Norfolk Southern locomotives are moved through the Conway Terminal in Conway, Pa., Saturday, June 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Major freight railroads will have to maintain two-person crews in most circumstances under a new federal rule. The Transportation Department’s Federal Railroad Administration released the details of the rule the agency has been working on for the past two years Tuesday morning. The rule comes amid an intense focus on railroad safety following the fiery February 2023 derailment in eastern Ohio. Rail unions have long opposed one-person crews because of a combination of safety and job concerns. Unions and regulators say the second crew member plays a crucial safety role in helping operate the train and serving as a first responder if there is a problem.Railroads have sought the discretion to operate trains with only one person and move conductors to ground-based jobs.

Gas prices are two cents lower in Western Pennsylvania this week at $3.735 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

This week’s average prices: Western Pennsylvania Average                         $3.735
Average price during the week of March 25, 2024                                            $3.752
Average price during the week of April 3, 2023                                                $3.683

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

$3.722      Altoona
$3.763      Beaver
$3.734      Bradford
$3.695      Brookville
$3.752      Butler
$3.478      Clarion
$3.736      DuBois
$3.759      Erie
$3.773      Greensburg
$3.791      Indiana
$3.793      Jeannette
$3.727      Kittanning
$3.744      Latrobe
$3.764      Meadville
$3.799      Mercer
$3.659      New Castle
$3.693      New Kensington
$3.799      Oil City
$3.746      Pittsburgh
$3.737      Sharon
$3.694      Uniontown
$3.796      Warren
$3.754      Washington

Trend Analysis:

After an early spring surge, the national average for a gallon of gas has remained steady over the past week at $3.53. Gas prices are settling into a pattern like last year when the usual seasonal increases were slow and steady. Today’s national average is 20 cents more than a month ago and three cents more than a year ago.

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand dipped slightly from 8.81 to 8.72 million barrels per day last week. Meanwhile, total domestic gasoline stocks increased by 1.3 million barrels to 232.1 million barrels. Lower demand would typically contribute to pushing pump prices lower or slowing increases, but rising oil prices have kept them elevated instead.

At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate decreased by 27 cents to settle at $81.35. Oil prices fell after the EIA reported that total domestic commercial crude stocks increased by 3.2 million barrels to 448.2 million barrels last week. The current stock level is still 25.5 million barrels lower than at the end of March 2023.

Motorists can find current gas prices nationwide, statewide, and countywide at gasprices.aaa.com.

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful are inviting 10^th -12^th grade students to help keep Pennsylvania clean and beautiful through the Young Ambassadors of Pennsylvania program.

The program, now in its third year, builds community stewards and civic leaders by empowering young Pennsylvanians to become ambassadors in their community for a shared vision of a clean and beautiful Pennsylvania. Applicants should be passionate about the environment and committed to restoring and protecting Pennsylvania’s ecological landscape through volunteerism and leadership.

Ambassadors will train and network with industry leaders, state agencies, local media and the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful network to prepare them to be be dfference-makers in their communities by builiding their leadership and problem-solving skills.

“Pennsylvania needs leaders. Like many other crises that require long-term change, we’re looking to the youngest of us to help lead environmental sustainability into the future,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. “I’m heartened to see the attention and diligence of the next generation of Pennsylvania’s environmental caretakers”

“It has been enlightening to work with students from diverse backgrounds and cultures through our Young Ambassador program. They each bring their own experiences and aspirations that have helped shape the program. We know the students of today hold the key to a sustainable future and we’re excited to work with and guide this new group of Young Ambassadors to implement change in their communities and the Commonwealth. We’re grateful to continue to partner with PennDOT to provide even more opportuntites for students to develop necessary skills for them to succeed,” said Shannon Reiter, President of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful.

Chosen candidates will commit to serve as an Ambassador from September 2024 through May 2025 and represent and uphold the mission and values of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful.

Other responsibilities include:

• attending 6 mandatory virtual education sessions;
• conducting a community assessment and creating a summary presentation;
• organizing and participating in at least one community cleanup event through pick up Pennsylvania and conducting one community education event or activity.

There will also be non-mandatory education sessions from a variety of topics.

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful will provide education and training to program participants on such topics related to the impact of litter on roadways, litter prevention, waste management and recycling, civic engagement and related public policy, volunteer management, and social media marketing. The program will provide networking opportunities to not only build a sense of community within the program but also to promote professional development of the individual students. In addition, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful has partnered with Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania funded by the NiSource Charitable Foundation to provide Job Shadow Days to select Ambassadors.

The Young Ambassadors program was recommended in the commonwealth’s Litter Action Plan announced by the Governor’s Office in November 2021 and is funded by PennDOT.

Applications are being accepted April 1 through June 10. Students will be chosen through a competitive application process. Students interested in applying should visit keeppabeautiful.org and choose Programs, Education then Young Ambassadors of Pennsylvania or contact Kylie McCutcheon at 724-836-4121 x114 or kmccutcheon@keeppabeautiful.org.

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing waterline installation work on Beaver Grade Road (Route 3077) in Moon Township, Allegheny County was set to begin overnight.

Single-lane alternating traffic will occur on Beaver Grade Road between Carnot Road and Tiger Trail weeknights from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. through late April. Crews from the Moon Township Municipal Authority will conduct waterline installation work.

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published April 2, 2024 10:37 A.M.

(Hopewell Township, Pa) Due to maintenance work going on, the Hopewell Township dog park is closed. The closure will remain until the work is complete, according to a road department spokesman. Work includes the removal of tree stumps.

Photo obtained from connectbeavercounty.com

(Beaver County, Pennsylvania) The Connect Beaver County Broadband Program announced that its two Early Action Projects (EAP) are complete, and new broadband service is now available to more than 250 Beaver County homes previously without reliable service.

Municipalities with locations in the new service areas include Hanover Township, now receiving connection through Armstrong, and Darlington Township, South Beaver Township, and Big Beaver Borough, now receiving connection through Kinetic by Windstream.

Keystone State News Service – Danielle Smith

A proposed pumped-storage hydroelectric facility for Cuffs Run near the Susquehanna River in York County has been challenged by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

The foundation filed a motion to intervene in the proceedings with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which is considering granting a preliminary permit to build a 1.8-mile-long dam for the project.

Harry Campbell, science policy and advocacy director for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, said they are working to stop the project in order to protect the unique Cuffs Run area and its ecological benefits for future generations.

“If approved, this project would destroy it about 580 acres of prime farmland, fields and forests, some of which have not been disturbed in about 100 years,” Campbell pointed out. “Those farms, fields and forests exist harmoniously with and in support of a plethora of plant and animal life.”

The foundation is circulating an online petition and encouraged Pennsylvanians to provide comments before Sunday.

The stream is home to naturally reproducing brook trout. Advocates worry the $2.5 billion project would also be harmful to the Susquehanna River. Campbell noted about 40 families would be displaced.

“For those who call Cuffs Run home, it’s more than just a place to live. It’s their heritage and they want it to be part of their legacy,” Campbell asserted. “This project just simply is the wrong idea in the wrong place. In order to honor that heritage and that legacy, we need to preserve this area.”

Campbell emphasized the Cuffs Run project is about 993 acres of land draining into a 2.5-mile unnamed tributary. He added in terms of stream habitat, the rocks, pebbles and woody material have been identified as among the best in the region for supporting critters living in the water.

Harrisburg, PA – As part of its ongoing commitment to safety, the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) conducted its Easter holiday enforcement over the weekend and today released the results of the annual initiative.

From Friday, March 29 to Sunday, March 31, PSP investigated 407 crashes resulting in six fatalities and 90 injuries. Intoxicated driving was a factor in 46 of those crashes, two of which were fatal.

Troopers arrested 358 motorists for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and issued 17,168 traffic citations, including:

• 5,285 for speeding
• 557 for failing to wear a seatbelt
• 90 for not securing children in safety seats

Table 1: Easter 2024 Weekend Crash Data

Source: Pennsylvania State Police, 2024

Table 2: Easter 2024 Weekend Enforcement Data

Source: Pennsylvania State Police, 2024

(New Brighton, Pa) Artist Gadi Leshem will demonstrate his earthenware clay sculpture techniques on April 11, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. at the Merrick Art Gallery, 1100 5th Avenue, New Brighton, Pa.  

Gadi is a sculptor based in Mars, PA, with a deep passion for classical figurative sculpture and portraiture. His work explores the capture of expression, character and emotions through a combination of life studies and imaginative creations. His primary medium of choice is earthenware clay. Gadi is an active member of several local and national artists organizations. His sculptures are on display at different venues in the area.

Along with the demonstration, Members of Beaver Valley Artists are asked to bring their entries for the Annual Members show which will be juried the weekend of April 13.  The show will begin April 23 with a public reception on April 28 at the gallery.  The show will remain on exhibit till May 9 at 7:00 p.m. When the juror, William Kofmehl, will conduct a critique of the works in the show. Kofmehl teaches art at the college level. He has a BFA from Carnegie Mellon University and an MFA from Yale University. He is based in Pittsburgh with a focus on sculpture, and has exhibited his work nationally and internationally.

• Use Pennsylvania 811 by calling 811 or 1-800-242-1776 (for out of state callers) at least three (3) business days before the planned start of digging;
• Peoples and other utility companies serving your home will be notified, and send locators out to mark the location of any underground lines;
• During the project, respect the markings and excavate with due care; and
• In the event of any damage to pipelines, line markers, locator wires or warning tape, promptly notify the appropriate utility.