(Harrisburg, Pa.) The state Senate this week approved critical funding for hospitals and frontline health care workers who continue to keep Pennsylvanians safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, Sen. Elder Vogel, R-47, said.

House Bill 253 would allocate a total of $225 million to hospitals and their employees. The additional dollars will be allocated as follows:

$100 million for acute care general hospitals.
$110 million for critical access hospitals, facilities with a high volume of Medicaid patients, and behavioral/psychiatric providers.
$15 million for the PA Student Loan Relief for Nurses Program.

Of that total, the major health care facilities that provide services to those living in the 47st Senatorial District are to receive a total of nearly $4.5 million. Those receiving funding include:

Butler Memorial Hospital – $837,018
Grove City Medical Center – $190,749
Heritage Valley Beaver – $811,395 (plus and additional $140,183 for its behavioral health facility)
Heritage Valley Sewickley – $455,520
UPMC Jameson North – $415,662
UPMC Cranberry Campus – $102,492
UPMC Passavant – $1,101,789
Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center – $70,092
Butler Memorial Hospital – $179,610
Mars Home for Youth (MHY) Family Services – $175,229

The legislation requires the funding to be directed to retention and recruitment programs for staff. Hospital executives and administration, contracted staff and physicians would not be eligible for payments.

The bill was also approved by the House of Representatives, sending the legislation to the governor.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s state Senate is approving veto-destined legislation to help gun owners and gun-rights organizations collect damages in court from cities that passed firearms restrictions that were found to violate state law. Despite the veto threat by Gov. Tom Wolf, the bill passed the Republican-controlled chamber Tuesday, 32-17, with three Democrats joining every Republican in support of it. The bill goes to Wolf’s desk, the latest in a long-running disagreement with the Democrat over how to deal with gun violence. Pennsylvania has long prohibited its municipalities from enforcing firearms ordinances that regulate guns and ammunition. That law is being challenged in court by Philadelphia and other municipalities.

By MARC LEVY Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Former President Donald Trump is holding off on making a new endorsement in Pennsylvania’s closely watched Republican primary for U.S. Senate. That’s leading former hedge fund CEO David McCormick to turn to other influencers in the party in hopes of generating conservative enthusiasm. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas headlined a rally for McCormick on Tuesday at a skeet shooting facility near Allentown. It was a preview of what McCormick’s campaign strategy of enlisting an all-star roster of party insiders and other officials who played a prominent role in the Trump White House. The race will help determine control of the Senate

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A man has been charged with aggravated assault and other crimes in a shooting in a Pittsburgh mall parking lot last month. Twenty-one-year-old John Hayden is also charged with child endangerment, reckless endangerment and weapons offenses in the Dec. 14 gunfire at The Waterworks mall near the borough of Aspinwall. Authorities allege that an argument inside the Walmart store was followed by gunfire in the parking lot. No one was injured. A vehicle was damaged and the store was evacuated. Court documents don’t list a defense attorney and a listed number for Hayden couldn’t be found Wednesday.

(File Photo)
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A statewide court has at least a dozen different proposed maps of Pennsylvania’s congressional district boundaries to consider, now that Gov. Tom Wolf and lawmakers appear hopelessly deadlocked. The state court system put the documents online on Wednesday. The deadline to submit plans was Monday. Pennsylvania, like most other states, must redraw its congressional district boundaries to account for a decade of demographic shifts. Complicating the process is Pennsylvania’s loss of a seat, from 18 to 17. Plans were submitted to the Commonwealth Court by Wolf’s office, Democratic lawmakers, Republican lawmakers, partisan groups of voters and good-government groups. Hearings are scheduled for Thursday and Friday.

(File Photo)

(Plum Borough, Pa) Pa State Police in Gibsonia are reporting that they filed DUI charges against 20-year-old Joshaway Odom of Ferndale, Pa..
Troopers said via release that they pulled over a silver 2014 Silver Ford Fusion being driven by Odom going in excess of 100 mph on the Pa Turnpike traveling east in Monroeville Borough.
During the traffic stop Odom and the unnamed occupants of the vehicle admitted to smoking Marijuana and also turned over a small amount of marijuana to state police.
After further investigation it was determined that Odom was driving under the influence

Charges are pending at district court pending toxicology results

(North Sewickley Twp., Pa.) Pa State Police in Gibsonia are reporting that they were dispatched to the scene of a one vehicle accident on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in North Sewickley Twp. at mile marker 14.7 on Sunday afternoon at 3:15 PM.
Upon arriving on the scene and investigating it was learned that 19-year-old ABigail Kaikkonen of Midlothian Virginia lost control of her 2013 Mercedes -Benz vehicle on the slick roads and hit the center concrete barrier causing disabling damage to her vehicle.
She was not injured in the accident but was cited by Troopers with not Driving a Vehicle at a safe speed.