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• Banning Companies who Work with Russia and Belarus from Receiving State Funds
• Alvernia Awarded Federal Grant, Construction to Begin Soon in Pottsville
• High-Speed Broadband Expansion in Cass and Reilly Townships
• A New Bipartisan Push to Fix Blighted, Decaying, Rat-Infested Buildings
• National Agriculture Week
• Saturday: Girardville St. Patrick’s Day Parade
• Vietnam War Veterans Day March 29
• How to Protect Yourself Against Tick-Borne Diseases

Banning Companies who Work with Russia and Belarus from Receiving State Funds

My newest bill proposes to prevent companies from receiving state contracts, grants, or tax credits if they do business with Russia or Belarus. 

The citizens of Ukraine are suffering often untold horrors because of the unprovoked invasion of their country.  As the state Senator who represents some of the most concentrated communities of Americans with Ukrainian ancestry in the United States, it is my responsibility to stop our state government from supporting anyone conducting business with these war criminals.

Learn more about this bill here.

Alvernia Awarded Federal Grant, Construction to Begin Soon in Pottsville

From Left to Right: me, Congressman Dan Meuser, Rep. Tim Twardzik, Alvernia President John R. Loyack, Alvernia Schuylkill Director Cynthia Mensch

Congressman Dan Meuser (R-9) visited Pottsville on Tuesday to present Alvernia University with a ceremonial check for $2 million for the construction of Pottsville CollegeTowne. 

With this funding and the $3 million state grant I worked to secure with Rep. Tim Twardzik, Rep. Jerry Knowles, and Rep. Joe Kerwin, construction at the site, which was formerly a Giant grocery store, will begin soon.

Read more about this news here.  Visit my website to watch the most recent edition of the Argall Report, to learn more.

High-Speed Broadband Expansion in Cass and Reilly Townships

New funding to support the construction of high-speed broadband infrastructure was awarded to projects in Cass Township and Reilly Township this week.  In total, over $1.7 million was awarded to provide high speed internet to 1,000 residences and 70 businesses that are currently unserved.

High-speed internet is no longer a luxury – it’s a necessity.  This new funding will support a better education for our children and make local businesses even more competitive.

Read more about this news here.

A New Bipartisan Push to Fix Blighted, Decaying, Rat-Infested Buildings

A blighted home that collapsed in Mahanoy City
Picture by Donald R. Serfass

A recent article by WHYY highlights a new proposal to fight blight across Pennsylvania that quickly received bipartisan support.  Senator Nikil Saval (D-Philadelphia) recently introduced Senate Bill 1135, which proposes to create the Whole Home Repairs Fund.  The fund would assist with the costs of rehabilitating older homes.

While blighted and decaying buildings can be contagious in a neighborhood, repairing them can also create a ripple effect.  In large cities or small towns like Mahanoy City, this new funding would help breathe new life into our older communities.  

National Agriculture Week

To all our farmers and agriculture workers, thank you for putting food on our tables.

As we celebrate National Agriculture Week, it’s important to remember that farming is Pennsylvania’s economic and cultural backbone. With 52,000 farms spread out across 7.3 million acres of farmland in Pennsylvania, farmers are responsible for over 280,000 jobs and $83.8 billion in direct economic output.

These aren’t just statistics to me:  My wife Beth, her family, and their many employees are the proud fourth generation operators of Koch’s Turkey Farm, near Tamaqua.

Saturday: Girardville St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Visit Girardville on Saturday at noon for their 17th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade!  Rep. Tim Twardizk and I will be walking as part of the parade.  Learn more about it here.

Vietnam War Veterans Day March 29

On March 29, 1973, U.S. combat and combat support units began to withdraw from South Vietnam.

It marked the beginning of the end of a conflict that cost the lives of more than 58,000 Americans. Returning veterans did not receive the welcome they deserved, and many dealt with the effects of war alone. National Vietnam War Veterans Day was established in 2017 for us to express our heartfelt admiration and to pay these veterans the respect they earned.

How to Protect Yourself Against Tick-Borne Diseases

Lyme disease and the rare but dangerous Deer Tick Virus (DTV) have been found in ticks at high levels for the first time in multiple locations around the state. 

The Deer Tick Virus is rare in the United States, but positive cases have increased in recent years. Initial symptoms of a DTV infection may include fever, headache, vomiting and weakness. Some people who are infected with DTV experience no symptoms, and therefore infection may go undetected. However, 91% of patients treated for DTV infections develop severe neuroinvasive disease. 

Recommended precautions for anyone venturing outdoors include:

• Apply tick repellents containing permethrin to clothing, and EPA-registered insect repellents such as DEET to exposed skin before entering the outdoors.
• Wear light colored outer clothing and tuck shirts into pants, and pants into socks.
• Walk in the centers of trails and avoid wooded and brushy areas with low-growing vegetation and tall grasses.
• After returning home, remove all clothing, take a shower and place clothing into the dryer on high heat to kill any lingering ticks. Examine gear, such as backpacks, for ticks.
• Conduct a full-body tick check.
• Check over any pets exposed to likely tick habitats each time they return indoors.
• If a tick is found attached to your skin, use tweezers to remove it carefully, including the head. Monitor for symptoms and contact your doctor with any questions.

For more information about tickborne disease prevention, visit Department of Health’s Tickborne Diseases website.

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