Local News

Further north, the Stites Tunnel Bridge carrying Route 191 over Paradise Creek in Pocono Township, Monroe County, has reopened to traffic.  

The bridge was closed since January 2019 for the $8 million project. It replaced a span built in 1911 and then reconstructed in 1941.  

There may be flagging operations at the site between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. over the next few weeks for project completion work on the bridge project.

[Source]

MOUNT POCONO, Pa. — The light at the end of the tunnel is finally here for some commuters in Monroe county.

Construction on the Stites tunnel near Mount Pocono is finally complete.

The stretch of route 191 was closed in December of 20-18.

It just re-opened Friday.

"And as soon as it was open, [the cars] I saw one truck he came down around the corner, he was going to take the detour go up that way. What did he do? He said woo! I think it's open and he turned around and he came down through and he waved and blew the horn at me!" said Bertie Kitzhoffer.

For more than a year and a half drivers were forced to use a detour that took about 15 minutes

"It's been very difficult because you have to take all of these other back roads instead of just going straight the way you need to," said Brittany Clark.

The project was originally slated to wrap up last July.

The work was extended once because of winter weather, and then again because of the coronavirus.

One couple saw the tunnel was open on Facebook and came for a drive because they needed to see it to believe their days of taking the detour were over

"It's probably a little longer and there's more traffic when we get off on 80 sometimes. But it's a God send that it's open after a year and a half," said Michael Cohan.

Most drivers we spoke with say in addition to saving time, the drive through the tunnel is far more scenic than the detour.

Those who live nearby say workers made vast improvements to the tunnel.

"That's an amazing bridge with the water on one side, the road on the other with the railroad above," Kitzhoffer said.

The tunnel was paved and re-sided.

New guide rails and approach structures were installed for safety.

[Source]

via Rosemary Brown newsletter:

Openness, Transparency Needed Now More Than Ever

Since March, the beginning of the disaster declaration, Pennsylvania’s “Right-to-know” inquiries have gone unanswered. The Right-to-Know (RTK) law was created to ensure access to information was accessible to Pennsylvanians. The public should always have access to these records, but during a crisis, more than ever. The legislature has been putting pressure on the administration to be transparent, but the requests have gone unheard.

via Barrett Township Supervisors:

ALERT: Please be aware that there have been numerous break-ins in the area lately.  Please be mindful of your surroundings and keep your home and vehicles locked.  Please report all incidents to the police.  The police need to gather information on all cases to best determine a pattern and find the person / persons responsible (for) the crimes.  

A Monroe County man is arrested on arson charges after fleeing from police.

Police started searching for the suspect yesterday after he set two vehicles on fire in Barrett Township.

The domestic incident led to a high speed chase today on Route 447 in Price Township.

We’re told police were actively looking for the suspect when they saw him getting into his mother’s vehicle this morning. When they approached, she took off. One of our videographers happened to be driving on the same road and got caught up in the pursuit.

News13 Videographer Alex Herrero says, "My heart was pounding and I was nervous, but I wanted to find out as a news person what was going on. 

Herrero is talking about the pursuit for 30-year-old Eric Funk of Cresco. Yesterday police were called to an apartment complex on Brookside Lane in Barrett Township. We’re told a witness observed Funk walk up to two vehicles, douse them with gasoline and light them ablaze.

Chief Chris Wagner of Pocono Mountain Regional Police says, "Further investigation revealed that one of the drivers of the vehicle had a past relationship with Funk and it seems to be some sort of retaliation because of the breaking off of that relationship."

One vehicle was put out by the witness but the other was fully engulfed and needed to be put out by the Barrett Township Fire Department. Police could not locate Funk yesterday but flied felony arson charges.

Wagner says, "Given the fact that he endangered people with lighting those vehicles. So when those vehicles were lit, they were within 10 feet of the apartment buildings and there were multiple occupants within those apartments."

Today's pursuit ensued through multiple jurisdictions. Herrero says the SUV flew up behind him on Wooddale Road in Price Township doing about 90 miles per hour.

Herrero says, "Cuts into the oncoming lane, it’s only a two lane road and he goes in front of me. Then in front of me there was a dump truck going around a narrow bridge, he actually passed that guy on the left going around that bridge, could’ve been a head on collision. I thought I was going to see an accident."

Police did lose sight of the vehicle but Stroud Area Regional Police were able to locate the vehicle near the Analomink Post Office. Funk attempted to flee and was apprehended, along with his mother, Lori Funk who was behind the wheel.

Wagner says, "Mr. Funk and his mother endangered various members of the public and we just as a community can not tolerate that."

Both Funk and his mother were taken to the Monroe County Jail and are awaiting arraignment on felony charges. 

Source

As seen on facebook

Our Chicken BBQ ? Next Saturday July 25th starting at 4 p.m till we are sold out. At the firehouse on Rt 191. Take out ONLY, You Don’t even need to get out of your car its a drive-through. $10.00 a dinner, that includes, half chicken, baked potato coleslaw and corn on the cob. Can’t wait to see everyone!!

From Barrett TWP fire department

Here is the link to the most recent post:
https://www.natecovington.com/politics/denied-right-to-know-request-deal-struck-over-monroe-county-couthouse-pnc-bank-property

Summary, For Barrett Township / PMSD:

• Assessed Value x .019905 - $447.05 (Homestead) = Taxes Owed

Example property breakdown:

$1437.56 2020 base school tax ($94,680 value x .019905 millage rate less $447.04 homestead exemption)
$1226.67 2019 base school tax (verified by looking at a copy of his last year's school bill)

$210.89 increase in base tax = 17.19% increase ($1226.67 + 17.19% = $1437.56)

Keep in mind that it could very well be that some property owners have an increase in their taxes of 34%, especially if they were undervalued previously, but there are others who are seeing their taxes go down, as well.

If he believes his property is over valued at $94,680, he should get information to prove that (perhaps a formal appraisal) and seek to appeal this with the County's assessment office.

Hope this helps!

Original Article, for all of Monroe County

via Rosemary Brown:

As Monroe County residents are aware, the county recently completed a reassessment. You have previously received your property values but were waiting for millage rates by school district in order to calculate your upcoming school property tax bill.

Update 7/20/20 @ 7:30am:

House Votes to Amend Pennsylvania Constitution

The state House has approved a proposed constitutional amendment to ensure our citizens are fully represented and safeguard our representative democracy during state-declared emergencies. 

The proposal comes in response to the clear power imbalance between our state’s branches of government. It is important to recognize that your state elected officials are your closest voice in Harrisburg. By not allowing the General Assembly to be involved in any decision-making process, your voice, interests, and needs in our state’s Capitol are muffled. 

In an effort to clarify legislative and executive authority, Senate Bill 1166 seeks to amend the state Constitution by requiring passage of a concurrent resolution by the Legislature for any disaster emergency declaration a governor wishes to extend beyond a period of 21 days. This would provide an effective balance between ensuring the governor has the authority to act quickly in an immediate emergency situation while also ensuring the General Assembly is properly engaged in the process of addressing long-term response and recovery processes. 

The bill was approved by the House and Senate. A constitutional amendment proposal must be approved by both the House and Senate in two consecutive sessions and then be put before the voters in a referendum before it can be enacted. 

The need for this change to the Constitution was reinforced Tuesday when the governor vetoed the concurrent resolution adopted in the House and Senate to end the disaster declaration. While we believe House Resolution 836 stood on its own and did not require the governor to approve or veto it, the state Supreme Court ruled otherwise. That’s why Senate Bill 1166 also includes a proposed amendment to establish that a resolution terminating or extending a disaster emergency declaration, including a portion thereof, need not be presented to the governor.

Original Post:

Editor's Note:
Hats off to Rosemary Brown for actually creating and posting this video. 
This is the important discussion - not what we're seeing in the media!  

Via Rosemary Brown:

A resolution to bring the legislative branch back into the decision-making process and end the emergency declaration was presented to Gov. Tom Wolf for his signature last Wednesday after the state Supreme Court ruled it had to be submitted to him for action. The governor has made it clear he will veto House Resolution 836, despite its bipartisan passage in the General Assembly.

HONESDALE – Wayne Tompkins and Emily Mack, both of Canadensis, have been charged with homicide for the death of their three-month-old daughter, identified in court papers as W.T.

Pathologist Dr. Rameen Starling-Roney found the cause of death to be ”...multiple traumatic injuries and methamphetamine toxicity and cocaine exposure.”

Editor's Note:
I just updated the Downloads section of this site with the first half of the year's meeting minutes from the township. 

Below are some highlights that I compiled:

(see attachments)