HERMITAGE, Sept. 24 – A $70,000 grant from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources will help fund major improvements to South Pymatuning’s Regional Community Softball Complex, state Rep. Mark Longietti announced today. Longietti, D-Mercer, said the funding – awarded through DCNR’s 2020 Community Conservation Partnerships Program – will make the complex and surrounding area safer, more accessible and more useful to area residents. “The funding awarded today is a great investment in a well-loved area resource and comes at an important time,” Longietti said. “Now more than ever, with the pandemic impacting household budgets and limiting recreational opportunities, families need safe outlets for healthy play – and something to cheer about. “The improvements to the softball complex are going to bring more families to the park, make it accessible to more residents, improve the ballfields and expand play opportunities for younger siblings. It’s going to be exciting to see all the changes take shape.” Longietti said that in addition to renovation of the ballfields, the project calls for construction of a parking area, pedestrian walkway, dugouts, bleachers, fencing, playground equipment with safety surfacing, ADA access, landscaping, storm water management measures and other improvements. The grant is part of a package of Read more
HERMITAGE, Sept. 23 – State Rep. Mark Longietti, D-Mercer, issued the following statement in response to House passage of H.B. 2513, which would expand bar, restaurant and banquet hall capacity to a minimum of 50%, permit patrons to sit at bars and remove the requirement of a meal with alcohol purchase. “I voted for House Bill 2513 because I believe this legislation is critical for the continued existence of local bars, restaurants and banquet halls. The legislation provides important safeguards, including social distancing and physical barriers, when needed, but also provides for greater than 50% occupancy if allowed by Centers for Disease Control guidelines. It would also allow bingo halls to operate at these same occupancy levels. “Our bars, restaurants and banquet and bingo halls have been up against impossible odds. They are being asked to operate under capacity limits that make it impossible for them to survive – while at the same time facing direct competition from businesses over the state line. “These establishments have already shown that they know how to safeguard patrons. An arbitrary capacity limit of 25% does nothing to enhance public safety and is instead dealing a crushing blow to these mom-and-pop businesses that are the lifeblood of our local economy. “I’m encouraged that many of my colleagues joined me in supporting this important legislation, which passed with Read more
HERMITAGE, Sept. 21 – Grant funding to two elementary schools in the Sharon City School District will ensure students have access to fresh, nutritious produce, state Rep. Mark Longietti, D-Mercer, announced today. Longietti said the funding awarded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program includes grants to Musser and West Hill elementary schools. “The nutritional benefits of fresh fruits and vegetables are essential for helping keep young minds sharp, combating disease and boosting the immune system, all of which equals better attendance and better academic performance,” Longietti said. “Since the start of the pandemic, however, keeping fresh fruits and vegetables on the table has been a challenge for many households. Securing this funding is going to help provide that access to nutrition so students have a level playing field to learn and succeed, regardless of household income or other obstacles.” The funding, which was not broken down by district, is part of a package of more than $7 million in grants to 230 elementary schools. Under the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, schools will receive between $50 and $75 per student, based upon the federal allocation to the state. Funding priority was given to the schools with the highest rates of students eligible for free and reduced-price meals. More information on the grants is available here . Read more
HERMITAGE, Sept. 18 – A grant of $11,387 from the state Veterans Trust Fund will allow the Mercer County Office of Veterans Affairs to expand outreach services for area veterans, state Rep. Mark Longietti, D-Mercer, announced today. “Efforts by the Mercer County Veterans Affairs Office directly benefit the many veterans who have served our nation and continue to enrich our community,” Longietti said. “Securing this funding to enhance services is especially important this year, as more veterans and their families are feeling the economic impact of the pandemic. “The grant announced today – which comes from the Veterans Trust Fund – will allow the office to expand and improve outreach. The fund provides a way for Pennsylvanians to give back to these heroes and let them know how much we respect and appreciate their sacrifice.” The Mercer County Veterans Affairs Office is one of 10 state offices statewide receiving a total of $150,000 in grants from the Veterans Trust Fund. In addition, 18 charitable or Veteran Service Organizations statewide received $650,000 in grants. The Veterans Trust Fund is administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. The fund is supported by Pennsylvanians who donate $3 when applying for or renewing their driver’s license, photo ID or a motor vehicle registration; the sale of Honoring Our Veterans and Honoring our Women Veterans Read more
HERMITAGE, Sept. 18 – A $15,000 grant to Kovach Farms Inc., will help this local business impacted by the pandemic continue providing fresh meat and poultry to the community, state Rep. Mark Longietti, D-Mercer, announced today. Longietti said the funding was awarded under the Fresh Food Financing Initiative and funded through the federal CARES Act. “The economic impact of the pandemic has not spared any business in our area, including livestock farmers like Kovach Farms, which provide a vitally important staple to area families,” Longietti said. “The funding awarded today will help the farm defray pandemic-related expenses such as COVID-19 safety measures, increased inventory costs, additional refrigeration and other adaptations, so they can continue safely serving our community.” The grant is part of a package of $10 million in COVID-19 relief funding to 115 retailers in 39 counties. Grocery stores, cooperative entities, farmers, farmers’ markets and other eligible profit and nonprofit entities may use the funding for COVID-19 mitigation efforts, refrigeration equipment, mobile market expansion, offsetting the higher cost of goods and transportation, online marketing efforts and other pandemic-related expenses. Priority was given to businesses located in and serving low-income communities. More information on this grant and others is available here . Read more
HERMITAGE, Sept. 15 – A $25,000 grant to the Mercer County Historical Society will help the organization offset losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, state Rep. Mark Longietti, D-Mercer, announced. Longietti said the grant – approved by the Commonwealth Financing Authority – will allow the society to continue its important mission of preserving and chronicling Mercer County’s history. “The historical society and its staff protect and showcase the documents and artifacts that tell our county’s story,” Longietti said. “The society’s efforts and the locations it maintains also promote area tourism, encourage students to learn about our history and preserve the past for future generations. “Like all businesses and organizations, however, the organization has felt the brunt of COVID-19, losing more than $42,000 in revenue because of shutdowns and restrictions. Securing this funding will help the society restore critical operations and ensure that it is able to move forward with its critical work as keeper of Mercer County’s unique history.” Longietti said the grants are part of a package of $20 million awarded through the COVID-19 Cultural and Museum Preservation Grant Program to 164 organizations in 36 counties to help offset pandemic-related losses. The program is administered by the Department of Community and Economic Development. Read more
HERMITAGE, Sept. 1 – State Rep. Mark Longietti’s Greenville satellite office will offer Saturday hours by appointment only on alternating Saturdays beginning Sept. 12. Longietti, D-Mercer, said he is opening his office at 182 Main St. (Chamber of Commerce building) for Saturday hours to offer greater flexibility for residents who are unable to visit during the work week. “As our community continues rebuilding, more residents are returning to a busy work schedule but still need assistance with various state matters,” Longietti said. “To provide greater convenience, my satellite office staff will be available by appointment only on alternate Saturdays to assist with a range of services, from filing applications for the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program and other programs to addressing questions and problems regarding state benefits and services. “I’m hoping the expanded hours will help us accommodate more residents while making it easier for folks to find time to come in and get help.” Longietti said the satellite office will be open Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. by appointment only on the following dates: Sept. 12 and 26. Oct. 10 and 24. Nov. 14 and 28. To schedule a Saturday appointment, residents should call the satellite office at (724) 588-1005 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Longietti emphasized that Read more
HERMITAGE, Aug. 26 – Calling the situation “deeply unfair,” state Rep. Mark Longietti is urging officials in charge of Pennsylvania’s hazard pay program to issue a new round of grants, saying the previous round excluded multiple categories of essential workers. In a letter to Dennis Davin, secretary of the Department of Community and Economic Development, Longietti and several other lawmakers from Northwestern Pennsylvania wrote that additional grants are needed to remedy an unfair situation. “While it is heartening to know that thousands of frontline workers are receiving a much-deserved temporary pay boost, the hazard pay program also created a disturbing discrepancy by leaving many essential workers out in the cold,” Longietti said. “First responders, nurses, pharmacy workers, healthcare aides and so many others whose jobs put them directly into the line of danger were excluded. “Providing hazard pay to some essential workers while withholding it from others is no way to treat frontline heroes who have given their all for the commonwealth, and we need to correct it now. All of these workers are essential, and they deserve a hazard pay program that recognizes this, not one that arbitrarily picks and chooses who is rewarded.” Read more
HERMITAGE, Aug. 25 – Funding totaling $161,189 will ensure Mercer County schools with identified groups of underperforming students have the resources to help those students succeed, state Rep. Mark Longietti, D-Mercer, announced today. “The pandemic has created new obstacles for all educators and schools everywhere, but those with underperforming student groups face an added challenge,” Longietti said. “This funding is going to help level the field by targeting extra resources to students who need them most.” Longietti said the grants include the following: Farrell Area School District - $41,791. Greenville Area School District – $45,002. Hermitage School District – $39,000. Sharon Area School District – $35,396. The funding is part of a package of approximately $17 million to help 220 local education agencies, including school districts, to improve educational services for approximately 180,000 students at schools designated for Additional Targeted Support and Improvement under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act. The act requires Pennsylvania and other states to develop plans to assist students based on a variety of factors, including attendance, English language learners, and students with disabilities. More information about the funding is available here . Read more
HERMITAGE, Aug. 20 – Funding totaling $53,415 will ensure Mercer County students with special needs continue learning and progressing during the pandemic, state Rep. Mark Longietti, D-Mercer, announced today. “The pandemic has deprived students of the benefits of classroom learning, and that is particularly problematic for special needs students, who benefit most from directed, specially designed programs,” Longietti said. “Securing this funding means that educators and staff will have the added resources and flexibility to keep these students learning and thriving through special real-time programs and other methods.” Longietti said the grants include the following: Farrell Area School District - $5,000. Greenville Area School District – $10,879. Hermitage School District – $8,461. Keystone Education Center Charter School – $1,000. Reynolds School District – $7,060. Sharon City School District – $8,533. Sharpsville Area School District – $7,482. West Middlesex Area School District – $5,000. The funding is part of a package of $20 million to 678 local school districts and other local education agencies. The sources include $15 million in Governor’s Emergency Education Relief funding and $5 million from the Department of Education’s federal funding through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Read more
HERMITAGE, Aug. 17 – Relief is on the way for some Hermitage residents plagued by flooding, thanks to a $170,000 grant that will fund upgrades to the infrastructure, state Rep. Mark Longietti, D-Mercer, announced today. Longietti said the funds from the Commonwealth Financing Authority’s PA Small Water and Sewer Program will complete funding for the $202,000 project, which already has a $32,000 commitment from the city. “Deteriorating and undersized stormwater piping has been causing flooding problems for about 15 to 20 residences along South Darby Road,” Longietti said. “The problems have been recurring for years, and past events have caused considerable property damage. “This grant brings us one step closer to eliminating those problems by funding installation of nearly 2,500 feet of piping and 18 new catch basins along each side of South Darby Road between Virginia and Miller roads. The project is going to lift a longtime burden for these residents and help restore property values for the area.” More information about the PA Small Water and Sewer program is available here . Read more
HERMITAGE, Aug. 7 – Funding to four Mercer County school districts totaling $140,650 will ensure all students have an equal opportunity to benefit from online and remote learning, state Rep. Mark Longietti, D-Mercer, announced today Longietti said the grants – administered by the state Department of Education through the Continuity of Education and Equity Grant program – include the following: Sharon City School District – $76,000. Greenville Area School District – $28,350. Sharpsville Area School District – $20,250. West Middlesex Area School District – $16,050. “Online and remote lessons are providing a valuable way to ensure students don’t face major learning gaps during the pandemic,” Longietti said. “In much the same way, this funding will bridge the gap for students who lack the necessary technology to participate along with their peers. “By helping schools obtain computer equipment, mobile hot spots and other remote learning resources for students who need them, this funding will work to even the playing field and ensure all our kids can take advantage of these programs.” Grants under the CEEG program are designed to help provide access and inclusion for students with limited ability to participate in continuity of education. The grants may be used to purchase computer equipment, such as laptops, tablets and internet hot Read more
HERMITAGE, Aug. 6 – Mercer County Career Center is set to receive $106,378 in federal funding to help the center continue operating safely despite the impact of COVID-19, state Rep. Mark Longietti, D-Mercer, announced today The funding comes from the CARES Act, which authorizes governors to determine the educational use of Governor’s Emergency Education Relief funds. " Just as our area’s young adults were in the process of shoring up career paths, the pandemic arrived, upending plans and injecting uncertainty,” Longietti said. “Thanks to this funding – which will allow the career center to go forward with safe operations – our newest generation of future workers can begin to emerge from this COVID-19-induced limbo and resume planning their lives." The funds may be used for a variety of resources, including protective equipment, hand sanitizer/cleaning products; equipment or technology to take classrooms online; installation of barriers or other protective devices in building structures; and to purchase health apps to assist in contact tracing and monitoring of students. The funding is part of a $10.2 million package allocated to career and technical schools throughout the state. These funds have been allocated by the governor, and schools will be able to access the funds in the next week. Grants were calculated based on the allocation formula for federal Perkins CTC grants, which takes into Read more
HERMITAGE, Aug. 5 – A grant of $5,000 will help the Community Library of the Shenango Valley continue offering residents virtual programs and services, while also providing a safe and sanitary environment for visitors, state Rep. Mark Longietti, D-Mercer, announced today. Longietti said the grant, administered by the Pennsylvania Humanities Council through the PHC CARES program, will provide critical pandemic relief. “As the only library system serving the 40,000 residents of our region, the Community Library of the Shenango Valley has served as an essential hub for learning, entertainment and community activity," Longietti said. "Even after the pandemic forced a temporary closure, the library continued serving thousands virtually – through online resources and digital media – despite the loss of fundraising to support operations. “Securing this funding is going to help the library continue serving our community by funding upgraded videoconferencing and social media platform accounts, equipment to boost Wi-Fi capabilities, and planned virtual summer reading and other virtual programming. Additionally, now that the library has reopened its doors, the grant will fund cleaning and sanitization supplies to ensure the safest possible environment for staff and visitors. It’s a great investment in a well-loved community institution.” The grant is part of package of $780,500 in Read more
HERMITAGE, Aug. 3 – Grant funding of $80,828 will help two Mercer County postsecondary schools ensure students can return to safe learning environments this fall, state Rep. Mark Longietti, D-Mercer, announced today. Longietti said that Thiel College will receive $68,858 and Laurel Technical Institute-Sharon will receive $11,970 to ensure both schools can put into place the necessary planning and preparation to keep students and staff safe from COVID-19. “Learning, like everything else during the pandemic, may take on a slightly different look as safety mandates require distancing and other measures pose challenges to traditional classroom learning,” Longietti said. “But our area students are resilient, energetic, and eager to learn, and our instructors and administrators are creative and dedicated to making this work. “With funding that may be used for protective and sanitizing equipment, barriers and structural modifications, and online technology, I am confident that our students will be well-protected when they return this fall.” The funding is part of a package of $28 million in federal funding administered by the state Department of Education and was based on both the shares of total enrollments by each postsecondary sector and the number of socio-economically disadvantaged students served by institutions. Read more
Pa state Reps. Mark Longietti and Tim Briggs received the 2019 State Government Official of the Year Award from the Life Sciences Advocacy Group for their work in making Pennsylvania an attractive state to start and grow a life sciences company. Read more
HARRISBURG, July 28 – Calling it unnecessarily restrictive and damaging to the local economy, state Reps. Chris Sainato, D-Lawrence, and Mark Longietti, D-Mercer, have written to Gov. Tom Wolf urging him to lift his recent restriction imposing a 25% indoor capacity on restaurants and bars. The lawmakers’ letter calls on Wolf to restore the previous 50% capacity guidelines, saying the new restriction does more harm than good. “The governor is punishing all restaurants and bars for the failure of a few bad actors who are failing to comply with safety guidelines,” Sainato said. “The problem with that approach is that it hurts everyone while failing to get at the root of the problem. “It’s noncompliance with safety procedures – not a particular number of patrons – that jeopardizes community health. We should be focusing on cracking down on the bad apples, not enforcing an overreaching measure that threatens to drive our local restaurants and bars out of business.” Longietti agreed, saying “Reducing the maximum patron capacity to 25% won’t help keep anyone safer; it will merely threaten the viability of restaurants and bars that are trying to comply and do the right thing. “The restriction is especially difficult for our local restaurants and bars because they must compete with businesses in nearby Ohio, which are operating Read more
Lawmakers ask Wolf to rescind 25% occupancy limit to help local businesses Read more
HARRISBURG, July 17 – Workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic could see hazard pay through funding advocated for by the Pennsylvania House Democrats. Eligible employers can now apply for $50 million in available grants to offer hazard pay to frontline workers in life-sustaining industries. Throughout the COVID-19 health crisis, the Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus has fought to support frontline workers and worked to ensure federal CARES Act dollars were allocated as part of the state budget package. Businesses in the following industries are eligible to apply for the grant funding: Health care and social assistance Food manufacturing Food retail facilities Public transit and ground passenger transportation Security services Janitorial services to buildings and dwellings More information on the grants is available here . Since the very beginning of the pandemic, and during 2020-21 budget negotiations, House Democrats have advocated for fair compensation and protections for frontline workers. Democratic state representatives from across Pennsylvania lauded the opening of the new grant program. Northeast Region Rep. Maureen Madden, D-Monroe : "I am a strong advocate for better wages and conditions for all workers. During times of financial uncertainty, hazard pay is crucial for all frontline workers facing increased exposure to the COVID-19 Read more
HERMITAGE, July 16 – Several roads in the City of Farrell are receiving a facelift, thanks to $1.7 million in grant funding, state Rep. Mark Longietti, D-Mercer, announced today. Longietti said the funding – awarded under the state Department of Transportation’s Multimodal Transportation Fund – will pay for paving, sidewalk repair and additional construction and maintenance work. “The grant money is going to fund much-needed improvements to Farrell’s Idaho Street, Spearman Avenue, and Darr Avenue,” Longietti said. “The work – which will include repaving the roads, preparing ADA curb cuts for intersections, replacing damaged, broken sidewalks and installing a public bike rack – will make travel smoother and safer for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians alike. “It’s great to see this project come to fruition. Farrell residents have been waiting for these improvements and will now get to see their tax dollars returning to our district in one of the most important ways – to bolster our infrastructure.” The funding is part of a package of $30.2 million in grants awarded to fund 27 projects in 23 counties statewide. The PennDOT Multimodal Transportation Fund stabilizes funding for ports and rail freight, increases aviation investments, establishes dedicated funding for bicycle and pedestrian improvements and allows targeted funding for priority Read more
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2213 Shenango Valley Freeway, Unit 2-EHermitage, PA 16148
P*: (724) 981-4655
F*: (724) 981-6528
Hours of Operation - Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
182 Main St. Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce BuildingGreenville, PA 16125
P*: (724) 588-1005
F*: (724) 588-1023
Hours of Operation - Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
127 K. Leroy Irvis Office Bldg.PO Box 202007Harrisburg, PA 17120-2007
P*: (717) 772-4035
F*: (717) 780-4785