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In this Update:
Orwigsburg Receives State Grant to Restore Historic Borough Hall
The Borough of Orwigsburg was recently awarded $585,000 in state funding to restore and secure the exterior brickwork of its VERY unique and historic, former Borough Hall. Originally constructed in 1889 as the Orwigsburg Public School, the building—located on North Warren Street—now serves as the borough’s police station and courtroom for Magisterial District Court 21-3-03. This funding will help prevent further deterioration and irreversible damage by addressing water infiltration between the masonry joints. This landmark has served generations of residents and remains a powerful reminder of Orwigsburg’s history. Having spent significant time in this building, Rep. Jamie Barton and I are pleased to see this investment preserving an important community asset so it can continue serving residents for years to come. Read more about the state grant here. Around the Capitol
On Monday, Representatives Barton and Twardzik and I met with students from Marian Catholic High School with their teacher, Mr. Joe Sterns, to discuss the day in the life of a State Senator, as well as pressing issues facing our district and the Commonwealth. If you’re interested in visiting our beautiful State Capitol, please reach out to my Harrisburg office.
I met with many constituents this week, including members of the UFCW Local 1776 union, which included employees from Citterio, Hershey Foods, and Cargill in the Hazleton area. We discussed legislative priorities, including House Bill 1293, which aims to strengthen safety, training, and rights for workers in the state’s meat packing and food processing industries.
I spoke in the Capitol Rotunda in support of our Main Street community revitalization efforts— a proven, bipartisan tool for strengthening our downtowns, both large and small. I have seen the success of the Main Street approach in many different communities including Jim Thorpe, Tamaqua, Hamburg, and Shenandoah. Pottsville and Schuylkill Haven also plan to apply for the program. Several towns in this district are now utilizing Blueprint Communities training, including White Haven and the Panther Valley communities of Coaldale, Lansford, Nesquehoning, and Summit Hill. This initiative, like the Main Street program, aims to create long-term, downtown stability by creating teams who can work together and build on progress over many years. Successful downtowns require funding for upgraded streets and façades, but what they truly require is a dedicated group of people to drive this important work.
I was invited to meet Dr. Beckett-Camarata’s Public Policy class at Penn State Harrisburg to discuss access to affordable, accessible dental care. This semester, the class conducted a research project focused on this very challenge and presented potential solutions to this issue. As a former adjunct professor at this campus, I appreciated the thoughtful policy recommendations this group of students shared, and I look forward to taking their ideas back to the Capitol for further discussion. Around the District in Carbon, Luzerne, and Schuylkill Counties
I was invited to attend the reopening of Heisler’s in the Lewistown Valley. This locally iconic brand, founded in 1924, was owned and operated by the Heisler family for 102 years. In 1957, the business added the dairy bar location that we all enjoy today. Congratulations to the new owners, Dwight & Kathi Zimmerman, and best wishes for continued success! Since my wife Beth grew up on an adjacent farm, I understand very well the long and proud history of this iconic local attraction, familiar to thousands and thousands of people, near and far. Read more about the reopening here.
Representatives Barton and Twardzik and I presented the Plum Creek Memorial Authority with a $317,000 state grant. The funding will be used to develop a new drinking water supply well which will service South Manheim and Wayne Townships. Improved water infrastructure is needed in many of our local communities—I am pleased we were able to secure these highly competitive state funds.
Representative Twardzik, Commissioner Gary Hess, and I were invited to attend the South Schuylkill Unified Committee for Community Revitalization’s Meet & Greet event with their new executive director, Donna Eberhart. This regional organization includes representatives from Schuylkill Haven, Cressona, Wayne Township, North Manheim Township, South Manheim Township, and many local volunteer organizations. We’ve often seen how dedicated volunteers working together can make transformative changes. Last year, we witnessed the strength of local partnerships in southern Schuylkill County when Penn State Schuylkill was under consideration for closure. After months of advocacy by thousands of residents, we successfully saved this campus for future generations. I look forward to supporting these efforts!
On Saturday afternoon, I was invited to attend the Eagle Scout Court of Honor of Ethan Darraugh in White Haven. For his project, Ethan repaired and replaced benches in Tweedle Park in Weatherly. Congrats, Ethan!
On Saturday night, I was invited to attend the Hazleton Elks Award Dinner. My friend and colleague, Rep. Dane Watro, was honored as Citizen of the Year. Rep. Watro has a long history of service to his community and country. Serving in the U.S. Army, Dane was stationed at the Korean Demilitarized Zone and later in Fort Hood, Texas. He then served as mayor of McAdoo for eight years. He is heavily involved in various community organizations, including as President of Schuylkill County Concerned Citizens, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, AMVETS, and the McAdoo Lions. He is now in his second term as the State Representative for the 116th District, serving southern Luzerne and northern Schuylkill counties. Read more about the awards dinner here. Maria Pedriani and Stephen Zeigler were honored as Elks Officer of the Year and Elk of the Year, respectively, for their dedication to the Elks Lodge. Congratulations to Dane, Maria, and Stephen, and thank you for all you do for our communities!
I was invited to attend the Schuylkill Youth Summit, sponsored by Schuylkill Connects and the Schuylkill County Commissioners. This event brings together Schuylkill County’s youngest leaders and encourages them to start their careers here. Read more about the summit here. Argall Report: Policy Committee Reviews PA’s Housing Shortage
This month’s Argall Report focuses on Pennsylvania’s statewide housing crisis and what the General Assembly can do to combat it. This is an issue that I frequently hear about from residents across this district. Local officials, housing advocates, builders, and developers all shared a similar message—we need to promote homeownership, expand access to quality rentals, and remove unnecessary regulations. Here in our district, we’ve seen some recent successes when local leaders, private developers, and community partners are driving new market rate housing projects in Pottsville, Hazleton, Weatherly, Orwigsburg, Shenandoah, and Frackville. Watch the full Argall Report here. Keeping Our Families and Communities Safe
A year ago, the Senate took decisive action on several bills to keep our families and communities safe. Among the bills we passed are Senate Bill 92, known as Tyler’s Law, to impose tougher penalties on drug dealers who sell fentanyl resulting in a fatal overdose; Senate Bill 490 to prohibit non-monetary bail for the most dangerous individuals; and Senate Bill 347 to prohibit so-called “safe injection sites” – which endanger our neighborhoods in Pennsylvania. I voted for these bills because there is a clear and urgent need to give our law enforcement community new tools to combat these serious issues. Unfortunately, although the Senate passed all three bills with bipartisan votes, they continue to sit in the House of Representatives waiting for action. Focusing on Our Local Communities: Meet Lehighton’s Ryan Saunders
Welcome to the latest of edition of “Focusing on Our Local Communities,” where we interview, on a bipartisan basis, a key local leader in one of the 102 municipalities that I represent in Carbon, Schuylkill, and Luzerne counties. This week, we focus on Lehighton Mayor, Ryan Saunders. Saunders, a Republican, served on Lehighton Borough Council for seven years before being appointed to the mayor position after the passing of then Mayor Clark Ritter. Saunders was elected mayor in November of 2025. Saunders is the chair of the Lehigh Canal Recreation Commission, member of the Free and Accepted Mason Lodge 440 and volunteers with the Lehighton Pool Pals and Lehighton Downtown Initiative. He currently works in the industrial distribution industry, working for Bearing and Drive Solutions for the past 20 years. “We love Lehighton. We moved here over 20 years ago, and we did our research. We really liked the school district and feeling of community,” said Saunders. “I was always involved in the community, coaching my kids in sports when they were young in the booster club, and then I got involved with the downtown initiative and ran for council. Then unfortunately our mayor position opened, and I was appointed to that position, and I absolutely love and enjoy it. Helping our residents, working to make our community better is what it’s all about for me.” Saunders is very proud of the work that is being done in Lehighton. “We’ve been able to fully renovate our upper and lower parks in our downtown and restore the amphitheater and install a new sound system as well. We’ve done some things at Grove Park and we’re working now on restoring Skyline Park. We’re also very proud of the façade project for our businesses in our downtown that we’ve been able to do with the help of Sen. Argall and Rep. Heffley. We’ve been able to upgrade our sewer infrastructure. We’ve made significant progress there,” said Saunders. “And we have a very prideful police department. We’re all about community policing. We want our officers to be engaging in the community and build relationships with our residents.” Quote of the Week
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