HARRISBURG – The agreement announced by Vistra Corp. and Energy Harbor Corp., owner of Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Station, should be good news for keeping the plant open and workers on the job, state Sen. Elder Vogel (R-47) said today.

The transaction will combine Energy Harbor’s nuclear and retail businesses with Vistra’s nuclear and retail businesses and Vistra Zero renewables and storage projects under a newly formed subsidiary Vistra Vision.

The combination creates a leading integrated retail electricity and zero-carbon generation company with the second-largest competitive nuclear fleet in the country, along with a growing renewables and energy storage portfolio.

“This is a positive development for area citizens who rely on Beaver Valley for jobs and energy,” said Vogel. “Vistra Vision is expected to be a premier zero-carbon generation and retail growth company, and it’s exciting for the 47^th Senate District to be a part of that.”

The two-unit Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Station of Shippingport generates enough electricity to power more than one million homes daily. Unit 1 is licensed to operate until 2036 and Unit 2 is licensed to operate until 2047.

With the completion of the agreement, Vistra Vision will operate one of the largest retail businesses in the country with approximately five million customers across 18 states.

Gas prices are steady in Western Pennsylvania this week at $3.767 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

This week’s average price in Beaver County is $3.762  

Since last Monday, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline has increased by four cents to $3.40, which is still 12 cents less than a month ago and 28 cents less than a year ago. One reason for this week’s increase could be higher demand, as the cost of oil has barely budged for the past few weeks.

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand jumped from 8.91 million to 9.11 million barrels per day last week. Meanwhile, total domestic gasoline stocks decreased by nearly 1 million barrels to 239.2 million barrels last week. The increase in gas demand, amid tighter supplies, has contributed to rising pump prices.

Another reason for higher gas prices is that the seasonal switch to summer blend gasoline is underway. This blend lowers emissions but is more expensive to refine. Switching to summer blend can add about five to ten cents to the price of gasoline.

At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate increased by 64 cents to settle at $77.69. Crude prices increased after the market saw that manufacturing activity rose in China last month, signaling that global oil demand may be more robust than anticipated this year. Additionally, the EIA reported that total domestic commercial crude inventories increased by 1.2 million barrels to 480.2 million barrels last week.

President Joe Biden talks about his nomination of Julie Su to serve as the Secretary of Labor during an event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, March 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

LACONIA, N.H. (AP) — Democrats across New Hampshire are upset with President Joe Biden for undermining their state’s status as home to the first-in-the-nation presidential primary. But their concerns about Biden run much deeper, in line with a majority of Democratic voters nationwide, who oppose the 80-year-old president’s plans to launch his reelection campaign. Many worry about his age. Others are upset about the messy withdrawal from Afghanistan. And the party’s more progressive wing has never been enthusiastic about Biden. The resistance from the Democratic Party’s rank and file stands in sharp contrast with the party establishment of governors, senators and congressional representatives who are virtually unanimous in supporting Biden’s reelection.

FILE – In this photo made on June 16, 2022, rows of fresh cut beef is in the coolers of the retail section at the Wight’s Meat Packing facility in Fombell, Pa. Federal agriculture officials on Monday, March 6, 2023 released new requirements that would allow labels on meat, poultry or eggs to claim that phrase — or “Product of USA” — only if they come from animals “born, raised, slaughtered and processed in the United States.” (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File )

Federal agriculture officials are proposing a new rule that would clarify the meaning of meat labels that say foods are “Made in the USA.” Under the new requirements announced Monday, the labels would be allowed on meat, poultry or eggs only if they come from animals “born, raised, slaughtered and processed in the United States.” That’s a sharp change from the current policy, which allows voluntary use of the labels on products from animals that are raised elsewhere and then shipped to the U.S. for processing. Imported beef accounts for about 12% of the total consumed in the U.S.

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published March 6, 2023 11:52 A.M.  

(Georgetown Borough, PA) On Friday, March 3, 2023 a burglary was reported at Georgetown Sand and Gravel located at 102 Dam Road. According  State Police,  the burglary occurred between 6 p.m. Thursday and  4:45 a.m. Friday.  Forced entry was made into the property and the security system and surveillance cameras were damaged. Approximately $1,000.00 in cash was stolen. The burglars then utilized heavy equipment to steal 2 500 gallon fuel tanks and a low-boy trailer . The burglars fled the area into West Virginia. They were operating a white Ford truck or white Chevy extended cab truck.

HARRISBURG – Looking to protect yourself from fraud, identity theft, and scams? Wondering about the best way to improve your credit, shop for a used car, or how to maximize your security online?

The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General has information for you during National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) — March 5 – 11, 2023 — and any time of the year. But during NCPW government agencies, consumer protection groups, and organizations work together to highlight and share information about consumer rights and help people learn to spot, report, and avoid scams. The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General will share consumer protection tips on social media throughout the week, including scam prevention for senior citizens, what to look for when hiring a home contractor, tips on purchasing a used car, common mistakes when leasing an apartment, and an overview of the Office’s Health Care Section.

“Protecting Pennsylvania consumers from being victimized by scam artists is a top priority of our Office,” said Acting Attorney General Michelle A. Henry. “Whether that scam originates on the street corner or in a corporate board room, our staff will investigate and take action to defend affected consumers. Last year, we saved Pennsylvanians more than $210 million—and we’re committed to fighting for them, securing restitution, and protecting their hard-earned dollars.”

In 2022, the Office of Attorney General saved consumers more than $9 million through mediation efforts. The Bureau of Consumer Protection also saved consumers more than $203 million through legal actions in 2022.

If you believe you are a victim of a scam, you can file a complaint with the Bureau of Consumer Protection in a variety of ways:

• Online here: https://www.attorneygeneral.gov/submit-a-complaint/consumer-complaint/
• By calling the hotline: 1-800-441-2555
• By emailing: scams@attorneygeneral.gov

Acting Attorney General Henry noted a few of the consumer protection actions that the Office of Attorney General has taken in the past year:

• A major settlement with Navient, one of the nation’s largest student loan servicers, to resolve allegations of widespread unfair, deceptive, and abusive student loan servicing practices and abuses in originating predatory student loans. This settlement netted $1.7 billion in debt cancellation and $95 million in restitution; $70 million for Pennsylvania borrowers
• A $1.6 million settlement with CashPoint, a.k.a. Dominion Management of Delaware, a now defunct auto title loan business. CashPoint made thousands of unlawful loans to Pennsylvanians at annual interest rates exceeding 200%. This settlement refunded more than $1.6 million in unlawful interest charges and many consumers received debt cancellation at a total of $3.2 million.
• A $2.58 million judgment against Delta Auto Protect, an auto warranty company. Consumers were led to believe when they signed a contract with Delta future vehicle repairs would be covered. Consumers paid $1000-$3000 in premiums to begin coverage. However, when the consumers later made claims for covered repairs, Delta failed to honor their end of the contract. The court order set aside more than $1.7 million for customer restitution.
• A $2.2 million settlement with former used-car dealership, Carhop. Carhop operated two “buy here, pay here” dealerships in Carnegie and in Monroeville. “Buy here, pay here” dealerships operate as both the seller and lender by offering in-house financing. Most of Carhop’s consumers were credit-challenged. Under the settlement, the $2.2 million was used to provide debt relief for current and former customers.

Governor Josh Shapiro gives a second update on the East Palestine Train Derailment from Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) headquarters. FEBRUARY 06, 2023 – HARRISBURG, PA 

After Meeting with Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw, Governor Shapiro has announced Norfolk Southern will pay millions for the impacts of the train derailment on Pennsylvania Residents. 5 million dollars will go to local fire departments and 1 million will go to Beaver and Lawrence county community relief funds. The full details can be read below in a press release from the Shapiro Administration.

Harrisburg, PA – Days after meeting with Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw in the Governor’s Office in Harrisburg, Governor Josh Shapiro has secured an initial commitment from Norfolk Southern to pay millions for damages to Pennsylvania and its residents resulting from their February 3 train derailment that impacted residents in Beaver and Lawrence counties. This funding commitment is a starting point, and Governor Shapiro will continue pushing Norfolk Southern for further accountability and to cover additional costs that may accrue.

In a direct meeting, Governor Shapiro demanded Norfolk Southern cover the entirety of the costs incurred by Commonwealth agencies and local fire departments that responded to the derailment, as well as set up a $1 million community relief fund for businesses and residents in Beaver and Lawrence counties who lost revenue as a result of the incident. This is a start, not an end, to Governor Shapiro holding Norfolk Southern accountable for the damage it has caused to the Commonwealth. At the Governor’s request, Norfolk Southern agreed to pay the Commonwealth to recoup losses due to its train derailment and cover costs that may accrue over time with continued testing and monitoring.

In the wake of the February 3 derailment, Governor Shapiro vowed to the people of Pennsylvania that he will hold Norfolk Southern accountable for any and all impacts to our Commonwealth. Today, he is delivering on that promise.

“Norfolk Southern’s train derailment has hurt communities in Western Pennsylvania, and to make matters worse, the company’s disregard for crisis management best practices injected unnecessary risk into the situation and created confusion for residents and first responders,” said Governor Josh Shapiro. “Norfolk Southern must do better – and the entire cost of this derailment and its impact on the Commonwealth must be picked up by them, not the people of Pennsylvania. My Administration is doing whatever it takes to help Pennsylvanians impacted by this incident, and I will continue to hold Norfolk Southern accountable for their actions.”

As a result of Governor Shapiro’s work, Norfolk Southern has agreed to pay:

$5,000,000 to reimburse local fire departments in Western Pennsylvania that need to replace contaminated or damaged equipment that was used in responding to the derailment.

$1,000,000 for a Community Relief Fund to be run by Beaver and Lawrence County officials to support business owners and residents impacted by the derailment.

$950,000 to cover Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) work in Western Pennsylvania.

$400,000 for the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s (DOH) services, including:
Costs associated with the Health Resource Center (HRC) – which has already served more than 250 residents in since opening on February 28 – like rent, supplies, and staff time.
Costs associated with DOH’s Poison Control Call Line, which has tracked every call related to train derailment.

$30,000 to cover the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency’s (PEMA) staff time since the Commonwealth Response Coordination Center (CRCC) activation.

Norfolk Southern’s agreement to pay these costs is separate and apart from any otherwise applicable legal obligations that might be imposed.

Since the February 3 Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, the Shapiro Administration has led a coordinated response to keep Pennsylvanians safe and informed while working to hold Norfolk Southern accountable.

Governor Shapiro joined U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine in East Palestine on February 21 to provide an update on shared efforts to keep residents safe. Governor Shapiro also visited residents in Darlington Township, Beaver County who received water testing from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

Last week, the Pennsylvania Department of Health announced the opening of a Health Resource Center in Darlington Township, Beaver County for residents of Beaver and Lawrence counties who have health concerns; the center will be open 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM through Friday, March 10. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture are also on hand at the Center to help interested residents sign up for free, independent water testing and to provide guidance on food and animal safety, respectively. DEP is conducting independent water sampling to monitor water contamination risks. So far, DEP has successfully collected samples from nearly every private drinking water well within one mile of the Norfolk Southern derailment site and expects to receive results in the coming days.

Pennsylvania continues to see no concerning air or water quality readings following this incident. Air and water monitoring have been in place since the incident began and no concerning readings have been detected thus far.

Norfolk Southern President and CEO Alan Shaw speaks to reporters, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023, near the site where a freight train derailed Feb. 3 in East Palestine, Ohio. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (AP) — Authorities in Ohio say there is no indication of any risk to public health from the derailment of a Norfolk Southern cargo train between Dayton and Columbus, the second derailment of a company train in the state in a month. Norfolk Southern said 28 of the 212 cars on the southbound train, including two empty tanker cars, derailed shortly before 5 p.m. Saturday in Springfield Township near a business park and the county fairgrounds. Residents living within 1,000 feet were asked to shelter in place as a precaution, but officials early Sunday said there was “no indication of any injuries or risk to public health at this time.”