AAA: Gas Prices End 2020 Much Lower than 2019
The average price of gasoline across Western Pennsylvania is steady this week at $2.475 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report. As has been the case throughout much of the year, this is roughly 40 cents cheaper than this time last year.

This week’s average prices: Western Pennsylvania Average                  $2.475
Average price during the week of December 21, 2020                              $2.474
Average price during the week of December 30, 2019                              $2.863

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

$2.621      Altoona
$2.455      Beaver
$2.629      Bradford
$2.458      Brookville
$2.361      Butler
$2.444      Clarion
$2.467      DuBois
$2.591      Erie
$2.340      Greensburg
$2.581      Indiana
$2.329      Jeannette
$2.540      Kittanning
$2.282      Latrobe
$2.627      Meadville
$2.599      Mercer
$2.184      New Castle
$2.590      New Kensington
$2.699      Oil City
$2.497      Pittsburgh
$2.247      Sharon
$2.480      Uniontown
$2.619      Warren
$2.279      Washington

Trend Analysis:
Increasing crude oil prices have led to upward movement at the pump across much of the country. Today’s national average ($2.25) is three cents more than last week, 13 cents more than last month, but 32 cents cheaper than last year. Motorists can expect gas prices to rise in the coming week, but they will still be cheaper than at the end of 2019.

The Energy Information Administration measures weekly gasoline demand at 8 million b/d. While low demand would typically translate to cheaper prices, crude oil is at its most expensive since February (roughly $48/barrel).

Crude prices increased last due in part to rising market optimism that coronavirus vaccines will help crude oil demand recover in 2021. However, as coronavirus infection rates continue to climb, crude price gains could be capped for now.

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.

The FBI has issued a warning about scammers trying to take advantage of the COVID-19 vaccine by try to scam people with ads or offers for early vaccine access for a fee or even paying out of pocket to be on a vaccine waiting list. The FBI says doesn’t exist and people should be cautious. The FBI says that things you should look out for include ads from unknown sources about the vaccine, mentions of FDA approval of an unverified vaccine, unsolicited emails or calls from someone claiming to be from a medical office, and someone claiming to be from an insurance company or vaccine center requesting your personal information.

 FBI suggests getting up to date information on vaccine distribution through the Pennsylvania Department of Health and keeping informed about those vaccines the FDA has authorized, which as of now are two from Pfizer and Moderna.

You should also consult your doctor before getting a vaccine, and only share your personal or health information with a trusted medical professional.

If you feel like you may be a victim of a COVID-19 fraud you can report it to the FBI through its website or call 1-800-CALL-FBI.

More than 190,000 ceiling fans recalled after blades fly off
By JOSEPH PISANI AP Retail Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — More than 190,000 ceiling fans sold at Home Depot are being recalled after reports that the blades fell off while spinning, hitting people and causing property damage. The Hampton Bay Mara indoor and outdoor ceiling fans were sold this year between April and October at Home Depot stores and its website. About 182,000 of them were sold in the U.S. and 8,800 were sold in Canada. The Consumer Product Safety Commission said owners of the fans should stop using them immediately and inspect them for blades that aren’t secure. King of Fans, which makes the ceiling fans, said it will replace any of the faulty ones for free.

Lori Loughlin released after prison term in college scam
By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Associated Press
“Full House” actor Lori Loughlin has been released from prison after spending two months behind bars for paying half a million dollars in bribes to get her two daughters into college. Loughlin was released Monday from the federal lockup in Dublin, California, where she had been serving her sentence for her role in the college admissions bribery scheme. Her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, is serving his five-month sentence at a prison in Lompoc near Santa Barbara, California. Loughlin and Giannulli were among the highest-profile defendants charged in the scheme, which revealed the lengths to which some wealthy parents will go to get their children into elite universities.

Bomber to neighbor: World ‘never going to forget me’
By KIMBERLEE KRUESI, DENISE LAVOIE, and MICHAEL BALSAMO Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The man accused of exploding a bomb in Nashville on Christmas told a neighbor days earlier that “Nashville and the world is never going to forget me.” Rick Laude said he had a chance conversation with Anthony Quinn Warner at his mailbox Dec. 21. Laude said he casually asked Warner if he was expecting anything good from Santa for Christmas. Laude said he was speechless when he later learned authorities identified Warner as the suspected bomber. The bombing injured three people and damaged dozens of buildings in downtown Nashville. Authorities say they are now trying to determine the motive. Warner died in the bombing.

PennDOT Driver License, Photo Centers and Harrisburg Riverfront Office Center Closed for New Year’s Holiday

Harrisburg, PA –The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) today announced that all driver license and photo centers, including the Riverfront Office Center in Harrisburg, will be closed Friday, January 1, 2021, in observance of the New Year’s Day holiday.

Additionally, the Riverfront Office Center in Harrisburg, which is only open for motor vehicle transactions, will close at 12:30 PM on Thursday, December 31.  Driver license and photo center locations will close at 12:15 PM on Thursday, December 31.

Customers may still obtain a variety of driver and vehicle products and services, including all forms, publications and driver training manuals, online through PennDOT’s Driver and Vehicle Services website, www.dmv.pa.gov.

Driver and vehicle online services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and include driver’s license, photo ID and vehicle registration renewals; driver-history services; changes of address; driver license and vehicle registration restoration letters; ability to pay driver license or vehicle insurance restoration fee; driver license and photo ID duplicates; and driver exam scheduling. There are no additional fees for using online services.

A complete listing of PennDOT driver and photo license center closings in 2020 is available online.

Motorists can check conditions on major roadway 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.

Follow PennDOT on Twitter at www.twitter.com/PennDOTNews and like the department on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaDepartmentofTransportation and Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/pennsylvaniadot/.

Pope formally strips Vatican secretariat of state of assets
By NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press
ROME (AP) — Pope Francis has formally stripped the Vatican secretariat of state of its financial assets and real estate holdings following its bungled management of hundreds of millions of euros in donations and investments. Francis signed a new law this weekend ordering the secretariat of state to complete the transfer of all its holdings to another Vatican office by Feb. 4. The law also calls for all donations to the pope to be held and managed by the Vatican’s treasury office as separate funds that are accounted for in the Holy See’s consolidated budget.

Workers install 192 crystals on Times Square New Year’s ball
NEW YORK (AP) — Workers have installed nearly 200 glittering Waterford crystal triangles on Times Square’s New Year’s Eve ball in preparation for a pandemic-limited celebration. The ball is a 12-foot geodesic sphere covered with more than 2,000 crystal triangles of various sizes. Some new crystals are swapped in every year. This year’s addition features a new “Gift of Happiness” design represented by a sunburst of bright cuts radiating outward. The ball blazing with more than 32,000 LED lights will be dropped at 11:59 p.m. on New Year’s Eve to ring in 2021.

After naming bombing suspect, focus turns to motive
By KIMBERLEE KRUESI, MICHAEL BALSAMO and ERIC TUCKER Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Federal officials now turn to exploring the monumental task of piecing together the motive behind the Christmas Day explosion that severely damaged dozens of downtown Nashville buildings and injured three. Officials have named 63-year-old Anthony Quinn Warner as the man behind the mysterious explosion in which he was killed, but the motive has remained elusive. In just a few days, hundreds of tips and leads have been submitted. Yet thus far, officials have not provided information on what possibly drove Warner to set off the explosion. The director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation told reporters on Sunday that Warner had not been on the radar before Christmas.