UNEMPLOYMENT: Unemployment rates are higher than in 2019, but they are showing signs that COVID-19 is declining and allowing people to return to work.

According to Wallethub.com, Pennsylvania’s weekly unemployment claims are higher than they were in 2019, but fortunately they are much lower than the same week of March in 2020 (the second week).

According to the report released, claims increased by 61.65% compared to the same week in 2019, the 6th smallest increase in the U.S.

Meanwhile, claims were 94.7% higher this week in 2020, compared to current statistics. This was the second biggest decrease in the United States.

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BOBCATS: The Penn State Extension recently wrote about bobcats in their “Woods and Wildlife” newsletter. We thought now would be a great time to share a few facts our readers might (or might not) already know about these elusive creatures.

Bobcats (Lynx rufus) are a part of the local ecosystem, but they aren’t something typically seen by the average resident. They are “crepuscular,” meaning they are active in early morning from predawn to after sunrise and early evening from twilight to midnight. They are solitary animals, coming together only to mate and when females are with kits.

Bobcats have territorial home ranges that vary in size based on location and sex, with males having an average home range of 16 square miles and females averaging 7 square miles.

The animals are usually around twice the size of a housecat, with the stubby tail that gives them their name.

The bobcat is native to most of North America and is the only feline predator, aside from feral domestic cats, found in Pennsylvania.

Bobcats occupy most of the state with few or no bobcats found in the northwest and southeast corners of the state due to either high human populations and/or lack of suitable habitat.

In terms of habitat, bobcats tend to prefer wooded areas, either deciduous or coniferous. In some parts of their range, they utilize shrublands, grasslands, swamps, and even deserts.