(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)
At a special public meeting on Friday, the Beaver County Commissioners approved a ordinance that would have the county incur a debt not to exceed $40,000,000, in order that the County could pay off and restructure several bonds from 2012-2020. The ordinance allots for $8,000,000 to go to the reassessment funds.
Pittsburgh-based attorney Wayne Gerhold spoke of the details at the meeting before all three County Commissioners voted to approve of the move.
By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are drifting in early trading on Wall Street Friday, the latest eddies in a week full of erratic swings driven by worries about rising coronavirus counts. The S&P 500 was down 0.3% after flipping a couple times between small gains and losses in the first few minutes of trading. It followed up on a mixed performance for stocks in Europe and Asia. Most stocks in the U.S. market were up, though, and the Russell 2000 index of small-cap stocks was 0.2% higher. Treasury yields were dipping a bit, while the price of gold peeked higher in another sign of caution continuing to hang over markets.
DETROIT (AP) — Electric vehicle startup Rivian says it has raised another $2.5 billion in funding from accounts advised by investment firm T. Rowe Price. The company has a contract with Amazon to build 100,000 electric delivery vans starting next year at its factory, a former Mitsubishi plant in Normal, Illinois. Rivian also is rolling out a pickup truck and an SUV for sale to consumers next year. The company said Friday that investors in this round include Soros Fund Management, Coatue, Fidelity Management and Research, and Baron Capital Group. Amazon and hedge fund BlackRock have invested previously and also are part of this round, Rivian said. The new investment won’t bring any more seats to the Rivian board, the company said.
CHICAGO (AP) — Grain futures were mixed on Friday in early trading on the Chicago Board of Trade. Wheat for Sept. delivery rose 4.40 cents at $5.2740 a bushel; July corn lost 6.60 cents at $3.4860 a bushel; Sept. oats was up .80 cent at $2.8840 a bushel; while July soybeans fell 4.80 cents at 8.9660 a bushel.
Beef was mixed and pork was higher on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.
Jun. live cattle was off .70 cent at $.9928 pound; Aug. feeder cattle was up .15 cent at $1.3490 a pound; June lean hogs rose 1.47 cents at .4612 a pound.
By MARTIN CRUTSINGER AP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. wholesale prices fell 0.2% in June as food costs dropped sharply, offsetting a big increase in energy prices. The Labor Department said the drop in its Producer Price Index, which measures inflation pressures before they reach consumers, followed a 0.4% gain in May. Wholesale prices have fallen in four of the past five months. The country has been pushed into a deep recession which is expected to see the economy shrink in the April-June quarter by a record-shattering amount. That downturn, triggered by efforts to contan the coronavirus pandemic, is expected to keep inflation under control.The 0.2% drop in wholesale prices in June reflected a 5.2% decline in food costs which helped to offset a 7.7% jump in energy prices.
BEIJING (AP) — Asian stock markets are following Wall Street lower today on worries economic recoveries might fade as coronavirus cases increase in the United States and some other countries.
The Shanghai Composite Index lost 1.2% today and the Nikkei in Tokyo shed 0.7%. The Hang Seng in Hong Kong retreated 1.9%.
The Kospi in Seoul lost 1.2% and Sydney’s S&P-ASX 200 declined 0.6%. India’s Sensex opened 0.6% lower.
Yesterday on Wall Street, the S&P 500 declined to 3,152.05. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1.4% to 25,706.09.
The Nasdaq composite, dominated by tech stocks that are seen as relatively resilient to the pandemic, added 0.5% to a record 10,547.75.
AP: After lobbying, Catholic Church won $1.4B in virus aid
NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. Roman Catholic Church used a special and unprecedented exemption from federal rules to amass at least $1.4 billion in taxpayer-backed coronavirus aid.
In totaling the church’s haul, The Associated Press also found that tens of millions of dollars went to dioceses whose financial stress was due not simply to the pandemic, but also to recent payouts to victims of clergy sex abuse.
The Paycheck Protection Program the church tapped was intended to help small businesses and nonprofits pay workers amid a cratering economy. The church was able to maximize its take after lobbying for an exemption that gave all religious groups preferential treatment. That helped make the Catholic Church among the biggest winners in the U.S. government’s pandemic relief efforts.
UN says Latin America and Caribbean are COVID-19 `hot spot’
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations secretary-general says Latin America and the Caribbean have become “a hot spot” for the COVID-19 pandemic. Antonio Guterres said Thursday that several countries now have one of the highest per capita infection rates and absolute number of cases in the world.
The U.N. chief says in a video and report that a 9.1% contraction in GDP is expected this year in the region, adding that would be the “largest in a century.”
The report says “COVID-19 represents a massive health, social and economic shock” and is expected to result in the region’s “deepest recession in living memory.”
According to the report, unemployment in the region is expected to rise to 13.5% from 8.1% last year, affecting more than 44 million people, compared to over 18 million in 2019. The poverty rate is expected to rise to 37.2% from 30.2%, meaning 230 million people will be affected compared to 185 million last year.
Appeals court pauses lawsuit over Trump hotel profits
RICHMOND, Virginia (AP) — A federal appeals court says subpoenas seeking financial records related to President Donald Trump’s Washington hotel can be kept on hold. On Thursday, the court agreed to extend the pause on the lawsuit — including the subpoenas — while the U.S. Department of Justice appeals the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The ruling from the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals means the records sought by the attorneys general of Maryland and the District of Columbia will likely not be released until after the November election.
On Thursday, the court agreed to extend the pause on the lawsuit — including the subpoenas — while the U.S. Department of Justice appeals the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The two jurisdictions filed the lawsuit in 2017. They argue Trump has violated the Constitution’s emoluments clause by accepting profits through officials who stay at the Trump International Hotel.
Worker advocates file meat plants discrimination complaint
UNDATED (AP) — Worker advocates have filed a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture alleging that meat processing companies Tyson and JBS have engaged in racial discrimination during the coronavirus pandemic.
The complaint filed Wednesday alleges the meatpacking companies haven’t implemented appropriate social distancing on production lines or slowed production speeds. As a result, it says, Hispanic, Black and Asian workers have suffered.
The complaint alleges the policies violate the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which protects individuals from racial discrimination by recipients of federal financial assistance.
The companies have together received more than $150 million from USDA programs this year.
Bolsonaro again urges reopening for Brazil
UNDATED (AP) — Two days after being diagnosed with COVID-19, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has made an online broadcast from the presidential residence as defiant as in previous occasions. He coughed once in his appearance Thursday, but did not show other symptoms of the disease that has killed more than 69,000 people in Brazil during the coronavirus pandemic.
Bolsonaro repeated his view that the looming economic crisis from the pandemic is more dangerous than the virus. He said mayors and governors need to reopen the country for business, saying that “otherwise the consequences will be harmful for Brazil”.
Bolsonaro said he is working from home and on Friday will appoint a new education minister.
Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing preparatory slide repair work on Route 151 (Bocktown Road) in Independence Township, Beaver County will begin Monday, July 13 weather permitting.
Preparatory work will begin at approximately 9 a.m. Monday morning on Route 151 between Plunket Road and Park Road. Single-lane alternating traffic will occur while the prep work occurs.
Slide repair work will begin at approximately 9 a.m. on Monday, July 20 requiring the long-term closure of Route 151 between Plunket Road and Park Road. Crews from Gregori Construction will conduct slide repair work, installation of erosion and sedimentation controls, roadway paving, drainage improvements and other miscellaneous construction activities on this $836,083 project. To allow the work to occur, Route 151 will close to traffic in the slide location around-the-clock through early October. Through traffic will be detoured.
Posted Detours
East of the Slide
West of the Slide
Please use caution when traveling through the area.
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.
Pennsylvania man sentenced to 10 years in office firebombing
SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania man who pleaded guilty to charges that he firebombed a child welfare office during a custody dispute has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison. Philip Finn Jr. of Plains was sentenced Thursday. He pleaded guilty in October to use of fire to commit stalking. Federal prosecutors say Finn used three Molotov cocktails to firebomb the Children and Youth Services building in Wilkes-Barre in 2017 to harass and intimidate two Children and Youth Employees. A federal judge also ordered Finn to pay $398,756 in restitution for the fire and water damage to the building.
Enjoy the scenery and patriotism of Beaver County in this video “The Wonder Of Beaver County Flags and Rivers July 2020”. The e video is presented by St. Barnabas.
Harrisburg, PA – The Department of Health today urged all Pennsylvanians to take steps to prevent eye injuries that can occur more frequently during the summer months.
“During the summer, many children and adults are staying active by playing outside and taking part in organized or recreational sports,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “While we need people to take additional precautions as part of COVID-19 when participating these types of activities, it is also very important that individuals take the proper steps to protect their eyes from serious injuries. Eye injuries can be severe and impact an individual’s future and entire way of life.
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, while many eye injuries occur on the job, nearly half of all eye injuries occur in the home. These include conducting home repairs, yard work, cleaning and cooking. More than 40 percent of eye injuries each year are related to sports or recreational activities. The sun can also damage eyes, which is why it is important to wear sunglasses and sport-appropriate UV-protective goggles.
Eye injuries are the leading cause of blindness in children in the United States, and most injuries that are reported in school-aged children are sports-related. These injuries account for nearly 100,000 physician visits each year and cost more than $175 million.
Sports-related eye injuries are very common. Sports where most eye injuries occur include baseball and softball, basketball, lacrosse, hockey, and racquet sports. Baseball is the most common cause of sports-related eye injuries for children ages 5 to 14. Basketball is the leading cause of sports-related eye injuries for teens and adults ages 15 to 64.
Ninety percent of eye injuries can be prevented through wearing protective eyewear, including safety glasses and goggles, safety shields, and eye guards. Ordinary prescription glasses, contacts and sunglasses do not protect against eye injuries.
As part of COVID-19, it is important to take steps to protect yourself from the spread of the virus while participating in organized sports. Everyone must wear a face covering, such as a mask, unless they fall under an exception to the Sec. of Health mask-wearing order. Coaches, athletes and spectators must wear face coverings, unless they are outdoors and can consistently maintain social distancing of at least 6 feet. Athletes are not required to wear face coverings while actively engaged in workouts and competition that prevent the wearing of face coverings, but must wear face coverings when on the sidelines, in the dugout, etc. and any time 6 feet of social distancing is not possible.
If you are concerned that you or a loved one may have suffered an eye injury, it is important to seek medical treatment. Some eye issues, such as a detached retina, can only be detected by a doctor during an examination. Even eye injuries that seem minor at first should be checked out, as serious eye issues can cause vision loss or blindness.
The Wolf Administration stresses the role Pennsylvanians play in helping to reduce the spread of COVID-19:
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/
US wholesale prices fell 0.2% in June as food costs plunged
By MARTIN CRUTSINGER AP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. wholesale prices fell 0.2% in June as food costs dropped sharply, offsetting a big increase in energy prices. The Labor Department said the drop in its Producer Price Index, which measures inflation pressures before they reach consumers, followed a 0.4% gain in May. Wholesale prices have fallen in four of the past five months. The country has been pushed into a deep recession which is expected to see the economy shrink in the April-June quarter by a record-shattering amount. That downturn, triggered by efforts to contan the coronavirus pandemic, is expected to keep inflation under control.The 0.2% drop in wholesale prices in June reflected a 5.2% decline in food costs which helped to offset a 7.7% jump in energy prices.
AP: After lobbying, Catholic Church won $1.4B in virus aid
By REESE DUNKLIN and MICHAEL REZENDES Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. Roman Catholic Church used a special and unprecedented exemption from federal rules to amass at least $1.4 billion in taxpayer-backed coronavirus aid. In totaling the church’s haul, The Associated Press also found tens of millions of dollars went to dioceses whose financial stress was due not simply to the pandemic but also to recent payouts to victims of clergy sex abuse. The Paycheck Protection Program the church tapped was intended to help small businesses and nonprofits pay workers amid a cratering economy. The church maximized its take after lobbying for an exemption that gave all religious groups preferential treatment. That helped make the Catholic Church among the biggest winners in the U.S. government’s pandemic relief efforts.
Easy Tips to Feel Cooler and Conserve Energy During Summer Heatwaves
HARRISBURG – As daytime temperatures across the Mid-Atlantic Region continue to top 90 degrees, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) offers a series of simple ways that residents can stay cool, conserve energy and keep their bills manageable.
“There are quick and easy ways to increase comfort while managing energy usage during hot weather,” noted PUC Chairman Gladys Brown Dutrieuille. “Simple things like using fans, adjusting thermostats by a few degrees, drawing your blinds and delaying the use of heat-generating appliances can go a long way toward helping you stay cool without dramatically increasing summer utility bills.”
Increase summer comfort while keeping energy costs low:
Circulating air with a fan can help you feel up to 4 degrees cooler,
without needing to lower your thermostat.
In addition to simple ways to feel cooler on hot summer days, the PUC also underscored a series of ways to help conserve energy and avoid generating unwanted heat inside your home.
Conserve energy and save money while staying cool:
Every degree you raise your air conditioning thermostat
above 72 degrees can save up to 3% on cooling expenses.
In addition to cooling and conservation tips, the PUC also encouraged residents to review the hot weather safety information from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, along with tips for keeping pets safe during hot weather, from the Humane Society of the United States.
Hot Weather & Utilities
The PUC notes that hot and humid weather can prompt PJM – the region’s power transmission organization – to issue “Hot Weather Alerts”, preparing utilities and generation operators for conditions that could stress the power grid and working to ensure that resources are available to meet energy demands.
In response to hot weather alerts, electric distribution companies (EDCs) across Pennsylvania take steps to prepare for high demand and other hot-weather issues, including the postponement or rescheduling of routine maintenance-related outages, placing additional staff and equipment on stand-by in the event of outages and reaching out to customers regarding energy conservation and/or access to ice, water, cooling centers and other support services, should they be needed during any outages.
The PUC is in close communication with EDCs, PJM and other key stakeholders during these types of weather alerts and continues to actively monitor utility systems across the state.
About the PUC
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission balances the needs of consumers and utilities; ensures safe and reliable utility service at reasonable rates; protects the public interest; educates consumers to make independent and informed utility choices; furthers economic development; and fosters new technologies and competitive markets in an environmentally sound manner.
For recent news releases and video of select Commission proceedings or more information about the PUC, visit our website at www.puc.pa.gov. Follow the PUC on Twitter – @PA_PUC for all things utility. “Like” Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission on Facebook for easy access to information on utilities
(File Photo of Wooley Bully’s)
(Beaver County, Pa.) Mum is the word out of Harrisburg so far. On Tuesday of this week the Beaver County Commissioners were informed by the Pa State Health Department that all bars and restaurants would not be able to have dine in service for a period of two weeks because of the increased cases of the Coronavirus in the South West region of Pennsylvania. Beaver County along with Allegheny, Butler, Westmoreland and Washington counties were to be in the order. On Tuesday afternoon Beaver County Radio spoke with the Beaver County Commissioners office and at that time the Commissioners were in a holding pattern and an official said an announcement was forth coming they just didn’t know when. The businesses of Beaver County that this affected were held in limbo along with Beaver County Officials. Wednesday came and still no word of any announcement or press conference came from the Governor’s Office or the State health Department. Beaver County Radio spoke via email with an official in the Commissioners office yesterday and they still have not heard if or when this announcement is going to happen. Beaver County has seen an additional 118 positive cases of the Coronavirus since July 1, 2020. Beaver County does not have a health department and the Beaver County Commissioners have no say in the matter and must follow the Pa Health Departments orders. Stay tune to Beaver County Radio for more information as the situation continues to unfold.