FILE – Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump attends a campaign rally in Waterford Township, Mich., Feb. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A man arrested last week at a Pennsylvania rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump had hoped to hang a banner to protest Trump’s policies, Johnstown’s police chief said Tuesday.

Authorities announced that misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest were filed against Stephen A. Weiss, 36, of Pittsburgh, who was taken into custody at Friday’s Trump rally.

Johnstown Police Chief Richard Pritchard said investigators do not know what the banner said because arena staff apparently discarded it. He said it was made from a bed sheet and that Weiss told a detective that he does not believe in Trump’s policies.

Pritchard said Weiss faked a foot injury and concealed a tube of glue in a metal crutch.

Weiss declined comment when reached by phone Tuesday, saying he was seeking legal advice.

The arrest affidavit by a Johnstown police detective said Weiss “ran onto the arena floor, jumped onto the media stage (and) began to yell towards the main stage where President Trump was speaking.” Weiss allegedly would not release himself from steel barricade fencing “and force had to be used,” police said in the charging document.

A man who accompanied Weiss to the rally told police he was unaware of Weiss’ plan, Pritchard said. The second man was not charged, the chief said.

Weiss also was charged with disrupting a public meeting, a misdemeanor. The Secret Service questioned Weiss on Friday and he was released later that night. He has a court hearing scheduled for Oct. 9.

A Trump campaign spokesman offered no immediate comment Tuesday.

The disruption occurred shortly after Trump criticized major media outlets for what he said was unfavorable coverage.

As Weiss was led away, the former president told the crowd: “Is there anywhere that’s more fun to be than a Trump rally?”

There has been heightened scrutiny of security at Trump rallies since a gunman fired at him, grazing his ear, during an outdoor rally in July in Butler, Pennsylvania. Security at political events has been noticeably tighter since then.

(Story written by Noah Haswell of Beaver County Radio, Published on September 4, 2024 at 10:13 A.M.)

(Pittsburgh, PA) The Pennsylvania Turnpike announced Wednesday morning that their *11 emergency phone number was down throughout the entire state. Drivers who are traveling on the turnpike should call 911 for emergency purposes until further notice, and officials for the turnpike will provide more information in the future. 

 

Gas prices are eight cents lower in Western Pennsylvania this week at $3.621 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

This week’s average prices: Western Pennsylvania Average                         $3.621
Average price during the week of August 26, 2024                                          $3.700
Average price during the week of September 5, 2023                                      $3.852

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

$3.434      Altoona
$3.743      Beaver
$3.802      Bradford
$3.443      Brookville
$3.593      Butler
$3.551      Clarion
$3.628      DuBois
$3.599      Erie
$3.659      Greensburg
$3.637      Indiana
$3.643      Jeannette
$3.744      Kittanning
$3.587      Latrobe
$3.608      Meadville
$3.712      Mercer
$3.570      New Castle
$3.546      New Kensington
$3.621      Oil City
$3.653      Pittsburgh
$3.491      Sharon
$3.656      Uniontown
$3.795      Warren
$3.558      Washington

Trend Analysis:
Pump prices continued to fall over the past week and are three cents lower this week at $3.32.  With Labor Day signaling the unofficial end of the summer travel season, there was a slight uptick in gas demand but lower crude prices are helping to offset gas price increases. Today’s national average is 15 cents lower than a month ago and 49 cents less than a year ago.

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand rose last week from 9.19 million barrels per day to 9.30. Meanwhile, total domestic gasoline stocks fell from 220.2 to 218.4 million barrels, and gasoline production decreased last week, averaging 9.6 million daily.

At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate fell by $1.01 to settle at $74.52 a barrel. The EIA reports that crude oil inventories decreased by 0.8 million barrels from the previous week. At 425.2 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are about 4% below the five-year average for this time of year.

(Story written by Noah Haswell of Beaver County Radio, Published on September 4, 2024 at 10:10 A.M., Updated at 10:26 A.M.)

(Pittsburgh, PA) Democratic Vice Presidential Nominee and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz will be in Pittsburgh on Wednesday afternoon. He plans to join an involvement with politics in the city after stopping in Lancaster on Wednesday as well. He will also travel to Erie for the next part of his campaign. This shortly comes after a campaign from Democratic Presidential Nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden in the South Side of Pittsburgh. 

 

(Story written by Noah Haswell of Beaver County Radio, Published on September 4, 2024 at 10:08 A.M.)

(Monaca, PA) Beaver County is taking the fight to reduce the spreading of the West Nile Virus in Monaca. The Beaver County Conservation District will be spraying a pesticide called AquaDuet boarded on trucks on Thursday, September 5 between 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. to decrease both the population of mosquitoes and the transmission of the West Nile virus. Even though there is no cure for the West Nile virus, according to the CDC, symptoms can be reduced by rest, fluids, and pain medications. Staying inside is encouraged, but experts say that it is not necessary because it only affects both the environment and animals minimally. 

(Story written by Noah Haswell of Beaver County Radio, Published on September 3, 2024 at 11:41 A.M.)

(Ambridge, PA) Representative Rob Matzie, along with other local leaders, including the mayor of Ambridge, announced Governor Josh Shapiro’s program that is titled Main Street Matters in Ambridge on Tuesday. These representatives visited with five Ambridge businesses and talked with both their owners and employees for his budget worth $20 million to increase the economic standpoint, jobs, and districts for downtown businesses.

(Story written by Noah Haswell of Beaver County Radio, Published on September 3, 2024 at 11:35 A.M.)

(Beaver Falls, PA) A Geneva College chemistry professor is responsive and in the hospital after being burned with a solvent on Monday afternoon. A spokesperson from Geneva College confirmed that he was trying to make a lab solution before it started to catch fire at 5 p.m. There were no others injured after the accident. Normal operation at Geneva College will continue where the fire occurred, and the professor’s injury severity is undetermined. 

(Story written by Noah Haswell of Beaver County Radio, Published on September 3, 2024 at 11:13 A.M.)

(Pittsburgh, PA) Vice President and Democratic Presidential Nominee Kamala Harris is staying in Pittsburgh for a Thursday event. According to the White House, this is Vice President Harris’ 10th time in Pennsylvania in 2024. It is not confirmed what time the event is occurring on Thursday and what it will involve. This comes after Vice President Harris’ collaborative event with President Biden on Monday celebrating Labor Day on the South Side of Pittsburgh, where she announced that ownership of U.S. Steel will be domestic. 

(Story written by Noah Haswell of Beaver County Radio, Published on September 3, 2024 at 11:10 A.M.)

(Pennsylvania) Adolescents and youth in Pennsylvania have reviewed their mental health habits from a fall 2023 survey. According to a survey conducted by Pennsylvania Youth Survey last year, they gathered responses from almost 263,000 students in 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th grades. The Pennsylvania adolescents that were surveyed do not do drugs, consume alcohol, and smoke as much as the youth that were surveyed. Both students using marijuana and drinking alcoholic beverages have decreased over the last two years. However, more than a third of those surveyed experienced depression mostly with around 16% considering suicide and an estimated quarter of them did not feel comfortable at school because of external factors involving safety.