Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf has proclaimed May 23 as “1-4-3 Day” in Pennsylvania and is inviting all Pennsylvanians to show more kindness and gratitude to one another during the three-day weekend of May 21–23.

“I have designated the 143rd day of the year as ‘1-4-3 Day’ and encourage acts of kindness throughout the weekend in honor of Fred Rogers, who served as an inspiration to millions of Pennsylvanians and people around the world,” said Gov. Wolf. “Pennsylvania is a place where kindness and gratitude toward those who make up our community is part of who we are, and a weekend of kindness, after an especially difficult year, celebrates the spirit inherent in all Pennsylvanians.”

Pennsylvania native Fred Rogers, best known as Mister Rogers, regularly used 1-4-3 as a way of saying “I love you” on his beloved television series, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. His reference was to the number of letters in each word: 1-4-3.

“1-4-3 Day is an invitation to share gratitude for the people in our lives and celebrate the little things we do for one another every day,” said Carrie Fischer Lepore, Deputy Secretary, Office of Marketing, Tourism, and Film for the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. “Good deeds and acts of kindness can take on many shapes and forms, from volunteering in the community or donating to those in need, to offering a note of appreciation. Putting more kindness out in the world paves the road in the Pursuit of Happiness.”

A “Kindness Generator” can be found at pa.gov/143-day, to provide inspiration for the day, and a “Kindness Tracker” will tally good deeds and kind gestures Pennsylvanians do throughout the day. Residents are also urged to use #143DayInPA on social media to share and help spread the love.

Follow visitPA on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using the hashtag #143DayInPA to help spread the movement across the commonwealth and follow all the good deeds festivities.

(Brighton Twp., Pa.) Pa State Police in Beaver are reporting that they were called to the scene of an accident on Interstate 376 in Brighton Twp. last Friday at 3:50 PM

Upon arriving on the scene and investigating Troopers reported that an unidentified person who was driving a 2013 Chevy Impala reported to them that as they were traveling westbound on Interstate 376  an erratic driver in another burgundy colored Chevy Impala was driving erratically and swerved into the driver’s lane multiple times almost causing a collision. The erratic driver then cut off the victim causing the victim to slam on the brakes and swerve causing the victim’s vehicle to strike a guard rail. The vehicle sustained minor damage and the driver was not injured in the accident. The erratic driver continued to travel westbound on I-376 and was unable to be located by troopers. Troopers did report in the release that two witnesses were able to verify the victims claims. Anyone with information can call state police at the Beaver Barracks at 724- 773-7400

PA State Police have reported via release that on April 18, 2021 at approximately, 7:34 p.m., Beaver’s Patrol Unit pulled over a 2007 Saturn being operated by 52 year old female, Elise Wurtzburger, along Big Beaver Boulevard. Ms. Wurtzburger was believed to be driving under the influence of a controlled substance, and was arrested for suspicion of DUI. Charges pending through District Court 36-3-02.

By ELAINE GANLEY and THOMAS ADAMSON undefined
PARIS (AP) — It’s a grand day for the French. Cafe and restaurant terraces are reopening Wednesday after a pandemic shutdown of more than six months deprived people of what feels like the essence of life in France. The French government is lifting restrictions incrementally to stave off a resurgence of COVID-19 and to give citizens back some of their signature “joie de vivre.” As part of the first stage, France’s 7 p.m. nightly curfew is being moved back to 9 p.m. Museums, theaters and cinemas are reopening along with outside areas of restaurants, meaning the French once again can enjoy their country’s celebrated cafe society.

By DAVE COLLINS Associated Press
The arrest of a Connecticut high school student accused of posting racist comments about a Black classmate on social media has sparked a debate on free speech rights. Authorities say the Fairfield Warde High School student was arrested May 7 after posting a photo of a Black classmate on Snapchat with a caption that included racist comments. The student was charged with the misdemeanor hate crime of ridiculing on account of race. The arrest is being supported by civil rights advocates including the NAACP, but free speech groups are calling it an unusual move by police that raises First Amendment issues.

(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today the House passed bipartisan legislation introduced by Representative Conor Lamb (PA-17) and Representative Tracey Mann (KS-1) to lift an outdated employee cap on the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) counselors.  Currently, there are fewer than 40 full-time equivalent EEO counselors for a workforce of almost 400,000 employees.  The VA Equal Employment Opportunity Counselor Modernization Act (H.R. 2788) would enable the VA’s Office of Resolution Management, Diversity, and Inclusion (ORMDI) to remove the cap and place additional counselors in the regional offices around the country.

“The number of EEO counselors has been capped since 1997, but it did not stop unequal treatment in the workplace.  The VA is one of the largest federal agencies and consistently has among the most complaints,” said Lamb.  “These counselors are our front line of defense against racism, sex discrimination and other unlawful conduct, and they need reinforcements.”

“The Equal Employment Counseling Modernization Act is another commonsense reform to the Department of Veterans Affairs,” said Mann.  “I appreciated working with Representative Lamb on this bipartisan legislation, which would remove the cap of the number of full-time employees providing equal employment opportunity counseling at the Department of VA.  The broad support for this bill shows a willingness by the House of Representatives to implement small, but impactful changes for our veterans across the country and help the VA to employ, educate, care for, guide, and better assist our nation’s heroes.”

VA’s Office of Resolution Management, Diversity, and Inclusion (ORMDI) is responsible for multiple important functions at VA, including resolving workplace discrimination and EEO disputes and leading VA Diversity and Inclusion strategic planning.  VA EEO counselors serve in a range of roles including listener, educator, information gatherer, facilitator, trainer, suggestion maker and de-escalation expert.

H.R. 2788 is supported by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE).

Polling places run out of ballots in Pennsylvania primary
By MICHAEL RUBINKAM Associated Press
Pennsylvania election officials ran out of ballots in several counties amid higher-than-expected turnout for the statewide primary. York, Delaware and a few other counties ran short of ballots Tuesday, but election officials say voters were able to use alternative means to make their selections. Election officials reported several other scattered problems, including a “coding error” in one northeastern county that caused Republican primary ballots to be mislabeled as Democratic ballots on some voting machines. The state’s top elections official says there were other “isolated incidents in a handful of counties” but that the election otherwise ran smoothly.

Voters back bid to ban race discrimination in constitution
By MARC LEVY Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania voters are backing a proposal to amend the state constitution to outlaw discrimination based on race and ethnicity. The question was added to Tuesday’s primary ballot amid worries over whether federal judges appointed by former President Donald Trump will roll back civil rights protections. Meanwhile, two separate questions seek to limit a governor’s emergency disaster declarations and put more power in the hands of lawmakers. Republican lawmakers across the country are reeling in emergency powers that governors wielded during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Pennsylvania is in the unique position of being the first to take the question to voters.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto has lost his bid for re-election to five-term state representative Ed Gainey, as the city took a big step toward electing its first Black chief executive. Peduto had been seeking a third term against three primary challengers but instead called to congratulate Gainey. Peduto tweeted late Tuesday that he was “wishing him well.” Meanwhile, Pennsylvania voters were given the opportunity to limit a governor’s emergency authority, more than a year after Gov. Tom Wolf’s pandemic restrictions drew fierce backlash among legislative Republicans. It was the headline question in an otherwise quiet off-year primary election.