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Legendary Polka musician John “Stanky” Stankovic dies at 89

NANTICOKE — John “Stanky” Stankovic, the legendary Northeast Pennsylvania Polka king who entertained millions of people from around the world for decades, died on Christmas Day, his family announced Thursday night.

Stankovic, 89, was the longtime lead singer of the Polka band “Stanky and the Coal Miners,” which headlined Northeast Pennsylvania bazaars and toured the world on cruise ships as the headlining act for decades.

“Every night Stanky ended the performance with the song ‘I don’t want to go home, don’t want to go home’ but today Stanky was called safely home. He will be greatly missed by his family, friends and fans!!!,” a posting on his band’s website said.

When Stankovic was a boy, his coal miner father — who urged him to learn to play the accordion instead of focusing on baseball — told him if he learned 10 songs he could make a living for himself.

“I told him, ‘I’ll learn 11 and see the world.’ And I did,” Stankovic said.

Stankovic saw the world and then some, thanks to his accordion playing skills and wholesome Polka songs.

He told his life story in an autobiography called “Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie: The Story of Stanky and the Coal Miners.”

Back in his polka band’s heyday, Stankovic once had a globe-crossing marathon weekend by playing in England on a Friday, at the Bloomsburg Fair on a Saturday and in Switzerland on a Sunday. One time, he performed in front of one million people at a festival in Tiananmen Square in China. His Polka band would pack cruise ships as the main act on excursions all across the world.

“We saw the entire world playing Polka music from Nanticoke Pennsylvania,” said Stankovic’s daughter Debbie Stankovic Horoschock, who played trumpet in the band.

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Haldimand council votes down ballot question about Nanticoke MZO

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A controversial development proposal near the Nanticoke steelworks will not be on the ballot when Haldimand County voters elect their next municipal council in October 2026.

Published Dec 19, 2025  •  Last updated 3 days ago  •  3 minute read

MZO signSigns like this one spotted along the highway outside Jarvis popped up throughout Haldimand County during Shelley Ann Bentley’s successful mayoral campaign in 2022. Some of the signs have stayed put ever since, conveying some residents’ continued opposition to building 15,000 homes on industrial land in Nanticoke. Photo by J.P. Antonacci /Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

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A controversial development proposal near the Nanticoke steelworks will not be on the ballot when Haldimand County voters elect their next municipal council in October 2026.

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Mayor Shelley Ann Bentley said she wanted to have a referendum-style question added to the ballot to ask voters if they support having the province issue a minister’s zoning order (MZO) to change the zoning on industrial lands ringing Stelco’s Lake Erie Works.

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Empire Communities has applied to the province for an MZO that would allow the developer to formally pitch a plan to build 15,000 new homes on 2,500 acres of farmland while reviving 1,700 acres of industrial land.

Upon completion, if approved, Empire’s plan would turn Nanticoke into Haldimand’s biggest community.

Critics of the proposed development say bringing 40,000 new residents to Haldimand would irrevocably change the county’s rural character while  straining infrastructure and causing traffic chaos.

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But proponents note the development would happen over decades, and in the meantime, Haldimand would benefit from Empire’s pledge to fund badly needed water and wastewater infrastructure while servicing long-unused…

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Kathleen T. Graham – Wilkes-Barre Citizens’ Voice

Kathleen T. Graham OBITUARY

Kathleen T. Graham, Kathy, 79, of Wilkes-Barre, passed away in the presence of her loving family at home on Wednesday, December 17, 2025.

Born March 29, 1946 in Wilkes-Barre she was the daughter of the late Charles and Kathleen Dunnigan Kennedy.

Kathleen was a graduate of Saint Therese’s School, Saint Mary’s High School, and Empire Beauty School in Wilkes-Barre.

A homemaker mostly, Kathy worked at Main Hardware, and its Christmasland in Wilkes-Barre, and at McDonald’s in Hanover Township.

Her favorite times of the year were watching Notre Dame football, St. Patrick’s Day, and all the festivities, right up to her birthday. Then she couldn’t wait for the warm spring and summer days sitting in her yard with an iced tea and great conversation with friends and family.

Her husband of sixty years, Ralph J. Graham, Art, preceded her in death on September 25, 2025.

Surviving and cherishing her memory are her children Ralph and his wife Debbie Graham of Kingston Township, Kevin and his wife Betsy Graham of Nanticoke, Scott and his wife Sharyl Graham of Wilkes-Barre, PJ and his wife Alyson Graham of Wilkes-Barre, Kathleen and her husband Foster Knorr of Nanticoke, and Kelly and her husband Mark R of Wilkes-Barre; grandchildren Samantha and her husband John Musto, Corey Graham, Brittany Cox and her husband Cameron, Megan and Gabriella Graham, Erika and her husband John Mavus, Alycia Knorr, Evann and Ian Graham; sister Nancy and her husband Herb Fehlinger; nephews Charles and Michael Fehlinger; and other family and friends.

A simple thank you will never be enough for the sacrifice, care, and love their caregiver and daughter, Kelly, gave Kathy and Art over the past five years.

Celebration of Kathleen’s Life takes place Monday, December 22, 2025, in the Church of Saint Nicholas-Saint…

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HS ROUNDUP: Trojanettes’ defense too much for Seminary

  • Greater Nanticoke Areas Haley Verazin battles Wyoming Seminarys Nori Neuwirth...

    Greater Nanticoke Areas Haley Verazin battles Wyoming Seminarys Nori Neuwirth for the ball during action Friday Night December 19th 2025 at Greater Nanticoke Area. DAVE SCHERBENCO / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

  • Greater Nanticoke Areas Navaeh Baran battles Wyoming Seminarys Stella Ruiz...

    Greater Nanticoke Areas Navaeh Baran battles Wyoming Seminarys Stella Ruiz for the ball during action Friday Night December 19th 2025 at Greater Nanticoke Area. DAVE SCHERBENCO / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

  • Wyoming Seminarys Ellie Kersey looks to work the ball around...

    Wyoming Seminarys Ellie Kersey looks to work the ball around Greater Nanticoke Area defender Natalee Atkins during action Friday Night December 19th 2025 at Greater Nanticoke Area. DAVE SCHERBENCO / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

  • Greater Nanticoke Area and Wyoming Seminary players scramble for the...

    Greater Nanticoke Area and Wyoming Seminary players scramble for the loose ball during action Friday Night December 19th 2025 at Greater Nanticoke Area. DAVE SCHERBENCO / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

  • Greater Nanticoke Areas Navaeh Baran drives to the hoop guarded...

    Greater Nanticoke Areas Navaeh Baran drives to the hoop guarded by Wyoming Seminarys Ellie Kersey during action Friday Night December 19th 2025 at Greater Nanticoke Area. DAVE SCHERBENCO / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

  • Wyoming Seminarys Kaeleen Dougherty passes over Greater Nanticoke defenders under...

    Wyoming Seminarys Kaeleen Dougherty passes over Greater Nanticoke defenders under the Seminary net during action Friday Night December 19th 2025 at Greater Nanticoke Area. DAVE SCHERBENCO / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

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Greater Nanticoke Areas Haley Verazin battles Wyoming Seminarys Nori Neuwirth for the ball during action Friday Night December 19th 2025 at Greater Nanticoke Area. DAVE SCHERBENCO / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

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The Nanticoke Area girls basketball team used strong defense…

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Nanticoke MZO referendum voted down 4-3 by Haldimand Council

NANTICOKE—A public referendum that would have placed a question on the 2026 municipal election ballot to gauge the level of support for Empire Communities’ Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO) request for a proposed large-scale, multi-use development in Nanticoke was rejected by Haldimand Council in a 4-3 vote on Tuesday, December 9, 2025.

The proposal was first brought forth by Mayor Shelley Ann Bentley at a Council meeting on September 16. The mayor read the proposed question ahead of the December vote: “Should Haldimand County Council support the Minister’s Zoning Order regarding the proposed development of 2,500 acres for residential development and 1,700 acres for employment development in Nanticoke?”

Sullivan Mahoney LLP were retained to provide their legal opinion on the matter, noting that the question does adhere to the Municipal Elections Act criteria.

While Haldimand initially submitted an MZO request to the Province in March 2022.

Bentley brought forth a motion in early 2023 to launch public consultation on the matter, leading to two public meetings in April 2023 where resident delegates spoke for or against the MZO. Those meetings ended with a 4-2 Council vote in May that maintained Council’s initial MZO support.

Hadimand’s MZO request was voided in April 2024 however, due to changes to the provincial MZO framework

At a June 2024 Council meeting, Council voted 4-3 to support proponent Empire Communities submitting their own MZO request under the new framework. 

A newly elected Ward 4 Councillor Brad Adams joined Bentley in her attempts to reverse Council’s decision. At an August 26, 2025 meeting, he brought forth a petition signed by over 2,400 constituents against the proposed development and motioned to repeal County support for the MZO request, but was defeated with a…

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OPP investigate threat made to McKinnon Park Secondary School in Caledonia

OPP investigate threat made to McKinnon Park Secondary School in Caledonia | The Haldimand Press

Thursday, December 18, 2025

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Vienna Gears up for 44th Annual Luminary

(VIENNA, Md) – A holiday tradition returns to the banks of the Nanticoke River this weekend.

This Saturday, thousands of lights will line the streets of Vienna as the town’s Heritage Society hosts their 44th annual Luminaria.

And one board member says they can’t wait to see the small community light up the Nanticoke.

“We have a lot of old homes. We have a big maritime history. And to be able to highlight this through the holidays, time is really an awesome experience for all of us in town,” says Heritage Society Board Member, Patricia Johnson.

For Anne Hillyer and her husband, who live in the historical home of former Maryland Governor, Thomas Hicks, the Luminaria represents mixing the holiday spirit, and the history of Maryland along this Eastern Shore river.

Hillyer tells WMDT, “They’re opening the church up, and they’re going to do singing and Christmas music, you know, holiday music there. So there are so many things that are happening. This is a really special little event that I think many people don’t know about.”

The Dorchester County Historical Society is also taking part in Vienna’s festivities. As they bring a painting of Governor Hicks back to his one-time home.

“It’s reminding people, that the past is still alive, even if the persons who made it have only been able to leave behind small snippets and information,” says Dorchester County Historical Society’s Marcos Salaverria.

The Heritage Society says it’s a hit in the community of less than 300 people.

And as they ring in the holiday season, they’re looking for everyone to be in high spirits as Christmas gets closer.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to see a small town on the Nanticoke River that is lit up for Christmas. People go way overboard in their decorations,…

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Hughesville girls win team title at Queen of the Hive tournament

PHOTO PROVIDED Hughesville’s girls wrestling team claimed the team title at the Queen of the Hive tournament in Honesdale on Saturday.

Hughesville’s girls wrestling team fought through a week of battling the flu bug and still battled through 27 teams to win the Honesdale Queen of the Hive tournament title on Saturday. The Spartans won the team title with 223 points as Athens took second (181), Easton took third (136), Delaware Valley took fourth (126) and Pocono Mountain West finished fifth (119).

The Spartans crowned three individual champions in Bella Olshefskie (100 pounds), Julia Ritter (106) and Avery Earnest (142).

Ariahna Moore (130) took second, Bella Young (112) and Jaysa Keiss (118) took third and Leah Lehman went 5-1 and due to reaching her maximum matches, couldn’t compete in the third-place bout and had to take fourth.

Caroline Hicks took sixth to round out Hughesville’s medalists.

In the 100 final, Olshefskie pinned Greater Nanticoke’s Matila Serrano in 4:51. Ritter secured a fall at 106 in the finals over Athens’ Alyssa Rinebold in 3:05. At 142, Earnest pinned Hazleton’s Miah Molinaro in just 13 seconds for the title.

Moore was pinned by Northeast Bradford’s Anaiah Kolesar in 2:39 in the finals at 130.

In the third-place bouts, Young pinned Mia Gifford of Western Wayne at 112 in 4:08 to take third and a bout later, at 118, Hughesville’s Kiess defeated Hanover’s Kaidence Ankner by medical forfeit.

Sullivan County’s Juliana Price was a medalist in the area as well as she pinned Mackennah Mosser of Northern Lehigh in 4:25 at 100 pounds to take home a fifth-place medal.

The Hughesville junior high team competed and crowned a champion in Bianca Tedesco at 115. Kinsley Holmes (105) and Peyton Miller (110) took…

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HS ROUNDUP: Kivler, Sheer win Queen of the Hive titles

Two Wyoming Valley Conference girls wrestlers took home Queen of the Hive titles Saturday at Honesdale High School.

Nanticoke Area’s Emily Kivler and Hazleton Area’s Evelyn Sheer secured individual titles in their weight classes.

Kivler, a sophomore, earned top honors in the 118-pound weight class. Entering as the top seed, the Trojanette pinned Abington Heights’ Courtney Evans in the opening period, and followed it up in the quarterfinals with a 41-second fall over Western Wayne’s Morgan Malloy.

In the semifinals, Kivler was a 16-7, major-decision winner over Hughesville’s Jaysa Kiess, setting up a final against talented Towanda freshman Kaylen Sluyter.

Sluyter had a 2-0 lead after two periods after picking up two near-fall points, but Kivler got the pin in the third period with 25 seconds remaining to win the crown.

Sheer, a freshman known as the “Pink Nightmare,” entered unseeded in the 235-pound weight class. She pinned Hughesville’s Em Poust in 50 seconds in the quarters, and followed it up with a third-period fall over Athens’ Leah Nason. In the final, Sheer pinned Athens’ Evelyn Cummings in the first period to claim the championship.

Hughesville won the team title with 223 points. Athens, Easton, Delaware Valley and Pocono Mountain West rounded out the top five.

Hazleton Area was the top WVC team with 110.5 points. Nanticoke Area followed with 108 points.

Boys wrestling

Penn Manor Tournament: At Penn Manor, Dallas 160-pounder Troy Jones ended with an eighth-place finish at the Penn Manor Tournament on Saturday.

After falling out of the championship round in the quarterfinals, Jones picked up a 14-12 win over William Tennent’s Joel Andrewsky in the consolation bracket before falling into the seventh-place match. There, Jones fell to Ben Paterson of Penn Manor by major decision, 8-0.

Norwin won the team title with 214.5 points. Mount Saint…

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