Both drivers hurt in Elk County collision….ID theft investigated by Ridgway State Police…DCNR is urging people to stay off roads on state land due to poor travel conditions…State’s Covid positivity rate continues to decrease….
Thursday’s high, 26; Overnight low, 22
SOME SNOW SHOWERS TODAY A HIGH OF 30
OVERNIGHT LOW OF 17 WITH MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES
TOMORROW. SOME EARLY SNOW THEN PARTLY CLOUDY, A HIGH OF 19.
PARTLY CLOUDY TOMORROW NIGHT LOW 15.
SUNDAY SUNNY WITH CLOUDS INCREASING AS THE DAY GOES ON A HIGH OF 29
OVERCAST SUNDAY NIGHT, A LOW OF 20.
both drivers retreated at Penn Highlands elk following occlusion yesterday morning on the million dollar highway and Fox Township. elk county State Police at Ridgeway report the collision occurred when a 92 year old Donald grohmann of Kersey after being stopped at the stop sign on Route 948 went through the intersection with route 255 without Yulin, the right of way to a Honda HRV driven by Hayley Adams of Dubois, which was traveling south and 255 the Honda strike Gorman’s Chevy Equinox head on along the end into the drivers and troopers at Ridgeway are continuing to investigate and ID theft occurring between November 22.
And last Tuesday, February 9, someone used Joseph Hodgkins name and social security number to obtain unemployment compensation investigation into that continues.
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn is warning and she urged motorists to stay off them until conditions improve.
“Current conditions are a snowmobiler’s delight but they can become a motorist’s nightmare when they are not prepared for ice or deep snow,” Dunn said. “In almost all of our 20 state forest districts we are seeing numerous reports of disabled and abandoned vehicles. Often, staff must mobilize to locate and retrieve occupants who wander away from inoperable cars and trucks.”
The secretary pointed to Forbes State Forest in southwestern Pennsylvania where more than two dozen vehicles recently were abandoned on several roads after bogging down in deep snow. Foresters report seeing more stranded vehicles this year than in winters spanning the past two decades.
“Many can be attributed to operators relying on GPS directions, or not being accustomed to driving in severe winter conditions,” said Dunn. “We are posting some roads as ‘impassable’ but we have more than 3,000 miles of roads in our forest system. Often threading through rugged, remote terrain, some are a challenge to navigate even under ideal conditions. These are not areas where you want to become stranded and so we urge common sense when deciding whether to venture out in these winter conditions.”
Also, the secretary noted DCNR is not responsible for vehicle towing and recovery, and cell phones often are useless in remote areas.
Dunn offered the following safety tips for winter driving on state forest roads:
Operate only 4-wheel (or all wheel) drive vehicles with elevated ground clearance but do not overestimate the vehicle’s capabilities
Drive slowly in winter conditions, especially on steeper descent
Leave travel plan details with family/friends and plan for contingencies
Keep state forest map, matches, flashlight, cell phone, food, water, tire chains and sleeping bag in vehicle during winter travel
A stuck vehicle can quickly turn into a more serious safety/survival situation
Avoid state forest roads when advised
Be prepared to call towing/removal service if you become stuck and need assistance
Call ahead to state forest district offices to learn about road conditions or closures
The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., February 18, there were 3,345 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 905,995.
Here in the Black Forest Broadcasting Service Area. McKean County has 2254 confirmed cases; Tioga 2135 ;Elk 1215; Potter 795 and Cameron is holding steady at 171. Across the border in New York State. Cattaraugus County now has 4228 confirmed cases and Allegany 2813; There are 2,174 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19. Of that number, 465 patients are in the intensive care unit with COVID-19. Most of the patients hospitalized are ages 65 or older, and most of the deaths have occurred in patients 65 or older. More data is available here.
The trend in the 14-day moving average number of hospitalized patients per day has increased by nearly 2,200 since the end of September.
Statewide percent positivity for the week of February 5 – February 11 stood at 8.0%.
The most accurate daily data is available on the website, with archived data also available.
As of 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, February 17, there were 94 new deaths identified by the Pennsylvania death registry, reported for a total of 23,413 deaths attributed to COVID-19. County-specific information and a statewide map are available on the COVID-19 Data Dashboard.
Pennsylvania hospitals began receiving shipments of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine the week of Dec. 14 and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine the week of Dec. 21. Please note that this includes vaccine administration through CVS as part of the Federal Pharmacy Partnership. Vaccination numbers for Pennsylvania do not include Philadelphia, which is its own jurisdiction, or federal facilities, which are working directly with the federal government.
This week, a total of 326,850 doses will have been allocated through February 20:
183,575 first doses will have been allocated this week.
143,275 second doses will have been allocated this week.
To date, of the 2,766,400 doses allocated through February 20, we have administered 1,832,638 doses total through February 18:
First doses, 85 percent (1,365,523 administered of 1,610,175 allocated)
Second doses, 40 percent (467,115 administered of 1,156,225 allocated)
Mask-wearing is required in all Pennsylvania businesse, s whenever leaving home, and while outdoors when social distancing is not possible, even if fully vaccinated. Health experts continue to say consistent mask-wearing is critical to preventing the spread of COVID-19.
There are 106,379 individuals who have a positive viral antigen test and are considered probable cases and 637 individuals who have a positive serology test and either COVID-19 symptoms or a high-risk exposure.
There are 3,799,916 individuals who have tested negative to date.
Raymond M. JORDAN, 72, of Genesee, PA, died Tuesday, February 16, 2021 in UPMC Cole, Coudersport. Born July 29, 1948, in Homer, NY, he was the son of Mark and Ursula Jordan. On December 5, 1971, in Chester, NY, he married the former Ella M. Deon, who predeceased him on September 23, 2013. A Vietnam Veteran, he served honorably with the U.S. Navy from 1969 – 1972. He was employed by CNG/Dominion for 29 years, retiring in 2003. Ray was father to many foster children and a member of the Genesee Volunteer Fire Company. Surviving are: three children, Robb (Heather) Jordan of Ulysses, Russell (Lynette) Jordan of Genesee, and Paula Jordan of Leola; 12 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; two sisters, Patricia and Sharon; nieces and nephews. In addition to his wife, he was predeceased by two brothers, Ed Jordan and Les Jordan. Friends may call at Olney-Foust Funeral Homes & Crematory, Ulysses, PA on Sunday, February 21, 2021 from 12:00 – 2:00 PM, with Funeral Services following at 2:00 PM. CDC and PA Department of Health guidelines apply. Mr. Vernon Fisher will officiate. Military Rites will be accorded by the Potter County Honor Guard. Memorials may be made to the Genesee Volunteer Fire Company, P.O. Box 9, Genesee, PA 16923. Arrangements are under the direction of Olney-Foust Funeral Homes & Crematory, Ulysses, PA. Online condolences may be expressed at www.olneyfoust.com.
In licensed nursing and personal care homes, there are 65,817 resident cases of COVID-19, and 12,755 cases among employees, for a total of 78,572 at 1,560 distinct facilities in all 67 counties. Out of total deaths reported to PA-NEDSS, 12,127 have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities. A county breakdown can be found here. Note that the number of deaths reported to NEDSS is not exactly the same as the COVID-19 related deaths reported by the death registry. The number of deaths among nursing and personal care home residents and employees is taken from the PA-NEDSS death data, as this information is not available in the death registry data.
Approximately 24,313 of our total cases are among health care workers.
Statewide – The Wolf Administration has since noon, Feb. 17:
Provided an update on Department of Agriculture enforcement.
While vaccine supply from the federal government remains limited, the Department of Health is working to ensure the vaccine is provided in a way that is ethical, equitable and efficient.
The Your Turn tool provides a way to register to be alerted when it’s your turn to be vaccinated.
A commonwealth COVID-19 vaccination guide explains the current process for getting one. Pennsylvanians with questions about the vaccination process can call the Department of Health hotline at 1-877-724-3258.
Vaccine provider map to find a COVID-19 vaccine provider near you.
All of the locations that received vaccine and how much they have received can be found on the COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution webpage.
Vaccine dashboard data can also be found on the website to find more information on the doses administered and showcase demographic information.