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Wilkes-Barre man dies while facing child rape charges; coroner seeks family

VIRUS DIARY: The singing stopped, and the emptiness arrived

PLAINS TWP. &mdash; A special message arrived from Wico van Genderen, President & CEO of the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce.
				It was about the 2020 Census.
				Wico&rsquo;s message encourages us all to be counted in the 2020 Census and why it is so important to you, your business, our community, our county, and our economy.
				Wico tells us why:
				&#8226; Each person counted in the U.S. Census equates to $2,100 in additional revenue to our county from the federal government.
				&#8226; A family of four would equate to $8,400 in federal funding.
				&#8226; Luzerne County with an estimated population of 300,000-plus (*based on our 2010 Census) would drive $630 million in federal revenue into our county.
				&#8226; Conversely, if we are under-counted by 1% or 3,000 citizens, we are underfunded &mdash; and lose $6.3 million in federal funding into our county.
				Wico said our federal and state government will use 2020 Census statistics to determine how to allocate and spend billions of dollars annually for critical public services, including hospitals, schools, roads, and bridges, which in turn will generate opportunities for private sector businesses.
				He said business owners and entrepreneurs can use Census Bureau population statistics to make informed decisions &mdash; from determining where to open additional locations and create jobs, to what type of businesses are needed to serve the county. Responses from the 2020 Census help business leaders drive economic growth.
				&ldquo;Clearly, the pandemic has caused major issues with school, township and county budgets with two likely outcomes &mdash; a cut in county programs/services, or an increase in taxes,&rdquo; Wico said. &ldquo;But, an easy and positive outcome to keep county programs/services intact and help to reduce our collective tax burden is to maximize the revenue our county receives from the federal government through the 2020 Census.&rdquo;
				As of today, Wico reports that Luzerne County is just under 60% for those who have filled out the Census. That is below the state, below neighboring Lackawanna County, and is far below where it should be, he said. But, Wico said, you can be a change agent to that statistic by filling out the form and ensuring your employees, peers, and family do the same.
				&ldquo;Shape our future &mdash; take the 2020 census,&rdquo; Wico said. &ldquo;It is safe, secure, and only takes a few minutes.&rdquo;
				You can take the census by visiting &mdash; 2020census.gov, my2020census.gov, or by calling 1-844-330-2020, or by returning the documents that were mailed to you.
				The form takes about five minutes to complete with only 10 questions, and doing so can help generate millions of dollars for our roads, schools, infrastructure, and economy.
				In early March, Larry Newman, executive director of the Diamond City partnership, and Ted Wampole, executive director of the Luzerne County Convention and Visitors Bureau, talked about the importance of participating in Census 2020.
				Wampole said an accurate account of the region&rsquo;s population us vital in securing federal funding for projects.
				Newman and Wampole said much is at stake in the 2020 Census. Since Census numbers are used to determine funding toward schools, health centers, public transportation, and more, ensuring that all communities are accurately counted is crucial. An accurate count also is essential to fair political representation.
				Take their advice. Take the time. Fill out the Census 2020 form.
				We&rsquo;re all counting on you.

Coping with Corona: Census 2020 — we’re counting on you