Darren Woods, the Chief Executive Officer of ExxonMobil, was accused of lying to Congress on Thursday after he denied that the company covered up its own research about oil’s contribution to the climate crisis.
For the first time, Woods and the heads of three other major petroleum companies were questioned under oath at a congressional hearing into the industry's effort to discredit and deny the evidence that burning fossil fuels drove global heating. When pressed to make specific pledges or to stop lobbying against climate initiatives, all four executives declined.

The chair of the House oversight committee, Representative Carolyn Maloney, pressed Woods about statements by his predecessor, Exxon CEO Lee Raymond, who in the 1990s said the scientific evidence for climate change was “inconclusive” and that “the case for global warming is far from air tight”. In 2002, Exxon ran advertisements in the New York Times calling climate change "unsettled".

Maloney pointed out to Woods that Exxon’s own scientists had repeatedly warned the company about the threat from burning fossil fuels as far back as the 1970s. ​“There is a clear conflict between what Exxon CEO told the public and what Exxon scientists were warning privately for years,” she said.

Woods denied that Raymond or Exxon misled anyone. The heads of the American operations of the other oil companies, Shell, Chevron, and BP, also denied they misrepresented climate science or deceived the public.

​​But Maloney accused the oil companies of continuing the cover-up, including by hiding documents. She said she would take the unusual step of issuing subpoenas to force the firms to reveal what they knew.

We need to get to the bottom of the oil industry’s disinformation campaign and with these subpoenas we will,” Maloney said.

In a press release today, Hazleton City Police say that just before 7pm yesterday, Hazleton City Police and Fire responded to the 900 block of West 1st Street for a report of a residential explosion. Upon arrival, police say, it was determined that there was no explosion, but that a 6 year old child had sustained a traumatic injury and was transported to a regional trauma center for further treatment.

The Hazleton Fire Department responded as well, and assured that there was no threat or danger to the occupants or surrounding neighborhood. The incident is continuing to be investigated by the Hazleton Police Department Detective Division.

No further information on the incident is available at this time.

Starbucks announced Wednesday it will be raising it's U.S. employees’ pay and making other changes to improve employee conditions in it's stores.

The coffee giant said all of its U.S. workers will earn at least $15 and up to $23 per hour by next summer. Starting in January, employees with two or more years of service can expect a 5% raise, and those with five or more years of service could receive up to a 10% raise. Workers can also get a $200 recruitment bonus to attract new employees.

In a letter to employees, Starbucks’ North America President Rossann Williams said the pay raises not only support workers but will enhance recruitment efforts in the current labor market.

The company also announced it is implementing ways to streamline prep areas and reduce complexity, including testing new cold beverage stations in its stores.

​

Monday, April 20th, at noon, protesters will come together at the state's Capitol to insist that Governor Wolf and Pennsylvania Legislature support businesses across the commonwealth in safely reopening on May 1st.

"We will have endured nearly 7 weeks of lock down when May 1st arrives and the end of these restrictions has remained indefinite," event organizers have said in a statement. "In spite of data indicating restrictions should be loosening, mandates have instead become more restrictive. Business owners are forced to layoff employees while the unemployment system is failing those laid off and the economy free falls. Pennsylvanians deserve more than just endless extensions. It is not sustainable to continue the shut down as the economic and societal consequences may be irreversible."

The event is organized by ReOpen PA, End The Lockdown PA, and Pennsylvania Against Excessive Quarantine. Attendance is expected to reach 10,000 participants.

In response to the planned protest, Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine has said “If you come to Harrisburg and you are not practicing social distancing then you are putting all yourselves at risk. So, if a gathering like that happens, and they are not practicing social distancing and they’re not wearing gloves and they are not washing their hands, etc, then they will be more at risk from contracting the dangerous virus COVID-19,”

Tuesday, SB 613, a bill which would require the Governor to create clear guidelines for businesses to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic, passed the house with a 107-95 vote. 

​Gov. Tom Wolf plans to veto Senate Bill 613, his office said Wednesday night.
"As the administration has stated many times, irresponsibly going against the direction of the secretary of health and reopening businesses too early will only extend the length of the economic hardships created by the pandemic," said Wolf's press secretary, Lyndsay Kensinger.

​Nearly 17 Million Americans have been laid off in the past 3 weeks and large and small businesses alike are struggling under national stay at home orders by the Centers for Disease Control and the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

Tarah Toohil, current State Representative for the 116th district, has asked the PA Department of Health to provide additional COVID-19 case data on their website and has urged Governor Wolf to enforce safe workplace guidelines in the Hazleton area. On Tuesday, Toohil voted in favor of Senate Bill 613. "On Tuesday, I joined a majority of my House colleagues in supporting legislation that would allow certain businesses in Pennsylvania to SAFELY reopen under the same federal guidelines currently being followed by surrounding states." Toohil posted to social media this week.

Todd Eachus, who served as a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1997 until 2010, and is currently seeking the Democratic nomination in the 116th Legislative District has stated “All health and economic decisions during this crisis need to be made deliberately on the foundation of scientific and medical recommendations and adequate testing must be in place as we restart the Pennsylvania economy.”

“This flip-flop and pandering by the Representative shows the naked truth of special interest
politics in Harrisburg, and a blatant disregard for the reality of public health in the Greater
Hazleton Area,” Eachus stated. ‘What you say and how you vote matters! Unfortunately, with
Harrisburg COVID-19 politics, this may cost additional lives.”

Facebook groups for the organizations planning Monday's protest have been gaining members quickly since they were recently started. ReOpen PA has: 38,838 members, founded April 13, 2020. End The Lockdown PA has: 6,744 members, founded April 10, 2020. Pennsylvanians Against Excessive Quarantine has : 52,423 members, founded on April 14, 2020.

Attendees are encouraged to adhere to safe social distancing guidelines by remaining in their vehicles around the Capitol Complex.

The Wolf Administration today announced a COVID-19 testing site at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, to provide much-needed testing for symptomatic first responders, health care workers and residents 65 or older throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania.

“From 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM, Monday, the site will be open for 100 first responders and health care workers from Northeastern Pennsylvanian who are having COVID-19 symptoms to get tested,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “We are taking every precaution to safely provide this critical public health service and prevent the spread of COVID-19. People are required to stay in their cars to get tested and drive directly back onto the highway to return home.”

The drive-thru testing site will be held in the parking lot of the Mohegan Sun Pocono Arena and pre-registration is required. Beginning Tuesday, April 21, the site will be open from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM daily to test up to 200 Northeastern Pa. residents over 65, first responders and health care workers each day. Registration is required one day in advance and can be found on the Department of Health’s website, health.pa.gov. No onsite registration is available.

Patients do not need a doctor’s prescription to be tested. Dr. Levine has signed a standing order for anyone who registers to be tested at the site.

For those who are registered, the site can be accessed by taking Exit 168 – Highland Park Boulevard from Interstate 81 (northbound or southbound) and following the signs and directions of local officials. 

“After testing, you are required to return home and self-isolate,” Dr. Levine said. “If your symptoms worsen while you are waiting for your test results, talk to your doctor and if you experience a medical emergency please seek immediate care.”

The Department of Health State Laboratory will process the tests and provide residents with results in two to three business days. Patients will receive an email to log onto the registration site to access their test results.

“The planning and logistical efforts needed to pull together these testing sites in just a matter of days required a significant amount of coordination among state and county personnel,” said PEMA Director Randy Padfield. “It speaks to the professionalism and skills of the teams involved, and their dedication to the health and well-being of their communities.”

Symptoms of COVID-19 can include:

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath
• Diarrhea
  
  

Symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure. Reported illnesses have ranged from people with little to no symptoms to people being severely ill and dying.

As of 12:00 a.m., April 18, there were 31,069 positive cases of COVID-19 statewide in 67 counties and 836 deaths.  Most of the patients hospitalized are 65 or older, and most of the deaths have occurred in patients 65 and older. There have been no pediatric deaths to date. More data is available here.

All non-life-sustaining businesses are ordered to be closed and schools are closed statewide indefinitely. Currently the entire state is under a stay-at-home order.
​
For the latest information for individuals, families, businesses and schools, visit “Responding to COVID-19” on pa.gov.

Pennsylvania is now the 4th highest state in the US for total COVID-19 cases, overtaking ​Michigan.

As of today, New York has 241,041 cases, followed by New Jersey with 81,420, Massachusetts with 36,372, Pennsylvania with 31,731, and Michigan with 30,791.

Locally, Luzerne county has 1712 total cases and has suffered 32 deaths. Carbon County has 136 total cases with 8 deaths and Schuylkill County has 252 cases with 5 deaths. Pennsylvania as a whole has suffered 836 deaths to date.

​The Wolf Administration today announced a COVID-19 testing site at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, to provide much-needed testing for symptomatic first responders, health care workers and residents 65 or older throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania.

“From 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM, Monday, the site will be open for 100 first responders and health care workers from Northeastern Pennsylvanian who are having COVID-19 symptoms to get tested,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “We are taking every precaution to safely provide this critical public health service and prevent the spread of COVID-19. People are required to stay in their cars to get tested and drive directly back onto the highway to return home.”

The drive-thru testing site will be held in the parking lot of the Mohegan Sun Pocono Arena and pre-registration is required. Beginning Tuesday, April 21, the site will be open from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM daily to test up to 200 Northeastern Pa. residents over 65, first responders and health care workers each day. Registration is required one day in advance and can be found on the Department of Health’s website, health.pa.gov. No onsite registration is available.
​
Patients do not need a doctor’s prescription to be tested. Dr. Levine has signed a standing order for anyone who registers to be tested at the site.


​

Today the Law Offices of Skokoski & DeCosmo ordered lunch for the West Hazleton Police Department as a show of support and thanks for those on working on the front lines.

"As promised, Frank and Charlie will continue to support local health care workers and first responders as the community continues to fight the COVID-19 pandemic together.", a post on the law office's social media said of the donation, "The attorneys want to thank all of our local heroes on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19 and wish them health and safety throughout the pandemic. Lastly, they want to thank Alfredo’s Brick Oven Pizza for providing WHPD with an excellent lunch."

In response to the lunch, the West Hazleton Police Department said on social media: "We would like to thank the Law Offices of Skokoski & DeCosmo for donating lunch from Alfredo' Brick Oven Pizza today. We greatly appreciate the support and kind gesture during this time."

This is one of many acts of support from local businesses in this time of need. Earlier today, ocal businesses, Fuel On and Wreck Transport, donated masks to the Freeland Police, Butler Township Police, and Valley Regional Fire/EMS.

​Schools across the country are also coming together to show support for frontline workers and high school seniors by turning on stadium lights and changing scoreboards to read "20 20" this Friday from 7pm to 9pm.

Anyone seeing an act of kindness during this trying time is asked to send information to Hazleton News 1 by direct messaging the Facebook page.

Local businesses, Fuel On and Wreck Transport donated masks to local first responders today.

The masks were donated to Butler Township Police, Valley Regional Fire/EMS, and Freeland Police. Fuel On is located at the intersection of Route 309 and West Butler Drive. Information on Wreck Transport can be found here.

Each department received a box of hard to obtain N95 masks. The donation comes at a time where scarce protective equipment is prioritized for healthcare workers.

“Our concern is we risk getting lost in the shuffle,” Bill Johnson, executive director for the National Association for Police Organizations told Politico. “We’re grateful for the men and women in health care and recognize their need to be protected as well but we also need that same protection.”

Yesterday, new protocols for essential businesses were announced, including an order that most customers would need to wear masks to enter businesses in the state. The order was signed yesterday, and will begin being enforced Sunday April 19th at 8pm. Employees will also be required to wear masks, according to the order.

​Hazleton Area School District will join schools across the state and nationally to honor high school seniors and those on the front lines by turning on stadium lights and having scoreboards read "2020".

This Friday, 4-7-2020, from 7pm to 9pm, Hazleton Area School District will join a growing list of schools in solidarity in honor of seniors graduating this year as well as first responders, hospital workers, and those working on the front lines. 

Similar messages of hope will be on individual school marquees and school buildings where possible, according to a decision in tonight's HASD School Board meeting.

A social media post from the district after the meeting expanded on the subject:
"This Friday, 4.17.2020, Harman-Geist Stadium lights will be on from 7 pm to 9 pm in support of our Class of 2020 and the score will also read 2020. We love and miss you so much! We've got you covered!
The stadium lights will also be on to support our first responders fighting on the front lines. Thank you for your continued sacrifices!"

Schools across the nation have been using their stadium lights and scoreboards in similar ways to honor their seniors, with some schools choosing to turn them on every Friday night.

Over 40 schools in PIAA District 11 will be participating this Friday including Allen, Allentown Central Catholic (at J. Birney Crum Stadium), Bangor, Blue Mountain, Catasauqua, Dieruff, East Stroudsburg North, East Stroudsburg South, Easton, Emmaus, Jim Thorpe, Lehighton, Mahanoy, Marian Catholic, Minersville, Nazareth, North Schuylkill, Northampton, Northern Lehigh, Northwestern Lehigh, Notre Dame, Palisades, Palmerton, Panther Valley, Parkland, Pine Grove, Pleasant Valley, Pocono Mountain East, Pocono Mountain West, Pottsville, Saucon Valley, Schuylkill Haven, Shenandoah Valley, Southern Lehigh, Stroudsburg, Tamaqua, Tri-Valley, Whitehall, Williams Valley and Wilson.

Around 10pm Tuesday night, an Acura TL occupied by four teenage males refused to stop for police, initiating a high speed traffic pursuit through the city streets.

It began in the area of Shaft Road and North Cedar Street, ending at 8th and Manhattan Court where all four occupants were taken into custody. 

Police found multiple firearms inside the vehicle along with ski masks, according to a press release. One of the firearms was reported stolen out of Wilkes-Barre. 

The driver, 18 year old Gabriel Fabian of Freeland, was charged with Felony Persons Prohibited to Possess a Firearm, Felong Carrying a Firearm without a License, Felony Fleeing and Eluding, Misdemeanor Possessing Instruments of a Crime, multiple traffic violations, and one count of Prohibited Conduct During an Emergency due to these violations taking place after the city's curfew.

The three other occupants were identified as a 15 year old male and two 17 year old males. The juveniles were charged with multiple weapons violations and other related offenses.

​

The United States has surpassed Italy in total deaths. The US now not only leads the world in coronavirus cases, but it also has the highest death toll of any country.

The United States has suffered 20,455 deaths as of Saturday afternoon. Italy is a close second with 19,468 deaths, and Spain has the third highest number of coronavirus related deaths with 16,480. In comparison, US has a total of 528,990 confirmed cases, Spain has the second highest number of cases globally with 161,852, and Italy comes in third with 152,271 total cases.

The US ranks 6th in the world for recovered patients with 29,436. Currently, out of all cases that have either recovered or resulted in death, around 40% of cases result in death. However, recovered cases have been slow to report and may not be a complete count. Globally, the percentage of closed cases that result in deaths are 21%.

Within the US, Pennsylvania has the 5th highest number of total cases in the country with 21,655 cases. Pennsylvania has suffered 494 deaths, 42% of the total closed cases within the state.

Luzerne County Currently has the 5th highest number of cases out of all 67 Counties in Pennsylvania.

Meanwhile, Lehigh Valley Health Network has recently changed their criteria for testing individuals suspected to have coronavirus. Under the new criteria, only symptomatic people ages 65 and over, symptomatic people at a higher risk of complications and other defined symptomatic at-risk people will be tested for COVID-19.

People with symptoms of the coronavirus who live within the same home as someone confirmed to have the virus will no longer be tested. These patients will be presumed to have the virus. Asymptomatic patients will no longer be tested at any LVHN test centers.

Shortly after 4pm, first responders were dispatched to Highland Road near Sawmill Road in Foster Township for the report of a motor vehicle accident with ejection. While responding to this accident, a Pennsylvania State Trooper was involved in a second accident, striking a telephone pole.

Air medical was placed on standby for the occupant who was thrown from the vehicle. Additional EMS units were dispatched to the scene for a second individual involved in the initial crash as well as to the second crash involving the State Trooper for an evaluation.

Lehigh Valley Health Network has reached out to provide an update to the recent alleged racially based social media posts that had gone viral recently. 

Posts by LVHN Hazleton employees included things like "I know no Hispanics that are good. I don't trust any of them due to many things that happened. They need to learn our language and live the American way. They hate us like we hate them." and "They brought violence from NYC and their countries and live filthy with windows and doors open so all the critters could come in and out and infest housed with feces."​

To see those posts, click here. https://www.hazletonnewsone.com/newsblog/lvhn-responds-to-racist-social-media-remarks-going-viral

According to Community/Media Relations Specialist Lisa Marie Halecky with Lehigh Valley Hospital Hazleton, the individuals responsible for the posts are no longer employed by LVHN.

The following was sent to Hazleton News 1:
"We have an update regarding egregious and hateful social media posts. LVHN has taken immediate action, and the individuals responsible for those posts are no longer employed by the network. Our Hispanic community is very important to us, and the statements go against everything LVHN upholds as our mission and values. We heal, comfort and care for every member of our community. Always. LVHN will not stand for anything less.

Tenemos una actualización sobre las publicaciones atroces y odiosas en las redes sociales. Lehigh Valley Health Network ha tomado medidas inmediatas y las personas responsables de hacer esos comentarios ya no están empleados por nuestra red de salud. Nuestra comunidad Hispana es muy importante para nosotros, y las declaraciones van en contra de todo lo que Lehigh Valley Health Network defiende como nuestra misión y valores. Curamos, confortamos y cuidamos a cada miembro de nuestra comunidad. Siempre. No aceptaremos nada menos."

One of the individual's allegedly responsible for the worst of the posts has reached out to Hazleton News 1 to attempt to clear her name.

In an e-mail to Hazleton News 1, an individual claiming to be one of the two employees blamed the incident on being hacked, claiming they had no internet connection the entire day. We will continue to keep the employee's identities anonymous so we continue to not get sued.

The following was the explanation that was sent:
"I am extremely upset over this raceist post. I would never jeopardize my job, nor do I hate anyone. I have worked with the community for over 24 years and treat and respect everyone equally. I believe someone stole my identity to get people not to go to the hospital. I have contacted my union and HR for this matter. Please correct your news and stop the harassing bias feed. I had no internet connection all day to post such hatred things."

Hazleton and Luzerne County were mentioned many times in the Department of Health's COVID-19 Update earlier today, recognizing Hazleton's unique situation and quickly growing case numbers. Hazleton and Luzerne County were mentioned many times as "areas of concern."

Secretary Levine addressed Luzerne County as an area of concern during the press conference. "In addition to the Southeast, Philadelphia and the collar Counties, the Northeast, whether it's Luzerne County, Lehigh County, Monroe County, others... Have been an area of concern as well, so we have been looking to put in place a temporary medical facility in the northeast and we're also looking to put in a mass testing facility in the Northeast" Levine said.

Governor Wolf, when asked about assistance from the National Guard in Hazleton, stated that he has been working with local officials and has spoken with Congressman Matt Cartwright. "I had a call yesterday with Congressman Matt Cartwright to talk about some things we might do (in the Hazleton Area), none of those involved sending in the National Guard." 

When asked about concerns about Philadelphia becoming one of the next hotspots, Secretary Levine confirmed that the Southeast remains an area of significant concern, called attention to Hazleton and Luzerne County. "Another area of concern for us is the Northeast. The Governor has mentioned the Hazleton area in Luzerne County, even also Lehigh Valley and Monroe County was discussed, so those are the areas that are of most concern."

Meanwhile, Pennsylvania is projected to overtake Louisiana as the fifth highest state in the US with positive COVID-19 cases, behind only Louisiana, California, Michigan, New Jersey, and New York. Pennsylvania is the 5th highest state in the country for new cases today, moving up from the 6th fasted growing state in the country yesterday.

In a press conference today, Mayor Cusat talked briefly about Hazleton's case numbers. "As our number of confirmed cases reaches around 1,000, the number doesn't mean anything, the testing sites can't keep up the demand of the people that need to be tested, therefore it's going to skew the numbers, that positive number doesn't matter. It's here, it's not going to get better until we follow the guidelines of the CDC,"

Luzerne County as a whole has 1134 cases, though not all of Hazleton's confirmed test results may be listed in Luzerne County due to the PA Department of Health counting cases by the patient's residence. Hazleton's numbers only reflect positive cases that were tested at one of the City's testing sites.

Luzerne County is currently 4th in the state. The top five Counties by total cases out of Pennsylvania's 67 Counties are:

Philadelphia    - 4456
Montgomery  - 1521
Lehigh        - 1319
Luzerne       - 1134
Delaware      - 1034

In comparison, the entire country of New Zealand has a total of 1,210 cases. Iraq, Hungary, Kuwait, and dozens of other countries have fewer total cases than Luzerne County.

Many things add up to the "perfect storm" in the Hazleton area. One major issue is the direct lines of transport and travel to New York City and Patterson, New Jersey, Both locations are hotspots in their own state with New York City representing the epicenter of the virus in the United States.

Another issue within the Hazleton area is that a majority of the population is employed in one of many industrial parks in the area. Companies like Amazon, Mission Foods, Cargill, and many more where hundreds or even thousands of employees work in common environments with little to no protection. While some companies like Cargill are choosing to voluntarily close, other companies such as Hershey and American Eagle continue operations despite their questionable status as "essential" businesses.

Lastly, Hazleton City itself carries a reputation of Illegal activity in normal times. Lehigh Valley Health Network and Mayor Cusat's statistics of only 18% of residents in the Hazleton area practicing social distancing confirms that people in the Hazleton area just aren't listening.

If transportation to and from COVID-19 hotspots does not stop, if companies with thousands of employees continue to operate without providing PPE and without closing for cleaning, and most importantly if Hazleton area residents don't start listening to the warnings, the Hazleton area is at risk of becoming one of Pennsylvania's hardest-hit areas in the state. 

​According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Luzerne County has officially passed 1,000 total positive cases. Today the total for Luzerne County is 1,134. As of yesterday, 849 cases were reported from Hazleton, though these cases may not be reflected in Luzerne County totals because the Health Department tracks cases based on residence.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., April 8, that there are 1,680 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 16,239. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania now have cases of COVID-19. The department also reported 70 new deaths among positive cases, bringing the statewide total to 310. All people are either in isolation at home or being treated at the hospital.

In the tri-county area as of today:
Carbon - 76 confirmed cases, 1 death
Luzerne - 1,134 confirmed cases, 11 deaths
Schuylkill - 136 confirmed cases

“Now more than ever, as we continue to see COVID-19 cases and deaths rise in Pennsylvania, we need Pennsylvanians to take action,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “Those actions should be to stay calm, stay home and stay safe. If you must go out, please limit it to as few trips as possible and wear a mask to protect not only yourself, but other people as well. We need all Pennsylvanians to heed these efforts to protect our vulnerable Pennsylvanians, and our healthcare workers and frontline responders.”

There are 82,299 patients who have tested negative to date.

State Representative Tarah Toohil took to social media today with two short videos to the public and other companies in the area.

In her first video, Toohil says "We are asking other companies in the Greater Hazleton Area to please follow the example of Cargill Meat and try to hit the pause button for a couple of days, allow workers to stay at home and be paid so that we can ensure the safety of our community."

In a second video, Toohil said "Thank you to Cargill Meat. We applaud your voluntary decision to close the company for seven days. We thank you for paying your employees for these seven days, and thank you for putting the lives of your workers and this community first."


​Cargill, located in the Humboldt Industrial Park, will be closing for a week according to an announcement made today. The company will be paying it's 800 employees for that week.

“As we continue to prioritize the health and safety of Cargill employees, we have decided to temporarily close our Hazleton case-ready protein plant,” Daniel Sullivan, Media Relations Director for Cargill Protein and Animal Health said in a statement to WBRE. “This will allow us to minimize the impact of COVID-19  and continue follow health department guidelines. This was a difficult decision for our team, but our values are guiding our actions.

Hazleton area companies have been under scrutiny after multiple confirmed cases within many of the area's manufacturing facilities, many of which has refused to close for cleaning even after multiple employees have tested positive for the coronavirus in some companies.

After numerous complaints throughout the City, Hazleton Mayor Jeff Cusat has resorted to offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the identification and arrest of riders caught on video within the city recently.

Today HPD announced the arrest of 25 year old Victor Ortega of Hazleton. Ortega is to be cited for several vehicle and moving violations.
According to the release, over the past few days there’s been an increase in Illegal ATV driving on the roadways in Hazleton causing dangerous conditions. Mayor Jeff Cusat met with police personnel expressing his concern.

As a result,  on April 07, 2020, at approximately 4:30 pm an undercover narcotics Detective observed an illegal off road dirt bike motorcycle being operated on the roadway in the area of South Church Street. At the time, the release states, a Hazleton Police Detective was able to follow the operator where he stopped to meet others on the Heights Beltway Route 424. Efforts were coordinated as the Detective along with a Detective from the Hazleton Crime Division approached and stopped the operator, Victor Ortega. 

​Hazleton Police patrol units responded as backup and assisted the Detectives with the stop. It was also discovered ORTEGA was operating with a suspended drivers license. Several citations for moving and vehicle code violations are being filed by the Detectives. 

The motorcycle was impounded, towed from the scene and being held due to it not being registered or insured. Chief Speziale on the arrest: “The public is tired of this dangerous condition and the Mayor has requested priority be given to removing these illegal vehicles from our roadways.”


In a social media post Monday, the Mayor wrote:
​The Mayor Cusat Hazleton Revitalization Fund has provided The Hazleton Police Department with a donation to fund the cash reward in the amount of $1000.00 for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the person(s) depicted below.
The individuals are wanted in connection with a multitude of traffic violations and recklessly endangering another person(s); these offenses occurred in and around the City of Hazleton.
Anyone with information regarding the identity or whereabouts of these individuals are asked to contact:
Lt. William Gallagher of the Hazleton City Police Department at (570) 710-0024 or WGallagher@HazletonPD.org"

The Lehigh Valley Health Network responded today on social media to screenshots of apparent LVHN employee's racially centered comments. Their response:

"Lehigh Valley Health Network would like to thank the community for bringing a recent inappropriate social media post to our attention. Our Hispanic community is very important to us, and the statements go against everything LVHN upholds as our mission and values. They are egregious and in direct violation of several LVHN policies, which include our harassment, diversity and inclusion, code of conduct and social media policies. You can rest assured that this behavior is not and will not be tolerated, and we are addressing the situation immediately and fairly. If intentional violations of these policies are found, appropriate action will be taken."

Hazleton News 1 was able to find two recent posts circulating Facebook concerning LVHN employees. The first employee will be referred to as Employee 1. 

Employee 1's Facebook profile lists her as a respiratory therapist at Lehigh Valley Hospital Hazleton. Employee 1 allegedly commented the following on a social media post: "I know no Hispanics that are good. I don't trust any of them due to many things that happened. They need to learn our language and live the American way. They hate us like we hate them."

In another comment, Employee 1 wrote things like "The Hispanic population ruined this area. Made it filthy and made the working class people suffer to pay more taxes and have to wait to get into appointments for the uninsured." and "If they left the area it would bring better more non ignorant people here where they would feel safe again to take a walk." and "They brought violence from NYC and their countries and live filthy with windows and doors open so all the critters could come in and out and infest housed with feces."

Employee 2, the lesser of the two posts found, lists her employer on social media as Communications at Lehigh Valley Hospital Hazleton. Employee 2 shared an all-caps word wall on her social media. The post appears to have been copied and pasted as a status on her page, but was not of her own writing. The screenshotted post begins with "THE LATINO COMMUNITY --DOES NOT CARE AND THEY ACT AND HAVE ACTED VERY IRRESPONSIBLY!" before going into local Hazleton COVID-19 cases. Employee 2's post touches on transients from NYC and using Hazleton as the hub for "their" illegal activity. The post continues into a message of assimilation for Spanish speaking immigrants who have "flocked to Hazleton", pointing out that assimilation is not integrating into Spanish speaking groups according to the screenshot.

Below are the two screenshots with names redacted because we don't want to get sued. Employee 2's entire message was not able to be found. Below is the portion available in a screenshot which has been spread across social media.

Employee 1:

Employee 2:

The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., April 7, that there are 1,579 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 14,559. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania now have cases of COVID-19. The department also reported 78 new deaths among positive cases, bringing the statewide total to 240. All people are either in isolation at home or being treated at the hospital.

Tri-County stats:
Carbon County: 67 cases, 1 death
Luzerne County: 982 cases, 8 deaths
Schuylkill County: 119 cases, 0 deaths

“Now more than ever, as we continue to see COVID-19 cases and deaths rise in Pennsylvania, we need Pennsylvanians to take action,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “Those actions should be to stay calm, stay home and stay safe. If you must go out, please limit it to as few trips as possible and wear a mask to protect not only yourself, but other people as well. We need all Pennsylvanians to heed these efforts to protect our vulnerable Pennsylvanians, and our healthcare workers and frontline responders.”

There are 76,719 patients who have tested negative to date. Of the patients who have tested positive to date the age breakdown is as follows:

• Less than 1% are aged 0-4;
• Nearly 1% are aged 5-12;
• 1% are aged 13-18;
• 7% are aged 19-24; 
• Nearly 42% are aged 25-49; 
• Nearly 29% are aged 50-64; and
• Nearly 20% are aged 65 or older.
  
  

Most of the patients hospitalized are aged 65 or older, and most of the deaths have occurred in patients 65 or older. There have been no pediatric deaths to date.

In a release on it's corporate website, Wal-Mart says:

​Regulating Store Entry

Starting Saturday, we will limit the number of customers who can be in a store at once. Stores will now allow no more than five customers for each 1,000 square feet at a given time, roughly 20 percent of a store’s capacity.

To manage this restriction, the associates at a store will mark a queue at a single-entry door (in most cases the Grocery entrance) and direct arriving customers there, where they will be admitted one-by-one and counted. Associates and signage will remind customers of the importance of social distancing while they’re waiting to enter a store – especially before it opens in the morning.

Once a store reaches its capacity, customers will be admitted inside on a “1-out-1-in” basis.

Shopping Inside the Store

We’ll also institute one-way movement through our aisles next week in a number of our stores, using floor markers and direction from associates. We expect this to help more customers avoid coming into close contact with others as they shop.

We’ll continue to put signage inside our stores to remind customers of the need to maintain social distancing – especially in lines. And once customers check out, they will be directed to exit through a different door than they entered, which should help lessen the instances of people closely passing each other.

We always want people to feel welcome at Walmart, and we know that in ordinary times a store is a gathering place for members of a community to connect and socialize. We look forward to the time when that is again the case; however, we now want to prioritize health and safety by encouraging customers to do their shopping at a distance from others, then head home.

As the COVID-19 situation continues to develop, our leaders and operations teams will continue to listen to advice from medical experts, associates and customers, and consider how we can best serve people while helping slow the spread of the virus. The health and safety of our associates and customers is what matters the most.

Officials say that out of the 384 cases of COVID-19 in Luzerne County, 310 are located in Hazleton City.

"In a matter of two weeks, Luzerne County went from 1 case to 384 cases" Senator John Yudichak posted to social media, pleading residents to stay home. "We want every citizen to understand this is a life or death decision. Please stay home, Quedarse en casa."

Yudichak also posted that about 18% of people are following social distancing guidelines in the Hazleton area. Mayor Jeff Cusat posted a similar post: "82% of Hazleton is not social distancing".

Lehigh Valley Health Network also released a plea for the community to stay home and practice social distancing, saying that "Over 300 positive cases have been identified and this number is projected to grow by 40-60 positive cases a day." 

Here are LVHN's strong recommendations:

• Wash your hands often and don't touch your face.
• Stay home when at all possible. This includes work if you are sick.
• Practice social distancing by using technology and practice physical distancing by staying 6-10 feet away from others if you absolutely must go out.
• Do not get together with anyone outside your household even if they are family.

State Police are investigating a burglary with multiple shots fired that occured between 10:30pm and 11pm last night along Centre Street in Freeland.

According to a news release, three males forced entry into the residence of victims identified only as a 24 year old male and a 19 year old male. The three suspects fired one shot inside of the residence during the incident and fired multiple rounds outside of the residence as they fled the scene. No injuries were reported.

Residents in the area reported hearing between 4 and 6 gunshots.

The information release lists the nature of the incident as a robbery/purse snatch with force.

State Police say this was not a random act and there is no danger to the public. According to a BOLO released around midnight, the actors may have been in a Chrysler 300.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call PAP Hazleton at 5704593890.

USPS spokeswoman Karen Mazurkiewicz confirmed today that an area USPS employee has tested positive for COVID-19.

According to a release:
"The U.S. Postal Service has learned that an employee at the Freeland Post Office, 701 Main Street, Freeland, tested positive for the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).This has been confirmed by the PA Department of Health and we are following the guidance they have provided. We believe the risk is low for employees who work at the Freeland Post Office but we will keep our employees apprised as new information and guidance becomes available.

As you may know, under the Rehabilitation Act and the Privacy Act, specific employee medical information must be kept confidential and may only be shared in very limited circumstances. Therefore, the Postal Service cannot share the name of the employee who tested positive for COVID-19 or further specifics of his or her medical condition.

The safety and well-being of our employees is our highest priority. To ensure the health of our employees, we are continuing to follow recommended guidance and strategies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)."

Sources close to the Freeland Post Office say that every normal employee with the Freeland Post Office has been quarantined due to contact with the infected individual. Mail delays in Freeland can be expected.