Lycoming County – Lycoming County Resource Management Services has reopened one additional site at Limestone Township, located at 6253 South PA-44, Jersey Shore, PA 17740.

If you or anyone in your household has COVID19, please throw away your recyclables. If you do not wish to visit the drop off sites, please know single stream recycling is available in Lycoming County. Reach out to your waste hauler for details.

Recycling drop off site has reopened at Limestone Township, located at the Township Building. Please know that the recycling site no longer has steps to use the plastics/metals container.

Please be aware that collection procedures have changed. To better accommodate the inbound recyclables and help with its transportation, more materials will be combined:

1. FIBER/PAPERS which include magazines, newspapers, chipboard, office paper junk mail, and cardboard that has been broken down are all acceptable into one container.

2. PLASTICS BOTTLES 1&2/METAL CANS which include plastic bottles/jars #1&2 only, tin/steel cans, and aluminum cans are all acceptable into one container.

3. GLASS BOTTLES/JARS are still acceptable and are still separated by color (clear/brown/green).

PLASTIC BAGS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE IN THE RECYCLING CONTAINERS, PLEASE EMPTY ANY BAGGED MATERIAL AND TAKE THE BAGS BACK HOME WITH YOU (only exception is for shredded office paper, please put your shredded office paper in a clear bag).

Thank you for your recycling participation. We will release updates as new sites begin to open. Please know that you may recycle at any of the open Lycoming County recycling drop off sites regardless of your municipality. For an updated list of open drop off sites, please check our website www.lcrms.com.

Seven (7) new cases added Friday in Lycoming County now at 617 cases and 23 total deaths, with 12,297 negatives according to DOH report.

Department of Health Provides Update on COVID-19,

760 Positives Bring Statewide Total to 148,683

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., September 18, that there were 760 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 148,683. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have cases of COVID-19.

The number of tests administered within the last 7 days between September 11 and September 17 is 172,682 with 6,046 positive cases. There were 26,068 test results reported to the department through 10 p.m., September 17. These results represent the total number of tests administered.

There are 7,934 total deaths attributed to COVID-19, an increase of 21 new deaths reported. County-specific information and a statewide map are available on the COVID-19 Data Dashboard.

“We know that congregation, especially in college and university settings, yields increased case counts. The mitigation efforts in place now are essential to flattening the curve and saving lives,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “Wearing a mask, practicing social distancing, and following the requirements set forth in the orders for bars and restaurants, gatherings, and telework will help keep our case counts low. Together, as Pennsylvanians, all of our efforts are designed to support our communities to ensure that cases of COVID-19 remain low.”

Mask-wearing is required in all businesses and whenever leaving home. Consistent mask-wearing is critical to preventing the spread of COVID-19.

Beginning August 29, the department began publishing COVID-19 case counts using the updated standardized case definition for COVID-19 from the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists. This revised case definition updates criteria for case identification and case classification based on the continued evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic. It updates probable case classifications and adds suspect case classifications. The definition for confirmed cases using a positive PCR test has not changed. Viral antigen tests, which identify people who are likely currently infected, will now be considered a probable case, even if the individual has no symptoms or exposure history. Persons with a positive antibody (serology) test, moving forward, will no longer be considered a probable case. However, cases previously counted as probable cases, using the prior national case definition, will remain counted as probable cases.

There are 257 cases who have a positive viral antigen test and are considered probable cases and 645 patients who have a positive serology test and either COVID-19 symptoms or a high-risk exposure.

There are 1,732,805 patients who have tested negative to date. Of the patients who have tested positive to date the age breakdown is as follows:

• Approximately 1% are ages 0-4;
• Nearly 2% are ages 5-12;
• Approximately 4% are ages 13-18;
• Approximately 12% are ages 19-24;
• Approximately 36% are ages 25-49;
• Nearly 22% are ages 50-64; and
• Approximately 22% are ages 65 or older.

Most of the patients hospitalized are ages 65 or older, and most of the deaths have occurred in patients 65 or older. More data is available here.

The department is seeing significant increases in the number of COVID-19 cases among younger age groups, particularly 19 to 24-year-olds. An alert was sent to healthcare providers about the changing COVID-19 case demographics, as there are more cases in younger age groups than in those 50-64 and 65+. The following regions saw significant increases among 19 to 24-year-olds in each month from April to date in September:

• NC – Approximately 7 percent of cases in April to approximately 70 percent of cases so far in September;
• SE – Nearly 5 percent of cases in April to nearly 32 percent of cases so far in September;
• NE – 6 percent of cases in April to approximately 39 percent of cases so far in September;
• SW – Approximately 5 percent of cases in April to approximately 28 percent of cases so far in September;
• NW – Nearly 7 percent of cases in April to nearly 18 percent of cases so far in September; and
• SC – Approximately 7 percent of cases in April to nearly 17 percent of cases so far in September.

In nursing and personal care homes, there are 22,162 resident cases of COVID-19, and 4,839 cases among employees, for a total of 27,001 at 957 distinct facilities in 61 counties. Out of our total deaths, 5,343 have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities. A county breakdown can be found here.

Approximately 10,281 of our total cases are among health care workers.

For the latest information for individuals, families, businesses and schools, visit “Responding to COVID-19” on pa.gov.

Currently, all 67 counties are in the green phase of reopening.

Statewide – The Wolf Administration has since noon, Sept. 17:

• Provided latest CMU metrics report.
• Signed order that restaurants may increase occupancy to 50 percent.
• Urged legislature to provide support to front-line workers.
• Provided Pennsylvania State Police enforcement data.

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.

Harrisburg, PA – The Department of Labor & Industry is advising organizations that interact with its Bureau of Workforce Development to be on the lookout for email messages impersonating staff. The messages contain links or attachments with malicious software that could infect computers or steal personal information.

“I want to emphasize that neither L&I nor the commonwealth have been compromised by hackers in any way,” said Secretary Jerry Oleksiak. “Anyone who receives a potentially suspicious message should contact our employees through a separate email or phone call to confirm that it was sent by them.”

Email “spoofing” is a common tactic used in spam and phishing attacks. The goal is to trick the recipient into believing the message is from someone they know and trust so they will provide personal information, open attachments or click on links.

While the origins of the issue are still unknown, it is believed an issue involving a third party allowed bad actors to obtain copies of legitimate email messages sent by L&I staff. The bad actors are now using the contents of these legitimate messages to construct fraudulent emails targeting L&I business partners. L&I and the Office of Administration are working with these third parties to try to identify the source of the issue.

Again, there is no evidence that any commonwealth systems or accounts have been compromised. There is also no evidence at this time of fraudulent emails being sent in relation to any unemployment compensation program administered by the department.

Although phishing emails are becoming increasingly sophisticated, there are potential warning signs to watch out for, including:

• Asking for personal information. Legitimate organizations will never send unsolicited emails asking for your personal and sensitive information.
• Generic Greetings. Be more cautious about email messages with a generic salutation such as “Dear customer” or “Dear member”.
• Spoofed emails addresses and links. Use your mouse cursor to hover (do not click) over any links or email addresses. You should see a pop-up that shows the actual address.
• Small inconsistencies. Watch for red flags such as strange email addresses or slight misspellings in hyperlinks.
• Sense of urgency. Many phishing emails try to create a false sense of urgency in hopes that the user ignores telltale signs.
• Bad grammar or misspellings. Messages from legitimate sources are likely to be well-written and not contain obvious mistakes.
• Unknown sources. Never open attachments or links from people or companies that you do not know.

To learn more about how to protect yourself online, check out the Cybersecurity Guide on PA.gov at www.pa.gov/cyber.

Harrisburg, PA – Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine today announced beginning Friday, Sept. 25, testing clinics will be held at locations in Centre and Columbia counties to contain the rapid rise in COVID-19 cases in these counties. In addition, the department is working closely with Centre County in regard to their increase in cases over the last several weeks.

The department has signed a contract with AMI Expeditionary Healthcare (AMI) to provide testing in communities in need across Pennsylvania. AMI will be deploying teams to perform the community testing.

“Since the beginning of September, we have seen an increase of 1,109 cases in Centre County and 173 cases in Columbia County, which gives us significant cause for concern,” Dr. Levine said. “These testing sites will be open to anyone who feels they need a test. It is important that even people with no symptoms who test positive isolate and quarantine to stop the spread of COVID-19.”

The schedule for testing in both counties is 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM on:

• Friday, September 25;
• Saturday, September 26;
• Tuesday, September 29;
• Wednesday, September 30;
• Thursday, October 1;
• Friday, October 2; And
• Saturday, October 3.

The address for Centre County testing is Nittany Mall, 2633 E. College Avenue, State College, PA, 16801. The address for Columbia County testing is Bloomsburg Fairgrounds, W. Fort McClure Blvd., Bloomsburg, PA, 17815.

Up to 500 registered patients can be tested per day. Testing is on a first come, first serve basis and is at no cost to those being tested. Patients are not required to show symptoms of COVID-19 in order to be tested. No appointment is necessary, but a photo-ID or insurance card is required. Registration will also be completed on-site.

Individuals who are tested should self-isolate while they await test results. For those individuals who live with other people, they should self-isolate in a private room and use a private bathroom if possible. Whoever else lives in the home with the individual awaiting test results should also stay at home. The department has additional instructions for individuals waiting for a COVID-19 test result.

In addition, Dr. Levine today offered Centre County officials assistance as they work to contain the rapid spread of COVID-19 in the county.

“I have directed my staff to assist Centre County in identifying localized containment and mitigation efforts to reduce the spread and facilitate communications between large employers, county officials and local governments,” Dr. Levine said.  “This group will work together to develop strategic recommendations tailored to this specific area to stop the spread of COVID-19.”

This will be a concentrated, short-term effort that will include focused meetings with the county representatives and municipality partners independently. Once these meetings are held, joint meetings will occur with all partners to determine the best steps to assist the county in the work they are doing to contain and mitigate the spread of the virus in their jurisdiction.

Partners in this Centre County effort will include Department of Health staff, Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency staff, the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Centre County Commissioners, State College Borough, Penn State University, additional local elected officials, local chambers of commerce and other stakeholders.

The department intends to continue its work to assist counties seeing significant increases in new cases through efforts to determine what strategies may best assist the county.

For the latest information for individuals, families, businesses and schools, visit “Responding to COVID-19” on pa.gov.

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

Says legislation aims to restore law and order in America

Washington – Today, Congressman Fred Keller (R-PA) once again showed his resounding commitment to restoring law and order in the United States, becoming an original cosponsor of the Holding Rioters Accountable Act of 2020, legislation introduced by Congresswoman Debbie Lesko (R-AZ) and Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH).

Across the United States, liberal mayors and governors have demonstrated they are either unwilling or unable to control the lawlessness and violent mobs taking over our streets, attacking police, and destroying property.

This bill revokes federal aid, including coronavirus emergency funding, to cities and states that do not prosecute individuals who were arrested for riot-related crimes.

Recently, Congressman Keller co-sponsored H.R. 7632, the Defund Cities that Defund the Police Act, legislation that prohibits a state or local government from receiving certain grant money if they defund the police.

On the passage of the Holding Rioters Accountable Act of 2020, Congressman Keller made the following statement:

“I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this important legislation to address the unchecked lawlessness in our streets and stand up for the men and women in law enforcement who are called to carry out thankless job, risking their lives on a daily basis in the service and protection of our communities. This bill will hold Democratic-run cities accountable so they can no longer stand idly by as our police officers are victimized and attacked by violent protestors.”

Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf announced today that 10 Pennsylvania county Veterans Affairs Offices will receive a total of $150,000 in grants, and 18 charitable or Veteran Service Organizations will receive $650,000 in grants from the Veterans’ Trust Fund (VTF), administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA).

The VTF is funded by generous Pennsylvanians who voluntarily make a $3 donation when applying for or renewing their driver’s license, photo ID or a motor vehicle registration.  Additionally, the VTF receives proceeds that come from the sale of the Honoring Our Veterans and Honoring our Women Veterans license plates, and private donations. Since the grant program began in 2013, a total of $3,732,860 has been awarded to organizations that serve Pennsylvania veterans.

“The VTF has always been an important funding resource for organizations that help Pennsylvania veterans and their families, but this year while we work through the fallout from the pandemic this program is more important than ever before,” said Gov. Wolf. “Without the VTF, Pennsylvania’s heroes would be at risk of not having shelter, an outlet for getting food, the ability to learn a job skill, help navigating our criminal justice system and so much more.”

Grantees slated to receive funding identified $428,220 in matching funds pledged toward grant-funded initiatives. Combined with the VTF grants, this will result in more than $1.2 million for veterans’ initiatives during the next two years.

“There are so many Pennsylvania veterans in need of help, especially during these disruptive times of COVID-19,” said Maj. Gen. Anthony Carrelli, Pennsylvania’s adjutant general and head of the DMVA. “That is why we are grateful for the VTF grantees and the vital work they do enhancing the lives of our veterans who earned this help with their service to our nation.”

Up to a total of $150,000 in grant funding was available for new, innovative, or expanded programs or services provided by County Directors of Veterans Affairs or the Pennsylvania Association of County Directors of Veterans Affairs. The two areas of emphasis for grantees in this category were veterans’ outreach and veterans’ courts. The grantees, the specific award amounts and the programs supported are as follows:

• Allegheny County Office of Veterans Affairs: $20,000 to expand veterans’ outreach
• Bucks County Office of Veterans Affairs: $14,812 to expand veterans’ outreach services
• Juniata County and Mifflin County Office of Veterans Affairs (joint application): $28,450 to expand mobile outreach services
• Lehigh County Office of Veterans Affairs: $10,180 to provide mental health first aid training
• Mercer County Office of Veterans Affairs: $11,387 to expand veterans’ outreach services
• Northampton County Office of Veterans Affairs: $20,000 to provide housing services to veterans
• Perry County Office of Veterans Affairs: $5,171 to expand veterans’ outreach services
• Snyder County and Union County Office of Veterans Affairs (joint application): $40,000 to support homeless veterans and provide emergency assistance.

The VTF grant also identified up to a total of $650,000 in funding available to Veteran Service Organizations with 501(c)(19) status and non-profit, 501(c)(3) charitable organizations with a mission of serving Pennsylvania veterans. Funding priorities for grants in this category were veterans’ programs focused on homelessness, behavioral health initiatives, veterans’ court initiatives or other programs addressing newly identified, unmet or emerging needs of veterans and their families. The grantees, the specific award amounts and the programs supported are as follows:

• 3P Ride, Inc., York (York County): $50,000 for transportation services to veterans
• American Legion Post 210, Harrisburg (Bucks County): $12,500 for outreach services to veterans
• Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, Harrisburg (Dauphin County): $50,000 to support the MilitaryShare program
• David’s Drive 831, Inc., Coatesville (Chester County): $20,000 to provide housing support and services to veterans
• For the Love of a Veteran, Inc., Hanover (York County): $45,000 for care packages for deployed troops and homeless veterans
• Greenforge, Inc (PA Veterans Farming Project), Greensburg (Westmoreland County): $4,250 to provide workforce development and recreational/therapeutic services to veterans
• Jarett Yoder Foundation, Fleetwood (Berks County): $50,000 to provide housing and supportive services to veterans
• Operation Homefront, Doylestown (Bucks County): $10,000 to provide financial assistance to veterans in need
• Operation Touch of Home, Brodheadsville (Monroe County): $40,000 to provide financial assistance to veterans in need and provide care packages to deployed troops
• Operation Troop Appreciation, McKeesport (Allegheny County): $45,000 to provide welcome home kits to at-risk veterans
• Pennsylvania American Legion Housing for Homeless Veterans, Harrisburg (Dauphin/Cumberland Counties): $40,304 to provide housing services to veterans
• Pennsylvania Wounded Warriors, Camp Hill (Cumberland County): $45,000 for emergency financial assistance to veterans in need
• Second Harvest Food Bank of NW Pennsylvania, Erie (Erie County): $50,000 for its MilitaryShare program
• Travelers Aid Society of Pittsburgh, Inc., Pittsburgh (Allegheny County): $50,000 to provide transportation assistance to veterans
• Veteran Community Initiatives, Inc., Johnstown (Cambria County): $39,746 for its rural veterans’ outreach project
• Veterans Helping Hand, York (York County): $38,200 to provide housing services to homeless veterans
• Veterans Leadership Program of Western Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh (Allegheny County): $50,000 to provide housing services to homeless veterans
• Victory Therapeutic Horsemanship, Bellwood (Blair County): $10,000 to provide equine-assisted therapy to disabled veterans

All grant awards are contingent upon the completion of a fully executed grant agreement.

The DMVA is authorized to solicit and accept donations to the VTF on behalf of the commonwealth. Tax-deductible donations can be made online at www.donate.dmva.pa.gov or mailed to: PA Veterans’ Trust Fund, Bldg. 0-47, Fort Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA 17003.

To learn more about the VTF, visit www.vtf.pa.gov or follow DMVA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/padmva.

Harrisburg, PA – Today, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) released its employment situation report for August 2020.

Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate was down 2.2 percentage points over the month to 10.3 percent in August. The national rate fell 1.8 percentage points from July’s level to 8.4 percent. The commonwealth’s unemployment rate increased by 5.8 percentage points from August 2019 while the national rate was up 4.7 points over the year.

Pennsylvania’s civilian labor force – the estimated number of residents working or looking for work – was down 59,000 over the month as the unemployment count fell by 144,000 while employment increased 86,000.

Pennsylvania’s total nonfarm jobs were up 59,500 over the month to 5,577,900 in August. Jobs increased in 9 of the 11 industry supersectors. The largest volume gain was in trade, transportation & utilities, up 19,600 jobs from July.

Over the past four months, Pennsylvania has recovered 52.4% of the total nonfarm jobs lost in March and April.

Over the year, total nonfarm jobs in Pennsylvania were down 499,600 with declines in 10 of the 11 supersectors. The largest 12-month change among supersectors was a decline of 163,000 jobs in leisure & hospitality.

Additional information is available on the L&I website at www.dli.pa.gov or by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Note: The above data are seasonally adjusted. Seasonally adjusted data provide the most valid month-to-month comparison.

Editor’s Note: A breakdown of Pennsylvania’s employment statistics follows.

Says decision casts doubt on the security of our voting system

Washington, D.C. — Today, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court sided with the Wolf Administration and the Pennsylvania Democratic Party in allowing ballots to be counted that are received up to three days after Election Day. The decision also upheld the use of satellite election offices and drop boxes.

In response, Congressman Fred Keller made the following statement:

“Today’s decision by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has nothing to do with expanding access to voting. Instead, it is a partisan attempt to undermine our election process—casting doubt on the integrity and security of our voting system and emboldening the Wolf Administration’s continued disregard for the Constitution. This decision further degrades the foundations of our democracy and raises serious questions about our election processes.”

Governor Tom Wolf speaks during a press conference addressing the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Pennsylvania, inside PEMA headquarters on Wednesday, June 10, 2020.

Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf and Attorney General Josh Shapiro issued the following statement following the Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision in favor of voters.

“This is a victory that will help ensure that every eligible voter will more easily be able to cast their ballot and have it counted fairly.

“Today’s ruling confirms that counties will be able to provide convenient secure options such as additional county election offices and drop boxes to increase accessibility for those who are voting by mail. It also means that ballots postmarked by election day and received by the Friday after the election will be counted.

“Last fall, Pennsylvania voters were the beneficiaries of historic bipartisan election reform. Chief among those reforms was the ability for every voter to cast a ballot by mail, for any reason or no reason at all. This ruling affirms that historic legislation and allows counties to implement processes that support the voting reforms.

“Today is an important day for voters’ rights in Pennsylvania. Now, we and every county election worker will continue our efforts to administer an election that is secure, fair and accessible in every way.”