Oil City motorcyclist arrested for speeding and DUI after wreck…Several more arrested in McKean County for DUI…Causer introduces bill to expand high speed internet service in rural counties….67.8% residents now vaccinated…
TUE-OVERCAST, HIGH 69
TUE NIGHT-CLOUDY, CHANCE OF SHOWERS, LOW 59
WED-PERIODS OF RAIN, HIGH 68
WED NIGHT-SCATTERED SHOWERS, HIGH 62
THU-LINGERING MORNING SHOWERS, HIGH 57
McKean County
An Oil City motorcyclist has been charged with speeding and faces DUI charges after a crash Sunday afternoon on Water Street Extension in Ridgway Township. State police claim 53 year old Dennis Fields was traveling too fast for conditions when his Harley Davidson CO Street Glide slid out of control on some gravel and became disabled after colliding with a ditch. Fields was treated at the scene for a minor head laceration but was taken to Penn Highlands Elk for a blood draw.
State police at Lewis Run have made several more DUI arrests. Troopers arrested a 28 year old Bradford man for DUI after stopping his 2017 Subaru Outback on Elm Street in Bradford early last Friday morning for traffic violations. A 38 year old Warren woman was arrested for driving her 2015 Dodge Avenger under the influence of drugs when she was stopped on Bolivar Drive in Foster Township on the afternoon of August 21. DUI charges are also pending against a 26 year old Bradford man whose 2016 Chevrolet Silverado was pulled over on Edwards Street in Bradford early Saturday morning.
Statewide
Rep. Martin Causer (R-Cameron/McKean/Potter) has introduced bipartisan legislation to commit $100 million in federal stimulus funding for additional high-speed internet service to rural communities across the state,
“A lack of high-speed internet service puts rural communities – and the people who live there – at a significant disadvantage,” Causer said. “Students have fewer tools to learn, businesses are less competitive and patients are further limited in their health care options. We need to make a serious commitment to extending broadband service across Commonwealth.”
House Bill 1766 would direct $100 million in federal funding to the Unserved High-Speed Broadband Funding Program, which was created last year through legislation Causer also sponsored.
The program provides grants in support of broadband expansion in areas most in need of these services. Initial funding came from a repeal of the $5 million Mobile Telecommunications Broadband Investment Tax Credit, but far more funding is needed.
The grant program is being administered by the Commonwealth Financing Authority. Preference is given to applicants with projects in the most underserved areas of the Commonwealth, as defined by the Federal Communications Commission’s minimum speed requirements, and to projects that already have federal funding allocated to them.
“Broadband service is not a luxury in this day and age,” Causer said. “It truly is a necessity and I consider this funding proposal to be a necessary investment in our future.”
The bill is pending consideration by the House Consumer Affairs Committee.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed that between 12:00 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 18 and Monday, Sept. 20, there were 12,686 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 1,382,933.
CAMERON 261
ELK 1842
McKEAN 3230
POTTER 1259
TIOGA 2952
ALLEGANY (NY) 3986
CATTARAUGUS 6682
There are 2,337 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19. Of that number, 589 patients are in the intensive care unit with COVID-19.
The trend in the 14-day moving average number of hospitalized patients continues to increase again.
Statewide percent positivity for the week of Sept. 10 – Sept. 16 stood at 8.9%.
Between 11:59 p.m. Friday, Sept. 17 and 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 19, there were 52 new deaths identified by the Pennsylvania death registry, reported for a total of 28,864 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 Sunday, Sept. 19, 67.8% of Pennsylvanians age 18 and older are fully vaccinated.
Vaccine providers have administered 12,588,317 total vaccine doses, including 66,545 additional doses authorized for people who are immunocompromised, as of Monday, Sept. 20.
6,146,333 people are fully vaccinated; with 50,178 vaccinations administered since Friday and a seven-day moving average of more than 15,900 people per day receiving vaccinations.
In licensed nursing and personal care homes, there have been a total of 75,627 resident cases of COVID-19 to date, and 16,178 cases among employees, for a total of 91,805 at 1,621 distinct facilities in all 67 counties.
Approximately 30,770 of total cases have been among health care workers.
All Pennsylvanians age 12 and older are eligible to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine. 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.