(Photo Courtesy of Pa Media Services)
Tuesday, December 21, 2021 at 6:52 AM
(Harrisburg, Pa.) Governor Tom Wolf is taking action against surprise medical bills.
A surprise bill is an unexpected medical bill that a patient receives when they unintentionally receive health care from a provider that’s outside of their plan’s provider network.
The No Surprises Act will require emergency services to be billed as in-network, without needing prior approval.
Gov Wolf said via release that “Medical emergencies, surgeries, major medical procedures are stressful enough on their own, but for too long…Americans have suffered the added stress of surprise medical bills, These bills can cost thousands or some cases even hundreds of thousands of dollars, and they cause immense financial strain for Pennsylvanians.”
It takes effect on January 1, 2022.

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Story by Frank Sparks, News/Program Director
Tuesday, December 21, 2021 at 6:41 AM
(Clinton, Pa.) Pa State Police in Beaver are reporting that they filed theft charges against 45-year-old Sean Watkins from East Liverpool, Ohio for theft after he took pictures for the Southside Little Rams Football organization.
Troopers say via release that Watkins took the photos in August for the organization and cashed checks valued at $5451.00 but never produced a final product as promised.
Charges of Theft were filed by Troopers against Watkins at District Court 36-3-04.

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(Beaver Falls, Pa.) Today is the winter solstice as winter will arrive at 3:59 PM today. It also means that today is the shortest day of the year. The sun will rise at 7:42 AM and set at 4:57 PM. The winter solstice is the point here in the Northern Hemisphere that the earth is tilted the furthest away from the sun. In the Southern Hemisphere this is the first day of summer and the longest day of the year. The solstice happens twice a year and our next solstice which will be the summer solstice will be June 21, 2022 at 3:32 AM.

(Pittsburgh, Pa.) The Pittsburgh Penguins’ game against the New Jersey Devils has been postponed due to COVID-19, the NHL announced Monday.
The Devils, who the Penguins just played Sunday, are dealing with “COVID-related issues,” the league said.
Tuesday’s game at PPG Paints Arena was supposed to have been the second game of a home-and-home series between the teams. The Penguins won at New Jersey, 3-2, for their seventh straight victory Sunday.

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Tuesday, December 21, 2021 at 5:42 AM
By FARNOUSH AMIRI and MARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — A committee investigating the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection has requested an interview and documents from congressman Scott Perry of Pennsylvania. The Republican lawmaker is the first sitting member of Congress the panel has requested to speak with. The committee has requested Perry provide information for its investigation surrounding his efforts to “install former Department of Justice official Jeffrey Clark as acting Attorney General.” Investigators say Perry pushed the Justice Department to overturn the election and met with President Donald Trump ahead of the violent attack.

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Tuesday, December 21, 2021 at 5:39 AM
(Harrisburg, Pa.) Republican Senator Sen. Doug Mastriano said in appearances online over the weekend that he has reached the fundraising goal he set to formally become a candidate for Governor of the state of Pennsylvania and is organizing an announcement rally Jan. 8 near his home in southcentral Pennsylvania. Mastriano is the third state senator to enter the double-digits-deep Republican field to potentially succeed outgoing Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat. On the Democratic side, state Attorney General Josh Shapiro has effectively cleared the primary field.