The Montour County Commissioners have awarded an additional $179,241 in financial assistance to 22 small businesses negatively impacted by COVID-19. The second grant round results in a total of $564,109 being provided to 53 businesses. An additional $135,450 was provided to 21 non-profit organizations that serve the county. The funds were provided through the COVID-19 County Relief Block Grant from the CARES Act.
Guidelines for the small business program were developed by a committee chaired by Commissioner Trevor Finn and included representatives of the Chamber of Commerce, Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau, Danville Business Alliance, DRIVE, and County Planning Commission. The Central Susquehanna Community Foundation administered the application process.
From PA Chamber of Business & Industry
State Department of Labor and Industry Secretary Jerry Oleksiak provided an update on how his department is handling unemployment compensation payouts amid a wave of jobless claims resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The hearing focused on ongoing problems that have marked the last several months – department delays related to determinations on UC claims; claimant difficulties connecting with the department; and continued delays to modernizing the state’s aging UC computer system.
According to a story on the hearing by Capitolwire, Sec. Oleksiak encountered tough questions from several members on the committee who shared stories of constituents in dire financial straits due to not having received any UC payments since the spring. Oleksiak agreed that such delays – which he estimated represent around 3 percent, or 50,000 claims – are “unacceptable” and are being held up due to fraud concerns and unresolved eligibility questions. He also said that L&I has worked to remedy the backlog by increasing the number of staffers handling claims; hiring an outside firm to gather claims evidence and help hearing examiners make determinations; installing plexiglass partitions to accommodate more staffing; and upgrading work-from-home software for other department personnel. Despite these efforts, many committee members urged further action to help address dire cases that are reported to their office.
In regard to the ongoing and long-delayed upgrade to the state’s UC computer systems, Oleksiak said there is no set date to go live with the new system, and that the most recent delay was advised by the federal Department of Labor.
According to a Pennlive story, Sec. Oleksiak was also asked whether the department is prepared to handle more challenges, including in the event of another business shutdown. State Rep. Kate Klunk stated that she has sent a number of Right-to-Know requests to the department in order to gain an understanding of how much communication occurred prior to the business shutdown order in March, and to gauge how ready L&I was to handle the onslaught of people put out of work. Oleksiak replied that the department will answer Rep. Klunk’s questions and added that the department is doing an internal review of its handling of the situation. Klunk said, “We need to make sure that if this happens again that we are ready to go and can deliver for the people of Pennsylvania.”
The Town of Bloomsburg has issued a reminder to businesses located in the Town regarding current state guidelines for events and gatherings. The maximum allowable attendees for indoor and outdoor events is now based on the maximum occupancy of the venue. Businesses are also reminded that they may call the police if a customer refuses to wear a face covering and leave a business.
With cold weather arriving, the Columbia County Emergency Management Agency has provided a chart to help employers and employees identify ailments.
The Pennsylvania Chamber of Business & Industry is hosting a FREE virtual program –Bringing PA Back: Rise to the Challenge – for Pennsylvania’s business community. The program is open to all businesses (members and non-members alike) and will showcase Pennsylvania’s road to economic recovery, forecast what businesses can expect in the year ahead, and provide exclusive insight into the General Election and its impact on Pennsylvania.
The program will last 1 hour and will feature insight from Michael Smerconish, Salena Zito, Governor Tom Ridge, Michael Carney and other special guests. PA Chamber President and CEO Gene Barr will lead the program.
Click here for additional information and to register.
The National Main Street Center announces the second round of the HartBeat of Main Street Grant Program is now open.
In partnership with The Hartford, the program will continue to fund solutions that help small business owners respond and adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic, and also help to revitalize and strengthen older and historic downtown commercial districts. Grants of $5,000 to $15,000 will be awarded on a competitive and first-come, first-served basis. Businesses must have 20 or fewer full time employees and be located in a downtown or commercial district.
Apply by 10/29 at https://www.mainstreet.org/howwecanhelp/hartbeat.
The Small Business Administration and U.S. Treasury recently issued new guidance for small business owners with loans of $50,000 or less under the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP); more information is available here. Business owners who borrowed $50,000 or less can fill out a simplified one-page form and can ignore some of the calculations required of other borrowers. A link to the Form 3508S is available at sba.gov.
Candidates who will be on the ballot in the November 3rd election shared their views on business-related issues and the crisis on October 22nd. The Chamber hosted a Candidate Forum with individuals running for the PA Legislature. The registered candidates for the 27th Senatorial District and House 107th and 109th District seats participated.
The questions included the handling of business operations during the crisis, limited liability protection for businesses, the governor’s authority regarding emergency declarations, child care, and the state budget.
Each candidate was presented with the same five questions in rotating order with two minutes for each response. Fred Gaffney, president of the Chamber, was the moderator. The candidates were also given two minutes for closing remarks.
The following candidates participated:
27th Senatorial District – All of Columbia, Montour, Northumberland, and Snyder counties and a portion of lower Luzerne County
- John R. Gordner (R), incumbent, Berwick
- Michelle Siegel (D), Selinsgrove
107th House District – All of Montour County and portions of Columbia and Northumberland counties
- Ryan Bourinski (L), Mt. Carmel
- Kurt A. Masser (R), incumbent, Elysburg
109th House District – Most of Columbia County
- David Millard (R), incumbent, Berwick
- Bill Monahan (D), Bloomsburg
- Roger W. Nuss (I), Catawissa
A recording of the forum is available on YouTube.
My Benefit Advisor provides the information you need to make smart decisions with your health insurance plans. Enrollment for 2021 is here, making this the perfect opportunity to explore plan options and learn more about the latest laws, carrier news, and how the MBA program can benefit you.
To help aid in learning more about options, My Benefit Advisor will be hosting a series of Health Insurance webinars next week. Some of the topics include:
• Local, Regional, & National Healthcare Trends
• Consulting Solutions for Modern Healthcare Cost Drivers
• My Benefit Advisor Overview
Register for any of the dates and times below:
About My Benefit Advisor
My Benefit Advisor (MBA) is an employee benefits consulting firm designed to guide employers through the complexity of planning, communicating and managing a successful employee benefits program. Client relationships are driven exclusively through a select group of associations and brokers.
To learn more about My Benefit Advisor, visit www.mybenefitadvisor.com.
Telephone Town Hall for Solar Farm Project this Thursday
Talen Energy is partnering with Pattern Energy to develop a 1,000 solar farm in northern Montour County. A telephone town hall will be held Thursday, October 22nd at 7 p.m. to provide an overview of the project and answer questions. Information is available at montoursolar.com.
Your Neighbors: LGBTQ in Central and Northeast Pennsylvania
A community panel discussion on living in Pennsylvania as a member of the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) community will be hosted on Zoom the evening of October 22, 2020.
This event is made possible through a confluence of organizations concerned for the cultivation and growth of the LGBTQ community in Pennsylvania.
It is through sharing our experiences that we hope to show our similarities, provide insight into our struggles, and help inspire understanding.
All those who would like to learn more about the lives of LGBTQ people in Central and Northeast Pennsylvania, and how to support them, are invited to attend this event.
Spellbinding Social Media Strategies Webinar
Social media isn’t just for social media sake, it’s a low cost high impact marketing option for small businesses if you know how to use it. Using it isn’t complicated and there are ways to get a big bang for a few bucks.
Topics covered will include:
*Understanding the Algorithms
*Tag you’re it: how many hashtags should you use and how do you choose?
*Cross-posting: do you post the same thing everywhere?
*Video killed the radio: why you need video content
Join PA Careerlink and Press Enterprise on Tuesday, October 27th from 10-11 am as they partner together for a virtual webinar on how to create effective job posting and ads.
Civil, Social, Human Services and Healthcare Expo at Bloomsburg University
Bloomsburg University
will be holding an expo to help connect employers with students interested in careers in the Social, Health, and Human Services & Non-Profit career fields on October 28 & 29 from 2-5 p.m. Recommended employers include: Health Care Providers, Non-Profit Organizations, Government Agencies and Residential Treatment Facilities. Primary student attendees are those majoring in Nursing, Allied Health Sciences, Exercise Science, Communication Studies, Languages & Cultures, Social Work, Sociology, and Psychology.
The standard registration fee includes your participation on both dates of the expo and our Fall Finale Bonus Expo in November.
Upon registration, we will review the details you submitted for approval. At our fair, you’ll be able to engage with students in a variety of formats, including:
- Video, audio, and chat communication with students
- Group meetings with up to fifty students
- 1:1 meetings scheduled in advance or after a group session
- Share documentation with students ahead of time and have access to students who register to attend one of your sessions, resumes and contact information.
Note: During registration, you’ll be asked to share the number of representatives who plan to attend the fair—up to 15 representatives per employer are able to participate in the fair. Each representative you register will be able to create their own unique schedule to engage with students. To learn more about these features check out this Handshake-hosted training webinar.
Employers are invited to discuss job shadowing, internship or employment opportunities with freshmen through graduate students and alumni. All expos are open and promoted to students from all majors and class years.
Although recruiting at Bloomsburg may look a little different this Fall, we are available to assist with all of your recruitment needs! Please review the toolkits provided by Handshake which will answer many of the questions you may have about participating in virtual events.
If you have any remaining questions after reviewing the toolkits or need help registering for the event in Handshake, please contact our team at hireahusky@bloomu.edu.
Veterans Day Dinner Celebration with Geisinger
Geisinger thanks all of our veterans for their service to our country, and hopes you’ll join them for an appreciation dinner for U.S. veterans. Pick up your complimentary dinner via a drive-through arrangement on Thursday, November 12th.
Reservations are required by Thursday, November 5th. Servings are limited, so reserve your meal today.
Complimentary for all U.S. veterans and one guest. You must wear a mask when picking up your meal.
To make a reservation at Geisinger-Bloomsburg, call 866-462-5127 or visit go.geisinger.org/VetsDinner/GBH.
To make a reservation at Geisinger-Danville, call 866-578-3427 or visit go.geisinger.org/VetsDinner/GMC.
To make a reservation at Geisinger-Shamokin, call 866-278-9806 or visit go.geisinger.org/VetsDinner/GSACH.