Luzerne County is on pace to exceed last year’s drug overdose deaths, new figures show.
The latest division head report indicates the county had 154 drug overdose deaths through November, with another 42 likely overdose deaths pending confirmation through toxicology testing.
The county had 179 overdose deaths in 2020 and 128 in 2019, the coroner’s office said.
County Coroner Francis Hacken has said about 75% of these deaths involve the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl, which is “affecting teenagers to people in their 60s.”
At some point, the county will receive compensation through still-pending litigation it filed in November 2017 against opioid manufacturers and wholesale distributors, County Acting Manager Romilda Crocamo said during her yearly review last week.
This compensation will be used to purchase more of the opioid overdose antidote Narcan and fund other drug and alcohol services, Crocamo said.
The county’s Drug and Alcohol Program trained more than 250 professionals and residents on the use of Narcan and other harm reduction efforts in 2021, Crocamo said in the yearly report. It also distributed approximately 300 Narcan kits to law enforcement, community organizations, treatment/prevention providers and residents, the report said.
Recycling
Approximately 44,700 pounds of paper was diverted from the waste stream in 2021 because 25 municipalities participated in 31 paper shredding events, the county’s Solid Waste Management Department reported in Crocamo’s yearly review.
Another 169,958 pounds of electronics were collected from 27 municipal events, it said.
The county’s two-day tire recycling events this year also brought in 18,800 tires, bringing the 18-year grand total to 347,189 tires collected, it said.
Weddings
Twenty-four weddings were held in the rotunda of the historic county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre from January to October, the yearly review said.
A $500 usage fee is required to cover county staffing costs.
Information on booking the rotunda is posted on the building and grounds department section of the county website at luzernecounty.org.
Tax anticipation loan
County council approved the usual annual tax and revenue anticipation note, or TRAN, last week to cover expenses at the start of 2022 until real estate tax payments start arriving, but the amount was for a lower $14 million.
County Budget/Finance Division Head Brian Swetz told council the county required $16 million in 2021 and $18 million several years ago. Years of spending less than the county brings in each year has made more cash available, he said.
IT director
The county has received multiple applications — the number was not immediately available — for the information technology director position vacated by Mauro DiMauro, said County Acting Manager Romilda Crocamo.
All applications are under review, and Crocamo said she plans to schedule interviews soon.
County cares
The County Cares Commission will hold a virtual meeting at 5 p.m. Tuesday, with instructions to attend posted on council’s online meetings section at luzernecounty.org.
Holiday
County government offices will be closed Friday for the Christmas holiday.