The latest law signed by Governor Tom Corbett requires that at least one member of the Civil Service Commission be a veteran of the United States Armed Forces. “This legislation will say that Pennsylvania’s veterans will finally have what they deserve, a constant representation on the state’s Civil Service Commission,” says State Rep. Ron Marsico […]
You can use your smart phone to connect to Pennsylvania history. The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission’s web site has gone mobile. You can now use it when you’re on the road to find and explore nearby state-owned historic sites. Spokesman Howard Pollman says you just need to put www.patrailsofhistory.com your mobile browser and you’ll […]
Pennsylvania small and mid-sized business owners are still not optimistic about the short term economy according to the latest PNC Economic Outlook survey, but they have hope in the long term. Just 14% of small business owners in Pennsylvania remain optimistic about their company’s prospects in the next six months, but 73% expect moderate […]
Radio PA Roundtable is a 30-minute program featuring in-depth reporting on the top news stories of the week. Professionally produced and delivered every Friday, Roundtable includes commercial breaks for local sale and quarterly reports for affiliate files. Click the audio player below to hear the full broadcast: [audio:https://s3.amazonaws.com/witfaudio/radiopa/Roundtable10-7-11.mp3]
State lawmakers are working on legislation to protect youth athletes from complications of concussions. A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows more kids are ending up in the emergency room for head injuries. A review of emergency department visits for sports and recreation-related traumatic brain injuries, including concussions, shows an […]
The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is recognizing “Heads Up Driving Week” by asking people to take the distraction free driving pledge. The fourth annual Traffic Safety Culture Index finds that 95% of drivers view texting or emailing by other drivers as a serious threat to their safety. However, 35% of drivers admit to reading or […]
Governor Corbett plans to make an announcement on education policy in the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, the state’s largest teacher’s union has released a poll showing strong support for its blueprint for education reform. The Pennsylvania State Education Association says Pennsylvanians oppose recent funding cuts to education and oppose creating a taxpayer […]
The Marcellus Shale plan that Governor Tom Corbett rolled out provides for an “impact fee” to be adopted by the counties where the natural gas drilling takes place. In the first year, counties could impose a per-well fee of up to $40,000 dollars. The maximum fee would drop over the next several years, but Corbett […]
Pennsylvania’s Family Caregiver Support Act was written to reimburse eligible families for expenses relating to caring for an older adult at home, but reimbursement rates have never increased and restrictive guidelines have kept many families on the outside looking in. “In fact, these restrictions have led to almost $1-million dollars going unspent last year,” says […]
The first quarter of the state’s fiscal year is in the books, and the numbers tell the tale of a flagging economy. “All the major tax categories were below estimate for the month, so clearly the economic conditions are having an impact on tax collections,” says state Revenue Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Brassell, while discussing the […]