Man Allegedly Threatened People In Downtown Wilkes-Barre With Crossbow

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Luzerne County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

WILKES-BARRE, PA — A man was arrested after he allegedly threatened people walking downtown with a loaded crossbow.

Police were dispatched to South Main Street at about 5:20 p.m. for a report of a male wearing a poncho and carrying a loaded crossbow.

Reports were made that the male had fired the crossbow at a moving vehicle and pointed it at several people.

Officers located the male, identified as Joseph Warnagiris, 29, of Wilkes-Barre, who had his hands hidden under his poncho, police said.

Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news-news/50705500/Man-allegedly-threatened-people-with-crossbow

Results Released On Wilkes-Barre Downtown Survey

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WILKES-BARRE — Thursday seemed like the best possible day to release a report on a downtown survey.
 
Public Square was filled with people attending the weekly farmers’ market and Mother Nature cooperated by offering a spectacular day of sunshine.
 
Patty Kopec and her daughter, Frankie, were enjoying some of the food and sunshine. Even with no entertainment on the band shell stage, the Kopecs raved about the city and the downtown and said they wished more events were planned for Public Square.
 
“It needs this kind of stuff,” Patty Kopec said. “It needs more events that appeal to families.”

Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news-news/50098707/Results-released-on-downtown-survey%23.U-P3K8JH2i4#.U-T5m_RDsxI

Wilkes-Barre St. Patrick’s Day Parade Date Set

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The city of will hold its 34th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 16. The parade route will begin at South Main and South streets and will travel along South Main to Public Square, around the F.M. Kirby Center and end at the intersection of North Main and Union streets.

All ages are welcome to enjoy the parade activities and performances throughout the day. Children are invited to Barnes & Noble College Bookstore for a St. Patrick’s Day story hour at noon. Just Plain Crazy Face Art will also be available at noon on Public Square with parade themed artwork for children and adults.

Read more: http://timesleader.com/news/local-news-news/1230827/W-B-St.-Patricks-Day-Parade-date-set

Sears, Penney Sever Ties With Paula Deen

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NEW YORK — Paula Deen’s media and merchandising empire is collapsing.

Sears, J.C. Penney and Walgreen said Friday that they’re cutting ties with Paula Deen, adding to the growing list of companies severing their relationship following revelations that the Southern celebrity chef used racial slurs in the past.

Meanwhile, Paula Deen’s publisher has canceled a deal with her for multiple books, including an upcoming cookbook that was the No. 1 seller on Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com.

Ballantine Books announced Friday it would not release “Paula Deen’s New Testament: 250 Favorite Recipes, All Lightened Up,” which was scheduled for October and was the first of a five-book deal announced early last year. Interest in it had surged as Deen, who grew up in Albany, Ga., and specializes in Southern comfort food, came under increasing attack for acknowledging she had used the N-word.

Read more:  http://www.timesherald.com/article/20130628/NEWS04/130629609/sears-penney-sever-ties-with-paula-deen#full_story

Borders Going Out Of Business!!!!

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The long decline of bookseller Borders Group is finally coming to an end.  It was announced Monday, July 18th, that the chain’s remaining 400 stores will all close and nearly 11,000 employees will lose their jobs.

The sale of Borders to Najafi Companies fell through after creditors objected to part of the $435 million deal.  Books-A-Million, the nation’s third-largest book retailer, may be interested in purchasing a few of the locations (30).

Borders was the second-largest bookstore chain in the U.S.

Borders Bookstores File For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection

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Borders filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York on Wednesday.

Borders is hemorrhaging cash at the rate of $2 million dollars a day from underperforming stores.  Borders intends to close 200 of its 642 stores nationwide.  The closures will come in the next few weeks.  Clearance sales could start as early as this weekend.

Borders will receive $505 million in debtor-in-possession financing from GE Capital Partners and others to help with the reorganization.  Borders owes over $100 million to various publishers.  Book sales nationwide fell 5 percent in 2010.  Borders controls 14.3 percent of the book selling market.  Barnes & Noble, on the other hand, controls 29.8 percent of the market which is helping them survive the economic downturn.

Borders has been in business since 1971, when it started out with one used bookstore in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  Borders was owned by Kmart Corp. from 1992 until 2006.  Borders committed a fatal error when it opted out of their e-commerce contract with Amazon.com in 2001.  This decision made it possible for Barnes & Noble to eventually double Borders market share.