Monthly archive

February 2021

Delay in census data could put transparency in Pa.’s redistricting process at risk

Published on in Government

Harrisburg, Pa. — The data needed to redraw Pennsylvania’s political districts is more than five months behind schedule, raising concerns among advocates for fair maps that state lawmakers could use the delay to fast-track the redistricting process and make it less transparent.

The U.S. Census Bureau announced Friday that it can’t release the population figures needed for redistricting until Sept. 30, citing setbacks in collecting responses to questionnaires during the coronavirus pandemic.

That means state lawmakers can’t begin the once-in-a-decade drawing of Pennsylvania’s legislative and congressional lines in earnest until September. The shortened timeline could also put the 2022 primary election at risk of being delayed.

Carol Kuniholm — chairperson of Fair Districts PA, a nonprofit group advocating for redistricting reform — said she’s concerned lawmakers will use the delay as an excuse to limit transparency and public input, which has been minimal in previous decades.

Continue Reading on North Central PA

PennDOT: All vehicle restrictions lifted in East Central PA

Published on in Government

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — As the winter weather and icy conditions surpass the Midstate, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has lifted all vehicle restrictions in East Central Pennsylvania.

Although road crews are treating roadways, the department’s primary goal is to keep roads passable, not completely free of ice and snow. PennDOT will continue to treat roadways throughout the storm until precipitation stops and roads are clear.

Motorists can find the latest weather and traffic conditions by visiting abc27.com.

Continue Reading on ABC 27

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PennDot, Pa. Turnpike issue restrictions ahead of winter storm

Published on in Government

A winter storm expected to dump several inches of snow across the region is spurring restrictions by PennDOT and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.

Beginning at 6 p.m. Monday, speed and vehicle restrictions will be mandated along the PA Turnpike in both directions from Breezewood to the Ohio border, the entire length of I-79, I-376 and I-579, among others.

The restrictions will be lifted when conditions allow.

Limitations will also be in place along I-70 from the West Virginia border to the PA Turnpike and the entire length of I-279.

Vehicles not allowed on affected roads include tractors without trailers, tractors towing unloaded enclosed trailers, open trailers or tank trailers; enclosed cargo delivery trucks that meet the definition of a commercial motor vehicle; passenger vehicles towing trailers; recreational vehicles/motorhomes; school buses, commercial buses and motor coaches not carrying chains, and motorcycles.

Continue Reading on Trib Live

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Work underway on Milton 65 Forward Health Center

Published on in Health

MILTON —  Construction is well underway on Geisinger’s second Valley-based 65 Forward Health Center — a seniors-oriented facility that is due to open in mid-to-late April at 5170 State Route 405 in the South Gate Plaza just south of Milton, said operations director Stephanie Pacovsky.

Geisinger 65 Forward is designed to meet the health needs of those age 65 and up by bringing the most-used services all under one roof. The program is also designed to help keep members healthy and out of the hospital. Geisinger data shows Geisinger 65 Forward members are up to 25 percent less likely to be admitted to the hospital and up to 45 percent less likely to need an emergency room visit.

The first 65 Forward Center opened in Shamokin Dam in October, Pacovsky said.

“We had such great success with our neighboring community, and the facility in Shamokin Dam,” she said. “With such a high interest in the program we wanted to bring it to communities like Milton.”

Continue Reading on Daily Item

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Volunteer effort seeks to connect seniors, others with vaccine providers

Published on in People

A group of Pennsylvanians wanted to see a change in the state’s vaccine roll-out and when the Commonwealth failed to step up, they did it themselves.

Vaccinatepa.org was created by a few, mostly college students but it is now managed by many Pennsylvanians, seeking to help seniors and others struggling to find and make an appointment.

The site works like a centralized hub connecting the user with healthcare providers and pharmacies that can help, while removing the guess work.

“We are just taking that work from the people, centralizing it so that we can also reduce the amount of calls being put on the locations and then making it super easy for especially the main demographic of seniors to access this through a very simple and accessible website,” said Richie Goulazian with vaccinatepa.org.

Continue Reading on Local 21

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Volunteers continue to be the backbone of the Central Pa. Food Bank’s mission

Published on in People

HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank has been working on overdrive since the pandemic hit Pennsylvania and organizers say they don’t foresee the need slowing down anytime soon.

Joe Arthur, the Executive Director of the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, said “There are two engines that make this mission go, volunteers and then giving donations. Donations of food, donations of money.”

The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank has been working non-stop for almost a year.

“Right now, we’re sharing food at the highest pace we have in the entire pandemic,” said Arthur.

The Executive Director says the organization had to move to the farm show complex in Harrisburg just to keep up with the need.

It’s not only to have more space to store pallets upon pallets of food, but they also needed space to allow the volunteers to social distance.

Continue Reading on Fox 43

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Lack of target outreach of COVID-19 vaccine distribution missing mark on Latino, immigrant communities

Published on in People

PENNSYLVANIA, USA — Scheduling a COVID-19 vaccine appointment online is already hard for some.

“There is a real digital divide that the Coronavirus has exacerbated by putting everything online. That means that we are excluding people who don’t use the internet,” said Josie Flor Sapunar from Wearecasa.

Now imagine not being able to speak the language. That is the problem that some Latino and immigrant communities are facing in the Commonwealth.

“We have to take into account the language in which we’re doing the outreach. and we have the registration materials. if everything is only in English–that means people who don’t speak English– or who can’t read or write English are not included in this decision.”

Casa—A Latino an Immigration advocacy organization in Central Pennsylvania says they receive about five calls per day about where and how they can register to get the vaccine.

Continue Reading on Fox 43

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Central PA counties moving forward on mass vaccination plan sites

Published on in Health

Harrisburg, PA — Mass vaccination sites are a crucial piece of Pennsylvania’s efforts to speed up the coronavirus vaccine rollout plan.

On Wednesday CBS 21 spoke with Central Pennsylvania officials across the region to see where they stand with their mass vaccination plans.

So far, we learned Lancaster, Dauphin, and Cumberland Counties have plans in place for when the vaccinations are allocated.

“We have the logistics and the capability to distribute the vaccine when and if it becomes available to us, “said Samantha Krepps, Director of Communications for Cumberland County.

According to Director Samantha Krepps, as soon as the vaccination are allocated, a site will be set up within 48 hours.

Continue Reading on Local 21

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How much snow could fall in Lancaster County this week? It depends on who you ask

Published on in weather

There’s still a lot of uncertainty in the forecast about a storm system that’s approaching Lancaster County and how much snow it could bring to the area this week.

Despite that uncertainty, Lancaster County is likely to get at least some snow. How much, however, depends on which forecasting agency you look to.

The snowstorm is currently over the southwestern U.S., said Bill Gartner, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in State College. He added it’s “looking likely that the storm will track to the south” of Pennsylvania.

Wednesday has a 30% chance of snow, mainly after 4 p.m., according to NWS.

The highest chance of snow will come early on Friday morning, sometime after 1 a.m., according to NWS.

Continue Reading on Lancaster Online

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Walmart announces COVID-19 vaccine to be available at Central Pa. store

Published on in Health

Walmart has announced it is expanding its list of locations where the COVID-19 vaccine will be available.

In central Pennsylvania’s Susquehanna Valley, the Walmart at 3400 Hartzdale Drive in Camp Hill will offer vaccinations.

Only state-designated priority groups will be able to get the shot at that location.

When doses arrive, the company said, eligible customers will be able to sign up online at walmart.com/COVIDvaccine.

Until then, patients who want to schedule appointments or confirm they are eligible to get the vaccine should check the Pennsylvania Department of Health website, Walmart said.

Other central Pennsylvania stores have also announced vaccine programs, including Weis and Rite Aid.

Continue Reading on WGAL

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York’s Arians, Harrisburg’s McCoy lead six Buccaneers with Central Pa. ties to win Super Bowl LV

Published on in Sports

PENNSYLVANIA, USA — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are Super Bowl champions!

They are also a team littered with players and coaches with ties back to our area.

The team’s head coach, Bruce Arians, is a York High alumni and won his first Super Bowl ring as a lead man. He also has a Super Bowl ring in his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Former Bishop McDevitt running back LeSean McCoy is on the team’s roster, but has been used sparingly all year, totaling just 10 carries. With the team’s victory in the Super Bowl on Sunday night, McCoy has now earned a ring in back-to-back season.

There are three former Penn State Nittany Lions on the Buccaneers’ roster: wide receiver Chris Godwin, who plays a large role in the team’s passing game, and tackle Donovan Smith, who protects quarterback Tom Brady’s blindside, will play big roles in the game. The third, center A.Q. Shipley, suffered a career ending neck injury earlier this season, but is still a member of the Buccaneers’ roster. Each of them earned the first Super Bowl rings of their careers.

Continue Reading on Fox 43

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Coronavirus vaccine: Not all diabetics are equal under Pennsylvania vaccination protocols

Published on in Health

Angie Lankford has dedicated eight years of her life to finding a cure for her son’s diabetes, but her fight now is to get him a place in line for the COVID-19 vaccine.

Who qualifies to be near the top of that list has caused an uproar in Pennsylvania, as smokers rank higher than teachers, and Type 1 diabetics, like Lankford’s son, fall lower on the priority list than Type 2 diabetics.

“When a Type 1 gets sick, my son, his blood sugars usually skyrocket, and it becomes very difficult to manage his blood sugar. When something is going around school, it might take a kid 24 hours to recover; it would take my son a week. This is the same way with the coronavirus,” Lankford said. “They’re not bouncing back.”

Pennsylvania’s Department of Health is following CDC guidelines as to which groups are prioritized for the vaccination, according to a spokesperson.

Continue Reading on Pocono Record

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HOUSEHOLDER: Hanover’s Logan Schuchart enjoys stellar week during Florida sprint action

Published on in Sports

Local 410 sprint drivers have been faring well in the early-season action down south.

None of them, however, has fared as well as Logan Schuchart.

The Hanover-based World of Outlaws driver capped off a sensational week in Florida with an Outlaws win Sunday night Volusia County Speedway near Daytona.

That victory allowed Schuchart to win the DIRTcar Nationals championship.

Over the past week, Schuchart enjoyed two race victories and two runner-up finishes, all at Volusia. He had an All Star triumph on Wednesday, followed by a second-place All Star finish on Thursday and a runner-up effort with the World of Outlaws on Friday.

Schuchart won the title by 14 points over Brad Sweet, followed by David Gravel, Carson Macedo and Donny Schatz. Gettysburg’s Danny Dietrich was sixth, followed by Hanover’s Jacob Allen, Brent Marks, Cory Eliason and Jac Haudenschild.

Continue Reading on York Dispatch

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Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission launches virtual outdoor expo

Published on in Business

With many of the outdoor-show opportunities of interaction with the public gone during the pandemic, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission today will launch a weeklong virtual outdoor expo.

The virtual event will be hosted on the commission’s Facebook page and will feature agency experts conducting informational sessions about fishing and boating topics.

The first will air at 10 a.m. today. It will be a virtual tour of Benner Spring State Fish Hatchery in Centre County.

That will be followed at 1 p.m. by a discussion of the commission’s state fish hatcheries, featuring Brian Wisner, director of the commission’s Bureau of Hatcheries.
“In the absence of many of the popular outdoor shows and expos that that have been cancelled across the state this winter, Fish and Boat Commission staff will be missing out on some great opportunities to interact with the public and let them know about our programs,” said Mike Parker, director of communications for the commission.
Continue Reading on PennLive

The pandemic’s impact on love and relationships

Published on in People

CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. — Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and we’re taking a deeper dive into how the pandemic has impacted relationships.

Since the pandemic has slowed down the court systems, it’s hard to know the effects of stay-home orders on marriages nationally, but Couples at Crossroads co-founders and divorce attorney Marc Scaringi talked about what’s really going on in Central Pennsylvania.

“Everybody’s stressed. Individually they’re stressed,” Dr. Jake Thiessen said.

He and his partner Dr. Nicolee Hiltz created Couples at a Crossroads, a marriage counseling center in Lemoyne.

Since the pandemic started, their schedules began booking up fast with couple looking for guidance.

Continue Reading on CBS 21

Nurses sue two central Pa. health systems over secretive ‘non-poach’ worker recruitment agreement

Published on in People

WILLIAMSPORT– Three registered nurses claim a secret “no-poach” agreement that existed between Geisinger and a hospital near Lewisburg affected their ability to earn a competitive salary.

Their suit filed Wednesday against Geisinger and Evangelical Community Hospital is related to an anti-trust suit the federal government brought in August to stop Geisinger from acquiring 30 percent ownership of the Lewisburg area hospital.

Both suits contend the two-hospital arrangement announced in February 2019 restrains trade and reduces competition.
The collaboration was touted as a way for Evangelical to remain independent but strengthen its relationship with Geisinger to better serve the community and patients.
The nurses – Nichole Leib, Kevin Brokenshire and Diane Weigley – say in their complaint the agreement not to recruit each other’s healthcare workers likely existed before May 2015 and continued until the Justice Department filed suit.
Continue Reading on Pennlive

Walmart announces COVID-19 vaccine to be available at store in Camp Hill

Published on in Health

Walmart is adding five new states, including Pennsylvania, to its list of locations delivering COVID-19 vaccinations to populations that states have deemed eligible.

Locations in Virginia, Wyoming, Kentucky, and Tennessee were added in addition to the six locations added in Pennsylvania.

Of those, only one is in the Central Pennsylvania area, with the Walmart store at the 3400 block of Hartzdale Drive in Camp Hill being the select location.

There is no word on when the Camp Hill location will begin receiving the administering the COVID-19 vaccine.

Walmart and Sam’s Club are expected to launch online schedulers in the future, and eligible populations will be able to sign up directly from their websites.

Continue Reading on Fox 43

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Central Pennsylvania digging out after three-day snow event

Published on in People

Franklin county and parts of central Pennsylvania are still digging out from the winter storm that dropped an average of 1.5 feet of snow in the Cumberland Valley.

According to Barry Lambert, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in State College, Waynesboro received 12.9 inches of snow while Greencastle, just down Route 16, topped out at 14 inches.

Other locations in the area reporting significant snow totals are Fort Ritchie, Maryland, with 24.8 inches of snow, Shippensburg with 15.2, Newville with 16.3 and Carlisle with 11.4 inches of accumulation.

“Snowfall started Sunday morning around daybreak and it lingered until early Wednesday,” Lambert said. “It was a three-day storm and having that is very unusual. Most storms don’t last that long they usually wrap up in about 18 hours. Having this one last over 72 hours is about a once-in-a-decade type of event.”

While many took to area ski slopes and the backyards to enjoy winter activities, another storm has the possibility of leaving a few more inches across central Pennsylvania later in the week.

Continue Reading on The Record Herald

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Central Pa teen organizes shoe drive, donates to Haiti and Africa

Published on in People

A local teen is making a big difference in the lives of many by collecting and donating 1,825 pairs of shoes to those in need.

Alisa Pryor, a senior at Waynesboro Area Senior High School, first came up with the idea to start collecting after watching a video online of a similar collection of shoes.

“I always wanted to do something like a community service project, and this was a great opportunity to do that,” Alisa said. “I partnered up with funds2orgs.com and started collecting shoes in July of 2020.”

Alisa said that over the past six months, she has collected shoes from her classmates at WASHS as well as numerous community members and local businesses where she put collection bins.

“We collected sneakers, flip flops and heels boots, just about every type of shoe you can imagine we had in all sort of sizes for children to adult sizes,” Alisa said. “We posted it on social media, and from there it just grew and more people donated; the response was just overwhelming.”

Continue Reading on The Record Herald

PennDOT lifts vehicle, speed restrictions for south, central Pa.

Published on in weather

HARRISBURG, Pa. —

PennDOT has lifted vehicle and speed restrictions on south central Pennsylvania interstates but is still urging motorists to stay home if they can.

PennDOT released the following statement Tuesday morning:

While vehicle restrictions have been lifted in many areas of the state, several roadways in Northeast Pennsylvania still have restrictions in place, said the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. These restrictions will remain in place until conditions warrant their removal. Motorists are urged to avoid non-essential travel as crews continue their work to clear and treat roadways.

The following roadways have Tier 1 restrictions in place:

  • Route 33 from Interstate 78 to Interstate 80;
  • Interstate 78 from Route 33 to the New Jersey border;
  • Interstate 81 from Interstate 80 to the New Jersey border; and
  • Interstate 476 (PA Turnpike Northeast Extension) from Lehigh Valley Interchange (Interstate 78, Exit 56) to Clarks Summit (Interstate 81, Exit 131).

Continue Reading on WGAL

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