When our newsroom recently revamped The Times-Tribune business Web page, I added a link you should check out.
The web page revamp cleans up the page and makes it easier for readers to find important business stories. But be sure to click the link toward the top left of the page, where you’ll be directed to the state Department of Agriculture’s food safety inspections.
On this website, you can view the inspection reports of restaurants and other food-related businesses. Search by a restaurant’s name, by city or search the entire county for the most recent inspections. Sadly, Scranton does its own inspections and they are not available on the site.
Like most things done by a government agency, the database search is painstakingly slow. But it’s worth going through. I do not envy the state’s inspectors, who find mouse droppings in convenience store snack aisles and food improperly cooked.
In one recent inspection at Y Knot Pub & Eatery in Moscow, an inspector found chicken thawing on a shelf above the stove (it was moved to a refrigerator during the inspection).
Inspectors also review school cafeterias, food trucks and even the booths at the Luzerne County Fair (despite the stereotypes with fair food, there was not egregious concerns last year from what I reviewed).
If you know where to look, government agencies have some really useful information. And here are a few ideas if you don’t know where to look:
- If you’re interested in who owns what company, start here (it’s possible you might need to click on “Businesses” toward the bottom, depending on the page to which this link sends you). The state Department of State search isn’t all encompassing, but it can help.
- Also on the state department website, if you want to know who is donating to candidates for state office, go here.
- Want to see license information on your accountant, nurse, chiropractor, nail technician, etc.? Go here.
- Check out state Department of Transportation traffic cameras here.
- Official PennDOT maps for all municipalities can be found here.
- To find out how many vehicles drive on the main routes in your community, go here and click on “Interactive Traffic Volume Map.” This is your official warning that this site, while really cool, is PennDOT-certified to crash your browser and make you break down crying. Oh, and for some reason it only works on one of the least-popular Web browsers, Internet Explorer.
- The Pennsylvania State Police 10 most wanted can be found here.
- Department of Health fact sheets on 100 different diseases and conditions can be found here.
