A barge operator believes it has found a sunken barge in the Ohio River near Pittsburgh, one of 26 that broke loose and floated away during weekend flooding, company officials said Tuesday.

Crews used sonar to locate an object in a stretch of river north of the city, which Campbell Transportation Company Inc. said it presumes to be its missing barge.

The river remained closed to maritime traffic while the company worked to salvage the runaway barges.

Cmdr. Justin Jolley, of the U.S. Coast Guard’s marine safety unit in Pittsburgh, said Tuesday that once the object in the river is confirmed to be the missing barge, “we’re hopeful we can reduce the security zone to that area and allow traffic to resume.”

Seventeen of the barges are secure and under control, while seven remain positioned against the Emsworth Locks and Dam and one is pinned against the Dashields Locks and Dam, the company said.

“We are actively developing a recovery plan for all affected vessels, which will be implemented when safe for the recovery workers, barges and the public,” said Gary Statler, the company’s senior vice president for river operations.

Jolley said Campbell began retrieving barges pinned against the Emsworth dam on Tuesday morning.

The Coast Guard is investigating how the barges got loose from their moorings late Friday, striking a bridge and smashing a pair of marinas. All but three of the barges were loaded with coal, fertilizer and other dry cargo. Statler said the barges broke loose “under high water conditions on the rivers, resulting in strong currents due to flooding in the area.”

No injuries were reported.

An inspection of the Sewickley Bridge revealed no significant damage, and the bridge was reopened to traffic on Saturday,

The barge mishap took place more than two weeks after Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after it was hit by a wayward cargo ship, killing six construction workers who plunged to their deaths.

Campbell, of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, owns and manages more than 1,100 barges and moves about 60 million tons of dry and liquid cargo each year, according to its website.

FILE – This April 2, 2021, file photo shows bridges spanning the Allegheny River in downtown Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The union that represents a Pittsburgh newspaper’s truck drivers, one of five unions that have been on strike for 18 months, has approved a new contract with the paper’s owners. Four other unions, including one representing the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s journalists and other newsroom employees, have not settled.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said the remaining members of Teamsters Local 211/205 voted unanimously to accept a labor dispute settlement agreement and dissolve their union at the newspaper. Details of the agreement were not disclosed, but the newspaper reported that it substantially resolves all strike-related issues and health care, including any outstanding National Labor Relations Board actions.

The newspaper declined further comment on the matter.

Four other unions at the Post-Gazette — including the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh, which represents reporters, photographers and other newsroom employees — are not part of the settlement and remain on strike. The Communications Workers of America represents the other Post-Gazette workers still on strike, including the mailers, advertising staff, and the journalists at the Pittsburgh Newspaper Guild.

CWA officials said they were disheartened by the Teamsters’ settlement.

“It’s beyond disappointing that the Teamsters would abandon their fellow strikers at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,” said NewsGuild-CWA President Jon Schleuss said in a statement posted on the union’s website. “We stood with the Teamsters: in the cold, in the rain, in the snow, and in the face of violent scab truck drivers and aggressive police. We will continue to strike and hold the employer to account.”

CWA District 2-13 Vice President Mike Davis added, “Their decision to prioritize greed over solidarity with their fellow union members is not only disappointing but also a betrayal of the values that we hold dear in the labor movement.”

The Teamster local and the three other non-newsroom unions went on strike in October 2022, and they were joined by the Newspaper Guild members two weeks later. The Post-Gazette hired replacement employees, while the striking newspaper guild members have been producing their own newspaper, the Pittsburgh Union Progress, during the strike.

Joe Barbano, a trustee and business agent for the Teamsters local, told WESA that the union was backed into a corner, noting its membership had fallen from around 150 to just 30 when the strike began.

“A majority of (the remaining members) said we would take some type of a settlement, we’ll move on with our lives,” Barbano said. “And that’s what we did.”

Barbano said his local had presented the idea for this settlement about six months ago to the other unions but they other didn’t move on it, so the Teamsters decided to move forward on their own. He acknowledged the Teamsters negotiated in secret from the other unions on strike, saying it was because the Post-Gazette made that a requirement.

Gas prices are two cents higher in Western Pennsylvania this week at $3.853 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

This week’s average prices: Western Pennsylvania Average                         $3.853
Average price during the week of April 8, 2024                                                $3.839
Average price during the week of April 17, 2023                                              $3.822

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

$3.829      Altoona
$3.867      Beaver
$3.897      Bradford
$3.772      Brookville
$3.861      Butler
$3.753      Clarion
$3.838      DuBois
$3.878      Erie
$3.832      Greensburg
$3.889      Indiana
$3.884      Jeannette
$3.848      Kittanning
$3.851      Latrobe
$3.885      Meadville
$3.900      Mercer
$3.754      New Castle
$3.827      New Kensington
$3.899      Oil City
$3.864      Pittsburgh
$3.867      Sharon
$3.890      Uniontown
$3.900      Warren
$3.856      Washington

Trend Analysis:
Today’s national average price for regular gasoline is $3.63. This marks an increase of four cents from last week and twenty cents from one month ago. Today’s average is three cents cheaper than last year. Compared to last week, oil prices are a few dollars cheaper, with minor fluctuations.

Monaca, PA – Community College of Beaver County (CCBC) has joined #CCMonth, a monthlong  grassroots education and stigma-busting campaign coordinated by the Association of Community  College Trustees (ACCT). The primary goals of #CCmonth are to improve awareness of the economic,  academic, and equity advantages of attending community colleges and to bust longtime stigmas  wrongly associated with public two-year colleges. 

“The past year has proved beyond any doubt that our college is vital to our community and our state,”  said Roger W. Davis, president of CCBC. “We’ve expanded program offerings, through the Build Back  Better grant and other initiatives, broadened our horizons with a new site in Washington County  through our aviation and College Here and Now programs, and reinstated our well-respected  community events and resources. #CCMonth is an opportunity to celebrate the importance and value of  our college to our community and to demonstrate how we are cultivating students for the future.” 

Public community colleges are a uniquely American educational model designed to guarantee access to  affordable, high-quality higher education for all. They serve as an onramp to bachelor, master, and  higher-level degrees for many, particularly for the most demographically and socioeconomically diverse  students. They guarantee fair admissions for all students and offer support for adult learners who must  work to support their families. Without community colleges, many American students would not be able  to access higher education at all. 

In short, community colleges like CCBC were created to serve the needs of their communities, and they  do it exceptionally well. 

CCBC is the region’s most affordable higher education institution allowing students to gain transferable credits and career focused training to join the workforce. Students can begin the process in high school  through the College Here and Now program and then choose from ten program pathways to continue  

their education as a college student. The college’s programs are designed to give students practical,  hands-on experience to prepare them to enter the workforce quickly. The new mechatronics program,  funded by the Build Back Better grant, is an example of this learning model where students combine  robotics and AI in the classroom and implement it in the manufacturing industry.

“Before I worked at a community college, I learned at a community college,” Dr. Katie Thomas, Dean,  School of Professions and Transfer Studies said. “Today, I am a doctor, a dean, and a person with a voice  at the table because of the transformational power of community colleges. #CCMonth is an opportunity  to celebrate these awesome organizations.” 

Despite some ongoing stigma about community colleges, research from New America’s annual Varying  Degrees study and other sources reveals that most Americans hold community colleges in the highest  regard concerning the cost of attendance, tax dollar support, and efficient operations. 

More Americans also believe community colleges are more underfunded than other institutions, and “a  majority believe that students need career-related support (88%), financial aid (87%), and academic  support (85%). They also strongly believe that colleges and universities must provide housing (82%) and  food (76%) support and on-campus childcare (70%),” according to the survey report. Community  colleges throughout PA and the United States provide these services so that the most disadvantaged  students can succeed in their higher education careers.  

“Community Colleges provide opportunities and support, but they also form personal relationships with  their students and help them create a vision for their future,” said Kim Turcola, academic advisor. “CCBC offers many resources to students including academic advising, financial aid assistance, career coaching,  mental health counseling, and wellness support such as food security.” 

Each year, the #CCMonth campaign makes millions of impressions across social media platforms, and  organizers encourage students and others to share the importance of community colleges in cultivating  skills and their affordability for financially challenged generations. 

PITTSBURGH (April 16, 2024) – Allegheny Health Network (AHN) Cancer Institute will host its fifth monthly cancer screening of 2024 on Saturday, May 4, at AHN West Penn Hospital’s Mellon Pavilion, Suite 322, 4800 Friendship Ave. in Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield neighborhood.

The event is open to both AHN and non-AHN patients. Registration for the event is now open and closes on April 26, or until all appointments are filled. Reservations must be made by calling 412-359-6665.

Screenings for the following cancers will be available: breast cancer (for ages 40+), cervical cancer (ages 21-65), colorectal cancers (age 45+), head and neck cancers (age 18+), lung cancer (ages 50-77 with a history of smoking), prostate cancer (ages 45+), and skin cancer (ages 18+).

In 2023, the cancer screening event at West Penn drew 98 participants who received a total of 202 screenings. Of those screenings, 158 yielded normal results while 44 were flagged as abnormal. Patients who receive abnormal test results are advised to undergo further investigational testing.

Doctors encourage those eligible for the screenings to attend the event regardless of whether they are experiencing medical symptoms or complications, as early detection is essential for the treatment of many cancers.

“Early detection is the strongest weapon we have against many forms of cancer,” said James Betler, DO, system director for the AHN Cancer Institute and director of AHN’s cancer screening program. “By providing these one-stop-shop screenings monthly across Western Pennsylvania, we’re empowering patients to proactively take their health into their own hands and be the frontline defense against this disease.”

The AHN Cancer Institute has been offering free, one-stop comprehensive cancer screenings since 2014. Because of the program’s success and the ongoing need for early detection, three years ago the program was expanded to offer monthly screenings on Saturdays across Western Pennsylvania.

AHN also holds weekday comprehensive cancer screening clinics for insured patients at Jefferson Hospital (Tuesdays) and Forbes Hospital (Wednesdays). Patients can call 412-325-9015 to schedule an appointment for the Jefferson and Forbes weekly screenings.

Following the West Penn event, a screening will be held on June 8 at Premier Medical Associates in Monroeville. For additional information about the AHN cancer screening program, visit https://www.ahn.org/lp/free-cancer-screenings.

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing a westbound I-376 (Fort Pitt Bridge) overnight lane restriction in the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, will occur Thursday night, April 18 weather permitting.

A single-lane restriction will occur on the Fort Pitt Bridge in the westbound direction from 10 p.m. Thursday night until 5 a.m. Friday morning. PennDOT crews will conduct deck spall repairs.

Motorists should be prepared for changing traffic patterns. Please use caution when driving through the area.  Work zone safety is everyone’s responsibility.

Harrisburg, PA – Today, Governor Josh Shapiro’s Administration formally certified that a record $900 million will be available for statewide property tax relief through the Department of Education and local school districts. As is required by Act 1 of 2006, Secretary of the Budget Uri Monson certified that this record amount of relief is sustainable for at least the next five years – and local districts will be required to pass this funding on to local taxpayers.

 

For the past several years, the Property Tax Relief Fund has been robust enough to provide $750 million in statewide property tax relief. However, thanks to strong revenues and conservative projections from the Office of the Budget, the Shapiro Administration is able to make available a historic amount of state funding for property tax relief. Today’s announcement means that an additional $150 million will be available per year, for each of the next 5 years to help cut taxes and lower costs for Pennsylvanians.

 

In accordance with Act 1 of 2006, school districts are required to pass 100 percent of this funding on to its taxpayers. Often, that is done by increasing the homestead exemption, which lowers property taxes by reducing the taxable assessed value of the home. For example, if a home is assessed at $50,000 and the homestead exclusion is $5,000, then the homeowner only pays taxes on an assessed value of $45,000. School districts often use the funding announced by the Shapiro Administration today to increase the homestead exclusion, which in effect, means homeowners have a smaller tax burden and are required to pay less in property taxes.

 

The Pennsylvania Department of Education will notify each school district of its property tax reduction allocation no later than May 1, 2024, which will allow every school district to reduce the property tax burden on its citizens. The amount allocated to each school district will be available at education.pa.gov at that time.

 

“As I’ve traveled across Pennsylvania, I’ve heard from so many homeowners who are struggling with the burden of high property taxes – and that’s why I’ve been focused on cutting costs and delivering real relief for them,” said Governor Josh Shapiro. “Thanks to our smart, sound fiscal management, we are providing a record amount of property tax relief to millions of homeowners all across our Commonwealth, and I will continue working to bring people together in Harrisburg to cut costs and keep putting more money back in Pennsylvanians’ pockets.”

 

In addition to $900 million for statewide property tax relief, the Shapiro Administration also certified that $175.6 million is available to support the historic expansion of the Property Tax/Rent Rebate program. Last year, Governor Shapiro and legislative leaders in both parties worked together to expand the program and pass the largest targeted tax cut for seniors in nearly two decades.

 

Today’s announcement builds on the Shapiro Administration’s strong record of sound fiscal management and work to cut costs and lower taxes for Pennsylvanians. Thanks in part to those policies, all three major credit rating agencies affirmed the Commonwealth’s responsible budgetary management. In December, Secretary Monson announced that the Commonwealth conducted a successful bond sale of approximately $1.3 billion in new GO Bonds, saving taxpayers nearly $100 million on debt service savings over the life of the bonds – and in January, Secretary Monson released the Commonwealth’s first-ever debt management policy, providing the Commonwealth and the public with predictable, consistent policies.

 

In addition to expanding the Property Tax/Rent Rebate program in his first year, Governor Shapiro secured a major expansion of the Pennsylvania Child and Dependent Care Enhancement Tax Credit, helping to make childcare more affordable for over 200,000 Pennsylvania families and increasing the maximum state credit from $630 to $2,100 for Pennsylvania families.

 

In his 2024-25 budget proposal, Governor Shapiro called for further action to deliver real relief for Pennsylvanians, including:

 

• $50 million for the Whole Home Repairs program, to continue to provide direct assistance to homeowners and keep more families in their homes.

 

• $4 million for medical debt relief for low-income Pennsylvanians and calls for healthcare providers to implement transparent practices to limit medical debt from being incurred in the first place.

Photo Credit: Cathy Benscoter / Penn State Beaver. Obtained from Penn State Beaver Website.

(Monaca, Pa) Penn State Beaver has named a new chancellor and chief academic officer of the school. Carey McDougall, who has been serving as the campus’ interim chancellor since July 1, will fulfill the position.

McDougall previously served as the Director of Academic Affairs since 2014.

According to a news release, during her time at Penn State Beaver, McDougall has brought five additional degrees to the campus to align enrollment with industry growth and the changing career interests of prospective students both regionally and nationally. McDougall also designed and ran the campus’ first Campus Advisory Board Academic Excellence Mentoring Program to support students who would benefit from enriched career pathways.

McDougall also serves as the chair of the board of directors for the Beaver County Corporation for Economic Development, and as the chair of the Beaver Borough Planning Commission.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — More than two dozen river barges broke loose from their moorings and floated down the Ohio River in Pittsburgh, striking one bridge that had already been preemptively closed and damaging a marina, officials said. The boats eventually were pinned to the riverbank or went over a dam downstream, officials said.

Pittsburgh police, fire and emergency medical services responded around 11:25 p.m. Friday to reports of the barges “floating uncontrolled” down the river, Pittsburgh Public Safety said in a statement. The area had been hit by flooding after heavy rains Thursday.

The Sewickley Bridge was struck by a barge a few minutes before 2 p.m. Saturday, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said. It “was closed in advance of the strike and will remain closed until our crews complete an inspection,” spokesperson Steve Cowan said.

Officials in Moon Township, which is connected by the bridge to the community of Sewickley, earlier said the span would be temporarily closed “due to unmanned barge passing through.”

Eleven of the 26 barges that broke free were quickly contained to one side by another towing vessel just downstream, said Cmdr. Justin Jolley of the Coast Guard marine safety unit in Pittsburgh. Nine others were collected at the Emsworth lock and dam downstream.

Five or six barges went through the dam. Four ended up just downstream at a lock and dam, while another ended up on the bank of the river and was stabilized. Marine safety units were searching for one barge unaccounted for, Jolley said.

Pittsburgh public safety officials reported damage to Peggy’s Harbor, a marina on the river. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that the McKees Rocks Bridge was also closed as a precaution but later reopened following inspection.

Twenty-three of the barges were carrying dry cargo, mostly coal, and at least one was loaded with fertilizer, according to the owner, Jolley said. Three were empty. There were no hazardous materials on any of the vessels, the city said.

The Coast Guard put out a broadcast notice to mariners to inform them about the potential hazard, but high water was preventing traffic on the river, Jolley said.

The barges were owned or operated by Campbell Transportation Co., the city’s statement said. Jolley said Coast Guard officials were working with the owner on a salvage plan. Pennsylvania State Police and other agencies were also alerted.

The vulnerability of bridges to strikes from barges and ships came into stark relief last month when a container ship rammed a support of the major Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, collapsing the span and leading to the deaths or presumptive deaths of six road workers.

FILE – Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick shares his plan for combatting adverse Chinese influence on the U.S. economy and security during a speech at the Independence Visitor Center, Dec. 7, 2023, in Philadelphia. Former President Donald Trump endorsed McCormack of Pennsylvania on Saturday, April 13, 2024, urging his supporters in Pennsylvania to “go out and vote for him” in one of the year’s most hotly contested Senate races. (Tom Gralish/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, File)

Former President Donald Trump is endorsing U.S. Senate candidate David McCormick of Pennsylvania. Trump spoke during a rally in the eastern Pennsylvania town of Schnecksville on Saturday and urged his supporters in the state to vote for McCormick in one of the year’s most hotly contested Senate races. Trump’s endorsement came two years after he successfully helped sink McCormick in Pennsylvania’s Senate GOP primary, creating an awkward dynamic between the two men. McCormick didn’t attend the rally. McCormick responded on social media, saying: “Thank you, President Trump! Together we will deliver a big win for Pennsylvania and America in November.” McCormick is trying to unseat Democratic Sen. Bob Casey.