Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is urging motorists to drive safely in work zones after three separate work zone intrusions resulted in motorists hitting a PennDOT crash truck.

“Even though construction season is winding down in many places, we still have road crews out there,” said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian. “Please don’t speed, never drive distracted, and always buckle up, especially in work zones.”

According to PennDOT data, in 2019 there were 1,754 work zone crashes, resulting in 16 fatalities. Since 1970, 89 PennDOT employees have died in the line of duty.

In addition to crash data from police reports, PennDOT monitors work-zone safety with internal reports. As of November 10, there have been 72 reported intrusions in PennDOT work zones. Of those work-zone intrusions, seven resulted in injures to PennDOT employees, 25 caused damage to PennDOT fleet or equipment, and 40 did not result in injury or damage but had the potential to do so.

Pennsylvania law states that anyone stopped by law enforcement for violating the posted speed limit by more than 5 mph will face doubled fines. The fine is determined based on the amount the driver is traveling over the speed limit. Governor Tom Wolf signed a law in 2016 that says any driver who causes serious bodily injury within a work zone could face up to $5,000 in fines and a six-month license suspension, and a driver causing a death within a work zone could face up to a $10,000 fine and one-year license suspension. Drivers who don’t turn on their headlights in posted work zones face a $25 fine.

Additionally, in an effort to change unsafe driving behaviors in work zones, Pennsylvania’s Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement began earlier this year. The program uses vehicle-mounted systems to detect and record motorists exceeding posted work zone speed limits by 11 miles per hour or more using electronic speed timing devices. AWZSE systems can be deployed in active work zones, where workers are present, on the turnpike as well as any active work zone on a federal aid highway – this includes higher class roadways like interstates, major arterials, and numbered routes. Registered owners will receive a warning letter for a first offense, a violation notice and $75 fine for a second offense, and a violation notice and $150 fine for third and subsequent offenses. These violations are civil penalties only; no points will be assessed to driver’s licenses.

For more information on work zone safety visit, www.PennDOT.gov/Safety.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued an order to prevent ETC Northeast Pipeline, LLC (ETC) from putting natural gas in unstable sections of the Revolution Pipeline located in Butler, Beaver, Allegheny and Washington counties.

On October 20, 2020, and November 3, 2020, ETC informed DEP that the company intends to put the Revolution Pipeline into service but did not identify when gas would be placed into the pipeline. DEP has been in regular contact with ETC regarding the stability of the pipeline and DEP’s concerns that placing natural gas and liquids into unstable sections of the pipeline endangers people and the environment.

On September 10, 2018, a landslide occurred along the Revolution Pipeline in Center Township, Beaver County. When the landslide occurred, a section of the pipeline separated, allowing methane gas to escape from the pipeline. The gas ignited, causing a fire that burned several acres of forested areas; destroyed a single-family home, a barn, and numerous vehicles; resulted in the evacuation of nearby residents; and caused six high voltage electric transmission towers to collapse. In January 2020, DEP executed a consent order and agreement (COA) and assessed a $30.6 million civil penalty against ETC.

There are currently numerous unstable slopes along the pipeline route, although ETC received approval to permanently stabilize several of these areas beginning in April 2020. If another landslide or landslides were to occur, it could displace and separate the Revolution Pipeline and the impacts could be worse than the explosion in 2018 because the pipeline’s contents would be more explosive with the addition of natural gas liquids. This would cause a significant pollution event and pose a great danger to human health, safety and the environment.

DEP has found ETC to be in violation of the COA’s requirements to propose and implement designs that achieve an adequate factor of safety where ETC constructed the Revolution Pipeline across steep slopes and hillsides and there is a higher risk of instability and slope failures. ETC failed to submit the required stability designs and the company repeatedly stated to DEP that it has no intention of doing so. DEP also issued a notice of violation in June 2019 for ETC’s deficient proposed preparedness, prevention, and contingency (PPC) plan, which ETC has still not revised and submitted for DEP approval.

This order specifically requires ETC to cease, discontinue and not allow placement of and/or remove natural gas and any natural gas related fluids in any section of the Revolution Pipeline located in areas with unstable slopes that are not permanently stabilized with a design that achieves the agreed upon factor of safety. The order also requires that ETC develop and submit an adequate PPC plan that protects the public and environment by describing how the contents of the Revolution Pipeline would be removed in a safe and environmentally protective manner prior to permanent stabilization in the event of leak, release or catastrophic incident like a landslide.

This order will remain in effect until DEP issues written approval of ETC’s stability design and issues a written determination that the stability analyses and permanent stabilization plans have been fully implemented.

GOP picks Pennsylvania’s first female Senate majority leader
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Republicans who control Pennsylvania’s state Senate voted Thursday to select the chamber’s first female majority leader and promote their majority leader of the past six years. Third-term Sen. Kim Ward of Westmoreland County will replace Sen. Jake Corman as majority leader. Ward, who has chaired committees that handle transportation and gambling issues, was first elected in 2008. Corman, the state Senate’s Republican majority leader since 2015, will fill the empty post of president pro tempore when the Legislature’s new session starts in January. In the House, minority Democrats were voting Thursday to replace their floor leader, Frank Dermody of Allegheny County, who conceded his reelection bid earlier this week.

(left to right) CCBC President Roger W. Davis; Mr. Terry Ruckert, Church Council President; Rev. Martin J. Galbraith; and Mr. Frederick Retsch, Church Member and CCBC Foundation Board Director and CCBC Trustee; celebrate the establishment of the new scholarship at a recent CCBC Foundation Board meeting.

(Photo Courtesy of CCBC)

Monaca, PA  Community College of Beaver County (CCBC) Foundation has established the Dr. Nancy Alberts Health Sciences Endowed Memorial Scholarship in partnership with the congregation at New Hope Evangelical Lutheran Church in Freedom, Pa. 

In recognition of Dr. Alberts’ service as a respected, long-serving medical physican in the Beaver County community, the $10,000 scholarship will be awarded annually to a student pursuing a career in health sciences fields, starting in the Fall 2021 semester. 

“Dr. Alberts was passionate about serving her community and neighbors,” said Mr. Frederick Retsch, New Hope Evangelical Lutheran church member, CCBC Foundation Board Director and CCBC Trustee. “The scholarship will ensure that her memory and legacy will continue to be shared with others.”  

Prior to her unexpected passing in May 2019, Dr. Alberts was involved in her church through choir, Bible study and as a mentor, in addition to her dedicated work in the medical field. 

CCBC offers top-quality health career programs such as nursing, practical nursing, multiskilled health technician (phlebotomy and nurse aide), and radiologic technology.

To apply for the Dr. Nancy Alberts Health Sciences Endowed Memorial Scholarship by July 1, 2021, visit www.CCBCFoundation.org/scholarships. To contribute to the scholarship fund, visit www.CCBCFoundation.org/donate. 

(Ohio Twp, Pa.) Sean Parnell a Republican Candidate for United States Congress for the 17th District has said that every vote must be counted and Conor Lamb has prematurely claimed victory. The Associated Press called the race  in Democratic incumbent Conor Lamb’s  favor.

Parnell released the following statement on Thursday morning via e-mail:

“It has been a week since Election Day, and despite Conor Lamb and the press prematurely declaring a victory for Lamb, there are over 18,000 provisional and military ballots left to be counted that will impact this extremely close race.

“This election is too important for the people of Western Pennsylvania not to have every legal vote counted. Moreover, as we celebrate the sacrifices made by our military members on Veterans Day, I can speak with firsthand experience the disrespect that many military men and women feel when close races are called before counting their votes. The fact that Allegheny County has been unable to wrap this process up quickly should not affect our timeline of waiting until all votes are counted to declare victory or defeat.

“Our democratic republic is founded on the very important principle that every legal vote must be counted.  I will continue to fight and follow the constitutional process until every legal vote is counted and all legal proceedings are resolved.”

(Harrisburg, Pa.) Pennsylvania’s travel advisory that was updated on November 6, 2020 due to COVID-19 is now up to 37 States including neighboring states New Jersey, Ohio and West Virginia.

Non-essential travel to and from those states is highly discouraged by the Pennsylvania Health Department.

The Department says that “Given the interconnected nature of Pennsylvania to neighboring states and the region and mode of transport between these states, a recommendation of quarantine for these states is not practically viable,” However, a 14-day quarantine is recommended if you have traveled or plan to travel to the remainder of the states on the travel advisory list, which are:

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Florida
• Georgia
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Mexico
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Oklahoma
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

The Beaver Area School District sent out a notice Wednesday Evening stating that:

Due to a significant rise in the number of students and staff who are required to quarantine or who are presumed or confirmed COVID19 positive, all students will receive their education using the virtual instructional model for the next 14-days, ending December 1st.  All athletics and use of facilities during this 14-day period have also been canceled.

This decision was made based on guidance from the PA Department of Health and the PA Department of Education.  Specifically, in the last 72-hours, we have seen a 350% increase in the number of students required to quarantine and a 200% increase in the number of staff required to quarantine.  Additionally, the number of COVID19 students and staff has nearly doubled over the same period of time.

During the 14-day cancellation of in-person instruction, we will continue to update our COVID19 Dashboard and provide periodic mass notification updates to keep Beaver Area families informed.

For the next two days, Thursday and Friday, we will operate district-wide on a 2-hour delay schedule. Beginning, Monday, November 16th, normal school schedules will be in effect. Each building principal will be posting instructions and expectations for learning on their building’s website.  Students who attend the Beaver County CTC will not attend during this period. They should reach out to their CTC teachers for further instructions.

Finally, if your child or any member of your household is exhibiting symptoms of COVID19 or has had close contact with someone who is COVID19 positive, please contact your PCP for the next steps and notify your child’s school nurse.

The District COVID19 Dashboard can be accessed at https://tinyurl.com/BASDDashboard.