(Photo courtesy of US Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh District)

PITTSBURGH – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District is informing the public that due to recent and anticipated rainfall from Hurricane Ida, water levels along the Cheat, Monongahela, Ohio and Youghiogheny rivers will be higher than normal and are expected to remain so throughout Labor Day weekend.

Monongahela riverfront communities, such as Charleroi and Point Marion, may experience localized flooding due to increased water levels in uncontrolled waterways. All residents near small creeks, streams and tributaries should monitor local weather stations for up-to-date information.

The Point of Pittsburgh, located at the confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers, is forecasted to have a high-water event and crest above flood stage on Thursday afternoon. During this high-water event, the Monongahela Wharf, 10^th Street bypass and parkway “bathtub” are anticipated to be out of service from Wednesday through Friday afternoon.

The Monongahela River is forecasted to crest above flood stage on Thursday morning. The Braddock, Charleroi, Elizabeth, Grays Landing, Maxwell and Point Marion locks and dams along the lower Monongahela River are expected to be temporarily out of service until water levels recede. The Hildebrand, Morgantown and Opekiska locks and dams will remain in service.

Personnel at locks and dams along the Monongahela River are taking precautions associated with high water to mitigate impacts to navigation. The district recognizes there is a potential for uncontrolled flows and is monitoring water levels to ensure the district’s facilities are prepared to react to any possible changes. No facilities along the Allegheny or Ohio rivers are expected to see impacts to navigation

Recreators are encouraged to review river conditions and ensure their safety gear is prepared prior to participating in activities on the water.

The corps is performing controlled releases at the Conemaugh, Stonewall Jackson, Tygart and Youghiogheny reservoirs to retain water, reduce downstream water levels, and mitigate potential flooding in Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas.

The Corps of Engineers is coordinating with the National Weather Service, Coast Guard, navigation industry and other river partners to monitor and respond to increased water levels within the district. The district will keep the public informed of any further changes in weather conditions or water levels.

For more information about flood preparedness visit: https://www.lrp.usace.army.mil/Missions/Emergency-Management/Flood-Preparedness/.

For water management information including daily reservoirs reports and river gage data, please visit: https://www.lrp.usace.army.mil/Missions/Water-Management/.

RESOURCES: For more information, visit; www.lrp.usace.army.mil

(Pittsburgh, Pa.) Due to the rain and flooding in the area, the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium will be closed to visitors today

(Wampum, Pa.) Pa State Police in New Castle are reporting that they responded to a call for a domestic disturbance on Beaver Street in Wampum Boro around 3 AM Tuesday morning, August 31, 2021.
Upon arriving on the scene and investigating it was determined that 43-year-old Justin Norris of Wampum engaged in a dispute with a 42-year-old female victim, also from Wampum, and it escalated into physical violence.

Norris was charged with simple assault, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and harassment. He was subsequently incarcerated at the Lawrence County Jail. Charges were filed and are pending through the office of Magisterial Judge Jerry G. Cartwright Jr.

State police are not naming the victim or the exact location of the incident because it is an incident of domestic violence.

(Photo of Erie Lobby courtesy of Pa Cyber)

The Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School has relocated several of its regional offices to provide bigger and better facilities for students and their families. Headquartered in Midland, the K-12 online school maintains a network of nine regional offices around the state that serve as hubs for enrollment, orientation, and year-round enrichment activities. PA Cyber has relocated its Erie, Greensburg, Harrisburg, and Philadelphia offices to new addresses within the same metropolitan areas. Grand opening celebrations will be held for the Greensburg, Harrisburg, and Philadelphia offices after each location opens.

“We want to provide the best facilities that we can for students and their families. I am hopeful we will have a school year filled with activities at our nine regional offices,” says PA Cyber CEO Brian Hayden.

PA Cyber has been educating children online for 21 years and has had a presence in all the cities mentioned below for at least 10 years. The school relocated these offices to increase square footage and enhance visibility and accessibility for students and families.

• The Erie office relocated in early 2020, but the celebration was postponed due to COVID-19. A ribbon-cutting event will take place on September 30.
  1980 Edinboro Road, Erie, PA 16509

• The new Greensburg regional office will open for student activities in September.
  1040 Towne Square Drive, Greensburg, PA 15601

• The new Harrisburg office is expected to open in November or December of this year. The approx. 14,000-square-foot building marks PA Cyber’s 15-year presence in the city.
  3721 TecPort Drive, Suite 102, Harrisburg, PA 17111

• The Philadelphia regional office is relocating from Crum Lynne to Springfield, with a tentative move-in date of November or December 2021. The 12,500-square-foot building marks the school’s 15-year presence in the city. 825 Baltimore Pike, Springfield, PA 19064

Additionally, the State College regional office remained at the same address but expanded by adding a flex space for student activities and a larger family waiting area. PA Cyber will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 22 at 1700 South Atherton Street, State College, PA, 16801.

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) today announced that all driver license and photo centers, including the Riverfront Office Center in Harrisburg, will be closed Saturday, September 4, through Monday, September 6, in observance of Labor Day.

(Photo taken by Frank Sparks)

The remnants of Hurricane Ida are making their way through the area today. The further south you travel the more rain you will face.

* Flash Flood Watch continues Through late tonight.

* Excessive rainfall associated with the remnant of Hurricane Ida
may result in a significant flash flood impacts across the watch
area. Rainfall totals of 1 to 5 inches are likely.

* In addition to flash flooding, considerable river flooding is also
possible. The greatest risk will occur along small streams in
southwest Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia in the higher
terrain of the Allegheny Mountains.

*Never drive through deep standing water and follow the monicker Don’t Drown turn around

Judge set to rule on Purdue Pharma’s opioid settlement plan
By GEOFF MULVIHILL Associated Press
A U.S. bankruptcy judge is expected to rule Wednesday on a plan for OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma to settle thousands of lawsuits brought by state and local governments and others over its role in the nation’s opioids crisis. The deal could be worth $10 billion, with cash coming from members of the Sackler family who own the company. Under the deal, the Sacklers would give up ownership of the company and get protection from lawsuits over opioids. Purdue would be remade into a new company with profits being used to pay some victims and fund drug treatment, education and other measures to fight the opioid epidemic.

Pope inadvertently quotes Putin to chide West’s Afghan war
By ARITZ PARRA Associated Press
MADRID (AP) — Pope Francis criticized the West’s recent involvement in Afghanistan as an outsider’s attempt to impose democracy — although he did it by citing Russia’s Vladimir Putin while thinking he was quoting Germany’s Angela Merkel. Asked during a radio interview about the new political map taking shape in Afghanistan after the United States and its allies withdrew from the Taliban-controlled country after 20 years of war, the pope said he would answer using a quote that he attributed to the German chancellor. But the words were spoken last month by the Russian president in the presence of Merkel, during her visit to Moscow. Francis called for Christians across the world to engage in “prayer, penance and fasting” for Afghanistan.

Texas 6-week abortion ban takes effect, with high court mum
By MARK SHERMAN Associated Press
A Texas law banning most abortions in the state took effect at midnight, but the Supreme Court has yet to act on an emergency appeal to put the law on hold. If allowed to remain in force, the law would be the most dramatic restriction on abortion rights in the United States since the high court’s landmark Roe v. Wade decision legalized abortion across the country in 1973. The Texas law, signed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in May, would prohibit abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, usually around six weeks and before most women even know they’re pregnant.