The Pennsylvania Turnpike’s open-road tolling system launches Sunday, according to a news release.

The system is in place for the turnpike east of Reading and on the Northeast Extension, the release says. Open-road tolling will start on the rest of the turnpike in 2027, it says.

Starting Sunday, turnpike tolls will be assessed by “gantries,” overhead structures with electronic devices. Equipment in the gantries will receive signals from drivers’ E-ZPass transponders or will read license plates and bill those drivers by mail.

Previously, tolls were assessed at transponders set up at toll booths. The turnpike commission decided in 2020 to go cashless, which led to the elimination of toll collector jobs.

The turnpike recommends travelers use E-ZPass transponders, which save drivers 50% on tolls.

The release says new standardization and vehicle classification changes will result in a toll cut or an increase of under $1 in 2025 for most drivers.

Construction is underway to increase the Northeast Extension from four lanes to six lanes for a six-mile stretch south of the Quakertown exit. That work should wrap up in 2025, according to the news release.

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Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has died at the age of 100.

Carter, who was also a distinguished Naval officer, author and humanitarian, passed away Sunday afternoon in Plains, Georgia.

Tributes for the longest-lived American president in U.S. history have poured in from leaders across the nation, including politicians in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. Take a look at the local reactions below:

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro

Gov. Shapiro ordered U.S. and Commonwealth flags on all Commonwealth facilities, public buildings and grounds across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to fly at half-staff immediately in honor of former President Carter.

The flags will remain lowered to half-staff until sunset on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2024. Gov. Shapiro invited all Pennsylvanians to participate in the tribute.

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker

Mayor Parker ordered all city of Philadelphia flags to be lowered to half-mast. She also posted the following statement on Carter’s death on Facebook.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy

Gov. Murphy released the following statement on Carter’s death:

“President Jimmy Carter was a man whose tremendous faith was equaled by his sense of moral courage and purpose. He saw a nation scarred by Watergate and sought to heal its wounds and restore its faith. He saw the promise for peace in the Middle East and took the first steps toward that elusive goal, including personally brokering a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt. He saw a world imperiled by the threat of nuclear war and endeavored to protect it. 

“In addition to his accomplishments in public office, it is what President Carter did when he did not have an official title that has solidified his place among our nation’s greatest citizens. He served in the United States Navy with distinction. And he committed his life after the White House to charitable endeavors large and small to better our world – to promote peace, to fight disease, and to house the homeless, among so much else. 

“We pray that, in rest, President Carter will be reunited with his beloved wife Rosalynn. And we are sending our prayers, as well, to their children Jack, James II, Donnel, and Amy, along with their families, and all who had the pleasure of knowing President Carter through the years.

“In his youth, few probably ever fathomed the lasting imprint this son of Plains, Georgia would leave on the world. He proved that good people, wanting nothing more than to do good, can excel in politics and life. And, as he leaves us, we are forever grateful.”

Delaware Governor John Carney

“Today, Tracey and I learned the sad news of the passing of former President Jimmy Carter. President Carter was a man of great faith and that faith inspired his service as Governor of Georgia and later as President of the United States. He was perhaps best known for the work he did after leaving office. He was a champion for peace and human rights at home and around the globe and was recognized for his efforts with the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. And he inspired many with the work he did for Habitat for Humanity well into his 90s. President Carter truly embodied what it means to be a public servant and we are grateful for the legacy he leaves behind.”

Pennsylvania House Democrats

Pennsylvania House Democratic leaders issued the following statement on Carter’s death:

“President Carter dedicated his life to serving the American people, from his time as a submariner in the nuclear navy to fighting for equality and civil rights as a Georgia state senator and then as governor. 

“As president, he guided the nation past the dark memory of Watergate. Here in Pennsylvania, he was a steady, calming voice during the Three Mile Island crisis. Always an engineer, he was among the first to identify and advance renewable energy policies that, had they been maintained, could have changed the world we live in today. 

“After his presidency, he became a world leader once again in the arena of human rights and democracy, for which he was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize, and for decades, he was the face—and the man swinging the hammer—for Habitat for Humanity.  

“Please join us in keeping former President Carter’s loved ones in your prayers as our nation mourns together.”

U.S. Senator Tom Carper 

Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) released the following statement on Carter’s death:

“President Carter was a man of unquestionable honor and integrity. From his time as a Navy midshipman to his years providing leadership from the White House, his life was defined by service. I know his legacy will live on with the good and necessary work of The Carter Center. President Carter lived an exceptional life, and our nation is better off because of his exemplary service. Martha and I are keeping his family in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. May he rest in peace.“

Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia CEO Corinne O’Connell

Carter worked extensively with Habitat for Humanity, the nonprofit organization that works to build affordable housing.

Carter first volunteered with the group in Americus, Georgia, in March 1984. Since then, Carter and his late-wife Rosalynn Carter worked with nearly 104,000 volunteers in 14 countries to build, renovate and repair 4,390 Habitat for Humanity homes.

After his death, Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia CEO Corinne O’Connell released the following statement.

Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia mourns the passing of President Jimmy Carter. During his life, President Carter rose to the most powerful office in the world and yet, remained grounded in his faith and rooted in his humble beginnings. 

President Carter spent much of his time post-presidency dedicated to Habitat for Humanity and helped to build 4,390 homes alongside more than 104,000 volunteers in 14 countries. For decades, he and his wife, Rosalynn, hosted the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project. The project attracts thousands of volunteers and continues to inspire millions around the world each year.

Locally, President Carter and Rosalynn worked alongside Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia staff, volunteers and homeowners to renovate five vacant houses on the 1900 block of Wilt Street in North Philadelphia in 1988 that were sold to first-time homebuyers. 

The world is a better place because of President Carter, and not just for the homes he had a hand in building. His emphasis on our shared humanity is an inspiration to all. Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia lifts the entire Carter family in our prayers.

Unemployed without compensation

Paul waited five weeks before his unemployment claim was approved.

The 36-year-old Chester man, whose full name the Tribune has agreed to withhold due to the sensitive nature of his situation, lost his job as a food and safety quality assurance specialist at the beginning of October. He said he had suffered some injuries in an automobile accident and struggled to work as efficiently as he did before the accident, so the company he worked for terminated his employment.

He applied for unemployment compensation soon after he lost his job, but didn’t hear anything for days and couldn’t get through to the unemployment office on the phone. Days turned into weeks.

While he waited, he struggled to pay his bills and got notice that he was being evicted from his home. He said he has nowhere else to go if he’s evicted.

“It almost puts you in a situation where, you know, you’re in a crisis. You don’t want that. Nobody wants that,” Paul said.

“It’s just me. But I can’t imagine if I had children or something. Then, it would be even worse.”

Paul contacted the Philadelphia Unemployment Project, and the team there was able to help him sort out the issues that were holding up his claim. He finally got approved in the middle of November.

He was lucky he didn’t have to file an appeal, or he might still be waiting.

Pennsylvania’s record low unemployment rate

Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate dropped to 3.4% in April 2023 and has been hovering around that number since, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. It’s the lowest the unemployment rate has been in over a decade, and the longest streak of low unemployment since 1976.

The state unemployment rate is lower than the national unemployment rate, which was 4.2% in November, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Even with the record low unemployment rate, Pennsylvania paid out $1.66 billion in unemployment benefits in 2023, according to an actuarial report from the state Department of Labor. The average payment was $453.22 per week. Data for 2024 is not yet available.

Pennsylvania not meeting federal unemployment payment standards

State and federal officials look at backlogs in unemployment compensation claims and appeals in terms of timeliness — how long it takes the state to issue a first payment or issue a decision on an appeal.

The Social Security Act requires states to pay out unemployment benefits “when due,” and federal regulations elaborate on that to mean “with the greatest promptness that is administratively feasible.”

States like Pennsylvania are in compliance with federal regulations if they issue first payments of unemployment benefits within 14 days for 87% of claims, and within 35 days for 93% of claims.

For much of this year, Pennsylvania was nowhere near meeting those standards.

In March, the state issued first payments within 14 days for only 38.05% of claims and within 35 days for 65.11% of claims, according to data from the U.S. Department of Labor. The numbers gradually improved throughout the year. And in November, Pennsylvania issued first payments within 14 days for 85.03% of claims and within 35 days for 93.89% of claims.

November was the first month that the state partially complied with federal regulations since April 2020.

Appeals are a bit more complicated. The state divides appeals into two categories: Lower-authority appeals are when an employer or unemployed person appeals the initial determination of eligibility or benefit amounts and a referee decides. Higher-authority appeals are when an employer or unemployed person escalates the appeal to the Unemployment Compensation Board of Review.

States are in compliance with federal regulations if they issue decisions within 30 days for at least 60% of lower-authority appeals, and within 45 days for 80% of lower-authority appeals.

Pennsylvania is not meeting that standard, and has not met it since February 2020.

Pennsylvania was closer to meeting standards earlier this year than it is now. In March, it issued decisions within 41 days for 49.13% of appeals, according to data from the U.S. Department of Labor. (Although the federal regulations set the benchmarks at 30 days and 45 days, they track data at 25 and 40 days.) The response rate has generally dropped throughout the year. In November, the state issued decisions within 41 days for only 36.06% of appeals, according to data from the U.S. Department of Labor.

Federal data shows that, in November, first-level appeals sat in the state system for an average of 70 days before a referee issued a decision.

The state is doing better with responding to appeals now than it was from 2021 to 2023.

Federal data shows that, in July 2022, state referees issued decisions within 41 days for only 17.32% of first-level appeals. At that point, the average age of appeals in the state system was 194 days — about 6½ months.

By October 2022, the state was issuing decisions on a greater percentage of first-level appeals, but the average age of first-level appeals in the system was 244 days — about eight months.