Benton Area Rodeo Begins Tonight, Runs Through July 21

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The Benton Rodeo grounds

The 35th edition of the Benton Rodeo, voted one of the best of over 65 rodeos held east of the Mississippi River by the American Professional Rodeo Association, gets underway tonight and runs through Sunday, July 21 at the Benton Rodeo Grounds.

The Rodeo brochure has all pertinent information, including ticket, schedule, vendors, sponsors and more. All shows are presented rain or shine. The shows scheduled for tonight and Wednesday night, July 16-17, are free admissions, while the championship rodeo is scheduled for July 18-20 and the Bull-A-Rama on July 21. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the door or by calling 570-437-0081. For more information, visit the Benton Rodeo’s website.

On Saturday, July 20, there will be a leukemia/lymphoma cure walk/run at 8 a.m., followed by the special kids roundup at 10 a.m., a special show exclusively for kids with special needs and their families. These events raise money for their respective causes, and the special kids roundup has in the past benefited Chamber members such as the Danville Child Development Center and Camp Victory. 

Sponsors of the Benton Rodeo include Chamber members A.O. Rent, Ken Pollock Ford Lincoln, Seven Mountains Media, The River 105 & 103.5, Steve Shannon Tire & Auto, WVIA, Williams, First Columbia Bank & Trust, Alexander Family Dealerships, Mahindra of Bloomsburg, Sokol Quarries, Atlantic Broadband , Geisinger Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital, and WYOU/WBRE.

Welcome Back Peters Consultants, Inc.

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More than 400 businesses and organizations belong to the Chamber to receive benefits and support efforts to strengthen their businesses and our region. Increased membership allows us to offer additional programs and benefits, have a stronger voice in advocacy and be involved in more activities and initiatives in our communities. The Chamber welcomes its newest member, Peters Consultants, Inc., to help us fulfill our mission.

Previously a Chamber member that the Chamber is happy to welcome back after a brief absence, Peters Consultants, Inc. was founded in 1976 by owner Dennis Peters, and it recently celebrated its 40th anniversary. It is a full-service consulting engineering/design firm with locations in both Bloomsburg and Berwick, and has been providing consulting services in the engineering, environmental and land surveying disciplines to municipal, authorities, commercial, industrial and private clients for more than 40 years. It is located at 40 West Main St., in Bloomsburg and 100 Robbins Ave. in Berwick, and can be reached at 570-387-0334 or 570-752-4433. Visit its website or Facebook page for additional information.

Commonwealth Health Welcomes New Providers to Berwick Hospital Center Campus

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The Chamber stopped by the Berwick Hospital Center campus for a ribbon cutting on Thursday afternoon, July 11, to help welcome three providers to their new practice location on the hospital campus. All three previously practiced at different Commonwealth Health locations before recently relocating to physician office buildings on the East 16th St. campus in Berwick.

Dr. Kathy Baylor (family medicine), Dr. Ayesha Usman (OB/GYN) and Dr. Anton Georgiev (general surgery) are all now located on the Berwick Hospital Center campus. To schedule an appointment with any of these providers, call Berwick Hospital Center at 570-759-5000.

Traditional Home Health Cuts Ribbon on New Berwick Office

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The Chamber was on hand Thursday, July 11 to help welcome Traditional Home Health Care to Berwick with a ribbon cutting. Traditional, which opened a home care office on West Front St. in downtown Berwick last year, recently opened a second office for its home health services on East 3rd St., just a short walk away from its home care office.

Traditional Home Health Care provides in-home medical care for its clients, while its home care business handles non-medical care.

Legislation Brings Fairness to PA Brewpubs

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A bill passed by the State Legislature in late June and signed into law by Governor Wolf brings fairness to sales at Pennsylvania brewpubs. In July, 2018, the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue (DOR) put out a tax bulletin requiring Pennsylvania breweries to collect a six percent sales tax for every dollar of beer sold directly to consumers via taprooms, tasting rooms, and brewpubs. Other restaurants pay sales tax on the wholesale amount (keg, case, etc.). The application of this tax was set to go into effect July 1, 2019. Earlier this year, the Chamber joined the statewide brewers guild in calling for a fix that provided fairness to the industry.

Under this bill, which amends the Tax Code, breweries will pay the sales tax on 25 percent of the retail sale, having the effect of taxing the wholesale amount. The Brewers of Pennsylvania applauded the General Assembly for passing the legislation. “The Brewers of Pennsylvania, in conjunction with the Governor’s office, were able to bring fairness and parity to sales tax collection among restaurants, taverns, grocery stores, and brewery taprooms across Pennsylvania,” said Chris Lampe, BOP President.

In April, the Chamber sent a letter to Senator John Gordner and Representatives Kurt Masser and David Millard asking that the industry be treated equitably in the assessment of sales tax. All three voted in favor of the legislation. The update will take effect October 1, 2019.