Arek Olson joined Nebraska Athletics in August 2025 as the Assistant AD of Special Events. Olson is responsible for developing the vision and strategy for securing and executing a variety of special events including external concerts, corporate functions, tradeshows, conferences, private events and banquets. He also assists with services incoming campus and internal special event requests.

Prior to Nebraska, Olson served as Director of Event Operations at the University of Arkansas from August 2021 until August 2025. His primary duties included oversight of all special events, facility changeovers and set ups, facility master calendar and scheduling, inventories, and camps and clinics. Olson also aided in facility maintenance and event management. While with the Razorbacks, Olson helped bring several first-ever public special events to campus including a stadium concert (Garth Brooks), an arena concert (Alan Jackson), an e-sports convention (Rewired Fest), and an arena comedy show (Theo Von). Administratively, Olson implemented a first-ever public tour offering and led the switch to a facility master calendar on Teamworks. He also served as Assistant Director of Championships for the NCAA Gymnastics Regional in 2024.

From August 2018 until August 2021, Olson served as Assistant Director of Facilities and Events at Lehigh University. His primary responsibilities included the management and staffing of over 120 part-time event staff, special event planning and execution, General Managerial duties of the Mulvihill Golf Learning Center, access control, and event manager for a variety of Mountain Hawk athletic programs.

From July 2017 until July 2018, Olson worked as Facilities and Event Operations intern at Syracuse University. His primary sport responsibilities included women’s tennis, women’s soccer and women’s volleyball. In addition, he worked on several facility improvement projects and special events. Olson also worked for the Carrier Dome on campus completing facility changeovers as Operations Assistant from August 2016 until July 2018. 

A native of Wellsville, New York, Olson earned his bachelor’s degree (2016) from Cazenovia College (Summa Cum Laude), master’s degree (2018) from Syracuse University and is currently pursuing his doctorate at East Tennessee State University (expected 2027). Olson was a student-athlete and played baseball at Keuka College from 2013-2014 and Cazenovia College from 2015-2016. His hobbies include working out, socializing with friends, singing, being outdoors, attending events, and playing basketball or golf. Arek and his wife Sam have one child, a daughter, Winnie, and a cat, Molly, and reside in Lincoln.

WILKES-BARRE — The Shapiro Administration officials emphasized the importance of ensuring kids have enough to eat year-round and touted Pennsylvania’s participation once again this year in the SUN Bucks program, a federally funded summer benefit that helps eligible families purchase fresh food and groceries at retailers around Pennsylvania.

Catherine Stetler, Department of Human Services special assistant to the secretary, and Carrie Rowe, Department of Education acting secretary, stood alongside partners from Feeding Pennsylvania and the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank this week to promote the SUN Bucks program — a federally funded summer, serving lunch to kids at a SUN Meals Summer Food Service location.

This is the SUN Bucks program’s second year and the second time of participation for Pennsylvania.

SUN Bucks is a federal program that provides eligible children with a SNAP-like benefit to purchase food for the summer months when school is not in session. Most benefits will be issued beginning in late July for summer 2025.

All 2025 SUN Bucks benefits will be issued by the end of September. Most eligible children will receive the benefit automatically and do not need to apply, including those who already receive free and reduced-price school meals through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) during the school year.

Households that need to apply must apply by Aug. 31 to receive a benefit for summer 2025. Families can use the Sun Bucks Eligibility Navigator to see if they need to complete an online application.

Free or reduced-priced meals during the school year provide critical nutrition to students that is an essential foundation for learning and positive child development.

As a result of universal free breakfast, more students are able to start the day with a nutritious, filling breakfast: in 2024, more than 90 million breakfast meals were served in schools — that’s nearly 10 million more meals than were served the previous school year.

During the summer months, these same students and families may be strained by higher food bills when school is closed. SUN Bucks provides a one-time payment of $40 per summer month ($120 maximum) per eligible child. An estimated 1.3 million children in Pennsylvania will qualify for this program for Summer 2025.

Most children who will receive SUN Bucks are automatically eligible and do not need to apply. If families already have an EBT card, SUN Bucks benefits will be automatically added to this card, if possible.

For more information, go to https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dhs/resources/summer-ebt.

State lawmakers to introduce bipartisan legislation to regulate AI use in health care

Artificial Intelligence is being rapidly implemented across the health care industry by insurers, hospitals and clinicians.

It has been utilized for patient care, billing, research, claims management, utilization reviews and assessments of cost-effectiveness.

To ensure all Pennsylvanians, especially patients, can be assured that this technology is being used in a beneficial manner, state Reps. Arvind Venkat, Joe Hogan, Tarik Khan, Bridget Kosierowski and Greg Scott are proposing bipartisan legislation that would regulate the application of AI in health care.

The legislation would provide new regulations for how AI is utilized and reported by insurers, hospitals and clinicians. These groups would need to provide transparency to patients and the public as to how AI is being used in their companies or practice settings.

“As the only physician in the General Assembly, I have seen the rapid growth of AI usage in health care in real time,” said Venkat, D-Allegheny.

To prevent clinicians from overly relying on AI, the legislation would also ensure that a human decision-maker would make the ultimate decision based on an individualized assessment when AI is used by insurers, hospitals or clinicians.

The legislation would also require an attestation by insurers to the PA Department of Insurance and hospitals and clinicians to the PA Department of Health that bias and discrimination already prohibited by state law have been minimized in their usage of AI and the providing of evidence of how that determination was made.

“As a nurse for nearly 30 years, I know our health system depends on experienced human decision makers making assessments on an individualized basis,” said Kosierowski, D-Lackawanna. “With the introduction of AI, we need experienced doctors and nurses even more now to assess the accuracy of AI to ensure that bias and discrimination haven’t influenced its findings. This bill would protect patients and provide the guardrails needed to ensure AI is used responsibly and effectively in the health care industry in our commonwealth.”

The lawmakers plan to formally introduce the legislation soon.

Rep. Walsh to host concealed carry seminar Thursday, July 31, in Nescopeck

Walsh invites constituents from the 117th Legislative District to attend his upcoming concealed carry seminar.

The event will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, July 31, in Cornerstone Bible Church, 208 Church Road, Nescopeck. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m.

The seminar will be presented by Luzerne County District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce. Attendees will learn about Pennsylvania’s Castle Doctrine and the process for acquiring a permit to carry a concealed weapon.

“This is a great opportunity for constituents interested in concealed carrying to learn more about the process of getting a permit and the laws in our state,” said Walsh. “The right to bear arms is clearly spelled out in the Pennsylvania and United States constitutions. I hope people take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about Pennsylvania’s laws, so they can be effective advocates for our rights and confident in their ability to legally defend themselves.”

To register or ask a question about the seminar, contact Walsh’s Dallas office at 570-675-6000, or his Sugarloaf office at 570-359-2138.

Sen Langerholc to introduce additional legislation to repeal vehicle emissions testing

Sen. Wayne Langerholc, Jr. (R-35) this week announced his intent to introduce legislation that will repeal Pennsylvania’s outdated and burdensome vehicle emissions testing program.

Since taking office, Langerholc has led the fight to reform this flawed mandate. Earlier this year, the Senate passed Senate Bill 35, which removes Blair, Cambria, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mercer and Westmoreland counties from the emissions testing program, and Senate Bill 149, which exempts the five most recent model year vehicles from testing requirements.

The Trump Administration is now moving to repeal federal vehicle emissions standards and to reverse the determination that new motor vehicles and engines pose a threat to public health and welfare. Langerholc’s legislation would align Pennsylvania with these federal actions, eliminating a costly and unnecessary requirement on motorists.

“This commonsense legislation is about putting working Pennsylvanians first,” said Langerholc. “Emissions testing is an outdated government mandate that serves no legitimate purpose other than cost hardworking Pennsylvanians that live in certain counties additional dollars during inspection time. It is high time to end this program. I won’t stop fighting until we get this done.”

The federal Vehicle Emissions Inspection and Maintenance (I/M) program currently mandates annual emissions testing in 25 Pennsylvania counties. Senate Bill 35 and Senate Bill 149 await consideration in the House Transportation Committee.