Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death and disease both nationally and statewide, according to the American Lung Association’s 2020 State of Tobacco Control report.

The ALA Wednesday released its 18th annual report, which showed continued increases in the youth vaping epidemic nationwide, and gave Pennsylvania failing scores for tobacco prevention and control funding, and taxes on tobacco products.

“Multiple studies have shown that every 10 percent increase in the price of cigarettes reduces consumption by 4 percent among adults and about 7 percent among youth,” she said.

“To protect kids from a lifetime of nicotine addiction, the Lung Association in Pennsylvania encourages Pennsylvania to increase cigarette taxes and equalize the tax on other tobacco products, including cigars and smokeless tobacco.

“The U.S. Surgeon General has concluded there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke,”

The ALA believes changing the age to 21 is a positive step for Pennsylvania, but Carr said, “Pennsylvania still has significant work to do.”

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is calling for Punxsutawney Phil to be retired to a reputable sanctuary and to be replaced with an animatronic groundhog that would use artificial intelligence to predict the weather.

“Gentle, vulnerable groundhogs are not barometers,” said PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA is offering the club a win-win situation: Breathe life into a tired tradition and finally do right by a long-suffering animal.”Using technologically advanced electromechanical devices such as animatronics instead of live animals is more popular than ever. We even have the technology to create an animatronic groundhog with artificial intelligence (AI) that could actually predict the weather. An AI Phil would renew interest in Punxsutawney

A company in California that tracks low earth orbit satellites and debris is warning of a potential collision that could happen Wednesday evening at 6:39 p.m., 560 miles over Pittsburgh.

Information showed overlapping tracks between a decommissioned space telescope and an experimental government payload.
The older satellite was launched in 1967 by the U.S. military is quite small and weighs only 10 pounds, but is reported to be attached to a larger satellite, only recently declassified.

Launched in 1983, the larger satellite is the first infrared telescope in orbit. Called IRAS, it is credited with leading to the discoveries of six new comets, the core of the Milky Way galaxy and a deeper understanding of the stars Vega and Fomalhaut.

U.S. Steel announced $1.2 billion in investments at its Braddock and Clairton plants.

What is made in the Mon Valley can make the Steel City competitive globally in the airspace and automobile industries because the company will be diversifying its products with first-of-its-kind technology in the U.S.
This will create some new jobs and guarantee the more than 3,000 current jobs for generations to come.

U.S. Steel said new technology will significantly reduce pollution, which has been an issue for the major company over the past several years.

 

A judge flatly rejected Jerry Sandusky’s latest request to have his 30- to 60-year child molestation sentence reduced during a brief hearing Tuesday.

Judge Maureen Skerda said she purposely fashioned the prison term to have an impact on the former Penn State assistant football coach and noted Sandusky continues to maintain his innocence.

Sandusky, 76, participated by phone from the State Correctional Institution-Laurel Highlands but said very little.
In a filing early last month, Sandusky’s defense lawyers argued there were multiple factors that should result in a shorter prison term, including their client’s background, upbringing and positive impact on others. They said the total sentence was “manifestly excessive.”

Dump Truck fire in Hays neighborhood, Pgh.

A fire broke out a little before 3:30 a.m. and spread through three dump trucks in Pittsburgh’s Hays neighborhood on Wednesday morning.

Kerrie Kelly, who lives nearby, said a man who stays in a camper near the site “Actually went up to the fire and started moving the trucks right next to it,”. I was scared for him. I was worried. I didn’t want anyone to get hurt.” Reports say his action prevented the fire from spreading.
No injuries were reported. Arson investigators are looking into the cause of the fire.

A PATTERSON TWP. man is charged with simple and aggravated assault and child endangerment.

According to a police report, Timothy Paul Smith, 42, of Patterson Township, got into an argument with his step-daughter, a juvenile, on Jan. 12th. Smith slammed the girl’s head against a wall and threw her down the stairs, the report said. The girl reported the assault Jan. 15 to her school, police said.

According to online records, after posting a $25,000 bond Smith was released from Beaver County Jail. The case has been transferred to county court.

Another member of an Amish community was sentenced to prison for sexually molesting a minor from their community. This was the second time in less than a week.

Judge Andrew Logan of the Trumbull County, Ohio, Court of Common Pleas sentenced Daniel Ray Kurtz to two years in prison. Kurtz had pleaded guilty in December to two counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor for engaging a 14-year-old boy in oral sex in the summer of 2019 at his rural home in Middlefield, Ohio.

A half-dozen men and women from his Amish community as well as about 10 advocates for victims of child sexual abuse in Amish and related churches observed Tuesday’s sentencing.
They’re showing up for court hearings in silent solidarity with victims.

Ohio Man charged

A vehicle that matched the description of a car involved in an Ohio highway pursuit was seen driving west on Route 51 on Dec. 5 in Chippewa Township. Pennsylvania State Police said they attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but Ayvree Leon Spratley, 22, of Bedford refused to pull over. Ohio State Police set up spike strips at the state line near Darlington Township, but Spratley fled on foot after he got a flat tire. Spratley was arrested by Ohio State Police, but is also charged in Pennsylvania with fleeing officers and other traffic offenses.

Theft by Deception

Michael Edward Beaver, 56, who owns Certified Welding in New Brighton was paid $10,500 by check to install a metal fence at a Chippewa Township home.

According to a police report, Beaver cashed the check that same day and did not return to the Chippewa home to complete the service. Beaver answered only one phone call by the Chippewa man, who asked for his money back and Beaver responded that he did not have the money anymore.

Chippewa Township police charged Beaver with theft by deception and receiving advance payment for services but failing to perform.