PA Headlines 8/6/21
NEWPORT – PennLive is reporting from Newport, Perry County: Three pitbull terriers were euthanized last week after mauling a 60-year-old woman to death, Pennsylvania State Police said. Troopers said they found Rhoda M. Wagner dead July 28 on her Miller Township lawn while three dogs ran loose through the yard. Wagner was already dead by the time EMTs and police arrived at the scene, state police said.
The dogs — who belonged to Wagner’s roommate — attacked Wagner for an unknown reason while she was home alone with them, according to state police. Wagner was helping to care for the dogs, which had been living at her home for more than a month, state police said. State police said the dogs’ owner, Wagner’s roommate, consented to their euthanization at the Humane Society of Harrisburg Area.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — WHTM is reporting… Opioids will no longer be a declared emergency in Pennsylvania. The state legislature told Governor Wolf on Thursday that it will not renew his declaration when it expires in three weeks. A letter by Republican leaders officially notified the governor that his fifteenth disaster declaration on opioids will be his last.
The legislature flexing its newly gained muscle and asserting its power. “It’s time for him to sit down and figure out the legislative solutions to this rather than trying to make an end around the legislature and do this on his own. That’s what the people of Pennsylvania don’t want,” House GOP Spokesman, Jason Gottesman said. The people of Pennsylvania, through a constitutional amendment, gave the legislature veto power over a governor’s disaster declarations.
Addiction counselors are concerned. “I’m out there seeing these people overdosing, people that are dying. The rates are going up,” Recovery Specialist with the Rase Project, Jessica Miller said. Miller hoped lawmakers would re-up the disaster declaration which she insists saved lives. “The warm handoff program that was initiated, the drug take-back, the naloxone, all of that plus many more things have been amazing and we have to keep going because the overdose rates are not going down,” Miller said.
“It’s disappointing” began a statement from the Wolf Administration which fears the opioid battle “will be left with a gap as we seek a legislative solution.” But lawmakers say they understand that ending the declaration doesn’t end the scourge of addiction.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — AP is reporting… The Pennsylvania prison system announced Thursday it is stopping in-person visits for the thousands of inmates who are not vaccinated against COVID-19. The Corrections Department also said it will begin housing unvaccinated inmates together next week.
Corrections Secretary John Wetzel said the policy will limit the contact that the unvaccinated have with potential carriers of the coronavirus. The changes won’t affect inmates’ access to classes and programs. Additional terminals will be installed in the unvaccinated units for video visitation. Nearly 8,000 inmates in state prisons are not vaccinated, or about one in five. The prison system provides vaccinations to all inmates who want one. It also requires everyone to wear masks indoors.
