Keystone State News Connection

Roz Brown

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Juneteenth National Independence Day is now an official holiday, after President Joe Biden signed a bill Thursday, approved by both the US Senate and House of Representatives.

Also known as Black Emancipation Day, Liberation Day and Jubilee Day, it’s celebrated on June 19, which marks the anniversary of an historical celebration of emancipation which started in Galveston, Texas when news that enslaved people had been freed by President Abraham Lincoln reached the Black community, almost two years and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

Many states have already designated the holiday, and momentum for the legislation followed the Black Lives Matter protests sparked by the police killing of George Floyd last year.

Enforcement of the liberation of Black people was slow, and accompanied the advance of Union troops. The Proclamation only outlawed human slavery in the Confederate states, it took the 13th Amendment to the Constitution to end enslavement elsewhere.

Akilah Wallace, member of the Black Southern Women’s Leadership Project and executive director of Faith in Texas, said true liberation for Black Americans has yet to be achieved.

“When we’re still faced with mass incarceration, police brutality, white supremacy within every system and fiber of this nation, we still have a fight to take on,” Wallace asserted.

This year, multiple states have approved bills that limit voting opportunities in Black communities, and passed legislation prohibiting schools from teaching about the country’s legacy of racism.

Kevin Matthews II, founder of BuildingBread, said in an interview with YES! Media, he shared those concerns. Matthews is an author and an expert on the Tulsa massacre of what was then called Black Wall Street. He’s also a former financial advisor.

“Any time that people of color in this country have significant progress, there is almost always a swift reaction from those who are still in power or those who benefited from oppressing others,” Matthews observed.

Tim Wise also spoke with YES! Media. An author and anti-racism educator, Wise wrote “White Like Me,” and “Dispatches from the Race War.” He said his own family tree revealed slave owners, who handed down documents that showed their lack of compassion when writing about the buying and selling of enslaved people.

“And I think we need to grapple with that, because we may not literally pass down human beings anymore, thank God, but we pass down the mentality that made the selling of human beings possible,” Wise contended.

President Joe Biden’s approval makes Juneteenth the first federal holiday established since Martin Luther King, Junior Day in 1983.

(Neville Twp., Pa.) 19-year-old Chris M. Byler died yesterday morning when he fell 60 feet through the roof of Allegheny Recycled Products on Grand Ave. in Neville Island.
There is no word on what caused the accident and the Allegheny County Medical Examiner said that Byler was found dead when police arrived on the scene.

(Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Curtis Walsh)

(New Brighton, PA)  The New Brighton Borough Council held a meeting tonight and went over a variety of topics on the agenda.  The borough started off by approving multiple ordinances. Ordinance 1261 which will require a permit for the use of portable dumpsters and storage pods on public roads, as well as the requirement of placing a pad on the road under the unit. The dumpster or pods will also need to be removed within a set time limit.  Ordinance 1262 will amend the current ordinance on public nuisances to add additional language of what all can be considered a public nuisance.  Ordinance 1263 and 1264 will add stop signs and a speed limit decrease, respectively.  A 3 way stop sign will be added on Grove Ave. at 8th Street and Thorn Street.  The speed limit of Grove Ave. will be lowered from 25 mph to 15 mph.  The Council then went on to approve the purchase of a new public works pickup, a 2021 Chevy Silverado at the cost of $32,055 as well as to approve the public sale of their current truck, a 2007 GMC Sierra.  Also on the agenda was the denial event request for Big Rock Park.  The event was being organized as a benefit and would have featured family friendly performances by local musicians and writers.  The borough stated that they do not allow performances in Big Park Park, as they create a “party atmosphere”. They also stated that they have denied multiple other requests for similar type events.  Lastly, council approved Jacob Jacobs to paint a new mural in Big Rock Park, which will replace the fading current one.  The new one will also incorporate the town colors of crimson and gold.

GOP election bill sponsor takes case to Wolf news conference
By MARK SCOLFORO Associated Press
Pennsylvania’s Democratic governor and the leading House Republican on the topic are trading barbs about what should be included in legislation to alter how the state registers voters and runs elections. A visitor to Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf’s news conference on to topic in the Philadelphia suburbs Thursday was House State Government Committee Chairman Seth Grove. The York County Republican tweeted out a defense of the 149-page revamp of election law that he rolled out more than a week ago, as Wolf and his fellow Democrats denounced the proposal. With lawmakers’ summer recess looming, it’s far from clear if a deal can be reached that will affect the state’s next voting, on Nov. 2.

(Photo by Beaver County Radio Staff of raid location at 816 13th Street in Beaver Falls)

Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano 

(Beaver Falls, Pa.) Beaver Falls Police, New Brighton Police and  the PA Office of the Attorney General  conducted two separate narcotics investigations Wednesday morning, June 16, 2021 that led  to the execution of search warrants at two Beaver Falls locations.

At 6 a.m. Wednesday, June 16, 2021 the police departments were assisted  by the Beaver County ESU team. The warrants were executed at 816 13th Street, and 1605 4th Avenue, according to Beaver Falls Police Chief Dave Johnson..

By The Associated Press undefined
Presidents Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin of Russia spent more than three hours discussing issues Wednesday at their summit in Geneva. Biden says they ticked through their respective lists so quickly and in such “excruciating detail” that they looked at each other and thought, “OK, what next?” In one area of agreement, Biden and Putin decided to return their respective ambassadors to Washington and Moscow in a bid to improve badly deteriorated diplomatic relations between their countries. Biden and Putin also instructed their diplomats to begin laying the groundwork for a new phase of arms control.

Republicans juggle deficit, pandemic and schools in budget
By MARC LEVY Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Republican lawmakers in Pennsylvania are working to assemble a budget plan that would use billions in federal aid and surplus cash to help prop up existing programs, boost aid to public schools and inject cash into sectors hard-hit by the pandemic. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Pat Browne said the state will still have a deficit in three years even if it uses all of the $7.3 billion in federal aid and $3 billion in surplus state dollars to maintain current programs. While Republicans are considering which hard-hit sectors to help, Democratic lawmakers have rolled out expansive plans. Gov. Tom Wolf’s top priority is to boost aid to schools.

‘Obamacare’ survives: Supreme Court dismisses big challenge
By MARK SHERMAN Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has dismissed a challenge to the Obama era health care law, preserving insurance coverage for millions of Americans. The justices left the entire law intact Thursday in ruling that Texas, other Republican-led states and two individuals had no right to bring their lawsuit in federal court. The law’s major provisions include protections for people with pre-existing health conditions, a range of no-cost preventive services and the expansion of the Medicaid program that insures lower-income people, including those who work in jobs that don’t pay much or provide health insurance.  Also left in place is the law’s now-toothless requirement that people have health insurance or pay a penalty.

AAA East Central Projects Positive Outlook For Summer Travel
More than three quarters of Americans say they are ready for a trip

A greater number of people are anticipated to travel this summer compared to last year, as new data shows growing interest in domestic road trips and the beginnings of a return to air, international and cruise travel.

AAA East Central is projecting a sharp increase in overnight road trips with hotel stays this summer compared to the prior two years, based on online and Auto Club branch driving vacation map route requests through AAA’s TripTik service, TripTik.AAA.com. TripTik map route printouts with hotel stops marked along the way between April 1 and May 15 grew 10 times from 2019 to 2021 and doubled this year compared to 2020, when many travelers were printing out routes in anticipation of being able to travel later.

Among AAA members who are taking air vacations, North American travel is starting to increase significantly this year compared to 2019. May 2021 bookings for Pleasant Holidays destinations – which include Hawaii, Mexico and the Caribbean – are up significantly compared to May 2019.

“Travelers are excited to start planning vacations again, whether it’s a family road trip or booking an exotic trip to a new destination,” said Bevi Powell, senior vice president, AAA East Central. “And as countries reopen and North American cruises start to sail in the coming weeks, it’s never been more important to work with a travel adviser to make sure you get the best availability and prices.”

Americans’ positive sentiment toward travel has rapidly grown from January to May as vaccinations increased and COVID-19 statistics decreased, according to the weekly Coronavirus Sentiment Index surveys conducted this year by Destination Analysts, a tourism market research firm. The surveys found:

• In January, 55% of those surveyed said they were ready to travel, and by May that number grew to 77%.
• Of those planning leisure trips this summer, 71% have out-of-state destinations and 45% are traveling within their state.
• 43% of respondents in a March Destination Analysts survey had planned a vacation in anticipation of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.

AAA East Central recommends several plan-ahead tips for summer travelers:

• Make reservations. National parks are requiring advance registrations, so don’t expect to be able to get in without one. Hotels in remote areas, likewise, are selling out quickly, so make sure to reserve them in advance. And a nationwide rental car shortage could also create difficulties for travelers, so consider driving your own vehicle or using alternate transportation such as tour buses.
• Don’t forget passports/documentation. If you are taking one of the first North American cruises being offered this summer, you need a passport even if it’s a cruise to Alaska. Allow extra time to process your passport. Auto Club members can get 30% off passport photos at any Auto Club branch.
• Bring paper maps. If you are driving in remote areas, it may be difficult to access data-based online GPS. The Auto Club has free domestic maps available to members at any of its branches.
• Get your vehicle inspected. Many vehicles have been sitting largely unused for the past year and could have problems handling a long road trip without a maintenance service visit. Make sure fluid levels, hoses, belts and tires are in good condition and that tires are properly inflated for safety and fuel efficiency. Visit AAA.com.repair to find a qualified and AAA-inspected mechanic near you.
• Bring along needed extras for safety.  Make sure you have masks for everyone in the family for the duration of your trip, as well as hand sanitizer. Bring along an emergency first aid kit and have plenty of drinks and food available for all in the car in case you get stranded on the road.
• Consider planning your trip with the help of a AAA travel advisor who can help you save time, find the best deals and assist with making changes should you need to while away.