On the Wednesday morning edition of A.M. Beaver County, Rose Filipponi joins Matt Drzik to talk about the 2021 Good Samaritan Parish Festival in Ambridge. The interview will be at 8:30 and be streamed on Facebook Live.
HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin) made the following statement on the school and day care mask mandate issued by the Wolf administration today:
“After months of telling Pennsylvanians that mitigation orders are a thing of the past, the Wolf administration once again went back on its word and issued another ill-advised statewide mandate that deprives Pennsylvania communities of local control and community self-determination in public health decisions.
“Data clearly shows that this virus affects different areas of Pennsylvania in dissimilar ways, which is why local control that reflects on-the-ground realities is imperative. History shows that a one-sized, fits-all approach to public health causes more anxiety and frustration than decisions made at the local level with local input.
“What’s more is that local control has been working. School boards and local governments have been hearing from families and individuals and making the decisions that best fit their community needs and reflect their community values.
“Unfortunately, the administration has turned a deaf ear to the people of Pennsylvania who passed two constitutional amendments in May that sent a clear message that things need to work differently in this state. House Republicans stand ready to follow through on that and are already in the process of taking a serious look at potential legislative changes that address this administration’s misuse of current law.
“We share in the goal of promoting public health and ending this pandemic as quickly as possible. As we review the specifics of this mandate, all options remain on the table. We will continue to exercise the voice of the people in seeking local control in these decisions.”
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Pennsylvania to mandate masks in K-12 schools, day cares
By MARC LEVY, MICHAEL RUBINKAM and MARK SCOLFORO Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Tom Wolf is planning to announce that masks will be required in all Pennsylvania K-12 schools, starting Tuesday, Sept. 7. That’s according to two people briefed on the plan. The people were not authorized to release details ahead of an official announcement and spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity. Wolf and administration officials are scheduled to hold a news conference on COVID-19 and the schools Tuesday afternoon. The state is taking action amid a statewide resurgence of COVID-19 that is filling hospital beds just as students return to class.
Residents Reminded to Report Outages, Use Caution During Severe Weather and Give Utility Crews Room to Work
HARRISBURG – As the remnants of Hurricane Ida continue to move toward the Mid-Atlantic region – bringing the threat of heavy rain, high winds and potential flooding – the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) reminds households of the steps they can take to prepare for, and recover safely from, storm-related power outages.
“Severe weather can bring down trees, branches and wires, disrupting utility service,” said PUC Chairman Gladys Brown Dutrieuille. “Time spent on planning and preparing before a storm can go a long way toward keeping you and your family safe when severe weather hits.”
Additionally, the PUC cautions residents to give utility crews ample room to perform their repair work – for your protection as well as theirs – and to use extra care when traveling, watching for utility crews working along streets and roads and slowing down in work areas.
Storm Preparation Tips
The PUC encourages residents to consider the following tips before storm strikes:
Power Outage Tips
Should you lose power during a storm, keep the following points in mind:
Safety While Waiting for Power to be Restored
Households should consider the following tips to help stay safe until power is restored:
Flooding and Electric Power
The threat of flooding from heavy rains is also possible in some parts of Pennsylvania. The PUC urged homeowners and businesses to consider the following flood-related electric safety tips:
Natural Gas Safety Tips
Consumers using natural gas appliances can also be impacted by storms:
Flooding and Natural Gas Safety
Natural gas service can also be impacted by flooding, homeowners and businesses are reminded of the following flood-related safety tips for natural gas service:
During storm emergencies, the PUC continuously monitors utility issues and works closely with the Governor’s Office and the other state agencies involved in Pennsylvania’s coordinated storm response. Across the state, there is extensive behind-the-scenes work when storms are forecast, focused on quickly addressing problems and restoring service as rapidly as possible. Utilities are putting their severe weather plans into motion; crews and equipment are being positioned for quick response to outages; and communication with emergency management coordinators is enhanced.
(South Heights, Pa.) Pa State Police in Beaver are reported via release that they received notification at the Beaver Barracks of a possible assault that occurred at a trailer court on Jordan Street in South Heights on August 20, 2021, at 7:00 PM.
Troopers stated in the release that after investigating it was discovered that the victim was a juvenile that showed recent signs of physical injury. Troopers interviewed 28-year-old Alisha Gelotti of South Heights and subsequently arrested her for simple assault. Gelotti was housed at the Beaver County Jail awaiting formal arraignment. No other information was released at this time as Troopers continue to investigate.
By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. home prices jumped by a record amount in June as homebuyers competed for a limited supply of available houses, the latest evidence that the housing market remains red-hot. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-city home price index jumped 19.1% in June compared with a year earlier, the largest increase on records dating back to 2000. The annual price gains in June were higher in all 20 cities than they were in May. Prices are now at record highs in 19 of the 20 cities, with the exception of Chicago.
By AAMER MADHANI and ZEKE MILLER Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden still faces daunting challenges born of the hasty end of the Afghanistan war. They include helping to extract as many as 200 Americans and thousands of vulnerable Afghans left behind, resettling tens of thousands of refugees who were able to flee and dealing with coming congressional scrutiny over how the administration was caught flat-footed by the rapid collapse of the Afghan government. Through the withdrawal, Biden showed himself willing to endure what his advisers hope will be short-term pain for resisting bipartisan and international pressure to extend his Aug. 31 deadline for the American military evacuation effort.
By COURTNEY JESPERSEN of NerdWallet undefined
One of the biggest sale weekends of the year is fast approaching. Labor Day weekend is traditionally filled with retail discounts ahead of the federal holiday on the first Monday of September. But this year, Labor Day sales will be happening in the midst of an ongoing pandemic, inflation and supply chain disruptions. That combination could lead to less-than-impressive discounts. Retail experts share their best Labor Day shopping tips for consumers in 2021, including why it’s a good idea to capitalize on summer clearance products and how to effectively shop online.
(Photo Courtesy of AGH)
(PITTSBURGH,Pa.) Allegheny Health Network’s (AHN) Allegheny General Hospital (AGH), has been awarded the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Comprehensive Hypertension Center Certification. AGH joins AHN’s West Penn Hospital as the only sites in western Pennsylvania with the prestigious designation.
The certification recognizes practices committed to following proven treatment guidelines to fully address the needs of people with complex or difficult-to-treat hypertension (high blood pressure). Designated centers are recognized as national leaders in providing the most up-to-date, effective treatment strategies for hypertension and therefore provide patients with the utmost confidence in their care and long-term outcomes.
“Often referred to as the ‘silent killer,’ hypertension doesn’t always present with obvious symptoms or warning signs. However, more than 103 million adults in the country have high blood pressure, and therefore are at a higher risk of heart attack, stroke, heart and kidney disease and even vision loss,” said Srinivas Murali, MD, department chair of AHN Cardiovascular Medicine. “At the AGH Hypertension Center, our outstanding clinicians identify, manage and treat complex hypertension and its comorbidities with the latest, evidence-based therapies and care approaches. We want to thank the American Heart Association for this certification as it reinforces our unwavering dedication to the health, wellness and long-term outcomes of heart patients throughout the region.”
Hypertension is the most common medical condition in the United States. Its management calls for a concerted, multidisciplinary effort and AGH offers patients care pathways focused on nutrition, rehabilitation, exercise, pharmacological therapies and kidney health, among other areas.
“High blood pressure is one of the leading causes of kidney disease and kidney failure. At the AGH Hypertension Center, nephrologists work closely with hypertension patients to determine the root cause of elevated levels, tailor treatment plans accordingly and continuously monitor for kidney injury,” said Khaled Nashar, MD, division chief of AHN Nephrology and Hypertension and medical director of the AGH Hypertension Center. “We collaborate with the Center’s cardiologists to best manage hypertension across our patient populations with a holistic care approach, and we’re thrilled to receive this prestigious designation from the American Heart Association as it’s an exciting proof point of our team’s continued success.”
The Comprehensive Hypertension Center at AGH underwent several reviews by AHA quality improvement specialists who evaluated the center’s policies, procedures and operations to ensure appropriate diagnosis, evaluation and treatment protocols were in place and executed for hypertension patients. The improvement specialists review diagnostic evaluation capabilities, therapies and interventions in place, research/clinical trial participation and ongoing quality improvement implementation frameworks, among other factors.
Certified practices must be primarily devoted to patients with hypertension and related disorders, be recognized as referral and treatment resources for resistant and secondary hypertension and have facilities and personnel capable of assessing and evaluating complicated hypertension problems. For certification, practices and programs are evaluated against a professional set of criteria based on demonstrated adherence to key standards and a rigorous review process.
“Nearly half of the American population over age 20 has high blood pressure many of whom are unaware putting them at an even higher risk of long-term chronic health conditions or incidents like heart attack and stroke. Therefore, AHA certified hypertension centers are critical for these patients as they increase vital access to the highest quality of diagnosis, blood pressure management practices and innovative therapies all centered in evidence-based treatment guidelines and scientific research,” said Indu Poornima, MD, cardiologist and director of the AHN Division of Cardiovascular Disease Prevention.
Today’s announcement is the latest in a series of achievements and accomplishments awarded to the network’s Cardiovascular Institute (CVI) and Division of Nephrology and Hypertension.
AHN Jefferson and West Penn were named among the nation’s top performing hospitals for treatment -of heart attack patients from the American College of Cardiology, and AGH received a top 3-Star rating from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons for its cardiac surgery program, placing it among the top 5% of programs nationwide. In January, AGH also became the first medical center in Pennsylvania to earn the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for Comprehensive Cardiac Center Certification.
AGH is ranked by the SRTR as the top kidney transplant program for overall patient outcomes in western Pennsylvania, and the organ acceptance rates at the AHN Transplant Institute are twice the national average.
For more information on the AHN Hypertension Centers at AGH and West Penn hospitals, please visit ahn.org/services/
HARRISBURG – The Office of Open Records (OOR) released a report finding that while most government agencies in Pennsylvania provide Right-to-Know Law (RTKL) information on their websites, improvements can still be made to increase citizens’ access to public records.
“I am pleased that the overwhelming majority of agencies we reviewed provide some information about the RTKL on their websites,” said Executive Director Liz Wagenseller. “Informing citizens how to use the law reinforces an agency’s commitment to accountability.”
The OOR’s report, “2021 Agency Website Review,” summarizes the findings of OOR’s review of a sample of 135 state and local agencies’ websites. While 91 percent of agencies post something about the RTKL on their websites, the compliance for the four specific mandated pieces of information are not as universal:
Just 50 percent of agencies provide all of the first three[1] items.
“Meeting these requirements is simple and easy. If accountability is a priority, an agency will invite scrutiny, not avoid it,” said Wagenseller. “I hope that all agencies use this report to review their compliance and add the necessary information.”
As the report outlines, failing to provide accurate, comprehensive, and accessible RTKL information may lead to requester errors or an assumption that the agency is not subject to the law. The very basic first step in transparency is giving requesters the necessary tools and information needed.
The report outlines best practices beyond providing the statutorily required information. The OOR’s recommendations include: