(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today, Representative Conor Lamb (PA-17) was joined by Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1) in introducing the bipartisan Support for Community Bridges Act.  Lamb and Fitzpatrick are both members of the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure.  The legislation would set aside 2.5 percent of federal highway aid to better target funding to repair off-system structurally deficient bridges.  Any bridge or road not on the National Highway System is designated as off system.  Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Roy Blunt (R-MO) introduced companion legislation in the Senate.

According to a 2019 study by the American Road and Transportation Builders Association, 16.6 percent of Pennsylvania’s bridges – a total of 3,770 out of 22,737 bridges – were classified as structurally deficient.  Ninety percent of those classified as structurally deficient are off-system bridges.  The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) gave Pennsylvania’s bridges a D+ grade in its most recent Infrastructure Report Card.

“Pennsylvania has the second highest number of structurally deficient bridges in the country, which is completely unacceptable,” said Lamb.  “Western PA is home to hundreds of bridges that are critical to our transportation system, and far too many of them are in desperate need of repair.  Congress must take action to fix these bridges and put federal dollars behind this effort.”

“We are at a crossroads with regard to infrastructure,” said Fitzpatrick.  “This Congress has the unique opportunity to come together to forge bipartisan consensus on this critical issue.  With the American public overwhelmingly supporting physical infrastructure investments, our bipartisan ‘Support for Community Bridges Act’ would provide more targeted funding for Pennsylvania’s bridges to improve both our transportation network and safety.”

Pennsylvania is projected to receive a significant increase in federal transportation funding under the Support for Community Bridges Act.  The bill also guarantees states do not receive less transportation funding under the new formula.

Based on last year’s funding levels, off-system bridges would receive roughly $1.2 billion under this proposal, up from roughly $776 million, which comes from a combination of highway trust fund and general treasury funds that are allocated to the highway aid program through congressional appropriations.  As federal investment in infrastructure increases, so would the amount for off-system bridges.  The legislation is supported by the National Association of Counties (NACO) and the National League of Cities.

Visit Lamb’s website to learn more about the Support for Community Bridges Act.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — A Philadelphia man wanted in the deadly stabbing of his girlfriend at an Atlantic City casino last week has turned himself in. Fifty-nine-year-old Frankie Lane faces murder and weapons charges stemming from the death of Sharon Whaley. The 57-year-old Philadelphia woman’s body was found Friday night inside a room at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, according to the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office. They say Whaley had suffered multiple stab wounds, but a cause of death has not been determined. Lane was being sought before he turned himself in without incident at the prosecutor’s office on Monday night. It’s not known if he’s retained an attorney. A motive for the attack remains under investigation.

By ALAN FRAM Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is apologizing after recent comments comparing the required wearing of safety masks in the House to the horrors of the Holocaust. The Georgia Republican told reporters Monday that she was sorry for offending people with her remarks and said there was no comparison to the Holocaust. Greene says she has visited Washington’s U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum earlier in the day, adding, “There’s no comparison and there never ever will be.” Her comments were a rare expression of regret by the conservative agitator. She’s a freshman who has embraced violent and offensive conspiracy theories and has had angry confrontations with progressive colleagues.

By KRISTIN M. HALL, JAMES LAPORTA, JUSTIN PRITCHARD and JUSTIN MYERS Associated Press
An Associated Press investigation has found that at least 1,900 U.S. military firearms were lost or stolen over the last decade. These weapons are intended for war — but some have ended up on America’s streets. Army pistols, for example, were used in violent crimes including shootings and robbery. Pistols, machine guns and automatic assault rifles vanished from military armories, supply warehouses, Navy warships and elsewhere. Security lapses included unlocked doors, sleeping troops and a surveillance system that didn’t record. The Pentagon and armed services say that missing firearms are a tiny fraction of the military’s stockpile, and note that some weapons are recovered.

By AAMER MADHANI, JONATHAN LEMIRE, and LORNE COOK Associated Press
BRUSSELS (AP) — President Joe Biden on Tuesday moved to end a long-running dispute with the European Union over airline subsidies, a major breakthrough in the U.S.-EU relationship that comes on the eve of his highly anticipated meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The announcement that the two sides reached resolution in a 17-year dispute over how much of a government subsidy each can provide for its aircraft manufacturing giant — Boeing in the United States and Airbus in the EU.—came as Biden met with European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

By KRISTIN M. HALL and JUSTIN PRITCHARD Associated Press
When a canister of armor-piercing grenades showed up in an Atlanta backyard, it was another example of how the U.S. military’s vast supply chains of weapons are vulnerable to theft. An Associated Press investigation documented the theft of the grenades from an ammunition train that left a U.S. Marine Corps depot in Florida for an Army depot in Pennsylvania. Investigators never determined who stole the grenades — or how they ended up in Atlanta. AP’s investigation also found that at least 1,900 U.S. military firearms were lost or stolen over the last decade. The Pentagon says missing firearms are a tiny fraction of the military’s stockpile.

Report by Beaver County Radio Correspondent, Sandy Giordano –

(Hopewell, PA) A new position was created by the Hopewell School Board, according to Dr. Michelle Miller. Dr. Jacie Maslyk, assistant superintendent left the district for other endeavours, and the new position created by the board is Curriculum Director. Joel Roth was hired for the position and his annual salary will be $98,000.00. He begins his duties July 1, 2021.

Outdated license fees pose risk to wellbeing of dogs, legislative solution needs support

Harrisburg, PA – Joined by Second Lady Gisele Fetterman and Levi Fetterman, the Fetterman family dog, Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and dog law advocates Senator Judy Schwank and Representative Eddie Day Pashinski rallied at the Capitol today calling on Pennsylvanian’s to ask their legislator to save the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement and their invaluable work by supporting Senate Bill 232 and House Bill 526.

The Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement works to crack down on illegal puppy mills and kennels, ensure the health and welfare of dogs living in breeding kennels and throughout Pennsylvania, inspect licensed kennels to ensure proper standards, monitor and track dangerous dogs, investigate dog bites and provide justice to victims, investigate attacks on livestock and provide indemnification to farmers, and reunite lost dogs with families or help them find shelter until they find a new forever home. This work is at significant risk as they’ve been unable to fill critical warden vacancies across the commonwealth and are barely able to keep up with minimum mandated requirements due to a funding crisis created by inaction to raise the dog license fee – which has been the same for more than 25 years – that funds their work.

“We’re here today to ask anyone in Pennsylvania who loves dogs and wants neighborhoods across the commonwealth to remain safe to contact your legislator and ask them to save the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement,” said Redding. “We’ve been warning this day would come – when the bureau runs out of money and services are at risk – for years. Dog licenses cost less than the cost of a chew toy. Our neighboring states charge up to $20 and the national average for an annual license is $10.

“Joining us today are dog lovers and advocates from around the state who have said they want to increase the fee – they want dogs to be loved and healthy and happy, they want lost dogs to have a chance to come home, they want protection for the dogs who spend their life in a kennel, and they want dog bite victims to have someone advocating for them and dangerous dogs to not roam the streets. If you want this too, call your legislator,” added Redding.

Outdated license fees pose risk to wellbeing of dogs

All dogs three months and older are required to be licensed, the cost of an annual license has been $6.50 since 1996. And since 1893, the enforcement of the dog law has been funded through the sale of dog licenses. Services related to dogs have never been paid for by taxpayers until now. To keep minimum mandated services up and running, taxpayer dollars are now being directed to the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement to the tune of more than $1 million annually. For the 2020-21 budget year the bureau accepted a supplemental transfer of taxpayer dollars in the amount of $1.2 million. Another $1.5 million is proposed for 2021-22.

For several years, the department has been pushing for a minimal dog license fee increase to keep the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement funded to continue their work.

“It breaks my heart to think of the abused and neglected dogs that could be overlooked without proper enforcement,” said Second Lady Gisele Fetterman. “Our pup, Levi, was chained outside for the first two years of his life. He was rescued because the resources were there to save him.”

Since 1996, the human population has increased by 5 percent and the dog population has increased by an estimated 7 percent. The number of kennels the bureau regulates has increased by 19 percent and the number of kennel inspections has increased by 85 percent as a result of legislative changes in 2008. Operating costs for the bureau have more than doubled to keep up with the increase in dogs and kennels. Meanwhile, the bureau is working with 14 less dog wardens than were staffed in 1996, a decrease of 30 percent. Without immediate legislative action to increase the cost of a dog license – minimally and in-line with inflation – taxpayer dollars will continue to be necessary.

SB 232 and HB 526 support funding to protect dogs

Advocates for the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement State Senator Judy Schwank (D-Berks) and State Representative Eddie Day Pashinski (D-Luzerne) have introduced two corresponding pieces of legislation, Senate Bill 232 and House Bill 526, to raise the dog license fee and adequately fund the bureau.

“So many people across the Commonwealth view their dogs as family. Right now, we aren’t doing enough at the state level to ensure their safety,” said Schwank. “A modest dog licensing increase would allow the underfunded Dog Law Enforcement Bureau to provide the kind of oversite we need to make sure our canine friends are safe and healthy.”

A minimal fee increase – for example for a spayed/neutered dog would increase from $6.50 to $10 annually – will benefit Pennsylvanians at large. The bills will also require puppies to be licensed at 8 weeks or the same age they are legally allowed to be sold. This efficiency is expected to increase license sales for puppies by providing education at the point of sale and will further stabilize the bureau.

“A reasonable dog license fee increase is the most logical solution to solving the issues facing the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement by restoring funding without needing to use taxpayer dollars,” Pashinski said. “House Bill 526 and Senate Bill 232 would do just that, saving taxpayers millions of dollars, restoring the resources necessary for our dog wardens to safeguard dogs in commercial breeding kennels, protect the public from dangerous dogs, help reunite stray dogs with their families, and much more. You can do all of this by simply raising that fee by about a penny a day.”

What’s at stake and how to help:

• The health and wellbeing of dogs in kennels, they face horrific conditions without the eyes and ears of dog wardens;
• Risk of increase in sick puppies and heartache or, worse, health risk for buyers;
• Dangerous dogs at large and lack of justice for those who suffer from dog attacks;
• Increased cost and workload for local governments;
• Kennel inspections and accountability for quality dog breeders;
• Diligence with taxpayer dollars;
• Risk for an increase in illegal puppy mills; and
• Irreparable loss for farmers who experience loss of livestock from dog and coyote attacks.

Pennsylvanians are encouraged to be the voice for PA pups and become part of the solution by contacting their legislators and asking them to support SB 232 and HB 526.

For more information on dog licenses and Pennsylvania’s dog law, visit licenseyourdogpa.pa.gov. For more about the critical need to increase the dog license fee read the 2020 Annual Report for the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement and visit agriculture.pa.gov/raisethefee4papups.

(Jackson Twp., Pa.) The name will stay the same but the Seneca Valley Board voted unanimously to remove all Native imagery from all the district schools at last night’s board meeting.

This also includes designing a new mascot to replace the current one that will be designed and picked with the assistance of the student body.

The issue came about previously when a handful of students sent a letter to the school asking them to change the school mascot name from the Raiders because they felt it was offensive.