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WILKES-BARRE — So far this year, roughly 2,100 roadway miles were paved and PennDOT has put out contracts to preserve, repair, and replace more than 450 state-owned bridges and 18 locally owned bridges, plus completed 20 bridge projects with department forces.
The announcement was made in conjunction with an event that PennDOT Secretary Leslie S. Richards held discussing the department’s progress with a portion of the 12.5 miles of Interstate 76 that were recently paved in the background.
“Our transportation network is critical to moving goods and people, and we’re committed to continued quality and safety enhancements through our work and partnerships with the private sector,” Gov. Tom Wolf said in a news release. “We’re putting our resources to work across the state, in rural and urban communities alike. I promised my administration would deliver a government that works and PennDOT is making good on that.”
During her media event, Richards noted PennDOT has put out 588 total project contracts worth nearly $1.9 billion so far this year. Richards also noted that Wolf announced the department’s Road Maintenance and Preservation, or Road MaP, initiative earlier this year which adds additional investments in roadway maintenance, especially on lower-traffic roadways, as well as the interstate system.
The Road MaP investments will build on the department’s investments across the state. Of the miles paved so far this year, more than 100 were on interstates and more than 960 were on lower-traffic roadways with fewer than 2,000 vehicles daily.
For more information on projects occurring or being bid this year, visit www.projects.penndot.gov.
New apprenticeship
program for CNAs
State Department of Labor & Industry Deputy Secretary for Workforce Development Eileen Cipriani this week announced approval of the Certified Nursing Assistant in a Home Care Setting (CNA/HCS) apprenticeship to assist individuals with disabilities by providing competent personal care.
The program is a partnership between TRPIL Community Services, the Fayette County Career and Technical Institute and SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania.
“The Wolf Administration supports the growth and expansion of apprenticeship programs as a tool to create a pool of high-skilled, qualified talent for employers,” Cipriani said in a news release.
The Wolf Administration established the Apprenticeship and Training Office last year to support and expand apprenticeships. Programs registered through the office provide employer-driven training to create a more productive, diverse, highly skilled workforce for employers and to help reduce employee turnover. Job seekers receive increased skills, and a nationally recognized credential to support future career advancement and increased wages.
Since the office was created, 2,606 new apprentices and 77 new registered apprenticeship occupations statewide have been created.
“Direct care workers of any kind are the hands, the voice, and the face of long-term care for many older Pennsylvanians and persons with disabilities who rely upon this particular workforce in order to live and age well in their homes and communities,” said Secretary of Aging Teresa Osborne.
Barletta votes for tough
measures on Iran, Hezbollah
The U.S. House of Representatives this week voted to pass H.R. 1698, the Iran Missile Program Sanctions Act, to apply sanctions against Iran’s acquisition of missile technology.
The measure, joining a package of three other related bills which passed the House, aims to counter the continued destabilizing actions by Hezbollah and Iran. This comes in the wake of the Trump Administration’s steps to de-certify the Iran deal Oct. 13.
“The House acted forcefully to align with President Trump’s new Iran strategy,” said Barletta, R-Hazleton, in a news release. “Appeasement of the Iranian regime and their terrorist proxies is over. America needs to respond forcefully in the face of terror and the actions taken today are important steps in that direction.”
Barletta said the bills show a broad new strategy of applying sanctions on Iran’s ability to access ballistic missile markets and applies new sanctions against international support for Hezbollah. Hezbollah is a Shiite Muslim political and military organization based in Lebanon that the State Department considers a terrorist organization. Barletta believes the group received support from the Shiite government of Iran.
Barletta went on to say the Iranian regime has a notorious history of funding terrorism around the world, as well as providing material aid to the North Korean regime in their development of nuclear weapon technology. He said reports have also pointed to significant Iranian involvement in the Iraq War, leading to the deaths of thousands of American soldiers.
New Lottery initiative
involves virtual games
Gov. Tom Wolf this week announced that he is taking action to stabilize the Lottery Fund, which supports important senior programs, by authorizing the Pennsylvania Lottery to offer virtual sports games at Lottery retailers, including bars and taverns.
Wolf said the Pennsylvania Lottery provided more than $1 billion last year for older Pennsylvanians, assisting with property tax and rent rebates, transportation, care services, prescription assistance and local services such as senior centers and meals. However, the governor said intense competition is straining Lottery profits as seniors are increasingly relying on these programs.
Wolf said the Pennsylvania Lottery will offer virtual sports, which are draw-based, animated games permitted by the Lottery Law that players watch on a monitor. The games look like a sporting event, such as football, car racing, boxing and more, but are not actual matches or teams. The winner is selected at random, similar to the Lottery’s computerized midday drawings.
For example, a virtual car race would have various cars that represent numbers. Players select a car and watch the simulated race. If their car wins or places, they win a prize.
Projections show this could add as much as $75 million for senior programs to the Lottery Fund over the next five years. These virtual sports games are successful in other states and countries, and usually have drawings every five to 10 minutes.
Participating retailers will receive a 5 percent commission, the same amount earned on other types of Lottery games.