Harrisburg, PA –The Shapiro Administration today announced the availability of nearly $504,000 in grant funding to boost the ranks of nurses in communities most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic through the earn-as-you-learn apprenticeship career model. The Nursing Pathway Apprenticeship Industry Partnership program in Pennsylvania is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and supported by Sen. Maria Collett’s Nursing Workforce Initiative (NWI).

“Pennsylvania’s healthcare industry continues to face significant and ongoing challenges, particularly with an unprecedented shortage of nurses,” L&I Acting Secretary Nancy Walker said. “This grant program is a commonsense solution to not only help address critical workforce shortages, but it will help create equitable access to opportunities that build meaningful careers and contribute to a strong economy, while eliminating barriers to quality, family-sustaining employment.”

In February 2023, the Shapiro Administration awarded $700,000 in first-round grants to three Nursing Pathway Apprenticeship Industry Partnership programs. With this second round of Nursing Pathway Apprenticeship Industry Partnership grant funding, local workforce development boards can continue to offer in-demand training for individuals interested in becoming home health aides, certified nursing assistants, and licensed practical nurses. The department is seeking partners to create a new apprenticeship model specifically designed for and targeting underserved populations.

The deadline to apply for grant funding is May 10, 2023. More information about the Pennsylvania Nursing Pathway Apprenticeship Industry Partnership grant availability is available on L&I’s website.

Nursing Pathway Apprenticeship Industry Partnership Program

Pennsylvania hospitals are grappling with maintaining adequate staffing levels for qualified nurses. A December 2021 survey by the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP), updated in February 2022, revealed high vacancy rates across various nursing occupations, illustrating the continued need for urgent action.

In September 2021, Sen. Collett introduced the NWI initiative to support and retain nurses across the Commonwealth amid the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. L&I dedicated ARPA funds to the NWI initiative, allowing the department’s Apprenticeship and Training Office (ATO) to administer funding to registered apprenticeship and industry partnerships within underserved communities across the Commonwealth.

Competitive grants up to $250,000 will be awarded per application for programs with a single-county or localized reach, while grants up to $350,000 will be awarded per application for programs with a statewide or multi-county reach (three or more counties). Priority consideration will be given to programs developed in and provided to low- or moderate-income communities. This opportunity is 100% federally funded with Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds established under the American Rescue Plan Act.

Apprenticeship and Training Office

Established in 2016, L&I’s Apprenticeship and Training Office (ATO) is responsible for guiding and promoting the expansion and compliance of all registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs across the Commonwealth. The ATO currently supports 868 unduplicated program sponsors and 1,580 occupation-specific registered apprenticeship programs across the Commonwealth, with 16,362 registered apprentices currently active. Governor Shapiro’s budget proposes an investment of $2.5 million for apprenticeships that will support the creation of at least 20 new programs serving about 1,200 apprentices.

For more information on the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, please visit the website or follow L&I on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

BUTLER, PA (March 28, 2023)… Paul and Meghan Sweeney, father and daughter McDonald’s franchisees from Cranberry, granted almost $153,000 in tuition assistance to her student employees last year through Archways To Opportunity.

McDonald’s exclusive education program, Archways To Opportunity offers employees $2,500 per year to assist with tuition at a trade school, community college or traditional four-year college. To apply, students must have worked for McDonald’s at least 90 days with an average of 15 hours per week.

“We’re grateful to our people and want them to achieve their dreams. That’s why we provide flexible schedules, competitive pay and valuable tuition support,” said Meghan Sweeney.  “Our commitment to education is one way we support the people who play a crucial role in our journey to build a better McDonald’s.”

As one of the largest employer brands, McDonald’s is committed to providing restaurant employees with numerous occasions to learn, grow and succeed. Archways To Opportunity is a comprehensive education strategy with multiple offerings that help employees reach their full potential – no matter where they are on their journey. ATO programs can help employees:

• Improve English skills;
• Earn a high school diploma;
• Work toward a college degree; and
• Get help making an education and career plan with advisors.

Since it launched in 2015, Archways to Opportunity has provided more than $165 million in high school and college tuition assistance and increased access to education for nearly 75,000 people in the U.S.

To work with the Sweeneys, text “APPLY” to 38000 or go to www.mcdonalds.com/careers.

For more information about local McDonald’s restaurants, go to the local Facebook and Instagram pages:  McDonald’s of Three Rivers.

HARRISBURG – As part of a comprehensive statewide review of universal service program design, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) is now accepting public comments on improving coordination of universal service programs among all jurisdictional fixed utilities – with an in-depth analysis into ways to streamline enrollment as well as improve the verification and re-enrollment processes for income-qualified customers.

“This proceeding enables the Commission to consider improvements to consumer enrollment and retainment in the universal service programs overseen by the PUC, with the goal of making the processes as efficient as possible for the consumer and utility as well as maintaining proper diligence and verification for eligibility,” said PUC Vice Chairman Stephen M. DeFrank.  “We seek efficiencies in these programs and are trying to make allocated dollars go as far as possible.”

At the Commission’s Public Meeting of March 16, 2023, the Commission voted 3-2 in support of Vice Chairman DeFrank and Commissioner Kathryn L. Zerfuss’ joint motion which seeks to gather public comments for consideration on a series of topics about  customer assistance programs (CAPs).  This effort includes, but is not limited to, identifying any current barriers to greater coordination and sharing of information between multiple utilities and between utilities and state social service agencies; looking at the option of administering CAPs on a statewide basis rather than utility-by-utility; pursuing additional consumer education and outreach to income-qualified consumers; and examining whether or not the PUC’s CAP Policy Statement should be amended to include jurisdictional water utilities.

“A review of the current status of universal service program design is important to ensure that we have simple, efficient, and stream-lined processes in place to assist low-income customers enroll and stay enrolled in beneficial programs for which they qualify,” Commissioner Zerfuss stated. ”We welcome comments from all interested parties to aid in our consideration of  improvements and efficiencies to existing programs, including those that may be considered in the context of a future rulemaking proceeding.”

On March 27, 2023, the Commission issued a Secretarial Letter, published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin on Saturday, April 8, 2023, initiating its review of all jurisdictional fixed utilities’ universal service programs and providing for a 60-day comment period.  Interested parties may now submit written comments through Wednesday, June 7, 2023, in response to 14 articulated questions regarding how the Commission’s regulations, policies and procedures on universal service programs could be revised with a particular focus on the following areas:

1. Increasing program coordination among all utilities.
2. Streamlining the eligibility and enrollment process.
3. Improving both the verification and re-enrollment processes for universal service programs to help eligible consumers avoid losing low-income benefits.

Comments to this Secretarial Letter may be filed electronically through the Commission’s eFiling system.  An eFiling account may be opened and used through the Commission’s website. If the filing is over 250 pages, one original signed copy of comments must also be filed with the Commission’s Secretary.

If you choose not to eFile, mail your comments to:

Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission

Commonwealth Keystone Building – 2nd Floor

400 North Street

Harrisburg, PA 17120

All pages of filed comments, with the exception of a cover letter, must be numbered.

For recent news releases and video of select Commission proceedings or more information about the PUC, visit our website at www.puc.pa.gov. Follow the PUC on Twitter – @PA_PUC for all things utility.  “Like” Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission on Facebook for easy access to information on utility issues.

Harrisburg, PA – Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding today invited qualified food banks, pantries, shelters, and soup kitchens that offer emergency food assistance to apply for $1.6 million in The Emergency Food Assistance (TEFAP) Reach and Resiliency Grants. The grants are just one element Governor Josh Shapiro’s Administration’s commitment to increasing food security and access to healthy food for children and families across Pennsylvania, wherever they live.

The grants aim to expand access to emergency food assistance in isolated or underserved rural or low-income communities.

“No one should go hungry in a state with the wealth and bounty we have in Pennsylvania,” Secretary Redding said. “But far too often families do not know where their next meal is coming from and they need our help. Expanding the capacity of local agencies to supply fresh, healthy food to families in need is just one part of a much broader Shapiro Administration strategy to work toward a healthier, more secure Pennsylvania.”

Grants are available to organizations distributing TEFAP through contracts with the state, county, or a county-designated Lead Agency. Nonprofits that provide food assistance and are interested in becoming TEFAP distribution agencies can contact their county Lead Agency to learn more.

Funded projects may include expanded cold storage, warehouse space and equipment, delivery vehicles for food distribution, and materials to publicize availabilty of TEFAP foods.

Full grant guidelines are published in the April 1 edition of the PA Bulletin.

Apply online through the Department of Community and Economic Development’s Single Electronic Application. Applications must be submitted by 5:00 PM on Friday, May 26, 2023.

According to Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap, in 2022, more than 1.1 million Pennsylvanians, or 8.9% of everyone in the state, and 13% of our children, may not know the source of their next meal. Tackling food insecurity through partnerships among state and federal agencies, and Pennsylvania’s charitable food system is a top priority of the Shapiro Administration, building on past administrations’ work detailed in the 2022 Governor’s Food Security Partnership report.

Governor Shapiro has proposed:

• New state investment in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), raising the minimum monthly benefit by 50 percent to help families, and the state’s food banks, pantries and soup kitchens stressed by recently discontinued federal emergency benefits,
• A $2 million investment in the Fresh Food Financing Initiative that will improve access to PA-grown, processed, and produced foods, including fruit, vegetables, milk and dairy products, and meat products in communities of color and other underserved areas,
• $4.5 million invested in the department’s Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System (PASS) which reimburses Pennsylvania producers for the cost of harvesting, processing, packaging and transporting donations of surplus foods, reducing food waste and getting safe, wholesome foods to families in need,
• $20 million to fund the State Food Purchase Program, the largest program of its kind in the nation, providing state funds toward emergency food assistance for low income Pennsylvanians,
• Free school breakfast for every child in Pennsylvania public schools,
• And a comprehensive array of initiatives and programs to reduce hunger in Pennsylvania and unite communities in addressing our greatest challenges.

Find foodbanks, pantries and other resources in your area, plus information on food insecurity and what you can do to help or find help at agriculture.pa.gov/foodsecurity.

Gas prices are seven cents higher in Western Pennsylvania this week at $3.757 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

This week’s average prices: Western Pennsylvania Average                          $3.757
Average price during the week of April 3, 2023                                                 $3.683
Average price during the week of April 11, 2022                                               $4.249

The average price of unleaded self-serve gasoline in Beaver County is $3.742   

Trend Analysis:

OPEC’s announcement last weekend that it will cut production by over a million barrels per day took the oil market by surprise. In response, crude immediately surged well above $80 a barrel, although it has since struggled to stay above that mark. Meanwhile, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline rose 10 cents since last week to hit $3.60.  Today’s national average is 13 cents more than a month ago but 51 cents less than a year ago.

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand increased slightly from 9.15 to 9.3 million barrels per day last week. Meanwhile, total domestic gasoline stocks decreased substantially by 4.1 million barrels to 222.6 million barrels. Increased demand amid tighter supply has contributed to pushing pump prices higher.

At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate decreased by 10 cents to settle at $80.61. Oil prices declined slightly due to market concerns that a recession could occur this year. Earlier in the week, crude prices spiked after the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, including Russia, collectively known as OPEC+, announced it would cut production by 1.6 million barrels starting next month for the remainder of 2023. Additionally, the EIA reported that total domestic commercial crude inventories decreased by 3.7 million barrels to 470 million barrels last week.

Motorists can find current gas prices nationwide, statewide, and countywide at gasprices.aaa.com.

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania State Police investigated 410 vehicle crashes which resulted in four fatalities and 110 injuries during the Easter holiday weekend. Alcohol was a factor in 31 crashes, none of which were fatal.

Troopers arrested 329 motorists for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and issued 15,146 traffic citations during the three days beginning April 7. Troopers cited 5,344 motorists for speeding, 481 for failing to wear a seat belt, and 80 for not securing children in safety seats.

East Palestine Train Derailment (Curtis Walsh)

EAST PALESTINE, Ohio – Today, the new East Palestine Clinic at 139 North Walnut in East Palestine, Ohio opened. The clinic, operated by East Liverpool City Hospital with support from Ohio Department of Health, is available by appointment.  Ohio residents can schedule their visit by calling (330-383-6020) during regular hours of operation 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.  Monday – Friday. For Pennsylvania residents, call (877-PA-HEALTH) the Department of Health hotline to connect with a nurse to find appropriate local health care services.

According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, a commercial vehicle hauling 40,000 pounds of contaminated soil from the East Palestine train derailment site was involved in a crash on SR-165. The spill was contained and is not a threat to nearby waterways. The northbound tractor trailer traveled off the roadway and overturned onto its right side. The Ohio State Highway Patrol estimates that approximately 20,000 pounds of soil spilled onto the roadway and berm.  The local fire department and the Ohio EPA are on scene. The Ohio Department of Transportation has closed SR 165 at SR 617 in Mahoning County and at SR 14 in Columbiana County. The Ohio State Highway Patrol reports that the driver sustained minor injuries.

Air sparging has been completed within Leslie Run and Sulphur Run at the East Palestine City Park. Air sparging is a common cleanup technique which involves putting air into the water so that oxygen and microbes break down chemicals. Next steps will include continued cleaning of the sediment in both streams.

In case you missed it, last week, EPA also issued a statement on soil sampling efforts. As springtime activities begin, we continue to work closely with the village to review all sampling and monitoring data and feel confident that residents can safely use the East Palestine City Park. After an additional independent review, the village decided to move forward with the annual Spring Fling Easter egg hunt in the park.

Response By the Numbers (as of the morning of April 9, 2023)

• 19,966 tons est. (+2,325 tons) of contaminated soil shipped
• 11,424,978 gallons (+935,360 gallons) of liquid waste shipped to date
• 629 indoor air screenings
• 312 private well samples conducted
• The Welcome Center has received 493 visitors

What to expect this week

Water is being pumped around the derailment site to prevent contamination from being carried downstream. Pumps near State Line Lake carry clean water past the derailment site to where it is pumped back into Sulphur Run. The pumping operation is also protecting the wetlands area near State Line Lake.

The excavation of the south track is nearing completion and soil waste is continuing to be shipped off-site for disposal. After the south track excavation finishes and the track is reconstructed, the excavation can begin on the north track. Planning is currently underway for the north track excavation.

At the derailment site:

• Continued heavy truck traffic along designated routes.
• Taggart Street remains closed to the public.
• Excavation work and backfilling on the south track will near completion.
• Excavated soil and collected wastewater will continue to be shipped off-site.

In the greater community:

• EPA’s Community Welcome Center remains open to the public from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. EPA staff are available to answer questions and address concerns.
• Air monitoring will continue at 23 locations around the community. EPA’s Trace Atmospheric Gas Analyzer (TAGA) mobile laboratory will continue to monitor air.
• Under the direction of EPA’s unilateral order to Norfolk Southern, additional soil sampling will take place next week in Pennsylvania. This sampling will include agricultural, residential, and state game areas.

Air Quality

The Unified Command issued a joint update on the multilayered approach to measure air quality to the EPA website (link). Unified Command’s top priority is the health and safety of the residents of Ohio and Pennsylvania whose lives have been impacted by the train derailment.

The member organizations remain confident that the air quality there is safe, and that the health of residents continues to be protected. To date, 629 indoor air screenings have been conducted. Air monitoring continues 24/7 at 23 stations throughout the community. No detections of vinyl chloride or hydrogen chloride have been identified.

During the soil removal at the derailment site, EPA and independent contractors are conducting air monitoring within the work zone and throughout the surrounding community. This includes continuous air monitoring and sampling at the site and throughout the community. EPA’s TAGA mobile laboratory is also conducting an air monitoring near the soil excavation area.

Soil Removal at the Derailment Site

Work at the site includes removing tracks in sections and removing soil and placing it in a staging area for disposal. Soil removal continues at the south track rail area; planning for the north track rail removal is underway. During the soil removal process, Norfolk Southern, with EPA oversight, will conduct soil sampling beneath the excavated rail track.

Liquid Waste Removal

Wastewater is collected to ensure water does not leave the derailment site or staging piles of contaminated soil. Wastewater is generated after rain falls on contaminated soil and is collected and from cleaning and washing trucks before they leave site.

Soil Sampling

EPA has reviewed preliminary data from some of the soil sampling related to the controlled burn that occurred during response actions to the train derailment in East Palestine. While final results will be available in the coming weeks, EPA’s review of the preliminary data indicates levels of semi-volatile organic chemicals and dioxins in the samples are similar to typical background levels.

EPA and Norfolk Southern contractors continue to take soil samples at agricultural, commercial, recreational, and residential properties in both Ohio and Pennsylvania. To date, 137 properties have been sampled. This soil sampling effort will help identify if contaminants, including SVOCs and dioxins, are present and may have been caused by the train derailment.

FILE – Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins warms up before an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Dec. 5, 2021, in Pittsburgh. The family of deceased Haskins filed a lawsuit March 23, 2023, against several people, businesses and the state of Florida, claiming he was drugged, robbed and extorted before he was fatally struck while standing drunk on a highway after running out of gas. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The family of deceased Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins has filed a lawsuit claiming he was drugged, robbed and extorted before he was fatally struck while standing drunk on a highway after running out of gas. The Florida lawsuit alleges that the former Ohio State star was drugged and robbed by a man and three women in the hours before the April 2022 accident. The lawsuit does not give any specifics. The 24-year-old had been in South Florida for offseason workouts with Steelers teammates when the accident happened. A medical examiner’s report released last year said Haskins had a blood-alcohol content that was double the legal limit when he was struck by a dump truck.

PITTSBURGH – A Beaver County resident has been sentenced in federal court to 96 months of imprisonment on his conviction of Possession with Intent to Distribute and Distribution of a Substance Containing Detectable Amounts of Heroin, Acetyl Fentanyl, and Fentanyl, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge William S. Stickman imposed the sentence on Zachary Martin Cymbalak, age 36, of Freedom, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, on Jan. 6, 2019, law enforcement officer found a deceased individual under circumstances suggesting that the death was caused by an overdose, which was later confirmed by the Beaver County Coroner’s Office. At the location of the death, law enforcement officers found drug paraphernalia and distinctive empty stamp bags. Based on telephone records and other investigative techniques, law enforcement identified Cymbalak as the
likely source of supply of the drugs that caused the death.
Later on Jan. 6, 2019, law enforcement arranged for a confidential informant to purchase controlled substances from the defendant. The stamp bags were the same distinctive stamp bags found at the scene of the death. After the purchase, law enforcement stopped the vehicle in which Cymbalak was a passenger and recovered more of the distinctive stamps bags and the money used in the purchase. Laboratory tests confirmed that the stamp bags purchased from Cymbalak and recovered from Cymbalak’s person contained a combination of heroin, fentanyl, and acetyl fentanyl.
As part of the plea agreement Cymbalak took responsibility for causing the death of the decedent.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, along with the Baden and Harmony Township police departments, the Beaver County Coroner’s Office, and the Beaver County District Attorney’s Office Anti-Drug Task Force, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Cymbalak.