Gas prices are four cents higher in Western Pennsylvania this week at $3.752 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

This week’s average prices: Western Pennsylvania Average                         $3.752
Average price during the week of March 18, 2024                                            $3.715
Average price during the week of March 27, 2023                                            $3.684

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

$3.721      Altoona
$3.736      Beaver
$3.704      Bradford
$3.756      Brookville
$3.756      Butler
$3.680      Clarion
$3.771      DuBois
$3.759      Erie
$3.784      Greensburg
$3.783      Indiana
$3.781      Jeannette
$3.730      Kittanning
$3.740      Latrobe
$3.795      Meadville
$3.792      Mercer
$3.631      New Castle
$3.735      New Kensington
$3.794      Oil City
$3.746      Pittsburgh
$3.769      Sharon
$3.777      Uniontown
$3.793      Warren
$3.756      Washington

Trend Analysis:

The national average for a gallon of gas rose seven cents over the past week to $3.53. While domestic gas demand has been lackluster, rising oil prices helped push pump prices higher. The Midwest may see a bit of a price reprieve, as the large BP Whiting refinery in Indiana is back up and running after being down since February 1^st. Today’s national average is 27 cents more than a month ago and nine cents more than a year ago.

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand decreased slightly from 9.04 to 8.81 million barrels per day last week. Meanwhile, total domestic gasoline stocks dropped by 3.3 million barrels to 230.8 million barrels. Lower demand would typically contribute to pushing pump prices lower or slowing increases but rising oil prices have pushed them higher instead.

At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate decreased by $1.79 to settle at $81.68. Oil prices fell after the US Federal Reserve announced it was leaving interest rates unchanged, but it expects three rate cuts by the end of 2024. Additionally, the EIA reported that total domestic commercial crude stocks decreased by 2 million barrels to 445 million barrels last week.

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published March 25, 2024 2:48 P.M.

(Aliquippa, Pa) Diamonique Coleman is an Aliquippa High School senior that attends the PM class in Culinary Arts at BCCTC. Last Wednesday, she attended the Students Taking Action with Recognition State Leadership Conference in Lancaster, PA.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – After deliberating for approximately two and a half hours, on March 21, 2024,  a federal jury found Abdulrahman Abdelaziz Jamea guilty of seven crimes: one count each of  conspiracy to commit armed pharmacy robbery and conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute  controlled substances, three counts of armed pharmacy robbery, and two counts of pharmacy  robbery, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.  

Jamea, 26, formerly of Columbus, Ohio, was tried before United States Senior District Judge  Arthur J. Schwab in Pittsburgh.  

Evidence introduced during the four-day trial, through 19 witnesses, established that the  defendant participated in a conspiracy to rob pharmacies of Schedule II controlled substances—that  is, highly addictive opioids and stimulants—between September 2018 and July 2019. This  conspiracy included the robberies of pharmacies in Beaver, Bridgeville, Edinboro, Erie, and the  Oakland area of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. During three of the robberies, Jamea and his co 

conspirators brandished a firearm to threaten the lives of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians and  to intimidate them into opening the locked safes where the controlled substances were kept.  Evidence also established that the defendant went on to distribute these stolen narcotics in the  Columbus, Ohio, area.  

Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for July 31, 2024. The maximum penalty for the most  serious offense of conviction is 25 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the  federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based on the seriousness of the  offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.  

Jamea is currently serving a prison sentence of more than 40 years following his earlier  conviction in Ohio state court for multiple counts of felonious assault with a firearm. He remains in  custody pending his sentencing in the Western District of Pennsylvania.  

Assistant United States Attorneys Barbara K. Doolittle and Michael R. Ball prosecuted this  case on behalf of the United States.  

The Drug Enforcement Administration, Pennsylvania State Police, Pittsburgh Bureau of  Police, Erie Police Department, Edinboro Police Department, Beaver Police Department, Bridgeville  Police Department, and Ohio Highway Patrol all participated in the investigation leading to the  conviction of Jamea.  

GROVE CITY, Pa. (March 22, 2024) – J. Nicholas Ranjan, federal district court judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania and 2000 Grove City College alumnus, will deliver the commencement address at his alma mater when the Class of 2024 graduates on May 18.

A summa cum laude graduate of the College, Ranjan was appointed to the federal bench in 2019. He earned his degree in History and served as the orchestra’s concertmaster during his student days.

College President Paul J. McNulty ’80 said this year’s graduates would benefit from hearing from Ranjan, who exemplifies the College’s vision, mission, and values.

“Judge Ranjan is an extraordinarily talented lawyer who is employing his wisdom, temperament, and commitment to the rule of law to serve the public of this region. He is a credit to the legal profession and Grove City College, and we are proud and honored to have him speak to our graduates,” McNulty said.

Ranjan, of Allison Park, Pa., was one of Pittsburgh’s legal stars when he was nominated for the federal bench by President Donald J. Trump and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on July 10, 2019.

He is a cum laude graduate of University of Michigan Law School, where he served as a note editor of the Michigan Law Review. He began his legal career serving as the Simon Karas fellow with the Ohio Solicitor General and then served as a judicial clerk to Judge Deborah L. Cook of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. For the next 14 years, Ranjan practiced at the international law firm of K&L Gates LLP in its Pittsburgh headquarters, first as an associate and then as an equity partner. His practice focused on complex commercial litigation, appellate litigation, and domestic arbitration.

Ranjan has been recognized by Chambers USA, Pennsylvania Super Lawyers, Litigation Counsel of America, Pittsburgh Leadership Conference and Leadership Council on Legal Diversity. But his most prized honor was twice accepting the Fred Rogers Good Neighbor Award for the recruitment of middle school mentors. In his spare time, he is a mentor to middle school students, a rec league basketball player and an accomplished violinist and composer.

Grove City College’s 144th Commencement is set for 10 a.m. Saturday, May 18.

The College will hold its Baccalaureate service at 7 p.m. Friday, May 17, with Dr. Kurt Bjorklund, senior pastor of Orchard Hill Church in Wexford, Pa., speaking to the Class of 2024.

A graduate of Wheaton College, Trinity Divinity School, and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Bjorklund is a gifted speaker and author. He has led the Orchard Park congregation since 2005 and under his leadership, the church has grown substantially. His teachings can be heard on Pittsburgh area Christian radio and television.

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing a lane restriction on southbound I-79 in Robinson Township, Allegheny County will begin Monday, March 25 weather permitting.

A single-lane restriction will be in place on southbound I-79 between the South 60 Crafton (Exit 60A) and West 376 Pittsburgh International Airport/Beaver (Exit 59B) interchanges daily from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday, March 25-28, to allow crews to conduct litter cleanup in the median.

Please use caution while driving through the area.  Work zone safety is everyone’s responsibility.