PITTSBURGH, PA – Pennsylvania U.S. Senator John Fetterman’s office today announced that it would open a Pittsburgh regional office at 310 Grant Street in downtown Pittsburgh. The office will open to the public in early April.

“Our team is proud to open another office to serve the people of Pennsylvania, this time in Pittsburgh,” said Joe Pierce, Senator Fetterman’s State Director. “This location will provide top services to the people of southwestern Pennsylvania as we continue to staff up our constituent services and outreach departments.”

The Pittsburgh office will be led by Western Pennsylvania Regional Director Elizabeth Casertano, an Allegheny County native. Casertano was Fetterman’s Deputy Political Director during his campaign and formerly served as the Executive Director of the Allegheny County Democratic Party.

The Pittsburgh office will be Senator Fetterman’s fifth open in-state office location. He has already opened offices in Philadelphia, Harrisburg, and Erie, and his Wilkes-Barre office will open to the public in early April. More offices will be opening in the coming weeks and months.

The full address for GPS is 310 Grant Street, Suite 1440, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

The office will house multiple senior-level staffers, in addition to constituent services and outreach staff for counties located in the southwestern part of the state.

HARRISBURG – State Sen. Elder Vogel, Jr. (R-47) today announced the approval of more than $5 million in state funding for community improvement projects across the 47^th Senate District.

“I’m pleased to announce this critical funding for community improvement projects in the 47^th Senate District,” Vogel said. “It’s important that state government partners with our local cities, townships and boroughs to help pay for projects that benefit local communities.”

Vogel said the following Local Share Account Program grants were approved by the Commonwealth Financing Authority and funded by local gaming revenue:

• The City of Aliquippa will receive $500,000 for infrastructure improvements to a city building.
• The Aliquippa Municipal Water Authority will receive $250,000 for the construction of a new collector well.
• Beaver Borough will receive $115,424 to purchase and install police radios.
• Beaver County Corporation for Economic Development will receive $300,000 for renovations of a building located in Beaver Falls City.
• Beaver Falls Municipal Authority will receive $1 million for renovations to the Chippewa water tank in Chippewa Township.
• Big Beaver Borough will receive $200,000 for storm drainage improvements and resurfacing of Eagle Rock Road.
• Center Township Sanitary Authority will receive $82,544 to purchase a utility dump truck for use in Monaca Borough and the townships of Center, Hopewell and Potter.
• Darlington Township will receive $300,000 for renovations to the area surrounding the municipal complex.
• Harmony Township will receive $519,900 to rehabilitate and renovate the municipal building.
• Hopewell Township will receive $93,240 for Hopewell Township Community Park playground equipment; $250,000 for the construction of a UV disinfection system at the Raccoon Creek Water Pollution Control Facility and associated tankage/electrical systems; $57,137 for new play equipment at Sharon Grange Park in Aliquippa; $149,888 for the purchase of a vactor truck; $500,000 for improvements to the Hopewell Township Wickham Village wastewater pollution control facility; and $68,984 for playground improvements at Woodlawn Park.
• Koppel Borough will receive $200,000 for streetscape improvements along Arthur Street.
• Marion Township will receive $631,176 to install water lines in Herman Road.
• Midland Borough Municipal Authority will receive $340,000 for the replacement of the main distribution line from the plant to Railroad Avenue.
• Monaca Borough will receive $284,500 for Civic Center site preparation and outdoor improvements.
• New Sewickley Township will receive $200,000 to purchase five new police vehicles.
• Patterson Township will receive $200,000 for the construction of a parking lot at Patterson Township Park.
• Rochester Borough Sewer and Maintenance Authority will receive $250,000 for a sanitary and combined sewer improvements project.
• Seven Fields Borough will receive $250,000 for renovation and rehabilitation of the community pool.

The following grants were awarded from the Multimodal Transportation Fund Program:

• Beaver Falls City will receive $750,000 for streetscape improvements along 7th Avenue.
• Big Beaver Borough will receive $250,000 to demolish and replace the Sherwood Drive bridge over Jordon Run.
• Ambridge Borough will receive $400,000 for streetscape improvements along Merchant Street.
• West View Water Authority will receive $336,384 to pave Tevebaugh Hollow Road located in Baden and Economy boroughs.
• Cranberry Township, Butler County will receive $391,212 to improve the intersection of Brandt Drive and Executive Drive.

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing roadway improvement work on Dutch Ridge Road/Market Street (Route 4018/4020) in Brighton Township and Beaver Borough, Beaver County will begin Monday, March 20 weather permitting.

Single-lane alternating traffic will occur on Dutch Ridge Road/Market Street between Tuscarawas Road and Route 68 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays through December. Weekend work will occur.

The $4.38 million group paving job includes milling and resurfacing nearly seven miles of roadway, shoulder and base repair, drainage upgrades, guide rail updates, sign and pavement marking installation, and other miscellaneous construction activities.

Crews from Lindy Paving will conduct the work.

Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

HARRISBURG, PA:  The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board reported today that the combined total revenue generated from all forms of gaming along with fantasy contests during February 2023 was $456,838,518, an increase of 21.60% compared to revenue generated in February 2022.

 

Sources of gaming revenue regulated by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board include slot machines, table games, internet gaming, sports wagering, fantasy contests and VGTs. The Board has posted separate reports for these types of gaming on its website, https://gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov/.

PITTSBURGH, PA (March 17, 2023) – Highmark Health today announced that Allegheny Health Network (AHN) Chief Operating Officer James Benedict has been appointed as president of the network, effective immediately.  AHN is the Western Pennsylvania provider arm of Highmark Health, a Pittsburgh-based health and wellness organization that offers Blues-branded health insurance solutions in four states.

 

Benedict (JD, CPA, MAFIS, FACHE) joined AHN as its executive vice president and COO in 2017 and was one of the chief architects of the network’s successful operational turnaround and its nearly $2 billion capital investment and market expansion strategy.

 

That campaign to date has resulted in the considerable expansion of AHN’s clinical footprint, including the construction of AHN Wexford Hospital and four new neighborhood hospitals; six new cancer centers; multiple new multispecialty Health + Wellness Pavilions and other outpatient facilities; and significant investments in the capabilities of many existing AHN facilities.

 

In July 2020, Benedict moved to parent company Highmark Health, serving as its executive vice president, Living Health Partnerships and Operations, where he steered enterprise efforts to redesign the health care delivery system and help develop the organization’s “Living Health” model. During that time, he was also an important driver of Highmark Health’s and AHN’s COVID-19 pandemic response strategy.

 

To help address the many challenges facing the provider industry today, Benedict returned to his AHN COO role in late 2022 and in his new capacity as AHN president he will continue to report to Bruce A. Meyer, MD, MBA, executive vice president and Western PA market president for Highmark Health.

 

“Jim is an exceptionally talented, highly accomplished health care leader with a proven track record of successfully managing complex organizations, building high-performing teams, and helping institutions develop and execute winning strategies to fulfill their mission,” Dr. Meyer said. “As AHN’s president, Jim and his team will help further transform AHN into the provider pacesetter of our Living Health model, creating and supporting the clinical infrastructure and blended payer-provider solutions that deliver better value, better experiences and better outcomes for those we serve.”

 

A 30-year veteran of the health care industry, Benedict has extensive experience in hospital operations, physician practice management, and ambulatory operations, with previous executive leadership roles in nonprofit, public, academic, and international medical settings. He came to AHN in 2017 from TeamHealth, where he served as the executive vice president of anesthesia for U.S. operations and before that held various roles at the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals of Cleveland.

 

“It is an incredible honor and privilege to lead AHN and be part of this unique journey with Highmark Health to create a more effective, patient-centric and economically sustainable health and wellness model for the country,” Benedict said. “The challenges we face in our industry have been an inspiration to all of us who have spent the last several years building AHN’s foundation, improving the health experiences of our patients and making Western Pennsylvania a healthier place to live.  We still have a lot to do, but I am extremely proud of what our clinicians and the AHN/Highmark Family has accomplished to date and look forward continuing this vital work in improving equitable access to high quality, affordable healthcare alongside AHN’s and Highmark Health’s remarkable leadership and caregiving teams.”

 

Benedict received his undergraduate degree from Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio, a Master’s in Accountancy from Cleveland State University, and his law degree from The Cleveland State University College of Law. He is also a non-practicing certified public accountant in Ohio, is admitted to the Ohio Bar and is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.

 

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing the closure of the left-hand express lane on southbound Interstate 79 in Glenfield, Sewickley Hills, and Franklin Park boroughs and Ohio and Aleppo townships, Allegheny County will occur Saturday, March 18 weather permitting.

The crossed over left-hand express lane on southbound I-79 will close to traffic from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday to allow crews to conduct shoulder repair work. All southbound I-79 traffic will use the right-hand local lane.

Please slow down and allow extra time when traveling through the corridor.

The work is part of the $26.49 million I-79 improvement project. Improvements include four bridge deck replacements, one bridge preservation, milling and resurfacing, preservation work on seven sign structures, installation of five new ITS signs, guide rail improvements, signage updates, and pavement marking installation. Crossovers will occur on southbound I-79 in 2023 for bridge deck replacement work. The majority of the project will conclude in early 2024.

The prime contractor is the Joseph B. Fay Company. Work on this project will be coordinated with other projects in the area.

To help keep motorists informed as work progresses, PennDOT has created an email distribution list for the I-79 Neville Island Bridge rehabilitation including traffic advisories and construction updates. Enroll by sending email addresses to stcowan@pa.gov. Please write “Subscribe – I-79” in the subject line.

Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

Harrisburg, PA – Labor & Industry Acting Secretary Nancy Walker today announced the availability of approximately $2.2 million to support youth re-entry programs that prepare young Pennsylvanians for employment or post-secondary education and aim to reduce the 64% recidivism rate in Pennsylvania.

 

“Youth re-entry initiatives not only create a meaningful support system for young Pennsylvanians but also offer academic and job training opportunities they need to be self-sufficient and succeed,” Walker said. “With this grant funding, we can help more young people overcome their challenges, positively contribute to their communities, and ultimately reach their fullest potential.”

 

These re-entry programs align with ideas shared by Governor Josh Shapiro in his inaugural budget address, where he called for state investments in probation and parole services that help Pennsylvanians look for a job, find an apartment, or settle into a successful life.

 

This grant funding will be awarded to local workforce development boards – in partnership with Pennsylvania’s juvenile justice system, PA CareerLink® offices, community organizations and academic programs – for programs to recruit, re-engage, and assist young adults ages 18-24 who were formerly incarcerated or have interacted with Pennsylvania’s judicial system. The programs will provide in-demand job training, re-entry support services, mentorship, higher education opportunities, and family-sustaining career pathways.

 

Starting today, L&I is soliciting applications from potential partners for grant funding up to $800,000. The deadline to apply is May 1, 2023. To view full details, visit L&I’s Workforce Development Grant Opportunities.

PITTSBURGH – A resident of Rochester, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal Postal laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Adam Gallagher, age 38, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on Oct. 19, 2022, Gallagher engaged in theft of mail matter while employed by the United States Postal Service.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than five years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000, a term of supervised release of not more than three years, or a combination thereof. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Postal Inspection Services conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

PITTSBURGH, Pa – A resident of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of mail theft, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The one-count Indictment named India Schatzman, age 47, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on Dec. 30, 2022, Schatzman was a postal employee who stole a gift card from the mail.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than five years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000, a term of supervised release of not more than three years, or a combination thereof. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney William B. Guappone is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation leading to the
Indictment in this case. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.