Designs by Olivia Grey is Collecting Donations for Ukraine

Designs by Oliva Grey has partnered with St Vladimir Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Scranton to help collect newly requested military and tactical supplies.

Please note, only new or gently used donations/supplies will be accepted at this time. Donations may be dropped off either at our storefront during business hours at 206 Depot St. Clarks Summit, PA, 18411 or St. Vladimir Ukrainian Catholic Church at 430 N 7th Ave, Scranton,Pa. 

NASA Astronaut to Speak at Misericordia

The Murgas Amateur Radio Club and the Misericordia University College of Arts and Sciences will host NASA Astronaut Colonel Douglas H. Wheelock, U.S. Army Retired, on Wednesday, April 6 in the Henry Science Center Room HEN 210/212 on the Misericordia University Campus. The event will begin at 7:00 p.m. Colonel Wheelock will discuss his experiences as an astronaut, including his time on the International Space Station.

The event is free and open to the public. Seating is limited. Registration is required at https://www.misericordia.edu/colonel-wheelock-speaking-engagement

Colonel Wheelock was selected by NASA in 1998. He was assigned to the Astronaut Office International Space Station (ISS) Operations Branch as a Russian liaison, participating in the testing and integration of Russian hardware and software products developed for the ISS. He worked extensively with the Energia Aerospace Company in Moscow, Russia, and has led joint U.S./Russian teams to oversee bench reviews, inventory, loading and launch of the first four unmanned ISS resupply capsules.

The retired Colonel has accumulated more than 178 days in space and has conducted six spacewalks totaling more than 43 hours. Wheelock flew on STS-120 in 2007 and in 2010 he served as a flight engineer for Expedition 24 and commander for Expedition 25, where he conducted three unplanned spacewalks to replace a faulty ammonia pump module.

The native of New York holds a bachelor’s degree in applied science and engineering from the United States Military Academy West Point and a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from Georgia Tech in Atlanta, GA.

Statewide Aggressive Driving Coordinated Enforcement

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation(PennDOT), Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC), Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), and the Highway Safety Network are urging safe driving ahead of a statewide aggressive-driving coordinated enforcement day on March 30.

“Safety on our roadways is everyone’s responsibility,” said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian. “PennDOT often urges drivers to slow down, buckle up, and to never drive distracted or impaired, but staying calm and courteous while driving is just as important.”

In 2020, there were 5,615 aggressive-driving crashes, resulting in 91 fatalities and 401 suspected serious injuries. Preliminary 2021 data indicates fatalities in aggressive-driving crashes – crashes involving two or more aggressive driving factors – may have increased by as much as 40 percent.

“Troopers and local law enforcement will be conducting targeted enforcement with the goal of reducing the number of aggressive-driving crashes,” said PSP Colonel Robert Evanchick. “These crashes can be prevented by slowing down and limiting distractions behind the wheel.”

According to 2020 PSP data, Troopers issued more than 107,000 speeding citations, including more than 2,000 for driving 100 mph or faster. In 2021, those numbers saw an increase as speeding citations totaled more than 129,000. In addition, more than 2,200 tickets were issued for driving 100 mph or more.

Speeding is an aggressive driving factor and is usually defined as driving in excess of the posted speed limit or driving too fast for conditions. It can have dangerous consequences by reducing a motorist’s ability to react to changing traffic or road conditions, putting the driver, passengers, and others on the road at risk.

In 2020, there were 24,978 speeding-related crashes, resulting in 433 fatalities and 1,387 suspected serious injuries.

“With the return to the road and more normal work and school schedules, we are finding that many have forgotten safe-driving behaviors and may also experience higher levels of distraction and stress,” said PA Turnpike CEO Mark Compton. “Aggressive driving can be triggered by heavy traffic and drivers in a rush. This type of driving plays a major role in crashes and fatal collisions.”

The coordinated enforcement is part of an aggressive-driving enforcement wave running through April 24 focused on speeding, distracted driving, and work zone awareness. The goal of targeted enforcement is to reduce the number of aggressive driving related crashes, injuries, and deaths on roadways throughout the state. Motorists exhibiting other unsafe behaviors such as driving too fast for conditions, following too closely, or making careless lane changes will also be cited.

PSP, as well as more than 300 municipal agencies from across the state, will concentrate efforts on roadways that are known to have a high number of aggressive-driving crashes using traffic enforcement zones, saturation patrols, speed enforcement details, work zone enforcement, and multi-jurisdictional enforcement details to identify and cite aggressive drivers.

“Aggressive driving involves heightened feelings of stress, anger, or frustration that can lead to dangerous behaviors on our highways,” said Robert Schaeffer, executive director of the Highway Safety Network. “These behaviors can have devastating consequences. Drive patiently and be part of the solution, not the problem.”

Aggressive-driving factors include:

  • Making illegal U-turn;
  • Improper/careless turning;
  • Turning from wrong lane;
  • Proceeding w/o clearance after stop;
  • Running stop sign;
  • Running red light;
  • Failure to respond to other traffic control device;
  • Tailgating;
  • Sudden slowing/stopping;
  • Careless passing or lane change;
  • Passing in no passing zone;
  • Making improper entrance to highway;
  • Making improper exit from highway;
  • Speeding;
  • Driving too fast for conditions; and
  • Driver fleeing police.

If you encounter an aggressive driver, put your own safety first:

  • Get out of their way and stay as far away as possible.
  • Do not engage or challenge the driver in any way.
  • Stay relaxed, avoid eye contact, and ignore rude gestures.
  • Don’t block the passing lane if you are driving slower than most of the traffic.
  • Do not attempt to follow or pursue the vehicle.
  • You or a passenger may call the police. But, if you use a cell phone, pull over to a safe location. If you can, note the license plate and a description of the car.

While many people associate aggressive driving with road rage, they are two different behaviors. Road rage is a criminal offense and is often the result of aggressive driving behavior that escalates into an assault with a vehicle or other dangerous weapon.

The enforcement is part of Pennsylvania’s Highway Safety Program and is funded by part of PennDOT’s investment of federal funds from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

For more information on aggressive driving, visit PennDOT.pa.gov/Safety.

For more information on the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, visit www.PATurnpike.com.

For more information on the Pennsylvania State Police, visit psp.pa.gov.

PennDOT’s media center offers social-media-sized graphics highlighting topics such as aggressive driving, speeding, distracted driving, and seat belts for organizations, community groups, or others who share safety information with their stakeholders.

The public can join the discussion on social media using the hashtags #BeSafePA and #AggressiveDriving.

Follow PennDOT on Twitter and like the department on Facebook and Instagram.

Misericordia Players Will Present Tony Award Winning Musical “Once”

Actors in the play Once practice a scene from ‘The Apartment’ for the upcoming show.

The Misericordia Players will present the musical “Once” April 7-10 at the Lemmond Theater on the Misericordia University Campus. Curtain times are 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday with a Sunday matinee at 2:00 p.m. The production is directed by Scott Woolnough from the Student Success Center, and musically directed and conducted by Kimberly Johnson. Dr. Rebecca Steinberger, English Department faculty member, is the producer.

What starts as a typical “guy meets girl” tale quickly evolves into a love story about two very different cultures told through song.  Written by Edna Walsh with music and lyrics by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, “Once” won eight Tony Awards in 2012 including Best Musical and is based on the 2007 film by the same name written and directed by John Carney.  Set in Ireland, the show explores aspects of all types of relationships from family, lovers, unrequited love, platonic love, and adds the complication of cultural differences. 

“Once” features Misericordia students Elizabeth Cote, Cody Palubinski, Logan Padden, Sierra Ward, Megan Guziewicz, Olivia Fiocco, and Jacob Scherr in addition to Gabriel Gillespie, Rob Padden, and Matt Sarnovsky.  It also features a live orchestra of seven musicians.

For more information or to reserve tickets in advance, contact the Misericordia University Box office, 570-674-3069. Tickets can be purchased at the door. Tickets are $12 for general admission and $7 for students with a valid ID. The wearing of masks is pending university policy on the days of the show.   

Geisinger Holds Ribbon Cutting for Frank M. and Dorothea Henry Cancer Center Expansion

Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, March 23, to celebrate the expansion of the Frank M. and Dorothea Henry Cancer Center.

The conclusion of the $80 million expansion brings world-class cancer care closer to home for patients and their support systems, which is critical in improving outcomes for those battling cancer. Since 2008, Geisinger has invested more than $515 million into better and more accessible care for people in Luzerne County and the surrounding area. Patients of the Henry Cancer Center in northeastern Pennsylvania will no longer need to seek advanced care in cities like Philadelphia and New York.

“This commitment in Luzerne County means our neighbors in northeastern Pennsylvania can stay close to home for the most advanced, lifesaving cancer care,” said Geisinger’s president and CEO, Jaewon Ryu, M.D., J.D. “It’s the fulfillment of the vision that the Henry family and Geisinger established 30 years ago.”

Patients who previously had to seek care outside the region will soon be able to visit the 92,150-square-foot, four-story cancer center expansion with an 18-bed inpatient unit. The new 51-bay infusion center doubles the previous number of bays used for chemotherapy and other intravenous treatments. Besides improving accessibility to care, the cancer center expansion will reduce wait times and increase appointment availability. State-of-the-art technology includes the non-invasive CyberKnife S7, which delivers precise doses of radiation anywhere in the body without damaging surrounding healthy tissue.

“For nearly three decades, Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center has developed a program that brings exceptional cancer care to residents of northeast PA,” said Rajiv Panikkar, M.D., chair of the Geisinger Cancer Institute. “Today marks another step forward as we expand cancer services for our neighbors and their caretakers, providing what they need in their own community.”

The opening of the cancer center reinforces Geisinger’s pledge to offer the best quality care to everyone it serves.

“When our patients enter Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center, they’ll know they’re getting world-class care in the same hospital that’s taken care of generations of their neighbors,” said Ron Beer, chief administrative officer of Geisinger’s northeast region. “Our patients will no longer have to travel far for advanced cancer treatment, thanks to the continued support of our community. The Henry family’s vision for state-of-the-art cancer care in northeastern Pennsylvania has changed the lives of countless people, and that vision lives on today.”

For more information on cancer care at Geisinger, visit Geisinger.org/CancerExpansion.

PA CareerLink Offers SkillUp PA Courses

SkillUp™ PA provides access to free, online job skills training to Pennsylvanians. Courses are available on the portal and can be taken by registering for a free account on the PA Careerlink® website. SkillUp™ PA helps Pennsylvanians strengthen their job skills to compete in the current employment market. 

The portal is a flexible, self-directed, web-based online learning service that offers over 6,000 courses for job seekers to improve their skills. 

Courses included for Microsoft Office, Quickbooks, IT, and other business-related topics – as well as curriculum to obtain industry-recognized credentials in CompTIA, Cybersecurity, Project Management, HR, Microsoft Office Specialist, and more.

The SkillUp PA program is delivered through the Metrix Learning platform. It is designed to help you evaluate your skills, get training, and search for jobs. It is free with no additional cost, accessible 24/7 from any location with high speed internet access and flexible to match your skill level and learning pace.

If you have other questions, please contact us at support@metrixlearning.com