Black Forest Broadcasting

 

burglars leave items rather than take them….vandals damage mailbox in Bingham Township…More households may be eligible for heating assistance….Potato growers celebrate 100 years…

Potter County

A burglary in Hector Township over the past couple of months is being investigated by state police at Coudersport. Burglars forced their way into an unoccupied building on Strait Road owned by a 56 year old Conshohocken PA man sometime since September 5 and rather than taking something, the criminals left several personal items behind. Anyone with information is asked to call the Coudersport barracks at 814.274.8690.

Troopers at Coudersport also investigated a criminal mischief  on Silver Fox Lane in Bingham Township occurring between 10:30 am and 1:45 pm last Wednesday. Vandals dented a mailbox belonging to a 51 Genesee woman and broke it off its post. The white metal mailbox is valued at $65.00.

Tioga County

An Athens, PA driver escaped injury early Tuesday morning when his  south bound Ford Edge hit a deer on Route 549 in Jackson Township. State police report Jason Mathews was unable to avoid the collision. The SUV  sustained moderate front end damage and had to be towed from the scene.

Statewide

Pennsylvania households that may be facing higher energy bills this winter may be eligible for assistance through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) which provides one-time cash grants to qualifying applicants for home heating bills or emergency heating repairs.

The enrollment period for the 2022-2023 LIHEAP is underway, and households can apply for grants through April 28, 2023.

LIHEAP is a federally funded program administered through the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. This season’s grants range from $300 to $1,000. Also available are crisis grants, ranging from $25 to $1,000. Crisis grants assist income-eligible households without heat or in danger of being without heat.

Customers can apply online through the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Access to Social Service website (COMPASS) at www.compass.state.pa.us or they can request an application by calling the statewide LIHEAP hotline at 1-866-857-7095.

The income eligibility limit for the 2022-2023 program is 150 percent of the federal poverty income guidelines. This means that an individual with an annual income of up to $20,385 is eligible to apply. A family of four can earn an annual income of up to $41,625..

The state department of agriculture is celebrating the centennial of the Pennsylvania Cooperative Potato Grower and their contributions to the Pennsylvania economy. With 83,000 tons of potatoes produced on 5,400 acres across Pennsylvania, the cooperative’s growers supply retail, food service and potato chip manufacturers, feeding $15 million in annual sales. They supply the 24 chip manufacturing plants that have earned Pennsylvania its “Snack Food Capital of the U.S.” title.

Since 2020, the cooperative has supplied more than 12.6 million pounds of potatoes through food service partners to food insecure families through the USDA’s Farmers to Families Food Box Program.

In partnership with the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences the group has conducted potato variety research, with its membership contributing $50,000 annually to support the work that benefits consumers and potato growers statewide.

The  100-year celebration honors the 28 hardworking potato-grower farm families in the cooperative.Since 2019, the PA Department of Agriculture has awarded more than $430,000 to the cooperative through Specialty Crop Block Grants, and more than $130,000 for its work promoting potatoes through the Pennsylvania Agricultural Product, Promotion, Education, and Export Promotion Matching Grant.

The organization is a mainstay at the annual PA Farm Show every January, serving thousands of potato donuts, 12 tons of fresh cut fries, six tons of baked potatoes and hundreds of pierogies to hungry guests. The cooperative sponsors the chef demonstrations and events on the PA Preferred® Culinary Connection stage on “Tater Tuesday and greeting guests with potato-centric education and entertainment in their booth every year.Learn more about Pennsylvania’s $132.5 billion agriculture industry and initiatives and investments to grow, protect and sustain it at agriculture.pa.gov.