February 6, 2021 4:52 am
Governor Tom Wolf signed Senate Bill 109 into law on Friday. The bill allocates $145 million to help support businesses suffering from the Covid-19 pandemic. The Wolf administration authorized a transfer of $145 million from the Workers Compensation Security Fund at the Pennsylvania Insurance Department to the General Fund so that money could be appropriated by state legislature to aid businesses. The bill also addresses funding for rental and utility assistance to Pennsylvania residents to keep them in their homes.
February 6, 2021 4:27 am
The Washington School District’s Pandemic Team voted unanimously on Friday to have all hybrid students at Washington Park Elementary move to a 4-day in- school schedule of Monday through Thursday, beginning Monday, February 8th. Hybrid students in grades 3 through 6 will join the kindergarten through second grade who already had returned to a 4-day schedule. Fridays will still be virtual. At Washington Jr./Sr. High School, 7th and 8th grade students and seniors attending the current hybrid schedule will also return to a 4-day in-school learning schedule on Monday, February 8th. The district’s Pandemic Team will meet next week to review moving Grades 9-11 to a 4 day in-school schedule on Monday, February 15th. School officials say their decisions are being reviewed weekly based on a multitude of factors including the number of positive COVID-19 cases in the buildings. Superintendent Dr. Konrad said, “We are extremely happy to welcome our students back to school for in-person learning. Our Pandemic Team continues to meet and discuss ways to keep our students and staff safe and monitor the progress of our decisions.”
February 6, 2021 2:27 am
Animal abuse activists and rescuers now have a method to recoup some of their spending in those efforts to save abused animals. The Washington Abused Animal Relief Fund (WAARF) has been developed in Washington County by animal activist and organization president, Faith Bjalobok, Ph.D. Washington County Treasurer Tom Flickinger also sits on the board of directors and is instrumental in the operation of the 501c3 non-profit. Bjalobok states that only rescue animals of any type are eligible for medical reimbursement after the first $500 spent. Private individuals who rescue animals and police and fire departments and rescue shelters qualify for funding. Flickinger states that the Treasurer’s office is the entity that collects annual dog license monies. His office will include a solicitation that dog owners can fill out and send a separate check to donate to WAARF. Bjalobok says she also will be seeking grants to fund the project. Donations from the public are also welcome. The program is in its infancy. Donations to the fund can be made to WAARF, at the Treasurers office 100 West Beau St. Suite 102D Washington, PA 15301.
February 5, 2021 1:54 pm
NEW YORK (AP) -Christopher Plummer, the dashing award-winning actor who played Captain von Trapp in the film “The Sound of Music” and at 82 became the oldest Academy Award winner in history, has died. He was 91. Plummer enjoyed varied roles ranging from the film “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” to the voice of the villain in 2009’s “Up” and as a canny lawyer in Broadway’s “Inherit the Wind.” But it was opposite Julie Andrews as von Trapp that made him a star. He was given Canada’s highest civilian honor when he was invested as Companion of the Order of Canada in 1968.
February 5, 2021 9:53 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S employers added just 49,000 jobs in January, a sign that that the viral pandemic retains a tight grip on the economy nearly a year after it triggered a painful recession. The drop follows a decline of 227,000 jobs in December, the first loss since April. The unemployment rate for January fell sharply to 6.3%, the Labor Department said Friday. About half the drop occurred because some of those out of work found jobs, while others stopped looking for work and were no longer counted as unemployed.
February 5, 2021 7:37 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate has approved a budget bill that’s a key step toward fast-track passage of President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan without support from Republicans. Vice President Kamala Harris was in the chair to cast the tie-breaking vote, her first. Democrats in the chamber applauded after Harris announced the 51-50 vote at around 5:30 a.m. Friday The action came after a grueling all-night session, where senators voted on amendments that could define the contours of the eventual COVID-19 aid bill. The budget now returns to the House, where it will have to be approved again due to the changes made by the Senate.
February 5, 2021 4:17 am
Biden administration officials are weighing sending masks to every American as they hope to nudge individuals to do their part in lowering coronavirus transmission rates. White House chief of staff Ron Klain said in an interview with NBC News that administration officials are looking at using mask supplies that the government already has in its stockpile. Klain said the administration hopes to make an announcement on a potential move “in the next few days or next week.” Biden has pleaded for Americans to wear masks during the first 100 days of his administration.
February 5, 2021 4:14 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – A fiercely divided House has tossed Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene off both her committees. It was an unprecedented punishment for the chamber and it reflected Democrats’ outrage at the hateful and violent conspiracy theories she has helped spread. Nearly all Republicans voted against the Democratic move, but none of them defended her lengthy history of outrageous social media posts. That illustrated the ticklish political spot Greene put her party in, forcing them to declare whether they should punish or condone a lawmaker who is a close ally of former President Donald Trump.
February 5, 2021 4:11 am
Johnson & Johnson has asked U.S. regulators to clear the world’s first single-dose COVID-19 vaccine, an easier-to-use option that could boost scarce supplies. Preliminary results from a massive study showed J&J’s vaccine was safe and offered strong protection against moderate to severe COVID-19. It didn’t appear quite as strong as two-dose competitors made by Pfizer and Moderna. Johnson & Johnson filed an application with the Food and Drug Administration on Thursday. An FDA panel will meet later this month and pore over the results. The company also is studying a two-dose version of its vaccine, but results won’t be available for several more months.
February 5, 2021 4:10 am
President Joe Biden is scheduled to travel to Delaware over the weekend, his first out-of-town trip since taking office. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that Americans forgo travel as the coronavirus pandemic rages. Biden, who has a home outside Wilmington, Delaware, has made getting the pandemic under control the central focus of the early weeks of his presidency. The White House announced Biden’s plans for travel Thursday evening. It did not immediately respond to a request for comment about why the president was traveling. The CDC current guidance recommends that “you do not travel at this time.”
