Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT has lifted the Tier 4 restrictions on certain vehicles from traveling on roadways in Allegheny, Beaver, and Lawrence counties.

The following roadways have been lifted from the Tier 4 of the commonwealth’s weather event vehicle restriction plan:

Allegheny County

• Interstates 79, 376 (Parkways East and West), 279 (Parkway North), and 579

Beaver County

• Interstate 376 (Beaver Valley Expressway)

Lawrence County

• Interstate 79

Tier 1 of the commonwealth’s weather event vehicle restriction plan, remains in place on these roadways. Speed limits remain restricted to 45 mph on these roadways, in addition to Route 28 in Allegheny County, for all vehicles. Commercial vehicles not affected by other roadway restrictions must move to the right lane.

Due to the winter storm impacting the region, PennDOT temporarily restricted certain vehicles from using the interstates earlier today to help ensure that the interstates remained open during the most challenging conditions of the winter storm.

While PennDOT recommends not traveling during winter storms, motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts

Panel nears final vote on Pennsylvania legislative districts
By MARK SCOLFORO Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The Democratic leader of the Pennsylvania Senate says minor changes have been made to the preliminary redistricting maps that were approved by the Legislative Reapportionment Commission in December. Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa said on Friday, hours ahead of a final vote, that the alterations amount to modest tweaks. The details of those change have not been made public. House Republican Leader Kerry Benninghoff plans to offer an amendment, then the five-person commission will consider the full plan with the House and Senate maps together. The decision about new congressional maps for Pennsylvania is a separate process that’s now in the hands of the state Supreme Court.

Wolf vetoes bill to prevent municipal firearms restrictions
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s governor is vetoing a bill to help gun owners and gun-rights groups seek civil damages from governmental bodies that pass firearms restrictions. Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf on Thursday rejected legislation that would have given a pathway to the courts for people adversely impacted by ordinances, rules or other actions that violate limits in state law. The aggrieved parties would have been able to collect damages and to seek a court injunction. Wolf’s veto message calls the legislation an attack on local governments seeking to address gun violence and says it displays indifference to the safety of state residents. The bill had passed both chambers with largely Republican support.

Governor sues to force carbon-pricing plan to take effect
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration is going to court to force through its regulation imposing a price on carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel-fired power plants, stuck in a dispute with the Republican-controlled Legislature. The lawsuit is aimed at a legislative agency that publishes the weekly official record of Pennsylvania state government agency actions. Wolf’s administration wants a court order to force the agency to publish Wolf’s regulation. Publishing the regulation in the Pennsylvania Bulletin would mean it takes immediate effect. Republicans oppose the regulation and argue that they have more time, several weeks at least, to see if they can muster a two-thirds majority in each chamber to block it.

(Photo provided by Keystone State News Connection)

Emily Scott

Two years into the pandemic, the number of volunteer blood donors in Pennsylvania has dropped dramatically. Blood center leaders say it’s critical to get the numbers up in order to save lives. With schools and workplaces disrupted by COVID-19, many blood drives have been canceled and have not been rescheduled.

Patrick Bradley, president of the Central Pennsylvania Blood Bank, said in the last two months, the blood bank had its lowest supply in years, only being able to provide hospitals with about 70% of the units they requested.

He acknowledged donations have rebounded somewhat since then, but added they still need donors.

“If you recall the school shooting out in Detroit a few months ago, we sent blood that day to Michigan blood centers so that they could treat the victims of the shooting,” Bradley recounted. “It’s a very vital part of what we believe we are trying to do, not only in Pennsylvania but for the entire country. ”

Bradley pointed out the Central Pennsylvania bank needs about 75,000 donations per year to serve at least 21 hospitals. The American Red Cross and others have blood-donation centers across the state.

Jeannie Goldstein was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia almost a year ago. While undergoing chemotherapy, Goldstein received more than 30 blood transfusions. She is now in remission and is grateful to the blood bank and donors. She said plenty of other people like her can greatly benefit from blood donations.

“And then the everyday accidents and surgeries that go on,” Goldstein added. “It is a need just as the air we breathe and the bread and milk you need to get during a snowstorm. We need people. We need you. It is right there, an arm away.”

People who are in good health, 16 years of age or older and weigh at least 120 pounds can donate blood every eight weeks. The type of blood most frequently requested is type O because it can be transfused to a patient with any blood type in an emergency.

Story by Sandy Giordano, Beaver County Radio

(Beaver County, Pa.) Penn Power reported  this morning that less than 5 customers in our area  have been affected by the storm.

Pennsylvania high court to decide congressional district map
By MARK SCOLFORO and MARC LEVY Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s Democratic-majority Supreme Court is taking control of choosing new district lines for the state’s shrinking congressional delegation. It’s a process that has deadlocked the state’s governor and Legislature. The five Democratic justices issued an order Wednesday directing a lower judge to give them a report by Monday that recommends a new map, along with her legal and factual findings that support it. Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf has vetoed a proposed map that passed the Republican-majority Legislature on nearly party lines. Comparatively slow population growth over the past decade has cost the state a congressional seat, so the new map must account for a drop in the delegation from 18 to 17.

IS leader killed in US raid in Syria remains murky figure
By BASSEM MROUE Asssociated Press
BEIRUT (AP) — The leader of the Islamic State group killed in a U.S. raid overnight in northwest Syria was largely a mystery, with almost no known photos, never appearing in public or in the group’s videos. He met his end in the same rebel-held Idlib province where his predecessor, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was hunted by the Americans more than two years ago, some distance from the main theaters in eastern Syria and Iraq where the group once held vast swaths of territory in a self-declared “caliphate.” His death comes as IS militants, after years of low-level hit-and-run ambushes, had begun to carry out bolder, higher profile attacks.

(File Photo)

Story by Sandy Giordano, Beaver County Radio News Correspondent

(Aliquippa, Pa.) City  Manager Sam Gill is in the process of applying for funds  to be secured with the county for Community Development Block Grants. for streets and roads  storm drains in the downtown area. Councilman Donald Walker is the city Accounts and Finance Director  explained  what the funding is earmarked for is what the city applies for.  He said residents have misconceptions about what the funds are used for. There is no misappropriation of funds by  the city.. Sm Gill explained the city is monitored by the agencies they receive funds for..