A law passed by the State Legislature in the fall went into effect Thursday, making Pennsylvania one of 30 states to ban texting while driving.
The law makes texting while driving a primary offense, meaning police can pull people over for texting alone, and includes a $50 fine. The offense also includes sending or reading emails and web browsing while driving but allows using smartphones for GPS.
Talking on the phone while driving is still legal in Pennsylvania.
An additional $52.3 million is available to those who qualify for the Low Income Energy Assistance Program through Mach 31.
According to a Department of Public Welfare news release, the extra funds bring the total of this year’s assistance to $209.5 million.
LIHEAP is a federally funded program that provides assistance for heating bills and income guidelines must be met.
If you are involved in a child custody dispute and you are a smoker, the chances of getting full or even joint custody are getting slim.
According to a recent article in the Washington Times, at least 18 states are now factoring in smoking when making decisions regarding custody of minor children.
According to a survey conducted by Action on Smoking Health, an anti-tobacco advocacy group, no judge or court has ever ruled that subjecting a child to tobacco smoke should be ignored when deciding custody and in thousands of cases, courts have prohibited smoking in the presence of a child, especially in vehicles. In some cases, court orders prohibit smoking in a home 24 or 48 hours before the child arrives and in some cases, parents have lost their custody rights or has visitations reduced because they subjected a child to tobacco smoke.
On Feb. 14, Gov. Tom Corbett signed House Bill 1950, the Marcellus Shale Bill, which is designed to enhance protection of the state’s natural resources through stronger environmental standards, as well as authorizing counties to adopt an impact fee, and move Pennsylvania toward energy independence.
According to a news release, the new law enhances environmental standards by:
Last week, WGAL reported that a tractor trailer spilled 150 gallons of a hazardous chemical on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Lancaster County. The spill happened in the westbound lanes in Brecknock Township.
The chemical that was spilled was ethanolamine, a toxic, flammable, and corrosive liquid. Crews had to remove contaminated soil from the area. The right lane of the turnpike was closed for about six and a half hours for the cleanup. No evacuation was required because there are no homes in the area.
We were glad to hear that no one was injured or needed to be evacuated in the area due to this spill. In addition no waterways were affected by this toxic chemical. But the ramifications of this accident could have been catastrophic. If you are involved in an accident with a tractor-trailer, you may be eligible for compensation. Contact the big truck accident attorneys of O’Connor Law for a free review of your case.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health is advising people who purchased raw milk from The
Family Cow in Chambersburg, Franklin County, that recent illnesses indicate the milk may contain harmful bacteria.
According to a Food Safety News report released Friday, the agency has confirmed 51 cases of Campylobacter in Pennsylvania, three cases of Campylobacter infection in Pennsylvania, four in Maryland, three in West Virginia, and two in New Jersey. All those affected drank milk from this farm.
In Part 1 of Personal Safety for Adults, we looked at things to consider if you are walking or driving. Today in Part 2, we’ll examine what to do to keep yourself safe at home, while doing outdoor activites, and when on a bus or elevator. But first, here’s a refresher of the 3 basic rules to follow to ensure your personal safety.
3 BASIC RULES
DO stay alert. Keep your mind on your surroundings, who’s in front of you and who’s behind you. Don’t get distracted.
It may not be something that’s in the front of our minds everyday, but knowing how to protect yourself can reduce the opportunity of becoming a victim of crime. In Part 1 of Personal Safety for Adults, we’ll look at things to consider if you are walking or driving. Remember, street safety can reduce the opportunity for muggers and purse-snatchers.
3 BASIC RULES
There are 3 basic rules to follow to try and ensure your personal safety:
The U.S. Product Safety Commission announced the voluntary recall of Coleman, Coleman Evcon, and Red T Gas Furnaces for Manufactured Homes which had been previously recalled in Nov. 2004.
According to CPSC, the furnaces can overheat and cause the heat-exchanger to crack and create openings that allow flames to be exposed. When this happens, drywall and other nearby combustibles are exposed to the flames, posing a fire and smoke hazard to consumers.
The furnaces were manufactured by Unitary Products Group, a division of York International Corp., of York, Pa. between 1995 and 2000 as original equipment in manufactured homes and as replacement furnaces in manufactured homes.
Drivers can rest a little easier, as it may be a few years before big rigs can increase the size and weight on U.S. roadways.
Rep. Lou Barletta, R-Pennsylvania and Rep. Jerry Costello, D-Illinois, backed an amendment to a transportation bill that would delay heavier tractor-trailer trucks from increasing the federal weight limit from 80,000 pounds to 97,000 pound for three years. According to an article on CNN.com, it would also allow the largest rigs, which sometimes include two or three trailers, to be as much as 10 feet longer, at a total length of more than 100 feet.
The original legislation was sent before the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and included about $260 billion over five years for federal highway programs. But when groups such as the AAA Auto Club found out about the provision for increasing the size of tractor-trailer, they expressed their concerns.
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