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High interest rates equal high state lottery jackpots

(The Center Square) — The Pennsylvania lottery has had unexpectedly large jackpots in the last fiscal year, but whether those wins are a sign of a new pattern or a peak before a fall, isn’t yet known. The Independent Fiscal Office, in a recent analysis, points to high interest rates ...

Google backs creation of cybersecurity clinics with $20 million donation

WASHINGTON (AP) — Free medical clinics and legal aid clinics, where college students and their instructors help their communities while also learning more about their professions, are now commonplace. Google hopes to add cybersecurity clinics to that list. Google CEO Sundar Pichai pledged $20 million in grants on Thursday to support and expand the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics to introduce thousands of students to potential careers in cybersecurity, while also helping defend small government offices, rural hospitals and nonprofits from hacking. Pichai said the new initiative ...

Woodlands Bank names vice president for retail lending

Woodlands Bank recently announced that Rich Kuczawa will be taking on the role of vice president for retail lending and sales manager. Kuczawa has been in the banking industry for 36 years, according to a news release. He joined Woodlands Bank in 2018 as an office manager for the Lock Haven ...

Williamsport man wins award

John Hess was among 31 Pennsylvania workers recently honored for the exceptional character they demonstrate in living and coping with disabilities, particularly in the workplace. According to a news release, UniqueSource Products and Services celebrated the winner and nominees from across ...

Child labor violations prompt action

(The Center Square) – Amid a worsening workforce shortage, more employers – both across the state and the country – set aside child labor laws as a solution. The alarming trend prompted lawmakers on the House Labor and Industry Committee to advance legislation that would double penalties for these violations: $1,000 for first-time offenders and up to $3,000 for repeated incidents. “When the fines are too low, they are seen as just another cost of doing business,” said the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Regina Young, D-Philadelphia. Mirroring federal trends which have shown a ...

Growing number of older adults rejoining workforce

Michael Trenga was retired two days before he jumped back into the workforce. The decision was financially motivated. “I retired on a Friday and went back to work on a Monday,” said Trenga, 71, of Leechburg. “Without my job, I would have to cut back on a lot — not have cable and have to have a really cheap (cell) phone — and maybe not be able to afford the house I’m in. “Sometimes I feel cheated because I have friends that are retired and not working.” Trenga traded his job of 16 years as a hospice spiritual care coordinator for one driving buses in Penn Hills ...