By Christopher J. Hughes, chughes@timesleader.com
First published September 18, 2009 in The Times Leader

Lackawanna County Commissioner Chair Corey O'Brien (D) has taken the formal steps to prep a 2010 challenge to longtime U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D, PA-11).

The announcement, highlighted on CQ Politics, says he is "looking seriously at the race" in an effort to "be actively involved to ensure that our children have a better quality of life than we do today."

O'Brien filed a statement of candidacy and formed a campaign committee on September 11, 2009, with the Federal Election Commission to be sure he followed all necessary procedures to enter the race, CQ politics reports.

Scranton, PA – Lacawanna County Commissioners Michael J. Washo, Corey D. O’Brien and A.J. Munchak today announced that city of Scranton Mayor Christopher A. Doherty has joined them in supporting the goals and initiatives sought by the Sierra Club’s Cool Counties and Cool Cities campaigns. The campaigns seek to conduct carbon emissions benchmark inventories, reduce emissions based on the benchmark and create climate action plans.

“We signed on to the Cool Counties program because we believe that it is important to lead by example,” Commissioners Washo and O’Brien said. “We hope that our pledge to reduce the county’s carbon footprint will bring us one step closer to reducing global warming.”