By JILL COLVIN Associated Press
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Former President Donald Trump called for Republican Party unity when he returned to the political stage for the first time since losing the White House to Joe Biden. Trump closed out a conservative political conference in Florida on Sunday, and told cheering attendees that he is sticking with the GOP and not forming a third party. He said Republicans would stand united, yet he also criticized those who supported his impeachment and denounced his incitement of rioters at the U.S. Capitol.

(Story by Beaver County Radio news corespondant Curtis Walsh)

Emergency responders fought a fire at a mobile home in Willow Tree Estates in New Brighton. Witnesses told me the fire started in the rear of the home. I spoke with Pulaski Twp. fire chief Alan Hickey, and he stated that the fire began in the rear bedroom and spread into the bathroom but stayed contained to those two rooms. Everyone made it out of the home, including animals. One male suffered a burn to one of his feet. Multiple county fire departments responded to the fire.

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing lane restrictions on the I-79 Neville Island Bridge in Glenfield Borough and Robinson and Neville townships, Allegheny County, will begin Monday, March 1 weather permitting.

Single-lane restrictions in each direction on the I-79 Neville Island Bridge over the Ohio River will occur weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Monday, March 15 as crews conduct paint containment rigging work. Additionally, two lanes in each direction will be restricted as needed on the I-79 Neville Island Bridge weeknights from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. through Tuesday, March 16.

The $43 million I-79 Neville Island Bridge Rehabilitation Project includes structural steel repairs, full structure painting, bearing and deck joint replacements, deck repairs and overlays, bridge barrier repair, substructure concrete work and drainage improvements.  The project also includes concrete roadway reconstruction, guide rail replacement and preservation work on four sign structures. Additionally, preservation work will occur on the I-79 bridge over Deer Run Road, north of the Neville Island Bridge.  Motorists will see ramp closures and single-lane and shoulder closures in each direction on I-79 during daylight off-peak and overnight hours. Other traffic impacts include four northbound weekend closures in 2021 and four southbound weekend closures in 2022. The overall project is expected to be completed in the summer of 2023.

The Trumbull Corporation is the prime contractor.

To help keep motorists informed as work progresses, PennDOT has created an email distribution list for the I-79 Neville Island Bridge rehabilitation including traffic advisories and construction updates. Enroll by sending email addresses to stcowan@pa.gov. Please write “Subscribe – I-79” in the subject line.

Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 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.

(File Photo)

(Beaver Falls, Pa.) Pa State Police in Beaver are reporting via press release that on Friday February 12, 2021 at 7:00 pm a Pa State Trooper conducted what was though t to be a normal traffic stop for a registration plate light that was out. As the Trooper attempted to pull over a 2003 Acura the suspect refused to comply and a short chase occurred for about a quarter of a mile before the vehicle stopped in the area of 11th Street and 1st Avenue in Beaver Falls and the suspect ran from the vehicle into a wooded area.

State  Police report they are awaiting lab results as they continue to investigate

 

(Slippery Rock Twp., Pa.) Pa. State Police in New Castle are reporting that a Pa. State Police Cruiser was involved in an accident on Pa State Route 388 in Slippery Rock Twp. around 5:45 PM Thursday afternoon.

State Trooper Shawn King was driving his 2019 Ford Explorer Police Cruiser north on  RT. 388 near Center Church Rd. when Sean Snyder who was driving his 2017 Dodge Ram Pick-up truck pulled out into the intersection after stopping at the stop sign. Snyder pulled into the path of King’s Cruiser. King veered left and unsuccessfully attempted to avoid the impact striking Snyder’s vehicle in the left rear. There was no report on the extent of damage to the vehicles and neither driver was injured.

Snyder was charges with a stop signs and yield signs violation.

(Moon Twp., Pa.) For the fifth time this month a gun was found at the security checkpoint at Pittsburgh International Airport Thursday.

The Transportation Security Administration said the .22 caliber handgun, which had a bullet in the chamber, was spotted on the X-ray machine monitor when a Texas woman’s belongings were being screened.

Allegheny County police were called to the checkpoint. Police took the gun and questioned the woman.

(Midland, Pa.) Pa State Police in Beaver are reporting that a 37 year old Female is alleging that she was a victim of witness intimidation. The Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Investigation Unit interviewed the woman on Tuesday, February 23, 2021, around 6 PM. She was able to provide them evidence to further investigate the allegation. The Criminal Investigation unit is continuing to investigate and no further information was available.

Braddock, PA — Pennsylvania Lt. Governor John Fetterman is not happy that US Senate Parliamentarian ruled that the $15 minimum wage can not be included in the Covid relief package on Thursday.

In a press release the Lt Governor said: “Since the Senate Parliamentarian won’t allow a $15 minimum wage to go through reconciliation, then it’s time to end the filibuster and raise the minimum wage.”

Fetterman said “Working people across America are struggling and cannot wait any longer. They need a living wage now and maybe if the Senate Parliamentarian made $7.25 an hour, they’d have ruled differently. The fact that I scraped old lead paint off houses for a contractor in the summer of 1985 for $3.50 an hour does not justify paying $7.25 an hour today. It makes me insist on a dignified wage for every worker.”