Bensalem Times

Penn Community Bank announced “Click for a Cause” – a social media and online community giving contest that invites the public to vote for nonprofits to receive donations from the bank. Three nonprofits are participating in the contest – Bucks County SPCA, Livengrin Foundation and NOVA (Network of Victim Assistance)....

Joe Pastor and Arianna Crossland were supposed to get married last June, but coronavirus restrictions prevented that from happening. The new date was Sunday, June 6. However, in the meantime, Crossland developed serious health issues that forced postponement of the ceremony and reception, which were set for Celebrations, in Bensalem.

United Way of Bucks County is asking its neighbors to help fight hunger by unlocking a challenge gift. If the nonprofit can secure 250 gifts – donations of any size – between now and Tuesday, July 5, local couple Simon and Jane Hallett will donate $25,000 to Bucks Knocks Out Hunger, a fundraiser for local food pantries and a way to provide hunger relief to families struggling to get back on their feet.

Saturday, June 19 is Juneteenth National Freedom Day, marking June 19, 1865, when union soldiers reached Galveston, Texas, the furthest point in the south, with news of the end of the Civil War. Slaves there were previously unaware they had been freed more than two years earlier when President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, or that Confederate General Robert E. Lee had surrendered in Virginia two months earlier.

Kleinlife, located at 10100 Jamison Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia, received a grant of over $6,630 as part of the 2020-21 Subaru Share the Love event as a member of Meals on Wheels America. Meals on Wheels America is one of four national Share the Love partners supported by the campaign....

Pennsylvania veterans should be aware of people trying to poach their pension, warned the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. Pension poaching is a financial scam targeting veterans, survivors and their families who are eligible for VA benefits. “With today being World Elder Abuse Day, it is the perfect...

SCORE Bucks County is offering two free webinars in July for the local business community. New President, New Policies: What employers need to know to protect their business will be held July 7, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Led by employment attorney Christina M. Reger, founding partner of the...

On June 21, Andalusia Historic House, Gardens and Arboretum, 1237 State Road, will reopen the Biddle family’s early 19th-century Greek Revival home to guided tours for the 2021 season. The “Big House” has been closed since spring of last year due to COVID-19 restrictions. Visitors will be able to purchase...

The Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs announced the availability of $7 million in funding for entities to provide pregnancy support services or make referrals to address the needs of pregnant and postpartum women with substance use disorder. “We are deeply committed to the health and wellbeing of mothers and...

Several Bucks County organizations were announced as recipients of a new round of funding for housing programs, made available through the Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement fund. A total of $44.9 million was awarded for fiscal year 2020-21 to 223 housing and community development initiatives in 67 counties. The PHARE fund is managed by the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency.

United Way of Bucks County is once again hosting its Bucks Knocks Out Hunger food drive. During the pandemic, an additional 25,000 people in the county experienced food insecurity, many for the first time. Donations to the campaign will lift the burden of hunger for a struggling family. On Friday,...

The Department of Labor & Industry announced that a new version of the Pennsylvania Teleclaims System, which allows individuals to file for unemployment benefits by phone, is now online. PAT, which replaces a different file-by-phone system, is part of L&I’s new, modern Unemployment Compensation system, which was launched Tuesday. “PAT...

As COVID-19 restrictions finally lift, many of those who have worked from home since last March are returning to the office. This shift back to uncomfortable desks, conference room meetings and rush-hour commutes is something most employees weren’t looking forward to. But their annoyance over trading in sweats for dress pants is nothing compared to the feelings of someone else – their beloved pets, who had their favorite human as company all day, every day, for the past year.

Bensalem Emergency Medical Services recently unveiled a brand new ambulance that’s been retrofitted to safely transport patients with highly infectious diseases. According to Bensalem EMS executive director Tom Topley, it’s the first of its kind in Bucks County. “If somebody walks into a local hospital and they have a travel...

Penn Community Bank helped officially kick off the 2021 Penn Community Bank Amphitheater Summer Concert Series with the presentation of a $60,000 check to Bensalem Township. Participating in the on-stage presentation was Jeane M. Vidoni, Penn Community Bank president and CEO; township Mayor Joe DiGirolamo; Penn Community Bank team members; and members of Bensalem Township Council.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced that all driver license and photo centers will be closed Friday, June 18, in observance of Juneteenth. Juneteenth marks June 19, 1865, when union soldiers reached Galveston, Texas – the furthest point in the south – with news of the end of the Civil War. Enslaved people were previously unaware they had been freed more than two years earlier when President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, or that Confederate General Robert E. Lee had surrendered in Virginia two months earlier.

The deadline for older and disabled Pennsylvanians to apply for rebates on rent and property taxes paid in 2020 has been extended from June 30 to Dec. 31, announced the Department of Revenue. Claimants of the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program can file their rebate applications online at mypath.gov. The Department...

Bucks County Audubon Society, 2877 Creamery Road in New Hope, announced the following events for the month of July:. This takes place July 1, at 6:30 p.m. Keep bug-free this summer and don’t be afraid of mosquitoes during your July 4 picnics and outings. As part of The Art of Ecology, Marissa will guide participants around BCAS to search for and identify local herbs that can be used as insect repellent. She will instruct participants on the importance of insects to the ecosystem and how to avoid harsh insecticides with plant-based deterrents.

A number of Bensalem Township School District students participated in the 2021 Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science state competition. Twenty-six Bensalem High School students competed at the state level, with 11 receiving first place awards. They are Aayushi Patel, Sofia Ferrandez, Tiffany Gao, Brian Olsen, Mahi K. Patel, Zaid Shaik, Ali Ahmad, Kathleen Ho, Shiv Parekh, Mohak Parmar and Hugh Kominsky.

Bensalem Police recently announced the arrest of 25-year-old Ian Pisarchuk, of Bensalem, for his role in multiple sextortion cases and child pornography. The investigation started in October, when the Bensalem Township Police Department received a report that a juvenile was being harassed and threatened via the social media app Snapchat. An unknown subject threatened to post naked pictures of the juvenile female if she did not send more naked pictures to the unknown subject.