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In this Update:
Remembering Trooper Michael Pahira
Beth and I send our deepest sympathies to the family, friends, and fellow officers of Pennsylvania State Trooper Michael Pahira of Frackville who lost his life on Wednesday morning along Interstate 81 in Cass Township. May his memory be a blessing. Funding Awarded to Upgrade Historic Mauch Chunk Opera House in Jim Thorpe
Rep. Doyle Heffley and I were pleased to learn that the Mauch Chunk Historical Society was recently awarded $88,927 through the Local Share Account (LSA) program to construct a new, ADA-compliant entrance at the Mauch Chunk Opera House in downtown Jim Thorpe so even more people can visit this historic site! Built in 1881, the Mauch Chunk Opera House is one of America’s oldest surviving vaudeville theatres. We must do whatever we can to preserve this VERY special local treasure!
Additionally, on Sunday, the Mauch Chunk Opera House received a $250,000 endowment through the Luzerne Foundation, thanks to the family of the late Pasco L. Schiavo. The funding will be used for the ongoing restoration and maintenance of the building. Congratulations to all and thank you to the Schiavo Family and the Luzerne Foundation for providing this major gift to the Jim Thorpe community! Check out all the upcoming shows at the Opera House here. Around the District
Brad Hurley from my Hazleton office recently attended the Mauch Chunk Trust Company’s 2026 Community Heroes Banquet in Jim Thorpe. This annual event honors local volunteers for their work in the Eastern Schuylkill and Carbon County regions. Congratulations to all this year’s award winners:
The rain did not dampen the spirits of the hundreds of people who attended Schuylkill County’s America 250 Parade & Birthday Party in Downtown Pottsville last Saturday. The event featured a parade with over thirty Schuylkill County municipalities represented, as well as a day-long celebration featuring food trucks, local vendors, live music, and family activities for all ages! Congratulations to the organizers on a great event!
I was invited to join U.S. Senator Dave McCormick, Congressman Ryan Mackenzie, Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau, Rep. Doyle Heffley, and Carbon County Commissioners Mike Sofranko and Wayne Nothstein to showcase the revitalization efforts that have taken place in downtown Jim Thorpe. Once a town facing many of the same challenges as other rural communities across Pennsylvania, Jim Thorpe has become a national example of what is possible when local leaders work together to preserve history, support small businesses, and invest in their future.
I was invited to attend the America 250 Celebrations in Beaver Meadows. I was joined by Congressman Ryan Mackenzie, Rep. Doyle Heffley, and Carbon County Commissioner Mike Sofranko. The event featured vendors, kids’ activities, and much more! Thank you for inviting me!
I joined community leaders in Lansford for their 150th Anniversary celebration. The event featured an impressive lineup of musical performances from the U.S. Army 28th Infantry Band, the M&J Big Band, and more! I presented borough leaders with a citation to commemorate this milestone. DHH Lengel Students Receive Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence
Rep. Tim Twardzik and I recently met with a group of students from DHH Lengel Middle School in Pottsville at the State Capitol to congratulate them on being awarded the Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence for their project to protect pollinators. The students, led by English teacher and after-school program advisor Leah Zerbe, successfully advocated to overturn a citywide ban on milkweed, a vital plant for struggling pollinator populations like the monarch butterfly. The project provided the students with an opportunity to participate in local government. Congratulations to all! Putting Whole Milk Back in PA Schools
I recently introduced Senate Bill 1362, the Milk Dispensary School Pilot Program. This bill follows the enactment of the federal Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act which allows whole milk to be served in schools again. My bill would direct the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture to award grants to schools for the purchase of bulk whole milk dispensers, promoting both student nutrition and environmental sustainability. All milk used in the program would be required to be sourced from Pennsylvania, a win for our local dairy farmers. Read more about my bill here. Argall Report: Updates on Key Projects in the Hazleton Area
This month’s Argall Report highlights updates on several key projects in the Hazleton area which were discussed during a recent Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce Red Carpet Breakfast. With strong job growth in recent years, housing has become a top priority — including the restored Altamont building, 600 new apartments off Club Forty Road, 300 planned units along the Airport Beltway, and several other redevelopment projects. We also discussed the growing need for more childcare as the workforce expands. The new Mericle Family Center YMCA now provides childcare for 150 children, plus 100 more through a pre-K partnership with the Hazleton Area School District, along with major upgrades to gym, pool, and future outdoor fields. We highlighted the successful effort to save Penn State Hazleton — with over 5,400 survey responses and 96% support for the Hazleton and Schuylkill campuses — and ongoing plans for more dual enrollment and employer partnerships. Focusing on Our Local Communities: Meet Shenandoah’s Joe Boris
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 southern Luzerne counties. This week, we focus on Shenandoah Borough Council President Joe Boris. A New Boston native and Republican, Boris graduated from Mahanoy Area in 1972 and moved to Shenandoah in 1995. He earned his degree in Business Management and Marketing from the McCann School of Business. For more than 30 years, he worked at Elbeco Inc., a U.S. manufacturer of professional uniforms, serving as a Corporate Engineer and Facilities Manager before retiring in 2019. “I got involved because I wanted to make a difference in the community. After I retired, I was looking for something else to do, so I decided that this is what I wanted to do,” said Boris. “After one of the council members passed away, I was appointed in December of 2022, so I filled that term. And then in 2024, I was voted in as council president, and I’ve held that seat since. I believe you need to run a borough like you run a business and that’s been our focus.” Music is one of Boris’ passions. He plays saxophone with the well-known polka band the Shenandoah All Stars, as well as with the Upper Schuylkill Marching and Concert Band. From 1968 until 2025, he marched in every Mahanoy City Memorial Day Parade. He also serves as the treasurer for the Knights of Columbus No. 618 in Shenandoah. In just a few years, Boris and his fellow council members have brought meaningful improvements to the borough. “We’ve been able to do some good things. We’ve been paving a lot of roads, and we’re doing even more this summer. And we’ve also purchased equipment, so we can do milling, paving and other projects ourselves. Updating our street sweeper has also worked out well,” said Boris. “We’re also redoing our three parks; buying new playground equipment putting in basketball and pickleball courts. And with the help of Sen. Argall and Rep. Watro, we were able to revitalize the Pumpy Dam area, which is a beautiful recreation area in our community.” July 27: License Plate Replacement Event in Palmerton
Is your license plate worn out? You can get it replaced for free at an event I’m hosting with Rep. Doyle Heffley on Monday, July 27 from 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at the Palmerton Borough Garage (402 3rd Street, Palmerton). A local police officer will be on hand to inspect your plate to determine if it qualifies for free replacement. For more information or to RSVP, call 570-773-0891. Happy Independence Day!
This time of year has always has a special meaning for my family. Way back on July 8th, 1848, a shoemaker named Thomas Argall arrived in New York Harbor on the Roscius with his wife, Jane, and three children after leaving their mining town in Cornwall, England. He was 28 years old. He would become an American citizen 20 years later. I’m proud to be his great-great-great grandson. When I asked a very distant Cornish cousin why my ancestors left their beautiful little seaside village, the answer was simple: the Irish Potato Famine also devastated Cornwall, the local mines were closing, and they left so they would not starve. The result: Hello, Pottsville! As we celebrate Independence Day for the 250th time, it’s important to remember how many of us share similar stories about how we became Americans. Enjoy this special holiday and remember its meaning. Quote of the Week
“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” ― Theodore Roosevelt |
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