TalkWilliamsport.com has confirmed the office of Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro has issued search warrants in the Williamsport Area School District “Criminal Sexual Misconduct” case.

The case was referred by Lycoming County District Attorney Ryan Gardner to Shapiro earlier this year.

On background, the referral stemmed from an incident on the WAHS baseball team trip to Myrtle Beach in 2018.

The search warrants have been filed and signed by Lycoming County President Judge Nancy Butts.

A number of parties involved in the case have been named in the search warrants which are under seal due to the sensitive nature of the case.

According to the Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute,

“A search warrant is a warrant issued by the competent authority authorizing a police officer to search a specified place for evidence even without the occupant’s consent. A search warrant is generally required for a Fourth Amendment search, subject to a few exceptions. In Katz v. United States, 389 U.S. 347 (1967), the Supreme Court held that searches conducted outside the judicial process, without prior approval are prohibited under the Fourth Amendment, with a few detailed exceptions.”

On the issue of Obtaining a Search Warrant:

“Only judges and magistrates may issue search warrants. In Coolidge v. Hampshire, 403 U.S. 443 (1971), the Supreme Court held that a warrant must be issued by a “neutral and detached” judge capable of determining whether probable cause exists. To obtain a warrant, law enforcement officers must show that there is probable cause to believe a search is justified. Officers must support this showing with sworn statements (affidavits), and must describe in particularity the place they will search and the items they will seize. In Groh v. Ramirez, 540 U.S. 551 (2004), the Court held that a warrant that lacks accurate information as to what will be searched is improper, and that a search which happens pursuant to that warrant is unlawful and violates the Fourth Amendment.

In Illinois v. Gates, 462 U.S. 213 (1983), the Supreme Court held that when deciding whether to issue the warrant, a judge must must consider the totality of the circumstances, including an informant’s veracity, reliability, and basis of knowledge.

When issuing a search warrant, the judge may restrict how and when the police conduct the search. In Zurcher v. Stanford Daily, 436 U.S. 547 (1978), the Supreme Court allowed the police to search a student newspaper. The newspaper was not implicated in any criminal activity, but police suspected it had photographic evidence of the identities of demonstrators who assaulted police officers. However, some jurisdictions responded by passing laws restricting or forbidding these kinds of searches, such as when California’s legislature created CA Penal Code § 1524.”

Regarding Warrants for Electronic Data:

“Police officers may obtain warrants to seize and search electronic storage media or electronically stored information. Since December 1, 2009, Rule 41 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure governs these searches. The rules allow officers to copy seized material for later review. The new version of Rule 41 governing these searches also allows police officers to plant tracking devices on persons or property.”

TalkWilliamsport.com will have more on this developing story as events unfold.

Harrisburg, PA – The Department of Agriculture today released data related to COVID-19 restaurant enforcement actions from September 21 through September 27, 2020. The information is specific to COVID-19 mitigation requirements for restaurants including social distancing, masking, and occupancy limits.

These numbers include actions taken during routine food safety inspections and inspections prompted by consumer complaints.

From September 21 through September 27, the Bureau of Food Safety performed 637 total inspections, 14 of which were complaint-driven; four were COVID-19 specific complaints. The bureau distributed 47 COVID-19 complaint-driven educational letters. Eleven COVID-19 related complaints were referred to local and county health jurisdictions. Three formal Warning Letters were issued.

A county by county breakdown of COVID-19 restaurant enforcement actions can be found on the Department of Agriculture’s website. The data will be updated weekly, with data from the previous week.

Among other requirements, all businesses in the restaurant and retail food service industry authorized to conduct in-person activities are mandated to:

• Require all customers to wear a mask while entering, exiting, or otherwise traveling through the restaurant or retail food service business (mask may be removed while seated).
• Employees are required to wear masks at all times.
• Provide at least six feet between parties at tables or physical barriers between customers where booths are arranged back to back.
• Ensure maximum occupancy limits for indoor and outdoor areas are posted and enforced.

The Bureau of Food Safety has always operated with an education-first model, and always works to educate and correct on-site before taking official action. Businesses unwilling to correct on-site will first receive a warning letter, followed by monetary citations ranging from $25 to $300 per offense. Following an initial warning, food safety inspectors will follow up with unannounced inspections to ensure compliance or issue citations as necessary.

Consumers with general food safety complaints or concerns about non-compliance for COVID-19 mitigation can file a report online. COVID-19 mitigation restaurant enforcement actions will be released on a weekly basis.

For more information about the Department of Agriculture’s COVID-19 response, visit agriculture.pa.gov/covid.

Harrisburg, PA – Today, Governor Tom Wolf announced the approval of new funding for three apprenticeship programs at New Century Careers (NCC) in Allegheny County through the Department of Community and Economic Development’s (DCED) Apprenticeship Grant Program. This funding will support the governor’s commitment to expanding job training-related opportunities throughout Pennsylvania.

“With three programs available—one being a newly-launched robotics course—New Century Careers will provide training to 120 apprentices,” said Gov. Wolf. “Funding programs like this through the administration’s PAsmart initiative positions apprentices for successful careers by connecting them with participating companies that critically need high-quality trained employees.”

New Century Careers, of Pittsburgh City, received $249,900 to provide training through its Manufacturing 2000 (M2K) Pre-Apprenticeship Machinist Training Program, Group Non-Joint (GNJ) Machinist Apprenticeship Program, and Group Non-Joint Robotics Technician Apprenticeship (RTA) Program. The M2K Pre-Apprenticeship program will provide up to 600 hours of hands-on machining competency development, online coursework, instructor-led classroom training, industry credentialing, and career development. The GNJ Machinist Apprenticeship Program will provide related classroom instruction for the four-year National tooling & Machining Association Apprenticeship Program, providing 144 hours of classroom instruction per year. For the RTA program apprentices will receive related technical instruction through the Community College of Allegheny County, Catalyst Connection, and Tooling-U/SME, for a total of 296.5 hours of related instruction in two years.

“New Century Careers will be able to continue to align our efforts in our registered pre-apprenticeship program, MANUFACTURING 2000 (M2K) and help to increase future numbers of individuals seeking entry into our PA registered 4-year machinists program,” said NCC President and CEO Neil Ashbaugh. “Additionally, this funding will help us engage employers and employees working in the automation and robotics industry to implement our registered 2-year program for robotic technicians.”

By the end of the grant period, a total of 90 M2K Pre-Apprentices, 15 Group Non-Joint Machining Apprentices, and 15 Group Non-Joint Robotics Technician Apprentices will have enrolled.

These programs will have a great impact on companies participating with the programs, which are facing an urgent need for a highly-skilled manufacturing workforce. The funding will allow for an increase in the region’s pool of skilled workers during the grant period and beyond; fill a gap for manufacturing employers with a continuous source of skilled workers and a larger pool of well-trained potential employees to interview and hire for entry-level positions. This will help the region remain competitive through an enhanced workforce development system, new apprenticeship programs like RTA, and coordinated efforts from NCC for the Apprenticeship and Pre-Apprenticeship programs.

Apprenticeship programs provide critical access to career pathways and enable apprentices to develop the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to compete in today’s economy. Classroom training is a required component of registered apprenticeship programs across Pennsylvania and complements traditional on-the-job training. The technical material taught in a classroom environment enables apprentices to learn fundamental concepts, terminology, procedures, safety requirements, and basic tools and instruments.

Apprenticeships are a key component of Governor Wolf’s PAsmart initiative, an innovative way to improve coordination between state agencies, cut red tape, and invest in people and businesses to expand innovative job training in apprenticeships and other programs so workers get the skills they need to compete in the global economy.

The Pre-Apprentice and Apprenticeship Grant Program is a statewide program that offers assistance to registered apprenticeship programs. The program’s goal is to increase apprenticeship availability to Pennsylvania employers to assist them with their talent recruitment and development.

For more information about the Wolf Administration’s commitment to workforce training, visit DCED website, and be sure to stay up-to-date with all of our agency on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf answering questions from the press. Governor Tom Wolf today announced a $225 million statewide grant program to support small businesses that were impacted by the COVID-19 public health crisis and subsequent business closure order. Harrisburg, PA — June 8, 2020

Doylestown, PA – Governor Tom Wolf was joined by Bucks County state legislators Rep. Wendy Ullman and Sen. Steven Santarsiero today to discuss the importance of preserving the Affordable Care Act (ACA) so it can continue to protect the health and safety of Pennsylvanians.

“COVID-19 has demonstrated that when one person is unable to access necessary health care, that puts all of us at risk,” Gov. Wolf said. “During a pandemic when our nation is facing a highly contagious, airborne virus that spreads rapidly when people gather together, it is even more concerning that not all Pennsylvanians have access to health care coverage, especially for the most vulnerable, including those with pre-existing conditions who are most at risk of contracting COVID-19.”

While President Trump has publicly said that he would not remove health care for those with pre-existing conditions, his actions belie those statements. More than 5 million Pennsylvanians with pre-existing health conditions could lose coverage if Trump-backed lawsuits repeal the ACA.

For some Pennsylvanians, known as long-haulers, COVID is already having long-term, adverse effects on their health as they continue to experience symptoms and side effects from COVID weeks and months after their initial illness.

COVID-19 threatens to be the epitome of a pre-existing condition. It affects, at the least, the lungs, the heart, the kidneys, the brain, the immune system, and the limbs. And if pre-existing condition protections under the ACA are stripped away, coverage for health care associated with any of these organs and systems could be excluded from our neighbors, friends and families who have already had to fight the virus.

If a robust, accessible and affordable health care system is necessary in non-pandemic times, its importance cannot be overstated during a pandemic.

House and Senate Democrats in Pennsylvania’s General Assembly are also working to safeguard access to affordable health care coverage in Pennsylvania and have introduced a series of bills to preserve essential health benefits, to require coverage for pre-existing conditions, to guarantee continued coverage for adult children, and to end lifetime and annual caps on coverage – all protections currently guaranteed by the affordable care act.

“In the midst of uncertainty over whether the upcoming Supreme Court decision will remove a key component of the Affordable Care Act, we are also faced with a grim certainty,” Rep. Ullman said. “If the current Washington administration continues for four more years, the entire protective structure of the Affordable Care Act will be dismantled.

“The ACA has offered protections to whole populations who previously hadn’t been able to get insurance due to pre-existing conditions. COVID-19 has taught us that many people with preexisting conditions are those who are most vulnerable to complications, hospitalizations and fatal outcomes if they become infected with the virus. They are our parents, our grandparents, our friends, our children, and ourselves. We must preserve the protections of the ACA for the citizens of Pennsylvania.”

“The Affordable Care Act is currently under threat at the federal level, putting access to health care at risk for millions of Pennsylvanians,” said Sen. Santarsiero. “It will be up to us on the state level to protect Pennsylvanians and ensure they continue with the coverage they have basic and critical coverage. The Pennsylvania Senate Democrats have been promoting four key bills that would do just that. It is time to put the health of all Pennsylvanians first, and pass this important legislation.”

The governor was also joined by Anna Payne, 32, who works for Bucks County Commissioner Diane Marseglia, and has battled cystic fibrosis every day of her life. She is worried that if the ACA is repealed, she will spend the rest of her life battling insurance companies to get covered because she has a pre-existing condition.

“My administration has steadfastly opposed any efforts to undermine the ACA, which provides needed health care coverage to more than one million Pennsylvanians who otherwise could not afford health insurance,” Gov. Wolf said. “I will continue to do everything in my power to protect the health and safety of Pennsylvanians, as well as their right to affordable and accessible health care coverage that does not penalize or discriminate against those who have pre-existing conditions.”

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (PHMC) has been awarded $246,500 in federal funds from the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to design, produce and deliver new digital learning resources to support individuals and groups affected by COVID-19 in Pennsylvania.

IMLS awarded $13.8 million in IMLS CARES Act Grants nationwide to support the role of museums and libraries in responding to the coronavirus pandemic. The 68 funded projects were selected from 1,701 applications requesting $409,251,399, and institutions receiving awards are matching them with $1.7 million in nonfederal funds. PHMC is one of only three organizations in Pennsylvania to receive an IMLS CARES Act Grant.

Through the “Pennsylvania History to Go” initiative, PHMC will film, edit, and produce virtual tours of museums on the Pennsylvania Trails of History and create infrastructure to produce live digital programs.

As part of the project, PHMC will engage with community organizations to promote and distribute these virtual tours to underserved audiences. An internal steering committee will manage production, and an external advisory panel consisting of school educators, library staff, multicultural representatives, agents for people experiencing barriers to access, Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs staff, and other partners will coordinate content, access and distribution.

“Since the pandemic shut down PHMC sites and museums in March, staff has shifted focus on delivering programs virtually and on making our collections increasingly accessible online to people who can’t visit our sites and museums right now,” said PHMC Executive Director Andrea Lowery. “These funds will help support that endeavor, creating content that will be useful through the pandemic and beyond.”

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s libraries and museums. IMLS advances, supports, and empowers America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research and policy development. Their vision is a nation in which museums and libraries work together to transform the lives of individuals and communities. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow on Facebook and Twitter.

About the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission

The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission is the official history agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Through the Pennsylvania Trails of History, comprising 24 historic sites and museums along several special-interest trails, PHMC provides unique opportunities to explore Pennsylvania’s – and the nation’s – heritage. Learn more by visiting PHMC online and following us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn.

Harrisburg, PA –The University of Pittsburgh Program Evaluation and Research Unit (PERU), in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) today announced the receipt of a cooperative agreement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to implement and evaluate a comprehensive public health approach to suicide prevention, focusing especially on service members, veterans, and their families.

“We all share the responsibility to prevent suicide, which is why we are proud to work with PERU, the CDC, and our other partners to develop programs and practices that will address suicide and offer support and resources to individuals who think about it, plan for it or attempt it,” said DHS Secretary Teresa Miller. “We know that veterans carry a greater risk for suicide than the general population, and that’s why the work we are doing is so critical. The work that this cooperative agreement funds will help save lives across Pennsylvania.”

“Our veterans and their families endure added stress in their lives because of the incredible sacrifices they made while serving our nation,” said Maj. Gen. Anthony Carrelli, Pennsylvania’s adjutant general and head of the DMVA. “As a result, veterans are 1.5 times more likely to die by suicide than Americans who never served in the military. Our goal is to reduce veteran suicide to zero and we will need the support of community partners like DHS and PERU to achieve that goal. We look forward to the positive impact this grant will have on the lives of our veterans and their families.”

The CDC, through this cooperative agreement, awarded PERU $700,000 in funding each year over the next five years for suicide prevention by creating the Northwest Pennsylvania Veteran Suicide Prevention Program. The primary long-term outcome of the program is to reduce the average rate of suicide in 15 counties – Erie, Warren, McKean, Crawford, Forest, Elk, Clearfield, Jefferson, Armstrong, Clarion, Butler, Venango, Mercer, Lawrence, and Beaver – by at least 10 percent by the conclusion of the five-year project period.

The program will consist of an assessment of active county, state, and national suicide prevention initiatives to identify gaps in services and programming. Following the assessment, PERU will develop and implement additional risk assessment programs, community-based trainings, and healthcare-related initiatives across the 15-county target region. Quantitative and qualitative data will be collected throughout the program to identify best practices and develop future policy.

“PERU is honored to work with the Commonwealth on this important initiative, which will provide Pennsylvania’s northwestern counties with the opportunity to implement data-driven strategies to prevent veteran suicides in their communities,” said Janice Pringle, PhD, PERU executive director and the project’s principal investigator. “It is our hope that this program will become a model for other parts of the state and the nation.”

PERU has partnered with the Pennsylvania departments of Health, Drug and Alcohol Programs, the PA Commission on Crime and Delinquency, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the CDC, and the mental health administrators in each of the counties to implement and evaluate a comprehensive approach to prevent suicide in the northwest Pennsylvania veteran population. This work will also supplement Pennsylvania’s Statewide Suicide Prevention Plan and the Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Suicide Among Service Members, Veterans and Their Families.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or suicidal ideation or have in past, know that help is always available:

• The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255.
• The Spanish-language National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-888-628-9454
• For the Mental Health Crisis Text Line: Text PA to 741741
• Support and Referral Helpline: 1-855-284-2494. For TTY, dial 724-631-5600.

These free resources are available 24/7. If you are concerned about someone else’s well-being, these resources can help you be a life-saving assistance. No matter what you are going through, help is available.

Find more information on the Wolf Administration’s efforts to prevent suicide here.

Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf will announce virtually on Wednesday his recipients of the Governor’s Awards for Excellence, which included a program area and an individual from the Department of Health. Recipients from the department were the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program and an individual recipient, Adam Overmiller.

Members of the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) office recognized with the award included Director Jared Shinabery, Carrie Ann Thomas Goetz, Craig Costigan, Tamara Seiler, John Krahel and Colleen DiVittore. Project manager Stanley Murzynski of the Office of Administration was also recognized for his role on the team.

“I am so proud of the life-saving work and the staff leading these efforts to ensure individuals are connected to treatment,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “The Prescription Drug Monitoring Program has played a crucial role in helping Pennsylvania address the opioid crisis. The Patient Advocacy Program, launched by the PDMP in September 2019, is an essential tool to help individuals who abruptly lose access to care.”

Since September 2019, the Patient Advocacy Program has completed rapid responses for 11 events affecting large patient populations, such as the arrest of a provider, the surrender of a DEA license, or the closure of a clinic. Additionally, the program has coordinated outreach to more than 1,060 individuals through direct correspondence and collaboration with the Pennsylvania Insurance Department, commercial health plans, the Department of Human Services, and Managed Care Organizations.

Since August 2016, there has been a 36 percent decrease in opioid prescriptions in Pennsylvania. This reduction is due in part to the PDMP prevention programs aimed at decreasing inappropriate prescribing behaviors.

In addition, the PDMP has worked to send 66 EpiCenter alerts when there are unusually high numbers of drug overdoses in a particular county. These alerts are shared with the Opioid Command Center, state agencies and local stakeholders, with the goal to reduce overdoses and overdose deaths by directing resources to areas of immediate need.

The individual recipient of the Governor’s Award for Excellence, Adam Overmiller, is a Public Health Program Administrator in the Bureau of Health Promotion and Risk Reduction within the department.

Mr. Overmiller is being recognized for his innovative geographic information system (GIS) language mapping tool that captures and shares data on the languages people speak. The tool can be used for education among state agencies to improve communication when reaching and gaining populations, distributing voter registration information, providing education and other commonwealth-provided services.

“The department is committed to working to reach everyone, regardless of their language, race, ethnicity and literacy level,” Secretary Levine said. “This language map is an essential tool for us as we work to communicate with all Pennsylvanians. We are committed to health equity and addressing the social determinants of health, so ensuring we can communicate to someone in their language is a key part of that process.”

The map allows people to be communicated with in their own language, which is essential to creating better health outcomes for individuals. In addition, it will assist the commonwealth in reaching people and transform the way it communicates with residents across the state.

The Governor’s Awards for Excellence recognize commonwealth employees for exemplary job performance or service that reflects initiative, leadership, innovation and/or increased efficiency. A total of 49 employees from nine agencies received awards for accomplishments in 2019.

For more information on the Department of Health, visit at www.health.pa.gov or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Harrisburg, PA – The Department of Health today shared its weekly update on Pennsylvania’s COVID-19 case investigation and contact tracing data.

“Contact tracing is an important public health strategy to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 while informing any close contacts about their exposure anonymously, and we appreciate that Pennsylvanians are doing their part to answer the call,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “For case investigations, it is important for our fellow Pennsylvanians to pick up the phone when public health professionals call to ensure that public health staff can inform them of the important steps they can take to protect their communities and those close to them. If you are a close contact, we need you to answer the call to stop this virus in its tracks before it could affect your loved ones, co-workers or friends across the state.”

Contact tracing is the process of identifying, notifying, and monitoring anyone who came in close contact with an individual who tested positive for COVID-19 while they were infectious. The contact tracing process is not possible without a case investigation by a public health professional. Case investigators make the initial call to those with positive COVID-19 test results.

During the case investigation, public health professionals spend 30 to 60 minutes asking questions to ensure all potential close contacts are identified. They collect information about who the case came in contact with and where they went while they were infectious. Information collected during the case investigation process is not shared publicly unless doing so would help the department in its efforts to stop the spread on a broader scale. Between Sunday, September 12 and Saturday, September 19, there were 5,747 COVID-19 cases statewide and 55 percent of all cases had a case investigation started within 24 hours of receiving the positive report.

After the initial case investigation is complete, contact tracing begins. Within the same time period of September 12 to September 19, there were 1,303 contact tracing staff working with local and county health entities, partner organizations and the Regional Response Health Collaboration Program within the Department of Human Services. Currently 290 paid employees are being onboarded through a partnership with Insight Global.

Of the current 1,303 contact tracers there are 67 volunteers, 10 care resource managers, and 20 contact tracing supervisors. These staff monitored 8,927 contacts that were identified during the case investigations.

As of the August 2020 report released August 14, there were 1,032 contact tracing staff in operation with the following breakdown in each regional health district in Pennsylvania:

• Northcentral: 32 contact tracing staff
• Northeast: 114 contact tracing staff
• Northwest: 52 contact tracing staff
• Southcentral: 62 contact tracing staff
• Southeast: 408 contact tracing staff
• Southwest: 74 contact tracing staff

As the contact tracing program expands, the Department of Health continues to work in partnership with over 150 organizations, in addition to the county and municipal health departments, through regional partnerships to help gather and answer questions, identify problems and find solutions to improve contact tracing efforts within the region. Each regional partnership has met at least once, and includes public health staff, health providers, academic institutions, community organizations, and other stakeholders interested in helping to coordinate and engage around contact tracing efforts.

Organizations and entities interested in partnering in these efforts should reach out to RA-DHCONTACTTRACING@pa.gov.

You can find more information on the state’s contact tracing efforts and all available contact tracing positions at the Department of Health’s website here.

Pennsylvanians are reminded that mask-wearing is required when visiting businesses or in any setting outside the home where social distancing is difficult. Remember: My mask protects you; your mask protects me.

The Wolf Administration stresses the role Pennsylvanians play in helping to reduce the spread of COVID-19:

• Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
• Cover any coughs or sneezes with your elbow, not your hands.
• Clean surfaces frequently.
• Stay home to avoid spreading COVID-19, especially if you are unwell.
• If you must go out, you are required to wear a mask when in a business or where it is difficult to maintain proper social distancing.

Updated Coronavirus Links: Press Releases, State Lab Photos, Graphics

• Daily COVID-19 Report
• Press releases regarding coronavirus
• Latest information on the coronavirus
• Photos of the state’s lab in Exton (for download and use)
• Coronavirus and preparedness graphics (located at the bottom of the page)
• Community preparedness and procedures materials
• Map with the number of COVID-19 cases

All Pennsylvania residents are encouraged to sign up for AlertPA, a text notification system for health, weather, and other important alerts like COVID-19 updates from commonwealth agencies. Residents can sign up online at www.ready.pa.gov/BeInformed/Signup-For-Alerts.