Category: News

US Employers Added Just 266K Jobs In April As Hiring Slows

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s employers added just 266,000 jobs last month, sharply lower than in March and a sign that some businesses are struggling to find enough workers as the economic recovery strengthens. With viral cases declining and states and localities easing restrictions, businesses have added jobs for four straight months. Still, the unemployment rate ticked up to 6.1% from 6% in March. Optimism about the economic recovery is growing. Many Americans are flush with cash after having received $1,400 federal relief checks, along with savings they have built up after cutting back on travel, entertainment and dining out over the past year.

Red Meat Politics: GOP Turns Culture War Into A Food Fight

By THOMAS BEAUMONT and SCOTT McFETRIDGE Associated Press
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Republicans are increasingly using food — especially beef — as a cudgel in the culture war. In statements, tweets and fundraising emails, prominent GOP governors and senators have accused climate-minded Democrats of trying to push Americans to eat less red meat. Conservatives have accused President Joe Biden of planning to ration red meat. The news was wrong, but the food fight is likely to continue as food choices become a way of signaling partisan politics. Already, in farm states, meat eating has joined abortion, gun control and transgender rights as an issue that quickly sends partisans to their corners.

Report Reveals PA Health-Care Access Disparities

Keystone State News Connection

May 7, 2021

Andrea Sears

HARRISBURG, Pa. — A new report shows Pennsylvanians are experiencing disparities in access to health care, especially in rural areas and among under-represented racial and ethnic groups.

The report, by AARP Pennsylvania and Drexel University’s College of Nursing and Health Professions, showed gaps in access to health care the authors say will continue to grow as the state’s population ages.

Angela Foreshaw-Rouse, manager of state operations and outreach for AARP Pennsylvania, said 14% of Pennsylvanians live in medically underserved areas, and 22% live in areas with shortages of health professionals.

“Geographic, racial and economic factors restrict access to health-care services for many Pennsylvanians, creating disparities that have become more pronounced during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Foreshaw-Rouse stated.

The report also found people age 65 and older are less likely to use the digital technology that has become critical for telehealth visits and to find COVID-19 vaccinations.

The report noted older Pennsylvanians are predominantly white, poor and live in rural areas.

Dr. Laura Gitlin, dean and distinguished university professor at Drexel University, cautioned by 2040, Southeastern Pennsylvania, the most densely populated and diverse part of the state, will see huge growth in its aging population.

“New competencies are needed for a culturally diverse group of older adults,” Gitlin asserted. “Different kinds of cultural competence, and knowledge of evidence-based care for prevention and chronic disease management, is severely lacking.”

She added the current workforce is unprepared to address complex and serious health conditions and lack training in geriatric care.

The report makes recommendations for developing of a culturally competent health-care workforce, and Foreshaw-Rouse argued providing broadband access across the state will be vital.

“Not only access to high-speed internet connectivity, but also technology and the literacy to use the technology,” Foreshaw-Rouse urged. “We know that our internet access is not available equitably across the state, and that is something that we can change.”

ALIQUIPPA MAYOR DWAN B. WALKER ACCEPTS STATE SENATE CITATION

(Photo taken by Beaver County Radio news Correspondent Sandy Giordano)

Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano

(Aliquippa, Pa.) PA STATE SENATOR CAMERA BARTOLOTTA  WAS IN ALIQUIPPA WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON  AND MAYOR DWAN B. WALKER  ACCEPTED A STATE SENATE CITATION.   THE CITATION WAS FOR THE CITY’S RECEIPT OF THE GOVERNOR’S EXCELLENCE AWARD., AND FOR ALIQUIPPA BEING RECOGNIZED FOR PROMOTING COMMUNITY/ECONOMIC  REVITALIZATION.

SENATOR BARTOLOTTA TOLD THOSE  PRESENT,” MAYOR WALKER HASN’T STOPPED HIS MOMENTUM.” HE’S A  HARDWORKING EXTRAORDINARY MAYOR”.  MAYOR WALKER COMMENDED COUNCIL MEMBERS,  DONALD WALKER, WHO IS HIS TWIN BROTHER, ART PIROLI, JR, AND JENNIFER MILLINER., CITY MANAGER SAM GILL,  CODE AND ZONING OFFICER JIM BOLOGNA AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF. HE SAID, KEEP DOING WHAT YOU’RE DOING.HE CONCLUDED BY SAYING,” WE’RE DOING  THE RIGHT THING TO MAKE ALIQUIPPA BETTER..” HE THANKED THE CITY RESIDENTS, ALSO.

Local McDonald’s Offer Free, Virtual Resilience Workshop

(Photo Courtesy of Mc Donald’s)
(Pittsburgh, Pa.) To combat the isolation and anxiety students are experiencing during today’s unprecedented times, McDonald’s restaurants across the Greater Pittsburgh area have partnered with author and Veteran Army Resilience Master Trainer Duncan Kirkwood to offer youth resilience training.

 

The free, virtual workshop for high school students across the Greater Pittsburgh area will take place at 10 am on Wednesday, May 19. Kirkwood’s hour-long motivational presentation will provide local teens with real advice about how to overcome setbacks, surmount ego and find meaningful purpose.

 

“At our restaurants, McDonald’s franchisees work with many young people. Over the past year, we’ve seen how much the pandemic has taken a toll on their ability to overcome obstacles and face challenges with flexibility and grace,” explained McDonald’s Owner/Operator Michele Rice. “To insure that as many young people as possible can gain value from this workshop, we’ve made it free, and we’ve made it virtual.”

 

While young people have faced unique challenges over the past year, McDonald’s is now striving to give them unique benefits. In developing the resilience initiative, McDonald’s hopes to provide young people with mental skills and practical techniques to help them thrive in the upcoming post-pandemic era.

 

To register for McDonald’s free youth resilience training, school administrators should go to www.tinyurl.com/rrc8rzmj

27.3 Percent to Go Before Making Order Lifted In Pennsylvania

(File Photo)

(Beaver Falls, Pa.) Governor Tom Wolf announced earlier this week that all mitigation orders except for the masking order will be lifted on Memorial Day, May 31,2021. He also announced that the masking order will be lifted once 70 percent of Pennsylvania’s citizens 18 and older are fully vaccinated. Currently we are 27.3 percent away according to the numbers that were released Thursday May 7, 2021 by the Pa Department of Health. As of Thursday morning according to the CDC, Pennsylvania has administered first doses of vaccine to 51.2% of its entire population, and the state ranks 10th among all 50 states for first doses administered by percentage of population and 42.7% of Pennsylvanians age 18 and older are fully vaccinated. Pennsylvania ranks 5th among all 50 states for total doses administered.

Three Injured in I-79 Accident in Cranberry

(File Photo)

(Cranberry Twp., Pa.) Pa State Police in Butler are reporting that they were called to the scene of a one vehicle accident on Interstate 79 in Cranberry Twp. last Friday afternoon that resulted in three people being injured.

Troopers said via release that upon investigation Amie Donahue was driving a 2014 Honda CRV north on Interstate 79 near mile marker 82 when she fell asleep at the wheel and lost control of the vehicle. The SUV left the road and traveled onto the berm and over turned. Donahue along with two other passengers were, one in a booster car seat were transported to Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh with minor injuries.

Donahue received a written warning for not driving properly on roadways laned to traffic.

Route 51 Improvements Begin Next Week in Beaver County

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing roadway improvement work on Constitution Boulevard (Route 51) in Hopewell and Center townships, Monaca Borough, and the City of Aliquippa, Beaver County will begin Monday, May 10 weather permitting.

Single-lane restrictions in both directions will occur Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Monday through Thursday nights from 6 p.m. to 4 a.m. through early October. Work will occur between 17th Street in Monaca Borough and approximately 1½ miles north of the Ambridge-Aliquippa Bridge. Improvement work includes milling and micro surfacing, drainage improvements, guide rail upgrades, curb and sidewalk work, bridge preservation, concrete repairs, and other various construction related activities.

Northeast Paving is the prime contractor on this $4.05 million project. The overall project will conclude in October 2021.

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

Additional Unemployment Compensation Customer Service Improvements Start Monday 

Harrisburg, PA – Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) Acting Secretary Jennifer Berrier today announced that the next phase of a customer service improvement initiative for unemployment compensation begins Monday.  Approximately 230 new customer service representatives will answer incoming calls to the Unemployment Compensation Service Center, while existing highly trained staff members will shift to exclusively work on resolving outstanding claim issues.

The additional staff will allow for individuals receiving unemployment benefits to more easily reach a customer service representative by phone, while also increasing the speed at which staff members can resolve claim issues. This is part of a larger effort to improve the customer experience and prepare people receiving unemployment payments for the transition from a 40-year-old mainframe system to an easier-to-use modern computer system in June.

“We’re aware that unemployment program enrollees have experienced frustration in trying to reach us, particularly by phone,” said Acting Secretary Berrier. “While we’ve been steadily hiring staff since the pandemic’s surge in demand, this customer service initiative is a more comprehensive approach to significantly increase our capacity to answer questions and rapidly resolve outstanding issues. Being unemployed is already a stressful time. By improving our ability to respond, we can allow workers to focus on successfully returning to the workforce.”

The benefits of the improve customer service initiative include:

  • More customer service representatives will be answering calls and providing answers to basic questions.
  • If a caller has a more complex question or needs assistance with their specific claim, the customer service representative will create an “inquiry” that will be sent to the claims staff.
  • The claims staff will work on inquiries in the order they are received, and callers will be provided with a tracking number that can be used to see where their inquiry is in the queue.
  • Callers will choose to get a phone call or email from claims staff, or to simply have claims staff resolve an outstanding issue.
  • An additional 200 customer service representatives are completing onboarding and training and will begin answering calls on May 17.
  • L&I will continue adding customer service representatives until all calls to the Unemployment Compensation Service Center are answered or until 1,000 total customer service representatives are staffing the phones.

To staff this initiative, L&I is working through UniqueSource with its vendor InspiriTec, an award-winning vendor that specializes in combining customer service solutions with affirmative employment of professionals with disabilities, veterans, and disadvantaged individuals.

“It’s a privilege to work with UniqueSource along with L&I’s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR), and PA CareerLink to make sure customers know they are being heard, valued, and served well,” said InspiriTec CEO John Connolly. “Working entirely from home, our new customer service representatives will make it a point to exceed expectations. Our growing partnership with OVR now extends to 16 OVR offices across the Commonwealth.  Over 230 job candidate referrals, many of whom are persons with disabilities, came to us in one month from OVR and PA CareerLink, reflecting the power of that partnership.”

Hiring for the customer service improvement initiative is ongoing. Individuals interested in working for the Unemployment Compensation Service Center are encouraged to reach out to their local PA CareerLink location for more information.

In addition to calling, unemployment program enrollees can also reach the Unemployment Compensation Service Center by emailing uchelp@pa.gov or using the live chat service. L&I also offers a variety of self-assistance resources on its website, including FAQs, videos, infographics, and guides.

For the latest updates on unemployment programs, visit L&I website at www.dli.pa.gov or following L&I on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.