New Castle Fireman were called out to battle a blaze on the city’s East Side yesterday. The New Castle News reports the fire broke out around noon at a home on Randolph Street. An older woman and her care giver were able to escape the fire. The second floor of the home was fully engulfed in flames when firemen arrived. No injuries were reported and a cause remain under investigation.
Teachers-in-training would be paid for their 12 weeks of required in-class student teaching under a measure announced Monday. Currently, they’re not paid for such work. A co-sponsor memo from Senator Vincent Hughes of Philadelphia and Senator Ryan Aument of Lancaster says the proposal is one of a series of ideas to reduce a statewide shortage of teacher candidates. Others include the governor’s proposal to give new teachers 25-hundred dollars in tax credits and another would provide student loan forgiveness to new teachers.
Pennsylvania Senators Bob Casey and John Fetterman are joining with Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown in introducing a bill aimed at expanding rail safety requirements. The legislative move on the part of the three Democrats comes following last month’s train derailment on the Ohio side of the Ohio and Pennsylvania border. Among other things, the bill, called the Railway Accountability Act, would toughen train inspection requirements.
State Senator Jim Brewster says the operators of Kennywood are inviting him and other lawmakers to tour the park before opening day next month. The senator says he is going to take a look at security improvements and get involved in discussions between Kennywood management and Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala. Last week, Zappala announced he would take legal action to stop the park from opening on April 22nd if a full list of suggested security fixes were not completed. The push for enhanced safety comes after a shooting there injured three people last September.
State Police in Mercer County have charged a truck driver with homicide by vehicle after he hit a Michigan man that was changing a tire on interstate 80 back in July of last year. The Sharon Herald reports 40 year old Christopher James McKee, 40, of Oakdale, Pa., was charged by state police with homicide by vehicle, careless driving, and several other charges. 23 year old Daniel Lee Leinen was pronounced dead at the scene from head and chest injuries. The accident took place in the early morning hours of July 31st.
A star from the show “Yellowstone” and family members of Jeff Ruby are heading to East Palestine today. Luke Grimes is from Dayton and stars as Kayce Dutton in Yellowstone. He and members of the Ruby family will be distributing 250 water filtration systems to residents and will be giving the town more than 100-thousand-dollars to help with the aftermath of the train derailment last month.
A bill advanced by the House Heath Committee would require carbon monoxide detectors to be installed in most child care facilities. The bill is in response to a carbon monoxide leak at an Allentown daycare center last October which sent more than two dozen children and adults to the hospital for treatment of c-o poisoning. Supporters say the bill is needed to protect children and workers from the serious health threat posed by c-o. But concerns were also raised that the bill would require more regulation of businesses.
Ushers at PNC Park are calling for better wages in their contract negotiations with the Pirates. The Pittsburgh Stadium Independent Employees Union reports that ballpark ushers in the Steel City were making 9-dollars-an-hour in 2005 and today make an hourly rate of 9-dollars and 35-cents. Union President Mike Kelly says that ushers at Acrisure Stadium are paid 15-dollars-per-hour while those at PNC Park are being offered an increase to 12-dollars and 40-cents. The Pirates say their current offer is for a significant wage increase and guaranteed back pay for hours worked in 2022.