Jul 19, 2024 3 min read

HIT: The recent addition of the drug Kislunla to aid in the treatment of the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease is being applauded by victims and caregivers alike. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted approval to the drug earlier this month, and Denise Galloni is among those who are grateful to have one more option available for families who are battling the disease. Galloni, of Bethel Park, who lost her mother to Alzheimer’s last year, said the drug would not have helped her, “but it’s really going to help these family members when they learn that someone who has dementia will have some more time and have a better quality of life.” Kisunla is used to treat adults with early symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease, which includes mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia. “This is real progress,” said Dr. Joanne Pike, Alzheimer’s Association president and CEO. “Having multiple treatment options is the kind of advancement we’ve all been waiting for – all of us who have been touched, even blindsided, by this difficult and devastating disease.”

HIT: The Observer-Reporter has reported on the headwinds colleges and universities have been facing over the last several years, particularly those that are part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) like PennWest University. Those institutions have faced decreasing enrollment as a result of demographic factors that are beyond their control, but also because costs have been escalating for the mostly low- and middle-income students who attend PASSHE campuses. The good news is that in-state, undergraduate students will be getting a break in the 2024-25 school year thanks to a decision to freeze tuition. It’s the seventh straight year that the board of governors has frozen tuition, and it’s estimated that it has saved students nearly 25% in tuition costs when you compare it to what the price could have been if tuition had continued to climb. Chancellor Dan Greenstein said, “Keeping tuition frozen for a seventh consecutive year will help more students get a college education and deliver on PASSHE’s mission to provide a quality higher education at the lowest cost to students.”

HIT: Sometimes, it takes a bit of time to right a wrong. For Ron Goron it took 60 years. On Saturday, Goron received a Certificate of Merit from the Boy Scouts for his role in saving the life of a fellow Scout. In December 1963, Goron, Rich Dunston and William Leighty were sledding in Connellsville when Leighty’s sled went over a short cliff. When Goron and Dunston got to Leighty, they realized he’d hit his head and stopped breathing. While Dunston stayed to render first aid, Goron ran for help. Through their combined efforts, Leighty survived. Several months later, Dunston was honored by the Scouts. Goron did not receive the same recognition. It always bothered Dunston, he said, so he set about getting his friend the same commendation he received. It was a surprise to Goron, who received the Certificate of Merit during a Mass at Immaculate Conception Church in Connellsville. He accepted the honor humbly, and brushed the praise for his actions aside. “It was my job,” he said.