HARRISBURG — Another panel, this time through state government, is being crafted in response to the Penn State University child sex abuse case. The commission, which is expected to include lawmakers, agency officials and representatives of child-advocacy groups, will be tasked with searching for gaps in current state requirements for handling suspected child-abuse incidents. While [...]
Continue Reading →Senate Democrats see some gaps and loopholes in Pennsylvania’s laws that prevent child abuse that are in need of a fix. They are proposing a series of law changes in the wake of the Penn State scandal tied to child sexual assault charges filed against former university assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky. >>Read more…
Continue Reading →In the wake of the child sex abuse scandal at Penn State University, Pennsylvania lawmakers are creating a bipartisan commission to strengthen and create new laws to protect children. The state Senate GOP spokesman says he expects resolution creating the joint task force to be considered and approved next week. Meanwhile, Senate Democrats are bringing [...]
Continue Reading →It’s the multibillion-dollar question: Where is Pennsylvania going to find the money to keep its roads and bridges maintained and open? For many, the answer can’t come soon enough. In Berks County, 424 of roughly 1,000 miles of highway are in fair or poor condition, and nearly half of the 700 state-owned bridges are structurally [...]
Continue Reading →Reading’s financial plight got national attention this year, on PBS and National Public Radio and in the New York Times. Some people think Reading can get out of its troubles itself by finding the mix of revenue and services that produces growth. >>Read more…
Continue Reading →The Boyertown School Board and district administrators met with state legislators Tuesday to discuss the impact unfunded mandates have on the district’s budget. The state lawmakers at the legislative forum, which attracted an audience of about two dozen, were Sen. Judy Schwank, a Ruscombmanor Township Democrat, and Rep. Douglas G. Reichley, a Lehigh County Republican [...]
Continue Reading →A state senator from Berks County on Wednesday asked the state Public Utility Commission to develop an action plan for power companies to follow during weather emergencies. Sen. Judy Schwank requested that the PUC come up with specific steps to prevent widespread outages like the one that began Oct. 29, when a snowstorm left some [...]
Continue Reading →The United States Postal Service could save $7.1 million annually by stopping mail distribution at Reading’s Gus Yatron Postal Facility and moving the work to a plant in Harrisburg, Postal Service officials said. But the move would eliminate 135 jobs in Berks County and slow mail delivery. That trade-off didn’t seem to sit well Wednesday [...]
Continue Reading →With a late-night vote on Tuesday, the Pennsylvania Senate passed the first comprehensive natural gas drilling bill since the explosion of Marcellus Shale drilling, but it did not come without a heated debate. The measure essentially takes away a municipality’s ability to limit drilling within its borders and creates a $50,000 fee for each well [...]
Continue Reading →Every year, the late Sen. Michael O’Pake awarded the Patriot Award at the Brandywine Heights Middle School Veterans Day program. The Patriot Award recognizes a veteran or community member/group for exceptional service to the country. This year, O’Pake received the award during the school’s 12th annual program on Nov. 11. >> Read more…
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