All COVID mitigation orders except for the masking order are scheduled to be lifted on Monday, May 31. However, the revised orders have not yet been released. The masking order will be lifted when 70% of eligible Pennsylvania adults are fully vaccinated. Click here for the May 4 press release. When the mitigation orders…
DCED Expected to Be Designated Lead Agency for ARP Funds
The state Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) is expected to be designated as the lead commonwealth agency for managing American Rescue Plan (ARP) payments to non-entitlement communities (municipalities with populations of less than 50,000). The economic development team that…
Pennsylvania Falls to 13th for Vaccine Doses Administered Per Capita
According to the Centers for Disease Control, Pennsylvania has fallen to 13th for total doses administered per capita. Nationally, more than 131 million people have been fully vaccinated, 50% of the adult population. The commonwealth has now administered more than 10 million…
US Treasury Releases More Guidance for States on Federal Funds
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has released new guidance for states to use when distributing American Rescue Plan funds to municipalities with populations of less than 50,000, called non-entitlement communities. This includes grant award terms and conditions, calculations for…
Natural Gas Production Up in PA
The Independent Fiscal Office (IFO) has released its Natural Gas Production Report for the first quarter of 2021. Natural gas production volume from horizontal wells was up by 5.4% compared to the first quarter of 2020, and 133 new horizontal…
Webinar Available on Utility-Scale Solar Development for Local Officials
Penn State Extension is hosting a free webinar on Utility Scale Solar Development in Pennsylvania for Local Officials. The webinar will take place tomorrow, May 26, at 10 a.m. The webinar will discuss proposed projects, their locations, and development possibilities…
Tonight is the Night!
If you have strong opinions about tolls coming to a road or bridge near you, or if you have concerns about paying a fee based on the number of miles you drive annually, PSATS urges you to participate and voice…
Ag Department Demonstrates Safe, Effective Lanternfly Traps
Lanternflies are now hatching, and the state Department of Agriculture is demonstrating how homeowners can use a circle trap to eliminate large numbers of destructive spotted lanternflies without harming beneficial pollinators or small animals. Click here for instructions from Penn…
Pa. COVID-19 Cases, Hospitalizations Continue to Drop
COVID case counts decreased for the fifth week in a row in Pennsylvania, with 9,881 new cases reported this week, 23% less than last week. The statewide COVID-19 total case count now stands at 1,195,013. Nationally, cases, hospitalizations, and deaths have…
PA Unemployment Rate Up Again and Continues Above National Average
Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate for April increased slightly, from 7.3% to 7.4%. The U.S. rate also increased slightly in April, from 6.0% to 6.1%. Nationally, Hawaii, at 8.5%, had the highest unemployment rate in April, followed by California, New Mexico, and New York. In Pennsylvania,…
