Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano

(Aliquippa, Pa.) PA State police reported this morning  that they were dispatched by Aliquippa Police  early Sunday morning  to the 200 block of Spaulding Street , a male  was suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim identified as a white male Joseph Jahoda, 60 was transported to Allegheny General Hospital.  from the scene with a non-life threatening injury to his leg.

AAA, PennDOT Urge Extra Caution This Halloween Weekend

The holiday falling on a Saturday presents additional challenges for motorists, pedestrians

With Halloween falling on a Saturday this year, AAA East Central and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) advise parents, motorists, and adults to take some extra precautions this year to keep everyone safe.

“With some people choosing to go to house parties or go trick-or-treating, there’s a chance that there could be an increased danger on the road,” said Theresa Podguski, director of legislative affairs, AAA East Central. “With communities practicing different options, anyone who is celebrating the holiday needs to have a plan in place to prevent any tragedies.”

Halloween is consistently one of the most dangerous nights of the year for children. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that the holiday is one of the top three days for pedestrian injuries and fatalities, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates children are four times more likely to be struck by a motor vehicle than on any other day of the year.

“Our concern is that more people will take advantage of Halloween being on a Saturday to celebrate, and if they don’t plan ahead, many will be tempted to drink and drive,” said Cheryl Moon-Sirianni, district executive for PennDOT. “With all of the alternative transportation available to everyone in this age, there is no excuse for drunk driving.”

Tips for Motorists on Halloween:

• Designate a sober driver in advance. Select a designated driver or ensure that a cab, a ride-share, or car service is available.  Never ride with a driver who has been drinking.
• Consider an overnight stay.  If attending a party at a friend’s home, consider asking to stay overnight.
• Do not let impaired guests drive. If hosting a party, remind guests to plan ahead and designate a sober driver, offer alcohol-free beverages, and do not allow impaired guests to drive.
• Drive at least 5 mph below the posted speed limit.  According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, a pedestrian is more than twice as likely to be killed if they are hit by a car traveling at 35 mph, compared to 25 mph.
• Look for children walking on roadways, medians and curbs.  This particularly applies during popular trick-or-treating hours, from 5:30 – 9 p.m. Use extra caution when entering or exiting driveways or alleys.

Story and Photo by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano

(Aliquippa, Pa.) Aliquippa Police received a call at 3 a.m. Saturday morning  a pickup truck hit a home  in the 1000 block of Main Street.  Police  and, firefighters  responded to the scene.  Fire Chief Dave Foringer said the vehicle   cannot be moved, there is severe damage to  the home.. He said an engineer will be called in to assess the damages, and if the truck can be moved.

(File Photo Courtesy of Sean Parnell)

Lawsuit over Allegheny County election offices settled
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Two Republican candidates for Congress are settling a lawsuit they filed earlier this month and dropping their effort to force Allegheny County to let them send campaign representatives to observe inside satellite election offices. The candidates dropped that claim in a settlement approved Monday by a federal judge in Pittsburgh. The settlement, instead, describes Allegheny County’s stated process for counting ballots for nearly 29,000 voters who were mailed ballots with the wrong contests on them. State courts have already rejected a similar effort by President Donald Trump’s campaign to force Philadelphia’s election board to allow its campaign representatives to monitor satellite election offices.

2020 Watch: Is Biden remaking the Democratic coalition?
By STEVE PEOPLES AP National Political Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — Welcome to the final full week of the 2020 election. Anxiety on both sides is spiking with so much uncertainty heading into an Election Day like none before it. The coronavirus pandemic is raging again, raising serious health concerns for those who want to vote in person. Each state has its own patchwork of ballot access laws that raise the prospect of intentional or unintentional voter suppression. And Russia and Iran are actively interfering in the election’s closing days. On paper, Democrat Joe Biden continues to lead President Donald Trump by a significant margin nationally, but polling suggests the race is tight in key battlegrounds.

US to get 9th justice with Dems powerless to block Barrett
By LISA MASCARO AP Congressional Correspondent
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is set to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. Republicans are expected to overpower Democratic opposition and vote Monday evening to confirm President Donald Trump’s nominee. Barrett would be Trump’s third Supreme Court justice. Democrats want Vice President Mike Pence to stay away after his aides tested positive for COVID-19. Pence’s tie-breaking vote won’t be needed, and he hasn’t said whether he will attend the session. With no real power to stop the vote, Democrats argue the winner of the Nov. 3 election should choose the nominee to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

The Latest: Trump holds 1st of 3 rallies in key Pennsylvania
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the presidential campaign (all times local):
12:50 p.m.
President Donald Trump has wrapped up the first of three campaign rallies in Pennsylvania, where he told supporters that he wanted to discuss an issue of “existential importance” as he focuses on former Vice President Joe Biden’s policies on energy.
Pennsylvania is the second leading producer of natural gas in the country behind Texas.
Trump claims that Biden would “abolish the entire U.S. oil industry.” Trump says that means no fracking and no jobs for Pennsylvania families, adding “Biden’s plan is an economic death sentence for Pennsylvania’s energy sector.”
He is seizing on Biden’s comments in last week’s debate that he would “transition away from the oil industry.”
But Biden sought to clarify later that he was talking about ending federal subsidies for oil companies. He also said “we’re not getting rid of fossil fuels for a long time.”
Biden has also repeatedly pledged not to abolish fracking. Instead, he has called for no new fracking permits on federal lands.
Trump spoke to hundreds of supporters in Allentown as he focuses on the key battleground state of Pennsylvania.

Early vote total exceeds 2016; GOP chips at Dems’ advantage
By NICHOLAS RICCARDI and ANGELIKI KASTANIS Associated Press
The number of people casting an early ballot in the presidential election now surpasses those who voted early during all of 2016. That’s more than 58 million people voting with eight days to go before Election Day. Democrats have been dominating early voting, but Republicans are slowly narrowing the gap. That’s because in-person early voting has kicked off in a number of states and President Donald Trump has convinced many of his supporters they should not vote with mail ballots. One out of every 4 of the voters is either new or infrequent, a sign of a potential record-setting turnout.