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In this Update:
Polish Memorial Honors Scouts
I visited Poland last week to see my niece’s husband, who is stationed there with the U.S. Army. I found this memorial in honor of Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts who joined the Warsaw Uprising against the Nazis in 1944 very meaningful, since Poland commemorated their Armed Forces Day yesterday. Scouts carried messages for the rebels while some of the older boys and girls participated in the fighting and worked as nurses. The bravery of these young people in the face of a violent dictatorship should never be forgotten. IGNITE Schuylkill Lifts Up Local Entrepreneurs
Congratulations to Angela and Josiah Meck, owners of The Farm Store, on winning the grand prize at this year’s first-ever IGNITE Schuylkill competition! Created by the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce, IGNITE Schuylkill gave local entrepreneurs the chance to learn about how to grow their business and compete for funding. During last week’s event at the Orwigsburg Veterans Memorial Community Hall, four finalists – including Angela and Josiah Meck, The Farm Store; Hannah Corbacio and Nick Hair, the Rosalia Hotel; James Metsopulos, HomeBox; and Lexis Brownstein, The Villa – pitched their business ideas to the IGNITE judges for a chance to win $100,000 in startup capital. I worked to secure $25,000 in state funding to support this idea, which will help breathe new life into communities throughout our area by assisting motivated entrepreneurs. The Farm Store is a new farm-to-table grocery store in Pottsville that will provide the community with fresh food sourced from local farms. There has been no grocery store in downtown Pottsville since the Giant closed in 2020, so this is a big deal for city residents. They will be using their funding to renovate their site on East Norwegian Street and begin purchasing inventory and plan to open in the coming months. Keeping School Safe and Secure
When I chaired ten public roundtables in 2018 across Pennsylvania on school safety after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, we heard from students, parents, and educators that we needed to do more to protect our public and nonpublic schools. Since then, we’ve invested hundreds of millions of dollars into safer, far more secure schools, but we must do more – NOTHING is more important than protecting our children. Almost $120 million in state school safety funding for public and nonpublic schools will be awarded to meet both physical security and behavioral health needs later this year. This funding was allocated through the bipartisan 2024-25 state budget. Eligible applicants can find information about each of these grant programs, including eligibility criteria and application instructions, on PCCD’s School Safety and Security webpage. PCCD staff will also host informational webinars and provide other resources to assist school entities and eligible applicants. Will Antisemitism Resurface on College Campuses?
College students in Pennsylvania are concerned that antisemitic protests will continue when they return to campus in a few short weeks. During a public hearing I chaired of the Senate Education Committee last month, students from Penn, Pitt, and Penn State all spoke about feeling alienated and threatened on campus solely because of their ethnicity and faith – which should NEVER happen in our country. I spoke to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review this week about the most important takeaway from the hearing: colleges and universities must enforce their policies in place to protect their students. Read the full article here. Congrats to New Eagle Scouts!
Congratulations to Conner Czarick of Troop 600, Llewellyn and Jay Byron Arner of Troop 777, Tamaqua on achieving the rank of Eagle Scout! Their fellow scouts, family and friends celebrated their Eagle Scout Courts of Honor this past weekend. Conner has been a scout since 2018. For his service project, he constructed a food preparation station for the Jefferson Grange Lodge #1384 to be used at their stand at the Schuylkill County Fair. Rep. Tim Twardzik and Seth Hubler from my staff were on hand to congratulate Conner for his hard work and service to the community. Seth was a scout in Troop 600 and achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in 2018. He now serves as an Assistant Scoutmaster and led Saturday’s ceremony. Jay cleaned eight hundred tombstones at a local cemetery and made a cemetery index and a book about the history of Nesquehoning for his service project. Rep. Doyle Heffley congratulated him on my behalf on Sunday. Ripa Jewelers Celebrates 75th Anniversary
Ripa Jewelers in Hazleton is celebrating their 75th anniversary! Three generations of the Ripa family, including owner Jacob Ripa, III and his son Anthony, have proudly worked to make this business a staple in the Greater Hazleton area. Rep. Dane Watro and I visited their location in the Laurel Mall to congratulate them on their many years of success. Thank You, Jonathan!
Today is Jonathan Ulicny’s final day as my summer intern in my Mahanoy City office. He will now be returning to Susquehanna University for his sophomore year. Since May, he has worked with constituents in my Mahanoy City office, assisting them with recovering thousands of dollars of unclaimed property and much more. He has also traveled with me to many events in Schuylkill, Carbon, and Luzerne counties. In this photo, we met in Hazleton with former Major League Baseball Manager Joe Maddon and Rep. Watro. I look forward to seeing the amazing things he accomplishes in the future! Subscribe to Receive Text UpdatesMy office will soon begin using SMS text messages to update you about local events I will be hosting in your area. If you are interested in receiving texts from me, subscribe here. You can opt out at any time. Upcoming EventsDo you have concerns about state government? I will be hosting many events to hear directly from you about state and local issues in the coming weeks – NO question is off limits.
Rep. Watro and I will be hosting an “Ice Cream and Conversation” event on Tuesday, August 20 from 5-6 p.m. at the Ringtown Area Senior Center. For more information or to RSVP, call 570-773-0891.
Rep. Twardzik and I will be hosting a “Coffee and Conversation” event on Wednesday, August 21 from 8-9 a.m. at the Cressona Fire Company. For more information or to RSVP, call 570-621-3400.
Is your license plate worn out? You can get it replaced for free at an event I’m hosting with Rep. Watro on Tuesday, August 20 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Hazle Township Commons Building. A local police officer will be on hand to inspect your plate to determine if it qualifies for free replacement. For more information or to RSVP, call 570-773-0891.
Rep. Jamie Barton and I are hosting a seminar for senior citizens about how to avoid the latest scams on Wednesday, August 21 at 11 a.m. at the Orwigsburg Veterans Community Memorial Hall, 300 Grove St. The seminar will be led by a representative from the Senior Protection Unit of the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Information will be provided on how to look out for and avoid scammers posing as banks, caregivers, grandkids, government agencies, and more. RSVPs are required for this event. Call 570-773-0891 to reserve your spot today.
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