TSA officers at Pittsburgh International Airport detected this firearm at the checkpoint on Nov. 25. (TSA photo)

PITTSBURGH – Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Pittsburgh International Airport prevented Gibsonia, Pa., man from carrying his loaded gun onto a flight on Saturday, Nov. 25. The .380 caliber handgun was loaded with seven bullets, including one in the chamber.

The good catch by TSA officers brings the total number of guns caught at the airport’s checkpoints to 40 so far this year, five more than the previous record of 35 firearms caught in 2019.

“There is no excuse for bringing a gun to the checkpoint,” said Karen Keys-Turner, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “Responsible gun owners do not bring their guns to a checkpoint. This was irresponsible on the part of this traveler during one of the busiest holiday travel periods of the year. Incidents such as this are dangerous, they disrupt our security screening operations and cause delays for other law-abiding travelers who just want to get on their flight to travel during the Thanksgiving holiday period. This man now faces a Federal civil penalty that could cost him thousands of dollars.”

The TSA officers at Pittsburgh “are good at their jobs and are very vigilant when it comes to helping ensure that no illegal or prohibited items are carried onto a flight,” Keys-Turner added.

Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms only in checked baggage if they are unloaded and packed in a hard-sided locked case. Then the locked case should be taken to the airline check-in counter to be declared. TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website.

Bringing a gun to an airport checkpoint carries a federal civil penalty because TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to travelers who have guns and gun parts with them at a checkpoint. Civil penalties for bringing a weapon into a checkpoint can reach up to $15,000, depending on the specific weapon and the 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. This also applies to travelers who are enrolled in the TSA PreCheck® program, who will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges if they bring a gun to a checkpoint.

The complete list of civil penalties is posted online.

When a gun is detected in the checkpoint X-ray unit, the conveyor belt is stopped and the police are notified. Police remove the carry-on bag from the X-ray unit because TSA does not want its officers handling firearms. Police determine whether a traveler is arrested or issued a criminal citation. Meanwhile the remaining passengers in the checkpoint lane either wait for the issue to be resolved or they are shifted to another checkpoint lane, thus delaying dozens of passengers from getting to their gates.

FILE – Attendees visit the Meta booth at the Game Developers Conference 2023 in San Francisco on March 22, 2023. Facebook parent Meta Platforms deliberately engineered its social platforms to hook kids and knew — but never disclosed — that it had received millions of complaints about underage users on Instagram but only disabled a fraction of those accounts, according to a newly unsealed legal complaint described in reports from the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A newly unsealed legal complaint claims Facebook parent Meta Platforms deliberately engineered its social platforms to hook kids. The complaint also alleges the company knew, but never disclosed, it had received millions of complaints about underage users on Instagram but only acted on a fraction of those accounts. The complaint has been described in Wall Street Journal and New York Times reports. The document, originally made public a month earlier in redacted form, was the opening salvo in a lawsuit filed by the attorneys general of 33 states. Meta maintains the complaint misrepresents its work.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A new Pennsylvania law will require doctors to get a patient’s verbal and written consent before medical students can perform pelvic exams on someone who receives anesthesia. Gov. Josh Shapiro signed the legislation into law last week, and a press conference commemorated it on Monday. The measure is part of a broader national effort to require informed consent for the examinations. At least 20 states have enacted similar measures. The Pennsylvania act will require health care providers to receive a patient’s verbal and written consent for a pelvic, rectal or prostate exam to be conducted under anesthesia. The law takes effect in January.

(Aliquippa, Pa) He said the authority reported that there has been no impact on water service in  Beaver County, referring to the threat that affected.  Independence and Potter Townships. He said attacks on our critical infrastructure are unacceptable.

Gas prices are five cents lower in Western Pennsylvania this week at $3.623 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.
The average price of unleaded self-serve gasoline in Beaver County is currently $3.73.

Immediately following the Thanksgiving holiday, the national average for a gallon of gas continues to fall. Since last week, pump prices have decreased five cents to $3.25.  Over the last two months, the national average has either fallen or remained flat with eleven states now having averages below $3 per gallon. Today’s national average is 26 cents less than a month ago and 30 cents less than a year ago.

At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate decreased by $1.56 to settle at $75.54. Oil prices fell due to the perceived easing of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East after the release of some hostages in Gaza. This comes ahead of Thursday’s OPEC+ meeting to decide on production cuts for 2024.

Story by Beaver County Radio News Staff. Published November 28, 2023 7:46 A.M.

(Ambridge, Pa) A Nuisance Bar compliance check at an Ambridge bar led to the discovery of drugs. State liquor control enforcement officers visited Game Time, located at 1101 Merchant Street, on Saturday, November 18.
During their inspection, in a portion of a licensed section of an office, officers found 60 grams of suspected cocaine and 22 undetermined black pills in a desk drawer.
The evidence was seized by State Police in Beaver. Ambridge Police also assisted in the investigation.

(Ambridge, Pa) It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Ambridge Historic District EDC is hosting its Christmas in the Historic District in partnership with Old Economy Village’s Christmas at the Village event Saturday, December 2, 2023, from 2PM to 9 PM and Sunday, December 3, 2023, from 2PM to 7 PM. This event has something for everyone.  It’s a seasonal experience to remember for the whole family.

Activities scheduled throughout the historic district including carriage rides, pictures with Santa at the Laughlin Memorial Library, and an open house celebration at the Ohio Valley Lines train museum. Get your holiday shopping done early at Historic Ambridge’s 4 antique shops including Akulina’s Antiques, Bird and Bear, Good Intent Trading and Rivertown Antiques. Homemade food will be available from the Historic District’s food booth, sweet treats, seasonal offerings and specials from Two Sister’s Bakery and Café, and Old Crow Coffee shop.   Check out the Live Nativity at Saint John’s Lutheran Church on Saturday, December 2 from 5PM  and German food offerings.  Stay and enjoy the whole weekend at the Heslet House B&B, Epochary Inn, or Cobblestone Suites.

To learn more and see the complete weekend schedule, please visit Ambridge Historic District’s Facebook page.

Old Economy’s will be celebrating their 25^th annual Christmas at the Village featuring candlelit cobblestone streets and historic buildings decked out in their holiday finery. Local vendors will be selling unique handmade items for last-minute holiday gifts. Enjoy carolers and musicians as they stroll through the village. Children will get a chance to meet Belsnickel (the Pennsylvania Dutch Santa Claus) and see if they are on the naughty or nice list. Admission required.

The Ambridge Historic District EDC (AHDEDC), a 501 (c) (3), is dedicated to improving Ambridge’s Historic District’s vitality and livability and encouraging a walkable neighborhood. Past projects include new welcome banners on area light poles, refurbished street signs, lighted visitor kiosks, and interpretative markers with information on area attractions and local history. In addition to spearheading the historic restoration of endangered buildings, AHDEDC has installed over 20 National Historic District markers on landmark properties.

The Ambridge Historic District is located 18 miles NW of Pittsburgh along the Ohio River in the Borough of Ambridge. This 32-acre National historic district contains the original buildings of the Harmony Society, a German communitarian sect that settled here in 1824. Within the Ambridge Historic District is the 6-acre museum of Old Economy Village with 17 restored historical buildings in original locations surrounded by gardens.