Pittsburgh appeals judge’s rejection of firearm restrictions
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Attorneys for the city of Pittsburgh are asking a state court to overturn a judge’s order striking down firearm restrictions approved after a mass shooting at a synagogue. The three ordinances were approved in April 2019 following the October 2018 shooting at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue that killed 11 worshippers. A judge struck down the ordinances in October, saying Pennsylvania law forbids municipalities from regulating firearms. City lawyers argue in briefs filed last week that local governments’ authority to regulate firearms to protect citizens “may be limited, but it is not extinguished.”

Teen shot during neighborhood chase dies from his wounds
CHESTER, Pa, (AP) — Authorities say a 13-year-old boy who was shot multiple times after he jumped over several fences while trying to escape some gunmen has died from his wounds. The shooting in Chester occurred shortly after 2 p.m. Sunday. Nyqueis Farlow was shot in the head and abdomen and was taken to a hospital, but he died there on Monday afternoon. It wasn’t clear what sparked the chase or the shooting or how many shooters were involved. Witnesses said the boy ran through several yards and jumped over fences in a bid to escape. The shooters fled in the scene in a vehicle and remain at large.

MCKEES ROCKS, Pa. — Police have found the body of a women who was reported missing last week. Neighbors at a Mc Kees Rock apartment complex reported a foul smell coming from a refrigerator in the hallway. A neighbor opened it and discovered the body of Kristy Jefferson.

Police have charged Daryl Jones with abuse of a corpse. The refrigerator was located on the second-floor hallway at the top of the stairs and had been turned so that the doors faced the wall. It no longer worked and was placed there to likely be thrown out.

The refrigerator where her body was found is roughly 20 feet from the front door of Jones’ apartment. Jefferson was last seen on April 26.

Jefferson’s cause of death has not yet been determined.

Anyone with information about the woman’s death is asked to call the Allegheny County Police Tip Line at 1-833-ALL-TIPS. Callers can remain anonymous.

Biden pressed to choose a black woman as his running mate
By KAT STAFFORD and BILL BARROW Associated Press
DETROIT (AP) — As Joe Biden’s search for a vice presidential running mate heats up, he is facing growing pressure to choose a black woman. The move could further energize the Democratic Party’s loyal base of African American voters. But the public conversation is more nuanced. Biden has already committed to selecting a woman as his second-in-command, but the choice won’t be easy. While some believe race shouldn’t necessarily drive his selection, experts are warning it could be risky for his camp to assume black voters would still turn out in record numbers in November without a diverse ticket and tangible return for their fierce loyalty.

Pittsburgh, PA – Dunkin’, its franchisees, restaurant team members, and the Dunkin’ Joy inChildhood Foundation have worked together from the very beginning of the global health crisis to find meaningful ways to say “thank you” to healthcare professionals on the frontlines of the COVID-19 response. In honor of National Nurses Day this week, Dunkin is showing its appreciation and support for these heroes’ tireless efforts to keep us all healthy and safe. Yesterday Dunkin announced a special in-store offer and a $200,000 grant to support healthcare workers experiencing trauma and continuing various initiatives to give back to healthcare workers across the country.

Free Coffee and Donut for Healthcare Workers

Tomorrow, On National Nurses Day, May 6, Dunkin’ is offering a free medium hot or iced coffee and a free donut – no purchase necessary   to all healthcare workers who visit participating Dunkin’ restaurants nationwide, including Western Pennsylvania locations, while supplies last.*

“As a brand with a long heritage of serving those who serve, we appreciate and honor the heroic work and unwavering commitment nurses and healthcare professionals show every day. Their selfless sacrifices inspire all of us to come together to do everything we can to support our communities. We want people on the front-lines to know that we have their backs and they can count on Dunkin’ to help keep them running,” said Dave Hoffmann, CEO of Dunkin’ Brands.

AAA: Slight Drop at the Pump in Pennsylvania; Demand Begins to Increase Nationwide
The average price of gasoline across Western Pennsylvania is a penny cheaper this week at $2.070 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

The majority of states in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast region continue to pay less at the pump. Vermont (-3 cents) saw the largest decline on the week. Gas prices in the region range from $1.67 to $2.17. Only four states in the region carry gas prices above $2/gallon: Washington, D.C. ($2.17), New York ($2.15), Pennsylvania ($2.02) and New Jersey ($1.99).

After weeks of steady gasoline stock increases, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports a decline of 1.3 million barrels to total regional levels at 72.5 million barrels. Regional refinery rates are steadily building back towards 50%. In the week ahead, most of the region is likely to see gas prices hold steady or minimally decline as the bulk of states continues to keep stay at home orders intact.

This week’s average prices: Western Pennsylvania Average                 $2.070
Average price during the week of April 27, 2020                                      $2.082
Average price during the week of May 6, 2019                                         $3.103

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

$2.034      Altoona
$2.209      Beaver
$2.128      Bradford
$2.089      Brookville
$2.002      Butler
$1.949      Clarion
$2.104      Du Bois
$2.066      Erie
$2.103      Greensburg
$2.099      Indiana
$2.145      Jeannette
$2.021      Kittanning
$2.105      Latrobe
$1.947      Meadville
$1.999      Mercer
$1.750      New Castle
$2.198      New Kensington
$2.099      Oil City
$2.177      Pittsburgh
$1.878      Sharon
$2.206      Uniontown
$2.159      Warren
$2.147      Washington

On the National Front
State gas price averages increased for less than a dozen states in the last week, but they were large enough jumps to push an increase to the national average. At $1.78, today’s average is a penny more expensive than last week, 16 cents less than a month ago and $1.11 cheaper than at this point last year.

As some states begin to re-open businesses, they will likely see demand increase and pump prices will likely follow suit. Although U.S. gasoline demand has incrementally increased, it remains below 6 million b/d.

On the week, the Great Lakes and Central region saw double-digit increases in a few states, but the bulk of the country saw decreases of a nickel or less. Pump price fluctuation will continue across the country in coming weeks, especially as more states re-open and motorists begin driving more.

At the end of Friday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate increased by 94 cents to settle at $19.78 per barrel. Crude prices increased last week amid growing market optimism that an oversupply of crude may be beginning to decrease, as demand for gasoline moves up and the 9.7 million b/d production reduction agreement between the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and other major crude producers takes effect this month and next month.

Motorists can find current gas prices nationwide, statewide, and countywide at GasPrices.AAA.com.

AAA East Central is a not-for-profit association with 78 local offices in Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia serving 2.7 million members.  News releases are available at news.eastcentral.aaa.com.  Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Wolf Administration Applies for $523 Million in Emergency Funds to Support Schools

 Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) today submitted its Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund application to the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) to obtain approximately $523.8 million in emergency, one-time funds to help schools respond to COVID-19 impacts.

“Pennsylvania’s educators have been working under extraordinary conditions from the onset of the coronavirus, first helping students and families to receive food and then setting up systems to provide continued education,” said Secretary of Education Pedro A. Rivera. “Unfortunately, this crisis has also placed tremendous financial pressures on our schools. These funds will provide an initial measure of relief, and we appreciate the quick action by Congress. At the same time, emergency educational needs require Congress to pass another significant appropriation for states and schools.”

PDE expects USDE to approve the state’s ESSER application within one week and is finalizing a streamlined application to ensure that funds are available to schools in an expedited manner.

Under the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, at least 90%, or $471 million, of the funds must flow through to traditional public schools and charter schools. Each entity will receive an amount proportional to federal Title I-A funds received in 2019 under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

LEAs may use ESSER funding for a wide range of purposes, including food service; professional training; technology purchases; sanitization and cleaning supplies; summer and after-school programs; and mental health supports. Funds must be used by September 2022. PDE has urged school entities to prioritize investments for vulnerable students and families, including those living in the deepest poverty, students with disabilities, English learners, migrant students, students experiencing homelessness, and children in foster care.

View a list of what each school district and charter school will receive in ESSER funds.

The remaining 10% of ESSER funds will be used for state-level activities to address issues caused by COVID-19. PDE plans to use the funds to support initiatives, including remote learning, that can be designed and implemented with greater economy of scale at the state level than would be possible or practical for LEAs to pursue individually.

Pursuant to CARES requirements, school districts and charter schools must apply to PDE to obtain their allocated funds. Once the USDE approves the state application, PDE will post the LEA application process on its website and notify LEAs.

For more information about Pennsylvania’s education policies and programs, please visit the Department of Education’s website or follow PDE on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

Department of Health Provides Update on COVID-19, 825 Positives Bring Statewide Total to 50,092

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., May 4, that there are 825 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 50,092. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have cases of COVID-19.

Today, the department reported 14 new deaths, bringing the statewide total to 2,458 in Pennsylvania. County-specific information and a statewide map are available here.

Locally in Beaver County we are at 458 positive cases an increase of 23 since Sunday. 2161 people have tested negative in the county and the county remains at 68 deaths

In the 3 nursing homes that are reporting positive cases in the county there are now 302 positive cases an increase of 21 since yesterday. Employee cases remain at 23 and the death toll stands at 61.

“As we prepare to move a number of counties from red to yellow, we need all Pennsylvanians to continue to follow the social distancing and mitigation efforts in place,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “We must continue to protect our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians, which includes our seniors, those with underlying health issues, our healthcare workers and our first responders. I am proud of the work that Pennsylvanians have done so far, but we cannot stop now, we must continue to take the necessary steps to protect ourselves from COVID-19.”

There are 195,498 patients who have tested negative to date. Of the patients who have tested positive to date the age breakdown is as follows:

• Nearly 1% are aged 0-4;
• Nearly 1% are aged 5-12;
• 1% are aged 13-18;
• Nearly 6% are aged 19-24;
• Nearly 38% are aged 25-49;
• Nearly 27% are aged 50-64; and
• 27% are aged 65 or older.

Most of the patients hospitalized are aged 65 or older, and most of the deaths have occurred in patients 65 or older. There have been no pediatric deaths to date. More data is available here.

In nursing and personal care homes, there are 9,345 resident cases of COVID-19, and 1,224 cases among employees, for a total of 10,569 at 494 distinct facilities in 44 counties. Out of our total deaths, 1,646 have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities. A county breakdown can be found here.

Approximately 3,084 of our total cases are in health care workers.

All non-life-sustaining businesses are ordered to be closed and schools are closed statewide through the remainder of the academic year. Currently the entire state is under a stay-at-home order.

Statewide – The Wolf Administration has since noon, May 3:

• Provided an update from Pennsylvania State Police on business closure enforcement actions.
• Joined a multi-state agreement to develop a regional supply chain for personal protective equipment and other medical equipment.

For the latest information for individuals, families, businesses and schools, visit “Responding to COVID-19” on pa.gov.