House Education Committee to Host Two-Day Public Hearing on Reopening Schools in Fall HARRISBURG – The House Education Committee, chaired by Rep. Curt Sonney (R-Erie), will host a two-day public hearing next week to discuss safely reopening schools this fall. The hearings will take place on Tuesday, Aug. 4, and Wednesday, Aug. 5. Tuesday’s hearing will…

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…

(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today the House of Representatives passed the Moving Forward Act (H.R.2), a $1.5 trillion plan to rebuild America’s infrastructure.  Representative Conor Lamb (PA-17) voted in support of the legislation, which was passed on a bipartisan basis.  The bill provides funding for roads, bridges and transit systems, as well as schools, housing, broadband access, clean energy,…

HARRISBURG — Attorney General Josh Shapiro today announced the findings and recommendations of Pennsylvania’s 43rd Statewide Investigating Grand Jury report on the unconventional oil and gas industry. The Grand Jury’s two-year investigation uncovered systematic failure by government agencies in overseeing the fracking industry and fulfilling their responsibility to protect Pennsylvanians from the inherent risks of industry…

Keystone State News Connection Andrea Sears HARRISBURG, Pa. — There has been some improvement in the well-being of Pennsylvania’s children over the past year, but many still lack health insurance and live in poverty, according to a new report. The 2020 Kids Count Data Book from the Annie E. Casey Foundation shows the Keystone State has slipped…

Harrisburg, PA – In the May 2020 report, Pennsylvania Department of Health nursing home surveyors conducted 292 inspections of nursing homes, including 210 complaint investigations during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, nine sanctions were finalized against nursing care facilities, which included the issuance of one provisional one license, and civil penalties totaling $83,000. “We know that congregate care settings, like…

Today, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is announcing $955 million in grants from the Administration for Community Living (ACL) to help meet the needs of older adults and people with disabilities as communities implement measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The grants will fund home-delivered meals, care services in the home,…

Pittsburgh Metro Area Continues to Rank Among Worst 25 in Nation for Two Measures of Air Quality, But Improved for All Three Measures Tracked, Finds 2020 ‘State of the Air’ Report. Allegheny County Was One of Only 14 Counties in United States with Straight “F” Grades. American Lung Association’s annual air quality report finds nearly…