CENTER, Pa. (AP) — The former longtime tax collector for a western Pennsylvania town has admitted stealing more than $1 million in funds dating back to 2011. Jeanne Bowser, of Center Township, pleaded guilty Thursday to wire fraud and filing a false tax report after waiving indictment by grand jury. She faces a lengthy prison term when she’s sentenced Sept. 28 and will also have to pay $1,028,000 in restitution and $275,000 for the taxes she didn’t pay on the stolen funds. Bowser had collected taxes for Center and the Central Valley School District for several decades before resigning in 2019 after an audit.

HARRISBURG – As weather forecasters caution about the threat of spring thunderstorms and extremely high wind gusts across much of the Commonwealth, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) reminds households of the steps they can take to prepare for, and recover safely from, storm-related power outages.

 “Heavy spring rain and high winds can bring down trees, branches and wires, disrupting utility service,” said PUC Chairman Gladys Brown Dutrieuille. “Time spent on planning and preparing before a storm can go a long way toward keeping you and your family safe when severe weather hits.” 

Additionally, the PUC cautions residents to give utility crews ample room to perform their repair work – for your protection as well as theirs – and to use extra care when traveling, watching for utility crews working along streets and roads and slowing down in work areas.

Storm Preparation Tips

The PUC encourages residents to consider the following tips before storm strikes:

• Know Your Utility Hotlines – Write down, print or save toll-free outage hotlines for your electric utility and/or your natural gas utility, which are listed on your monthly bills and posted on the PUC website.
• Save Utility Website Address – Your utility’s outage reporting system can provide updates on repair and restoration efforts. Bookmark these electric utility outage sites and natural gas company websites.
• Keep Your Cell Phone Charged – A well-charged phone will keep you in contact with your utility, other emergency services and family members during any power outage.
• Secure Supplies – Keep necessary food, medicine and other supplies on-hand, including batteries for flashlights.

Power Outage Tips

Should you lose power during a storm, keep the following points in mind:

• Call Your Utility Hotline to Report Outages – Do not assume that the utility already knows about your outage or that others have already called.
• Keep Clear of Wires – Do NOT touch or approach any fallen lines.
• Stay Away from Objects or Puddles in contact with downed power lines.
• Do NOT Try to Remove Trees or Limbs from power lines.
• Pre-Charge Cellular Phones or keep a portable cell phone charger on hand.  Plan to use a corded phone, cordless phones will not work without electricity.
• Do NOT Call 9-1-1 to Report Power Outages – report those to your utility. Calling 9-1-1 to report non-emergency issues like service outages can take resources away from other emergencies. SPECIAL NOTE: If you see a downed power line, immediately call your electric utility and/or 9-1-1.

 

Safety While Waiting for Power to be Restored

Households should consider the following tips to help stay safe until power is restored:

• Use Flashlights or Battery-Operated Lanterns for emergency lighting. Do not use candles or other potential fire hazards.
• Turn Off Lights and Electrical Appliances except for the refrigerator and freezer. When power comes back on, it may come back with momentary “surges” or “spikes” that can damage equipment.
• Leave One Light On – After you turn the lights off, turn one lamp on so you will know when power is restored. Wait at least 15 minutes after power is restored before turning on other appliances.
• Use Generators Safely – If you use a generator, do NOT run it inside a home or garage or anywhere close to a window or vent. Also, connect the equipment you want to operate directly to the outlets on the generator, not your home’s electrical system, which could shock or injure utility crews working on nearby power lines. Additional generator tips are available here.
• Check on Elderly Neighbors and those with special needs who might need additional assistance.

 

Natural Gas Safety Tips

Consumers using natural gas appliances can also be impacted by storms:

• Check Gas Appliances – Electric power outages can affect home appliances that operate on natural gas. If they do not function properly when power is restored, call a professional for service.
• Evacuate if You Smell Natural Gas – Get everyone out of the building immediately.
• Leave the Door Open and Do NOT Use Phones; do NOT switch lights or appliances on or off; and do NOT take any other action while inside the building.
• Call 9-1-1 from a safe location – After you are safely outside, call 9-1-1 from your cell phone or neighbor’s home.

During storm emergencies, the PUC continuously monitors utility issues and works closely with the Governor’s Office and the other state agencies involved in Pennsylvania’s coordinated storm response. Across the state, there is extensive behind-the-scenes work when storms are forecast, focused on quickly addressing problems and restoring service as rapidly as possible. Utilities are putting their severe weather plans into motion; crews and equipment are being positioned for quick response to outages; and communication with emergency management coordinators is enhanced

Keystone State News Connection

April 30, 2021

Andrea Sears

HARRISBURG, Pa. – A new report says the proposed consolidation of Pennsylvania’s 14 public universities would mean significant job losses and economic decline in surrounding communities.

On Wednesday, the Board of Governors for the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education – or PASSHE – voted to advance a plan to consolidate six campuses into two larger institutions, and to reduce faculty and staff levels systemwide.

If approved, the plan would eliminate more than 1,500 jobs in 2023.

Report co-author Michael Ash – chair of the Economics Department at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst – said that would cause further job losses in communities where the universities are major employers, costing the surrounding counties millions in lost revenue as well as local and state tax revenue.

“This will rank in the top 1% of layoffs in Pennsylvania since 2011,” said Ash. “This is a very large economic impact.”

PASSHE Chancellor Daniel Greenstein says enrollment has dropped 21% in the past decade and without consolidation, the system could face dissolution or have to close campuses.

But Marc Stier, director of the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, blamed decades of declining state spending for higher education for the enrollment drop. He said state funding for PASSHE has fallen to just 38% of the level it was in 1983 and ’84.

“Those universities,” said Stier, “which were once the engines of social mobility in Pennsylvania, have become much less effective at that task as tuition has gone up, making PASSHE schools less accessible to working people.”

He said the price of a four-year education as a percent of the median income in Pennsylvania is now tied with Alabama as the second least affordable in the country.

Ash pointed out most of the untenured faculty at the universities – those most likely to be cut – and almost 60% of students enrolled in the system, are women.

“Some of the campuses have female enrolment as high as 70%,” said Ash. “So, as these cuts arrive, there’ll be a disproportionate impact on the female enrollment of the PASSHE system.”

The vote in the Board of Governors launched a 60 day public comment period on the proposal. A final vote is scheduled for July.

Pennsylvania Senate OKs bill to halt plans to toll bridges
By MARC LEVY Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Republicans in Pennsylvania’s Senate are trying to make Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration start over on its plans to toll up to nine major bridges. They approved a bill Tuesday to require PennDOT to first secure approval from the Legislature. The bill passed 28-19, with the backing of every Republican and one Democrat. Republicans contend that the process leading to PennDOT’s announcement in February has lacked transparency and was never envisioned by lawmakers when they created the Public-Private Transportation Partnership Board in 2012. Democrats say Republicans are failing their obligations to fund transportation needs and say PennDOT’s initiative was squarely within the scope of 2012’s law. Wolf’s administration opposes the bill.

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