Photo of gas prices in August by Frank Sparks
Story by Beaver County Radio News Staff

The state fuel tax increased with the new year. Gasoline increased 3.5 cents a gallon making it now 61.1 cents. Diesel rose 4.4 cents a gallon to 78.5 cents. The increase is due to state law.

BRACKENRIDGE, Pa. (AP) — Authorities say five guns were recovered from a man shot and killed by police after a chase and gunfire that killed a western Pennsylvania police chief and wounded two other officers. The police chief and another officer were shot blocks apart Monday in Brackenridge and the suspect was later shot and killed in Pittsburgh. State Attorney General Josh Shapiro, the governor-elect, said slain Brackenridge Police Chief Justin McIntire “ran towards danger to keep Pennsylvanians safe — and he made the ultimate sacrifice.” The second officer was in stable condition with a leg wound and a third officer was hit by suspected shrapnel.

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Attorney Joel Sansone will join Mike Romigh on “Live Mic with Mike Romigh” Wednesday morning following the news at 8 am.  Sansone is representing the family of Ken Vinyard, who died while trying to help a man who was shot at the Monaca Walmart in November.  Sansone says Vinyard died as a result of being forcibly pushed by an off duty officer causing him to hit his head on the ground.  Sansone and Romigh will discuss the status of the case and investigation.

Heather Rohr, of Montfort Heights, and Anna Britt, of Groesbeck, stand outside the University of Cincinnati Medical Center where Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin was taken after collapsing during an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Cincinnati on Monday, Jan. 2, 2023. (Albert Cesare/The Cincinnati Enquirer via AP)

Damar Hamlin’s goal was simple: He wanted to raise $2,500 online to buy toys for needy kids. It took about two years. Then came Monday, when the Buffalo Bills safety was critically injured and needed his heart restarted on the field in a chilling scene during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals. He instantly became one of the biggest stories in sports, and thousands of people found his GoFundMe page. The result: Roughly $3.7 million donated in the first 12 hours. And the number is climbing.

Published by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio News Director

We can expect a high of 64 degrees with showers throughout the day and a thunderstorm is possible. Winds should be mostly light and variable but gusts up to 30 mph are possible. Chance of rain is 100% and up to 2 inches of rain is possible.

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(Conway Borough, PA) Conway Fire Department reports that they were dispatched for a motor vehicle accident involving a pole with possible entrapment.  After arriving on scene, they found a garbage truck had wrecked into a telephone pole. There was no entrapment or injuries.

A woman is pressing the down button of a wall attached house thermostat with digital display showing temperature 70 degree Fahrenheit for heating, cooling, electricity and gas saving
Story by Danielle Smith – Keystone State News Service

Higher fuel prices and a bitterly cold start to this winter mean it will cost more for most people to heat their homes, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

There is help available for qualifying Pennsylvania households. Applications are being taken for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program through April 28 by the Department of Human Services.

Patrick Cicero, consumer advocate for the State of Pennsylvania, said no matter your home’s heating source, you do not have to be behind on your bill to be eligible for a cash grant.

“It is available for households that have income that is at or below 150% of the federal poverty level,” Cicero explained. “A single-person household, income that’s at or below $20,385. For a household of four, household income below $41,625.”

Cicero added the grant size depends on household size, income and fuel type, and can range from $300 to $1,000. When the U.S. Senate passed the most recent spending bill, it included $5 billion for the program nationwide.

People can apply online at compass.state.pa.us, or by phone at 866-550-4355.

Cicero also warned anyone to be on the alert for scams claiming to offer heating assistance. He pointed out the Department of Human Services is not going to contact you to sign up for the program. You have to initiate the process.

“One of the things you don’t want to do is if somebody comes in around to your house looking, saying, ‘Hey, we want to check to see if you applied for LIHEAP.’ Be wary of that,” Cicero cautioned. “There are a lot of scammers out there who are trying to get people’s information, and they know it’s LIHEAP season.”

He added there also are so-called “crisis grants” of up to $1,000 for people whose utilities have been shut off or are behind on their bills.

Edible marijuana samples are set aside for evaluation at a cannabis testing laboratory in Santa Ana, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2018. The number of young kids, especially toddlers, who accidentally ate marijuana-laced treats rose sharply over five years as pot became legal in more places in the U.S., according to an analysis published Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2022, in the journal Pediatrics. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson, File)

(AP) A new U.S. study finds that reports of young children accidentally eating marijuana-laced treats rose sharply as pot became legal in more places. More than 7,000 confirmed cases of kids younger than 6 eating pot edibles were reported to the nation’s poison control centers over a recent five-year period. The study published Tuesday found nearly a quarter of those children were hospitalized, with some becoming seriously ill. The study’s author says parents need to be more vigilant and keep pot candies, chocolate and cookies out of reach of children.

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An estimated $785 million Mega Millions jackpot will give lottery players a chance to start the new year with a lucrative bang. The big prize up for grabs Tuesday night is the sixth-largest jackpot in U.S. history and has grown so large because no one has matched all six of the game’s numbers for more than two months. There have been 22 straight drawings without a winner. The jackpot-winning drought isn’t surprising given the miserable odds of one in 302.6 million of winning the top prize. The $785 million jackpot is for a winner who chooses to be paid through an annuity over 29 years. Nearly all winners opt for a cash payout, which would be an estimated $395 million.