Category: News

Gov. Wolf Announces $96 Million for Small Businesses Impacted by COVID-19

Gov. Wolf Announces $96 Million for Small Businesses Impacted by COVID-19
Application Period for Final Round of Funding Now Open 

Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf today announced that $96 million in state grants have been awarded to 4,933 Pennsylvania small businesses that were impacted by the COVID-19 public health crisis and subsequent business closure order.

Businesses in every Pennsylvania county received grants in this first of two rounds of funding, and 2,512 grants – or 51 percent – were awarded to historically disadvantaged businesses.

“As we continue to address this public health crisis, it’s critical that we also focus on our state’s economic recovery and supporting our small businesses across the state, which continue to be impacted by our necessary mitigation efforts,” Gov. Wolf said. “This funding will go a long way to help small businesses, including historically disadvantaged businesses, at a time when they need it most.”

The COVID-19 Relief Statewide Small Business Assistance funding was developed in partnership with state lawmakers and allocated through the state budget, which included $2.6 billion in federal stimulus funds through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, of which $225 million was earmarked for relief for small businesses.

The Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) distributed the funds to the Pennsylvania Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), which are administering the grants through three programs: $100 million for the Main Street Business Revitalization Program, $100 million for the Historically Disadvantaged Business Revitalization Program, and $25 million for the Loan Payment Deferment and Loss Reserve Program.

“The COVID-19 pandemic unexpectedly affected small businesses across the commonwealth, an unfortunate circumstance that could not have been predicted or prepared for,” said DCED Secretary Dennis Davin. “However, through the collective action of the Wolf Administration, the General Assembly, and the CDFI Network, Pennsylvania’s hardest hit and most at-risk businesses will be able to access the funding they need to shore up their resources and regain sound financial footing as we move into recovery.”

The second and final round of funding is open starting today through 11:59 PM on Friday, August 28. Eligible applicants not awarded in the first round do not need to reapply and will be rolled into the next round for consideration. More information on the COVID-19 Relief Statewide Small Business Assistance Program, including how to apply, is available on DCED’s website.

“The PA CDFI Network targeted these funds to reach the smallest and most vulnerable businesses across the state and we received an immense response with close to 50,000 applications submitted in the first round and more than $860 million in total requests,” said Daniel Betancourt, chairman of the PA CDFI Network and President & CEO of Community First Fund. “We are grateful to be part of this first step with Governor Wolf and the Pennsylvania Legislature to get much needed resources to the small businesses that have been so adversely impacted by the pandemic.”

The grants may be used to cover operating expenses during the shutdown and transition to re-opening, and for technical assistance including training and guidance for business owners as they stabilize and relaunch their businesses.

“These grants and the relief they will provide are testament to what we can do when we prioritize the right initiatives,” said state Sen. Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia, Montgomery), Democratic chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “It is because of collaboration and a collective focus that today we were able to deliver help to the auto body shops, the barbershops, the beauticians, the pizza shop owners, the soul food establishments and other businesses across the commonwealth. It is critical to understand that there is still a great deal of need and must continue to direct resources and aid to our small business community to help it recover from the devastation of the pandemic.”

“I could not be more proud or more grateful for the great work of DCED and Pennsylvania’s CDFI Network in delivering substantive, fair, equitable, need-based assistance to our state’s main street and historically disadvantaged small businesses. Our program design and the accountability it provides to taxpayers and to our federal funders is a model for the nation,” said state Sen. John Blake (D-Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe), Democratic chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. “I appeal to the US Congress and to our colleagues on both sides of the aisle in Harrisburg to recognize the success of this program in assisting small businesses devastated by the pandemic and to invest further in the program so we can help even more of them.”

“Our business community has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and is in need of immediate assistance. The grant program is targeted to help small businesses manage costs, handle expenses, and stay in operation in this exceptionally difficult time,” said state Sen. Jim Brewster (D-Allegheny, Westmoreland). “Since COVID struck our state and debilitated our business community, I have been advocating for bridge grants and sought millions in aid for impacted businesses and workers.  The small business assistance grants are one of the tools we can use to bolster business, maintain jobs and help workers at a time of immense distress.”

“For minority and women-owned businesses in Pennsylvania COVID-19 didn’t create a crisis, it laid bare the crisis our minority entrepreneurs have been facing for decades,” said state Rep. Jake Wheatley Jr (D-Allegheny), Democratic chairman of the House Finance Committee. “While I’m glad to see the positive impact of these grants and I urge all local community businesses to apply for the next round of grants, we need to expand investment in programs like this because it’s long past time for the legislature to address the systemic flaws that are leaving too many marginalized people behind.”

“The burden that COVID-19 has put on business owners, employees and families in southeast Pennsylvania gets heavier every day,” said state Rep. Chris Sappey (D-Chester). “At this point, when we talk about addressing the pandemic, we must not only fight it with masks and social distancing, but we also must equally and strongly support our business community, where this fight for our health and safety actually is taking place. Commerce and industry must survive this virus, as well. Pennsylvania needs this aid now, and my office is eager to work with any business that needs help applying.”

Community College of Beaver County Partners with Tristate Energy Advanced Manufacturing (TEAM) Consortium to Build Skilled Workforce in the Tristate Region to Meet Increasing Demand

(Monaca, PA) – The Community College of Beaver County (CCBC), partnered with members of the Tristate Energy and Advanced Manufacturing (TEAM) Consortium, are working together to build a skilled workforce for the tristate area of Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Together they will address the increasing skills gap between growing employer needs and education driven by the discovery of natural gas-rich Marcellus and Utica shale deposits. The tristate region now accounts for 27% of the natural gas output in the United States – making it the third largest producer of natural gas in the world.

Offering a regionally distinctive and the only North America Process Technology (NAPTA) associated Process Technology (PTEC) program within 300 miles of Pittsburgh, CCBC is preparing students for careers with some of the highest job placement rates and wage-earning potential in the energy and advanced manufacturing field. This two-year program, which was created and now supported by industry partnerships, provides broad-based education in math, science computer literacy, and soft skills, while offering students hands-on learning opportunities and real-world training in process technology and mechanical aptitude, leading to career pathways localized to the quad-state region.

 

In less than six years, the CCBC PTEC program benchmarked against the best programs on the Gulf Coast and brought best practices back to Western Pennsylvania to ensure regional communities had the skilled workforce available for employment opportunities on the horizon. CCBC 2018 and 2019 PTEC alumni have secured employment in the energy and advanced manufacturing industry with an average wage of $28.39 at many of the top 40 companies that lead the Process Technology Industrial Advisory Board, including Shell, Mitsubishi, Covestro, Inland Technologies, XTO Cryogenic, Ellwood City Forge, Nova Chemicals, BASF, First Energy, Hussey Copper, Duquesne Light, Marathon/MarkWest, Lanxess, Nalco/Ecolab, and Ergon.

 

TEAM’s primary mission is to connect students and workers with education, training and in-demand jobs to take advantage of the growing regional economy. Recognizing the knowledge and skills employers in the 27 counties covered by the TEAM Consortium will need for current and upcoming occupations, workforce and economic development organizations, state and federal agencies, private industry, and higher education partners consisting of ten community colleges, including the Community College of Beaver County, are working together to provide students with skills to lead them towards careers in energy and advanced manufacturing to ensure there is an adequate number of skilled workers to meet growing demand.

 

To accomplish this, CCBC and other higher education partners of TEAM are aligning curriculum across institutions and state lines to share common entry-level classes, building on foundational and transferable skills and creating recognizable occupational pathways in energy and advanced manufacturing. Currently, CCBC is piloting an innovative approach to course delivery with the Flexible Entry Flexible Exit (FEFE) delivery model, providing on-campus and online competency based instruction, making education more accessible and allowing students to finish their education wherever they are and wherever curriculum is offered. Adding to the accessibility and flexibility of the programs, a stackable credential model has been developed to allow multiple entry and exit points, assisting students in this mobile workforce in finding where they are and building upon it to meet their educational and professional goals.

 

Fall classes at CCBC begin on August 24. Learn more about the program and how to enroll at https://www.ccbc.edu/programs/process-technology.

Pa State Rep. Rob Matzie: Nearly $47,000 in funding to ensure online learning for Freedom Area School District students

Matzie: Nearly $47,000 in funding to ensure online learning for Freedom Area School District students

AMBRIDGE, Aug. 7 – A $46,900 grant to the Freedom Area School District will ensure students have the resources needed to access online and other remote learning, state Rep. Rob Matzie, D-Beaver/Allegheny, announced today.

Matzie said the funding – administered by the state Department of Education through the Continuity of Education and Equity Grant program – will ensure no student gets left behind when it comes to remote learning.

“While online learning can’t replace the benefits of actual classroom experience, it does offer an important way to keep our kids engaged and learning during the pandemic,” Matzie said.

“Unfortunately, lack of access to technology or the internet threatens to sideline some students. We can’t let that happen – access to good public education should never depend on a student’s ZIP code. This funding is going to help ensure every student – regardless of financial means – has the tools necessary to participate and thrive.

Grants under the CEEG program are designed to help provide access and inclusion for all learners by bridging the gap for students with limited ability to participate in continuity of education. The grants may be used to purchase computer equipment, such as laptops, tablets and internet hot spots, or used towards providing instructional materials, such as paper lessons and coursework.

Schools with the highest percentages of students lacking access to resources were given priority in receiving these grants.

Pirates, Cards Series postponed due to Cards testing Positive for COVID-19

(Pittsburgh,Pa ) The Pittsburgh Pirates were scheduled to fly to St. Louis and take on the Cardinals in a three game series that was supposed to start Monday night, August 10, 2020. That series has now been postponed.

In a statement MLB said In light of the most recent positive test results, MLB and the Cards believe it is prudent to conduct additional testing while players and staff are quarantined before the team returns to play.  More information regarding the Cardinals’ resumption of play will be announced later in the week.

It was announced earlier in the day on Sunday that Monday’s game would be postponed and then major league baseball announced the postponement of the whole series on Sunday evening.

The Pirates will now resume play on Thursday night August 13th in Cincinnati @ 5:10 EST…Airtime is 4:45 on Beaver County Radio

 

Cabrera’s bat, Turnbull’s arm help Tigers sweep Pirates 2-1

Cabrera’s bat, Turnbull’s arm help Tigers sweep Pirates 2-1
By JOHN PERROTTO Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Spencer Turnbull pitched seven strong innings and Miguel Cabrera singled home the tiebreaking run in the eighth as the Detroit Tigers edged the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1 for a three-game series. Cabrera’s single to left-center field off Richard Rodriguez scored Jonathan Schoop, who was hit by a pitch with two outs and took second on a wild pitch. Detroit improved to 8-5, including 5-1 on the road, a year after having the worst record in the major leagues at 47-114. Pittsburgh lost for the 10th time in 11 games and fell to 3-14.

US hiring slows amid signs of longer-lasting economic damage

US hiring slows amid signs of longer-lasting economic damage
By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. hiring slowed last month as the coronavirus outbreak worsened. That’s according to the government’s latest jobs report. The same report offered signs Friday that the economic damage from the pandemic could last far longer than many observers originally envisioned. The United States added 1.8 million jobs in July, a pullback from the previous two months. At any other time, hiring at that level would be seen as a blowout gain. But after employers shed a staggering 22 million jobs in March and April, much larger increases are needed to heal the job market.

P.l.A.A. delays decision on Pennsylvania sports for two weeks

Panel delays decision on Pennsylvania sports for two weeks
By MARK SCOLFORO Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The governing body for Pennsylvania school sports is deciding not to make a decision on fall sports for at least two weeks. The board of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association said Friday that mandatory fall sports activities are on hold until its next meeting on Aug. 21, although voluntary workouts can continue. The association hopes to use that time to discuss the matter further with Gov. Tom Wolf. Wolf on Thursday strongly recommended school and youth sports be canceled until January, although he left the final decision to school boards.

Canadiens stun Penguins 2-0 to win qualifying round series

Canadiens stun Penguins 2-0 to win qualifying round series
TORONTO (AP) — Artturi Lehkonen flipped a shot past Tristan Jarry with 4:11 remaining to lift the Montreal Canadiens to a stunning 2-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins that clinched their first playoff berth in three years. Paul Byron took advantage of a Pittsburgh turnover, darted behind the Penguins net and slipped a pass to Lehkonen in front. The 25-year-old Lehkonen found enough space between four Pittsburgh players to slip the puck into the open net. The Penguins mustered little down the stretch and Shea Weber added an empty-net goal in the final seconds as the 12th-seeded Canadiens captured the best-of-five qualifying round over fifth-seeded Pittsburgh in four games.

House Majority Leader Benninghoff Urges PIAA to Stay the Course, Make Independent Stand from Wolf’s ‘Recommendation’

House Majority Leader Benninghoff Urges PIAA to Stay the Course, Make Independent Stand from Wolf’s ‘Recommendation’

HARRISBURG – House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin) sent a letter to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) urging the body to make an independent stand from Gov. Tom Wolf’s “strong recommendation” that interscholastic sports do not resume until January 2021 and stay the course with allowing fall sports to safely continue as previously planned.

“Like you, I was tremendously disappointed in Gov. Wolf’s intimidating ‘recommendation’ to cancel all recreational and interscholastic athletics until January of 2021. I am writing to remind you that this is not a mandate, and I am asking you to stand firm on your previous decision to continue with PIAA-sanctioned events during the fall athletic season. In taking this stand for our young people, you would have my support and the support of the majority of the General Assembly,” Benninghoff wrote in part.

 

“I understand that you feel enormous pressure from Gov. Wolf, who has often been punitive against those who have gone against him, and constrained by his recommendation. However, I want to remind you that what he laid out is, in fact, a recommendation, not a new law or executive mandate,” Benninghoff added. “PIAA is an independent association, and I, along with many Pennsylvanians, trust your previous commonsense decision to allow fall activities to safely continue so students can have even a degree of normalcy that they so desperately need and deserve.”

 

For more information, visit KerryBenninghoff.com or Facebook.com/RepBenninghoff.