Safety Citizens is Open for Submissions Today

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) invites Pennsylvanians to participate in its new Safety Citizens program, which encourages community members to answer traffic safety questions in original and creative ways.

Bi-monthly traffic safety topics will be introduced, posing a question for the public to answer. Participants can answer by submitting a short video, a poem or an original piece of artwork. Selected submissions will be displayed on PennDOT’s statewide social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Being a Safety Citizen is being a leader by inspiring your family, friends and community to practice safe behaviors on the road. Whether traveling by vehicle, motorcycle, bicycle or on foot, everyone has the opportunity to be safer on the road.

Individuals, classes, families, clubs, or other groups are encouraged to consider this new safety initiative as a program challenge.

The program is now open, kicking off with Teen Driver Safety as the first topic. Participants are asked to submit a response to the question “What do you think every teen driver should know before getting behind the wheel?” Submissions are due by Wednesday, September 30.

Upcoming topics will include impaired driving, highway safety laws and distracted driving.

Additional information on the program, including the details and guidelines for participation, can be found online at www.PennDOT.gov/SafetyCitizens or questions can be emailed to SafetyCitizen@pa.gov. Interested participants are encouraged to check the website frequently for updates about future topics.

(Photos: Derek Ortiz father of Skylar Ortiz Liu (Top), Jian Liu (Left))

TODD BARTLEY, TALKWILLIAMSPORT.COM

NEWS@TALKWILLIAMSPORT.COM

For one father who served his nation faithfully, the unimaginable has happened, his daughter Skylar Ortiz Liu has been kidnapped by her mother and taken to China.

Derek Ortiz is the father of Skylar Ortiz Liu and was in the process of getting a second divorce from his wife Jian Liu and mother of Skylar when the unthinkable happened.

Jian Liu is a Chinese national and up until Labor Day weekend was residing in the United States.

It has been confirmed that Jian Liu took Skylar Ortiz Liu out of the country against her will over the Labor Day weekend.

Derek Ortiz was granted visitation to see his daughter each weekend as part of a custody agreement both parties had accepted on January 23, 2020 and signed by Cumberland County District Judge Presiding Toni S. King on January 26, 2020.

The Order issued with specific instructions by Judge King stated that Skylar “was not to leave the country.”

Filed Order Review IED and Not Remove Child – Ortiz, D

However as court documents indicate Jian Liu previously violated those keeping Ortiz occupied in court with motions and additional filings.

Ortiz is represented by Attorney Angela M. Hatley; and in August of 2019 he shared his fears of his wife returning to China with his daughter.

Based on those concerns Attorney Hatley filed for emergency custody on behalf of Ortiz.

At the time of the filings in August 2019 Jian Liu had kept Skylar away from Ortiz for 42 days, contempt motions against Liu were also filed.

Contacted for this story, attorney Angela M. Hatley offered the following, 

“Mr Ortiz and his daughter are so bonded and he is such a great dad.

I pray that President Trump and those capable officials in his administration will be able to bring Skylar home to Fayetteville and her father soon.  

It is really a tragedy that a mother would be so nefarious as to remove the child from her father and this country in violation of court orders and federal and state kidnapping statutes.”

On Sunday evening, Derek Ortiz sat down for an interview with this author to discuss the kidnapping of his daughter.

It is accessible by clicking here and entering Passcode: *+4mqi9a

Currently, China is a non-extradition country with the United States.

THE TIMELINE

Ortiz having not received his daughter at the prescribed time on Friday of the Labor Day holiday weekend he contacted attorney Hatley who in turn contacted counsel for Jian Liu to see if a resolution could be worked out for visitation.

Jian Liu was non-responsive to the multitude of calls and texts made by Ortiz.

Ortiz and Hatley then contacted local local law enforcement who did a wellness check on Skylar; only to find where she had been staying with her mother had been abandoned and deserted.

Ortiz was overcome with emotions.

Because it was a long holiday weekend, the next available day for the North Carolina courts was Tuesday after Labor Day.

That day, a motion for emergency custody was filed for Ortiz by Hatley.

Order_-_Emer_Custody_ds_9.11.20

The same day, Attorney Victoria Gillispie Hardin withdrew as counsel for Liu on the basis of “loss of contact” with her client.

Both motions were granted.

Derek Ortiz discovered evidence in 2019 that in 2017 while separated from his wife, she was involved in the operation of an Asian prostitution ring. At that time, those details and evidentiary materials were provided to law enforcement and the FBI.

To date, no charges have been filed in that aspect of the case.

Derek Ortiz is a retired US Army Specialist having served at home and abroad, stationed at Fort Bragg, Fayetteville, North Carolina at the time of his medical retirement.

More on his service and areas he served in will be provided in PART II of this series.

This author has confirmed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is urgently looking into the case and the Department of State is also involved.

More on this story as information is made available.

PART II is forthcoming.

Join me today at 1PM on WHP 580 AM and talkwilliamsport.com for The Marc Scaringi Show. We’re talking about the anniversary of 9/11.

We are told to #NeverForget.

Have we?

Did we ever learn our lesson in the first place?

Call in at 717-540-0580!

Three (3) new cases added Saturday in Lycoming County now at 585 cases and 23 total deaths, with 11,755 negatives according to DOH report.

Department of Health Provides Update on COVID-19,

920 Positives Bring Statewide Total to 143,805

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., September 12, that there are 920 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 143,805. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have cases of COVID-19.

York County is reporting an increase of 129 cases.

The number of tests administered within the last 7 days between September 5 and September 11 is 155,174 with 5,223 positive cases. There were 28,365 test results reported to the department through 10 p.m., September 11, the most test results reported in one day to date. These results represent the total number of tests administered.

There are 7,862 total deaths attributed to COVID-19, an increase of 25 new deaths reported. County-specific information and a statewide map are available on the COVID-19 Data Dashboard.

“We know that congregation, especially over holidays and 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 134 cases who have a positive viral antigen test and are considered probable cases and 646 patients who have a positive serology test and either COVID-19 symptoms or a high-risk exposure.

There are 1,664,000 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;
• Nearly 12% are ages 19-24;
• Nearly 37% 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 nearly 69 percent of cases so far in September;
• NE – 6 percent of cases in April to nearly 41 percent of cases so far in September;
• SE – Nearly 5 percent of cases in April to approximately 33 percent of cases so far in September;
• SW – Approximately 5 percent of cases in April to approximately 29 percent of cases so far in September;
• NW – Nearly 7 percent of cases in April to nearly 20 percent of cases so far in September; and
• SC – Approximately 7 percent of cases in April to nearly 18 percent of cases so far in September.

In nursing and personal care homes, there are 21,844 resident cases of COVID-19, and 4,742 cases among employees, for a total of 26,586 at 951 distinct facilities in 61 counties. Out of our total deaths, 5,293 have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities. A county breakdown can be found here.

Approximately 10,056 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.

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.

Washington, D.C. — Congressman Fred Keller (R-PA) today announced the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded a grant to the City of Williamsport.

A grant in the amount of $228,630 will be administered as part of HUD’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. This program, funded by the CARES Act, provides supplemental funding to local governments to aid in their response to the challenges presented by COVID-19.

On the awarding of the grant, Congressman Fred Keller made the following statement:

“This pandemic has created problems for local governments that no amount of foresight could have prevented. However, HUD’s decisive action will enable Williamsport to take critical action in responding to the coronavirus.

“I thank Secretary Carson and HUD for their support and will continue to advocate for cities and towns across our district to ensure they receive the funds they need to implement effective COVID-19 response measures.”

By: Dr. Rachel L. Levine, Secretary of Health for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Technology connects us to resources and plays a powerful role in our lives. And at no time is technology more important than during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pennsylvanians listen to our press briefings, gather data from our enhanced statewide and early warning monitoring dashboards, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the most up-to-date information.

Still, COVID-19 continues to impact our state. Nearly 142,885 Pennsylvanians have been diagnosed with COVID-19 so far, and we are still seeing cases increase each day.

It is upon each of us to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Here in Pennsylvania, we are adding another tool in the toolbox residents can use to protect themselves and their loved ones:  COVID Alert PA, an app that uses Bluetooth technology to notify you of a potential COVID-19 exposure.

This app uses Bluetooth technology, the same technology that helps your phone connect with your car to play music or use wireless headphones. This technology does not track or collect any location data or personal data from your phone – only your phone’s proximity to other phones with the app enabled. It is strictly designed to notify you if you may have been in close contact with someone who tested positive for the virus. If you test positive for the virus, and you choose to confirm that information into the app, it will notify those that may have been in close contact with you.

Often, it can be difficult for someone to either name or even know all the close contacts they were exposed to while they were infectious — like a person you spoke to for 15 minutes at the bar or someone you sat next to on the bus. This is where COVID Alert PA becomes extremely useful and augments value to the state’s contact tracing efforts.

When an individual tests positive for COVID-19, a public health professional from the Pennsylvania Department of Health or a county and municipal health department contacts them to begin a case investigation. During the investigation the individual learns about their test results and is asked to recall who they have been in close contact with during their infectious period.

The public health professional also will encourage the COVID-19 positive individual to open the COVID Alert PA and enter a six-digit validation code. After the validation is complete, the app will alert other individuals who were within six feet of the COVID-19 positive individual for at least 15 minutes.

Anyone getting an exposure alert is provided with public health advice and resources to talk to a public health professional about next steps or how to find the nearest testing site.  People with a confirmed exposure are bound to have questions and concerns, and we want to provide the information people need to make informed decisions about their health and the health of the people closest to them.

Remember, all this is done through Bluetooth technology, which means no personal or identifying information will be collected through the app. The person notified will not know the identity of the person to whom they were exposed.

The Wolf Administration has taken additional measures to ensure the safety and well-being of Pennsylvanians. Now that the state is reopened, though mitigation efforts remain in place, there is still an opportunity for COVID-19 to spread, so we need to prepare ourselves by washing hands, wearing masks, practicing social distancing and downloading the COVID Alert PA app. The more people who download the app, the better our chances are of preventing an outbreak and keeping our communities healthy.

When the app is available later this month, please download it through the Google Play or Apple App Store and add your phone to the fight to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

Together, we can help ourselves, our loved ones and our neighbors across the commonwealth stay safe.

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced today that its Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement Program (AWZSE) program was named as one of the Top 12 projects nationwide in the America’s Transportation Awards competition. PennDOT administers the AWSZE program collaboratively with the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.

AWSZE works by deploying a mobile unit to an active work zone to detect any vehicles going at least 11 miles over the speed limit. When a vehicle goes over the limit, its license plate is captured, and a violation is mailed to the address on file.

“We continue to deal with the devastating injuries and loss of life that can occur when motorists speed through active work zones,” said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian. “We are honored that this program to keep our workers safe has been met with this important national recognition.”

Sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, (AASHTO), AAA, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the competition evaluates projects in three categories: Quality of Life/Community Development; Best Use of Technology & Innovation; and Operations Excellence. AWZSE was nominated in the Operations Excellence Category, Small Project Group, and is competing for the national Grand Prize and the People’s Choice Award.

An independent panel of transportation industry experts will select the Grand Prize winner, while the general public will decide the People’s Choice Award winner through online voting. Online votes will be weighted to each state’s population, allowing for greater competition between states with larger and smaller populations. The winners will be announced at the virtual AASHTO Annual Meeting the week of November 9-13, 2020. Online voting began on September 8 and ends at 11:59 p.m. on October 25, 2020.

Votes can be cast online. Individuals can vote every day but can cast no more than one vote per day.

More info on the AWSZE program can be found at workzonecameras.PennDOT.gov.

• Require all customers to wear masks while entering, exiting or otherwise traveling throughout the restaurant or retail food service business (face masks may be removed while seated). Further, 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.