New Law Updates CDL Requirements for PA Veterans, Service Members

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) announced today that a new Pennsylvania law waives the requirement for Pennsylvania residents who are current and former military members and who operated a commercial vehicle as part of their duties, to take a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Knowledge Test when applying for a CDL. Previous legislation – Act 133 of 2008 – established a waiver of the CDL skills test for these individuals.

“We are pleased to announce this important change and hope that it helps military members in their transition to civilian life find good-paying, sustainable employment to begin their new lives,” said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian.

Act 131 of 2020 allows the PennDOT to waive the CDL Knowledge Test for Pennsylvania residents on active or reserve military duty or recently honorably discharged veterans, provided those service members have at least two years of experience operating a commercial motor vehicle as part of their military job requirements.

The waiver applies to CDL applicants who wish to operate vehicles similar to those they operated in the military. For example, those who drove combination type commercial (Class A) motor vehicles in the military will be eligible in Pennsylvania for a waiver to drive a combination type vehicle and those who drove a single motor vehicle of commercial type (Class B) in the military will be eligible in Pennsylvania for the waiver to drive that type of vehicle. Applicants must complete form DL-398, “Application for Military CDL Test Waiver,” to request the waiver.

Doubles, triples and school bus endorsements cannot be waived under this program. PennDOT will waive the knowledge test specified, subject to the limitations in the 49 Code of Federal Regulation Section 383.77, to an applicant who meets all the requirements for a waiver.

“Service members gain many valuable skills in the military that translate well into the civilian job sector,” said Maj. Gen. Mark Schindler, Pennsylvania’s acting adjutant general and acting head of the DMVA. “This program is a huge opportunity to assist our veterans and service members with these skills to get good jobs as Pennsylvania is critically short in CDL drivers.”

Military personnel and veterans interested in taking advantage of the CDL skills and knowledge test waivers can find further information by visiting www.dmv.pa.gov, click on Driver Services and choose Military Personnel Veterans from the dropdown. Form DL-398 can be found under Forms and Publications on the homepage.

Kohanski & Co. Recent Acquisitions

On July 1, 2020 Kohanski & Co. CPA’S completed the acquisition of Kingston, PA based CPA firm Kovalchik, Kollar & Co. Kovalchik, Kollar & Co. has been providing accounting, tax, and auditing services to clients for over 60 years.

“The team at Kohanski & Co. is excited about the opportunity to continue our growth with this acquisition” said Michael Kohanski, CPA. “We currently service a significant number of clients in Luzerne County and the ability to add to that base and have an office located there is another step in our strategic plan.”

“Mr. Kovalchik and Mr. Kollar will assist with the transition prior to retiring and all of the existing staff of Kovalchik, Kollar & Co. will be offered positions with Kohanski & Co.” said Mr. Kohanski.

In addition, Morda, Kotch & Associates, PC has merged into Kohanski & Co. and Colleen H. Morda, CPA joined the firm as manager in charge of the Kingston office. Also, effective January 1, 2021, we relocated the Moosic office to 4 Meadow Avenue, Suite C, Scranton, PA 18505

EOS USA Is Hiring In Scranton,PA

EOS USA is hosting an open hiring event on Tuesday, February 2nd and Wednesday 3rd from 9:00am to 5:00pm (each day).

The location of the hiring event:
Hilton Scranton &Conference Center
100 Adams Ave
Scranton, PA 18503

Please bring a copy of your resume to the event as we will have a hiring Manager available to do an on-site interview.

We are looking to fill multiple Customer Service Representative positions. This is a full-time position and if hired the training class is starting on Monday, February 8th. The schedule for this position is Monday- Friday from 10:00amEST to 6:30pmEST.

This position will start off by working remotely from home as we are establishing an office location in Scranton, PA. All applicants must have the flexibility to start with working from home and then be able to go into the office once the location has been established.

Hourly Rate: $14.00 an hour with increases after 90 days of employment/180 days of employment/365 days of employment

We also will offer a $500 sign-on bonus, which will be paid out as follows:
$100 at 30 days of employment
$200 at 60 days of employment
$200 at 90 days of employment

All verbal offers of employment are contingent upon the passing of a pre-employment background check and drug screening. You will also need to provide the information regarding your highest level of education completed (a copy of a transcript or diploma will suffice).

We offer: paid training, paid time off, paid holidays, company match 401K plan and comprehensive medical/dental plans.

Guidelines for the event:
· For your safety, masks are required for all participants in our location.
· Social distancing of at least 6 feet must be maintained at all times.
· All events will be conducted in accordance with CDC and state COVID-19 safety guidelines.

For further questions, please contact the Human Resources department at 781-753-4340.EOS USA is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability status, age or protected veteran status.

Johnson College to Offer Pre-Employment Transition Program

Johnson College, in conjunction with The Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) and KANE Logistics will be offering a Pre-Employment Transition Service (Pre-ETS) Program to qualifying students attending local member school districts, starting August 2021. OVR is a state & federally funded agency that assists people with disabilities to prepare for, obtain, maintain or advance in employment. OVR offers several Pre-ETS programs, including paid work experience transition opportunities for youth with disabilities, who have a post-secondary goal of employment. This gives students the opportunity to prepare for competitive employment. This program will prepare students to become entry-level warehouse associates, with a fundamental understanding of the supply chain. For more information about this program contact Dr. Kellyn Williams, Johnson College’s Chief Academic Officer at 570-702-8940 or knolan@johnson.edu.

Due to the pandemic, classes for this 6-month certificate program will be held online. If federal and state guidelines are updated, classes will be held on the Johnson College campus on Main Avenue in Scranton, PA and at KANE Logistics located in the Stauffer Industrial Park in Scranton, PA. Students will gain an understanding of the physical and technological process, along with the safety considerations of warehouse/distribution operations. Additionally, students will learn about facility configuration, storage and handling techniques, picking and shipping processes, customer service expectations, and the overall role distribution operations plays in the supply chain. Students will earn college credit, an OSHA certification and a forklift certification. Upon successful completion of the program, students are eligible to be potentially hired by KANE Logistics.

For additional information on Johnson College, please call 1-800-2-WE-WORK, email enroll@johnson.edu, or visit Johnson.edu.

Greater Scranton YMCA Announces Virtual Wellness Platform Through A Regional Collaboration

The Greater Scranton YMCA is proud to announce a new online wellness platform to benefit their members and the community. On January 25th, the Greater Scranton YMCA launched Y Wellness 24/7, providing live and on-demand group exercise, and sports and play programs online, free to their members. Over 150 live classes and 100s of new on-demand classes led by over 120 nurturing and motivating YMCA instructors will be available weekly. The platform also provides access to 1000s of additional on-demand classes from leaders in the fitness industry nationwide. 

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in mandated closures and strict safety protocols, the need for outstanding virtual wellness offerings has been on the rise. Recognizing this need in our communities, Y Wellness 24/7 is the result of a collaboration among 29 YMCA associations from throughout the northeast United States. Involved in the partnership are many Pennsylvania YMCAs including those in Bloomsburg, Bucks County, Lancaster, Lebanon Valley, York and York County as well YMCA of the North Shore and YMCA of the Twin Tiers in Massachusetts and New York, respectively. 

Y Wellness 24/7 provides live and on-demand classes in training, mindfulness, nutrition, and stress management. With the collaboration, YMCAs are able to serve youth, adults and seniors through a variety of class formats such as strength training, cardio, kickboxing, cycling, Tai Chi, yoga, dance, bootcamp, balance, core and more.    

“We are so pleased to partner with YMCAs from across the northeast region,” said Trish Fisher, President & CEO, Greater Scranton YMCA. “By working together, we are able to meet the needs of our members across the region by offering more classes and a greater variety of classes.” 

Since the March pandemic shut down, the Y has made it their mission to meet community needs in new ways. The creation of this virtual wellness platform is another step toward serving YMCA members from across the region. 

Geisinger Recognized by American Heart Association

Geisinger has been recognized by the American Heart Association (AHA) and American Medical Association (AMA) for commitment to helping improve blood pressure and cholesterol control rates among adult patients.

Through participation in the AHA and AMA’s Target BP™ initiative, Geisinger has earned Gold-level recognition. The Gold award recognizes health care organizations that have 70 percent or more of their adult patient population with high blood pressure controlled.

Geisinger has also earned Gold-level recognition through participation in the AHA’s Check. Change. Control. Cholesterol™ initiative. The Gold award recognizes health care organizations that have 70 percent or more of their adult patient population at risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) appropriately managed with statin therapy.

“Our Primary Care teams are profoundly dedicated to preventing, identifying and treating chronic conditions. Their work around management of these conditions, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, is a testament to their practice and the patients they serve,” said Stacei Faust, quality program coordinator for Geisinger Care Gaps. “It’s an honor to be recognized for that work by the AHA and AMA, and my pleasure to work alongside these remarkable colleagues.”

Hypertension (high blood pressure) is a leading risk factor for heart attacks, strokes and preventable death in the United States. There are 116 million U.S. adults living with high blood pressure, and less than half of those people have it under control – making diagnosing and effectively managing hypertension critical.

Cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the U.S., with an estimated 92.1 million adults having at least one type of cardiovascular disease that can lead to heart attack, stroke or death. The use of statin therapy for the prevention of ASCVD in many higher-risk patients is supported by an extensive body of evidence, but many patients who might benefit from this therapy go untreated or undertreated, according to the AHA.

“We recognize how important aggressive and early treatment of chronic conditions like hypertension and hyperlipidemia is in preventing disease progression and serious complications like heart attack, stroke and kidney disease,” said Cybele Pacheco, M.D., director of Community Medicine in Geisinger’s west region. “Prevention and team-based management of chronic diseases is our focus in Primary Care, and it shows the collaborative work among our Geisinger teams.”

Lackawanna College Awarded Funding for Suicide Prevention

The Pennsylvania Higher Education Suicide Prevention Coalition has awarded Lackawanna College a mini-grant to launch “You Matter”, a student-led project that combines a visual suicide prevention campaign with a one-day suicide prevention event. 

The grant will be used to install large-scale inspirational message decals and support an event for Lackawanna students, faculty and staff to provide education on suicide prevention. At the event, participants will write encouraging messages to support students who are struggling on a banner that will be displayed on campus.

The campaign, led by Lackawanna’s PRIDE student organization and supported by the Student Engagement and Student Wellness programs, will be launching a platform for creating an Active Minds chapter in fall 2021. Active Minds is a nonprofit organization that supports mental health awareness and education for students.

“Our PRIDE club students are so excited about this initiative because it reflects what PRIDE stands for in promoting peace, respect, inclusion, dignity, and equality with oneself,” said Christine Kiehart, Lackawanna College Associate Professor in Academic Development.

The project builds on the College’s current efforts to implement suicide prevention programming for students and trauma-informed care training for staff. Through the “You Matter” event, the college seeks to change campus culture by promoting positive self-esteem and encouraging conversation about suicide prevention and mental health. 

Boback Announces Over $6 Million in Federal Funding Awarded to Area School Districts

Rep. Karen Boback (R-Lackawanna/Luzerne/Wyoming) has announced additional funding made available to local school districts from the federal Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CCRSA).

“Ensuring that our students and teachers are provided for has been a priority during this pandemic,” explained Boback. “It is wonderful to see that federal funds were made available to our school districts from this program that plans for and covers those additional expenses sustained due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

In the 117th Legislative District, Dallas, Lackawanna Trail, Lake Lehman, Northwest Area and Tunkhannock School Districts all received funding as a part of the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER). As part of the federal Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CCRSA), Congress and the Trump Administration established and appropriated a total of $54.3 billion for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund. Funding is distributed to states based on each state’s proportionate share of Title I, Part A (Title I-A) funding. ESSER funds are intended to support COVID-19 response efforts and may be spent on a wide range of allowable activities.  

Pennsylvania’s share of this funding is approximately $2.22 billion, which will be distributed to the state’s school districts and charter schools based on the Title I-A formula.  This funding is on top of the $471 million that was distributed to school districts last year through the CARES Act.

Marywood University Receives $200,000 Grant

Marywood University recently received a $200,000 grant to The Donald B. and Dorothy L. Stabler endowed Scholarship fund, which was established in 2020 with a gift from the Foundation in the amount of $385,000.

The Donald B. and Dorothy L. Stabler Foundation was established by Mr. and Mrs. Stabler in 1966 exclusively for charitable, religious, scientific, literary, or educational purposes. Students who receive a Stabler Scholarship commit to making contributions to the endowment scholarship fund after their graduation in an amount at least equal to what they received. This is a “debt of conscience” rather than a legal obligation, and it helps to create a culture of philanthropy in students who have received funding and support.

Sister Mary Persico, IHM, Ed.D., president of Marywood University said, “This generous gift will create resources that best serve our students during these times that require flexibility and ingenuity—two bedrocks of a Marywood education founded in the liberal arts tradition. Because of The Donald B. and Dorothy L. Stabler Foundation, our resilient and innovative students will have the resources to emerge stronger and better. Their support indeed inspires the next generation of Marywood students to dedicate their lives to serve the common good.”

For additional information about Marywood University, please visit www.marywood.edu, or call the Office of Admissions, at (570) 348-6234.