Property Tax/Rent Rebate Application Deadline Extended

PennDOT announced that construction activities will occur at night Thursday on northbound I-95 in Northeast Philadelphia.

Motorists are advised of the following travel restriction:

• Thursday, March 12 and Friday, March 13, from 7:00 PM to 5:00 AM the following morning, a lane closure will be in place on northbound I-95 between the Castor Avenue and Betsy Ross Bridge interchanges for sheet pile installation.

All scheduled activities are weather permitting. Motorists are advised to allow extra time for traveling on northbound I-95 because backups and delays will occur.

The sheet piles will help support the embankment during northbound reconstruction of I-95 between Wheatsheaf Lane and Margaret Street as part of PennDOT’s $355.3 million I-95/BR3 project.

Two Bensalem Police officers were recognized for their extraordinary service and life-saving actions at Monday night’s Council meeting.

Officer Mark Wildsmith was honored as the 2025 Bensalem Township Police Department officer of the Year.

Over the past year, Wildsmith demonstrated exceptional dedication to the community. His accomplishments include successfully handling a life-threatening critical incident, saving a man’s life by performing the Heimlich maneuver, assisting a suicidal veteran as part of the Bucks County Veterans Response Team, and arresting a suspect during a traffic stop who was in possession of a Glock handgun equipped with a “switch,” making it fully automatic, said officials.

Wildsmith also helped develop the department’s Jiu-Jitsu defensive tactics training program. He previously served as a Philadelphia Police Officer and is a proud United States Army veteran.

The second officer honored was Kristopher Harley who was recognized for his heroic actions during a call to a local hotel. When alerted that a child had drowned in the pool, Harley, officials said, immediately located the unresponsive child and began CPR. Through his quick and decisive actions, the child regained consciousness and began breathing on his own.

The child has since made a full recovery, officials said.

It was especially meaningful to have the two survivors in attendance at the meeting to personally thank the officers who saved their lives, officials noted.

State Representative Kristin Marcell (R-Bucks) announced that she will  run for re-election in 2026, pledging to continue her record of independent, common sense  service to the people of the 178th District. 

“Working together with legislators, community leaders, and residents, we are finding common  sense, common ground solutions to the challenges Pennsylvania faces while still holding strong  to the shared principles of our community,” said Marcell. “That is the kind of record people want  in today’s divided government, and the kind of service I will continue to provide if re-elected.” 

Marcell has made common sense and the ability to bring differing sides together a hallmark of  her time in Harrisburg, which is how she was able to pass legislation into law in a divided  government, and bring Pennsylvania’s protracted FY2025-26 budget stalemate to a positive end. 

“From the beginning of last year’s budget process, I made it clear that we needed to come  together to focus state spending on priorities like education and job creation, oppose ideological  policies that would increase energy costs for residents, and protect our state’s Rainy Day Fund,”  Marcell explained. “By joining with like-minded legislators from both sides of the aisle,  rejecting extreme partisan politics, and sticking to the core goals of our community, that is  exactly where we ended up.” 

Marcell’s commitment to putting solutions above partisanship has resulted in the passage of  several pieces of her legislation through divided government. Her initiatives to improve patient  safety and care in nursing homes; to educate the public about the dangers of human use of  xylazine; and, to address “porch piracy” have all become law.  

Marcell pledged to once again follow the philosophy that has served our community so well: do  what’s right for the people she serves.  

“I will continue to fight for responsible, bipartisan government that focuses on the priorities of  Bucks County. I know those priorities – spending tax dollars responsibly, improving our  education system, keeping our communities safe, and sparking the job growth that helps families  reach economic security – because I have listened to the people I represent,” said Marcell. 

Along with working for legislation that helps our state, Marcell has also built a strong record of  delivering for our local communities and residents. She has helped secure millions of dollars in grant funding for projects that benefit Bucks County, and delivered strong constituent services  that have helped thousands of residents address their issues with state government. 

Marcell was born and raised in Bucks County and graduated from local public schools. She holds  a Master’s degree in public policy from the George Washington University and a Bachelor of  Arts in Policial Science from the Pennsylvania State University. Prior to being elected to the  State House, Marcell spent more than two decades in the private sector, helping provide strategic  and communications counsel to businesses in numerous fields.  

Marcell and her husband, Steve, are the proud parents of two children and reside in Wrightstown with their dog, Lilo.

The 178th District includes the townships of Northampton, Upper Southampton, Warwick and Wrightstown.