Scranton mayor vying for Congress once hired a known criminal for key commission

Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, who is vying for Congress, once put a man with a criminal history on the city’s Human Relations Commission who later committed crimes while serving in that post. Cognetti, the Democratic nominee to take on Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R-Pa.), appointed Mike Villa to the commission, which is tasked with fielding complaints from people who allege discrimination. Just last month, Villa was hit with a 10-month prison sentence as well as 38 months of probation for trespassing on a local high school during his time serving on the commission. At the local high school, Villa had what…

Recent deals lift 2 Park Ave. to 90% occupancy

Since Hadson Realty bought 2 Park Ave. from Morgan Stanley last year for $360 million — 31% less than the investment bank paid for it in 2007 — the 1.2 million square foot prewar property has been on a leasing roll. More than 165,000 square feet in recently signed deals…

City shows off models of proposed sidewalk sheds

The Department of Buildings has unveiled two proposed new sidewalk shed designs that would replace the monstrosities that blight an incredible 360 miles of sidewalks in the city. They’re less blatantly offensive than the familiar, hulking steel-and-green wood eyesores. But no one should mistake them for a real solution to…

Dodgers’ Brusdar Graterol has back surgery; status for season unclear

Brusdar Graterol’s year-and-a-half-long injury saga took another disappointing turn Sunday. The Dodgers reliever underwent surgery for a recent back injury he suffered while on a minor-league rehab assignment earlier this month, a source confirmed to The California Post after Graterol posted about the operation on Instagram. It leaves Graterol’s status…

USC baseball pulverizes Texas A&M behind surprise pitching star

All week, the big question facing the USC baseball team was how it would align its pitching rotation for a showdown against Texas A&M. Rather than go with ace Mason Edwards in the opener of the College Station Regional of the NCAA Tournament, the Trojans turned to Grant Govel while…

One decision could help lower dementia risk and improve long-term brain health

People who quit smoking may reduce their risk of developing dementia later in life, according to new research. A team of researchers at a university in China analyzed data from more than 32,000 adults over a 25-year period and found that former smokers had a lower risk of dementia compared to people who continued…

Markets

More
More forecasts: Weather 30 days Sydney