when conditions cooperate, around the world – without depending upon the internet or the normal cellular telephone network.
That ability is part of what has kept amateur radio relevant even in an age when nearly everyone carries a smartphone.
Most of the time, picking up a cellphone is obviously the easiest way to communicate. But amateur radio operators spend time learning what happens when the easy way isn’t available.
We learn how to build and repair antennas. We learn how radio waves behave. We learn how terrain, weather and the ionosphere affect communications. We operate portable stations from parks and remote locations. We learn how to power equipment from batteries or generators, and how to establish communications away from the comforts of a normal home radio station.
And we practice. That is one of the reasons radio contests are valuable.
The Pennsylvania QSO Party is a friendly competition in which Pennsylvania amateur radio operators try to contact other stations throughout Pennsylvania, the United States and beyond, while operators outside the Commonwealth try to contact Pennsylvania stations.
During a contest, operators have to listen carefully, communicate clearly and briefly, accurately record information, choose the right radio band, understand changing propagation conditions and keep the station working as activity increases.
It can become fast-paced. A skilled contest operator may hear several stations calling at once and must identify call signs, exchange information, enter each contact correctly into a log and immediately move to the next station.
It is fun, but it is also training. Many of the same skills involved in contesting – listening under difficult conditions, passing information accurately, operating for extended periods, setting up portable equipment and dealing with equipment or power problems – are useful when amateur radio is called upon for public-service or emergency communications.
Our operation at the Montrose Fairgrounds will add another dimension: we are taking the station into the field. That means we have to think about antennas, radios, coax, computers, logging, power, weather, shelter, lighting and operator comfort. We have to build a functioning communications station rather than simply walk into a permanent radio room and turn on a switch. That’s part of the challenge, and part of the fun.
It is also a chance to learn from one another. Experienced operators can experiment with different antennas and operating techniques. Newer operators can sit beside someone who has been doing it for years and see how everything works. A newly licensed amateur can make contacts alongside someone with decades of experience. And someone who isn’t licensed at all can come see what amateur radio actually looks like.
That last part is important to us. We would like more people in Susquehanna County to discover amateur radio. You don’t have to be an electrical engineer. You don’t have to know Morse code. You don’t need an enormous tower in your backyard, and you certainly don’t need to spend a fortune.
Today’s amateur radio includes traditional voice communication, Morse code, computers and digital communications, portable operations, antenna building, emergency communications, satellite work, worldwide contacts and competitive operating. There is room in the hobby for the person who loves electronics and for the person who simply enjoys being outdoors with a radio and a piece of wire thrown into a tree.
It is also a hobby where a teenager, a retiree, an engineer, a farmer, a veteran, a teacher and someone who just became curious yesterday can sit at the same table and learn from each other. That is one of the things that makes amateur radio special.
The Susquehanna County Amateur Radio Club will be participating in the Pennsylvania QSO Party from the Montrose Fairgrounds on Saturday, October 10, 12:00pm - midnight and Sunday, October 11 9:00am - 6:00pm.
We invite the community to stop by, see the equipment, watch contacts being made and ask questions. If you’ve ever wondered what amateur radio is, how someone can communicate hundreds or thousands of miles without the internet, or how people become licensed, this would be a good opportunity to find out.
Come watch us build the station. Meet the operators. Listen as Susquehanna County goes out over the airwaves. Follow a contact from the moment a distant voice or digital signal is heard until it is entered into the contest log.
There is a story here that is bigger than a radio contest. It is about people learning useful skills, passing knowledge from one generation to another, experimenting with technology, preparing to communicate when ordinary systems may not be available – and having a lot of fun while doing it.
Sometimes the best way to understand amateur radio is simply to sit down beside a radio, put on the headphones and hear it happen.
Come see what amateur radio is all about.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is accepting construction and maintenance services feedback through an online survey. The public can take the survey through October 20 by visiting 2026 PennDOT Construction/Maintenance Customer Satisfaction Survey.
PennDOT has been hard at work on Pennsylvania’s roads and bridges throughout the year, improving more than 2,600 road miles and advancing work on 373 state and local bridges from January through August of this year. Governor Shapiro also recently announced additional, accelerated work – 79 “Rapid Deployment Projects” that are the first round of a $775 million investment from the Motor License Fund over 18 months.
“The PennDOT team is committed to serving every county, every community, every time, and this annual survey helps the department see successes and opportunities,” PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll said. “The survey also helps us find areas where we can educate the public while learning about how the public receives road information.”
The 17-question survey asks participants how they receive PennDOT roadway information and how often PennDOT meets or exceeds expectations in construction and maintenance activities. Respondents are also asked about experiences with reporting concerns to the department, and whether or how they use the state's 511PA traveler information services.
Travelers can check conditions on major roads by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 1,200 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional X alerts.
Find PennDOT’s planned and active construction projects at www.pa.gov/DOTprojects. Subscribe to local PennDOT news or statewide PennDOT news on the department’s website.
Find PennDOT news on X, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Wayne Memorial Hospital (WMH) is partnering with local school districts again this year to provide indoor heated, secure, and well-lit locations for area residents to go for an evening walk. The program runs from October 12, 2026 through April 22, 2027; weeknights Monday through Thursday from 6:00pm - 8:00pm. The hallways are open for walkers at the following schools when school is in session, unless cancelled due to weather or other unforeseen developments.
The walking program is being offered at the following locations: Damascus, Lakeside, and Preston Elementary Schools; Evergreen and R.D. Wilson Elementary Schools; Forest City Regional High School; Wallenpaupack South Elementary and Wallenpaupack Area High School; Western Wayne Middle/High School.
If you have participated in the past and have a walking identification badge, you still need to complete a liability waiver and questionnaire to receive this year’s sticker. If you are a new participant or lost your badge, you need to purchase an ID badge for $5.00 and also sign a liability waiver and questionnaire. For security purposes you must log in and out, each time you go for a walk in the school hallways. Please check log in times at each school. You will receive a welcome letter once you register, please check the entrance time and location at each school before heading out.
“Cold weather is no reason to stop walking. Going for a stroll strengthens your bones, improves balance, and protects your heart. Bring a friend or family member along to boost your mood and catch up while you clock your steps,” says Carol Kneier, MS, RD, LDN, CDCES, co-organizer of the program and WMH Community Relations Manager. Register to get started by calling the WMH Community Relations Office at 570-253-8990 or online at WMH.org and click on the Community tab-then Outreach.
Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R-41) issued the following statement following the PennDOT announcement of the first round of rapid deployment road investments being distributed for projects across Pennsylvania:
“Senate Republicans did the hard work of identifying PennDOT was sitting on $3.3 billion in the Motor License Fund and could not explain why the money wasn’t being used for important road projects. We will continue to stand up for fiscal responsibility and transparency as we work to protect Pennsylvania taxpayers.
“Earlier this year, recognizing the need to support local roads and to quickly improve highway infrastructure, Senate Republicans fought to make sure an additional $775 million from the Commonwealth’s Motor License Fund is directed to three- and four-digit road projects throughout Pennsylvania, as part of the 2026-27 state budget. The first $250 million of this funding is now being deployed, which is great news for Pennsylvanians. A robust transportation infrastructure is vital for communities in every corner of the Commonwealth.”
Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward (R-39) issued the following statement regarding the Pennsylvania House of Representatives actions compromising the safety of Pennsylvania’s communities and neighborhoods by advancing soft-on-crime legislation for violent criminals including convicted murders and offenders of sexual assault and abuse.
“The House Democrats did a huge disservice to the people of Pennsylvania by making a calculated political move to purposefully run out the clock by not engaging the Senate on two Senate bills supported by the PA Attorney General, Fraternal Order of Police, the District Attorneys Association and victims’ rights groups which addressed second- degree murder parole cases. Instead, House Democrats delivered a soft-on-crime, criminal-friendly bill that will give violent second-degree murder convicts an immediate opportunity for release. But it doesn’t stop there: the House Democrats’ bill also provides a new ‘get out of jail free card’ called ‘medical parole’ which means convicted sexual predators like Jerry Sandusky would be eligible for release for any number of reasons. To be clear, the Senate acted twice by sending two bills to the House of Representatives and they sat on them until the eleventh hour. The outright refusal by House Democrats to work with the Senate on the two bipartisan bills we passed, coupled with the Shapiro administration’s silence until yesterday, not only demonstrates a ‘criminal first, victim last’ mentality, but also sends a loud and clear message to victims and survivors. Thankfully, yesterday Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala filed a petition with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court requesting an extension of time before the deadline which we are hopeful the court grants.”
The Susquehanna County DOMESTIC RELATIONS Section has outstanding BENCH WARRANTS for the following individuals as of 8:30am on October 2, 2026. Lloyd Baker, Lee M. Carter, Matthew D. Deska, Matthew S. Elders, Richard R. Forba, Patrick A. Fournier, Charles M. Lynady III, Kevin Mattocks, Paul Newhart III, Danielle J. Norris, Kayla M. Payne, Anthony Popolaski III. Please contact the Domestic Relations Section at 570-278-4600 ext. 4050 with any information on the location of these individuals.
CW Minerals Partners LLC to Springrise Minerals LLC and River City Royalties LLC and B&S LLC for $10.00, two locations in Gibson Township and one in Auburn Township.
Bonnice, Bruce J and Bonnice, Sherry L to Bonnice, Bruce (Trust) and Bonnice, Sherry (Trust) for $1.00 in Jessup Township.
Bonnice, Bruce J and Bonnice, Sherry L to Bonnice, Bruce (Trust) and Bonnice, Sherry (Trust) for $1.00 in Jessup Township.
Bonnice, Bruce J and Bonnice, Sherry L to Bonnice, Bruce (Trust) and Bonnice, Sherry (Trust) for $1.00 in Jessup Township.
Mircovich, Leianna and Mircovich, Michael to McDonough, James Joseph and Marzzacco, Kathleen Alicia for $700,202.00 in Clifford Township.
Popso, Theresa M (NBM) and Hewitt, Theresa M to Popso, Robert J for $1.00 in Franklin Township.
Streater, Sandra E and Streater, Ronald L to Nelson, Ross A and Nelson, Kailee E for $258,000.00 in Silver Lake Township.
Bruns, John E (Estate) to Gazinta Asset Management LLC for $1.00 in Oakland Township.
Genute, Lillian M to Genute, Michael for $150,000.00 in Choconut Township.
Cosmello, Christina and Comello, Samuel J III to Cosmello, Samuel J III for $1.00 in New Milford Township.
Ward, John and Ward, Pamela L to Ward, Aaron M for $1.00 in New Milford Township.
Fox, Jack Lloyd and Fox, Lynn M to Fox, Jack Lloyd and Fox, Lynn M for $1.00 in Brooklyn Township.
Sugden, Keith A to Sugden, Keith A (Trust) for $1.00 in Auburn Township.
Ceccarelli, Christopher to Rabbe, Jonathan for $150,000.00 in Lenox Township.
Universal Classic Building Solutions LLC to Lotz, Matthew and Lotz, Danielle for $239,900.00 in Forest City.
Hickok, Alan B Sr and Hickok, Debra L to Lowe, Lonnie and Tyler-Lowe, Pamela J (AKA) and Lowe, Pamela J Tyler for $325,000.00 in Choconut Township.
Bruns, John E (Estate) to Bruns, Wendy and Bruns, John Jr and Bruns, Michael and Bruns, Matthew for $1.00 in Oakland Township.
Watkins, Charles M (Estate) to Watkins, John C and Watkins, Brian A and Shaffer, Joel Watkins for $1.00 in Bridgewater Township.
Erickson, Ronald R (Estate) to Schlesinger, Adam and Murphy, Maya for $380,000.00 in Lenox Township.
United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to Crvaric, Hanaa for $94,500.00 in Hallstead Borough.
Marquardt, Sally W to Marquardt, Jeffrey for $1.00 in Herrick Township.
Schreck, Sandra J to Schreck, Diane for $1.00 in Franklin Township.
Mordovancey, Kathleen to Mordovancy, Kathleen and Mordovancy, Patrick F for $1.00 in Choconut Township.
Dixon, Ethan to Lulay, Charles for $44,000.00 in Susquehanna.
Kisly, Kevin and Kisly, Jennifer to Kisly, Kevin and Kisly, Jennifer and Jaggars, Barry for $1.00 in Susquehanna.
Ainey, Richard L and Ainey, Margaret A to Ablaschal, John Frank Michael for $30,000.00 in New Milford Borough.
VanGorden, Matthew L and VanGorden, Leah J to Mazzenga, Antonio and Mazzenga, Shannon for $350,000.00 in Silver Lake Township.
Knight, Katie Alicia to Bixler, Thomas Jr and Dominick, Alanna for $102,400.00 in Forest City 2W.
Mineral Deed: Schoenhals Revocable Living Trust (By Trustees) to Schoenhals, L Elaine and Grant, Sharon and Grant, David and Schoenhals, Steven D and Schoenhals, Joanna M for $10.00, one location in Harmony Township, one in Lanesboro Borough and five in New Milford Township.
LaBarre, Brett and LaBarre, Nicole to Lopez, Patricia for $255,000.00 in Montrose 2W.
Ricelli, Paul and Ricelli, Michele to Ghent, Catherine A for $125,000.00 in Harford Township.
Morgan, Gary D (By Atty) to McGlynn, Eric and McGlynn, Jaclyn for $165,000.00 in Auburn Township.