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News You Can Use
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| It’s the Middletown Grange Fair Week! |
There’s still time to come out to the 70th annual Middletown Grange Fair! One of Bucks County’s favorite summer activities and fun for the whole family, the fair continues through Sunday, Aug. 19. To find it, just set your GPS to 576 Penns Park Road, Wrightstown.
The fair will feature traditional carnival rides, games, food and entertainment, but the focus will be on the agricultural community. Attendees will be able to view farm animals and animal demonstrations and 4-H projects will be held. For more information visit www.middletowngrangefair.org. |
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| Household Hazardous Waste Collection Aug. 25 |
Not sure what do with old pesticides, oil-based paints and other chemicals?
The Bucks County Board of Commissioners is hosting a household hazardous waste collection event, which is free for county residents, next Saturday, Aug. 25, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Bucks County Technical High School, 610 Wistar Road, Fairless Hills (Bristol Township).
Please note, this collection event is for hazardous household items only, not electronics. For more information and a full list of accepted items, please click here.
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Cancer Trial Reimbursement Bill Gains Traction in General Assembly
Patients who are diagnosed with cancer and participate in clinical research trials could have some of their expenses covered under legislation I sponsored, which is advancing through the Pennsylvania General Assembly.
So many of our loved ones, friends and neighbors who have been diagnosed with cancer are able to have much better outcomes because of the patients who have chosen to participate in clinical research trials. However, undergoing clinical trials can cause financial hardship to people, and the medical ethics involved in payments to patients can be a concern.
My House Bill 2521, which was amended into House Bill 126, would establish a clear difference between what is considered an “inducement” – a payment for a patient to participate in a cancer clinical trial – and the reimbursement of expenses for participating in a clinical trial.
A national study in 2015 found that patient households making less than $50,000 annually were almost 30 percent less likely to participate in clinical trials. The costs of direct and indirect financial responsibilities, travel and/or child care can hinder the ability for someone to take part in a trial who may otherwise be a very good candidate. The Cancer Clinical Trials Resource Guide, published by the National Cancer Institute, notes that financial barriers often prevent individuals with cancer or at high risk of developing cancer from participating in encouraging clinical trials.
House Bill 126 is currently back in the House Rules Committee, where it could be poised for a concurrence vote in September.
Hurricane Season: Are You Prepared?
With the Atlantic hurricane season likely to amp up as we get later into the summer, now is a good time to make sure you are prepared.
To help minimize damage to your property and those nearby, take a look at your trees and make sure they are pruned to remove any weak branches, or branches that may be hanging over your roof, utility lines, etc.
To ensure your own safety and that of your family, assemble an emergency kit for both your home and car, and develop an emergency plan to care for one another. You should be prepared for two possible scenarios in the event of severe weather: to remain in your home for the duration of a storm or to evacuate if it is recommended or ordered by local authorities.
Residents should always have enough provisions in their homes to last at least 72 hours. Disaster preparedness supplies to have at the ready include:
- Flashlights and extra batteries.
- Portable battery-operated radio and extra batteries.
- First aid kit and manual.
- Emergency food and water.
- Non-electric can opener.
- Essential medicines/prescriptions.
- Cash, credit cards and important legal documents.
- Sturdy shoes.
If your are ordered to evacuate, take heed and be sure to bring these important documents with you:
- Checkbooks.
- Driver’s license.
- Credit card information.
- Birth certificates.
- Social Security cards.
- Other forms and documents proving ownership/identity.
For more information on how to make a disaster supply kit and how to prepare for all kinds of emergencies, visit www.readypa.org or call 1-888-9-READYPA (1-888-973-2397).
In addition, remember never to drive in low-lying areas or over roads and bridges that are already under water. Just a few inches of moving water can sweep away the average car. Remember – TURN AROUND, DON’T DROWN.
Deadline Nears for SEPTA Key Senior IDs
In just two weeks, SEPTA will complete its phaseout of paper senior citizen transit ID cards, so if you haven’t made the time to get your SEPTA Key Senior ID, now is the time to do so. Effective Sept. 1, seniors will have to have the SEPTA Key Senior ID, or a valid Pennsylvania driver’s license or non-driver ID with a magnetic stripe on the back, to receive the free transit and Regional Rail rides. (Please note: New licenses issued by PennDOT on or after July 2017 do not have magnetic stripes and cannot be used).
If you haven’t signed up already, my office is available to help. Just stop by to see us at 1032 N. Easton Road in Doylestown, and we’ll help you fill out the paperwork and take your photo. We then submit the information to SEPTA for processing.
I will also host a SEPTA Key Senior ID event on Wednesday, Aug. 29, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Central Bucks Senior Center, 700 North Shady Retreat Road, Doylestown.
To receive a SEPTA Key Senior Photo ID Card, applicants must fill out an application and show one of the following forms of identification:
- Pennsylvania driver/Non-Driver ID
- Birth Certificate or Baptismal Certificate
- Yellow PACE Card (Pharmaceutical Assistance Contract for the elderly)
- Statement of Age Verification from the U.S. Social Security Administration
- Armed Forces Discharge/Separation Papers
- Resident Alien Card or Passport/Naturalization Papers
For more information or questions about the SEPTA Key Senior Photo ID, click here, or call SEPTA Customer Service at (215) 580-7800.
Be Smart About Financial Aid
The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) is encouraging college-bound students and their families to visit www.MySmartBorrowing.org to help make informed choices about student loans.
This free, easy-to-use tool helps users understand how different career, school and financial decisions can influence the cost of an education and their ability to repay student loans, while maintaining a comfortable lifestyle long after graduation.
The site was recently updated with enhanced college and career projection data through 2026. This includes expected college costs for various majors at different schools and future employment opportunities and salary levels for different careers and geographic locations.
This data helps provide a personalized look at a student’s potential cost of attendance at different schools, while highlighting salary expectations for a particular degree and future employment prospects. Students are encouraged to use the site more than once so they can compare different scenarios, using different schools and careers, to see how the choices they make can affect their futures.
For more information about financial aid opportunities, visit www.PHEAA.org.
Parents Reminded to Ensure Children are Vaccinated for School This Fall
The Pennsylvania Department of Health is reminding parents to ensure their children are up-to-date on vaccines as they head back to school.
Under new rules adopted by the department last year, parents must get their children fully immunized prior to the fifth day of school or the students will be excluded from school. Previously, parents had eight months to meet school immunization requirements.
If a student is in the middle of an immunization series and it is too soon for the next dose, the parents must provide the school nurse with a written plan, signed by their health care provider, within the first five days of school.
For more information, contact your health care provider, visit www.health.pa.gov or call 1-877-PA-HEALTH.
Invasive Asian ‘Longhorn’ Tick Confirmed in Pennsylvania
A new variety of tick was confirmed on a wild deer in Centre County recently, and the Department of Agriculture is encouraging people to take precautions to protect themselves, as well as livestock and pets.
The Asian, or longhorn tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis, is an invasive species that congregates in large numbers and can cause anemia in livestock. It is known to carry several diseases that infect hogs and cattle in Asia. So far, ticks examined in the United States (they have already been found in Arkansas, New Jersey, New York, West Virginia and Virginia) do not carry any infectious pathogens.
The Asian tick infests host animals in dense clusters of numerous ticks. Female Asian ticks reproduce asexually, so a single tick can lay 2,000 eggs after feeding on a host. Cattle, pets, small mammals, birds and humans are all potential hosts.
To protect against ticks, people are reminded to wear long sleeves and pants when outdoors and use insect repellant containing DEET to help keep you safe from ticks and the diseases they carry. It is also important to check yourself and your pets for ticks when you return indoors.
Native to East and Central Asia, the tick was originally identified in the U.S. in New Jersey, where it was found in large numbers in sheep in Mercer County in 2017. It has also been found in Arkansas, New Jersey, New York, West Virginia and Virginia.
To reduce tick habitat, maintain a nine-foot distance between lawn or pasture and wooded areas, keep grass height low, and remove weeds and brush bordering wooded areas.
To learn more about the tick and how to identify it, click here.
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| Office Locations |
| 1032 N. Easton Rd, Doylestown, PA 18902-1055 | Phone: (215) 489-2126 |
| 141 East Wing, PO Box 202143, Harrisburg PA 17120-2143 | Phone: (717) 772-1413 |
| Email: mquinn@pahousegop.com |
| TTY: 855-282-0614 |
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