PennDOT Extends Expiration Dates on Commercial Driver Licenses, Commercial Learner’s Permits The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced today that expiration dates for commercial driver licenses and commercial learner’s permits will be extended for Pennsylvania residents in response to statewide COVID-19 mitigation efforts. The following products’ expiration dates will be extended: The expiration date for a commercial learner’s permit scheduled to expire from March 16, 2020, through February 22, 2021, is extended through February 22, 2021.The expiration date for commercial driver licenses scheduled to expire from March 16, 2020, through February 22, 2021, is extended through February 22, 2021. Expiration extension deadlines on non-commercial driver license, photo identification cards, learner’s permits and camera cards ended on August 31, 2020. For a list of open driver license and photo license centers and the services provided, as well as their hours of operation, please visit www.dmv.pa.gov. Customers may continue to complete various transactions and access multiple resources online at 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 schedule a driver’s exam. There are no additional fees for using online services. PennDOT will continue to evaluate these processes and will communicate any changes with the public. Additional COVID-19 information is available at www.health.pa.gov. For more information, visit www.dmv.pa.gov or www.PennDOT.gov.
Geisinger Announces Top Baby Names for 2020 Welcome to the world, Ava and Liam, Geisinger’s most popular baby names of the eventful year, 2020! Liam climbed up one spot from last year and beat Noah to the No. 1 spot for boys, while Ava jumped over Emma, Olivia, Harper, Charlotte and Amelia to take the No. 1 spot for girls. Geisinger welcomed 4,945 babies in 2020 (as of Dec. 21, 2020) and has tabulated the most popular names. Babies are delivered at five Geisinger hospitals in Pennsylvania, including Geisinger Medical Center; Geisinger Community Medical Center; Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center; Geisinger Bloomsburg Hospital and Geisinger Lewistown Hospital.The top 10 baby names across all of Geisinger’s hospitals in Pennsylvania are: Girls:1. Ave2.Sophia3. Emma4. Harper5. Olivia6. Evelyn7. Aurora8. Amelia9. Charlotte10. Isabella Boys:1. Liam2. Mason3. Noah4. Owen5. Oliver6. Lucas7. Wyatt8. Jackson9. Carson10. Carter Below are some of the top names at individual Geisinger hospitals: Geisinger Medical Center, Danville – 1,821 babies Girls:1. Emma2. Harper3. Charlotte4. Riley5. IsabellaBoys:1. Liam2. Oliver3. Owen4. Noah5. Mason Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center, Wilkes-Barre – 1,749 babiesGirls:1. Ava2. Sophia3. Madison4. Ella5. Luna6. HarperBoys:1. Liam2. Noah3. Ethan4. Jacob5. Wyatt6. Lucas Geisinger Bloomsburg Hospital, Bloomsburg – 406 babiesGirls:1. Evelyn2. Harper3. Aurora4. Paisley5. PiperBoys:1. Mason2. Lincoln3. Benjamin4. Grayson5. Carson Geisinger Lewistown Hospital, Lewistown – 496 babiesGirls:1. Lilian2. Anna3. Ellie4.Paisley5. PiperBoys:1. Owen2. Mason3. Carter4. Layne5. William Geisinger Community Medical Center, Scranton – 473 babiesGirls:1. Aurora2. Alice3. Noelle4. Abigail5. MelanieBoys:1. Noah2. Oliver3. William4. Jackson5. Luca These results combine different spelling variations of the same name. For example, the ranking for Liam includes variations like Liamm, and Oliver includes variations such as Olliver.At Geisinger, obstetrician/gynecologists and certified nurse-midwives work together to comfort and care for mothers-to-be and their babies, and expectant moms can tailor their birth plans according to their preferences. Midwives facilitate natural birth plans, and OB/GYNs will be on duty at all hours to intervene when needed. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic contributed toward the change in the way families made decisions in 2020. “Most people are largely still afraid of becoming pregnant during this pandemic,” said Dr. J. Manuel Arreguin, chief of obstetrics and gynecology in Geisinger’s northeast region. “There’s so much that we are still learning from this virus. Unfortunately, there’s lots of misinformation, too, that dissuades our families from concluding that this is the right time to have more children.” With locations throughout central, northeast and western Pennsylvania, Geisinger’s pregnancy and childbirth team provides comprehensive care for moms and little ones. Visit geisinger.org/PregnancyHub to find out more.
Marywood University Offers Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Certificate Program Marywood University’s Office of Institutional Equity and Inclusion (OEI) recently announced that it will offer a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Certificate Program for staff and faculty members. The DEI Certificate Program is a cohort model designed to increase the level of awareness, understanding, and action for equity by creating an inclusive community that reinforces the University’s core values and mission. Attendees of the DEI Certificate Program will attend at least five DEI workshops and/or events, submit a diversity statement, present a reflective portfolio/e-portfolio; and participate in an Intercultural Development Inventory Assessment. The program will be offered in the fall and spring semesters beginning the week of January 18, 2021, with competition of the certificate to occur one calendar year from the chosen start. Continuing education and ACT 48 credits are available where applicable. DEI represents a healthy campus climate at Marywood that proactively prepares students for the global marketplace and faculty and staff to be leaders for inclusive excellence. The overarching goal of this certificate is to foster active engagement of Marywood’s faculty and staff with its student body and to promote an environment of opportunity and success for all members on campus. Participants who obtain the certificate will gain the competencies necessary to enact systemic change at Marywood and in higher education. For additional information about Marywood University’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Certificate Program, please contact Yerodin Lucas, Ph.D., director of the office of institutional equity and inclusion and Title IX coordinator, at ylucas@marywood.edu.
Application Deadline for EIDL Extended The SBA recently announced that the deadline to apply for a COVID-19 pandemic Economic Injury Disaster Loan has been extended to December 31, 2021. To date, SBA has approved $197 billion in low-interest loans, which provide U.S. small businesses, non-profits, and agricultural businesses working capital funds. Economic Injury Disaster Loan applications will continue to be accepted through December 2021, pending the availability of funds. Loans are offered at affordable terms, including a 3.75% interest rate for small businesses and 2.75% for non-profit organizations, a 30-year maturity, and an automatic deferment of one year before monthly payments begin. All eligible small businesses and nonprofits are encouraged to apply. Learn more and apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan
