Category: News

Wolf Administration Provides Updated Guidance to Safely Reopen Pennsylvania’s Schools

Harrisburg, PA – Pennsylvania Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine and Education Secretary Pedro Rivera today jointly announced updated guidance to help Pre-K to 12 schools prepare to reopen and safely educate students for in-person learning. Each school entity will determine if classes resume in person at school buildings, remotely or a combination of both options

“Our goal is to ensure a safe return to school for students, educators and staff by following best practices to mitigate the spread of the virus, including wearing face coverings and maintaining social distancing,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “In those instances when someone tests positive, public health staff from the department will immediately assist the school with risk assessment, isolation and quarantine recommendations, and other infection control recommendations.”

The guidance represents endorsed best public health practices related to social distancing, face coverings, hand hygiene, and cleaning and disinfecting in school settings. It also outlines how to accommodate individuals with disabilities or chronic conditions, procedures for monitoring symptoms, and responding to confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19 in the school community.

“The health and safety of students, teachers and staff must be paramount as schools prepare for the upcoming school year,” said Secretary of Education Pedro A. Rivera. “The Department of Education has been focused on supporting schools with resources and best practices to help school leaders make informed decisions within their local contexts and in response to evolving conditions.”

The best practice recommendations for schools outlined by the departments of Health and Education include:

  • Masks must be worn by students and staff at school and on the bus as required by the order signed by Sec. of Health Dr. Levine on July 1, with some exceptions. Masks can be removed to eat or drink.
  • Students or caregivers should do a daily symptom screening before leaving for school.
  • Students, teachers and other staff are strongly encouraged to follow social distancing throughout the day with 6 feet of separation between desks and other seating.
  • If possible, hold classes in gyms, auditoriums, other large spaces or outdoors, where physical distancing can be maintained.
  • Student seating should be facing in the same direction.
  • Limit student interactions by staggering class times, creating one-way walking patterns in hallways, and, when feasible, keeping students in a classroom and rotating teachers instead.
  • For breakfast and lunch, consider serving individually packaged meals in classrooms and avoid across-the-table seating.  If meals are served in a cafeteria, sit students at least 6 feet apart.
  • Limit the number of students on playgrounds at one time and encourage social distancing.
  • Encourage the use of virtual gatherings, events, and extracurricular activities.

The guidance released today provides a list of best practices for schools to consider before the start of in-person classes.

The guidance for school sports is unchanged. Coaches, athletes, and spectators must wear masks unless they can maintain 6 feet of separation outdoors. Athletes can remove masks during a workout or competition.

Today’s guidance builds on the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s preliminary guidance issued June 3 outlining steps schools must take before they may resume in-person instruction.

The preliminary guidance requires school districts, charter schools, regional charter schools, cyber charter schools, career and technical centers and intermediate units to develop a health and safety plan. The plans must be approved by the school’s governing body and made available on the school’s public website before bringing students and staff back to campus. Nonpublic schools are strongly encouraged to create plans tailored to their unique needs and post them on their websites.

The Wolf Administration stresses the role Pennsylvanians play in helping to reduce the spread of COVID-19:

  • Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
  • Cover any coughs or sneezes with your elbow, not your hands.
  • Clean surfaces frequently.
  • Stay home to avoid spreading COVID-19, especially if you are unwell.
  • If you must go out for a life-sustaining reason, please wear a mask.

Updated Coronavirus Links: Press Releases, State Lab Photos, Graphics

All Pennsylvania residents are encouraged to sign up for AlertPA, a text notification system for health, weather, and other important alerts like COVID-19 updates from commonwealth agencies. Residents can sign up online at www.ready.pa.gov/BeInformed/Signup-For-Alerts.

For more information about Pennsylvania’s education policies and programs please visit the Department of Education’s website or follow PDE on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

List of national retail chains requiring masks is growing

List of national retail chains requiring masks is growing
By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO AP Retail Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Target and CVS Health have joined the  list of the nation’s largest retailers that will require customers to wear masks as cases of COVID-19 spike. Target’s  policy will go into effect  Aug. 1., while  CVS’s rule will start Monday. More than 80% of Target’s 1,800 stores already require customers to wear masks due to local and state regulations. Target said Thursday that it will hand out masks at entrances to those who need them. The nation’s largest retailer, Walmart, announced this week that masks would be mandatory in all stores starting Monday. Starbucks, Best Buy, Kohl’s and Kroger Co. also have put mandatory face shield rules in place.

Pennsylvania reports 781 new cases as restrictions take hold

Pennsylvania reports 781 new cases as restrictions take hold
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania is reporting 781 new coronavirus cases as new, statewide pandemic restrictions take effect. The state Department of Health said Thursday there were 16 additional deaths for a new statewide toll of 6,973. Gov. Tom Wolf reimposed restrictions Thursday on bars, restaurants, and larger indoor gatherings. Those gatherings are now now limited to 25 people, down from 250. Wolf says the restrictions are needed because of what he called an “unsettling climb” in infections. Critics question the need for statewide restrictions when only a few areas of the state have been seeing rising case numbers.

PIAA: Fall sports to start as scheduled

PIAA: Fall sports to start as scheduled
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania high school football and other fall sports will start as scheduled. That’s according to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. The PIAA said Wednesday that football practice will start Aug. 10, and the other fall sports will start Aug. 17. The PIAA said it intends to offer winter and spring sports, as well, but will be flexible depending on pandemic conditions.

US Executes 2nd Man in a Week; Lawyers Said He had Dementia

US executes 2nd man in a week; lawyers said he had dementia
By MICHAEL BALSAMO and JESSICA GRESKO Associated Press
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — The United States has carried out its second federal execution in three days, killing by lethal injection a Kansas man whose lawyers contended he had dementia. Wesley Ira Purkey was put to death Thursday at a prison in Terre Haute, Indiana, for kidnapping and killing a girl in Missouri. He expressed remorse before his execution, saying he regretted the “pain and suffering” he caused. The victim’s father said he hoped Purkey “rots in hell.” The Supreme Court cleared the way for Purkey’s execution to take place just hours before. The Trump administration has pressed for a resumption of federal executions after a 17-year hiatus, and another man, Daniel Lewis Lee, was put to death Tuesday.

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.