BETHLEHEM

VIRTUAL HALLOWEEN PARADE: The show must go on! The Bethlehem Halloween Parade is a tradition that has been happening for 98 years. Due to the recent pandemic and the need to keep our community safe, we were forced to cancel our traditional Halloween parade. We are hoping that you will join us for our very first virtual parade. To keep the tradition alive, we are encouraging local schools, community organizations, businesses, entertainers, families, and friends to submit a video to be included in the virtual parade. Entry rules and regulations are included at https://www.bethlehem-pa.gov/Events/Recreation-Events/98th-Annual-Bethlehem-Halloween

LEHIGH COUNTY

ELECTION BALLOTS: On Sept. 9, the Lehigh County Election Board approved extended office hours for voters seeking to hand in their mail-in ballots. The Lehigh County Government Center and the Lehigh County Voter Registration Office will be open to voters for a two-week period from Oct. 19 to 30 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The building will also be open on Saturday, Oct. 24 and Saturday, Oct. 31st from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for drop-off. The office will be open Election Day, NJov. 3, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Reserved parking will be available in front of the Government Center on 17 S 7th St, Allentown during these times. Two spots will be accessible on 7th Street and two spots will be available on Hamilton Street.

The decision to extend hours was made to provide flexibility for voters while maintaining accordance with ACT 77, the only set of regulations available to Lehigh County in regards to mail-in voting. Please be advised a voter can only hand in his or her own ballot to the Voter Registration Office. Any bulk submissions or a ballot that is not your own will not be accepted.

LEHIGH VALLEY

RENT ASSISTANCE: The Federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, passed in March, provided $3.9 billion for Pennsylvania and is intended to help people hurt economically during the pandemic. In late May, the General Assembly directed $175 million of these CARES dollars to PHFA to provide assistance for struggling renters and homeowners. The portion for rent assistance is at least $150 million. The county organizations are now accepting completed applications for rent assistance. The CARES funding for renters must be completely distributed by Nov. 30, 2020.

Steps to apply:

1.There are 3 applications provided below. Print all 3. The applications require both renter and landlord involvement.

2.Complete all 3 applications. The landlord must complete the landlord application and the landlord-property certification.

3.Gather any supplemental documentation requested in the 3 applications.

4.Below the applications you will find the County Contact List.

5.Find your county in the list. These organizations are processing all applications.

6.Wait for a response from your county on whether you are approved.

Find and print the applications here: https://www.phfa.org/pacares/rent.aspx

PENNSYLVANIA

LIQUOR CONTROL BOARD ENFORCEMENT: Pennsylvania State Police Liquor Control Enforcement Officers visited 1,167 licensed liquor establishments from Wednesday, Sept. 9 through Thursday, Sept.10 to ensure businesses are abiding by COVID-19 mitigation requirements that include social distancing, masking, and other health and safety requirements of the liquor code.

Liquor Control Enforcement Officers issued three notices of violation and 23 warnings for failing to follow COVID-19 requirements.

MISLEADING ELECTION ROBO CALLS: Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar and Attorney General Josh Shapiro assured Pennsylvanians today that voting by mail-in ballot is safe and secure and that information about voters will not be shared, despite false claims made in recent robocalls.

Pennsylvania agencies and law enforcement have received complaints about robocalls falsely claiming that personal information about mail-in voters will be shared with law enforcement agencies seeking to arrest people on outstanding warrants, and with credit card companies seeking to collect outstanding debts.

Secretary Boockvar and Attorney General Shapiro encourage all Pennsylvanians to be vigilant and check the reliability of information before believing it to be true or sharing it. Additionally, voters should report any suspected election scams or disinformation campaigns to law enforcement or to the Department of State at 877.VOTESPA.

For trusted, reliable and accurate information on the election, visit the department’s official voter information website at votespa.com.

UNEMPLOYMENY BENEFITS: Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) Secretary Jerry Oleksiak received notification from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) late yesterday that the Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) program – which provided an additional $300 weekly benefit to unemployed workers – ended on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020. No other unemployment benefits programs are affected.

For updates on the LWA program, visit www.uc.pa.gov or follow L&I on Facebook or Twitter.