Deadline Extended to Apply for $650 Rebate
June 15, 2018
Property Tax/Rent Rebate Deadline Extended Until Dec. 31
The rebate program benefits eligible Pennsylvanians age 65 and older; widows and widowers age 50 and older; and people with disabilities age 18 and older. The income limit is $35,000 a year for homeowners and $15,000 annually for renters, and half of Social Security income is excluded. The maximum standard rebate is $650, but supplemental rebates for certain qualifying homeowners can boost rebates to $975. As of June 1, the department had received 472,564 rebate applications. As specified by law, rebate distributions cannot begin until July 2. After June 30, rebates will be distributed as claims are received and processed. Applications typically take four to six weeks to process. For the 2016 program year, more than $262 million was paid to nearly 600,000 income-eligible seniors and people with disabilities who applied for rebates on rent and property taxes. Eligibility information and forms are available on my website at RepRader.com or by contacting my office at 570-620-4341 Residents are reminded that assistance in filling out the applications is available free of charge at my district office. There is no need to pay a private firm for help. Claimants who already applied for rebates may check the status of claims online at revenue.pa.gov by clicking on the “Where’s My Property Tax/Rent Rebate?” link. Claimants may also call, toll-free, 1-888-PATAXES to check the status of their rebates. |
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| Play Ball! New Facility Serves Local Student Athletes
The Pocono Mountain School District last week celebrated the grand opening of the new Coordinated Health Sports Performance Center in Tannersville. This training center will provide a state-of-the-art training facility for both the East High School and West High School baseball and softball teams. The Coordinated Health Sports Performance Center provides a much-needed and unique training environment for Pocono Mountain’s student athletes, whose training is many times negatively impacted by the long and severe winters in the Poconos. This facility most importantly was constructed at no cost to the taxpayers in the school district. Pictured are Taylor Munoz from Sen. Mario Scavello’s office; Dr. Elizabeth M. Robison, superintendent of the Pocono Mountain School District; members of the Pocono Mountain East softball team; Rusty Johnson, president of the Pocono Mountain School Board; Tyler Day from my office; and Brian Fenstermaker from Rep. Rosemary Brown’s office. |
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| EMS Providers Visit State Capitol
EMS providers from across the Commonwealth recently came to Harrisburg to advocate for ambulance services. I would like to thank all of our local providers and our emergency medical technicians who many times work long and stressful hours to provide coverage to our community. I am pictured with Denise Doremus and Nick DeWitt, both from Pocono Mountain Regional EMS. |
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| New Flag Adorns Liberty Travel Plaza
A flag-raising ceremony recently was held at the Liberty Travel Plaza in Blakeslee. During the event, members of the Tobyhanna Township Volunteer Fire Company, Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department and American Legion Post 413, raised a 20-foot tall and 30-foot wide flag, dedicating the flag pole in honor of the brave men and women serving in the armed forces. |
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| Open for Business! New Fitness Center Opens in Tannersville
MadTime Fitness in Tannersville recently celebrated its grand opening. I wish this local operation good luck in the future. |
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| Strong Moms Lead to Strong Babies
Under House Bill 200, infants whose mothers screen at risk for depression would automatically qualify for early intervention assessment, tracking and – if necessary – ongoing in-home services. The legislation also has the added, proven benefit of connecting mothers with depression to mental health care. This would allow infants and their mothers who suffer from this condition to have access to the services that are already in place in our Pennsylvania communities to support healthy child development. Studies show that one in seven women can experience depression in the year following giving birth and the results can be debilitating and devastating. Untreated, postpartum depression may last for many months, and can cause emotional and behavioral problems, such as sleeping and eating difficulties, excessive crying, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the children and their parents. |
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| Keeping Vaping Products Out of Minors’ Hands
E-cigarettes, sometimes known as vape pens, are used to deliver nicotine and other substances into the body in the form of a vapor. The products come in a variety of flavors and generally resemble the size and shape of traditional cigarettes, which may increase their appeal to minors. Every day in the United States, about 2,300 children try their first cigarette and another 350 become regular daily smokers, according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. And, in recent years, the use of other nicotine-based products, such as electronic cigarettes, has increased such that today nearly three in five high school students use e-cigarettes, according to the U.S. Surgeon General. “Juuling” is the latest craze among teens that is also raising serious health concerns. Named after the vaping device, the JUUL also delivers nicotine and looks like a flash drive. In fact, the product can actually be placed into the USB port of a computer to be charged, making it even easier for young people to conceal their underage use. Both bills now advance to the state Senate for consideration. |
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