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Infrastructure bill still caught up in D.C. muck

HARTFORD, Conn. — President Joe Biden said this week that although he expects his social safety net and climate spending package, which is supposed to include the trillion-dollar infrastructure bill, to shrink, “we’re going to come back and get the rest” after it’s passed. “We’re not going to get $3.5 trillion. We’ll get less than that, but we’re gonna get it. And we’re going to come back and get the rest,” he said during remarks at a child care center in Connecticut. Democrats on Capitol Hill are working to reduce the sweeping package down to about $2 trillion in spending, which would be paid for with higher taxes on corporations and the wealthy. The proposal includes everything from free child care and community college to dental, vision and hearing aid benefits for seniors and a number of significant provisions meant to combat climate change, all key items for progressives, but moderates have balked at the original $3.5 trillion price tag. With slim margins in the House and an evenly-divided Senate, Democrats have no votes to spare on the bill. The whittling process has sparked concern from some progressives that their priorities could be left out of the bill. But Biden has openly acknowledged the price tag will have to come down. On Friday, he visited a child development center in Hartford to speak about the need for investments in child care and other social safety net programs, arguing they’re imperative to keep America competitive in the global economy. At the center, Biden promoted his proposal to make such care free for lower-income families, and ensure that families making up to 150% of their state’s median income pay less than 7% of their salaries on child care. It’s part of a massive expansion of the social safety net that Biden has championed and is aiming to pass with just Democratic votes in Congress. “Too many folks in Washington still don’t realize it isn’t enough just to invest in our physical infrastructure. We also have to invest in our people,” he said. Biden went on to outline how his plan would reduce child care costs for Connecticut residents, and noted the disparity between U.S. spending on early child care versus greater investments in other countries, to argue that the lack of investment is causing the U.S. to fall behind. “How can we compete in the world if millions of American parents, especially moms, can’t be part of the workforce because they can’t afford the cost of child care or eldercare?” He briefly greeted some of the children at the center’s playground before speaking, at one point kneeling down to give a child a hug. The president’s sales pitch comes as his Democratic allies have raised alarm that the American public does not understand the benefits of the package. There is renewed urgency among Democrats to push through the package ahead of an end-of-month deadline on transportation funding, Biden’s upcoming foreign trip, and a closer-than-anticipated race for Virginia’s next governor. Talks between the White House and members of Congress continue, as they try to reach consensus both on the total spending level for the legislation and what particular programs should be included. Objections by centrist Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema are forcing Democrats to shrink the package from Biden’s proposed $3.5 trillion to closer to $2 trillion. The fate of that legislation, branded “Build Back Better” by Biden, is also holding up a more than $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill that passed the Senate this summer. House progressives are balking at supporting that bill until agreement is reached on a path forward on the social safety net package. In an interview this week with The Associated Press, Terry McAuliffe, the Democratic candidate for Virginia governor, criticized Democrats and Biden over the stalled infrastructure package. “They all got to get their act together and vote,” McAuliffe said. Asked specifically if he was calling out Biden, McAuliffe said, “I put everybody there.” McAuliffe is in a tight race with Republican newcomer Glenn Youngkin in a state Biden carried by 10 points just last fall.  

Traffic delays expected in northwest Arkansas next week

BENTON COUNTY, Ark. — Expect traffic delays in parts of northwest Arkansas next week as crews begin blasting rocks for a new interchange, officials with the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department (ARDOT) said. The project to build the new Interstate 49 (Bella Vista Bypass) interchange with Highway 71 in Bentonville will require lane closures from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Oct. 18, an ARDOT news release stated. During the blasting shots, crews will temporarily stop traffic for up to 15 minutes as a safety precaution in the area of the interchange on Interstate 49, Highway 71 and Walton Boulevard. “Watch for warning signs and safety personnel during the work,” the ARDOT news release stated. “The public is advised to be cautious when traveling in the work zone and watch for slower traffic speeds.” This project is part of ARDOT’s Connecting Arkansas Program and includes constructing approximately 2.8 miles of roadway with bridge structures on Interstate 49, including a new Bella Vista Bypass interchange with U.S. Highway 71 in Bentonville, according to the news release. More information on this $66.6 million project is available at ConnectingArkansasProgram.com.

More than 400 packages of meth seized from semi trailer

PHARR, Texas — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently confiscated more than 1,000 pounds of methamphetamine from an 18-wheeler whose driver was trying to cross into the United States from Mexico. CBP said in a news release that the alleged meth, valued at more than $16,000, was found during an Oct. 9 inspection at the Pharr International Bridge Cargo Facility. “This massive load of methamphetamine will not reach our city streets thanks to our CBP officers and their great teamwork and utilization of all available tools and resources,” Port Director Carlos Rodriguez, Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry, said. The news release said that officers became suspicious of the trailer after an imaging and canine sweep. During a physical search, 468 packages of alleged methamphetamine, weighing 1,179.47 pounds, were found concealed within the trailer. No information about the driver was given. The case is still under investigation.

Highway worker saves driver from overturned semi

CASEY, Ill. — An Illinois highway worker is being hailed as a hero after saving a truck driver who rolled her rig. Illinois District 7 Highway Maintainer Alan Ingle was hauling rock on Interstate 70 near Casey, Illinois, when he saw an 18-wheeler flip into the ditch directly in front of him, according to an Illinois Highway Department news release. The release didn’t say when the crash happened. After seeing the wreck, Ingle reacted immediately, pulling to the middle of the road and turning on his hazard lights to warn motorists approaching the scene. He then made his way to the rig to check on the driver, who was “conscious but confused,” the news release stated. As the rig began leaking fuel, Ingle reassured the driver that everything would be OK, helping her and her dogs get out of the cab safely. The driver walked away with only minor scrapes and bruises, the news release noted. “It was very apparent that the truck tractor was leaking diesel fuel from the tanks all over the underside of parts of the engine,” Illinois State Trooper Ryan Mayhaus said. “The truck tractor could have easily caught fire with the driver still inside. Mr. Ingle was able to help the driver before fire, EMS or any troopers could get to the scene. It is my opinion that Mr. Ingle helped save a life.” Ingle isn’t a stranger to being in the right place at the right time. Earlier this year, he and a coworker came upon an overturned camper that was on fire. Equipped with military experience and training as a volunteer with the Toledo Fire Department, he was able to act quickly to extinguish the fire. Ingle said that he does not view the rescue as heroic. “It’s part of our job to ensure the safety of the traveling public,” Ingle said. And that is exactly what he did. “I am grateful for Ingle’s quick thinking and that we have many such employees across the state who spring into action to assist those in need,” Region 4 Engineer Jeff Myers said.

Ex-Indiana mayor gets 21 months in prison for seeking bribe

HAMMOND, Ind. — A former northwestern Indiana mayor who was found guilty of taking a $13,000 bribe from a trucking company and illegal tax evasion was sentenced Wednesday to 21 months in prison. A federal judge ordered the sentence against former Portage Mayor James Snyder after a jury convicted him in March of seeking the bribe in 2013 in return for steering about $1.1 million in city contracts to the company. Snyder, a Republican, has maintained his innocence, testifying during his trial that the money was payment for consulting work that he declared on his income tax returns. Snyder’s defense attorney sought probation or home confinement for him, calling the company’s payment a “gratuity” and arguing that even if Snyder was guilty the offense was “nonviolent and an example of aberrant behavior in an otherwise positive and law-abiding life.” “A single transaction that involved a modest amount of money that is at worst a gratuity does not rise to the level of seriousness reflected in the scope and nature of (other corruption cases),” defense attorney Andrea Gambino wrote to the judge. The prison time that Judge Matthew Kennelly ordered, along with one year of supervised release, was less than what is called for under federal sentencing guidelines. Kennelly said Snyder’s offense did appear to be an “aberration” but agreed with prosecutors that prison time was proper to help deter corruption by public officials. Snyder, 43, won elections as mayor in 2011 and 2015. He was indicted on the bribery charges in 2016 and was removed from office in 2019 when he was first convicted in the case. A judge later threw out that verdict, ruling that aggressive tactics by prosecutors denied Snyder a fair trial. A former owner of the Great Lakes Peterbilt trucking company testified during Snyder’s retrial that he felt pressured when Snyder showed up at the trucking company’s office asking for money. Jurors also convicted Snyder of obstructing the Internal Revenue Service from collecting unpaid taxes owed by a private mortgage company he ran. Federal prosecutors had recommended about four years in prison for Snyder. The judge gave Snyder until Jan. 5 to surrender for the start of his prison term.

Country star’s equipment truck involved in crash

HUNTINGTON, W.V.— An 18-wheeler that’s part of country music star Jason Aldean’s equipment fleet crashed Thursday morning on Interstate 64 in West Virginia. Cabell County, West Virginia, dispatchers reported that the crash happened around 4:20 a.m. local time near mile marker six on I-64 in Huntington, West Virginia, according to the publication Country Now, which covers the country music industry. While no injuries were reported, the equipment truck sustained front end damage. It wasn’t immediately clear whether or not other vehicles were involved in the crash.

Love’s opens new truck stop in Illinois

OKLAHOMA CITY – Love’s Travel Stops opened a new store on Oct. 14 in Grant Park, Illinois, adding more than 80 parking spaces and 40 jobs to Kankakee County. The store is located at 8316 N. Route 1. “We’re excited to open our 30th location in Illinois and help get professional drivers and four-wheel customers back on the road quickly and safely,” Greg Love, co-CEO of Love’s, said in a news release. “Our team members are ready to serve customers in Grant Park and show them the Highway Hospitability Love’s is known for.” The 24/7 location features more than 8,000 square feet, a Chester’s Chicken, a Godfather’s Pizza, 51 car parking spaces, five diesel bays, four showers and laundry facilities, among other amenities. In honor of the grand opening, Love’s will donate $2,000, which will be split between the Grant Park Fire Department and the Village of Grant Park.

Rhode Island bridge work to improve I-195 flow

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Officials in Rhode Island broke ground on the $78 million Washington Bridge North project on Oct. 13 in Providence. The project will address the structural deficiencies of the westbound portion of the Washington Bridge, which carries I-195 over the Seekonk River between East Providence and Providence, according to a news release from the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT). The project also includes a new off-ramp to support economic development opportunities and other improvements to address chronic congestion issues on the Interstate. “Thanks to the efforts of Rhode Island’s Congressional delegation in support of a federal grant, RIDOT was able to secure $25 million for this project,” the news release stated. “The additional funding allows the Department to expand the bridge rehabilitation project to include a new exit to Waterfront Drive in East Providence – providing access to dozens of acres of developable land. The project also includes an additional through lane on the bridge to better accommodate Interstate traffic and the high volume of traffic entering the highway from the Veterans Memorial Parkway, Warren Avenue and Taunton Avenue ramps.” Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee said of the project: “Once again, our Congressional delegation has stepped up and provided Rhode Island with additional funding so we can make necessary improvements to our infrastructure, and at the same time address traffic problems that have plagued this highway for years and open the door for economic development and the many jobs that come with it.” The bridge carries more than 96,000 vehicles per day and is one of the busiest sections of Interstate highway in Rhode Island, according to the news release. It is the source of chronic congestion with backups often extending as far back as the Massachusetts state line, particularly during the morning rush hour. When the project is done, the average morning commute from the state line to I-95 will be trimmed by 40 percent, from 16 minutes to 9.5 minutes. Other improvements being made as part of the Washington Bridge project include: partial widening to provide five continuous lanes of I-195 westbound traffic over the bridge; a new bridge structure in East Providence to carry traffic from the Taunton Avenue/Warren Avenue/Veterans Memorial Parkway on-ramps over the new off-ramp to Waterfront Drive; a new bridge structure to carry traffic from Gano Street in Providence onto I-195 westbound; and restriping of I-195 westbound from the Broadway overpass to the new Waterfront Drive off-ramp to allow four lanes of through traffic on the mainline, eliminating the current lane drop at Broadway. The project will also add a through lane on the western end of the Washington Bridge to reduce the weaving movements between the Taunton Avenue/Warren Avenue/Veterans Memorial Parkway on-ramps and the Gano Street off-ramp, according to the news release. “Motorists on I-195 westbound can expect lane shifts during construction as RIDOT rehabilitates the bridge in phases so it can always keep four lanes of travel open during peak travel times,” the news release stated. “Those using the Taunton Avenue/Warren Avenue/Veterans Memorial Parkway on-ramps can expect delays from lane reductions leading onto the bridge. These will be put into place toward the end of the year.” The project will finish in summer 2026. During a two-month period close to the end of the project, RIDOT will need to temporarily close the Gano Street off-ramp to complete the rehabilitation of that structure. When the closure occurs, the new Waterfront Drive off-ramp will be open and available for use as an alternate route.  

Joint police effort leads to hundreds of violation tickets

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) joined forces with other members of the 6-State Trooper Project to focus on speed, safety belt and driving under the influence enforcement on Oct. 8-10 along Interstate 70. During the project, 323 people in Ohio were issued citations, including 297 for speed and 21 for seat belt violations. Additionally, five people were cited for driving under the influence. “The high-visibility enforcement included the Indiana State Police, Pennsylvania State Police and OSHP,” according to an OSHP news release Since 2020, there have been more than 4,700 crashes on I-70 in Ohio, including 27 fatal crashes, the news release stated. Of the 27 fatal crashes, 56 percent involved alcohol and/or drugs and 26 percent were speed related. Troopers have arrested nearly 1,000 motorists impaired by alcohol and/or drugs on I-70 since 2020. The 6-State Trooper Project is a multi-state law enforcement partnership aimed at providing combined and coordinated law enforcement and security services in the areas of highway safety, criminal patrol and intelligence sharing.

Texas teen dies after jumping from big rig

SCHERTZ, Texas — A Texas teenager died on Oct. 12 after jumping from a moving 18-wheeler, according to the Schertz Police Department. Police said that the incident occurred around 10 p.m. on an access road along Interstate 35 near Farm Road 1103. Upon arrival, authorities found a 16-year-old male lying in the roadway. Police said they initially thought the teen, who was not identified, had been hit by a car. However, it was later determined that he had hitched a ride on the outside of the semi and fell under the tires when he tried to jump from the truck. Police said the driver had no knowledge that the teen was on the rig. The incident is under investigation. The death marks at least the third around the nation involving 18-wheeler stowaways being killed after either falling or jumping from rigs. Police in Atlanta said there has been a social media trend known as “rig-hopping” that encourages people, especially teens, to hop rides aboard semis. Schertz police did not say whether this incident is part of that trend.  

Pennsylvania to test recycled plastic as road paving material

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Millions of products that consumers buy each year are held in containers made from recycled material. In Pennsylvania, the roads people drive on may soon be made of recycled plastic. Officials from the state Departments of Transportation (PennDOT), Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), Environmental Protection (DEP) and General Services (DGS) are highlighting a pilot project to pave part of a Ridley Creek State Park roadway with an asphalt and recycled plastic mixture. According to a PennDOT news release, the project, coordinated through PennDOT’s Strategic Recycling Program, which is funded through DEP, includes two quarter-mile roadway stretches surfaced with an asphalt/recycled-plastic mix. The material is intended to strengthen the roadway surface without leaching plastic material into the surrounding environment, the news release stated. “Transportation is integral in our communities and we are always evolving our operations,” PennDOT Acting Deputy Secretary for Highway Administration Mike Keiser said. “We are very pleased when we can pursue innovations bringing benefits to the public, our transportation assets, and our environment.” The material being tested supports interagency goals to increase the commonwealth’s sustainability in operations while supporting deployment in the state overall. Potential benefits include: Extended useful life of asphalt pavements; Diverting waste plastics from landfills and helping to establish a viable market for these plastics; and Continued ability to reuse asphalt millings in future recycled-asphalt pavement applications. “DEP is proud to support this project in partnership with PennDOT through the Strategic Recycling Program,” Pat Patterson, DEP southeast regional director, said. “Recycling is a fundamental environmental principal and DEP supports any effort that diverts waste from landfills.” The pilot project location was chosen in coordination with sibling agencies and supports increased emphasis on sustainable practices. The pilot is incorporated into a 1.5-mile reconstruction project within the park from the entrance to Pavilion 14. The rest of the roadway is being paved with a standard asphalt mixture to provide a comparison for the new material over the five-year evaluation period. “Sustainability is at the core of DCNR’s mission and we are pleased that one of our 121 state parks was selected to be a part of this innovative pilot project,” DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said. “We look forward to testing this new technology based on the expected benefits, and are hopeful that it is a model for future successes in Pennsylvania – especially with regards to state agencies collaborating to create more sustainable operations and policies across the commonwealth.”  

Biden tries to tame inflation with plan to move backlog of goods

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden tried to reassure Americans on Wednesday that he can tame high inflation, announcing a deal to expand operations at the Port of Los Angeles as prices keep climbing and container ships wait to dock in a traffic jam threatening the U.S. economy and holiday shopping. Prices are jumping in large part because container ships are stranded at ports and because unloaded goods are waiting for trucks, leading to mass shortages and delays that have caused a longer than expected bout of inflation. The rising costs are eating into worker pay, creating a drag on growth and driving Republican criticism of Biden just as his multitrillion-dollar tax, economic, climate and infrastructure agenda is going through the crucible of congressional negotiations. The White House responded to the backlog by finalizing an agreement for the Port of Los Angeles to become a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week operation. The hope is that nighttime operations will help to break the logjam and reduce shipping delays for toasters, sneakers, bicycles, cars and more. “With holidays coming up, you might be wondering if the gifts you plan to buy will arrive on time,” Biden said at the White House. “Today we have some good news: We’re going to help speed up the delivery of goods all across America.” But the expansion of port operations was also an unspoken recognition that inflation is lingering at higher levels long after the economy began to reopen from the coronavirus pandemic. Businesses were worrying about monthslong delays for shipping containers in June, yet the administration only formed its supply chain task force that month and named a port envoy on Aug. 27 to address the challenge. Ports are also just one piece of the puzzle, Biden said. The country needs more truck drivers, private retailers to step up and better infrastructure, as well as a supply chain that can less easily be disrupted by pandemics and extreme weather. The president is trying to use the predicament as a selling point for his policy plans that undergoing congressional scrutiny. “We need to take a longer view and invest in building greater resiliency to withstand the kinds of shocks we’ve seen over and over, year in and year out, the risk of pandemic, extreme weather, climate change, cyberattacks, weather disruptions,” he said. The sense of uncertainty is beginning to consume the attention of many Americans. University of Michigan economist Betsey Stevenson noted on Twitter the “economy is in a very fragile and unprecedented place.” Prices are rising at more than 5%, trade in goods and services have slowed and more Americans are quitting their jobs while the delta variant has made the coronavirus pandemic a risk. “No one really knows what’s going to happen,” wrote Stevenson, a former member of the White House Council of Economic Advisers under President Barack Obama. Ports in Los Angeles and Long Beach, California, account for 40% of all shipping containers entering the United States. As of Tuesday, there were 64 ships berthed at the two ports and 80 waiting to dock and unload, according to the Marine Exchange of Southern California. Commitments by the Los Angeles port’s operator, longshoremen and several of the country’s largest retail and shipping companies are expected to help relieve the backlog. Walmart, FedEx, UPS, Target, Samsung and The Home Depot committed to unloading during off-peak hours, making it easier for the Los Angeles port to operate nonstop. The Long Beach port has been operating 24 hours daily for seven days for roughly the past three weeks. Biden also held a virtual roundtable with the heads of Walmart, FedEx Logistics, UPS, Target, Samsung Electronics North America, the Teamsters Union and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, among other groups, before his speech. Republican lawmakers say Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package has fueled higher prices. A recent analysis issued by the investment bank Goldman Sachs estimates that “supply-constrained goods” account for 80% of this year’s inflation overshoot, yet the political criticism continues to sting as housing and oil prices add to inflationary pressures. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has made inflation one of his central charges against Biden, a sign that getting prices under control could be essential for Democrats trying to hold onto congressional seats in next year’s elections. “The Democrats’ inflation is so bad that even though the average American worker has gotten a multiple-percentage-point pay raise over the last year, their actual purchasing power has been cut,” McConnell said in a Senate speech last week. “Even dollar stores are having to raise their prices. Just ask any American family about their last few trips to the supermarket, the gas station or the toy store. Heaven forbid if they’ve had to participate in the housing market or the auto market anytime lately.” The Biden administration has argued that higher inflation is temporary. Yet the supply chain issues have persisted months after the economy began to reopen and recover as vaccines lessened many of the risks from the pandemic. Consumer prices climbed 5.4% from a year ago, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday. That is significantly above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. Higher energy, food and shelter costs were prime drivers of price increases in September.

Tanker truck rolls over near Boston, spilling diesel fuel

REVERE, Mass. — A tanker truck carrying 10,000 gallons of diesel fuel rolled onto its side near Boston early Wednesday morning, spilling fuel into environmentally sensitive areas and blocking a major intersection, officials said. No one was injured when the truck rolled over at the Brown Circle rotary in Revere just north of Boston at about 4 a.m., authorities said. Although all roads in the area were closed after the crash, some reopened on Wednesday afternoon. The state Department of Transportation in a tweet said the area where the truck rolled would remain closed well into the night for repaving work. Some of the fuel spilled into a nearby river and marsh, prompting a response from the Coast Guard and the state Department of Environmental Protection. Firefighters sprayed down the fuel on the road with foam. State police said the truck was heading from Revere to Barre. “All compartments of the tank were punctured and almost the entire load was spilled,” state police said in a statement. State police determined that the truck had a defective braking system. There was no word on whether the 41-year-old truck driver would be cited.

US to reopen land borders for fully vaccinated

WASHINGTON — By mid-January, essential travelers seeking to enter the U.S., like truck drivers, will need to be fully vaccinated. Vehicle, rail and ferry travel between the U.S. and Canada and Mexico has been largely restricted to essential travel, such as trade, since the earliest days of the pandemic. On Wednesday, the U.S. announced that it will reopen its land borders to nonessential travel next month, ending a 19-month freeze due to the COVID-19 pandemic as the country moves to require all international visitors to be vaccinated against the coronavirus. The new rules will allow fully vaccinated foreign nationals to enter the U.S. regardless of the reason for travel starting in early November, when a similar easing of restrictions is set to kick in for air travel into the country. Senior administration officials previewed the new policy late Tuesday on the condition of anonymity to speak ahead of the formal announcement. Both Mexico and Canada have pressed the U.S. for months to ease restrictions on travel that have separated families and curtailed leisure trips since the onset of the pandemic. The latest move follows last month’s announcement that the U.S. will end country-based travel bans for air travel, and instead require vaccination for foreign nationals seeking to enter by plane. Both policies will take effect in early November, the officials said. They did not specify a particular date. The new rules only apply to legal entry to the U.S. Officials cautioned that those seeking to enter illegally will still be subject to expulsion under so-called Title 42 authority, first invoked by former President Donald Trump, that has drawn criticism from immigration advocates for swiftly removing migrants before they can seek asylum. One of the officials said the U.S. was continuing the policy because cramped conditions in border patrol facilities pose a COVID-19 threat. According to the officials, travelers entering the U.S. by vehicle, rail and ferry will be asked about their vaccination status as part of the standard U.S. Customs and Border Protection admissions process. At officers’ discretion, travelers will have their proof of vaccination verified in a secondary screening process. Unlike air travel, for which proof of a negative COVID-19 test is required before boarding a flight to enter the U.S., no testing will be required to enter the U.S. by land or sea, provided the travelers meet the vaccination requirement. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. will accept travelers who have been fully vaccinated with any of the vaccines approved for emergency use by the World Health Organization, not just those in use in the U.S. That means that the AstraZeneca vaccine, widely used in Canada, will be accepted. Officials said the CDC was still working to formalize procedures for admitting those who received doses of two different vaccines, as was fairly common in Canada. The delay in the vaccination requirement for essential cross-border travel is meant to provide truck drivers and others with additional time to get a shot and minimize potential economic disruption from the vaccination mandate, officials said. All told, the new procedures move toward a policy based on the risk profiles of individuals, rather than less targeted country-based bans. The vaccination requirement for foreign nationals comes as the White House has moved to impose sweeping vaccination-or-testing requirements affecting as many as 100 million people in the U.S. in an effort to encourage holdouts to get shots On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Labor completed the initial draft of an emergency regulation that will require employers of 100 workers or more to demand their employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 or tested weekly. The Office of Management and Budget is now reviewing the order before its implementation. Mexico has not put in place any COVID-19 entry procedures for travelers. Canada allows entry of fully-vaccinated individuals with proof of vaccination against COVID-19 as well as proof of a negative test conducted within 72 hours of entry to the country.

Car hauler strikes trooper’s car, pickup on I-84

An 18-wheeler hauling five automobiles struck a disabled vehicle and an Oregon State Police (OSP) trooper’s car on Tuesday along Interstate 84. According to an OSP Facebook post, the trooper had stopped near milepost 71 to assist a motorist whose pickup, which was hauling a trailer, had broken down. Soon after, the semi hit the pickup’s trailer, then hit the rear of the trooper’s unit before crashing through a guardrail and overturning. At the time of impact, the trooper, pulling the pickup driver with him, hopped over the rail, according to the Facebook post. Both the pickup driver and passenger sustained minor injuries that were evaluated at the scene. The trooper also sustained minor injuries and was transported to an area hospital for evaluation. The name of the truck driver was not released, nor was his condition. The accident is still under investigation, according to the OSP.

Wildfire rages in Southern California coastal mountains

SOLVANG, Calif. — A major highway in Southern California coastal mountains remained closed Wednesday and evacuation orders were in place as a growing wildfire chewed through dry vegetation in the region. More than 760 firefighters battled the Alisal Fire, which covered 21 square miles (54 square kilometers) along the south Santa Barbara County coast and was only 5% contained, county fire officials said. The fire was burning near Rancho del Cielo, which was once owned by Ronald and Nancy Reagan and was known as the Western White House during his presidency. Fire crews were protecting the ranch where Reagan hosted world leaders. The fire erupted Monday on a ridge and swept toward the ocean, forcing the closure of U.S. 101, the only major highway on that section of the coast. Evacuation orders and warnings were in place for ranches and several rural communities. While the area is lightly populated, the blaze burning in dense chaparral threatened more than 100 homes, ranches and other buildings, fire officials said. The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors declared a local emergency on Tuesday and asked Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency to free up more state resources for firefighters and evacuees. In Northern California, fire crews increased containment of a blaze that destroyed 25 mobile homes, 16 RVs and a park building at the Rancho Marina RV Park in Sacramento County. No injuries were reported, and the cause remained under investigation. To the south in San Joaquin County, a man suffered severe third-degree burns over most of his body and about five mobile homes were damaged by flames that raced through the Islander Mobile Home Park, Lathrop-Manteca Fire Chief Josh Capper told Fox40-TV. Powerful gusts swept across the state Monday, toppling trees and whipping up blinding dust clouds. The Pacific Gas & Electric utility shut off power Monday to about 24,000 customers in targeted areas of 23 counties to prevent fires from being started if gusts damaged electrical equipment. The windy weather then settled down somewhat and power was restored Tuesday, but red flag warnings for extreme fire danger will return Thursday and PG&E warned that it may need to cut power to about 29,000 customers across 19 counties on Thursday because of the renewed threat. PG&E equipment was blamed for a 2018 fire that wiped out most of the town of Paradise in Butte County. The company filed for bankruptcy and pleaded guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter. PG&E also faces criminal charges for fires caused by its fraying equipment, including involuntary manslaughter counts after a blaze near Redding last year killed four. A historic drought in the American West tied to climate change is making wildfires harder to fight. It has killed millions of trees in California alone. Scientists say climate change has made the West much warmer and drier in the past 30 years and will continue to make weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent and destructive. Windy weather is a nightmare for firefighters in a state where heat waves and historic drought have left forests and brush tinder-dry. Fires that began in late summer are still burning after destroying hundreds of homes.

Texas order reflects growing GOP vaccine mandates hostility

SALT LAKE CITY — With the governor of Texas leading the charge, conservative Republicans in several states are moving to block or undercut President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates for private employers before the regulations are even issued. The growing battle over what some see as overreach by the federal government is firing up a segment of the Republican Party base, even though many large employers have already decided on their own to require their workers to get the shot. The dustup will almost certainly end up in court since GOP attorneys general in nearly half of the states have vowed to sue once the rule is unveiled. In the trucking industry, many drivers have been outspoken against vaccine mandates, even threatening to hold up goods and services to boycott the shots. The Facebook group Twisted Truckers, which draws thousands of truckers to its page each day, has been one of the most outspoken against mandatory vaccinations. Facebook user Sharon Rogers recently posted on the site: “No, No, No. We do not live in a tyranny, even though (President Joe) Biden is trying to act like a tyrant. It is not legal and totally unconstitutional. It is also probably a smoke screen for something else that is going on. They like to distract us.” User Stephen Shindler said: “Dictator at its finest. Too much control when all 3 branches are Democrats.” The courts have long upheld vaccine mandates, and the Constitution gives the federal government the upper hand over the states, but with the details still unannounced and more conservative judges on the bench, the outcome isn’t entirely clear. On Monday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order barring private companies or any other entity from requiring vaccines. It was perhaps the most direct challenge yet to Biden’s announcement a month ago that workers at private companies with more than 100 employees would have to get either vaccinated or tested weekly for the coronavirus. “No entity in Texas can compel receipt of a COVID-19 vaccine by any individual … who objects to such vaccination,” Abbott wrote in his order. White House officials brushed off Abbott’s order, saying the question of whether state law could supersede federal was settled 160 years ago during the Civil War. They said they Biden administration will push through the opposition and put into effect the president’s package of mandates, which could affect up to 100 million Americans in all. Noting the nation’s COVID-19 death toll of more than 700,000, White House press secretary Jen Psaki accused the opposition of putting politics ahead of safety. “I think it’s pretty clear when you make a choice that’s against all public health information and data out there, that it’s not based on what is in the interests of the people you are governing. It is perhaps in the interest of your own politics,” she said. Several large companies in Texas have already implemented their own vaccine mandates, and two Texas-based airlines, Southwest and American, indicated Tuesday they would follow the order of the Biden administration, saying federal action supersedes any state mandate or law. Elsewhere, lawmakers in Arkansas have approved a measure creating vaccine-mandate exemptions. Though the GOP governor hasn’t said whether he will sign it, it has prompted fears businesses will be forced to choose whether to break federal or state law. “We are tying the hands of Arkansas businesses that want to make their own decision in how best to keep their people safe,” said Randy Zook, president of the Arkansas Chamber of Commerce. Some of the state’s largest companies, including Walmart and Tyson Foods, have required some or all employees get vaccinated. Calls for special legislative sessions to counter vaccine mandates have been heard in states like Wyoming, Kansas and South Dakota, where Republican Gov. Kristi Noem is so far resisting calls to immediately consider a bill that would guarantee people could opt out. “I hear from people almost daily who are going to lose their jobs, are living in fear,” said Republican state Rep. Scott Odenbach, who has clashed with Noem on the issue. “They shouldn’t have to choose between feeding their family and their own medical freedom.” In Tennessee, a $500 million incentive deal to lure a Ford Motor Co. project could be undermined if GOP Gov. Bill Lee refuses to consider further loosening COVID-19 restrictions, including vaccine requirements, the powerful House speaker told a local radio station. In Indiana, Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb is also resisting a push from within his party to ban workplace vaccine mandates. Bills are being introduced or drafted elsewhere too, including swing states like Ohio and New Hampshire, where the Republican sponsor was elected House speaker after his predecessor died of COVID-19. “We have made it clear that government mandates are not the path to successful vaccination rates and will only cause further division in this country,” Speaker Sherm Packard said last month. In Utah, lawmakers have not taken action, but a record-setting crowd of over 600 people packed a legislative hearing room last week. Rob Moore, CEO of Salt Lake City-based Big-D Construction, said he supports vaccines but has questions about the mandate rollout. He already has a worker shortage on his job sites, and he said employee surveys tell him that nearly 20% of his workers don’t want to get inoculated, so they would need to be tested weekly. “That’s heavy on our mind right now. I don’t know if the federal government has thought through that all that well. The cost is going to be enormous,” he said. In other sectors, vaccine requirements have gone smoothly. In Utah, the NBA’s Jazz is making its employees get vaccinated. It is also requiring fans at games to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test. So far, just a few ticket refunds have been needed, and the season opener is expected to be sold out by next week, said Jazz spokesman Frank Zang. “I think there’s understanding of what’s at stake here, in terms of having a safe environment for people to enjoy sports and concerts and shows again,” he said. While the conservative legislative push may not ultimately succeed in blocking the mandates, it could be a stumbling block and could prove to be another factor pushing the GOP further right. Abbott’s order, for example, comes as he faces criticism from candidates on the right on COVID-19 policies. In Arizona, the attorney general has filed an early lawsuit as he runs in a crowded Republican primary for U.S. Senate. Mike Meckler, a conservative activist from Texas who helped found the tea party a decade ago, said the mandate issue is firing up younger people. He summed up the mood among activists as: “If you’re not with us, then you’re with the fascists.” Only about 56% of Americans have been fully vaccinated, far short of the level experts say is needed to keep the virus in check. COVID-19 vaccinations have been given to more than 200 million Americans, and serious side effects have proved extremely rare. Experts say any risk from the vaccine is far lower than the danger posed by COVID-19. Recent polling shows about half of Americans favor requiring workers in large companies to get vaccinated or tested weekly. But people are deeply split based on their political party, with about 6 in 10 Republicans opposing the mandate for employees, according to the survey by The Associated Press and NORC-Center for Public Affairs Research. Even before Biden’s announcement, there were more than 100 bills in state legislatures seeking to limit vaccine mandates over the past year, said Dorit Rubinstein Reiss, a professor at the University of California’s Hastings College of the Law. Most of those failed, but several states did impose some limits, many involving state agencies or schools. Montana is the only state to pass a law banning private employers from requiring vaccines. The measure includes penalties for business owners of a $500 fine or prison. It is is facing two court challenges, from the Montana Medical Association and from a law firm that says the rule interferes with businesses’ decisions about how to provide a safe working environment. As judges weigh some of these cases, much will depend on exactly how the nationwide rule is written. It will come through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which has broad power to regulate the workplace. It will be drafted as a temporary emergency rule. “They will have to frame it in a way that makes a case this is workplace-related and not just an attempt to raise vaccination rates in the United States more broadly,” Reiss said. “I expect the main benefit to the mandate will be that it gives cover to companies that already want to do that.” The Trucker Staff contributed to this report.

Truck driver sentenced in illegal migrant transport case

LAREDO, Texas — A Texas truck driver who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport undocumented migrants within the United States has been sentenced to 50 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. Ivan Salazar pleaded guilty on July 27 to conspiracy to transport undocumented migrants within the United States. U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo sentenced him on Oct. 5, According to the U.S. Border Patrol (USBP), on May 29, Salazar drove up in a silver 18-wheeler at the USBP checkpoint on Interstate 35 and was referred to secondary inspection point after a K-9 unit sensed something inside the trailer. But instead of pulling up to the secondary inspection location, Salazar drove away from the scene, according to the USBP. The Laredo Morning Times reported that agents stopped the trailer near mile marker 31 of I-35, where Salazar exited the tractor and unsuccessfully tried to run away. Meanwhile, other agents opened the doors of the trailer and discovered 108 people inside. Border Patrol said all were determined to be in the country illegally. They were citizens of Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic.

NSA honors ‘life-saving’ projects throughout nation

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, along with officials from the Roadway Safety Foundation (RSF), presented seven life-saving projects with National Roadway Safety Awards in a virtual ceremony hosted on Oct. 8 from Capitol Hill. According to an RSF news release, the seven winners were selected from a nationwide field of applicants, which are sponsored jointly by the Federal Highway Administration and the RSF. Begun in 1999, the biennial program honors projects and programs that cost-effectively help the nation achieve progress toward eliminating highway fatalities and serious injuries. “Congratulations to today’s seven honorees for the remarkable work they’ve done to protect the traveling public,” Buttigieg said. “They are proof that we have no shortage of willpower or good ideas for improving roadway safety. Preliminary data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that 38,680 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2020 – a 7.2 percent increase from 2019. This increase occurred despite a 13.2 percent decrease in vehicle miles traveled due to the pandemic and is the highest number of fatalities since 2007. “Projects like these save lives by significantly discouraging dangerous driving,” Greg Cohen, executive director of the RSF, said. “Countless future travelers, whose lives and limbs will be spared by these innovations, will owe an unknowing debt of gratitude to today’s honorees. We urge DOTs across the nation to look at Bellevue and other awardees’ innovations and replicate them wherever possible” The awards covered two categories: Infrastructure and operational improvements and program planning, development and evaluation. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) won for its use of Work Zone Safety Technologies for Arterial Roads, which are burdened with higher fatality rates than interstates. FDOT studied the use of Active Work Zone Awareness Devices (AWADs), which employ radar in combination with LED signs to warn drivers of upcoming work zones, displays their travel speed and delivers safety messaging. FDOT went a step further by linking the AWADs to drivers using the Waze navigation app. The initiative’s results include vehicle speeds entering arterial work zones dropping by 10.6 percent, safe driving behavior increasing by 39 percent, and risky driving declining by 34 percent. The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) won for its Long-Life Pavement Markings Safety Initiative to reduce lane departure crashes in a state where 14,000 fatal and serious-injury lane departure crashes occurred between 2015 and 2019. Designed to help drivers better see markings when driving on curvy roads, in inclement weather or at night, NCDOT tested the long-life markings on more than 400 miles of roadway, recording an overall 13 percent reduction in lane departure crashes. The long-life markings also are designed to provide at least five to seven years of adequate retro-reflectivity and pavement delineation, as compared with approximately two years from standard markings, thereby being more cost efficient in the long term. The Village of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, won for its Community-Wide Safety Improvements. Confronting a decade-long increase in crashes involving the most vulnerable road users, the Milwaukee suburb deployed a series of low-cost solutions to reduce risks to pedestrians and cyclists. These included dynamic speed feedback signs, “yield to pedestrian” signage, design changes such as high-visibility crosswalks, installation of median in the center of highways, lengthier pedestrian intervals at signals and better street lighting. A simple but noteworthy improvement is the installation of “Danish Offsets.” Widely deployed in Denmark, crosswalk paths are oriented to provide more direct sight lines for pedestrians to observe oncoming vehicles. Since 2015, community-wide crashes are down 39 percent. The City of Bellevue, Washington, won for its application of a Video Analytics Program, which is utilizing cutting-edge video analytics to identify safety challenges in near-real-time, enabling the city to proactively address those challenges. The smart technologies convert raw video from existing traffic cams into flow, speed and conflict event data. In addition to identifying hot spots, Bellevue’s video analytics program also provides rapid insight on how countermeasures perform. As just one example, Bellevue made traffic signal operations changes at 124th Avenue Northeast and Northeast Eighth Street and observed a 60 percent reduction in critical conflicts at the intersection. The Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization won for its innovative Complete Streets Master Plan, which is measurably improving safety on Wilton Drive in the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, area and promises similar benefits on other local roadways. With the single highest number of pedestrian fatalities in the entire nation (1,675 between 2010 and 2019), Broward worked with localities and other stakeholders to redesign the bustling Wilton Drive, eliminating a vehicular travel lane in each direction in order to install buffered bike lanes, mid-block crossing medians, wider sidewalks, better lighting and other improvements. Witnessing a 66 percent decrease in bicycle and pedestrian crashes and a 75 percent reduction in severe-injury and fatal crashes – alongside a 50 percent improvement in corridor travel times – Broward is moving forward with similar improvements for 20 other projects. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) won for its 2020-24 Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) to reverse a trend of rising fatalities and injuries on state roads. With an average of 10 people dying every day on California roads, Caltrans created a highly targeted approach to safety with its SHSP update. It designates high-priority challenge areas, expands and diversifies membership of the SHSP committee, implements the program with innovative tools, and evaluates progress on a continual basis. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) won for its all-new Safety Scoring Tool. With fatalities on Texas rural non-interstate roads occurring at twice the rate of other Texas roads, TxDOT partnered with the Texas A&M Transportation Institute to develop a user-friendly means of evaluating the safety performance of rural highway design elements. The scoring tool assesses the total effects of changes in lane and shoulder width, horizontal and vertical curve geometry, clearances to objects, and other factors. The tool is now required for all rural two and multi-lane non-access controlled projects, ranging from routine maintenance to complete reconstructions, fostering a proactive, rather than passive or reactive, approach to safety. The honorable mentions are: The Florida Department of Transportation for its Local Technical Assistance Program to improve the skills and increase the knowledge of the transportation workforce on roadway safety via virtual training and technical assistance; the Montana Department of Transportation for its reconstruction of an antiquated segment of U.S. Highway 89 that provides a key entrance to Glacier National Park; and the Town of Portland, Ct. for its formation of a grassroots Complete Streets Group to coordinate with local officials in writing, adopting, and implementing a Complete Streets Policy.

Big rig pull to benefit Special Olympics

PADUCAH, Ky. — There are many ways to raise money for charity — bake sales, garage sales, benefit concerts, etc. But in Paducah, Kentucky, folks hook their bodies up to ropes and pull big rigs to help out the McCracken County Special Olympics. Dubbed the Big Brown Truck Pull, dozens of teams compete in three different divisions to see who can pull a fully loaded UPS 18-wheeler 12 feet the fastest. This year’s event is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 16, at the Heartland Church in Paducah. Pullers raise a minimum of $750 per team to compete. Prizes will be awarded for the fastest pull time in men’s, women’s and co-ed (minimum of six women) divisions, as well as to the team that shows the most team spirit and the team with the best team T-shirt or costume. There will also be an award for the top fundraising Special Olympics athlete participant, top fundraising individual and top fundraising team. Special Olympics is the world’s largest program of sports training and competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Participation in competitive events is open to all individuals 8 years of age or older.