(North Sewickley Twp., Pa.) Pa State Police in Gibsonia are reporting that they were called to the scene of a one vehicle accident on the Pa Turnpike in North Sewickley at 8:05 AM on Tuesday, May 31, 2022.
Troopers said upon arriving on the scene an investigating it was learned that 29-year-old Patrick Yunker from Koppel fell asleep at the wheel of the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu that he was driving. Yunker’s vehicle left the roadway while traveling west bound and struck an embankment. Yunker wasn’t injured in the accident and was given a warning for not driving properly on roadways laned for traffic.

(File Photo)  

(Harrisburg, pa.) As workers, families and employers struggle under the weight of nationwide inflation, House Majority Policy Committee Chairman Martin Causer (R-Cameron/McKean/Potter) announced the committee will hold a series of hearings this month that will examine the cause and effect of inflation-induced cost increases.

“People are seeing sticker shock every which way they turn,” Causer said. “Whether it’s gasoline or groceries, utilities or other services, everything is going up in price while many of us are still struggling to recover from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Pennsylvania’s inflation rate was 8.4% between April 2021 and April 2022. Energy prices are up nearly 33% and transportation up nearly 21%. Gasoline alone is up more than 43% and vehicle costs up more than 18%.  Food prices are up 9.5% overall, with key staples of meat, poultry and eggs up nearly 15%. Housing costs have risen 7.9%, including fuels and utilities, household furnishings and rent.

“There is no question policies being implemented by Washington, D.C. Democrats and their allies in Pennsylvania are the driving forces behind inflation,” Causer said. “The goal of these hearings is to better understand the policies having the greatest impact, how working people and their families are dealing with inflation, and most importantly what we can do to combat rising costs in the long term.”

Each of the hearings is slated to take place at the Capitol in Harrisburg. The schedule is as follows:

• Wednesday, June 8, at 9 a.m. – What Causes Inflation?
• Thursday, June 9, at 9 a.m. – How Radical Liberal Policies Have Driven Inflation to Historic Highs.
• Tuesday, June 14, at 9 a.m. – The Impact of Inflation on Working People and Their Families.
• Tuesday, June 21, at 9 a.m. – Driving Investment and Creating Growth: The Long-term Solution to Rising Costs.

All hearings will stream live at www.PAGOPPolicy.com.

(Photo provided with release)

Keystone State News Connection

June 2, 2022

Emily Scott

As the number of Pennsylvania students with disabilities rises, a new report says the share of state education funding has declined. Education advocates say state lawmakers can use this year’s budget surplus to support the students.

In 2008, Pennsylvania contributed close to one third of the total cost of special education, but by 2020 that amount dropped to 22%.

And meanwhile, costs have gone up for every school district, according to Sharon Ward – senior policy advisor with the Education Law Center, which published the report.

She said this hurts students in lower-wealth districts most and can lead to them missing out on services such as individualized education programs.

“What we hear from parents is that there are delays in the development of IEPs,” said Ward. “If you can get to kids in the early grades and help them address a lot of their learning needs, it means they’re going to have a more successful student career.”

There were an estimated 308,000 students receiving special education services in the 2019-20 school year, up 14% from the 2008-09 school year.

The report adds that a lack of adequate special-education funding denies students access to individualized support, assistive technology and other interventions.

The report also includes policy recommendations for state lawmakers and education officials, such as adding $200 million in special education funding for the 2022-23 school year.

Ward added they’d like to see the state close the charter-school loophole, where districts must provide charter schools a fixed amount of funding per student regardless of disability.

“We’d like the charter schools to be held to the same cost-based system as district schools,” said Ward. “Frankly, school districts are sending money to charter schools to serve students with disabilities and they’re not, they’re using those dollars for other purposes.”

The Education Law Center, Public Interest Law Center and O’Melveny law firm were recently in the courtroom presenting their case that the way schools are funded in the state violates the education clause and equal-protection provisions of the state Constitution.

(File Photo)

(Pittsburgh, Pa.)  A former Allegheny County resident has been sentenced in federal court to 54 months’ imprisonment and 3 years of federal supervised release on his conviction for violating the federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced on Wednesday.

United States District Judge Robert J. Colville imposed the sentence on Nehemiah Fisher-Egleston, 28, formerly of McKees Rocks, PA, following his guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute a quantity of heroin, fentanyl, and fluorofentanyl (an analogue of fentanyl) – all of which are scheduled controlled substances under federal law – which occurred from in and around September 2021 and continued through in and around February 2022 in the Western District of Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, agents with the Federal Bureau of
Investigation’s Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force investigated drug trafficking activity in Pittsburgh’s Northside neighborhood (and elsewhere), and beginning in September 2021, as part of that investigation, agents began intercepting the wire and electronic communications of telephones used by codefendants charged in the same indictment as Fisher-Egleston. Through those intercepted communications and other investigative methods, the Government would have proven that codefendants obtained “bricks” (a slang term used to describe 50 individual dosage units
containing substances such as heroin, fentanyl, and analogues of fentanyl) which were distributed to Fisher-Egleston. In intercepted communications with other codefendants, Fisher-Egleston expressed his intention to redistribute the “bricks” of heroin, etc., to various individuals in Washington, Pennsylvania. By pleading guilty, Fisher-Egleston admitted to conspiring with other named codefendants to distribute scheduled controlled substances like heroin, fentanyl, and fluorofentanyl.
Assistant United States Attorney Jerome A. Moschetta prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Chung commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, which led the multi-agency investigation that also included the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, the Allegheny County Probation and Parole Office, the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, the Monroeville Police Department, and Ligonier Township Police Department. The prosecution of Fisher-Egleston was a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF)
investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

(File Photo)

(New Brighton, Pa.) Vendor registration is now being accepted for the Fourth Annual New Brighton Fall Festival on Saturday, October 15, 2022. The deadline to register is October 2. You can register online at https://tinyurl.com/2s9mrect. If you need more info you can call the New Brighton Borough office at (724) 846-1870.

Severe Thunderstorm Watch

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE FOR WS 301
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
215 PM EDT WED JUN 1 2022

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 301 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM EDT
FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS

.    PENNSYLVANIA COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

ALLEGHENY            ARMSTRONG           BEAVER
BRADFORD             BUTLER              CAMERON
CARBON               CENTRE              CLARION
CLEARFIELD           CLINTON             COLUMBIA
CRAWFORD             ELK                 ERIE
FOREST               INDIANA             JEFFERSON
LACKAWANNA           LAWRENCE            LEHIGH
LUZERNE              LYCOMING            MCKEAN
MERCER               MONROE              MONTOUR
NORTHAMPTON          NORTHUMBERLAND      PIKE
POTTER               SCHUYLKILL          SNYDER
SULLIVAN             SUSQUEHANNA         TIOGA
UNION                VENANGO             WARREN
WASHINGTON           WAYNE               WESTMORELAND
WYOMING

WESTMORELAND, Pa. (AP) — A man has been sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to criminal homicide and other charges in a three-day crime spree in western Pennsylvania that included the ambush and murder of a couple in their driveway. The Tribune-Review reports that 54-year-old Victor Steban of North Huntingdon pleaded guilty Wednesday in Westmoreland County to more than 30 criminal charges in seven separate cases including the May 2021 deaths of 40-year-old Jacob Erdeljac and 27-year-old Mara Casale in Penn Township. Prosecutors dropped plans to seek the death penalty in exchange for the pleas. The Tribune-Review reports that Steban was sentenced to two life terms and concurrent sentences totaling 46 to 96 years.

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

“The commissioners aren’t closing the pool down; it’s just a matter of workforce right now.”

Commissioner Chairman Dan Camp said those words at the Commissioners’ work session on Wednesday in regard to rumors that the Old Economy Pool would be closed for the summer. The pool currently has yet to open due to the lack of lifeguard staff, which Parks & Recreation director Tony Caltury said has since been reduced to three lifeguards.

“We did lose two potential lifeguards to Cranberry,” Caltury said, “because of the proximity to Economy…for any operation I think we need at least six [lifeguards], three on and three off at any time. The closure for the year is not accurate; we are still pursuing and would like to open, we have all the chemicals and rec set to be up within a week’s time when we pull the trigger.”

As far as a deadline for the lifeguards to be found, Caltury said that one is not in place: “We haven’t imposed a deadline. Typically our season runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day; so even if we’re looking at early July, we still have plenty of time. So we have not set a hard deadline as of yet.”

The next Commissioners’ work session is scheduled for June 8 at 10:00 AM at the Beaver County Courthouse.

(File Photo)

(Pittsburgh, Pa.) Duquesne Light Company (DLC) today announced a new lineup of electric vehicle (EV) charging and fleet electrification programs to help local organizations save time and money on installing EV charging and transitioning to an electric fleet. The programs are expected to significantly expand the number of public, workplace, multi-family and fleet charging stations in Allegheny and Beaver counties, making it even easier for area residents and commuters to transition to electric mobility.

“As part of our commitment to create a clean energy future for all in the Pittsburgh region, DLC is increasing opportunities for customers and communities to experience the many benefits of electric mobility while addressing one of our area’s largest sources of carbon emissions and air pollution — transportation,” said Brian Guzek, vice president of corporate strategy at DLC. “Our new programs support local organizations in reaching their sustainability targets and make it even more convenient for residents to choose electric transportation.”

The company is encouraging commercial customers, including local businesses, organizations and governments, at eligible sites to take advantage of the new offerings:

• Community Charging Program: Helps expand the availability of EV charging at public, workplace and multi-family properties. DLC will partner with eligible customers to design, construct and cover the costs to install electric charging make-ready infrastructure, typically from the power grid up to the charging station. Participating customers will purchase and install the charging station units and may be eligible for related state funding, as well as a DLC rebate of up to 100% of the charging station cost if their project is located within an Environmental Justice Area and serves a disadvantaged community.
• Electric Fleet Advisory Service: DLC will analyze participating customers’ fleet data and work closely with them to understand their fleet requirements while providing them with a no-cost, custom roadmap to fleet electrification, including vehicle acquisition recommendations, cost of ownership comparisons, environmental impact analysis and more.
• Fleet Charging Program: For eligible customers that are already electrifying or are planning to electrify their fleets, DLC will design, construct and cover the costs to install electric charging make-ready infrastructure, typically from the power grid up to the charging station. Participating customers will purchase and install the charging station units and may be eligible for related state funding and a DLC rebate of up to 50% of the charging station cost.

Equitable Access to Electric Mobility

DLC is also expanding its work with Port Authority of Allegheny County to support the installation and cover the cost of DC fast-charging (DCFC) stations for six new all-electric transit buses, ensuring that public transit riders can also experience the benefits of electric mobility. In 2020, DLC installed the DCFC stations for Port Authority’s first two electric buses.

“As the cost of EVs continues to fall and options continue to expand, more people and companies are making the switch to electric,” said Sarah Olexsak, senior manager of transportation electrification at DLC. “We want to help our customers and the region safely prepare for an increase of EVs on the road and support a transition that equitably shares the health, economic and environmental benefits of electric mobility across the region and beyond.”

DLC’s efforts align with Pennsylvania’s Electric Vehicle Roadmap, which aims to transform the state’s transportation system to provide significant benefits for the environment, economy and society.

More information about DLC’s new EV programs can be found at DuquesneLight.com/EV.

About Duquesne Light Company

Duquesne Light Company (DLC) is committed to more than keeping the lights on; we power the moments in our customers’ lives. As a next-generation energy company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, DLC’s 1,700-plus employees are dedicated to providing safe, reliable, resilient and affordable power to more than 600,000 customers across southwestern Pennsylvania, including the city of Pittsburgh. To learn more, visit DuquesneLight.com.