Route 588 Darlington Road Lane Restrictions Begin Friday in Chippewa

02:26PM

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing utility work on Darlington Road (Route 588) in Chippewa Township, Beaver County, will begin Friday, October 22 weather permitting.

A single-lane restriction will occur in each direction on Darlington Road through the intersections of Constitution Boulevard (Route 51) and Braden School Road from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays until mid-April. Crews from Columbia Gas will perform gas line installation work. Additionally, crews will conduct overnight work from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. as need at the intersection.

PennDOT is not involved in this work and is providing this information as a public service announcement only. For additional information contact Joe Garofalo at 724-970-7277.

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.

Route 65 Ohio River Boulevard Lane Restrictions this Weekend in Sewickley

02:23 pm

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing lane restrictions on Route 65 (Ohio River Boulevard) in Sewickley Borough, Allegheny County will occur this weekend, Friday night, October 22 through Saturday, October 23 weather permitting.

A single-lane restriction will occur on Route 65 in each direction at the Sewickley Bridge from 7 p.m. Friday night continuously through 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon.  Crews will conduct concrete patching operations. Police will control traffic at the intersection of Route 65 and the Sewickley Bridge.

Work on this $3.03 million project includes milling and paving, guide rail and drainage upgrades, inlet adjustments, base repairs and ADA curb ramps improvements, signal updates, and other miscellaneous construction. Work on this project will be coordinated with other construction activities in the area including the I-79 Neville Island Bridge project.

Lindy Paving is the prime contractor.

Please use caution when traveling through the project corridor.  Work zone safety is everyone’s responsibility.

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.

New Brighton Area Implementable Plan Committee Needs Residents and Merchants Input

by Frank Sparks, News/Program Director
9:29 AM
(New Brighton, Pa.) Residents and merchants in Daugherty Township, Fallston Borough, New Brighton Borough, and Pulaski Township are asked to provide additional input on the progress of the New Brighton Area Compressive Plan. Based on community participation, the themes of vibrant, healthy, safe, and collaborative have been defined as the key issues. A first draft of recommendations for the New Brighton Area has also been published. Feedback from the community to make sure the plan is on the right track is appreciated. Go to newbrightonareaplan.com to access the recommendations, survey, and any other information you want to know about the New Brighton Area Implementable Comprehensive Plan.

US Unemployment Claims Call to New Pandemic Low of 290,000

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer
09:24 AM
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell last week to a new low point since the pandemic erupted, evidence that layoffs are declining as companies hold onto workers. Unemployment claims dropped 6,000 to 290,000 last week, the third straight drop, the Labor Department said Thursday. That’s the fewest people to apply for benefits since March 14, 2020, when the pandemic intensified. Applications for jobless aid, which generally track the pace of layoffs, have fallen steadily from about 900,000 in January.

Beaver High School Senior to Perform in All-National Ensemble

(Photos Courtesy of Shannon’s Mom, Leigh McIntosh)
by Sandy Giordano, Beaver County  Radio News Correspondent
09:10 AM
(Beaver, Pa.) Beaver High School  senior and Brighton Township resident Shannon Witkouski, who is an accomplished  multi-instrument musician  with the PA Educators Association (PMEA) All State Jazz Ensemble has been chosen to be one of six percussionists to perform  with elite high school talent from across the USA in the 2021 National Association for Music Education’s All National Honor Ensembles Concert Band.

Beaver High School  senior and Brighton Township resident Shannon Witkouski (Photos courtesy of Shannon’s Mom)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Carrie Rowe, Beaver Area School District Superintendent  said the event will be virtual from Saturday, January 22 to  Monday, January 24, 2022.

Ms. Witkouski is the daughter of Leigh McIntosh and Bill Witkouski. She said, “I plan to study  music education.”  She has submitted several applications, and  is undecided where she’ll  continue her education after she graduates from Beaver in the spring 2022.

Matzie: More than $3 Million Secured to Remove and Replace Lead Service Lines in Aliquippa’s Water System

06:55 AM
Will fund project to replace 275 lead lines with copper lines

AMBRIDGE, Oct. 20 – State funding of more than $3.1 million will allow the city of Aliquippa to continue eliminating a potential lead risk in the city’s drinking water, state Rep. Rob Matzie, D-Beaver/Allegheny, announced today.

Matzie said the new funding from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority will finance the second phase of a project to remove and replace lead service lines – work made necessary after testing revealed concerning lead levels in some residents’ drinking water.

“After water sampling in 2020 showed lead in residents’ drinking water, replacing the system’s lead service lines with copper lines became an immediate priority,” Matzie said. “In spring, we secured initial funding to replace 184 lines. That was a step in the right direction, but more work remains to eliminate the threat to all residents.

“Securing this additional $3 million will allow the water authority to replace 275 lead service lines, including the lines on the customers’ side. People need to be able to put concerns over the safety of their drinking water behind them, and this funding brings us one step closer to that.”

Matzie said the funding to the Municipal Water Authority of Aliquippa includes a combination of $1.9 million in grant funding and a $1.2 million low-interest loan and that without it, residents would have faced an estimated 3% increase in user fees.

In April, Matzie secured $2 million for the project’s first phase.

Pennsylvania Appeals Court Takes Up School Mask Challenge

By MICHAEL RUBINKAM Associated Press
A Pennsylvania appeals court has heard arguments on whether the Wolf administration had the legal right to impose a mask mandate on K-12 schools and child care facilities to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Commonwealth Court is deciding a pair of lawsuits filed by parents who contend that masks interfere with their children’s breathing and cause other problems. The state’s acting health secretary was responding to the rapid spread of the highly contagious delta variant when she ordered masks to be worn inside school buildings. The order has sparked fierce opposition among some school board members and parents.

Court Breathes New Life into Harrisburg Gun Laws Challenge

6:49 AM
By MARK SCOLFORO Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s highest court says people can to sue to challenge a city’s gun restrictions even if they haven’t been charged with violating them. A divided state Supreme Court said Wednesday that Firearm Owners Against Crime and other plaintiffs have legal standing to take on the Harrisburg city gun ordinances. The majority says the plaintiffs don’t have to wait until they’re charged with violating the ordinances before challenging them. At issue are local laws with criminal penalties. They include discharging a gun outside a gun range, possessing guns in parks, failing to report lost or stolen guns within two days, or unaccompanied children having firearms outside their homes.

FBI: Items Linked to Brian Laundrie, Potential Human Remains Found

6:46 AM
By CURT ANDERSON Associated Press
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The FBI and a family attorney say items believed to belong to Brian Laundrie and potential human remains have been found in a Florida wilderness park during the search for clues in the slaying of his girlfriend, Gabby Petito. Searchers including Laundrie’s parents found unspecified articles that belonged to Laundrie and law enforcement efforts were ramped up. Laundrie is a person of interest in the death of Petito, who was reported missing Sept. 11. Her body was found Sept. 19 on the edge of Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park and the coroner concluded she was strangled.

FDA OKs Mixing COVID Vaccines; Backs Moderna, J&J Boosters

FDA OKs mixing COVID vaccines; backs Moderna, J&J boosters
By MATTHEW PERRONE and LAURAN NEERGAARD Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. regulators are extending COVID-19 boosters to Americans who got the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine. They also said Wednesday anyone eligible for an extra dose can get a brand different from the one they received initially. The Food and Drug Administration announcement marks a big step toward expanding the U.S. booster campaign, which began with extra doses of the Pfizer vaccine last month. But it’s not the last word. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will consult an expert panel later this week before finalizing official recommendations for boosters