AAA: Gas Prices Drop in Pennsylvania Ahead of Thanksgiving
The average price of gasoline across Western Pennsylvania is four cents lower this week at $2.466 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

This week’s average prices: Western Pennsylvania Average                  $2.466
Average price during the week of November 16, 2020                              $2.504
Average price during the week of November 25, 2019                              $2.873

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

$2.579      Altoona
$2.523      Beaver
$2.579      Bradford
$2.503      Brookville
$2.351      Butler
$2.484      Clarion
$2.344      DuBois
$2.546      Erie
$2.333      Greensburg
$2.582      Indiana
$2.312      Jeannette
$2.574      Kittanning
$2.383      Latrobe
$2.580      Meadville
$2.561      Mercer
$2.156      New Castle
$2.547      New Kensington
$2.593      Oil City
$2.452      Pittsburgh
$2.446      Sharon
$2.506      Uniontown
$2.592      Warren
$2.195      Washington

Trend Analysis:
At $2.10, this Thanksgiving’s national gas price average is shaping up to be the lowest since 2015. The holiday weekend average that year was a nickel cheaper at $2.05. While in any other year, this would have been incentive for people to travel during the holiday, AAA forecasts a decrease in Thanksgiving travel this year due to the ongoing effects of the pandemic.

Today, nearly half of all states have gas price averages that are 50 to 75 cents cheaper than a year ago. West coast states are seeing the biggest year-over-year savings, while the majority of southern states’ averages are $1.99/gallon or less.

In its latest report, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) measured demand, for the week ending November 13, at 8.2 million b/d. That is not only a weekly decrease, but the lowest demand reading since mid-June. As demand dipped, U.S. gasoline stocks increased to nearly 228 million barrels. Americans can expect gas prices to continue to push less expensive heading into December.

At the close of Thursday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate increased by 41 cents to settle at $42.15. Domestic crude prices increased last week amid growing market optimism that a vaccine for the coronavirus will be available by the end of 2020. However, crude prices may decline this week due to falling demand. Additionally, the EIA’s weekly report revealed that total domestic crude inventories grew by 800,000 barrels to 489.5 million barrels last week, signaling that production may be outpacing demand.

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

AAA East Central is a not-for-profit association with 76 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.

Police dog dies in fall down shaft during burglary search
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (AP) — Authorities say a police K-9 officer in Pennsylvania died in a fall down an elevator shaft while assisting police in a search for burglary suspects. Just after 4 a.m. Sunday, officers in Johnstown were dispatched to a burglary at the old Goodwill warehouse and quickly apprehended two of five suspects. K-9 Titan was helping to search the five-story building but fell through an unsecured open elevator shaft on the fourth floor. All five suspects were eventually taken into custody. Police said K-9 Titan had “served honorably” with the Johnstown Police Department since 2014 and died “in the line of duty.”

CLEVELAND (AP) — A customer left a $3,000 tip for a single beer as a Cleveland restaurant voluntarily closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nighttown owner Brendan Ring says the man walked in on Sunday, ordered the beer and asked for the check, which came to $7.02. Ring says the man wished him well and told him to share the tip with the four employees who were working brunch service. Ring says as the man walked out, he looked down at the tip and “realized he left a whopping $3,000.” Ring wrote on Facebook that he ran after the man, who said it was not a mistake. The man told Ring he would see them when they reopened.

Biden builds out national security picks with Blinken, Kerry
By MATTHEW LEE Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Joe Biden is building out his administration with several key picks for national security and foreign policy roles. John Kerry, a former secretary of state, will lead the incoming administration’s effort to combat climate change. Alejandro Mayorkas will be nominated as the secretary for the Department of Homeland Security. Biden also plans to nominate Antony Blinken as his secretary of state, according to multiple people familiar with the Biden team’s planning.

GM to recall 7M vehicles globally to replace Takata air bags
By TOM KRISHER AP Auto Writer
DETROIT (AP) — General Motors will recall about 7 million big pickup trucks and SUVs worldwide to replace potentially dangerous Takata air bag inflators. The move came Monday after the U.S. government told the automaker it had to recall 6 million of the vehicles in the U.S. The recall will cost the automaker an estimated $1.2 billion. GM says it will not fight the recall. The company had petitioned the agency four times starting in 2016 to avoid a recall, contending the inflators are safe. Takata used ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to fill air bags in a crash. But the chemical can deteriorate and explode with too much force, blowing apart a metal canister and spewing shrapnel. Twenty-seven people have been killed worldwide by the exploding inflators.

      

 

(Monaca, Pa.) Monaca Borough officials are advising residents residing on Monaca Heights  to voluntarily conserve water.   The pump that feeds water to the tower is failing . Residents may view the borough’s website at www.monacapa.net. for simple water conservation measures. The borough stated in a release that they appreciate your cooperation at this time.

(WASHINGTON, DC) – The House passed the National Apprenticeship Act of 2020 (H.R. 8294) on a bipartisan basis to reauthorize national registered apprenticeship programs and expand access to high-quality apprenticeships to create nearly one million new apprenticeship opportunities.  The bill included a bipartisan amendment from Representative Conor Lamb (PA-17) and Representative Van Taylor (TX-03) to include veterans in the national apprenticeship system.

“Apprenticeships connect workers with good jobs in my District,” said Lamb.  “My bipartisan amendment requires that the bill includes veterans to ensure that they can take advantage of apprenticeships.  This legislation will immediately help people who lost jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

According to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), 94 percent of people who complete registered apprenticeship programs are employed upon completion.  However, apprenticeships today only make up a small percentage of the overall workforce.  H.R. 8294 creates a critical bridge to apprenticeship opportunities by authorizing the DOL to award grants to state workforce agencies, local workforce development boards, education and training providers, labor unions and other eligible entities to grow registered apprenticeships, youth apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships.

Prior to final passage the House adopted an amendment sponsored by Lamb and Taylor to utilize veteran service organizations (VSOs) to help promote and raise awareness about apprenticeship opportunities.  Furthermore, the amendment includes the status of veterans as one of the demographic identifiers to better understand veteran participation in apprenticeship programs.  Tracking veteran involvement in apprenticeship programs will also better equip program providers to ensure veterans are accessing their education benefits.

This legislation is supported by the Union Veterans Council,  American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE), Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), Jobs for the Future (JFF), Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA), National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), National Skills Coalition (NSC), National Taskforce on Tradeswomen’s Issues (TWTF), North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU), National Urban League, and Third Way.

Visit Lamb’s website to see him speak on the House floor in support of his amendment, and click here to learn more about the National Apprenticeship Act of 2020.

 

(Zelienople, Pa.) A local longtime businessman known by many as the “Ice Cream Man”, Paul Young has died after a short battle with COVID-19.  The Announcement was made Saturday via the Young’s Custard Stand Facebook Page. Paul passed away last Thursday at UPMC Passavant in McCandless Twp.. Paul and his family own Young’s Custard Stand on Route 68. For many summers over the last for 52 years Paul would be at the window spinning out that yummy Young’s Custard greeting his customers with a smile and a pleasant hello, how can I help you. Young was 79 years-old.