MONROE UNFILTERED: THE DAILY BUZZ | August 13
$7 Million to Fix Some of our Crap and a Late Night in Smithfield
Thursday, August 13, 2026
⛅ DAILY WEATHER
Today should be warm, a bit humid in the morning, but relatively pleasant overall. Expect partly cloudy skies, with a high near 82°F and a low around 61°F. There's a small chance of a lingering shower early, but rain chances drop quickly after sunrise.
Friday looks even nicer -- mostly sunny with a high near 84°F and just a 6% rain chance, on a similar northwest breeze.
A $7 MILLION FIX FOR THE LEAST GLAMOROUS PIPES
The wastewater treatment facility serving the Monroe County Correctional Facility, the coroner's office, and other nearby county buildings is going down the crapper…literally. According to WNEP reporting, the current plant runs on steel tanks that county crews have patched and repaired for years, but as Monroe County Commissioners' Chairman John Christy put it, they have run their course.
The county ran a cost-benefit analysis weighing rehab against a full rebuild and landed on new construction. The project is projected to cost $7 million. Groundbreaking is expected sometime next year.
So, who is going to pay the bill? The county will have to cover the majority of the bill, but Rep. Rob Bresnahan's office helped secure $1.25 million in federal funding to help offset the cost. Well, that’s something.
For anyone who has ever wondered exactly how tax dollars get spent on things nobody thinks about until they break, this is the answer. A correctional facility, a coroner's office, and their neighbors all rely on one aging system, and it is getting replaced before the aging system completely goes down the toilet (so to speak). We will keep an eye on the construction timeline once it firms up.
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THE DAILY RUNDOWN
Stroudsburg Reps Press Senate on Energy Costs. WVIA reports State Reps. Tarah Probst (D-189) and Maureen Madden (D-115) joined the advocacy groups Action Together NEPA and Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania at a press conference near the borough's EV chargers on Main Street, pressing state Senate Republicans to act on five stalled bills (House Bills 1834, 2150, 789, and 705, and Senate Bill 485) aimed at energy costs and data center oversight. Action Together's Kristin Volchansky cited electric bills up more than 20% across Northeastern Pennsylvania over the past year and said members are choosing between prescriptions and groceries. Probst was blunt about her position on data centers, telling WVIA "not in my district, not in my district." Check out the WVIA website for the full report.
A Late Night in Smithfield. I caught the tail end of last night's Smithfield Township supervisors' hearing on the data center curative amendment, only the last half hour, so take this as a snapshot, not the full record. By the time I got there, the crowd had thinned out, but public comment ran well past 9 p.m., and the range of voices said a lot about how this fight has spread throughout the county: concerns about geology and groundwater, and the owner of Pocono Snake & Animal Farm speaking to the impact on the animals (how very Poconos!). Among the speakers I heard, opposition was uniform, and there was real passion behind it. Some residents thanked the board for taking their concerns seriously along the way, and township members returning the compliment, praising the community's participation and interest in the process. We'll follow up once minutes or a vote count are public.
A Fatal Crash in Tobyhanna Township. A somber one today. Jacob Boyce, 84, of Blakeslee, died at the scene of a crash on Route 940 in Tobyhanna Township Tuesday afternoon, according to WNEP and the Monroe County Coroner's Office. The crash remains under investigation by Pocono Mountain Regional Police. Our condolences to his family and community.
STATE OF THE KEYSTONE STATE
AG Sues TikTok Over App-Store Rating. The office of Attorney General Dave Sunday (R) filed suit against TikTok this week, alleging the company misrepresented the app as suitable for a 13-and-up rating in app stores despite content the state says warrants a higher age bar.
WHAT WERE YA THINKIN'?
Keep it in Your Pants. An 18-year-old lifeguard, Collin Lagattuta, is facing charges after Pocono Mountain Regional Police say he exposed himself while on break at the Timber Trails Clubhouse pool in the Lake Naomi community on July 28, in view of the pool and lounging area. A witness informed police that they saw him engaging in a lewd act. According to 28/22 News, Lagattuta had previously been let go from a related job over similar concerns, though that earlier incident was never reported to police. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Hit and Run at Home Depot. Stroud Area Regional Police are asking for help identifying a dark-colored Chevrolet pickup truck involved in a hit and run at the East Stroudsburg-area Home Depot on August 8. Anyone with information is asked to contact SARPD or submit a tip through CrimeWatch.
A Warrant Complicates a Domestic Call. Pocono Township Police responded to a domestic disturbance on August 11 and, in the course of the investigation, found the man involved, Janusz Bzura of East Stroudsburg, was in violation of an active Protection From Abuse order and in possession of a firearm despite being legally barred from having one. He now faces a charge of possession of a firearm prohibited. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty.