Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) are urging motorists to keep traffic safety top of mind when behind the wheel this holiday weekend, and all summer long. The agencies are partnering with municipal police departments and other safety partners across the commonwealth to participate in the National “Click It or Ticket” (CIOT) Enforcement Mobilization running now through June 2.

“’Click it or Ticket’ isn’t about citations, it’s about saving lives,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. “Wearing a seat belt increases your chances of surviving a crash by up to 60 percent. Through continued enforcement and education, we hope to see more people buckling up and fewer fatal crashes on Pennsylvania’s roads.”

Pennsylvania law requires drivers, front-seat passengers, and any occupant younger than 18 to buckle up when riding in a vehicle. Children under age 4 must be properly secured in an approved child safety seat. Children under age 2 must ride in a rear-facing car seat until they outgrow the maximum weight and height limits designated by the seat manufacturer. Booster seats are required for children ages 4 to 8.

In 2023, there were 11,756 crashes in Pennsylvania where at least one occupant was not wearing a seat belt, resulting in 316 fatalities. It is estimated that 92% of unbelted occupants, or 282 people, who were killed in crashes while traveling in passenger vehicles, including cars, small trucks, vans, and SUVs, could have survived if they had been buckled up.

Troopers certified as child passenger safety technicians offer car seat fittings and inspections throughout Pennsylvania, helping ensure that car seats are in good working condition, installed properly, and free from recalls.

“It’s important that parents and caregivers buckle up while behind the wheel while also ensuring children are in properly installed child safety seats,” said Colonel Christopher Paris, Commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police. “Troopers who are certified as child passenger safety technicians can do just that by providing education and hands-on assistance with the proper use of safety seats so children are safe for every ride.”

The checks are free of charge. A complete list of child passenger seat fitting stations is available at psp.pa.gov.

During the four-day Memorial Day weekend in 2023, PSP troopers investigated 651 crashes that resulted in four fatalities and 142 injuries. State Police also cited 1,318 individuals for not wearing seat belts and issued 224 tickets for not securing children in safety seats.

As part of the enforcement mobilization, tomorrow night state and local police agencies will be taking part in coordinated, high visibility enforcement by utilizing roving patrols, traffic enforcement zones, and speed enforcement details on roadways with high rates of unbuckled crashes.

With summer travel kicking off this weekend, PennDOT reminds motorists to visit 511PA’s Historic Holiday Traffic page to plan optimal travel times on major roadways across the state this Memorial Day. The holiday travel tool allows the public to see how traffic speeds on the Friday before and on Memorial Day in 2022 and 2023 compare to traffic conditions during a typical, non-holiday week. Users can choose their region and view an hour-by-hour, color-coded representation of traffic speeds to help determine the best times to travel during the holiday.

While PennDOT will remove lane restrictions and suspend construction projects wherever possible, the Historic Holiday Traffic page also allows the public to view interstate restrictions that will be in place during the holiday travel period.

Motorists are reminded they can also check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles in Pennsylvania year-round by visiting www.511PA.com. The service, 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.

AMBRIDGE, May 23 – A $50,000 grant from the Department of Community and Economic Development will fund improvements to a core downtown business corridor in Ambridge, state Rep. Rob Matzie announced today.

Matzie, D-Beaver, said the work funded is part of the Merchant Street Façade Revitalization Initiative and will build on improvements to the heart of the borough’s business district.

“We’re seeing more and more investment in this core downtown Ambridge area, and those projects – façade work, streetscaping, and other improvements – are gradually changing the face of the business district in ways that draw more pedestrians, stimulate more business activity, and rekindle interest by new businesses and investors,” Matzie said. “This latest grant will allow the borough to continue transforming the landscape in the best possible ways.”

The funding is part of a package of grants awarded under the Keystone Communities Program. More information is available here: https://www.governor.pa.gov/newsroom/in-bedford-county-governor-shapiro-and-secretary-siger-visit-small-businesses-announce-nearly-7-million-to-support-pennsylvanias-main-streets-and-communities-across-the-commonwealth/.

In March 2023, Matzie announced new funding of $400,000 from the Commonwealth Financing Authority to fund new streetscape improvements along Merchant Street.

Police tape cordons off the scene of a fatal shooting at Delaware County Linen in Chester, Pa., Wednesday, May 22, 2024. Authorities say a former employee armed with a handgun opened fire at a linen company in a Philadelphia suburb, killing multiple people and wounding three others. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

CHESTER, Pa. (AP) — Authorities near Philadelphia say a disgruntled employee opened fire at a linen company on Wednesday, killing two coworkers and injuring three others. The shooting took place in Chester, a city south of Philadelphia in a neighborhood mixed with homes and small businesses. Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer says the suspect fled but was captured in a traffic stop. His name has not been released, and the specific motive remains unknown. Chester Mayor Stefan Roots says the tragedy speaks to the problem of guns in America and called on Pennsylvania lawmakers to address the issue.

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. Norfolk Southern announced new details Monday, Sept. 18, about its plan to compensate East Palestine residents for lost home values since the fiery derailment disrupted life in the eastern Ohio town in February. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

A federal judge has signed off on the $600 million class action settlement over last year’s disastrous Norfolk Southern derailment in eastern Ohio, but many people who live near East Palestine are still wondering how much they will end up with out of the deal. The lawyers who negotiated the deal plan to return to the community several times in the next few weeks and open a dedicated claims center to help answer residents questions. One of the lead attorneys, Mike Morgan, said the agreement will resolve claims against the railroad and the other companies who are defendants in the case but won’t prevent any possible future lawsuits against the EPA or other government entities.

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing a lane closure on the Rochester-Monaca Bridge, which carries Route 18 over the Ohio River, in Rochester and Monaca boroughs, Beaver County will begin on Tuesday, May 28 weather permitting.

The right-hand turning lane from the Rochester-Monaca Bridge to Pleasant Street in Rochester Borough will close to traffic beginning Tuesday, May 28 at 7 a.m. and remain closed around-the-clock through 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 4 to allow crews to conduct dam replacement work. Traffic will still be able to turn right onto Pleasant Street from the through-lane.

This $6.69 million project includes bridge preservation work on the Rochester-Monaca Bridge between Atlantic Avenue in Monaca Borough and Pleasant Street in Rochester Borough. Preservation work includes expansion joint replacement, zone painting, concrete deck overlay, downspout repair and replacement, steel and concrete repairs, as well as sidewalk, deck, barrier, and fence repairs, pavement marking upgrades, and other miscellaneous construction activities. Motorists will see a full 67-day closure and detour of the bridge via the Monaca-East Rochester Bridge between June and August 2024. Bicycle and pedestrian access will be maintained during construction. This project is expected to be completed in late 2024.

Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway 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.

• Increased the company’s fleet electrification from 8% in 2022 to 11% in 2023. In 2023, the company added eight more 100% electric Ford F-150 Lightnings to its fleet, making DLC’s Lightning fleet the largest in southwestern Pennsylvania.
• Strengthened local communities through charitable giving and volunteerism, including nearly $2 million donated to 464 organizations in 2023 — 86% of which are diverse led. DLC employees also participated in 89 volunteer events in the community, contributing to 4,320 volunteer hours.
• Enabled customers to participate in energy efficiency programs that helped reduce 100,680 MWh across all customer segments. These measures led to a reduction of 78,650 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, which is equal to the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from 15,878 gas-powered passenger vehicles driven for one year or 182,909,597 miles. (From the EPA GHG Equivalence Calculator as of Dec. 31, 2023.)
• Named a StormReady institution by the National Weather Service, which highlights the company as an industry leader in best practices when planning for and responding to severe weather and water events. At the time of recognition, DLC was one of only two electric utility companies in the U.S. to receive this distinction.

FILE—(AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File)
Danielle Smith – Keystone State News Service

For Pennsylvanians on the hunt for employment opportunities, the Keystone State offers a favorable landscape. The state’s jobless rate stayed at a record low 3.4% in April, better than the national rate of 3.9%.

Maisum Murtaza, research associate at the Keystone Research Center, said the positive trend has been ongoing for months, with the rate hovering between 3.2% and 3.4% over the past year. He pointed out the job market is recovering from the COVID years and workers are starting to gain a bit more power in the labor market.

“A low unemployment rate that persists like that gives workers more levers in the job market individually and together as well as creating more buying power,” Murtaza explained. “We’ve also seen in conjunction with the low persistent unemployment rates, last 12 months, real wages have started to go up.”

Murtaza noted inflation has started to come back under control and the persistence of the effect is helping the labor market recover. The number of nonfarm jobs rose to a record high of more than 6 million, an increase of 2,600 jobs over March and the ninth consecutive monthly increase.

Murtaza reported Pennsylvania added 81,000 jobs to its overall employment over the last 12 months, with education and health services leading the way.

“Over the last 12 months, that industry has gained over 58,000 jobs,” Murtaza outlined. “The largest percent gains in the last 12 months were, of course, with education and health services. Leisure, and hospitality, which is still recovering, because that was probably the industry hit hardest during the COVID years. ”

Murtaza added government employment is in third place in terms of the highest percentage growth in employment over the last 12 months.

Pennsylvania mirrors a national trend of historically low unemployment rates for Black workers, despite a recent minor uptick, suggesting a positive overall trend with the blip likely a temporary fluctuation in the data.

FILE – Commuters wait to drive through the Holland Tunnel into New York City during morning rush hour traffic in Jersey City, N.J.,, Wednesday, March 8, 2023. A study published Wednesday, May 22, 2024, says U.S. vehicles hit a record average age of 12.6 years in 2024 as people continue to hang on to their rides largely because new ones cost so much. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)

DETROIT (AP) — Cars, trucks and SUVs in the U.S. keep getting older, hitting a record average age of 12.6 years in 2024 as people hang on to their vehicles largely because new ones cost so much.

S&P Global Mobility, which tracks state vehicle registration data nationwide, said Wednesday that the average vehicle age grew about two months from last year’s record.

But the growth in average age is starting to slow as new vehicle sales start to recover from pandemic-related shortages of parts, including computer chips. The average increased by three months in 2023.

Still, with an average U.S. new-vehicle selling price of just over $45,000 last month, many can’t afford to buy new — even though prices are down more than $2,000 from the peak in December of 2022, according to J.D. Power.

“It’s prohibitively high for a lot of households now,” said Todd Campau, aftermarket leader for S&P Global Mobility. “So I think consumers are being painted into the corner of having to keep the vehicle on the road longer.”

Other factors include people waiting to see if they want to buy an electric vehicle or go with a gas-electric hybrid or a gasoline vehicle. Many, he said, are worried about the charging network being built up so they can travel without worrying about running out of battery power. Also, he said, vehicles are made better these days and simply are lasting a long time.

New vehicle sales in the U.S. are starting to return to pre-pandemic levels, with prices and interest rates the big influencing factors rather than illness and supply-chain problems, Compau said. He said he expects sales to hit around 16 million this year, up from 15.6 million last year and 13.9 million in 2022.

As more new vehicles are sold and replace aging vehicles in the nation’s fleet of 286 million passenger vehicles, the average age should stop growing and stabilize, Compau said. And unlike immediately after the pandemic, more lower-cost vehicles are being sold, which likely will bring down the average price, he said.

People keeping vehicles longer is good news for the local auto repair shop. About 70% of vehicles on the road are 6 or more years old, he said, beyond manufacturer warranties.

Those who are able to keep their rides for multiple years usually get the oil changed regularly and follow manufacturer maintenance schedules, Campau noted.

FILE – Fans wait in line outside Graceland Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2017, in Memphis, Tenn. The granddaughter of Elvis Presley is fighting plans to publicly auction his Graceland estate in Memphis after a company tried to sell the property based on claims that a loan using the king of rock ’n’ roll’s former home as collateral was not repaid. A public auction for the estate had been scheduled for Thursday, May 23, 2024, but a Memphis judge blocked the sale after Presley’s granddaughter Riley Keough sought a temporary restraining order and filed a lawsuit, court documents show. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill, File)

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee judge on Wednesday blocked the auction of Graceland, the former home of Elvis Presley, by a company that claimed his estate failed to repay a loan that used the property as collateral.

Shelby County Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins issued a temporary injunction against the proposed auction that had been scheduled for Thursday this week. Jenkins’ injunction essentially keeps in place a previous restraining order that he had issued after Presley’s granddaughter Riley Keough filed a lawsuit to fight off what she said was a fraudulent scheme.

A public notice for a foreclosure sale of the 13-acre estate in Memphis posted earlier in May said Promenade Trust, which controls the Graceland museum, owes $3.8 million after failing to repay a 2018 loan. Keough, an actor, inherited the trust and ownership of the home after the death of her mother, Lisa Marie Presley, last year.

Naussany Investments and Private Lending said Lisa Marie Presley had used Graceland as collateral for the loan, according to the foreclosure sale notice. Keough, on behalf of the Promenade Trust, alleged in her lawsuit that Naussany presented fraudulent documents regarding the loan in September 2023.

Neither Keough nor lawyers for Nassauny Investments were in court Wednesday.

“Lisa Maria Presley never borrowed money from Naussany Investments and never gave a deed of trust to Naussany Investments,” Keough’s lawyer wrote in a lawsuit.

Kimberly Philbrick, the notary whose name is listed on Nassauny’s documents, indicated that she never met Lisa Marie Presley nor notarized any documents for her, the court filing said.

Graceland opened as a museum and tourist attraction in 1982 as a tribute to Elvis Presley, the singer and actor who died in August 1977 at age 42. It draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. A large Presley-themed entertainment complex across the street from the museum is owned by Elvis Presley Enterprises.