Hyundai, Kia update security after TikTok challenge thefts

FILE – A Kia which was damaged after being stolen is seen at an auto repair shop in Milwaukee on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021. Automakers Hyundai and Kia are offering software updates for millions of their vehicles that are missing a “key” anti-theft device, an issue that was exploited on social media and led to rampant theft of the cars. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023 that the software updates the theft alarm software logic to extend the length of the alarm sound from 30 seconds to one minute and requires the key to be in the ignition switch to turn the vehicle on. (Angela Peterson/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel via AP)

Hyundai and Kia are rolling out software updates to stem a raft of auto thefts related to a TikTok challenge that authorities believe has led to at least 14 reported crashes and eight fatalities. The updates are free for millions of vehicles that are missing a key anti-theft device, an issue that was exploited on social media and led to rampant theft of the cars. About 3.8 million Hyundais and 4.5 million Kias are eligible for the software update, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Tuesday.

Wall Street slumps after inflation cools by less than hoped

People walk past the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday, June 29, 2022 in New York. Wall Street is making only modest moves following a hotly anticipated report on inflation Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023 as investors try to square what it will mean for the economy and interest rates.(AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is slumping after a report suggested inflation may not be slowing as quickly and as smoothly as hoped. The S&P 500 was 1% lower in midday trading on Tuesday, while yields shot higher in the bond market as investors braced for the Federal Reserve get firmer on interest rates to combat inflation. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 417 points. Analysts said the inflation report shows the long road ahead for the Federal Reserve in getting inflation down to its 2% target. Traders upped their bets for how high the Fed will take interest rates this summer.

Analysis: NFL skids into offseason after slippery Super Bowl

A scintillating Super Bowl 57 was filled with magical moments but also some that were cringe-worthy. The field at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, lived up to its reputation as a slippery place to play as players from both the Chiefs and Eagles had a hard time keeping their footing. And a debatable call in the closing minutes ensured there would be an anticlimactic finish to an otherwise thrilling 38-35 win by Kansas City that gave coach Andy Reid his second Super Bowl title and a win over the Philadelphia team that fired him.

1st missile strike at aerial object over Lake Huron missed

U.S. Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley speaks during a media conference after a meeting of NATO defense ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Olivier Matthys)

BRUSSELS (AP) — The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff says the first U.S. missile fired at an unidentified object over Lake Huron missed the target and “landed harmlessly” in the water, but a second one successfully hit. The acknowledgment Tuesday by Gen. Mark Milley of the errant strike comes amid questions about whether the shootdown of aerial objects that military officials say didn’t pose a threat is creating unnecessary risk. The object taken down Sunday was the third in as many days to be shot from the skies. The White House has said the objects differed in size and maneuverability from a Chinese surveillance balloon that U.S. fighter jets shot down earlier this month

Haley announces presidential campaign, challenging Trump

FILE – Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley speaks at an annual leadership meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition, Nov. 19, 2022, in Las Vegas. Haley may be the first to take on former President Donald Trump, but a half-dozen or more high-profile Republicans are expected to join the GOP’s 2024 presidential nomination contest over the coming months. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador, announced her candidacy for president on Tuesday. She becomes the first major challenger to former President Donald Trump for the 2024 Republican nomination. The announcement, delivered in a video, marks an about-face for the ex-Trump Cabinet official, who said two years ago that she wouldn’t challenge her former boss for the White House in 2024. But she changed her mind in recent months, citing, among other things, the country’s economic troubles and the need for “generational change,” a nod to the 76-year-old Trump’s age.

Bernstine Announces Safe Schools Grant for Area School Districts

HARRISBURG – Rep. Aaron Bernstine (R-Butler/Lawrence) has announced that school districts in the 8th Legislative Districts have been awarded funding totaling $266,616 from the Safe Schools Targeted Grant programs.

“Each school’s needs are different, and these grant programs allow schools flexibility to address their own unique security requirements,” said Bernstine. “Protecting our students is a point of emphasis for me, and I am grateful that our local schools will soon see the benefits of this grant program.”

The following school districts were awarded an Equipment and/or Program Grant award:

  • Lawrence County Career and Technical Center – $49,791.
  • Mohawk Area School District – $17,725.
  • Slippery Rock Area School District – $50,000.

In addition, the Butler County Area Vocational-Technical School will receive a $75,000 School Police Officer Grant, and the Lawrence County Career and Technical Center will be awarded a $74,100 School Resource Officer grant.

Safe Schools Program grants fund a variety of different projects, including hiring school security officers, purchasing security-related technology, completing safety and security assessments, implementing violence prevention curricula, offering counseling services for students, and creating other programs to protect students.

Safe Schools Equipment grants assist schools in reducing unnecessary student disciplinary actions and promote a climate of greater productivity, safety and learning. In addition, the funding assists schools in procuring the resources and training necessary to create a physical environment that fosters the safety and well-being of students and staff.

Local Teams Set To Begin Their WPIAL Basketball Playoff Journeys This Week

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)
(Photo/BCR Archives)

A mountaintop so familiar, yet a pathway unlike those before.

The WPIAL Basketball Playoffs begin on February 16, with several local teams in the running for District 7 gold. The field includes 23 local teams, consisting of 11 boys’ teams and 12 girls’ teams. Of those 23, three of them are top seeds–the Lincoln Park boys (4A), the Aliquippa boys (2A) and the Blackhawk girls (4A).

The first game on Beaver County Radio will be a first-round matchup in Class 5A between #5 Moon and #12 McKeesport. Pregame on Beaver County Radio commences at 6:30 PM, and tip-off from Moon will be at 7:00 PM.

The full list of local teams in this year’s WPIAL Playoffs, with seeds attached, are listed below:

BOYS
5A
#5 Moon
4A
#1 Lincoln Park
#7 Quaker Valley
#9 Beaver
#13 Blackhawk
3A
#6 OLSH
#11 Beaver Falls
2A
#1 Aliquippa
#15 South Side
1A
#8 Rochester
#11 Western Beaver

GIRLS
5A
#10 Lincoln Park
4A
#1 Blackhawk
#4 Quaker Valley
#7 Beaver
#12 Hopewell
3A
#5 OLSH
#17 Beaver Falls
2A
#2 Freedom
#11 Aliquippa
#14 Rochester
1A
#8 Rochester
#11 Western Beaver

PUSH Beaver County To Make Announcement About Maple Syrup Festival On Teleforum Today at 9:10 AM

(Beaver Falls, Pa.) Tune into Beaver County Radio 95.7 and 99.3 FM along with 1230 WBVP, 1460 WMBA, and Beaver County Digital Media at 9:10 AM for the official announcement about this years Maple Syrup Festival at Brady’s Run Park.

Regis Collins and Georgia Miller from PUSH Beaver County will join Eddy Crow to make the announcement right before a special Valentine edition of “The Time Machine”.

 

AAA: Gas Prices Dip in Pennsylvania This Week

AAA: Gas Prices Dip in Pennsylvania This Week
Gas prices are two cents lower in Western Pennsylvania this week at $3.833 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

This week’s average prices: Western Pennsylvania Average                          $3.833
Average price during the week of February 6, 2023                                          $3.851
Average price during the week of February 14, 2022                                        $3.629

The average price of unleaded self-serve gasoline in Beaver County is $3.812.

The national average for a gallon of gas dropped this week by six cents to $3.41. Fewer people fueling up, and lower costs for oil, are behind the price dip. Today’s average is 13 cents more than a month ago and seven cents less than a year ago.

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand dipped slightly from 8.49 million to 8.43 million b/d last week. The current gas demand rate is approximately 700,000 b/d lower than the rate during the first week of February 2022, helping to explain why gas prices are declining. Meanwhile, total domestic gasoline stocks increased significantly by 5 million barrels to 239.6 million barrels last week.

At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate increased by $1.33 to settle at $78.47. Crude prices rose last week due to persistent market optimism that global oil demand will be stronger than expected.

      

Route 3032 Hardin Run Road Slide Remediation Starts Tuesday in Hanover

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing the closure of a portion of Hardin Run Road (Route 3032) in Hanover Township, Beaver County, will begin Tuesday, February 14 weather permitting.

Slide repair and roadway paving requiring the closure of a portion of Hardin Run Road between Mack Hollow Road and Swearingen Road will begin at 8 a.m. Tuesday. Through traffic will be prohibited around-the-clock as crews conduct the slide remediation work through early March. Traffic will be detoured.

Posted Detours

West of the Closure

  • From westbound Hardin Run Road, continue into West Virginia
  • Hardin Run Road becomes Route 24 (Frankfort Road) in West Virginia
  • Turn right onto West Virginia Route 8 (Veterans Boulevard)
  • Turn right onto Gas Valley Road (West Virginia 18)
  • Continue on Gas Valley Road into Pennsylvania (Route 3026)
  • Turn right onto Route 168
  • Follow Route 168 back to Hardin Run Road
  • End detour

East of the Closure

  • Same detour in the opposite direction

PennDOT crews will conduct the work.

Please use caution when traveling in this area.