Rescue crews responded to a 21-year-old South Connellsville woman who was trapped in a current in the Youghiogheny River on Wednesday.
According to a representative from the Morrell Volunteer Fire Department, the unidentified woman was floating along in an inflatable inner tube when the current of the river swept her away from the group of six in a tubing party. Panicked and scared, the woman was too weak to swim out of the current.
A woman walking along the Youghiogheny Bike Trail heard the woman screaming from the river and called 911 at 2:30 p.m.
When rescue crews arrived, they found that the other members of the tubing party caught up with the woman and had her on the riverbank by the West Jaw Bridge in Dunbar Township.
The woman was reported to be shaken up and was transported by Fayette EMS to Highlands Hospital for treatment of cuts and abrasions she sustained.
Fire departments from Dunbar and South Connellsville also responded to the scene.
Uniontown
No work session
The Laurel Highlands School Board did not hold a work session Thursday.
The next work session will be at 5 p.m. June 24 in the Middle School conference room, followed by a voting meeting at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium.
The board will likely vote on the district's 2004-2005 expense budget. Directors passed a tentative expense budget of $35,733,193 May 25. Directors are waiting to hear how much the state will pay before passing a revenue budget.
Fayette
Road work
PennDOT District 12 announces the following tentative work plan for the week of June 21:
= Signs will be updated, downed signs will be replaced, and work orders will be addressed on various state routes throughout Fayette County.
= Sub-structure repairs are planned for the bridge on Route 4014, Lower Peanut Road.
= Spray patching will be done on the Route 21.
= Shoulder cutting operations are scheduled for Route 1027 and Route 4003, Bull Run Road.
= Pothole patching will be done on Route 2001, Skyline Drive, Route 381, Wharton Furnace Road, Route 0281, May West Road and Route 0857.
= Parallel pipe, ditch cleaning and base repairs are scheduled for Route 1054, Indian Head Road to Clinton.
= Parallel pipe will be installed on Route 119 and Route 166.
= Bridge cleaning is scheduled for various bridges for the Cloverleaf/Perryopolis area.
All maintenance activities are conducted on a weather-permitting basis. Motorists should drive with caution throughout all work areas and be alert for signed work zones requiring the usage of headlights.
PennDOT has a 24-hour toll free number for residents to call to report any road maintenance concern and to report locations of dead deer on state highways. The number is 1-800-FIX ROAD (1-800-349-7623). Visit www.penndot12.com.
Mount Pleasant
Trail work
The Coal & Coke Trail Chapter will conduct a workday session beginning 7 a.m. June 19. All volunteers are asked to report to Iron Bridge Auto, next to the Amcel Center (former Modulus Corp.) in Mount Pleasant, to assist the Trail Chapter members in the removal of tires and debris along the proposed trail pathway. For more information, call 724-887-5300.
Fayette
Web site
The latest way for people to stay in touch with U.S. Rep. John Murtha is to subscribe to his periodic e-mail updates, an easy, convenient new service being offered to constituents who want to stay on top of key issues.
Signing up is easy. Just go to the congressman's Web site at www.house.gov/murtha, click on the "Do you want e-mail updates?" link and follow the directions. The same form used to subscribe can be used at any time to unsubscribe. The updates are available only to residents of the 12th Congressional District.
Constituents can continue to contact the congressman's office by mail at P.O. Box 780, Johnstown, PA 15907-0780, or by phone (1-800-289-2642 or 814-535-2642 in Johnstown or 202-225-2065 in Washington). Constituents also are welcome to fax their concerns or questions (814-539-6229 in Johnstown or 202-225-5709 in Washington).
Fay-West
Save energy
With the launch of ENERGY STAR's "Cool Change" campaign this summer, EPA is encouraging Americans to save energy, money, and protect the environment by increasing the efficiency of home cooling systems. To improve cooling system efficiency, homeowners may replace air filters, perform annual tune-ups, or install new ENERGY STAR-qualified central air conditioners.
The average family spends $1,400 a year on energy bills, nearly half of which goes to heating and cooling. Homeowners who choose energy-efficient heating and cooling equipment that is properly sized and installed can save as much as 20 percent on their annual energy costs. ENERGY STAR products use less energy, which means less air pollution and a cleaner environment. If one in 10 U.S. households used heating and cooling equipment that has earned the ENERGY STAR, the change would prevent an estimated 17 billion pounds of air pollution.
The "Cool Change" campaign offers homeowners tips to realize big savings -- for their wallet and the environment. Recommendations include replacing old cooling equipment with high-efficiency ENERGY STAR-qualified equipment; checking and sealing duct systems; replacing air filters; and sealing homes to keep excess air from escaping through leaky attics, doors and windows. For a copy of EPA's Guide to Energy-Efficient Cooling and Heating and more information about home cooling system efficiency improvements, visit www.energystar.gov/hvacguide.
EPA established ENERGY STAR in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce air pollution by giving consumers simple energy-efficient choices. Today, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Energy, the ENERGY STAR is featured on more than 40 types of products, from light bulbs to major appliances to new homes and buildings. More than 9,000 organizations have become ENERGY STAR partners and are committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes and businesses. For more information about ENERGY STAR, call 1-888-STAR-YES or visit www.energystar.gov.
