Click here to subscribe today or Login.
WILKES-BARRE — With the year coming to an end, Pennsylvania state agencies have released their 2016 accomplishments to highlight the progress made by each agency in 2016.
According to a news release sent from the governor’s office, Gov. Tom Wolf has focused on three priorities for his administration — creating jobs, funding schools and getting the state government to work for everyone.
The emailed news release noted that state agencies are essential in helping Wolf implement and improve programs that move these three initiatives and Pennsylvania forward.
Some highlighted accomplishments of 2016 include:
Department of Education
Helping the governor implement a new fair-funding formula and to secure a historic $640 million increase in funding for Pennsylvania schools.
Department of Labor & Industry
Increasing access to workforce training and development through programs, such as the Pennsylvania’s Apprenticeship Initiative.
Department of Community and Economic Development
Announcing the completion of 58 projects through the Governor’s Action Team that will enhance job creation and investments across the Commonwealth.
Department of Health
Working to implement Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program and working collaboratively with other state agencies to tackle the current opioid abuse epidemic plaguing Pennsylvania.
Department of Human Services
Establishing Centers of Excellence to treat individuals suffering from Substance Use Disorder and increasing the number of Pennsylvanian’s enrolled for healthcare benefits.
Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs
Implementing a “warm hand-off” policy to ensure that overdose survivors are directed into treatment and providing drug take-back boxes across the state so Pennsylvanian’s can properly dispose of unwanted prescriptions.
Department of Aging
Hosting several community forums statewide to receive feedback from thousands of stakeholders on how to enhance the lives of older Pennsylvanians and working with the Department of Human Services to roll out Community HealthChoices to improve long-term care in Pennsylvania.
Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
Coordinating efforts to place more than 2,500 homeless veterans into permanent housing and working with Wolf to enact several bills that support the military and veterans, such as increased pay for state active duty.
Insurance Department
Announcing savings of $2.7 million by making changes in investment managers fees.
Department of Transportation
Improving customer service by reducing wait times at Driver License Centers and creating a new mobile app for driver license examiners and construction inspectors.
Department of Banking and Securities
Announcing a new program designed to identify and protect Pennsylvania seniors from financial abuse.
Office of Administration
Publishing the first annual report of accomplishments for the Governor’s Office of Transportation, Innovation, Management, and Efficiency (GO-TIME), highlighting projects that helped save over $156 million for taxpayers.
Department of State
Announcing that nearly 900,000 Pennsylvanians registered to vote by the October registration deadline by using Online Voter Registration.
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Issuing its State Forest Management Plan that will help protect and sustain Pennsylvania’s forests.
Department of Environmental Protection
Implementing mine land reclamation projects to put coal miners back to work and continuing to improve investments in Pennsylvania’s energy economy
AG says huge strides being made in testing
Pennsylvania’s backlog of untested rape kits
Auditor General Eugene DePasquale said this week that at least two of Pennsylvania’s major public crime labs are making swift progress toward testing their back-logged rape kits since his report in September.
“I want to commend the Philadelphia Police Department’s Office of Forensic Science and the Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner,” DePasquale said in an emailed news release. “Both are working diligently to outsource their backlogged untested rape kits and verify DNA results.”
Philadelphia reports that more than 900 kits have been outsourced for testing in the past year. In early 2016, Philadelphia OFS reported that it had nearly 1,300 backlogged kits. Now the office is verifying the results, uploading them into the federal DNA database and notifying detectives of database hits, which could lead to arrests.
In western Pennsylvania, the Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner has outsourced about 250 kits it received from its submitting municipalities, which includes the City of Pittsburgh.
In early 2016, the office reported that it had 132 kits awaiting testing; others have come in during the year and have been sent out for processing.
This week, Nevada officials announced that eight arrests had been made as a direct result of testing its backlog of rape kits.
“The arrests in Nevada reinforce the value of testing all of these kits,” DePasquale said.
DePasquale released a special report on Pennsylvania’s untested rape kit backlog in September. The report can be found at: www.PaAuditor.gov.
Agriculture secretary reminds dog
owners to get dog licenses by Jan. 1
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding this week reminded dog owners to license their dogs by Jan. 1 to give them the gift of security. State law require dogs to be licensed, and licenses protect your pets if they get lost.
“While you’re shopping for the perfect chew toy for your dog’s holiday stocking,” Secretary Redding said in an emailed news release. “Don’t forget to buy your dog a license before the New Year. Licensing your dog is the best step you can take to bring your beloved pet home if he gets lost. It’s not only the smart thing to do, it’s also the law.”
State law requires all dogs three months and older to be licensed by Jan. 1 of each year. Owners who fail to license their dogs could face a fine of up to $300 for each unlicensed dog.
The fee for an annual dog license is $6.50, or $8.50 if the animal is not spayed or neutered. Lifetime licenses are available for dogs that have permanent identification such as a microchip or tattoo. Older adults and persons with disabilities may be eligible for discounts.
The dog license application is simple. It only requests owner contact information and details about the dog being licensed, such as name, age, breed and color. The information is used by animal control and shelters to identify lost dogs and get them home safely.
Licensing fees support animal control through the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement, which is responsible for ensuring the welfare of dogs, regulating dangerous dogs and overseeing annual licensing and rabies vaccinations.
For more information, visit licenseyourdogpa.pa.gov or call the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement at 717-787-3062.
