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September 2018

Dear Friend,

I am pleased to present my electronic newsletter. These e-newsletters enable me to provide information about issues, events and activities in Harrisburg and around the 49th Senatorial District to you in a timely manner while saving postage costs.

If you find this e-newsletter useful, I invite you to visit my website www.senatorlaughlin.com for more information about your state government. If you do not wish to receive these e-newsletters, please click the “unsubscribe” button at the bottom of the page.

Sincerely,

Dan

Schools Can Now Apply for New School Safety Grant Program

Local schools can now submit applications for the new School Safety and Security Grant Program. The program will provide grants of at least $25,000 to help schools create school safety programs, hire and train personnel or purchase security equipment to help provide a safer learning environment for students.

A total of $52.5 million will be distributed through the new grant program, which is open to all Pennsylvania school districts, intermediate units, area vocational-technical schools, charter schools and private residential rehabilitative institutions.

Eligible uses for the grants include hiring school security officers, purchasing security-related technology, completing safety and security assessments, implementing violence prevention curricula, offering counseling services for students, and other programs and services to protect students.

School entities must complete and submit an application for the program by October 12 in order to be considered for a grant. Additional information on the program is available online at www.pccd.pa.gov under the School Safety and Security heading.

The new program was created as part of a comprehensive, school-safety bill that was signed into law in June. More information on school safety measures under consideration in the General Assembly is available online at https://www.pasenategop.com/school-safety/.

State Police Investigate Fewer Crashes over Labor Day Holiday

Fewer crashes were investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police over the 2018 Labor Day holiday weekend, Aug. 31 through Sept. 3, compared to the same period last year.

Troopers investigated 722 crashes over the 2018 holiday weekend, which marks a decrease from the 794 investigated during Labor Day weekend last year. Six people were killed and 224 others were injured this year.

Troopers issued 13,041 speeding citations and arrested 660 drivers for driving under the influence. Of the 722 crashes investigated by PSP, 80 of were alcohol-related. Alcohol was a factor in three of the six fatal crashes.

State Police cited 929 individuals for not wearing seat belts over the weekend and issued citations to 194 motorists for not securing children in safety seats.

The statistics cover only those crashes investigated by state police and do not include statistics on incidents to which other law enforcement agencies in Pennsylvania responded.

Student Artwork Sought for Spotted Lanternfly Calendar

In an effort to continue to raise awareness about the threat of the Spotted Lanternfly, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture is holding a 2018 calendar contest for students in grades 1 through 8.

Entries should include: one fact about Spotted Lanternfly; original artwork created by the student (no copies will be accepted), and an 11-inch by 17-inch poster, horizontally oriented.

The Spotted Lanternfly is an inch-long, black, red, and white spotted insect native to Southeast Asia and first identified in Pennsylvania in 2014. The invasive insect feeds on agricultural goods produced in the state, such as apples, grapes, hops, and hardwoods.

Entries will be judged in four divisions: first and second grade; third and fourth grade; fifth and sixth grade; seventh and eighth grade. The top three winning entries per division will be featured in a calendar, and the grand prize winner will appear on the cover.

The grand prize winner will be announced during the 2019 Farm Show.

Artwork should be sent to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Press Office, Room 210. 2301 N. Cameron Street Harrisburg, PA 17110. All submissions must be postmarked by October 31, 2018.

For more information about Spotted Lanternfly, visit www.agriculture.pa.gov/spottedlanternfly.

State Police Announce 2017 DUI Arrest Totals

The State Police made 19,963 driving-under-the-influence (DUI) arrests in 2017, which reflects a 1 percent increase from the total number of DUI arrests (19,518) in 2016.

Troopers investigated 5,180 DUI-related crashes in 2017, up from 4,520 the previous year. These statistics do not include information from other law enforcement agencies in Pennsylvania. A complete list of 2017 State Police DUI arrest totals, DUI crash investigations, and drug influence evaluations broken down by troop is available here.

A driver may be arrested for DUI if they are impaired by any substance, including alcohol, prescription or over-the-counter medication, and/or illicit drugs.

Farmers Market Nutrition Program Vouchers Now Available

Now through November, low-income seniors and eligible participants in the Women Infants and Children (WIC) program can receive vouchers to purchase Pennsylvania-grown fruits, vegetables, and fresh-cut herbs from approved farm markets and farm stands across the Commonwealth.

Eligible seniors — at least 60 years old with incomes that do not exceed $22,459 per-year for a single person or $30,451 for a household of two — can contact their local Area Agency on Aging for information on the program and times and locations of voucher distributions. Women and children ages 1 – 4 who are participating in WIC are eligible to receive vouchers at their quarterly WIC clinic visits.

Participating markets can be found at www.pafmnp.com. Participants may redeem vouchers through November 30.        

2018-19 Hunting Pocket Guide Now Available Online

The 2018-19 hunting and trapping pocket guide is now available online on the 2018-19 Hunting and Trapping Digest homepage at www.pgc.pa.gov. The pocket guide can be printed at home on 8 ½-inch by 14-inch (legal) paper. Pocket guides also are available at the Game Commission’s headquarters and regional offices.

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