BACKYARD BROADCASTING, LOCAL NEWS FEB 2, 2022

NEW BUSINESSES GETTING READY TO OPEN

Loyalsock Township, a Lycoming County municipality, has added, and continues to add, new businesses into 2022, has kept this end of the county bustling. In fact, according to Loyalsock Township Manager Bill Burdett, businesses including Popeyes and Texas Roadhouse as set to soon open on the Golden Strip. These two new businesses are set to join other newcomers to the strip including Crumbl Cookies, Mitchkicks, K Jewelers, and Hobby Lobby, amongst others. Burdett sees the township has simply a great place to work and live and has noted the townships continued work toward maintain a low tax rate. As reported by SUN Gazette, Burdett went on to note that the future is bright for Loyalsock.

VACCINATIONS FOR CHILDREN UNDER 5

Pfizer on Tuesday asked the U.S. to authorize extra-low doses of its COVID-19 vaccine for children under 5, potentially opening the way for the very youngest Americans to start receiving shots as early as March. In an extraordinary move, the Food and Drug Administration had urged Pfizer and its partner BioNTech to apply earlier than the companies had planned — and before it’s settled if the youngsters will need two shots or three. The nation’s 19 million children under 5 are the only group not yet eligible for vaccination against the coronavirus. Many parents have been pushing for an expansion of shots to toddlers and preschoolers, especially as the omicron variant sent record numbers of youngsters to the hospital. Pfizer aims to give children as young as 6 months shots that contain one-tenth of the dose given to adults. The company said it had started submitting its data to the FDA and expects to complete the process in a few days.

COVID REPORTED AT KEYSTONE CENTRAL

A report published yesterday, cited 56 known positive student cases of COVID-19 in the Keystone Central School District, with 17 at the elementary level and 39 secondary students.  According to Superintendent Jacquelyn Martin, there were also seven active cases among district staff members, for an overall total of 63. As reported by therecordonline.com, a “Test To Stay” option at district schools. Any staff or student who is identified as a close contact may voluntarily participate in order to stay in school – that is if they negative and are symptom free. With parental permission, school nurses will be able to do a rapid COVID test free of charge. More information will be provided when the test kits arrive.

 

COVID UPDATE

The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Tuesday reported new cases. Clinton County reported 32 new cases. Centre County added 65. Lycoming County added 66 and Tioga County added 7. Northumberland County added 85 new cases on Tuesday, with Snyder recording 29, 26 in Union and nine in Montour.

 

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH FUNDING

Governor Tom Wolf today announced that 30 counties have received nearly $28 million in additional federal funding to enhance their behavioral health programs. The grants will target specific statewide priorities, including mobile crisis mental health services, telehealth, student assistance programs, start-up funding for residential treatment services and assisted outpatient treatment, and additional crisis services projects. These projects include walk-in and remote crisis supports, expanding crisis, respite, and residential care capacity, and enhanced collaboration with law enforcement to assist with crisis response.

Project areas and applicants receiving funding include:

  • Additional Crisis Services (21 projects): Lycoming/Clinton Counties, 8 County Regional (Centre, Clearfield/Jefferson, Huntingdon/Mifflin/Juniata, Northumberland, and Schuylkill Counties);
  • Telehealth Capacity (Two projects): Bradford/Sullivan Counties and Columbia/Montour/Snyder/Union Counties; and,
  • Student Assistance Program (Nine projects): Lycoming/Clinton Counties.

AIRLINE SAYING NO MORE MONKEY TRANSPORTS

The airline that carried monkeys’ part of the way to a U.S. research laboratory before they were involved in a highway crash in Pennsylvania says it will stop the shipments.  The move by the African airline is the latest skirmish in a long-running battle between animal-rights groups and researchers — with airlines caught in the middle — over the use of animals in medical experiments. On Jan. 21, a truck towing a trailer with 100 monkeys collided with a dump truck on a Pennsylvania highway. Several of the monkeys escaped. Authorities said later that three were shot and killed and they accounted for the rest. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which assisted local authorities after the crash and escape of some of the monkeys, said Tuesday that the monkeys are at an approved quarantine facility. A CDC spokeswoman declined to give the location of the facility or say what the lab intended to do with the monkeys.

 

BACK TO REMOTE LEARNING

Milton Baugher elementary school is moving to remote learning for two days… this is following an increase in COVID cases and also the quarantining of staff and students. According to reports from the school district, there were 25 positive cases at Baugher Elementary with over 90 students and staff quarantining. The announcement came late Monday and the shift to online with go through tomorrow.  The students are expected to return to in-person instruction on Friday.

EXPANDING BOUNDARIES AND BALANCING WORKLOADS

The shifting of magisterial districts to expand boundaries to balance workloads between four magisterial district judges is open for review and comment. According to SUN Gazette, the proposal, set up by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts’, is set to shift two city wards to District Judge Aaron Biichle’s office in 2023 and then three precincts in Loyalsock Township to District Judge William Solomon’s office in 2024. Also, Williamsport Wards 8 and 9 would move to District Judge Biichle’s office. Copies of the proposed plan may be reviewed at the office of district court administrator at the Lycoming County Courthouse,  at the James V. Brown Library and at each of the Lycoming County magisterial district courts.

Comments on the proposed plan must be submitted by Feb. 18, 2022.

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