As a devoted advocate for environmental conservation, I’m excited to be hosting an Earth Week Celebration later this month at my district office to encourage people to do their part to help protect our environment. At my district office at 1296 Pittsburgh St. in Cheswick, we will offer:

• An on-site glass recycling bin for jars, bottles, and jugs from April 18-23.
• Reusable tote bags available from April 20-24.
• Trees available from Tree Pittsburgh. A limited number will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Let’s remember that every little action can help add up to big change! Call us with questions at (724) 826-5151.

I’m partnering with the Pennsylvania State Police to host a community forum this month on protesters’ First Amendment rights and interactions with law enforcement. These are timely issues, and I’m grateful that the State Police can help increase our understanding of them.

The forum will be held on Wednesday, April 22, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Cooper-Siegel Community Library. A State Police community ambassador will provide an informative video presentation and lead a question-and-answer session on a range of topics related to interactions between citizens and law enforcement.

I’m hosting a free shredding event April 25 to help you safely dispose of papers and disks with sensitive information. It will run from 10 a.m. to noon at my district office at 1296 Pittsburgh St., Cheswick. It’s a great way to protect your identity by ensuring documents don’t fall into the wrong hands—documents such as financial statements, cancelled checks, legal and insurance papers.

So plan on stopping by if you have any documents you’d like to shred, and feel free to call my office with any questions at (724) 826-5151.

With the deadline for filing 2025 state personal income tax returns looming on April 15, the PA Department of Revenue is extending its call center customer service hours to provide additional phone assistance. Taxpayers can call 717-787-8201 to connect with the Department of Revenue's Customer Experience Center during these extended hours:

• Tuesday, April 7 to Friday, April 10 — 8 AM to 7 PM
• Saturday, April 11 — 10 AM to 3 PM
• Monday, April 13 to Wednesday, April 15 — 8 AM to 7 PM 

Personal income tax assistance is also available through the Department's Online Customer Service Center (revenue.pa.gov/help). The Online Customer Service Center contains answers to hundreds of personal income tax questions and allows taxpayers to securely submit a question to the Department through a process that is as easy as sending an email.

Applications are now open for grants and loans through the state’s Business in Our Sites program for the acquisition and development of key sites for future use by businesses, private developers, and others. Eligible applicants include municipalities, redevelopment authorities, municipal authorities, industrial development authorities, and private developers (for construction loans only). The application deadline is June 30.

For more information about the program, visit here.

Pennsylvania will hold its primary election on May 19, so it’s time to consider how to make your voice heard. First, make sure you’re registered—you have until May 4.

If voting in person doesn’t fit your schedule, Pennsylvania offers dependable vote-by-mail options. The deadline to apply for a mail-in or absentee ballot is May 12. Allegheny County recently approved ballot return sites where voters can return a mail-in ballot without relying on the mail, and you can read more about them here.

Get more info on voting by mail at www.pa.gov.

The state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) is encouraging eligible veterans to apply for a monthly pension offered through the state’s Amputee and Paralyzed Veterans Pension Program. The DMVA is promoting the benefit to increase awareness during National Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month in April.

Pennsylvania veterans who qualify for the pension receive $150 per month.

To qualify, applicants must have been a Pennsylvania resident upon entering the military, received a discharge under conditions other than dishonorable, and have a service-connected disability rating of 40% or higher in each of two or more limbs, as determined by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

To apply, veterans should contact their County Director of Veterans Affairs in the county they reside. More information about the DMVA Amputee and Paralyzed Veterans Pension program can be found at Pension Program.  

I’m offering a new service this year at my Cheswick office! Once a month through September, I will host a representative from Allegheny County Treasurer Erica Rocchi Brusselars’ office from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Residents can use these special days and hours at my office, located at 1296 Pittsburgh St., to pay county property taxes; apply for the Homestead/Farmstead Exclusion or Senior Citizen Tax Relief programs; or obtain hunting, fishing, or dog licenses.

Mark your calendars with the dates and times on the graphic above!  

Twice a month, a Veterans Service Officer (VSO) will be at my Cheswick office, 1296 Pittsburgh St., to assist veterans with a variety of services. The VSO will be available on the third Wednesday and Thursday of each month.

Call to schedule an appointment at (724) 826-5151.

District Office

1296 Pittsburgh Street

Cheswick, PA 15024

(724) 826-5151

Pennsylvania State Capitol

111 B East Wing
Harrisburg, PA 17120

(717) 705-7141