New Biden health care orders begin to unspool Trump policies
By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is taking his first steps to reverse Trump administration health care policies. The White House says Biden on Thursday plans to sign directives on a range of issues including getting more Americans covered. Biden wants to remove curbs on abortion counseling and work requirements for low-income people getting Medicaid. The most concrete short-term impact will come from reopening HealthCare.gov insurance markets as coverage has shrunk amid economic turmoil due to the coronavirus pandemic. A special sign-up period for coverage will run Feb. 15 through May 15. Biden also is directing health officials to weigh repealing a Trump rule that barred federally funded family planning clinics from referring women for abortions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Beaver County, Pa.) Did you sign up for a mail in ballot in the 2020 Election? You should have received a letter recently from the Beaver County Election Office.  There has been some confusion about the letter. Beaver County Radio’s Frank Sparks spoke with Beaver County Elections Bureau Director Dorene Mandity on Wednesday about the Letter. Mandity said the letter is required by law to be sent out to anyone who registered to permanently receive a mail in ballot for the 2020 election. Mandity said that people think of the word permanent as you will receive and be able to vote and return a ballot via the mail automatically each year. She stated that if you received the letter and prefer to go to the poll to vote this year but would like the option to vote by mail in the future, you don’t need to do anything with the letter. If you want to receive a mail in ballot you must fill out the back and return to the Beaver County Elections Bureau. If you have changed you mind and don’t want to receive a ballot in the mail and would like to go to the polls to vote in person in the future, then you need to fill out the front and return it to the Elections bureau. If you decide in the future that you would like to receive a mail in ballot you will have to register just like you did the first time. The deadline to return the letter or to register to vote by mail is the Tuesday before the election or in this case May 11, 2021. The application or cancelation must be received by 5 pm that day and postmarks don’t count.

If you have any questions you can call the Bureau of Elections at 724-770-4440

AAA: Small Speed Increases Can Have Deadly Consequences
New AAA and HIS data reveal raised speed limits present danger

Small increases in speeds over 50 mph can have huge effects on crash outcomes, according to new research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and Humanetics. According to the new information, slightly higher impact speeds were enough to dramatically increase the driver’s risk of severe injury or death if they were involved in a crash.

“It cannot be stressed enough how big of an impact speed plays in a crash,” says Theresa Podguski, director of legislative affairs, AAA East Central. “The small amount of time you save on your trip is not worth the risk of harming yourself or others.”

Study Data:
To investigate the impact of speed on crashes, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, in collaboration with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and Humanetics conducted crash tests at three different impact speeds (40, 50 and 56 mph).

Researchers used three 2010 Honda CR-V EX crossovers in this study, because they represent the average age (11.8 years) of a typical vehicle on U.S. roadways and earned the top rating in the IIHS moderate overlap front test.

Key Findings:
The study revealed that slightly higher speeds were enough to increase the driver’s risk of severe injury or death upon crashing. As the crash speed increased, so did the structural damage to the vehicle and forces on the crash dummy’s body.

• At the 40 mph impact speed, there was minimal intrusion into the driver’s space.
• At the 50 mph impact speed, there was noticeable deformation of the driver side door opening, the dashboard and the foot area.
• At 56 mph, the vehicle interior was significantly compromised, with the dummy’s sensors registering severe neck injuries and a likelihood of fractures to the long bones in the lower leg.

“Higher speed limits cancel out the benefits of vehicle safety improvements like airbags and improved structural designs,” said Dr. David Harkey, IIHS president. “The faster a driver is going before a crash, the less likely it is that they’ll be able to get down to a survivable speed even if they have a chance to brake before impact.”

At both 50 and 56 mph, the steering wheel’s upward movement caused the dummy’s head to go through the deployed airbag. This caused the face to smash into the steering wheel. Measurements taken from the dummy showed a high risk of facial fractures and severe brain injury.

“Our crash test dummies are instrumented with hundreds of sensors to measure the injury risk so that we understand the scientific limits of safety and injury prevention. Understanding that the risk of serious and permanent injury becomes significantly higher in crashes beyond statutory speed limits clearly demonstrates why there are limits in the first place,” commented Jack Jensen, vice president of engineering at Humanetics.

Setting Speed Limits for Safety:
When correctly set and enforced, speed limits improve traffic flow and maximize all public road users’ safety. Yet, when officials raise limits to match travel speeds, people still go faster. Today, 41 states, allow 70 mph or higher speeds on some roadways. Of these, eight states have maximum speeds of 80 mph or more.

A 2019 IIHS study found that rising speed limits have cost nearly 37,000 lives over 25 years. AAA and IIHS urge policymakers to factor in this danger from higher speeds when considering speed limit changes.

“Cars are safer than they’ve ever been, but nobody’s figured out how to make them defy the laws of physics,” said Harkey of IIHS. “Rather than raising speed limits, states should vigorously enforce the limits they have. This includes using proven countermeasures like high-visibility enforcement and carefully implemented speed-camera programs to consistently and equitably enforce speed limits 24/7.”

Speed limits should not be raised or lowered only to manipulate traffic volume on a particular roadway. States are urged to use engineering and traffic surveys when setting maximum speed limits.

This study is the second part of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety research examining the effect of posted speed limit changes on safety. In the Foundation’s first study, traffic engineers were asked how posted speed limits are set and what factors they consider in changing them.

About the research testing: The research tests were conducted following the same protocol that is used for the IIHS moderate overlap evaluation; only the speed was varied. With a test dummy representing an average-sized male in the driver’s seat, the cars were crashed with 40% of the vehicle’s front on the driver side overlapping the barrier.

IIHS has been conducting this type of test, which simulates a head-on, partial-overlap impact between two vehicles of the same weight and size traveling at the same speed, since 1995. Since 2013, 100 percent of new vehicles have earned a good rating when tested at the 40 mph impact speed.

AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety: Established in 1947 by AAA, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is a nonprofit, publicly funded, 501(c)(3) charitable research and educational organization. The AAA Foundation’s mission is to prevent traffic deaths and injuries by researching their causes and by educating the public about strategies to prevent crashes and reduce injuries when they do occur. This research develops educational materials for drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists and other road users.

AAA East Central is a not-for-profit association with 73 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.

Police Cadet, Former High School Football Coach Charged With Selling Cocaines

HARRISBURG—Attorney General Josh Shapiro today announced the arrest of former Taylor Allderdice School football coach, Branndon Pezzelle, Sr., for selling cocaine out of his home. Pezzelle was most recently a cadet at the Allegheny Police Department Academy from which he has been removed.   “The defendant gained the trust of players and families in Pittsburgh and was seeking to become a police officer — all while behind the scenes selling poisons in our communities. Branndon Pezzelle has betrayed the people of Pittsburgh– an area he was vying to serve to protect,” said Attorney General Shapiro. “My office continues to hold anyone who abuses their power to account, without fear or favor.”   A search warrant executed at Branndon Pezzelle’s home resulted in the discovery of 1,252 grams of cocaine, approximately $76,000 in cash, and equipment for packaging and selling cocaine. Pezzelle, 36, is being charged with Possession with Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance, Possession of Controlled Substance, Possession of Paraphernalia and Possession of Instruments of a Crime.   Allegheny County Police Department played a crucial role in this ongoing investigation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Bernie Sanders’ mittens, memes help raise $1.8M for charity
By LISA RATHKE Associated Press
About those wooly mittens that Sen. Bernie Sanders wore to the presidential inauguration that sparked quirky memes across social media?Sanders says they’ve helped to raise $1.8 million in the last five days for charitable organizations in his home state of Vermont through the sale of T-shirts, sweatshirts and stickers with the iconic image of him sitting with his arms and legs crossed in his brown parka and recycled wool mittens. The independent senator says multiple groups will benefit from the proceeds, including Meals on Wheels and Vermont community action agencies. He also says Getty Images will donate proceeds as part of a licensing agreement.

(Beaver Falls, Pa.) The  four communities that encompass New Brighton Area have put together a committee to explore and produce an implemental plan for the future of their communities. Committee Members Mandy Albanese and John Proano along with Jenni Easton who is part of the consultant team that is assisting with the project joined Eddy Crow on Teleforum Wednesday, January 27, 2021.

The discussion was centered around what the plan is about, why a plan, and why they would like the communities input? If you are a resident of any of these four communities  go to newbrightonareaplan.com and answer the questionnaire to provide your input. You have until February 12, 2021 to answer the questionnaire

You can watch the interview as it streamed Live on Facebook by pressing the play button below:

 

Markie’s Law Bill advances to the full House for consideration

 HARRISBURG – Rep. Aaron Bernstine (R-Beaver/Butler/Lawrence) announced today that his legislation which focuses on the parole process for violent offenders in the wake of the 2019 murder of a child in Lawrence County, passed the House Judiciary Committee.

Markie’s Law was named after Mark Mason, an 8-year-old boy who was brutally stabbed to death by a man who was paroled at the end of his minimum sentence for homicide, even after committing two separate assaults of other inmates while behind bars.

“I applaud the House Judiciary Committee for approving this legislation,” said Bernstine. “Markie’s Law bill must get over the finish line and signed into law by the governor.”

House Bill 146 would also postpone consideration of a violent inmate’s parole an additional 24 months following the inmate’s minimum release date for each conviction for a violent offense while incarcerated. In addition, it would suspend consideration of an inmate’s parole an additional 12 months if the inmate attempts to escape, smuggles contraband, or retaliates or intimidates witness while incarcerated.

“I was dismayed to learn that the perpetrator of this heinous and senseless act was convicted of two separate assaults on other inmates while serving his original sentence. The parole board determined this inmate was not only rehabilitated, but that he no longer posed a risk to the public at the conclusion of his minimum sentence.

“I believe it is undeniable that an inmate’s violent acts while in prison proved that the inmate has not demonstrated the necessary level of commitment to his rehabilitation. He/she continues to represent a threat to the public and the interests of the Commonwealth would be injured by the inmate’s parole at the conclusion of a minimum sentence.”

The bill overwhelmingly passed the House of Representatives and the Senate Judiciary Committee during the 2019-20 legislative Session, but was not considered by the full Senate by the end of the session.

Keith Burley, a convicted murderer, was released from prison in March of 2019 after serving 20 years in a robbery/shooting death. After serving his minimum sentence, Burley was arrested in early July in the stabbing death of Mason, who he abducted in a car with his 7-year-old brother during a domestic dispute with the boys’ mother.

House Bill 146 now moves to the full House of Representatives for consideration.