Seneca Valley Begins Mandatory Concussion Testing Today

The 'concussion bill' signed by the governor last fall went into effect July 1. What do you think of the new law? Take our poll or leave your opinion in the comment section.

With the Safety in Youth Sports Act, also known at the “concussion bill” signed by Gov. Tom Corbett last fall, Seneca Valley will offer several mandatory concussion testing sessions for student athletes in July and August. The law went into effect July 1. "Some will call this erring on the side of caution,'' Corbett said in a statement. "To that I say, 'you bet.' When it has to do with our young people, with their health and safety, we should take no needless chances.'' The measure requires athletes who may have suffered a head injury to be removed from the activity and does not allow them to return to play until they are medically cleared. It also requires concussion training for coaches annually—and establishes penalties against those …

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Gov. Corbett Defends Sandusky Investigation

The Pennsylvania governor told the Associated Press he "hopes the case helps people recognize that everyone has an obligation to report child sex abuse."

More than four hours after the Freeh report was made public Thursday, Gov. Tom Corbett refused to comment on the matter, but spoke to the Associated Press regarding a former probe conducted partially under his watch during his own tenure as attorney general—defending it. Corbett, who refused to comment on the most recent investigation because he hadn't read it yet, said he hopes the case helps people recognize that everyone has an obligation to report child sex abuse, according to AP as reported by PennLive. In defense of the probe that began under his watch as AG, he told the AP it took "a monster" off the street. Later, he said he will work to ensure that Penn State administrators and trustees implement recommendations contained in the …

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Governor Corbett Signs New PA Budget

The budget was enacted with just minutes to spare from the Saturday midnight deadline.

For the second year in a row, Gov. Tom Corbett beat a midnight deadline and signed a state budget that includes no new taxes.  "Hopefully we're developing a habit, and I think the Pennsylvania citizens will appreciate that habit of on time," Corbett said after the signing ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda. The final $27.66 billion budget package includes several significant victories for the Corbett administration, including a tax incentive aimed at luring a Shell Oil Co. plant to Beaver County, a measure to alter how teachers are evaluated, and a proposal to tame rising prison costs through targeted sentencing, the Post-Gazette reported. The spending plan, approved by the House on Thursday and the Senate late Friday, maintains funding at …

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jane

1:49 am on Friday, August 10, 2012

I am a bit late at getting around to reading this, but I believe this article proves your point exactly: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/24/dorothy-june-hairston-bro_n_1699765.html Philadelphia Charter School Mogul, Charged With Defrauding $6.5 Million In Tax Dollars, spread this far and wide! People need to know what a fraud these schools are and the corrupt politicians pushing for them …   more ›

State Senate Passes 2012-13 Budget

The final version was $500 million higher than Gov. Corbett's proposed budget.

The Pennsylvania Senate passed a nearly $27.66 billion state spending plan by a 32-17 vote late Friday, the Harrisburg Patriot-News is reporting. The budget is $500 million higher than Gov. Tom Corbett's initial proposal, according to the Post-Gazette. Other parts of budget package will still need to be acted on by the state House and Senate. The state House approved the budget on Thursday. The budget still requires action by Gov. Tom Corbett for final approval. The plan requires no increase in taxes or new taxes. It maintains funding at current year levels for public universities and most school districts, but some fiscally struggling districts received a little extra money, the Patriot-News reported. It cuts funding for human services by…

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cc

4:41 pm on Thursday, July 5, 2012

(Part 4) Some districts are implementing mentoring and training programs led by highly trained teachers, and may pay for teachers to take classes in the subject they will be teaching. But in many poor school districts, both urban and rural, schools are facing teacher shortages. "Teaching in high-poverty, high-needs schools is not necessarily an appealing option," Rosen says. Even though many …   more ›

PA House Approves New State Budget

Republicans call spending plan responsible, Democrats decry social service cuts.

The state senate is expected to vote today on a $27.66 billion dollar spending plan that holds the line on taxes for the new fiscal year, which begins Sunday. The house approved the measure by a vote of 120-81 Thursday night, the Post Gazette reported.  The new budget increases spending by less than 2 percent over this year’s budget, the Patriot-News reported. The spending plan maintains current funding for public schools and colleges. However it eliminates the state department of public welfare’s cash assistance program and cuts $84 million, half of what the Governor had proposed cutting, for county-provided human services. The bill also includes a tax break that could exceed $1.7 billion dollars for Royal Dutch Shell PLC’s natural gas “…

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Will State Ban on Bath Salts Prevent Zombie Attacks?

Pennsylvania has banned bath salts, a possible culprit in the gruesome 'Causeway Cannibal' attack in Miami

If you’ve ever seen the film Zombieland (and you should. It’s a pretty rad movie) then you know the character Columbus, played by Jesse Eisenberg, has all kinds of rules in place to survive zombie attacks. The musts include “Beware of bathrooms” and “Check the backseat.” If a sequel to Zombieland is ever made, the film’s writers may want to add, “avoid bath salts” to the list. Pennsylvanians already have. It's been almost a year since Gov. Tom Corbett signed a bill banning bath salts in the state. Authorities blame the substance for some cases of violent and bizarre behavior and speculate that bath salts may be the drug that led a Florida man to attack a homeless man on Miami's busy MacArthur Causeway, strip off his clothes and chew the …

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Letter to the Editor: Gov. Corbett Needs to Raise New Money for Buses, Roads and Bridges

State Rep. Adam Ravenstahl says political fear isn't a good enough reason not to implement revenue-generating ideas that could save bus routes and repair roads and bridges.

A panel handpicked by Gov. Tom Corbett issued a report in August that recommended the state raise $2.7 billion in new revenue to help finance our woefully underfunded mass transit systems and repair our aging roads and bridges.  Since that time, the legislature has waited for the governor to lead on this issue and say which suggestions he would accept from the Transportation Funding Advisory Commission. After all, he has the power of a veto, and no bill will advance without the backing of the governor. We're continuing to wait, and we are seeing the consequences of the governor sitting on his hands. The Allegheny County Port Authority will have a $64 million deficit in the fiscal year that starts July 1. The authority is poised to make …

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Pennsylvania’s New Bike Safety Law Takes Effect Today

The new law mandates motorists give bicyclists a 4-foot 'cushion of safety' when passing.

A law that sets new rules for Pennsylvania motorists to follow when encountering a bicyclist takes effect today. Gov. Tom Corbett signed the law, designed to improve safety and traffic flow, on Feb. 2. It requires motorists to leave a 4-foot “cushion of safety” when passing a bicyclist. To achieve this cushion, drivers may cross a roadway’s center line when passing a bicycle on the left but only when opposing traffic allows. Drivers attempting to turn left must also yield the right of way to bicycle riders traveling in the opposite direction. “The differential in speed is the biggest safety challenge with motor vehicles and bicycles sharing our state’s roadways,” said state Department of Transportation Secretary Barry J. Schoch. “I urge …

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State House Passes Voter ID Bill

The governor is expected to sign the measure, which Rep. Daryl Metcalfe sponsored.

The state House of Representatives has given the green light to legislation that Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, R-Cranberry, sponsored, which will require voters to show photo identification before they vote at the polls. The measure will next hit the desk of Gov. Tom Corbett, who has indicated he plans to sign the bill into law, the Patriot-News reports. “Pennsylvania is now one signature away from implementing a proven, fraud-preventing mechanism to ensure that voters are who they claim to be when exercising their inalienable right to privately cast their vote,” Metcalfe said in a statement. “Authenticating one citizen-one vote ownership by requiring the display of valid photo ID at the polling place is essential to replacing the centuries-old …

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Letters to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: Corbett's Education Cuts 'Devastating'

Elisha Singer urges elected officials to tax corporations, too.

I am writing to urge you not to support Gov. Corbett’s budget as proposed with its devastating and disproportionate cuts in education. I believe education always is valuable to the individuals, the families, the cities, states and the country. Without education, we will not be able to compete with the other countries. Our children will not be able to better themselves or gain solid employment. The advantages that the United States has had, our country’s fortitude and ingenuity are as a result of—not in spite of—the education we provide our children. I urge legislators to find another way to bring costs in line, if that indeed is the problem. If the U.S. Supreme Court has determined (in the ruling of People v. Citizens United) that …

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