U.S. Steel Seeks More Time To Cut Clairton Emissions

POLLUTANTS HANG IN THE AIR ALONG THE MONONGAHELA RIVER AT CLAIRTON, PENNSYLVANIA, 20 MILES SOUTH OF PITTSBURGH. THE… – NARA – 557219 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

More than six months after firing up a new battery of coke ovens designed to reduce emissions from one of the region’s most common sources of air quality complaints, U.S. Steel is still trying to bring the new equipment at its Clairton plant into compliance with county emissions requirements.

The Pittsburgh steel producer has asked the Allegheny County Health Department to give the company more time to comply with those standards.

“They have asked to extend the shakedown period,” said Jim Thompson, manager of the department’s air quality program.  “As far as the plant itself, emissions are way down from where they were five years ago.”

The new battery cost $500 million and was designed to enable the plant, a perennial source of air quality complaints, to significantly reduce emissions and meet certain air quality standards months earlier than government officials targeted.  When U.S. Steel held a ceremony at the new battery in January, United Steelworkers union president Leo Gerard hailed it as “the most environmentally sound, emission-reducing coke plant probably anywhere in the world.”

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/region/us-steel-seeks-more-time-to-cut-clairton-emissions-692184/#ixzz2Wi8rPcF4

Mother Of Montoursville Flight 800 Victim Surprised At New Crash Cause Claim

This photograph is part of the National Transportation Safety Board accident report for TWA Flight 800. The date on the photograph shows as May 20, 1997. It is figure 29 of the report, which is described as: A photograph of the large three-dimensional reconstruction, with the support scaffolding visible. Uploaded at full size as pulled from the report. URL of this report: http://www.ntsb.gov/Publictn/2000/AAR0003.pdf (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

MONTOURSVILLE — Claims of proof that the cause of the TWA Flight 800 crash in 1996 was an external detonation comes as a surprised to a mother of one of the 21 people from Montoursville, Pa., who died aboard the plane.

Irenay Weaver, whose daughter Monica was one of the 16 Montoursville High School students killed, said she was feeling disbelief upon learning Wednesday that former investigators of the crash are making that claim in a documentary that’s slated to be released next month.

Weaver questioned why people will not let it go.

“We’ve let it go,” she said of the victims’ families. “I don’t think we will ever know (the cause.).”

Read more:  http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/06/mother_of_montoursville_flight.html#/0

Lancaster Train Station Repairs Speed Up

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Lancaster County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Lancaster’s Amtrak station is finally getting a much-needed facelift.

Scaffolding reaches the ceiling in the main hall, and workers from Lobar, Inc., are repairing and patching the ornate plaster to prepare for the final paint job.

Meanwhile, members of the Lancaster Train Station Advisory Committee were told Wednesday, Amtrak workers are in the process of finishing plaster work on the west side of the concourse leading to the train platforms and putting the final coat of paint on the eastern concourse walls.

Work on the ceiling is being postponed until after a new heating/ventilating/air conditioning system is installed on the concourse roof.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/863292_Lancaster-train-station-repairs–speed-up.html#ixzz2Wi3O0O5E

Mohegan Job Fair Draws Thousands Seeking Casino Posts

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Luzerne County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Editor’s note:  We got quite a few hits after posting an article about this job fair.  We are not surprised by the large turnout.  It’s certainly an employers market.

PLAINS TWP. — Students, working parents, the unemployed.

About 2,000 people from across Northeastern Pennsylvania filed through the Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs ballroom during a job fair Tuesday, having come to try their luck at an estimated 250 openings expected to be created by the opening of a $50 million hotel and convention center this fall.

If there was a common denominator throughout the crowd — whose attire ranged from business suits to shorts, T-shirts and flip-flops — it was the oft-spoken view that a job at Mohegan Sun, which already employs more than 1,700 people, means good, steady work.

Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news/610204/Mohegan-job-fair-draws-thousands-seeking-casino-posts

Dolce And Gabbana Convicted Of Tax Evasion, Sentenced To Jail

Deutsch: Logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

From sharp, tailored suits to orange jumpsuits.

Storied designer duo Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana were found guilty of tax evasion on one of two counts, a Milan court ruled Wednesday afternoon.

The designers were each sentenced to one year and eight months behind bars for failing to declare $268 million to authorities, a decision reached after a three hour-long jury deliberation.  They were also ordered to cough up $670,000 to tax authorities.  The designers were cleared of the second count which dealt with the tax rate paid and valuation of all D&G assets.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/style/Dolce-and-Gabbana-get-jail-time.html#jplQEaJuHylcU9Ar.99

Man Hospitalized After Slashing In Pottstown

Editor’s note:  This is a very bizarre story!  Don’t they have adequate entertainment in the Bronx?  

POTTSTOWN — Police are looking for help from the community to find a suspect who sliced a man’s neck Tuesday night at the Montgomery Elk’s Lodge.

Borough police responded to the lodge at 605 Walnut St. at 11:10 p.m. after they received a call about a man being stabbed.

The victim, Fuquan Wilson, of Bronx, N.Y., suffered a laceration wound to his neck but did not tell police who caused the injury.

According to police, officers attempted to administer first aid to Wilson but he was combative and uncooperative. Police also said that Wilson had to be sedated when emergency services arrived.

Read more:  http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20130619/NEWS01/130619135/man-hospitalized-after-slashing-in-pottstown-charged-with-assualt?nstrack=sid:880285|met:300|cat:0|order:4#full_story

Upgrades Reduced Route 100 Crashes, Study Finds

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Chester County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

After a $1.5 million investment for safety-related improvements, crashes along Route 100 in northern Chester County were reduced by 30 percent between 2007 and 2011, an analysis by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission found.

Improvements along the 8-mile stretch of road from the Pottstown area to Font Road in Upper Uwchlan included surface treatment, tree management to help the roads dry faster, additional signage and speed enforcement.

The commission examined the road after 10 fatal crashes between 2003 and 2006 and recommended several short-term safety improvements.  Since the improvements have been implemented, the number of fatal crashes dropped to three from 2007 to 2011, and none were reported in 2012, according to Regina Moore, a transportation engineer with the commission.

“A lot of the credit goes to (the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation), since they were the implementors of the safety improvements, which helped to reduce crashes along the corridor,” said Moore. “We couldn’t have reached this point if it weren’t for the stakeholders (state legislators and municipalities) caring to see that something got done to improve safety on (Route) 100 and being supportive of working with us in helping to develop recommendations.”

Read more:  http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20130619/NEWS01/130619133/upgrades-reduced-route-100-crashes-study-finds#full_story

Search For New West Reading Police Chief Continues

Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States with township and municipal boundaries (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The search for a new West Reading police chief continues, with borough officials confirming Tuesday that they’re reviewing applicants to fill the position left open by former Chief Edward C. Fabriziani’s move back to patrolman.

“We’re moving forward,” Council President Kevin M. Conrad said of the hiring process, which he refused to put a timeline on.

Borough Manager Richard J. Sichler declined to say how many resumes had been received.

However, when reached after the meeting, Sgt. Keith Phillips, acting police chief, said that he had interviewed for the chief’s position.

Read more:  http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=485593