Pennsylvania
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Spotted Lanternfly invading Montco, posing multibillion-dollar threat
The spotted lanternfly, a species native to Asia, was first discovered in Berks County in 2014. In that first year, scientific models predicted that the lanternfly wouldn’t survive the state’s cold, snowy winter, according to the Altoona Mirror. They couldn’t have been more wrong. [uam_ad id=”54865″] The spotted lanternfly has adapted quite well to living…
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Real ID becoming a reality in PA
Soon everyone in Pennsylvania will be able to apply for Real ID as the commonwealth catches up to the rest of the country in complying with federal law. Next month, most Pennsylvanians can qualify for a Real ID by providing proof of their current address, a Social Security card and proof of identification, such as…
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PennDOT announces customers may bring REAL ID documents to driver license centers beginning September 1
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Deputy Secretary for Driver and Vehicle Services Kurt Myers provided an update today on Pennsylvania’s progress toward compliance with the federal REAL ID Act, and how customers can apply for REAL ID pre-verification in PennDOT driver license centers in the coming weeks. Because PennDOT may already have electronic documents on file for approximately 35 percent…
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Tech Talk: Code4PA ‘codeathon’ helps battle opioid crisis
The monthlong codeathon known as Code4PA is joining the fight against the opioid crisis. For this year’s event, computer whizzes will work with state and federal data sets to develop apps, prototypes and other ideas focused on prevention, rescue and treatment, writes Roberto Torres at technical.ly. [uam_ad id=”54865″] Aside from the local Code for America Brigade, which returned this year to…
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Asian ‘Longhorn’ tick confirmed in PA
A new variety of tick was confirmed on a wild deer in Centre County recently, and the Department of Agriculture is encouraging people to take precautions to protect themselves, as well as livestock and pets. The Asian, or longhorn tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis, is an invasive species that congregates in large numbers and can cause anemia…
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McDonald’s to spend $266M to update Pa. locations
McDonald’s will spend about $266 million to update over 360 Pennsylvania restaurants in the next two years as part of a multibillion-dollar plan to modernize its U.S. locations. The national chain and its franchisees will spend $266 million between 2018 and 2019 to update the interior and exteriors of its Pennsylvania restaurants in the hopes of…
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PA lottery contract worth ‘megamillions’
Right now there’s a lottery jackpot in Pennsylvania worth more than $800 million, but you can’t buy a ticket for a chance to win it. That winner can only be the firm who wins the government contract that becomes available once every 10 years. The current contract to provide the gaming system and instant ticket…
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Wolf administration criticizes pipeline approval process
Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration is calling for more federal oversight on the buildout of new natural gas pipelines, including how they can facilitate greenhouse gas emissions, disrupt forest ecosystems, and impact private property owners. The administration is responding to a request from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which was seeking public comments on its review of the…
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Governor Wolf appoints Charles Ramsey Chairman of the School Safety and Security Committee
Governor Tom Wolf has appointed Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) Chairman Charles H. Ramsey as Chairman of the new School Safety and Security Committee. PCCD Acting Executive Director Derin Myers will perform the duties of the committee chairman if Ramsey is unavailable. “This committee is bringing together a broad range of stakeholders to…
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Brewing science becoming popular field of study among beer lovers
The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia is offering a brewing science program that is gaining in popularity, writes Annabelle Williams for The Philadelphia Inquirer. The program, the first graduate certificate in the brewing industry offered in the Northeast when it started in 2015, came into being after its director, Matthew Farber, presented some “sound…
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State lawmakers offer no solutions as school districts continue to impose tax hikes
MONTCO.Today’s owner and publisher wrote extensively about property tax reform during his days as senior editor of Digital First Media. If you would like to see him pick up the mantle once again, please send an email to [email protected] With no fix forthcoming from state lawmakers, suburban school districts continue to impose annual tax hikes…
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Pa. Lottery’s new iLottery has the look of slot games and casinos aren’t happy about it
You may not have to pull a handle to win on these slots, but the state’s casino industry is calling foul on the lottery’s new games of chance. The casinos claim the digital games offfered by Pa. Lottery are too similar to the state’s digital gaming systems and violates the gaming law. Pennsylvania Revenue Secretary…
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Philadelphia-area casinos petition for online gambling in Pa.
Nine Pennsylvania casino license holders, including four that operate casinos in Greater Philadelphia, have applied for online gambling licenses. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board announced Tuesday that the operators of Parx Casino, Valley Forge Casino Resort, SugarHouse Casino, Harrah’s Philadelphia and the upcoming Live! Hotel and Casino Philadelphia, applied for online gambling licenses, writes Kenneth Hilario at…
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Torsella: $5.5 billion ‘wasted’ on Pa. pension fund management fees
Pennsylvania Treasurer Joe Torsella has revealed that a staggering $5.5 billion has been “wasted” on costly pension fund management fees. A Financial Times article last week detailed how the money was spent by the state on high-priced Wall Street advisers over the past decade, to little effect, writes Ryan Briggs at cityandstatepa.com. [uam_ad id=”54865″] While the scale of…
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Independence Day reminders
More than 240 years ago next week in Philadelphia, the 13 American colonies signed the Declaration of Independence to break free from British rule. To read more about the origins of American independence and our forefathers, click here. If you are traveling, check out 511pa.com, which is free and available 24 hours a day. The site, along…
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As election approaches, Wolf changes tune on taxes
Pennsylvania Gov.Tom Wolf proposed raising the state’s personal income tax and the state sales tax during his first term, but now, as his campaign for re-election is heating up, he appears to be bragging that the state’s tax rates have not changed. Wolf’s challenger, Scott Wagner, has jumped on the shift in tax talk, writes…
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Gov. Wolf’s proposal would boost overtime for half a million workers in Pa.
The Trump administration hasn’t acted yet on a stalled 2016 federal proposal to update U.S. overtime pay rules for the first time in 14 years. So, Gov. Wolf is pushing a proposal he says could boost overtime pay (or cut hours) for nearly half a million Pennsylvania workers by 2022. The state Labor Department’s proposed rule would boost the minimum…
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New Pa. law gives preserved lands greater protection
Late Friday, the Pennsylvania legislature passed House Bill 2468 by wide margins and Sunday Governor Wolf signed it into law. The new law will require that entities like school districts and local governments seek court approval before taking property by eminent domain if that property is under conservation easement, according to a press release from…
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