SILVERDALE, Wash. (Dec. 11, 2020) – The blue crew of the Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarine USS Maine (SSBN 741) conducted a change of command, Dec. 11.

Cmdr. Darren Gerhardt, from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, relieved Cmdr. Mike Tomon, from New Castle, Pennsylvania, to assume the duties and responsibilities as Maine Blue’s commanding officer.

“I owe many people a debt of gratitude for reaching this point, for my story is really a story about all of you… the Sailors who show up every day and do what you need to do to get the ship underway, and despite the hurdles… press on,” said Tomon.

Tomon assumed command of Maine in April 2018 during the final stretch of a 32-month engineered refueling overhaul (ERO), executed to extend the life of the ship by approximately 20 years. Following several exercises and inspections, in February 2020 Tomon and his crew successfully completed a test missile launch, known as Demonstration and Shakedown Operation (DASO) 30, which was followed by Maine’s official return to the fleet with the gold crew in May 2020.

“I can talk about ERO or DASO, or the tough schedule that we executed, but everybody knows about those things already,” said Tomon. “What I think they may not know enough about is how we’ve taken care of each other and how the crew never quit. Even when it meant no holidays or no stand-down, Maine was never out of a fight – never once.

Commander, Submarine Group 9 Rear Adm. Doug Perry spoke at the small ceremony about the lasting impact Tomon and his crew have had on the nation’s security during his time in command.

“I can’t stress enough how big and important this job is – Tomon trained a crew, many of whom had never taken their ship out to sea, for operations underway with the added bonus of recertifying the weapons systems and returning their ship to strategic service,” said Perry. “Any issues with recertifying Maine could have affected every SSBN on the waterfront, and on the east and west coast, so we simply had to get this right. Lucky for us, we had Mike Tomon in charge. I’m honored to be here to celebrate Mike’s contributions and heartily welcome, Darren, as the newest member of Team Bangor.”

Gerhardt most recently served as the deputy to the commodore at Submarine Squadron 17.

“I am humbled and honored to be your next commanding officer,” said Gerhardt. “This year has brought many challenges and upset many traditions, but our strong commitment to the strategic mission has never failed. Together, we will continue to defend our nation and its people while forging submariners of the highest quality. I look forward to serving with you and continuing the great work of Cmdr. Tomon.”

Maine is the 16th submarine of the Ohio-class of SSBNs, and the third U.S. Navy ship to bear the name. Maine’s keel was laid July 3, 1990 and the ship was commissioned in Groton, Connecticut, July 25, 1995.

For more news about USS Maine and other Commander, Submarine Group 9 units, visit www.facebook.com/SubGru9 or www.navy.mil/local/csg9/.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. (December 9, 2020) – Brian Johnson, MD, a longtime physician leader and primary care physician at Allegheny Health Network’s West Penn Hospital, has been named as the hospital’s new president, effective immediately.  He has been serving in the role on an interim basis since September.

As president of West Penn, Dr. Johnson will work with network leaders, Institute chairs, and on-site clinical leaders to ensure that West Penn provides the highest quality of care and best experience possible to the many patients and communities served by the hospital. He will also help to develop and implement West Penn’s operating, clinical, and community-care strategies going forward.

“We are extremely excited to have Dr. Johnson join our team of outstanding hospital physician presidents at AHN as the new leader of West Penn,” said Cynthia Hundorfean, President and CEO, Allegheny Health Network (AHN.) “Dr. Johnson has spent most of his professional career at West Penn and is a highly skilled and respected clinician and physician leader.  He fully understands the vital role that West Penn plays in promoting the health and well-being of communities throughout the Pittsburgh region, and we look forward to the hospital’s continued growth and success under his direction.”

Dr. Johnson has served as West Penn’s chief medical officer since 2017, and he has been a part of the Allegheny Health Network family since 2006.  Since then, he has served in several clinical leadership positions, including medical director of West Penn’s Clinical Decision Unit and site director of the hospital’s Internal Medicine Residency Program.

A lifelong Western Pennsylvania resident, Dr. Johnson completed his undergraduate studies at Washington & Jefferson College and received his medical degree from Temple University School of Medicine. After medical school, he completed an internal medicine residency, including a chief resident year, and participated in the cardiology fellowship program at Allegheny General Hospital.

“West Penn Hospital has a long and distinguished legacy of providing high quality care and service to our region, and it is an incredible honor and a privilege to have the opportunity to help lead and carry that tradition on for current and future generations,” Dr. Johnson said. “I’ve worked alongside the exceptional physicians, nurses and other employees at West Penn for many years, and I could not ask for more talented, committed and compassionate team.”

Located in Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield neighborhood, West Penn is AHN’s flagship hospital for women’s and infants’ care, and is well-known for many other advanced specialties, including orthopedics, autoimmune disease, neurosurgery, cancer care, bone marrow transplantation, burn care and bariatric surgery, among others. The first hospital in western Pennsylvania to earn three consecutive Magnet recognitions for nursing excellence, West Penn also has been named to the IBM Watson Top 100 Hospital list for two consecutive years, in 2019-2020 and 2020-2021.

(Potter, Twp.)  A fire broke out just before 5:30 p.m. in a storage container Saturday evening at the Shell cracker plant in Potter Twp..

The fire was contained to the storage container. Shells on-site fire department was assisted by other local departments and there were no injuries reported.

 

(Monaca, Pa.) Three people were shot early Saturday morning outside the Whiskey Rhythm Bar on Pennsylvania Avenue in Monaca. The shooting happened around 1:30 a.m., according to Monaca police via report.

Two of the shooting victims were taken by private vehicle to a local hospital and a third was flown to a hospital in Pittsburgh. Their names and conditions have not been released. Police do not have a suspect in custody.

This is the second shooting outside the same bar. PA State Troopers arrested  Kelin J. Coleman of Beaver Falls on November 2,  2020  in connection  with the July 11, 2020  shooting that also took place outside the bar.

Monaca Police are asking anyone with information to call them at 724- 775-9614

Medical Marijuana Program Operationalizes 100^th Dispensary

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health today announced that as of late last week, the Medical Marijuana Program has operationalized its 100^th dispensary, PharmaCann Penn, LLC (Verilife) in Chester.

“Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program continues to be a leader for the country in terms of program growth and its first in the nation research program,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “Reaching 100 operational dispensaries is a milestone for the program, but we know there is much work to do. Our clinically-based, patient-focused program is committed to assisting those suffering with cancer, PTSD and other serious medical conditions.”

Of the 101 operational dispensaries, 99 of them are open and dispensing products to patients. 27 grower/processors are operational, with 22 shipping product to dispensaries. Many of these grower/processors are either expanding their locations, or already have.

The clinical research program, guided by Act 43 of 2018, allows for eight clinical registrants who each must hold both a grower/processor and a dispensary permit. Clinical registrants must have a research contract with one of eight approved academic clinical research centers.

There are close to 281,000 active certifications as part of the medical marijuana program. Close to 504,000 patients and caregivers are registered for the program in order to obtain medical marijuana for one of 23 serious medical conditions.

Active cardholders are continuing to visit dispensaries more than once a month to get treatment for a serious medical condition. More than 23 million products have been sold since the start of the program, and total sales within the program are more than $1.8 billion, which includes sales by the grower/processors to the dispensaries, and sales by the dispensaries to patients and caregivers. More than $1.1 billion in sales has been from the dispensaries to patients.

More than 2,060 physicians have registered for the program, close to 1,500 of whom have been approved as practitioners.

The medical marijuana program offers medical marijuana to patients who are residents of Pennsylvania and have been certified as having a serious medical condition as defined by the Medical Marijuana Act.

As of March 20, 2020, certain statutory and regulatory provisions have been temporarily suspended in order to implement the following changes in response to the COVID-19 emergency:

• Allow dispensary employees to provide medical marijuana to cardholders in their vehicles on the facility’s property;
• Remove the current cap that limits the number of patients assigned to one caregiver, to allow for more caregivers to patients in need;
• Eliminate background checks for caregiver applications, limited to renewal applications only, in order to expedite the caregiver renewal process;
• Waive in-person consultations and allow for remote consultations between approved practitioners and medical marijuana patients; and
• Waive limits that allow for medical marijuana to only be dispensed for 30 days by requiring approved practitioners to notate on the patient’s certification to dispense a 90-day supply.

The statutory and regulatory suspensions will remain in place for as long as the Proclamation of Disaster Emergency is in effect.

For more information about the medical marijuana program, visit www.medicalmarijuana.pa.gov or follow the Department of Health on Facebook and Twitter

AAA Urges Drivers to Safely Secure Holiday Trees
Research from AAA shows loose trees present dangers to motorists, expense to owners

As Americans head to farms, retail stores, and local tree lots to find a real tree this holiday season, AAA East Central urges motorists to make sure they are safely securing their trees during transport to keep them from becoming dangerous projectiles. As with any large object, making sure a tree is properly secured will help prevent it from becoming a hazard to other drivers and to prevent vehicle damage.

“There is no question that a real tree can add something special to your home during the holidays, but motorists need to transport them safely,” said Terri Rae Anthony, safety advisor, AAA East Central. “Not only could you be putting other lives at risk, you could be setting yourself up for costly repairs to your own vehicle.”

Risks Associated with an Improperly Secured Holiday Tree:
According to previous AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety research, more than 200,000 crashes involved debris on U.S. roads over a four-year period, resulting in 39,000 injuries and 500 deaths.

Drivers can also face hefty fines and penalties as well as jail time if an unsecured tree falls off their vehicle. Currently, every state has laws that make it illegal for items to fall from a vehicle while on the road. Most states’ penalties result in fines ranging from $10 to $5,000, with at least 16 states listing jail as a possible punishment for offenders.

Additionally, an improperly secured tree can cost motorists as much as $1,500 in repairs. Twine that is wrapped around trees and looped through door jambs or open windows can cause permanent wearing and warping, and branches can scratch a vehicle’s paint.

AAA Tips for Safely Securing a Holiday Tree:

• Use the right vehicle. It’s best to transport a holiday tree on top of a vehicle equipped with a roof rack. However, if you do not have a roof rack, use the bed of a pickup truck, or an SUV, van or minivan that can fit the tree inside with all doors closed.
• Use quality tie downs. Bring strong rope or nylon ratchet straps to secure the tree to your vehicle’s roof rack. Avoid the lightweight twine offered by many tree lots.
• Protect the tree. Have the tree wrapped in netting before loading it. If netting is unavailable, secure loose branches with rope or twine.
• Protect your vehicle. Use an old blanket to prevent paint scratches and protect the vehicle finish.
• Point the trunk towards the front. Always place the tree on a roof rack or in a pickup bed with the bottom of the trunk facing the front of the vehicle.
• Tie it down. Secure the tree at its bottom, center and top. At the bottom, use fixed vehicle tie-down points and loop around the trunk above a lower branch, to prevent any side-to-side or front-to-rear movement. The center and top tie downs should be installed in a similar manner.
• Give it the tug test. Before you leave the lot, give the tree several strong tugs from various directions to make sure it is secured in place and will not blow away.
• Drive slowly and easily. Take the back roads, if possible. Higher speeds create significant airflow that can damage your Holiday tree and challenge even the best tie-down methods.

AAA East Central is a not-for-profit association with 73 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.

Route 4021 Shenango Road Improvements Begin Monday in Chippewa

Two-week Closure for Culvert Replacement

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing culvert replacement work on Shenango Road (Route 4021) in Chippewa Township, Beaver County, will begin Monday, December 14 weather permitting.

Culvert replacement work requiring an around-the-clock closure of Shenango Road between Park Road and Braun Road will occur from 7 a.m. Monday continuously through Friday, December 25. Traffic will be detoured via Park Road (Route 4019) and Blackhawk Road (Route 251).

The prime contractor is Michael Facchiano Contracting, Inc.  Roadway reconstruction will also occur on the project.

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.

US agencies hacked in monthslong global cyberspying campaign
By ERIC TUCKER, FRANK BAJAK and MATT O’BRIEN Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. government agencies were ordered to scour their networks for malware and disconnect potentially compromised servers after authorities learned that the Treasury and Commerce departments were hacked in a monthslong global cyberespionage campaign discovered when the prominent cybersecurity firm FireEye learned it had been breached. FireEye would not say who it suspected. But many experts believe the operation is Russian given the careful tradecraft. FireEye says foreign governments and major corporations were also compromised. Federal agencies have long been attractive targets for foreign cyberspies. A Kremlin spokesman said Monday that Russia had “nothing to do with” the hacking.

Gmail, YouTube down briefly as Google suffers brief outage
LONDON (AP) — Google users in the U.S., Europe, India and other parts of the world were briefly unable to access their Gmail accounts, watch YouTube videos or get to their online documents during an outage Monday. Thousands of complaints popped up around 7 a.m. Eastern along the East Coast of the U.S. The company said it’s aware of the problem on its dashboard page. That was followed by another message that said service has been restored for some users. and a a resolution for all users was expected in the near future. There were similar updates for Google’s many other services, such as Docs, Hangouts and Chat. The company did not reply immediately to a request for comment.