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In this Update:
Senate Acts to Waive Interest on Short-Term Budget Impasse Loans
Pennsylvania counties, early education programs, rape prevention and domestic violence prevention centers could pay no interest on loans from the Pennsylvania Treasury under legislation approved by the Senate. The bill now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration. Under current law, the Pennsylvania Treasurer may provide investment loans during a budget impasse but must charge interest on those loans. Treasury’s Budget Bridge Loan program would provide up to $500 million in low-interest loans from the Liquid Asset Pool Investment Fund for county governments, domestic violence and rape crisis centers, Head Start agencies and approved providers under the Pre-K Counts program. Those investment loans would cover up to 25% of a recipient’s state budget appropriation from the previous fiscal year. Discussing Safe Gun Ownership in Hegins
Thank you to all who joined Rep. JoAnne Stehr and our teams at our concealed carry seminar in Hegins Township. We had nearly 50 people in attendance to learn more about how to exercise our Second Amendment rights safely and lawfully from Schuylkill County Sheriff Joe Groody and Attorney Joshua Prince. Replacing Damaged License Plates in Ashland
Thank you to everyone who joined Rep. Tim Twardzik and our teams in Ashland to replace damaged license plates. A special thanks goes to Chief Gerald Daley and Officer Tyler Dissinger who assisted with the event and carried out the plate inspections. Tamaqua’s Heritage Festival
Beth and I attended Tamaqua’s Heritage Festival on Sunday. It was great to see the community enjoy all the food vendors, crafters, and entertainment on hand. Preventing Scams Targeting Seniors in Mahanoy City
Thank you to everyone who joined Rep. Dane Watro and me at our scam seminar on Tuesday at the Mahanoy City Senior Center. Special thanks to the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General for the thorough presentation about how to avoid falling prey to the latest scams targeting seniors. Highlighting Progress in Carbon County
The Annual Carbon County State of the County program, hosted by the Carbon Chamber and Economic Development Corporation at Blue Mountain Resort, included presentations from the Carbon County Commissioners, Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau, Greater Lehigh Valley Realtors Association, and the CCEDC Economic Development team. Carbon County is a beautiful place to live, work, and play — and we need to keep building on this momentum throughout our communities! Hazleton’s Candlewood Suites Celebrates Major Renovations
Brad Hurley from my Hazleton office recently attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony on my behalf to celebrate more than $1.2 million in renovations at the Candlewood Suites Hotel. This 124-room hotel has served the Hazleton area for many years. I appreciate their continued investment in our community and wish them continued success as they move forward! Argall Report: Carbon County and Beyond Regional Tourism Summit Update
The October edition of my local TV program reviews our Carbon County and Beyond Regional Tourism Summit Update at the historic Mauch Chunk Opera House. The bottom line: tourism and its very significant financial benefits, while very welcome, are also impacting parking, traffic congestion, and housing affordability for Jim Thorpe residents. The Plan: encouraging visitors to check out many other surrounding communities, BUT only with the appropriate planning and investments. Over 100 people attended our summit, with presentations by the Pocono Mountain Visitors Bureau, Carbon Chamber and Economic Development Corporation, Panther Valley and White Haven Blueprint Community groups, Greater Hazleton Civic Partnership and the 9-11 National Memorial Trail Alliance. Decades ago, a similar meeting in Tamaqua resulted in the transformation of the abandoned junior high school where my parents once taught into the Lehigh Carbon Community College Morgan Center and the renovation of the historic 1874 train station that was very close to demolition. Thanks to these continued revitalization efforts, in the next few years, Temple University will open a first of its kind, rural dental college in downtown Tamaqua, and we believe that future Temple dental students will come here in part because of the revitalization of Jim Thorpe and some of our other towns. We learned many years ago that while blight is sadly contagious, so is the revitalization of so many of our local communities! 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 6,000 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. Upcoming Concealed Carry Seminar in McAdoo
Rep. Dane Watro and I will also host a concealed carry seminar on Wednesday, October 22nd at the Silverbrook Gun Club in McAdoo. Those interested in attending should RSVP by calling 570-453-1344. Key Dates for Upcoming General Election
The 2025 Municipal Election is coming up on Tuesday, Nov. 4. Municipal and school board positions will be on the ballot, along with statewide judicial elections. Voters will fill one open position each on the Commonwealth and Superior courts and consider retention of three Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices and two appellate court judges. If you are not already registered to vote, the deadline to do so is Monday, Oct. 20. You may register in person at your county elections office, by mail or by visiting the state’s online voter registration website. The last day to apply for a mail-in or civilian absentee ballot is Tuesday, Oct. 28. Completed ballots must be returned by 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 4. For more information about voting in the Commonwealth, including how to check your registration and voting location, visit www.vote.pa.gov. Drought Watch Declared
After lower-than-normal rainfall, more than two dozen Pennsylvania counties are under a drought watch declared by the Pennsylvania Drought Task Force. Drought declarations are based on the levels of precipitation, stream flows, groundwater levels and soil moisture. Under a drought watch, residents are encouraged, but not required, to voluntarily reduce their water use by five to 10%. For a map that’s updated daily to show the status of all four indicators for each county, see the USGS Pennsylvania drought condition monitoring website. Upcoming Senior Expo and Seasonal Events
Diakon Community Services will host its 15th Annual Senior Expo on Tuesday, October 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Fairlane Village Mall. This free event will feature a wide variety of exhibitors to connect seniors to resources throughout our region. My staff will be on hand at this event to help connect you with state resources.
Schuylkill Connects is hosting its Annual Spooky Schuylkill 5K Run & Walk on Saturday, October 25. The race kicks off at 10 a.m. To register, click here.
The Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine and Steam Train will host its Ashland in Autumn Festival on Sunday, October 26 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. In addition to mine tours and steam train rides, there will be a variety of vendors to explore.
The City of Hazleton’s Department of Parks & Recreation will host their Trail of Treats event at City View Park on Sunday, October 26th from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. The trail will be lined with booths ran by businesses and community organizations. Make sure to bring a bag for all the candy!
Penn Forest Township’s Department of Parks & Recreation will host their Annual Trunk or Treat event at the Penn Forrest Recreational Park on Sunday, October 26th from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. The event will feature local businesses and community organizations, free pumpkins, and hot cider. Make sure to bring a bag for all your candy! |
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