HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The state attorney general’s office says Pennsylvania would receive $225 million to fight the opioid-addiction epidemic from a new agreement with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma. Attorney General Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania was among the state attorneys general who had opposed Purdue’s original settlement proposal, before joining an agreement with 14 other states that was disclosed late Wednesday night. Weeks of mediations resulted in changes to Purdue’s original plan, including an increase in the original $3 billion offered to $4.5 billion. Purdue sought bankruptcy protection in 2019 as a way to settle about 3,000 lawsuits over its marketing of the prescription painkiller.

Election audit plan a ‘disgrace to democracy,’ governor says
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Tom Wolf says it’s a “disgrace to democracy” that a Republican state lawmaker is trying to launch what he calls a “forensic investigation” of Pennsylvania’s 2020 presidential election, similar to what’s happening in Arizona. Wolf, a Democrat, said on Twitter on Thursday that the “sham election audit” being attempted by Republican state Sen. Doug Mastriano is also a “profound waste of time and taxpayer money.” Wolf’s administration has discouraged counties from cooperating, saying they risk decertifying their voting machines and costing taxpayers millions of dollars.

Keystone State News Connection

July 9, 2021

Emily Scott

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Some rare birds that have called Harrisburg’s tall sycamore trees home are taking flight this week.

Yellow-crowned night herons have found unexpected habitat in Harrisburg’s urban Midtown neighborhood.

The species was deemed endangered by the state in 1999.

Sean Murphy, state ornithologist for the Pennsylvania Game Commission, said the herons were first spotted in Harrisburg around 2013, where they enjoy easy access to the wide and shallow Susquehanna River and feast on the crayfish.

Murphy outlined one theory about why the species ended up in Harrisburg is the protection from natural predators.

“And I think that maybe in these urban settings, raccoons and possums, they’re still there, but it’s almost like they have enough food around from dumpsters and other places where they’re able to locate enough food, that maybe they’re not scrambling up these trees trying to find a bird nest,” Murphy explained.

Murphy pointed out efforts to improve water quality in the Susquehanna, along with state endangered species protections, have helped keep the night herons safe during mating season.

The migratory birds are normally found in the state capital from April to October.

Jen Hirt, associate professor of English at Penn State Harrisburg and a Harrisburg resident, said she became fascinated with the herons when she first saw them, and now keeps track of when they arrive each year.

Hirt remarked she has noticed other people in the city have also grown fond of them.

“You know, when I think back 10 years ago, people would see these birds and kind of complain a little bit,” Hirt recounted. “‘Oh, that bird is so messy, it just poops all over my car, it’s really loud.’ But now, when I talk to people or post something to one of our social media pages, there’s almost always a greater understanding of why we should protect these birds and just kind of let them come back every year.”

Hirt added her heron count this year is lower than usual, but she hopes it means they’re back on the small islands along the Susquehanna, where they were first spotted regionally in the 1990s.

Department of Human Services to Reopen County Assistance Offices to the Public, Encourages Continued Use of Online Services

Harrisburg, PA – The Department of Human Services today announced that all County Assistance Offices (CAO) will resume in-person operations for clients on July 12, 2021. On-site CAO services will provide clients with access to DHS’ caseworkers and services if they cannot access online services or need assistance that cannot be accessed through the COMPASS website, the myCOMPASS PA mobile app, or by calling the Customer Service Center.

“No one should be forgoing services that help them live well and meet essential needs, so whether you visit a CAO in-person or access services via our website and mobile app, DHS is here to help you. I want to thank everyone for their patience while our CAOs were closed to in-person services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Acting DHS Secretary Meg Snead. “Because our clients were able to access services online, we had the opportunity to keep the public and our staff safe from COVID-19 while still providing access to health care, food, and other essential needs to those who needed them. However, our CAOs are still a vital local resource for Pennsylvanians who need assistance, so we are pleased to be able to resume in-person services on July 12.”

The CAOs will be following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Pennsylvania Department of Health to ensure the health and safety of clients and staff. While CAOs will not require masks to be worn inside at all times, visitors who are not vaccinated or who prefer to wear masks are encouraged to do so.

DHS’ online applications and resources will remain accessible at www.compass.pa.state.us and the myCOMPASS PA mobile app, and clients are still encouraged to use online and mobile services whenever possible. Clients can apply for benefits, make updates to their case, and submit paperwork virtually. The following key services can be accessed online without going into a CAO:

• Apply for Medical Assistance, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, cash assistance, Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP);
• Find out how to apply for Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) benefits;
• Submit benefit renewal information;
• Review benefits and case record information;
• Report a change in case information; and,
• Upload verification documents.

The best way for residents to learn more information about ERAP and to apply for the program is through www.compass.pa.state.us. Two-thirds of Pennsylvania counties have partnered with DHS to make their ERAP applications available to their residents online. If a person tries to apply through the COMPASS website but indicates that they reside in one of the 22 counties with its own application, they will be provided with information about how to apply, including a link to the county application if available. ERAP applications are not accepted or processed in-person at CAOs, so Pennsylvanians should continue to use COMPASS to apply for rental and utility assistance through ERAP.

Assistance can also be reached over the phone by contacting the Customer Service Centers where caseworkers are available to speak directly with callers to answer questions. Clients in Philadelphia with questions, information to report about their case, or who need a paper application mailed to them should call the Philadelphia Customer Service Center at 215-560-7226. Clients in all other counties can call the Statewide Customer Service Center at 1-877-395-8930.

For more information about assistance programs administered through DHS, visit www.dhs.pa.gov or www.compass.state.pa.us.  

(Photo Courtesy of Rep. Conor Lamb’s Office)

(Pittsburgh, Pa.) Representative Conor Lamb (PA-17) announced that Pine-Richland High School student, Ayla Chandola, is the winner of the 2021 Congressional Art Competition for Pennsylvania’s 17^th District for her computer generated and mixed media artwork “Nature’s Power.”  Chandola will enter her senior year at Pine-Richland in the fall of 2021.

Lamb received a dozen art submissions for the contest, including oil paintings, photographs and drawings from schools across PA-17.

A panel of judges, including local artists and educators, selected Chandola’s “Nature’s Power,” which will be hung in the U.S. Capitol along with the winning entries from other congressional districts nationwide.  Additionally, the panel selected

2^nd Place: Ashley Glabicki (Sewickley Academy) “Say Their Names”

3^rd Place: Brian Walsh (Seneca Valley Senior High School) “4 Elements”

4^th Place: Logan Fitch (Saint Joseph High School) “Chromatic Bloom”

 Visit Lamb’s website to see the 2021 Congressional Art Competition winning selections for PA-17.

By EVENS SANON and DÁNICA COTO Associated Press
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — An already struggling Haiti is stumbling into an uncertain future, reeling from the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, followed by a gunfight in which authorities say police killed four suspects, detained two others and freed three officers being held hostage. Officials are pledging to track down all those responsible for the pre-dawn raid Wednesday in which the president was shot to death and his wife critically wounded. Authorities have not provided any details on the suspects, nor have they said anything about a motive or what led police to them. The prime minister has assumed leadership and decreed a two-week state of siege in a country beset with poverty, violence and political instability.

By JOSHUA GOODMAN Associated Press Writer
MIAMI (AP) — The last time Haiti was thrust into turmoil by assassination was 1915, when rebels beat to death President Vilbrun Guillaume Sam, triggering a nearly two-decade U.S. military intervention. But the era of gunboat diplomacy is long over and the U.S. is unlikely to deploy troops in the aftermath of the brazen slaying of President Jovenel Moïse. But the Biden administration may nonetheless find itself dragged into the country’s increasingly violent political conflict. It’s been building — if largely ignored by Washington — for months and is now expected to deepen further, with the immediate path forward blurred by intrigue.

By GEOFF MULVIHILL Associated Press
OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma’s plan to reorganize into an entity whose profits will be used to combat the U.S. opioid crisis got a big boost as 15 states have dropped their objections to the new business model. The agreement from state attorneys general was disclosed in a U.S. Bankruptcy Court filing late Wednesday. It includes those who had most aggressively opposed Purdue’s original settlement proposal. To win the support, the company agreed to make more documents public and members of the Sackler family who owns it will kick in more money.