HONESDALE, PA — Wayne County Commissioners’ chair Brian Smith announced at the county meeting on February 18 that due to heavy truck damage, PennDOT has closed the Skinners Falls Bridge over the Delaware River, and is considering “doing away” with, or limiting the bridge to passenger traffic in its long-term plans. The agency is also considering repair or replacement costs.

Smith said the commissioners are “trying to petition for its reopening,” perhaps with so-called “headache bars” to limit taller and heavier traffic.

Smith said he was concerned about the loss of the bridge, for summer recreational traffic at the popular boating and fishing area, and for the Milanville General Store and Skinners Falls Campgrounds. “The loss of the bridge would be devastating for that store,” he said.

In other business, a newly released inmate at the Wayne County Correctional Facility told the commissioners of heating problems at the county prison.

David Islaf, a California resident who was recently bailed out, told the commissioners about “consistently cold temperatures” in January in the Echo Unit of the jail.

Speaking at the February 18 commissioners’ meeting, Islaf said that while he kept on all of his clothing he was “more than uncomfortable,” and told officers about it.

Another inmate in a corner cell, where he said the problem was at its worst, was issued three blankets, he said.

He said not all areas shared the problem. Islaf said he had worked on a cleaning detail in the adjoining F Unit, where it was warmer.

He said he filed a written request to administration and received a reply two days later, saying that the problem was an air-handling issue, which the “county couldn’t do anything about.”

Islaf said the problem still was not corrected when he made bail on February 13, but that he had come before the commissioners to try and “make sure it was not a future issue for others.”

Commissioner Wendell Kay said there had been past heat complaints in the women’s section, units that were built in 2007 and 2008.

Kay said there had been no resulting health problems and Islaf’s complaint was the first of this winter.

Kay and Commissioners Chair Brian Smith both noted that all three commissioners periodically do walk-through “superficial” inspections at the prison.

State inspections at the prison in recent years have repeatedly resulted in reported high marks for its administration.

On another matter, the commissioners welcomed area high school students and staff of the county’s Victim’s Intervention Program as they proclaimed February as Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, to “urge all citizens to work toward ending teen dating violence by empowering young people to develop healthier relationships and assist victims in accessing the information and supportive services they need.”

The commissioners also distributed a press release announcing the February 20 temporary suspension of their electronics recycling program, “largely due to a crisis within the commodities market and other issues surrounding manufacturer support of electronics recycling.” Residents were urged to contact their elected state representatives with their concerns about the situation.