AAA: Western PA Gas Prices Steady; National Demand on the Rise
Gas prices in Western Pennsylvania are stable this week at $3.002 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

This week’s average prices: Western Pennsylvania Average                  $3.002
Average price during the week of April 12, 2021                                       $3.000
Average price during the week of April 20, 2020                                       $2.122

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

$2.959      Altoona
$3.067      Beaver
$3.102      Bradford
$2.917      Brookville
$3.039      Butler
$2.934      Clarion
$2.974      DuBois
$3.066      Erie
$2.926      Greensburg
$3.066      Indiana
$3.011      Jeannette
$3.011      Kittanning
$2.997      Latrobe
$3.088      Meadville
$3.099      Mercer
$2.827      New Castle
$3.068      New Kensington
$3.099      Oil City
$3.021      Pittsburgh
$2.837      Sharon
$2.982      Uniontown
$3.099      Warren
$2.853      Washington

Trend Analysis:
Despite gasoline demand mostly increasing this month, the national gas price average has hovered steadily around $2.87. This, despite demand reaching its highest measurement in more than a year—8.9 million barrels-per-day for the week ending April 9.

Refinery utilization is nearly back to pre-pandemic levels, and with gasoline stocks building in the last month amid lower crude oil prices, motorists are benefitting from mostly flat gas prices. However, crude prices are on the rise this week, which could translate to increases at the pump by the end of April.

At 85%, refinery operations are at their fullest capacity since the week of March 23, 2020, according to Energy Information Administration (EIA) data. Should this trend continue, it could help offset increases in demand and help the national average stay under $3/gallon.

On the week, the majority of states saw little fluctuation at the pump: 27 state averages held steady while another 16 saw pump prices increase or decrease by only one or two cents.

Today’s national average is $2.87. Compared to a year ago, gas prices are very expensive as mid-April 2020 was prime quarantine time across the country. While the national gas price average is $1.05 more than last year, it is on par with averages from April 2019.

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.

Medical ruling: Capitol cop Sicknick died of natural causes
By MICHAEL BALSAMO and COLLEEN LONG Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington, D.C., medical examiner’s office says Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick suffered a stroke after confronting rioters on Jan. 6 and died of natural causes. Investigators initially believed the officer was hit in the head with a fire extinguisher, based on statements collected early in the investigation. They later thought Sicknick may have ingested a chemical substance — possibly bear spray — that may have contributed to his death. But the determination of a natural cause of death means the medical examiner found that a medical condition alone caused his death. The determination is likely to significantly inhibit the ability of federal prosecutors to bring homicide charges in Sicknick’s death.

Walter Mondale, Carter’s vice president, dies at 93
By DOUG GLASS Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Former Vice President Walter Mondale, a liberal icon who lost one of the most lopsided presidential elections after bluntly telling voters to expect a tax increase if he won, has died. He was 93. Mondale’s family says he died Monday in Minneapolis. Mondale served Minnesota as attorney general and U.S. senator. He followed the trail blazed by his political mentor, Hubert H. Humphrey, to the vice presidency, serving under Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1981. Mondale’s own try for the White House, in 1984, came at the zenith of Ronald Reagan’s popularity. On Election Day, he carried only his home state and the District of Columbia.

Supreme Court rejects lingering 2020 election challenge case
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court says it will not hear a case out of Pennsylvania related to the 2020 election, a dispute that had lingered while similar election challenges had already been rejected by the justices. The high court directed a lower court to dismiss the case as moot. The justices had in February, after President Joe Biden’s inauguration, rejected a handful of cases related to the 2020 election. In the case the court rejected Monday, however, the court had called for additional briefing that was not complete until the end of March. The case involved a federal court challenge to a Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision requiring election officials to receive and count mailed-in ballots that arrived up to three days after the election.

Barletta, eyeing a run for governor, starts raising money
By MARC LEVY Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Lou Barletta, the Trump-backing former congressman who unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Senate, has taken a step toward possibly running for governor of Pennsylvania in 2022 and begun a political action committee to raise money. Barletta told The Associated Press a month ago that he would decide in the coming weeks on whether to seek the Republican nomination for governor. If he runs, Barletta would likely be considered the front-runner in what could be a crowded GOP primary next spring. Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, is constitutionally term-limited from serving a third term. Attorney General Josh Shapiro is widely expected to seek the Democratic nomination.

(Story by Beaver County Radio News correspondent Curtis Walsh)

Multiple fire departments have responded to a fire at a residence on 5th Avenue in New Brighton. The home appears to have severe damage on one side. There are no other details at this time.

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(New Castle, Pa.) Pa State Police in New Castle are reporting that a 69-year-old New Castle man had over $27,000.00 taken from e-trade account.

Troopers state via release that they were called on April 13, 2021 to investigate an incidence of fraud. The incident that occurred was an unknown actor remotely accessed the victim’s computer and E-Trade account. The actor withdrew approximately $27,000.00 from the victim’s account over the course of several days. State Police are continuing to investigate.