Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio. Published March 8, 2024 10:51 A.M.

(Pittsburgh, Pa) Jim Roddey, a name known by many in the Pittsburgh region and beyond has passed away at the age of 91. Roddey, who was a Marine Corps Veteran, had a long career in business and politics, in addition to using his talents on the radio, including with the St. Barnabas Radio network on WBVP, WMBA, and WJAS. Jim Roddey served as the first Chief Executive of Allegheny County, a position he held from 1999 through 2004. He was also the chairman of the Allegheny County Republican Committee. Roddey was the former host of “The Best of Beaver County”, and most recently “Heroes” on the St. Barnabas Radio Network.

FILE – Pittsburgh Steelers safety Keanu Neal (31) celebrates after the Steelers beat the Las Vegas Raiders 23-18 in an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, in Las Vegas. The Steelers released Neal on Thursday, March 7, 2024, after he failed a physical. (AP Photo/Jeff Lewis, File)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers have released safety Keanu Neal after he failed a physical with the team. Neal played in nine games for the Steelers in 2023, eight of them starts. He suffered a rib injury in a win over Green Bay on Nov. 12 when he was hit at the end of a 32-yard interception return in the fourth quarter. The team placed Neal on injured reserve on Nov. 18. The 28-year-old Neal signed a two-year, $4.25 million deal with the Steelers last March. He had 50 tackles, a fumble recovery, and an interception with Pittsburgh.

FILE – A view of the scene Friday, Feb. 24, 2023, as the cleanup continues at the site of a Norfolk Southern freight train derailment that happened on Feb. 3 in East Palestine, Ohio. Norfolk Southern alone will be responsible for paying for the cleanup after last year’s fiery train derailment in eastern Ohio, a federal judge ruled, Wednesday, March 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Freed, File)

Norfolk Southern alone will be responsible for paying for the cleanup after last year’s fiery train derailment in eastern Ohio, a federal judge ruled.

The decision issued Wednesday threw out the railroad’s claim that the companies that made chemicals that spilled and owned tank cars that ruptured should share the cost of the cleanup.

An assortment of chemicals spilled and caught fire after the train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, on Feb. 3, 2023. Three days later, officials blew open five tank cars filled with vinyl chloride because they feared those cars might explode. Residents still worry about potential health consequences from those chemicals.

The Atlanta-based railroad has said the ongoing cleanup from the derailment has already cost it more than $1.1 billion. That total continues to grow, though EPA officials have said they expect the cleanup to be finished at some point later this year.

U.S. District Judge John Adams said that ruling that other companies should share the cost might only delay the resolution of the lawsuit that the Environmental Protection Agency and state of Ohio filed against Norfolk Southern. He also said the railroad didn’t show that the derailment was caused by anything the other companies could control.

“The court notes that such arguments amongst potential co-defendants does not best serve the incredibly pressing nature of this case and does not change the bottom line of this litigation; that the contamination and damage caused by the derailment must be remediated,” Adams wrote.

Norfolk Southern declined to comment on Adams’ ruling.

The railroad had argued that companies like Oxy Vinyls that made the vinyl chloride and rail car owner GATX should share the responsibility for the damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board has said the crash was likely caused by an overheating bearing on a car carrying plastic pellets that caused the train to careen off the tracks. The railroad’s sensors spotted the bearing starting to heat up in the miles before the derailment, but it didn’t reach a critical temperature and trigger an alarm until just before the derailment. That left the crew scant time to stop the train.

GATX said the ruling confirms what it had argued in court that the railroad is responsible.

“We have said from the start that these claims were baseless. Norfolk Southern is responsible for the safe transportation of all cars and commodities on its rail lines and its repeated attempts to deflect liability and avoid responsibility for damages should be rejected,” GATX said in a statement.

Oxy Vinyls declined to comment on the ruling Thursday.

The chemical and rail car companies remain defendants in a class-action lawsuit filed by East Palestine residents, so they still may eventually be held partly responsible for the derailment.

HARRISBURG, March 7 – The Pennsylvania House Consumer Protection, Technology and Utilities Committee heard testimony Tuesday about legislation that would facilitate the use of mechanical insulation by electric distribution companies, Majority Chairman Rob Matzie announced.

Matzie said H.B. 491 clarifies that the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission may not disapprove an EDC’s required energy efficiency and conservation plan solely because it contains mechanical insulation.

“Mechanical insulation is a key component when you’re talking about energy conservation,” Matzie said. “This is a fairly simple bill that would create an opportunity to expand the use of mechanical insulation, and we think we’re finally in a position to get it across the finish line.”

At the hearing, Jim Cassidy, business manager for the Insulators Union Local No. 2, testified that mechanical insulation – which is used to insulate pipes, equipment, machinery and industrial processes – provides cost savings, prevents burns, inhibits mold growth that causes sick buildings and keeps equipment running longer.

Act 129 of 2008 requires electric distribution companies to complete an energy efficiency and conservation plan that is approved by the PUC. Although the commission does not prohibit the use of mechanical insulation, the bill’s sponsors say that several plans are still waiting for PUC approval due to inclusion of mechanical insulation and that legislation is needed to ensure that including this material does not cause plan delays or disapprovals.

Danielle Smith – Keystone State News Connection

Postal union workers from Pennsylvania will head to the nation’s capital in early May for a national rally to raise awareness about the challenges faced by the U.S. Postal Service.

The workers say staff shortages, consolidations and office closures all are affecting mail delivery. The U.S. Postal Service’s goal is 95% on-time delivery across its vast network of 167 million addresses nationwide.

Kimberly Miller, president of the American Postal Workers Union Keystone Area Local 1566, said the worker shortage means some post offices close their facilities early and see delays in processing the mail. Miller pointed out rural customers often are hardest hit.

“We are operating on minimal staffing, many customers are experiencing it at the front lines,” Miller observed. “Post Offices are trying to curtail hours instead of hiring adequate staffing. There’s always been a shortage and now it seems to get worse and worse. And the mail, there’s a real delay in getting it to your door.”

Miller noted she is not a fan of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s 10-year plan to move letter sorting and distribution from local offices into large, regional hubs. In 2020, DeJoy put a plan into effect known as “Delivering for America,” to minimize employee turnover by converting more part-time staff to career status.

Miller acknowledged the Postal Service is hiring, but emphasized the issue seems to be employee retention.
Miller, who refers to career postal workers as “the craft,” suggested increasing training and treating workers with respect could also lead to improved retention.

“They did a couple of investigations on allegations of who we said, ‘Hey, look this supervisor is abusive,’ and it just got worse,” Miller recounted. “It’s so abusive that people don’t know how to talk to people. The craft fights back. It said, ‘Hey, treat me with dignity and respect. Talk to me like an adult.'”

She stressed the importance of Pennsylvanians working with lawmakers to require the Postal Service to return its service standards to what they were five years ago, requiring local delivery of mail within one to two days.

AAA and HAAS Alert, an industry leader in mobility safety solutions, are rolling out new  technology that can automatically send alerts to drivers in Pennsylvania to slow down  and move over when they are approaching a stranded motorist on the side of the road.  This new digital alert feature adds a layer of protection for AAA members and tow  operators. A recent study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reveals the  number of roadside assistance providers struck and killed while working on the side of  the road is four times higher than what is reported. 

Now in select areas, including Pennsylvania, when a AAA member requests roadside  assistance and they are in an unsafe location, such as the side of the highway or  blocking traffic, their location will automatically be displayed to other drivers in Waze,  Apple Maps, and newer Stellantis vehicles* through HAAS Alert’s Safety Cloud® platform. Once the AAA technician arrives on scene, the alert will automatically update  to notify approaching drivers of the tow vehicle, giving them critical additional time to  safely slow down or move over. 

“Too often, the lives of our members stranded at roadside and our heroic tow  technicians who come to their rescue are put in unnecessary danger by inattentive and  risky drivers,” said Nannalee Haywood, AAA Vice President of Automotive Services. “By  automatically alerting nearby drivers to the location of an emergency roadside 

* 2018 model year and newer Jeep®, Dodge, RAM, and Chrysler vehicles in North America. 

assistance call in real time, we can reduce the likelihood that drivers are caught off guard when approaching a tow truck on the side of the road.” 

Safety Cloud is currently active in more than 3,300 fleets and agencies nationwide and  alerted an estimated 72.8 million drivers in 2023. Studies have found driver advanced  warning systems, like digital alerting, reduce the likelihood of a collision by up to  90% and reduce hard braking near roadway incidents by 80%. 

“We are thrilled to launch this lifesaving integration with AAA, which marks the first time  that digital alerts will be used in the field to protect disabled motorists as well as the  technicians that service them,” said Cory Hohs, CEO of HAAS Alert. “It’s an honor to  work in partnership with an organization that has led the nation in roadway safety for  over a century, and we know that this joint effort will save lives.” 

Safety Cloud alerts automatically appear in Waze, Apple Maps, and newer Stellantis  vehicles including 2018-and-newer Jeep®, Dodge, RAM, and Chrysler vehicles. Drivers  using these vehicles and platforms do not have to change any settings to receive  roadway safety alerts automatically. 

Examining Characteristics of Fatal Roadside Worker Crashes 

Struck and killed – nearly four times more than reported. It’s the chilling reality for  roadside assistance providers, including tow truck drivers, mobile mechanics,  emergency roadside technicians, and safety service patrols who put themselves at risk  every day to help others. A new study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety  reveals a disturbing picture of the dangers faced by those working on the side of the  road, and the numbers may be getting worse. 

AAA Foundation researchers combed through diverse information sources and  uncovered 123 roadside assistance providers killed by passing vehicles between 2015  and 2021. This grim figure dwarfs the approximate 34 noted in national crash data. The  discrepancy is due to a persistent failure of state police crash report forms to capture  that crash victims were roadside assistance providers and were often recorded as  “pedestrians.” While yearly total traffic fatalities increased significantly over the study  period, the data suggest that roadside assistance provider fatalities increased even  more.  

Key findings involving emergency responder fatalities 

• 89% occurred at locations with speed limits of 55 miles per hour or higher, almost  all of which were on Interstates or other limited-access highways. 
• 84% occurred in crashes with no indication of precipitation nor slippery road  conditions. 
• 63% occurred during darkness, of which nearly two-thirds were at locations  without lighting.

* 2018 model year and newer Jeep®, Dodge, RAM, and Chrysler vehicles in North America. 

• 63% occurred in crashes in which the striking vehicle left the road before striking  the roadside assistance provider, the provider’s vehicle, or the disabled vehicle. 

AAA urges action on several fronts: 

• Slow down, Move Over: Reinforce these life-saving laws, reminding drivers to  give space to ANYONE (including but not limited to roadside assistance, police,  fire, EMS) working on the side of the road. Every ounce of awareness could be  the difference between life and death. 
• Shield the Vulnerable: Utilize countermeasures to prevent vehicles from striking  workers. The Foundation previously examined vehicle-mounted electronic  variable message signs and found them effective at alerting drivers to slow down  and move over. 
• Train for survival: Teach roadside workers to prioritize work away from traffic and  equip them with strategies to avoid harm’s way. Training for roadside assistance  providers should emphasize the importance of not working or standing on the  traffic-facing side of the incident whenever possible and minimize time spent on  the traffic-facing side of the scene. 

About HAAS Alert 

HAAS Alert’s mission is to build lifesaving mobility solutions to make vehicles and roads  safer and smarter. Our vision is a connected, collision-free world where everyone gets  home safely. HAAS Alert makes roads and communities safer by delivering digital alerts  from emergency response, municipal and private fleets, work zones, and connected  infrastructure to nearby drivers through its vehicle communication platform. For more  information, visit www.haasalert.com. 

About AAA 

Started in 1902 by automotive enthusiasts who wanted to chart a path for better roads  in America and advocate for safe mobility, AAA has transformed into one of North  America’s largest membership organizations. Today, AAA provides roadside  assistance, travel, discounts, financial and insurance services to enhance the life  journey of 64 million members across North America, including 57 million in the United  States. To learn more about all AAA has to offer or to become a member, visit AAA.com or download the AAA Mobile app.