|
||||
|
In this Update:
Coffee with Camera
The priorities I represent in Harrisburg are a result of conversations I have shared with residents throughout the district and knowing what matters to people helps me most effectively vote on their behalf. I am inviting residents of the 46th Senatorial District to participate in state-related coffee chat NEXT Friday, January 30 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at The Arc of Washington County, 111 West Pike Street, Canonsburg, PA 15317. Coffee and refreshments will be available and registration is not required. Millions in Grants Secured for the 46th District
This week, the state approved major funding to help improve transportation, water, sewer, and rail projects in Greene and Washington counties. $3.8 million from the Multimodal Transportation Fund will go toward better roads, bridges, sidewalks, and other transportation needs, making travel safer and helping the local economy. Another $2.3 million from the Small Water and Sewer Program will help towns upgrade water, wastewater, and stormwater systems so communities have reliable services. Another $7.07 million will be used to improve rail infrastructure. This will help move freight more efficiently, make rail travel safer, and update old rail lines and bridges that are important for local businesses. These investments are a big step forward for the 46th District. They address important infrastructure needs and help support the area’s long-term growth. 46th District Fairs Proudly Represented at Statewide Convention
This weekend, Hershey hosted the annual Pennsylvania Fairs & Showmen Convention, bringing people together to celebrate the state’s agricultural traditions and the community spirit of our fairs. The 46th Senatorial District is lucky to have four fairs that set a high standard, and I am always proud of the leaders, volunteers, and exhibitors who make them possible. The convention also included the annual State Fair Queen Contest, where our local fairs were well represented. Contestants joined Fair Queens from all over Pennsylvania in a range of activities throughout the event. I want to congratulate the Washington County Agricultural Fair Queen, Miss Charlotte Magon; the West Alexander Fair Queen, Miss Ashlynn Mankey; the Greene County Fair Queen, Miss Courtney Main; and the Jacktown Fair Queen, Miss Madison Burns. You all do a great job representing your fairs and communities, and you are winners in my eyes. Focus on the 46th
Last week was the 2026 Pennsylvania Farm Show, and I had the pleasure of visiting the event and reconnecting with so many familiar faces from the district. One of the highlights of my visit was seeing Chad and Allee Hoover receive their Pennsylvania Farm Show Scholarship Foundation awards. Each earned $7,500, with an additional $2,000 for being enrolled in the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences. I was proud to present them with Senate Certificates before they headed to the stage. Congratulations to both of you on this well-deserved honor! Following the scholarship ceremony, the spotlight shifted to our talented young agriculturalists in the Junior Market Animal Sale of Champions. Two outstanding Washington County 4-H’ers represented the district with distinction: – Parker Gardner and his lamb, Teddy, earned Reserve Grand Champion Market Goat and sold for $7,000 to EQT Corp. – Emily Pattison and her pig, Mr. Ninja, earned Reserve Grand Champion Market Swine and sold for a record-breaking $10,000 to Kunzler Meats. These young people exemplify the dedication, hard work, and bright future of agriculture in Pennsylvania. Congratulations to all participants, and a heartfelt thank-you to everyone who helps make the PA Farm Show such an incredible tradition year after year. You can watch the highlights from my trip to the Farm Show by tapping or clicking the image above.
I recently received a phone call from my friends at the Southeastern Greene School District and they were in need of new AED (Automated External Defibrillator) machines. With the help of EQT Corporation, I was able to secure funding, and the district purchased two brand-new devices. It was a joy to say thank you to EQT and to visit with school leaders to hear about the importance of strong community partnerships. In addition, I had the opportunity to sit down with Superintendent Rich Pekar and Business Manager Heather Grandel to discuss opportunities and challenges for the future. The Maples have a lot to celebrate, and this team does an excellent job serving their students and the community. Pictured with me from left to right is Rich Pekar, Superintendent; Rachel Radcliff-Stevenson, School Nurse; Casey Durdines, EQT; Heather Grandel, Business Manager; Bart Donley, High School Principal
It was great to attend the Quarterly Meeting of the Greene County Association of Township Officials. I shared updates from Harrisburg on meaningful permitting reform, the elimination of RGGI, and the critically important Act 13 Impact Fee tax. We also celebrated recent successes with state grant announcements, and I encouraged everyone to continue working together on future projects. Pictured with me, from left to right, is the leadership of the Greene County Association of Township Officials: Ryan Wise (Jefferson Township), Roger Hayes (Whiteley Township), Christy Defonzo (Whiteley Township), and Jeff Sholtis (Morgan Township)
I would like to thank everyone who presented projects last week during the annual Local Share Account (LSA) Program public hearings. As a member of the LSA Review Committee, I take great consideration of my recommendations for which projects should receive Washington County’s gaming revenue. The LSA program does tremendous good for the region and there are many success stories that have been facilitated by the program. The Redevelopment Authority of the County of Washington (RACW) has been designated as the agency to apply for and administer the LSA Program on behalf of the Washington County Board of Commissioners.
It was my delight to present a PA Senate Proclamation to Fire Chief TJ Wilkinson and the Stockdale Volunteer Fire Department celebrating their 100th anniversary. Congratulations and thank you for a century of dedication to your communities.
I was grateful for the opportunity to spend time last week with the Washington County Superintendents Association during their monthly meeting. These educators and leaders come together every month to talk honestly about the challenges and opportunities facing public education in our region, and I truly value those conversations. My commitment remains the same – work with our superintendents, listen to what they need, and help find practical solutions that strengthen public education here at home. Thank you to the Washington County superintendents for the thoughtful dialogue, for your leadership, and for everything you do every day for our students, families, and communities. Returning Whole Milk to Schools
Last June, I joined my Pennsylvania Senate colleagues in voting to approve a resolution urging Congress to pass the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act. Whole milk provides 13 essential vitamins to help build strong bones and maintain a healthy immune system. The evidence is overwhelming that both 2% and whole milk should be offered to our students in schools. We applaud the recent enactment of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act at the federal level, which allows U.S. schools to now offer whole and 2% milk as options for students, in addition to the current reduced-fat, low-fat and fat-free milk. The bill was in response to enactment of federal legislation in 2010 that permitted only low-fat and fat-free milk options in public schools. Within the first two years of the law taking effect, 1.2 million fewer students drank milk with their lunches. Pennsylvania ranks second in the number of dairy farms and eighth in total milk production, making this change a great positive for children while also supporting our dairy farmers! Jan. 31 Submission Deadline for Student Anti-Litter Contest
Students in grades K–6 have until Jan. 31 to submit entries for the latest Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful “Litter Hawk” anti-litter campaign. This year’s theme is Celebrate America250 – Keep It Beautiful, incorporating the nation’s semiquincentennial. Students can craft their message through art, writing or video. Winners will be announced in April and will be invited to take part in a Capitol ceremony. Contest details and application can be found here. PA Department of Revenue Job Openings
Are you good with numbers? The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue lists openings for full-time, part-time, temporary and student positions. The department receives and collects all of the commonwealth’s General Fund tax revenue. In addition, it annually processes more than 10 million business and individual tax reports and payments. Positions include accountants, tax examiners, research analysts, clerical assistants and others, some of them seasonal. You can review what’s currently available and subscribe for job alerts to receive automatic email notifications when new vacancies are posted in your field of interest. Take Part in the Wild Turkey Sighting Survey
Pennsylvanians are asked to report wild turkey flocks they encounter to help the state Game Commission with winter research, population monitoring and leg-banding efforts to track survival and harvest rates. If you’d like to take part, please report the location of any turkey flocks you see through March 15 on this webpage. Game Commission crews will assess sites for the potential to trap turkeys. Turkeys will not be moved; they’ll simply be leg-banded and released on site. Trapping turkeys during winter is part of the Game Commission’s ongoing population monitoring. National Blood Donor Month
The American Red Cross reports a blood shortage as requests from hospitals exceed the available supply, drawing down the blood supply by about 35% over the past month. The shortage is especially serious for platelets and type O, A negative and B negative blood. Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood. It is essential for surgeries, cancer treatment, chronic illnesses and traumatic injuries. Whether a patient receives whole blood, red cells, platelets or plasma, this lifesaving relies on friends and neighbors making donations.
If you are not already subscribed to this newsletter please sign up here. |
||||
|
||||
Want to change how you receive these emails? 2026 © Senate of Pennsylvania | https://www.senatorbartolotta.com | Privacy Policy |
