Pennsylvania — May 9, 2021 — Wreaths Across America (WAA) is proud to announce that its Mobile Education Exhibit (MEE), which has been traveling the country to honor our nations veterans, will make eleven tour stops in Pennsylvania. Starting on June 6, 2021, the WAA MEE will be in Pennsylvania for the first of multiple stops.

 

“The goal of the Wreaths Across America Mobile Education Exhibit is to bring community together and teach patriotism while remembering the service and sacrifice of our nation’s heroes,” said Karen Worcester, executive director, Wreaths Across America. “However, over the last year, in light of the current health crisis, we feel this exhibit has taken on even more meaning by providing the opportunity for people to safely participate in something that is both educational and inspiring, while supporting and giving back to the communities it visits.”

 

The MEE achieves this goal by bringing the local community, veterans, active-duty military and their families together through interactive exhibits, short films, and shared stories. The exhibit serves as a mobile museum, educating visitors about the service and sacrifice of our nation’s heroes as well as serving as an official ‘welcome home’ station for our nation’s Vietnam Veterans.

 

Stops in Pennsylvania will include:

 

WASHINGTON, PA – Sunday, June 6, 2021 – The Marine Corps League Washington County Detachment 1138 will host the WAA MEE for an open house to honor our nation’s veterans and active duty military. The MEE will be located at Strabane Square, 335 Washington Road from 11am – 4:00pm.

 

ROARING SPRINGS, PA – Tuesday, June 8, 2021 – Smith Transportation will host the WAA MEE for a private event to celebrate their participation in Delivery wreaths for Wreaths Across America.

 

GLENVILLE, PA – Wednesday, June 9, 2021 – The Col Richard Mc Clalister Chapter, NS Daughters of the American Revolution will host the WAA MEE for a free open house for the public, to honor our nation’s veterans and active duty military. The MEE will be located at 962 Lily Springs Rd. from 1pm – 8pm.

 

MECHANICSBURG, PA – Thursday, June 10, 2021 – The Cumberland Valley Corvette Club and Lawrence Chevrolet will host the WAA MEE for a car show, while honoring our nation’s veterans and active duty military at 6445 Carlisle Pike from 10:00am – 6:00pm.

 

EAST BERLIN, PA – Friday, June 11, 2021 – The East Berlin VFW will host the WAA MEE for a “Touch-A-Truck” event, in honor our nation’s veterans and active duty military. The MEE will be located at 107 Locust Street, from 12pm – 8pm.

 

GAP, PA – Saturday, June 12, 2021 – The Gap VFW located at 4988 Lincoln Hwy will host the WAA MEE for a WAA celebration day in the Pequea Valley from 10:00am – 1:00pm.

 

LEESPORT, PA – Sunday, June 13, 2021 – The Friends of WAA – IGNC will host the WAA MEE for a free public event to honor our nation’s veterans and active duty military at 983 James Dr. from 9am – 4pm.

 

OXFORD, PA – Monday, June 14, 2021 – The Southern Chester County, PA will host the WAA MEE for an open house to honor our nation’s veterans and active duty military at 2158 Baltimore Pike from 10am – 6pm.

 

MONTOURSVILLE, PA – Wednesday, June 16, 2021 – The Central PA Wreaths Across America will host the WAA MEE for an open house to honor our nation’s veterans and active duty military at the American Legion Post 104 located at 1312 Broad St. from 10am – 6:30pm.

 

MARIETTA, PA – Thursday, June 17, 2021 – Jagtrux Inc. is holding a free open house for the public to tour the WAA MEE in honor of our nation’s veterans and active duty military and to celebrate their participation in Wreaths Across America Day December 18^th, 2021 at 1435 river road from 9am – 4pm.

 

HARRISBURG, PA – Friday, June 18, 2021 – The Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association is holding a free open house for the public to tour the WAA MEE in honor of our nation’s veterans and active duty military and to celebrate their participation in Wreaths Across America Day December 18^th, 2021 at 5045 Jonestown Rd from 10am – 5pm.

 

PLYMOUTH, PA – Saturday, June 19 – The Plymouth American Legion will host the WAA MEE for an open house to honor our nation’s Veterans and active duty military at the City Hall parking lot at 150 Wadham from 9am – 4pm

 

WILKES-BARRE, PA – Sunday, June 20, 2021 – The Wyoming Valley Chapter & PA DAR will host the WAA MEE for a free public event to honor our nation’s veterans and active duty military at the Lowe’s parking area located at 501 Arena Hub Plaza from 9am – 4pm.

 

BUTLER, PA – Monday, June 21, 2021 – The General Richard Butler Chapter NSDAR will host the WAA MEE in conjunction with their 130th anniversary celebration. for an open house to honor our nation’s veterans and active duty military at the American Legion Post 778, 150 Legion Memorial Lane from 9am – 4pm.

 

PITTSTON, PA – Tuesday, June 22, 2021 – RC Moore Inc. will host the WAA MEE for an open house to honor our nation’s veterans and active duty military at 301 Oak St. from 1pm – 4pm.

 

When the MEE pulls into your area, all veterans, active-duty military, their families, and the local community members are invited and encouraged to visit, take a tour and speak with WAA representatives and volunteers. They can also share more about the national nonprofit, and the work its volunteers do to support our heroes and their communities year-round.

 

The public tours for the MEE are free and open to the public with social distancing, sanitation and COVID-19 safety procedures in place to protect the health of all visitors in accordance with the CDCs recommendation for large gatherings stemming from concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Members of the media, dignitaries, veterans and other interested groups are urged to come, ask questions, share stories and experience this one-of-a-kind exhibit.

 

To host the MEE in your community, whether it be for a parade, a school-related or veterans’ organization, or a public or private event, visit https://wreathsacrossamerica.org/mee to make a request.

 

Wreaths Across America is the non-profit organization best known for placing wreaths on veteran’s headstones at Arlington National Cemetery. However, in 2020, the organization placed more than 1.7 million sponsored veterans’ wreaths at 2,557 participating locations nationwide. Throughout the calendar year you can tune in to Wreaths Across America Internet Radio, 24/7, to learn more about the mission and those who support it across the country, as well as the hundreds of local charitable efforts nationwide that are funded through wreath sponsorships.

 

You can sponsor a veteran’s wreath anytime for $15 at www.wreathacrossamerica.org. Each sponsorship goes toward a live, balsam wreath that will be placed on the headstone of an American hero as we endeavor to honor all veterans laid to rest at noon on Saturday, December 18, 2021, as part of National Wreaths across America Day.

Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf today joined Attorney General Josh Shapiro, members of the Women’s Health Caucus, and stakeholders to discuss the damaging effects of the general assembly’s proposed anti-abortion legislation and reaffirm a commitment to protecting reproductive rights in Narberth.

“Today, I am reaffirming my commitment to uphold Pennsylvanians’ right to make their own health decisions,” said Gov. Wolf. “Politics do not belong in a doctor’s office and there is absolutely no place for politicians to come between an individual and their doctor. It is despicable that members of the legislature are actively working to criminalize health care decisions that individuals and their doctors need the freedom to make on their own.”

This week, Pennsylvania’s General Assembly proposed anti-choice legislation, with Governor Wolf vowing to veto any anti-choice legislation that lands on his desk.

Rally speakers shared their perspective on the proposed legislation and reproductive rights:

“We’re seeing a continued, sustained assault on the fundamental right to reproductive health care across the country, and the latest attack has come right here in Pennsylvania,” said AG Shapiro. “Defending Pennsylvanians’ rights in court is nothing new to my office. Throughout the entire Trump era, we protected reproductive health care and the right to have a safe, legal abortion. And with enough of our voices speaking up and speaking out, these kinds of extreme, reckless bills will never become law.”

“I can tell you, from my multiple perspectives as an expert in this topic, that removing reproductive choice will create a slippery slope whereby the government dictates what we can and cannot do with our bodies,” said clinician and advocate Dr. Erica Goldblatt Hyatt. “Research consistently demonstrates that when choice in pregnancy is taken away—long-term psychological health suffers. Not the health of monsters, but of people who are often already parents, often valuable members of our community, doing the very best that they can.”

“I am thrilled that Governor Tom Wolf is here in my hometown, Narberth,” said Women’s Health Caucus co-chair Rep. Mary Jo Daley. “Governor Wolf is a strong advocate for women and their reproductive rights.  In Harrisburg, he has been the backstop on every single bill that would take these rights from women. “

“Access to abortion is part of the fundamental rights we, as humans, have to our own bodies,” said Sen. Amanda Cappelletti. “Those attacking this right are needlessly shaming people who can become pregnant and echoing the dangerous national trend of attacking a person’s right to bodily autonomy. Politicians need to leave these extremely private and personal decisions up to patients and their doctors. I will continue to fight against this rhetoric and any policy that hurts Pennsylvanians who can conceive.”

“It’s unacceptable that it’s 2021, and women remain under attack regarding their own personal health care and beyond,” said state Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Phila., who is co-chair of the Women’s Health Caucus and a member of the Pennsylvania Commission for Women. “The anti-choice legislators in the Republican-controlled Generally Assembly cannot be allowed to run over women’s rights while refusing to tackle the issues women need us to address, like supporting mothers and their children after birth and decreasing the increasing rate of maternal mortality due to lack of access to health care and other resources. I will continue to fight for the right of women to make these deeply personal and private decisions with the help of their family and doctors and without government interference.”

Harrisburg, PA – The Wolf Administration today urged Pennsylvanians to take food safety precautions as they plan celebrations during the upcoming Memorial Day holiday and the summer season.

“With Memorial Day approaching and the summer event season kicking off, we must remember grilling and picnic food safety measures,” Department of Health Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam said. “As the weather gets warmer, foodborne germs are more abundant, yielding food poisoning. It is important to keep perishable foods refrigerated and properly handle raw meats.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has tips to keep food safe for the upcoming summer season. If you are preparing food in advance for Memorial Day, divide cooked foods into shallow containers and store them in the refrigerator or freezer to rapidly cool. After cooking or grilling raw meats, throw away marinades and sauces that have touched raw meat juices. Use a clean plate and utensils to remove cooked meats from the grill.

Refrigerating your food promptly will help prevent harmful bacteria from multiplying and making you sick. Always keep your refrigerator below 40 degrees and chill perishable foods within two hours. If the outdoor temperature is above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, refrigerate food within one hour. The safest way to thaw frozen food is in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave. Never thaw foods on the counter, because bacteria can grow quickly in foods that are left at room temperature.

If you are going to community events or festivals, bring hand sanitizer and disposable wipes to clean your hands. Be sure to only order food from vendors that have licenses to sell food, are wearing gloves and using appropriate utensils when serving food.

“Preparing, storing and serving food safely can keep a celebration from turning into an emergency,” Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. “As we gather around the table together again, enjoy the bounty of food Pennsylvania has to offer, and eat safely.”

Learn more about food safety in Pennsylvania restaurants, grocers and on the farm at agriculture.pa.gov or download the EatSafePA app from your Apple or android app store.

If you have a food-related illness, your doctor or the laboratory that did the testing will report it to the department. You can also call 1-877-PA-HEALTH to speak with a public health nurse.

Additional information on foodborne diseases can be found on the Department of Health’s website at www.health.pa.gov or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

(Beaver Falls, PA) Tyrone Zeigler, of New Brighton, is looking to take the next step in the his wave pool revival project, that he has been working on for 4 years now.  Zeigler has raised $80,000 in donations, which is secured by the Beaver Falls Community Development Corporation.  He is reportedly now starting the feasibility process, which we reported on earlier this month, that the Beaver Falls City Council agreed to assist him with. Once the feasibility study is complete, he will be able to start applying for grants to cover additional costs.  Insurance issues have caused a stop in construction of the pool for the time being. He is reportedly currently working on securing general liability insurance.

Pittsburgh, PA – Ahead of the Memorial Day Holiday weekend, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Allegheny County Health Department and Steel Valley High School held a virtual media briefing to discuss their partnership to engage students on seat belt safety as part of the current ‘Click It Or Ticket’ mobilization and Youth Traffic Safety month.

National Youth Traffic Safety month is recognized in May to remind young drivers to practice responsible behavior behind the wheel. Additionally, the current ‘Click It Or Ticket’ enforcement period runs through June 6. The agencies found value in engaging students in a conversation about seat belt safety just ahead of Memorial Day Weekend, a prime time to travel and the unofficial kickoff to the summer travel season.

PennDOT and the Allegheny County Health Department partnered with Steel Valley High School through the Allegheny County Youth Traffic Safety Council to use social media to discuss the current initiatives. The school used their active Instagram account to pose the question “What is one reason why you choose to wear your seat belt?” Students were invited to answer in either a word post or video.

Students displayed a variety of good reasons for wearing their seat belt in the vehicle. One student responded, “One reason I choose to wear a seatbelt is seeing how excited my dog is to see me when I get home,” while two others replied, “I got into a car accident a few years ago and a seatbelt saved my life. I always wear one because you never know what will happen while driving,” and “I choose to wear a seatbelt for safety, no matter who you’re in the car with. Even if they are a good driver, you never know how other drivers are or what could happen.”

Other students kept their families in mind when justifying seat belt usage, “I wear my seatbelt for my parents and family. They’d be the ones dealing with the aftermath if I were to die or get very seriously injured,” said one student while another added “I choose to wear a seatbelt because I have two little sisters who look up to me and wait for me to come home each day.” To see other responses, follow Steel Valley High School’s Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) chapter’s Instagram account @steelvalleysadd.

The Allegheny County Youth Traffic Safety Council is hosted by several organizations, including PennDOT and the Allegheny County Health Department, where open dialog is maintained with local high schools regarding how to promote driving safety among students and young drivers. Each participating school selects student representatives to attend meetings to discuss how the organizations can support students by providing guest speakers, activities, and resources for educational peer-to-peer interactions. Any school interested in joining the committee may contact Yasmeen Manyisha at ymanyisha@pa.gov.

Pennsylvania’s primary seat belt law requires drivers and passengers under 18 years of age to buckle up anywhere in the vehicle. The state’s secondary law requires drivers and passengers 18 years and older wear a seat belt when behind the wheel or in the front passenger seat. If a driver 18 years or older is pulled over for another violation, they can receive a second ticket if they or their front-seat passengers are not wearing seat belts.

PennDOT data shows there were 11,265 crashes in 2020 where at least one occupant was not wearing a seat belt in Pennsylvania, resulting in 348 fatalities.

It is imperative to teach young people the importance of wearing a seat belt at an early age, as these behavior patterns can be life lasting. In the event of a crash, seat belts are the first defense to safety.

For more information on seat belt safety, visit www.PennDOT.gov/Safety.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is set to approve a big innovation bill aimed at making the U.S. more competitive with China and other countries. The measure slogging through Congress includes $50 billion in emergency funds to shore up domestic computer chip manufacturing amid a shortfall that’s hit businesses across a range of industries. Senators had been expected to vote late Thursday, but proceedings came to a standstill when Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin protested the rush to finish and insisted on more changes. A few other Republicans joined him. The Senate recessed until Friday morning. The American Innovation and Competition Act is key to President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plans.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans are poised to block the creation of a special commission to study the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. That action would dash hopes for a bipartisan investigation amid a GOP push to put the violent insurrection by Donald Trump’s supporters behind them. A vote on the procedural motion was bumped to Friday after delays on an unrelated bill. Broad Republican opposition was expected even as Capitol Police officers and relatives of an officer who died went office to office asking GOP senators to support it. The siege was the worst attack on the Capitol in 200 years and interrupted the certification of Joe Biden’s presidential election win over Trump.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania is lifting its mask mandate no later than June 28. The Department of Health announced Thursday that it will no longer require unvaccinated people to wear masks in public on June 28 or once 70% of adults are fully vaccinated, whichever comes first. People are considered fully vaccinated once they are two weeks beyond their last required dose of COVID-19 vaccine. According to federal data, 70% of Pennsylvania residents aged 18 and over have already received at least one vaccine dose, with just over half of the adult population fully vaccinated.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday will announce commitments from a dozen companies and organizations to invest in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, as part of the Biden administration’s efforts to address the root causes of migration from the region. Participants include corporate giants such as Mastercard and Microsoft as well as Pro Mujer, a nonprofit that focuses on providing aid to low-income women in Latin America, along with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the World Economic Forum. The vice president is expected to issue a “call to action” for businesses and nonprofits to make new commitments to promote economic opportunity in the region.