WILKES-BARRE— The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), and Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PA Turnpike) this week came together to remind drivers to wear their seat belts, drive sober, and eliminate distractions behind the wheel.

Operation Safe Holiday kicked off on Nov. 11, with the “Click It or Ticket” (CIOT) Thanksgiving Enforcement Mobilization running through Dec. 1.

Throughout Operation Safe Holiday, law enforcement will also conduct sobriety checkpoints, roving patrols, and regular traffic safety patrols that began Wednesday, Nov. 20, and run through the New Year’s holiday to crack down on drivers impaired by drugs or alcohol.

“These enforcement efforts are not about tickets, they are about saving lives,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. “PennDOT data shows seat belts save lives. Wearing your seat belt is your best defense against injury or death in the event of a crash. No matter how far you travel this year, buckle up!”

Last year, it is estimated that 92% of unbelted occupants — or 282 people — who were killed in crashes while traveling in passenger vehicles, including cars, small trucks, vans, and SUVs, could have survived if they had been buckled up.

Pennsylvania law requires any occupant younger than 18 to buckle up when riding in a vehicle, as well as drivers and front-seat passengers. Children under the age of two must be secured in a rear-facing car seat, and children under the age of four must be restrained in an approved child safety seat. Children must ride in a booster seat until their eighth birthday.

As part of the CIOT enforcement mobilization, PSP held child safety seat fitting clinics at several locations across the state.

“The Pennsylvania State Police is dedicated to ensuring the safety of everyone who travels the highways and secondary roads of our Commonwealth. With this comes zero tolerance for impaired drivers,” said PSP Commissioner Colonel Christopher Paris. “Wear your seat belts, drive sober, and eliminate distractions behind the wheel.”

According to PennDOT data:

• During the 2023 holiday travel period beginning the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and running through Jan. 2, 2024, there were 1,061 alcohol-related crashes, resulting in 22 fatalities and 618 suspected serious injuries.

• During the same time-frame, there were 360 drug-related crashes, resulting in 26 fatalities and 267 suspected serious injuries.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is once again expecting big numbers over the Thanksgiving holiday. Approximately 3.4 million motorists are expected to be traveling the PA Turnpike during the six-day holiday period running through Sunday, Dec. 1.

Topper: Assessment scores show need for transformational change in education

Incoming Pennsylvania House Republican Leader Jesse Topper, R-Bedford/Fulton, this week said the recent statewide assessment results from the Pennsylvania Department of Education show transformational change is needed in Pennsylvania’s system of education to achieve meaningful improvement.

“While the statewide assessment scores released by the Pennsylvania Department of Education show some areas of improvement, it is clear we are still lagging behind our pre-COVID achievement scores and Pennsylvania students are continuing to learn at a deficit compared to their predecessors,” Topper said.

According to the just-released statewide assessment scores, Pennsylvania students incrementally improved in math and science proficiency, while continuing to fall behind in English language arts.

“If we are to expect tangible change in outcomes, we must have transformational change in our system of education. It is clear unfocused budgetary and legislative education priorities in state government are not benefiting Pennsylvania’s children in the classroom,” Topper continued. “I look forward to continuing to work across the aisle and with the Shapiro administration to find common ground on shared goals that can advance the kind of transformative change in our education system our students so desperately need.”

Secretary of Education Mumin steps down; Gov. Shapiro appoints Fitterer interim Acting Secretary

Secretary Dr. Khalid N. Mumin this week announced his resignation after nearly 2 years of service as Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE).

Dr. Mumin, a lifelong educator, was confirmed by the Senate of Pennsylvania to serve as the Secretary of Education on June 26, 2023.

“Dr. Mumin has dedicated his life and career to ensuring Pennsylvania children have real opportunity through a quality education that sets them up for success in life,” said Gov. Josh Shapiro. “He has led the Pennsylvania Department of Education with passion and integrity. I am grateful for his service to Pennsylvania’s students and educators and wish him great success in his future endeavors.”

“It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Education,” said Secretary Mumin. “I began my career as a teacher in a classroom, and those early experiences watching students get excited about learning inspired me to become a principal, a superintendent, and ultimately Secretary of Education, so I could continue to fight for those students to get more support and more opportunities. I’m so grateful to Gov. Shapiro for this opportunity to lead the Pennsylvania Department of Education and help build a bright future for Pennsylvania’s students and educators.”

Dr. Mumin will step down on Dec. 6. Angela Fitterer, Executive Deputy Secretary for the Department of Education, will serve as interim Acting Secretary.

During Dr. Mumin’s tenure, Pennsylvania has made historic investments in K-12 public education across two budgets, delivering $1.5 billion in new funding to schools and driving resources to the public schools that need it the most.

The Shapiro Administration has delivered universal free breakfast for 1.7 million Pennsylvania students, strengthened career and technical education programming by investing in Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs and apprenticeships, and invested in student mental health, repairs for safer and healthier schools, and free menstrual products for students in schools.

The Department has also made significant strides to strengthen the pipeline of qualified teachers ready to take up jobs in our classrooms. PDE has created a new CTE program in Education for high school students, awarded $1.5 million in grant funding to colleges and universities to bolster the Commonwealth’s next generation of special educators, eliminated the Basic Skills Assessment to become an educator, worked with the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) to create and expand the Student Teacher Support Program to provide a stipend to student teachers, allowed individuals authorized to work in the United States to earn certification and serve as educators in the Commonwealth, reduced the wait time for new teachers in Pennsylvania to receive their teaching certification by more than ten weeks, and more.

Fitterer is a lifelong public servant who currently serves as the Executive Deputy Secretary of Education for the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

PA Broadband Development Authority opens $1.16B program to connect Every Pennsylvanian to internet

Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority (PBDA) Executive Director Brandon Carson this week announced the Commonwealth’s $1.16 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program will accept the first round of applications from Nov. 22, 2024, through January 21, 2025.

BEAD is a federal grant program that provides states with funding to deploy broadband infrastructure and connect residents to the internet.

In June 2023, Governor Josh Shapiro and PBDA Executive Director Carson announced the Commonwealth’s historic BEAD program funding to expand broadband in unserved and under-served areas to make sure high-speed internet is available to every Pennsylvanian by the end of the decade.

“My Administration is moving quickly to solicit applications and drive out this historic funding so we can extend access to high-speed, affordable internet all across our Commonwealth by the end of this decade,” said Gov. Shapiro. “Ensuring every Pennsylvanian can connect to the internet is critical for students who want to learn, patients in rural communities who want to see their doctor, and small business owners who want to find new customers and succeed in Pennsylvania. We’re committed to closing the digital divide in the Commonwealth, and this is another significant step forward in creating real opportunity for all Pennsylvanians.”

Per federal guidelines, the BEAD program will consist of two, 60-day application periods for eligible entities to apply for funds to construct high-speed internet networks to areas that lack service.

“We’ve worked closely with local government leaders, state and federal officials, industry representatives, and other stakeholders to design this program and we’re excited to launch it,” said PBDA Executive Director Carson. “For far too long communities lacking internet access have had to make difficult decisions about how to educate their children, where they’re able to work, or how to get their medical care. We have the funding needed and are ready to invest in a variety of technologies and networks of all sizes to provide high-speed internet to all corners of the Commonwealth.”

Dates for the second application period in 2025 will be announced. Following both application periods, the PBDA will evaluate the applications and provide a final proposal outlining each of the selected recipients and projects. This final proposal will be open for public comment for 30 days prior to its submission to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). PBDA will announce the final awards later next year after they are accepted by the NTIA.

Eligible BEAD applicants include cooperative organizations; not-for-profit organizations; public-private partnerships; private companies; public or private utility companies; public utility districts; municipalities or units of local government; and internet service providers registered through the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Funds can be used for physical improvements; long-term leases; multi-family residential deployment; planning, design, and engineering; personnel costs; network software upgrades; and workforce development. There is no minimum or maximum grant amount for any project — projects require a minimum 25% share of the total project cost in matching funds.

The BEAD program, established in accordance with the NTIA’s Notice of Funding Opportunity and Act 96 of 2021, utilizes funds allocated to Pennsylvania through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021.

In addition to $1.16 billion in BEAD funding, the PBDA recently approved $45 million in Multi-Purpose Community Facilities grant funding to 49 projects in 26 counties across Pennsylvania.