2026 Newport News
9/28/2026
Many gather to discuss proposed Newport Township data centers
By Sarah Harris For Times Leader
NANTICOKE — A standing-room crowd filled the hall at West Side Park Sunday as Newport Township residents gathered to learn more about proposed data center development and hear from activists, residents, and others who have been following similar projects across Northeast Pennsylvania.
The roughly hourlong community meeting came less than two weeks after residents learned that zoning permits had been issued for 15 data centers and three natural gas generation facilities proposed in Newport Township.
For Jennifer Lobb, a Newport Township resident and one of the meeting’s organizers, the goal Sunday was less about providing residents with all the answers and more about making sure they knew questions remained to be asked.
“We’re just here to let people know about what’s going on, to encourage them to get involved with our local government, to attend the commissioners meetings, to let them know how they feel, and to bring the power back to the people who have to live with these decisions,” Lobb said in an interview before the meeting.
Lobb said residents began organizing after learning about the scope of the proposed development earlier this month.
“A lot of us woke up in the morning to a newspaper article about 15 data centers and three new gas power plants that were permitted for our township,” she said.
Sunday’s turnout suggested the issue has gotten residents’ attention. Chairs filled the hall, while others stood along the perimeter as speakers discussed potential effects of large-scale data center development, including water and electricity use, noise, pollution, emergency response, and changes to surrounding communities.
Much of the meeting also focused on encouraging residents to attend the Newport Township commissioners meeting Oct. 5 and press township officials for additional information.
Luzerne County resident Nate Eachus, who said he has spent about a year attending municipal meetings throughout the region and researching environmental issues associated with data center development, urged residents to ask detailed questions about water, wastewater, diesel fuel, and power generation.
“Everybody needs to show up at this October 5 meeting,” Eachus told the crowd. “Ask good, hard questions.”
Eachus pointed to data center development elsewhere in Luzerne County as examples residents could study as they consider what may come to Newport Township.
Jeremy Benscoter, a candidate for the Pennsylvania House’s 117th District who described himself as having a background in information technology, told residents the scale and demands of newer hyperscale data centers distinguish them from traditional facilities used to host websites and other internet services.
Benscoter focused much of his remarks on the complexity of regulating the facilities, particularly when it comes to water use, electricity demand, and municipal zoning.
“We have to basically decide, as a community, what you think is the best option for you,” Benscoter said.
He also encouraged residents to consider effects beyond Newport Township, arguing that the rapid development of data centers throughout the region could have implications for the electrical grid and other infrastructure shared across municipal boundaries.
Fern Leard, a candidate for the state House’s 120th District, focused on community organization and emergency preparedness, telling residents that first responders could require additional equipment and training to respond to emergencies at large data center facilities.
“What I see in this room is people taking the time to listen to one another,” Leard said.
She encouraged residents to continue attending municipal meetings and participating in the public process.
Paul Shiptuski, who said he has lived in Newport Township’s Lee section for 42 years, spoke about changes his neighborhood has already experienced from nearby industrial activity.
Shiptuski said residents contend with truck traffic, dust, noise, and blasting associated with a quarry near his home. He questioned what additional development could mean for residents who rely on wells and value the area’s rural surroundings.
“How does that benefit us in the long run?” Shiptuski asked.
Other speakers brought perspectives from neighboring communities.
Derek Sutcliffe, a Moosic resident involved in opposition to a proposed data center development in Archbald, discussed the substantial electrical infrastructure required by hyperscale facilities and encouraged Newport Township residents to scrutinize how proposed facilities would be powered.
Dr. Gere Reisinger, who spoke as a representative of the Seneca Nation and local Native American historian, emphasized the cultural and environmental importance of the Susquehanna River and Wyoming Valley.
Lauren McCurdy, a candidate for the Pennsylvania House’s 119th District who attended Sunday’s meeting, said she sees the issue as one that extends beyond individual municipal boundaries.
McCurdy, who did not address the crowd, said in an interview that she is concerned about the potential long-term environmental effects of rapid data center development throughout Northeast Pennsylvania.
“We have an obligation to protect our communities from interests that are not coming here to improve the quality of life for people in Northeastern Pennsylvania,” McCurdy said.
For Lobb, Sunday’s meeting was a starting point.
She said residents have not yet formed a formal organization but came together quickly after learning about the permits and are encouraging neighbors to educate themselves and become involved.
“They just really need to stay informed,” Lobb said.
Residents were repeatedly encouraged Sunday to attend the next Newport Township commissioners meeting, scheduled for 6 p.m. Oct. 5 in the Nanticoke Area High School auditorium.
9/28/2026
Newport residents hold meeting on proposed data centers
NANTICOKE — Newport Twp. residents gathered Sunday at West Side Park in Nanticoke to begin rallying against a developer who seeks to build 15 data centers in the township.
The meeting, organized through a Facebook event, served as a preliminary step to gather interested residents and supporters and voice their opposition to the project.
The packed field house was standing room only that spilled out into the park.
Brenda Grabowski, who helped organize the meeting and started the Facebook event, said she did so after going to the previous commissioners’ meeting looking for answers and receiving none.
“I don’t know a lot about data centers; I’m learning myself now. But I want to know what’s going to happen in my backyard,” said Grabowski.
Fern Leard, who is running to capture a seat in the state House 120th District, spoke at the meeting, telling residents, “This is where it starts.”
Leard, who is not running to represent Newport Twp., said she showed up and spoke to show support.
“The fact that you guys organized this so quickly is amazing,” said Leard. “It just showcases how when communities come together and work together we can get it done.”
Newport commissioners were asked about a rumored data center coming to the township at a meeting earlier this month.
In response, Township Manager Joe Hillian issued a prepared statement that left residents with more questions than answers.
Hillian said a developer seeks to build three gas generation facilities and 15 closed-loop data centers — seven in the mixed-use zone and eight in the industrial zone.
The township’s zoning ordinance, drafted earlier this year, allows data centers by right in mixed-use zoning districts and permits them in industrial districts.
Derek Sutcliffe, who has been fighting data center development in Lackawanna County, urged residents to think about how these facilities will be powered and what that will do to their community.
“You are not defeated,” Sutcliffe told residents. “Where you are in your process is the beginning. If you think you’re going to lose, you’re going to lose. Don’t think that. You can beat this.”
The next Newport Twp. commissioners meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Oct. 5.
9/14/2026
Newport Twp. issues permits for 15 data centers, several power plants
bkalinowski@citizensvoice.com
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NEWPORT TWP. — The township has issued zoning permits to a developer who seeks to build 15 data centers powered by their own gas power plants.
The township manager, Joe Hillan, announced the news at a commissioners’ meeting last week.
Township officials declined to reveal many details as the landowner, between the township’s Glen Lyon and Lee sections, is still in negotiations with the developer.
Earlier this year, Newport Twp. created its own zoning board and drafted a zoning ordinance that allows data centers by right in mixed use zoning districts and permits them in industrial districts.
The commissioners were asked about the rumor of data centers coming to the township at last week’s meeting.
Hillan issued a prepared statement.
“The following zoning permits were issued by our third-party zoning officer from BH&W in strict conformity with the township zoning ordinance … ,” Hillan said, according to meeting minutes he posted on the township’s website.
Hillan said a developer seeks to build three gas generation facilities and 15 closed-loop data centers, seven in the mixed-use zone and eight in the industrial zone.
“This is the only information that we have to provide the public at this time. As these applications progress the projects will be subject to the township land development ordinance and process,” Hillan stated. “That process will be open to the public at each step of the way.”
Hillan said Jason Humenanski, owner of BHW Construction Consultation Services, Inc., issued the permits on the township’s behalf. Efforts to reach Humenanski were not immediately successful on Monday,
Hillan said the issue is now up to the township’s elected officials to see if the project moves forward.
Several township officials said the proposed data centers will not be near any residential homes or roadways.
Commissioner President Paul Czapracki said he’s behind the project because it will be a major financial boost to the South Valley area of Luzerne County, which includes Newport Twp. and Nanticoke, along with the Greater Nanticoke Area School District.
Newport Twp. was once promised a major energy project when a Texas-based company Nacero explored building another $6 billion energy facility on the opposite end of the township.
That plan didn’t materialize so Newport Twp. officials hope this one does, Czapracki said.
“I will tell you what. If this goes through, it’s going to make a lot of money for the township, a lot of revenue. We don’t know how much. We don’t know what the sale price is or how much they are investing. We are going to weigh the pros and cons,” Czapracki said. “They are in negotiations with the sale of the property.”
8/5/2026
Newport Twp. honors firefighters for rescuing woman from flooded apartment
NEWPORT TWP. — They say they were just doing their jobs. The township says they are heroic lifesavers.
Members of the Newport Twp. Board of Commissioners this week awarded three firefighters — Chief Jason Kowalski, Deputy Chief Kyle Gruber and David McGovern — with life-saving medals for their actions during a recent torrential downpour.
They are credited with saving a bed-ridden woman from her apartment on West Kirmar Avenue which had taken on several feet of water during a heavy rainstorm.
“When faced with a dangerous and rapidly evolving situation, our township firefighters acted quickly and decisively to rescue an individual trapped,” Board President Paul Czpracki said, reading a commendation at Monday night’s commissioners meeting. “Despite the significant risks posed by rising water, limited visibility, and potential electrical hazards, they remained calm under pressure and demonstrated outstanding skill, dedication, and concern for the safety of others.”
Gruber was on duty. Kowalski just left work. McGovern responded as a volunteer.
It was a race against time to save the woman as the lower-level apartment was filled with three to four feet of water that poured down a hillside into the structure.
Newport Twp. Fire Chief Jason Kowalski, left, and Deputy Chief Kyle Gruber (Bob Kalinowski / Staff Photographer)
“Within five to ten minutes, if we weren’t able to get her out, it would have been a disaster,” Kowalski said. “She was soaked in water.”
During the meeting on Monday, Kowalski and Gruber said they were just doing their jobs despite the danger. McGovern wasn’t able to make the meeting.
“It happened in a matter of seconds,” Gruber said. “Quick decisive action saved a life.”
7/17/2026
Valley with a Heart ride canceled due to cease-and-desist order
jhalpin@citizensvoice.com
The Pennsylvania Department of State has issued a cease-and-desist order prohibiting the annual Valley with a Heart Benefits charity event from taking place this year due to the Nanticoke charity’s failure to properly register as a nonprofit organization.
In a public letter posted to social media this week, the charity based at 7 Alden Road said its annual motorcycle ride and picnic, which was being planned to take place Sept. 6, has been canceled due to “improperly filed paperwork” regarding the organization’s nonprofit status.
The group said it is working with the state to resolve the issue and has been getting assistance from state Sen. Lisa Baker, R-20, Lehman Twp. along with state Rep. Alec Ryncavage, 119-R, Plymouth. However, the matter will not be resolved in time for the annual event, which began in 2001 and benefits sick children along with their families.
“Bottom line, we messed up, we’re owning it, and we’re doing what needs to be done,” reads the letter, signed by the “officers and staff” of the charity. “Please know that this decision was not made lightly. We all share in the disappointment that this cancelation brings.”
According to the cease-and-desist order issued by the state department’s Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations, Valley with a Heart Benefits is not registered with the state and/or has failed to submit all requested documentation to the bureau in accordance with the Pennsylvania Solicitation of Funds for Charitable Purposes Act.
The order, signed in January by Secretary Al Schmidt, directed Valley with a Heart to “immediately cease and desist from soliciting contributions on behalf of a charitable organization, or conducting any services of a professional fundraising counsel or professional solicitor in Pennsylvania” until properly registered.
The order notes that the prohibition on fundraising also applies to any internet solicitations, such as online donation buttons.
Failure to comply with the order will result in a fine of up to $1,000 per violation plus $100 per day for each day any violation continues, according to the order.
Valley with a Heart organizers said that the decision to cancel this year’s event “breaks our collective hearts” but vowed to bring the event back next year.
“The annual ride and picnic has become a cornerstone of our fundraising efforts, bringing our community together to support Valley with a Heart Benefits’ mission to provide awareness and support to families with seriously ill children in Luzerne County,” the letter said.
The open letter went on to note that while the organization is currently banned from raising money, it does still have funds available to help families in need. Organizers urged those in need to contact them for assistance.
“We’re still doing it for the kids!” the organizers wrote.
7/8/2026
Newport Twp. agrees to sell sewer system to Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority
bkalinowski@citizensvoice.com
NEWPORT TWP. — After several years of negotiations, Newport Twp. commissioners voted unanimously Monday to authorize the sale of the township’s sewer system to the Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority.
Commissioners approved the measure by a 5-0 vote during their regular meeting.
However, officials declined to disclose the purchase price or other terms of the agreement, saying both parties have not yet executed the final sales documents.
Solicitor Chris Slusser said Monday’s action only authorizes township officials to move forward with completing the transaction.
“This just authorizes the execution of the documents,” Slusser said.
He said additional information, including the purchase agreement, will be released once it has been signed by both parties.
Asked whether a purchase price has been determined, Slusser said, “It’s been negotiated,” but declined to elaborate before the agreement is finalized.
When asked by a township resident how the transaction would affect sewer authority employees, Slusser said there are provisions negotiated within the agreement.
Melissa Melewsky, an media law attorney for the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association, said while there is a real estate executive session exemption to the Sunshine Law, details about sales of public property should be public record.
“The Sunshine Act does not permit private deliberations about the sale of publicly owned property …” Melewsky said.
Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority officials last year announced the organization was increasing its rates a total 63.6% a year through 2030. Annual bills jumped from $220 in 2025 to $260 this year. Bills will increase to $360 in 2030.
The Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority, founded in 1962 and headquartered in Hanover Twp., serves 35 communities in Luzerne County.
Newport Twp.’s sale of its sewer system comes a year after Pittston City agreed to sell its sewer system to Pennsylvania American Water for $26.4 million, a deal awaiting final approval due to legal challenges. Wilkes-Barre, the largest community in Luzerne County, is also considering a sale of its sewer system.
The possible sale of Newport Twp.’s sewer system has been under discussion for several years.
In July 2024, township officials confirmed they were negotiating with the Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority to acquire the Newport Twp. Sewer Authority’s collection system, although few details were publicly released at the time.
The Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority has acquired sewer systems from other municipalities in recent years as local governments seek to address aging infrastructure and rising operating costs.
The Newport Twp. Sewer Authority, formed in 1974, owns and maintains its lines, but the authority is controlled by the Municipality of Newport Twp.
The sewer authority, which has an office manager and several maintenance employees, has a headquarters on Center Street in the Wanamie section of the township and maintains three pumping stations. It owns trucks, equipment and other tools.
6/18/2026
Newport Twp. police: Man strangled child multiple times
Staff Report - Times Leader
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Philip Anthony Dunston, 32, was arrested and charged with strangulation, endangering the welfare of a child, simple assault, and harassment, Newport Township police said in a news release on Monday.
According to police, Dunston strangled a juvenile male and placed his boot on the child’s chin. Police said Dunston was interviewed by Newport Township Police Special Victims unit, where he admitted to strangling the child and placing his boot on the child’s chin. Further investigation showed multiple incidents where Dunston applied his boot and hands to the child’s throat, police said in the news release.
Dunston was arrested and arraigned on Friday, police said. Bail was set at $10,000, which Dunston was unable to post. He is housed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility.
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6/10/2026
Newport Twp. establishes own zoning board, writes rules for data centers
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NEWPORT TWP. — At a time when data center developers continue to appear before zoning boards across Northeast Pennsylvania, Newport Twp. has established its own zoning hearing board for the first time.
Luzerne County has handled zoning matters for Newport Twp. for decades since zoning laws were established and continues to oversee zoning in 19 municipalities.
Leaders of Newport Twp. say they felt it was time to assume local control.
“This has been two years in the making. It had nothing to do with data centers because two years ago we didn’t even know what they were,” Commissioner Mike Roke said. “We just wanted to get away from the county. As time goes on, you want more local control with more local people who are familiar with the town. Now, we can do it all in house.”
The new Newport Twp. Zoning Hearing Board met for an initial organizational meeting on Monday.
Magisterial District Judge Donald Whittaker administered the oaths of office to Scott Brennan, David Stashik, and Jason Tarnowski.
Brennan was selected chairman, Stashik will serve as vice chair, and Tarnowski was chosen to be secretary. Robert Tarnowski will be an alternate.
There are no pending hearings before the board, officials said.
A resident in the audience asked if any proposals have been submitted to establish data centers in Newport Twp., which is about 17 square miles.
The solicitor for the board, Myer Messinger, said there are no proposals on file.
With Newport Twp. establishing its own zoning board, there are 19 municipalities that still rely on Luzerne County for zoning, including the boroughs of Avoca, Courtdale, Dupont, Duryea, Hughestown, Jeddo, Laflin, New Columbus, Pringle, Warrior Run, West Wyoming and Yatesville; and the townships of Conyngham, Fairmount, Hunlock, Huntington, Lake, Ross and Union.
New zoning ordinance addresses data centers
The Newport Twp. Commissioners held a special meeting in April to establish a new zoning ordinance and map to address and regulate data centers.
Data centers would be allowed only in mixed use zoning districts.
The ordinance states data centers shall only be located on sites that are already served, or can be reasonably serviced, by public electric and utility infrastructure.
No data center could be built within 600 feet of a residential district or land used for residential purposes, schools, or parks. A 100-foot vegetative buffer would be required, using native evergreen trees.
A developer would have to submit plans for fire protection, emergency operations, utility coordination, hydrologic impacts, noise management, environmental impacts, telecommunications infrastructure, and community benefit, the ordinance states.
Data centers would also need at least two points of ingress and egress.
5/6/2026
‘Footsteps of our Ancestors’ walking pilgrimage planned
Times Leader
An annual walking pilgrimage to Glen Lyon will continue this year despite the closure of the town’s last Roman Catholic church in January. The fourth annual Footsteps of Our Ancestors Walking Pilgrimage will take place on Saturday, June 13, beginning at St. Mary’s Church, 130 Rectory Road, Mocanaqua, and concluding at St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church, 153 East Main Street, Glen Lyon.
The pilgrimage will begin with sign-in and an opportunity for confession from 7:30 to 8:45 a.m. at St. Mary’s Church. A blessing of pilgrims will take place at 8:45 a.m., after which participants will depart for an approximately seven-mile journey through the Mocanaqua Tract of Pinchot State Forest. Brief stops will be made at St. Adalbert’s Cemetery and at the sites of the former St. Michael and St. Adalbert churches in Glen Lyon.
Divine Liturgy will be offered at St. Nicholas Church at 12:30 p.m. or upon the arrival of the pilgrims. Those who are unable to walk the pilgrimage route are welcome to attend the liturgy. Lunch will be served, and bus transportation back to Mocanaqua will be available at 3:00 p.m.
There is no cost to participate. The public is invited to walk or to submit prayer requests. Online registration is open at tinyurl.com/foapilgrimage26. Prayer requests or questions may be directed to Raphael Micca at 570-301-9253 or foapilgrimage@gmail.com. The pilgrimage will be held rain or shine; participants are asked to dress accordingly and modestly.
A walking pilgrimage is an ancient Christian tradition that continues in many places today, including the Chartres pilgrimage in France, the Camino de Santiago in Spain, and the Pilgrimage for Restoration in upstate New York.
This local walk, now in its fourth year, recalls the treks once made by the early coal-mining families of Mocanaqua. During the 1890s and early 1900s, Mass was offered once a month in an improvised chapel in town. On other Sundays, the faithful walked from Mocanaqua to Glen Lyon for Mass along a route similar to the one planned for this year’s pilgrimage.
3/24/2026
Glen Lyon man charged in Edwardsville shooting
Staff Report Ed Lewis – Times Leader
EDWARDSVILLE — A Newport Township man was charged on allegations he fired a shot in the area of a tavern on Main Street, Edwardsville, early Tuesday morning.
William Arthur Hemple Jr., 25, of East Main Street, Glen Lyon, was arrested while officers with the West Side Regional Police Department investigated a gunshot near Swizzle Sticks Bar just after 12:30 a.m., according to court records.
Court records allege Hemple was outside the tavern and was recorded by a surveillance camera firing a shot in the direction of the business.
A 9mm shell casing was found in a parking lot adjacent to the tavern, court records say.
Police learned Hemple was prohibited from carrying a firearm due to an active protection from abuse order.
A 2023 Honda Civic, reportedly operated by Hemple, was seized by police.
Hemple was arraigned by District Judge Matthew J. Carmody of West Pittston on two counts of disorderly conduct and one count each of illegal possession of a firearm, firearms not to be carried without a license and reckless endangerment.
Hemple was jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $25,000 bail.
2/11/2026
Newport Twp. police charged man after allegedly beating woman
Times Leader
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NEWPORT TWP. — Police in Newport Township arrested Tashawn Deonte Qualls, 26, on allegations he violently assaulted his girlfriend and prevented her from leaving her residence for several days, according to court records.
Qualls, of West Main Street, Plymouth, was arrested when found by police sleeping inside the woman’s residence Tuesday night. Qualls was arraigned by District Judge Donald Whitaker of Nanticoke on two counts each of simple assault, terroristic threats, false imprisonment and unlawful restraint, and a single count of harassment. Qualls was jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $75,000 bail.
According to the criminal complaint:
A woman reported to police Tuesday that Qualls punched her in the head several times and slammed her head against a banister on Feb. 2. After the alleged beating, Qualls called the woman’s sister and stated, “I just beat your sister’s (expletive), she needs to go to the hospital.”
When she returned to her residence, she claimed Qualls took and searched her phone, and threatened to kill her and her 1-month-old daughter if she attempted to leave, the complaint alleges.
The woman told police she was unable to leave out of fear Qualls would harm her and her infant. She managed to leave after Qualls fell asleep and reported the alleged beatings to police.
Police in the complaint say the woman had facial swelling and bruises.
1/23/2026
Glen Lyon man gets 4 years for gun conspiracy
jhalpin@citizensvoice.com
A Glen Lyon man who was convicted of conspiring to illegally traffic firearms was sentenced this week to four years in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
U.S. District Judge Julia K. Munley sentenced Jeremy Shea, 35, on Wednesday to the prison term followed by two years of probation.
Shea previously admitted to conspiring with three others to traffic at least three firearms in Luzerne County between April 2022 and July 9, 2024, prosecutors said.
According to prosecutors, Shea picked up guns from his brother’s hotel room after his brother was arrested in an unrelated case, then safeguarded the weapons in his house with the intent to sell or give them to others.
A search of Shea’s home turned up an American Tactical AR-style rifle with a Bushell mounted optic, a short-barreled AR-15-style rifle, a .22-caliber EIG model E15 six-shot revolver, AR-style magazines, ammunition and drug paraphernalia, prosecutors said.
The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Luzerne County Drug Task Force investigated the case.
1/12/2026
Newswatch 16's Valeria Quiñones takes us to St. Adalbert's church for its final mass.
Author: Valeria Quiñones
GLEN LYON, Pa. — Inside of st. Adalbert's Church on South Market Street in Glen Lyon: The choir sings to the Holy Spirit parish for one last time. The last roman catholic church in Newport Township will close its doors for good, and a 137-year legacy will come to an end.
"It was the sacrifices of poorly paid, hardworking coalminers that made possible this beautiful church," says retired reverend James McGahagan. He came back to the church for this final mass.
He reminisced on the generations of people who worshiped here, a faith they will take with them elsewhere.
"The faith of our parents, grandparents, great grandparents, lives on in each of us," says McGahagan.
In a letter from bishop Joseph Bambara, he says that as local demographics changed and church attendance declined, the decision to close the doors of St. Adalbert's Church came in the face of significant financial challenges as a result.
A stark difference is seen from the usual turnout to the one for this final mass, where every pew is filled.
McGahagan says, "With heavy hearts, we think back to when there were 3 parishes flourishing in town, and today are saddened at the loss of the last of them."
What is left of Holy Spirit Parish's parishioners will be taken up by St. Faustina Parish in Nanticoke and Our lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Lake Silkworth.