Category: NEW JERSEY

SUNDAY HUNTING BILL SIGNED INTO LAW

HARRISBURG, PA

– It’s official: expanded Sunday hunting is coming to Pennsylvania in 2020.

Gov. Tom Wolf today signed into law Senate Bill 147, which permits additional hunting on three Sundays per calendar year – one within the archery deer season, one within the firearms deer season and one selected by the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

The law will take effect Feb. 25, 2020, and the first new Sunday hunting opportunities will be identified by the Game Commission thereafter.

In Pennsylvania, Sunday hunting generally is limited to the hunting of foxes, coyotes, crows and feral hogs during open seasons.

Introduced by state Sen. Dan Laughlin, R-Erie, Senate Bill 147 passed the state House of Representatives by a 144-54 vote Oct. 29, then passed the state Senate by a 38-11 vote Nov. 18.

Game Commission Executive Director Bryan Burhans said today’s signing of Senate Bill 147 by Gov. Wolf is a win for Pennsylvania’s hunters.

“People today tend to lead busy lives, and hunters are no exception,” Burhans said. “No matter how badly a hunter might want to get out and enjoy the outdoors during hunting season, other responsibilities might take priority and make it difficult.

“Providing opportunity to experience hunting on previously closed Sundays has game-changing potential for hunters with tight schedules and, in many cases, will make a difference by enabling those hunters to hunt alongside their children, setting them on a path they’ll follow the rest of their lives,” Burhans said. “To Sen. Dan Laughlin and to all of those who supported the bill and helped to make it a reality, please accept a heartfelt thank you on behalf of the Game Commission and hunters statewide.”

Laughlin, Chair of the Senate Game and Fisheries Committee, said the new law will create opportunities for tens of thousands of working families across Pennsylvania.

“I believe this has been a long time in coming and is truly a tribute to the thousands of hunters and the many organizations who have supported this effort,” he said. “Weekends are essentially the only time that most working men and women can get out into the woods. The same could be said for many young people, the ones who represent the future of the sport. Lifting the ban will give them increased opportunities to pursue the activity that they love.”

Sen. Jim Brewster, D-McKeesport, who serves on the Senate Game and Fisheries Committee as Minority Chair, sees the new law as an important tool in helping to recruit new hunters and keep them active.

“Sunday hunting will boost interest in the sport and open up new opportunities for hunters who are unable to get into the woods on other days of the week,” Brewster said. “I have been a longtime supporter of adding days when hunters are able to be in the field.

“This law will create access yet provide reasonable protections for farmers and landowners,” he said. “Sunday hunting will allow us to usher in new generations of sportsmen and women to enjoy our woodlands.”

State Rep. Bill Kortz, D-Dravosburg, the Democratic Chair of the House Game and Fisheries Committee, said Sunday hunting provides for hunters who otherwise have little time to hunt.

“It opens up opportunities for hunters who work six days a week, for students in college, and for junior hunters who can spend an extra day being introduced to our sport,” Kortz said. “It’s a big win for hunters, while respecting the concerns of all who enjoy our state’s outdoor traditions.”

Prior to passing the House of Representatives, Senate Bill 147 was amended to require all hunters on private land on the selected Sundays to carry written permission from the landowner. This requirement does not apply on Sundays when only foxes, coyotes, crows and feral hogs may be hunted.

The bill also gives Game Commission officers the authority to investigate private-land trespassing complaints and enforce trespassing violations as a primary offense. Previously, trespassing violations were referred to police unless a Game & Wildlife Code violation also was alleged. Once the new law takes effect, hunting-related private-land trespassing violations will be enforced year-round by the Game Commission.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Travis Lau – 717-705-6541

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Wreaths of Remembrance Dec. 7

(Monroe Township, NJ) On Saturday, Dec. 7, residents are invited to gather at the Gloucester County Veterans Memorial Cemetery to help remember those men and women who defended our country\’s freedom during the annual Wreaths of Remembrance Ceremony.

Freeholder Director Robert M. Damminger said, \”By placing these wreaths annually, we continue to show our thanks to those who gave their lives and show that we remember them and will continue to do so for years to come.\”

The Wreaths of Remembrance Ceremony is open to the public and will begin at 10 a.m. sharp.

Freeholder Dan Christy, liaison to the Department of Veterans Affairs, said, \”For some families, this is a way to include their relatives in their holiday festivities and keep them in their hearts, for others, it is a way to honor a veteran for their service and sacrifice.\”

The Ceremony will include a moment of silence for those who served, followed by opening remarks and the announcing of those laying the wreaths. Immediately following the ceremony, volunteers will assist to lay a wreath on each of the individual 2,800 graves.

The Gloucester County Veterans Memorial Cemetery is located at 240 N. Tuckahoe Road in Monroe Township.

Wreaths of Remembrance Parking is at Williamstown High School.  Bus service will be provided to and from the cemetery.  Vehicles should not park on the roadway.

PRELIMINARY THREE-DAY BEAR HARVEST RESULTS

HARRISBURG, PA

– Through three days of Pennsylvania’s general bear season, hunters have harvested 1,498 bears, with bears taken in 52 counties.

That compares to a three-day 1,833 in the 2018 general season. However, the 2019 general season harvest is complemented by a large bear harvest during new and expanded early bear seasons for muzzleloader, firearms and archery hunters. Factoring in the early season harvest, 3,373 bears have been taken through Tuesday. That already tops the 2018 total bear harvest of 3,153, with plenty more bear hunting still to go.

After the season’s third day, two bears of more than 600 pounds have been added to the list.

A 743-pound bear taken Tuesday morning with a rifle in Greene Township, Pike County, by Matthew J. Erdie Jr., of Nazareth, ranks as the third-heaviest bear taken across all 2019 bear seasons.

Meanwhile, a 661-pounder taken Monday morning with a rifle in Lake Township, Wayne County, by Michael A. Biduck II, of West Abington, now ranks as the fifth-heaviest bear in 2019.

The largest bear through all 2019 seasons continues to be the 813-pound male taken with a rifle on the opening day of the general season in Smithfield Township, Monroe County, by Victor M. Vassalluzzo, of Kintnersville.

The heaviest bear ever taken in Pennsylvania was an 875-pounder harvested in 2010 in Middle Smithfield Township, Pike County. Since 1992, seven black bears weighing at least 800 pounds have been lawfully harvested in Pennsylvania hunting seasons.

Other large bears taken in the 2019 general season’s first three days – all taken with a rifle – include: a 747-pound male taken in Wright Township, Luzerne County, by J. Kripp Jr., of Mountaintop; a 696-pound male taken in Penn Forest Township, Carbon County, by Brian J. Borosh, of Jim Thorpe; a 657-pound male taken in Franklin Township, Columbia County, by Nicholas A. Podgurski, of Elysburg; a 656-pound male taken in Hanover Township, Luzerne County, by Dale J. Kobal, of Hunlock Creek; a 623-pound male taken in Beech Creek Township, Clinton County, by Mikael J. Catanese, of Sewickley; a 620-pound male taken in Miles Township, Centre County, by Reuben Kennel, of Turbotville; and a 604-pound male taken in Gallagher Township, Clinton County, by Steven Z. Rohrbach, of Lock Haven.

The top bear-hunting county in the state over the general season’s first three days was Lycoming County with 113 bears. It was followed by Tioga County with 107 bears.

Three-day preliminary harvests by county and region are:

The preliminary three-day bear harvest by Wildlife Management Unit was as follows:

WMU 1A

, 11 (17 in 2018);

WMU 1B

, 44 (100);

WMU 2A

, 3 (5);

WMU 2C

, 69 (115);

WMU 2D

, 92 (114);

WMU 2E

, 38 (56);

WMU 2F

, 170 (198);

WMU 2G

, 309 (344);

WMU 2H

, 49 (59);

WMU 3A

, 85 (99);

WMU 3B

, 138 (117);

WMU 3C

, 56 (45);

WMU 3D

, 161 (141);

WMU 4A

, 76 (123);

WMU 4B

, 32 (53);

WMU 4C

, 50 (83);

WMU 4D

, 92 (112);

WMU 4E

, 21 (48);

WMU 5A

, 1 (4);

WMU 5C

, 1 (0).

Three-day harvests by county and region are:

Northwest (221)

: Warren, 61 (52); Clarion, 35 (37); Venango, 30 (68); Forest, 26 (52); Jefferson, 25 (64); Butler, 20 (17); Crawford, 19 (49); Mercer, 4 (12); and Erie, 1 (15).

Southwest (114)

: Somerset, 34 (57); Armstrong, 30 (25); Indiana, 24 (30); Fayette, 14 (32); Cambria, 7 (13); Westmoreland, 4 (11); and Greene, 1 (0).

Northcentral (626)

: Lycoming, 113 (103); Tioga, 107 (86); Clinton, 87 (119); Potter, 76 (54); McKean, 59 (43); Clearfield, 53 (72); Elk, 51 (46); Centre, 35 (46); Cameron, 30 (61); and Union, 15 (13).

Southcentral (154)

: Huntingdon, 49 (76); Bedford, 34 (51); Fulton, 17 (33); Perry, 16 (14); Blair, 15 (21); Juniata, 8 (15); Mifflin, 6 (10); Franklin, 5 (14); Cumberland, 3 (4); and Adams, 1 (4).

Northeast (349)

: Pike, 66 (46); Monroe, 44 (46); Luzerne, 39 (50); Bradford, 36 (46); Wayne, 35 (29); Sullivan, 30 (30); Susquehanna, 29 (10); Wyoming, 19 (24); Lackawanna, 18 (15); Carbon, 16 (25); Columbia, 12 (17); and Northumberland, 5 (17).

Southeast (34)

: Dauphin, 14 (25); Schuylkill, 13 (17); Berks 6 (1); and Lebanon, 1 (7).

Bergen County Doctor Pleads Guilty to Submitting More than $32,000 in False Claims

Faces Five-Year Prison Sentence for Health Care Claims Fraud

TRENTON

– Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor (“OIFP”) announced today that a Bergen County family practitioner is facing five years in prison for submitting more than $32,000 in false claims to an insurance company for health care services he never rendered.

Dr. Robert Delagente, 45, of Oakland, who practiced at North Jersey Family Medicine, pleaded guilty to a one-count accusation charging him with second-degree health care claims fraud. Under the terms of the plea agreement, the State will recommend that Delagente be sentenced to five years in prison. Delagente is scheduled to be sentenced on January 10, 2020.

In pleading guilty before Superior Court Judge James X. Sattely in Bergen County on Nov. 21, 2019, Delagente admitted that between May and December of 2016 he submitted seven fraudulent claims to Blue Cross/Blue Shield of New Jersey totaling $32,006.

The fraudulent claims billed the insurance company for allergy testing and immunotherapy services that Delagente did not provide to patients.

“When doctors cheat the insurance system, they’re committing a crime that drives up the cost of healthcare for everyone, including the patients they took an oath to serve,” said Attorney General Grewal. “The five-year prison sentence this doctor faces sends a message that New Jersey will not tolerate medical providers who abuse their professional authority for illegal gain.”

“Insurance fraud costs insurance companies billions of dollars every year nationwide and those losses are passed on to all of us through higher insurance premiums and increased costs for goods and services,” said Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Tracy M. Thompson. “To protect New Jersey residents from being victimized by insurance cheats we will continue to pursue harsh punishments like the one announced today to send a strong message of deterrence.”

Deputy Attorney General Crystal Callahan represented the State during the plea hearing.

Delagente was charged following a joint investigation of his practice by OIFP and the FBI. The investigation was coordinated by OIFP Detectives Suzanna Lopez and Janet Thai, and special agents with the FBI Health Care Fraud Unit.

Delagente also faces criminal charges in federal court stemming from this investigation.

On May 13, 2019, the

U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of New Jersey charged Delagente

with one count of distribution of controlled dangerous substances for allegedly prescribing opioid pain medications and other controlled substances outside the ordinary course of professional practice, and one count of obstruction of justice for allegedly falsifying medical records to cover it up.

In the wake of the federal charges against him, Delagente entered an

Interim Consent Order

with the State Board of Medical Examiners in which he agreed to the temporary suspension of his license pending the outcome of those charges and pending further action by the Board.

Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Thompson noted that some important cases have started with anonymous tips. People who are concerned about insurance cheating and have information about a fraud can report it anonymously by calling the toll-free hotline at

1-877-55-FRAUD

, or visiting the Web site at

www.njinsurancefraud.org

. State regulations permit a reward to be paid to an eligible person who provides information that leads to a conviction for insurance fraud.

North Jersey Oral Surgeon License Revoked

Final Decision

Initial Decision

NEWARK

– Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and the Division of Consumer Affairs today announced that the State Board of Dentistry (“the Board”) revoked the license of a North Jersey oral and maxillofacial surgeon and ordered him to pay more than $500,000 in penalties, costs, and restitution to patients for engaging in “hit and run dentistry” that left a swath of harmful consequences for patients in four counties.

Dr. Andrew Maron, who owned a string of dental practices in Monmouth, Passaic, Hudson, and Union counties, and also practiced as an itinerant oral surgeon in those counties, has been prohibited from practicing in New Jersey since the State filed multiple allegations of negligence, gross negligence and professional misconduct against him in 2015.

In a final decision that brings closure to the State’s case, the Board revoked the license of the 58-year-old Maron, finding that his treatment of patients – many of whom were low-income, elderly, or disabled – amounted to “hit and run dentistry” that reflected a “cavalier indifference to his patients’ well-being” and a “pattern of substantial deviations from the standard of care that existed unabated for years.”

“Most dental practitioners are dedicated to the health and safety of their patients,” said Attorney General Grewal. “But revolving-door dentistry that puts practitioners’ financial gain ahead of patient health and safety erodes public trust and undermines the integrity of the entire profession. That’s why it’s important for the Board to take decisive action in cases like this one, and we are pleased that the Board did so.”

According to findings in the case, Maron committed multiple acts of negligence and gross negligence and professional misconduct in his treatment of 17 patients between 2010 and 2015. Such conduct included:

Pulling natural teeth and replacing them with dental implants with little or no regard to the restorability of the natural tooth;

Placing numerous implants that failed, some dangerously so by migrating into the sinus, or by patients swallowing them;

Performing, planning and undertaking treatment without regard to a patient’s ability to pay for the treatment;

Discussing treatment with patients who were already in the chair receiving anesthesia;

Pressuring elderly patients into having implants placed without pre-operative diagnosis, review, or informed consent;

Pressuring Medicaid patients into taking CareCredit loans which exceeded their ability to repay;

Ignoring or failing to take patients’ medical histories;

Submitting inaccurate and inflated billing for treatment; and

Failing to ensure that the dentists in his employ practiced with patients\’ health, safety, and welfare in mind.

“Dr. Maron placed patients at risk through egregious conduct that violated the most basic tenets of professionalism,” said Paul R. Rodríguez, Acting Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs. “His disregard for the well-being of his patients makes a mockery of the standards adhered to by those who are privileged to hold a license to practice dentistry. The revocation of his license not only protects the public from the threat posed by Dr. Maron, it removes a stain on New Jersey’s esteemed dental profession.”

The Board\’s decision to revoke Maron’s license largely upholds the findings of an Administrative Law Judge who heard the case in a series of hearings that concluded in January 2019.

In an Initial Decision rendered in May 2019, Administrative Law Judge Susan M. Scarola concluded that Maron’s practice was “so overextended it was almost impossible for him to provide quality care.”

“Respondent’s repeated acts of negligence and gross negligence, his professional misconduct, his dishonesty and deception, and his lack of providing appropriate and determined care for his patients warrant the severest possible sanction, namely, revocation of his license,” Judge Scarola concluded.

Judge Scarola also agreed with the State’s argument that Maron should be ordered to pay a substantial penalty for each unlawful act he committed, and that he be ordered to reimburse patients for deficient treatment, and reimburse the State for fees and costs associated with investigating and prosecuting the case.

Following a hearing on July 24, 2019, the Board adopted Judge Scarola’s findings and conclusions with limited modifications. Those modifications lowered the amount of restitution to one patient, and removed restitution to another patient who already received payment through civil litigation.

The Board ordered Maron to pay civil penalties totaling $138,500; restitution totaling $75,041.22 to 15 patients; and aggregate costs and attorneys\’ fees of $303,856.22. The Board filed its written decision on Nov. 1, 2019.

This investigation was conducted by the Enforcement Bureau of the Division of Consumer Affairs.

Senior Deputy Attorney General Joan D. Gelber, from the Division of Law represented the State in this matter.

Patients who believe that they have been treated by a licensed health care professional in an inappropriate manner can file an online complaint with the State Division of Consumer Affairs by visiting its

website

or by calling

1-800-242-5846

(toll free within New Jersey) or

973-504- 6200

.

Commercial Vehicle Travel Restrictions on portions of I-78, I-80 and I-287 start at midnight tonight

Winter Weather Alert**

Avoid Unnecessary Travel during the Storm

(Trenton) –

New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti today issued a

commercial vehicle travel restriction on portions of I-78, I-80, and I-287 starting

at 12 midnight tonight

.

The winter storm is expected to produce difficult travel conditions across the northwest portion of the State due to accumulated snow and ice that will cause limited visibility on the roadways and disrupt snowplow operations, especially during the morning and evening commuting period on Monday, December 2.

NJDOT is prepared and coordinating our response with our regional transportation partners and the New Jersey State Police to ensure the safety of all travelers. Ice and winds could bring trees and branches down on roadways. NJDOT crews have tree-clearing equipment available to remove debris from state highways to ensure plows, emergency personnel and utility companies can get through.

Commercial Vehicle Travel Restriction

The restriction applies to the entire length of all Interstate Highways in New Jersey including:

Interstate 80, both directions from the Pennsylvania state line to exit 43 (I-287)

Interstate 78, both directions from the Pennsylvania state line to exit 29 (I-287)

Interstate 287, both directions from exit 21 (I-78) to the New York border

The commercial vehicle travel restriction in New Jersey applies to the following vehicles:

All tractor-trailers

Empty straight CDL-weighted trucks

Passenger vehicles pulling trailers

Recreational vehicles

Motorcycles

The restriction DOES NOT apply to:

New Jersey Turnpike

Garden State Parkway

Atlantic City Expressway

The Department is reminding motorists:

AVOID UNNECESSARY TRAVEL during the storm

Consider Telecommuting tomorrow, if possible

If you must drive and road conditions deteriorate, GET OFF THE ROAD somewhere safe and wait it out

Always STAY CLEAR of plows and spreading trucks.  If they are behind you,

let them pass

DO NOT PASS between trucks that are in a plow formation

Be patient and use caution

In order for NJDOT and our regional and local transportation partners to safely and efficiently clear roadways of snow and ice, motorists need to

Clear the Roads so We Can Clear the Roads.

NJDOT will deploy our Incline Package assets on I-280 and I-78 at Jugtown mountain (between Exits 7 and 11), which includes pre-positioning towing assets, NJDOT Safety Service Patrol (SSP) trucks, and coordination with New Jersey State Police.

NJDOT will be using Variable Message Signs throughout the storm to provide updates. Once conditions improve, NJDOT will lift the Winter Weather Congestion Alert.

Motorists are encouraged to check NJDOT\’s traffic information website

www.511nj.org

for real-time travel information and for NJDOT news and updates follow us on the

NJDOT Facebook page

or on Twitter

@NJDOT_info

.

Two Sisters Says Archdiocese of Newark and Harrisburg Diocese Protected Priest

FORTNEY FAMILY TO ANNOUNCE FILING LAWSUIT AT DECEMBER 2 PRESS CONFERENCE IN NEWARK

At a press conference in Newark, New Jersey on December 2, 2019, Fortney Family sisters Patty Fortney-Julius and Lara Fortney-McKeever, along with their attorney, Benjamin D.

Andreozzi, Esq., will announce the filing of a civil lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Newark and the Diocese of Harrisburg (PA) under New Jersey’s newly enacted civil window legislation. Patty and Lara’s lawsuit outlines priest Augustine Giella’s heinous sexual abuse of multiple of the Fortney Family sisters, including Patty and Lara, and the cover-up of his crimes by the Newark Archdiocese and Harrisburg Diocese. As the lawsuit outlines, Giella was incardinated into the Newark Archdiocese, but transferred to the Harrisburg Diocese, where he met the Fortney Family. He then abused the Fortney Family sisters in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

According to their attorney after years of silence, the Fortney Family sisters have become advocates for survivors of sexual abuse across the nation. They now travel the country speaking on the issue of child sexual abuse and lobbying state legislatures to change laws that disadvantage survivors, including in New Jersey. Several of the Fortney Family sisters will be available to answer questions regarding their journey and the filing of their civil case.

The announcement will be made Monday at 10 a.m.  at the Comfort

Suites Newark-Harrison

1348 McCarter Hwy.,

Newark, NJ 07104

The sisters are being represented by

Lindsey Gibson of

Andreozzi & Associates, P.C.

Op-Ed: Peyton’s Law –

Empowering Student Athletes/Parents to be Proactive about Cardiac Arrest Prevention

By Sen. Mike Regan

Nov 2019/

The Center Square

Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is reported to be the leading killer of student athletes in the United States and the leading cause of death on school campuses. An average of one in 300 student athletes have undetected abnormal heart issues that could lead to SCA.

Recognizing these staggering statistics, I introduced

Senate Bill 836

, known as Peyton’s Law, in an effort to educate every student athlete and their parents about electrocardiogram (EKG) testing to detect underlying heart conditions.

This bill has been a top priority for me because it honors a young woman who was taken from us six years ago at the young age of 19. Her name is Peyton Walker, and she died from Sudden Cardiac Arrest. Peyton was a graduate of Trinity High School in Camp Hill, and she was a sophomore at King’s College in Wilkes-Barre when she died. Her mother, Julie Walker, established and now heads The Peyton Walker Foundation, which advocates for the use of EKG testing to screen for underlying electrical issues in the heart that can lead to SCA. The foundation conducts free EKG screening events at schools across Pennsylvania and has screened several thousand students.

Unfortunately, Peyton’s family is not alone in losing a loved one to SCA. Based on Cody’s Law, recently enacted legislation in Texas named after Cody Stephens, a young football player who died of SCA, Peyton’s Law builds on the important groundwork of Act 59 of 2012, the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Act.

Thanks to Act 59, student athletes and their parents currently are provided an information sheet with symptoms and warning signs of SCA. However, there is no guidance on what steps can be taken if a parent wants to be proactive or if the student athlete has experienced any of the signs or symptoms of SCA.

Peyton’s Law requires information be provided to student athletes and their parents regarding electrocardiogram testing and notice be given of the option to request the administration of an electrocardiogram in addition to the standard physical examination.

This is a common-sense piece of legislation aimed at educating our student athletes and their families at a time when every hour of every day we lose a child to SCA. And the majority of those deaths are attributed to detectable and treatable heart conditions that went undiagnosed due to the limited scope of standard sports physicals and well-child check-ups.

As a father of four, Peyton’s story, as well as so many others, has hit close to home. Knowing a simple test could save my children from becoming a victim of SCA motivated me to have my own boys screened, and my legislation provides life-saving information to all parents and empowers them to take the same steps I did. And while the legislation speaks specifically to student athletes, I want all parents to be part of the bigger conversation – to be aware of SCA, its warning signs, and their ability to seek an EKG if they are worried about their child having an underlying heart condition.

Peyton’s Law has garnered tremendous support and momentum in the legislature, and I commend my colleagues for recognizing the importance of this issue. It is unusual for a bill to see such quick action, but the fact that I met with Julie Walker on this issue in July, introduced the bill in August, and by October it had achieved unanimous passage in the Senate, is a testament to the merits of the bill.

The legislation now awaits consideration in the House of Representative’s Education Committee, chaired by Representative Curt Sonney, R-Erie. I have had the pleasure of meeting with Chairman Sonney to discuss the significance of this issue, and I look forward to the bill’s passage in the House and it being signed into law by the governor.

Peyton’s Law will undoubtedly help save the lives of many young people in Pennsylvania while honoring the life and memory of a young woman gone too soon.

published here with permission of

The Center Square

NJ Pick-6 Increases to $3.7 Million for Dec. 2

TRENTON (Nov. 29, 2019) – The Pick-6 drawing on November 28 produced seven winners of $2,941 for matching five out of six white balls drawn. One of those tickets was purchased with XTRA, multiplying the prize to $5,882. The $3.7 million drawing will be held Monday, December 2, 2019.

The winning numbers for the Thursday, November 28, drawing were: 14, 16, 18, 26, 31 and 43. The XTRA Multiplier was: 02. By adding XTRA for an additional $1.00 per play, winners are able to multiply their non-jackpot prizes by the XTRA number drawn.

Acting Executive Director James Carey announced that there were 411,749 tickets purchased for the drawing and of those sold, thousands were prizewinners! For correctly matching four numbers, 305 ticketholders won $65 each and 42 others won $130 each with the addition of XTRA. Moreover, for correctly matching three numbers 6,149 ticketholders won $3.00 each and 999 others won $6 each with the addition of XTRA. Lastly 7,163 ticketholders each won $2.00 for correctly matching two numbers with the addition of XTRA on their purchase.

###

All New Jersey Lottery game winning numbers and drawings for the Pick-3, Pick-4, Jersey Cash 5, Pick-6, CASH4LIFE and 5 Card Cash games can be viewed on the NJ Lottery website (www.NJLottery.com) or on the official Lottery Facebook Page. Evening draws, with the exception of CASH4LIFE and 5 Card Cash, can be seen on WPIX-TV (PIX11) in New York and WPHL-TV (PHL17) in Philadelphia. Powerball and Mega Millions drawings can be seen on WABC-TV or WTXF stations.

Cellphone shock: Pennsylvanians Paying More in Fees Than Most

By Steve Bittenbender |

The Center Square

Nov 26, 2019

Pennsylvanians are paying more taxes on their cellphone bill than all but one of their neighbors and significantly more than the national average. That’s

according to a report

by a nonpartisan tax policy research group.

The combined local, state and federal taxes on a resident’s cellphone bill is 25.4 percent. The Washington-based Tax Foundation noted that was the seventh-highest rate in the nation. Excluding the federal 9.1 percent rate, Pennsylvania’s state and local tax is slightly more than 16.3 percent.

A state resident who has a $100 monthly bill from their wireless provider pays more than $304 in taxes per year. The average U.S. resident pays about $260 annually in local, state and federal levies.

“It’s important that people keep an eye on these things because they are well-hidden within people’s phone bills,” said Ulrik Boesen, a senior policy analyst for the foundation.

Two things stand out regarding Pennsylvania’s higher than average costs. First, Boesen said Pennsylvania charges a 5 percent gross receipts tax that’s in addition to the 6 percent sales tax.

Telecommunications is one of five industries on which Pennsylvania levies a gross receipts tax. The others include electric utilities providers, transportation companies, private bankers and managed care organizations.

The other surcharge that Boesen noted was the $1.65 monthly fee for state wireless 9-1-1 service. That represents a tax rate of nearly 4.4 percent. By comparison, Ohio’s charge is just 25 cents per number per month for state and local wireless 9-1-1.

While 9-1-1 is an essential service for residents, Boesen said that doesn’t mean it should have its own tax.

“In general, we don’t like when you have specific taxes for specific services,” he said. “We like it more when you broaden your tax bases to be as broad as possible and as low-rate as possible.”

A year ago, Pennsylvanians were paying a rate of 22.9 percent, but the bulk of that is due to a nearly 2.5 percent increase in the federal surcharge, which provides funding for certain organizations, such as schools and hospitals, in communities with higher than normal costs. The federal tax also can assist low-income residents in those areas.

Among neighboring states, only New York residents paid a higher percentage of taxes, as its 18.7 percent state-and-local rate ranks fourth in the U.S. Maryland was also in the top half of states at 14.7 percent, 14th highest.

West Virginia was 32nd overall at 10.2 percent, New Jersey landed at 38th at 9 percent, and Ohio residents pay 8.5 percent in state and local taxes, which ranked 43rd. Delaware’s rate of 6.6 percent is 49th in the study, which also includes Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia.