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In this Update:
$1 Million Dollar Grant for New Development in Washington County
A $1 million state grant for improvements to Morganza and McMurray roads in Washington County to prepare for the Cool Valley Development was announced this week. Cool Valley Development is a proposed 911-acre mixed-use development in Cecil Township. The plan includes construction of new residences, offices, warehouses and other amenities along Interstate 79. It has been almost 15 years since the Cool Valley project was initially proposed, but lack of sufficient funding for traffic improvements continually hindered progress. This grant will help to keep things moving while making accommodations to account for the inevitable increase in traffic. The grant was awarded through the state Multimodal Transportation Fund, which provides financial assistance to municipalities, councils of governments, businesses, economic development organizations, public transportation agencies, and ports and rail freight entities. Washington County Senior Expo Set for September 26
Local seniors can learn more about the programs and services available to older Pennsylvanians at the Washington County Senior Expo sponsored by Southwestern PA Area Agency on Aging. The free event will be held on Thursday, September 26 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Washington Crown Center. Come down and enjoy live musical performances by Bobby Shawn and Jack Nicora, get free health screenings, win prizes, and visit more than 100 vendors and representatives from local, state, and federal agencies to answer questions and provide information concerning older adults. I am pleased to help coordinate this year’s event with PA State Rep. Tim O’Neal and the Washington County Board of Commissioners. Some of the areas of interest will include Social Security, transportation, Medicare, legal services, in-home services, long-term care, unclaimed property, prescription drug take-back and more. I hope to see you there! Happenings in the 46th
There was exciting, life-saving news coming out of Washington County this week with the announcement of two EMS vehicles being equipped with the capability of administering blood in the field. You may have thought ambulances were already capable of this but that isn’t the case. Administering blood was previously reserved to physicians in the hospital or air ambulance crews. When minutes matter in an emergency situation, getting blood to a patient at the scene can drastically change the outcome. Washington County Ambulance & Chair EMS, Inc. serves 110,000 residents across 34 municipalities and field around 25,000 calls every year. Under the medical direction of UPMC, they are now one of the first emergency medical services in the region to empower their paramedics with this capability. Why now? Last year the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Bureau of Emergency Medical Services made a change to PA Statewide Advanced Life Support Protocols to allow for specially trained paramedics to perform this procedure in the field. If you would like to read more about this story, click this link to read more.
This week I met with representatives from ABARTA Coca-Cola Beverages Distribution Center in Houston, Washington County, to see their operation firsthand. ABARTA is family-owned and fully committed to being engaged in the community. The 100,000 square foot warehouse employs over 350 people and moves the complete group of Coca-Cola beverage products. Patrick Kennedy [Distribution Center Manager], Chelsea Sklarsky [Public Relations Specialist], and Brittany Bennett [Human Resources Manager] stressed the company’s focus on job safety. They highlighted their dedication to sustainability processes and philosophies like water conservation and recycling, for example. They are attempting to employ innovative recycling practices in the community like installing reverse vending machines and grocery store bottle returns. Unusable warehouse product is also submitted to be converted into methane gas used to produce electricity. It was music to my ears hearing Brittany talk about providing people with fruitful, career-sustaining jobs that don’t require a college education. There are many different paths you can take and this distribution facility is proof of that. I would like to thank ABARTA for the tour.
I would like to thank Parker [boy pictured left] and Bryce [boy pictured right] for stopping by my Harrisburg office this week! They were in town this week with their mom, Lisa [pictured far left], and Aunt Laura [pictured far right], visiting The State Museum of Pennsylvania, The National Civil War Museum, and finally the State Capitol Complex. It was their last adventure of summer vacation before school started on Wednesday. Good luck this school year boys!
I would like to sincerely thank my two summer district interns, Isabella “Bella” Thomeier [pictured left] and Sofia Andreano [pictured right]. These two young women have done an outstanding job representing my office with their utmost professionalism, diligence and hard work. My entire staff is sad to see your internships end but are so excited to see where your hard work will lead you both! Bella is anticipating to graduate a semester early from the University of Dayton College of Arts and Sciences this year with a major in Political Science. When Bella isn’t studying intellectual property law or social media’s influence on democracy – you can find her at Phi Alpha Delta, a pre-law professional fraternity where she currently serves on the recruitment committee. Sofia recently graduated from Peters Township School District and will be starting her freshman year at The University of Tampa this fall. She will have a double major in International Studies and Spanish with a minor in Economics. Sofia’s Argentinean heritage has inspired her to follow a path of international politics. You both are incredibly impressive young ladies and will forever be a part of the #CameraCrew! I wish you both absolutely nothing but the best as you transition into the next chapters of your lives. My door is always open for you to stop back and say, “Hello!” A Closer Look at Supporting Student Safety Initiatives
Families need to be able to trust their children will be protected from harm when they’re at school, and students deserve to focus on their learning. Continuing Senate Republicans’ leadership of efforts to provide safe learning environments for students, $100 million was included in this year’s state budget for all school districts to address school safety, security needs and mental health concerns. An additional $20 million for safety grants is also made available to nonpublic schools that apply by Thursday, Sept. 26. Applications for both grant programs are available online. New this year, schools may use their funding for the purchase of lockable cellphone bags to benefit students’ mental health by giving them a much-needed break from their mobile devices while in school. Over the last decade there has been a sharp drop in children’s mental health, which directly correlates to the increased use of cellphones and social media apps. The cellphone bags are another tool schools may choose to use if they feel it’s appropriate based on their area, school board and parents’ perspective. Recently passed legislation calls for every school district in Pennsylvania to have a school security officer who has completed armed security training to protect students. The security presence will consist of at least one trained and vetted school security officer, which may be either a school police officer, school resource officer or school security guard. See what other steps Senate Republicans are taking in our work to strengthen Pennsylvania here. Senate Approves $75 Million to Expand Educational Opportunities for Students
Parents know best when it comes to the individual needs of their children, which is why Senate Republicans continue to stand up for parental empowerment and involvement in their children’s education. We’ve worked to dedicate an additional $75 million this year to the Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program (EITC). The EITC program helps to provide students with the opportunity to learn in the environment that best meets their specific educational needs. Through a collaborative approach of providing tax credits to businesses making contributions to create additional educational opportunities for Pennsylvania families, more children are able to receive assistance. Eligible contributions are those made to scholarship organizations, educational improvement organizations and pre-kindergarten scholarship organizations. Students are eligible to receive a scholarship if their household’s annual income is no greater than $112,348 plus $19,775 for each dependent member of the household. Learn more about the EITC program here. You Can Now Get Customized Travel Alerts with 511PA
We all want to avoid heavy traffic, road closures and anything else that will delay us on the road, and potential hassles will be different for motorists depending on where they live and where they are going. 511PA now offers the opportunity to sign up for personalized travel alerts based on specific areas and routes, days and times, and road issue (type of trouble and when cleared). On 511PA’s website, navigate to “My 511” at the top to set up an account to begin receiving alerts. Expanded Access to Benefits for PA Disabled Veterans
A new Pennsylvania law that went into effect this month exempts 100% of disabled veterans’ benefit payments from income calculations for any commonwealth program or benefit. Act 27 of 2024 ensures veterans who receive disability compensation will not have those payments counted against them when applying to programs such as the Real Estate Property Tax Exemption, the Educational Gratuity Program, the Veterans Temporary Assistance Program and the Military Family Relief Assistance Program. The exclusion also applies to unspent veterans’ benefit payments and is extended to the unmarried surviving spouse of a veteran upon that veteran’s death. Celebrating Back to School Month by Brushing Up on School Bus Safety
As students head back to school, school buses require additional caution from drivers. School districts are now permitted to use automated cameras on stop signal arms to enforce the school bus stopping law. Learn more and find parent safety tips and a reminder of other laws here. Pennsylvania law requires motorists to stop at least 10 feet away from school buses when their red lights are flashing and their stop arm is extended. Motorists following or traveling alongside a school bus must also stop until the red lights have stopped flashing, the stop arm is withdrawn, and all children have reached safety. Do not proceed until all the children have reached a place of safety. Penalties for failure to obey school bus safety laws can result in a $250 fine and a $35 surcharge to be deposited into the School Bus Safety Grant Program account, five points on a driving record and a 60-day license suspension.
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