Mayor of Portland, Oregon, tear gassed by federal agents
By GILLIAN FLACCUS Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The mayor of Portland, Oregon, was tear gassed by federal agents late Wednesday as he stood with protesters at a fence guarding a federal courthouse. Mayor Ted Wheeler said it was the first time he’d been tear gassed and appeared slightly dazed and coughed as he put on a pair of goggles someone handed him. Earlier in the night, Wheeler was jeered as he tried to rally demonstrators who have clashed nightly with federal agents sent in by President Donald Trump to quell ongoing unrest in the city. Wheeler said it was important to oppose what he called an unconstitutional federal occupation.

Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano

(Ambridge, Pa.) Ambridge Area School Board is accepting  resumes and letters of interest  for two school board seats that have been vacated.  Interested  persons should send their information to Mrs. June Mueller , board secretary by July 31.. Her email address is jmueller@ambridge.k12.pa.us

Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano

(Aliquippa, Pa.) Bids are due by 4:30 p.m.Monday,  July 27, 2020 in the Beaver County Controller’s office for Aliquippa’s road repaving program. Documents to bid can be obtained from RAR Engineering Group, Inc.,1135 Butler Ave., New Castle, PA 16101

Harrisburg, PA – In response to a post made on Facebook by the Bloomsburg Fair mocking Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine, Governor Tom Wolf made the following statement:

“The COVID-19 pandemic has brought hate and transphobia into the spotlight through relentless comments and slurs directed at Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine, who is a highly skilled, valued, and capable member of my administration and Transgender. The derogatory incident involving the Bloomsburg Fair is the latest of these vile acts, which by extension impact Transgender people across the commonwealth and nation.

“Dr. Levine is a distinguished and accomplished public servant. She is committed to keeping Pennsylvanians safe and healthy, even those who direct hate-fueled attacks at her. I’m proud of the work she has done in her five years serving Pennsylvanians, and her success at leading our commonwealth during the COVID-19 crisis is a testament to her intelligence and work ethic.

“Hate has no place in Pennsylvania, even in the smallest transphobic joke, action or social media post. I’m calling upon all Pennsylvanians to speak out against hateful comments and acts, including the transphobia directed at Dr. Levine and all Transgender people in our great commonwealth.”

Rafael Álvarez Febo, executive director of the Pennsylvania Commission on LGBTQ Affairs, gave the following statement on behalf of the commission:

“The leadership of the Bloomsburg Fair knew they were catering to Transphobic sentiments when they chose to impersonate Dr. Levine. Marginalized communities know when we are being targeted and will not be gas-lit into thinking this was just about Dr. Levine’s position as Secretary of Health. In times of crisis and pain LGBTQ individuals are united in pushing back against Transphobia of any kind. Commissioners believe that the health and safety of Pennsylvanians should not be undermined due to these toxic and personal attacks.”

House votes to remove Confederate statues from Capitol
By MATTHEW DALY and JESSICA GRESKO Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has approved a bill to remove statues of General Robert E. Lee and other Confederate leaders from the U.S. Capitol, as a reckoning over racial injustice continues. The House vote also would remove a bust of Chief Justice Roger B. Taney, the author of the 1857 Dred Scott decision that declared African Americans couldn’t be citizens. Three statues honoring white supremacists — including former U.S. Vice President John C. Calhoun — would be immediately removed. The legislation must be approved by the Senate and signed by President Donald Trump to take effect. Trump has strongly opposed the removal of historic statues.

(Hopewell, Twp. Pa.) Hopewell Area School District business manager Jennifer Conrad’s resignation was accepted at Monday night’s School Board meeting. Her resignation is effective July 31. 2020.  The district will share business manager services with the Laurel School District, lLawrence County. The interim Business Manager and Board Secretary  is Tara Sheffler.

Andrea Sears, Keystone State News Connection

HARRISBURG, Pa. – More than fifty groups have joined together to produce a blueprint for job creation and building a sustainable economy in Appalachia.

They call it “Reimagine Appalachia,” a plan that could help a four-state area, including southwestern Pennsylvania, where the economy hasn’t worked for most people for decades.

According to Stephen Herzenberg, executive director of the Keystone Research Center, the plan calls for expanding opportunities in the region by investing in projects that reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.

“We need to invest in climate response and to use that investment to create a new deal that works for us,” says Herzenberg.

He says with Congress debating a new stimulus package, the people of Appalachia need to have a voice in how the region rebuilds. The plan is available at reimagineapplachia.org.

Herzenberg says building a sustainable economy could create jobs by modernizing the electrical grid, creating a sustainable transportation system, and relaunching the Civilian Conservation Corps that put millions to work in the 1930s.

“That work would increase the amount of carbon that is absorbed by our farms and our forests and our wetlands,” says Herzenberg. “And it would give people a sense of dignity and a chance to contribute to their communities.”

A bill has been introduced in the House to create a Civilian Conservation Corps to hire unemployed and underemployed workers for public works projects.

Herzenberg says the emphasis on sustainability and fighting climate change has a special relevance to a region that has suffered from the pollution left behind by fossil fuels and extraction industries.

“So we need more of the investment to create the good union jobs and the opportunities that our working families need for the future,” says Herzenberg.

He adds that the coalition will issue a series of white papers in the coming months to add more detail to their proposals.

Nursing Home Deaths Highlight Need for Federal Action

Andrea Sears, Keystone State News Connection

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Advocates for seniors say it’s time for lawmakers to pass a COVID-19 package that protects residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.

More than 56,000 residents and staff of nursing homes nationwide have died in the pandemic so far, including 4,800 in Pennsylvania alone. That’s 70% of all novel coronavirus deaths in the state.

But according to AARP Pennsylvania director Bill Johnston-Walsh, in the five months that have passed since the pandemic took hold in this country, federal lawmakers have not taken action to protect the most vulnerable.

“To date, Congress has passed four bills to address the devastating impact of the coronavirus on Americans,” says Johnston-Walsh. “Yet these bills barely touch on the crisis raging in the long-term care facilities.”

He is calling on Congress to pass a bipartisan relief package with polices and dedicated funding to protect seniors living in nursing homes.

Johnston-Walsh points out that some nursing homes in the state are testing residents and staff on a weekly basis while others are testing just once or not at all.

“We need the dollars to give the nursing homes the ability to ensure regular, ongoing testing and to be able to hire the personnel to do that,” says Johnston-Walsh.

He adds that some facilities still lack adequate personal protective equipment, and there still is lack of accountability for how billions of federal dollars are being spent.

Johnston-Walsh notes that some nursing homes may soon start allowing in-person visits by family and friends, something that is extremely important to the well-being of residents.

“In order to do that, we’re going to need the testing, we’re going to need the PPE,” says Johnston-Walsh. “We’re going to need to say to some places you’re not safe enough to have family members come into the facility but let’s get some dollars and do some virtual visitation.”

He says elected leaders need to act now to protect Pennsylvania’s long-term care residents and staff before the death toll rises even higher.