Pennsylvania
Adults with intellectual disabilities may wait years for services. Shapiro's budget would help
This story originally appeared on Spotlight PA.
Tristan Rovito finally moved out of his mother’s house this month. The 25-year-old had wanted to leave since at least 2019, and his mother, Becky Bowling of Carlisle, had been trying to make that happen for a while.
But for Rovito, flying the nest was not as simple as finding an apartment and a couple of roommates. He has autism and low vision, which limit his social and communication skills, and his ability to care for himself.
Before the move, Bowling had been his caregiver around the clock, but the work was difficult and required her to quit her job. The situation was not sustainable, she told How We Care, which is why she needed her son to live on his own in a group home.
“I feel like my mom needs to have a lot of breaks from me,” said Rovito, who admits he was also itching for a change.
Both of them are thrilled that Rovito now lives in a group home, the entire cost of which is covered by a waiver from Pennsylvania’s Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services program.
A group home is a supervised residence for adults with autism and intellectual disabilities. It’s staffed by direct support professionals who assist Rovito and his two roommates with tasks like light housework, personal hygiene, and meal preparation.
“It’s going good,” said Rovito, who reports that his new roommates are nice and that he looks forward to spending more time with his girlfriend.
It took a long wait for him to get these services, a common experience in Pennsylvania.
Because the level of need exceeds what’s appropriated in the state budget, adults with autism and intellectual disabilities in the commonwealth spend months, if not years, waiting for waivers that pay for services, to which they’re entitled as Medicaid beneficiaries. April data from the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services show nearly 13,000 adults are on waitlists to receive these services. A 2022 report from DHS found that the median amount of time that people spend on all waiver waitlists is 2.6 years.
Once Rovito got the approval to be added to a waiver waitlist, it took nine months for a group home spot to open up. He describes these months of limbo as a “nightmare.”
“That period of time was really hard on both of us,” seconded Bowling. During the nine-month wait, she said they wondered “‘You know, is it going to happen?’”
Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget proposal includes $78 million that would allow the Office of Developmental Programs to increase the number of waiver slots by 1,500 so that people like Rovito don’t need to wait so long for spots at group homes, as well as other services. The waiver program gives families access to a range of services, including various therapies, shift nursing, job counseling, respite for caregivers, and assistance with daily living tasks such as personal hygiene, transportation, and budgeting.
Legislative leaders, including Democrats who control the state House and Republicans who run the state Senate, are currently negotiating what the final budget deal will look like ahead of the June 30 deadline.
“The governor put a lot on the table with his budget proposal. While accommodating all his requests is not feasible, this is an area I certainly feel a need to address to the best of our ability,” said state Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R., Indiana) in an emailed statement.
Pennsylvania was recognized as one of the top state pavilions at America’s 250th birthday celebration, receiving one of the event’s “Best in Show” honors during the closing ceremony at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall.
The recognition comes just weeks after Senators Dave McCormick (R-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA) partnered with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and a coalition of 55 Pennsylvania organizations, businesses, and industry partners to ensure the Commonwealth had a pavilion at the Great American State Fair. The bipartisan effort was made possible entirely through private partnerships without the use of a single taxpayer dollar.
Joining Senators McCormick and Fetterman in this effort were the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, PennAg Industries Association, and the Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association (PMA), alongside more than 50 additional Pennsylvania organizations, businesses, and industry partners whose support helped bring the Commonwealth’s exhibit to life.
“Pennsylvania’s story is America’s story, and this recognition is a tribute to everyone who helped bring that story to life,” said Senator McCormick. “From Independence Hall and Valley Forge to our farms, factories, and innovators, the Commonwealth has shaped our nation for 250 years. I’m grateful to Senator Fetterman, Secretary Rollins, and our outstanding Pennsylvania partners for ensuring Pennsylvania had a presence worthy of our history.”
“I’m incredibly proud of all the Pennsylvanians that showed up to make sure our Commonwealth had the spotlight it deserved right there on the National Mall during America’s 250th birthday. It earned this recognition,” said Senator Fetterman. “What makes Pennsylvania truly awesome are the men, women, and children who call it home. Our farmers, steelworkers, small business owners, and so many more. Those who visited the pavilion got to see a glimpse of some of the very best of us and our history, and I’m grateful to Senator McCormick, Secretary Rollins, and all who made this a massive success.”
The Pennsylvania pavilion highlights the Commonwealth’s central role in America’s story — from the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the sacrifices at Valley Forge to Gettysburg, the Arsenal of Democracy, and the Commonwealth’s continued leadership in agriculture, manufacturing, energy, innovation, and small business. Visitors also explored exhibits featuring many of Pennsylvania’s iconic companies and products, spotlighting the industries and communities driving the Commonwealth’s economy today.
During the closing ceremony, Freedom 250 recognized several outstanding state pavilions from across the country. Pennsylvania received one of the event’s “Best in Show” honors, recognizing the Commonwealth’s exhibit as one of the premier state pavilions at the Great American State Fair.
Representatives from Senator McCormick’s office accepted the Best in Show award during a recognition ceremony on the Freedom Stage Friday afternoon at the Great American State Fair.
MIFFLIN COUNTY, Pa. (WHP) — Thousands of people gathered to watch one of the world’s largest operating steam locomotive make several stops in Pennsylvania.
Union Pacific’s “Big Boy” No. 4014 made stops in Lebanon, Lewistown, Pittston, Rockville, among other locations.
CBS 21 Meteorologist and Chief Drone Pilot Ed Russo captured video during its stops in central Pennsylvania.
MORE | Big Boy steam locomotive draws massive crowd in Lebanon
Pennsylvania
Here’s how to see Big Boy, the world’s largest steam locomotive, in western Pennsylvania
The historic Big Boy No. 4014, the world’s largest operating steam locomotive, is rolling through western Pennsylvania on Saturday, ending with a stop in Leetsdale.
Called the “Elvis Presley” of steam locomotives, the legendary Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 has been crossing the country to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. It celebrated the Fourth of July in Philadelphia, and now it’s coming back through the Pittsburgh area before making its way back home west.
Where will Big Boy stop in Western Pennsylvania?
Big Boy will stop in Leetsdale on Saturday at 6:15 p.m. Before then, it will roll through multiple other communities.
According to both Union Pacific and train experts KDKA consulted with, the tentative Saturday, July 11, schedule is as follows:
- 9 a.m. – Leaves Altoona
- 9:30 a.m.-10 a.m. – Stop at Horseshoe Curve National Historic Site
- 10:45 a.m.-11:15 a.m. – Stop in Cresson, Pennsylvania
- About 1:30 p.m. – Roll through Derry, Pennsylvania
- About 1:35 p.m. – Roll through Bradenville, Pennsylvania
- About 1:45 p.m. – Roll through Latrobe, Pennsylvania
- About 2:15 p.m. – Roll through Greensburg, Pennsylvania
- About 2:35 p.m. – Roll through Jeannette, Pennsylvania
- Time TBD – Roll through South Side Flats/Station Square along the Monongahela River. Big Boy will cross the Ohio River on the bridge over Brunot Island.
- 6:15 p.m.-6:45 p.m. – Stop in Leetsdale, Pennsylvania. From the Borough of Leetsdale: the viewing location for Big Boy will be at Ferry Street Railroad Crossing near the Subway.
Other times and locations for roll-throughs have not been determined yet.
And while Union Pacific wants everyone to come out and see the Big Boy, they want everyone to be safe. They’re reminding people to stay 25 feet off the tracks and never cross or put anything on the tracks, especially when the Big Boy is rolling through.
What is Big Boy No. 4014?
Built in 1941 to haul massive military and freight loads over the Wasatch Mountains during World War II, the Big Boy was one of just 25 locomotives ever built.
“It is just an astounding piece of machinery,” Ian Luconti from Friendship, Pennsylvania, said while seeing Big Boy in Altoona. “I don’t know how somebody could wake up one day and say, ‘I’m going to build a steam engine.’ I just wanted to come and see it. It’s historic, there’s only a couple of them in the world that I know of.”
Today, only eight others survive on display across the country. But after a years-long restoration led by engineer Ed Dickens and his crew, Big Boy No. 4014 is the only one still under steam and operating on America’s rails.
“It brings people together,” Dickens said. “It brings communities together, it brings everyone together, and it’s brought our companies together in a way that is necessary to do this and it is a lot to pull off.”
And just how big is the Big Boy? It carries about 25,000 gallons of water, weighs roughly 1.2 million pounds, and stretches 133 feet from end to end — nearly 60 feet longer than a typical diesel locomotive, making it the largest operating steam locomotive in the world.
As part of America’s 250th anniversary, Big Boy No. 4014 has been on a coast-to-coast tour, crossing the Mississippi River and into the Ohio Valley for the first time since it was built in New York in 1941. Thousands of people gathered to watch it in Erie County when it came to Pennsylvania for the first time.
“I think I can speak for all of us: it’s a trip of a lifetime,” said Dickens. “And we are people that are accustomed to seeing large crowds turning out for the Big Boy. The crowds turning out for this locomotive are in the millions. And it’s just mile after mile of this heartwarming emotion that is just beautiful to see.”
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