Utilities relief for New Yorkers

ALBANY, NY — Roughly 478,000 residential customers and 56,000 small businesses in New York State will receive assistance totaling $672 million to pay off unaffordable past-due utility bills, according to a release from Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office. The relief comes from the Public Service Commission’s approval of recommendations made by the Energy Affordability Policy working group, which proposed a statewide program to resolve all arrears through May 1, 2022, affecting approximately 75 percent of residential non-low-income and small-business customers, and partially resolve arrears for approximately 25 percent of remaining customers via a one-time credit.

Resources for people with disabilities

DALLAS, PA — A representative from MyCIL (Northeast PA Center for Independent Living) will be at Sen. Lisa Baker’s Dallas office on Friday, January 27, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. Information and resources will be offered to people with disabilities and their families to help them obtain home and community-based services, transportation, housing, and other assistance to promote greater independence in the community.

The office is located at 22 Dallas Shopping Center on Memorial Highway.

Molinaro announces committee assignments

WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Rep. Marc Molinaro (NY-19) announced he has been selected to serve on the House Committee on Agriculture (HAC) and the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure (HCTI) for the 118th Congress. The HAC will this year be tasked with writing the 2023 farm bill, determining policy and funding levels for the next five to 10 years on agriculture and food assistance programs; the HCTI will oversee the rollout of the 2022 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Brown to chair local government committee

HARRISBURG, PA — State Sen. Rosemary Brown (R-40) announced she has been appointed to serve as chair of the PA Senate Local Government Committee. The committee reviews legislation that affects Pennsylvania’s more than 2,500 county and municipal government entities. The committee also oversees the Pennsylvania Municipal Retirement System and the Pennsylvania Sheriff and Deputy Sheriff Education and Training Board. Brown was appointed to serve on six additional Senate committees, including as vice chair of the Community, Economic and Recreational Development committee.

Pike County receives traffic, conservation grants

HARRISBURG, PA — A $19,080 grant has been awarded to Milford Borough, Pike County, to purchase and install electronic speed display signs at the four main entrances to the borough, Rep. Joe Adams (R-Pike/Wayne) announced. Adams additionally announced that Milford Borough and the Nature Conservancy in Shohola Township will receive grants totaling $400,000 and $195,100, respectively, from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The Milford Borough grant is for the rehabilitation of West Ann Memorial Park; the Nature Conservancy grant will be used as payment toward the acquisition of approximately 130 acres in Shohola Township, Pike County, for an addition to state game lands.

Hanna announces candidacy

HONESDALE, PA — Jacob Hanna has announced his candidacy for Wayne County Commissioner in the May 2023 Republican primary. Hanna has stated pro-God, pro-life, pro-gun and anti-critical race theory values; “I am a fiscal conservative and I will fight to eliminate government misspending and overreach at the county level. It is time to lower property taxes, secure our elections, and bring opportunity back to Wayne County,” he says.

SBA veteran program accepting applications

WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has begun accepting applications through the Veteran Small Business Certification program. The program will be the SBA’s primary certification vehicle for all veteran-owned small businesses and those small businesses owned by service-disabled veterans. The classifications, a press release stated, enable those businesses to qualify for sole-source and set-aside federal contracting awards.

Increase in child labor violations prompts response

ALBANY, NY — The New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) announced the kickoff of a new public service campaign to inform young New Yorkers of their rights in the workplace after recent increases in child labor violations. This comes in response to a significant increase in child labor violations throughout the United States, as reported by the U.S. Department of Labor. New York State is no exception, with NYSDOL seeing a 68 percent increase in violations in 2022 compared to the previous year.

The state recorded 464 child labor cases in 2022. According to NYSDOL, the majority of violations are related to wage underpayments, hours of work and prohibited employment.

ECU calls on Molinaro to donate Santos’ money to charity

WASHINGTON, DC — End Citizens United (ECU) issued an open letter to Republican members of Congress who took money from Congressman George Santos (NY-3), calling on them to donate the money to charity. The freshman senator Santos has come under scrutiny for campaign-trail lies about his accomplishments and his heritage, and for alleged improprieties with his finances. “Keeping the money or returning it to Santos would be an endorsement of his deception and corruption,” wrote ECU.

Congressman Marc Molinaro (NY-19) took $1,000 from Santos, according to ECU. Molinaro has signaled his belief that Santos should resign in published reports.

Cochecton planning board holds public hearing

LAKE HUNTINGTON, NY —  The Town of Cochecton Planning Board will hold a public hearing at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 26 at the town hall, which is located at 74 Smales Rd. The hearing will consider a project at 6365 State Rte. 52 in Cochecton; it consists of the construction of four new storage buildings—four units exist now—plus a plan for the prevention of stormwater pollution.

Interested parties are invited to attend and to comment.

Request for demolition proposals

WHITE LAKE, NY — The Town of Bethel will receive responses to a request for proposals on Tuesday, February 28 at 11 a.m. at the at the town clerk’s office in Bethel Town Hall, 3454 Rt. 55, P.O. Box 300 White Lake, New York 12764. The proposals are for the removal of an unsafe single-family structure at 3 Thompson Place, Smallwood. For more information, call 845/583-4649.

Pennsylvania adopts PFAS limits

WASHINGTON, DC — Pennsylvania has adopted new regulations to protect Pennsylvanians’ drinking water by setting new limits on two forms of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

The new rule sets maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) in drinking water for two forms of PFAS—perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)—in order to protect the public from potential adverse health effects linked to exposure to those chemicals. The rule sets an MCL of 14 parts per trillion (ppt) for PFOA, and an MCL of 18 ppt for PFOS.