(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

Residents of the area may need an extra dime or two to make up the difference in gas prices this week. According to AAA East Central’s latest report, the average price for a gallon of unleaded gasoline has jumped up to $3.52 across Western Pennsylvania. That average is eight cents higher than last week’s $3.44 a gallon, and down 41 cents from the average of $3.83 one year ago.

Beaver County has increased their prices three cents to $3.49/gallon this week, Pittsburgh moves up six cents to be at $3.50/gallon, and Butler takes a five-cent jump to $3.54/gallon this week.

The national average has also risen, moving up five cents this week to $3.19/gallon according to AAA East Central.

This week’s average prices: Western Pennsylvania Average                       $3.521
Average price during the week of February 5, 2024                                         $3.444
Average price during the week of February 13, 2023                                       $3.833

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

$3.522      Altoona
$3.494      Beaver
$3.598      Bradford
$3.363      Brookville
$3.542      Butler
$3.404      Clarion
$3.537      DuBois
$3.525      Erie
$3.548      Greensburg
$3.534      Indiana
$3.535      Jeannette
$3.556      Kittanning
$3.545      Latrobe
$3.547      Meadville
$3.589      Mercer
$3.432      New Castle
$3.516      New Kensington
$3.540      Oil City
$3.505      Pittsburgh
$3.466      Sharon
$3.514      Uniontown
$3.598      Warren
$3.520      Washington

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers cut quarterback Mitch Trubisky on Monday, sending the former No. 2 overall draft pick into free agency after two disappointing seasons.

Trubisky signed with the Steelers in March 2022 and was given first crack at replacing the retired Ben Roethlisberger. Trubisky started four games before being benched in favor of then-rookie Kenny Pickett. Trubisky struggled again this season while filling in for an injured Pickett, losing starts against New England and Indianapolis before being replaced by third-stringer Mason Rudolph.

Releasing Trubisky creates about $11.5 million in salary cap space over the next two seasons.

Pittsburgh also cut offensive tackle Chukwuma Okorafor and punter Pressley Harvin III to begin what could be a series of moves to free up money before free agency begins.

With Trubisky gone, Pickett is the Steelers’ only quarterback under contract for next season. Rudolph is set to become a free agent in March, though coach Mike Tomlin said the team is interested in bringing Rudolph — who won three games as a starter to help the Steelers reach the playoffs — back to compete with Pickett during training camp.

Trubisky went 2-5 as a starter with the Steelers, throwing for eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions. While gave Pittsburgh an athletic presence in the pocket, his questionable decision-making and poor mechanics — issues that plagued him earlier in his career in Chicago — forced the Steelers to turn to others.

The 29-year-old Trubisky lasted four seasons with the Bears, who drafted him in 2017, and spent a year as a backup for Buffalo before trying to revive his career with the Steelers.

Okorafor’s departure was all but assured when he was benched in favor of rookie first-round pick Broderick Jones midway through the season after his outburst late in a loss to Jacksonville. Okorafor started 59 games for the Steelers after being taken in the third round of the 2018 draft.

The 26-year-old played well at times and was given a three-year, $29.25 million contract in 2022.

Yet when Pittsburgh selected Jones with the 14th overall pick of the 2023 draft and with left tackle Dan Moore Jr. on a rookie contract, Okorafor’s days were numbered. Okorafor said after Pittsburgh’s season ended with a first-round playoff loss to Buffalo that he wouldn’t have signed the new contract if he thought he wouldn’t be with the team through the end of it.

“If I knew that was going to be the case, I probably wouldn’t have chosen to come back here,” Okorafor said in January. “At this point, there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Harvin, a seventh-round pick in 2021, struggled with consistency during his three years with the Steelers. He averaged 43.7 yards per punt in 47 games with Pittsburgh, but rather than bring him back to play the final year of his four-year deal, the Steelers instead will head into the offseason looking for a new punter.

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are falling on Wall Street after a key reading on inflation at the consumer level in the U.S. came in hotter than expected.

S&P 500 futures fell 1.1% about 10 minutes after the report from the Labor Department. Dow futures fell 0.8% and Nasdaq futures fell 1.6%. Bond yields jumped.

The Labor Department report released Tuesday morning showed that consumer prices rose 3.1% in January compared to a year ago. Economists were expecting an increase of 2.9%.

The stronger-than-expected inflation data follows recent reports showing the U.S. economy and job market remain remarkably solid. Those reports, along with some comments from Fed officials, have forced traders to push out their forecasts for when the Federal Reserve will begin to cut interest rates.

Inflation, which peaked above 9% in June 2022, had been cooling enough that the Fed has hinted it may cut its main interest rate several times this year. Such cuts typically juice financial markets and the economy, and they would release pressure that’s built up since the Fed has taken its main interest rate to the highest level since 2001.

In the bond market, yields were rising sharply. The yield on the 10-year Treasury jumped to 4.26% from 4.16%, late Monday.

The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks expectations for the Federal Reserve, rose to 4.60% from 4.48% Monday.

European benchmarks slipped further after the U.S. inflation report. France’s CAC 40 slipped 0.4%, Germany’s DAX shed 0.5% and Britain’s FTSE 100 fell 0.2%.

Asian shares mostly finished higher on Tuesday.

In Asia, Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 added 2.9% to finish at 37,963.97, briefly topping 38,000 for the first time in 34 years. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 lost earlier gains, edging 0.2% lower to 7,603.60. South Korea’s Kospi jumped 1.1% to 2,649.64.

Markets were closed in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan for the Lunar New Year holiday.

In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude rose 67 cents to $77.59 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, the international standard, rose 59 cents to $82.63 a barrel.

Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio. Published February 12, 2024 9:05 P.M.

(New Brighton, Pa) The New Brighton Area School met Monday evening for a committee meeting. Among the items to be voted on at their next meeting was the resignation of Amy Fazio from the Board. The board will also vote to accept the resignation of Tony Caltury as the Middle School Assistant track coach, to be replaced by Nick Ehko. They will also vote to accept the retirement of Holly Zeigler as an elementary school teacher. The items will be voted on at their next meeting on February 26th.

NEW YORK (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs were crowned victorious over the San Francisco 49ers in this year’s Super Bowl — and, off the field, big-name advertisers competed for viewers’ attention with celebrity-filled, glitzy messages.

Beyoncé broke the internet yet again in a Verizon ad, which was soon followed by a viral music drop. Lionel Messi’s showed off his apparent loyalty to Michelob Ultra. And T-Mobile, e.l.f. cosmetics, Uber Eats and more offered a slew of mini TV show reunions, bringing together cast members from “Suits” to “Friends.”

Despite being an election year in the U.S., there was very little to show for it on Sunday besides an ad by American Values 2024, the super PAC backing Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential run. It ran a 30-second, retro-styled spot that attempted to lean into his family’s legacy. Kennedy launched his independent bid for the White House last year.

Airing a Super Bowl commercial is no easy feat. On top of the reported $7 million price tag for a 30-second spot during the game, brands enlist the biggest actors, invest in dazzling special effects and try to put together an ad that more than 100 million expected viewers will like — or at least remember.

“Advertisers this year are doing everything they can to try to break through the clutter,” Northwestern University marketing professor Tim Calkins said. “They’re pulling out all the stops.”

On Sunday, scores of advertisers tapped into light humor and nostalgia to give game breaks a mostly “feel good,” whimsical energy. Still, there were also a few serious and somber moments.

Here’s a rundown of what ad-watchers saw in Super Bowl LVIII.

CELEBRITIES EVERYWHERE

Kris Jenner “twists on it” with Oreo. The face behind Pringles’ iconic mustache is unveiled to be none other than Chris Pratt. And Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez returned for Dunkin’ cameos, while Ice Spice sips on Starry.

In typical Super Bowl fashion, an array of companies’ adverts were adorned by stars — often with numerous celebrities stuffed in a single spot. T-Mobile, for example, showcased big names like Bradley Cooper, Common, Jennifer Hudson, Laura Dern and “Suits” stars Gabriel Macht and Patrick J. Adams all in one ad for its “Magenta Status” customer appreciation program.

And the “Suits” homecoming didn’t stop there. In another ad stuffed with celebrity cameos — including “Judge Judy” Judy Sheindlin — e.l.f. cosmetics brought together Gina Torres, Rick Hoffman and Sarah Rafferty in a courtroom spoof.

NBC sitcoms had quite a few reunion moments during the game. In an Uber Eats ad, which shows people forgetting things so they remember Uber Eats can deliver a wide variety of items, Jennifer Aniston seemingly forgets she ever worked with her “Friends” co-star David Schwimmer. And in an ad for Mtn Dew Baja Blast, Aubrey Plaza says she can have a ‘Blast’ doing anything — including reuniting with her “Parks and Rec” boss Nick Offerman as they fly on dragons.

Although star power in Super Bowl commercials isn’t new, it did feel especially heightened this year.

“It used to be that you’d have a celebrity pop up that would sort of be the spokesperson of the commercial,” said Virginia Commonwealth University Brandcenter’s Jessica D. Collins. “Now you’re seeing collaborations of celebrities… all in the same commercial, even (when) they have absolutely nothing to do with each other.”

Some brands can pull this off in a smart way — such as tapping into pop culture moments and inside jokes. But experts say that overdoing celeb cameos can take away from the impact of the ad. Viewers may remember what stars they saw in a commercial but not the brand name, University of Minnesota associate professor of marketing Linli Xu notes.

CUTENESS AND NOSTALGIA

It wouldn’t be the Super Bowl without some furry friends. Budweiser, for example, brought back familiar characters to its gameday slot — which shows Clydesdales and a Labrador retriever team up to help the beer brand make the delivery. And Hellmann’s featured the “Mayo Cat.”

But the year’s ads weren’t raining dogs and cats, noted Kimberly Whitler, marketing professor at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business.

That didn’t stop advertisers from searching for other ways into viewers’ hearts.

“Everything old is new again,” she said, pointing to successful Super Bowl ads or messages from the past making a return, including ETrade’s talking babies.

The 1980s also made a comeback, Whitler noted, with both T-Mobile and Nerds featuring the theme song from “Flashdance,” while the mullet was at the center of Kawasaki’s spot.

PULLING AT THE HEARTSTRINGS

Both Collins and Calkins said that Google’s spot was among their favorites. The ad followed a blind man as he uses “Guided Frame” — Google’s A.I.-powered accessibility feature for the Pixel camera that uses a combination of audio cues, high-contrast animations and tactile vibrations — to take pictures of the people and places in his life.

The spot was a “perfect balance of emotion and showing off a product benefit,” Collins said, adding that she appreciated how Google spotlighted an audience that isn’t always noticed. “No celebrities, (and it) purely showed what could have been an absolutely real family. Loved it.”

Xu also pointed to Dove’s ad, which focused on how low body-confidence leads to girls quitting sports.

“It’s a powerful message,” she said, in line with Dove’s past campaigns dedicated to body positivity in the past.

SOME SERIOUS MOMENTS

Several other ads took more serious tones. Robert Kraft’s Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, for example, ran an ad featuring Martin Luther King Jr.’s speechwriter Dr. Clarence B. Jones.

“He Gets Us” also returned to the Super Bowl this year. The campaign, which is backed by a group of wealthy Christian donors, aired two ads Sunday night.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — An explosion inside a Philadelphia apartment early Monday left at least one person seriously injured, according to published reports, but authorities have declined to provide further details.

The blast occurred around 12:30 a.m., and officers from the city and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives responded to the scene and remained there for several hours.

Philadelphia police referred questions on the matter to the ATF. Alan Gilmore, an ATF spokesman, confirmed the agency respond to assist Philadelphia police but declined to provide any further detail on the explosion or the reports of injury, citing the “active, ongoing investigation.”

Philadelphia television stations reported a man in the apartment had been hospitalized with severe hand injuries, but no further details were available. No other injuries were reported, but the building was briefly evacuated as a precaution while authorities investigated.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates are adding two-time All-Star catcher Yasmani Grandal, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press.

The club and the 35-year-old Grandal have agreed to terms on a one-year contract worth $2.5 million, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Monday because the deal is pending Grandal passing a physical.

Pittsburgh is searching for depth at catcher with Endy Rodríguez — who started 57 games in 2023 as a rookie — ruled out for 2024 after Tommy John surgery in December. He got injured while playing winter ball in his native Dominican Republic.

Grandal would join a catching situation that includes former No. 1 overall pick Henry Davis, Jason Delay and Ali Sánchez. Grandal is a career .237 hitter while playing for four teams across 12 seasons, including the last four years with the Chicago White Sox. Grandal hit .234 with eight home runs and 33 RBIs in 118 games with the White Sox in 2023.

The Pirates have remained bullish that Davis can become an everyday catcher even though he spent the vast majority of his rookie season playing right field. Adding Grandal gives the Pirates a little bit of flexibility as Davis continues to refine his work defensively.

Grandal provided power at the plate during his prime. He’s topped 20 home runs in a season five times, most recently with Chicago in 2021. He made a pair of All-Star teams earlier in his career, first in 2015 while playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers and again in 2019 while with the Milwaukee Brewers.

On Monday, the Pirates announced minor league contract with a trio of pitchers — Wily Peralta, Connor Sadzeck and Brent Honeywell — in search of depth.

The 34-year-old Peralta is 56-61 with 16 saves and a 4.29 ERA in 258 games across 10 seasons in the majors, most recently with Detroit in 2022. The right-hander — who has bounced from the starting rotation to the bullpen — spent 2023 with Washington’s Triple-A affiliate, going 3-8 with a 6.31 ERA in 24 starts.

Sadzeck, 32, is 0-1 with a 2.75 ERA and one save in 35 games between Texas, Seattle and Milwaukee, last pitching in the majors with the Brewers in 2022.

Honeywell, a 28-year-old right-hander, is 2-4 with a 5.08 ERA in 43 appearances with Tampa Bay, San Diego and the Chicago White Sox.

(Brighton Twp., Pa.) Recently some of the local school bus companies have purchased electric buses and it has become a hot topic in our area. DJ Frye., Owner of the Frye Transportation Group Inc., will be Eddy Crow’s guest on Teleforum Tuesday morning, February 13, 2024, at 10:10 AM to talk about the positives and negatives of electric buses and to give his opinion about them.

The phone lines will be open during the interview so that you can weigh in on the subject. The numbers to call will be 724-843-1888 or 724-774-1888. The interview will also be streamed live on our Facebook and YouTube channels.

https://www.facebook.com/beavercountyradio/

HOUSTON (AP) — A woman in a trenchcoat opened fire with a long gun Sunday inside celebrity pastor Joel Osteen’s megachurch in Texas, sending worshippers rushing to find safety while two off-duty officers confronted and killed the shooter. Two other people were shot and injured, including a 5-year-old boy who was in critical condition.

The violence erupted shortly before the Houston church’s 2 p.m. Spanish service was set to begin, just as the rest of the country was preparing for the Super Bowl. The woman entered the enormous Lakewood Church – a building with a 16,000-person capacity that was previously an arena for the NBA’s Houston Rockets — with the boy who was later hurt in the shootout with police. A man in his 50s was also wounded.

Details of the confrontation remain unclear in the hours after the tragedy, and police have not released the woman’s identity or a possible motive. It’s also unknown what relationship, if any, the woman had to the boy, and who actually shot him and the man.

“I will say this,” Houston Police Chief Troy Finner told reporters during a news conference outside the church. “That female, that suspect, put that baby in danger. I’m going to put that blame on her.”

The boy was in critical condition at a children’s hospital, while the man was stable at a different hospital with a hip wound.

The shooting happened between services at the megachurch that is regularly attended by 45,000 people every week, making it the third-largest megachurch in the U.S., according to the Hartford Institute for Religion Research. Osteen said the violence could have been much worse if it had happened during the earlier, larger 11 a.m. service.

Witnesses told reporters that they heard multiple gunshots. Christina Rodriguez, who was inside the church, told Houston television station KTRK that she “started screaming, ‘There’s a shooter, there’s a shooter,’ ”and then she and others ran to the backside of a library inside the building, then stood in a stairway before they were told it was safe to leave.

Longtime church member Alan Guity, whose family is from Honduras, said he was resting inside the church’s sanctuary before the Spanish service as his mother was working as an usher when he heard gunshots.

“Boom, boom, boom, boom and I yelled, ‘Mom,’ ” he told The Associated Press.

The 35-year-old ran to his mother and they both laid flat on the floor and prayed as the gunfire continued. They remained there for about five minutes until someone told them it was safe to evacuate. Outside, Guity said, he and his mother tried to calm people down by worshiping and singing in Spanish, “Move in me, move in me. Touch my mind and my heart. Move within me Holy Spirit.”

Despite the chaos, Finner said the tragedy “could have been a lot worse” if the two officers had not “engaged” the woman when she opened fire. They had been working security at the church on Sunday, and Finner praised them for their quick actions.

The officers work for the Houston Police Department and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, respectively. Both have been placed on protocol-mandated administrative duty.

After she was shot, the woman told police that she had a bomb, but authorities said no explosives were found when her vehicle and backpack were searched. First responders continued to search the megachurch for hours afterwards.

Osteen said Sunday that his congregation is “devastated.” He added that he would pray for the victims and for the woman who did the shooting and their families. It was not clear where he was at the time of the shooting.

“We’re going to stay strong and we’re going to continue to, to move forward,” he said during the news conference with police. “There are forces of evil, but the forces that are for us — the forces of God — are stronger than that. So we’re going to keep going strong and just, you know, doing what God’s called us to do: lift people up and give hope to the world.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statement saying “our hearts are with those impacted by today’s tragic shooting and the entire Lakewood Church community in Houston. Places of worship are sacred.”

The church has grown tremendously over the past 25 years since Joel Osteen took over after his father’s death in 1999 and introduced an upbeat style of Christian televangelism that has captured a following of millions. His televised sermons reach about 100 countries. The elder Osteen founded the church in a converted feed store in 1959.