Keystone State News Connection

Emily Scott

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvanians are growing more concerned with the affordability of their health care, according to a new poll.

More than 600 registered voters were polled last month in the state, and 75% said the amount they pay for health care seems to increase each year. And about a year-and-a-half into the pandemic, 65% said they are worried people who are diagnosed with COVID may have to pay higher amounts for their health care.

Fred Yang, CEO of Hart Research, said residents want the health-care system to work better for them, especially in the context of COVID-19.

“I think there’s recognition that we’re going to have to deal with a lot of aftereffects of the pandemic, including people’s health,” Yang observed. “But also a recognition that the people who contracted COVID-19 and are recovering, they’ll also have a further hit on their wallets.”

About 58% of the Pennsylvanians polled said they’ve struggled to pay a medical bill, even if they had health insurance. The polling was done by Hart Research and ALG Research, on behalf of Consumers for Quality Care.

According to the poll, a majority of Pennsylvanians don’t want a complete overhaul of the health-care system, but specific solutions. Some 93% said they want policy changes from Congress that lower deductibles and hold insurance companies accountable for selling plans that offer little coverage.

Jim Manley, board member of Consumers for Quality Care, said voters want high-quality, affordable care and access to good health-care providers.

“What we’re seeing throughout this polling is, voters agree that the cost of health care continues to rise,” Manley explained. “And they have serious concerns of out-of-pocket costs such as deductibles, premiums and co-pays, when it comes to the biggest issues facing their future.”

Another priority the poll confirmed is voters want to see improvements to home- and community-based care for older adults and people with disabilities.

(File Photo)

CCBC ANNOUNCES PRESIDENT’S AND DEAN’S LISTS FOR SUMMER 2021 SEMESTER

82 students recognized for academic success

Monaca, PA – Community College of Beaver County (CCBC) is proud to release 82 names of both full-time and part-time students who achieved either President’s List or Dean’s List honors for the summer 2021 semester.
To be named to the President’s List, students must have completed at least 12 hours of credit-bearing courses in which performance grades are awarded and have received a 3.75 grade-point average or above for the semester. Dean’s List honorees must have completed at least 12 hours of credit-bearing courses in which performance grades are awarded and have received a 3.25 to 3.74 grade-point average for the semester.

The following full-time students were named to the President’s List:
Zachary Born
Dominque Bosh
William Gentry
Lauren Gordon
Macey Hartley
Mikayla Johnson
Evelyn Kaszer
Marissa McConahay
Zachary Moan
Emma
Sydney Pamer
Isabella Rossi
Alaina Schidemantle
Lacey Schoeneweis
Drew Speicher
Ronan Steder
Juliet Tomacari

Bryce Vogel
Rita Williams
Madison Young

The following part-time students were named to the President’s List:
Riley Anderson
Adam Barber
Thomas Calhoon
Daniel Carr
Aracely Chace-Escobedo
Shae Clayton
Samantha Cole
Leanne Condron
Stephen DeAngelis
Juanita Dempsey
Megan Diers
Valerie Dryden
Stephanie Garber
Damen Hunt
Nick Jones
Erica Keefer
Annie Kruisselbrink
Chadwick Kypta
Madison Maxwell
Sydney Miller
Melanie Noll
Nicole Seivers
Matthew Summers
Steven Zalenski
The following full-time students were named to the Dean’s List:
Alexander Bradshaw
Justin Clark
Brandie DeNelle
Hannah Geertgens
Shyra Goe
Andrew Gorka
Emily Kaelin
Kelly Kennedy
Daniel McElhinny
Alivya Rombold
Justin Zacharyasz

The following part-time students were named to the Dean’s List:
Karla Amaya
Mikera Anzur
Gavin Bierema
Sherry Cameron
Trevor Collins
Ashleigh Dawson
Logan Erickson
Joseph Eyerman
Nicholas Frost
Eric Fusco
Mareena Gentry
Kyleigh Gibson
Courtney Grunnagle
Samuel Lowery
Pamela McCombs
Julian Osselborn
Dominic Palombo
Dylan Rankin
Jillian Searles
David Shipman
Walter Sloan
Sara Snyder
Erica Veazey
McKenzie Weston
Jordyn Wright
Joshua Wright
Lee Ann Yunt

Window obstructions cause safety hazard for all motorists and pedestrians

AAA East Central reminds motorists that hanging items from a rear-view mirror, including protective masks, is a safety hazard. Many motorists keep their masks in their cars to keep them handy, but unfortunately, many are hanging the masks from their rear-view mirrors. This has the potential to partially block their field of vision, putting them and others in harm’s way.

“It is essential to have a completely clear field of vision while driving,” says Terri Rae Anthony, safety advisor for AAA East Central. “Motorists should keep their masks in their glove boxes, middle consoles, or back seats to avoid this preventable hazard.”

In Pennsylvania, it is against the law to operate a vehicle with anything hanging from the rear-view mirror. Moreover, in a typical city, a motorist encounters as many as 200 different situations per mile. The eyes provide nearly all of the information needed to respond to road conditions, traffic patterns, signals, and signs. Obstructing this field of vision, even partially, can cause you to miss things that should be seen, such as signs, pedestrians, wildlife, motorcycles, bikes, or other vehicles.

AAA East Central is a not-for-profit association with 72 local offices in Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia serving 2.7 million members.  Past news releases are available at news.eastcentral.aaa.com.  Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano

(Center Twp., Beaver County, Pa.) Center Township Police and the Municipal  building staff have been inundated with complaints about loose stones on Center Grange, Chapel, and Monaca Roads from recent tarring and chipping done by a contractor hired by PennDOT.  A response to  Police Chief Barry Kramer from PennDOT was, “We have to wait a few days and sweep the roads.” The project is complete, but the problem  still exists.  Motorists are advised to drive slower  to avoid kicking up stones into oncoming or following traffic, according to Police Chief Barry Kramer. A township  employee reported that a contractor was driving too fast  kicking up stones on the road causing headaches for  motorists.

HARRISBURG – Rep. Aaron Bernstine alerted Pennsylvanians to an upcoming change to the state’s Sunshine Act, which would increase transparency in government.

The new provisions will take effect on Sunday, Aug. 29, and require public agencies, including municipalities and school districts, to post public meeting agendas at least 24 hours prior to the start of a meeting.

The changes are a result of Act 65 of 2021, which was signed by Gov. Tom Wolf in June. Bernstine championed the measure in the House of Representatives.

“With heated school board and local government meetings taking place across the state on issues impacting the daily lives of parents, students and communities, it’s especially important for citizens to be aware of this change and for elected officials to think twice about letting important business fly under the taxpayer’s radar,” said Bernstine.

Under the change, public agencies are prohibited from taking official action on items not on the meeting agenda unless added by a majority vote, with an included exception for emergency situations and de minimis actions. This ensures those who vote to add an action item to the agenda at the last moment are held accountable to the public.

Agendas must be posted at the location of the meeting and on the agency’s public website. Paper copies must be available to those in attendance.

“Since I was elected in 2016, I have been on a mission to increase transparency and accountability and end the assaults on taxpayers that happen in broad daylight and in the dark,” said Bernstine. “I’m proud we were able to get this critical piece of the puzzle across the finish line.”

For additional information on Pennsylvania’s Sunshine Law, including instructions on how to file a complaint, visit openrecords.pa.gov.

For more information about this, or any state-related issue, contact Bernstine’s district office in Ellwood City located at 438 Line Ave. The phone number is 724-752-2120. Information can also be found on online at RepBernstine.com.

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing joint repair work on I-376 (Beaver Valley Expressway) began Wednesday night, August 25 weather permitting.

Overnight single-lane restrictions will occur on I-376 between the Center (Exit 42) and the Hopewell (Exit 48) interchanges nightly from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. through early October.

Work will occur in both directions of each roadway. A single 11-foot lane will be maintained during this slow-moving operation. Additionally, daylight line painting operations may occur.

The work is part of a multi-interstate longitudinal joint rehabilitation project. Northeast Paving is the prime contractor.

Motorists should use caution when traveling through the areas.

   Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.