PennDOT, Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission Urge Responsible Driving, Boating Through Labor Day Holiday

Pittsburgh, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission held a media event urging motorists to not drive or boat impaired over the upcoming holiday, and throughout the year.

Labor Day weekend is a popular time for travel and boating recreation. Pennsylvania is a boating destination state, and boaters drive to and from their boating location. When an impaired boat operator gets behind the wheel to drive home, a BUI becomes a DUI.

As part of the event, representatives discussed impaired driving enforcement tactics and reminded the public how dangerous it is to operate a vehicle or watercraft under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Both can impair a person’s judgement, balance, vision, and reaction time, as well as impact others on the road and water around them.

During the enforcement period which runs through September 7, local and state law enforcement will target impaired drivers through enforcement details, arresting motorists with a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of .08 or over.

Law enforcement will also patrol the waterways, ensuring boaters are capable of safe operation.

According to PennDOT data, last year data there were 2,995 vehicle crashes statewide during the Labor Day holiday week alone. These crashes resulted in 46 fatalities.

Both motorists and watercraft operators should plan ahead if drinking becomes part of the plan for celebrating. A designated driving or operator should be on-hand to ensure the safety of everyone involved.

Impaired driving crashes are 100% preventable. Save lives by being responsible.

US unemployment rate falls to 8.4% even as hiring slows
By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. unemployment rate fell sharply in August to 8.4%  from 10.2% even as hiring slowed in August as employers added the fewest jobs since the pandemic began. Employers added 1.4 million jobs, the Labor Department said Friday, down from 1.7 million in July. The U.S. economy has recovered about half the 22 million jobs lost to the pandemic.

Man charged in slaying of infant struck by stray bullet
PITTSBURGH (AP) — A man has been charged with homicide in the shooting death of an infant who was struck by a stray bullet that went into his family’s apartment during a shootout on a Pittsburgh street, Authorities said Friday that 29-year-old Andre Crawford, of McKeesport, was also charged with attempted homicide and a weapons offense. It wasn’t known if he’s retained an attorney. The charges stem from the Aug. 24 shooting death of Zykier Young. The year-old boy was sleeping in his family’s apartment when he was struck in the head by a bullet that traveled through two walls before it hit him. Authorities haven’t said what sparked the shootout.

Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano 

(Hopewell Twp., Pa.) Hopewell Township police Detective Greg Durkos, Beaver County’s DUI Task Force coordinator  said  beginning this weekend  sobriety checkpoints and/or roving patrols  will be out throughout this Labor Day weekend and the month of September in support of the state’s Impaired Driving Enforcement Initiative.

GROVE CITY, PA. (Sept. 3, 2020) – Terry O’Keefe and his wife Diane love to hike and travel in their RV. The Grove City couple was hiking in the Midwest a year and a half ago when Terry began experiencing alarming symptoms: shortness of breath, racing heart, fainting.

Back in Pennsylvania, doctors made the diagnosis: malignant pleural mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer that attacks the lining of the lungs, abdomen and heart. Median survival is only about one year. Mesothelioma is strongly connected to asbestos exposure, and Terry was exposed to the substance during his years working as a boiler operator in the U.S. Navy.

Terry underwent surgery and chemotherapy, both standard treatments for mesothelioma. Then Zachary D. Horne, MD, a radiation oncologist who practices at Allegheny Health Network Cancer Institute’s center in Beaver County, as well as at Allegheny General and West Penn hospitals, offered Terry a chance to try a new option.

Optune Lua, a wearable, portable device that delivers low-grade electrical fields to the tumors, is the first new FDA-approved treatment for mesothelioma in 15 years. AHN Cancer Institute is the only center in the region offering Optune Lua for mesothelioma, and Terry was the second patient in Pennsylvania to receive the treatment.

“Mesothelioma is a devastating diagnosis. We are thrilled to offer our patients Optune Lua, a treatment that can potentially extend their lives and improve their quality of life,” Dr. Horne said. “The treatment is non-invasive and delivers treatment directly to the tumor, and so most patients experience only minor side effects.”

Optune Lua users can continue with normal daily activities during treatment. Small adhesive patches called transducer arrays are placed on the patient’s chest and back, and are connected by wire to a battery that the patient carries either in a backpack or across the shoulder. The electrical fields work by disrupting the process by which cancer cells make copies of themselves.

In a clinical trial of 80 patients with unresectable or metastatic and previously untreated malignant pleural mesothelioma who were treated with Optune Lua plus chemotherapy, median survival was 18.2 months, and 97 percent of patients saw their mesothelioma either shrink or stop growing.

As for Terry, the lower part of his lung tumor has completely disappeared, while the upper part has grown only slightly. Dr. Horne is adjusting the patches so that more of the electrical fields are directed to the upper lung, and doctors are also adding a newer immunotherapy to Terry’s regime. Terry and his wife aren’t back to RVing yet, but are enjoying short hikes near their home in the company of their two dogs

“We look forward to providing Optune Lua as a treatment option for additional patients who may otherwise feel that they have little hope for the future,” Dr. Horne said.

The Optune Lua therapy is typically not covered by insurance plans at this time. Novocure, the manufacturer, however, has financial assistance available for qualified patients.

(Pittsburgh, Pa.) US Attorney Scott W.Brady announced that special agents of the FBI, Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, IRS-Criminal investigation, and the PA Attorney General’s office  executed court authorized   Federal  search warrants at Brighton Rehab and Wellness in Brighton Township.

(Vanport, Pa.) A press conference was held yesterday afternoon at the Beaver County Housing Authority  in Beaver. The purpose of the event was  to announce the Beaver County Foster Youth to Independence Initiative Announcement  (FYI)

Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano

(Aliquippa, Pa.) Aliquippa City Council met via ZOOM last night and approved the purchase of 3 properties from the repository  by residents.  Two of the properties are on Plan 11, one is on Main Street.  Councilwoman jennifer Milliner  reported that the Girl Scouts were observing the meeting  and that they  are picking up trees to be planted in the city.   Mrs. Milliner will meet  with themCity Administrator Sam Gill told the girls “We appreciate your encouragement  to help our community .”You’re part of the renaissance of Aliquippa.”