FILE – A black plume rises over East Palestine, Ohio, as a result of a controlled detonation of a portion of the derailed Norfolk Southern trains, Feb. 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

HARRISBURG – The state Senate today approved legislation introduced by Sens. Doug Mastriano (R-33), Elder Vogel, Jr. (R-47), and Michele Brooks (R-50) that would enable Pennsylvania victims of the Norfolk Southern train wreck near East Palestine, Ohio, last year to keep more of their own money.

“This bill would enable the families and businesses harmed by the Norfolk Southern train wreck to keep more of the money from their relief payments and settlements,” said Mastriano, who serves as chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, hosted a hearing immediately following the train wreck, and subpoenaed Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw to appear before the committee. “Rather than creating a new government program, this bill would exempt from the state income tax the money these families and businesses are already receiving. I want them to be able to use that money for medical bills and personal expenses rather than paying the state income tax.”

Senate Bill 1149 would exempt from the state income tax any disaster relief payments the families or local businesses receive from the state or federal government, Norfolk Southern or an insurer as the result of the Feb. 3, 2023, train wreck. The deduction would also be retroactive to any payments received by victims in 2023.

“Many local families and businesses continue to suffer the longstanding negative effects of this tragedy,” Vogel said. “This bill would enable the people affected by the train wreck to use more of the relief payments and settlements to pay their bills and rebuild their lives.”

The train wreck took place just across the western border of Pennsylvania and was followed two days later on Feb. 5, 2023, by the planned ignition and burning of five railroad cars carrying dangerous chemicals. The toxic plume resulted in residents reporting various medical problems including rashes, burning lips, sore throats, itchy eyes and other skin irritations. Residents reported additional medical concerns at a follow-up hearing held last month by the Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee.

“I would rather see these families and businesses keep their relief and settlement payments than see part of it taken by the state through the income tax,” Brooks said. “Many of these businesses are struggling and families are suffering long-term medical conditions, and they need all the financial resources they’re receiving. This tax change would have a relatively small effect on the state’s finances, but can mean a lot for these families in the aftermath of this tragedy.”

Danielle Smith – Keystone State News Service

A new report is sounding the alarm on Pennsylvania’s juvenile-detention capacity challenges, citing understaffing and long wait times for the young people awaiting placement.

The report says five of the 13 youth detention facilities are used by just five counties, and that 57 counties must vie for beds at only six facilities statewide.

Dr. Abigail Wilson, director of child welfare, juvenile justice and education services at the Pennsylvania Council of Children, Youth and Family Services, said some counties are forced to send kids hundreds of miles away to find detention space. She noted that more funding could help clear the waitlists and reduce disruption to families and communities.

“Funding impacts the workforce issues,” she said, “and it’s difficult to staff some of these facilities, because the pay doesn’t quite match the need, and the higher level of risk that you take, when you work at a secure detention center.”

Wilson added that it’s also difficult to move a young person into a probation or “step-down” program, since these struggle with understaffing and underfunding. The report notes that detention is meant to provide “temporary, secure and safe custody,” and is used only when less restrictive alternatives have been considered.

On the other hand, Wilson said she thinks Pennsylvania has done a good job identifying the needs of youths in trouble, with a big commitment to evidence-based assessments and services within the juvenile justice system.

“So currently, our system uses the youth level-of-service assessment to look at risk for recidivism, as well as appropriate level of service,” she said. “They’re able to very quickly see, while placing a youth in a family-like setting is the main priority.”

The report reveals that almost 90% of all corrections agencies reported moderate or severe difficulties hiring and retaining front-line facility staff, with job vacancy rates as high as 30% to 40%.

Wilson said the report makes several recommendations, but tackling the workforce shortage through improved funding is the key to all of them “because we can’t effectively run programs and serve youths without highly qualified staff.

“So, when we offer those pay increases, smaller youth-to-staff ratios, reformed onboarding training,” she said, “we can continue to recruit these highly qualified staff.”

Wilson said alternatives to detention are often community-based programs that offer supervision, mentoring and therapy for a young offender as they await their court date, and may include working with their family.

An EV charging station is seen Thursday, May 9, 2024, in San Antonio. Many Americans still aren’t sold on going electric for their next car purchase. High prices and a lack of easy-to-find charging stations are major sticking points, a new poll shows. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Many Americans still aren’t sold on going electric for their next car purchase. High prices and a lack of easy-to-find charging stations are major sticking points, a new poll shows.

About 4 in 10 U.S. adults say they would be at least somewhat likely to buy an EV the next time they buy a car, according to the poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago, while 46% say they are not too likely or not at all likely to purchase one.

The poll results, which echo an AP-NORC poll from last year, show that President Joe Biden’s election-year plan to dramatically raise EV sales is running into resistance from American drivers. Only 13% of U.S. adults say they or someone in their household owns or leases a gas-hybrid car, and just 9% own or lease an electric vehicle.

Caleb Jud of Cincinnati said he’s considering an EV, but may end up with a plug-in hybrid — if he goes electric. While Cincinnati winters aren’t extremely cold, “the thought of getting stuck in the driveway with an EV that won’t run is worrisome, and I know it wouldn’t be an issue with a plug-in hybrid,″ he said. Freezing temperatures can slow chemical reactions in EV batteries, depleting power and reducing driving range.

A new rule from the Environmental Protection Agency requires that about 56% of all new vehicle sales be electric by 2032, along with at least 13% plug-in hybrids or other partially electric cars. Auto companies are investing billions in factories and battery technology in an effort to speed up the switch to EVs to cut pollution, fight climate change — and meet the deadline.

EVs are a key part of Biden’s climate agenda. Republicans led by presumptive nominee Donald Trump are turning it into a campaign issue.

Younger people are more open to eventually purchasing an EV than older adults. More than half of those under 45 say they are at least “somewhat” likely to consider an EV purchase. About 32% of those over 45 are somewhat likely to buy an EV, the poll shows.

But only 21% of U.S. adults say they are “very” or “extremely” likely to buy an EV for their next car, according to the poll, and 21% call it somewhat likely. Worries about cost are widespread, as are other practical concerns.

Range anxiety – the idea that EVs cannot go far enough on a single charge and may leave a driver stranded — continues to be a major reason why many Americans do not purchase electric vehicles.

About half of U.S. adults cite worries about range as a major reason not to buy an EV. About 4 in 10 say a major strike against EVs is that they take too long to charge or they don’t know of any public charging stations nearby.

Concern about range is leading some to consider gas-engine hybrids, which allow driving even when the battery runs out. Jud, a 33-year-old operations specialist and political independent, said a hybrid “is more than enough for my about-town shopping, dropping my son off at school” and other uses.

With EV prices declining, cost would not be a factor, Jud said — a minority view among those polled. Nearly 6 in 10 adults cite cost as a major reason why they would not purchase an EV.

Price is a bigger concern among older adults.

The average price for a new EV was $52,314 in February, according to Kelley Blue Book. That’s down by 12.8% from a year earlier, but still higher than the average price for all new vehicles of $47,244, the report said.

Jose Valdez of San Antonio owns three EVs, including a new Mustang Mach-E. With a tax credit and other incentives, the sleek new car cost about $49,000, Valdez said. He thinks it’s well worth the money.

“People think they cost an arm and a leg, but once they experience (driving) an EV, they’ll have a different mindset,” said Valdez, a retired state maintenance worker.

The 45-year-old Republican said he does not believe in climate change. “I care more about saving green” dollars, he said, adding that he loves the EV’s quiet ride and the fact he doesn’t have to pay for gas or maintenance. EVs have fewer parts than gas-powered cars and generally cost less to maintain. Valdez installed his home charger himself for less than $700 and uses it for all three family cars, the Mustang and two older Ford hybrids.

With a recently purchased converter, he can also charge at a nearby Tesla supercharger station, Valdez said.

About half of those who say they live in rural areas cite lack of charging infrastructure as a major factor in not buying an EV, compared with 4 in 10 of those living in urban communities.

Daphne Boyd, of Ocala, Florida, has no interest in owning an EV. There are few public chargers near her rural home “and EVs don’t make any environmental sense,″ she said, citing precious metals that must be mined to make batteries, including in some countries that rely on child labor or other unsafe conditions. She also worries that heavy EV batteries increase wear-and-tear on tires and make the cars less efficient. Experts say extra battery weight can wear on tires but say proper maintenance and careful driving can extend tire life.

Boyd, a 54-year-old Republican and self-described farm wife, said EVs may eventually make economic and environmental sense, but “they’re not where they need to be” to convince her to buy one now or in the immediate future.

Ruth Mitchell, a novelist from Eureka Springs, Arkansas, loves her 2017 Chevy Volt, a plug-in hybrid that can go about 50 miles on battery power before the gas engine takes over. “It’s wonderful — quiet, great pickup, cheap to drive. I rave about it on Facebook,″ she said.

Mitchell, a 70-year-old Democrat, charges her car at home but says there are several public chargers near her house if needed. She’s not looking for a new car, Mitchell said, but when she does it will be electric: “I won’t drive anything else.”

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The AP-NORC poll of 6,265 adults was conducted March 26 to April 10, 2024 using a combined sample of interviews from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population, and interviews from opt-in online panels. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 1.7 percentage points. The AmeriSpeak panel is recruited randomly using address-based sampling methods, and respondents later were interviewed online or by phone.

If you’re thirsty for savings, local McDonald’s restaurants have the perfect deal for you!  Beginning today, Mickey D’s Happy Hour lets bargain hunters sip on savings from 2 – 5 pm every day.

Just in time for a sweltering summer, the Limited Time Offer includes 50% off all soft drinks, sweet and unsweet tea, iced coffee and frappes. During happy hour, you can indulge in these delicious treats and enjoy the perfect balance of flavor and affordability.

Speaking of flavor, why do fountain drinks taste so much better at McDonald’s? It’s a question that has puzzled generations of McDonald’s fans, but the answer is not a secret.  McDonald’s takes steps to ensure a high-quality soft drink every time:

-The water and syrup and pre-chilled before entering the fountain dispensers with the ratio of syrup set to allow for ice to melt.

-McDonald’s also keeps the fountain beverage system cold so drinks are always refreshing.

-To ensure drinks are always meeting a gold standard, McDonald’s filters the water before it enters fountain dispensers.

-There’s also McDonald’s straw – it’s slight wider than a typical straw so that delicious taste can hit all your taste buds.

(Ambridge, Pa) Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry has announced today that it has  changed its name to Trinity Anglican Seminary.  

According to the Very Reverend Canon Dr. Bryan C. Hollon, Trinity’s Dean & President, “Our new  name does not suggest a break from the past but was chosen after careful study to better reflect the  scope and focus of our work in the 21st century. We continue to be a global center for Christian  formation in the evangelical Anglican tradition, producing outstanding leaders who can plant, renew,  and grow churches that make disciples of Jesus Christ.”  

Trinity Anglican Seminary was founded in 1976 to help renew biblically faithful Anglicanism within  The Episcopal Church. It has since played a leading role in the creation of the Anglican Church in North  America and the renewal and realignment of the Anglican Church on a global scale.    

“When Anglicanism remains biblically faithful, evangelical, catholic, and reformed,” said Hollon, “it  offers an excellent way to be a Christian. Thus, we are unapologetically Anglican and entirely committed  to forming Christian leaders who can communicate the gospel in a broken world and plant, renew, and  grow churches that make disciples of Jesus Christ.”  

While most of Trinity’s students are Anglican, Presbyterians and Lutherans study alongside their  Anglican colleagues in programs overseen by the North American Lutheran Church and the Evangelical  Presbyterian Church. 

Trinity Anglican Seminary is located in Ambridge, PA, and has nearly 1,500 alumni around the world.  It offers a diverse array of programs, including master’s and doctoral degrees, as well as non-degree  programs, all designed to equip leaders for ministry and mission. Through rigorous academic programs,  vibrant worship, and practical ministry experience, students at Trinity Anglican Seminary will be  prepared to engage with the complexities of an evolving world while remaining anchored in the  Christian faith.  

For more information about Trinity Anglican Seminary and its programs, please visit www.tsm.edu soon to be www.tas.edu .  

Harrisburg, PA – After all 67 counties certified their results to the Department of State, Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt certified the results of Pennsylvania’s 2024 primary election Friday.

“Careful review of the counties’ election results shows we had another free, fair, safe and secure primary election on April 23,” Schmidt said. “As always, we’re grateful to all the county election officials who worked tirelessly preparing for and conducting a smooth election, followed by weeks of diligently verifying through two audits that all election results were accurate.”

Official vote returns for all statewide primary races can be found on the Department’s website. All results are official with the exception of the race for Representative in the General Assembly-117th District for the Republican Party, which is subject to ongoing litigation.

Additionally, Schmidt announced that the statutorily required statistical recount of a random sample of at least 2% of the ballots cast – or 2,000 ballots, whichever is fewer – in the primary and the risk-limiting audit (RLA) of the Democratic race for state treasurer confirmed the election’s reported outcome.

“The audits have confirmed that the reported primary election results are accurate, which is a testament to the hard work of county election officials,” Schmidt said.

During this RLA, election officials from 27 counties hand-tallied 60 batches of ballots that were randomly selected, which amounted to more than 14,000 ballots reviewed. Officials then compared those vote totals to the original counts.

Schmidt reported that county election officials identified only two vote discrepancies across batches of ballots. Such discrepancies are the result of human error when manually tabulating audit results or stray or unclear marks on the ballot, leading to subjective decisions about a voter’s intent.

Gas prices are two cents lower in Western Pennsylvania this week at $3.837 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

This week’s average prices: Western Pennsylvania Average                         $3.837
Average price during the week of May 28, 2024                                               $3.856
Average price during the week of June 5, 2023                                                $3.664

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

$3.791      Altoona
$3.891      Beaver
$3.898      Bradford
$3.761      Brookville
$3.848      Butler
$3.767      Clarion
$3.785      DuBois
$3.848      Erie
$3.797      Greensburg
$3.851      Indiana
$3.823      Jeannette
$3.853      Kittanning
$3.872      Latrobe
$3.864      Meadville
$3.919      Mercer
$3.789      New Castle
$3.809      New Kensington
$3.866      Oil City
$3.838      Pittsburgh
$3.781      Sharon
$3.877      Uniontown
$3.897      Warren
$3.836      Washington

Trend Analysis:
The national average for a gallon of gasoline has fallen six cents since last week to $3.53, the largest one-week drop thus far for 2024. The primary reasons are tepid demand and a lower oil price. Meanwhile, the Atlantic Hurricane season has begun, and forecasters are predicting it will be very active. It’s important to remember that a storm impacting the Gulf Cost oil production and refining centers could affect gas prices. Today’s national average is 13 cents lower than a month ago and two cents lower than a year ago.

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand fell slightly from 9.31 barrels per day to 9.14 last week. Meanwhile, total domestic gasoline stocks rose from 226.8 to 228.8 million barrels.

At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate declined by 60 cents to settle at $79.23 a barrel. Prices fell despite the EIA reporting that crude oil inventories decreased by 4.2 million barrels from the previous week. At 454.7 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are about 4% below the five-year average for this time of year.

HARRISBURG, June 3 – The Pennsylvania House Consumer Protection, Technology and Utilities Committee heard testimony today about legislation that would help expand the state’s energy production by modernizing the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority, announced Rep. Rob Matzie, majority chairman.

Matzie, D-Beaver, said H.B. 2338 aims to ensure that the state’s public financing agency is positioned to tap an unprecedented influx of funding from the federal government under the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

“This is about jobs, jobs and jobs,” Matzie said. “We have talked for a long time about the importance of having a diverse, all-in energy portfolio and the job creation and energy independence that brings. This bill moves us closer to that goal by positioning us to take advantage of hundreds of billions in federal funding coming to the states.

“We need to act sooner, rather than later. Fortunately, we don’t have to reinvent the wheel – Pennsylvania already has a mechanism in place with PEDA. Now, we just need to make sure the agency is ready to hit the ground running and seize every bit of our share.”

Matzie noted that stakeholders testifying voiced unanimous support for the legislation, which was introduced by state Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler, D-Phila. Other prime co-sponsors include Jennifer O’Mara, D-Delaware; and Mandy Steele, D-Allegheny.

A 2004 executive order revitalized PEDA and transferred it to the state Department of Environmental Protection, which now provides staffing for the authority.