The National Weather Service has issued a severe weather outlook for today where the region will have a high of 75 chance of showers then some thunderstorms likely.
Tonight thunderstorms then showers a low of 53.
Wednesday, showers likely with a high of 57
Wednesday night chances of showers then mostly cloudy
Thursday partly sunny, a high of 54.
Mostly cloudy Thursday night with a low of 37 and a chance of showers.
Downstate man killed in Potter County ATV crash, operator seriously hurt …..Brockport man accused of violating mother’s PFA….…. Teen driver wrecks car avoiding an elk on Winslow Hollow Road..…Tri-Co Connections participates in Covid assistance program…GOP lawmakers want Wolf to explain Covid Data breach…More than 8.6 million Pennsylvanian’s vaccinated…. https://soundcloud.com/user-159792485/black-forest-broadcasting-podcast-may-4-2021
Potter County
A Barto, PA man died in an ATV crash Sunday evening in Bingham Township, Potter County. State police at Coudersport say 21 year old Christian Hellriegel was a passenger on a Polaris Sportsman 800 operated by 25 year old Christian Patterson also of Barto. Both men were thrown off the machine when it went off of the Pushersiding Road and struck a tree head on after failing to make a right curve and hitting an embankment. Hellriegel was pronounced dead at the scene and Patterson was flown to Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre. Police claim, Patterson was driving the ATV under the influence.
McKean County
A 33 year old Rockport man has been cited for violating a protection from abuse order. Troopers at Lewis Run allege that 33 year old Jared Steiner of Brockport attempted to contact his mother, a 49 year old Brockport woman, through a third party via text message in violation of a temporary protection from abuse order. Charges have been filed in District Court.
A Kane driver was flown to Hamot Medical Center in Erie after a one-vehicle accident just before midnight Saturday in Wetmore Township. According to state police at Lewis Run, Peter Fuller was going north on the Burning Well Road when his Chevrolet Silverado crossed to the other side and collided with a tree, nearly head on.
Elk County
A 17 year old Curwensville girl escaped injury on Winslow Hill Road in Benezette Township Sunday afternoon. The teen driver was going west when an elk entered the highway in front of her Chevy Cobalt. She swerved to miss the elk and lost control of the car causing it to go off the pavement striking embankment. It then crossed the highway and struck another embankment on the left side before stopping but the driver was not hurt.
Region
Tri-Co Connections is participating in a federal COVID assistance program that will provide $50 monthly discounts for qualifying high-speed internet service customers.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved Tri-Co Connections, the broadband internet subsidiary of Tri-County Rural Electric Cooperative, as a participant in the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, a $3.2 billion federal initiative to help reduce the cost of high-speed internet for households struggling to pay for internet service during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Enrollment in the program begins May 12 through the Universal Service Administrative Co.’s website at getemergencybroadband.org. A link to the enrollment website, as well as additional information about the program, can be found on the Tri-Co Connections website at tricoconnections.com or by calling Tri-Co Connections toll free at 1-833-822-2010.
The program will provide a discount of up to $50 per month toward broadband service for eligible households.
The Emergency Broadband Benefit is limited to one monthly service discount per household. The discount program will remain in effect until the Emergency Broadband Benefits program funds have been depleted.
Households can qualify for the Emergency Broadband Benefit by showing that at least one member of the household meets one of the following criteria:
- Qualifies for the FCC’s Lifeline program, including those who are on Medicaid or receive SNAP benefits
- Receives or is eligible to receive benefits under the free or reduced price school breakfast/lunch program
- Experienced a substantial loss of income since February 29, 2020, and total household income in 2020 was below $99,000 for single filers and $198,000 for joint filers
- Received a federal Pell grant in the current award year
Tri-Co Connections began deploying its fiber-optic system in 2019 as part of a 6-year project to make broadband internet service available throughout Tri-County Rural Electric Cooperative’s 5,000-square-mile service territory across north-central Pennsylvania.
Tri-County became the first electric cooperative in Pennsylvania to launch a fiber-to-the-home internet project, which will provide its members access to affordable high-speed internet service.
The fiber build-out began outside of Coudersport in November 2019, and the first Tri-Co Connections customer was connected to the company’s high-speed internet service on April 7, 2020. Since then, Tri-Co Connections has connected more than 800 Potter County homes and businesses to its broadband service.
With headquarters in Mansfield, Tri-County Rural Electric Cooperative provides electric service to approximately 17,000 members and over 20,000 services in Potter, Tioga, Bradford, Lycoming, Clinton, McKean and Cameron counties.
Statewide
Rep. Jason Ortitay (R-Washington/Allegheny), along with House Majority Whip Donna Oberlander (R-Clarion/Armstrong/Forest) and Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin), today spoke about the COVID-19 contact tracing data breach by the Wolf administration, missed opportunities to reduce the risks to Pennsylvanians and called for a full, independent investigation.
A WPXI-TV/Target 11 investigation that aired last Thursday revealed that more than 70,000 Pennsylvanians had their personal information accessible on the internet after answering calls from employees of Insight Global, which was awarded a no-bid contract by the Pennsylvania Department of Health to conduct contract tracing.
In addition to serious concerns about the various consequences of the data breach and how residents may be affected, the lawmakers are also troubled by the lack of urgency by the governor’s administration. When Ortitay became aware of the issue on April 1, he contacted the governor’s office, was told that months ago someone else raised the same issue and that the claims of a breach were false.
Early in the week of April 19 when the reporter reached out to the Department of Health requesting an interview for his story, the governor’s administration then acknowledged to the reporter that a breach of confidential personal information had occurred and then immediately shut it down. Insight Global received the no-bid contract for contact tracing under Wolf’s emergency declaration powers and runs through July.
The lawmakers feel that an independent investigation, either at the state or federal level, is necessary in order to hold all the involved parties accountable. The request includes a look by the state attorney general’s office, the House Government Oversight Committee and even any federal law enforcement agencies with appropriate jurisdiction.
This isn’t the first time the Wolf administration’s lack of attention to detail has been in the news. In early February, it was revealed that the Pennsylvania Department of State failed to properly advertise a constitutional amendment that sought to create a two-year window for child sexual abuse victims to file claims in civil court if the statute of limitations had already expired. The failure to advertise will result in a delay before the question could go to the voters.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., May 3, there were 1,728 additional positive cases of COVID-19, in addition to 2,653 new cases reported Sunday, May 2, for a two-day total of 4,381 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 1,158,486.
There are 2,161 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19. Of that number, 479 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 starting to come down, after peaking at 2,661 patients which is slightly below what it was at the height of the spring 2020 peak of 2,751 patients on May 3, 2020. The full 14-day moving average since the start of the pandemic can be found here.
Statewide percent positivity for the week of April 23 – April 29 stood at 7.6% an improvement over the previous week.
The most accurate daily data is available on the website, with archived data also available.
As of 11:59 p.m. Saturday, May 1, there were 22 new deaths and as of 11:59 p.m. Sunday, May 2, there was 1 new deaths identified by the Pennsylvania death registry, reported for a total of 26,276 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 Monday morning, May 3, Pennsylvania has administered first doses of vaccine to 50.3% of its entire population, and the state ranks 10th among all 50 states for first doses administered by percentage of population.
According to the CDC, as of Monday morning, May 3, Pennsylvania ranks 5th among all 50 states for total doses administered.
Vaccine providers have administered 8,684,978 total vaccine doses as of Monday, May 3.
3,548,102 people are fully vaccinated; with a seven-day moving average of more than 88,000 people per day receiving vaccinations.
1,879,651 people are partially vaccinated, meaning they have received one dose of a two-dose vaccine.
5,427,753 people have received at least their first dose.
This week, a total of 8,938,480 doses will have been allocated through May 8:
323,520 first/single doses will have been allocated this week.
288,320 second doses will have been allocated this week.
To date, 8,684,978 vaccines doses total have been administered through May 3:
First/single doses: 5,427,753 administered
Second doses: 3,548,102 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 154,300 individuals who have a positive viral antigen test and are considered probable cases and 639 individuals who have a positive serology test and either COVID-19 symptoms or a high-risk exposure.
There are 4,413,028 individuals who have tested negative to date.
In licensed nursing and personal care homes, there are 70,763 resident cases of COVID-19, and 14,811 cases among employees, for a total of 85,574 at 1,588 distinct facilities in all 67 counties. Approximately 27,739 of the total cases are among health care workers.
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. To keep Pennsylvanians informed about vaccination efforts:
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.
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.