FILE – The Stellantis sign is seen outside the Chrysler Technology Center in Auburn Hills, Mich, Jan. 19, 2021. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares on Wednesday, July 26, 2023 dangled the possibility of relaunching a shuttered Illinois factory if it can be made more competitive as the United Auto Workers Union threatens a strike. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)

DETROIT (AP) — U.S. auto safety investigators have opened a probe into reports that some older Ram 1500 pickup trucks can lose their power-steering assistance with little or no warning. The investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration covers over 1.1 million pickups from the 2013 through 2016 model years. The agency says it has 380 complaints about the problem that include three crashes but no injuries. Stellantis, formerly Fiat Chrysler, recalled 440 pickups in 2016 to fix a power steering problem. But the agency says it has complaints indicating a similar failure in trucks that weren’t recalled. The agency says the recall query will determine if enough vehicles were recalled or if another safety defect might be causing problems.

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published August 8, 2023 2:41 P.M.

(Aliquippa, PA) The memorial is being rededicated at its location on Reed Street, it faces Main Street.  The event begins at 10 a.m. Sunday, September 10, 2023. The memorial park has a fresh new look thanks to volunteers that have helped with funding or worked to support the project. The dedication is to honor all veterans that served in the gulf war, and all those that served in the war against terrorism. The event is also being held to complete the designation of Aliquippa as a Purple Heart City.

Canonsburg, PA – Aug. 11 is almost here, and Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania hopes that the 8/11 date on the calendar will serve as a natural reminder for homeowners and contractors to call 811 or visit PAOneCall.org at least three business days before any digging project to have underground utility lines marked.

Contacting 811 is free for homeowners, and it’s the law. Striking a single line can cause costly repairs, inconvenient outages, steep fines and even injuries.

When contacting 811, homeowners and contractors are connected to Pennsylvania One Call, which notifies the appropriate utility companies to mark the approximate location of underground utilities lines with either flags or a special spray paint.

Every digging project, no matter how big or small, requires contacting 811 at least three business days in advance to allow underground utilities time to mark their utility lines before digging begins. Examples of projects to contact 811 include everything from installing a fence, deck or mailbox to planting a tree, bushes or new garden.

Utility lines need to be properly marked because even when digging only a few inches or digging in a previously marked location, the risk of striking an underground utility line still exists. The depth of utility lines can also vary for several reasons, such as erosion, previous digging projects and uneven surfaces.

Along with recognizing National Safe Digging Day, Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania is celebrating 8/11 Day with their very own Digger Dog’s birthday! Digger Dog, is a smart, fun safety mascot, who can be found regularly at community events and classrooms across their service territory educating everyone on contacting 811, safe digging, and other natural gas safety messages. When you see Digger, you know safety is the topic – no bones about it.

“Digger Dog is a fantastic safety ambassador,” said Columbia Gas Vice President Gas Operations Brian McCaul. “On August 11 and throughout the year, we want to spread the word that contacting 811 before digging allows us to mark our gas lines and prevent a potentially dangerous situation. Digger Dog allows us the opportunity to spread safety messaging in an educational and fun way.”

To mark and celebrate Digger Dog’s birthday, Columbia Gas is partnering with the Washington Area Humane Society to highlight adoptable dogs looking for homes and reminding new pet parents they need to contact 811 before installing any fence, even electric.

Columbia Gas and the NiSource Charitable Foundation are proud supporters of the humane society and have a provided a $1,000 grant to support shelter programs.

“Through the foundation, Columbia Gas proudly supports the Washington Area Humane Society and their work caring for animals. Through adoptions and low-cost vet programs, their work strengthens the communities we serve,” said Government & Public Affairs Manager Scott Waitlevertch.

The Kraft Heinz Company (Photo: Business Wire)

PITTSBURGH & CHICAGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Aug. 8, 2023– Continuing its 150-plus-year legacy in Pittsburgh, The Kraft Heinz Company is bringing “Heinz Field” back to the Pittsburgh area in a new way. After witnessing the undying love from Pittsburghers for the legendary football stadium, the Company will unveil a new Heinz Field at Aliquippa High School in Aliquippa, Penn. – and make a $1.3 million charitable donation to the Aliquippa School District. The donation will bring new resources to the community by helping to construct an academic and athletic center attached to the new Heinz Field, the district’s newly renovated football stadium also known as “The Pit.”

“Kraft Heinz is proud to call Pittsburgh home as our co-headquarters, and we’re excited to bring Heinz Field back to the community in a new and meaningful way,” said Carlos Abrams-Rivera, Executive Vice President and President, North America at Kraft Heinz. “We look forward to seeing Heinz Field live on as part of the Aliquippa community.”

The academic and athletic center will feature offices, lockers, weight rooms, training and therapy rooms, and a large collaborative creative space for hands-on learning. Community groups and local citizens will also have access to the flexible space and weight rooms for programs and classes.

“Our beloved stadium has recently undergone a complete transformation, and we’re thrilled to continue this momentum with a new academic and athletic center for our students and community members in partnership with Kraft Heinz,” said Dr. Phillip K. Woods, Aliquippa School District Superintendent. “We’re incredibly proud of our athletics program, which has the most Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League football titles in league history and three alumni in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Kraft Heinz’s donation will help us further our legacies together and will impact Aliquippa, a deserving community, for generations to come.”

Finding a way to bring Heinz Field back to the Pittsburgh community has been a dream at Kraft Heinz over the past year.

“We know how important the original Heinz Field was to the people of Pittsburgh,” said Peter Hall, President, U.S. Away From Home and Kraft Heinz Ingredients at Kraft Heinz. “By working with Aliquippa – a community that has truly inspired us – we’re making our dream of a Heinz Field reboot a reality. Driven by our Company purpose Let’s Make Life Delicious, we look forward to giving Aliquippa’s hard-working students and community members new opportunities to learn, grow and thrive, while also continuing the legacy of Heinz Field.”

Aliquippa fans and community members will be able to experience the new Heinz Field at the start of the 2023-2024 football season. Construction of the new academic and athletic center is expected to be completed in 2025.

(AP) Lottery players will have another shot Tuesday night at a massive Mega Millions prize that ranks as the third-largest jackpot in U.S. history.

The estimated $1.55 billion prize has been gradually building for months thanks to 31 straight drawings without a jackpot winner. The last time someone won the game’s top prize was April 18.

Each drawing without a winner pushes the prize closer to the record $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot that someone in California won last year.

Mega Millions jackpot winners are so rare thanks to odds of 1 in 302.6 million.

The $1.55 billion payout would go to a winner who opts for an annuity, doled out over 30 years. But people usually prefer a lump sum option, which for Tuesday’s jackpot would be an estimated $757.2 million.

The money would be subject to federal taxes. Many states also tax lottery winnings.

Mega Millions is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Rookie infielder Liover Peguero had two hits in a six-run third inning and the Pittsburgh Pirates chased Spencer Strider early before holding off the Atlanta Braves for a rain-delayed 7-6 victory Monday night.

Connor Joe homered in the fourth to help the fourth-place Pirates hand the major league-leading Braves their third consecutive defeat. Pittsburgh ended an eight-game losing streak to Atlanta that dated to 2021.

Strider (12-4), runner-up in NL Rookie of the Year voting last season, matched a career low by pitching just 2 2/3 innings. He also lasted only 2 2/3 innings a year to the day prior against the New York Mets.

Strider had gone 8-1 in his previous 12 starts. He allowed five hits, walked three and struck out three.

“You’re going to have bad starts from time to time,” Strider said. “But you can’t have a bad start to this level.”

Carmen Mlodzinski (2-2) retired all four batters he faced for the win.

The Braves closed to 7-6 in the ninth when Michael Harris II hit a leadoff double and scored on Ozzie Albies’ groundout, but closer David Bednar held on for his 23rd save in 25 opportunities.

“These last three games, we’ve been right there. We’ve been a hit away, but it makes it hard when you have to come from behind,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. “We brought the tying run or the winning run to the plate each of the last three days, but we didn’t make it happen.”

Matt Olson had two hits and drove in two runs for Atlanta, raising his season total to 99 RBIs. Albies hit his 26th home run and Austin Riley had two hits.

The Pirates broke a scoreless tie with their big third inning on the way to their third win in four games.

Peguero led off with a double and scored on Joe’s groundout. Pittsburgh added five more in the inning with two outs as Andrew McCutchen hit an RBI double and scored on Henry Davis’ single before Jared Triolo had a two-run single. Peguero capped the rally by greeting reliever Michael Tonkin with a run-scoring single.

“When I made good pitches they were spoiling them or putting them in play, and then I stopped making good pitches,” Strider said. “Maybe I needed to be more aggressive, needed to go right at them. Again, it’s easy to say in hindsight.”

A week after trading four veteran players at the deadline, the Pirates were happy to beat a team like the Braves and one of the better young pitchers in the game.

“It was awesome. It was a great inning,” Triolo said. “I think it really helped change the momentum of the game, obviously. Putting up early runs like that, it was really good. Running (Strider) out of there, too, that was awesome.”

The Braves chased Pirates starter Osvaldo Bido during a four-run fourth that drew them within 6-4. Albies homered with one out before Olson and Marcell Ozuna hit RBI singles. The fourth run scored on Davis’ error in right field.

Bido allowed four runs — three earned — in four innings.

Joe led off the bottom half with a home run against Tonkin. The Braves got a run back in the fifth when Olson singled to make it 7-5.

The game was delayed for 78 minutes after the fifth because of rain.

St. Barnabas Charities hosted the 32nd annual Free Care 5K on Saturday, August 5, 2023 presented by Paracca Interiors Flooring America. The race was held at the St. Barnabas Gibsonia campus on Meridian Road.

Top honors went to first place finisher Jed Christiansen, of Greenville, crossing the finish line with a time of 15:12. Overall female winner is Claire Anderson of Jamestown, PA with a time of 17:58.

Followed by:

Male 2nd Place: Dale Hall, Allison Park, PA 15:23

Female 2nd Place: Meg Griffith, Pleasant Hills, PA 19:07

Male 3rd Place: Julian Paul, Pittsburgh, PA 15:44

Female 3rd Place: Amy Brown, Valencia, PA 19:10

Wheelchair finisher: Andrew Grossmann, Butler, PA 21:54

Master Category: Terry Beacom, 17:53 and Erika Shuhy, 19:47

Grand Master: Eric Shafer 18:04 and Tammy Slusser, 21:32

Team Results
First place: Cute Men Running Track with a total time of 48:43
Second place: Tom Cat Elite clocked a time of 49:53
Third place: Team Beer 61:24

Participants enjoyed a post-race party that included four food trucks, live music by The Rock Station DJ Jay Kline, and free drink and protein bar samples by Ready Nutrition.

To view full results from the 32nd annual St. Barnabas Free Care 5K, visit www.RunHigh.com.

Competitive and amateur runners, joggers, walkers, teams, stroller pushers and wheelchair racers of all ages enjoyed a rolling 3.1 mile out and back course. Cash prizes and medals were awarded during a post-race party that also featured raffle prizes and food.

Proceeds benefited the St. Barnabas Free Care Fund, which provides more than $6 million in care to residents and patients that cannot afford their care. To learn more, visit FreeCare5K.com, call 724-625-3770 or to donate to the Free Care Fund, TEXT the word GIVE to 41444. Save the date for the next Free Care K on Saturday, August 3, 2024.

Gas prices are four cents higher in Western Pennsylvania this week at $3.909 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

This week’s average prices: Western Pennsylvania Average                      $3.909
Average price during the week of July 31, 2023                                                $3.863
Average price during the week of August 8, 2022                                             $4.435

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

$3.987      Altoona
$3.816      Beaver
$3.905      Bradford
$3.944      Brookville
$3.898      Butler
$3.939      Clarion
$3.977      DuBois
$3.972      Erie
$3.903      Greensburg
$3.891      Indiana
$3.911      Jeannette
$3.883      Kittanning
$3.920      Latrobe
$3.967      Meadville
$3.997      Mercer
$3.795      New Castle
$3.871      New Kensington
$4.001      Oil City
$3.852      Pittsburgh
$3.754      Sharon
$3.878      Uniontown
$3.999      Warren
$3.852      Washington

Trend Analysis:

The national average for a gallon of gas is continuing to trend higher, rising seven cents over the last week to $3.82. Pump price increases are primarily due to the price of oil, which has been staying close to $80 per barrel. Last month’s extreme heat also played a role in the recent gas price spike as some refineries pulled back on production, but operations are now returning to normal. Today’s national average is 29 cents more than a month ago but 24 cents less than a year ago.

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand decreased slightly from 8.94 to 8.84 million barrels per day last week. Meanwhile, total domestic gasoline stocks increased by 1.5 million barrels to 219.1 million barrels.

At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate decreased by $1.88 to settle at $79.49. Oil prices temporarily dropped after the U.S. credit rating declined, increasing market fears that oil demand could decline if the economy eases. Additionally, the EIA reported that total domestic, commercial crude inventories decreased by 17 million barrels to 439.8 million barrels.

Motorists can find current gas prices nationwide, statewide, and countywide at gasprices.aaa.com.

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

Seven years after its establishment, a local food pantry cemented a milestone in their journey to combat food insecurity in Beaver County.

Families Matter Food Pantry held an official ribbon-cutting for their new distribution center at 186 Wagner Road in Monaca. The former site of the Steamfitters Union building is now responsible for maintaining and preserving different types of food for those in need. The event was hosted by director Rachel Triscila and assistant director Quina Price, in cooperation with the Beaver County Chamber of Commerce.

According to Price, Families Matter takes in roughly 239,000 pounds of food a month; ranging from fresh produce to packaged meals. The non-profit organization is an agency of the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank, and they also receive local donations from farmers and other donors. The new facility of operation in Monaca has two major storage areas for produce and packaged foods, several cold storage areas for refrigerated foods and dairy, and a expansive walk-in freezer for frozen goods. The staff maintain the quality of the foods donated to Families Matter, before they are distributed during their hours of operation each week.

Families Matter has been cooperating with Lowe’s in Monaca for distributing food three days a week: Monday (for veterans only), Tuesday, and Thursday. Food is also distributed through several trucks to its parent distributor in the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank throughout the week.

Triscila and Price showed much gratitude and gratefulness that their operation, which started out under the Faith Restorations Inc. moniker back in 2016, but Triscila hinted at the possibility that this may not be the mountaintop. “We’re always looking to expand,” she told Beaver County Radio during the tour of the facility.

For now, though, they’re focusing on this new chapter of the pantry’s evolution, albeit with the same goal they’ve been pushing towards for nearly a decade.