News Of Western Pennsylvania And The World
Pennsylvania State Police troopers got more than $65 million worth of illegal drugs off streets across the commonwealth in 2022, according to a report released Wednesday. That includes 547 pounds of cocaine and 348 pounds of fentanyl, with a combined street value of $20.9 million.
Source: Pa. state police seized $65 million worth of illegal drugs last year
A state legislator wants to make it more difficult for school boards to arbitrarily ban books from school classrooms and libraries.
State Rep. Christopher Rabb’s forthcoming legislation would require the Pennsylvania Department of Education and school board seeking to ban a book to participate in at least two public hearings on the book in question. The hearings would be moderated by professionals with knowledge on the book and its contents, and would be required before a school board vote to ban the book.
“These book bans are an attempt to censor educators and restrict the information and educational materials that students can have access to in school,” Rabb, a Philadelphia Democrat, wrote in a memo to colleagues.
Source: PA Could Pass Law To Stem Book-Banning Tide
Prices are expected to continue to climb in the days ahead.
AAA said they expect the price of gas in Pittsburgh to average more than $4.00 per gallon again soon.
That news comes after oil-producing nations announced they’ll be slashing the amount of oil they deliver to the global economy.
Demand has also been increasing recently.
Source: Gas prices continue to climb: Up 3 cents in Pennsylvania on Tuesday morning
A portion of Interstate 81 was closed and at least 20 people were transported to local hospitals, according to the Schuylkill County Emergency Management.
A pileup during a spring snow squall in Pennsylvania on Monday involving 50 to 60 vehicles killed at least three people and resulted in multiple injuries, officials said.
A portion of Interstate 81 about 100 miles northwest of Philadelphia was closed until further notice and at least 20 people were transported to local hospitals, according to Schuylkill County Emergency Management.
Three people died in the accident, according to John Mika, Schuylkill County Coroner’s Office.
Source: 3 killed in pileup of dozens of vehicles in Pennsylvania snow squall, officials say
A Philadelphia man has tested positive for the omicron variant of coronavirus, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health said Friday.
Source: Omicron variant reported in Philadelphia; first known case in Pa.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) —
Pennsylvania’s state-run liquor system will begin rationing sales of a few dozen products on Friday in response to what it describes as supply shortages beyond its control.
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board notified license holders on Thursday that two-bottles-per-day purchase limits for customers at state stores, as well as well for bars, restaurants and other license holders, will remain in place indefinitely.
The PLCB said “sustained supply chain disruptions and product shortages” prompted the restrictions on certain types of alcohol.
The 43 items on the list of restricted products also will not be available through store-to-store transfers starting Friday.
Source: Pennsylvania liquor stores put 2-bottle limit on some booze
A federal appeals court has dismissed a judge’s ruling that threw out Gov. Tom Wolf’s sweeping COVID-19 restrictions, saying the issue is now moot because statewide mitigation measures have expired and Pennsylvania voters have since constrained a governor’s emergency powers.
Source: Appeals court tosses ruling against Pennsylvania COVID-19 measures
By: KDKA-TV News Staff
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – The FBI in Pittsburgh helped in taking down a massive drug trafficking operation that spanned Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, and the Dominican Republic.
In that bust, 34 people were indicted, including a suspect from Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.
According to investigators, they seized more than eight kilos of cocaine, a kilo of heroin, and 12 ounces of crack.
While still recovering from the Great Recession of 2008-2009, natural gas drilling — aka fracking — appeared in the Pittsburgh region and claimed to be able to offer economic relief. One of the first major energy players to move into the Pittsburgh region and greater Appalachia was Range Resources. The Texas-based oil and gas company claimed that fracking would lead to economic benefits beyond just those made from extracting natural gas.
In an October 2012 commercial, Range Resources claimed Pittsburgh is the place “where manufacturing will become American again” and ends with the tagline, “Drilling is just the beginning.” Those manufacturing gains never materialized, and the Pittsburgh region has lost several thousand manufacturing jobs since 2012.
And according to a new report from the Ohio River Valley Institute, that was just one of several failed economic promises natural gas companies made to the Pittsburgh area, Appalachia, and the Marcellus and Utica Shale region.
At some point “mid-afternoon,” the Allegheny County health department and the 2-1-1 service became aware that a hacker was intercepting callers and diverting them away from the help line without their knowledge, officials said.
Source: Pennsylvania Covid-19 vaccination appointment hotline intercepted by hackers – CNN
Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf wants to raise taxes on wealthy residents and the natural gas industry to help pay for new investments into education and coronavirus relief.
The governor’s proposal will call for increasing the personal income tax rate from 3.07% to 4.49%.
The reported budget plan follows a statement Tuesday in which Wolf’s office said 67% of Pennsylvania taxpayers would see tax cuts or have their taxes stay the same under his plan to cut costs for working class households while raising billions to invest in education and “workforce development.”
Source: Pennsylvania Gov. Wolf wants to increase taxes for some residents | Fox News
When it comes to the best states to drive in, Pennsylvania is at the bottom of the list.
According to WalletHub, Pennsylvania is the 44th best state to drive in.
Texas, Indiana and North Carolina are at the top.
As for the worst state for driving? Hawaii.
Neighboring states Ohio and West Virginia came in 10th and 28th respectively.
WalletHub compared all 50 states across 31 “key indicators” of a good commute, with data sets ranging from average gas prices to rush-hour traffic congestion to road quality.
Pennsylvania ranks second for most auto repair shops per capita.
By: KDKA-TV News Staff
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — There is one lucky winner of the billion dollar Mega Millions lottery.
The golden ticket for the top prize matching all six numbers was sold in Michigan — but don’t throw out your ticket just yet.
Mega Millions says there is one ticket in Pennsylvania that matched five numbers and is worth a $1 million prize.
The winning numbers to match are: 4, 26, 42, 50, 60, and 24.
Source: $1 Million Winning Mega Millions Ticket Sold In Pennsylvania – CBS Pittsburgh
“It’s a complete nightmare,” said a Finleyville woman. “I’m going on three weeks Wednesday without any kind of payment or anything.”
The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry has made more than $33.1 billion in unemployment program payments during the COVID-19 pandemic. Three of these programs are part of the federal CARES Act, which expired at the end of 2020. L&I urged the federal government beginning in November to extend the CARES Act as soon as possible to prevent gaps or delays in unemployment program benefits to claimants. The federal government did not complete the extension until Dec. 27, and L&I has been delayed in restarting payments for the three federal programs by the federal Department of Labor, which did not issue all of the guidance needed to ensure states are following the federal law when making payments for the federal programs until Jan. 11. L&I has prioritized restarting payments for these programs and is announcing the dates for claimants to begin filing again as soon as necessary reprogramming is complete. L&I is doing everything possible to minimize delays while working under the constraints created by the federal government.
The statuses of each active unemployment program is as follows:
STATE PERMANENT PROGRAMS:
Unemployment Compensation (UC)
- L&I has made approximately $6.6 billion in UC payments since March 15 (the start of the pandemic).
- Unemployment Compensation is a state program that provides up to 26 weeks of payments to eligible claimants who are able and available to work but have lost their jobs for qualifying reasons. Claimants who exhaust their 26 weeks of payments roll over to the PEUC program, and then the EB program. The program is unaffected by the federal coronavirus relief bill.
- A small percentage of the claimants who filed for UC on Jan. 1 were affected by a glitch that caused them to not receive their payment on time. L&I rectified the issue and reissued the payments to claimants a few days later. L&I apologizes for the inconvenience caused by the delayed payment and has worked to prevent the issue from recurring. No other payment issues have been detected for UC claimants since the Jan. 1 issue.
Extended Benefits (EB)
- L&I has made approximately $230.6 million in EB payments since March 15.
- EB provides claimants who have exhausted their maximum number of UC and PEUC claim weeks with additional claim weeks. The number of claim weeks provided to a claimant varies depending on the claimant’s personal situation. EB is a state program that is triggered on when the unemployment rate reaches a certain threshold.
- Because EB is a state program, it was unaffected by the expiration and extension of the federal coronavirus relief bill. Some claimants who filed EB claims on Jan. 10 did not receive their payments on time due to a programmatic glitch. The issue was identified and remedied on Jan. 16 and payments to the affected claimants were reissued on Jan. 17. L&I apologizes to these claimants for the inconvenience of the delayed payments. Other EB claimants have been receiving payments as normal.
TEMPORARY FEDERAL UNEMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS:
Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC)
- L&I has made approximately $1.1 billion in PEUC payments since March 15.
- PEUC provides UC claimants with a 13-week extension on their claim, with an additional 11 weeks added through the coronavirus relief bill extension, bringing the total to 24 weeks. After a claimant exhausts PEUC, they become eligible for additional weeks through the EB program. PEUC initially expired the claim week ending Dec. 26 and an extension was signed Dec. 27.
- L&I could not begin paying the claim weeks in the PEUC extension until the federal Department of Labor provided guidance on how the federal program should be enacted by states. L&I began working on upgrading its computer system to accommodate changes made by the coronavirus relief bill extension and has completed upgrades to allow claimants who had weeks remaining on their 13 allotted weeks to begin filing for these claim weeks on Jan. 15. L&I will make an announcement when the additional 11 weeks have been added to claimants’ accounts and filing for these weeks begins.
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA)
- L&I has made approximately $7.1 billion in PUA payments since March 15.
- PUA is a special unemployment program created by the federal coronavirus relief bill to assist claimants who are not typically eligible for Unemployment Compensation, such as freelancers, gig workers, and business owners. The program expired the claim week ending Dec. 26 and an extension was signed Dec. 27. The initial coronavirus relief bill provided PUA claimants 39 claim weeks and the extension provided an additional 11 weeks (50 weeks total).
- Numerous changes, such as new identity and employment verification requirements, were added to the program in the extension by the federal government. The federal Department of Labor did not provide L&I with the necessary guidance for the changes to the PUA program until Jan. 11. L&I is working to complete reprogramming of the PUA system to accommodate these changes and has turned off claimants’ ability to file for weeks after the expiration of the original program. The ability to file for claim weeks after Dec. 26 will be added when the reprogramming is complete, and L&I will make an announcement as soon as this date is determined. Some claimants have reported seeing what they believe are errors in their PUA system dashboard, but this is due to the reprogramming and the correct amounts will be populated into claimants’ dashboards when the system is ready to accept the new claims.
Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC)
- L&I has made approximately $16.2 billion in FPUC payments since March 15.
- FPUC provides an additional $300 to claimants each week they receive at least $1 in benefits from the UC, EB, PEUC or PUA programs. This payment is on top of the other program’s payment. The program previously provided $600 in additional weekly compensation but was initially eliminated when the federal government failed to extend it in summer, and then cut in half to $300 and reinstated when the federal government agreed on the coronavirus relief bill extension.
- L&I began issuing payments on Jan. 8 after receiving the necessary guidance from the federal Department of Labor. The timing of the payments’ arrival varies based on when claimants file the claims for their other unemployment benefits and the method the claimant chose to receive their payment (checks require mailing time, financial institutions may cause delays with direct deposits, etc.), with the first claimants receiving their payments for FPUC on Jan. 12.
Claimants who have questions about their individual claim should email uchelp@pa.gov.
Source: Pennsylvania officials respond to delay in unemployment benefits
State officials on Friday said a new update of the coronavirus vaccine rollout plan puts several groups of people — those over 75, those with significant health issues and essential front-line workers — in line behind health care workers for priority in getting shots.
HARRISBURG — State officials on Friday unveiled an updated coronavirus vaccine rollout plan that puts more people — including those 75 or older, those with significant health issues and essential front-line workers — in line behind health care workers for priority in getting shots.
Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said in an online press briefing that the state has received 827,300 doses of the two approved vaccines and more than 235,000 Pennsylvanians have been vaccinated, with health care workers and people in long-term care facilities being inoculated now.
Source: Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf unveils updated coronavirus vaccine rollout plan – The Morning Call
Officials shouted and spoke over each other, at one point trying to conduct dueling sessions in a stark showcase of this year’s party divides over normally routine functions of democracy.
A day before Pennsylvania state lawmakers will be sworn in for a new two-year session, state Senate Democrats said Monday that the Republican majority is trying to “steal an election” by objecting to letting a Democratic member take his seat for a fourth term.
The dispute revolves around the election of Democratic Sen. Jim Brewster of Allegheny County and could leave the decision on who to install in the Senate district to a majority of senators.
The contest between Brewster and Republican challenger Nicole Ziccarelli hinged on court decisions that said mail-in ballots that lack a handwritten date on the ballot envelope is not a reason to disqualify someone’s vote.Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa, D-Allegheny, called the Republicans’ refusal to swear in Brewster during Tuesday’s ceremony “unlawful” and suggested that his caucus will go to court.
Republicans were trying to “steal an election” in what Costa framed as a continuation of “the Trump playbook. It’s about abusing the process that’s in place.”
Costa also pointed out that U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi swore in Rep.-elect Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, even as her Democratic opponent’s challenge to the election results remains under review by the House.
The Senate’s top Republican, President Pro Tempore-elect Jake Corman, R-Centre, called it a “fairly unique, if not unprecedented situation.”
Ziccarelli has filed a complaint with the Senate and a lawsuit in federal court in an “extremely close” election affected by court rulings, Corman said.
“I think this unique set of circumstances dictates that the Senate review it and take very seriously the contest,” Corman said.
He did not say how long the Senate will need to review Ziccarelli’s filing before voting, or how long the Senate is willing to leave the seat vacant.
Brewster beat Ziccarelli by 69 votes in the Nov. 3 election, according to state-certified returns last month.
Source: Jim Brewster’s Pennsylvania Senate seat remains in doubt amid pending lawsuit from Nicole Ziccarelli
The winter weather advisory from the National Weather Service will be in effect from 7 p.m. Thursday until 1 p.m. Friday.
More: Read the weather alert for your county
The winter weather advisory from the National Weather Service will be in effect from 7 p.m. Thursday until 1 p.m. Friday.
- More: Read the weather alert for your county
- Interactive radar: Track the snow as it moves through your area
- Share snow photos: Go to wtae.com/upload or share in our u local Pittsburgh Facebook group!
- Severe weather alerts: Sign up to receive alerts for your county
- WTAE mobile app: Download it now to stay connected with breaking news & weather
Source: Pittsburgh weather: Winter weather advisory issued ahead of Christmas snow
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WTAJ) — Governor Tom Wolf announced Wednesday that he has initiated a transfer of $145 million in funds from the Workers’ Compensation Security Fund at the Pennsylvania Insurance Department to be appropriated by the state legislature into grants for businesses adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Business owners and employees have worked hard to protect their customers and their communities during this pandemic, and I thank all of those who have prioritized health and safety despite the hardship of the past several months,” Gov Wolf said. “Our business owners and workers have been forced to make sacrifices because of COVID-19 and they need and deserve our support.
“Today, I am pleased to announce that my administration will make funds available to help businesses whose operations and revenue were significantly adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The $145 million transfer from the fund into the state’s general fund requires legislative authorization to expend the loaned money for the purpose of making grants to businesses. The legislature has the authority to establish grant agreements for purposes it deems appropriate, in this case, to support businesses adversely affected by the pandemic.
Gov. Wolf urged the legislature to follow his lead and allocate this funding as quickly as possible to businesses affected by the pandemic, among them restaurants and bars, gyms and entertainment venues.
PITTSBURGH —PennDOT has lifted the speed limit restrictions that were put in place Wednesday when snow was hitting the Pittsburgh region.Speed limits were reduced to 45 miles per hour on all interstates and several other routes.
Steve Cowan, spokesperson for PennDOT District 11, told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 crews still have work to do on secondary roadways, shoulders, ramps, gore areas and turning lanes.
He said PennDOT will keep its full complement of trucks out until the work is finished.
Source: PennDOT lifts speed limit restrictions on area roadways
In preparation for a major winter storm event, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) are advising motorists to avoid all unnecessary travel during the storm, and are anticipating that restrictions on trucks and other vehicles will be imposed on certain roadways around the state.
“We have been preparing for winter since the last one ended, and we’re calling on the public to be our partners in safe travel,” PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian in a press release. “Please, avoid traveling and if you must travel, be sure to check travel conditions and give plow operators plenty of space so they can do their jobs safely and effectively.”
PA Turnpike CEO Mark Compton added that “if you must travel, before heading out, be sure to download the 511PA Smartphone App for real-time, hands-free PA traffic advisories. Speed restrictions and vehicle bans will be used extensively during this storm and you will want to be fully apprised of any changes.”
Effective 1 pm. Wednesday, PennDOT and PTC anticipate vehicle restrictions will begin to be phased in reflecting Level 1 of the commonwealth’s weather event vehicle restriction plan on the following roadways, according to the release:
- All northbound and southbound miles of Route 33;
- Interstate 76 (Schuylkill Expressway) from the Pennsylvania Turnpike to Interstate 95;
- All eastbound and westbound miles of Interstate 78;
- Interstate 80 from Interstate 99 to the New Jersey border;
- All northbound and southbound miles of Interstate 81;
- All northbound and southbound miles of Interstate 83;
- All eastbound and westbound miles of Interstate 84;
- Interstate 95 from the Delaware border to the New Jersey border;
- All eastbound and westbound miles of Interstate 283;
- All northbound and southbound miles of Interstate 380;
- Interstate 476 from the Pennsylvania Turnpike to Interstate 95;
- All eastbound and westbound miles of Interstate 676;
- All northbound and southbound miles of Interstate 295;
- All eastbound and westbound miles on the Pennsylvania Turnpike from the Breezewood interchange to the New Jersey border; and
- All northbound and southbound miles on the Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension (Interstate 476) from Interstate 76 to the Clark Summit interchange.
Gov. Tom Wolf has signed a proclamation of disaster emergency in anticipation of the incoming storm.
Source: Gov. Tom Wolf Signs Winter Weather Emergency Proclamation
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine provided an update on COVID-19 in the state Thursday, and announced new restrictions to help slow the spread.
“The situation we are in right now is dire,” Wolf said. “It’s become clear that we need to take further mitigation efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19.”Beginning Saturday, Wolf said extracurricular school activities, such as sports practices, are suspended. Restaurants will not be permitted to offer indoor service, but outdoor seating and takeout are still allowed. Business is also being temporarily suspended for other indoor facilities such as theaters, museums, movies, casinos, and gyms, though retailers can operate at 50% capacity.
Source: Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announces new COVID-19 restrictions – CBS News
Thousands of people in Ohio and Pennsylvania were left without power Wednesday after more than 2 feet of snow hit parts of the Midwest this week.
Source: Thousands without power in Ohio, Pennsylvania after snowstorm | Fox News
HARRISBURG, Pa. —Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf and Director of Testing and Contact Tracing, Michael Huff, gave an update on COVID-19 testing in the state Tuesday afternoon.Wolf announced the extension of the Department of Health’s contract with AMI Expeditionary Healthcare to provide COVID-19 testing in five regions across Pennsylvania.
Over the next 12 weeks, five strike teams will provide regional testing for 61 counties.
The six counties not receiving testing from AMI have county health departments providing other means of COVID-19 testing.
“These testing sites are open to anyone who feels they need a test. It is important that even people with no symptoms who test positive isolate to stop the spread of COVID-19,” Huff said.
Beginning Wednesday, drive-thru and indoor walk-in testing clinics will be held to contain the recent rapid increase in COVID-19 cases in the following counties:
- Bedford
- Mifflin
- Tioga
- Northampton
Testing will be available daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. starting Wednesday through Sunday.
Beginning Friday, drive-thru and indoor walk-in testing clinics will be held in Butler County. Testing will be available daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Tuesday.
The testing site addresses are:
- Butler County: Michelle Krill Field, 100 Pullman Park Pl., Butler, PA, 16001;
- Bedford County: Bedford High School parking lot, 330 West John St., Bedford, PA, 15522;
- Mifflin County: Pennsylvania State Fire Academy, 1150 Riverside Drive, Lewistown, PA, 17044;
- Tioga County: North Penn Mansfield High School, 73 W. Wellsboro St., Mansfield, PA, 16933; and
- Northampton County: William Penn Highway Park & Ride, Emrick Blvd., Easton, PA, 18045.
Up to 450 patients can be tested per day at each location.
Mid-nasal passage swab PCR tests will be performed
Source: Gov. Wolf gives update on COVID-19 testing in Pennsylvania
HARRISBURG – Reps. Rob Kauffman (R-Franklin) and Paul Schemel (R-Franklin) released the following statement regarding the reintroduction of the language in House Resolution 1094 regarding election integrity:
“Tonight, at midnight, in accordance with the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the General Assembly’s 2019-20 Legislative Session concludes. As a result, all current legislation expires. To move forward, any public policy objectives will need to be reintroduced in the 2021-22 Legislative Session.
“Nevertheless, House Resolution 1094 was formally introduced in the 2019-20 session. Pennsylvania’s Nov. 3 General Election was plagued by multiple irregularities and inconsistencies, many of which are currently under review by state and federal courts. We maintain that Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar’s recent certification of the election results was premature in light of the ongoing litigation. Pennsylvania’s presidential electors do not have to be named until Dec. 12, giving additional time for the courts to resolve election disputes before certification must occur. Time, however, was simply not on our side to bring this resolution to a full House vote before the current legislative session ends.
RepSchemel.com / Facebook.com/RepSchemel
The Trump legal team gains ground in Pennsylvania when their evidence is finally considered. One America’s Chanel Rion has more on the step in the right direction.
Watch Video: Pa. Lawmaker: Governor cannot certify fraudulent election | One America News Network
President Trump’s attorneys asked the courts to throw out ballots that were missing information.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court rejected the Trump campaign lawsuits Monday that called for the dismissal of more than 8,000 absentee ballots in Allegheny County.
In five lawsuits, President Trump’s attorneys asked the courts to throw out ballots that were missing information, such as a handwritten name or address or the date on which the ballots were signed. In its ruling, the state’s Supreme Court determined the ballots should be considered valid.
“Here we conclude that while failures to include a handwritten name, address or date in the voter declaration on the back of the outer envelope, while constituting technical violations of the Election Code, do not warrant the wholesale disenfranchisement of thousands of Pennsylvania voters,” the ruling said.
PERDUE, LOEFFLER BACK TRUMP CALL FOR GEORGIA RECOUNT, MORE SIGNATURE MATCHING
In addition, the state Supreme Court reversed a lower court ruling that had invalidated 2,349 ballots in Allegheny County over missing information. The ruling was a setback for Trump as the state’s counties move forward with efforts to certify the Pennsylvania vote.
Source: PA Supreme Court rejects Trump challenge to absentee ballots in Allegheny County | Fox News
NORTH VERSAILLES, Pa. — Channel 4 Action News Investigates has learned more than a half-million Pennsylvanians who applied for unemployment during the pandemic have still not been able to get it.For some, long waits for benefits have become long waits to appeal the denial of benefit
John Roman of North Versailles was laid off from his job as a school bus driver in March.Action News Investigates first told his story in April, when he was struggling to get benefits.”You can’t get through. Keep getting busy signals. I tried like four or five hours in one day,” Roman said at the time.
Eventually, the checks started coming. But in June, his case took a twist.The state Department of Labor and Industry sent him a letter saying he was ineligible for benefits and ordering him to pay back $3,000.The reason? The state said Roman took a leave of absence.But medical records show he was hospitalized for acute illness — pneumonia and COPD.So Roman filed an appeal, saying the state decision was incorrect. That was five months ago.
Asked what happened since then, Roman said: “Nothing. Nothing at all.”He’s called the state unemployment office repeatedly. He contacted his state legislator.”Mine’s at the bottom of the pile, I guess,” Roman said.In August, he finally got a callback from the state unemployment office.
An official left a voicemail message saying: “We have received the appeal information however it was not under review so that was a mistake on our part. You should receive information from us soon as again I have escalated this matter to a supervisor.”But Roman did not get a hearing until Monday, nearly three months after he received that voicemail message.”It’s wrong,” Roman said.In yet another twist, Roman was approved for unemployment after first being denied. But the state has been deducting the money he allegedly owes from the amount he is supposed to be collecting, leaving him with virtually nothing.”I could never understand their system,” Roman said.
Top state unemployment officials would not discuss specifics of Roman’s case but they were surprised when Action News Investigates told them how long he’s been waiting for his appeal.
“I do know the appeals office is still on time with everything so depending on the timing of when that was requested and what the actual circumstances are, that probably has a lot to do with it,” said Susan Dickinson, director of unemployment policy.
“John is emblematic of so many people who are so frustrated with the system and don’t know where to turn for help,” said Barney Oursler of the Mon Valley Unemployed Committee.
Oursler reached out to help Roman after seeing his initial story. He said the state made a mistake and Roman deserves to be paid.But even Oursler, who helped thousands of unemployed steelworkers in the 1980s, has hit a wall with Harrisburg.
“The system is failing people and that’s the frustration people have,” Oursler said.State officials said 32% of all Pennsylvanians filing unemployment claims during the pandemic — about 600,000 people — have been rejected.
There have been about 43,000 appeals filed.Five months after filing his appeal, Roman said he hopes he can finally get an answer.”It’s been very frustrating. There’s times I just lay down and close my eyes, is it a dream or is it reality? I’m finding out it’s reality,” Roman said.
Source: Investigation finds more than a half-million Pennsylvanians denied unemployment
Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine says there are “no plans” at this time to reinstate the color-coded coronavirus restrictions the state saw earlier in the pandemic.
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine says there are “no plans” at this time to reinstate the color-coded coronavirus restrictions the state saw earlier in the pandemic.
At Dr. Levine’s weekly media briefing Monday, she addressed the rising rate of infections across the state. Statewide percent positivity for last week is at 9.6%, compared to 6.9% the week before. Sixty-two of the 67 counties have positivity rates above 5%, including Allegheny County, which stands at 7.7%,
According to Dr. Levine, the new cases are connected to community spread, meaning someone gets the virus without any known contact with a sick person.
With cases here and across the state rising to their highest levels, Dr. Levine says it’s our collective responsibility to stop this community spread and bring those numbers back under control.
“We can answer the call to prevent the spread of this virus COVID-19,” she says.
Dr. Levine says it’s up to the public to voluntarily answer the call, wear masks, social distance and avoid gatherings large and small — regardless of your political leanings.
“Now that the election is over and the people have spoken, we need to stand united about these simple public health measures. This is not a political issue. This is not a partisan issue. This is an urgent public health issue in Pennsylvania,” she says.
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HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) —
