Local news briefs

PLAINS TWP.

Man charged with assault

Police said a Hunlock Creek man kicked an officer Sunday during an arrest.

Police charged Isaac Taylor with simple assault and harassment.

According to police:

Police were dispatched to North Main Street at 2:13 a.m. for a report of a woman who was assaulted by her boyfriend. Melissa Rooney of Nanticoke told police that Taylor threw her to the ground and she lost consciousness and hurt her shoulder and arm. She was taken to Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center for treatment.

Taylor was later found at a residence on Powell Street, where he was arrested. The resident, Randi Mayewski, will be cited for disorderly conduct for interfering with the arrest.

Taylor was taken back to police headquarters, but he refused to get out of the cruiser and kicked an officer. Taylor was charged and transported to the the county prison for arraignment. He was held for lack of $3,500 bail.

PITTSTON

Story Time sessions offered

Story Time sessions are running through April 2 at the Pittston Memorial Library, 47 Broad St., Pittston.

Toddler Story Time with Miss Nicole will be at 10 a.m. Tuesdays. Preschool Story Time with Miss Patricia will be at 2 p.m. on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Please note the time change for Preschool Story Time. Registration is required. Call the library at 654-9565 or email [email protected]

Family Story Time on Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. is open to all ages. No registration is required for Family Story Time.

PITTSTON

Aid for grandparents

The Pittston Memorial Library is starting a new program for grandparents raising their grandchildren.

Grandparents are invited to let library officials know what concerns and issues they are having and are asked to call the library at 654-9565 or stop by the library at 47 Broad St., Pittston. There is a questionnaire to fill out to help organize the program.

An Intergenerational Family Program meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Saturday March 9.

WILKES-BARRE

Crime Watch meetings

The Wilkes Barre Crime Watch will meet this week at the following places and times:

South Wilkes-Barre - 7 p.m. today at the Central United Methodist Church, 65 Academy St.

Park Avenue Towers - 2 p.m. Tuesday at St. Andrew’s church, 316 Parrish St.

Rolling Mill Hills/ Mayflower/Iron Triangle - 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at St. Andrew’s church, 316 Parrish St.

East End High Rise - 2 p.m. Thursday at 295 Scott St.

For more information, call 208-8900 or visit us on the web at www.wbcrimewatch.org.

HARRISBURG

Bill aims at cutting overdoses

(AP) State lawmakers, spurred by a rise in prescription drug overdose deaths, are considering a monitoring effort aimed at preventing people from other states who are addicted to narcotic painkillers from obtaining the drugs in Pennsylvania.

“The dealers are moving out. Now pharmacies are seeing these customers with all kinds of sob stories from Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia and Tennessee,” said Rep. Brandon Neuman, D-North Strabane Township, who said he wants to amend state law to help prevent addicts from easily using cash to get narcotics by traveling to different physicians and pharmacies in the commonwealth.

State House lawmakers have forwarded from committee for a final vote on the floor a measure to set up a Pennsylvania Accountability Monitoring System database that would flag patients or customers who have already received an adequate supply of Schedule II drugs containing opiates or synthetic opiates.