Skills in Scranton Act 158 Presentation Skills in Scranton, the Chamber’s workforce development affiliate, will host Act 158: Pathways to Graduation, a virtual presentation on Wednesday, April 27 from 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. All school administrators, guidance counselors, educators, school board directors, higher education staff, and community members in Lackawanna County are invited to attend. Guest speaker, Sue Kuhl – Pennsylvania career readiness liaison – will discuss the Career Ready PA Coalition, updates impacting Act 158, and provide information to school districts on preparing students in college, career, and community readiness here in Lackawanna County. For more than 25 years, Skills in Scranton – through its Educator in the Workplace program – has worked with local employers, school districts, higher education partners and Pennsylvania data experts to develop strategies that help ensure the regional workforce is aligned with high-priority jobs of the future. Those interested in attending can RSVP to Karen Durkin at kdurkin@scrantonchamber.com. Media are also invited to attend. Media Sponsor:
New SLIBCO Board Members Named Don Brominski Jennifer Davis Joseph Ferretti Alyssa Golden Tom Johnson Bob Markowski Alana Roberts Heather Skapyak Justin Sulla SLIBCO (Scranton Lackawanna Industrial Building Company) recently announced new directors and officers to its board. SLIBCO is the not-for-profit industrial development affiliate of The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce. SLIBCO elected the following officers Jennifer Davis, Sordoni Construction Services, as president; Joseph Ferretti, Peoples Security Bank & Trust, as vice president; Alana Roberts, PPL Electric Utilities, as vice president; Don Brominski, UGI Utilities, as vice president; and Bob Markowski, Allied Services, as treasurer. Newly elected directors include Alyssa Golden, Golden Technologies; Tom Johnson, CANPACK; Heather Skapyak, Greenman-Pedersen (GPI); and Justin Sulla, Esq., Diamond K Incorporated.
Designs by Olivia Grey is Collecting Donations for Ukraine Designs by Oliva Grey has partnered with St Vladimir Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Scranton to help collect newly requested military and tactical supplies. Please note, only new or gently used donations/supplies will be accepted at this time. Donations may be dropped off either at our storefront during business hours at 206 Depot St. Clarks Summit, PA, 18411 or St. Vladimir Ukrainian Catholic Church at 430 N 7th Ave, Scranton,Pa.
NASA Astronaut to Speak at Misericordia The Murgas Amateur Radio Club and the Misericordia University College of Arts and Sciences will host NASA Astronaut Colonel Douglas H. Wheelock, U.S. Army Retired, on Wednesday, April 6 in the Henry Science Center Room HEN 210/212 on the Misericordia University Campus. The event will begin at 7:00 p.m. Colonel Wheelock will discuss his experiences as an astronaut, including his time on the International Space Station. The event is free and open to the public. Seating is limited. Registration is required at https://www.misericordia.edu/colonel-wheelock-speaking-engagement Colonel Wheelock was selected by NASA in 1998. He was assigned to the Astronaut Office International Space Station (ISS) Operations Branch as a Russian liaison, participating in the testing and integration of Russian hardware and software products developed for the ISS. He worked extensively with the Energia Aerospace Company in Moscow, Russia, and has led joint U.S./Russian teams to oversee bench reviews, inventory, loading and launch of the first four unmanned ISS resupply capsules. The retired Colonel has accumulated more than 178 days in space and has conducted six spacewalks totaling more than 43 hours. Wheelock flew on STS-120 in 2007 and in 2010 he served as a flight engineer for Expedition 24 and commander for Expedition 25, where he conducted three unplanned spacewalks to replace a faulty ammonia pump module. The native of New York holds a bachelor’s degree in applied science and engineering from the United States Military Academy West Point and a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from Georgia Tech in Atlanta, GA.
Statewide Aggressive Driving Coordinated Enforcement The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation(PennDOT), Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC), Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), and the Highway Safety Network are urging safe driving ahead of a statewide aggressive-driving coordinated enforcement day on March 30. “Safety on our roadways is everyone’s responsibility,” said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian. “PennDOT often urges drivers to slow down, buckle up, and to never drive distracted or impaired, but staying calm and courteous while driving is just as important.” In 2020, there were 5,615 aggressive-driving crashes, resulting in 91 fatalities and 401 suspected serious injuries. Preliminary 2021 data indicates fatalities in aggressive-driving crashes – crashes involving two or more aggressive driving factors – may have increased by as much as 40 percent. “Troopers and local law enforcement will be conducting targeted enforcement with the goal of reducing the number of aggressive-driving crashes,” said PSP Colonel Robert Evanchick. “These crashes can be prevented by slowing down and limiting distractions behind the wheel.” According to 2020 PSP data, Troopers issued more than 107,000 speeding citations, including more than 2,000 for driving 100 mph or faster. In 2021, those numbers saw an increase as speeding citations totaled more than 129,000. In addition, more than 2,200 tickets were issued for driving 100 mph or more. Speeding is an aggressive driving factor and is usually defined as driving in excess of the posted speed limit or driving too fast for conditions. It can have dangerous consequences by reducing a motorist’s ability to react to changing traffic or road conditions, putting the driver, passengers, and others on the road at risk. In 2020, there were 24,978 speeding-related crashes, resulting in 433 fatalities and 1,387 suspected serious injuries. “With the return to the road and more normal work and school schedules, we are finding that many have forgotten safe-driving behaviors and may also experience higher levels of distraction and stress,” said PA Turnpike CEO Mark Compton. “Aggressive driving can be triggered by heavy traffic and drivers in a rush. This type of driving plays a major role in crashes and fatal collisions.” The coordinated enforcement is part of an aggressive-driving enforcement wave running through April 24 focused on speeding, distracted driving, and work zone awareness. The goal of targeted enforcement is to reduce the number of aggressive driving related crashes, injuries, and deaths on roadways throughout the state. Motorists exhibiting other unsafe behaviors such as driving too fast for conditions, following too closely, or making careless lane changes will also be cited. PSP, as well as more than 300 municipal agencies from across the state, will concentrate efforts on roadways that are known to have a high number of aggressive-driving crashes using traffic enforcement zones, saturation patrols, speed enforcement details, work zone enforcement, and multi-jurisdictional enforcement details to identify and cite aggressive drivers. “Aggressive driving involves heightened feelings of stress, anger, or frustration that can lead to dangerous behaviors on our highways,” said Robert Schaeffer, executive director of the Highway Safety Network. “These behaviors can have devastating consequences. Drive patiently and be part of the solution, not the problem.” Aggressive-driving factors include: Making illegal U-turn;Improper/careless turning;Turning from wrong lane;Proceeding w/o clearance after stop;Running stop sign;Running red light;Failure to respond to other traffic control device;Tailgating;Sudden slowing/stopping;Careless passing or lane change;Passing in no passing zone;Making improper entrance to highway;Making improper exit from highway;Speeding;Driving too fast for conditions; andDriver fleeing police. If you encounter an aggressive driver, put your own safety first: Get out of their way and stay as far away as possible.Do not engage or challenge the driver in any way.Stay relaxed, avoid eye contact, and ignore rude gestures.Don’t block the passing lane if you are driving slower than most of the traffic.Do not attempt to follow or pursue the vehicle.You or a passenger may call the police. But, if you use a cell phone, pull over to a safe location. If you can, note the license plate and a description of the car. While many people associate aggressive driving with road rage, they are two different behaviors. Road rage is a criminal offense and is often the result of aggressive driving behavior that escalates into an assault with a vehicle or other dangerous weapon. The enforcement is part of Pennsylvania’s Highway Safety Program and is funded by part of PennDOT’s investment of federal funds from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). For more information on aggressive driving, visit PennDOT.pa.gov/Safety. For more information on the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, visit www.PATurnpike.com. For more information on the Pennsylvania State Police, visit psp.pa.gov. PennDOT’s media center offers social-media-sized graphics highlighting topics such as aggressive driving, speeding, distracted driving, and seat belts for organizations, community groups, or others who share safety information with their stakeholders. The public can join the discussion on social media using the hashtags #BeSafePA and #AggressiveDriving. Follow PennDOT on Twitter and like the department on Facebook and Instagram.
David Hazzouri Dental Moves Into New Location The new address is 211 S. 7th Avenue, Scranton, PA 18505