Pike County to match EMS grants

MILFORD, PA — The Pike County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) matching grant program was established as a permanent line item in the county’s 2022 budget to help municipalities improve access to emergency medical services. The program doubles a municipality’s annual EMS contribution, up to a maximum of two mills. Pike County’s draft 2023 budget, which will be available for review in the coming weeks, is slated to include a $2.1 million allocation to match municipal EMS contributions next year.

USDA to measure cost of pollination

HARRISBURG, PA — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will conduct its 2022 cost of pollination survey from November through December 2022. The survey will be sent to nearly 16,000 producers nationwide. For more information about the cost of pollination survey and NASS’s bee and honey program, visit nass.usda.gov/Surveys/Guide_to_NASS_Surveys/Bee_and_Honey. For assistance with the survey, producers are encouraged to call the NASS Northeastern Regional field office at 800/498-1518.

Sullivan County leads state in job growth

MONTICELLO, NY — Data just released by the NYS Department of Labor shows that Sullivan County is ahead of the entire state—including New York City—in job growth. The department’s monthly report pegged Sullivan’s private-sector job growth rate at 9.1 percent year-over-year for September 2022, beating fellow state leader Allegany County’s 8.8 percent and New York City’s 6.8 percent, and far outpacing neighboring mid-Hudson counties.

Labor data suggests that information services and the leisure and hospitality sectors are leading the local job growth, with year-over-year increases of 100 percent and 32.5 percent respectively. Other top-performing sectors include manufacturing (11.8 percent) and goods-producing (10 percent).

Spongy moth defoliation tracked

MILFORD, PA — Pike County has released a map showing the impact of spongy moth populations on the county. Spongy moths, formerly known as “gypsy moths,” are a significant forest pest, responsible for causing tree mortality and defoliation in Pennsylvania. The map showed very severe areas of defoliation in Porter, Greene, Blooming Grove, Lackawaxen and Shohola townships; visit pikepa.org/news_detail_T27_R251.php for more information.

New York State unemployment data released

ALBANY, NY — The New York State Department of Labor released preliminary local area unemployment rates for September 2022. New York State had a 3.9 percent unemployment rate in September, down from a 5.7 percent unemployment rate in September 2021. Sullivan County had a 2.9 percent unemployment rate, down from a 4 percent unemployment rate in the same timeframes.  

Property tax/rent rebate program applications due by December 31

HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvanians who qualify for the Property Tax/Rent Rebate (PTRR) program must apply by Saturday, December 31, to receive their annual rebate, plus a one-time bonus rebate, according to a press release from Gov. Tom Wolf. Older Pennsylvanians ​and Pennsylvanians with disabilities who qualify for a rebate on rent or property taxes paid in 2021 will be receiving more money than usual this year. On top of the annual rebate, recipients will also receive a one-time bonus rebate equal to 70 percent of their original rebate amount. Visit bit.ly/3SMKTIG for more information.

NEPA Amtrak corridor receives another push

MOUNT POCONO, PA — The Monroe County Industrial Development Authority received a $3.7 million grant from Gov. Tom Wolf’s office to construct a new railroad line in the Poconos, according to a press release from Rep. Matt Cartwright. The funding, through the state’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital program, will support the purchase and installation of railroad ties along the Pocono Mainline to provide required upgrades for the new Amtrak corridor passenger train service to northeastern PA.

Town of Delaware preliminary budget introduced

HORTONVILLE, NY — The Town of Delaware introduced its preliminary budget for 2023 at a public hearing on October 28. The board cut around $60,000 from the town’s budget, according to supervisor Scott DuBois, partially through the elimination of a few positions. Town taxes will come in 0.3 percent under the previous year’s, though the county will put around $150,000 in taxes on top, leading to an increase of approximately $57 per $100,000 in assessed value. The extra county taxes stem from needed corrections to the overassessment of the Villa Roma’s taxes; click here for more information.

Whooping cough confirmed in Sullivan County

LIBERTY, NY — The Sullivan County public health department has confirmed three unrelated cases of pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, among children less than two years of age in different geographic regions of the county.

Public health director Nancy McGraw said, “In 2016, the county had an outbreak of 36 confirmed cases, but only six cases in 2017. Pertussis has not been an issue of concern for several years, but we are now seeing the potential for another large increase of cases, due to statewide concerns about a lack of immunizations or delayed immunizations among children.

“The confirmed patients and their close contacts are being treated,” she continued. “We are working to identify exposures and any other cases to try to limit further spread.”