Medical Marijuana Program Operationalizes 100^th Dispensary

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health today announced that as of late last week, the Medical Marijuana Program has operationalized its 100^th dispensary, PharmaCann Penn, LLC (Verilife) in Chester.

“Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program continues to be a leader for the country in terms of program growth and its first in the nation research program,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “Reaching 100 operational dispensaries is a milestone for the program, but we know there is much work to do. Our clinically-based, patient-focused program is committed to assisting those suffering with cancer, PTSD and other serious medical conditions.”

Of the 101 operational dispensaries, 99 of them are open and dispensing products to patients. 27 grower/processors are operational, with 22 shipping product to dispensaries. Many of these grower/processors are either expanding their locations, or already have.

The clinical research program, guided by Act 43 of 2018, allows for eight clinical registrants who each must hold both a grower/processor and a dispensary permit. Clinical registrants must have a research contract with one of eight approved academic clinical research centers.

There are close to 281,000 active certifications as part of the medical marijuana program. Close to 504,000 patients and caregivers are registered for the program in order to obtain medical marijuana for one of 23 serious medical conditions.

Active cardholders are continuing to visit dispensaries more than once a month to get treatment for a serious medical condition. More than 23 million products have been sold since the start of the program, and total sales within the program are more than $1.8 billion, which includes sales by the grower/processors to the dispensaries, and sales by the dispensaries to patients and caregivers. More than $1.1 billion in sales has been from the dispensaries to patients.

More than 2,060 physicians have registered for the program, close to 1,500 of whom have been approved as practitioners.

The medical marijuana program offers medical marijuana to patients who are residents of Pennsylvania and have been certified as having a serious medical condition as defined by the Medical Marijuana Act.

As of March 20, 2020, certain statutory and regulatory provisions have been temporarily suspended in order to implement the following changes in response to the COVID-19 emergency:

• Allow dispensary employees to provide medical marijuana to cardholders in their vehicles on the facility’s property;
• Remove the current cap that limits the number of patients assigned to one caregiver, to allow for more caregivers to patients in need;
• Eliminate background checks for caregiver applications, limited to renewal applications only, in order to expedite the caregiver renewal process;
• Waive in-person consultations and allow for remote consultations between approved practitioners and medical marijuana patients; and
• Waive limits that allow for medical marijuana to only be dispensed for 30 days by requiring approved practitioners to notate on the patient’s certification to dispense a 90-day supply.

The statutory and regulatory suspensions will remain in place for as long as the Proclamation of Disaster Emergency is in effect.

For more information about the medical marijuana program, visit www.medicalmarijuana.pa.gov or follow the Department of Health on Facebook and Twitter

AAA Urges Drivers to Safely Secure Holiday Trees
Research from AAA shows loose trees present dangers to motorists, expense to owners

As Americans head to farms, retail stores, and local tree lots to find a real tree this holiday season, AAA East Central urges motorists to make sure they are safely securing their trees during transport to keep them from becoming dangerous projectiles. As with any large object, making sure a tree is properly secured will help prevent it from becoming a hazard to other drivers and to prevent vehicle damage.

“There is no question that a real tree can add something special to your home during the holidays, but motorists need to transport them safely,” said Terri Rae Anthony, safety advisor, AAA East Central. “Not only could you be putting other lives at risk, you could be setting yourself up for costly repairs to your own vehicle.”

Risks Associated with an Improperly Secured Holiday Tree:
According to previous AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety research, more than 200,000 crashes involved debris on U.S. roads over a four-year period, resulting in 39,000 injuries and 500 deaths.

Drivers can also face hefty fines and penalties as well as jail time if an unsecured tree falls off their vehicle. Currently, every state has laws that make it illegal for items to fall from a vehicle while on the road. Most states’ penalties result in fines ranging from $10 to $5,000, with at least 16 states listing jail as a possible punishment for offenders.

Additionally, an improperly secured tree can cost motorists as much as $1,500 in repairs. Twine that is wrapped around trees and looped through door jambs or open windows can cause permanent wearing and warping, and branches can scratch a vehicle’s paint.

AAA Tips for Safely Securing a Holiday Tree:

• Use the right vehicle. It’s best to transport a holiday tree on top of a vehicle equipped with a roof rack. However, if you do not have a roof rack, use the bed of a pickup truck, or an SUV, van or minivan that can fit the tree inside with all doors closed.
• Use quality tie downs. Bring strong rope or nylon ratchet straps to secure the tree to your vehicle’s roof rack. Avoid the lightweight twine offered by many tree lots.
• Protect the tree. Have the tree wrapped in netting before loading it. If netting is unavailable, secure loose branches with rope or twine.
• Protect your vehicle. Use an old blanket to prevent paint scratches and protect the vehicle finish.
• Point the trunk towards the front. Always place the tree on a roof rack or in a pickup bed with the bottom of the trunk facing the front of the vehicle.
• Tie it down. Secure the tree at its bottom, center and top. At the bottom, use fixed vehicle tie-down points and loop around the trunk above a lower branch, to prevent any side-to-side or front-to-rear movement. The center and top tie downs should be installed in a similar manner.
• Give it the tug test. Before you leave the lot, give the tree several strong tugs from various directions to make sure it is secured in place and will not blow away.
• Drive slowly and easily. Take the back roads, if possible. Higher speeds create significant airflow that can damage your Holiday tree and challenge even the best tie-down methods.

AAA East Central is a not-for-profit association with 73 local offices in Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia serving 2.7 million members.  News releases are available at news.eastcentral.aaa.com.  Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Route 4021 Shenango Road Improvements Begin Monday in Chippewa

Two-week Closure for Culvert Replacement

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing culvert replacement work on Shenango Road (Route 4021) in Chippewa Township, Beaver County, will begin Monday, December 14 weather permitting.

Culvert replacement work requiring an around-the-clock closure of Shenango Road between Park Road and Braun Road will occur from 7 a.m. Monday continuously through Friday, December 25. Traffic will be detoured via Park Road (Route 4019) and Blackhawk Road (Route 251).

The prime contractor is Michael Facchiano Contracting, Inc.  Roadway reconstruction will also occur on the project.

Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

US agencies hacked in monthslong global cyberspying campaign
By ERIC TUCKER, FRANK BAJAK and MATT O’BRIEN Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. government agencies were ordered to scour their networks for malware and disconnect potentially compromised servers after authorities learned that the Treasury and Commerce departments were hacked in a monthslong global cyberespionage campaign discovered when the prominent cybersecurity firm FireEye learned it had been breached. FireEye would not say who it suspected. But many experts believe the operation is Russian given the careful tradecraft. FireEye says foreign governments and major corporations were also compromised. Federal agencies have long been attractive targets for foreign cyberspies. A Kremlin spokesman said Monday that Russia had “nothing to do with” the hacking.

Gmail, YouTube down briefly as Google suffers brief outage
LONDON (AP) — Google users in the U.S., Europe, India and other parts of the world were briefly unable to access their Gmail accounts, watch YouTube videos or get to their online documents during an outage Monday. Thousands of complaints popped up around 7 a.m. Eastern along the East Coast of the U.S. The company said it’s aware of the problem on its dashboard page. That was followed by another message that said service has been restored for some users. and a a resolution for all users was expected in the near future. There were similar updates for Google’s many other services, such as Docs, Hangouts and Chat. The company did not reply immediately to a request for comment.

(Monaca, Pa.) The Community College of Beaver County Foundation has  announced the appointment of two new Board of Trustees, Brian Hayden and Harry Kunselman. Mr. Hayden and Mr. Kunselman will join the governing body whose duty is to provide a public service aimed at the continual improvement of the College. They also announced the appointment Eli Shorak to the CCBC Foundation Board of Directors. Mr. Shorak will join the board comprising volunteer business and community leaders who support the strategic plan and advancement of the College.

Congress averts shutdown, buys time for more COVID-19 talks
By LISA MASCARO and ANDREW TAYLOR Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress has shipped a temporary government-wide funding bill to President Donald Trump, averting a government shutdown at midnight. The funding extension gives negotiators time to continue working toward agreement on new COVID-19 relief aid. The extension sets a new shutdown deadline of midnight next Friday. It passed the Senate by a unanimous voice vote Friday. The House passed the bill on Wednesday and Trump is expected to sign it before midnight. COVID-19 relief talks remain stalled but there is universal agreement that Congress won’t adjourn for the year without passing a long-delayed round of pandemic relief.

Pittsburgh, PA – Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens invites fans to enjoy the beauty of Winter Flower Show: Home for the Holidays from the comfort of their own homes! The new Winter Flower Show Virtual Video Tour includes a 25-minute video walkthrough of every room in this year’s spectacular show accompanied by festive background music. Plus, an alternate version prefaces the show with remarks from Phipps President and CEO Richard Piacentini, and provides commentary from Associate Director of Exhibits and Designer of Home for the Holidays Jordyn Melino as she explains the inspiration for how each room came to life.

The video is available for an introductory two-week price of $4.99 for Phipps members and $9.99 for nonmembers, allowing guests access to stream and watch as many times as they’d like on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku and Chromecast. The video can also be rented for a 24-hour viewing window for $4.99. Visit vimeo.com/ondemand/PhippsVirtualTour to order.

The beauty of Home for the Holidays can also be shared when guests purchase a copy of the Virtual Video Tour for a loved one! To order the video as a gift, visit phipps.conservatory.org/GiftVideo. Purchasers will receive an email within one business day of placing the order containing a special one-time use code to share with the gift recipient.

Home for the Holidays brings the comfort of home to life in signature Phipps fashion, with beautiful, enchanting blooms greeting guests as they wander through room after room of seasonal splendor. Guests will delight at Phipps’ magical carousel floating on a glassy pond, a cozy cabin sitting snugly amidst a snowy forest of blue, purple, white and silver plants, a topiary animal display that explores winter hibernation habits, and a living room scene featuring furniture — such as armchairs, a grandfather clock, chandeliers and tree skirts — brought to life with plant materials.

Winter Flower Show: Home for the Holidays runs from Nov. 20 – Jan. 3. Hours are 9:30 a.m. – 11 p.m. daily. Phipps will be closed all day Thurs., Nov. 26 and Fri., Dec. 25 and will close at 5 p.m. on Thurs., Dec. 24. Tickets must be reserved in advance. For more information and to reserve tickets, visit phipps.conservatory.org/Tickets. Winter Flower Show: Home for the Holidays was designed by Associate Director of Exhibits Jordyn Melino.

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced today that it has issued its one millionth REAL ID product, a major milestone in its work to issue REAL ID-compliant products to customers.

“I am so proud that we have reached this milestone,” said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian. “From the beginning, customer service was at the center of PennDOT’s REAL ID program, and that continues to be our focus as the federal deadline approaches.”

REAL ID is a federal law that affects how states issue driver’s licenses and ID cards if they are going to be acceptable for federal purposes, such as boarding a domestic flight or entering a federal building that requires ID upon entry. A federally acceptable form of identification (whether it’s a Pennsylvania REAL ID driver’s license or ID card, a valid U.S. Passport/Passport Card, a military ID, etc.) must be used for these purposes on and after October 1, 2021. There is no requirement that any resident obtain a REAL ID; PennDOT continues to offer standard-issue driver’s licenses and photo IDs.

Based on data from other states with optional REAL ID programs, PennDOT anticipates that 2.5 million Pennsylvanians will choose to get a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or ID card, with 1.3 million obtaining them by October 1, 2021. Now that the million-product threshold has been crossed, PennDOT is positioned well to reach this target by the federal enforcement deadline.

PennDOT paused REAL ID issuance in March 2020 due to COVID-19, out of an abundance of caution and in the interest of public health. Additionally, the federal Department of Homeland Security postponed the enforcement date for REAL ID from October 1, 2020, to October 1, 2021, in response to COVID-19 and the national emergency declaration. PennDOT resumed issuing REAL IDs in September 2020.

“We want to do everything we can to encourage residents interested in applying for a REAL ID to start the process now and be aware of all the proper documentation needed,” said Gramian. “This will help ensure our customers have their REAL ID well in advance of the October 1, 2021 deadline.”

Customers can obtain a REAL ID by presenting documents for verification and processing at any driver license center. Federal regulations require that to be issued a REAL ID-compliant product, PennDOT must verify the below documents:

• Proof of Identity: Examples include original or certified copy of a birth certificate filed with the State Office of Vital Records/Statistics with a raised seal/embossed or valid, unexpired, U.S. Passport;
• Proof of Social Security Number:  Social security card, in current legal name;
• Two Proofs of Current, Physical PA Address: Examples include a current, unexpired PA driver’s license or identification card, vehicle registration or a utility bill with the same name and address; and
• Proof of all Legal Name Changes (if current legal name is different than what is reflected on proof of identity document): Examples include a certified marriage certificate(s) issued by the County Court for each marriage, court order(s) approving a change in legal name or amended birth certificate issued by the State Office of Vital Records/Statistics. If current name is the same as what is reflected on proof of identity document (usually birth certificate or passport), a customer does not need to show proof of legal name changes.

Customers have three options for obtaining a REAL ID product: Customers may order their REAL ID online if they have been pre-verified and their REAL ID product will be mailed to them within 15 business days; they can visit any PennDOT driver license center that is open for driver license services, have their documents verified and imaged, and their REAL ID product will be mailed to them within 15 business days; or they can visit one of 12 REAL ID Centers and receive their REAL ID product over the counter at the time of service.

For a full list of driver license centers and their services, please visit the PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services website.

When a customer gets their first REAL ID product, they will pay a one-time fee of $30, plus a renewal fee (current renewal fee is $30.50 for a four-year non-commercial driver’s license and $31.50 for a photo ID). The expiration date of their initial REAL ID product will include any time remaining on their existing non-REAL ID product, plus an additional four years, unless the customer is over 65 and has a two-year license. This expiration date structure means that the customer won’t “lose” time that they’ve already paid for. After the initial REAL ID product expires, the customer will pay no additional fee, beyond regular renewal fees, to renew a REAL ID product.

REAL ID-compliant products are marked with a gold star in the upper right corner, standard-issue (non-compliant) products include the phrase “NOT FOR REAL ID PURPOSES,” per federal regulations. Sample images can be viewed on PennDOT’s website.

More information about REAL ID in Pennsylvania, including frequently asked questions and information on documents required for REAL ID, can be found at www.penndot.gov/REALID.

FDA head expects vaccine emergency use soon

WASHINGTON — The head of the Food and Drug Administration says his agency has told Pfizer that it “will rapidly work” to grant emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine following a positive recommendation by government advisers.
The FDA decision will kickstart an unprecedented vaccination campaign needed to eventually defeat the virus. The FDA’s greenlight of the vaccine, co-developed with BioNtech, was practically assured after the positive vote by agency advisers a day earlier.
The FDA’s brief statement came less than an hour after President Donald Trump tweeted directly at FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, complaining that FDA “is still a big, old, slow turtle.”
FDA staff have repeatedly said they expect to issue a decision within days of Thursday’s meeting. Many FDA observers predict action by Saturday ahead of a Sunday meeting by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The panel of CDC advisers will vote on who should get priority for the initial shots. Federal officials plan to allocate the first 6.4 million doses of the vaccine to states based on their population.

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HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania is halting school sports and other extracurricular activities, ordering gyms, theaters and casinos to close and banning indoor dining at restaurants in response to the worsening pandemic.
A day after telling Pennsylvanians of his own COVID-19 diagnosis, Gov. Tom Wolf announced the widely expected clampdown Thursday. He said it aims to slow the accelerating spread of the coronavirus and prevent hospitals from becoming overrun.
“We all hoped it would not come to this,” Wolf said at a virtual news conference, but “we need to slow the spread to save lives.”
The restrictions include a 10-person cap on indoor gatherings, a 50-person limit for outdoor gatherings and capacity restrictions at retail stores. They take effect Saturday and run through until Jan. 4.

Stocks extend losses as virus aid languishes in Congress
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are opening lower on Wall Street, extending their losses for the week, as efforts to provide badly needed aid to people and businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic remain stalled in Congress. The S&P 500 fell 0.5% in the first few minutes of trading Friday. Energy companies and banks had some of the biggest losses, while safe-play stocks like utilities and real estate companies held up better. Disney jumped 7% after the entertainment giant announced a massive slate of new streaming offerings for its fast-growing Disney Plus service. European markets were lower and Asian markets ended mixed. Treasury yields held steady.

Inflation still a no-show, US wholesale prices up just 0.1%
By MARTIN CRUTSINGER AP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. wholesale prices edged up a slight 0.1% in November as weak demand caused by the pandemic has kept inflation at extremely low levels. The increase in the producer price index, which measures inflation pressures before they reach the consumer, followed bigger gains of 0.3% in October and 0.4% in September, the Labor Department reported Friday. But even with those gains, wholesale prices are up just 0.8% from a year ago, far below the Federal Reserve’s target for annual price increases of 2%.

Retailers urge shoppers to buy early amid shipping crunch
By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO and JOSEPH PISANI AP Retail Writers
NEW YORK (AP) — A number of retailers, including J.C. Penney, Lowe’s and Kohl’s, are telling shoppers they need to place their online orders soon or else pay expedited shipping fees if they want to get their packages delivered in time for the holidays. The earlier-than-usual deadlines come as more people turn to online shopping during the pandemic, creating a logjam for shipping companies as well as delivery delays. For some retailers like H&M and Lego, the deadlines have already passed.  One expert estimates that a majority of retailers have pushed up deadlines by at least a day or two, with about a quarter moving them up at least a week or more. Meanwhile, behemoths like Walmart, Target and Amazon haven’t had to make any major changes.