Historic Hawley building becomes the Hawley Hub for art, theatre, dance, yoga, and more

From a press release: The Hawley Hub, an innovative new project taking place in downtown Hawley, is putting out a call for all dreamers, makers, movers, shakers, and self-recreators. The Hawley Hub has reclaimed the old Murray building on Main Avenue as a multi-purpose space for the community with an emphasis on the arts and […]
La Festa Italiana in Scranton canceled due to coronavirus concerns

First it was the Scranton St. Patrick’s Parade – then the coronavirus came for the Italian Festival. This morning, Lackawanna County and festival organizers announced that La Festa Italiana, scheduled for Sept. 4-7 on Courthouse Square in downtown Scranton, has been canceled. The massively popular Labor Day weekend event typically brings more than 80 food […]
Staying safe as states start to reopen and assessing risk when reconnecting with friends and family

Editor’s note: Now that states are relaxing social distancing restrictions, people desperately want to see friends and family, go to a restaurant, and let our kids have playdates. Even grocery shopping sounds fun. But how can you do that and still stay safe? Here, an epidemiologist who is immune-compromised himself walks you through some decision-making. […]
How to shop safely at the grocery store amid the coronavirus pandemic

Wear a mask, but skip the gloves. Don’t sanitize the apples. And if you are older than 65, it’s probably best to still order your groceries online. As a food virologist, I hear a lot of questions from people about the coronavirus risks in grocery stores and how to stay safe while shopping for food […]
How drawing helped a Penn State professor cope with his mental illness and combat stigma

I’ve lived much of my life with anxiety and depression, including the negative feelings – shame and self-doubt – that seduced me into believing the stigma around mental illness: that people knew I wasn’t good enough, that they would avoid me because I was different or unstable, and that I had to find a way […]
Why wearing face masks in public is now recommended to reduce spread of coronavirus

With the coronavirus pandemic quickly spreading, U.S. health officials have changed their advice on face masks and now recommend people wear cloth masks in public areas where social distancing can be difficult, such as grocery stores. But can these masks be effective? President Donald Trump, in announcing the change in the Centers for Disease Control […]
Gov. Wolf issues guidelines to suspend Pennsylvania gatherings and events for 14 days

Yesterday, Governor Tom Wolf provided guidance to mitigate the spread of coronavirus across Pennsylvania over the next 14 days, including a “suspension of large gatherings, events, conferences of 250 individuals or more” that has made many local venues, bars, and restaurants cancel or postpone concerts during an important weekend for both businesses and artists in […]
How social distancing can ‘flatten the curve’ and help fight spread of coronavirus

As the coronavirus spreads into more and more communities, public health officials are placing responsibility on individuals to help slow the pandemic. Social distancing is the way to do it. Geriatrician Thomas Perls explains how this crucial tool works. What is social distancing? Social distancing is a tool public health officials recommend to slow the […]