HARRISBURG—Attorney General Josh Shapiro today announced that under a set of commitments agreed upon by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General (OAG) and Comcast, the telecommunications provider will delay its planned implementation of usage-based data overage charges to existing customers until July 2021 in its Northeast Division.

“As Pennsylvanians continue to navigate this pandemic, we know millions are relying on the internet for school and work more than ever. This is not the time to change the rules when it comes to internet data usage and increase costs,” said AG Shapiro. “My office negotiated with Comcast to delay the implementation of these overage charges and waive any early termination fees for customers who opt out through December 2021. We also limited the impact of these changes on low-income households.”

The new, amended rollout plan includes both a delayed start date to accommodate parents and students, and changes to Comcast’s policy that makes it easier for Pennsylvanians to terminate their existing contracts without fees.

As a result of dialogue and at the urging of Attorney General Shapiro, Comcast has agreed to:

• Forgo the data threshold on low-income users who are enrolled in the Internet Essentials program or IEPP programs for the duration of 2021;
• Disclose data threshold information more prominently in the contract execution process;
• Delay implementation of the overage charges until July, to be seen in the August bill; and
• Waive any early termination fee normally charged only for cancelling all Xfinity services early, through December 31, 2021, for any customer who entered into a term contract prior to November 2020.

The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office and Comcast continue to work on ways to increase transparency and educate consumers. Comcast customers are encouraged to review their data usage prior to July 1 to see which data plan best suits their household under these new terms. As noted previously, under these commitments, affected customers may cancel a contract because the plan will not be charged an early termination fee, which Comcast normally applies only when all services are cancelled. Pennsylvania consumers concerned about how Comcast’s data threshold may affect them should file a complaint with the Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer protection.

(Washington Twp., Pa.) Four Children were removed from a Washington Twp. Lawrence County home by Children and Youth Service for what Pa State Police are saying was deplorable living conditions. Troopers also found 30 dogs in the home on Rabbit Haven Lane on January 23, 2021.
The Dogs and other animals that were in the home were taken to a rescue center. Troopers also found three dead python snakes in the home. Charges are pending in the case.

AAA: Modest Decrease at the Pump in Western Pennsylvania This Week
The average price of gasoline across Western Pennsylvania is a penny lower this week at $2.722 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

This week’s average prices: Western Pennsylvania Average                  $2.722
Average price during the week of January 25, 2021                                  $2.735
Average price during the week of February 3, 2020                                  $2.710

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

$2.788      Altoona
$2.762      Beaver
$2.795      Bradford
$2.795      Brookville
$2.754      Butler
$2.688      Clarion
$2.665      DuBois
$2.760      Erie
$2.569      Greensburg
$2.799      Indiana
$2.614      Jeannette
$2.788      Kittanning
$2.406      Latrobe
$2.783      Meadville
$2.799      Mercer
$2.540      New Castle
$2.771      New Kensington
$2.799      Oil City
$2.741      Pittsburgh
$2.799      Sharon
$2.750      Uniontown
$2.799      Warren
$2.639      Washington

Trend Analysis:
At $2.42, the national average is a nickel cheaper than a year ago. While Americans have gotten used to cheaper year-over-year prices at the pump, the trend is showing signs of reversal. Ten states are already carrying more expensive gas prices compared to a year ago, including: Delaware (+23 cents), Maryland (+9 cents), Iowa (+6 cents) and Indiana (+6 cents). However, nearly 12 states still have gas price averages that are as much as 38 cents a gallon less than this time last year.

The national average increased by two cents this week, despite a drop in gasoline demand and refinery utilization. According to the latest Energy Information Administration (EIA) measurements, demand declined from 8.11 million b/d to 7.83 million b/d and total refinery utilization decreased from 82.5 percent to 81.7 percent over last week. These decreases led to an increase in gasoline supply of 2.4 million barrels.

Typically, these factors (decrease in demand, increase in supply) drive a decrease at the pump, but sustained crude oil prices are pushing the increase. For three weeks, crude continues to price between $52–$53/bbl, steady price points not seen since mid-February 2020. Gas prices could continue to increase as crude oil prices remain at these price points.

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

AAA East Central is a not-for-profit association with 73 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.

(Emsworth, Pa.) Police have determined that 19-year-old Roderick Ferguson is responsible for shooting a pregnant woman who was riding in a vehicle on Route 65 near Broad St. in Leetsdale on Jan. 25, 2021
Ferguson is wanted on charges of aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person and firearms violations. He is described as a black male 5′ 9″ in height and medium build is known to frequent the McKees Rocks and Brentwood areas.

The vehicle that the 19 year old girl was in crashed moments later in Emsworth injuring the driver of the vehicle. Both victims were transported to a local hospital.

PITTSBURGH, PA (February 2, 2021) – Allegheny Health Network (AHN) and Johns Hopkins Medicine announced today the first successful lung transplantation as part of a unique collaboration launched last year between the two organizations.

A 65-year-old woman from Pittsburgh with level D chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) underwent a bilateral lung transplant at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore in September 2020 as part of the program. According to body-mass index, airflow obstruction, dyspnea, and exercise capacity (BODE) rating, level D is the most severe form of COPD, often leading to lung transplantation being considered.  After a week in the hospital and six weeks of post-operative care in Baltimore, the patient returned home to Pittsburgh where she is continuing her care at AHN, with regular follow up by the Johns Hopkins team as well.

In 2020, AHN and Johns Hopkins Medicine announced plans to collaborate on the study and treatment of COPD, utilizing the Johns Hopkins Precision Medicine Analytics Platform.  As part of this effort, the two organizations formed a partnership so that AHN patients with advanced lung disease could receive streamlined access to the Johns Hopkins Medicine lung transplant program, a pioneering leader in the field for nearly 25 years.

Pre- and post-lung transplant care programs aligned with the Johns Hopkins’ lung transplant team have been established at AHN’s Allegheny General Hospital, providing patients with convenient, local access to care needed prior to and after surgery. Anil Singh, MD, an AHN pulmonary and critical care specialist and Executive Medical Director of Clinical Solutions, Design and Implementation, leads AHN’s collaboration with Johns Hopkins Medicine and oversees patient care in Pittsburgh.  Dr. Singh and his team refer patients into the program, and then co-manage their care and progress with the Hopkins Lung Transplant Team when they return to Pittsburgh.

“We are excited to be working with one of the world’s preeminent lung transplant programs to make this lifesaving care more readily accessible to our patients with complex, end-stage lung diseases like COPD,” Singh says. “Our first patient spent a relatively short time on the waiting list for transplant and is doing extremely well in her recovery.”

AHN patients choosing The Johns Hopkins Hospital for their lung transplant are guided through every step of the process by a personal patient navigator. Additionally, Highmark-insured patients requiring lung transplantation can utilize specific in-network benefits to better accommodate them and their families during their time at Johns Hopkins.

“The shared care model with AHN, allows us to provide the comprehensive transplant care for our patients while reducing travel disruptions from frequent health care visits to Baltimore,” per Pali Shah, M.D., Medical Director of Hopkins Lung Transplantation. “Our teams communicate on a weekly basis to provide seamless care.”

Johns Hopkins’ median time from waitlist to transplant is 2.8 months, compared to a national average of 3.1 months. AHN’s first lung transplant patient as part of the collaborative was on the waitlist for just one month. The Hopkins program is committed to the highest quality and at the leading edge of technology, with programs for ex vivo lung perfusion to expand the donor pool, novel techniques for monitoring rejection, and participating as a member of national scientific consortiums to advance the science of lung transplantation.

An estimated 30 million people in the United States have COPD, with as many as half unaware that they have the disease. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COPD is known to increase the risk of severe illness from COVID-19. While treatments such as medications and oxygen therapy can improve quality of life for patients, there is no cure for COPD.

For more information about the AHN Breathing Disorders Center and pulmonology services, visit AHN.org or call 412-DOCTORS to schedule an appointment.

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Keystone State News Connection

Andrea Sears

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Fighting climate change could be key to rebuilding the Pennsylvania workforce that’s been devastated by the COVID pandemic, a new report says.

The Keystone State has lost a half-million jobs in the past year.

According to the report from the Political Economy Research Institute, following the “ReImagine Appalachia Blueprint” would create thousands of jobs and make it possible to meet the goal of a 50% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030.

Report co-author Bob Pollin, the institute’s co-director, said the job creation would be driven by investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy, as well as rebuilding and repairing damage from the past.

“If you combine the programs, the clean energy and the land restoration, agriculture, infrastructure, manufacturing,” he said, “we’re looking at about 240,000 to 250,000 jobs.”

He added that the blueprint would drive federal resources to some of the most economically depressed parts of the state, creating good, union jobs with strong wages and benefits.

Rob Bair, business manager for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers’ Local 143, noted that the plan will require significant public and private investment. He predicted that with state and federal support, Pennsylvania can become a national leader in green energy.

“We can create careers. We can create manufacturing. We can bring the economy of Pennsylvania back to where it was in its heyday,” he said. “And we can do this and save the environment.”

He pointed out that executive orders issued by the Biden administration support many of the policies included in the ReImagine Appalachia Blueprint.

Pollin acknowledged that the shift to clean energy would displace about 2,000 workers from fossil-fuel industries in the state each year. So, the report also focused on making sure they and their communities get a fair transition to a cleaner economy.

“We have to guarantee pensions, health-care coverage, guarantee re-employ them, guarantee the job will pay what they had been getting in the fossil-fuel industry,” he said.

The CCBC Players of the game are picked for each game that is broadcast on Beaver County Radio by the broadcast team and announced during the post game.

The CCBC Players of the Game for Aliquippa vs. New Brighton girls on Tuesday, February 2, 2021, from Aliquippa High School,  Amaya Walker , and from New Brighton High School, Anala Landis , The game was heard live on Beaver County Radio 1230 WBVP, 1460 WMBA, 99.3 FM and beavercountyradio.com 

You can see all of the past CCBC Players of the Game for High School Sports by clicking on the CCBC Logo Below: