Local News

HOLIDAY WRITING CONTEST
This holiday season, Pocono Mountain Regional Police Foundation gives Elementary, Middle & High School students a reason to write about “How the Holidays Mean More Than Gifts”

A WINNER FROM EACH GROUP*

Grades: k-6, 7-8 & 9-12

My name is David Nauman, and I'm a furniture maker located in Marshalls Creek. I was recently commissioned to build a pair of reproductions of the rocking chairs that were on the North Porch of the old Buck Hill Inn. My customer had fond memories of visiting the Inn as a child and thought it would be nice to have a pair of the chairs for his home. I thought you might be interested in seeing how they came out.

On Friday, Nov. 15th at 1:00 PM, I will be hosting a REAL ID presentation at the Friendly Community Center, 6683 State Route 191, Mountainhome, PA 18342, in Barrett Township. The discussion will provide background information, the process of obtaining your Real ID and a Q&A session. While the REAL ID is optional for Pennsylvania residents, if you do not get a REAL ID, you must have an alternate form of federally-acceptable identification to board domestic commercial flights and enter certain federal facilities after October 1, 2020. Please feel free to join me if you would like to learn more.

A former Pocono Mountain Regional Police corporal is facing felony sexual assault charges related to a traffic stop conducted last week.

On Wednesday afternoon, District Attorney E. David Christine Jr. and Pocono Mountain Regional Police Chief Chris Wagner held a press conference to announce that former Corporal Steven Mertz, 53, will face first-degree felony charges of rape by threat of forcible compulsion and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse by threat of forcible compulsion.

POCONO TOWNSHIP — Unforeseen water conditions have pushed the Stites Tunnel Bridge replacement project completion date to spring 2020, according to PennDOT officials.

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Engineering District 5 stated that the replacement of the bridge over Paradise Creek in Pocono Township was originally slated to wrap up by December, but complications have pushed that date to May 2020.

“Excessive water infiltration inside the tunnel is causing this project to take longer than anticipated. Colder weather will also limit the amount of work performed over the next several months, so we have extended the work into next year,” Assistant Construction Engineer Darren L. LePage said. “We appreciate everyone’s patience as we complete this challenging bridge project.”

PUBLIC NOTICE SPECIAL MEETING Notice is hereby given that the Barrett Township Board of Supervisors will hold a special meeting/workshop at the Barrett Township Municipal Building, 993 Route 390, Cresco, Pennsylvania 18326, on Wednesday, October 23, 2019 starting at 9 a.m. for the purpose of discussing the proposed budget for FY 2020. If any person with a disability wishes to request that special accommodations be made to allow his or her participation, he or she is asked to contact the Township at 570-595-2602, at least one business day in advance to make arrangements. Weitzmann, Weitzmann & Huffman, LLC By: Todd W. Weitzmann, Esquire 700 Monroe Street Stroudsburg, PA 18360 Barrett Township Solicitors P - Oct. 16

Disclaimer: The ideas expressed below are the personal thoughts and opinions of Nate Covington and do not necessarily reflect the position of Barrett Township or the Board of Auditors.

Background: There are 15 second-class townships in Monroe County. All of them function with 3 elected supervisors except three: Barrett, Tobyhanna, and Coolbaugh.

Editor's Note: My concern about having a "Land Bank" is - what happens when they are the largest landlord in town?
Disclaimer: The ideas expressed above are the personal thoughts and opinions of Nate Covington and do not necessarily reflect the position of Barrett Township or the Board of Auditors.

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Over the past decade, Pennsylvania has expanded the tools available to local governments to fight blight and return vacant or blighted properties to productive use. The state passed the Land Bank Act in 2012.

“Monroe County has been looking into this bringing this Land Bank ordinance to help fight blight for the past four years,” said John Moyer, Chairman of the Monroe County Board of Commissioners. “Just last week, we appointed the Redevelopment Authority as the entity that would be responsible for pulling off this Land Bank.”

The Redevelopment Authority is an arm or entity of the county that currently does housing rehabilitation for elderly people, weatherization, among other things, and now this Land Bank said Moyer.

Due to the fact that all three banks in Mountainhome have been robbed since 2015, after the Barrett Police department disbanded, I wanted to share an idea that I heard:

The three banks should share the cost of an armed security guard. They would patrol the section of Route 390 where First Keystone, NBT, and ESSA are situated along a 0.8 mile stretch of road.

MOUNTAINHOME — Pocono Mountain Regional Police are searching for a bank robber. According to Police Chief Chris Wagner, the First Keystone Community Bank at 1154 Route 390 in Mountainhome was robbed just after 9 a.m. Thursday.

The suspect is described as a 6-foot tall, heavy set male, wearing a grey-hooded sweat suit. The suspect was wearing a mask and gloves and therefore his race was unknown at the time of this story.

According to Wagner, at the time of the incident the suspect entered the bank and accessed a teller drawer, removing bundled US currency. After removing the currency, he fled on foot across Route 390 and up toward Golf Drive.

Now available: 
Independent Auditor's Report - 2018

From the August 28, 2019 Supervisor meeting minutes:

Supervisor May LaBar asked about an update on the Community Park at Ice Lake. It was noted that Solicitor Todd Weitzmann was waiting on the Easement Agreement being completed with Paradise Township. Executive Secretary, Pam Gardsy gave an update of the work being completed for Phase 1 of the Ice Lake Grant which includes the site grading and clearing, well, septic system and walking paths. Supervisor Patti O’Keefe asked about the type of septic system being installed. Sewage Enforcement Officer Jeryl Rinehart will provide her information on the Norweco At-Grade Septic System.