Latest news with #MandySteele
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Pennsylvania bill aims to make Sunday hunting, fur taking legal
PENNSYLVANIA (WTAJ) — A Pennsylvania Representative has introduced a bill that aims to make hunting schedules more flexible in the Commonwealth. Rep. Mandy Steele argued in her newest bill that some surrounding states around Pennsylvania allow permit hunters to hunt and trap on Sundays, however, the Commonwealth still upholds its 'outdated blue law' that prohibits the practice. Steele noted that Pennsylvania should have more flexible schedules that allow Sunday hunting and fur taking. Steele's legislation would repeal the current Sunday prohibition, which in turn would then: Expand recreational opportunities for Pennsylvania hunters and trappers. Boost wildlife conservation efforts through increased engagement. Enhance economic activity in Pennsylvania's rural areas. Increase revenue collected from the issuance of hunting licenses. More accurately reflect today's modern values, making Pennsylvania an attractive destination for sportsmen and sportswomen. 'Although the Commonwealth has slowly moved to allow limited permissions, fully repealing this prohibition would maximize the benefits, rendering continual hunting schedule and regulation adjustments unnecessary,' Steele said in her bill. Steele's bill was filed in conjunction with Senator Laughlin's Senate Bill 67. The Representative closes her legislation with the argument that the bill supports not only Pennsylvania hunters but also the economy. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
22-05-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Pa. lawmaker, power companies hold hearing following severe weather, prolonged outages
Three weeks after a powerful windstorm caused extensive and prolonged power outages, a state lawmaker held a public hearing to determine how everyone can be more prepared for future storms. Storms never last, and we can learn from them after they pass. The destructive windstorm that swept through the Pittsburgh region on April 29 knocked out power for hundreds of thousands of people, causing confusion and frustration. "A lot of the people that we heard from just wanted to know when the heck the power was going to come back on. It was hard, I know, to be without power for so long. My own family was right there with you without power for seven days," said Rep. Mandy Steele (D), 33rd District. Rep. Steele called for a policy hearing: "After the Storm: Preparing for the Future." At the Lauri Ann West Community Center in Fox Chapel Wednesday night, community members and lawmakers heard directly from Duquesne Light and West Penn Power representatives. They explained what challenges they faced while restoring power. "Downed lines, poles, and other damage to the grid can present very diverse and potentially dangerous situations. That's what our crews had to face in this storm," said Abe Amawi, manager of operations at West Penn Power. "Many of our customers said they experienced difficulties getting through to us, we had some difficulty with the amount of calls coming in at one time. It created some technology challenges for us, and I'm happy to report that we've already made some technology advancements to be able to support and not have that bottleneck in the future," said Kristy Stone, Vice President and Chief Customer Officer at Duquesne Light. The power company representatives said they are listening to concerns, learning lessons, and figuring out what can be done differently when another big storm hits. "Going forward, we plan to complete a comprehensive review of our current customer notifications. That's email, that's texts, that's calling. Then we'll modify them as needed to ensure those messages are very clear and consistent so you don't have the frustrations and you're able to plan as best you can for any outages," Stone said. "We also intend to focus on providing more localized times. Now, the severity and complexity of this storm created a difficulty to be able to have localized ETRs," Stone added. "We continue to refine our process to communicate estimated time of restoration to our customers and other stakeholders to get their critical information into the hands as quickly and as practically so they can make decisions that fit their unique circumstances," Amawi said.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill proposing changes to Pennsylvania's Sunday hunting laws reaches House Committee
(WHTM) — A bipartisan bill proposing changes to Pennsylvania's Sunday hunting laws reached the Pennsylvania Game and Fisheries Committee last week. House Bill 1431, sponsored by Rep. Mandy Steele (D-33), among others, proposes repealing the current Sunday prohibition on hunting and fur taking in the Commonwealth. In addition to repealing the ban on Sunday hunting, the bill would create a Game/Wildlife protection organization and increase regulations for reporting carcasses to commission officers, unlawful hunting practices and devices, and trespassing on private property while hunting. In the bill's memo, Rep. Steele says removing the statute would: Expand recreational opportunities for Pennsylvania hunters and trappers. Boost wildlife conservation efforts through increased engagement. Enhance economic activity in Pennsylvania's rural areas. Increase revenue collected from the issuance of hunting licenses. More accurately reflect today's modern values, making Pennsylvania an attractive destination for sportsmen and sportswomen. Rep. Steele said Pennsylvania upholds its 'outdated 'blue law'' despite surrounding states permitting hunters to hunt on Sundays, and this bill would 'maximize the benefits, rendering continual hunting schedule and regulation adjustments unnecessary.' The bill was referred to the Game & Fisheries Committee on May 8. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
06-05-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Team Rubicon partners with Allegheny County to assist those with storm-related damage
Many communities across western Pennsylvania are still in recovery following last week's powerful storm that left a trail of damage, downed trees, and widespread power outages. Now, additional resources are arriving to help those still in need. From massive trees toppled over, to roofs torn apart and neighborhoods left without electricity, the storm's impact is still being felt. But a team of volunteers is stepping up to assist. Team Rubicon, a disaster response organization, has partnered with Allegheny County to provide free volunteer assistance to residents dealing with storm-related damage. Those in need of help can dial 2-1-1 to request services. "We're here with our volunteers to help the community rebound from this," said Peter Lindner, Incident Commander with Team Rubicon. "We're going to be doing saw work, roof tarping, and trying to meet any other needs we can while we're here on the ground." The fast-moving storm caused more destruction than many anticipated. "I actually saw one of the trees not only fall down but also almost fly across our yard. It took three other trees with it," said resident Adam Couch, recalling the storm's intensity. State Representative Mandy Steele met with residents on Monday in O'Hara Township who are still without power and struggling with the aftermath. "One of the biggest issues right now is the lack of communication from electric providers to their customers. People are literally feeling left in the dark," Steele said. While neighbors have been stepping up to help each other, going a full week without power has taken a toll because of spoiled food, lost wages, and growing frustration. "People's power would still be out, and they'd see that their house was listed as having electricity. It's hard to communicate, so there are a lot of things that could be done better next time," said resident Barry Schaitkin. Residents who need help can call 2-1-1 to submit a request. Team Rubicon will then evaluate the damage to determine what work can be done. "The way we look at it is, for every single person, it's the worst day. Whether it's one tree or ten trees, that person is going through a crisis, and we're here to help them," Lindner said. If you need assistance, dial 2-1-1 on your phone to speak with an operator and begin the request process.
CBS News
05-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Pa. lawmaker proposes hearing with residents, power companies following prolonged power outages
A Pittsburgh-area state representative says she'll hold power companies accountable after this week's prolonged power outages. State Rep. Mandy Steele, the acting chair of the House Committee on Energy, said she plans to look into scheduling a hearing at the Capitol, which would include the testimony of people impacted by the storm and people who represent the power companies. "What went wrong? What can we improve for next time?" Steele said as she described topics officials would look into. "I intend to hold them accountable." It's the sort of hearing that could feature people like Donna Terry, who lives in an apartment complex full of seniors, which has lacked power for five days. "It's really frustrating," Terry said. "Mentally, right now, it's really affecting me, because I'm crying more now, and this is rough." The generator at the building, the Douglas Plaza Apartments in Wilkinsburg, has not worked in five years, she and other residents said. Residents have to walk up multiple flights of steps in the dark. There's no hot water. "We feel so abandoned," said Rosemary Worthy, another tenant. "There's 200-300 and something thousand power outages, and now you're down to 37,000? I don't understand why ours wasn't fixed days ago." They are frustrated both with their building and with Duquesne Light. Steele said she recognizes the pain seniors are in, adding she feels both neighborhoods and people are not safe due to the outages. "There are downed wires and trees all over the roads in our neighborhoods. We are reaching a point of incredible urgency," Steele said. "I am frustrated with a number of things. One of those is speed of restoration." Also frustrating her, she said, is what she says is a lack of communication from power companies. People are left in the dark, she said, unsure of when power will come back on. Duquesne Light Company responded with the following statement: "Duquesne Light Company has been actively engaging and sharing timely updates directly with government stakeholders, including Ms. Steele, since the April 29 storm that resulted in severe damage throughout the Pittsburgh region. We understand that these relationships are crucial to upholding our mission to deliver safe, reliable and affordable electricity to our customers." Duquesne Light officials have called the storm unprecedented. It's something we should expect, Steele said. "The United States Army Corps of Engineers has for years said that because of climate change, these storms are going to increase in frequency and severity," Steele said. KDKA-TV asked Gov. Josh Shapiro at a briefing last week if there is more that power companies could do to proactively prevent outages. He replied, saying it is time for an honest dialogue about how expensive it would be to take actions like putting power lines underground. He said the state has a role to play in making those upgrades. Steele said it would be good to look at potentially strategically burying power lines underground. Outside the Douglas Plaza Apartments, KDKA-TV did see power crews working, but they said they did not expect to restore power there until Monday due to the severity of damage to a power pole. The owners of the apartment complex did not respond to a request for comment.
