A Huntingdon County woman has pled guilty to aiding others to steal pandemic relief funds. The U. S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania says 74-year-old Linda Grubb of Hesston pled guilty on July 21st to wire fraud for her role in a pandemic relief funds fraud scheme. According to Acting U. S. Attorney Bruce Brandler, Grubb and her coconspirators manipulated a variety of pandemic relief programs to fraudulently obtain over $400,000. The group filed applications for pandemic-related small business loans and pandemic unemployment assistance, sometimes using stolen identification. The loans and unemployment payments were deposited into Grubb’s bank account. Grubb would then wire funds to other bank accounts.

State Representative Aaron Kaufer (R-Luzerne) has called on Governor Tom Wolf, Attorney General Josh Shapiro and state Treasurer Stacy Garrity to enforce a state procurement law prohibiting the Commonwealth from contracting with companies that boycott Israel. The move comes After Ben & Jerry’s announced plans to halt ice cream sales in portions of Israel. Act 163 of 2016, formerly House Bill 2107, prohibits state agencies, or affiliates, from contracting with companies engaged in a boycott of Israel. The bill passed the House 181-9, and the Senate 47-1. Ben & Jerry’s announced plans to boycott sales in parts of Israel, and refrain from renewing its licensing agreement.

SEDA-COG and Northumberland National Bank have partnered to offer COVID-19 loan funding to a Snyder County restaurant. Shaffer Restaurant and Soft Serve in Port Trevorton was purchased in December 2020, and the establishment opened in January with a new name – Lauver’s Family Traditions Restaurant. The restaurant industry has been hit very hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. In December 2020, restaurants were forced to operate at 50% capacity which qualified the SEDA-COG loan to fall under the federal Economic Development Administration eligibility. Lauver’s Family Traditions Restaurant is a full-service restaurant and ice cream stand.