Lancaster-York : In the News

Mike Pechart, with the agriculture department, said more farm stand owners will now be able to accept state and federal food access cards.

“Folks can bring those benefits to farm markets, and those that have these wireless terminals and readers, they can use their SNAP cards to get fresh fruits and vegetables,” Pechart said.

And farmers also will be able to take credit and debit cards, though those transactions will be charged the standard bank fee.

Pennsylvania, which ranked 11th in the nation in terms of total state exports last year, had a greater percentage increase than the nation as a whole, which experienced a 16.6 percent increase after falling 14.6 percent during the recession in 2009.

Canada remained the No. 1 buyer of Pennsylvania exports at $10.2 billion, up 14.6 percent from $8.9 billion in 2009. China bought $2.67 billion worth of goods from businesses in the state, a 78 percent increase from $1.5 billion in 2009.

The chemical industry topped all industries in the state with $10.2 billion worth of exports, up 14 percent from 2009. Machinery, primary metal manufacturing, computers and electronic products, and transportation equipment rounded out the top five.

Immediately after the fire, Mount Joy Borough and Main Street Mount Joy began meeting with property owners in the affected block. Rutherford said a Borough Revitalization Collaborative consisting of Lancaster County Housing & Redevelopment Authorities, Economic Development Company of Lancaster County, Lancaster County Planning Commission, Community First Fund and the Building Industry Association provided guidance on the redevelopment effort.

Financing for the $840,000 project is being provided by Northwest Savings Bank, Community Development Block Grant funds loaned through the Lancaster County Housing & Redevelopment Authorities, and an Urban Enhancement Fund loan through the county planning commission to Main Street Mount Joy.

While more Amish residents move out of Pennsylvania than those who move in, the state's Amish population nonetheless leapt by nearly 82 percent in that same period, according to revised figures from the Young Center.

The study estimates that Pennsylvania now has 59,500 Amish residents, up from 56,500 two years ago and only 32,700 in 1992. That works out to a 4.3 percent increase in the last year. The center estimates the national Amish population to total 240,000.

Original Source: The Huffington Post

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The federal education jobs money is expected to save about 161,000 education jobs nationwide, including about 5,900 in Pennsylvania. The money is designated for only compensation of teachers and other staff at the school level, not central administrator pay, facilities or other expenses. States will have to show that they are maintaining their effort to fund education to qualify for the money.

Original Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

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PA CareerLink, part of the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, operates locations across the state aiming to help those out of work find employers who are looking for workers. Baltimore Life also conducted interviews at the office Monday, according to CareerLink.

The CareerLink office is a good place to look for workers, Fullaway said, because people are constantly in and out of the office looking for work. The company is looking for people to work in its call center, to staff outside events and home shows and to do neighborhood canvassing.

The ultimate goal is a system of stops and connections spanning from Berks to Franklin County in central Pennsylvania.

The study, which is funded by a state grant, will examine technology that would make fares universal from bus system to bus system. It will also determine how much regionalization would cost and look at ways to pay for it.

The funded solar projects are forecast to generate at least 26,600 megawatt-hours of electricity each year--enough for around 2,700 Pennsylvania homes.

The systems are expected to save $5.2 million a year in energy costs over the next 20 years.

Among the projects awarded funding, an $8.6 million solar photovoltaic array planned for a senior housing community in East Whiteland will receive a $2.7 million grant. The 1.8MW ground-mounted facility will generate 2.3 million kilowatt-hours of energy a year, saving $286,000 in energy costs each year.

According to the latest report by the USDA, the number of markets in the country tripled since the mid-1990s. They're being touted as the panacea for everything from the obesity epidemic to the exploitation of farmers by big-chain supermarkets. Locavores love them. Environmentalists adore them. Raw foodies can't do without them.

Linda Aleci, a historian and co-founder of the Local Economy Center at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, undertook a three-year study of the farmers' market in her city. Her findings suggested that the local farmers' market -- serving a poor, food-insecure community -- was suffering from the growth of markets in the Philadelphia metro region and in Lancaster County. Salon spoke to her to find out more.

State Rep. Eugene DePasquale, D-West Manchester, was one of five Democrats from the state House of Representatives who developed the project. He said state lawmakers might or might not take the suggestions submitted.

In fact, given the proximity to the June 30 deadline for a new state budget, it's likely that any suggestions would be adopted for next year's state budget rather than this one. Still, DePasquale said he and his colleagues figured any viable suggestions they glean from the site would make the project worth it.

"Every dime you can save, you should," DePasquale said.

A report to be presented to the faculty union Monday in Harrisburg is expected to include recommendations for "shared programs" in foreign languages and physics, according to officials such as Karen Ball, vice chancellor for external relations for the State System of Higher Education.

Officials said the pilot programs could use software that enables distance learning. The proposal stems from a review of undergraduate and graduate programs that have low enrollments on individual campuses.

Between 2008 and 2018, employment is expected to increase by 15.3 million, according to projections by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. Coming after a recession that destroyed 8 million jobs, that sounds encouraging.

But a different forecast being released Tuesday by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce shows that there is a growing disconnect between the types of jobs that employers must fill and the number of Americans with the education and training to do them.

Original Source: Philadelphia Inquirer

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Among the issues are taxes, trying to maintain competitiveness in a global economy, the perception that manufacturing isn't a viable career choice, finding skilled workers and policy at various levels throughout government.

Tackling those and other issues requires a concerted effort by many, the panelists said during a two-hour discussion with about 20 people in the audience.

The two-story, 70,000-square-foot facility will be integrated with the LGH Radiation Oncology Department off Spring Valley Road in East Hempfield Township, facing Route 30. And the design of the Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Center is intended to look futuristic, airy, open -- and above all, healing.

LGH officials hope to break ground for the facility next summer, and say it could open as soon as autumn 2012.

The search engine giant generated the figures in the report by examining the number of businesses, website publishers and nonprofits using its search and advertising tools.

Nationwide, the company (NASDAQ:GOOG) said it’s search and advertising tools generated $54 billion in economic activity.

Five senators, including PA's Bob Casey, are fighting to make venture capital firms exempt from investment manager taxes, Bloomberg reports.

Brown, along with Democratic Senators Patty Murray of Washington, Mark Warner of Virginia, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, said subjecting venture firms to higher tax rates on so-called carried interest would hurt job creation and “could not occur at a worse time.”

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus is considering adding the proposed higher tax rate on carried interest to broader legislation. Carried interest is the profit share paid to managing partners of firms as part of their pay. That share, which lawmakers say is payment for services, currently can qualify for long-term capital gains rates of 15 percent.

Original Source: Bloomberg News

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The Battelle/BIO State BioScience Initiatives report found Pennsylvania ranked third in biosciences-related jobs with 40,070 in 2008, while New Jersey was eighth with 22,540.

“Not every biotech company made it through the storm,” said Jim Greenwood, president and CEO of BIO, an industry trade group based in Washington. “Fifty publicly traded companies went bankrupt for lack of access to capital. But there is much good news. Biotech stocks outperformed virtually every other index in the first quarter of this year. The markets have come back, but biotech has come back faster and stronger.”

The Pennsylvania Way to Work program is expected to use federal emergency funds available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to pay for the jobs through September for adults as well as youths, according to an announcement today by the State Departments of Labor and of Public Welfare.

Pennsylvania's local Workforce Investment Boards are already reaching out to employers to determine the number of jobs that will be available when the program begins, the state said.

HACC Gettysburg vice president Jennifer Weaver has been with the campus since the beginning, and has seen it grow from several classrooms and about 100 students to a campus with an enrollment of 2,100.

She said it all started in 1990 when HACC first held a small schedule of general-education evening courses at the junior high school of the Gettysburg Area School District.

After two years, and about 125 students who passed through the programs, it was time to find a larger site, she said. The growing school moved into four classrooms at the former fire department building on Liberty Street. Having its own location meant they could offer classes during the day, as well, and expand its offerings.

In its monthly look at state job trends, the Labor Department said Friday that Maryland led the country with a gain of 35,800 payroll jobs last month. Virginia and Pennsylvania also posted increases that topped 20,000 in the month.

By contrast, Michigan continued to have the nation's highest unemployment rate at 14.1 percent, and also led the country in job losses in March with a decline of 9,500. Nevada and Florida also posted sizable job losses and were among 17 states recording job losses during the month.

Nationally, the unemployment remained unchanged at 9.7 percent in March while payrolls grew by 162,000, the biggest gain in three years.

The line's look is so popular--think Hollister or Abercrombie & Fitch--that the retailer opened its fifth stand-alone store earlier this month and, this fall, will fund a scholarship at its namesake college west of Philadelphia.

Franklin and Marshall the company was founded by a pair of entrepreneurs in Verona in 1999, more than 200 years after Franklin & Marshall the college was founded in Lancaster by a gift from Benjamin Franklin.Giuseppe Albarelli and Andrea Pensiero were inspired to create their high-end sportswear by an authentically old F&M sweatshirt they found at a secondhand shop in London. 

The learning pendulum has swung so far that many undergraduates and professors view substantive research before earning a bachelor's degree as essential to advancing career goals. Such research includes work published in scholarly journals; work that is part of a project led by a scientist, professor or graduate student; or work paid for by a grant.

Since 2004, the number of member institutions in the nonprofit Council on Undergraduate Research in Washington grew to about 600 from 385, said Nancy Hensel, executive officer. Today, about 5,000 individuals are members. Both totals are all-time highs. In 2007, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education became the first system to join the council.

PPL and the Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority have entered into a lease agreement that is expected to have the turbines generating electricity this fall on the Frey Farm Landfill overlooking the Susquehanna River.

"This is a major step forward, and all systems are go for southeastern Pennsylvania's first commercial wind project," said James Warner, the authority's executive director.

All the juice is being purchased by Turkey Hill Dairy, located adjacent to the site. The wind power is expected to satisfy about 25 percent of the dairy's needs.

From his office perch on the second floor of a mini-industrial park, Mr. Tait--whose anonymous four buildings have no sign identifying them as Tait Towers--can see the Clair Brothers’ factory and warehouse just past a farmhouse, and then look right toward Atomic Design’s studios. Tait employs about 130 designers, technicians, welders, machinists and assemblers and, like those at Clair and Atomic, almost all of them come from a 20-mile radius.

“There is a tremendously motivated population here, but I guess that is tradition,” Mr. Tait said. “There are motor heads and rockers and just plain machinists and smart people, a good sampling."

The report, an examination of the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus and suspended soil flowing down the Conestoga and Susquehanna rivers in 2008, was released Monday by the Susquehanna River Basin Commission. The volume of nutrients and soil in the rivers is below long-term averages.

"The commission's findings do help validate the fact that the commonwealth's aggressive nutrient and sediment reduction efforts over the years are working, and supporting bay restoration efforts," said John Hines, deputy secretary for water management for the state Department of Environmental Protection.

The $9.2 million in grants and loans the Commonwealth Financing Authority approved today, he added, will benefit seven projects throughout the state that are showing how alternative energy can conserve resources and cut expenses--two aspects that are critical to Pennsylvania’s long-term economic competitiveness.

The Commonwealth Financing Authority administers Pennsylvania's economic stimulus programs, including portions of the $650 million Alternative Energy Investment Fund.

And making money is what Miller Farm is doing. "I can't meet all the demand," says Amos Miller. He relies on additional supplies of product from his brother, John, who "grows the produce that we ferment and process here," and from three other neighboring Amish and Mennonite farmers.

What distinguishes Miller Farm from others, such as celebrity farmer Joel Salatin's farm in Virginia, which has helped popularize nutrient-dense foods, is that Miller has gone national--and done it without modern conveniences. His main concessions to modern life are a generator for refrigeration to cool certain foods and a landline telephone (717-556-0672) to take orders from distributors and mail-order customers. He also relies on FedEx (FDX) for shipping orders to customers.

Hershey's bid for British rival Cadbury must take into consideration the PA chocolate-maker's charitable interests, reports Time magazine.

Unlike most companies, particularly foodmaker Kraft, which is also considering a bid for Cadbury, Hershey is controlled not by investors but by a charitable trust, established a century ago by company founder Milton Hershey to fund the education of orphans. The Hershey Trust, which holds 80% of the voting stock of the candy company, runs the Milton Hershey School not far from the corporate headquarters in central Pennsylvania, and it is required to maintain it in perpetuity.

Original source: Time
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Harley-Davidson's Softail and Touring motorcycle manufacturing operations will remain in York County, reports the York Daily Record.

Staying in York County means major changes for the operations happening from today and continuing into 2012.

Touring motorcycle manufacturing will be consolidated into the Softail plant, a roughly 6-year-old facility now marked for expansion, Harley spokesman Bob Klein said.

Original source: York Daily Record
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Ben Franklin's membership in the alliance does not mean companies will have direct access to Boeing but they will have an opportunity to work with the company after a vetting process, said Terry Singer, Ben Franklin's director of statewide affairs. "It's an incredible opportunity," he said. It could take up to three years after Ben Franklin identifies a tech company from its portfolio until Boeing adopts the company's technology, Singer said.

Ben Franklin is a statewide group that supports technology companies through capital investments and operational assistance using state money, partnerships and access to business expertise. Since 1982, it has helped 1,139 companies and created or retained 3,334 technology jobs, according to the group.

According to a report by the National Venture Capital Association, Pennsylvania ranks sixth in the nation in percentage of jobs created through private equity investment, reports the blog Technically Philly.

The state is responsible for 3.36 percent of all VC-based job postings, despite only being responsible for 1.13 percent of the deals in Q3. Ahead of Pennsylvania were California (38.98 percent), Massachusetts (7.9 percent), New York (7 percent), Texas (6 percent) and Washington State (3.7percent).

Original source: Technically Philly
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The award-winning Adams County Economic Development Corporation celebrated its 20th birthday last week, reports the Gettysburg Times.

Board members, past presidents and other invited guests filled the banquet room at the Eisenhower Hotel and Conference Center to hear stories such as the development of the Adams Commerce Park at the intersection of U.S. Route 15 and Pa. Route 30 and the growth of ACEDC's loan program.

The park, which houses Pella, Battlefield Harley Davidson/Buell, a Wellspan Health center, Adams County National Bank headquarters, Battlefield Kia, Davidson Motor Company and other businesses, is one of the more recognizable and visible results of ACEDC's work. It led the group to be named the Pennsylvania Economic Development Authority's "Small Agency Of The Year."

Original source: Gettysburg Times
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More than $30 million in federal stimulus funds directed to Voith Hydro will help the company tackle several hydropower projects, reports the York Daily Record.

The money will be used toward seven hydropower projects to modernize hydropower infrastructure, increase efficiency and reduce environmental impacts at existing facilities.

Among the projects are an Alcoa Inc. project in Robbinsville, N.C., for which Voith is building two turbines.

Original source: York Daily Record
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The company makes medical safety products such as pre-filled syringes to prevent accidental needle wounds. The firm says it plans to build a new facility somewhere in York County with the help of $5.2 million in state funding.

Unilife vice president Stephen Allan says the new jobs will range from engineering and automated assembly to quality control and testing, and most will be "well above" the area's average salary.

Among their titles are the tabletop art books "Dale Gallon, Historical Art," featuring many of the Civil War paintings on display at the artist's Gettysburg gallery, and "Work in Progress," showcasing the late Lancaster artist Constantine "Gus" Kermes.

But in general, LifeReloaded's strategy for success is not based on volume, as was almost a necessity before the digital age, but on quality in smaller quantities.

In the first phase, hundreds of buildings on the 47-acre industrial tract were demolished, and the land cleaned up. The property, which will be divided between F&M and Lancaster General, includes sports fields for the college, and may become the site of a new nursing school. A football stadium and baseball field are planned as well.

Nikoloff said the Lancaster General portion of the site could create hundreds of jobs and is projected to pump tens of millions of dollars into the local economy.

PennDOT's 511PA phone highway information system started last week, reports the Morning Call.

The program they're calling 511PA provides free, 24-hour traveler information, offering real-time warnings of traffic jams resulting from accidents, road work or other causes, as well as alerts about snow, ice and other weather conditions that might threaten a pleasant journey.

A companion Web site, http://www.511PA.com , offers the same information, plus links to other sites with public-transit, car-pooling and route-planning information, even details about major tourism programs or destinations.

Original source: Morning Call
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Two Lancaster County farms and a commercial greenhouse will be able to convert manure and wood into electricity thanks to federal stimulus funds, reports the Intelligencer Journal.

The Lancaster County Conservation District will get $500,000 to fund an anaerobic digester on Meadow Valley Dairy in West Cocalico Township.

The digester will convert manure into electricity — enough to power 200 homes.

The conservation district also will get $474,502 for Esbenshade Greenhouses in Brickerville to install a combined heat and power system powered by biomass wood and possibly chicken litter.

Original source: Intelligencer Journal
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The streets of historic downtown Lancaster are noticeably more crowded since the Pennsylvania Dutch Convention and Visitors Bureau opened in April, reports the Intelligencer Journal.

"It's clear that we have tons of new visitors. ... There are a lot more people on the street in the evenings," said Phil Wenger, president of the Isaac's Restaurant & Deli chain, which has a restaurant at 25 N. Queen St.

"We're definitely seeing a lot more," said Phillip Eck, manager of Annie Bailey's Irish Pub and Restaurant, 28 E. King St. "The doormen are seeing a lot of different state IDs."

Original source: Intelligencer-Journal
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Enrollment is up at a pair of Lancaster County two-year colleges thanks to their affordability and career-related courses, reports the Intelligencer Journal.

Two-year colleges, such as HACC and Stevens, traditionally have been one of the most accessible avenues to higher education, particularly during difficult economic times, officials say.

"Early enrollment numbers show that we will hit the 5,000 mark this year," said Pam Saylor, director of media relations at HACC, one of 14 Pennsylvania community colleges.

At 98 percent, Stevens has one of the highest job placement rates in the United States and is Pennsylvania's only state-owned, two-year college of technology.

Original source: Intelligencer Journal
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Owner Dinny Kinloch's firm will create a logo, business card, radio script or newspaper advertisement for a company at no cost when that business spends $100 with another downtown merchant.

"This program allows small businesses that need marketing help to get professional advice they may not be able to afford just by supporting other downtown businesses," Kinloch said in a news release.

Warner said ground should be broken in March on the $8.25 million project. Two 1.5 megawatt wind turbines, each about 370 feet high, could be spinning above the Susquehanna River and producing pollution-free electricity by next September.

In another month or so, the authority plans to hold a public meeting to provide details about the project to nearby residents. There will be photos taken from all directions showing what the top of Turkey Hill will look like with the turbines, Warner said.

A distribution hub in Conewago Township is adding nearly 650 jobs, reports the York Daily Record.

The facility, a prominent square building described as about the height of the Statue of Liberty's crown, is visible on the west side of Interstate 83 between Harrisburg and York.

Storage and shipping company ES3 announced the expansion along with affiliate C&S Wholesale Grocers with Gov. Ed Rendell at the state Capitol on Monday.

The state put together a $2.9 million package to help facilitate the $200 million project.Rendell said it was "terrific news" considering the economic hits Pennsylvania has taken recently.

Original source: York Daily Record
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York County has enough land to keep pace with economic development for at least 10 years, reports the York Dispatch.

Projections show a demand for 7.8 million square feet of office, retail and industrial space over a 10-year span, according to the study, conducted by the consulting firm Basile Bauman Prost Cole & Associates.

With about 5,246 acres appropriately zoned and available for those types development, the county can accommodate about 27 million square feet of development.

 

The study was formally adopted Wednesday into the county's comprehensive plan, which is used by the planning commission to help municipalities manage growth.

A bill that would expand options for transfer students from community colleges has been proposed in state legislature, reports the Public Opinion.

Current state regulations require all 14 state-owned colleges and universities in the State System of Higher Education to accept 30 transfer credits from Pennsylvania community colleges.

A proposal by Rep. Tom Houghton, D-Chester, would double that limit to 60 credits, so students could transfer a full associate's degree course load to the four-year school as though they took the courses there.

"We're fully supportive of the bill," Kenn Marshall, SSHE spokesman, said. State System representatives helped Houghton draw up the bill, he said, and he expects it to pass without much opposition.

Original Source: Public Opinion

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A wellness program, child care center and social hours make Gettysburg College  the kind of place where people tend to come to work and stay for a long time, reports the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Ms. Sprague is among 400 of Gettysburg's 725 full-time employees who participate in the college's wellness program. About half of them stick with it long enough to earn discounts of up to $500 a year on their health-insurance premiums. The wellness program--which includes free on-campus fitness classes like toning and Zumba dancing, free advice from nutritionists, and courses on preventing diabetes, eating well, and learning to relax--is partially sponsored by Gettysburg’s insurer, Highmark Blue Shield.

"It's very collegial," says Jack Ryan, acting vice provost, who has worked here for 15 years. He says employees--including the president, Janet Morgan Riggs, a 1977 Gettysburg graduate--are on a first-name basis. "We tend to respect what everybody else does," says Mr. Ryan, "whether it's people who take care of the landscape, or clean the buildings, or work in the library."

Original Souce: The Chronicle of Higher Education
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A national service initiative, called Get Help Now and organized in Pennsylvania by Governor Ed Rendell, includes 22 sites statewide where consumers can get free legal and financial help, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Staffing the help desks will be attorneys, financial analysts, and banking and mortgage professionals, all equipped with resource manuals for referral services, Marjorie Rendell said.

Organizers expect to recruit 2,000 volunteers statewide by the end of the summer program Sept. 11, a spokesman for the governor’s office said. The volunteers will not provide legal advice.

Original Souce: Philadelphia Inquirer
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Pennsylvania is seeking federal stimulus funds to plug leaks in underground storage tanks, an issue that costs the state up to $2 million a year, reports the Philadelphia Business Journal.

The state is applying for $6.1 million to clean up 71 underground petroleum storage tanks in 40 counties that have been reported, or are suspected, to be leaking, Gov. Ed Rendell said Wednesday.

Since Pennsylvania began regulating underground storage tanks in 1989 there have been 14,700 known releases. Remediation has been completed for 11,500. The state gets money for cleanups from the Underground Storage Tank Indemnification Fund, which is supported by a tax on gasoline sold in the state.

Original Souce: Philadelphia Business Journal
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Employee showers and bike racks are among many green features in store for the future $1.5-million-home of Cargas Systems at the former Lancaster Stockyards, reports the Lancaster Intelligencer.

Cargas Systems, a business software and consulting firm now on Granite Run Drive, would be the third firm to open at the city site.

CoreSource, an insurance claims processor on West King Street, and Benten BioServices, a vaccine research and development start-up, also will fill new buildings to be constructed there.

Groundbreaking for all three structures is set for the second half of this year, an associate of site developer Tim Harrison has said.

Original Souce: Lancaster Intelligencer
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A new Arm & Hammer plant, the largest single building project in the history of parent company Church & Dwight Co., Inc., will bring 300 new jobs to Jackson Township near York, reports the York Daily Record.

The plant, with 1.1 million square feet of building space on 232 acres, will include manufacturing for laundry detergents and have a related distribution facility. It will replace a New Jersey facility used by Church & Dwight Co., Inc., the parent company of Arm & Hammer.

Construction is expected to begin in September for the new plant and distribution facility along Route 30. It should be operational by fall 2009 and fully staffed and independently operating by the beginning of 2010.

Original Souce: York Daily Record
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The Lancaster County Convention Center and Marriot hotel opened before business and civic leaders last week, marking a new era in downtown Lancaster's revitalization that was 10 years in the making, reports the Lancaster New Era.

From the hotel's marble lobby to the carvernous convention hall to the stunning vistas of city and farmland visible from upstairs hotel rooms, the project provides the county with luxury accommodations on a scale comparable to many in Philadelphia, Washington or New York.

The convention center and hotel cost $177.6 million--up $3.2 million from previous reports--and is the most expensive building project in Lancaster history.

Original Souce: Lancaster New Era
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The Susquehanna Valley figures to have a starring role in a 3-D IMAX film that will inspire safeguarding of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, reports the Patriot-News. 

But its not just the Susquehanna River that will have a role in the $6 million film, which will feature the talents of Discovery Channel and Animal Planet oceanographer Philippe Cousteau, grandson of Jacques Cousteau.

 
Because the science-laced topic is so local, Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts is onboard as a producing partner of both the film and related educational efforts.

"Whitaker Center is very excited about being involved in a project of this size and scope," said CEO Michael L. Hanes. "It comes along at a time when we are looking at new ways of fulfilling our mission."

Original Souce: Patriot-News
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A poll of Pennsylvania business leaders shows strong support for the creation of statewide graduation exams to improve the skills of the state's workforce, reports the Philadelphia Daily News.

Commissioned by the Harrisburg-based Pennsylvania Business Council Education Foundation, the poll found that 80 percent of the 400 business leaders who responded support creating such exams.

More than 68 percent said they receive applications from unqualified job seekers, while 56 percent are concerned about being able to find qualified candidates for job openings.

Original Souce: Philadelphia Daily News
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PennDOT is funding the County of Lebanon Transit Authority with $660,000 for a long-discussed park-n-ride at Route 934 and Interstate 81 near Fort Indiantown Gap, reports the Lebanon Daily News.

The park-n-ride will provide daily express bus service into Harrisburg, said COLT Executive Director Teri Giurintano. The facility will have a shelter and spaces for at least 100 vehicles and perhaps as many as 200, she said.

"We want it to be nice and environmentally friendly with trees and other landscaping. It will also be well-lit and have fencing around the perimeter," she said.

Original Souce: Lebanon Daily News
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State lawmakers among those who believe Pennsylvania's geology can store at least 100 years worth of the state's annual carbon dioxide emissions, reports the Express-Times.

Carbon capture and sequestration would take a stream of compressed carbon dioxide directly from electric utilities and pump it underground into depleted oil fields, shale formations and aquifers thousands of feet below ground. There, proponents hope, the gas will be permanently stored.

Pumping millions of pounds of pressurized gas more than 2,500 feet below ground is not easy.  Some environmental groups and power companies say carbon capture and storage is still decades away from being commercially feasible.

Original Souce: Express-Times
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Beer and history are intertwined for Pennsylvania tourists with a palate for hops and adventure, reports the Winnipeg Sun.

Heading west from Philadelphia on Interstate 76 will take you to Route 222 and north into Adamstown where you'll find Stoudt's Brewery (stoudtsbeer.com).

Evolving out of a country kitchen Ed Stoudt opened in 1962, it's now a major regional microbrewery with distribution in 10 states and a brand lineup containing some amusing names: Smooth Hoperator, Scrawny Dog Stout and Old Abominable barley wine.

Stoudt's is also making a name for itself in the cuisine game. On-site it has a popular local pub and houses the top-flight Black Angus steakhouse.

Original Souce: Winnipeg Sun
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Dickinson College, which has adopted environmentally friendly practices and technologies while working to revitalize communities and reduce pollution, was the only college in the state to receive the 2009 Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence, reports The Sentinel.

President William G. Durden's agreement in 2007 to participate in the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, which commits the college to a comprehensive plan to achieve climate neutrality.

Dickinson purchases 50 percent of its energy from wind power and is determined that all new construction and major renovations will be designed to meet the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program's LEED Silver standards. For example, the latest additions to Dickinson College's new Rector Science Complex, Stuart and James halls, completed last fall, achieved LEED Gold status.

The college composts all of its food waste, which it uses to fertilize the soil at its farm.

Read the full story here.

Pennsylvania has created an attractive business climate with $3B in investments and 100,000 jobs in last six years, reports Business Facilities magazine.

A study by Moody's Economy.com, an independent national economic research firm, says that Pennsylvania has weathered the economic downturn due to aggressive economic stimulus efforts, below average cost of living, a strong roster of leading educational institutions, and affordable housing relative to other Northeast states.

The study ranks the state 17th in its forecast for short-term employment growth (two years), which is the best ranking the sate has ever received and better then neighboring states. In addition, state exports have grown by $5.3 billion to a total of $34.4 billion since 2002, the 6th largest amount of growth in the nation, larger than New Jersey, Ohio, Maryland, Illinois, and Michigan.

Original Souce: Business Facilities
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Solar panels, wind turbines, and drip-sprinkler systems are part of South Londonberry Township's inaugural Earth Day farm tour on April 25, reports the Lebanon Daily News.

Township manager Thomas Ernharth said the tour was designed “to allow our residents to get a feel for and experience a working farm, as well as the role farms play in maintaining the rural character of our township.”

The tour will start at the Risser-Marvel Farm Market along Route 322, just east of Campbelltown, at 9 a.m., followed by the farm of Jim and Cindy Hess, 5641 Gingrich Road, and Carl Weidler’s dairy farm at 717 Lawn Road.

Read the full story here.

The company will use a building along Lowther Road in Fairview Twp. that had been occupied by one of its subsidiaries, Integrated BioScience. The expansion plans retain at least 87 employees in addition to the new positions. The project was coordinated by the Governor's Action Team that works to attract and retain jobs in the state.

Unilife Medical Solutions, which had been headquartered in Sydney, Australia, designs and manufactures safety medical devices with the core of its business activity being prefilled syringes, according to the state Department of Community and Economic Development.

In a news release, the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit hails Lititz it as "the perfect antidote to high-powered city living," and highlights the town's history and picturesque surroundings.

Spend a few nights in the State of Independence, rich with Presidential history, unique experiences, and special deals!

We would like to encourage you to explore the destinations below to find ideal lodging for your Inaugural pilgrimage while allowing enough time to make your own history in the Commonwealth.

U.S.News & World Report-in collaboration with School Evaluation Services, a K-12 education and data research and analysis business that provides parents with education data on schoolmatters.com-analyzed academic and enrollment data from more than 21,000 public high schools to find the very best across the country. These top schools were placed into gold, silver, bronze, or honorable mention categories.

The 168-page "Greenscapes" plan envisions a partnership of county and local officials, along with the private sector, to create a network of natural areas and green spaces in rural, urban and suburban areas.

They would be connected by linear ribbons called greenways, usually along streams or ridges.

The plan sets a goal of buying, or preserving through easements, an average of 4,675 acres of open space annually over 20 years. That would total 146 square miles, or about 15 percent of the county's land area.