Keystone State News Connection

Emily Scott

Pennsylvania schools have faced an uphill battle in the omicron variant surge, which led to temporary virtual learning after the winter break. But a new poll finds parents feel overwhelming support for teachers, and for schools’ handling of COVID-19.

In the national survey of 1,300 parents of kids in public schools, 72% said their child’s school provides them with an “excellent or good-quality” education.

Despite the pandemic challenges of the last two years, said Dan Alderson, a teacher at Chartiers-Houston School District in Washington County, he’s never been more proud to be an educator.

“Students in our classrooms, they’re getting to see firsthand what it is to be a lifelong learner just by looking at their teachers,” he said, “and they’ve stepped out of their comfort zones, some of the teachers that weren’t familiar with technology, and they’ve really taken it upon themselves to learn as much as they can.”

In the poll, a big concern among parents is the nationwide teacher shortage, with 65% saying they were “fairly or very concerned” about it. Gov. Tom Wolf signed a bill into law in December that allows the state to expand its pool of eligible substitutes.

Alderson said one of many things made more clear about teaching during the pandemic has been the importance of communicating with parents. With lots of contact amid last-minute switches to remote learning, he said he thinks it’s given parents a better appreciation for the job of being a teacher.

“You have to be able to turn on a dime and you have to be able to be flexible,” he said. “I think if anything, this thing has strengthened the bonds between that teacher-and-home connection with students and parents. I really think that it’s allowed me to reach my students and get to know my students better.”

Other pressing issues for parents that surfaced in the polling include concern over a lack of support staff, such as counselors and nurses, and worries about their children falling behind academically.

(AP Photo)
PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) — It’s Groundhog Day and people are waiting to learn whether a furry critter in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, predicts an early spring or six more weeks of winter. People will gather Wednesday at Gobbler’s Knob as members of Punxsutawney Phil’s “inner circle” summon him from his tree stump at dawn to learn if he has seen his shadow. According to folklore, there will be six more weeks of winter if he sees his shadow. If he doesn’t, spring comes early. Records dating to the late 1800s show Phil has predicted longer winters more than 100 times. The 2020 forecast called for an early spring. The event took place virtually last year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

(AP Photo)
By ZEKE MILLER Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. regulators are urging drugmaker Pfizer to apply for emergency authorization for a two-dose regimen of its COVID-19 vaccine for children 6 months to 5 years old. That’s according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive regulatory issues. The Biden administration aims to clear the way for the shots as soon as late February. The company’s application was expected to be submitted as soon as Tuesday. Early Pfizer data has shown the vaccine — which is administered to younger kids at one-tenth the strength of the adult shot — is safe and produces an immune response.

Pittsburgh, PA (Jan. 31, 2022) — Beginning on Jan. 15, Highmark has been complying with federal guidelines to reimburse its members for the cost of over-the-counter (OTC) COVID tests. Members can be reimbursed for up to 8 OTC tests per month. To receive reimbursement, members must submit a claim form through the mail or online.

To expand options for members to access testing, Highmark has now announced the use of its existing pharmacy networks for members to receive OTC COVID antigen tests without any up-front costs, eliminating the need for reimbursement.

The list of FDA emergency use authorized OTC COVID-19 antigen tests covered through the preferred pharmacy network includes Inteliswab COVID-19 Home Test, Binaxnow COVID-19 AG Home Test, Quickvue At-Home COVID-19 Test, Ellume COVID-19 Home Test, iHealth COVID-19 AG Home Test and Flowflex COVID-19 AG Home Test.

“We agree that testing is important for helping to slow the spread of the virus,” said Thomas Doran, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Highmark Inc. “That’s why we want to ensure that members have expanded access to home testing, without any costs at the point of sale.”

To receive an FDA emergency use authorized OTC COVID antigen test without any out-of-pocket costs, members can visit the same pharmacy where they get their prescriptions filled – or any in-network pharmacy – locate a test, take the test to the pharmacy counter and show their Highmark insurance card to have the test processed through their pharmacy benefit (members with a separate pharmacy benefit card will need to show that). If unsure which pharmacies are in-network, members can visit the Highmark member website or call the number on the back of their Highmark insurance card or pharmacy benefit card for help. Members can also continue to purchase FDA emergency-use authorized OTC COVID tests and submit a claim form for reimbursement.

Highmark members can also receive four free tests through the federal government website covidtests.gov.

Highmark members can visit its informational website highmarkanswers.com for the latest updates.

(File Photo)

(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today, the U.S. Department of Interior announced that $1.15 billion in funding is available to states from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for oil and gas well cleanup.  Representative Conor Lamb (PA-17) announced that Pennsylvania is eligible to receive up to $104 million in the first funding phase announced today.  Lamb supported this program’s inclusion in the infrastructure package, and joined a bipartisan letter in June 2020 highlighting the importance of addressing this issue.

Abandoned oil and gas wells leak methane into the atmosphere, pose health and safety risks, and can pollute local groundwater.  Many experts estimate that there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, more abandoned or orphaned wells across the country.

“Plugging these wells will create jobs and protect the environment.  In a divided Washington, this issue has strong bipartisan support,” said Lamb.  “This federal investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a huge win for Pennsylvania.”

In Pennsylvania, more than five percent of the state’s human-caused methane emissions come from abandoned wells.  Lamb has been working in Washington on finding and fixing these wells to help curb emissions.  Lamb introduced the bipartisan Abandoned Well Remediation Research and Development Act (H.R. 4270) to establish an abandoned wells research, development, and demonstration program at the Department of Energy.  This legislation would help develop cutting edge technologies and approaches to finding and capping these wells, building on the progress from much-needed funding from the infrastructure bill.  H.R. 4270 recently passed the House Committee on Science, Space & Technology, and Lamb is pushing for a vote by the full the House as quickly as possible.

Plugging orphaned wells will also help advance the goals of the U.S. Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan, as well as the Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization, which focuses on spurring economic revitalization in the hard-hit energy communities.

Click here for more details on how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will deliver for Pennsylvania, and visit Lamb’s website to learn more about the Abandoned Well Remediation Research and Development Act.