A teenager who police said brought a fully loaded replica revolver to Jim Thorpe Area High School is back in Philadelphia while he awaits court action.

Sabir Duncan Johnson, 18, who lived in a ChildFirst Services Inc. group home in Albrightsville when he brought the gun to school on Nov. 27, waived his right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday.

My mother - Virginia Mandracia Wells - lived her life on two Broadways - one in Manhattan, NYC, and one in Jim Thorpe, PA (AKA Mauch Chunk, PA).

Mom always wanted to be a dancer. When she was a young child, she would make up her own dances and entertain the family. She loved watching movies that showed singing and dancing.

Growing up in the small PA town of Mauch Chunk, Mom didn't have the opportunity to take dance lessons. Her family struggled financially and didn't have any extra money to satisfy the whim of their middle child.

On Tuesday, the weather forecast called for up to four inches of snow. Schools announced Tuesday closings already Monday night.

The snow was projected to start early and last most of the day.

The forecasts called for hazardous driving conditions.

Every school in the local area closed.

We got some snow on Tuesday but it was just a coating. In most cases plowing wasn't even needed. There were no travel problems on Tuesday.

Looking for an elegant side dish for your Christmas feast? How about a simple, but filling, meat-free weeknight dinner?

Loaded Rice Pilaf may be just what you're looking for.

For years this was my go-to company dish, served alongside my Chicken Marsala or Chicken Normandy, and is adapted from a recipe by Chef James Beard. It makes a great side dish for roast beef or Salisbury steak.

Prothonotary's report

A total of 278 cases were started in November in the office of Carbon County Prothonotary Joann M. Behrens, according to a monthly statistical report released by the officeholder. A breakdown of the cases is as follows: