News
Marcellus Shale Coalition Claims Bias in Local Laws
The head of the natural gas industry’s Marcellus Shale Coalition claims that some local municipalities in Pennsylvania are discriminating against drillers by passing local laws aimed at preventing gas well operations. Katheryn Klaber cited laws against drilling within a certain distance from buildings and noise ordinances that in some cases ban nighttime noise increases […]
Pennsylvania State Police will Join National “Click It or Ticket” Campaign this week
A holiday weekend is coming up and Pennsylvania State Police are launching a campaign in conjunction with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that reminds people to buckle up. The “Click It or Ticket” campaign will run from May 23rd through June 5th. State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan has instructed troopers to adopt a zero […]
Survey Projects State Budget’s Impact on Schools
More than 70% of PA school districts are planning to cut educational programs, according to a new survey conducted by the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials (PASBO) and Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators (PASA). Music, the arts, physical education, social studies, health and more would no longer be available or be greatly reduced, according […]
Heavy Rains Have Led to Landslides in Western Pennsylvania
The rain is causing some costly problems for roads in Western Pennsylvania. There have been more rainy days than sunny days in the last month and a half, some with torrential downpours, leading to several dozen landslides. Jim Struzzi, spokesman for PennDOT’s District 11 , says in some cases rocks and mud have fallen onto […]
New Report says Senior Citizens Have Seen Their Buying Power Decline.
Senior citizens are having to stretch their dollars more after two years without a Social Security Cost of Living Adjustment according to an advocacy group. The Seniors Citizens League says older Americans have lost 32% of their buying power since 2000. The group’s 2011 survey of senior costs report shows housing, utilities, transportation, health care […]
Do State Budget Plans Do Enough for Victims?
Domestic violence and rape crisis services were largely held harmless in Governor Tom Corbett’s budget proposal, but would receive 10% cuts in the House GOP budget bill that prioritizes education over welfare spending. It was shocking news to Terri Hamrick, President & CEO of Survivors Inc. in Adams County. “Our services are essential; they’re not […]
Pennsylvania continues to add jobs
Pennsylvania continues to add jobs, and the latest unemployment numbers continue to show improvement. Pennsylvania’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for April was 7.5%, down from 7.8% in March and 1.3 percentage points lower than April of 2010. The year-to-year decline was the largest since June 1987. Mark Price, Labor Economist with the Keystone Research Center, […]
Powerful Storms Drench Already Soggy Central Pennsylvania
Another series of strong thunderstorms rolled through central Pennsylvania overnight, bringing more heavy rains to areas that have been waterlogged for much of this spring. The hardest-hit region this week is in and around the state capital area, where the National Weather Service reports that some areas have received nearly six inches of rainfall since Monday. A line of very power […]
Online Transactions Make Tax Collections Difficult
With online sales exploding, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for Pennsylvania to collect its sales and use taxes. In fact, the state Department of Revenue estimates $350-million dollars worth is going uncollected each year. The problem is that online retailers are under no obligation to collect the sales taxes of states in which they have no […]
Governor Tom Corbett is out of the hospital
Governor Tom Corbett is out of the hospital, two days after surgery for a nagging back problem. The Governor was released this morning from Allegheny General Hospital. Orthopedic specialists Dr. Mark Fye and Dr. Patrick DeMeo treated him Monday for spinal stenosis. The condition results in compressed nerves and leads to persistent pain. The Governor […]