Harrisburg, PA – Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt today reminded registered Pennsylvania voters who want to vote by mail that they have until 5 p.m. Oct. 29 to apply for their ballot for the Nov. 5 general election.

Ensuring that our elections are conducted securely, freely, and fairly – and that every eligible voter can make their voice heard – are top priorities of the Shapiro Administration.

“Casting your ballot by mail is a safe, secure, and convenient way to vote,” Schmidt said. “It takes only a few minutes to apply online for a mail-in or absentee ballot or to apply in person at your county board of elections office.

“Apply for your mail ballot now and, once you receive it, fill it out and return it right away so you can be assured your county election office will get it before the deadline of 8 p.m. Nov. 5.”

As soon as voters receive their mail ballot, they should do the following:

• Read the instructions carefully.
• Fill out the ballot, being sure to follow instructions on how to mark their candidate selections.
• Seal the ballot in the yellow secrecy envelope marked “Official Election Ballot.”
• Seal the yellow envelope in the larger outer return envelope.
• Sign and write the current date on the voter’s declaration on the larger envelope.

Completed mail ballots must be received by a voter’s county board of elections by 8 p.m. Nov. 5, Election Day. Mail ballots received after that time cannot be counted. Some counties may provide drop boxes or other drop-off sites for mail ballots.

Pennsylvanians can also request their mail ballot, complete it, and return it in one visit to their county election office until 5 p.m. Oct. 29. Voters are encouraged to check their county election office hours before making the trip.

Pennsylvania voters also have the option of voting in person on Election Day at the polls, which will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 5. Voters can find their polling place on vote.pa.gov.

Voters who received an absentee or mail-in ballot may vote in person on Election Day if they bring their mail ballot materials with them to be voided.

Voters who requested a mail ballot and did not receive it or do not have it to surrender may vote by provisional ballot at their polling place. The provisional ballot will be reviewed by their county board of elections after Election Day to determine whether it can be counted.

“No matter how you choose to vote – by mail ballot or in person at the polls on Election Day – what matters is making sure that your voice is heard,” Schmidt said.

For more information on voting in Pennsylvania, call the Department of State’s year-round voter hotline at 1-877-VOTESPA, visit vote.pa.gov, or follow #ReadytoVotePA on social media. Vote.pa.gov is available in English, Spanish, and Chinese and offers online voter registration, a polling place locator, and county boards of elections contact information. It also includes voting tips for first-time voters and members of the military.

Gas prices are three cents lower in Western Pennsylvania this week at $3.479 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

This week’s average prices: Western Pennsylvania Average                          $3.479
Average price during the week of Sept. 23, 2024                                              $3.502
Average price during the week of Oct. 2, 2023                                                  $3.927

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

$3.354      Altoona
$3.508      Beaver
$3.757      Bradford
$3.365      Brookville
$3.513      Butler
$3.374      Clarion
$3.341      DuBois
$3.377      Erie
$3.506      Greensburg
$3.458      Indiana
$3.551      Jeannette
$3.619      Kittanning
$3.481      Latrobe
$3.451      Meadville
$3.618      Mercer
$3.359      New Castle
$3.449      New Kensington
$3.469      Oil City
$3.488      Pittsburgh
$3.313      Sharon
$3.517      Uniontown
$3.759      Warren
$3.380      Washington

Trend Analysis:
The national average for a gallon of gas is up a penny over the past week to $3.21. Hurricane Helene missed the Gulf’s oil production sites and refining centers, so gasoline supply has not been impacted. However, power outages, structural damage, and road flooding will affect local residents’ ability to fuel up as clean-up efforts continue. Today’s national average is 14 cents less than a month ago and 61 cents less than a year ago.

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand rose from 8.77 million barrels per day last week to 9.20. Meanwhile, total domestic gasoline stocks fell slightly from 221.6 million barrels to 220.1, while gasoline production increased last week, averaging 9.8 million barrels daily.

At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate fell by 1.87 cents to settle at $69.69 a barrel. The EIA reports that crude oil inventories decreased by 4.5 million barrels from the previous week. At 413.0 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are about 5% below the five-year average for this time of year.

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published October 2, 2024 11:46 A.M.

(Ambridge, Pa) Ambridge Borough Manager Mario Leone, said in a release issued over the weekend that a $7,500 Placemaking Grant was received from the PA Realtors Association. Council approved the installation of a Mega Chess Board w/3 foot tall chess pieces, along with 2 concrete tables. The installation will take place at the Fifth Street Park. Two concrete cornhole tables will be installed near the new Outdoor fitness Center as well.
Leone also reported that more outdoor amenities are being planned, possibly outdoor ping pong or a Foosball table. He says resident input is welcome.

(Rochester, PA) A domestic dispute in Rochester which led to a police officer losing part of his finger has a man and a woman behind bars. According to a criminal complaint, officers from Rochester Borough were called to the apartment of Andrea and Andrew Pyne, and when officers walked in, Andrea slammed the door on the hand of one of the officers, amputating his finger on the first knuckle. The complaint continues with Andrea telling police that she had punched and choked her boyfriend because he would not make her dinner, calling 911 after her boyfriend had called to report it, and Andrea slammed the door because Andrew did not have the rights to be inside her home. Both have been questioned about the dispute and both have been taken into custody. Andrea faces numerous charges including aggravated assault and reckless endangerment of a person.

(Story written by Noah Haswell of Beaver County Radio, Published on October 2, 2024 at 9:16 A.M.)

(Beaver Falls, PA) A man in Beaver Falls became a victim of check washing, in which a check has a stolen signature after eliminating its information by someone who wants to fraud that information and take it for themselves. Ralph Dyson discovered that two checks below $10 were cashed for just over $1,600. Dyson’s bank, First National Bank, is responsible for getting the refunds from the check washing incident. 

(Story written by Noah Haswell of Beaver County Radio, Published on October 2, 2024 at 9:13 A.M.)

(Moon Township, PA) Police confiscated an airsoft gun from a Moon Area middle school student on Monday after the student took the gun on a school bus. According to Moon Area superintendent Barry Balaski, discipline for the student will be determined by school leaders based on the school’s code of conduct. Balaski also noted that officers figured out this incident was isolated and there was no safety threat. This comes after an incident last month in which a Moon Area High School student was found with a weapon. 

(Story written by Noah Haswell of Beaver County Radio, Published on October 2, 2024 at 9:10 A.M.)

(New Brighton, PA) A winning Treasure Hunt lottery ticket worth just over $137,000 was sold at Brighton Health Mart Pharmacy in New Brighton in Beaver County. The two winners, one from Beaver County and one from Montgomery County, will split the prize of $137,979. The winning ticket was one of over 46,500 Treasure Hunt tickets that had winning prizes.

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing single-lane restrictions have been extended on the Rochester-Monaca Bridge, which carries Route 18 over the Ohio River, in Rochester and Monaca boroughs, Beaver County.

Single-lane alternating traffic will continue, as needed, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays through late November on the Rochester-Monaca Bridge (Route 18) to allow crews to conduct pier work, downspout work, and other miscellaneous construction.

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. This project is expected to be completed in late 2024.