Tag Archives: Tom Wolf

Gov. Wolf makes it official, signs order moving Dauphin, Perry counties to “green” reopening phase

June 18, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

State guidance for locations in the “green” reopening phase.

It’s official—Dauphin and Perry counties will move to the “green” phase of reopening at midnight.

Gov. Tom Wolf released a statement tonight saying that both he and Department of Health Secretary Rachel Levine signed orders allowing eight counties to move from the yellow phase to the less-restrictive green phase.

In addition to Dauphin and Perry, these counties are Franklin, Huntingdon, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike and Schuylkill.

As of Friday, 54 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties will be in the green phase, with 13 counties, mostly around the Philadelphia area, still in the yellow phase. All of the greater Harrisburg area will be in the green phase except for Lancaster and Lebanon counties.

The green phase eases most restrictions by lifting the stay-at-home and business closure orders. Notably, it allows many businesses, such as bars, restaurants, salons, gyms and entertainment facilities to open, though at 50 percent of capacity.

“While this phase facilitates a return to a ‘new normal,’ it is equally important to continue to monitor public health indicators and adjust orders and restrictions as necessary to ensure the spread of disease remains at a minimum,” according to a release from Wolf’s office.

New COVID-19 cases have been slowly falling in Pennsylvania for more than two months after hitting a peak the first week of April. For the past week, new diagnoses have hovered around 400 daily.

The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

June 12, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Conley

Hundreds of protestors rallied and marched at last weekend’s Black Lives Matters protest.

Judging by this week’s news, life seems to be returning to normal around the Harrisburg area. Yes, COVID and protests still predominate, but we’re increasingly seeing a greater mix of stories. We have all our coverage listed and linked below, in the greatest number of online stories we’ve ever published in a single week.

African American Music Appreciation Month continues locally, with an online profile of musician Sourface. So, who is this masked stranger, and what about his unique style of “bedroom rap?” Our story contains some revealing details.

Black Lives Matters movement showed its strength again around Harrisburg last weekend, with a rally and a march. We were there to cover the protest, which centered around calls for unity, action and peace.

Calobe Jackson Jr. has seen it all in his 90 years—and, when it comes to Harrisburg history, he definitely knows it all. In our June magazine, we profiled this local legend, the connecting tissue between a city past, present and future.

COVID-19 continues to affect the commonwealth, despite slowly dropping case numbers. We followed the ups and downs in our daily updates, the most recent of which is found here.

Dauphin and Perry counties will enter the green stage of reopening next Friday, joining most of the rest of the greater Harrisburg area. What does green mean? Our online news story has the details.

Harrisburg was worried that a “large number” of groups planned to converge on the city on Monday, perhaps in conflict with one another. The city closed several streets as a precaution, but the rally ended up being small and calm, as our news story described.

Harrisburg Bike Share has fallen victim to the COVID-19 pandemic, as the operator running it has called it quits. The three-year-old program gained thousands of supporters, but, as our online story explains, couldn’t overcome the larger economic forces at play.

Harrisburg City Council has hired Wildheart Ministries to disassemble an enormous solar array at the former headquarters of D&H Distributing. The property’s new owner is donating thousands of solar panels, but needs them removed immediately. Our online story tells the tale.

Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC held a webinar examining issues of systemic racism in the business community. As our online story states, it contained advice for businesses dedicated to fighting racism and ensuring equality in their organizations.

Home sales in the Harrisburg area predictably took a tumble in May, but prices held firm. The Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors released its monthly report, and we have the local data in our online story.

Hudson Building has a new owner and a new plan, as a Harrisburg-area native plans to gut and rehabilitate the long-dilapidated building. What’s in store? Our online feature tells the story.

Independence Day celebration in Harrisburg will go on this year—mostly as normal. The city announced plans for its fireworks show and food truck festival, though the latter will move to City Island. For all the information, check out our online story.

Nonprofits have been hit especially hard by the pandemic. The Foundation for Enhancing Communities, along with United Way of the Capital Region, has been trying to patch financial holes until better days arrive, as described in our online feature story.

Sara Bozich is finally breaking free from her house, and she has some ideas for people itching for something fun to do. Check out her list of both in-person and online activities and events.

“Saturday Nights in the City” was so successful last weekend that Harrisburg decided to expand it in hours and scope. What’s new for this weekend? Our online story has the details you’ll need before venturing out.

Small businesses have had to get creative in order to survive during pandemic times. Our June magazine feature describes what some Harrisburg businesses are doing until times return to normal.

Summer camp is an important part of the school break for many young people, but COVID-19 has greatly affected this rite of passage. Our online feature describes how some Harrisburg area organizations are adapting to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic.

TheBurg Podcast, June edition, dropped into feeds everywhere this past week, expanding upon several features from the June magazine. And, yes, it includes an interview with the ubiquitous, yet still mysterious, Sharkman! Tune in and find out what motivates the skating fish, and hang around for other segments, as well.

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Dauphin, Perry counties to enter “green” reopening phase next Friday, Wolf says

June 12, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

PA Gov. Tom Wolf (right) at a recent press briefing.

Dauphin County is among the next batch of Pennsylvania counties poised to go green, as Gov. Tom Wolf today announced that eight more counties will enter the less-restrictive reopening phase next week.

In addition to Dauphin County, Wolf said today that Perry, Franklin, Huntingdon, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike and Schuylkill counties will move from the yellow to the green phase of reopening on June 19.

Wolf credited efforts to lower rates of new COVID-19 infections for the gradual reopening of the commonwealth’s economy.

“In Pennsylvania, not only did we flatten the curve, but we are continuing to keep case counts down even as we open our commonwealth,” he said. “We will continue to take a measured, phased approach to reopening that relies on science and health experts.”

Today, 15 counties jumped from the yellow phase to the green phase, including, locally, Cumberland, York and Adams counties. Currently, 46 counties are in the green phase, with 21 in the yellow phase.

After next Friday, only Lancaster and Lebanon counties locally will remain in the yellow phase, along with the entire Philadelphia metro area.

The green phase eases most restrictions by lifting the stay-at-home and business closure orders. Some restrictions, such as mask-wearing, do remain in place.

Under the green phase, restrictions on large gatherings also remain. Notably, restaurants, bars, theaters and personal care services, such as salons, are able to operate, but at 50 percent capacity.

The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

June 5, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

Members of Harrisburg City Council kneel and pause for silence in front of city hall.

After nearly three months, the COVID-19 pandemic moved out of the top local news spot, replaced by the Black Lives Matters protests. We admittedly were late making the switch, but we still had many stories to tell over the past week. Our coverage is all listed and linked below.

African American Music Appreciation Month goes all June long, giving us an opportunity to showcase several great local artists. This week, our writer features a Lancaster-based band, Wayward Giants, fronted by area native Jalen Cliatt.

COVID-19 pandemic updates continued all week from the state health department. The good news: new cases kept going lower, and we have the latest update here.

Cumberland, York and Adams counties will be the first in our area to turn from yellow to green in the state’s three-color reopening plan. Our online story offers the latest reopening news as the COVID-19 pandemic eases.

Dauphin County libraries began to reopen this past week, with the four first facilities opening their doors to patrons. Read our online story for a summary of procedures and limitations.

Gov. Wolf last week pledged reforms in the ways that state police are trained and held accountable. Our online news story summarizes what he’s proposing to reduce potential threats from use of force.

Harrisburg plans a town hall-style meeting to address issues of racial inequality. That was the big takeaway from the mayor’s weekly Facebook Live event, as he chatted with several African American community activists. Find out more from our online story.

Harrisburg City Council took a knee and paused for silence in light of the killing of George Floyd and in honor of the Black Lives Matter movement. Afterwards, council members pledged to introduce legislation to make reforms to prevent possible police misconduct. Our online news story has the details.

Harrisburg-area manufacturers face both challenges and opportunities as the global supply chain breaks down in light of numerous major worldwide events. Our writer attended a webinar to try to understand what this means, which we summarize in our online news feature.

Harrisburg Mayor Papenfuse introduced “8 Can’t Wait,” eight use-of-force policy recommendations that departments can adopt. Learn more about the plan from our online story.

Open Stage debuted its newest virtual production, “An Iliad.” Our reviewer was impressed, to say the least. Read our online story her summation and learn how you can tune in.

Restaurants will open again throughout downtown Harrisburg on Saturday night, as the city shuts down streets to allow for distance dining. In our online story, you’ll find out the plans to close streets and discover which places will be participating.

Sara Bozich took a step forward to her usual routine, again listing events, and not all virtual this time. It certainly will be a long road back to normalcy, but it’s a great start.

Schools in PA will be allowed to reopen on July 1, though districts must take steps beforehand to ensure student and faculty health and safety. Our online story shares the details of what schools must do before reopening.

TheBurg made a statement in support of racial equality and the Black Lives Matters movement. In the editorial, we addressed some of our own shortcomings and efforts to do better.

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Three Harrisburg-area counties to move to “green” phase next week

June 5, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

PA Gov. Tom Wolf (right) today during his press briefing

Several Harrisburg area counties will step into the green phase next week, as Gov. Tom Wolf on Friday announced plans to further loosen pandemic-imposed restrictions on Cumberland, York and Adams counties.

Wolf made the announcement during a press conference, in which he identified 12 more counties that will make the move on June 12. In addition, they are Beaver, Carbon, Columbia, Juniata, Mifflin, Northumberland, Union, Wayne and Wyoming counties.

“I am very proud of our commonwealth for making it to this point in our reopening,” he said.

Notably, Perry County will not move into the green phase on June 12.

Pennsylvania uses a three-color system to guide Wolf’s stay-at-home and business closure orders: red, yellow and green. The green phase still comes with restrictions, such as encouraging people to wear masks and limiting crowd sizes.

Just today, all remaining “red” counties in PA, mostly in the Philadelphia metro area, entered the middle “yellow” phase, where the entire Harrisburg area currently is. In addition, 34 counties are now in the green phase.

Notably, in the green phase, restaurants, bars, theaters and personal care services, such as salons, can operate at 50 percent capacity.

Responding to reporters’ questions, Wolf and Rachel Levine, secretary of the state Department of Health, both said they’re now working on guidelines for what comes after the green phase.

“As we continue to bend the curve, as we continue to see a decline in new cases, the number of restrictions in green, in terms of businesses and restaurants, etc., we’ll be able to relax,” Levine said. “We don’t intend to continue those restrictions forever, but we’ll have to be alert and vigilant.”

Both Wolf and Levine warned that they’re concerned about case numbers increasing again during the fall.

“There may be a resurgence as we get into flu season later this year,” Wolf said.

In the meantime, the state’s strategy is to “identify, isolate and eliminate” COVID-19 through testing and contact tracing, he said.

Absent a vaccine, Wolf said that he expected we’ll have to adjust to a “new normal” following the green phase.

“So, we’re working on—what does life look like?” he said. “We’ll probably all be wearing masks and all going to be practicing social distancing, being a little more careful in terms of touching other folks. We’re trying to find out what the new world looks like.”

Gov. Wolf pledges reforms to improve police training, accountability in PA

June 4, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

PA Gov. Tom Wolf (right) at his press conference late on Thursday

Gov. Tom Wolf on Thursday laid out a multi-part plan designed to improve relations between police and communities, focused on law enforcement accountability and training.

Wolf said that he was taking the actions following nearly a week of protests in cities throughout Pennsylvania condemning racism and police brutality.

“We can no longer afford to have two Pennsylvanias and two Americas,” Wolf said. “Unfairness is pernicious, and it can spread like a cancer unless we can stop it.”

Wolf said that he decided to take these actions after meeting with officials in Harrisburg and Philadelphia. Yesterday, Wolf marched with Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse, police Commissioner Thomas Carter, other community leaders and a group of protesters from the state Capitol building through Midtown Harrisburg.

Wolf’s recommendations include:

Creation of a deputy inspector general within the Pennsylvania Office of State Inspector General focused on deterring, detecting, preventing and eradicating fraud, waste, misconduct and abuse amongst state law enforcement agencies.
Creation of a Pennsylvania State Law Enforcement Advisory Commission that reviews allegations of misconduct by state law enforcement personnel.
Providing technical assistance to municipalities from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) to encourage the creation of local citizen advisory boards.
Creation of a Racial and Ethnic Disparities Subcommittee under the Criminal Justice Advisory Committee at PCCD.
Reviewing training and education of officers. All training academies for law enforcement must review current use-of-force training standards and form a workgroup to develop model training standards to ensure that officers receive the best instruction in interacting with the public.
Enhancing current mental health initiatives and offering targeted mental health supports for officers to deal with trauma and reduce stigma for getting help.
Work with the legislature on reforms, including legislation proposed that provides for improved access to police videos, an oversight board for officer training and continuing education, a special prosecutor in deadly force cases, interdepartmental law enforcement hiring reform and PTSD evaluation for police officers.

“Some of it requires some legislation, but most of it, I can do quickly, and I will,” he said.

Earlier on Thursday, Harrisburg City Council members also vowed reform of police practices within the city.

Wolf added that he also would seek to address longstanding inequalities against people of color.

“I’m going to continue to fight for more education funding and for help for minority–owned businesses,” he said. “These fights do not have an end point, and we won’t know when we’ve won, but we have to keep going to make our commonwealth fairer and more equal for everyone.”

PA will allow schools to reopen July 1; districts must develop safety plan

June 3, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

Harrisburg’s Lincoln School

Schools in PA can begin to re-open on July 1, though districts must have in place health and safety plans based on federal and state guidance.

The state Department of Education today gave school districts in all “yellow” and “green” zones permission to reopen on that date as long as they develop plans based on guidelines from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the state Department of Health.

By July 1, all of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties should be in either the yellow or green phase of the state’s three-phase reopening plan. On Friday, all remaining red phase counties, mostly in the southeast portion of the state, are due to enter the yellow phase.

“The Wolf administration remains committed to the safety and welfare of students, faculty and staff, and any reopening plan must be rooted in these principles,” said Secretary of Education Pedro A. Rivera, in a statement. “As school leaders resume instruction in the 2020-21 school year, the department recognizes the need for preliminary guidance to aid in planning for a return to in-person instruction, delivery of services, and resumption of extracurricular activities.”

According to the department, plans must encompass several elements:

identifying a pandemic coordinator or team to lead response efforts
steps to protect higher-risk children and staff
processes for monitoring students and staff for symptoms
guidelines for hygiene practices
processes for cleaning and disinfecting
guidelines for the use of face masks
protocols for social distancing
procedures for restricting large gatherings

The plans must be approved by local school boards and posted on the school or district public website before a school reopens. The plans must also be submitted to the state education department.

According to Rivera, the plans should be tailored to the unique needs of each school and reflect a comprehensive, community approach created in consultation with local health agencies.

The guidance applies to school districts, charter schools, regional charter schools, cyber charter schools, career and technical centers and intermediate units. Nonpublic schools are strongly encouraged to create plans tailored to their unique needs and post them on their websites.

Postsecondary schools in the yellow and green phases can resume in-person instruction on June 5 following the development of a health and safety plan. The guidance applies to colleges, universities, seminaries, trade schools and adult basic education programs. Institutions must adhere to proper physical distancing guidelines and other general public health and safety considerations informed by guidelines released by the CDC and DOH, according to the education department.

“Educators, students and caregivers have done a remarkable job as we all navigate through this pandemic,” Rivera said. “Now we need to direct our energy to focus on how to resume instruction in the 2020-21 school year. We fully expect students to return to classrooms in some capacity and are confident that schools will use this guidance to build a framework that best meets the unique needs of their students and communities.”

The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

May 29, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

I wish I could say that a new topic dominated our local news coverage this past week, but, nope, it was the coronavirus again. If you missed any of our stories over the past week, we have them all listed and linked below.

COVID-19 pandemic continued to grind on, though at a slowly decreasing case level in PA. Each day, we had a recap of the commonwealth’s daily update, including the latest one here.

Great Depression seemed like forever ago—until it wasn’t. Our May magazine feature captured what that time was like as we now peer into our own profound economic crisis.

Harrisburg City Council dedicated another $500,000 towards small business relief, this time through federal CARES Act funding. Our online story had details of the latest effort to help the city’s struggling small businesses.

Harrisburg’s Restaurant Row has been all but empty since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Now, the city and the Harrisburg Downtown Improvement District plan to close down 2nd Street to allow for outdoor dining on Saturday nights. We have the first details in our online story.

Parking enforcement and street sweeping will resume in mid-June in Harrisburg, the city announced. Our online story offers details for what may be the clearest indication yet of life slowly returning to normal.

Pets, like people, may be suffering due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our recent magazine feature explains the unique problems of pets and what we humans can do to help out.

“Poured in PA” is now a multi-part series, as the documentary film has morphed into an episodic program focused on the people and personalities that make up the commonwealth’s craft beer scene. Read our online feature to find out what film and video producer GK Visual has in its glass this time.

Sara Bozich is spending another weekend at home, but she’s making the best of it with virtual entertainment and takeout. In her weekly list of things to do, she has recommendations for our pandemic times.

Southwestern PA is slated to enter the “green” phase of reopening next week, Gov. Wolf announced. Our online news story offers details on which counties are going green and why.

TheBurg released our June issue into the wilds of the Harrisburg area on Friday, with a cover featuring local sensation Sharkman. As more locations reopen, we hope to get back to regular distribution soon. But, if a hard copy isn’t readily accessible, you can always read the issue online in our digital format.

TheBurg’s editor welcomes readers each month through his “Editor’s Note.” This month, he asks readers to share his fantasy of life returning to normal post-pandemic.

Virtual worship may never replace the live experience, but many believers have embraced it after large gatherings were banned. Our graphical guide offers a starting point for many churches, synagogues, mosques and temples in the Harrisburg area.

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Street sweeping, parking enforcement to resume soon in Harrisburg

May 29, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

Soon, you’ll have to start feeding this machine again.

Street sweeping and parking enforcement will resume in Harrisburg in mid-June, the city announced today.

On Monday, June 15, Capital Region Water will restart its regular street-sweeping schedule, and the city and parking operator SP+ will resume ticketing and enforcement of parking regulations.

This includes parking enforcement for street sweeping, metered parking and residential permits.

In March, the city, CRW and SP+ suspended these operations after the COVID-19 pandemic took hold and Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse issued a disaster declaration. At about the same time, Gov. Tom Wolf issued a stay-at-home order and mandated the closure of all “non life-sustaining” businesses.

Positive coronavirus cases have been slowly falling in the commonwealth for nearly two months, even as testing as expanded significantly.

Today, Dauphin County, including Harrisburg, moved from the “red” to the less-restrictive “yellow” phase of reopening. Wolf also announced today that much of southwestern PA would move to the least-restrictive “green” phase next Friday.

“As we enter the yellow phase in accordance with Gov. Wolf’s announcement, we look forward to increased activity in our great city,” Papenfuse said. “I appreciate everyone’s patience as we transition back into a more vibrant Harrisburg. It is important to continue to use safety precautions.”

Southwest PA to move into least-restrictive “green” phase next Friday

May 29, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

PA Gov. Tom Wolf (right) during today’s press conference

Sixteen more counties will move to the least-restrictive green phase next Friday, mostly in the western and southwestern parts of the commonwealth.

Gov. Tom Wolf made the announcement today during his first live, non-virtual press conference since the pandemic began in March.

These counties are Allegheny, Armstrong, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Clinton, Fayette, Fulton, Greene, Indiana, Lycoming, Mercer, Somerset, Washington and Westmoreland counties.

In addition, all remaining red counties, including Lancaster County and the Philadelphia metropolitan area, will move into the yellow phase on Friday.

Today, Dauphin and Lebanon counties, along with several counties in the northeast part of the state, moved into the yellow phase, while most counties in the northwest and north-central parts moved into the green phase.

Pennsylvania uses a three-color system–red, yellow and green–to guide re-openings following the virtual shutdown of the state earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic. Each phase further peels back Wolf’s stay-at-home order and business closures and restrictions, which were imposed in March.

Wolf said that his administration made these loosening decisions based upon recommendations of “medical epidemiological experts.”

“The goal here is to make that every Pennsylvanian is confident that they’re going to be safe moving from one of these phases into the next,” he said.

Wolf also cited “progress” fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. New case numbers have been on a constant, if slow, decline for nearly two months, while testing has increased substantially.

As many as 13,000 new tests have been conducted daily recently, Wolf said, and new positive cases are now subject to contact tracing.

“Because of this, we’re able to take important steps to return to a sense of normalcy, again, as we remain careful and vigilant,” he said.

Moreover, he said that, while he believes that his stay-at-home order and business restrictions have worked to fight spread of the virus, “we can’t isolate ourselves forever.”

“It is important that we continue to act with caution especially as we reopen,” he said.

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