WILKES-BARRE— With the Shapiro Administration committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of residents statewide, the Pennsylvania Insurance Department (PID) and the Office of the State Fire Commissioner this week reminded Pennsylvanians to practice safe cooking habits this Thanksgiving holiday.

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, the average number of reported residential building fires on Thanksgiving Day is more than double — 2.3 times more — the average number of fires in residential buildings on all other days.

An average of 2,300 residential building fires were reported to fire departments in the U.S. on Thanksgiving Day from 2017 to 2019. These fires caused an estimated annual average of 5 deaths, 25 injuries and nearly $26 million in property loss.

“We want all Pennsylvanians to have a safe holiday with loved ones and are reminding everyone today that safety should be a top priority,” said Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Michael Humphreys. “In the event of an accident, homeowners insurance and renters insurance will only cover certain damages, and PID is here to help should you have any questions about, or problems with, your insurance. We urge you to use caution this holiday season when cooking to avoid potentially dangerous situations and prevent costly repairs. Have a Happy Thanksgiving, and please don’t drop the frozen turkey directly into the fryer!”

Homeowners insurance policies will cover damage to the structure of a home and personal belongings. Homeowners policies also provide liability protection for the homeowner if guests are injured. However, a homeowner will still be responsible for any deductible.

PID also reminds renters that, although the landlord’s insurance policy will cover damage to the building itself, it most likely will not cover a renter’s personal contents. Renters insurance provides financial protection against the loss or destruction of possessions for individuals who rent a house or apartment. It may cover additional living expenses if renters are unable to live in their apartment because of a fire. And just like homeowners insurance, renters insurance also provides liability protection for injury to guests.

“Just a few simple precautions can greatly affect your safety during this holiday season,” said State Fire Commissioner Tom Cook. “Before you fire up the oven, grill, or turkey fryer, make a plan. Ensure all smoke alarms are functioning and there is a fire extinguisher handy. Set regular timers or alarms on your phone to make sure not to lose track of timing. And if you’re using a turkey fryer, make sure to follow all manufacturer’s recommendations for use and cooking.”

Pennsylvanians should file any claim as soon as possible. Once an insurance company has been notified of a claim, the company has 10 business days to provide the consumer with the necessary claim forms.

Gov. Shapiro takes key action to provide critical funding for SEPTA

Gov. Josh Shapiro this week made a critical announcement to ensure Pennsylvanians who rely on the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) can continue to access safe, reliable, and affordable public transportation.

With SEPTA facing a significant funding shortfall due to the expiration of federal pandemic relief funds, Gov. Shapiro directed PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll to begin the process of transferring $153 million in federal highway capital funds to SEPTA.

This action will prevent immediate service cuts and a planned 21% fare increase, allowing the transit agency — which serves 800,000 people across Southeastern Pennsylvania every day — to maintain critical operations through at least July 2025.

The flexing of federal highway capital funds — a standard practice in Pennsylvania and across the nation — temporarily reallocates funds from projects not yet underway.

Critically, the Governor’s announcement does not jeopardize or halt any ongoing infrastructure projects already underway across the Commonwealth. The projects are not yet under construction or have been put out to bid.

Gov. Shapiro was joined by Secretary Carroll to make this announcement at SEPTA’s Frankford Transportation Center.

“As Governor, I have a responsibility to serve every region of our Commonwealth — rural, suburban, and urban,” Shapiro said. “Over the past two years, we’ve come together on a bipartisan basis to invest $330.5 million in additional funding for Pennsylvania’s roads and bridges, repairing more poor-condition bridges than any other state and improving more miles of roadway than at any time in the past decade.

“While the Pennsylvania House of Representatives has passed bipartisan legislation three times in 2024 to increase funding to SEPTA and other public transit agencies statewide, the State Senate did not act on those bills or their own version of funding for mass transit. In order to prevent critically damaging service cuts and fare increases ahead of our next state budget, I have directed PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll to begin the process of flexing $153 million of federal highway capital funds to SEPTA. This action allows for continued service and for SEPTA to avoid immediate service cuts and delay more significant fare increases until July 1, 2025.”

GOP leaders: Governor must consider all taxpayers in transportation discussion

Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R, D-41) and Senate Transportation Committee Chair Wayne Langerholc, Jr. (R, D-35) issued the following statement in response to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s decision to flex $153 million of federal highway and bridge capital funds.

“Our Senate Republican Caucus has made it clear from the outset that we will examine transit funding that makes sense and can be justified to commonwealth taxpayers who are being asked to pay the bill. We will not, and we have not wavered from our position.”

“We reached a bipartisan agreement in July to temporarily fund SEPTA and other transit agencies to the tune of $80.5 million. Conditions of this funding included a re-examination of the delivery model given recent reductions in ridership, which are a direct result of COVID, people not working full-time in cities, and major safety concerns within the system. Rather than making prudent, sensible changes, they have chosen to politicize and pillage critical infrastructure projects for other districts which are well outside of SEPTA reach, ironically, the majority being in Republican districts.”

“It is apparent today that the Democrats’ mindset is we can just spend more money on transit regardless of where it comes from. The fact of the matter is that the governor made a fairy tale wishlist to sizably increase SEPTA funding absent legislative involvement, which he failed to deliver. Equally troubling is the fact that SEPTA relied on this fairy tale wishlist in their budgeting process. We would be hard-pressed to find businesses in the commonwealth that operate on this type of budgeting principle. Now, instead of getting stuff done, the governor is taking stuff away by allowing roads and bridges in Republican districts to deteriorate.”

“Transit funding is one side of a very large coin. The other side of the coin includes critical infrastructure projects of roads and bridges. These roads and bridges carry millions of commonwealth residents daily. Pennsylvania is the fourth largest contributor to mass transit in the country. Simply throwing more money at the problem without addressing the root causes will only further burden taxpayers and take away from road and bridge projects in the commonwealth as a whole. Robbing Peter to pay Paul should not be the solution to this problem.”

“Whether the governor likes it or not, Pennsylvania does have a structural budget deficit. The action by the governor today will do nothing but harm millions of hard-working Pennsylvanians by depriving their areas of critical infrastructure. We will not apologize for being fiscal stewards of tax dollars. The bottom line is that there must be a significant overall re-examination of the SEPTA delivery model and mass transit.”

“We remain committed to common sense reform with stakeholder input that benefits all commonwealth taxpayers.”

Sen. Baker: For Pete’s Sake Cancer Respite Center slated to open in 2026

Two long-standing partners dedicated to providing relief and renewal for those affected by cancer are joining forces to create a transformative space — the nation’s first onsite respite facility, For Pete’s Sake Cancer Respite Center at Woodloch.

Projected to open in 2026, this innovative center will serve more than 4,000 people annually and redefine cancer care in Pennsylvania.

For nearly two decades, Montgomery County-based For Pete’s Sake Cancer Respite Foundation has helped families take a break from cancer through meaningful, restorative experiences. Similarly, Woodloch Resort, renowned for its world-class hospitality in the Pocono Mountains, has offered family-focused getaways for over 65 years. Since 2011, the organizations have collaborated to support patients, loved ones and caregivers navigating the cancer journey.

This joint venture consolidates all For Pete’s Sake’s services into one signature location in Hawley. A $3.5 million grant through Pennsylvania’s Redevelopment Capital Assistance Program brings the project closer to its $25 million fundraising goal, complementing significant contributions already secured.

“So many of us have been touched by this terrible disease,” said Sen. Lisa Baker (D, D-20), a project advocate. “This infusion of state dollars is a significant investment that will help leverage the corporate, foundation and private donations required to establish this premier complex right here in northeastern Pennsylvania.”

Set on 32 acres, the 34,000-square-foot campus will feature amenities designed with input from oncology professionals, addressing the emotional, financial, spiritual and physical challenges of cancer in a safe, restorative environment. Features include a dining room serving 60,000 meals annually, an art room, a chapel, yoga space, a swimming pool for water therapy and nature trails. Groundbreaking is scheduled for spring 2025, with completion in 2026.

For more information on how to get involved, visit — www.RespiteTransformed.org.