PPL Electric Utilities continues to add smart grid automation on its system to increase reliability.
Smart grid improvements have been a major factor in allowing the utility to reduce the number of outages by 30 percent since 2007. The next five years are expected to bring another 15 percent improvement.
The company reports about 4,600 smart grid switches have been installed across its service area since 2012, when the first smart grid pilot project launched in the Harrisburg area. Now, there are smart grid devices nearly everywhere on the utility’s system which covers all or part of 29 counties in central and eastern Pennsylvania.
These switches, and the computer brains behind them, automatically detect a problem on the grid and work within minutes to isolate the affected area and reroute power around the trouble spot.
Included in the total number of switches installed so far are about 600 switches added this year. More installations are planned over the next few years and the system should be fully outfitted by the end of 2020. By that time, more than 5,000 smart grid switches will be part of the PPL grid.
The utility’s smart grid work recently was honored by the Southeast Electric Exchange, an industry group, with an Industry Excellence Award. PPL’s reliability satisfaction score is among the leaders nationwide, according to J.D. Power.
For businesses that have participated in the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program, May 15 is a critical date. The popular state program provides funding for Pre-K scholarships, scholarships for private schools, and educational enhancement programs like those supported by the Chamber’s Foundation. Despite increased allocations to the program in recent years, eligible businesses are strongly encouraged to submit applications on the early enrollment date.
Important points to note are:
1. Companies that have fulfilled a two-year commitment in their most recently completed fiscal year continue to receive preferential treatment by being allowed to file for a new “initial” application between May 15th and June 30th for the start of another two-year commitment. Moreover, those companies will be able to increase the amount they are applying for as the limit of combined credits for any fiscal year is up to $750,000. Companies that wish to make contributions to Pre-K Scholarship Organizations may receive a tax credit equal to 100% of the first $10,000 contributed and up to 90% of the remaining amount contributed up to a maximum credit of $200,000 annually.
2. Businesses applying for Pre-K credits may now choose to make a two-year commitment. Companies supporting Pre-K organizations now also receive the “preference” for filing on May 15th, having successfully fulfilled a two-year commitment in their most recently completed fiscal year.
3. All EITC applications must be filed electronically. (This will include companies filing for their second-year credits beginning on May 15th.) Paper applications are no longer accepted. Once a company has established a “profile” online, almost everything will be completed electronically. DCED no longer requires applicants to mail the signed signature page.
The current guidelines are now available on the DCED website. The applications are now available online but cannot be filed until May 15. Businesses that are not currently active in the program must wait until July 3 to apply. Due to the recent allocation increase, and current legislation that would further increase the allocation, interested businesses may want to consider submitting a new application on that date.
The Chamber has been advocating since 2014 that the application process be open to all Pennsylvania-based businesses at the same time. A letter renewing that call was recently sent to Senator Gordner and the members of the Senate Education Committee, where the legislation is being considered.
Member News
Planet Fitness Hosts Ribbon Cutting and Grand Opening Tonight
Planet Fitness, holds a ribbon cutting ceremony at 4 p.m. tonight, May 3, followed by a public grand opening event that will run until 7 p.m. at their new location in the Columbia Mall in Bloomsburg. There will be giveaways and raffle prizes. Danni Allen, 2013 winner of NBC’s The Biggest Loser, will also be on site to share her fitness journey, tips and lead group workouts.
Geisinger Hosts “Caring for Every Woman” Tomorrow Evening
Geisinger Health System hosts”Caring for Every Woman,” tomorrow, May 4, from 5–8 p.m. at the Pine Barn Inn, Danville. This free event will feature women’s wellness education and professional networking as well as live music, appetizers, health screenings and a physician panel discussion. Learn about the health issues facing women of all ages from physicians in neuroscience, urology, cardiology, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopaedics and breast health. Seating is limited, so register at geisinger.org/events.
Free Skin Cancer Screening in Danville
Geisinger Health System will provide free skin cancer screenings on Tuesday, May 9 from 1–5 p.m. at Geisinger Dermatology & Mohs Surgery, 115 Woodbine Lane, Danville. Appointments are required. To register, visit geisinger.org/events or call 800-275-6401.
Small Business Development Center to Host First Step Seminar in Bloomsburg
Have you ever thought about starting your own business, but weren’t quite sure if it would be right for you? Or maybe you want to know what paperwork you need in order to open your doors? These and several other common questions for small businesses will covered at the First Step Seminar given by the Wilkes University Small Business Development Center (SBDC) on Friday, May 12, at noon at the Downtown Bloomsburg, Inc. Business Incubator, 151 E. Main St., Bloomsburg. Laura Haden of the SBDC will speak about the different legal structures a business can be, how to write a business plan and create financial projections, and much more. Cost is $15 for the First Step book. Walk-ins are welcome but pre-registration is preferred. Register by calling 570-408-4334, email or online at pasbdc.org/events.
First Columbia Hosts Chris Herren
First Columbia Bank will host speaker Chris Herren at Bloomsburg University on Wednesday, May 17 at 7 p.m. at Gross Auditorium in Carver Hall. Doors open at 6 p.m. and this event is open to the public. The founder of the Herren Project, Herren is a former college basketball and NBA player who struggled with substance abuse for much of his basketball career and overdosed on heroin in June of 2008. With the help of friends and family, he has been clean since August 1, 2008 and has traveled the country telling his story to increase education and public awareness on the dangers of substance abuse and to ultimately help others one person at a time. He was also the subject of a 2011 ESPN 30 for 30 documentary titled Unguarded.
This event is open to the public. However, seating is limited and will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more information on this event, visit First Columbia’s website or Facebook page.
Public Meeting to Address Flood Impacts in Danville
Floods and flood insurance have impacted Danville Borough, and the public is invited to a meeting to learn about a flood resiliency initiative that aims to resolve many of these issues. The meeting will be held on Thursday, May 18, at 6 p.m. in the Borough Hall, 239 Mill St., Danville. The purpose of the meeting is to review flood mitigation ideas, gain a better understanding of residents’ needs and discuss preliminary survey results. It is part of a larger flood resiliency initiative being undertaken by SEDA-COG in several communities within Pennsylvania’s central region, and is funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission. For information, contact Jamie Shrawder at 570-275-3091.
Geisinger Seeks Community Members for Hot Air Balloon Festival Planning Committee
Geisinger Health System will host the inaugural Dream Big Hot Air Balloon Festival, October 6-7 at Spyglass Ridge Winery in Sunbury. In order to encourage participation and feedback from the community and gain more ideas, Geisinger is currently seeking additional community members to serve on a planning committee for this event. If interested in participating, please contact Linda Vaji at 570-214-2581 or email.
First Columbia Announces Changes to Board of Directors
First Columbia Bank recently announced the retirement of board chairman Glenn Halterman. He had served as chairman of the board of directors since 2003 and on the board since 1984. Edwin Wenner was appointed to succeed Halterman as chairman. He has been on the board since 2014. The board also appointed Russell Cotner to serve as a director. Cotner is the president of Cotner Farms, Inc. and vice president of Boyd Station, LLC. For more information, read the entire press release.
“Membership in the Columbia Montour Chamber has allowed us to network with area businesses and agencies to present ourselves and our services as a resource for employees to maintain employment and for clients involved with other human service agencies.”
– Joanne Blass, Director, CCIS of Columbia, Montour & Northumberland Counties.
The Child Care Information Services (CCIS) agencies are the hub of child care information for all citizens of Pennsylvania. The CCIS helps to educate families on what to look for in quality childcare, including the Keystone Stars program, and how to access other needed services. The CCIS also administers the Child Care Works subsidized child care program for eligible working families from the PA Department of Human Services (DHS), working closely with all area child care providers to maintain agreements to accept subsidized funding and provide valuable services to families and children.
There is a CCIS office for each county in the state. Locally, that office is located in Danville at the Danville Child Development Center (DCDC), which has held the DHS grant for CCIS agencies in Montour County since 1992. In 2013, it changed from CCIS of Montour County to CCIS of Columbia Montour and Northumberland Counties, and now serves families in all three counties. It is the only agency that provides subsidized child care funding through DHS.
The CCIS has membership in both the Columbia and Montour County Human Services coalitions and is a member of the Northumberland County Head Start Policy Council. The CCIS participates in the annual Children’s Fair at the Columbia Mall and organizes annual events to celebrate Week of the Young Child and PA Promise for Children month.
For more information about CCIS, visit its website.
Member spotlights run monthly and are chosen via a random drawing from members that submit their business cards at a Business After Hours event. The next Business After Hours is scheduled for May 17 at the Columbia County Christian School.
The festival started by the Chamber to encourage people to come to Berwick returns this spring. The event, now called Celebrate Historic Berwick, is being coordinated this year by the Berwick Area Marketing Committee. Live music, ethnic food, kids activities, and competition to crown the best pizza in Berwick will be held Saturday, May 13, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Market Street in front of the Jackson Mansion. There will be craft beer along with wine from Freas Farm Winery and O’Donnell Winery. Gold sponsors for the event are the Central Susquehanna Community Foundation, First Keystone Community Bank, and the Berwick Industrial Development Association.
Find out more as the event draws near on Facebook.
From PA Chamber of Business & Industry
The PA House Finance Committee voted last week to advance three bills that would help small businesses in the Commonwealth compete on an even playing field.
House Bill 331 would bring the state’s Tax Code in line with federal law to allow for a tax deferral of a “like kind exchange” which is the disposal of an asset and the acquisition of a replacement asset without generating a current tax liability from the sale of the first asset – a tax strategy that operates in every state but Pennsylvania.
House Bill 332 would allow small businesses to use the Net Operating Loss deduction, helping those that pay the personal income tax to offset prior year financial losses with future year gains.
Lastly, H.B. 333 would bring the state’s Tax Code in line with the Internal Revenue Code and more than 30 other states to allow small businesses in Pennsylvania to take the full deduction for the purchase of qualifying equipment. Currently, Pennsylvania C-corporations are able to utilize the full $500,000 deduction allowed under the IRC; but companies filing personal income tax are limited to an amount of $25,000. Again, this makes Pennsylvania regrettably unique as the only state that allows for full equipment purchase expensing for larger businesses while disallowing smaller businesses to take advantage of the same deduction level. The PA Chamber sent a memo to the committee in advance of the meeting that urged a “yes” vote on all three bills.
House Bills 331, 332 and 333 now await further consideration by the full House.
State Representative Lynda Schlegel Culver and the Bucknell University Small Business Development Center (SBDC) announce the launch of the 2017 InnovateHER Business Challenge, a prize competition designed to unearth innovative products and services that help, impact and empower the lives of women and families. Through InnovateHER, the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA) is seeking products or services that fill a need in the marketplace and have the potential for commercialization. As a regional host, the Bucknell SBDC will hold a local competition and nominate the winner to the SBA, who will then identify 10 finalists to vie for $70,000 in prize money. Prizes for Bucknell’s local competitors for 2017 will be announced using the hashtag #InnovateHER across @BucknellSBDC Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts.
This competition will spur national conversation, collaboration, and cooperation at all levels to support women and families. Local competitions will be hosted to select entrepreneurs to advance to the semi-final round. From the pool of semifinalists, SBA will select up to 10 finalists who will be invited to the National InnovateHER: Innovating for Women Business Challenge in mid-2017. Targeted applicants are entrepreneurs seeking consulting assistance from the SBDC or who have benefitted from the services of the center as they started and grew their businesses in central Pennsylvania. Entrepreneurs who have a product, service, or technology that has a positive impact on the lives of women and families should submit entries to the SBDC via email by May 11.
More information is available at the Bucknell SBDC website.
A series of public information sessions will be held in May to provide updates on the merger of the 911 centers between Columbia and Montour counties and readdressing in Montour County. Residents and commercial property owners in Montour County, Riverside Borough and Rush Township are encouraged to attend one of the following sessions.
- Wednesday, May 10 – Danville Middle School, 120 Northumberland Road
- Wednesday, May 24 – Anthony Township Municipal Building, 1295 White Hall Road
- Thursday, May 25 – First Baptist Church of Danville, 20 Brookside Drive
- Wednesday, May 31 – St. Peter’s United Methodist Church, 240 Sunbury Road, Riverside
The sessions are being hosted by the Montour County Commissioners and will begin at 7:00 p.m. Additional information on 911 readdressing is available on the Montour County website.
The Chamber supports the 911 consolidation to improve emergency response and to save costs in the long-term.
Chamber members and the public are invited to the Leadership Central Penn graduation luncheon for the Class of 2017.
Date: May 18, 2017
Place: Frosty Valley Country Club, Danville
Time: 11:15 am – 1:30 pm
This year’s keynote speaker is Dr. Holly Morrison, President & CEO of the Central Susquehanna Community Foundation. A full buffet lunch will be served. The cost is $25 per person. Checks can be made payable to The Foundation of the Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce and mailed to the Chamber at 238 Market Street, Bloomsburg, PA 17815, or by calling the Chamber office with a credit card at 570-784-2522. The deadline to sign up for the event is May 8. Payment must be received by May 18.
Below are members of the Leadership Central Penn Class of 2017.
Athena Aardweg
Northern Columbia Community & Cultural Center
Phil Baney
Autoneum North America, Inc.
Jordan Barbour
Geisinger Bloomsburg Hospital
Nikki Dietterick
First Keystone Community Bank
Gordy Evans
Geisinger Medical Center
Wren Fritsky
Bloomsburg University
Robert Geiger
Girton Manufacturing
Kevin Gordon
Autoneum North America, Inc.
Randy Hartranft
PPL Electric Utilities
Mark Hepler
Kawneer, an Arconic Company
Artur Jagielski
Kawneer, an Arconic Company
Megan Kiliti
Berwick Area Swimming Pool Association
Brian Klinefelter
First Keystone Community Bank
Shelly Tyson
Geisinger Medical Center
Aubry McConnell
Bloomsburg University
Christiana Paradis
The Women’s Center
Hannah Sick
First Columbia Bank & Trust
Cassie Weaver
Columbia Child Development Program