Capitol Update by Rep. Martin Causer (R-Turtlepoint)
 FacebookWebsiteBioLatest NewsState FormsPhoto GalleryContactCapitol Update Thursday, August 3, 2023 The latest news from the State Capitol You are welcome to contact me through this link. Join Us at the Senior Citizens Expo Tomorrow!  Please join us tomorrow, Friday, Aug. 4, for the Bradford Senior Citizens Expo! Open to senior citizens and their family members and caregivers, the event will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, Sports and Fitness Gymnasium, Campus Drive, Bradford. The event is free to attend, and lunch will be provided. State, county and local exhibitors will be on hand to distribute information and answer questions about a variety of issues. Health screenings will also be offered, and door prize drawings will be held at 12:30 p.m. If you can’t make it this time, mark your calendar for additional expos scheduled later this year. We’ll be at the Kane Community Center on Friday, Sept. 8, and the Roulette Fire Hall on Friday, Oct. 13. Both events run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information about the senior expos, contact the Bradford office at 814-362-4400. Information is also available at RepCauser.com or on Facebook at Facebook.com/RepCauser. PLEASE NOTE: Due to the expo, our offices in Bradford and Kane will be closed all day on Friday, Aug. 4. The office in Coudersport will remain open and may be reached by calling 814-274-9769.  Thanks to everyone who came out to our booth at the Potter County Fair this week! You can still catch us this evening or tomorrow evening. Thanks to my kids, Matthew and Morgan, for helping to set up the table!  Thank you to the Coudersport Arboretum Association and Potter County Human Services for hosting a successful Senior Expo earlier this week. The weather was perfect, and it was great to see so many people taking advantage of this informative event. Local PennDOT Job Fair Next Week!  Looking for work? PennDOT is hosting a job fair highlighting job opportunities they have available in Cameron, McKean and Potter counties on Tuesday, Aug. 8, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Port Allegany Veterans Club. During the job fair, PennDOT staff will be on hand to answer questions, help applicants submit their online applications, and, for select positions, conduct driver’s skills tests and on-the-spot interviews with the possibility of making conditional offers. Available positions include transportation equipment operator trainee, transportation equipment operator A, maintenance repairman and radio dispatcher. These are opportunities for both permanent and temporary employment. Since there may be on-the-spot interviews and conditional job offers for select positions, please bring two forms of identification. The Port Allegany Veterans Club is located at 4743 Route 155, Port Allegany. ATV, Snowmobile Grant Program Taking Applications  The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Bureau of Recreation and Conservation recently announced it is accepting applications for the All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) and Snowmobile Program’s fall grant round. The program awards grants from the ATV and Snowmobile Management Restricted Accounts for projects proposing land acquisition, planning, development, rehabilitation, maintenance, equipment purchase or educational programs for ATV or snowmobile trails and facilities. Eligible applicants include for-profit organizations, nonprofit organizations and municipalities in the Commonwealth. Proposals must be submitted via DCNR’s online grant application portal no later than 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29. For assistance with the portal, contact the Department’s Grants Customer Service Center at 800-326-7734 or DCNR-Grants@pa.gov. Bureau staff are available to assist applicants with developing a competitive application and it is strongly recommended that prospective applicants contact their regional advisor early in the grant process. Staff contact information is available here. Celebrating Agriculture at Ag Progress Days  Penn State’s Ag Progress Days, the Commonwealth’s largest outdoor agricultural exposition, will be held next week, from Tuesday, Aug. 8, through Thursday, Aug. 10, at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center, 2710 W. Pine Grove Road in Pennsylvania Furnace. The event is hosted by Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences and showcases educational programs, current research, and the latest innovations in agricultural equipment and technology. It features more than 400 exhibitors from the United States and Canada. Both parking and admission are free. Learn more here. Attention Farmers: Tax Credits Available to Support Water, Soil Quality Improvements  Pennsylvania farmers are encouraged to apply for a share of $13 million in tax credits available to support their efforts to improve soil health and water quality. The application period opens Monday, Aug. 7. Tax credits through Pennsylvania’s innovative conservation financing program, Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP), can be combined with other state funding to help pay for on-farm enhancements that protect the environment and boost farm sustainability. Tax credits are available to agricultural producers who implement best management practices or purchase equipment to reduce nutrient and sediment runoff, enhance soil health and improve the quality of Pennsylvania’s waterways. REAP applications are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis. Baseline eligibility includes compliance with the PA Clean Streams Law and the Pennsylvania Nutrient and Odor Management Law. More information about REAP, including the 2023-24 application packet, program guidelines and sponsorship process, is available here. The deadline to submit applications is Oct. 31. Funds may run out before the deadline. Free Help Available to PA Small Businesses  Pennsylvania has 15 Small Business Development Centers that provide free, confidential consulting and low-cost training to small businesses across the state. Training sessions cover a range of business issues, including testing a new business proposition, shaping a business plan, investing funding opportunities and more. Whether you have an idea for a new business, want to improve your existing business or would like to buy or sell a business in Pennsylvania, experienced business consultants are available to help you. Learn more here. Financial Relief Grants Available to Eligible Veterans  The Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) is reminding veterans who may be facing an unexpected financial hardship that help is available. The DMVA oversees the Veterans Temporary Assistance (VTA) program, which provides eligible Pennsylvania veterans and their beneficiaries with financial relief for life’s basic needs, including food, shelter, fuel and clothing. Eligible veterans or their beneficiaries can qualify for up to $1,600 in a 12-month period. Eligibility requirements include those who served in the Armed Forces of the United States (discharged under honorable conditions), died in service or killed in action, or suffered a service-connected disability. For more information about the program’s criteria, eligibility and needed documentation, go to Veterans Temporary Assistance. To apply, eligible veterans should contact the county Veterans Affairs directors in the county in which they reside. Virtual Listening Sessions Set for PA Master Plan for Older Adults  The Department of Aging will host a series of virtual listening sessions during the month of August to discuss and gather input on Pennsylvania’s Master Plan for Older Adults – a 10-year, state-led and stakeholder-driven strategic plan designed to help transform the infrastructure and coordination of services for older Pennsylvanians. During the virtual listening sessions, the department will present an overview of the plan with a concentration on AARP’s 8 Domains of Livability for Age-Friendly Communities on the following dates: • Tuesday, Aug. 8, 3-4:30 p.m. • Thursday, Aug. 17, 3-4:30 p.m. • Tuesday, Aug. 22, 10-11:30 a.m. • Friday, Aug. 25, 8:30-10 a.m. There is no cost to attend, but registration is required. Click here to sign up. For more information about the plan and how to participate, visit aging.pa.gov/MasterPlan. |