Advocates have widely praised the department’s efforts, but are concerned about potential harms to inmate mental health.
Coronavirus
Posted inCommunity Shoutouts
Lebanon High junior raises $1,500 for local coronavirus fund with ‘virtual 5K’
Thirty runners from as far as San Francisco and Canada signed up for the virtual 5K, organized by LHS junior Owen Sheetz.
Posted inNews
COVID shutdown: 2 of 3 commissioners remain firm on push to go yellow, state of county operations discussed
The Lebanon County Commissioners will meet again Friday morning to vote on a resolution regarding the county’s official stance on whether it should move into the “yellow” phase in advance of the state’s timeline.
Posted inBusiness & Nonprofits
Allen Theatre plans to celebrate eventual victory over COVID-19, now welcoming submissions for community film festival
“Together, We Did It!” will feature uplifting COVID-19 spots submitted by members of the community.
Posted inNews
Pa. counties abandon plans to buck Wolf, as GOP lawmakers continue pushing doomed reopening bills
The GOP-controlled state Senate approved a bill that would give counties the power to opt out of Gov. Tom Wolf’s business closure and stay-at-home orders.
Posted inNews
Outdoor meetings, working from home, cancelled events – county municipalities keep adapting to “new normal”
Myerstown, Annville, North Londonderry, and Palmyra officials share how they’re adapting in order to remain operable.
Posted inNews
Pa. officials revoked business waivers the night before publishing list of recipients
The Department of Community and Economic Development, which oversees the process, said it was part of ongoing “quality control.”
Posted inNews
In major reversal, Gov. Tom Wolf says Pa. will begin weekly testing of nursing home residents, employees
The announcement is a reversal for the administration, which for weeks has said it has done everything possible to protect nursing homes and maintained that only people with symptoms should be tested, despite the known spread of the disease from carriers with no signs of illness.
Posted inLebanon Area Fair
Lebanon Area Fair will ‘most certainly’ be affected by COVID-19
The annual fair is tentatively scheduled for July 25. It is not yet known exactly how the event will be impacted by COVID-19.
Posted inOpinions & Letters
[Letter] DA Hess Graf: Wolf’s actions misguided, but consequences possible
District Attorney Pier Hess Graf explains the inherent limitations that exist on her Friday announcement that all local businesses may reopen without fear of criminal consequences.
Posted inBusiness & Nonprofits
WellSpan reduces executive compensation to fund COVID-19 Assistance Program
WellSpan Health will reduce executive compensation for the next three months to fund a new COVID-19 employee assistance program.
Posted inNews
Pa. GOP takes Gov. Tom Wolf to court as it seeks records on controversial business waiver process
The Wolf administration rejected the request on Friday, though it did for the first time release a list of more than 5,000 businesses that were granted waivers.
Posted inNews
Gov. Tom Wolf denounces Pa. counties reopening without his approval as ‘cowardly,’ ‘selfish’
The Democratic governor said counties that do so are risking federal stimulus dollars for coronavirus response.
Posted inNews
Workers in Pennsylvania with preexisting health conditions fear a call to return to work
They are particularly at risk of serious complications or death if they get the coronavirus, but if they refuse to work, they could lose their job and unemployment.
Posted inNews
Republican elected officials tell Governor they intend to move Lebanon County to “Yellow Phase” on May 15
Lebanon County’s state legislators as well as a handful of other Republican elected officials released a joint letter to Governor Tom Wolf on Friday evening, May 8, informing him of a plan to move the county to the “Yellow Phase” on Friday, May 15.
