NO LEAP SECOND THIS YEAR: The International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service announced in July 2020 that there’d be no leap second added to the world’s official timekeeping in December 2020.
The last leap second was December 31, 2016. Since leap seconds are always added on the last day of June or December, the next possible date for a leap second is June 30, 2021.
Leap seconds have been added 27 times since 1972. There were leap seconds added on June 30, 2015, and on June 30, 2012.
They’re always added to the world’s clocks at 23 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), on either June 30 or December 31.
The extra second is added to our official timekeeping mainly to keep our increasingly electronic world in sync.
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ROUTE 6: Pennsylvania Humanities Council’s network of Community Heart & Soul towns will continue to grow in 2021 with the addition of new sites along Pennsylvania’s historic Route 6 corridor.
Selected towns will be paired with a trained coach and receive funding from PHC, along with eligibility for a matching grant from the Department of Community & Economic Development.
Community Heart & Soul® is a humanities-based, resident-driven community planning process that cultivates a shared sense of belonging among residents, engages them in thinking critically and creatively about community life, and involves them in decision-making and development — all as a way to strengthen a town’s social, cultural and economic vibrancy.
The new sites will be announced in February.
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DRIVER LICENSE CENTERS CLOSED: The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has announced that all driver license and photo centers, including the Riverfront Office Center in Harrisburg, will be closed Friday, Jan. 1, 2021, in observance of the New Year’s Day holiday.
Customers may still obtain a variety of driver and vehicle products and services, including all forms, publications and driver training manuals, online through PennDOT’s Driver and Vehicle Services website, www.dmv.pa.gov.
There are no additional fees for using online services.
