PITTSBURGH, PA: July 1, 2024 – Kennywood is celebrating the July 4th holiday weekend by extending hours to 10 p.m. every single day beginning Thursday, July 4 through Sunday, July 20. Plus, visitors will be dazzled by a spectacular fireworks show over the lagoon on July 4th and can expect a robust lineup of brand-new entertainment at the park all month long. Idlewild & SoakZone will also celebrate the holiday with a fireworks show at 9:30 p.m. on July 4.

In honor of the holiday weekend, Kennywood, Idlewild & SoakZone and Sandcastle Water Park will honor active duty, retired military members and veterans with free admission beginning Wednesday, July 3, and running through Sunday, July 7. Service members must have a valid ID and can also purchase up to four discounted tickets for family and friends at a reduced rate at the main gates. Kennywood will also offer a limited-time discounted rate for all guests after 4 p.m. at the gate for as low as $29.99.

“Showing our appreciation and gratitude to our military members is very important to all of us,” says Rick Spicuzza, Kennywood General Manager. “We’re proud to welcome them and their families to the park to celebrate Independence Day the Kennywood way – with an awesome fireworks display, electrifying entertainment, thrilling and classic rides – there is no other place like it to spend summer’s biggest holiday weekend.”

In addition to fireworks displays at both Kennywood and Idlewild, new entertainment and events will take center stage beginning July 4. Guests at Kennywood will be amazed by the Nerveless Nocks’ Jetpack Flying Water Circus at select times throughout the day. The Best Kids’ Park in the World will celebrate the holiday with ‘Wild Foam and Ricky Raccoon Summer Beach Dance parties for all the pint-sized Idlewild guests. The extended holiday weekend launches a month-long lineup of special entertainment and unique activities at all the Pittsburgh parks, including:

•                     Kennywood celebrates the Steel City with its all-new event; Celebrate Pittsburgh, every Saturday and Sunday in July, beginning July 5 – 6 with its first themed weekend dedicated to Pittsburgh arts, highlighted by a live art exhibition of the new Thunderbolt mural in partnership with Wicked Pittsburgh;

•                     Idlewild & SoakZone kicks off its beloved Neighbor Days event in partnership with Fred Rogers Productions, running Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays throughout July with a celebration of each of its beloved series including Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, Alma’s Way, Donkey Hodie and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood with special guests, live shows, character meet and greets and much more and;

•                     Sandcastle Waterpark hosts its live music series, Jammin’ July, beginning Saturday, July 6 with reggae music by The Flow Band, plus the park’s 35th Birthday Bash on July 17 celebrating 35 splashing summers with music, giveaways and birthday cake during the biggest bash on the boardwalk.

All three parks are offering Limited Time Only July 4th ticket sales, with ticket discounts up to 50% off now. Guests can visit Kennywood’s, Idlewild’s and Sandcastle’s websites to purchase discounted tickets or a 2024 Season Pass and visit all year long.

For more information on each park and to purchase tickets or season passes, please visit Kennywood.com, Idlewild.com, and Sandcastlewaterpark.com.

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published July 2, 2024 12:35 P.M.

(Aliquippa, Pa) Damar “Wormy ” Freeman turned himself into the district justice’s office on Monday. He was wanted on charges filed by Aliquippa Police on June 22, 2024 and PA State Police. The press release issued by Aliquippa Police stated he is no longer a threat to the public. He was involved in a disturbance in the 300 block of Linmar Terrace on June 22, 2024 and had been on the run before turning himself in. Freeman is lodged in the Beaver County Jail. Bond was set at $250,000.00.

MOON TWP, PA — Yesterday, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) hosted House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08) in Western Pennsylvania. Leader Jeffries is the highest-ranking Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Together they toured the Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) construction site and spoke with union workers who are getting the job done. PIT has received upwards of $123 million in federal investments since 2021. The large majority of this investment comes from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which passed into law in 2021 and is a once-a-generation investment into the foundation of communities in Western Pennsylvania and across America.

Earlier in June, Congressman Deluzio joined with his Senators and his colleague Congresswoman Summer Lee to announce a $20.6 million investment into the ongoing terminal improvement project that will remove the mid-terminal train transport and fund a wide variety of upgrades. This Airport Infrastructure Grant funding was also allocated from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

“I was thrilled to host Leader Jeffries at Pittsburgh International Airport yesterday to see the Infrastructure Law in action here in Western Pennsylvania,” said Congressman Deluzio. “We know that America’s airports are more than critical portals in and out of our communities—they are also massive economic engines that power strong jobs. I look forward to tracking how the recent $20+ million in Infrastructure Law investments into the terminal project continues to help create good, solid jobs for workers in our region.”

 “It was an honor to be in Western Pennsylvania with Congressman Chris Deluzio and our union brothers and sisters to see the investments from Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in action,” said Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. “House Democrats are committed to ensuring that we are growing the economy while creating good-paying union jobs, and that’s exactly what the Pittsburgh International Airport project represents. Under the leadership of Rep. Deluzio I am confident that we will continue to build a healthy economy in this region, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and across our great nation.”

Gas prices are a penny cheaper in Western Pennsylvania this week at $3.764 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

This week’s average prices: Western Pennsylvania Average                         $3.764
Average price during the week of June 24, 2024                                              $3.778
Average price during the week of July 3, 2023                                                 $3.637

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

$3.638      Altoona
$3.864      Beaver
$3.894      Bradford
$3.598      Brookville
$3.709      Butler
$3.686      Clarion
$3.677      DuBois
$3.744      Erie
$3.689      Greensburg
$3.672      Indiana
$3.803      Jeannette
$3.845      Kittanning
$3.858      Latrobe
$3.758      Meadville
$3.926      Mercer
$3.723      New Castle
$3.645      New Kensington
$3.868      Oil City
$3.765      Pittsburgh
$3.697      Sharon
$3.842      Uniontown
$3.899      Warren
$3.765      Washington

Trend Analysis:
After remaining steady for three weeks, the national average increased a nickel over the past week to $3.49. The move came as the cost of oil crossed the $80 per barrel mark, putting upward pressure on pump prices. Because oil costs account for about 54% of the cost of a gallon of gas, more expensive oil usually leads to more expensive gas.

Summer gasoline demand has been lower than last year, but with a record 60 million travelers forecast to hit the road for the July 4^th holiday, demand may increase over the next ten days. Today’s national average is five cents less than a month ago and four cents less than a year ago.

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand fell from 9.38 million barrels per day to 8.96 million last week. This demand level is about 240,000 barrels per day below the same week of last year. Meanwhile, total domestic gasoline stocks rose from 231.2 to 233.9 million barrels.

At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate rose seven cents to $80.90 a barrel, up from $78.50 two weeks earlier. The EIA reports that crude oil inventories increased by 3.6 million barrels from the previous week. At 460.7 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are just 2% below the five-year average for this time of year.

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published July 2, 2024 12:26 P.M.

(Aliquippa, Pa) At 9:35pm Sunday, Aliquippa Police were dispatched to the 1800 block of Boundary Street for a domestic disturbance. Upon arrival, police made contact with the victim and the defendant Anthony Vespaziani, 44, of Aliquippa, PA. The victim, according to the report, told police that Vespaziani choked her and struck her. Officers said they found marks and signs of abuse on the female.