(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.

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

The Commissioners’ work session on Wednesday went ahead as scheduled despite the physical absence of Commissioners Tony Amadio and Jack Manning. The two commissioners, who called in to participate in the meeting, chose to stay home safely amidst the ongoing surge of coronavirus cases in Pennsylvania. Commissioner Chairman Dan Camp, who was at the courthouse, addressed the Commissioners’ continued stance on safety practices and the growing numbers being reported with a mix of confidence and cautiousness.

“It’s a fluid situation,” Camp said. “It’s hard for us to give our opinions on what we see happening throughout the County, but as Commissioner Manning said, it’s important to understand…whether you believe a mask will work, you do it out of respect for the others around you. So it’s important that we follow those guidelines and do that.”

Both Solicitor Garen Fedeles & Assistant Solicitor Nate Morgan were present at the courthouse for the meeting. The Commissioners will hold a public meeting tomorrow at 10:00 AM, with the focus being on the CARES Act funding.

( Ambridge, Pa.) Gary Kerr an 84 year old Ambridge resident that was reported missing by the Ambridge Police  on Wednesday morning has been found. Kerr left his house at 7 p.m. Tuesday July 12, 2020. Ambridge Police said he was found in an abandoned building next door. He crawled through a broken panel in a garage door and was found in an upstairs room. Police say he was dehydrated and dirty, but “otherwise okay.