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The Times Leader timesleader.com
WILKES-BARRE, PA
SUNDAY, MARCH 27, 2011
T H E R A C E F O R W I L K E S - B A R R E M AY O R
Heading ‘fourth’ for third term Mayor Tom Leighton, facing several challengers, hopes to be 4th mayor in W-B history to serve 3 terms. By BILL O’BOYLE boboyle@timesleader.com
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Classifying bath salts a problem They’re legal to use, but prosecutor thinks argument may be made in court to rank bath salts as illegal drug in some cases.
WILKES-BARRE – Since Ira M. Kirkendall took the oath of office in June of 1871 to become the city’s first mayor, there have been three mayors who have served the city for three full terms. Tom Leighton wants to be the fourth. Leighton, 50, is running on his record – a record he says speaks for INSIDE: itself just by walking •For map of through the downtown candidates’ and the neighborhoods. residences, He faces two challenPage 6A gers in the May 17 pri•Candidate mary and if he survives profiles, that, he will have a RePages 8A, publican opponent in 9A November. Charlotte Raup, the city’s volunteer Crime Watch coordinator for 16 years, and Nick Punko, an out-of-work truck driver, are challenging Leighton in the Democratic Party. The winner will face the GOP nominee – either businessman Frank Sorick, Lord & Taylor employee Lisa Cope or unemployed accountant Karen Ceppa. After serving three terms on City Another advantage that Council, Leighton challenged and easLeighton may ily defeated incumhave is fibent Democratic Mayor Tom nances. He McGroarty 4,041 to had more than 2,238 in the 2003 $26,000 in primary.He went campaign on to win the mayor’s seat in Novemfunds as of ber in a closer than Dec. 31, and expected race he has the against Republican challenger Chriscapability to tine Katsock – raise more. 4,872 to 4,018. In 2007, Leighton easily won the nomination over Democratic challenger Tim Grier and then beat GOP nominee Linda Stets Urban by nearly 2-to-1 margin. But in 2010, Leighton decided to run for the Democratic nomination for state Senate in the 14th District. He was soundly defeated by John Yudichak, 17,903 to 9,091.
By EDWARD LEWIS elewis@timesleader.com
The synthetic drugs known as “bath salts” are legal to purchase. They are legal to possess. It’s legal to snort, inject and smoke to feel a hallucinating paranoia effect. That’s what recently happened to a man in Lebanon County who used the synthetic drugs and then abandoned his vehicle believing electricity was chasing him. It could have been worse if the man had been involved in a fatal car crash while driving under the influence of bath salts. One Luzerne County prosecutor feels a strong argu- McMonagle ment can be made before a judge that would classify bath salts as an illegal drug in certain cases, such as a fatal car crash. “There is a part of the DUI statute that says an individual under the influence of a drug or combination of drugs can be impaired to safely operate a vehicle,” said Assistant District Attorney James McMonagle. “That section of law doesn’t mean the substance has to be a controlled substance.” See BATH SALTS, Page 16A
GERALDINE FERRARO 1 9 3 5 - 2 0 11
See MAYOR, Page 6A
Group sees plan hurting poorer districts, but revision means new problem
Corbett school cuts stir a fight
By MARK GUYDISH mguydish@timesleader.com
An advocacy group contends Gov. Tom Corbett’s budget cuts are unevenly distributed and hurt the poorest schools most, urging that cuts be redistributed so each district loses the same amount per pupil. If that happens, most Luzerne County districts would lose more money than already proposed. The nonprofit Education Law Center of Pennsylvania has long championed the idea of using state money to assure that all districts spend about the same amount per
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The nonprofit Education Law Center of Pennsylvania has long championed the idea of using state money to assure that all districts spend about the same amount per pupil.
money per pupil. ELC Executive Director Baruch Kintisch said the per-pupil spending gap between rich and poor districts will actually widen, and cited two Luzerne County districts: Northwest Area will lose the most – $755 per student – while Dallas will lose only $283 per student. “It’s not fair to the kids in Northpupil. In looking at Corbett’s bud- west Area, that they would have to get, the group totaled the money take such a big hit,” Kintisch said. lost for each district and divided the sum by enrollment, showing Pressed for change The ELC was among a coalition that, generally speaking, districts with higher percentages of low-income students will lose the most See CUTS, Page 16A
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First female VP candidate dies By BETH FOUHY and JAY LINDSAY Associated Press
BOSTON — Geraldine Ferraro was a relatively obscure congresswoman from the New York City borough of Queens in 1984 when she was tapped by Democratic presidential nominee Walter Mondale to join his ticket. Her vice presidential bid, the first for a woman on a major party ticket, emboldened women across the country to seek public office and helped lay the groundwork for Hillary Rodham Clinton’s presidential candidacy in 2008 and John McCain’s choice of his running mate, Sarah Palin, that year. Ferraro died Saturday in Boston, where the 75-year-old was being treated for complications of blood cancer. She died just before 10 a.m., said Amanda Fuchs Miller, a family See FERRARO, Page 16A
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