Keystone State News Connection

July 21, 2021

Emily Scott

HARRISBURG, Pa. — A new report demonstrates why the last decade’s natural-gas boom in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia fell below expectations and did not generate a large growth in jobs or incomes throughout the region.

A companion report examines a model in Washington state from which local leaders in the region can learn to help transition their economies.

Sean O’Leary, senior researcher at the Ohio River Valley Institute, which produced both reports, said as the mining sector increased and local GDP skyrocketed, jobs in the so-called “Frackalachia” area increased by just 1.6%, combined with a population loss of 37,000.

“It means that not only has the natural gas industry not produced jobs and prosperity to a significant degree so far, but that it is structurally incapable of doing so in the future as well,” O’Leary asserted.

According to the report, the gas industry lacked impact on these communities because not much of the money invested and earned ever entered local economies, because of the natural-gas sector’s lack of labor-intensive jobs, and royalties from leased properties which were less than expected.

The second report focused on Centralia, Washington. After the town’s coal-fired power plant announced a 2025 retirement, its owner pledged to fund a plan to support economic and clean-energy transition. Since then, the town’s economy has grown at twice the rate of the country and has added more than 2,000 jobs.

O’Leary argued as federal proposals focused on clean energy and energy transition are on the horizon, it’s a moment for states such as Pennsylvania to learn from Centralia.

“Will we use it to pursue a Centralia-like strategy, or will we use it to continue chasing the past of fossil-fuel and related industries?” O’Leary questioned.

One county which could potentially benefit from this model is Greene County in southwestern Pennsylvania. The county was part of the natural-gas boom, but still has seen a steady population decrease and lack of job growth.

Mike Belding, chairman of the board of commissioners for Greene County, said he thinks the Centralia model would have a positive impact on Greene County. He pointed out the region is a great place to live, but there’s a need to adapt to the changing economy.

“We’re currently working on broadband, we’re working on recreation, we’re working on those,” Belding outlined. “But there’s really been a 25-year or longer lapse of substantial initiatives to change those attributes in Greene County.”

Belding added the county is opening a startup incubator to provide academic coaching and financial backing to non-fossil-related companies.

US life expectancy in 2020 saw biggest drop since WWII
By MIKE STOBBE AP Medical Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. life expectancy fell by a year and a half in 2020, the largest one-year decline since World War II. The decrease for both Black Americans and Hispanic Americans was even worse: three years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the calculations for 2020 early Wednesday. The drop is due mainly to the COVID-19 pandemic, which health officials say is responsible for close to 74% of the overall life expectancy decline. Killers other than COVID-19 played a role. Drug overdoses pushed life expectancy down. And rising homicides were a small but significant reason for the decline for Black Americans.

Massive wildfires in US West bring haze to East Coast
By GILLIAN FLACCUS Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Wildfires in the American West, including one burning in Oregon that’s currently the largest in the U.S., are creating hazy skies as far away as New York as the massive infernos spew smoke and ash into the air in columns up to six miles high. Skies over New York City were hazy as strong winds blew smoke east from California, Oregon, Montana and other states. Oregon’s Bootleg Fire grew to 606 square miles (1,569 square kilometers) — half the size of Rhode Island.

Troopers shoot, kill Harrisburg gunman who fired toward them
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania state police say troopers shot and killed an armed man near Harrisburg after he allegedly fired into two occupied homes and toward troopers who were called to the scene. An agency spokeswoman said 34-year-old Mitchell James Shuller of Harrisburg ignored demands to drop his rifle and had shot in the direction of troopers when they killed him outside his home Tuesday morning. Shuller died at the scene in a rural area north of Harrisburg. He’d been home alone, and no one else was injured. Shuller’s estranged wife says he had mental and physical health problems and had lost a construction job because of the pandemic.

(Moon Twp., Pa.) A missing 28-year-old Beaver County man’s body was found in the trunk of a car by his family early yesterday afternoon at an the abandoned Texaco Gas Station on University Blvd. in Moon Twp.

Junaid Akhlas was reported missing from his home at 8 a.m. Tuesday. Akhlas appeared to have been shot in the head before he was put in the trunk of his own vehicle according to police.

Moon Township Police in a release said the family believed the victim was going to Pittsburgh International Airport to drop someone off and that they may have traveled through the area.

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.