(AP Photo/Eric Gay)
By MATTHEW PERRONE and HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Parents across the U.S. are scrambling to find baby formula because of supply disruptions and a massive safety recall by manufacturer Abbott. Ongoing supply problems have intensified since Abbott shuttered its largest U.S. formula plant due to contamination concerns. Pediatricians are urging parents who can’t find formula to contact food banks or doctor’s offices. They warn against watering down formula to stretch supplies or using online DIY recipes. Major retail chains including CVS and Walgreens are limiting how many containers customers can purchase at one time to conserve supplies. Meanwhile, regulators with the Food and Drug Administration are looking at importing formula to boost U.S. supplies.

(File Photo)

(New Castle, Pa.) Pa State police in New Castle are reporting that they have arrested Shane McDevitt who is wanted in connection with the homicide of 65-year-old Cecelia Liposky, of New Castle. Troopers are reporting that they are investing after liposky’s body was found in a home on the 2800 block of Mercer Road in Neshannock Township Lawrence County.
Troopers put out a release looking to locate Liposky’s gray 2014 Nissan Sentra that was missing. Police located Liposky’s vehicle with McDevitt driving on Route 28 and pursued the vehicle, with the vehicle crashing at the Cheswick/Springdale exit early this morning.
McDevitt was arrested and will have a medical evaluation and then be taken to the state police barracks in New Castle.

(Pennsylvania Department of Transportation via AP, File)

(Pittsburgh, Pa.) Federal prosecutors want the judge who is charge of Robert Bowers’ trial to question him in person to make sure that he understands that his lawyers are waiving his civil rights.
Bowers is charged with killing 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue in 2018.
One of the rights that the US Attorney’s Office is concerned about is Bowers’ right to a speedy trial.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said it isn’t making the request to challenge the competency of the defense but instead saying they are trying to prevent possible future litigation

The featured photo above shows the pole on the ground

Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio. Published May 11th, 2022 1:29 A.M.

(New Brighton, PA) At approximately 12:20 am Wednesday morning a Telephone pole crashed down at 16th and Third Avenue. Those nearby heard crashing sounds and tires squeal. The section of the pole that remained standing showed signs of damage and was bent inward towards Third Avenue.  Electrical lines and debris blocked the road. Glass and vehicle fluids could be seen on the ground. New Brighton Fire Department declined to comment their thoughts on what happened.

View photos and video below:

The featured image above shows BBFASD students and staff, council members after being presented certificates
Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio. Published May 10, 2022 9:30 P.M.

(Beaver Falls, PA) The Beaver Falls City Council met Tuesday evening for a meeting.  Mayor Johns started the meeting by showing recognition to students from the Big Beaver Falls Area School District who participated in the National Academic Games Competition in Knoxville, Tennessee.  The students were presented certificates by council members.  Council approved two resolutions for the police and fire departments for the purchase of new Motorola radios. Like others in the county, the city is taking part in an agreement with the County to pay 20% of the total cost of the equipment. The county is paying the other 80%.  Also approved was a repository purchase of 615 2nd Avenue.

 

(File Photo)

Story by Sandy Giordano, Beaver County Radio News Correspondent 

(Hopewell  Twp., Beaver County, Pa.) Hopewell Township Police Department and The City of Aliquippa Fire Department  were dispatched to the scene of a one vehicle accident at 2430 west Wade Street at 11:05 p.m. Monday night, May 9. 2022. Hopewell Township Police reported that the unnamed male driver went over the hill. He refused medical treatment. Officers detected  an odor of alcohol emanating  from the driver’s breath and person, according to  Chief Don Sedlacek. Officers placed the driver under arrest for suspicion of DUI.

(File Photo)

(Pittsburgh, Pa.) The city of Pittsburgh and the firefighters’ union have agreed firefighters no longer must live within the city limits, reaching a negotiated end to an ongoing legal battle.
The union says the city has had challenges getting enough applicants to fill firefighter jobs.
The firefighters had won arbitration on this issue months back which the city was going to fight in court. The union describes this as a negotiated settlement and says the city will withdraw its appeal to Common Pleas Court.

(Photo provided with release)

Keystone State News Connection

May 10, 2022

Available files: mp3 wav jpg

Emily Scott

The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections has officially launched “Little Scandinavia,” a unit in a state prison to focus on rehabilitation and reintegration.

The new unit at SCI Chester comes after a multiyear partnership with the Norwegian Correctional Service and the Swedish Prison and Probation Service. Little Scandinavia residents have access to a communal kitchen, green space, and redesigned cells, furniture and common areas.

Kenneth Eason, superintendent of SCI Chester, said it is about creating a more humane prison environment.

“You’re going to see a change in culture, the rippling effect, and not just within the walls,” Eason contended. “I’m speaking wellness in the men, living healthier, things introduced to them that they truly need to be successful, to move on beyond these walls and do well, and not come back.”

In 2019, state prison employees traveled to Norway, Sweden and Denmark to gain experience working under the Scandinavian model for several weeks. Little Scandinavia residents will receive specialized programming to prepare them for reentry. The unit has 64 cells.

The partnership also includes a research collaboration between Drexel University and the University of Oslo to evaluate the effectiveness of the model.

Jordan Hyatt, associate professor of criminology and justice studies at Drexel, said it is about understanding how the development of Little Scandinavia affects life at SCI Chester.

“What does it mean for the men who are living on this unit? How does it change the way they see their community, themselves and being in prison?” Hyatt outlined. “In the long term, we hope to understand what this means for community reintegration. When people leave Little Scandinavia, where do they go, both from a staff perspective and for the men incarcerated?”

Data will be collected on prison climate, staff, disciplinary actions and the well-being of the people serving their sentences there. Acting Corrections Department Secretary George Little said he hopes to see a similar program implemented at one of the women’s prisons as well.

Gas prices are four cents higher in Western Pennsylvania this week at $4.39 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

This week’s average prices: Western Pennsylvania Average                $4.39
Average price during the week of May 2, 2022                                        $4.35
Average price during the week of May 10, 2021                                      $3.09

The average price of unleaded self-serve gasoline in various areas:      

$4.472      Altoona
$4.339      Beaver
$4.393      Bradford
$4.399      Brookville
$4.423      Butler
$4.398      Clarion
$4.387      DuBois
$4.380      Erie
$4.385      Greensburg
$4.410      Indiana
$4.389      Jeannette
$4.411      Kittanning
$4.395      Latrobe
$4.395      Meadville
$4.413      Mercer
$4.298      New Castle
$4.385      New Kensington
$4.399      Oil City
$4.390      Pittsburgh
$4.399      Sharon
$4.384      Uniontown
$4.399      Warren
$4.366      Washington

Trend Analysis:

Drivers are paying considerably more at the pump as the cost of gasoline moves steadily higher. In the past two weeks, the national average for a gallon of gasoline has risen 20 cents to $4.32, a penny less than the record high set on March 11 and $1.36 more than a year ago. The increase is primarily due to the high cost of crude oil, which was hovering near $100 a barrel last week and is now closing in on $110. With the cost of oil accounting for more than half of the pump price, more expensive oil means more expensive gasoline. Gas prices also trend higher this time of year as refineries make the switch to summer-blend gasoline which is more expensive to make.

At the close of Friday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate increased by $1.51 to settle at $109.77. Crude prices rose last week after the European Union announced a proposal to ban Russian oil imports within six months, while refined product imports would be prohibited by the end of 2022. The price increases occurred despite continuing COVID lockdowns in China weighing down crude demand and EIA reporting that total domestic crude inventories increased by 1.3 million barrels to 415.7 million barrels. Current crude inventories are still14 percent lower than the storage level at the end of April 2021.

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), total domestic gasoline stocks decreased by 2.2 million barrels to 228.6 million barrels last week. Gasoline demand increased slightly from 8.74 million barrels per day to 8.86 million barrels per day.

Motorists can find current gas prices nationwide, statewide, and countywide at GasPrices.AAA.com.

AAA East Central is a not-for-profit association with 72 local offices in Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia serving 2.7 million members.  News releases are available at news.eastcentral.aaa.com.  Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.