Governor Wolf Announces 22 Municipalities to Improve Traffic Safety with Red Light Enforcement Funds Governor Tom Wolf announced that the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) will distribute approximately $12.9 million in Automated Red Light Enforcement (ARLE) funding to 22 municipalities statewide to fund 28 safety projects. Pennsylvania’s ARLE program aims to improve safety at signalized intersections by providing automated enforcement at locations where data shows red-light running has been an issue. “This program helps communities across the state make investments in safety and efficient traffic flow,” Governor Wolf said. “These improvements complement the many road, bridge, and multimodal projects happening in Pennsylvania.” Grant funding is supplied by fines from red light violations at 32 intersections in Philadelphia. State law specifies that projects improving safety, enhancing mobility, and reducing congestion can be considered for funding. Municipalities submitted 132 applications, totaling $48.3 million in requests. Projects were selected by an eight-member committee based on criteria such as safety benefits and effectiveness, cost, and local and regional impact. This investment brings the total dollars awarded through the ARLE funding program to $112.7 million, funding 501 transportation enhancement projects since 2010. The Lackawanna County project includes: Lackawanna County Blakely Borough: $123,210 to improve pedestrian safety on Depot Street at the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail mid-block crossing. Improvements will include ADA accessible ramps, flashing beacons to alert drivers and pedestrians/cyclists to slow down and be aware of conditions, signage to encourage sharing the road and a high visibility colored concrete crossing. For more information, visit PennDOT’s website, or email ARLE@pa.gov.
The Dime Bank Contributes to The Stock Market Challenge The Dime Bank recently contributed $9,000.00 to the nonprofit Brighter Financial Futures (dba PennCFL). This donation, which was made through the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) Program, supports local schools in the sponsorship of The Stock Market Challenge. The Stock Market Challenge is a web-based stock simulation platform and curriculum. Students can learn how to trade all year long by using the whole curriculum, courses, and more, including six ten-week competitions. The competitions are held in the classroom, by county and state-wide. The Stock Market Challenge recently announced that Henry Reichman finished in first place in the Middle School Division for Wayne and Pike County and in the top ten of the Statewide Middle School Division. He is a seventh-grade student at Wallenpaupack Area School District and worked under the leadership of Mrs. Argyro Paspalas. President and Chief Executive Officer Peter Bochnovich commented, “We feel it is very worthwhile for students to gain a greater understanding of the world of finance. It provides them with a foundation for their future success. It is our hope that all of the eligible schools will continue to participate in and take advantage of this learning opportunity.”
PennDOT Driver License, Photo Centers Closed for New Year’s Holiday PennDOT announced that all driver license and photo centers, including the Riverfront Office Center in Harrisburg, will be closed Saturday, January 1, 2022, in observance of the New Year’s holiday. Additionally, the Pittsburgh Driver License Centers and all services at the Riverfront Office Center in Harrisburg will be closed Friday, December 31, 2021. Customers may still obtain a variety of driver and vehicle products and services, including all forms, publications and driver training manuals, online through PennDOT’s Driver and Vehicle Services website, www.dmv.pa.gov. Driver and vehicle online services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and include driver’s license, photo ID and vehicle registration renewals; driver-history services; changes of address; driver license and vehicle registration restoration letters; ability to pay driver license or vehicle insurance restoration fee; driver license and photo ID duplicates; and driver exam scheduling. There are no additional fees for using online services. A complete listing of PennDOT driver and photo license center closings in 2021 is available online. Motorists can check conditions on major roadway miles by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.
Wright Center’s Chief Fellow Publishes 100th Scholarly Article The chief fellow for The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Gastroenterology Fellowship recently published the 100th scholarly article during his fellowship, “Scope of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Gastrointestinal Oncology,” in Cancers, a peer-reviewed journal of oncology that is published semimonthly. Dr. Hemant Goyal, a fellow of the American College of Physicians, was invited to review literature that addressed the most current information available about the role of AI in diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal cancers, which cause more than 2.8 million deaths annually worldwide. He and his co-authors labeled the advancements and use of AI in endoscopic procedures as a “significant breakthrough in modern medicine.” The diagnostic accuracy of AI systems has markedly improved in screening, diagnosing and treating various cancers by accurately analyzing diagnostic clinical images, but it needs additional collaboration among physicians. Overall, he has published more than 175 peer-reviewed articles in various national and international scientific journals. Goyal’s research, “Taste Changes (Dysgeusia) in COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Metanalysis,” appeared in the Gastroenterology, the No. 1 scientific journal in the field of gastroenterology. It was the first published meta-analysis that highlighted taste changes as one of COVID-19’s symptoms. Goyal also published, “Hyperlipasemia and Potential Pancreatic Injury Pattern in COVID-19: A Marker of Severity or Innocent Bystander,” in the Gastroenterology. The research highlighted the importance of elevation in lipase levels, which help the human body digest fats, in patients with COVID-19. The International Journal of Colorectal Diseases included his scholarly research article, “Young-Onset Colorectal Cancer: Hospitalization Trends and Gender Disparities in the United State 2010-14.” It showed that white females between 41-50 years of age with colorectal cancer have higher hospitalization rates. The abstract earned first place at the 2019 Pennsylvania Society of Gastroenterology meeting. Goyal, a gastroenterologist-in-training and doctor of internal medicine, accepts adult patients at The Wright Center for Community Health’s Mid Valley Practice, 5 S. Washington Ave., Jermyn, for treatment of Hepatitis C. The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Institutional Review Board-approves research studies, systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Overall, The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education has had 75 scholarly abstracts written on a wide array of topics in medicine accepted for presentation at professional conferences since the beginning of the 2021-22 academic year. For more information about The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, go to www.thewrightcenter.org or call 570-343-2383.
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Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Continues Their Annual Holiday Wish Program Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) District 4 continued its annual Holiday Wish Program this year even during the COVID pandemic. Santa arrived on a PennDOT dump truck to bring gifts to 61 children from the Head Start Program in Lackawanna County. PennDOT employees also provided a gift to 47 people, including children and adults from the Domestic Violence Service Center in Luzerne County and three angels from the Lackawanna County Adopt an Angel Program. PennDOT has been running this program since 2010. The funds for the gifts come from the generosity of the PennDOT’s District 4 employees.
Meals on Wheels Community Services of NEPA Receives Pet Food Donation Meals on Wheels of NEPA received a donation of Pet Food from Minooka Subaru. Minooka Subaru filled a Subaru Crosstrek with donated food supplies. The pet food donation supports the Treasured Friends Pet Food program which delivers pet food and supplies to participating clients. This helps keep a cherished pet with their companion and reduces food sharing by clients with their pets. Meals on Wheels of NEPA is participating in the 2021 Subaru Share the Love Event as a member of Meals on Wheels America – one of four national Share the Love charitable partners supported through the campaign. From November 18, 2021, through January 3, 2022, Subaru of America will donate $250 for every new Subaru vehicle purchased or leased to the customer’s choice of participating charities. By purchasing or leasing a new Subaru during the Subaru Share the Love Event and selecting Meals on Wheels as your charity of choice, you can help deliver nutritious meals and other important services to seniors right here in NEPA. The core programming of Meals on Wheels Community Services of NEPA is the Home Delivered Meals program, which serves elderly adults and adults with disabilities in our community. Individuals whose life circumstances make it difficult or impossible for them to prepare needed nourishment receive a hot meal delivered to them by volunteers and caring staff. In addition to keeping the senior well-nourished, Meals on Wheels often provides the only human contact many homebound individuals experience each day. Meals on Wheels of NEPA has been in existence since 1969, and to date, has served over 5 million meals.
State Funding Enables Wright Center to Expand COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts The Wright Center for Community Health recently was awarded $75,000 in state funding to encourage hesitant residents in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The new grant funding is part of the state’s $2.5 million COVID-19 Vaccine Outreach Program that supports grassroots efforts to reduce vaccine hesitancy across the commonwealth. The program, administered by the state Department of Community and Economic Development, builds upon the ongoing statewide public health awareness campaign, PA United Against COVID-19. “The Wright Center is extremely grateful for the complete support the state has exhibited in providing us the necessary tools to get as many COVID-19 shots into the arms of our patients,” said Dr. Jignesh Y. Sheth, chief medical officer of The Wright Center for Community Health. “The COVID-19 vaccines have undergone and will continue to undergo the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. medical history. “Vaccinations are an effective way to protect yourself, your loved ones and others in the community and reduce the risk of severe disease, hospitalization or long-term complications.” The state funding supports efforts by nonprofit organizations, and child care and educational institutions to communicate the efficacy and importance of vaccinations through local media advertisements, and creation of training materials, vaccine-related community events and more. “The Department of Health remains committed to eliminating obstacles and challenges that prevent Pennsylvanians from getting vaccinated,” Physician General Dr. Denise Johnson said in a press release announcing the 65 grant recipients. “I am impressed by the tens of thousands of Pennsylvanians who are stepping up every day to get their first, second or third dose of vaccine to protect themselves, their loved ones and their neighbors against COVID-19. With the grant funding, The Wright Center for Community Health will build upon its existing Driving Better Health program in the Hazleton area that delivers COVID-19 vaccines to members of the Hispanic community with the 34-foot mobile medical unit. The collaborative program involves the Hazleton Integration Project, Hazleton Area School District and community leaders reaching vulnerable, underserved populations in southern Luzerne County. The Wright Center also will build vaccine confidence through outreach and community engagement that overcomes structural, behavioral and informational barriers, including education, rural residency that limits access to health care, people who speak limited English, individuals with low incomes and other under-resourced communities. The mobile medical unit enables clinical staff to establish community clinics and see patients where they live and work thanks to community collaborations that include schools, rural partners, community organizations and ethnic groups. The grant will enable The Wright Center for Community Health’s Driving Better Health to conduct up to 36 outreach events in the coverage area over 12 months. For more information about The Wright Center for Community Health, call 570.343.2383 or go to TheWrightCenter.org.
PennDOT Driver License, Photo Centers Closed for Christmas Holiday The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) today announced that all driver license and photo centers, including the Riverfront Office Center in Harrisburg, will be closed Saturday, December 25, in observance of the Christmas holiday. Additionally, the Pittsburgh Driver License Center and all services at the Riverfront Office Center in Harrisburg will be closed Friday, December 24. Customers may still obtain a variety of driver and vehicle products and services, including all forms, publications and driver training manuals, online through PennDOT’s Driver and Vehicle Services website, www.dmv.pa.gov. Driver and vehicle online services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and include driver’s license, photo ID and vehicle registration renewals; driver-history services; changes of address; driver license and vehicle registration restoration letters; ability to pay driver license or vehicle insurance restoration fee; driver license and photo ID duplicates; and driver exam scheduling. There are no additional fees for using online services. A complete listing of PennDOT driver and photo license center closings in 2021 is available online. Motorists can check conditions on major roadway miles by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.
FNCB Bank Donates Scholarship Funds to Saint Dominic’s Academy FNCB Bank, locally based since 1910, has announced a $7,500 Pennsylvania Education Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) donation to Saint Dominic’s Academy in Honesdale. The donation will help provide tuition assistance to families of currently enrolled children, and those enrolling at Saint Dominic’s Academy. Since 2010, FNCB has contributed just under $2,500,000 to local educational and scholarship organizations through the EITC initiative. The support of Saint Dominic’s Academy is part of FNCB’s larger Community Caring initiative. As a true, local community bank, FNCB Bank is making a difference through volunteerism, donations and outreach programs.