• The money can be used to help residents, nonprofits, small businesses, industries and local governments that have been hurt by the pandemic.

State eases limits on restaurants, bars, other venues

• The higher limits take effect April 4, which happens to be Easter Sunday, as well as the final day of Passover.
• The changes in Pennsylvania follow moves around the country to loosen pandemic-related restrictions that have been in place one way or another for more than a year.
• The restrictions have been particularly difficult for restaurants and bars, which have cut tens of thousands of jobs as business plunged.

• Restaurants that don't self-certify can seat up to 50% of capacity, an increase over the current cap of 25%.
• Gyms, casinos and theaters, meanwhile, will be able to operate at 75% capacity.
• Indoor venues can operate at 25% capacity, while outdoor venues like baseball stadiums can move to 50%.
• The new venue limits follow an earlier loosening at the start of March.

• “We’ve come so far and now is not the time to stop the safety measures we have in place to protect ourselves, our families and our communities,” Wolf said in a statement. “Keep wearing a mask, social distancing, and, please, get vaccinated when it’s your turn.”
• Restaurants also have to wait several weeks, which drew some criticism from the industry.
• Other states have moved more quickly. John Longstreet, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association, said in a statement. "We would like to see the Governor allow the hospitality industry the opportunity to come back to business quicker, so that these businesses can survive this long period of disruption,"

• The application process for so-called CHIRP grants is under way in Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon and York counties.
• Restaurants also stand to benefit from a $28.6 billion federal grant program, signed into law last week by President Joe Biden.

Quick takes

• The acquisition extends West Shore Home into the Baltimore and Salisbury-area markets in Maryland, where Herl's had offices.
• West Shore Home has more than 20 additional offices in Pennsylvania, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas.
• The company has said previously it is on track for revenue of roughly $500 million this year.

• Discerning Eye Community Agriculture, a nonprofit focused on urban farming and gardening, founded by Hawa Lassanah.
• Eden Environments, an interior design and consulting firm that brings an environmentally friendly approach to workplace design, founded by Elizabeth Byler.
• Fit City Women, a virtual community for women's fitness and wellness, founded by Chelsea Christmas.
• FundoBooks, which has developed a cloud-based library management system for community libraries, founded by Lennon Mazonde.
• Lancaster Vegan Cheese Co., which sources cheese locally. Its founder is Sallie Tupper.

• The competition will be streamed live.
• The Great Social Enterprise Pitch was launched in 2014 by Assets and the Lancaster County Community Foundation.

• The initial pilot phase is now open and the agency is looking for its first projects to support, according to Scott Elliott, a spokesperson for the agency.
• The agency is inviting established developers and others in the private sector to contribute toward the fund. They could benefit from increased deal flow and satisfaction of regulatory requirements for community investments, Elliott wrote in an email.