FILE – In this file photo from June 10, 2021, a flume of emissions flow from a stack at the Cheswick Generating Station, a coal-fired power plant, in Springdale, Pa. Pennsylvania cannot enforce a regulation to make power plant owners pay for their planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions, a state court ruled Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023, dealing another setback to the centerpiece of former Gov. Tom Wolf’s plan to fight global warming. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File)

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A court says Pennsylvania can’t enforce a regulation to make power plant owners pay for their planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions. The ruling Wednesday by the Commonwealth Court is another setback for the centerpiece of former Gov. Tom Wolf’s plan to fight global warming. The court temporarily blocked it last year, and the new ruling makes that decision permanent. The plan would’ve made Pennsylvania the first major fossil fuel-producing state to adopt a carbon-pricing program. The court agreed with Republican lawmakers and coal-related interests that the plan amounted to a tax that would require legislative approval. It would be up to Wolf’s successor, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, to decide whether to appeal.

FILE – Cooking spray oils by Pam, a Conagra brand, rest on a supermarket shelf, June 25, 2019, in Cincinnati. On Monday, Oct. 30, 2023, a jury in Illinois ordered Chicago-based Conagra Brands to pay $7.1 million to a Pennsylvania woman who was badly injured in 2017 when a can of commercial brand cooking spray ignited in a kitchen at her workplace and set her aflame. The verdict is the first of numerous other cases from burn victims across the country with similar stories citing accidents that occurred with Conagra-made cooking spray brands, including its popular grocery store brand Pam. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

CHICAGO (AP) — A jury in Illinois has ordered Chicago-based Conagra Brands to pay $7.1 million to a Pennsylvania woman who was badly injured in 2017 when a can of cooking spray ignited in a commercial kitchen at her workplace and set her aflame. Conagra Brands is the parent company of Pam and many other high-profile food brands. A Cook County Circuit Court jury ruled Monday that the company must pay compensatory and punitive damages to Tammy Reese of Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. According to a lawsuit, Reese suffered deep second-degree burns on her head, face, arms and hands when “suddenly and without warning” a can of cooking spray “exploded into a fireball.”

Harrisburg – The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) today announced the return of more than $2.3 million in licensing fees to 1,351 municipalities in which licensees are located.

 

Twice a year, as required by law, the PLCB returns liquor license fees paid by PLCB-approved licensees to the municipalities that are home to those licenses. Municipalities have flexibility in allocating and spending the returned license fees to meet local needs.

 

The PLCB oversees the regulation of more than 15,000 retail liquor licenses statewide, including restaurants, clubs and hotels. Licensees pay liquor license fees ranging from $125 to $700, depending on the type of license and the population of the municipality in which the license is located, as part of the annual license renewal or validation process, as well as in conjunction with approval of certain new applications.

 

The current dispersal period represents fees paid from Feb. 1 to July 31, 2023. In all, 55 cities, 536 boroughs, and 760 townships will receive payments ranging from $25 to $375,475.

 

The complete list of license fee distributions by municipality is available on the PLCB website.

 

Over the last five fiscal years, the PLCB returned just over $17.5 million in licensing fees to local municipalities.

 

The PLCB regulates the distribution of beverage alcohol in Pennsylvania, operates about 600 retail and wholesale sales locations statewide, and licenses 20,000 alcohol producers, retailers, and handlers. The PLCB also works to reduce and prevent dangerous and underage drinking through partnerships with schools, community groups, and licensees. Taxes and store profits – totaling nearly $20.3 billion since the agency’s inception – are returned to Pennsylvania’s General Fund, which finances Pennsylvania’s schools, health and human services programs, law enforcement, and public safety initiatives, among other important public services. The PLCB also provides financial support for the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement, the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, other state agencies, and local municipalities across the state. For more information about the PLCB, visit lcb.pa.gov.

Pittsburgh, PA – As temperatures are forecasted to be close to freezing, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) reminds drivers of fall driving hazards and advises motorists to slow down and always pay attention when behind the wheel.

Wet leaves, fog, and frost are some of the driving hazards motorists may encounter this fall. Taking the proper steps can help make a driver’s commute safer.

As leaves begin to fall, wet leaves on the roadway can be as slippery as ice, especially in low temperatures. They also can obscure traffic lines and other pavement markings, making driving in unfamiliar areas particularly difficult. Drivers should slow down and use extra caution on leaf-covered roadways.

Another fall hazard for motorists can be fog. When driving in fog, motorists should use low beam headlights since the high beam setting creates glare and reduces visibility. Not only will headlights enhance visibility of your vehicle, but Pennsylvania law also requires headlights be on when wipers are in use.

Additionally, morning frost and icy spots on the road can also cause problems as overnight temperatures drop toward freezing. Motorists should pay particular attention to bridges, overpasses, and shaded areas on roadways where icy spots can form on the pavement. In addition to exercising caution while driving, motorists should clear their vehicle’s windows of frost before travel.

PennDOT offers the following fall driving tips:

• Increase your following distance in severe weather, at dusk and dawn, and when in an area with wet leaves. If you are being tailgated, let the other driver pass.
• Check your vehicle’s headlights, taillights, and turn signals to ensure they are working properly since darkness will be a part of many driver’s morning and/or evening commutes. Make sure you turn on your headlights as the sunlight fades.
• Have your vehicle’s heating and wiper systems checked to ensure they are working properly.
• Be sure you have tires with sufficient tread depth in case of an early season snow.

  PennDOT reminds motorists to stay aware of road and weather conditions. When driving during the fall season, extra caution should be used for the safety of everyone on the road.

For more information, visit www.PennDOT.pa.gov/safety.

Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio news Director. Published October 31, 2023 2:28 P.M.

(Beaver Falls, Pa) The City of Beaver Falls Police Chief, David Johnson, issued a statement that Bridge Street in Beaver Falls, which leads to Ross Hill Road, will be closed indefinitely. The press release states that this action has been taken with the “interest of public safety due to multiple recent vehicle crashes”. The release also states the city will “evaluate and assess options” to determine if the roadway can be re-opened in the future.
Affected residents and municipalities are to be notified of the closure.
Beaver County Radio watched as numerous drivers were forced to turn around at the closure on Bridge Street Tuesday afternoon. There was no additional signage in place warning of the closure on other roads as of Tuesday, October 31st.
Motorists are being encouraged to use roads such as 11th Street and Steffen Hill Road to access Darlington Road.

PITTSBURGH, PA [October 30, 2023] – Kennywood – Pittsburgh’s Home for the Holidays – is decking the halls even earlier this year with the biggest and brightest Holiday Lights ever during the park’s 125^th season. The magically merry event will now kick off Saturday, November 18 – one weekend earlier than planned.  Featuring more than two million twinkling lights and the tallest Christmas Tree in Pennsylvania, this year’s event will be highlighted by an all-new Santa experience in Thomas Town™.  

 

There are many other firsts this year for this family tradition event, including the first time to ever ride Spinvasion, the first multi-action spin ride of its kind in the United States, under the holiday lights. Plus, an all-new Christmas-themed Scavenger Hunt, new seasonal photo opportunities and a create-your-own Christmas Bear activity will all be introduced for the 2023 Holiday Lights season.  

 

“Holiday Lights at Kennywood offers the most unique and exciting holiday experience in the region – with the millions of lights and thrilling and classic attractions that Pittsburgh residents cannot experience anywhere else,” says Kennywood Assistant General Manager Rick Spicuzza. “This year the park will showcase enhanced special entertainment, an all-new festive food lineup, plus Santa in Thomas Town™, adding even more reasons to visit during this beloved event.” 

 

To celebrate the culmination of this momentous year, the park has expanded its calendar for the 2023 season of Holiday Lights, with more days and hours for more time with the family-favorite festivities.  The park will welcome guests two hours earlier on most days of Holiday Lights, with 3 p.m. openings in addition to opening the event one weekend earlier than previous seasons.   

 

In 2023, guests and Season Passholders will enjoy special live nightly entertainment including magic shows, local celebrity readings of “The Night Before Christmas,” a massive model train display, kids’ dance parties and more. A Holiday Lights Kennywood evening isn’t complete without rides. Dash through the midways to ride classics like the Jack Rabbit, Merry Go Round, Kangaroo, plus many more.  

 

Guests can eat, drink and be merry with an all-new holiday menu from Kennywood-made sweet treats to an all-you-can-eat, magical and immersive experience, Dinner with Santa buffet. The festive food offerings at Holiday Lights will tantalize taste buds and make spirits bright with hot cobbler, freshly made donuts, seasonal beer and much more.  

 

Harrisburg, PA – In preparation for the Nov. 7 Municipal Election, Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt reminded Pennsylvania voters today that they can find comprehensive voting information at vote.pa.gov. Ensuring that our elections are conducted freely, fairly, and securely – and that every eligible voter can make their voice heard – are top priorities of the Shapiro Administration.

 

“I encourage all eligible voters to make their voice heard in this election,” Schmidt said. “Municipal elections matter because officials who have direct impact on our daily lives – those who set property taxes, oversee schools, and make public safety and road construction decisions, for example – are on the ballot.

 

“Vote.pa.gov is a one-stop shop for Pennsylvanians looking for trusted, official information about elections and voting,” Schmidt continued. “There, they can verify their voter registration, locate their polling place, learn how to successfully complete and return their mail ballot, and even watch a video of how to cast a ballot on their county’s voting system.”

 

Also available on vote.pa.gov are pages fully translated into Spanish and Chinese so voters who speak those languages can navigate available resources without having to maneuver through pages in English.

 

“These translated subsites of vote.pa.gov represent an important milestone in the Shapiro Administration’s efforts to make the voting process accessible to all eligible Pennsylvania voters,” Schmidt said.

 

Mail ballot application deadline

 

Schmidt also reminded voters that 5 p.m. today is the deadline to apply for a mail ballot for the Nov. 7 election. To date, more than 920,000 registered Pennsylvania voters already have applied for a no-excuse mail-in ballot, and more than 85,000 voters have applied for an absentee ballot.

 

Pennsylvanians voting by no-excuse mail-in or absentee ballot should return their completed ballot immediately. The deadline for county elections boards to receive completed mail ballots is 8 p.m. Nov. 7. Completed mail ballots received after that time do not count, even if they are postmarked before the deadline.

 

Voters can also deliver their ballot in person to their county board of elections or to a designated ballot drop box or satellite office. Voters should check vote.pa.gov to determine if their county has ballot drop-box locations and to find the hours for their county elections office.

 

Voters who received an absentee or mail-in ballot may vote in person on Election Day if they bring their unvoted mail ballot packet, including the outer envelope, with them to be voided. After they surrender their ballot materials and sign a declaration, they can then vote on their county’s voting system.

 

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.

 

For voters who wish to vote in person at their polling place on Election Day, polls will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 7.

Voters appearing at a polling place for the first time will need to show proper identification, which may be either photo or non-photo ID.

 

Voters may have assistance at the voting booth if they are unable to enter the booth or use the balloting system alone. The voter may choose who provides the assistance, although it may not be the voter’s employer, an agent of the employer, an officer or agent of the voter’s union, or the precinct’s Judge of Elections.

 

For complete information about voting in Pennsylvania, visit vote.pa.gov. Voters can also call the Department of State’s year-round election hotline, 1-800-VOTESPA (1-877-868-3772), which offers interpretation services in more than 200 languages, or follow #VoteReady on social media.

 

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing utility work on Route 65 (Mercer Road) in North Sewickley Township, Beaver County will occur Wednesday, November 1 weather permitting.

Single-lane alternating traffic will occur on Route 65 at the Foster Road/Bologne Valley Road from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday.  Crews from Verizon will conduct pole installation work.

PennDOT is not involved in this work and is providing this information as a public service announcement only. For information contact Karen McBeth at 724-347-1070.

Please use caution while traveling through the corridor.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — An effort supporters say will increase transparency in several leading Pennsylvania universities passed the House of Representatives while the universities’ annual state subsidies remain snarled in the Legislature due to a partisan funding dispute. The bill passed 201 to 1 on Monday. It now goes to the state Senate. The measure seeks to expand what the state’s four state-related universities have to publicly disclose. Currently, the University of Pittsburgh, Temple, Lincoln and Penn State are exempt from a number of provisions that impact state agencies, including the state-owned higher education system and community colleges.