(Photo taken by Curtis Walsh, Beaver County Radio Staff)

Story by Sandy Giordano, Beaver County Radio
(Hopewell Twp., Beaver County, Pa.) Hopewell Fire Chief Mike Wasik reported Friday morning that a rollover accident that occurred at exit 48  on I-376 westbound was reported by the department’s second lieutenant at approximately 9:22 p.m. right inside the Beaver  County line coming from Allegheny County.  The vehicle was in the median and the male patient self-extricated himself from the vehicle The fire Department remained on location, and  Aliquippa Fire Department who was assisting on scene was returned to service. Hopewell Fire Department remained on scene  with PSP waiting for the vehicle to be recovered from the median and provided traffic and scene safety for Herzog’s Towing crew.  The vehicle’s driver was transported by ambulance to the hospital , his condition is not known at the present time according to Chief Wasik.

(Photo by Frank Sparks)

Story by Sandy Giordano, Beaver County Radio
(City of Beaver Falls, Pa.) The City of Beaver Falls Fire Department conducted a training exercise that caught the attention of many citizens in Beaver Falls on Thursday  evening. According to Fire Chief Mark Stowe the training occurred at an old barber shop that is located at 8th Avenue and 23rd Street. Chief Mark Stowe reported on Friday morning  that the old barber shop was acquired by the city will be burned down on Saturday morning beginning at 5:30 a.m.  and they expect to be done by 9 AM.

(AP Photo/Steve Helber)
By MARK SHERMAN Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has ended constitutional protections for abortion that had been in place nearly 50 years — a decision by its conservative majority to overturn the court’s landmark abortion cases. Friday’s outcome overturning Roe v. Wade is expected to lead to abortion bans in roughly half the states. The decision, unthinkable just a few years ago, was the culmination of decades of efforts by abortion opponents, made possible by an emboldened right side of the court that has been fortified by three appointees of former President Donald Trump. The ruling came more than a month after the stunning leak of a draft opinion by Justice Samuel Alito.

(Photo provided with release)

(Pittsburgh, Pa.)  Allegheny Health Network (AHN) began administration of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines today to newly-eligible children following emergency use authorization by the FDA and subsequent recommendation by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Saturday for children 6 months through 5 years old.

Pfizer’s vaccine is administered in three doses for children 6 months to 4 years old. The shots are dosed at 3 micrograms, one-tenth the level of what adults receive. In clinical trials, three shots were about 75% effective at preventing mild illness from the omicron variant in 6-month- to 2-year-olds and 82% effective in 2- to 4-year-olds.

Moderna’s vaccine is administered in two doses for children 6 months to 5 years old. The shots are dosed at 25 micrograms, one-fourth the level that adults receive. Moderna’s vaccine was about 51% effective at preventing mild illness from omicron for kids 6 months to 2 years old, and about 37% effective for kids ages 2 to 5 years old in clinical trials. However, the company expects the vaccine to provide strong protection against severe illness because the kids had higher antibody levels than adults who received two doses.

Although COVID-19 is normally less severe in children than adults, the virus can be life threatening for some kids. COVID is the fifth leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4, according to CDC data. More than 200 children ages 6 months to 4 years old have died from COVID since January 2020. More than 2 million children in this age group have been infected during the pandemic, and more than 20,000 have been hospitalized.

“The availability of a vaccine for children 6 months and older is another important milestone in the ongoing fight against COVID-19. On behalf of Allegheny Health Network, we are strongly encouraging parents and guardians to get their younger children vaccinated and protected against serious illness from the disease,” said Joseph Aracri, DO, pediatrician and Chair of AHN Pediatric Institute.

AHN Pediatrics or AHN family medicine patients should call their respective office to schedule an appointment. For all others interested in scheduling with the Network, please call (412) DOCTORS.

For more information on AHN or to access COVID-19 FAQs, please visit ahn.org/coronavirus/vaccine

(Pittsburgh, PA ) PennDOT District 11 is announcing work to inspect the inbound (eastbound) I-376 Fort Pitt Bridge in the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, will occur Saturday and Sunday, June 25-26 weather permitting.

(Photo Provided with Release)

Keystone State News Connection

Poll: Pennsylvanians Over 50 will Play Major Role in November Election

Emily Scott

There are fewer than five months to go until the November General Election, in which Pennsylvania voters will select a new governor and U.S. Senator.

A new poll commissioned by AARP Pennsylvania showed how residents over 50 are feeling about the candidates and the issues. In the 2018 midterm elections, Pennsylvanians age 50 years and older made up 61% of all voters in the state.

The AARP poll includes views about this year’s political races, including the contest for governor, with Democratic Attorney General Josh Shapiro and Sen, Doug Mastriano, R-Franklin. Shapiro leads Mastriano by three points.

Bob Ward, partner and pollster at Fabrizio Ward, said for voters over 50, it is an even closer race.

“There’s a one-point lead for Shapiro over Mastriano,” Ward reported. “And so, 50-plus voters, due to their size but also sort of the competitive nature of where the election is in the governor’s race, will be impactful. Candidates need to pay attention to what’s important to these voters.”

In the Senate race, Democratic Lieutenant Gov. John Fetterman has a six percentage-point lead over Republican TV personality Mehmet Oz. And 77% of those polled believe the state is “moving in the wrong direction.”

Some 30% of Pennsylvania voters polled said the economy is working well for them. However, one of their biggest concerns, which may influence their votes in November, is rising prices. For Republicans polled, it is their highest priority, while Democrats cite gun safety as their top issue.

Matt Hogan, partner and pollster at Impact Research, said the results also show inflation is still a cross-party worry.

“When we test it on its own and ask them to rate the importance, we certainly see it’s a dominant issue with Democrats as well, it just doesn’t rise to quite the top when we ask them to pick which is the most important,” Hogan explained. “We definitely see a surge in guns [as an important issue] following Uvalde.”

Other issues emerging as important to voters include immigration for Republicans, and abortion access and honesty in government for Democrats. The survey, which reached nearly 1,400 likely Pennsylvania voters, was conducted this month via landline, cellphone and text message.

(Lizabeth Baker Wade via AP)

Keystone State News Connection

Emily Scott

Since the beginning of the pandemic, several states have passed “safe staffing” laws aimed at balancing patient-nurse ratios in hospitals. In Pennsylvania, health care advocates are calling on lawmakers to vote on legislation still stalled in committee.

Senate Bill 240, also known as the Patient Safety Act, would establish limits to the number of patients one nurse is responsible for during a shift.

Maureen May, president of the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals, said it is about ensuring positive outcomes for patients.

“I want to be in a hospital bed in which I know that there are enough nurses to care for me and my family members,” May asserted. “I want to be a nurse that works in a hospital and walks away from the bedside at the end of the day and know that I did everything I could to make sure my patients received the best care possible.”

Many health care system administrators oppose safe-staffing legislation, saying it is costly to their bottom line. Senate Bill 240 and its companion House Bill 106, which has more than 100 co-sponsors, have been referred to each chamber’s health committees and await a vote.

Sen. Maria Collett, D-Montgomery County, said the pandemic exposed the cracks in the health care system and the need for legislation such as the Patient Safety Act. She stressed it has been disappointing to see the legislation stalled by a few lawmakers, given the bipartisan support for the bill.

“If you’re someone that’s not going to stand with nurses, that’s not going to stand with patients, then put your name on the record,” Collett urged. “Vote no on this bill because the people in our communities deserve to know where we stand when it comes to protecting patient outcomes and protecting the hardworking nursing staff.”

A 2017 study found patients were much more likely to survive when nurses followed a hospital-mandated patient-nurse ratio. Lower patient-to-nurse staffing ratios also have been associated with significantly lower rates of cardiac arrest, hospital-acquired pneumonia, respiratory failure and patient falls.