Local News

Fr. Gregory Loughney pleaded no contest to attempted indecent assault and attempted corruption of minors back in July.

STROUDSBURG, Pa. — A former pastor charged with child sex crimes in Monroe County will spend the next five years on probation.

Update 2/17/23:
Deed for school property now available

Watch the video here:
Newswatch 16's Amanda Eustice shows us the plans for the building in Monroe County.

Author: Amanda Eustice (WNEP)

Published: 4:01 PM EST November 17, 2022
Updated: 4:01 PM EST November 17, 2022

MOUNTAINHOME, Pa. — While it doesn't look like it now, the former Barrett Elementary Center near Mountainhome will soon be the center hub for the community.

Barrett Township officials closed on the property a few days ago. The goal is to turn it into the Barrett Administrative and Recreation Complex.

Magnolia's Free Thanksgiving meal
Magnolia Streamside Resorts owners, staff, and chef are volunteering to serve warm holiday meal this holiday to the community neighbors in need. Call to reserve your holiday dinner.

• Seatings take place at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 24.
• Reservations must by made by Nov. 22. RSVP to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Info: 2518 Route 309, Canadensis.

(source)

5/8 The Buck Hill Falls Inn

This private resort was a venture built in 1901 by a group of friends. Originally functioning as a Quaker retreat, the Buck Hill Falls Inn soon transformed into a 400-room inn, complete with a 27-hole golf course, an amphitheater, tunnels, and tons of stone walls. The abandoned resort and its property were set to be redeveloped in 2017. Today, the hotel is nothing more than a grassy field and is a simple memorial to the historic hotel.

(original article)

Update 11/3/22 - Related Article:

• Former elementary center vandalized by group over the weekend (FOX)
• Plans for community center in Monroe County set back by vandals (WNEP)

PLEASE!!! We need your help identifying these individuals. They broke into the Barrett Elementary Center just after midnight Sat night. These photos have been forwarded to PMRPD but if you have any information, please contact the police at 570-895-2400. We are currently under contract to purchase the building and any additional vandalism will just add more time and cost to the clean up and progress in developing what will be an asset to the community.

October 13, 2022
Attention Residents of Barrett Township and Surrounding Communities,

The Barrett Township Board of Supervisors is pleased to announce we are under contract to purchase the Former Barrett Elementary Center. The acquisition of this building and property is the first step in the long term goal outlined in our Strategic Plan (Feb 2019) to “develop a mixed-use community center, which could include recreation, arts, culture, and retail space“.

Editor's Note:
In Barrett, our local USPS drivers are not traditional USPS employees, they are subcontractors who actually "own" their route.  When the current mail person retires or moves, the route gets sold to the next driver, etc.  We've had plenty of issues with our local post office so I figured the following artice was appropriate to share -

Original Article:
U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) and U.S. Representatives Dwight Evans (D-PA) and Matt Cartwright (D-PA) have sent a letter urging United States Postal Service (USPS) Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to address the ongoing mail service issues for Pennsylvanians. The letter comes on the heels of a Congressional oversight hearing on USPS service issues in the Commonwealth that took place in Philadelphia last month. Casey, Evans and Cartwright demanded that the Postal Service develop and share a plan to improve mail service throughout Pennsylvania.

https://www.monroeco911.com/

MONROE COUNTY (WOLF) — When you call 911 you expect there to be a dispatcher on the phone within seconds - while that may be the case - there's a struggle right now to fill those positions in our area

Gary Hoffman, Director of communications at Monroe County Control Center , has worked as a dispatcher and a volunteer firefighter. He tells me that these workers are the first call when an emergency takes place and they are truly saving lives. However, there are just not enough people filling the positions

This article from TownAndTourist.com features two resorts from Barrett Township!

12. Skytop Lodge 

13. Magnolia Streamside Resort 

PITTSTON — WVIA will broadcast the 8th Congressional District debate live from the WVIA Studios on Thursday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m.

The debate will simulcast live on WVIA-TV and WVIA Radio and will livestream on WVIA’s Facebook and Youtube channels as well as at wvia.org.

The live debate for the 8th Congressional District will feature incumbent U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Moosic, and Republican challenger Jim Bognet of Butler Township.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is taking comments on permit applications for a proposed natural gas expansion project that would add about 36 miles of pipeline in Luzerne and Monroe counties.