Local briefs
Legislation pressed House Democratic Leader H. William DeWeese (D-Waynesburg) and Whip Mike Veon (D-Beaver) are calling on Republican leaders in the House and Senate to keep their promise this week and pass legislation for the Cover All Kids initiative.
“When the state budget passed in late June, House and Senate leaders wrote a letter
to Governor Ed Rendell and committed to pass legislation by early October to implement the new Cover All Kids initiative. Meeting this October deadline is critical to providing coverage for any uninsured child beginning the first week of January 2007. Cover All Kids is the right thing to do for our families, for their children and for our future,” said DeWeese.
Cover All Kids is funded in the 2006-07 state budget with $4.4 million and would be supplemented with $10.2 million from the federal government. The initiative’s goal is to expand upon the already successful Children’s Health Insurance Program by providing even more access to affordable, comprehensive health care coverage for all uninsured children in Pennsylvania.
DeWeese and Veon said the new program is important to the 133,000 uninsured children and their working families.
In June, Rep. Mike Sturla, D-Lancaster, introduced House Bill 2697 that would create the program and guarantee affordable, comprehensive health-care coverage for visits to doctors, hospitalization, prescription drugs, vision, home health care and mental health and substance abuse services.
The measure is awaiting action by the House Insurance Committee.
The first CHIP law in the United States was written by House Democrats and signed by Gov. Bob Casey in 1992. DeWeese and Veon said they have been committed to its growth since then and Cover All Kids is the next step in that process.
Seminar offered
The Fayette County Emergency Management Agency will hold a seminar for area emergency medical personnel and law enforcement to discuss procedures for rural first-responders in a public health emergency.
Part of the Rural Preparedness Training project, the course is designed to develop a plan for emergency responders in case of a public health emergency, including communication between different government and law enforcement agencies and basic infection control practices.
In addition to emergency personnel and law enforcement officials, the course is open to local Red Cross and Salvation Army members, public works officials, school nurses and administrators, hospital employees, municipal and other elected officials, veterinarians as well as various other community-level emergency response personnel.
The class will be held from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Nov. 17 at the AMVETS on Buttermilk Lane in Hopwood.
There is no cost to attend and anyone interested in the course should call the Fayette County Emergency Management Agency at 724-430-1277.
Registration deadline is 4 p.m. Nov. 10.
Rally planned
Various Pennsylvania chapters of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and more than 100 supporters will gather at he state Capitol in Harrisburg today to rally support for clinical trial legislation, research funding and improved patient care.
At the rally, patients, caregivers and Leukemia & Lymphoma Society volunteers will urge the General Assembly to support Senate Bill 123, which would require private insurance companies operating in Pennsylvania to cover routine patient care costs for cancer clinical trials.
Among those who will address the issue of improved patient care will be state Sen. Richard A. Kasunic (D-Dunbar). Kasunic lost his wife to leukemia 30 years ago. Kasunic also will be honored for his more than 20 years of dedication to the organization’s mission to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma and to improve the quality of life for patients and their families.
About 6,000 Pennsylvanians and 785,000 Americans live with leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Pennsylvania ranks in the top 10 percent of the 50 states with newly diagnosed cases of lymphoma this year.
PennDOT posts schedule
Chris Sleighter, Fayette County maintenance manager with the state Department of Transportation, has announced the following tentative work plan for this week.
Deck and joint repairs will be performed to the bridge on state Route 3009, Walnut Hill Road.
Signs will be updated, downed signs will be replaced and work orders will be addressed on various state routes throughout the county.
Shoulder-cutting operations are scheduled for state Route 4027, Woods Road; on state Route 4005 and state Route 4036 in the Newell area and on state Route 1038, Hickory Square Road.
Mechanized patching is scheduled for state Route 3011, Fairview Hill Church Road.
Crack sealing operations are scheduled for state Route 1018, Vances Mill Road; state Route 1051, Bute Road; and on state Route 40 in the Chalk Hill area.
Base repairs will be performed on state Route 119 in Bullskin Township and on state Route 4004 in the Hibbs area.
Ditch cleaning operations are scheduled on state Route 1009, Buchanan Road.
All maintenance activities are conducted as the weather permits. PennDOT reminds motorists to drive with caution through all work areas and be alert for signed work zones requiring the use of headlights.
PENNDOT has a 24-hour toll free number for residents to call to report any road maintenance concern. The number also can be used to report the location of dead deer on state highways. The number is 1-800-FIX ROAD (1-800-349-7623). More information is available online at www.penndot12.com
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Safety week slated
Passing a stopped school bus that has its stop arm and front crossing gate extended and red lights flashing while it boards or unloads children is illegal in all 50 states. Yet, school bus drivers in most states report this as one of the most frequent violations involving motorists and school buses.
Our nation’s school children are being put at risk each time a motorist on the road decides to try to save a few seconds and pass a stopped school bus.
This week is National School Bus Safety Week and the safety experts at Laidlaw Education Services, North America’s largest student transportation company, would like to remind motorists to “Stop for the Bus!” Laidlaw Education Services operates a branch office in Smithfield.
For more information, call Tiffini Bloniarz, director of public relations for Laidlaw Education Services, at 630-848-3003 or contact her by e-mail at Tiffini_Bloniarz@lpsg.com.
SciTech Spectacular set
PITTSBURGH – What happens when you combine 280 liters of diet pop and more than 500 Mentos mints? Have you ever seen a car that can sense a driver’s feeling and mood and adjusts to provide the most comfortable and safe experience? Ever wonder how bones and skin regenerate?
Witness the science behind these marvels and participate in hundreds of other unique visitor experiences as more than 25 exhibitors converge at Carnegie Science Center’s SciTech Spectacular through Oct. 22, with activities and events designed to stimulate the minds of adults and children alike.
SciTech Spectacular is a celebration showcasing Pittsburgh as an international hub of discovery and innovation. The Spectacular features the region’s science and technology accomplishments in a fun, dynamic atmosphere with exciting programs and events for all ages. This unique celebration focuses on the region’s growing industries, including biotechnology, nanotechnology, robotics, advanced materials processes, environmental technology and information technology.
“The SciTech Spectacular is the only event of its kind in the United States to provide the public with an up-close-and-personal experience with a broad range of science and technology in action,” said Linda Ortenzo, executive director of the SciTech Spectacular.
Some of the experiences that visitors will see include:
? Diet Pop/Mentos Performers – “Mad scientists” Fritz Grobe and Stephen Voltz perform their wildly popular and spectacular mint-powered version of the Bellagio Fountains in Las Vegas.
? U.S. Debut of the Rinspeed Senso Car – Renowned Swiss car designer, Rinspeed, and Bayer MaterialScience will display a next generation “Senso” concept car.
? High-Tech Sports Zone – Featuring innovative products from Nike and Louisville Slugger, including a bionic glove that assists those with arthritis, biodegradable golf tees and more.
? Jam-O-Drum – Created by Carnegie Mellon University, a state-of-the-art video and sound machine offers a collaborative audiovisual and gaming experience, designed to promote social interaction and improvisation.
For more information or to view the complete schedule of the 10-day event, visit www.scitechspec.org
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