Union voters are split between Harris at 50% and Trump at 43%, with 6% supporting third-party candidates, according to a poll by the Pew Research Center. (Platoo Studio/Adobe Stock)
Danielle Smith – Keystone State News Connection

Labor unions in the battleground state of Pennsylvania said they could play a pivotal role in determining the outcome of this year’s election.

In 2023, the state had 749,000 union members, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Anthony Ferriera, sergeant at arms and legislative political coordinator for the American Federation of Government Employees Local 1647, is among those mobilizing. He said he is walking neighborhoods, knocking on doors and talking with voters in an effort to motivate them to go to the polls.

“This year, I’m making phone calls,” Ferriera explained. “And anywhere that any of the congressionals or senators or anybody is, we’re at the rallies. We were at the rally for Kamala in Wilkes Barre, probably a month ago. We have people on our team that were driving folks that come into the area last Saturday to knock on doors.”

Ferriera pointed out their response has been positive, even when some do not support their candidates. Pennsylvania’s early voting option is available until Oct. 29, the last day to request a mail-in or absentee ballot for the Nov. 5 general election.

Kevin Cooper, political director for the union, said the President and Congress have a direct effect on their livelihoods. He added the union is diverse not only in terms of geography and demographics, but its members work in agencies from Social Security and Veterans Affairs, to the Border Patrol and Environmental Protection Agency. Cooper stressed he is encouraging everyone to vote, particularly his fellow union members.

“In the 2016 cycle, for example, we saw all these states that were determined by thousands of votes; not millions but certain battleground states where thousands of votes determined the result,” Cooper pointed out. “You step back and you see that there’s, you know, over 14 million union members nationwide. Unions can be the deciding factor in a lot of these places.”

Cooper suggested people review the Heritage Foundation’s conservative playbook known as Project 2025, as it includes plans to dismantle workers’ rights to organize.

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing inspection activities on the Pinney Street Bridge over Route 65 in Baden Borough, Beaver County will occur Monday through Wednesday, October 28-30 weather permitting.

Single-lane restrictions will occur in each direction on Route 65 between Johnson Avenue and State Street for bridge inspection activities.  Restrictions will occur from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day.

Crews from AECOM will conduct the routine inspection activities.

Harrisburg, PA – Today, Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding invited Pennsylvania singers to enter “Oh, Say, Can You Sing?”, an annual star-spangled sing-off to win a chance to sing live at the 2025 PA Farm Show — the Pennsylvania State Fair™. Each morning, from January 4-11, the Farm Show will start by featuring an individual or group singing the national anthem live. Top vote-getters may also be selected to sing at special events such as the Opening Ceremony on January 4.

“Our 2025 Farm Show theme is Powering Pennsylvania,” Secretary Redding said. “There’s no better way to start each day of the PA Farm Show than by hearing a powerful reminder of the pride and freedom that make our country, our commonwealth, and our agriculture industry great.”

The contest is open to Pennsylvania residents of all ages – both individuals and groups. Contestants can enter by emailing a YouTube link to a video of themselves singing “The Star-Spangled Banner,” without instrumental accompaniment, to agcontests@pa.gov or by uploading their video or YouTube link to the comments of the Pennsylvania Farm Show Facebook page posts about the contest.

Entries can be submitted until 11:59 p.m. November 17, 2024.

MONACA, Pa. — A grant from Barnes & Noble College will fund Penn State Beaver Thrives, an initiative designed to help the campus and local community become a more inclusive.

The resources and programming of Penn State Beaver Thrives will focus on mental health and neurodiversity. 

The first program will be a dyslexia simulation program from 4 to 6 p.m. Nov. 12 in the Student Union Building Lodge. The program will help people understand the experience of dyslexia to promote compassion and better support. This event is free and open to the public.

An increasing number of students have identified as having mental health and neurodiversity support needs. While Beaver campus already had a foundation of support in place, the Barnes & Noble grant will allow the campus to increase that support and add resources for current and future students. 

“Providing our students with resources that support their individual academic and personal growth, allows them to feel acknowledged and valued as they continue their ​journey through the confusing, stressful, yet wonderful college years,” said Kristin Oberg, learning center and disabilities coordinator at Penn State Beaver. 

In addition to programming, the campus library will add a wellness collection and promote reading groups through the Beaver County Library System, the Beaver Valley Intermediate Unit, and Bridges and Pathways College Consortium.

Penn State Beaver Associate Professor of Psychology Amy Camodeca will conduct free autism testing for 50 children in the community during the spring and summer of 2025. Testing opportunities will be advertised on social and through the Beaver Valley Intermediate Unit. 

Barnes and Noble College (BNC) — a Barnes and Noble Education company that operates the Penn State Bookstore — launched the grant program in 2015. This year, Penn State Beaver was one of 9 Commonwealth Campuses to receive the grant.

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing bridge deck repair work on the I-279 (Parkway North) bridge over Mt. Nebo Road in Ohio Township, Allegheny County will occur Monday through Friday nights, October 21-25 weather permitting.

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing bridge inspection activities on Route 22 in Robinson Township, Allegheny County will occur Sunday, October 20 weather permitting.

(Carlisle, PA) On Tuesday, The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PA Turnpike), launched a new, statewide training program to improve new driver safety and roadway worker protection. The launch took place at Carlisle High School to highlight teen driver safety during National Teen Driver Safety Week.

Pennsylvania’s New Driver Work Zone Safety Program is a training project that uses engaging videos, infographics, knowledge checks, and powerful testimonials to teach new drivers work zone laws, signage and key facts, in addition to offering real-life scenarios to enhance understanding. This new program launched during National Teen Driver Safety Week, an annual observance aimed at educating safe driving among teens, and all new drivers in the commonwealth.

“PennDOT wants you to be safe whether you’re working on our roadways or driving on them, and we take many precautions to keep work zones safe for everyone,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. “We’re always looking for ways to improve safety on our roadways, for drivers of all ages and experience levels. That’s why we were proud to partner with the PA Turnpike on this program.”

The free, 35-minute virtual course is currently available in English and Spanish via PennDOT’s website. The transportation agencies will also collaborate on hands-on training opportunities to supplement the course.

“We are thrilled to help launch this program, which furthers our commitment to safety – the driving force for everything we do here at the PA Turnpike,” said Chief Operating Officer Craig Shuey. “Our roadway is only as safe as the drivers who use it and helping them understand the importance of slowing down and paying attention in work zones is critical.”

Last October, Oklahoma became the first state in the nation to require new drivers to pass a work zone safety course to get their licenses. After hearing about Oklahoma’s success, the PA Turnpike developed a playbook for introducing a similar program and has been working with PennDOT to make it a reality. The project was funded through  $50,000 from the Federal Highway Administration State Transportation Innovation Council Incentive Program.

“FHWA’s State Transportation Innovation Council Incentive Program is an important way we are helping states to advance innovative solutions to address their unique transportation needs,” said Acting Federal Highway Administrator Kristin White. “Improving work zone safety is a priority for FHWA and we are pleased to see Pennsylvania deploying federal funding to achieve this goal.”

In recent years, more than four out of every 10 work zone crashes in Pennsylvania involved deaths or injuries. There are more than 1,400 work zone crashes across Pennsylvania annually, with more than 600 resulting in injuries and 15 in death.

While the program is free and encouraged for all Pennsylvania residents, it is especially beneficial for new drivers. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drivers aged 16-19 are nearly three times more likely to die in a crash than drivers aged 20 and up per mile driven.

“As Secretary of Education, I care deeply about the health and safety of Pennsylvania’s 1.7 million learners both in and out of the classroom,” said Secretary of Education Dr. Khalid N. Mumin. “Knowledge is power, and this practical, experiential learning opportunity will help new drivers keep themselves—and others—safe while they’re on the road.”

From 2019 to 2023, there were nearly 80,000 crashes involving at least one teen driver in Pennsylvania, resulting in 483 fatalities. Some key factors in crashes involving teen drivers in Pennsylvania include driver inexperience, driver distractions, driving too fast for conditions, and improper or careless turning. The risk of a crash involving any of these factors can be reduced through practice, limiting the number of passengers riding with a teen driver, obeying all rules of the road, and using common sense.

The joint training project extends PennDOT and the PA Turnpike’s collaboration on increased work zone safety awareness. Both organizations host work zone-related educational events throughout the year. This March, PennDOT and the PA Turnpike, in partnership with the Pennsylvania State Police, started enforcement of the statewide Work Zone Speed Safety Camera program, which uses vehicle-mounted systems and electronic speed timing devices to detect and record motorists exceeding posted work zone speed limits by 11 miles per hour or more.

For more information on the New Driver Work Zone Safety Program, please visit Young Driver (pa.gov).

(Reported by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano, Published on October 25, 2024 at 9:17 A.M.)

(Hopewell, PA) Nicole E. Haney, Community Relations Coordinator reported on Thursday that Golf Course Road, located off of Mill Street is being taken over by the state because of an old storm. The report states that paving of Golf Course Road water features are being replaced by new ones near the road’s intersection with Beaver Lakes Boulevard. This has caused delays for residents going to and from their homes  or those going to the golf course.

(Pennsylvania) As people get ready to prepare mail-in ballots for the 2024 presidential election, some do not appear in good condition, however, a process can create a new one to be properly counted. This process is commonly referred to as “ballot duplication” which involves taking a damaged ballot that can’t be scanned by election machines and transcribing the votes onto a new, clean ballot that can be counted. The original ballot is preserved in this process. Ballot duplication can also be used if voters improperly marked their ballot, such as using the wrong type of writing tool. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, forty-two states, including Pennsylvania, use ballot duplication. 

Source for Photo: FILE – Chester County, Pa., election workers process mail-in and absentee ballots at West Chester University in West Chester, Pa., Nov. 4, 2020. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)

(Harrisburg, PA) The administration of Governor Josh Shapiro has invested more than $3.2 million to help drug-related overdose prevention efforts in Pennsylvania. 

According to a release from the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH), the department announcemed on Tuesday investments of more than $3.2 million to combat the drug-related overdose epidemic through 13 organizations that will help residents connect with the care they need, such as receiving overdose prevention and reversal tools, treatment options, drug checking equipment, and educational services.  

The funding comes from the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) via the Overdose Data to Action in States cooperative agreement to expand drug-related overdose surveillance and prevention efforts over five years.