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In this Update:
Around the District
I was recently invited to attend YES (Your Economic Success) Day at Bear Creek Charter School in Luzerne County by the Junior Achievement Academy of NEPA. The focus: encouraging students to experience hands-on, real-life, career-focused learning activities. Thank you for inviting me!
I was recently invited to congratulate the local graduates of the YES (Your Employability Skills) Program, which teaches high school seniors basic employment skills required by today’s employers. Sponsored by the NEPA Manufacturers & Employers Council, this year, 229 local students graduated from the program.
I shared with the graduates that my grandfather, Arthur Argall, didn’t have many options in 1926 when he became the first in my family to graduate from high school. Afflicted with polio as a child, he couldn’t follow in the steps of his father as a coal miner. He instead worked to become the first Argall with a college degree, a two-year teaching certificate from the Kutztown Normal School. Graduating students have many more options than my grandfather did in 1926, or my parents in the 1950s, or my brother and I had in the 1970s and 1980s.
I was recently invited to attend the Launch Pottsville III Final Event at Arrow Studios, hosted by the Pottsville Area Development Corporation. Launch Pottsville is a competition to support new business creation downtown. The program has had a positive impact on Pottsville over the last few years. This year’s program focused on food innovation, allowing the winner to launch their idea inside Alvernia University’s Pottsville CollegeTowne kitchen space. Congratulations to Stephen Smith and his concept, the Golden Kettle, a build-your-own mac and cheese restaurant, for winning this year’s competition!
More than 100 high school students from across this district learned what it’s like to be a state senator at my annual Senator for a Day student seminar at Penn State Schuylkill. The “senators” had the chance to craft and move legislation through the legislative process. During their discussions, they got to experience the realities of the legislative process – the good, the bad, and the ugly! Rep. Tim Twardzik, Schuylkill County Commissioners Boots Hetherington and Gary Hess, and I were impressed with their knowledge of current issues and ability to carefully review some of the most complex topics before us in Harrisburg. To everyone who helped make this event happen, especially our hosts at Penn State Schuylkill, thank you!
This year’s Kielbasi Festival and Parade of Nations in Downtown Shenandoah was another great success! Reps. Dane Watro and Tim Twardzik and I presented a certificate to Peter D. Skirmantas, who was there on behalf of the late Anne Chaikowsky La Voie Skirmantas, the founder and director of the Lithuanian Heritage Museum. We were also joined by Shenandoah Mayor Bob Cook. Congratulations to all who work to bring this special event to life every year. Thank you to the Shenandoah Sentinel for the photo! Discussing Shenandoah Borough Water System
Rep. Dane Watro and I recently met with Shenandoah Borough leaders and representatives from Aqua to discuss water service throughout the borough. Aqua is now developing new, detailed water-line maps and setting priorities for future improvements throughout the borough. They are also checking on vacant buildings in the borough to avoid future issues. The goal: develop solutions to avoid future problems like Shenandoah saw last winter with numerous leaks in the VERY OLD water system. Route 309 Project Update in Rush & Kline Townships
A few weeks ago, I shared that long-awaited improvements to Route 309 between Ben Titus Road and Lofty Road near McAdoo were finally getting underway after years of bureaucratic delays. Many of you have asked for these additional details: this nearly $4 million investment will include an all-new roadway surface and tackle the longstanding drainage and water runoff issues that have been raised by the community for years. Rep. Dane Watro, Rep. Jamie Barton, and I will soon meet with PennDOT officials to review what’s ahead. We will continue to keep you updated as the project moves forward. DHH Lengel Students Visit the State Capitol
Students participating in the What’s So Cool About Manufacturing contest from DHH Lengel Middle School recently visited our State Capitol. Josh Paul, my legislative director, met with students and provided a tour of the Senate Chamber. If you are interested in visiting our beautiful State Capitol, please call my Harrisburg office. Panther Valley Blueprint Communities Clean Up Carbon County
Recently, the Panther Valley Blueprint Communities held a Roadside Cleanup with more than 15 partner organizations along State Routes 902 and 209 in Summit Hill, Lansford, Coaldale, and Nesquehoning. In total, they collected over 330 bags of trash and over 50 tires. One of my first bills to become law created the Waste Tire Recycling Act/Small Business and Household Pollution Prevention Program Act. I introduced it after visiting a burning, illegal dump with fire fighters near Pottsville with 750,000 waste tires. Since this bill became law, 97% of all scrap tires across Pennsylvania – over 31 million tires – have been safely recycled—and the illegal tire dump is now a very popular park! My new Senate Bill 664 seeks to continue the cleanup of nuisance scrap tires across the Commonwealth, specifically targeting replacement tires. Thank you to the volunteers for carrying out this important work! Argall Report: Reversing PA’s Dental Care Shortage
This month’s Argall Report focuses on our current shortage of dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants. The hearing featured dental professionals, educators, insurance companies, and advocates who testified how this harms people’s health and shared successful strategies to encourage more people to pursue these important careers. Dr. James Mancini, President of the PA Dental Association, shared that the biggest issue is the lack of dental providers in PA. At 66 years old, he is just below the average age of a dental provider north of Interstate 80, which is 68. He also shared a staggering statistic – for every five dentists that open a practice in PA, eight depart the state once they complete dental school. He shared that we need more dental schools, and specifically, more dental schools in northeastern PA. This fall, Temple University’s new downtown Tamaqua location will expand access to dental care across Carbon, Luzerne, and Schuylkill counties, training the next generation of dental professionals right here and encouraging them to practice in our communities. Watch the full Argall Report here. Focusing on Our Local Communities: Meet Port Carbon’s Jim McBreen
Welcome to the latest 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 Port Carbon Mayor, Jim McBreen. McBreen, a Republican, was a member of borough council for six years and is now serving as the borough’s mayor after being elected in 2025. McBreen grew up in the Port Carbon area and graduated from Pottsville in 1999. He then attended the Pennsylvania College of Technology, where he worked in the automotive field after graduation. McBreen decided to go back to school to become a teacher, attending Penn State Schuylkill and Kutztown University. He’s been a teacher at Blue Mountain High School since 2012, where he teaches world history and government. “Helping out my community and politics were things that I was always interested in growing up. My grandmother, Margaret McBreen, served on council, so I was always inspired by her service,” said McBreen. “So, I decided to run for council and then later mayor. I just wanted to kind of take that next step, do some good, and try to do more to help my community.” McBreen was a past president of the Port Carbon Library Board and is a current member of the Joseph C. Cappella Veterans Association and Goodwill Fire Company No. 1. He also worked with two council members to begin their Hometown Heroes Banner Program to honor the Borough’s veterans. McBreen’s approach from the very beginning of his elected service was to attack the blight issue in Port Carbon. “I think we have done a great job of fighting blight in Port Carbon. We attacked it from the code enforcement level in the Borough, taking the initiative to make the landlords more compliant. We revamped our rental registration program, which has worked well. We have a solid process in place now to inspect all the rentals units throughout the Borough,” said McBreen. “Now, as mayor, I’m really turning my attention to our police department. We want to do everything we can to modernize the department and to make sure we’re giving them everything they need to do their job.” May 28: License Plate Replacement Event in Mahanoy Township
Is your license plate worn out? You can get it replaced for free at an event I’m hosting with Rep. Dane Watro on Thursday, May 28th from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Mahanoy Township Building (1010 W Centre St, Mahanoy City). A local police officer will be on hand to inspect your plate to determine if it qualifies for a free replacement. For more information or to RSVP, call 570-773-0891. May 30: White Haven Art Walk
The Greater White Haven Chamber of Commerce will host their Art Walk event on Saturday, May 30th from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. The event will feature fine art, live music, and local food and drink vendors. This event is part of White Haven’s broader revitalization efforts. With its detailed Blueprint Community revitalization plans, the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway bringing new visitors into the borough from Jim Thorpe, Pittston, and beyond, the continued development of the D&L Trail’s outdoor recreation connections, new community development, library, and infrastructure grants, and events like this, White Haven is taking some major steps forward for residents, businesses, and visitors. For more details about this event, click here. Honoring the Fallen
While our nation has paid a heavy price for freedom, we must always remember that the alternatives were much, much worse. The brave men and women who laid down their lives to protect our nation are heroes without equal, and their sacrifices should be honored, remembered, and revered not only on Memorial Day, but always! Quote of the Week
“Our government has no power except that granted it by the people.” – Ronald Reagan |
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