RAIN TODAY. IT’LL BE WINDY. A WIND ADVISORY is IN EFFECT, A HIGH OF 52.
CLEARING TONIGHT A LOW OF 32
. MOSTLY SUNNY TOMORROW WITH A HIGH OF 60.
CLOUDS MOVING IN TOMORROW NIGHT AND LOW 48.
SUNDAY PARTLY CLOUDY WITH SOME SHOWERS IN THE REGION WARMER A HIGH OF 75 DURING THE DAY
LOW OF 55 OVERNIGHT.
Ridgway police investigate terroristic threats on SnapChat….License plate stolen in Elk County….Two cell phones stolen from Emporium home…..Work scheduled to begin Monday on Route 555 bridge….State senate approves proposal changing “sell by date” for milk….8.3 million vaccines given in PA so far…..
Elk County
It’s sign of the times, Ridgway Based State Police are investigating a case of terroristic threats occurring on April 7 at a home on Dagus Mines Road in Fox township troopers received a Safe2Say report of a juvenile threatening another juvenile on a Snapchat group message. A12 year old St. Mary’s boy is said to be the victim.
State Police at Ridgeway are investigating a theft of a registration plate from an unoccupied vehicle on River Road in Jay Township yesterday afternoon. The vehicle belongs to a 50 year old Weedville man.
A 29 year old Brockway man has been arrested for drug possession after troopers stopped him on Bootjack Road and truck north 219 on April 18. Upon further investigation, troopers alleged they found that he had been driving the vehicle under the influence and has been charged with possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia.
Cameron County
Troopers at Emporium are investigating a theft occurring at a home on Oak Grove Lane in Shippen Township. Last Friday morning someone took two Apple iPhones from the home of the 57 year old Emporium woman. The phones. an Apple iPhone 6 and an Apple iPhone X are valued at a total of $1300.
Region
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announces that preliminary work on a bridge rehabilitation job in Elk County will start May 3. The bridge spans Dents Run on Route 555 in Benezette Township. Replacing the superstructure of the bridge will improve its condition rating. The existing bridge was built in 1940, is 66-feet long and carries an average of more than 700 vehicles daily. Starting Monday, crews will be working to mobilize equipment, install erosion and sediment controls, and begin construction of a temporary roadway.Once work replacing the superstructure of the bridge begins, drivers will use a temporary roadway to move through the work zone in an alternating traffic pattern. The traffic pattern will be controlled by temporary traffic signals. PennDOT will issue an update on this project as traffic impacts occur. Superstructure replacement work will consist of construction of concrete abutment caps, placement of spread box beams, and placement of a new bridge deck and parapets.
Work on this project will be done in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and state Department of Health guidance as well as a project-specific COVID-19 safety plan. The plan includes protocols for social distancing, use of face coverings, personal and job site cleaning protocols, management of entries to the job site and relevant training.
The contractor on this $1 million job is Wolyniec Construction, Inc. of Williamsport, PA. Work will take place through September and is weather and schedule dependent.
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.
For regional updates on Twitter, follow www.twitter.com/511PAStateCOLL
An enhanced “ move over slow down law” went into effect in Pennsylvania this week. Increased penalties for breaking law are now in effect and include a first offense fine of $500. Pennsylvania’s move over law requires drivers approaching an emergency response area who are unable to safely merge into a lane further away from the response area to slow down to at least 20 miles per hour less than the posted speed limit . An emergency response area is where an emergency vehicle has its lights flashing or for where road crews or emergency responders have lit flares posted signs or tried to warn travelers .
Statewide
the Pennsylvania State Senate passed legislation this week to extend the sell by date of milk. Currently Pennsylvania regulation requires milk to be labeled for sale within 17 days of pasteurization. With this fixed code date for milk sales, Pennsylvania produced milk is at a competitive disadvantage in the retail sale of milk according to lawmakers. The current 17 day requirement also makes it impossible for processors to provide melt to those who want to sell through National Food suppliers and wholesalers. And it puts organizations like food banks who sometimes must hold on to food before distribution.
The bill will allow milk processors to Apply for the Department of Agriculture approval to exceed the current 17 day limitation by moving to a science based open code format legislation establishes testing requirements and standards which must be met or Milk Producers to receive department approval.
the Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12am. Yesterday Wednesday, there were 3322 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing a statewide total to 1,146,398. Here in the Black Forest Broadcasting service area. McKean county has 2635 confirmed cases; Tioga County 2412; Elk 153;Potter 926 and Cameron 193 confirmed cases. Across the border in New York State Cattaraugus County has 5339 confirmed cases and Allegany County 3273.
There are 2,447 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19. Of that number, 539 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.
The trend in the 14-day moving average number of hospitalized patients per day is about 3,400 lower than it was at the peak on December 25, 2020. The current 14-day average continues to increase, but it is still below what it was at the height of the spring peak on May 3, 2020.
Statewide percent positivity for the week of April 16 – April 22 stood at 8.6%.
The most accurate daily data is available on the website, with archived data also available.
As of 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, April 28, there were 50 new deaths identified by the Pennsylvania death registry, reported for a total of 26,179 deaths attributed to COVID-19. County-specific information and a statewide map are available on the COVID-19 Data Dashboard.
According to the CDC, as of Thursday morning, April 29, Pennsylvania has administered first doses of vaccine to 48.5% of its eligible population, and the state ranks 10th among all 50 states for first doses administered by percentage of population.
According to the CDC, as of Thursday morning, April 29, Pennsylvania ranks 5th among all 50 states for total doses administered.
Vaccine providers have administered 8,330,129 total vaccine doses as of Thursday, April 29.
3,349,820 people are fully vaccinated; with a seven-day moving average of more than 93,200 people per day receiving vaccinations.
1,907,763 people are partially vaccinated, meaning they have received one dose of a two-dose vaccine.
5,257,583 people have received at least their first dose.
This week, a total of 8,326,640 doses will have been allocated through May 1:
297,520 first/single doses will have been allocated this week.
276,520 second doses will have been allocated this week.
To date, 8,330,129 doses total have been administered through April 29:
First/single doses: 5,257,583 administered
Second doses: 3,072,546 administered
Mask-wearing is required in all businesses and whenever leaving home. Fully vaccinated people are permitted to participate in some activities without a mask based on CDC guidance released yesterday. Consistent mask-wearing is critical to preventing the spread of COVID-19.
There are 4,382,980 individuals who have tested negative to date.
In licensed nursing and personal care homes, there are 70,669 resident cases of COVID-19, and 14,781 cases among employees, for a total of 85,450 at 1,588 distinct facilities in all 67 counties.
Approximately 27,653 of the total cases are among health care workers.
All Pennsylvanians age 16 and older are eligible to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine. The provider map is available here.
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.