House Dems unveil $547B infrastructure bill amid Biden talks
By KEVIN FREKING Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Democrats are releasing a plan for spending $547 billion over the next five years on road, mass transit and rail projects. It’s a blueprint for what they want parts of President Joe Biden’s broader infrastructure proposal to look like. The plan from Rep. Peter DeFazio, chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, is a policy bill that continues existing programs set to expire, plus key pieces of a larger measure Biden and Republicans are negotiating. The plan doesn’t address how to pay for the improvements, a sticking point in the talks between Biden and Senate Republican negotiator, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia. Biden and Capito will talk again on Friday.

PFAS contamination found in one-third of tests, state says
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration says a statewide sampling program doesn’t indicate widespread contamination of drinking water supplies by a class of highly toxic chemicals used in products like nonstick cookware, carpets, firefighting foam and fast-food wrappers. Results show about one-third of more than 400 sites tested across Pennsylvania contained one of the chemicals, known collectively as PFAS. Two results were above the federal government’s health advisory level. The statewide sampling began in 2019, and wrapped up in March. Studies have found “associations” between the chemicals and cancer, thyroid disease and other health issues, although state officials say their effects on human health aren’t fully understood.

GOP fight over 2020 election audit brews in Pennsylvania
By MARC LEVY and MARK SCOLFORO Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A key member of Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives is flatly rejecting talk of any sort of audit of the 2020 presidential election. Rep. Seth Grove, who chairs the committee that handles election matters, said on Twitter on Thursday that the chamber “will not be authorizing any further audits on any previous election.” Grove made the statement a day after three fellow Republican state lawmakers toured the Arizona Senate GOP’s partisan audit of the 2020 election. Republican Sen. David Argall, however, says legislation or a resolution in his chamber to commission some sort of audit is a possibility. No election official or prosecutor has raised a concern over widespread election fraud in November’s election in Pennsylvania.

(Photo Courtesy of AHN)

PITTSBURGH PA (June 4, 2021) – Jill Dietz, MD, FACS, a nationally recognized breast surgeon and leader in the development of innovative, high-quality breast disease treatment centers, has joined Allegheny Health Network (AHN) Cancer Institute as its Chief Transformation Officer, Director of Breast Growth and Strategy, and clinical breast surgeon.

Prior to joining AHN Cancer Institute, Dr. Dietz served as Director of Breast Center Operations at University Hospitals Case Medical Center and Associate Professor of Surgery at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.  Dr. Dietz previously led breast centers at Washington University, Barnes Jewish Hospital, the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals of Cleveland.  She also served as Chief Quality and Allocation Officer for the Cleveland Clinic ambulatory surgery centers, and as principal at TrueNorth Medical Consulting, she serves as a consultant for breast centers around the world.

Dr. Dietz just completed a two-year term as President of the American Society of Breast Surgeons, during which she led the development of a robust virtual education platform for the organization’s 3,200 members. In that capacity, she also formed the COVID-19 Pandemic Breast Cancer Consortium, gathering leaders from major national cancer organizations to expeditiously publish “Guidelines for the Prioritization and Treatment of Breast Cancer during the Pandemic.” Leveraging her national and international reputation and influence in the field of breast surgical oncology, Dr. Dietz also co-developed “Global Breast Hub,” the first global platform for gathering and sharing data and best practices to decrease gaps in breast cancer care.

“We are thrilled to welcome a physician, researcher and educator of Dr. Jill Dietz’s exceptional accomplishments, talents and vision to the AHN Cancer Institute team,” said David L. Bartlett, MD, Chair, AHN Cancer Institute. “She brings a unique combination of clinical excellence, innovative thinking and clinical operations expertise to our organization, and we look forward to the positive impact it will have on the quality and scope of care that we offer to our cancer patients.”

Dr. Dietz serves as Chair of the Standards and Accreditation Committee of the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), an American College of Surgeon’s quality program. She is currently leading the complete rewrite of the standards to be value-based and patient focused, and to offer NAPBC program members a roadmap to becoming centers of value and excellence.

A frequently published author, Dr. Dietz has published numerous scientific articles in leading journals such as JAMA Oncology, Journal of Clinical Oncology and the Annals of Surgical Oncology, as well as many other abstracts and book chapters. She was one of the first fellowship trained breast surgeons at the Cleveland Clinic and went on to train many other breast fellows herself.

Dr. Dietz received her undergraduate degree from Allegheny College, and her medical degree from Jefferson Medical College and has just completed her Masters in Health Care Management degree at Harvard Harvey Chan School of Public Health. Dr. Dietz has been named one of Cleveland’s Best Doctors by Cleveland Magazine from 2009-2020.

At AHN Cancer Institute, Dr. Dietz joins a multi-disciplinary team of more than 200 physicians and 500 advanced-practice oncology professionals.  Clinicians within the Institute annually deliver more than 150,000 cancer treatments to more than 11,000 patients at clinical sites across western Pennsylvania.

Dr. Dietz’s clinical practice will be based at Wexford Health & Wellness Pavilion and AHN Wexford Hospital, scheduled to open in September.

For more information, call 412-330-2873.

US adds modest 559,000 jobs, a sign of more hiring struggles
By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. employers added 559,000 jobs in May, an improvement from April’s sluggish gain but still evidence that many companies are struggling to find enough workers as the economy rapidly recovers from the pandemic recession. Last month’s job gain was above April’s revised total of 278,000. The unemployment rate fell to 5.8% from 6.1%. The speed of the rebound from the pandemic recession has caught employers off guard and touched off a scramble to hire. The reopening of the economy, fueled by substantial federal aid and rising vaccinations, has released pent-up demand among consumers to eat out, travel, shop, attend public events and visit with friends and relatives.

(Monaca, PA ) Waterline work on Pennsylvania Avenue  in Monaca Borough, will begin Monday, June 7, 2021 weather permitting.

Single-lane alternating traffic will occur on Pennsylvania Avenue between 9th Street and 15th Street daily from 7:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. through early August as crews from Stefanik’s Next Generation Contracting Co., Inc. conduct waterline installation work. Additionally, night work may occur from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. on weeknights. Flaggers will assist motorists through the work zone.

Please use caution when travelling through the area. Work zone safety is everyone’s responsibility.

(Perry Twp., Lawrence County, Pa.) Pa State Police in New Castle are reporting that they were called to the scene of a vehicle fire on Route 488 in Perry Twp. Lawrence County last Sunday afternoon at 5:17 PM.

Troopers said that upon arriving on the scene on Route 488 in the area of Bauder Mill Road they learned that a 2005 Honda Civic being driven by John Kirkland of Beaver Falls caught on fire as he was driving down the road. New Castle and Wurtenburg Fire Departments respond and extinguished the fire.
Penn Dot was also notified due to the fire causing damage to road. Kirkland’s vehicle was a total loss.

(Monaca, Pa.) The Pa State Police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement announced Administrative citations that were issued for the month of May 2021 on Thursday, June 3, 2021. Locally in Beaver County one facility was cited by officers. Whiskey Rhythm on Pennsylvania Ave in Monaca was cited for not requiring customers to wear face masks while entering, exiting, or otherwise traveling throughout the facility. They were also cited with allowing patrons to consume alcohol and/or food while not seated at tables or booths and they sold, furnished or gave alcoholic beverages for consumption on the licensed premises after hours.

Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano

(Aliquippa, Pa.) Former Aliquippa Police Chief Don Couch was suspended from his job in 2018, and  2020 council voted to reinstate him and  demote him to sergeant. Instead, he filed a lawsuit against the city last year  and the lawsuit has been settled. Details were not released at Wednesday night’s meeting. C

Keystone State News Connection

Contract PHL Airport Workers Seek Higher Wages, Healthcare

Michayla Savitt

PHILADELPHIA — Anticipating a busy summer, airport workers in Pennsylvania continue their fight for better wages and health insurance, and demand what they say would be a fair contract from American Airlines and other carriers.

Philadelphia International Airport contract workers and supporters rallied this week in support of a prevailing wage bill being debated by the city council, which would change a city agreement with air carriers, to boost hourly wages to just over $15, create a paid-leave standard, and provide an hourly wage supplement for healthcare.

Michelle Richards, an airport wheelchair attendant and member of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 32BJ, supports the proposal, especially after working on the front lines throughout the pandemic.

“We’re not going to stop until we get what we deserve, because we are the ones out here doing the jobs, and they are the ones behind the scenes,” Richards asserted. “We are the faces of the airport, that does the job every single day.”

American Airlines has pushed back on the bill, telling City Council member Kenyatta Johnson in a letter it cannot accommodate a pay increase, since revenues have been down. The proposal is backed by several city council members and is still under review.

SEIU noted workers who would be affected by this bill are predominantly Black, and as front-line staff, they remain at greater risk of getting sick.

Bishop Dwayne Royster, executive director of Power Interfaith, voiced frustration at the rally with the airline’s opposition to the proposal.

“How can American Airlines’ CEO claim to support Black Lives Matter, but can’t support the Black lives that work every single day to make this airport and this airline run?” Royster asked.

According to the Transportation Security Administration, Memorial Day weekend marked the highest travel numbers for U.S. airlines this year.