PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Travelers are urged to pack some patience as they use Pennsylvania’s roads, rails and airports over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. The Pennsylvania Turnpike predicts 3.6 million cars and trucks will use the toll road through Sunday. Amtrak is rolling extra trains for the holiday. Travelers should expect longer lines at security checkpoints at the state’s airports.
PennDOT District 11 is announcing daylight lane restrictions on Route 18 in Rochester Township, Beaver County, will occur today, Wednesday, November 27 weather permitting. Single-lane restrictions will occur on Route 18 in each direction from 8 a.m.to 4 p.m. Wednesday between YMCA Drive and Atlantic Avenue as crews conduct substructure work. Crews from Gulisek Construction, LLC and Lindy Paving will conduct the work. Please use caution if traveling in this area.
Motorists can check conditions on major roadways 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 950 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.
WEATHER FORECAST FOR WEDNESDAY, NOV. 27TH, 2019
*** WIND ADVISORY FROM 10 AM TO TODAY UNTIL 7 AM THANKSGIVING DAY ***
TODAY – CLOUDY AND WINDY. PERIODS OF
LIGHT RAIN THROUGHOUT THE MORNING.
HIGH NEAR 60.
TONIGHT – WINDY WITH RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS THIS
EVENING GRADUALLY BECOMING STEADIER
OVERNIGHT. LOW – 35.
THURSDAY – CLOUDY. HIGH NEAR 40.
Get in the true Christmas spirit when the Beaver Valley Choral society presents the concert “In Heaven the Bells are Ringing” . Admission is FREE, however donations are accepted. Hear the BVCS at the following locations:
December 7, 2019 2:00 pm, St. Blaise Parish 772 Ohio Ave, Midland Pa 15059
December 8, 2019 Annual Carol Sing, Rochester High School 540 Reno Street, Rochester, Pa 15074 Free admission. Doors open at 2:30pm. Spend the afternoon with family-friendly entertainment, climaxed with the campus light up celebration at 6pm.
December 14, 2019 7:00 pm, Holy Family Parish, 525 7th Ave., New Brighton Pa, 15066
December 15, 2019 4:00 pm, St. Cecilia Roman Catholic Parish 632 Virginia Ave., Rochester, PA 15074
December 21, 2019 4:00 pm, New Brighton United Methodist Church 1033 6th Ave., New Brighton, PA 150
(Moon Township) For the first time ever, two local institutions of higher learning, who both have very rich traditions in basketball, will play each other on the hardwood. The Geneva College Golden Tornadoes will travel to the brand new UPMC Events Center on the nearby campus of Robert Morris University in Moon Township for a non conference game later tonight. WBVP, WMBA and 99.3 F.M. will carry the game broadcast anchored by veteran broadcaster and member of the Beaver County Sports Hall of Fame, Chris Shovlin. The Robert Morris Colonials compete in NCAA division 1 and have made eight appearances in the NCAA national tournament, winning a couple of early round games through the years. Geneva College competes in NCAA division 3, and for their part, has a program with many accolades as well. Most notably, Geneva can lay claim to being the birthplace of college basketball, when they played their first game against the New Brighton YMCA in April of 1893.
Tune in this evening as two local, storied college basketball teams, just 29 miles apart, with a great deal of history and tradition on either side, play each other for the first time . Pregame with Chris Shovlin and Jim Elias from the Robert Morris Colonials network on 1230 WBVP, 1460 WMBA and 99.3 F.M. is at 6:45 P.M.
Polamalu, Wayne, Willis 1st year eligible for Hall of Fame
By BARRY WILNER AP Pro Football Writer
Safety Troy Polamalu, wide receiver Reggie Wayne and linebacker Patrick Willis are first-year eligible players among the 25 semifinalists of the modern era for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Also on the list, which will be cut to 15 on Jan. 2, are previous finalists John Lynch, Steve Atwater, Tony Boselli, Steve Hutchinson, Isaac Bruce, Edgerrin James and Alan Faneca.
Five former players will be elected to the class of 2020 on Feb. 1, the day before the Super Bowl. They will be inducted into the Canton, Ohio, shrine in August.
The hall also will induct 10 senior candidates, three contributors and two coaches in a special centennial class in 2020.
There are 14 defensive players, 10 on offense, and one special-teamer, Steve Tasker, who also played wide receiver for Buffalo.
Four players make the semifinals for the first time: linebacker Carl Banks, running backs Fred Taylor and Ricky Watters, and defensive tackle Bryant Young. Every other semifinalist for 2020 has gotten this far before.
There are six defensive backs in the group: Polamalu, Lynch, Atwater, Ronde Barber, LeRoy Butler and Darren Woodson.
Five receivers make the list: Wayne, Bruce, Torry Holt, Hines Ward, and Tasker. There also are five linebackers: Willis, Banks, Clay Matthews, Sam Mills and Zach Thomas.
Hutchinson, Faneca and Boselli are the offensive linemen. Taylor, Watters and James are the running backs. Defensive linemen are Young, Richard Seymour and Simeon Rice.
The semifinalists, in alphabetical order:
Steve Atwater, safety
Carl Banks, linebacker
Ronde Barber, cornerback/safety
Tony Boselli, tackle
Isaac Bruce, wide receiver
LeRoy Butler, safety
Alan Faneca, guard
Torry Holt, wide receiver
Steve Hutchinson, guard
Edgerrin James, running back
John Lynch, safety
Clay Matthews, linebacker
Sam Mills, linebacker
Troy Polamalu, safety
Simeon Rice, defensive end
Richard Seymour, defensive end/defensive tackle
Steve Tasker, wide receiver/special teamer
Fred Taylor, running back
Zach Thomas, linebacker
Hines Ward, wide receiver
Ricky Watters, running back
Reggie Wayne, wide receiver
Patrick Willis, linebacker
Darren Woodson, safety
Bryant Young, defensive tackle
___
More AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
Pennsylvania overhauls child sexual abuse laws
By MARC LEVY and MARK SCOLFORO Associated Press
READING, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania overhauled its child sexual abuse laws Tuesday, more than a year after a grand jury report showed the cover-up of hundreds of cases of abuse in most of Pennsylvania’s Roman Catholic dioceses over the last seven decades.
The central bill signed by Gov. Tom Wolf gives future victims of child sex abuse more time to file lawsuits and ends time limits for police to file criminal charges.
The grand jury report spurred several states to change their laws and other states to begin similar investigations.
Wolf said the new laws will help repair “faults in our justice system that prevent frightened, abused children from seeking justice when they grow into courageous adults.”
The legislative package was based on recommendations in last year’s report regarding six of eight dioceses in the state.
Wolf, a Democrat, signed bills to invalidate secrecy agreements that keep child sexual abuse victims from talking to investigators, and to increase penalties for people who are required to report suspected abuse but fail to do so.
Wolf signed the bills at Muhlenberg High School in Reading, the home district of Democratic state Rep. Mark Rozzi, a champion of the legislation who has spoken publicly about being raped as a 13-year-old by a Roman Catholic priest.
“We know our work is not done today, it’s going to continue,” Rozzi said.
The grand jury report prompted a lengthy battle in the Legislature that pitted victims and their advocates who sought the two-year window to file claims over past abuse against top Senate Republicans, who argued it would be unconstitutional and instead offered the slower alternative of amending the state constitution.
The multi-year amendment process has begun, but the bill must again pass both the House and Senate in the 2021-22 legislative session before voters will decide its fate.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, said the eliminated time limits meant prosecutors could file charges against only two priests after the report was issued. He said that if the new legislation had applied, some 100 priests could have been charged.
Wolf and Shapiro urged lawmakers to take up legislation to allow the two-year window for lawsuits rather than wait for the amendment process to play out.
“By waiting, we are robbing the very victims who made this day possible, we are robbing them of the only closure before them,” Shapiro said.
The main bill in the package ends any statute of limitations, in future cases, for criminal prosecution of major child sexual abuse crimes. Current law limits it to the victim’s 50th birthday.
Victims would have until they turn 55 to sue, compared to age 30 in current law. Young adults ages 18-23 would have until age 30 to sue, where existing law gives them just two years.
Police could file criminal charges up to 20 years after the crime when young adults 18-23 years old are the victims, as opposed to 12 years after the crime for victims over 17 in current law.
About two dozen states have changed their laws on statutes of limitations this year, according to Child USA, a Philadelphia-based think tank that advocates for child protection.
In New Jersey, lawmakers expanded the civil statute of limitations from two to seven years. The bill opened a two-year window, which starts Dec. 1, to victims who were previously barred by the statute of limitations. It also allows victims to seek damages from institutions.
New York raised the victim’s age for which prosecutors can seek a felony indictment from 23 to 28. The law also gave anyone a year starting in August to file child sex abuse lawsuits against individuals and institutions, and civil lawsuits going forward can be filed until the victim is 55, up from 23.
___
Scolforo reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Mike Catalini in Trenton, New Jersey, and Marina Villeneuve in Albany, New York, contributed.
Steelers to start rookie Hodges in rematch with Browns
By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Devlin Hodges in. Mason Rudolph out.
At least for now.
Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin tabbed Hodges as the starting quarterback for Sunday’s pivotal meeting with Cleveland at Heinz Field, though Tomlin cautioned against reading too much into the move.
“We’re singularly focused on winning this game, of putting ourselves in position to win this game,” Tomlin said Tuesday. “That’s where the decision lies. We’ll see where we are after this game. Really, we have no intended plans beyond this one.”
Given the chaotic nature of the position this season for the Steelers (6-5), that’s probably wise.
Hodges came on in relief of an ineffective Rudolph in the second half against Cincinnati, throwing for a momentum-shifting 79-yard touchdown pass to James Washington on his third snap that gave Pittsburgh the lead for good.
The undrafted rookie free agent who goes by the nickname “Duck” as a nod to his status as a champion duck caller back home in Alabama, was so-so otherwise — finishing 5 of 11 for 118 yards and the score — but he avoided mistakes and provided an emotional jolt that helped the Steelers stay in the thick of the AFC playoff race.
“He took care of the ball and provided a spark,” Tomlin said. “So we just thought it was reasonable as we prepare this week to allow him to continue to do that. It means nothing about our intended plans for the foreseeable future or the trajectory of Mason’s career or what have you.”
Rudolph took over in Week 2 when Ben Roethlisberger was lost for the season because of a right elbow injury and became just the eighth player since 1970 to throw at least one touchdown in his first eight career appearances but has stumbled in recent weeks. He threw four interceptions in an ugly loss to Cleveland on Nov. 14 — a game that ended with Rudolph getting into a now infamous fight with Browns defensive end Myles Garrett that ended with Garrett hitting Rudolph in the head with the quarterback’s own helmet — and tossed another pick at the goal line in Cincinnati in the first half that ended a scoring threat.
After the Steelers went three-and-out to start the third quarter against the Bengals, Tomlin had seen enough, though he doesn’t think the fallout from the brawl with the Browns — which included Rudolph refuting an allegation by Garrett that he used a racial slur — played a role in Rudolph’s shaky performance.
“I thought he was ready to go,” Tomlin said. “I thought he had a good week. I thought he was focused. But those are just my interpretations.”
Tomlin added the fact the Steelers were facing Cleveland instead of another opponent played no role in Rudolph’s benching.
“We’ve got enough issues of our own that we just need to focus on us,” Tomlin said. “I say that routinely. We respect the people that we play. We acknowledge who they are for matchup and situational purposes or personality purposes. But the bottom line, particularly when you start to get in this part of the journey, (is) they’re nameless gray faces.”
Maybe, but starting Hodges over Rudolph removes a potentially combustible element from a rivalry that no longer feels dormant or one-sided.
Garrett is out for at least the rest of the season after being suspended indefinitely for slugging Rudolph. Rudolph, who was fined $50,000 but avoided further discipline, found himself the focal point of the ensuing firestorm. Cleveland fans used a Browns helmet to smash a pinata made in Rudolph’s likeness before last week’s victory over Miami and Cleveland defensive end Sheldon Richardson said he hoped Rudolph would get the nod in the rematch.
“You see him last game?” Richardson said.
While saying the Steelers love being in “hot-button games,” Tomlin isn’t concerned about things getting out of hand as they did in the final seconds in Cleveland.
“We’re playing and playing to win,” Tomlin said. “And part of playing to win is playing hard and smart and not beating yourselves. We’re going to paint inside those white lines I promise you.”
And Hodges will get an unlikely second chance to hold the brush. Cut at the end of training camp after getting caught in a numbers game, Hodges returned to Pittsburgh after the Steelers traded third-stringer Josh Dobbs to Jacksonville in mid-September. He played capably while filling in for Rudolph — who watched from the sideline while dealing with a concussion — against the Los Angeles Chargers on Oct. 13, completing 15 of 20 passes for 132 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Tomlin pointed out that Hodges “has not killed us” when he’s played. Given Pittsburgh’s defense, which ranks second in the league in takeaways and third in sacks, a caretaker under center may be all that’s required for the Steelers to remain in the playoff picture. It’s an aspect of the job Rudolph struggled with recently. Now it’s Hodges’ turn to see if he can continue his improbable rise from “camp arm” to NFL starting quarterback.
“At every turn he’s proven that those circumstances aren’t too big for him,” Tomlin said.
___
More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
A Christopher Columbus statue in Rhode Island has been vandalized for a second time in recent weeks. The statue’s pedestal was splashed overnight with what appeared to be red paint. The statue was also spashed with red paint back on October 14th, when the U-S holiday named for one of the first Europeans to reach the Americas was being celebrated. A sign that said “stop celebrating genocide” was leaned against the pedestal.
No frogs were harmed in the making of a Florida high school’s science class. J-W Mitchell High School in New Port Richey began using synthetic frogs for educational dissections last Wednesday. School officials say it’s the first school in the world to use the technology. The lives of real frogs are being spared at a cost of $150 per synthetic frog. They’re doing this with the help of funding from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. The fake frogs are made of water, fibers and salts…and can be re-used. The synthetic frog are also said to be safe because there are not potentially harmful chemicals.
