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Follow Sen. Argall on Twitter for Senate happenings –
@SenatorArgall
In this Email Update:
August edition of Argall Report features behind-the-scenes tour of Dieffenbach’s Kettle Chips in WomelsdorfMy latest television program, The Argall Report, takes viewers on a tour of Dieffenbach’s Kettle Chips factory in Berks County. Dieffenbach’s Kettle Chips was started over 50 years ago by Mark Dieffenbach, a local dairy farmer who started experimenting with kettle chips at a friend’s butcher shop. The demand picked up to the point where he sold the dairy cows and started his potato chip company in a garage where their current facility is located. The third generation company continues to grow its presence both locally and internationally.
For more information about my tour, please click here. To learn more about Dieffenbach’s products, please click here. The program will air on:
Saint Michael’s Church celebrates 250th anniversaryOver the weekend, I joined Representative Jerry Knowles and Congressman Charlie Dent to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Saint Michael's Church in Tilden Township. I began my remarks in German, which is the language the founders of the church used back in 1766…their grammar was probably much better than mine since my last German class was in 1979.
Along with Rep. Knowles (back center) and Congressman Dent (back right), I was honored to present a citation from the Senate of Pennsylvania to John Rapp, who is the son of former Pastor David Rapp (front left), and Pastor Paul Buzzard (front right), congratulating the church for reaching such a historic milestone. Congratulations to all! PPL Electric Utility customers: Beware of sophisticated phone scamIf you are a customer of PPL Electric Utilities, I want to relay information the company shared with me regarding a sophisticated phone same in which calls appear to come from the utility and mimic the company’s call center. Jessica Long, the company’s regional affairs director, said that customers are being called and told their account is delinquent and they need to make an immediate payment or their electricity will be shut off. Most cases involve customers being told they must pay with prepaid debit cards. Jessica said one event involved a scammer who walked into a place of business and demanded money from the owner or else service would be shut off. Fortunately, the scammer was unsuccessful, but the case highlights the great lengths these thieves will go to defraud you and/or your business. The bogus number that customers are being told to call is 855-625-7634 and/or 844-255-4708. In some cases, the bogus number has been set up to look like it is from PPL. You can read more about this issue, including important tips and information to avoid scams, here Saturday morning meeting highlights opioid epidemic in regionCoordinated Health Surgeon Dr. Tom Meade recently hosted a community forum regarding the opioid epidemic in the Lehigh Valley. The event featured several speakers who addressed key topics, including the scope of the epidemic, the relationship between sports-related injuries and opioid addiction, the problem in our schools, and what the federal and state governments are doing to address this critical issue. I appreciate Dr. Meade for inviting me to speak about Pennsylvania’s response to this growing problem plaguing our communities. According to a report in 2015 from Trust for America’s Health, Pennsylvania leads other states in the country for drug overdose deaths among young adult men and ranks 9th for highest rate of overdose fatalities. The most heartrending testimonies shared at last Saturday’s event were from the parents of addicts. My thoughts and prayers go out to them as they continue their battle to free their children from addiction.
The State Coroners Association released a report earlier this week that drug overdose deaths in Pennsylvania increased 30 percent in 2015. The association believes that initial data for 2016 show this problem is continuing to rise. I am committed to fighting this problem at the state level. Community forums, like the event last Saturday, are vital to continue the dialogue to let individuals know what is available. More importantly, based on the stories shared last week, these events serve as a reminder that no one is immune to this problem and the more individuals committed to fighting this epidemic, the better! Ribbon-cutting, open house held for senior housing in OrwigsburgOn Thursday, an open house was held at Independence Square Senior Housing in Orwigsburg following a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The housing unit sits at the former Fessler USA building at 216 W. Independence Street. The state and local team effort involved private-sector funds, tax credits and loans to bring the project to reality. The senior housing unit contains 20 apartments – 13 of which are one-bedroom units and seven are two-bedrooms. Residents must be 62 years of age or older. All of the apartments are already rented out.
Congratulations to a job well done! Read more about the project in Friday’s Republican Herald here. Interested in a career in law enforcement? Attend “Get to Know Us Day” in Reading on SaturdayThe Pennsylvania State Police, the Berks County Sheriff’s Department and other emergency personnel are hosting a meet and greet for local residents. The event will take place on Saturday, August 13 from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Olivet Boys’ & Girls’ Club, 1161 Pershing Boulevard, Reading, PA 19611. The event will allow residents to interact and ask questions about State Police recruitment and careers in law enforcement. The State Police will also be providing car seat checks to ensure the seats are installed properly. The Berks County Sheriff’s Department will provide child identification cards as well. This is a free event. If you have any further questions, please call Trooper Richards at 610-378-4382. PennDOT announces start of improvement project for Schuylkill County intersectionEarlier this week, PennDOT announced that they are starting work to improve the western intersection of US 209 and PA 901 in Branch and Norwegian townships. The project will put signals at the intersection, including a protected left turn arrow from US 209 South/PA 901 West to US 209 South. The project also includes a new right turn lane from US 209 North to US 209 North/PA 901 East as well as milling and paving the intersection. The project will also make drainage improvements, new signs, paint and a guiderail. Work is anticipated to be completed by May 2017. Please be careful when driving through that area. Learn more at www.511PA.com. | |||
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