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In this Update:
BIG News for the Pottsville Area!
At the invitation of entrepreneur Bill Metzinger, I joined many of our community leaders gathered at the newly branded Miners 1928 Hotel in downtown Pottsville to hear his new plans to purchase the neighboring Ramada property and connect it to his ongoing redevelopment of the former Miners Bank building. Together, the properties will create a 90-room hotel complex featuring multiple event spaces, a sports bar, fitness center, and more— a LONG-desired $10 million investment in downtown Pottsville. The initial 30-room hotel in the former Miners Bank building remains on track to open this spring, with the full expansion to be completed by January 2027. Here is how I challenged other local entrepreneurs at this BIG bipartisan announcement: “Wow! When Bill first acquired this extraordinarily beautiful Miners Bank Building, many of us encouraged him to consider expansion plans. With this new hotel complex, Bill and his team, along with Pottsville’s new leadership, are delivering a giant boost for Pottsville and our entire region. A hotel with its roots in 1828, just down the street from a world-famous 1829 brewery, two blocks away from one of our largest energy producers. To build on this momentum, I have to ask our other entrepreneurs, large and small — who’s next? We want to hear from you!” For years, local event organizers have emphasized the need for additional overnight accommodations — for events like the Lager Jogger, the 70,000+ annual visitors to Yuengling Beer, and many other local events. This project is another big step forward in Pottsville’s revitalization, alongside the expansion of Alvernia University Pottsville campus and more than 60 new apartments under development at the Schuylkill Trust Company building. Discussing Care Provider Priorities in Luzerne County
I was invited to attend the Rehabilitation & Community Providers Association Annual Luzerne/Wyoming Legislative Breakfast in Wilkes Barre. My colleagues in the General Assembly and I discussed many of the challenges facing human services providers, along with their priorities for the 2026–27 budget cycle. We highlighted the incoming Temple Rural Dental Clinic and Education Center in Tamaqua — a major win for all who need expanded access to dental care. We also talked about the Governor’s proposal to use $4.6 billion from the Commonwealth’s Rainy-Day Fund — a move I do not support, and the urgent need to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse in many of our human services programs, including my legislation on this topic that became law during the last budget debate. Around the District This Week
Before the snow hit on Sunday, I was invited to attend Cub Scout Pack 624’s 2026 Blue and Gold Ceremony at the Orwigsburg Veterans Community Memorial Hall.
This ceremony was very special, as four boys were awarded their Arrow of Light, the highest honor a Cub Scout can earn. Congratulations to Dylan Herb, Jackson King, William McKeown, and Jacob Zimmerman. I was joined by Rep. Jamie Barton, Schuylkill County Commissioners Larry Padora and Gary Hess, and Orwigsburg Mayor Barry Berger.
On Tuesday, I started my day at the Panther Valley School District alongside Rep. Doyle Heffley, Superintendent Dave McAndrew, School Resource Officer Marcel Barbeau, and School Board Directors Pat Leonzi and Tony Demarco to see firsthand how the district is utilizing a $140,000 state grant to enhance school safety. With these funds, the district recently hired a Director of School Safety, replaced a gymnasium door at the elementary school, and upgraded lighting at the intermediate school to further strengthen building security. Rep. Heffley and I were happy to advocate for this very important funding.
Next, I met with the Carbon County Board of Commissioners to receive an update on their demolition program. I was joined by Commissioners Mike Sofranko and Wayne Nothstein, Harold Pudliner of the Carbon County Redevelopment Authority, County Administrator Eloise Ahner, David Bodnar and Jason Skrimcobsky from the Carbon County Planning Office, and Mary Beth Dougherty from my office.
From there, I met with Joshua and Amber Finsel, owners of Wild Elder Wine & Cider Company in Jim Thorpe, to discuss pending legislation and its potential impact on local wineries.
I wrapped up my Tuesday by meeting with the leadership team at Citterio Inc. in Foster Township. Citterio, a local producer of authentic Italian meats, employs over 450 people across our region.
Rep. Dane Watro and I started our Thursday morning with the East Union Township Board of Supervisors to celebrate two recent state grants awarded to the township—a $250,000 grant to construct a new township building and a second $350,000 grant to install sidewalks and streetlights on Center Street in Sheppton. East Union Township continues to set aggressively pursue revitalization initiatives, with the rapid growth of Humboldt Industrial Park and the continued expansion of Eagle Rock Resort.
We later joined Hazleton Mayor Jeff Cusat for our regular update on the continued growth throughout the Hazleton region — including new jobs, expanded recreational opportunities across the city, new sidewalks, and major housing projects in the pipeline. For those of you who know the mayor, you’ll understand that these meetings are NEVER boring! Young Tamaqua Artists Design Historic County Tribute in Celebration of America’s 250th Anniversary
I also visited the Art Club at Tamaqua Area’s Middle School, where a talented group of students, led by Ms. Kim Woodward, shared their design for a commemorative bell titled “Freedom to Change.” Their creation honors our coal mining heritage and highlights many of Schuylkill County’s most iconic staples — from Mrs. T’s Pierogies and Guers Iced Tea to Yuengling, Muhammad Ali’s boxing ring, and the Schuylkill County Courthouse — and so much more. This project is not only a way to reflect on our county’s history, but to ensure local communities’ stories live on. Once the bell has received its finishing touches, the sculpture will be installed in Tamaqua’s new Liberty Park. Read more here. Argall Report: Boosting Bipartisanship Locally
This month’s Argall Report highlights local bipartisan initiatives, focusing on Reuniting America by Fostering Trust (RAFT), an effort to bring people from different political parties together. I joined a RAFT event on the Lehigh River near Weatherly and an episode of the Reuniting America Podcast to share my experience and discuss key issues. The theme of the day was “In the Same Boat,” underscoring the importance of working together despite our differences—just as we did while navigating the whitewater rapids on the Lehigh. Watch the full Argall Report here. Focusing On Our Local Communities: Meet Hazleton Mayor Jeff Cusat
Welcome to the latest edition of “Focusing On Our Local Communities.” Each week, we interview, on a bipartisan basis, a key local leader from one of the 102 municipalities in the 29th District to better understand their goals and vision. This week, we highlight Hazleton Mayor Jeff Cusat, a Republican who marked 10 years in office in January. “My number one priority coming into this job was to improve the relationship with our small business owners and the city. I felt that relationship needed improving and we’ve worked hard on that,” said Cusat. “One of my other important goals was to improve our parks and recreation, so that our families would have a safe place to take their children to enjoy the outdoors and our playgrounds. We have renovated or addressed issues at all our parks and playgrounds throughout the city. We have the largest pickleball court in the area, an artificial turf wiffle ball field with lights and we’re continuing to improve City View Park, which has an all-inclusive playground, concert venue and much more.” Born and raised in Hazleton, Cusat graduated from Hazleton High School and attended Penn State Hazleton and University Park. Cusat has deep Hazleton roots. His family has lived in the same Hazleton home for 108 years, and he continues to operate the family business, Cusat’s Café on Alter Street, which has been serving the community since 1936. “My family moved to Alter Street in 1917, and they opened a general store. After prohibition, that’s when the family opened Cusat’s Café. It will be 90 years this year that we’re in business. And on the other side of the family, I’m related to the Fierro family, which had the meat market for a long time in Lattimer. So, that’s where my passion for the small business owners comes from,” added Cusat. Mayor Cusat also prioritized modernizing city government by updating zoning laws, city code and Hazleton’s comprehensive plan, which had not been revised since 1988. “We really focused on bringing everything up to date and positioning the city for future development,” he said. Quote of the Week
“Every day is a new opportunity. You can build on yesterday’s success or put its failures behind and start over again.” – Bob Dole |
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