(Sandy Giordano/Beaver County Radio)

The devastation from the COVID-19 pandemic that shutdown everything on March 13, 2020 made a major impact on the City of Aliquippa, according to Mayor Dwan B. Walker and Police Chief John Lane.

The city was in the process of accepting applications for additional police officers, and the process came to halt due to restrictions. Four members of the department were exposed to an individual with COVID-19, according to Chief Lane. The remaining officers were asked to help fill shifts as needed.

Walker & Lane added,”This speaks loudly to their commitment to the community they serve. We are doing what we can to make sure the police department and the city is doing its job during this pandemic.”

Chief Lane said this morning that when the police department needs assistance…that the state police, neighboring departments, the Beaver County Sheriff’s Department, the Beaver County Detectives, and the DA’s office are called in.

Since some restrictions have been lifted, applications and resumes are being accepted for police officers. Applications should be mailed to:
City of Aliquippa
Attn: Samuel L. Gill, City Administrator
581 Franklin Avenue
Aliquippa, PA 15001

A $35 non-refundable application fee is required. Deadline to apply is August 28 at 4 p.m.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Tom Wolf’s top election official says the administration had to take action after receiving a blunt warning from the U.S. Postal Service that it may be unable to deliver some mail-in ballots in the November presidential election by the deadline in state law. Pennsylvania’s secretary of state, Kathy Boockvar, said Friday that this was the first time the postal service had said the state couldn’t rely on a one-to-three day turnaround time. That warning precipitated Thursday night’s filing in the state Supreme Court asking to extend the deadline for mail-in ballots to be received in the Nov. 3 election when Pennsylvania will be a premier presidential battleground.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh’s mayor says he has “serious concerns” about the tactics used in the arrest of a protester during a march Saturday that drew condemnation from the American Civil Liberties Union and others. Pittsburgh Public Safety officials said they were trying to protect the public when plainclothes officers arrested a protester at about 5 p.m. Saturday in the city and placed the person in an unmarked, white van. Public Safety officials said the protester had repeatedly refused to work with police and was blocking intersections needed for people to get to hospitals and for students moving into the University of Pittsburgh.

Police: At least 18 shot, with 4 dead, across Cincinnati
CINCINNATI (AP) — Police in Cincinnati said at least 18 people were shot and four killed as gunfire erupted in several places around the city overnight. In one shooting alone, 10 people were shot. Police said in a statement that among the victims were 34-year-old Robert Rogers and 30-year-old Jaquiez Grant, who were killed. In another shooting, 21-year-old Antonio Blair was killed and three others were wounded. And in a third, three people were shot. Police didn’t immediately provide details about the fourth fatal shooting. Cincinnati’s assistant police chief said the shootings seem to be separate incidents. No suspect information was immediately available.

US retail sales rise for 3rd month but slowdown expected
By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER and ANNE D’INNOCENZIO AP Business Writers
WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans increased their retail purchases by 1.2% in July, with solid gains in appliances and clothing, restoring sales to their level before the viral pandemic erupted in March. Sales at retail stores and restaurants have now risen for three straight months, after enormous plunges in March and April, when the pandemic suddenly shuttered businesses and paralyzed the economy. Still, much of that spending has been fueled by government relief spending that had put more money in people’s pockets but has since expired. With Americans’ overall income likely shrinking, economists expect a potential drop in spending and a weakening of economic growth.

This week’s Business Minute brought to you by Minute Man Press in Beaver Falls

Stocks drift on Wall Street following latest run at record
By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is drifting Friday after a report showed that sales for U.S retailers strengthened again last month, but by less than economists expected. The S&P 500 was little changed in late morning trading as the market takes a pause after nearly erasing the last of the steep losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic. In each of the last two days, the index made a brief run above its record closing high, which was set in February, only to fade in the afternoon. It’s now 0.4% below the record. More stocks across Wall Street were rising than falling, but the moves were mostly modest.

 

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Tom Wolf says Pennsylvania doesn’t have the money to provide $100 a week as President Donald Trump pushes states to help pay for a new round of federal unemployment assistance. In a new letter to Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation, Gov. Tom Wolf Wolf urged them anew to extend the $600 per-week federal benefit, which ended last month. He also warned them that Trump’s plan is a convoluted and short-lived proposal that will delay payments to unemployed Pennsylvanians and create costly administrative burdens for states. States are deciding whether to sign onto Trump’s plan, a new $400 a week benefit that requires a state to commit to providing $100.

US retail sales rise for 3rd month but slowdown expected
By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER and ANNE D’INNOCENZIO AP Business Writers
WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans increased their retail purchases by 1.2% in July, with solid gains in appliances and clothing, restoring sales to their level before the viral pandemic erupted in March. Sales at retail stores and restaurants have now risen for three straight months, after enormous plunges in March and April, when the pandemic suddenly shuttered businesses and paralyzed the economy. Still, much of that spending has been fueled by government relief spending that had put more money in people’s pockets but has since expired. With Americans’ overall income likely shrinking, economists expect a potential drop in spending and a weakening of economic growth.

US industrial production up 3%; factory output up 3.4%
By PAUL WISEMAN AP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — American industry continued to regain ground lost in the coronavirus recession last month but production remains well below where it was before the pandemic struck.The Federal Reserve reported Friday that industrial production — including output at factories, mines and utilities — climbed 3% in July after surging 5.7% in June. Still, production remains 8.4% below its level in February before the outbreak began to spread rapidly in the United States. Factory output rose 3.4% last month, pulled higher by a 28.3% gain in production of cars, trucks and auto parts. Mining production blipped up 0.8%, snapping five straight months of decreases, Utility output climbed 3.3% as hot weather forced many Americans to turn on the air conditioner.

 

Action Clears Way for Latest Round of Transportation Improvements across Pennsylvania

Harrisburg, PA – The State Transportation Commission (STC) today updated the 12-Year Program. The new plan anticipates $64.8 billion being available over the next 12 years for improvements to roads, bridges, transit systems, airports and railroads.

The 12-Year Program, or TYP, is a multimodal, fiscally-constrained planning tool used to identify and prioritize Pennsylvania’s transportation projects and the funds needed to complete them. State law requires the STC to review and update the 12-Year Program every two years. No capital project can move forward unless it is included in the 12-Year Program.

The newly adopted program, which takes effect October 1, anticipates the following funding availability in the first four years of the TYP from federal, state and local sources:

• $11.4 billion for state highway and bridge projects;
• $9.4 billion for public transit;
• $321 million for multimodal projects;
• $228 million for rail freight; and
• $138 million for aviation.

“Investments in transportation are critical for keeping our communities connected to the global economy,” said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian. “While additional investment in our large transportation network is certainly needed, PennDOT takes pride in being a responsible steward of federal, state and local dollars to help improve infrastructure across all modes.”

The TYP also highlights some of PennDOT’s major accomplishments over the past two years, such as becoming REAL ID-compliant, as well as impacts to transportation in Pennsylvania because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Four Rural Planning Organizations, 19 Metropolitan Planning Organizations and one independent county partnered with PennDOT in the review and development of the update. Now that the STC has approved the update, it has been submitted to the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration for review and approval. The Federal Highway Administration coordinates with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to review the plan’s conformity with air quality requirements.

Public input early in the 12-Year planning process played a key role in identifying investments in the various transportation modes.

The State Transportation Commission is chaired by the Secretary of PennDOT and consists of 10 appointed citizens as well as the majority and minority chairs of the state House and Senate Transportation committees.

For more information about the TYP, visit www.TalkPATransportation.com.