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In the News…

Grid Reliability Key Focus During Senate Majority Policy Committee Hearing.

Sen. Yaw Encourages Local Organizations to Apply for DCNR Community Conservation Partnerships Program Grants.

EQT Foundation’s ‘Energize Your Education Scholarship Program’ is Now Accepting Applications for 15 $10,000 scholarships to graduating high school students in Bradford, Lycoming and Tioga counties looking to pursue a degree in a field that is utilized in the oil and gas industry.

Are you a college student looking for a summer internship working for wildlife and their habitats? The Pennsylvania Game Commission is offering numerous PAID internships across the state for the summer 2023 field season.

Finding Common Ground with New Governor on
Energy and Environmental Issues

Josh Shapiro and Austin Davis were officially sworn in as governor and lieutenant governor last week in Harrisburg. I joined many of my Senate colleagues in witnessing their oaths of office.

I’m committed to working with the new governor and his administration on many issues of importance to the people of Bradford, Lycoming, Sullivan, Tioga and Union counties.

Energy policies are taking center stage right now as Pennsylvanians pay more to fill their gas tanks, heat their homes and turn on their lights. I believe there are opportunities to work with the governor to advance commonsense energy policies that create jobs for workers and lower prices for customers. I believe we can find some common ground with the new governor on policies intended to defend our environment and ensure future generations can benefit from the commonwealth’s natural assets.

I look forward to working with the new governor and hope he will be a reliable partner in the ongoing effort to balance our environmental responsibilities with our energy needs.

Recognizing Edward “Snapper” Fitzgerald,
Mildred Fire Co.

Liz Vollman of my office presents Edward Fitzgerald with a special Senate recognition, which I sponsored.

On January 13^th, Assistant Chief Edward Fitzgerald was honored by the Mildred Volunteer Fire Company for his 45 years of dedicated and distinguished service.  I was pleased to sponsor a Senate Citation on recognizing this incredible milestone.  Congratulations and thank you for your service!

Mansfield University Municipal Police Academy
Recruiting 2023 Class

The Mansfield University Municipal Police Academy is actively recruiting for our upcoming, full-time Act 120 Academy class, which begins May 22, 2023. The 919-hour course, certified by MPOETC, will conclude in November. 

Mansfield’s Act 120 program, part of the MU Public Safety Training Institute (MUPSTI), is attempting to reduce the costs associated with first responder training as much as possible. It is our belief that breaking down barriers for individuals interested in these careers is essential to recruiting high-quality individuals to serve in our communities. 

Below are a few examples of how Mansfield is creating an accessible and innovative program: 

• All cadets who complete the academy will receive a minimum $2,500 scholarship. With the scholarship, the Mansfield Academy is the most affordable in Pennsylvania, reducing tuition from $5,499 to $2,999.
• Cadets receive free on-campus housing at Mansfield’s suite-style residence halls, which were named among the best in the nation by Niche.com.
• Because the Academy is part of the MU Public Safety Training Institute (MUPSTI), cadets can gain more than 100 additional hours of training and certification during the academy training period at no additional cost.
• Mansfield was the first academy in the Commonwealth to include state-of-the-art virtual reality training for cadets.

We’re proud that our cadets consistently rank among the top in Pennsylvania police academies in GPA and state certification examination scores and that graduates enjoy a 95% job placement rate. 

More information about the Mansfield Academy is available at mansfield.edu/academy.

Senate Approves Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen
Teacher First Amendment Rights

Following the swearing in of the governor and lieutenant governor on Tuesday, the Senate began the new legislative session in earnest Wednesday by passing several pieces of legislation, including Senate Bill 84.

The measure would eliminate the prohibition on teachers from wearing any dress, mark, emblem or insignia reflecting their faith or denomination.

It would align Pennsylvania with every other state in the nation in preserving and protecting First Amendment rights for educators. The measure was sent to the House of Representatives for consideration.

Senate Acts to Help Farmers Meet Rising Demand
for Home Delivery

Legislation to help farmers meet the rising demand for farm products delivered to homes was approved by the Senate.

The current vehicle code allows for home deliveries via a commercial vehicle registration, but prevents the commercial vehicle from being registered as a farm vehicle. As a result, a farmer needs to purchase, register and maintain a separate commercial vehicle for at-home delivery, while also maintaining a farm vehicle to deliver agricultural commodities to places of business.

Senate Bill 95 would remove this duplicative, unnecessary and overburdensome requirement. The bill was sent to the House of Representatives.

Measure to Boost Volunteer Fire Company
Membership Approved

To address the serious shortage of volunteer firefighters across Pennsylvania, the Senate passed legislation to create a pilot program giving interested high school students training in firefighting.

Senate Bill 114 would award grants to one higher education school each in eastern, central and western Pennsylvania to establish fire training programs for students in high school, with the hope they will remain firefighters for years to come.

The number of Pennsylvania volunteer firefighters has plummeted from 300,000 in the 1970s to fewer than 37,000. Senate Bill 114 was sent to the House of Representatives.

PennDOT Job Openings Posted for College Students

Summer PennDOT jobs are available to full-time college students registered for the Fall 2023 semester. 

Jobs include assisting in seasonal maintenance work, crash system input and analysis, and maintenance and custodial services at roadside rest facilities. Many students also perform laboring and flagging duties in maintenance organizations and at highway worksites. The pay is $15.49 per hour.

Students majoring in engineering or a related scientific or technical field might be interested in engineering internship opportunities at PennDOT’s Central Office (Harrisburg) or at one of its statewide engineering district offices.

Veterans: Now is a Good Time to Review and
Update Benefits

The Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) says that the start of the year is a good time for veterans to meet with an accredited veteran service officer to ensure they are receiving or maximizing the benefits they have earned through their service and sacrifice while in uniform.

Safeguarding military paperwork – especially the DD-214, which is used to verify military service – is an important first step for securing benefits. Filing these documents for free at the county courthouse is an easy way to secure them until needed, which can often be decades into the future. Anyone needing assistance locating their military documentation can call the DMVA at 800-547-2838 or e-mail RA-REQ@pa.gov.

A complete list of accredited county directors of veterans affairs and their contact information can be found here. Contact information for accredited veteran service officers can be found here.

Blood Donation is Easy and Safe

Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs donated blood. Blood donors help accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, those battling cancer and others.

Please take the occasion of National Blood Donor Month to consider providing this lifesaving gift. You can find the nearest blood drive here, and learn more about the process here.

Beware of Black Ice

By Kimberly A. Smith | Safety Press Officer
PA Department of Transportation
Engineering District 3-0

Roads that may look wet, but are actually frozen, are often referred to as “black ice.” Black ice is transparent, allowing the color of the road to show through, creating a hazard to drivers. When the road looks wet, but no spray is coming from the tires of other vehicles, black ice may be present.

Black ice is commonly formed in areas where there is light freezing rain or because snow or ice on the roadway melted, then refroze overnight or when temperatures dropped.

If you encounter ice- or snow-covered roads, follow these safety tips:

• On ice or snow-covered roads, decrease your speed by half, on ice, slow to a crawl. Leave about 10 times more space than normal between you and the vehicle ahead.
• Apply brakes gently, ease off if you start to skid, and reapply when you regain control.
• Do not use your cruise control when driving on slippery roads. Snow, ice, slush, and rain can cause wheel-spin and loss of control. The only way to stop wheel spin and regain control is to reduce power. But an activated cruise control system will continue to apply power, keeping your wheels spinning.
• Adjust your speed to avoid meeting other vehicles in slippery areas, such as shady spots and frost on bridges during cold weather. This will reduce the risk of skidding into the other vehicle.
• On icy or snow-packed roads, try to time your arrival at an intersection by letting your vehicle coast until the light turns green and vehicles ahead of you have begun to move. This way, you will not have to brake to stop and then accelerate to begin again. Also, when going uphill, stay far enough behind the vehicle ahead, so you will not need to slow down or stop. Before starting downhill, shift to a lower gear for better control.

For more traffic safety information, please visit www.penndot.pa.gov/safety.

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