The state Senate unanimously voted in favor of legislation last week that contains more than $900 million in financial aid to Pennsylvanians impacted by COVID-19, with most of those dollars provided by the federal government’s latest round of COVID-19 relief funding.

An amendment to S.B. 109 contained a $145 million grant program to help small businesses in the hospitality industry that have been financially impacted due to the pandemic. Local economic development agencies would administer the program and employers would be able to access up to $50,000 in financial relief. Priority will be given to businesses that have not already received a loan or grant from the federal government or state, those who were subject to closure by the emergency declarations and those who can demonstrate a revenue reduction of at least 50 percent for the affected time period.

To pay for the grant program, S.B. 109 included a proposal from Gov. Wolf to transfer $145 million from the Workers’ Compensation Security Fund, which is financed by the businesses community and provides workers’ compensation benefits in the event an insurance carrier becomes insolvent.  The bill stipulates that the transfer must be repaid by July 1, 2029 or within 180 days of the federal government providing a flexible stimulus allocation to Pennsylvania.

The bulk of the money in the version of S.B. 109 that has cleared the Senate – around $569 million – will go toward rental and utility assistance for residents in all 67 counties. In addition, nearly $200 million will go toward ensuring that educational institutions receive resources to address COVID-19 related issues.

The bill now awaits consideration in the House.

Columbia County and the Town of Bloomsburg have both declared emergency disasters due to the winter storm. In order to assist business owners and residents that live on Main Street (from West to East) and East Street (from Main to 5th Streets) the Town is requesting that snow from sidewalks be shoveled into the parking area by Thursday, February 4th at 3 a.m. The Town’s Public Works Department has asked PennDOT not to plow parking areas onto the sidewalks. The road crew will remove the snow from the parking area.

From McKonly & Asbury

The Employee Retention Credit (ERC) has been overlooked…that is until the latest COVID-19 Relief Bill passed in December 2020. This latest bill provides an immediate tax savings opportunity for many businesses and nonprofit organizations but many are still unaware of the credit’s expanded scope and more generous credit amounts.

New for 2021, taxpayers can apply for a credit against expected payroll taxes for the first and second quarter of the year. The result is an immediate opportunity for those who qualify.

We encourage you to visit our ERC page at: 2021 Employee Retention Credit. Here you’ll learn more about the Employee Retention Credit, what changed in 2021, and how you can get an analysis started to uncover the savings.

As always, the McKonly & Asbury team is here to help. We stand ready to review your business, determine eligibility, and the amount of potential savings. Visit our ERC page today and a team member will be happy to assist!

The Pennsylvania Department of Health announced beginning Friday, February 5th, a regional drive-thru testing clinic will be held in Columbia County at the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds, Fort McClure Blvd, Bloomsburg, PA 17815.

Testing will be available daily from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM starting Friday, February 5th through Tuesday, February 9th.  

Up to 450 patients can be tested per day. Mid-nasal passage swab PCR tests will be performed. Testing is on a first-come, first-serve basis and is completely free to all patients. Patients must be ages three and older and are not required to show symptoms of COVID-19 in order to be tested. No appointment is necessary. Patients are encouraged to bring a photo-ID or insurance card. Registration will also be completed on-site. The turnaround time for testing results is two to seven days after testing.

Individuals who are tested should self-isolate while they await test results. For those individuals who live with other people, they should self-isolate in a private room and use a private bathroom if possible. Whoever else lives in the home with the individual awaiting test results should also stay at home. The department has additional instructions for individuals waiting for a COVID-19 test result. Individuals who test positive will receive a phone call from AMI while individuals who test negative will receive a secured-PDF emailed to them from AMI.

For the latest information for individuals, families, businesses and schools, visit “Responding to COVID-19” on pa.gov.

Century 21 Covered Bridges Realty Donates to AGAPE

From Left to Right: AGAPE Executive Director, Eileen Chapman, stands with Century 21 Covered Bridges Realty’s Dorothy Rhone, broker owner; Sue Barchik, broker owner; Ruth Killian, Realtor, and Cary Smith, Realtor.

Century 21 Covered Bridges Realty recently donated $4,000 to AGAPE Love From Above to Our Community.  The realtors collected $100 from each of their closings in December. 

NEPIRC & IRC Network to Host Free Legal Aspects of COVID-19 Vaccination for Employers Webinar

In response to industry inquiries, the Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center (NEPIRC) and the Industrial Resource Center (IRC) Network will host a no-cost “Legal Aspects of COVID-19 Vaccination for Employers” webinar for manufacturing firms of all sizes on Wednesday, February 10, 2021 from 10:00 AM to 11:15 AM. The live interactive webinar will be broadcast via Microsoft Teams and advance registration is required.

The webinar will be moderated by NEPIRC and the featured presenter will be James Devine, a partner of Cipriani & Werner – a nationwide legal firm that specializes in representing employers in this niche aspect of HR and employment law. Among other topics, the event will cover the legal ramifications of mandating vaccination for employees, how to address the concerns of workers opposed to vaccination, the extent to which employers can disclose the vaccination status of co-workers and similar topics.

Manufacturing sector managers, supervisors, HR professionals and executives desiring to register for the event should email CLICK HERE to immediately register. While the event is free to attend, electronic “seating” is limited to 250 attendees.

On January 26th, the Chamber and McKonly & Asbury co-hosted a webinar to help businesses and non-profit organizations understand renewed Federal COVID-19 relief programs. McKonly & Asbury partners David Blain and Mark Heath discussed updates to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Employee Retention Tax Credit. Employers are now able to take advantage of both programs if they meet the criteria and are encouraged to explore both options. Details on the Economic Injury Disaster Loan advance have not yet been finalized. 

If you were unable to attend the webinar, a recording is available on YouTube. 

The National Main Street Center has teamed up with Brother International to provide a total of $75,000 in funding to brick-and-mortar small businesses in designated Main Street America districts and UrbanMain member corridors as they work to adapt to COVID-19 and prepare for the next phases of reopening across the country, while also helping to revitalize and strengthen older and historic commercial corridors.

Applications are now open here and will continue to be accepted through Thursday, January 28 at 7:59 pm.

Grants of $5,000 to $10,000 will be awarded on a competitive basis. Applicants must operate in a “brick and mortar” storefront located in an Accredited or Affiliate Main Street America (Danville Business Alliance is an Accredited Main Street America member; qualifying its businesses located in Danville) or UrbanMain member commercial corridor. You can find those programs here.

Please review the program website before completing an application. If your question was not answered there, or you have questions about your eligibility, please email atyourside@savingplaces.org.

Eligible Grant Expenses

Eligible grant expenses include but are not limited to:

• Physical improvements to business space to meet relevant reopening requirements implemented because of COVID-19
• Equipment to comply with public health and safety guidelines (i.e., touchless payment methods, automatic door open sensors, or disposable menus)
• Fees associated with expanding the business to e-commerce sales
• Other professional services, such as business plan modifications
• Rent, payroll, and other operating expenses

Grant Application Judging Criteria

• Feasibility of proposal
• Extent to which grant will help address an acute business need or help a business owner implement innovative solutions to address COVID-19-related challenges
• Opportunity for other businesses to learn from work
• Business’ contribution to the local community
• How the grant will help improve the viability of business
• Strength of letters of recommendation and supporting documents

From My Benefit Advisor

The integration of digital tools in the corporate environment is moving at a rapid pace and changing the way companies implement their wellness strategies.  Employers and many of the insurance carriers they work with have inserted technology into their benefit offerings as a way for individuals not just to monitor their general physical fitness but also to address concrete wellness needs and improve health outcomes.

Through the use of these digital tools, employees are empowered to take greater control over their well-being through the tracking, managing and analysis of critical health data. Digital health tools also increase the efficiencies of healthcare by improving access, reducing costs, increasing quality of care and making medicine more personalized and precise.

Implementing digital health into your wellness strategy will usually include a variety of tools, including:

• Health Information Technology… utilizing a platform or application to manage the exchange of health information between patients and medical personnel in a secure, computerized environment.
• Mobile Health… allowing medicine and care delivery through mobile phones, tablets and other wireless technology.
• Telehealth… providing the remote exchange of data and care between a patient and their medical advisor.
• Wearables… clothing and accessories that integrate advanced electronic technologies to assist in providing more personalized health data.

My Benefit Advisor representatives can show how you can incorporate digital health tools into your company’s benefit programs to enhance employee morale, decrease claims utilization and allow your employees to take better control of their long-term well-being.

The Chamber offers a unique insurance platform called ChamberChoice. It offers members access to My Benefit Advisor as a solution for employee benefits. For more information about My Benefit Advisor, contact Jim Pitts at 610-324-6291 or email him at jim.pitts@mybenefitadvisor.com

The Berwick Borough Council has allocated $55,799 of Community Development Block Grant-Coronavirus (CDBG-CV) program funding to assist restaurants that have been negatively impacted by the pandemic. SEDA-Council of Governments and The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce will be evaluating the applications on Berwick Borough’s behalf.

For businesses to be eligible for funding assistance through this program, the recipient business must meet all of the following criteria:

1. Submit a fully completed BERWICK BOROUGH Small Business Support Grant Program application to Tyler Dombroski, SEDA-COG, by February 26, 2021; and
2. Be a for-profit restaurant business located within the municipal limits of BERWICK BOROUGH; and
3. Be an incorporated business in and/or registered to conduct business within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; and
4. Be negatively impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic shutdowns; and
5. Be able to meet one of the national objective requirements (primarily benefit to low and moderate income persons) of the CDBG-CV program.

Grants will be evenly distributed between all successful applicants. Successful applicants will need to provide demonstrable business costs for rent/mortgage, utility, staffing salaries, inventory/supplies, and/or marketing/advertising. Grants from this program cannot cover expenses already addressed through other financial assistance programs.

Applications for the grant are available here. Questions and applications can be emailed to tdombroski@seda-cog.org.

Bloomsburg Children’s Museum Dedicating ‘All Abilities Nights’ in Memory of Erica Schultz

The Bloomsburg Children’s Museum is dedicating their quarterly All Abilities Nights in memory of Erica Shultz, a former employee who was senselessly slain last month. 

Erica Shultz and a summer camp student in 2013

Shultz worked as a Museum Assistant in 2013 and 2014 while she was still in high school. She regularly helped with programs and everyday tasks in the Museum. 

“Erica was always happy to help in any way she could,” Dr. Ginny Weibel, Museum Director said. “She especially loved helping the children with art projects and pretend play.” Shultz, who was autistic, used her position with the Museum to gain real-world working experience. “Erica was a valued employee and contributed greatly to our mission,” Weibel said. “She was a beam of sunshine whenever she was here. Many of us stayed connected with her when she left the Museum.” 

All Abilities Nights at the Museum is a quarterly free program at the Museum. During the program, families with any member who faces a challenge are invited to tour the Museum and participate in special crafts and activities at no cost for their group. 

Erica Shultz and Miranda Smith (left), a fellow Museum employee, helping decorate the Museum’s tree at TreeFest

“We started All Abilities Nights to offer a time when the Museum is a bit quieter and easier to navigate than during normal operating hours,” Weibel said. “We want families to have a relaxed experience and see that we have many friendly, adaptive spaces in hopes that those families come back again and again.” 

The Museum is adding a plaque in the lobby indicating that All Abilities Night at the Museum is dedicated to preserving Shultz’s memory and the contributions she made to the organization. 

The next All Abilities Night at the Museum is scheduled for Friday, January 22 from 3-7 p.m. There is no cost and reservations are not needed.

NEPIRC & IRC Network to Host Free Legal Aspects of COVID-19 Vaccination for Employers Webinar

In response to industry inquiries, the Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center (NEPIRC) and the Industrial Resource Center (IRC) Network will host a no-cost “Legal Aspects of COVID-19 Vaccination for Employers” webinar for manufacturing firms of all sizes on Wednesday, February 10, 2021 from 10:00 AM to 11:15 AM. The live interactive webinar will be broadcast via Microsoft Teams and advance registration is required.

The webinar will be moderated by NEPIRC and the featured presenter will be James Devine, a partner of Cipriani & Werner – a nationwide legal firm that specializes in representing employers in this niche aspect of HR and employment law. Among other topics, the event will cover the legal ramifications of mandating vaccination for employees, how to address the concerns of workers opposed to vaccination, the extent to which employers can disclose the vaccination status of co-workers and similar topics.

Manufacturing sector managers, supervisors, HR professionals and executives desiring to register for the event should email CLICK HERE to immediately register. While the event is free to attend, electronic “seating” is limited to 250 attendees.

Curves Introduces Virtual Group Coaching Option for MyCurves On Demand

Curves, one of the largest chains of fitness clubs for women in the world, is celebrating the first birthday of their at-home video-on-demand program, MyCurves On Demand, with the introduction of their new Virtual Group Coaching membership. The new MyCurves On Demand + Virtual Group Coaching combines an effective at-home fitness routine with the support and guidance of a live, virtual Curves coach to keep members accountable for achieving their health and fitness goals. Virtual Group Coaching sessions also create a fitness community that provides the connections and support members need as they make lifestyle changes.

“When COVID restrictions closed local Curves gyms around the world in the spring of 2020, MyCurves On Demand, which launched in January 2020, helped Curves members transition from their in-club gym experience to an at-home fitness routine,” said Krishea Holloway, President and CEO of Curves North America and Oceania. “Curves understands what women need in a fitness program, and we knew that, for many members, taking part in lifestyle coaching sessions led by a Curves Coach was key to their success. Curves new Virtual Group Coaching option adds that weekly human connection, providing members with both a coach – with the accountability that provides – and a community of other women working to live healthier, stronger lives.”

In addition to the introduction of Virtual Group Coaching, Curves is celebrating the one-year birthday of MyCurves On Demand with prizes and cash giveaways. Members in the Bloomsburg area who join MyCurves On Demand between January 13-February 13, through Curves of Bloomsburg, PA or online, will be eligible for a chance to win prizes including Curves merchandise and cash gift cards. For more details, follow the Curves Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Curves/.

MyCurves On Demand streaming classes mimic the in-club experience using a resistance band (provided with most memberships) in place of the equipment found in clubs and are led by actual Curves Coaches, not fitness models – a distinction that separates Curves from other fitness brands. Curves members can stream their workout from any smart device. To view a sneak peek of a MyCurves On Demand workout, visit https://www.curves.com/mycurves-on-demand.

“We know everyone has choices when it comes to fitness. Determining the right fitness routine for yourself is key to a stronger you,” said Holloway. “Curves on Demand introduced many women to a new fitness option from an established, trusted brand, but it’s important to remember that not everyone who posts a workout video is a fitness expert. Curves members benefit from years of experience, our Science Advisory Board, and the 20+ years of research conducted at Texas A&M University that supports Curves’ programs. Our mission has always been to provide fun, fast, and safe programs to help women reach their health and fitness goals, and our programs continue to get better, year after year.”

MyCurves On Demand + Virtual Group Coaching is available for women throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. For more information about the Curves program and membership options available in the Bloomsburg area, contact Curves of Bloomsburg, PA, located at 50 West 6th Street in Bloomsburg, at 570-784-5080 or www.curves.com