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The latest news from the State Capitol |
In this Edition:
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Public Input Sought on Middletown Road |
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Celebrating A Diamond Anniversary |
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Route 322 Roadwork Coming |
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Eagles Soar |
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Attention Students: House Fellowship Program Taking Applications |
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Avoid Scams During Back-to-School Shopping |
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Grant Opportunity for Small Businesses |
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Elk Cam Fires Back Up! |
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Public Input Sought on Middletown Road
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) invites the public to an in-person open house for the Middletown Road Safety and Congestion Improvement Project in Derry and Londonderry townships and Hummelstown Borough.
The open house will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 25, at the Derry Township Municipal Complex Administration Building at 600 Clearwater Road, Hershey.
The meeting displays will present the project purpose, needs and goals, the existing conditions, environmental impacts, alternatives considered and the proposed corridor improvements. The public will have a chance to engage engineers and environmental specialists from the project team with any questions or comments.
Project personnel will be available to answer questions on project details and the recommended improvements. Comments will be received until Thursday, Sept. 25.
Preliminary engineering and environmental studies for the project are currently underway. The project area includes a 3-mile corridor along Middletown Road from PA 283 to US 322 in Derry and Londonderry townships and Hummelstown Borough.
The primary purpose of the project is to enhance the safety and efficiency of the corridor through a combination of roadway widening, access control measures, and targeted intersection improvements. These efforts are proposed to address current traffic issues and prepare the corridor for future demands.
The primary proposed improvements include:
• Roadway widening to add a continuous center turn lane and make shoulders a uniform width
• Access management – adding islands, medians, or signage to limit left turns; closing and redirecting select access points to provide more consistent spacing between primary access points, help traffic flow, and reduce conflicts
• Intersection improvements – modification to signal timings, additional turning lanes and intersection geometric improvements, such as potentially adding signals or sideroad approach realignment
Other potential corridor improvements include:
• Roadway milling and resurfacing
• Slight alignment shifts and vegetation clearing to enhance intersection sight distance
• Select improvements to current bicycle and pedestrian facilities and incorporating design considerations for future municipal-led connections
• Culvert enlargement, drainage updates
• Signing, pavement marking upgrades
This section of Middletown Road has an average daily traffic volume of 16,000 vehicles per day, 5% being trucks.
Construction activities are expected to be staged to minimize disruptions to traffic and maintain access for residents, businesses, and emergency services. Detours may be needed for side road realignment.
The project is currently in the preliminary design phase, and construction is anticipated to take place during the 2028-29 construction seasons, subject to all approvals, environmental clearances, and funding availability.
The purpose of the open house is to introduce the project, depict the recommended improvements, and receive public input regarding any questions or concerns with the project.
The project documents can be made available in alternative languages or formats if requested. If you need translation/interpretation services or have special needs or have special concerns that require individual attention, contact Mark Malhenzie, Senior Project Manager, at (717) 787-5080, or email at mmalhenzie@pa.gov.
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Celebrating A Diamond Anniversary
Gary Sr. and Nancy Garver are celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary! The Hummelstown couple were married in Westminster, Md., and have three children and six grandchildren. Congratulations to them!
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Route 322 Roadwork Coming
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has announced that the ramp from westbound Route 322 to Hummelstown at Bridge Road in Swatara Township, Dauphin County, is scheduled to be closed Thursday, Aug. 28.
The ramp will be closed for about two months, so widening can be performed as part of a commercial development (Wawa) at the former site of Hoss’s Steak and Sea House.
Weather permitting, the closure will begin Thursday, Aug. 28. A signed detour will be in place. Westbound Route 322 traffic should exit at the Hummelstown/Middletown Exit, located about 1.75 miles east of the Hummelstown/Bridge Road Exit, turn right onto Quarry Road, proceed north to Main Street, then turn left and travel west on Main Street to Bridge Road.
The ramp is expected to reopen by Friday, October 31.
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Eagles Soar
The 106th District has not one, not two, but three new Eagle Scouts among it! On Monday, I gave citations to Jaxon Umidi, Ethan Tanner and Rohan Tomkins to commemorate their achievements. These impressive young leaders are all members of Hummelstown’s Troop 66.
Pictured from left to right are Ethan, Jaxon and Rohan.
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Attention Students: House Fellowship Program Taking Applications
The Pennsylvania House Legislative Fellowship Program is accepting applications for its spring 2026 semester.
The program is based at Pennsylvania’s Capitol in Harrisburg where fellows are assigned to work with House standing committees or leadership offices; are compensated for their work (which may also include college credit); and are provided the opportunities to draft and present their own legislation, attend meet-and-greets with various public officials and staff, and tour some of the Commonwealth’s historic public spaces, to name a few.
Qualified applicants must be college undergraduate juniors or seniors, graduate students or law school students; enrolled in a Pennsylvania college/university or a Pennsylvania resident enrolled in an out-of-state institution; and have a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
For more information or to apply, visit www.pahousefellowship.us. Applications can be submitted via email to pahousefellowship@pabmc.net. The deadline for applying is Oct. 1.
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Avoid Scams During Back-to-School Shopping
The Office of Attorney General is warning parents and students that scammers often try to take advantage of back-to-school shoppers by posing as online vendors or assistants for financial aid. Follow these tips to protect yourself:
• Watch the websites you visit. Be mindful that the first result on a search engine isn’t always the best choice; it is just that the website paid to be the first result.
• Be wary of a deal that seems too good to be true. Be sure to thoroughly check sellers and product reviews on websites like Amazon, eBay and Facebook Marketplace.
• Many installment plans come with hidden fees and other fine print.
• Be wary of sellers asking for payment in gift cards, money orders, cryptocurrency or wire transfers, especially over the phone. Use your credit cards when possible.
• Keep your personal data safe.
In addition to posing as sellers of school supplies, scammers can also attempt to steal your personal information by impersonating financial aid services or test preparation companies. If someone is offering to “assist” you with financial aid or tests, but is pressuring you to act quickly or overpromising, they could be attempting to steal your personal information. The best website to obtain information about federal student aid is www.studentaid.gov.
Read more here.
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Grant Opportunity for Small Businesses
Applications for the Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Small Business Advantage Grant program are now open for Pennsylvania-based, for-profit small businesses with fewer than 100 full-time equivalent employees.
The program provides reimbursement grants ranging from 50% to 80% of eligible project costs to Pennsylvania small businesses to improve energy efficiency or reduce pollution or waste by upgrading or replacing equipment or supplies; improving processes; or reducing runoff into affected waterways.
More information is available here.
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Elk Cam Fires Back Up!
With the September peak of Pennsylvania’s elk rut right around the corner, you can get a jumpstart on viewing some of those bugling bulls through the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Elk Cam.
The camera is located in the heart of Pennsylvania’s elk range, an area totaling over 220,000 acres including State Game Lands 311 and Elk State Forest. Video and sound from the camera will be livestreamed here, and viewers can expect not only to see elk, but turkeys, deer and other wildlife, as well. The best time to view elk on camera is late in the afternoon.
If you’d like to see the bugling season in person, the PA Game Commission reminds visitors to always be “Elk Smart.” Give elk space, never feed elk and do your part to ensure the welfare of the herd. Learn more here.
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