(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
By DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer
It’s the inflation you’re not supposed to see. From toilet paper to yogurt to corn chips, manufacturers are quietly shrinking package sizes without lowering prices. It’s dubbed “shrinkflation,” and it’s accelerating worldwide. In the U.S., a small box of Kleenex now has 60 tissues; a few months ago, it had 65. In the U.K., Nestle slimmed down coffee tins from 100 grams to 90 grams. Shrinkflation isn’t new, experts say. But it proliferates in times of high inflation as companies grapple with rising costs for ingredients, packaging, labor and transportation. —

(File Photo)

(Big Beaver, Pa.) Pa State Police in Gibsonia are investigating after a being dispatched to the scene of a hit and run accident on the Pa Turnpike in Big Beaver Boro at 2:05 PM on Monday, June 6,2022.
Upon arriving on the scene and investigating it was learned that 74-year-old Richard Gregory of Hermitage was driving west bound on the turnpike near mile marker 12 in a 2014 Toyota Camary when a vehicle that was traveling behind him at a faster rate of speed for unknown reasons struck his vehicle from behind. After the collision Gregory pulled to the should of the road and the unknown vehicle continued to travel westbound on the Pa Turnpike. There is no description of the vehicle and State Troopers are asking anyone with information to call them at the Gibsonia Barracks.

(File Photo of US Federal Court in Pittsburgh)

(Pittsburgh, Pa.) United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced that 35-year-old Brandon Washington A former resident of Pittsburgh’s Northside neighborhood pleaded guilty in federal court to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense before United States District Judge Robert Colville.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that in March 2021, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police narcotics agents working with the Drug Enforcement Administration utilized an undercover agent to purchase cocaine from Washington at a hotel in Pittsburgh’s Northside neighborhood. Agents executed search warrants on multiple hotel rooms thereafter, which led to the seizure of additional quantities of cocaine base (in the form commonly known as “crack”), drug paraphernalia commonly used to process cocaine into cocaine base, and a loaded .45 caliber pistol.
By pleading guilty, Washington admitted that he distributed cocaine, possessed cocaine base with the intent to distribute it, and unlawfully possessed a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
Judge Colville scheduled sentencing for October 4, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than five years and up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $1,000,000, or both.

(File Photo)

(Beaver, Pa.) The election results from the May 17th primary in Beaver County have now been certified after the elections board met on Monday and certified the election.
The automatic recount was triggered in the Republican US Senate race between David Mc Cormick and Dr. Mehmet Oz after county reps recounted the votes the final numbers in the county added up to David Mc Cormick receiving 6,422 votes compared to Dr. oz’s 5,669 vote.
On the other side of the aisle JOHN FETTERMAN received 8,855 in the county compared to US Congressman Conor Lamb’s 7,970. Another person considered to be a front runner on the Democratic side Rep Malcom Kenyatta only received 285 votes in the county.
McCormick conceded to Dr. Oz last Friday night setting up a battle between Oz and Democrat John Fetterman in one of the key US Senate Seats races that could decide party control in the Senate.
Both Oz and Fetterman are running to replace retiring Republican US Senator Pat Toomey

(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)
By BEN FOX Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Homeland Security says a looming Supreme Court decision on abortion, an increase of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border and the midterm elections are potential triggers for extremist violence over the next six months. DHS said Tuesday in the National Terrorism Advisory System bulletin that the U.S. was in a “heightened threat environment” already. It’s the latest attempt by DHS to draw attention to the threat posed by domestic violent extremism. That’s a shift from alerts about international terrorism that were a hallmark of DHS following its creation after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

AAA: Gas Prices Jump This Week
Gas prices are 15 cents higher in Western Pennsylvania this week at $4.851 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

This week’s average prices: Western Pennsylvania Average                $4.851
Average price during the week of May 31, 2022                                      $4.701
Average price during the week of June 7, 2021                                       $3.240

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

$4.848      Altoona
$4.866      Beaver
$4.832      Bradford
$4.827      Brookville
$4.857      Butler
$4.910      Clarion
$4.794      DuBois
$4.858      Erie
$4.798      Greensburg
$4.805      Indiana
$4.808      Jeannette
$4.897      Kittanning
$4.839      Latrobe
$4.848      Meadville
$4.955      Mercer
$4.870      New Castle
$4.789      New Kensington
$4.899      Oil City
$4.885      Pittsburgh
$4.849      Sharon
$4.846      Uniontown
$4.799      Warren
$4.896      Washington

Trend Analysis:

The cost of gasoline is increasing rapidly across the country in part due to seasonal trends and the rising cost of crude oil. The cost of a barrel of oil is nearing $120, nearly double from last August, as increased oil demand outpaces the tight global supply. Meanwhile, domestic gasoline demand rose last week in the wake of a robust Memorial Day weekend of travel. As a result, the national average for a gallon of gas surged 25 cents in one week to hit $4.86. Today’s national average is 59 cents more than a month ago, and $1.81 more than a year ago.

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), total domestic gasoline stocks decreased by 700,000 barrels to 219 million barrels last week. Meanwhile, gasoline demand grew from 8.8 million b/d to 8.98 million b/d as drivers fueled up for Memorial Day weekend travel. These supply and demand dynamics have contributed to rising pump prices. Coupled with volatile crude oil prices, pump prices will likely remain elevated as long as demand grows and supply remains tight.

Motorists can find current gas prices nationwide, statewide, and countywide at GasPrices.AAA.com.

AAA East Central is a not-for-profit association with 72 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.

(Photo from New Brighton Historical Society Website)

(New Brighton, Pa.) The New Brighton Historical Society has received a $39,083.00 grant from the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission.
In 2020 the New Brighton Historical Society purchased the Irish-Townsend House and began restoring the property. The grant will go towards the ongoing project. Part of the conditions of the grant is that a 50/50 cash match must be made.
The Irish-Townsend House was originally built in 1855 and was sold to William P. Townsend on April 1, 1863 and remained in the Townsend family until it became a vacant property .
If you would like more information on the Irish-Townsend House or or the New Brighton Historical Society you can go to their website  at https://www.nbhistory.org/ or find them on Facebook.

(Photo provided with release by the TSA)

(North Fayette Twp, Allegheny County, Pa.) Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers detected a loaded handgun in the carry-on bag of a West Virginia resident at the Pittsburgh International Airport security checkpoint on Sunday, June 5, 2022
The man, a resident of nearby Wheeling, W.Va., was caught with a .22 caliber handgun loaded with five bullets.
When the TSA officer spotted the gun in the worker’s backpack, the Allegheny County Police were alerted and confiscated the gun. The man told officials that he forgot that he had his loaded gun among his carry-on items.
“If you own a firearm, you need to know where it is at all times,” said Karen Keys-Turner, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “Knowing where you put your gun is part of being a responsible gun owner. Now this individual faces a stiff Federal financial civil penalty.”
It is the 10th gun that has been detected at a TSA Checkpoint at Pittsburgh International this year.
Nationwide, TSA officers detected 5,972 firearms on passengers or their carry-on bags at checkpoints last ye

(File Photo)
Associated Press undefined
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf has tweeted that he tested positive for COVID-19. The 73-year-old governor said in the tweet he has mild symptoms. He said he tested positive Monday evening. Wolf said in his tweet he’s grateful to have recently received his second vaccine booster shot. He said he will be following the CDC’s guidance to isolate at home. Wolf tested positive for the virus in December 2020 as well. He was asymptomatic at the time, according to his office.