A view of the scene Feb. 24, 2023, as the cleanup continues at the site of of a Norfolk Southern freight train derailment that happened on Feb. 3 in East Palestine, Ohio. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said Monday, March 6, 2023 that Norfolk Southern has pledged several million dollars to cover the cost of the response and recovery in Pennsylvania after last month’s derailment of a train carrying toxic chemicals just across the border in Ohio. (AP Photo/Matt Freed, file)

Norfolk Southern says it plans to improve the use of detectors along the tracks that are supposed to spot overheating bearings and other problems in the wake of a fiery Ohio derailment a month ago. The company said Monday it would evaluate the distance between such “hot bearing” detectors and anticipates adding about 200. The company said the first ones would be installed just west of East Palestine, where a Feb. 3 derailment forced half the town to evacuate as toxic chemicals burned. The company also pledged to install more acoustic bearing detectors and review all of its standards and practices.

FILE – Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro speaks during a news conference in Philadelphia, Feb. 16, 2023. Shapiro will propose a three-year incentive of up to $2,500 a year for newly certified teachers, cops and nurses in Pennsylvania when the Democrat unveils his budget plan on Tuesday, March 7, administration officials said. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Josh Shapiro is expected to emphasize school funding and making Pennsylvania more competitive for cutting-edge tech firms when he delivers his first budget. Shapiro’s first budget proposal comes Tuesday as the state keeps rolling up robust tax collections. Shapiro will address a joint session of the House and Senate at 11:30 a.m. ET. Perhaps the most prominent feature of Shapiro’s budget will be what he called a “down payment” on the billions of dollars that public school allies say are necessary to help the poorest districts. Shapiro also has said he wants to slash the state’s corporate tax rate, a move that would save businesses billions of dollars.

President Joe Biden delivers remarks to the 2023 International Association of Fire Fighters Legislative Conference, Monday, March 6, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has decided to set aside the usual big White House budget unveiling to showcase his new fiscal year plans this week in Pennsylvania. Not coincidentally, that’s a must-win state in the 2024 election. His trip to Philadelphia on Thursday is a sign that the president’s budget proposal will be a form of political messaging, not just an outline of the government’s finances. Biden hinted in a Monday speech that tax increases on the wealthy will be at the core of his budget plan, saying he will be proposing a tax that targets billionaires.

HARRISBURG – The agreement announced by Vistra Corp. and Energy Harbor Corp., owner of Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Station, should be good news for keeping the plant open and workers on the job, state Sen. Elder Vogel (R-47) said today.

The transaction will combine Energy Harbor’s nuclear and retail businesses with Vistra’s nuclear and retail businesses and Vistra Zero renewables and storage projects under a newly formed subsidiary Vistra Vision.

The combination creates a leading integrated retail electricity and zero-carbon generation company with the second-largest competitive nuclear fleet in the country, along with a growing renewables and energy storage portfolio.

“This is a positive development for area citizens who rely on Beaver Valley for jobs and energy,” said Vogel. “Vistra Vision is expected to be a premier zero-carbon generation and retail growth company, and it’s exciting for the 47^th Senate District to be a part of that.”

The two-unit Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Station of Shippingport generates enough electricity to power more than one million homes daily. Unit 1 is licensed to operate until 2036 and Unit 2 is licensed to operate until 2047.

With the completion of the agreement, Vistra Vision will operate one of the largest retail businesses in the country with approximately five million customers across 18 states.

Gas prices are steady in Western Pennsylvania this week at $3.767 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

This week’s average price in Beaver County is $3.762  

Since last Monday, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline has increased by four cents to $3.40, which is still 12 cents less than a month ago and 28 cents less than a year ago. One reason for this week’s increase could be higher demand, as the cost of oil has barely budged for the past few weeks.

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand jumped from 8.91 million to 9.11 million barrels per day last week. Meanwhile, total domestic gasoline stocks decreased by nearly 1 million barrels to 239.2 million barrels last week. The increase in gas demand, amid tighter supplies, has contributed to rising pump prices.

Another reason for higher gas prices is that the seasonal switch to summer blend gasoline is underway. This blend lowers emissions but is more expensive to refine. Switching to summer blend can add about five to ten cents to the price of gasoline.

At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate increased by 64 cents to settle at $77.69. Crude prices increased after the market saw that manufacturing activity rose in China last month, signaling that global oil demand may be more robust than anticipated this year. Additionally, the EIA reported that total domestic commercial crude inventories increased by 1.2 million barrels to 480.2 million barrels last week.

President Joe Biden talks about his nomination of Julie Su to serve as the Secretary of Labor during an event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, March 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

LACONIA, N.H. (AP) — Democrats across New Hampshire are upset with President Joe Biden for undermining their state’s status as home to the first-in-the-nation presidential primary. But their concerns about Biden run much deeper, in line with a majority of Democratic voters nationwide, who oppose the 80-year-old president’s plans to launch his reelection campaign. Many worry about his age. Others are upset about the messy withdrawal from Afghanistan. And the party’s more progressive wing has never been enthusiastic about Biden. The resistance from the Democratic Party’s rank and file stands in sharp contrast with the party establishment of governors, senators and congressional representatives who are virtually unanimous in supporting Biden’s reelection.

FILE – In this photo made on June 16, 2022, rows of fresh cut beef is in the coolers of the retail section at the Wight’s Meat Packing facility in Fombell, Pa. Federal agriculture officials on Monday, March 6, 2023 released new requirements that would allow labels on meat, poultry or eggs to claim that phrase — or “Product of USA” — only if they come from animals “born, raised, slaughtered and processed in the United States.” (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File )

Federal agriculture officials are proposing a new rule that would clarify the meaning of meat labels that say foods are “Made in the USA.” Under the new requirements announced Monday, the labels would be allowed on meat, poultry or eggs only if they come from animals “born, raised, slaughtered and processed in the United States.” That’s a sharp change from the current policy, which allows voluntary use of the labels on products from animals that are raised elsewhere and then shipped to the U.S. for processing. Imported beef accounts for about 12% of the total consumed in the U.S.

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published March 6, 2023 11:52 A.M.  

(Georgetown Borough, PA) On Friday, March 3, 2023 a burglary was reported at Georgetown Sand and Gravel located at 102 Dam Road. According  State Police,  the burglary occurred between 6 p.m. Thursday and  4:45 a.m. Friday.  Forced entry was made into the property and the security system and surveillance cameras were damaged. Approximately $1,000.00 in cash was stolen. The burglars then utilized heavy equipment to steal 2 500 gallon fuel tanks and a low-boy trailer . The burglars fled the area into West Virginia. They were operating a white Ford truck or white Chevy extended cab truck.

HARRISBURG – Looking to protect yourself from fraud, identity theft, and scams? Wondering about the best way to improve your credit, shop for a used car, or how to maximize your security online?

The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General has information for you during National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) — March 5 – 11, 2023 — and any time of the year. But during NCPW government agencies, consumer protection groups, and organizations work together to highlight and share information about consumer rights and help people learn to spot, report, and avoid scams. The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General will share consumer protection tips on social media throughout the week, including scam prevention for senior citizens, what to look for when hiring a home contractor, tips on purchasing a used car, common mistakes when leasing an apartment, and an overview of the Office’s Health Care Section.

“Protecting Pennsylvania consumers from being victimized by scam artists is a top priority of our Office,” said Acting Attorney General Michelle A. Henry. “Whether that scam originates on the street corner or in a corporate board room, our staff will investigate and take action to defend affected consumers. Last year, we saved Pennsylvanians more than $210 million—and we’re committed to fighting for them, securing restitution, and protecting their hard-earned dollars.”

In 2022, the Office of Attorney General saved consumers more than $9 million through mediation efforts. The Bureau of Consumer Protection also saved consumers more than $203 million through legal actions in 2022.

If you believe you are a victim of a scam, you can file a complaint with the Bureau of Consumer Protection in a variety of ways:

• Online here: https://www.attorneygeneral.gov/submit-a-complaint/consumer-complaint/
• By calling the hotline: 1-800-441-2555
• By emailing: scams@attorneygeneral.gov

Acting Attorney General Henry noted a few of the consumer protection actions that the Office of Attorney General has taken in the past year:

• A major settlement with Navient, one of the nation’s largest student loan servicers, to resolve allegations of widespread unfair, deceptive, and abusive student loan servicing practices and abuses in originating predatory student loans. This settlement netted $1.7 billion in debt cancellation and $95 million in restitution; $70 million for Pennsylvania borrowers
• A $1.6 million settlement with CashPoint, a.k.a. Dominion Management of Delaware, a now defunct auto title loan business. CashPoint made thousands of unlawful loans to Pennsylvanians at annual interest rates exceeding 200%. This settlement refunded more than $1.6 million in unlawful interest charges and many consumers received debt cancellation at a total of $3.2 million.
• A $2.58 million judgment against Delta Auto Protect, an auto warranty company. Consumers were led to believe when they signed a contract with Delta future vehicle repairs would be covered. Consumers paid $1000-$3000 in premiums to begin coverage. However, when the consumers later made claims for covered repairs, Delta failed to honor their end of the contract. The court order set aside more than $1.7 million for customer restitution.
• A $2.2 million settlement with former used-car dealership, Carhop. Carhop operated two “buy here, pay here” dealerships in Carnegie and in Monroeville. “Buy here, pay here” dealerships operate as both the seller and lender by offering in-house financing. Most of Carhop’s consumers were credit-challenged. Under the settlement, the $2.2 million was used to provide debt relief for current and former customers.