U.S. Flags at Half-Staff for Late Congressman

Feb. 9, 2010 - 7:25 a.m.

American flags at Penn College have been lowered to half-staff through sunset today in honor of U.S. Rep. John P. "Jack" Murtha, of Johnstown, who died Monday at age 77.

Prospective 'Roustabouts' Trained at College's Heavy-Equipment Site

Feb. 8, 2010 - 12:27 p.m.

WNEP's Jim Hamill visited Penn College's riverside Heavy Equipment Training Site in Brady Township on Monday morning. compiling a report about heavy equipment training for potential "roustabouts" in the natural gas industry. A class of 15 Tioga County residents, in the last week of a three-week session, are getting operation and safety instruction through the Marcellus Shale Education & Training Center to better prepare them for entry-level positions with natural gas interests in the area. Hamill, whose report aired Monday evening, interviewed several of the students, as well as Jeffrey F. Lorson, industrial technology specialist with Workforce Development & Continuing Education at the college. 

College Offers Course in Local Anesthetics to Dental Hygienists

Feb. 8, 2010 - 12:00 p.m.

The School of Health Sciences and Workforce Development & Continuing Education at Penn College are offering a noncredit course designed to provide licensed dental hygienists with the required knowledge and skills to administer local anesthesia in clinical settings. In the 30-hour course, Local Anesthetics for the Dental Hygienist, participants will gain knowledge in orofacial anatomy, pathology, pharmacology, armamentarium and local-anesthesia administration.

'Green' Subcommittee Encourages 'Recyclemania' Participation

Feb. 7, 2010 - 10:44 p.m.

As the campus community enters the third week of  Recyclemania , the Energy Conservation Subcommittee reminds all to "save" the bottles, cans, paper and cardboard for the college's continued competition and quest of the Gorilla Prize for total gross tonnage. Penn College's recycled materials are weighed and counted weekly during the contest, which ends March 27. Watch for online  updates.

New Two-Year Degree at Penn College Focuses on Renewable Energy

Feb. 4, 2010 - 5:15 p.m.

A new Penn College associate degree, the latest industry-aware major at an institution that grows “greener” by the day, will prepare students for careers in the renewable energy field. Beginning with the Fall 2010 semester, the college’s School of Construction and Design Technologies will offer a two-year degree in renewable energy technologies. In a sequence of theory and laboratory courses over the four-semester curriculum, students can develop the practical skills to install, troubleshoot and maintain photovoltaic, wind-turbine and solar-thermal systems. “Renewable energy will be a hot topic for years to come due to depletion of our natural resources and reliance on fossil fuels,” said Marc E. Bridgens, dean of construction and design technologies at Penn College. “With all the national and local emphasis on our ‘carbon footprint,’ it’s only natural that we get involved in teaching these up-to-date technologies.”

Dental Hygiene Clinic Accepting New Patients

Feb. 1, 2010 - 5:30 p.m.

The learning laboratory for students enrolled in Penn College's dental hygiene majors is accepting new patients from the campus community and general public. Services in the Dental Hygiene Clinic include cleanings, X-rays, sealants and examinations. Examination results and X-rays can be sent to a patient's regular dentist. The clinic is in Room W222 of the Breuder Advanced Technology and Health Sciences Building; appointments can be made by calling 570-327-4500 (or ext. 4500 from on-campus phones).

Student Health Services Still Administering Free H1N1 Vaccine

Feb. 1, 2010 - 3:21 p.m.

Student Health Services will continue to administer free H1N1 vaccine to Penn College students, employees and alumni through the end of February. There have been more than 85,000 cases of influenza-like illness since late August, and it is Student Health Services' goal to get the vaccine to as many people as possible who are at risk of suffering serious complications from the virus. Student Health Services is vaccinating all individuals ages over the age of 4. For more information, please contact Student Health Services by e-mail or at 570-320-5234. Hours for Student Health Services are 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday. Answers to frequently asked questions also are available from the Centers for Disease Control. To expedite the process, interested students, employees and alumni should read the Vaccination Information Sheet and bring a completed Consent Form to Student Health Services. Both documents follow:

[View PDF file]

'Tis the Season for Frozen Pipes

Feb. 1, 2010 - 7:13 a.m.

When water freezes, expansion of pressure occurs up to 2,000 pounds per square inch. This can result in water spill/loss of several thousand gallons per hour and thousands of dollars of damage. Some tips you can apply to prevent freezing pipes in problem areas include: 1. Let the faucet drip slightly, as a trickle. 2. Leave under-sink cabinet doors open for air circulation. 3. Wrap pipes with electrical heat tape or foam insulation. 4. Temper unheated crawlspaces by elevating the heat level to about 40 degrees, just above freezing. These reminders, from Pennsylvania's municipal water authorities, are shared by the Penn College Energy Conservation Subcommittee.

DCED Secretary Tours Weatherization Training Center at Penn College

Jan. 29, 2010 - 4:58 p.m.

George Cornelius, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, toured the Weatherization Training Center at Penn College on Friday. The center has expanded operations in response to the growing demand for service fueled by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The center expects to train up to 1,000 men and women to help low-income households reduce energy consumption and costs in the coming year. The funding boost is expected to provide 940 jobs in Pennsylvania over the next three years for individuals who will weatherize at least 29,700 more housing units, reducing energy usage in the state by the equivalent of 155,000 barrels of oil a year. WTC provides competency-based training courses on site and on location for employees or contractors of community-based organizations who administer mechanical and building-shell retrofits under the assistance program. For more information about the Weatherization Training Center at Penn College, visit online or call 570-327-4768.

Tax-Assistance Partnership to Resume Free By-Appointment Service

Jan. 29, 2010 - 2:54 p.m.

The seventh annual "Money in Your Pocket" campaign, through which Penn College students collaborate with the Internal Revenue Service and Salvation Army volunteers to help hundreds of area residents prepare and file their returns, will begin Feb. 1. The IRS' free Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program will be offered in Room 102 of Penn College’s Madigan Library from 4-6 p.m. Monday to Thursday, through April 8. Assistance also will be available at The Salvation Army’s 457 Market St. location in downtown Williamsport and at the Muncy Public Library, 108 S. Main St. WBRE's Jeremy Deebel was on hand for the kickoff; his segment aired Friday evening.