EBENSBURG, March 18 -- Amid growing warnings that the United States faces a profound shortage of ventilators to treat seriously ill coronavirus patients, state Rep. Frank Burns, D Cambria, is calling on Gov. Tom Wolf and his Action Team to marshal Pennsylvania’s manufacturing might to help build the life-saving devices. Burns said the situation is dire, as only 23 ventilator facilities exist statewide, housing about 700 beds. He said because the coronavirus can strike the respiratory system, making elderly patients particularly vulnerable to life-threatening complications, ramped-up ventilator production is essential. “The conversation nobody wants to have centers on what if there aren’t enough ventilators in the state to deal with the coronavirus spread? If there’s a severe shortage of ventilators as anticipated, then medical professionals will have to make critical decisions on which patients are a priority to live based on age, pre-existing conditions and life expectancy,” Burns said. “God help us all if this happens.” Burns said this is already the case in Italy, where more than 24,000 confirmed coronavirus patients have created a shortage of ventilators in hospitals, forcing healthcare providers to make hard decisions on who gets a ventilator – decisions that give priority to younger, healthier people who have a better chance of survival. Read more
EBENSBURG, March 17 – In commemoration of "Sunshine Week," state Rep. Frank Burns is reminding Pennsylvania news outlets and citizens of his ongoing struggle with the Liquor Control Board, which has ignored a ruling by the state Office of Open Records and forced him into a court battle to obtain a listing of liquor licenses available for auction in each county. Burns, D-Cambria, is enmeshed in a legal battle that pits him and the lone lawyer he is paying out of his own pocket against the LCB and its battery of highly-paid, taxpayer-funded attorneys. “For reasons that defy logic, the LCB seems hell-bent on maintaining secretiveness when it comes to releasing information that the Office of Open Records has clearly ruled should be available to the public,” Burns said. “There are times that I feel like David versus Goliath, but I press on because the LCB can’t be allowed to lord over the people like this.” “Sunshine Week” runs from March 15-21 and is an annual nationwide celebration of access to public information and what it means for you and your community. It is sponsored by the News Leaders Association and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. Burns’ odyssey began last summer, when the LCB denied his Right-to-Know request, on grounds that included the argument that Burns was seeking “trade secret confidential proprietary information” from the state Read more
I’m writing a prescription that calls for Harrisburg to take action. Read more
Money will help fund recreational opportunities, save taxpayer dollars Read more
Calls on governor, Sec. of Health to follow other states and release details Read more
Carrolltown man was killed in Vietnam Read more
Local grant part of $4.7 million awarded across Pennsylvania Read more
Encourages local sportsmen to drop by and pick them up Read more
Grant another example of Burns’ ongoing effort to secure funding for community Read more
Program to fund efforts to address barriers to employment Read more
Lawmaker: Grants will fund total approach to school safety Read more
Joined by close to a dozen superintendents and officials from local schools, state Rep. Frank Burns today hosted a roundtable in Ebensburg to discuss his Pennsylvania Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights and ways that schools in Cambria County can work to eliminate the dangerous behavior in schools. Read more
Public event will include superintendents from local school districts Read more
Legislation would have staved off Ebensburg closure until at least 2025 Read more
Construction of the region’s first solar energy facility could begin later this year... Read more
Program aims to lower opioid use in community Read more
The latest news from Rep. Frank Burns Read more
Huschak has worked tirelessly to improve Portage community, preserve history Read more
Brings total investment in township project to $25.6 million Read more
Multi-agency grants available to help community programs Read more
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