City Landmark Destroyed by Driver
Titusville – Titusville’s Veterans Memorial was destroyed on the morning of Christmas Eve. On Sunday, a driver in a pickup truck collided with the memorial near the center of town at a high rate of speed, entirely destroying portions of the structure. The nearly 20-year-old memorial was erected in 2004 to commemorate every man and woman from Titusville who served in the armed forces. Photographs of the ruins seem to show that the driver destroyed the central portion of the landmark and also obliterated about 1/3 of a brick wall behind the central island. Local veterans and city officials are hopeful that the memorial can be reconstructed.
PA Unemployment Holds Steady
Harrisburg – November’s unemployment rate for Pennsylvania was still a record low 3.4% for the third month in a row, according to the Department of Labor and Industry. L&I reports an increase of 10,900 nonfarm jobs in PA and that 2,000 people have entered the workforce and are looking for employment. A new record of 6,178,700 PA residents are currently employed and the unemployment rate has decreased by a full percentage point since last year. The national unemployment rate has decreased by 0.2% to 3.7%.
PSP Christmas Enforcement Statistics
Hershey – The Pennsylvania State Police released the results of their Christmas weekend enforcement period. PSP says the department responded to significantly fewer vehicle crashes than it did last year; Troopers were called to 404 accidents as opposed to 661 in 2022. Three people suffered fatal injuries in three fatal crashes, down from seven last year, and there was about a 33% decrease in reported injuries – 70 as opposed to last year’s 113. The number of alcohol-related crashes was the same at 36, unlike last year none of them were fatal; DUI arrests were up to 198 from 116.
Troop E which covers Erie, Crawford, Warren, and Venango Counties reported a single injury in 15 crashes and one substance related crash with 16 DUI stops. Troop E issued nearly 200 speeding tickets over three days, the most in any part of the state. Troop D which covers Lawrence and Mercer Counties reported only eight crashes with a single injury, two involved drugs or alcohol; there were 12 DUI stops.