|
|||||
|
In this Update:
Addressing the Dental Care Shortage in Luzerne County and Beyond
During a legislative roundtable at Luzerne County Community College and a meeting with leadership at Lehigh Carbon Community College on Wednesday, I had a simple message: help me fix the severe dental care shortages impacting our families. 37 counties across Pennsylvania currently suffer from dental care shortages, including Luzerne and Schuylkill counties. A lack of regular dental care increases rates of opioid abuse, contributes directly to heart disease, results in people missing work, and can cause a whole host of other nasty issues. To address this issue here, we’re working to expand local dental education programs – health professionals are more likely to practice in rural areas if they train in rural areas. I appealed to Luzerne and Lehigh Carbon Community Colleges to expand their existing dental hygiene and assistant programs. This effort would supplement the graduates of the new Temple University dental school currently under development in downtown Tamaqua and make us all healthier. Thank you to the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry for hosting the valuable discussion at Luzerne County Community College. Joining me were Senators Lisa Baker and Lynda Schlegel Culver, and Reps. Jim Haddock, Eddie Day Pashinski, Alec Ryncavage, Jamie Walsh, and Dane Watro. Need Assistance with a State-Related Issue? My District Offices are Here to Help!
My district offices are open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to assist you with any state-related issue. So far this year, we’ve helped address almost 5,000 problems for the people of Schuylkill, Carbon, and Luzerne counties. Our more common requests include providing help with property tax/rent rebate forms, driver’s license applications, and filing for unemployment. Last year, we also worked to recover more than $400,000 in unclaimed property. If you ever have a state government related question or problem, we’re here to help! The locations and contact information for my district offices in Hazleton and Mahanoy City with Rep. Dane Watro, Pottsville with Rep. Tim Twardzik, and Weissport with Rep. Doyle Heffley can be found here. Supporting a Good Cause with Jim Thorpe Mayor Eric Cinicola
Jim Thorpe welcomed WNEP meteorologist Joe Snedeker to Memorial Park on day 4 of Go Joe 28 – a week-long charity bike ride to raise money for Saint Joseph’s Center. His pace of 100 miles a day was very impressive!! While there, Brad Hurley from my local office and I enjoyed hot dogs and pierogies with Jim Thorpe Mayor Eric Cinicola. Mayor Cinicola owns and operates The Doggie Wagon, with some of the proceeds from the evening donated to this great cause. Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Creates Wildflower Meadow
The Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association provided an update this week on a conservation project they’ve worked on for years. This beautiful 20-acre wildflower meadow, captured here by Rebecca McCabe, will provide much-needed habitat space for birds and pollinators and protect water quality in the Little Schuylkill River. Keep an eye out if you’re traveling on Route 895 towards New Ringgold! Jam Below the Dam Supports White Haven Revitalization
Beth and I enjoyed Jam Below the Dam in White Haven last weekend. The borough was filled with craft vendors, food trucks, local artists, and many visitors. Congratulations to the Greater White Haven Chamber of Commerce on a job well done! Thanks in part to the D+L Trail, Lehigh Gorge State Park and passenger train excursions from Jim Thorpe and other communities, White Haven residents have made significant progress in breathing new life into their small town. Now, they’re planning for the future through the Blueprint Communities program, which provides assistance and resources for community revitalization efforts. I will continue to support this work. August 1 is National Eagle Scout Day
August 1 is National Eagle Scout Day! Reaching the rank of Eagle Scout requires grit, determination, and a real commitment to serving your community. In the past year, my staff and I and our local state representatives have joined many different Eagle Scout Courts of Honor to recognize the hard work and dedication of local scouts across this district in Carbon, Luzerne and Schuylkill counties. One of the very best things my parents ever did for me was sign me up for the Scouts at the age of eight. From camping in my own back yard to exploring New Mexico, Canada and Bavaria, scouting has given me and so many others the opportunity to expand our horizons. I look forward to guiding my granddaughter, Amelia, along the path to Eagle, in about a dozen years, just as I did with her father and my brother! Visit the Schuylkill County Fair
The Schuylkill County Fair is underway. I visited this week for Chamber Night, hosted by the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce, and met with many local employers and farm families. Year after year, the Schuylkill County Fair Association does an excellent job showcasing the unique agricultural culture of our region. The fair runs until Saturday. Plan your visit here. Pine Grove Girl Scouts Tour the State Capitol
My office welcomed girl scouts from Troop 32840, Pine Grove to my office in our historic State Capitol. The scouts were in town to tour the beautiful building and learn more about our state government. If you or your organization are interested in visiting, please contact me. Sign Up for My Veterans E-Newsletter!
In an effort to keep veterans in Schuylkill, Carbon, and Luzerne counties informed about local events, legislative updates from Harrisburg, and state resources, I will begin distributing a veterans e-newsletter every month. If you or someone you know is a veteran, sign up here. Argall Report: New Rural Dental School Coming to Tamaqua
The August edition of my local TV program looks in on a public hearing of the Senate Majority Policy Committee on the severe dental care shortages in Pennsylvania and how a proposed dental school in downtown Tamaqua could improve care for local families now and in the future. Establishing a rural dental school in Tamaqua will make our families, friends, and neighbors healthier for decades to come. Rep. Jamie Barton, Congressman Dan Meuser, and I look forward to working with Dr. Amid Ismail of the Kornberg School of Dentistry at Temple University and the Tamaqua Area Community Partnership to finalize all the details. August 13: Scam Seminars in Jim Thorpe, Beaver MeadowsRep. Doyle Heffley and I are hosting two senior scam seminars in Carbon County on August 13. With scammers becoming increasingly brazen and creative, we all need to be aware of how to protect ourselves from falling prey to these criminals. David Shallcross, the director of the Senior Protection Unit of the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, will lead the discussions.
The first session is at the Jim Thorpe/Penn Kidder Senior Center at 10:30 a.m.
The second session is at the Beaver Meadows Recreation Center at 1:30 p.m. To register, please call 610-377-6363. Children in Hot Cars: Look Before You Lock
In 2024, 39 children died of heatstroke in vehicles – up 35% from 2023. Most of these deaths are a result of a parent or caregiver forgetting a child in a car.
More information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is available here. Protecting Yourself on Facebook Marketplace
Transactions through social media platforms have limited consumer protections compared to traditional business dealings, and scams happen. In a recent case, a Fayette County family was scammed with fake cash when selling a floor buffer on Facebook Marketplace. Pennsylvania State Police are investigating. There are steps you can take to protect yourself with Facebook Marketplace, such as checking the seller’s Marketplace profile to learn more about them, using online payment methods and verifying the item before paying. Check out more tips here.
If you are not already subscribed to this newsletter please sign up here. |
|||||
|
|||||
Want to change how you receive these emails? 2025 © Senate of Pennsylvania | https://www.senatorargall.com | Privacy Policy |
