HARRISBURG, Oct. 12 – State Rep. Jeanne McNeill said three municipal recycling programs in her legislative district have been awarded state grants totaling $582,325. “Recycling programs help to lessen the burden on our landfills and in turn, help to maintain our environment for future generations to enjoy,” said McNeill, D-Lehigh. “It’s great to see that successful programs being conducted in Salisbury Township, Whitehall Township and Fountain Hill are being rewarded with these state grants.” Local grants include: Salisbury Township, $221,499. Whitehall Township, $299,827. Fountain Hill, $60,999. The Recycling Development and Implementation Grants are distributed by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The grants can be used for a number of things. Funding eligibility is allocated for expanding recycling processing facilities, installing data collection systems on recycling vehicles, continuing or creating curbside recycling programs, developing educational materials or operating leaf compost facilities. Nearly 200 county and municipal governments were awarded grants for recycling collections, education and leaf litter pickup. Up to 90 percent of approved recycling program costs are eligible under the grant program. Read more

HARRISBURG, Oct. 9 – State Rep. Jeanne McNeill, D-Lehigh, said she is pleased that the House of Representatives adopted her resolution ( H.R.1092 ) that designates October 2018 as the month to raise awareness to Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. McNeill said Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, commonly known as POTS, is a type of dysautonomia, a malfunction of the nervous system that controls the autonomic functions of the body such as heart rate and blood pressure. “My daughter as well as between one and three million people in the United States suffers from POTS, and the ailments can be so debilitating that it can interfere with performing normal daily activities,” McNeill said. McNeill said the majority of people affected are women 15 to 50 years old. Treatments can vary on an individual basis but can include changes in diet and exercise, medicinal options, or both. The Lehigh County legislator said adolescents can have an especially difficult time in dealing with POTS as it can cause depression, anxiety, school absence and decreased academic performance. Read more

WHITEHALL, Oct. 9 – State Rep. Jeanne McNeill, D-Lehigh, is pleased to announce expanded weekly constituent outreach hours at her satellite office in the Fountain Hill Borough Hall. “This is our second year at this location, and we will now be there every Friday rather than every other Friday,” McNeill said. “It will make it easier for the residents of Fountain Hill, West Bethlehem and Eastern Salisbury Township to receive the same quality constituent services provided by our main district office in Whitehall. It is often difficult for our seniors and people with disabilities to make it over to Whitehall and this is more convenient for them.” The expanded availability is from 9 a.m. to noon every Friday at Fountain Hill Borough Hall, 941 Long St. For more information, call McNeill’s main office at 610-266-1273. McNeill’s office can help people with PennDOT problems or questions, Property Tax/Rent Rebate forms, PACE prescription-drug assistance for qualified senior citizens, obtaining birth or death certificates and much more. She maintains a full-time office from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday at 1080 Schadt Ave. in Whitehall (across the street from the former Hackman’s Bible Book Store on Mickley Road). McNeill reminds constituents that her office is located inside the ReMax building on the far left side when walking in the front door. Legislative updates are available on her website at Read more

State Rep. Jeanne McNeill, D-Lehigh, announces a combined $64,954 in funding will be awarded as part of the Safe Schools Targeted Grant program to the Bethlehem Area School District and the Jewish Day School of the Lehigh Valley. Read more

NORTHAMPTON, Sept. 28 – State Rep. Jeanne McNeill, D-Lehigh, joined the Catasauqua Area School District in hosting an open forum on the heroin and opioid addiction epidemic Thursday in the Catasauqua High School auditorium. The forum featured a discussion led by a panel of speakers including recovery and treatment experts, a medical professional focused on addiction medicine, and people in long-term recovery who shared their stories of addiction and treatment. “We had a great panel of specialists who talked about all of the treatment options available, and whether people have insurance or not, everyone can get treatment,” McNeill said. “The conversations we shared were educational and informative. It was a successful first step. But, we are still fighting this battle every day. For example, we simply don’t have enough beds to treat everyone who desperately needs help. “We have some good treatment facilities, but they are filled to capacity. Often the only available bed is three or four hours away, and people in withdrawal can’t drive that far, so they slip back into using drugs. I am urging the governor and my fellow legislators to do even more to address the lack of treatment options. We are losing residents daily to this awful scourge, and as much as we have done, we simply are still not doing enough to get people the treatment they need. This is not just a health crisis, this is life and death.” Read more

State Rep. Jeanne McNeill, D-Lehigh, will join the Catasauqua Area School District to host an open forum on the heroin and opioid addiction epidemic at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 27, in the Catasauqua High School auditorium, 2500 W. Bullshead Road, Northampton. Read more