PITTSBURGH — Following Wednesday evening’s severe weather, including unconfirmed reports of tornadic activity, approximately 31,000 customers lost power across Duquesne Light Company’s (DLC) service territory. Crews continue to safely work around the clock to restore power as quickly as possible. There are multiple cases of downed wires and damaged poles. Trafford and neighboring communities were hit particularly hard with around 5,000 customers impacted. A large number of customers were also affected in Homestead and are expected to be restored by early this afternoon, June 27.

At this time, the company is still working to determine an estimated time of restoration (ETR) for all customers. Nearly 200 crew members are actively working to restore power to those who remain without service. DLC has also secured 40 contractors to support ongoing damage assessment and repairs.

Following this week’s launch of DLC’s new Outage Management System, customers can visit DuquesneLight.com/outages to view the company’s newly enhanced outage map, featuring:

• Start date and time of an outage
• Number of active outages
• Crew status
• Localized ETRs for specific addresses
• Outage cause
• Weather updates
• Warming and cooling centers in Allegheny and Beaver counties (when activated)

Customers can also now receive more personalized outage alerts. To change or add communication preferences, customers must update their mobile phone and email address by logging into their online account and going to My Alerts.

Important Reminders

As this storm season continues to intensify, customers should always be prepared for potential outages and hazards by:

• Avoiding downed power lines and giving ample space to lineworkers.
• Avoiding walking under or around dead or dying trees as well as trees with dangling limbs.
• Ensuring that cell phones and other necessary electronics are fully charged.
• Keeping supplies in an emergency preparedness kit, including water bottles, non-perishable food, first-aid supplies, flashlights and a battery-powered radio.
• Checking medications that require refrigeration to determine if they might be affected by a prolonged outage. If necessary, consult a doctor.
• Ensuring that medical equipment has the appropriate backup for continued use during an outage.
• Not opening refrigerator and freezer doors. Food will stay frozen in a fully loaded freezer for 36-48 hours if the door remains closed.

Customers should always call 9-1-1 for any emergency medical issues that could be impacted by an outage.

Restoration Process

When outages are widespread throughout the area, DLC prioritizes restoration in this order:

• Public safety hazards: Examples include wires down across major highways; burning wires; etc.
• Public health and safety facilities: Examples include hospitals; police, fire, and emergency facilities; and nursing homes.
• Major circuits: Involves restoring the highest number of customers at once.
• Small neighborhood and individual outages: Once major circuits are repaired, focus is shifted to smaller neighborhoods and groups of customers.

Learn more about DLC’s restoration process.

Reporting Outages

Customers who experience an outage can report it on DuquesneLight.com or through DLC’s free mobile app. Those without internet access can call 888-393-7100.

Customers can also follow DLC on X (Twitter) (@DuquesneLight) and Facebook (@DuquesneLight) for additional storm-related updates.

About Duquesne Light Company
For more than 100 years, Duquesne Light Company has provided safe and reliable electric service to communities in southwestern Pennsylvania. Today, our core values of safety, integrity, dependability, equity and community enable us to serve more than 600,000 customers in two counties, including the city of Pittsburgh. We are committed to safely powering our customers’ lives while playing a leading role in our region’s clean energy transition. Our vision is to create a larger-than-light, clean energy future for all by delivering exceptional results today and boldly harnessing opportunities for tomorrow. In doing so, we can ensure a cleaner, healthier and more equitable community for generations to come. To learn more, visit DuquesneLight.com.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Freedom, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court on June  25, 2024, to a charge of receipt of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United  States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.  

Mark Kriss, 64, pleaded guilty to one count before Chief United States District Judge Mark  R. Hornak.  

In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that Kriss made contact with a 14- year-old minor over an online adult dating site targeted at extramarital affairs and, on May 22,  2021, received digital photographs from the minor depicting her sexual exploitation. Kriss also  acknowledged responsibility for meeting the minor for the purpose of engaging in sex acts at a  local motel. 

Chief Judge Hornak scheduled sentencing for October 29, 2024. The law provides for a  maximum total sentence of not less than five years and up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based  upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.  

Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch is prosecuting this case on behalf of the  government.  

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Northern Regional Police Department conducted  the investigation that led to the prosecution of Kriss.  

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) today announced that all driver license and photo centers, including its full-service center in Harrisburg, will be closed Thursday, July 4, 2024, in observance of Independence Day.

A complete listing of PennDOT driver and photo license center closings in 2024 is available online. If you are planning to visit one of PennDOT’s On-Line Messenger Service Centers, please call ahead for hours of operation during holidays.

Story by sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published June 27, 2024 12:44 P.M.

(Center Township, Pa) Francis Edward Morrison, 33, was charged by Center Township Police with  the theft of 2 motor vehicles and for retail theft at Rural King located in the Beaver Valley Mall. Morrison is currently in the Beaver County jail on charges stemming from his arrest for theft including a stolen gun, in Aliquippa on Tuesday.

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published June 27, 2024 12:42 P.M.

(Aliquippa, Pa) Dominique Jones, 33 of Aliquippa was stopped at Main And Reed Streets in Plan 12 on June 6, 2024. An officer on patrol observed Jones driving on the wrong side of the road in a white GMC Yukon passing other vehicles.  Jones had a suspended license and was stopped by police, taken into custody and searched when put under arrest. During the search, Police found a black digital weighing scale containing suspected cocaine residue. Police also located 110.4 grams of crack cocaine on his person, and $1,252.00 in cash.

HARRISBURG – Following the approval from the Pennsylvania Senate and House of Representatives, Sen. Elder Vogel, Jr.’s (R-47) telemedicine legislation (Senate Bill 739) is now set to become law.

“This legislation has been a work in progress for the past several legislative sessions, and I am glad to see the vast amount of bipartisan support for telemedicine expansion in our state,” said Vogel. “This legislation is key to expanding access to telemedicine services to Pennsylvanians and allowing our residents to take care of their health in a way that suits their needs and schedules.”

Senate Bill 739 sets a base for how telemedicine will be covered by insurance companies and medical providers in Pennsylvania.

Specifically, this legislation:

• Requires health insurance policies to provide coverage for covered health care services delivered through telemedicine consistent with the insurer’s medical policies.
• Requires insurers to pay providers for covered health care services delivered through telemedicine consistent with the terms of the contract between the insurer and participating network provider.
• Requires Medicaid and CHIP programs to pay for covered health care services consistent with federal and state law.

The bill will be sent to the governor for enactment.

(Beaver County, Pa) Investments awarded by the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority (PBDA) are ensuring Beaver County becomes one of the first counties in the nation to have complete access to high-speed internet. The achievement will be made possible through the Capital Projects Fund’s (CPF) Broadband Infrastructure Program (BIP) grants enabling Comcast to reach approximately 620 residents in 35 municipalities – all of whom were previously without access to internet at qualifying broadband speeds. This investment complements existing programs such as Connect Beaver County Broadband Program’s Early Action Projects, performed by Armstrong and Kinetic in the northwest and southeast areas of the County, respectively, and underway by Verizon.

Signage for the upcoming presidential debate is seen at the media file center near the CNN Techwood campus in Atlanta on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. A new poll finds that most U.S. adults plan to watch or listen to some element of Thursday’s presidential debate. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Most U.S. adults plan to watch some element of Thursday’s presidential debate and many think the event will be important for the campaigns of both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Both men remain broadly unpopular as they prepare to face off for the first time since 2020, although Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, maintains a modest enthusiasm advantage with his base compared to Biden, the Democratic incumbent.

About 6 in 10 U.S. adults say they are “extremely” or “very” likely to watch the debate live or in clips, or read about or listen to commentary about the performance of the candidates in the news or social media.

The poll suggests tens of millions of Americans are likely to see or hear about at least part of Thursday’s debate despite how unusually early it comes in the campaign season. Both Biden and Trump supporters view the debate as a major test for their candidate — or just a spectacle not to miss.

“I think it’s super important,” said Victoria Perdomo, a 44-year-old stay-at-home mom and a Trump supporter in Coral Springs, Florida. “It shows America what you’re going to see for the next four years.”

Nic Greene, a libertarian who is a registered independent, said he’ll likely vote for Trump as the “least worst candidate.” He doesn’t think debates do much to help voters make decisions, but he’s expecting to be entertained and plans to listen to post-debate analysis on podcasts.

“I think the majority of people have their minds made up with or without these debates,” he said. “It’s a circus.”

Both sides see the debate as important

About half, 47%, of Americans say the debate is “extremely” or “very” important for the success of Biden’s campaign and about 4 in 10 say it’s highly important for Trump’s campaign. About 3 in 10 Americans say it is at least “very” important for both campaigns.

Most Democrats, 55%, think the upcoming debate is extremely or very important for the success of the Biden campaign. About half of Republicans, 51%, say the same thing about the importance of the debate for the Trump campaign. Only about one-third of independents say the debate, taking place at a CNN studio in Atlanta, is highly important for either campaign.

Arthur Morris, a 40-year-old operations manager at a major financial firm, is an undecided voter open to Biden, Trump or a third-party option such as independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. He, along with a significant share of Americans, has doubts about the mental capabilities of the aging candidates, and sees Biden’s debate performance as an important test.

“I need Biden to demonstrate to me that he’s cogent enough to be able to hold this office and execute to the level that we need him to,” Morris said.

Trump, meanwhile, needs to show he can be trusted after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol in which Trump supporters disrupted the certification of his 2020 loss to Biden and Trump’s recent conviction in a hush money scheme, said Murray, of Lewiston, Ohio.

About 4 in 10 say they are likely to watch or listen to some or all of the debate live, while a similar share say they will watch or listen to clips later. Another 4 in 10, roughly, expect to consume commentary about the debate and candidate performance in the news or on social media. Republicans and Democrats are more likely than independents to be following debate coverage in some capacity.

Voters are still unhappy about their options

Biden and Trump are each entering the debate with low favorability ratings. About 6 in 10 U.S. adults say they have a very or somewhat unfavorable view of Biden, and a similar number have a negative view of Trump.

Most Americans, 56%, say they are “very” or “somewhat” dissatisfied with Biden being the Democratic Party’s likely nominee for president, and a similar majority are dissatisfied with Trump as the likely GOP nominee. The poll indicates that Republicans continue to be more satisfied with a re-nomination of Trump than Democrats are with an anticipated Biden re-nomination. Six in 10 Republicans are satisfied with Trump as a nominee; just 42% of Democrats say that about Biden.

About 3 in 10 U.S. adults are dissatisfied with both Trump and Biden as their party’s likely nominees – with independents and Democrats being more likely than Republicans to be dissatisfied with both.

Republicans and Democrats are more likely to have a negative view of the opposing party’s candidate than they are to have a positive view of their own.

About 9 in 10 Republicans have an unfavorable view of Biden, and about 9 in 10 Democrats have a negative view of Trump. By comparison, roughly 7 in 10 Democrats have a favorable view of Biden, and about 7 in 10 Republicans have a positive view of Trump.

About 4 in 10 U.S. adults approve of how Biden is handling his job as president, in line with where that number has stood for the past two years. Biden’s approval rating among U.S. adults on handling the economy is similar, as is his handling of abortion policy. Only 3 in 10 approve of his approach to immigration.

“I do believe there has been some progress under Biden, but I believe it’s Congress who is the one stalling on any of the policies that Biden wants to proceed with,” said Jane Quan-Bell, 70, a school librarian from Chico, California, and a Democrat.

The conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians is an especially vulnerable spot for Biden. With only 26% of U.S. adults approving of his handling of the issue, it’s well below his overall approval rating. Nearly 6 in 10 Democrats disapprove of his approach.

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The poll of 1,088 adults was conducted June 20-24, 2024, using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4.0 percentage points.

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Cooper reported from Phoenix.

FILE – Bimbo bread is displayed on a shelf at a market in Anaheim, Calif., on April 24, 2003. On Tuesday, June 25, 2024, U.S. federal food safety regulators warned Bimbo Bakeries USA – which includes brands such as Sara Lee, Oroweat, Thomas’, Entenmann’s and Ball Park buns and rolls – to stop using labels that say its products contain potentially dangerous allergens when they don’t. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, Files)

Federal food safety regulators are warning Bimbo Bakeries USA to stop using misleading labels that say products contain potentially dangerous allergens when they don’t. Bimbo is the company behind major baked goods brands such as Sara Lee, Thomas’, Oroweat and Entenmann’s. U.S. Food and Drug Administration inspectors found that the company listed ingredients such as sesame or tree nuts on labels when they weren’t in the foods. FDA officials said Tuesday that food labels must be truthful. They also say labeling is not a substitute for preventing cross-contamination. Bimbo says it’s working with FDA to resolve the issue.