The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture is once again offering its Farmers Market Nutrition Program to low-income seniors and people receiving benefits through WIC. The program offers qualified seniors and families, four $6 checks to redeem at qualified farmers’ markets or roadside stands. The checks may be used for fresh fruits and vegetables that were grown in the Commonwealth. The checks may not be used to purchase processed foods. Families receiving WIC are eligible for the program, as are senior citizens age 60 and older who meet income guidelines. Checks are available on a first-come, first-served basis. To apply, contact the Area Agency On Aging.

A Chronic Wasting Disease-positive deer recently detected in Warren County has led to new regulations to reduce the risk of the disease spreading. The Pennsylvania Game Commission has announced a new Disease Management Area – DMA 5 – has been established in Warren County, where Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) was detected in a captive deer at a hunting preserve. CWD affects members of the deer family, and the disease always is fatal to the deer and elk it infects. When a new CWD-positive is detected in Pennsylvania, a Disease Management Area (DMA) is established to reduce the risk of human-assisted spread of the disease.

The owner of a Carlisle-area trucking business has been charged with COVID-Relief fraud. The Justice Department says Keith McConnell of Carlisle was charged with perpetrating a wire fraud and money laundering scheme. McConnell sought more than $467,000 ($467,200) in COVID-19 relief funds guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). PPP loan amounts were determined by the number of employees and average monthly payroll costs. The Justice Department says McConnell submitted fraudulent PPP loan applications and forged documents on behalf of his trucking company, KB Transportation LLC. McConnell falsely certified that KB Transportation LLC employed twenty-six employees and had monthly payroll expenses totaling $124,800. As a result, he received $312,000 in loan proceeds.