(Photos Courtesy of Pa. Commonwealth Media Services)

(Harrisburg, Pa.) Many Thanksgiving home fires are due to deep-frying accidents. For some, deep frying a turkey can be a tasty alternative to the traditional oven-roasted method, but fryers pose significant risks to personal safety and property without the proper safety measures in place. Harrisburg Fire Chief Brian Enterline and his crew demonstrated what can happen when you put a frozen turkey in a deep fryer.

The Chief also offered tips to Pennsylvanians tips for keeping your family, guests, and property safe while cooking this Thanksgiving.
• read the turkey fryer owner’s manual thoroughly for proper set up and safety tips
• make sure the turkey is completely thawed before frying (hot oil and ice/water do not mix)
• use the correct amount of oil; overfilled fryers increase the likelihood of oil spilling out of the pot and hitting the burner causing flames to engulf the entire unit
• never leave the fryer unattended; many fryers lack thermostats to prevent overheating
• do not deep fry your turkey inside your garage, on your porch or deck, or inside your home
• have an all-purpose fire extinguisher nearby; never use water to extinguish an oil fire
• keep children and pets away from all cooking surfaces
• use proper hand protection; lids and handles of the cooking pot get dangerously hot, posing severe burn hazards
• ensure full attention is dedicated to cooking; do not consume alcohol while cooking
Visit osfc.pa.gov/BeFireSafePA for more seasonal fire safety tips, and the turkey fryer factsheet

(Photo Courtesy of Commonwealth Media Services)

(Harrisburg, Pa.) Operation Safe Holiday kicked off on November 14, 2022 with the “Click It or Ticket” Thanksgiving enforcement mobilization that will run through November 27, 2022.
Mike Keiser, Acting Deputy Secretary for Highway Administration with PennDOT  said that throughout Operation Safe Holiday, law enforcement will also conduct sobriety checkpoints, roving patrols, and regular traffic safety patrols beginning the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, November 23, through the New Year’s holiday to crack down on drivers impaired by drugs or alcohol.
Keiser said during a press conference at the PEMA Center in Harrisburg on Monday that according to PennDOT data, during the 2021 holiday travel period beginning the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and running through January 2, 2022, there were 1,276 crashes involving an impaired driver, resulting in 41 fatalities.

Gas prices are two cents cheaper in Western Pennsylvania this week at $4.020 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

This week’s average prices: Western Pennsylvania Average                          $4.020
Average price during the week of November 14, 2022                                      $4.045
Average price during the week of November 22, 2021                                       $3.582

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

$4.151      Altoona
$3.994      Beaver
$4.159      Bradford
$3.706      Brookville
$3.975      Butler
$4.059      Clarion
$4.098      DuBois
$4.083      Erie
$3.965      Greensburg
$3.978      Indiana
$3.948      Jeannette
$3.944      Kittanning
$3.996      Latrobe
$4.150      Meadville
$4.122      Mercer
$3.949      New Castle
$3.994      New Kensington
$4.159      Oil City
$3.986      Pittsburgh
$4.019      Sharon
$3.949      Uniontown
$4.158      Warren
$3.915      Washington

Trend Analysis:

Drivers fueling up ahead of Thanksgiving will benefit from falling pump prices. The national average for a gallon of gasoline dropped 11 cents in the past week to $3.66. While prices are lower, this week will see the highest Thanksgiving national average price since AAA started keeping records in 2000. Today’s national average is 26 cents more than a year ago.

According to data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand fell from 9.01 million to 8.74 million b/d last week. Meanwhile, total domestic gasoline stocks rose by nearly 2.2 million barrels to 207.9 million barrel. Increasing supply and fewer drivers fueling up have pushed pump prices lower.

At the close of Friday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate decreased by $1.56 to settle at $80.08. Crude prices dropped last week despite the EIA reporting that total domestic commercial crude stocks fell dramatically by 5.4 million barrels. Instead, prices declined because the market is concerned that oil demand could decrease due to growing economic concerns.

Motorists can find current gas prices nationwide, statewide, and countywide at gasprices.aaa.com.

AAA East Central is a not-for-profit association with 70 local offices in Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia serving 2.7 million members.  News releases are available at news.eastcentral.aaa.com.  Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

AAA: Thanksgiving Travel to Rise to Near Pre-Pandemic Levels
Nearly 55 million Americans are projected to travel during the long holiday weekend

AAA predicts 54.6 million people will travel 50 miles or more from home this Thanksgiving. This is a 1.5% increase over 2021 and 98% of pre-pandemic volumes. This year is projected to be the third busiest for Thanksgiving travel since AAA started tracking in 2000*. For purposes of this forecast, the Thanksgiving holiday travel period is defined as the five-day period from Wednesday, November 23 to Sunday, November 27.

“People are eager to get back to creating memories with their families and friends this Thanksgiving,” says Bevi Powell, senior vice president, AAA East Central. “The nearly pre-pandemic levels of travelers will result in heavy traffic congestion and busy airports. Motorists should strategically plan their journey, packing plenty of patience for the drive or flight,” she added.

Most travelers (nearly 49 million people) are expected to travel by car. While Thanksgiving road trips have slightly risen 0.4% from 2021, car travel remains 2.5% below 2019 levels.

Air travel is up nearly 8% over 2021, with 4.5 million Americans flying to their Thanksgiving destinations this year. That’s an increase of more than 330,000 travelers and nearly 99% of the 2019 volume. Americans are also ramping up travel by other modes of transportation. More than 1.4 million travelers are going out of town for Thanksgiving by bus, train, or cruise ship. That’s an increase of 23% from 2021 and 96% of the 2019 volume.

*2005 and 2019 have been the busiest years for Thanksgiving travel, respectively, since AAA started tracking in 2000. 

Mid-Atlantic region Memorial Day Forecast Highlights:
*Region includes New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.

Best and Worst Times to Travel
INRIX expects severe congestion in several U.S. metro areas, with some drivers experiencing more than double normal delays. Highways in and around Atlanta, Chicago, New York City, and Los Angeles will be the busiest. To avoid the most hectic times, INRIX recommends traveling early in the morning on Wednesday or before 11am on Thanksgiving Day and avoiding travel between 4pm-8pm Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Best & Worst Times to Travel (by car)

AAA to rescue more than 411,000
Roughly 411,500 motorists are expected to call AAA nationwide for roadside assistance this Thanksgiving holiday, with dead batteries, tows, flat tires and lockouts as the leading calls. AAA recommends motorists take their vehicles to a trusted repair facility to perform any needed maintenance before heading out on a road trip. And remember to slow down and move over for stopped emergency vehicles at the roadside.

Top Destinations

AAA has compiled a list of the top domestic destinations based on flight, hotel, and rental car bookings for Thanksgiving week. Orlando and Anaheim top the list again, as they did in 2021 and 2019, while two new additions round out the top 10 this year: Chicago and Charlotte.

*AAA hotel data reflects average booking prices for entire stays during Thanksgiving week, which vary in length. These are not nightly rates.

Travel Forecast 

In cooperation with AAA, S&P Global Market Intelligence developed a unique methodology to forecast actual domestic travel volumes. The economic variables used to forecast travel for the current holiday are leveraged from S&P Global Market Intelligence’s proprietary databases. These data include macroeconomic drivers such as employment; output; household net worth; asset prices, including stock indices; interest rates; housing market indicators, and variables related to travel and tourism, including gasoline prices, airline travel, and hotel stays. AAA and S&P Global Market Intelligence have quantified holiday travel volumes going back to 2000.

Historical travel volume estimates come from DK SHIFFLET’s TRAVEL PERFORMANCE/Monitorsm. The PERFORMANCE/Monitorsm is a comprehensive study measuring the travel behavior of U.S. residents. DK SHIFFLET contacts over 50,000 U.S. households each month to obtain detailed travel data, resulting in the unique ability to estimate visitor volume and spending, identify trends and forecast U.S. travel behavior—all after the trips have been taken.

The travel forecast is reported in person-trips. In particular, AAA and S&P Global Market Intelligence forecast the total U.S. holiday travel volume and expected mode of transportation. The travel forecast presented in this report was prepared the week of October 10, 2022.

About S&P Global Market Intelligence

At S&P Global Market Intelligence, we understand the importance of accurate, deep and insightful information. Our team of experts delivers unrivaled insights and leading data and technology solutions, partnering with customers to expand their perspective, operate with confidence, and make decisions with conviction.

S&P Global Market Intelligence is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI). S&P Global is the world’s foremost provider of credit ratings, benchmarks, analytics and workflow solutions in the global capital, commodity and automotive markets. With every one of our offerings, we help many of the world’s leading organizations navigate the economic landscape so they can plan for tomorrow, today. For more information, visit www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence.

About DKSA 

DK SHIFFLET boasts the industry’s most complete database on U.S. resident travel both in the U.S. and worldwide. Data is collected monthly from a U.S. representative sample, adding over 60,000 traveling households annually, and is used daily by leading travel organizations and their strategic planning groups. DK SHIFFLET is an MMGY Global company.

About INRIX  

Founded in 2004, INRIX pioneered intelligent mobility solutions by transforming big data from connected devices and vehicles into mobility insights. This revolutionary approach enabled INRIX to become one of the leading providers of data and analytics into how people move. By empowering cities, businesses, and people with valuable insights, INRIX is helping to make the world smarter, safer, and greener. With partners and solutions spanning across the entire mobility ecosystem, INRIX is uniquely positioned at the intersection of technology and transportation – whether it’s keeping road users safe, improving traffic signal timing to reduce delay and greenhouse gasses, optimizing last mile delivery, or helping uncover market insights. Learn more at INRIX.com.

AAA East Central is a not-for-profit association with 70 local offices in Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia serving 2.7 million members.  News releases are available at news.eastcentral.aaa.com.  Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

(Photo and story by Frank Sparks, Beaver County Radio)

(North Sewickley Twp., Beaver County, Pa.) North Sewickley Township Police are investigating after someone vandalized a popular annual holiday light display over night Friday.

North Sewickley Police Chief, Jeff Becze posted on his Facebook page that someone snuck into the yard and cut the electric cords running to several of the lights and figures.

Home owner Emmett Santillo puts up the display each year at his home on Route 65, Mercer Road, near Stop and Sock. He also raises money through donations from people who stop to look at the display for the Women’s Center of Beaver County.

Chief Becze us asking for the communities help in locating the individual Grinch’s who are responsible for the vandalism. They are hoping someone nearby might have a video camera or doorbell camera that caught something that can help them. Anyone with information is encouraged to call the North Sewickley Police Department at 724-843-8118.

Sharon Rombold  started a GoFundMe to help assist in repairing the damage that the vandals have done. Early Monday afternoon $7,220 of the $8,500 goal had been reached.

You can donate if you would like to by going to the link below: https://www.gofundme.com/f/please-help-emmett-fix-all-the-damage?qid=58529113d9aea996affe4264e888a0b6

(File Photo)

(Franklin Park, Pa.) 34-year-old Derwin Raheem Milligan of Wexford was killed in a one vehicle crash along I-279 early Sunday morning.
State Police are reporting that the BMW Milligan was driving was heading north just before 1 a.m. when it went off the roadway in Franklin Park, hit a pole and rolled over multiple times.
There is no word on what caused the accident as Troopers are continuing to investigate.

(Photo of apartment building in Koppel that caught on Fire early Sunday morning. Photo and Story by Frank Sparks, Beaver County Radio)

(Koppel, Beaver County, Pa.) Fire Crews from Koppel and the surrounding area were called to the scene of a fire that broke out at an apartment building located at Mount Street and 3rd Avenue in Koppel early Sunday morning.
Pictures from the scene show almost every window of the building was broken out and black soot from the fire could be seen on the outside of the building.
There were no injuries reported and there is no word on how the fire started as officials continue to investigate.

(File Photo)

(Harrisburg, Pa.) The Speaker of the Pa House Bryan Cutler has named a committee of managers in the impeachment trial of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner.
House Resolution 240 officially impeached Krasner, and it will now proceed to the Pennsylvania Senate for an impeachment trial which could result in his removal from office.
The requirements are that the speaker must appoint two members of the majority party and one from the minorty to exhibit the articles of impeachment to the Senate, and manage the trial on behalf of the House. Those memebers are: Rep. Craig Williams, Rep. Tim Bonner, and Rep. Jared Solomon.
Removal from office requires a two-thirds majority vote of the state Senate.