Congrats Big Macs!

In a thrilling comeback that included winning five straight matches, wrestlers from Canon-McMillan High School became only the second WPIAL team in history to win a state AAA team championship.

The Big Macs defeated the District 10 champs McDowell High School 35-20 to bring home the crown after falling behind early.

In recognition of their accomplishment, I presented the athletes and coaches with Senate citations .

To see more photos of the event, click here.

Dogged Effort Leads to Rescue and Arrest

, the result of years of coordinated effort among state and local officials and the Humane Society of the United States.

In January, I got a call from Sarah Speed, HSUS, asking for help in coordinating law enforcement agencies in their effort to end a local dog fighting operation that had managed to escape prosecution for more than a decade.

Local police recently arrested Daryl Bryant of Homewood after a coordinated raid on his mother’s home. Having witnessed the operation, it left me with conflicting emotions. 

It’s sad to see what people will do to innocent animals for their own entertainment, but it’s also uplifting to know that there are people dedicated to ending the cruelty despite years of frustration.

One of those frustrations is the difficulty in gathering evidence of dog fighting activities since the operators move frequently and cover their tracks.  I am working on legislation that mirrors successful drug laws, making possession of certain dog fighting paraphernalia a crime.

I offer my congratulations to everyone involved in the Wilkinsburg bust and a warning to those who continue the cruelty of dog fighting: We will come back to bite you. 

You can watch a news video of the bust by clicking here.

Celebrating Black History Month at Lemoyne Center

In commemoration of Black History Month, I visited the Lemoyne Center in Washington to see the great work being done there and talk about Pennsylvania’s pivotal role in the emancipation of African-Americans after centuries of slavery.

Sitting on the Mason-Dixon Line, Pennsylvania abolitionists were critical to the operation of the Underground Railroad and Dr. Francis Julius Lemoyne, for whom the center is named, was one of the most prominent. His home at 49 East Maiden Street was the first of six Pennsylvania stops on the Underground Railroad to be named a National Historic Landmark.

Today, the Lemoyne Center is busy in making sure the effort of emancipation reaches its goal of equality by allowing every young person in the community a chance at a good education and a healthy start in life.

Income-Tax Help Still Available by Appointment

My next free income-tax return preparation session will be at my Washington office on March 12 from 10 a.m. until noon.

Appointments are necessary so we can fit everyone in. Please call my at 724-746-3762 to arrange a time.

The help is open to anyone who earned less than $50,000 in 2011, regardless of the number of persons living in their household. I’m proud to be partnering with Community Action Southwest to offer this free, basic, online income tax filing assistance. CAS will be holding sessions across the region through April 5. I'll be hosting again at my Canonsburg office on March 20th.  

Click here to find more locations for tax help.