4 companies on verge of settling US opioid lawsuits
By GEOFF MULVIHILL Associated Press
The three biggest U.S. drug distribution companies and the drugmaker Johnson & Johnson are on the verge of a $26 billion deal to settle lawsuits brought by state and local governments across the country over the toll of prescription opioids, lawyers suing on behalf of local governments said. Full details of the settlement involving AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson could come this week but it could take months to get final approval from state and local governments. A $1 billion-plus deal involving the three distributors and the state of New York was also announced Tuesday.

Jeff Bezos blasts into space on own rocket: ‘Best day ever!’
By MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer
VAN HORN, Texas (AP) — Jeff Bezos has made it into space, riding his own company’s rocket. It was Blue Origin’s first flight with people on board after 15 test flights. The Amazon founder blasted into space Tuesday with a hand-picked group that included his younger brother, an 18-year-old from the Netherlands and an 82-year-old aviation pioneer from Texas. They’re the youngest and oldest to ever hurtle off the planet. Their capsule landed 10 minutes later on the desert floor in West Texas. Named after America’s first astronaut, the New Shepard rocket soared on the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.

(Photo by Beaver County Radio’s Diane Powers)

Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano

(Aliquippa, Pa.) Numerous calls were received from residents  to the Aliquippa City  building on Monday  regarding trash not being picked up and it resulted in a busy day for the city’s staff.  A Valley Waste supervisor said yesterday afternoon that there is a shortage of drivers, not throwers and it is causing delays in trash pickup in the area.   For the last three months the supervisor said no applicants for a driver have been received.  He said now that the unemployment bonuses have ended  he urges those doing job searches to apply at Valley Waste. Their phone number is 724-843-9373 and the applicants can receive the information on how to apply.

(Photo courtesy of Center twp. Police Department, used with permission)

Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano

(Center Twp., Pa.) Center Township Police Chief Barry Kramer  presented awards to  four  firefighters,  two from Monaca, and two from Center Township at a ceremony on Monday night. The first responders were honored for aiding  in the search and rescue efforts  of an elderly township woman last January . The woman had fallen over a hillside  and after an intense search was  found and rescued . The firefighters honored are  Monaca Fire Chief Mike Seigel and Captain Tony Soriano, and Center firefighters Taylor  Goodlin and Jim  Biskup.

(Georgetown, Pa.) Pa State Police in Beaver are reporting that they were dispatched to 1328 Pa State Route 168 on July 17, 2021 at 3:56 PM for a disturbance.
Troopers report because of that disturbance they charged 60-year-old David Hughes of Georgetown with disorderly conduct for yelling an obscenity at his neighbor 46-year-old Steven Alger also of Georgetown.
Troopers did not say in the release what caused the disturbance.

(Chippewa Twp., Pa.) Pa State Police in Beaver are reporting that they were dispatched to a one vehicle accident west bound on Interstate 376 in Chippewa Twp. on Saturday, July 17, 2021, at 2:04 PM.

Troopers stated via release that Jerry Everett from Chardon Ohio was driving a 2019 Toyota Tacoma west bound on I-376 in the area of Anchortown Road when he lost control of the vehicle going off the roadway onto the berm and then strike the guide cable with the driver’s side of the vehicle. Troopers said that a storm was coming through the area at the time of the crash causing Everett to wreck. He was issued a written warning for not properly driving on roadways lined for traffic.

(Hopewell, Twp.) The Hopewell School Board met on Monday night, July 19, 2021. The Board, based on a recommendation  from D.J. Frey of Frye Transportation  hired Shelly R. Kibby as Transportation Director. Kibby’s salary will be $65,000 .00 a year. She begins her duties August 4, 2021.

AAA: Western PA Gas Prices Higher as National Average Continues to Climb
Gas prices in Western Pennsylvania are two cents higher this week at $3.311 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

This week’s average prices: Western Pennsylvania Average                 $3.311
Average price during the week of July 12, 2021                                       $3.291
Average price during the week of July 20, 2020                                       $2.458

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

$3.251      Altoona
$3.299      Beaver
$3.363      Bradford
$3.369      Brookville
$3.293      Butler
$3.340      Clarion
$3.292      DuBois
$3.341      Erie
$3.277      Greensburg
$3.298      Indiana
$3.295      Jeannette
$3.300      Kittanning
$3.297      Latrobe
$3.347      Meadville
$3.367      Mercer
$3.258      New Castle
$3.291      New Kensington
$3.359      Oil City
$3.282      Pittsburgh
$3.292      Sharon
$3.320      Uniontown
$3.340      Warren
$3.277      Washington

Trend Analysis:

Since Memorial Day weekend, the national gas price average has increased 13 cents to $3.17. That is 98 cents more than a year ago, but 41 cents cheaper than this time in July 2014, when the national average was last above $3/gallon.

One of the primary reasons for more expensive gas prices this summer is high crude oil prices. However, last week crude prices fluctuated from a high of $75 per barrel down to $71 per barrel. News from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) over the weekend, that they have reached a deal to increase production in August, could give crude oil prices the potential to drop under $70 per barrel. Regardless, AAA expects higher pump prices to be the norm throughout the summer. However, the more expensive prices aren’t stopping motorists from filling-up based on strong gasoline demand numbers.

While gas demand dipped to 9.28 million barrels per day, in the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) latest report, the rate is strong for summer. The EIA report also shows gasoline stocks increased by 1 million barrels to 236.5 million. The jump in supply and drop in demand lessened fluctuations in the national gas price average, which had a two-cent increase on the week. During the last seven days, 25 state averages increased by at least two cents, with 11 of those seeing jumps of a nickel or more.

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

AAA East Central is a not-for-profit association with 73 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.