Author: Beaver County Radio

2-week deer season approved, rifles banned from turkey hunts

2-week deer season approved, rifles banned from turkey hunts
HARRIBURG, Pa. (AP) — The Pennsylvania Game Commission has approved concurrent hunting for antlered and antlerless deer through the duration of the 2021-22 firearms deer season. Last year, 10 of the 23 wildlife management units in the state had two weeks of concurrent buck and doe hunting, while the other 13 had one week of buck-only hunting, followed by a week of concurrent hunting. Commissioners also made what they called a “difficult” vote to ban use of rifles for fall turkey hunting, citing a declining turkey population. Commissioners approved the use of digital licenses in place of standard paper licenses.

4 freight train cars derail in Altoona; no injuries reported

4 freight train cars derail in Altoona; no injuries reported
ALTOONA, Pa. (AP) — Authorities say several cars of a freight train derailed in a Pennsylvania city, but no injuries were reported. A security officer for Station Medical Center told WJAC-TV that four cars came off the track in downtown Altoona at about 10:30 p.m. Friday. The officer said the Norfolk Southern train was hauling coal, and the track needed repairs. The president of Altoona firefighters local 299, Patrick Miller, told WTAJ-TV that there were no concerns about hazardous material.

Keller shines, Pirates end 6-game skid, tag Davies, Cubs 8-2

Keller shines, Pirates end 6-game skid, tag Davies, Cubs 8-2
By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Mitch Keller pitched five efficient innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates used an early burst to chase Zach Davies in an 8-2 win over the Chicago Cubs. Keller bounced back from a rough 2021 debut by allowing one run. The 25-year-old struck out seven and walked just one as the Pirates ended a six-game losing streak. Colin Moran, Bryan Reynolds and Jacob Stallings all drove in two runs during Pittsburgh’s seven-run outburst in the second against Davies.

4 girls, 12 and 14 years old, accused of setting house fire

4 girls, 12 and 14 years old, accused of setting house fire
FERNDALE, Pa. (AP) — Authorities say four teenage girls ranging in age from 12 to 14 are accused of setting a fire that destroyed an unoccupied western Pennsylvania house earlier this month, sending a police officer and a firefighter to the hospital. Police in the suburban Johnstown borough of Ferndale say a 12-year-old from and three 14-year-olds face multiple charges of felony arson as well as causing catastrophe, trespassing and endangering another person. Chief John Blake says they told police that they set the fire because “they were bored.” The girls were released to their parents’ custody and their case will be heard in juvenile court.

Over 6.2 Million Vaccinations to Date, First Doses of Vaccine to 36% of Population, PA Ranks 20th Among 50 States for First Dose Vaccinations

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., April 10, there were 4,882 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 1,068,974.

There are 2,439 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19. Of that number, 496 patients are in the intensive care unit with COVID-19. Most of the patients hospitalized are ages 65 or older, and most of the deaths have occurred in patients 65 or older. More data is available here.

The trend in the 14-day moving average number of hospitalized patients per day is about 3,900 lower than it was at the peak on December 25, 2020. The current 14-day average is also below what it was at the height of the spring peak on May 3, 2020. However, the moving average of number of hospitalized patients has started to increase.

Statewide percent positivity for the week of March 26 – April 1 stood at 9.4%.

The most accurate daily data is available on the website, with archived data also available.

As of 11:59 p.m. Friday, April 9 there were 40 new deaths identified by the Pennsylvania death registry, reported for a total of 25,402 deaths attributed to COVID-19. County-specific information and a statewide map are available on the COVID-19 Data Dashboard.

COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution

Pennsylvania hospitals began receiving shipments of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine the week of Dec. 14 and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine the week of Dec. 21. The Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 vaccine was first allocated to Pennsylvania the week of March 1, and the commonwealth is using it for a special initiative involving K-12 and early education educators and support staff. Vaccination numbers for Pennsylvania do not include Philadelphia, which is its own jurisdiction, or federal facilities, which are working directly with the federal government.

Vaccine highlights

  • According to the CDC, as of Saturday morning, April 10, Pennsylvania has administered first doses of vaccine to 36% of its eligible population, and the state ranks 20th among all 50 states for first doses administered by percentage of population.
  • According to the CDC, as of Saturday morning, April 10, Pennsylvania ranks 6th among all 50 states for total doses administered.
  • Vaccine providers have administered 6,233,317 total vaccine doses as of Saturday, April 10.
  • 2,299,256 people are fully vaccinated; with a seven-day moving average of more than 88,800 people per day receiving vaccinations.
  • 1,828,141 people are partially vaccinated, meaning they have received one dose of a two-dose vaccine.
  • 4,127,397 people have received at least their first dose.

 

  • This week, a total of 6,580,640 doses will have been allocated through April 10:
    • 442,310 first/single doses will have been allocated this week.
    • 268,010 second doses will have been allocated this week.

 

  • To date, we have administered 6,233,317 doses total through April 10:
    • First/single doses:  4,127,397 administered
    • Second doses:  2,105,920 administered

Mask-wearing is required in all businesses and whenever leaving home, even if fully vaccinated. Consistent mask-wearing is critical to preventing the spread of COVID-19.

There are 136,049 individuals who have a positive viral antigen test and are considered probable cases and 639 individuals who have a positive serology test and either COVID-19 symptoms or a high-risk exposure.

There are 4,220,187 individuals who have tested negative to date.

In licensed nursing and personal care homes, there are 69,805 resident cases of COVID-19, and 14,458 cases among employees, for a total of 84,263 at 1,582 distinct facilities in all 67 counties. Out of total deaths reported to PA-NEDSS, 12,988 have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities. A county breakdown can be found here. Note that the number of deaths reported to NEDSS is not exactly the same as the COVID-19 related deaths reported by the death registry. The number of deaths among nursing and personal care home residents and employees is taken from the PA-NEDSS death data, as this information is not available in the death registry data.

Approximately 26,889 of our total cases are among health care workers.

Statewide – The Wolf Administration has since noon, April 9:

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 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”.

I-376 Beaver Valley Expressway Bridge Inspection Monday, Tuesday in Hopewell

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing work to inspect the bridges that carry I-376 (Beaver Valley Expressway) over Todd Road and Raccoon Creek in Hopewell Township, Beaver County, will occur Monday and Tuesday, April 12-13 weather permitting.

Single-lane restrictions will occur on the I-376 bridges in both directions from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day. Restrictions will not occur in both directions simultaneously.

Crews from PennDOT will conduct routine inspection activities.

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.

Teleforum Monday!

On Monday’s Teleforum host Eddy Crow will have his reactions to all the latest news from the weekend, and without even knowing the news from the weekend, there is little doubt Eddy will find something to get wound up about. Tune in to see what presses his Indignation button; Teleforum is every weekday from 9 till noon on am1230, am1460, and 99.3fm presented by St. Barnabas.

Certain Cancer Patients are at High Risk of COVID-19 Vaccine Failure

Credit: University of Pittsburgh
Ghady Haidar, M.D.

(Pittsburgh, Pa.) People with cancer that affects the blood, bone marrow or lymph nodes are at elevated risk of COVID-19 vaccine failure, particularly those with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, according to new results from an analysis of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center patients.

The finding prompted University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC clinician-scientists to issue a cautionary statement in the preprint journal medRxiv, urging such patients and those who interact with them to take the COVID-19 vaccines available, but to continue wearing masks and practicing social distancing, even after full vaccination. They simultaneously are pursuing peer-reviewed publication of the findings.

“As we see more national guidance allowing for unmasked gatherings among vaccinated people, clinicians should counsel their immunocompromised patients about the possibility that COVID-19 vaccines may not fully protect them against SARS-CoV-2,” said senior author Ghady Haidar, M.D., UPMC transplant infectious diseases physician and assistant professor in Pitt’s Department of Infectious Diseases. “Our results show that the odds of the vaccine producing an antibody response in people with hematologic malignancies are the equivalent of a coin flip.”

Haidar cautioned that a negative antibody test does not necessarily mean that the patient lacks protection from the virus. At this time, UPMC and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Protection do not recommend repeat or booster vaccinations for previously vaccinated people, even if they test negative for antibodies.

Hematologic malignancies are a classification of non-solid tumor cancers, including leukemias, myelomas and lymphomas. These patients have a greater than 30% risk of death if they contract COVID-19 and often receive antibody-depleting therapies, which means they should be prioritized for COVID-19 vaccination. However, they were excluded from COVID-19 mRNA vaccine trials, so data on the vaccines’ effectiveness are nonexistent.

Approximately three weeks after their final vaccination, 67 patients with hematologic malignancies who had been vaccinated with either the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 two-dose vaccines had their blood tested. Haidar and his colleagues found that more than 46% of the participants had not produced antibodies against SARS-CoV-2.

Moreover, only three in 13 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)—a slowly progressing cancer of the blood and bone marrow—produced measurable antibodies, even though 70% of them weren’t undergoing any form of cancer therapy.

“This lack of response was strikingly low,” said Mounzer Agha, M.D., the study’s lead author and a hematologist at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center. “We’re still working to determine why people with hematologic malignancies—particularly those with CLL—have a lower antibody response and if this low response also extends to patients with solid tumors.”

The team did not find a link between cancer therapy and antibody levels to indicate why some of the patients did not mount an adequate immune response to the vaccine. As expected, however, older patients were less likely to produce antibodies compared to younger patients.

“It’s critically important for these patients to be aware of their continued risk and to seek prompt medical attention if they have COVID-19 symptoms, even after vaccination,” Agha added. “They may benefit from outpatient treatments, such as monoclonal antibodies, before the illness becomes severe.”

Additional authors on this research are Maggie Blake, R.N., Charles Chilleo and Alan Wells, M.D., D.MSc., all of UPMC or Pitt.

Ellwood City Man Scares Off Suspect Attempting to Steal from Vehicle

(Perry Twp., Pa.) Pa State Police in New Castle are reporting that they were called to a location on Portersville Road in Perry Twp. for a report of vehicle parts being attempting to be stolen. Upon arriving on the scene, a male victim from Ellwood City reported that he caught someone attempting to steal items from his vehicle parked at his residence. The victim told Police that he scared off the suspect.