Latest news with #Hazleton
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Teen artist ‘blooming' into her craft
BUTLER TOWNSHIP, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — There is no denying that the pandemic disrupted student learning and development, but one local teen turned that time in isolation to tap into her creativity, which can now be seen in her community. Take a look around Hazleton Area Arts and Humanities Academy (HAAHA), and you will see the lasting mark Ava Leitner left on the school that gave purpose to her studies. 'It feels a bit more open for creativity here, and I really enjoy being able to express that,' said Ava. The teen artist painted multiple murals, including a bug-themed mural near a biology room, another with colorful numbers near the math classroom, and one that is perfect for the reading and English area. Ava points to the COVID-19 pandemic with finding the time to hone her art skills. 'I ended up watching a lot of art YouTubers at that time, and it really inspired me to start actually start drawing myself,' explained Ava. It did not take long for her visual arts teacher to recognize Ava's passion for art. 'When you have a student who's that motivated, it's wonderful. You just point them and set them in directions, and you just try to facilitate their creativity and give them more opportunities to express that,' said Honors Visual Arts Instructor at HAAHA, Anne Flowers. Ava's biggest project to date, both in size and scope, cannot be found inside the school. 'There was a blank wall, and my boss allowed me to do a mural there,' explained Ava. 'There' is at Conyngham Floral on the South Hunter Highway, where Ava has worked part-time for a couple of years. 'So, since it's a flower shop, I just picked out some flowers that I thought would go best and drew up a concept digitally and then ended up projecting it on, tracing it, and starting to paint,' said Ava. Involved valedictorian helping those around her The mural features bright yellow sunflowers surrounded by red roses and a purple stargazer lily. Ava began the artwork in October 2024, quite a project for a budding muralist. 'We did have to use scaffolding, and that was a bit of a pain to use, moving it constantly,' said Ava. 'Very intimidating to jump into something like that, and she was outside, and cars were going past, and she's working really hard, and it just, it speaks to her character,' said Flowers. Ava completed the mural in a couple of weeks, and how have people responded to it? 'Very positively. I am still receiving comments,' said Ava. Ms. Flowers is proud to see the teen behind the flower shop mural, well, flourish. 'Ava is wonderful, and I wish I could clone her, and I'd teach for free,' said Flowers. And how does Ava feel about blooming into the artist she's become? 'Definitely very proud of myself for being able to accomplish something that people can enjoy,' stated Ava. Ava says she has another mural project lined up this summer in Hazleton. Meanwhile, she plans to attend Luzerne County Community College this fall for general studies before transferring next year to Kutztown University, where she will major in art. Here's to you, Ava. If you have a kid you think should be featured on Here's To You Kid!, send in a nomination online. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Robotics class sends off high-altitude weather balloon
DRUMS, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — The phrase 'teamwork makes the dream work' has become popular ever since a clergyman coined it a couple of decades ago. The expression certainly applies to some local students. They achieved their dream of having a class project take flight quite literally. Juniors and seniors at Hazleton Area Academy of Sciences received their marching orders for a high-flying project in John Berta's robotics class. Their project? To launch a 42-foot high-altitude weather balloon more than 100,000 feet into the atmosphere. They worked on this project for several weeks, a project the school has done in previous years. 'I was like really kind of nervous because it was such, like, a tedious process on the ground getting, making sure everything was okay,' said graduating senior Avery Sherman of Hazleton Area Academy of Sciences. This year's launch marked a first. Never before had the class attempted one in the evening. They scheduled this launch at around 7:30 p.m., well after school hours. 'The goal here was to try and time the max height of the balloon with at least on, or about, sunset so that we can see the line of sunset across the earth,' teacher John Berta explained. 'So what's going to happen is as it goes up, it's going to start to pull this up, so everybody kind of has to give with it,' said Berta. Before the launch, much needs to be done, including getting enough helium, building a payload container, and even alerting the Air Force about their high-in-the-sky project. Teen artist 'blooming' into her craft 'Funny enough, it's a lot of prep work and making sure lights blink properly,' said graduating senior Ryan Brislin of Hazleton Area Academy of Sciences. With a tracking device and a 360-degree GoPro camera firmly attached, it is finally 'go' time. The onboard camera from above captures the jubilation down below. 'A lot of people don't think that much work goes into this stuff, but its great seeing all the work you put into it and then it's a simple thing, so we launched a balloon to the sky, but to think about how much work went into it and the aftermath and everything, it's awesome,' explained Evan Thomas, graduating senior from Hazleton Area Academy of Sciences. The camera captured the breathtaking view of the sun setting along the curvature of the Earth. The project is something Mr. Berta's students will likely never forget, among them a 'Here's to You Kid' from January 2025, Eagle Scout Paige Greco. Girl Scout helping a dying bat population with bat boxes 'Yeah, it was definitely really nerve-wracking like all throughout school I was like stressing, but it's so, it was so relieving and a really good memory to be able to say that that happened,' said Greco. Mr. Berta tells 28/22 News the high-altitude balloon burst in roughly two hours and landed about 50 miles from Hazleton Area Academy of Sciences. He recovered the payload two days later from 40 feet up in a tree at Camp Canadensis in the Poconos. To the 2025 robotics class at Hazleton Area Academy of Sciences, here's to you, kids! If you have a kid you think should be featured on Here's To You Kid!, send in a nomination online. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Yahoo
One dead, one injured after early morning shooting
HAZLETON, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU)— One man is dead and another person is injured after an early morning shooting at a restaurant. According to the Luzerne County Coroner Dion Fernandes, his office was called to Lehigh Valley Medical Center just before 2:30 p.m. for man who was shot at a restaurant along Alter Street in Hazleton. 1 woman dead, former PSU WR injured, after ATV crash One person was also transported with minor injuries and is expected to be okay. It is unknown at this time what led to the shooting or if there is a suspect in custody at this time. The shooting is under investigation by Hazleton City Police Department, the Luzerne County District Attorney, and Pennsylvania State Police. The coroner states that an autopsy will be performed on Tuesday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Highschool caps off year launching a weather balloon
HAZLETON, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU)— Students from the Hazleton Area Academy of Sciences marked their school year's end with a high-flying science experiment. The robotics class launched their annual high-altitude weather balloon from the campus in drums. This year's marks a first, with students aiming for a nighttime launch to capture the earth's curvature at sunset. New technology helping stroke victims rehab Juniors and seniors spent months preparing the helium balloon, camera equipment, and payload to reach and capture the view more than 100-thousand feet in the air. 'It was definitely really nerve-wracking, like all throughout school I was like stressing, but it was so relieving and a really good memory to be able to say that that happened today in my senior year,' expressed Paige Greco, senior, Hazleton Area Academy of Sciences. 'A lot of people don't think that much work goes into this stuff, but its great seeing all the work he put into it and then it's a simple thing. We launched a balloon to the sky, but to think about how much work went into it and the aftermath and everything, it's awesome,' added Evan Thomas, senior, Hazleton Area Academy of Sciences. Their instructor says they hope their cameras capture not just a stunning sunset, but possibly lightning from storms and city lights from far above. The balloon should land somewhere near northwest New Jersey, with recovery planned for Saturday morning if it doesn't get stuck in a tree like last year's balloon. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Politico
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Justice Department drops lawsuit accusing Pennsylvania city of diluting Hispanic vote
HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania — The U.S. Justice Department has withdrawn its lawsuit that accused a heavily Hispanic city in Pennsylvania of illegally diluting the political power of its growing Hispanic population. U.S. District Judge Karoline Mehalchick in Scranton approved the dismissal of the case against Hazleton on Tuesday, a day after the Justice Department requested it. It is the latest example of the department under President Donald Trump dropping or withdrawing from a voting rights case begun under former President Joe Biden, including a case in Georgia. The department didn't explain in its court filing why it is withdrawing or issue a statement on the case Tuesday. The department's initial lawsuit, filed in January, said the 'at-large' system of electing city council members, as opposed to electing them by district, was unfair to Hispanic voters and prevented them from getting elected to city council. The Justice Department argued that the system violated the federal Voting Rights Act and had sought a court order requiring the city, the five-member City Council and Republican Mayor Jeff Cusat to come up with a new system. City officials insisted the system was lawful and gave equal voting rights to all citizens. They pointed out that Hispanic residents serve on city boards and authorities, although none have been elected to city council. In a statement Tuesday, Cusat took credit for the dismissal, saying the city's arguments in court 'exposed the fundamental weaknesses' in the department's accusations. The department had adopted the 'baseless' assumption that the city's non-Hispanic white voters vote as a bloc to defeat Hispanic candidates, Cusat wrote. The city's voters can change the system through a referendum, he said. Hazleton's 30,000 residents are about two-thirds Hispanic, according to U.S. Census figures. One-third is non-Hispanic white. The lawsuit's claims echoed a separate lawsuit filed by two Hispanic parents against the at-large system of voting for members of the Hazleton Area School District board. The school district denied the allegation.
