Wyoming County (1983: Doomsday)

Wyoming is a county in the Commonwealth of Susquehanna. It only occupies the southwestern side of the former Luzerne County, and formerly was the independent nation of Greater Hazleton. It is the most populated county in the nation.

History
What would become Wyoming County in Susquehanna was formerly part of Luzerne County. The area was the site of the Sugarloaf Massacre, where 15 Pennsylvanian militiamen were killed in an ambush during the Revolutionary War by Tories and Native Americans.

Post Doomsday
Immediately after the first reports of a nuclear war came in, am the fire chief pulle the air raid sirens. People began to panic, and many fled the town for the south where they though it would be safer. The town council called an emergency meeting and quickly ordered all police units to the courthouse, municipal buildings, and supermarkets.

Then, they mobilized the small Pennsylvania Army National Guard, Air National Guard, and the recruiting station along with JROTC and ROTC men from the local colleges, and high school. These units secured the entrances to Hazleton with soon to be useless cars and trucks.

Meanwhile, the State Police guarded the gas stations, and moved their cars and trucks into a concrete and steel garage, in hopes of saving them.

All this was accomplished within hours of the bombs striking.

After the bombs hit, and the people began to come out of their shelters, the refugees came in droves. Hundreds, if not thousands of survivors of the strikes on Scranton and Wilkes-Barre begin to overrun the city's police and supplies.

But within hours, the police and hastily assembled National Guard were forced to retreat back to the town hall. After a gun battle with desperate refugees, and a handful of gangs, the soldiers made the decision to evacuate the government from Hazleton to a safer location.

Some riot police armed with tear gas, pepper spray, and handguns held off the crowd until the National Guard was able to safely remove the government from the dangerous situation.

A few soldiers wanted to commandeer an old J3 Cub at the airport, but eventually elected to go to McAdoo, a small community south of Hazleton, spared refugees and radiation only by luck.

Government
The county is led by an elected County Commissioner, as well as a five man Board of Supervisors, who each serve a term of six years. Commissioners serve for four years, and elections for the Board of Supervisors is staggered every two years.

The county court is responsible for smaller cases such as custody disputes and other issues. There are six judges and assistants.

Adjacent Counties

 * Columbia County: Northwest
 * Luzerne Territory: North
 * Schuylkill County: Southwest

Communities

 * Cities
 * Hazleton
 * Boroughs
 * Conyngham
 * West Hazleton
 * Townships
 * Black Creek Township
 * Butler Township
 * Hazle Township
 * Sugarloaf Township

Economy
There are coal deposits within the county, and are mined heavily. There is some service industry with Hazleton acting as a major hub for businesses between State College and Reading, as well as Susquehanna and Reading. Recently a small manufacturing industry has made a comeback and it is expected to grow. Hazleton Textile Mills produce fabric for much of the nation and is a large business.

Similar to Sullivan County, employment is the opposite, with very little agriculture production going on, due to the more urban setting. Most people have small gardens in their backyard, or porch, but there are few farms in the area.

There is a flourishing logging industry, with the government requiring for every tree cut down, two must replace it, to avoid an exhaustion of resources. Unfortunately, this law is difficult to enforce.

Transportation
The major air hub in Susquehanna, Hazleton International Airport is within Wyoming County. It is the largest airport in the nation, and is undergoing major upgrades to modernize the facilities. Also the Wyoming Public Transportation Authority operate several old vans and buses around the county and to other destinations, such as Bloomsburg and Berwick.

Education
The entire county is covered by the Hazleton Area School District, as well as the Wyoming-Schuylkill Vocational Technical School. Hazleton University a major university for the region with most students who go to college attending it. The Columbia County Community College operates a satellite campus out of the old Luzerne County Community College building.

National Registry of Historical Places
There are three buildings on the National Registry of Historical Places in Wyoming County. They are Susquehanna Bank and Financial Building (Also the tallest building in Susquehanna), the Israel Platt Pardee Mansion, and Saint Gabriel's Parish Complex.

Secessionist Movement
There is a small movement in the Hazleton area to secede from the Commonwealth of Susquehanna and reform the nation of Greater Hazleton. Proponents point out the greater independence and the lack of raider attacks until they joined the Commonwealth, while opponents look to the lack of economic development and a weak security force until they unified.