Municipal governments and their employees keep many of the most important programs in our day-to-day lives active, often with little thanks.

I had the opportunity to join several of my colleagues to meet with many of our local leaders at the Allegheny League of Municipalities conference to continue fostering the relationship between our state and local governments.

Pharmacists and pharmacy services are a critical part of healthcare delivery in Pennsylvania. Recently, I toured ACORx Pharmacy, an innovative company that provides pharmacy services to senior citizens with home care needs. I will continue to advocate for pharmacists and pharmacy services across our Commonwealth.

Last weekend, I had a great time attending the Easter Egg Hunt at Marmo Park in Emsworth. Thanks for the kind invitation to this joyous occasion.

I always appreciate the opportunity to meet with the leaders of tomorrow, so it was great to participate in the Spring Leadership Seminar at Carnegie Mellon University. We discussed my life experience as a physician and my current work in the legislature.

It was an honor to be recognized alongside Asian Pacific Islander (API) leaders from across our region at the Pittsburgh Penguins’ API Heritage Game. Thanks to the Penguins for inviting me, Veena, and Ashok, and for recognizing the importance of the API community in Western Pennsylvania.

My district office staff and I had the pleasure of hosting our colleague Walker in our office and taking him out to lunch. Walker is one of the staff members in Harrisburg with whom we work closely daily, and it was great for my staff to finally meet him in person.

Several of our local students have had outstanding accomplishments recently in sports, music performances, and extracurriculars.

Advaita Sircar and Evan Kaufman from North Allegheny have advanced to the PIAA Championships for Boys’ Tennis after competing against each other in an all-NA WPIAL singles final.

Kaleb Amick, Emilia Bechtold, and Brody Scigliano from Avonworth performed with the PMEA Western Region Orchestra at Heinz Hall, and Elena Van Mater, Ben Cavanaugh, Charlie King, Zach Konieczki, Kaleb Amick, and Gianna Gibson represented Avonworth at the PMEA Region Band.

Brody, Ben, Zach and Gianna came within one chair of states, and Charlie earned his first PMEA All-State Band selection and will represent Avonworth in the Poconos.

The Pennsylvania Family, Career and Community Leaders of America State Leadership Conference was held at Kalahari in Pocono Manor on March 23–25, and several North Allegheny students came away with medals and awards.

Three students earned first or second place, earning a spot on the PA National team and will represent NA and Pennsylvania at the upcoming National Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C., this July.

Seventh graders Dhruv Chethan, Shreyan Kapoor, and Aarav Singhal from Ingomar Middle School took first place in Intermediate Biology at the PRSEF Science Fair. Their project explored the genetics and environment of fruit flies.

Congratulations to all our students on your outstanding accomplishments!

The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency is reminding all students and families to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

This allows you to be considered for federal student aid. In addition, states and colleges use FAFSA information to award their own grants, scholarships, and loans.

For first time applicants to a community college, business school, trade or technical school, hospital school of nursing, designated Pennsylvania open-admission institution, or nontransferable two-year program, applications are due by August 1. All other applicants must apply by May 1. You can learn more about FAFSA here.

As Earth Day approaches, there are several upcoming opportunities to clean up our community.

The Franklin Park Environmental Advisory Council will be leading its annual Spring Roadside Litter Cleanup event on Saturday, April 18 at 10 a.m. The cleanup will take place along Nicholson Road between the Baierl YMCA and Georgetown Drive.

If you are interested in supporting, RSVP to dplatt@franklinparkborough.us or call the borough office at 412-364-4115 ext. 302. Police traffic control, safety vests, work gloves, and garbage bags will be provided.

McCandless will be holding a Community Clean-Up Day on April 25 at 8:30 a.m. at the McCandless Department of Public Works Garage. Supplies, including gloves, bags, safety vests, and snacks, will be provided.

You can RSVP here or by emailing eac@townofmccandless.org. There will be a rain date scheduled for May 9 at 8:30 AM.

Primary Election Day is rapidly approaching! The election is on May 19, and it is important that everyone can have their voices heard at the ballot box. You can register to vote here by May 4, check your registration here, and request a mail-in ballot here by May 12.

Under current Pennsylvania law, you must be a registered Democrat or Republican to vote in that respective party’s primary election. I am proud to support legislation that would let all eligible voters, even those who are not affiliated with a political party, have a say in their government by voting in the primary.

If you could not make it to my recent shred event, another will be available locally tomorrow! AARP Pittsburgh will be hosting a document shredding event to safely dispose of sensitive documents on Saturday, April 11 in the McCandless Town Hall Parking Lot (9955 Grubbs Road).

Pittsburgh is expected to welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors for the NFL Draft April 23 - 25. Please review Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s transportation plan to help ensure you can get where you need to be during this time.

Additionally, Pick Up PA – the state’s largest community improvement project – can provide FREE work gloves, safety vests, and trash bags as supplies last for anyone who is interested in helping to beautify our region ahead of this colossal event. Get more information here.

Pennsylvanians may now purchase the newly designed “Preserve Our Heritage” special fund plate, featuring the Pennsylvania Bank Barn and the Liberty Bell. The Pennsylvania Bank Barn is a distinct and highly efficient agricultural structure that became a defining feature of the American rural landscape.

The special fund license plate is available for cars or trucks with a registered gross weight of not more than 14,000 pounds. Each plate costs $64, with $23 going directly to support the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission’s education and exhibit programs. Pennsylvanians who are interested in ordering this new plate can complete the MV-911 form, “Application for Special Fund Registration Plate.”

The Governor’s Advisory Commission on Women has launched a new digital survey to gather input from women across Pennsylvania. This survey is part of the Shapiro Administration’s upcoming State of the Woman Report, a comprehensive, data-driven effort to assess the status of women throughout the state.

The survey, which can be found here, will be open through May 30 and will collect insight from Pennsylvania women on their experiences and priorities to better inform the Administration’s policies that impact women. The survey is also available in Spanish and Chinese.

There will also be a statewide listening tour to further engage with the women of Pennsylvania, including a stop in Pittsburgh on May 14.

Finally, please remember that my talented staff can help you with a variety of state-related matters – from filing an application for the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program to obtaining a disability placard or senior bus pass, just to name a few. Contact us or stop by to see how we can help!

You can read my e-newsletter in a way that’s most convenient for you by visiting my legislative website here and clicking on the accessibility icon in the lower right corner.

District Office

9800B McKnight Road, Suite 130
Pittsburgh, PA 15237

(412) 348-8028

Pennsylvania State Capitol

101 B East Wing

PO Box 202030

Harrisburg, PA 17120

(717) 772-2363

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