Police: 8 dead in shooting at FedEx facility in Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Police in Indianapolis say eight people were shot and killed at a FedEx facility. The shooter then killed himself. A police spokesperson says several other people were injured in the Thursday night shooting. At least four were hospitalized, including one person with critical injuries. Another two people were treated and released at the scene. The shooter has not been identified. Police were still at the scene conducting interviews in the early hours of Friday. It was the latest in a recent string of mass shootings across the U.S. Family members have gathered at a hotel to await word on loved ones. The facility is near the Indianapolis International Airport.

(Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Curtis Walsh)

(New Brighton, PA) At the New Brighton Borough Council meeting tonight, one of the first orders of business was the approval of a sale of the property at 909 Harmony Avenue.  The property was originally slated to be demolished until a man expressed his interest in purchasing it from the Repository of Unsold Property at last months meeting.  Next on the agenda was an approved motion to include the City of Beaver Falls into an intragovernmental agreement of cooperation for regional emergency management services.  The council then went on to approve to amend the police department policy and procedure manual to include chapter 21 that includes language in compliance with reporting and testimonial requirements, mandated under the U.S. Supreme Court.  Council also approved a contract for the 2021 Road Paving Program, with a paving company out of Wampum for $146,513.96. This project will repair sections of 2nd street, 14th street, 4th avenue, and 6th avenue.  Another item on the agenda was the approval of a donation to PUSH Beaver County, which will sponsor New Brighton as part of the 2021 Beaver County Boom.  Other items approved at the meeting include a memorial that will be built at Townsend Park to honor Vietnam Veterans, and to allow a Beaver County NAACP Voter Registration event at Townsend Park on April 17th.

PITTSBURGH, PA. (April 15, 2021) – Allegheny Health Network (AHN) today announced plans to build a state-of-the art Melanoma and Skin Cancer Center at West Penn Hospital. The $14 million facility is expected to be completed in early 2022 and will provide cancer patients with one-stop access to the network’s comprehensive clinical and surgical expertise, as well as leading-edge therapies and technologies.

“Skin cancer is extremely common, and almost always treatable if it is found early,” said Howard Edington, MD, AHN surgical oncologist who is leading AHN’s development of the Melanoma and Skin Cancer Center. “Melanoma is a less common but more deadly form of skin cancer, and the number of cases is rising, particularly in younger people.”

“Our goal for this amazing new center is to create a place where clinicians and researchers work together to advance the diagnosis and treatment of all skin cancers, and where health care providers collaborate to provide patients with seamless care that addresses their needs and gives them their best chance of a positive outcome,” Dr. Edington said.

More people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year in the U.S. than all other cancers combined, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. In the U.S., more than 9,500 people are diagnosed with skin cancer every day, and more than two people die of the disease every hour.

About 1 in 50 Americans will develop melanoma during their lifetimes, and its incidence has doubled over the past 30 years, according to the Melanoma Research Alliance. About 166,000 Americans are diagnosed with melanoma annually and about 7,000 die of the disease. Skin cancers, including melanoma, are strongly connected with exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun or from tanning beds.

The AHN Melanoma and Skin Cancer Center will unite physicians in dermatology, medical, surgical and radiation oncology, radiology and pathology, integrative medicine and psychiatry with nurse navigators, social workers and other support staff to surround patients with every possible resource to aid their cancer journey and recovery. The AHN Cancer Institute is currently offering innovative treatments for skin cancers, such as oncolytic virus therapy for inoperable melanoma. Treatment is delivered directly into the patient’s tumor, and the therapy acts in concert with the body’s immune system to fight the cancer.

Clinical and translational research conducted at the new center will focus on additional new medical therapies, real-time diagnostic technologies that help doctors catch cancer at its earliest stages and identifying novel biomarkers that can be used to develop precision medicine that target cancers’ individual genetic makeup.

AHN cancer specialists are currently collaborating with an industry partner to study the immune cells and surface receptors present in cancerous tumors, as well as the creation of a biobank of patients’ blood samples and tumors. Both will be used to assess patients’ responses to different treatments with a goal of being able to offer therapies that are targeted to individual cancers.

The Melanoma and Skin Cancer Center is funded in part by a generous donation from the West Penn Hospital Foundation.

“The West Penn Hospital Foundation’s investment in the AHN Melanoma and Skin Cancer Center will improve the experience and outcomes of those who are diagnosed with skin cancer, and we thank them for their foresight and generosity,” said David L. Bartlett, MD, Chair, AHN Cancer Institute. “The Melanoma and Skin Cancer Center, along with other recent investments in our capabilities, such as our new Clinical Genomics Laboratory, will advance AHN’s commitment to offering the most advanced, personalized care for cancer patients.”

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health today notified all COVID-19 vaccine providers that the pause in administering doses of the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine will be extended until April 24 or until updated guidance is provided from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Earlier this week, the department recommended a pause in administering Johnson & Johnson vaccine until April 20 to give the CDC and FDA time to review six incidents of rare blood clots that occurred within two weeks of receiving Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices held an emergency meeting yesterday that ended without taking a vote to change the current recommendation to pause administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Another meeting is expected within 10 days.

During the meeting, the CDC acknowledged that one of the six cases being studied involves a 26-year-old Pennsylvania woman who recovered after treatment at a New Jersey hospital. The CDC is not releasing personal information in the case.

These six cases occurred in women between 18 and 48 who were among the 6.8 million Americans who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Out of the more than 6.6 million vaccine doses that have been administered in Pennsylvania, only 247,063 doses have been Johnson & Johnson.

This announcement shows that the federal oversight process of a vaccine’s safety and effectiveness is working, and all steps are being taken to protect Americans.

“The safety procedures built into the vaccination process are working and should instill confidence in the safety and effectiveness of the available COVID-19 vaccines,” Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam said. “I urge individuals who have appointments scheduled to receive a Pfizer or Moderna vaccination to keep those appointments.”

People who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine who develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain or shortness of breath within three weeks of their vaccination should contact their health care provider. For more information, find the CDC/FDA guidance online at: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/joint-cdc-and-fda-statement-johnson-johnson-covid-19-vaccine.

The department also has sent communications to stakeholder groups and others who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine as a part of a special vaccination initiative.

While vaccine supply from the federal government remains limited, the Department of Health is working to ensure the vaccine is provided in a way that is ethical, equitable and efficient. To keep Pennsylvanians informed about vaccination efforts:

• The Your Turn tool provides a way to register to be alerted when it’s your turn to be vaccinated.
• A commonwealth COVID-19 vaccination guide explains the current process for getting one. Pennsylvanians with questions about the vaccination process can call the Department of Health hotline at 1-877-724-3258.
• Vaccine provider map to find a COVID-19 vaccine provider near you.
• All of the locations that received vaccine and how much they have received can be found on the COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution webpage.

• Vaccine dashboard data can also be found on the website to find more information on the doses administered and showcase demographic information.
• Pennsylvanians can provide feedback on the Pennsylvania COVID-19 Interim Vaccination Plan by clicking on the Plan Feedback Form square under Popular Vaccine Topics here.
• Frequently asked questions can be found here.

The Wolf Administration stresses the role Pennsylvanians play in helping to reduce the spread of COVID-19:

• Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
• Cover any coughs or sneezes with your elbow, not your hands.
• Clean surfaces frequently.
• Stay home to avoid spreading COVID-19, especially if you are unwell.
• If you must go out, you are required to wear a mask when in a business or where it is difficult to maintain proper social distancing.

• Download the COVID Alert PA app and make your phone part of the fight. The free app can be found in the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store by searching for “covid alert pa”.