Citizens Voice

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... A Wilkes-Barre man drained his mother’s bank account to feed an online gambling habit, leaving her without the money needed to pay for her care at a Kingston nursing home, according to police. Orlando S. Blackwell, 41, is facing felony theft charges alleging he stole $88,413 that was entrusted to him to pay his mother’s bills.

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... By YURI KAGEYAMA and MICHELLE CHAPMAN, AP Business Writers U.S. futures are sliding after intensifying violence in the Middle East pushed the price of crude oil over $100 a barrel. It’s the first time Brent crude, the international standard, has reached triple digits in nearly six weeks. Fighting in the Middle East has throttled the global flow of oil and rising energy prices are adding to inflationary pressures. Brent crude rose 2.8% to $100.70 a barrel.

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Plymouth Borough police have charged eight men in connection with a fight and shooting that injured two people, including an innocent bystander, during last month’s 22nd Annual Plymouth Kielbasa Festival. Laron Lee Pearsall, 18, of Edwardsville, and Nehemiah Joseph Samuel, 21, of Wilkes-Barre, are charged with shooting Isaiah Kiaz Featherstone, 26, of Edwardsville, during the fight that broke out on the night of Aug. 8.

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... King’s College commemorated the 80th anniversary of its founding with a special Mass Sept. 8 in the Chapel of Christ the King. The Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, D.D., J.C.L., Bishop of Scranton, presided. King’s College President the Rev. Thomas Looney, left, presents a relic of Pope St. Pius X as a gift to Bishop Joseph Bambera during the King’s College 80th anniversary Mass at the Chapel of Christ the King in Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026.

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... NEW YORK — The sports world stopped cold around here after 9/11, respectfully and correctly. There was too much despair in the air, too much angst about big crowds and airline flights. As Derek Jeter told reporters back then, during the darkest moments, “They’re still trying to find people. I really don’t think it’s the right time to play baseball.” Quickly, though, a debate emerged about these cancellations: How long is too long?

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... By DYLAN LOVAN DANVILLE, Ky. (AP) — When a friend approached Brent Williams four years ago with a business proposition to start an ostrich farm, he was more than intrigued — he had a personal motivation as someone who developed a life-threatening allergy to red meat, triggered by tick bites. The problem, known as alpha-gal syndrome, was first linked to a particular species of ticks about 15 years ago.

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... At 16, Louie is an old man by cat standards. Two years ago, Alexandra Pearce noticed that the cat who usually stuck to her like Velcro wasn’t quite himself. What started as a minor rash under his collar evolved into a painful, swollen ulcer in his left eye that required months of trips to the vet, pills and eye drops. The bill exceeded $2,000. For many people, that’s a rent payment. “I really am amazed that I just handed over my card that day,” Pearce said.

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... By The Associated Press The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen said Wednesday that Saudi-backed forces had launched dozens of airstrikes overnight across four Yemeni provinces after rebel attacks on Saudi Arabia ignited fires at several oil facilities and wounded dozens of people. Separately, Iranian state media said Iranian forces struck several tankers and two U.S. ships in retaliation for U.S. strikes on Iranian ships on Tuesday.

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... By CATHY BUSSEWITZ, AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The price of oil surpassed $100 a barrel for the first time since July after attacks on oil facilities and ships in the Middle East threatened to debilitate an already weakened supply chain. Brent crude, the international standard, jumped nearly 3% to $100.72 early Wednesday. U.S. benchmark crude gained 2.4% to $95.25 a barrel, and U.S. gasoline prices rose sharply overnight.

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... NEW YORK — Aaron Judge headed to the batter’s box for the first time in more than three months, sparking a standing ovation. “It reminded me a little bit of in ‘22 going for 62. They’re all on their feet,” he said, remembering back to his pursuit of the American League home run record.