(Photo provided with release)

Keystone State News Connection

Emily Scott

Starting Wednesday, Pennsylvanians may start to see a sharp increase in energy costs just as summer approaches and inflation hits people hard. Older adult advocates are offering tips to residents on how to keep electric bills down.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission announced earlier this month most utilities would be adjusting their prices for what is called electric generation. The increases could range anywhere from 6% to 45%, depending on energy provider.

Teresa Osborne, state advocacy director for AARP Pennsylvania, said there are small things Pennsylvanians can do to lower their bills.

“Reduce consumption, increase the efficiency of electricity by raising your thermostat to 78 degrees or replacing your air conditioning filter,” Osborne outlined. “We also encourage purchasing new or replacement appliances. By choosing the most energy-efficient models, that money can be saved in the long run.”

Osborne added higher energy bills are a major burden for older adults on a fixed income. The average Social Security benefit is $21,000 per year. The rate increase for other utilities, such as Duquesne Light and PECO, which serve the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia areas, are still being finalized.

Osborne pointed out for lower-income Pennsylvanians, there are programs available to assist with electricity costs. One of the most popular is the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

“With the American Rescue Plan Act dollars available, Pennsylvania is able to nearly double the rebate this year,” Osborne noted. “Folks are really encouraged to check their eligibility, even calling the statewide LIHEAP hotline in order to get information on the LIHEAP program specifically.”

The statewide hotline number is 1-866-857-7095. The LIHEAP application deadline has been extended through June 17. Other resources available include the Weatherization Assistance Program, which can help residents finance home-energy efficiency projects.

(file photo)

(Pittsburgh, Pa.) The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is bringing back its mask requirement starting on Wednesday, June 1, 2022, due to high community spread of COVID-19 in Allegheny County.
The Cultural trust says that masks will be required to be worn for inside performances or for performances at any of of the Cultural Trust’s theaters and facilities.
they said that some events may also require proof of COVID-19 vaccination, so be sure to check the requirements ahead of time on the Cultural Trust’s website.

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing drilling operations on Route 68 (Adams Street/Virginia Avenue) in Rochester Borough and Rochester Township, Beaver County, will occur Tuesday through Friday, May 31-June 3 weather permitting.

Lane restrictions with flagging operations will occur on Route 68 between the roundabout and Virginia Avenue from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. Crews from Armstrong Drilling will conduct the work.

Please use caution if driving through the area.

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 accessible on the 511PA website.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — The National Weather Service has confirmed that at least two tornadoes touched down briefly in south-central Pennsylvania last week, and one damaged some buildings, but no injuries were reported. Forecasters in State College say one tornado touched down just before noon Friday near New Franklin in southern Franklin County. They say the EF-0 tornado had peak winds of about 70 mph. Forecasters say another tornado touched down shortly after 2 p.m. Friday in Kirkwood in eastern Lancaster County. They said the tornado had estimated wind speeds of about 105 mph and did “extensive damage to several buildings.”

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A movement known as Christian nationalism is making its presence known in many Republican primary races this year. Most prominent is the campaign of Doug Mastriano, who easily won the Republican nomination for governor of Pennsylvania. He has made his faith central to his personal story and has woven his conservative Christian beliefs and symbols into his campaign. Mastriano and many other candidates reject the label of Christian nationalist. They say they’re applying their values to their politics, just as any citizen would. But scholars say the label fits those who support a fusion of American and Christian values, symbols and identity.

ELIZABETH, Pa. (AP) — Authorities say a small plane crashed into a wooded area of western Pennsylvania, critically injuring the pilot. Authorities in Allegheny County and federal officials said the single-engine Aeronica 7 Champion aircraft went down in Elizabeth Township less than a mile from Rostraver Airport shortly before 7 p.m. Friday. Chief Ken Honick of the township’s police force said the pilot was flown to Allegheny General Hospital in critical condition. He said the pilot was conscious, alert and talking to first responders. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash.

A scientific analysis commissioned by the FBI shortly before agents went digging for buried treasure suggests that a huge quantity of gold could be below the surface of a rural site in western Pennsylvania. That’s according to newly released government documents and photos that deepen the mystery of the 2018 dig at Dent’s Run. The report was authored by a geophysicist who performed testing at the site. The government has long claimed its excavation did not yield any of the Civil War-era gold that legend says was buried there. The newly revealed geophysical survey was part of a court-ordered release of government records on the FBI’s treasure hunt.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh police say a 1-year-old child has been killed in an apparent drive-by shooting in downtown. Officers were called to an intersection not far from Market Square and the PPG Place complex at around 2:45 p.m. Sunday on a report that an infant had been shot. Cmdr. Cristyn Zett said shorty afterward there were “numerous 911 calls for shots fired in the area.” Zett said the baby boy was pronounced dead at the scene. She said the child’s mother was present, but it was not immediately clear whether there was any connection between the shooter and the child.

The nation’s governors are diverging over how to respond to mass shootings such as the one that killed 19 students and two teachers at a Texas elementary school. Democrats are amplifying their calls for greater restrictions on guns. Many Republican governors are instead emphasizing more security at schools. The Associated Press surveyed governors after Tuesday’s attack in Texas. Democratic governors generally supported proposals to limit ammunition magazines to 10 bullets and prohibit people younger than 21 from buying semiautomatic weapons. Most Republicans did not. No Democratic governors told the AP they supported arming teachers, but Republican governors backed a wide array of potential school security steps.