Black Forest Broadcasting

 

Troopers at Emporium are investigating a couple of recent thefts….Tree Emporium men arrested for harassment…..State police at Lewis Run have arrested a Port Allegany woman for harassment…Mansfield resident victim of a phone scam….House committee approves Causer’s bill to boost EMS reimbursement

Troopers at Emporium are investigating a couple of recent  thefts in Cameron County. A black claw hammer belonging to a 60 year old Emporium woman was stolen  on Monday. The tool is valued at $39.99 and was taken from a home on E. 6th Street. Two John Deere Strongbox 12V batteries and a FA SGR Cable were taken from a John Deere Skidder parked in the vicinity of Portable Road and Barr Hollow Road in Lumber Township Monday morning. The equipment belongs to Watt Lumber Inc. of Brockway and is valued at a total of $326.

An Emporium man was arrested for threatening physical contact in connection to a domestic violence incident Monday morning on West 4th Street. State police who were called to that home found 37 year old  Brandon Catalone had harassed a 30 year old Emporium woman.

Both Emporium men involved in a shouting match at the Emporium Sheetz Tuesday afternoon have been cited for harassment. The suspects whose names were not released are a 44 year old and a 58 year old.

State police at Lewis Run have charged a 50 year old Port Allegany woman with physical harassment for a domestic violence incident Saturday night into Sunday morning at a house on the Port Allegany/Emporium road. Troopers claim when they responded to an inactive domestic they found the suspect had shoved and scratched a 55 year old Port Allegany man during an argument.

Drug charges are pending against 33 year old Charles Doverspike of St. Marys after troopers at Lewis Run stopped his 1994 Chevrolet S10 on Route 219 in Lafayette Township for a traffic violation last Wednesday morning. Troopers claim they found Doverspike in possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia.

A criminal mischief taking place May 13 in Jones Township, Elk County was investigated by state police at Ridgway. Vandals caused  $200 worth of damage to a window on a 2011 Nissan Sentra owned by a 53 year old Ridgway woman while it was parked  on Mefferts Run Road. Anyone with information is asked to call the Ridgway barracks at 814.776.6136.

Troopers at Mansfield did not reveal details but say a 62 year old Mansfield man was the victim of a phone scam between April  21 and 23. Cyber thieves took $200 from the victim’s bank account.

The House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee on Wednesday approved legislation that would boost Medicaid reimbursement rates for emergency medical services (EMS) agencies, according to  Rep. Martin Causer (R-Cameron/McKean/Potter), prime sponsor of the measure.Causer says EMS providers have received only two increases in reimbursement for transporting individuals covered by Medicaid in the last two decades with the last increase taking place in 2018, again based on legislation he introduced. The current rates for Advanced Life Support (ALS) and Basic Life Support (BLS) services are $300 and $180 per trip, respectively. These rates are significantly below Medicare and commercial insurance reimbursements.House Bill 2434 proposes to increase the rates for ALS to $400 and BLS to $325, representing a reimbursement of approximately 80% of the current base Medicare rate in Pennsylvania, plus a reflection of the change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) since 2018. The bill would also offer an added premium for rural providers, similar to that offered through Medicare, to recognize the added costs those services face. Finally, the bill would require that EMS agencies be paid for all loaded miles at a rate of $4 per mile. Currently, Medicaid reimburses $2 per loaded mile, but only after the first 20 miles. Future reimbursement rates for services and mileage would increase when Medicare rates increase based on changes to the CPI to keep pace with the increased cost of providing this service.

The bill now goes to the full House for consideration.

The PA Department of Health  has issued a weekly update on the number of Covid-19 deaths in Pennsylvania. There have been 45,147 deaths, up 249 for the week. Deaths  in the Black Forest Broadcasting Service area  to date are  holding steady

Cameron 21

Elk 101

McKean 142 (+1)

Potter  92

Tioga 194

All 156 (+1)

Cat 223(+1)