A decision by the Delaware River Basin Commission to permanently ban hydraulic fracturing of natural gas wells along the river may not directly impact drilling
mreuther@sungazette.com
Local leaders are not keen about using highway tolls to fund bridge repairs, a concept that has already met with strong opposition from a handful of Republican lawmakers in the western part of the state.
Nine bridges along Interstate 80 in the state are being considered for tolling as part of the plan by the state Department of Transportation.
None of the bridges are in the region.
Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce President Jason Fink said tolls on any part of I-80 are not a concept the business community is likely to embrace.
He recalled the outcry from many officials from industry and business speaking out against tolling of I-80 when it was being considered years ago.
(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
Efforts to get more people inoculated against COVID-19 are facing the challenge of securing enough vaccines throughout much of the state including in Lycoming County.
People receiving vaccines have gone to any one of the locations scattered around the county, but as yet there is no single site established for mass numbers seeking shots.
Many of those small sites, including senior centers and pharmacies providing the few shots available, limit the types of at-risk people they vaccinate.
Lycoming County Commissioner Tony Mussare said county officials have not given up the prospect of a mass vaccine site.
mreuther@sungazette.com
Area lawmakers are less than enthusiastic about Gov. Tom Wolf’s budget proposal calling for a personal income tax increase, a minimum wage hike, and additional spending on education.
“Today we heard more of the same from Gov. Wolf – tax and spend,” state Rep. Joe Hamm, R-Montoursville said.
Hamm, elected to serve the 84th House District in November, said with so many families hurting, now is not the time to hike the personal income tax by 46 percent.
Hamm said Wolf’s budget shows mismanagement and calls for overspending.
State Rep. Clint Owlett, R-Wellsboro, noted the $40.2 billion budget represents a spending increase of 7 percent.
Perhaps the most desired element of life of the past year has been a return to normalcy. We’ve heard it from just about everyone by now. So we look to our s