(File Photo)

Story by Beaver County Radio Staff
(Harmony, Butler County , Pa.) Pennsylvania Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman held a campaign rally at Steamfitters Technology in Harmony yesterday. Fetterman spoke for about 20 minutes to around 200 people who attended the rally. He talked about fighting for marriage equality, expanding health care for everyone, cutting taxes for working people, and protecting women’s health rights.
New data shows Dr. Oz has narrowed Fetterman’s lead. The two candidates are now polling inside the margin of error, according to a new survey by the AARP shared with Politico.
Dr. Oz on the other hand was also in the area as he appeared in Cranberry and at a “Safer Streets” event in West Homestead. He addressed safety concerns in the state and the impact violence has on the health of residents.

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Story by Beaver County Radio Staff
(Gibsonia, Pa.) Pennsylvania State Police in Gibsonia are reporting that they were called to the scene of a one vehicle accident in the parking lot of the Pa State Police Barracks along the Pa Turnpike in Gibsonia.

Troopers say via release that they were dispatched at 12:37 PM Sunday morning after 25-year-old Kouassi M’Mlo from Silver Spring Maryland attempted to make a sudden turn into the Pennsylvania State Police Gibsonia Barracks in the 2007 Toyota Yaris that he was driving.  He was traveling at a speed too fast to execute the turn when he lost control of the vehicle and struck a guardrail causing it to go airborne. The vehicle then struck a light pole and rotated clockwise and struck a parked Pa State Police Patrol Car. The car came to a rest on top of the guardrail in contact with the pole and the police cruiser. M’Mlo was not injured in the accident but he was cited for not driving a vehicle at a safe speed.

(File Photo)

Story by Beaver County Radio Staff
(Hopewell Township, Beaver County, Pa.) Pennsylvania State Police in Beaver are reporting that they were called to the scene of a two-vehicle accident along Interstate 376 Eastbound in the area of Gringo-Clinton Road at about 5:00 PM last Thursday, October 13, 2022.
Upon arriving and investigating it was learned that 28-year-old Ethan Peltz of Cadiz, Ohio was operating a 2019 Ford Eco Sport eastbound near the Allegheny and Beaver County Line when he failed to stay within the right lane and struck an unoccupied 2009 Nissan Maxima that was sitting on the right shoulder of the road. There were no injuries reported. Peltz was cited by Troopers for not observing the proper duty of a driver when it comes to disabled vehicles. The owner of the Nissan was cited for abandonment of a vehicle. Both vehicles had to be towed from the scene.

President Joe Biden speaks about the student debt relief portal beta test in the South Court Auditorium on the White House complex in Washington, Monday, Oct. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Monday officially kicked off the application process for his student debt cancellation program and announced that 8 million borrowers had already applied for loan relief during the federal government’s soft launch period over the weekend.
He encouraged the tens of millions eligible for potential relief to visit studentaid.gov and touted the application form that the president said would take less than five minutes to complete. An early, “beta launch” version of the online form released late Friday handled the early stream of applications “without a glitch or any difficulty,” Biden said.
“It means more than 8 million Americans are — starting this week — on their way to receiving life-changing relief,” Biden, accompanied by Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, said Monday. The president called his program a “game-changer” for millions of Americans saddled with student loan debt.
The number of borrowers who applied during the testing period already amounts to more than one-fourth of the total number of applicants the administration had projected would submit forms, underscoring the popularity of the program and the eagerness of borrowers to receive the debt relief. Some 8 million borrowers who have income information already on file with the Education Department would see their debt canceled without applying.
Biden’s plan calls for $10,000 in federal student debt cancellation for those with incomes below $125,000 a year, or households that make less than $250,000 a year. Those who received federal Pell Grants to attend college are eligible for an additional $10,000. The plan makes 20 million eligible to get their federal student debt erased entirely.
Biden promised to pursue widespread student debt forgiveness as a presidential candidate, but the issue went through more than a year of internal deliberation amid questions about its legality. His plan sparked intense debate ahead of the midterm elections, with Republicans and some Democrats saying it’s an unfair handout for college graduates.
But on Monday, Biden offered a full-throated defense of his decision.
“My commitment was if elected president, I was going to make government work to deliver for the people,” Biden said. “This rollout keeps that commitment.”
He also took aim at Republican officials who have either criticized the plan or are working in court to defeat it.
“Their outrage is wrong and it’s hypocritical,” Biden said. “I will never apologize for helping working Americans and middle class people as they recover from the pandemic.
Biden on Monday said the White House has received more than 10,000 comments and calls of thanks from borrowers. Indeed, thousands took to social media to share the form, with many saying they submitted their applications with little trouble.
The Biden administration has touted it as a “simple, straightforward” application. It asks for the borrower’s name, Social Security number, contact information and date of birth. It does not require income information but asks users to check a box attesting that they are eligible under the program’s income limits.
That information will be checked against Education Department records to help identify applicants who are likely to exceed the income limits, the administration says. Those people will be asked for more information to prove their incomes.
An estimated 1 million to 5 million people will be required to provide that extra documentation, the Education Department said in a recent submission to the White House’s Office of Management and Budget.
Creating and processing the form is estimated to cost nearly $100 million, a figure that angered advocates who view the application as an unnecessary barrier. The form is meant to help exclude the roughly 5% of borrowers who exceed the income limits, but advocates say it could also deter some lower-income Americans who need the relief.
Once the Education Department begins processing applications, borrowers should expect to see their debt forgiven in four to six weeks, officials say. Most applications submitted by mid-November will be processed by Jan. 1 — the day federal student loan payments are set to resume after being paused during the pandemic.
Borrowers will be able to submit applications through the end of 2023.
The Biden administration is pushing ahead with the debt cancellation even as it fights a growing number of legal challenges. Six Republican-led states are suing to block the plan, saying it oversteps Biden’s authority and will lead to financial losses for student loan servicers, which are hired to manage federal student loans and earn revenue on the interest.
A federal judge in St. Louis is now weighing the states’ request for an injunction to halt the plan. In court documents, the Education Department has vowed not to finalize any of the debt cancellation before Oct. 23.
Biden acknowledged Monday that litigation is ongoing but said his administration believes the lawsuits won’t ultimately affect the program.
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The Associated Press education team receives support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Click below for the link to apply:

https://studentaid.gov/debt-relief/application

(Photos provided with release)

Story by Beaver County Radio Staff
(Pittsburgh Pa.) Two men were arrested by the TSA late last week after officers found them with loaded handguns in their carry-on bags at a checkpoint at Pittsburgh International Airport.
The TSA said via release that a Pittsburgh man had a loaded .380 caliber handgun on Friday and a Colorado man had a 9mm gun that was loaded with seven bullets, including one in the chamber on Saturday
Both of the men were arrested on weapons charges.
TSA’s Federal Security Director for the Pittsburgh Airport Karen Keys-Turner said via release that .“Responsible gun owners know where their guns are at all times and they know that they are not permitted to carry them onto a flight. If you want to travel with your firearm all someone has to do is pack it properly and be sure to bring along your carry permit, if you have one. Now these travelers face a stiff financial civil penalty in addition to having to deal with their arrest.”

Guns detected at Pittsburgh International Airport security checkpoints, 2017 to 2022

Year	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022 (As of 10/16/22)
Guns caught at Pittsburgh International Airport checkpoints	32	34	35	21	32	20

TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty of up to $13,900 to individuals who bring weapons with them to a checkpoint. Civil penalties for bringing a handgun into a checkpoint can stretch into thousands of dollars, depending on mitigating or aggravating circumstances. This applies to travelers with or without concealed gun carry permits because even though an individual may have a concealed carry permit, it does not allow for a firearm to be carried onto an airplane. If a traveler with a gun is a member of TSA PreCheck®, that individual will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges.

Travelers are allowed to transport their firearms as checked baggage if they are properly packed and declared at their airline ticket counter to be transported in the belly of the plane with checked baggage. Checked firearms must be unloaded, packed in a hard-sided case, locked, and packed separately from ammunition. TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality and travelers should check into firearm laws before they decide to travel with their guns. Travelers should also contact their airline as they may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition.

When an individual shows up at a checkpoint with a firearm, the checkpoint lane comes to a standstill until the police resolve the incident. Guns at checkpoints delay travelers from getting to their gates.

Nationwide, TSA officers detected 5,972 firearms on passengers or their carry-on bags at checkpoints last year. Of the guns caught by TSA in 2021, about 86 percent were loaded.

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Story by Beaver County Radio Staff
(Wayne Township, Lawrence County. Pa.) Pa State Police in New Castle have charged a 22-year-old Ellwood City Man with not driving properly on roadways laned for traffic after a one vehicle accident occurred in Wayne Twp., Lawrence County.
Troopers said via release that Dylan Haynes was traveling north on Oswald street around 12:05 AM on Monday morning, October 17, 2022, when the rear passenger side control arm broke on the 2003 Toyota Celica that he was driving. The broken control arm caused Haynes to lose control of the vehicle and strike an embankment and then roll over on the roof of the vehicle. Neither Haynes or his passenger, 22-year-old, Peyton Caminiti of Ellwood City were injured in the accident.

(File Photo)

Story by Beaver County Radio Staff
(Chippewa Township, Beaver County, Pa.) Pa State Police in Gibsonia are looking for the publics help with any information concerning a public bathroom being damaged.
Troopers reported via release that sometime between 1:00 AM last Tuesday, October 11, 2022,  and 8:00 PM Thursday, October 12, 2022, an unknown actor entered the public bathroom at the I-376 East Interchange in Chippewa Twp. and damaged a toilet.
Troopers are asking anyone with information to contact them at the Gibsonia Barracks at 724-443-5907.

(File Photo)

AAA: Gas Prices Increase in PA
Gas prices are three cents higher in Western Pennsylvania this week at $3.990 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

This week’s average prices: Western Pennsylvania Average                $3.990
Average price during the week of October 10, 2022                                $3.968
Average price during the week of October 18, 2021                                $3.516

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

$3.994      Altoona
$4.069      Beaver
$3.997      Bradford
$3.766      Brookville
$4.031      Butler
$3.988      Clarion
$3.949      DuBois
$3.966      Erie
$3.995      Greensburg
$3.998      Indiana
$3.981      Jeannette
$4.000      Kittanning
$3.995      Latrobe
$3.997      Meadville
$4.074      Mercer
$3.959      New Castle
$3.992      New Kensington
$3.999      Oil City
$4.016      Pittsburgh
$3.991      Sharon
$4.007      Uniontown
$3.998      Warren
$4.001      Washington

Trend Analysis:

The national average pump price for a gallon of gas decreased three cents over the past week to hit $3.88. Lower gasoline demand, amid increasing supply and fluctuating oil prices, has contributed to the national average moving downward. Today’s national average is 20 cents higher than a month ago and 56 cents more than a year ago.

At the close of Friday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate decreased by $3.50 to settle at $85.61. Concerns regarding a possible global economic recession led to a drop in the price of crude which helped to minimize pump price increases last week. Additionally, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported total commercial crude inventories increased by 9.9 million barrels to 439.1 million barrels.

Meanwhile, domestic gasoline demand decreased as fewer drivers fueled up in the first half of October. According to EIA, gas demand decreased nationally from 9.47 million barrels per day to 8.28 million barrels per day, and total domestic gasoline stocks increased by 2 million barrels to 209.5 million barrels.

Motorists can find current gas prices nationwide, statewide, and countywide at GasPrices.AAA.com.

AAA East Central is a not-for-profit association with 71 local offices in Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia serving 2.7 million members.  News releases are available at news.eastcentral.aaa.com.  Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

(Pittsburgh, PA ) PennDOT District 11 is announcing that an overnight closure of the northbound I-79 local lane at the traffic crossover in Aleppo Township, Allegheny County, will occur Tuesday night, October 18 weather permitting.