FILE – (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)

Two higher-end models of the Apple Watch can go on sale again after a federal court temporarily lifted a sales halt ordered by the International Trade Commission due to a patent dispute. The ITC, a federal agency, ordered the halt to block Apple from using specific technologies underpinning a blood-oxygen measurement system in its Series 9 and Ultra 2 watches. Apple stopped selling the two watch models in the U.S. on Thursday to comply with the ITC ruling. The court’s action will allow sales of the two Apple Watch models while it considers whether to reinstate the ITC order as it hears Apple’s appeal.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania saw a tenfold increase in deaths of older adults following an abuse or neglect complaint over the past few years. It came as COVID-19 ravaged the nation, complaints grew and local agencies struggled to keep caseworkers on staff. State data shows the increase went from 120 deaths reported in 2017 to almost 1,400 in 2022. The state Department of Aging and county-level agency officials blame a growing population of people 65 and older, an increase in complaints and the COVID-19 pandemic. But agencies also struggled to keep caseworkers through the pandemic. Pennsylvania’s Department of Aging says it has no data to suggest that a lack of caseworkers contributed to the increase in deaths.

Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio. Photos by Keith Walsh-Beaver County Radio. Published December 28, 2023 7:41 A.M.

(Rochester, Pa) A fire broke out at a house on Clay Street in Rochester early Thursday morning. Multiple fire departments responded to the scene. No injuries have been reported. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

The Borough of New Brighton released the following statement: (New Brighton, Pa) Last week, information was inaccurately provided for the Christmas week refuse collection schedule.  Christmas Day was the only day this week that there was not refuse or recycling collection.  Monday collection was delayed by one day, but all other collection routes are still being collected as normal.  Because of the miscommunication, this week only, after the standard route is complete, Aiken Refuse will be attempting to revisit the previous day’s route to collect any missed customers. This schedule will also be in effect next week for the New Year’s Day holiday.  There will be no refuse or recycling collection on New Year’s Day.  For residents and merchants with routine collection on Monday, collection will be delayed by one day.  Regular collection will occur for all remaining customers on Tuesday through Thursday.

Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio. Published December 28, 2023 7:42 A.M.

(New Brighton, Pa) A accident occured this morning at the Veterans Bridge along Route 65 in New Brighton. Two vehicles were seen with damage around 5:45am. Police responded to the scene. We do not have any additional details at this time.

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

The latest report by AAA East Central shows that gas prices continue to trend downward during the end-of-the-year holiday stretch. This week’s $3.44 average is down from last week’s average of $3.46 by two cents, and down 27 cents from the average of $3.71 one year ago.

Beaver County remains above-average with their prices, clocking in with $3.50 per gallon of unleaded gas this week. Butler is at $3.44, while Pittsburgh stands at $3.47 per gallon this week.

Here’s the full list of average prices of unleaded self-serve gasoline in various areas:

$3.248      Altoona
$3.503      Beaver
$3.650      Bradford
$3.390      Brookville
$3.437      Butler
$3.416      Clarion
$3.349      DuBois
$3.338      Erie
$3.495      Greensburg
$3.458      Indiana
$3.448      Jeannette
$3.655      Kittanning
$3.465      Latrobe
$3.330      Meadville
$3.445      Mercer
$3.215      New Castle
$3.458      New Kensington
$3.404      Oil City
$3.478      Pittsburgh
$3.370      Sharon
$3.410      Uniontown
$3.597      Warren
$3.441      Washington

LAS VEGAS (AP) — For better or for worse, a wave of couples saying “I do” in Las Vegas on New Year’s Eve could set a record for the city’s busiest wedding day ever.

That’s because 12/31/23 is known in the massive Las Vegas wedding industry as a “specialty date,” thanks to the repeating 1-2-3 1-2-3 pattern, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.

The icing on the cake? This specialty date falls on a holiday famous for blowout celebrations.

“It’s a double whammy,” said Melody Willis-Williams, president of Vegas Weddings, which operates multiple venues. “Anytime you get these specialty dates, they’re always hugely popular. But tie that in with New Year’s Eve and it’s a showstopper.”

The number to beat on New Year’s Eve is 4,492 — the single-day record for marriages in Las Vegas set on July 7, 2007. The second-most popular specialty wedding date on record with the county’s marriage bureau is Nov. 11, 2011, when 3,125 couples tied the knot.

Typically, New Year’s Eve has drawn somewhere between 450 to 550 couples to wed in Las Vegas since 2018, the Review-Journal reported.

But not this year for Vegas Weddings. The company is fully booked on midnight at its multiple venues, including its brown-brick chapel in downtown Las Vegas with a white steeple and red awning.

Willis-Williams said her company alone expects to wed more than 120 couples on New Year’s Eve. Five of those couples will tie the knot just as the clock is counting down to midnight.

Clark County Clerk Lynn Marie Goya said couples married on a specialty date in Las Vegas have described them as “magic dates” that are easy to remember.

“I think the celebration that has a group dynamic is really appealing,” Goya said. “When everyone is in line and they’re all getting married and excited about being in love, it just enhances their own experience.”

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

The heat wave experienced across Western Pennsylvania was a historic one.

According to a tweet posted by National Weather Service Pittsburgh late Monday night, the peak temperature of 60 degrees across the Pittsburgh area made it the 6th-highest Christmas temperature ever recorded dating back to 1871.

The highest Christmas day temperature ever recorded was back in 1895, when Pittsburgh had a reading of 67 degrees on December 25. The 66 degree holiday of 1982 was a close second.

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

Late yesterday afternoon, Beaver Falls mayor Dr. Kenya Johns announced on her Facebook page that she will be running for Pennsylvania State Representative.

In her announcement, Johns stated that “this decision was not made lightly. It is important that in all that we do that we focus on what is best for the people and the community. I believe that I will represent our community proudly but I cannot and will not do this alone”.

Johns is running for State Representative following a two-year stint as mayor of Beaver Falls, becoming the first mayor of color and second female mayor of the city (after Faye Javens in 1962) following her election in 2021.

(File Photo)

 Harrisburg, PA – In an ongoing effort to keep Pennsylvanians safe and informed, the Pennsylvania State Police released their annual Christmas holiday crash and enforcement report today, which included 198 arrests of people who drove under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Over the three-day period (Dec. 23-25), PSP investigated 404 crashes, where three individuals died, and 70 others were injured. Alcohol was a factor in 36 crashes.

Troopers also issued:

• 1,036 speeding citations.
• 123 citations for failing to wear a seat belt.
• 22 citations for not securing children in safety seats.

Table 1: Christmas Weekend Crash Data

Year	Total Crashes	Fatal Crashes	People Killed	People Injured	Alcohol-Related Crashes	Alcohol-Related Fatal Crashes
2023 (3 days)	404	3	3	70	36	0
2022 (3 days)	661	5	7	113	36	2

 

Table 2: Christmas Weekend Enforcement Data

Year	DUI Arrests	Speeding Citations	Child Seat Citations	Seat Belt Citations	Other Citations
2023 (3 days)	198	1,036	22	123	2,853
2022 (3 days)	116	451	11	110	2,248

 

More information on the 2023 Christmas holiday crash and enforcement report, broken down by troop, is available. These statistics cover only those incidents investigated by the state police and do not include incidents to which other law enforcement agencies responded.

With New Year’s Eve celebrations coming up, state police will once again be on the lookout for impaired, aggressive, and distracted drivers. PSP reminds people to plan ahead for a safe ride home, especially if your holiday plans involve alcohol.

For more information on the Pennsylvania State Police, visit psp.pa.gov.