(North Sewickley, Pa.) A man who was standing in the Westbound lanes of the Pa turnpike for unknown reasons was struck and killed early Sunday morning.
Christopher Elliott, of Jeannette, suffered fatal injuries after he was struck by a vehicle being driven by Daniel Hickman, of Penn Hills near mile marker 15.5.
Beaver County Coroner David Gabauer said Elliott’s death was accidental and he died due to blunt force trauma to the trunk or torso.
Story by Mark Peterson. Photos by Taylor Murphy
(New Galilee, PA) Drive-in movies and car cruises are two of the things that make the nicer weather months enjoyable in Western Pennsylvania. Add in the attraction of an outdoor concert, and a very good motivational speaker, and it’s easy to guess that an event with all of those would easily become very popular. This is true especially in this current day and age when PA Governor Tom Wolfe’s “stay at home” and “social distancing” orders are in place. That’s exactly what happened yesterday in Galilee. For the third week in a row, Pastor Andy Russell from the New Galilee Church Of The Nazarene, played the role of cruise master, concert promoter, planning the feature presentation, and coordinated a radio broadcast of his outdoor drive in church service on 1230 WBVP, 1460 WMBA and 99.3 F.M.
Once again, many people attended Russell’s newfangled outdoor drive church service/radio broadcast held in the parking lots of New Galilee Church Of The Nazarene and the lot belonging to the neighboring Lombardia Mutual Benefit Society club. A nice crowd showed up once again even though it was no longer Palm Sunday or Easter, which coincidentally were the first two weeks that Russell tried his hand at this new method of spreading the gospel.
If there is a benefit of all the churches being closed, it’s that there are plenty of very talented musicians available to invite to perform each week at New Galilee Church Of The Nazarene’s outdoor venue. The all star line up continued on Sunday when Kevin and Kenna Jenkins, who normally lead worship at Chippewa United Methodist Church, sang popular worship and praise tunes that were received with choruses of honking horns.
In just the third week of acting as a combination preacher/radio host, Pastor Andy Russell seemed to be settling into his new dual role pretty comfortably yesterday afternoon. At one point in time during his sermon, when the cars were a little late honking their horns when Russell hit an obvious point that called for an “Amen” confirmation, he mused that under the circumstance, he couldn’t be sure if the congregation wasn’t paying attention, or if the slow response was due to the fact that the radio broadcast is delayed by a second or two.
During his message, Pastor Russell mentioned that the service radio broadcast on Beaver County Radio continues to be very popular , and this past week, he received well wishes from people tuning in online via the station’s website from places as far away as Sarasota, FL. Support for the broadcasts continues to be strong as well, he added, with financial contributions coming in at a rate that even seemed to surprise him to underwrite the weekly programs. So, it appears for the short term, once again, this article will conclude with a phrase often used at the end of a popular television show or movie presentation, “same time, same channel next week”.
Pennsylvania homicide suspect arrested on Florida beach
JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A Pennsylvania homicide suspect is being held in a Florida jail after police found him taking advantage of a newly reopened Florida beach. Jacksonville Beach police said they saw Mario Matthew Gatti loitering near the dunes on Sunday. After questioning him, they realized he was wanted for an Arnold, Pennsylvania, fatal shooting. The beach was reopened Saturday and officers were patrolling to make sure people were following social distancing guidelines and other restrictions.
Byron wins 2nd NASCAR virtual race in a drama-free event
By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Drivers were on their best behavior in NASCAR’s latest virtual race and no one did anything to get fired or lose a sponsor. The iRacing Series has had a sour taste since Bubba Wallace lost a sponsor for quitting a game in a rage and Kyle Larson was fired for using a racial slur during a race. Sunday’s event at virtual Richmond Raceway was low on drama and William Byron won for the second consecutive race. The most excitement came when Matt DiBenedetto was parked for intentionally crashing Ryan Preece and the two then engaged in a Twitter spat.
Police: At least 10 killed in shooting rampage in Canada
ENFIELD, Nova Scotia (AP) — Canadian police say at least 10 people are dead after a shooting rampage across the province of Nova Scotia. The suspect died after the rampage. The suspect in the active shooter investigation was arrested Sunday at a gas station after the rampage victims including a dead police officer. Another officer was injured. A man identified as 51-year-old Gabriel Wortman was found by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police at the Enfield, Nova Scotia, northwest of downtown Halifax. Police have not provided a motive for the attack. By late morning, there were half a dozen police vehicles at the scene.
Coronavirus deaths rise with addition of probable deaths
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — State health officials in Pennsylvania say their statewide total of coronavirus-associated deaths now stands at 1,112 with the addition of 276 new deaths because electronic and probable-cause deaths are now being reported. Dr. Rachel Levine, the commonwealth’s health secretary, said Sunday there have been at least 1,200 new positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total above 32,200. Levine said the majority of the deaths “did not occur overnight.” Levine emphasized that the department was basing decisions on trends in the data indicating the effectiveness of mitigation efforts. The department says more than 460 of the total deaths have happened in residents of nursing homes or personal care facilities. Levine said seniors at those facilities are most at risk.
Evolving aid package offers billions for hospitals, testing
By HOPE YEN and LISA MASCARO Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration and Congress are nearing an agreement as early as Sunday on an aid package of up to $450 billion to boost a small-business loan program that has run out of money and add funds for hospitals and COVID-19 testing. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says he is hopeful of a deal later Sunday that could pass Congress quickly and get the program back up by midweek. The proposed deal would add roughly $300 billion for the government’s Paycheck Protection Program. The program has been swamped by businesses applying for loans and reached its appropriations limit last Thursday, leaving thousands of small companies in limbo. An additional $50 billion would be appropriated for disaster loans.
Texas police officer killed, 2 others wounded in shooting
SAN MARCOS, Texas (AP) — Authorities in Texas say one police officer is dead and two others were wounded after a gunman “ambushed” them with a rifle at an apartment complex. Saturday’s shooting happened in San Marcos, a fast-growing city between San Antonio and Austin. The city said in a statement that the suspect died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. The two wounded officers were transported to a hospital but their condition wasn’t immediately known. A news conference was scheduled for Sunday.
Pennsylvania to start curbside pickup at liquor stores
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania is starting curbside pickup at liquor stores around the state a month after Gov. Tom Wolf ordered them closed as part of a broader shutdown of businesses deemed nonessential. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board announced on its website Saturday that stores will begin taking orders by phone Monday, with each customer limited to no more than six bottles. Curbside pickup will be available at more than 175 of the state’s 600 stores. The closure of the state-owned liquor stores had been widely unpopular, especially with the state’s online ordering system largely unable to keep up with overwhelming consumer deman
Veterans Benefits Continue to be Available During COVID-19
ANNVILLE, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) wants to assure veterans that state and federal benefits processing are still on-going. The DMVA and the Federal VA both continue to work remotely to provide veterans’ information, enroll for benefits, and serve other veterans’ needs throughout this difficult pandemic emergency.
“The COVID-19 life restrictions and family impacts are unlike anything that has happened in our history and has created more hardship and need throughout the Pennsylvania veterans’ community,” said Maj. Gen. Anthony Carrelli, Pennsylvania’s adjutant general and head of the DMVA. “Our Office of Veterans Affairs has reset to comply with the CDC guidelines and is working to make sure our veterans continue to receive the benefits they have earned.”
The DMVA administers an array of programs and services to meet the needs of veterans. They include:
Applications for these programs are traditionally initiated with the county director for veterans affairs (CDVA) staff and their contact information can be found here. If a CDVA is not available due to county office closure, the veteran may contact DMVA’s Office of Veterans Affairs directly at 800-547-2838.
For more information and updates on all of DMVA’s programs and services, visit https://www.dmva.pa.gov/
Veterans, family members and people who work with veterans can connect with DMVA to request information related to the valuable state benefits, programs and services offered by also signing up on the Veteran’s Registry at www.register.dmva.pa.gov.