Pennsylvania CareerLink Lackawanna County hosting AI in the workplace webinars Pennsylvania CareerLink Lackawanna County is hosting two virtual webinars that are free for employers. The webinars will be about Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the workplace. Attendees will learn how to balance the innovation and risks of AI. There are two identical sessions to choose from: September 9, 2026 from 1:30-2:30 p.m. and September 11, 2026 from 9:00-10:00 a.m. Employers can register for the September 9th session by clicking here, for the September 11th session by clicking here, or for either session by emailing their requested session date, name, company and email address to RA-LI-BWPO-ESVCS@pa.gov.
Coffee Inclusive to open new location at UNC’s CEDAR Center in Scranton United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania (UNC) has announced that Coffee Inclusive will open a new location at UNC’s CEDAR Center, located at 526 Cedar Avenue in Scranton, in early September. Coffee Inclusive, a program of PA Inclusive, employs individuals with diverse abilities and autism who work side by side with experienced baristas and servers in a supportive, inclusive environment. The new CEDAR Center location will offer a full line of high-quality hot and cold coffees, lattes and espresso drinks, along with baked goods including pastries, muffins, scones, sandwiches and more. “We are thrilled to welcome Coffee Inclusive to the CEDAR Center and to support the expansion of their important work,” said Lisa Durkin, President and CEO of UNC. “This partnership reflects the kind of community-centered collaboration that strengthens our neighborhood, creates opportunities, and brings people together.” PA Inclusive is a Pittston-based nonprofit organization that provides support services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Through Coffee Inclusive, the organization creates meaningful employment opportunities while offering the community a warm and welcoming coffee shop experience. UNC’s CEDAR Center is a newly rehabilitated former bank building located at 526 Cedar Avenue in South Scranton. It serves as a community anchor for programs and neighborhood activity, including adult education, English language learning, career readiness, multicultural wellness programming and the year-round South Side Farmers Market on Saturdays. The addition of Coffee Inclusive will further activate the building as a welcoming place where neighbors, program participants and visitors can connect. “Expanding Coffee Inclusive to the UNC CEDAR Center in Scranton is an exciting step forward in creating more meaningful employment opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities while bringing our message of inclusion, ability, and community to more people throughout Lackawanna County. Every cup served will help demonstrate that people of all abilities can contribute, succeed, and thrive in the workplace,” said Frank Bartoli, President and CEO of PA Inclusive and Coffee Inclusive.
The Wright Center earns Federally Qualified Health Center designation The Wright Center for Community Health has been designated a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). This distinction will significantly broaden the organization’s ability to provide access to affordable, high-quality whole-person primary and preventive health services throughout northeastern Pennsylvania. Awarded through HRSA’s highly competitive New Access Point (NAP) Program, the designation transitions The Wright Center from a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike to a funded FQHC. The Wright Center currently operates 15 community health center locations across Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne and Wyoming counties, including its Driving Better Health mobile medical and dental unit, serving patients throughout northeastern Pennsylvania. About 70% of the enterprise’s patients live at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, including 46% who live below 100% of the guidelines, underscoring the continued need for affordable, accessible healthcare throughout northeastern Pennsylvania.
Wayne Bank makes EITC donation to Scranton Public Library Jim Donnelly, President and Chief Executive Officer of Wayne Bank, is pleased to announce that Wayne Bank has supported the Scranton Public Library through the Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program (EITC). The Scranton Public Library accepted a donation of $3,500 from Chris Moshinskie, Scranton Office Manager, and Valerie Faves, Personal Banker at Wayne Bank. This contribution will help advance the innovative educational programs and services provided by the library. “Access to educational resources helps individuals and communities thrive,” said Mr. Donnelly. “The Scranton Public Library provides valuable programs that inspire learning, creativity, and personal growth, and we’re pleased to support those efforts through the EITC.” The Scranton Public Library enriches the community by fostering lifelong learning, encouraging curiosity, and providing educational, cultural, and recreational resources for residents throughout Lackawanna County. Through the support of organizations like Wayne Bank, the Library can continue serving as a trusted resource for education, opportunity, and community engagement. This gift was made possible because of the Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program offered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, acting through the Department of Community and Economic Development.
Wayne Bank makes donation to help develop local park Jim Donnelly, President and Chief Executive Officer of Wayne Bank, is pleased to announce that Wayne Bank has made a donation in support of the Waymart Borough and its development of Wayside Park. With this donation, Wayne Bank helps the Waymart Borough support its project of developing Wayside Park into a centerpiece for all residents. “At Wayne Bank, we believe strong communities are built through partnerships and investments that make a lasting impact,” said Mr. Donnelly. “Wayside Park is an important gathering place for the residents of Waymart, and we’re proud to support the Borough’s vision of creating a space where families, children, and neighbors can come together for generations to come.” The goal for the project is to expand the park, providing equipment and toys for all ages. With the help of donors like Wayne Bank, the Borough plans to complete this phase in the development of Wayside Park this spring.
The Wright Way to Wellness highlights Community Health Centers’ vital role The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton hosted the new regionalrepresentative of the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers (PACHC) during The Wright Way to Wellness: Kids Edition event on Aug. 6. The event, which attracted hundreds of children and their families, was part of The Wright Center’s celebration of National Health Center Week, an annual observancerecognizing the essential role community health centers play in improving access to high-quality, comprehensive, whole-person primary health services. Participating in the program were Melissa Germano, director of lifestyle modification and preventive medicine at The Wright Center, who coordinated the wellness fair; Nicole Peterson, regional representative at Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers; and Kara Seitzinger, executive director of public affairs and advisor to the president and CEO at The Wright Center.
The Wright Center for Community Health earns federal recognition for health quality measures The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) recognized The Wright Center for Community Health for quality and access improvements that enhance patient care. HRSA annually reviews the performance data of health centers across the United States to highlight organizations that meet or exceed its goals in categories of special focus, including quality, access, and health information technology, using data from the Uniform Data System (UDS). During National Health Center Week, HRSA awarded Community Health Quality Recognition (CHQR) badges for excellence in clinical quality to more than 1,200 health centers across the country. HRSA first awarded CHQR badges in 2021. Since then, The Wright Center has earned more than a dozen badges. For 2026, HRSA awarded The Wright Center with the following badges: Improving Health Care Access, which recognizes health centers that have increased the total number of patients and the number of patients receiving comprehensive services – including mental health, substance use disorder, dental, and other services – by at least 5% between calendar year 2024 and 2025, the two most recent UDS reporting periods. National Quality Leader – Heart Health, which recognizes health centers that demonstrate outstanding performance in clinical quality measures related to heart health, including screening patients for tobacco use and offering help to quit, preventing heart disease, using the proper medications to improve heart health, and helping patients control high blood pressure. Advancing Health Information Technology, which recognizes health centers that use technology to improve healthcare and make it easier for patients to access care. This includes increasing access to telehealth, helping patients stay involved in their care, sharing information between health systems, and collecting data to better meet patients’ health needs. In January, HRSA awarded The Wright Center for Community Health a 2024 Operational Site Visit Badge, after a virtual Operational Site Visit that determined The Wright Center demonstrated full compliance with all Health Center Program requirements. The Wright Center has also maintained HRSA’s annual Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) badge since 2022, which recognizes health centers that prioritize a commitment to continuous quality improvement and a patient-centered approach to care. HRSA-funded health centers, which include The Wright Center, provide comprehensive, whole-person primary and preventive health services at more than 16,000 service sites nationwide to one in eight children, one in five rural residents, and one in 15 adults 65 and older. Information about badge recipients can be found on an online dashboard at hrsa.gov. The Wright Center is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2026. Founded in 1976, The Wright Centers for Community Health, Graduate Medical Education, and Patient & Community Engagement is a physician-led, community-owned nonprofit and a cornerstone of health care in the region. The enterprise employs nearly 680 professionals – including nearly 200 resident and fellow physicians – and trains more than 200 interprofessional health care learners each year. In fiscal year 2025-26, The Wright Center served more than 39,000 unique patients across all care settings in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne, and Wyoming counties. As a nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike and safety-net provider, The Wright Center serves all patients, regardless of insurance status, ZIP code, or ability to pay. No patient is turned away due to an inability to pay.
Barry Isett & Associates hosts career exploration day for students Barry Isett & Associates welcomed nine students from the Northampton Area School District Summer Career Mentorship Program to its office for a day of career exploration and industry insight. The program connected students with professionals who provided mentorship, guidance, and real-world perspectives on a variety of careers. Throughout the day, students met with team members from 11 departments across the organization, gaining exposure to the many disciplines that help bring projects and communities to life. From municipal, structural, MEP, geotechnical, and land development engineering to environmental services, surveying, landscape architecture, grants management, code services, and construction quality assurance, students experienced the collaborative nature of the industry firsthand. Through conversations about education, career journeys, workplace challenges, and professional growth, the Barry Isett & Associates team also provided insight into pathways students may never have previously considered.
Prudential earns four awards at US Customer Experience Awards Prudential Financial, Inc. today announced that Just Ask, the generative AI tool built by its Individual Life Insurance business, has received four honors at the 2026 US Customer Experience Awards. The recognition places Just Ask among the country’s most decorated customer experience initiatives of the year. Just Ask was recognized in the following categories: Best Digital Transformation (Gold) Best Innovation in CX (Gold) Best Use of AI – Companies with Over 5,000 Employees (Gold) Best Business Change and Transformation (Silver) Now in its 11th year, the US Customer Experience Awards is the longest-standing celebration of customer excellence in the country, honoring organizations that put customers at the heart of their business. “Delivering for our customers is what we’re here to do, and Just Ask is one way we’re helping the financial professionals who serve them work more efficiently,” said Simon Berg, Individual Life Insurance technology business leader at Prudential. “Financial professionals play a critical role in helping people plan for their financial future and if we can help them get to the information they need faster, they can spend more time with the customers who are counting on them.” Just Ask was designed to help financial professionals get faster information about Prudential’s insurance products, underwriting quick quotes and new business forms. The tool was built in response to what Individual Life sales teams said they needed: one place to find the answers they use every day, without navigating multiple systems. Since it launched a few months ago, 85% of first-time users of Just Ask reported that the tool was helpful in answering their questions.1 In fact, most questions are answered in under 22 seconds, giving financial professionals more time back to focus on their clients.1 In addition, forms searches were the most common use, followed closely by underwriting quotes. The recognition from the US Customer Experience Awards follows Just Ask’s June honor as Celent’s Model Insurer of the Year for 2026, the top prize in the firm’s annual awards program.
Norwood & St. Lawrence Locomotive No. 210 being transferred to NY The historic Norwood & St. Lawrence Railroad Locomotive No. 210 will be transferred from Steamtown National Historic Site to the St. Lawrence Power & Equipment Museum in New York, marking the successful completion of a complex, multi-year effort to ensure the locomotive’s long-term preservation and interpretation in the region where it spent nearly its entire operating career. “Returning No. 210 to its place of origin is an excellent example of responsible stewardship strengthening the entire railroad preservation community,” said Jeremy Komasz, superintendent of Steamtown National Historic Site. “Successfully transferring the locomotive to an organization dedicated to preserving its local history allows its story to be told where it is most meaningful.” Built in 1923 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in Schenectady, New York, No. 210 served the Norwood & St. Lawrence Railroad for decades, becoming an enduring part of the industrial and transportation history of northern New York. Steamtown National Historic Site connects visitors with the history of American railroading and its profound influence on the nation’s industrial, commercial, and social development through the preservation of historic locomotives, rolling stock, railroad infrastructure, museum collections, archives, and the continued operation of historic railroad equipment. The transfer highlights the collaborative nature of historic preservation throughout the United States. The National Park Service, museums, historical societies, nonprofit organizations, volunteers, and local communities each play an essential role in preserving America’s railroad heritage. By working together, these organizations help ensure that historic resources remain accessible, relevant, and available to educate and inspire future generations. No. 210 moving back to northern New York represents an important milestone but should not be viewed as establishing a routine process. The transfer was the culmination of a lengthy effort with unique historical, legal, operational, and stewardship considerations involving federal law and policy review and extensive coordination between federal and state agencies and the receiving organization. The transfer also supports the park’s long-term stewardship strategy to allocate preservation funding, restoration capacity, track space, and staff resources on nationally significant locomotives, passenger cars, freight equipment, railroad structures, and infrastructure that collectively tell the broad story of American railroading.
