Barr condemns ‘rioters’ in much-anticipated House testimony
By ERIC TUCKER, MARY CLARE JALONICK and MICHAEL BALSAMO Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General William Barr is defending the aggressive federal law enforcement response to civil unrest in America, saying “violent rioters and anarchists have hijacked legitimate protests” sparked by George Floyd’s death at the hands of police. Barr told members of the House Judiciary Committee at a much-anticipated election year hearing Tuesday the violence taking place in Portland, Oregon, and other cities is disconnected from Floyd’s killing, He described Floyd’s death as a “horrible” event that prompted a necessary national reckoning on the relationship between the Black community and law enforcement. Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler says Barr has “aided and abetted” President Donald Trump’s worst impulses.

(File Photo)

Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano

(Hopewell Twp., Pa.) Hopewell Township Commissioners at last night’s meeting adopted a resolution  to  obtain  a $142,800  grant  through the Commonwealth Financing Authority . The funds will be used for a watershed  at the Community Park where an amphitheater will be built. The township engineer from  HRG, Inc. told the commissioners  a meeting concerning the DCNR grant for the amphitheater  and a meeting with Recreational Resources  USA is needed to finalize plans for the project.

• Require all customers to wear masks while entering, exiting or otherwise traveling throughout the restaurant or retail food service business (face masks may be removed while seated). Further, employees are required to wear masks at all times.
• Provide at least six feet between parties at tables or physical barriers between customers where booths are arranged back to back.
• Ensure maximum occupancy limits for indoor and outdoor areas are posted and enforced.

AAA: Gas Average Dips in PA as Prices Move Downward Nationwide
The average price of gasoline across Western Pennsylvania is a penny cheaper this week at $2.447 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

On the week, only a handful of states in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast region saw gas prices increase: Maryland (+3 cents) and Delaware (+2 cents). North Carolina (-4 cents) saw the largest decrease.

With a 3.4-million-barrel draw, the region’s stock levels have dipped to 67.6 million barrels. While measurement levels have not been this low since the end of March, stocks sit at a 9-million-barrel year-over-year surplus, according to Energy Information Administration (EIA) data. Stock levels have steadily declined for one month, which has contributed to low volatility at the pump. Pump price savings are expected to continue into August, especially with low demand amid COVID-19 travel restrictions.

This week’s average prices: Western Pennsylvania Average                  $2.447
Average price during the week of July 20, 2020                                        $2.458
Average price during the week of July 29, 2019                                        $2.951

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

$2.496      Altoona
$2.406      Beaver
$2.495      Bradford
$2.482      Brookville
$2.430      Butler
$2.461      Clarion
$2.477      DuBois
$2.481      Erie
$2.389      Greensburg
$2.508      Indiana
$2.425      Jeannette
$2.429      Kittanning
$2.399      Latrobe
$2.489      Meadville
$2.508      Mercer
$2.347      New Castle
$2.437      New Kensington
$2.496      Oil City
$2.431      Pittsburgh
$2.462      Sharon
$2.430      Uniontown
$2.499      Warren
$2.310      Washington

On the National Front
As COVID-19 case numbers surpass 4 million, demand for gasoline is weakening across the country. The latest EIA demand reading measures at 8.5 million b/d, which is about 11% less than a year ago. The lower demand contributed to a cheaper national average on the week – down one penny to $2.18. This is the first time since late April that the national average has declined.

Today’s national average ($2.18) is one cent more than last month and 56 cents cheaper than last year. Motorists can find gas for $2.25 or less at 70% of gas stations across the country.

At the end of Friday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate increased by 22 cents to settle at $41.29 per barrel. Domestic crude prices increased due to a slight decrease in the value of a U.S. dollar. However, crude prices could fall this week, since EIA’s weekly report revealed that total domestic inventories increased by 4.9 million barrels. The increase, amid falling gasoline demand, could mean that the domestic crude market is oversupplied.

Motorists can find current gas prices nationwide, statewide, and countywide at GasPrices.AAA.com.

AAA East Central is a not-for-profit association with 78 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.

Independence Road Slide Repair Begins Tuesday in Independence Township

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing slide repair work on Independence Road (Route 3013) in Independence Township, Beaver County will begin Tuesday, July 28 weather permitting.

PennDOT crews will begin slide repair work on Independence Road between Green Garden Road (Route 3016) and Bryson Road. To allow the work to occur, the roadway will close to through traffic at the slide location from 8 a.m. Tuesday morning continuously through late August.  Through traffic will be detoured.

Posted Detour

North of the Slide

• From Independence Road, turn right onto Green Garden Road
• Turn left onto the ramp to East I-376 toward Pittsburgh
• From eastbound I-376, take the Hopewell (Exit 48) exit
• At the stop sign, turn left onto eastbound Route 151
• Turn left onto Gringo Independence Road (Route 3036)
• Follow Gringo Independence Road back to Independence Road
• End detour

South of the Slide

• Same detour in the opposite direction

Please use caution when traveling through the area.

Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

(Beaver,Pa.) The Beaver County Sheriff’s Department is mourning the loss of one of their own today. Retired K-9 officer Ciro passed away yesterday around twelve noon. Ciro served the Beaver County Sherriff’s Department for eight years. Ciro and his partner Deputy Jim Brown won multiple awards for their service and commitment to Beaver County. He had been living with his partner since being retired. According to the Beaver County Sherriff’s Facebook Page Ciro was surrounded by his family and close law enforcement friends for a private gathering and they sent him off with an officer’s escort, led by Trooper Mike Brown and Officer Jim Brown, of Aliquippa. He was transported by his doctor and close friend, “Dr. Mike.” The Sheriff’s Department stated that If you would like to send your condolences, you can do so by leaving them on the Facebook Post announcing Ciro’s passing so his handler can see them. Or, you can mail them to the Sheriff’s Office at 810 Third Street, Beaver Pa 15009, Attn: Deputy Jim Brown.

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is seeking motorists’ input on traffic safety and driving behaviors through its annual online Highway Safety Survey found at www.PennDOT.gov/Safety.

“Safety is our top priority and we value continued public engagement in making our roadways safer,” said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian. “The results from this annual survey help us gauge participants’ attitudes on highway safety, and potentially allow us to adjust our safety activities so we can further reduce crashes and fatalities.”

The survey is available on PennDOT’s website through August 17 and should take about five minutes to complete. All responses, including the “comments” fields, are anonymous.

More than 10,000 people responded to last year’s survey. Notably, nearly 91 percent of respondents said they always wear a seat belt and 89 percent said they never drive while impaired. When asked which behaviors distracted them while driving in the last month, only 14 percent of respondents indicated “Using a hand-held cell phone” was a distraction. Thirty-eight percent of those surveyed indicated “Adjusting the radio or climate controls” was a distraction, while 37 percent indicated they were distracted by an object outside of the vehicle.

“Driving is a skill that requires 100 percent of your attention 100 percent of the time, and distractions are everywhere, it’s not just your cell phone,” said Gramian. “Don’t drive distracted.”

For more information on our highway safety efforts, visit www.PennDOT.gov/Safety.

Follow PennDOT on Twitter at www.twitter.com/PennDOTNews, Instagram at www.instagram.com/pennsylvaniadot/, and Facebook at www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaDepartmentofTransportation.

DEP Offering Grants to Small Businesses and Farmers for Energy, Environmental Projects 

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced the availability of $1 million in grant funding to Pennsylvania small businesses and farmers for energy efficiency, pollution prevention, and natural resource protection projects through the Small Business Advantage grant program. New to the program this year is the opportunity for farmers to install solar pumping systems for their agricultural operations.

“Pennsylvania is committed to assisting those small business owners who want to become energy efficient, increase their profitability, and help the environment,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “This funding will support projects designed to reduce operating costs and boost competitiveness, while simultaneously protecting the environment.”

Eligible projects include adopting or acquiring equipment or processes that reduce energy use or pollution. Examples of eligible projects are HVAC and boiler upgrades, high-efficiency LED lighting, solvent recovery and waste recycling systems, and auxiliary power units deployed as anti-idling technology for trucks.

Last year, 233 small businesses were awarded grants for their projects. Natural resource protection projects may include planting riparian buffers, installation of streambank fencing to keep livestock out of streams, and investing in agricultural storm water management projects, with the goal of reducing sediment and nutrient loads in our waterways.

“We are excited to expand the program to help lower energy bills through the use of solar energy,” McDonnell said. “Encouraging businesses to embrace alternative energy projects helps clean our air, reduces greenhouse gases, and give small business owners a sense of satisfaction on making smart choices.”

Pennsylvania-based small business owners with 100 or fewer full-time equivalent employees are eligible. Projects must save the business a minimum of $500 and 25 percent annually in energy consumption, or pollution related expenses.

Businesses can apply for 50 percent matching funds of up to $7,000 to adopt or acquire energy-efficient or pollution prevention equipment or processes. Only costs incurred between July 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021, are eligible.

Applications will be considered on a first come, first served basis, and will be accepted until fiscal year 2020-21 funds are exhausted or April 12, 2021, whichever occurs first. All applications must be submitted through the Commonwealth’s Single Application for Assistance. Printed, faxed, and mailed applications are not accepted.

The complete grant application package, which includes step-by-step instructions and instructional videos for completing the online application, is available by visiting the DEP Small Business Advantage Grant.

The Small Business Ombudsman’s Office will conduct an instructional webinar on Wednesday, July 29, at 11:00 AM. The webinar will review the guidelines for the 2020-21 grant year. Applicants and contractors are encouraged to participate. Once at the webinar website, if you have Skype, click on “Join with Skype for Business (desktop)”. If you do not have Skype, click on “Install and join with Skype Meetings App (web)” to run a temporary web application.

To contact the Small Business Ombudsman’s Office, call 717-772-5160 or email epadvantagegtrant@pa.gov.