Category: News

Hopewell Homicide Last Night Under Investigation

(Hopewell, Pa.) Hopewell Township Police Chief Brian Uhrmacher reported  Thursday Morning, July 16, 2020 that his officers responded to  a call for an unresponsive male at 2412 West Main St. at 10:55 p.m. Wednesday Night, July 15, 2020 .  When officers arrived they determined a male was deceased. Chief Uhrmacher reported that this is a homicide  investigation.  The Beaver County Detectives and Coroner ‘s office are assisting Hopewell Police in the investigation.

Anyone with info call Hopewell Police 724-378-0557 or 724-775-0880.

AG Shapiro: PGH Water and Sewer Authority Ordered To Pay $500k, Hire Independent Corporate Monitor

Settlement Follows Investigation Of Lead Contamination of PGH Drinking Water

HARRISBURG—Attorney General Josh Shapiro today announced that the Office of Attorney General has entered into an agreement with the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) as part of its investigation into the company’s negligence that exposed residents to high levels of lead when the water authority was forced to replace old lead water pipes throughout Pittsburgh neighborhoods. By failing to inform residents of the impact of the replacement program, PWSA prevented residents from knowing when and how to take simple steps that would have protected their health.

“The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority is supposed to serve the people — and when residents were unnecessarily exposed to a temporary spike in drinking water lead levels caused by PWSA’s own pipe-replacement program — they failed,” said Attorney General Shapiro. “Today we’re announcing a settlement that will fund lead reduction programs and the hiring of an independent monitor to hold the water authority accountable for their previous conduct and represent the people. This kind of crass behavior where the needs of insiders come before the public won’t be tolerated again and we will stay vigilant so that Pittsburgh has safe, clean water. I made a commitment to the people of Pittsburgh that all of the Authority’s fines would stay local, and they are.”

“Women for a Healthy Environment’s vision is that all neighborhoods are lead-safe, ensuring that no child suffers from the devastating and lasting effects of lead poisoning. We provide education, technical assistance including testing and remediation, and advocacy that offer solutions to reducing lead exposure in homes, schools and early learning centers. Among our initiatives is ‘Get the Lead Out, Pittsburgh,’ a public awareness campaign focused on supporting municipalities and families who are impacted by lead poisoning,” said Michelle Naccarati-Chapkis, Executive Director, Women for a Healthy Environment. “We look forward to working with community partners, PWSA, the Mayor’s office and the Attorney General’s office to enact changes to make our communities safer.”

The resolution is the result of a criminal investigation by the Office of Attorney General into the PWSA’s partial replacement of lead service lines in 2016 and 2017.

When a portion of a lead water line is replaced with new pipes, the disruption can cause a spike in the concentration of lead in drinking water. PWSA failed to notify residents when lead pipes were being replaced, leaving thousands in the dark at the very time they were most exposed to increased risks of high levels of lead in their water. Residents were unable to take the recommended safety precautions to limit lead exposure because PWSA failed to tell them what to do, or when their water was impacted.  PWSA also failed to sample resident’s water after water lines were replaced, to ensure the temporary spike in lead had subsided to a legally acceptable and healthy level.

As part of the agreement, an independent corporate monitor will be installed to provide reports to the Office of Attorney General, PWSA, and the PA Department of Environmental Protection and ensure conduct keeps moving in the right direction. The independent monitor, approved by the Office of Attorney General, will be responsible for:

 

  • Evaluating PWSA policies, processes, and practices for fulfilling its obligation to the Safe Drinking Water Act;
  • Evaluating the implementation of the PWSA’s free lead line replacement program that is available to City of Pittsburgh homeowners and tenants;
  • Ensuring the PWSA coordinates with Community Lead Response Advisory Committee;
  • Providing reports to the OAG, PWSA and DEP summarizing an evaluation of the above duties on a quarterly basis.

 

In addition to hiring an independent monitor, PWSA will also be required to donate $500,000 to organizations to protect Pittsburgh residents from lead contamination in their drinking water. $250,000 will be donated to the Safe and Healthy Homes program, and $250,000 will be donated to Women for a Healthy Environment’s “Get the Lead Out, Pittsburgh” program.

 

The agreement between the Office of Attorney General and PWSA was conducted by Deputy Attorney General Courtney Butterfield.

Route 68 Bridge Inspection begins Thursday in Industry

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing bridge inspection activities on Route 68 (Midland Beaver Road) in Industry Borough, Beaver County will occur Thursday through Saturday, July 16-18 weather permitting.

Traffic shifts will occur on the Route 68 bridge over the Norfolk Southern Railroad near Barclay Hill Road from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.  Crews from the Larson Design Group will conduct routine inspection activities.

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.

Monaca Shooting Suspect Still on the Loose

Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano

(Monaca, Pa.) Kelin J. Coleman, aka Kilo, NUSKIGANG KILO, is wanted on a warrant  by Monaca Police in connection with  an attempted homicide  that occurred early Saturday morning.  The shooting occurred  outside  Whiskey Rhythm Bar and Grill.

Coleman is armed and dangerous  and shouldn’t be approached according to a release issued by the  police department.  He is  a black male, 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighs 165 pounds with black hair and  brown eyes.
Coleman is  charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault, persons to possess firearms, simple assault and recklessly endangering another  person.
Coleman, according to the  report has been living in Beaver Falls  and is from Chicago..
Anyone with information on Coleman is asked to contact Officer David Mosura at 724-775-9614 or 724 775-0881.
Chief Dave Piuri said a short time ago there are no updates on the suspect.

‘I’m not a bad guy’: Police video captures distraught Floyd

‘I’m not a bad guy’: Police video captures distraught Floyd
By STEVE KARNOWSKI and DOUG GLASS Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Newly public body-camera video from two Minneapolis police officers involved in George Floyd’s arrest shows a panicked and fearful Floyd pleading with the officers in the minutes before his death. Floyd tells officers he is “not a bad guy” as they try to wrestle him into a squad car. A few minutes later, with Floyd face-down on the street, the cameras record his fading voice as he eventually goes motionless. But the officers continue to keep him in a restrained position. The footage was filed last week by an attorney seeking to have charges dismissed against one of the four police officers charged in the case.

Amendment Called Open Door to Gerrymandering

Andrea Sears, Keystone State News Connection

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Critics say an amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution narrowly approved by the state Senate yesterday would allow the majority party to dominate the courts.

Pennsylvania’s appellate court judges are chosen in statewide elections. The proposed amendment would divide the state into judicial districts devised by the General Assembly and impose a residency requirement for candidates.

Sponsors say regionalizing judicial elections would make them more reflective of the state’s population. But Kadida Kenner, campaign director for We the People Pennsylvania, calls it a Republican attempt to gerrymander the state’s courts.

“They could have districts that pick up more red counties, which will give them more Republican judges,” says Kenner. “Versus a statewide election for our appellate court.”

To be enacted, the amendment must be approved by both the House and Senate again in the next legislative session and then be approved by voters in a statewide election.

Supporters of the measure say more than 60% of the state’s 31 appellate court judges come from Philadelphia and Allegheny counties, which are majority Democratic. But Kenner points out that those urban counties are where the best candidates work.

“These are our highest-level judges in the state and so they work with some of the larger law firms,” says Kenner, “some of the professors at larger schools who are able to be successful in this role.”

She adds that while the judges may live predominantly in those counties, they come from several different counties across the state and some are even from other states.

The amendment passed the House late last year on a mostly party-line vote with a few Republicans joining all the Democrats in voting no.

Kenner believes the motivation behind the measure is Republican anger over rulings that have gone against them.

“This started under the gerrymandering ruling and the unfair map,” says Kenner. “And this is an opportunity for them to basically seek revenge on our appellate court because they don’t agree with some of the rulings that have come out.”

She says partisan control of the courts, by either party, erodes the independence of the judiciary as a separate and equal branch of government.

Demand for Jobless Aid High, Even as Economy Slowly Picks Up

Demand for jobless aid high, even as economy slowly picks up
By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — Unemployment remains painfully high in the U.S. even as economic activity slowly picks up. That reality will be on display Thursday morning when the U.S. government releases data on the number of laid off workers who sought unemployment benefits last week, as well as how retailers did in June. Both reports will be closely watched as new confirmed cases of coronavirus rise in 40 states, including huge spikes in large states such as California, Texas and Florida, which threaten to slow the nascent economic recovery.

Supreme Court Clears Way for Second Federal Execution This Week.

Court clears way for federal execution of man with dementia
By MICHAEL BALSAMO and JESSICA GRESKO Associated Press
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — The Supreme Court has cleared the way for a second federal execution this week. The vote to allow the execution of Wesley Ira Purkey was 5-4 , with the court’s four liberal members dissenting in the decision early Thursday. Purkey is said to be suffering from dementia. His execution had originally been scheduled for Wednesday evening at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana. Purkey was convicted of killing a 16-year-old girl in Kansas City, Missouri, before dismembering her body. Lawyers for the 68-year-old Kansas man argue he has dementia and is unfit to be executed. They said he doesn’t understand why he was being executed.

LAMB LEADS EFFORT TO ENSURE ALL ELIGIBLE CONSTITUENTS RECEIVE ECONOMIC IMPACT PAYMENT

(Pittsburgh Pa.) Representative Conor Lamb (PA-17) led a coalition of Members from the Pennsylvania Congressional delegation in a letter to Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig on behalf of constituents across Pennsylvania who have experienced difficulty in receiving the up to $1,200 Economic Impact Payment (EIP) authorized by Congress through the Coronavirus Aid Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. 

 

“Months ago, Congress decided to send cash to the people who needed it most.   But too many of our constituents still haven’t gotten the money.  This is unacceptable during a crisis and should be fixed right away,” said Lamb.

 

To date, over 140 million Americans have received an EIP under the CARES Act.  In addition to Lamb, the letter was signed by Representatives Mike Doyle (PA-18), Matt Cartwright (PA-8), Madeleine Dean (PA-4), Susan Wild (PA-7), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-5) and Brendan Boyle (PA-2).

Gov. Wolf Issues New Restrictions for Bars and Restaurants, 25% Indoor Capacity and Alcohol Drinks only While Dinning!!

Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf and Sec. of Health Dr. Rachel Levine today signed new orders for targeted mitigation efforts in response to the recent rise in COVID cases, primarily in southwest Pennsylvania, but also in other counties in the state, influencing the decision for statewide mitigation efforts for bars and restaurants, gatherings and telework. The new orders take effect at 12:01 a.m., Thursday, July 16, 2020.

“During the past week, we have seen an unsettling climb in new COVID-19 cases,” Gov. Wolf said. “When we hit our peak on April 9, we had nearly two thousand new cases that day with other days’ cases hovering around 1,000. Medical experts looking at the trajectory we are on now are projecting that this new surge could soon eclipse the April peak. With our rapid case increases we need to act again now.”

The mitigation efforts included in the new orders from Gov. Wolf and Dr. Levine include:

Bars and Restaurants

All businesses in the retail food services industry, including restaurants, wineries, breweries, private clubs, and bars, are permitted to provide take-out and delivery sales of food, as well as dine-in service in both indoor and outdoor seating areas so long as they strictly adhere to the requirements of the guidance, as required by the order, including:

  • Prohibition from conducting operations unless the facility offers sit-down, dine-in meals or is serving take-out sales of alcoholic beverages. All service must be at a table or booth; bar service is prohibited.
  • Alcohol only can be served for on-premises consumption when in the same transaction as a meal.
  • Take-out sales of alcohol for the purposes of off-site consumption are permitted subject to any limitations or restrictions imposed by Pennsylvania law.
  • Non-bar seating in outdoor areas (i.e. tables or counter seats that do not line up to a bar or food service area) may be used for customer seating.
  • Social distancing, masking, and other mitigation measures must be employed to protect workers and patrons.
  • Occupancy is limited to 25 percent of stated fire-code maximum occupancy for indoor dining, or 25 persons for a discrete indoor event or gathering in a restaurant. The maximum occupancy limit includes staff.

Nightclubs

  • All nightclubs, as defined by the Clean Indoor Air Act, 35 P.S. § 637.2, are prohibited from conducting operations.

Other events and gatherings

Events and gatherings must adhere to these gathering limitations:

  • Indoor events and gatherings of more than 25 persons are prohibited.
  • Outdoor events and gatherings of more than 250 persons are prohibited.
  • The maximum occupancy limit includes staff.

Teleworking

  • Unless not possible, all businesses are required to conduct their operations in whole or in part remotely through individual teleworking of their employees in the jurisdiction or jurisdictions in which they do business.
  • Where telework is not possible, employees may conduct in-person business operations, provided that the businesses fully comply with all substantive aspects of the business safety order, the worker safety order, and the masking order.

Gyms and fitness facilities

  • All gyms and fitness facilities, while permitted to continue indoor operations, are directed to prioritize outdoor physical fitness activities. All activities must follow masking requirements as provided by the July 1 order, and must provide for social distancing requirements of persons being at least 6 feet apart, as well as being limited by any limitations related to gatherings.

Enforcement

Businesses and individuals in violation of these orders, issued pursuant to the authority granted to the Governor and the Secretary of Health under the law, including the Pennsylvania Disease Control and Prevention Law, could be subject to fines, business closure or other applicable enforcement measures.

Beginning with a spike in cases in Allegheny County in late June, Pennsylvania has seen cases continue to rise there and in other southwest counties, along with additional select counties in the state.

The state has identified three catalysts for case increases:

  • First, some Pennsylvanians have been ignoring mask-wearing requirements and social distancing when they are visiting Pennsylvania bars and restaurants. There they are unknowingly spreading or picking up the virus.
  • Second is out-of-state travel. Both by Pennsylvanians returning from travel to hotspot states, and travelers visiting our commonwealth from those hotspots.
  • And third, a lack of national coordination has resulted in states in the south and west not committing to social distancing.

“The actions the governor and I are taking today are designed to be surgical and thus precise to prevent from repeating the cycle we saw in the spring,” said Dr. Levine. “We have gained a great deal of experience since the start of this outbreak and have learned from best practices from other states as well as counties right here in Pennsylvania.”

Gov. Wolf and Dr. Levine were joined via Skype by Dr. David Rubin, a general pediatrician and director of PolicyLab at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Rubin and his colleagues developed a unique model, which tracks and projects COVID-19 transmission in real-time across more than 500 U.S. counties with active outbreaks. The model was built to observe how social distancing, population density, daily temperatures and humidity affect the number and spread of COVID-19 infections over time across a given county.

“Over the last few weeks, public health reporting and our team’s modeling work have uncovered incontrovertible evidence that the virus is sweeping quickly into the northeast region of the United States from the west and south—where there has been a failure in some states to practice vigilance in masking and social distancing—and that it has already begun its resurgence in Pennsylvania,” said Dr. David Rubin, a general pediatrician and director of PolicyLab at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “We can halt this momentum in its tracks. Governor Wolf’s measures will help stop the continued spread of the virus into Pennsylvania and its surrounding states, which would threaten the reopening of schools and our economy in the coming months.”

Pennsylvanians should consider that even with indoor dining limited and bars closed for on-premises alcohol consumption, cocktails to-go are still permitted and there is no shortage of outdoor dining options.

Small gatherings of friends in the backyard or at a local park are permitted and children and families are encouraged to responsibility take advantage of one or more of Pennsylvania’s 121 state parks or other local outdoor fitness options, including at local gyms that are following social distancing protocols.

“Children can visit local playgrounds, community pools, and enjoy outdoor activities with family,” Gov. Wolf said. “We want people to spend time together, but to do so while practicing social distancing and wearing masks when required, such as any time you leave your home and are not participating in outdoor fitness.

“We have seen these efforts work during the first wave in the spring, and they will work again if we all do our part. Thank you to every Pennsylvanian for your continued patience and support. I know you are eager for life to get back to normal, and I am, too.”

View the Governor’s order

View the Secretary of Health’s order