Oil City, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), Millcreek Township and City of Erie police agencies, and Buckle Up PA today announced that they will participate in day and night seat belt enforcement activities as part of the “Click It or Ticket” Thanksgiving Enforcement Mobilization running from November 25 through December 8, 2019.

The goal is to reduce unbelted injuries and deaths on Pennsylvania highways through coordinated enforcement using Traffic Enforcement Zones and Roving Patrols. Traffic Enforcement Zones combine stationary enforcement and checkpoint tactics on roadways with high numbers of unbuckled crashes. Citations will be issued to motorists who are caught unbuckled or transporting unrestrained children.

According to PennDOT data, there were 12,522 unrestrained crashes that resulted in 398 fatalities in 2018. In Erie County, there were 565 crashes involving unrestrained drivers or passengers that resulted in 23 fatalities in 2018. Additional crash numbers are available through the Pennsylvania Crash Information Tool online at https://crashinfo.penndot.gov/PCIT. 

Motorists are reminded that Pennsylvania law requires any occupant younger than 18 to buckle up when riding in a vehicle, as well as drivers and front-seat passengers. Children under the age of two must be secured in a rear-facing car seat, and children under the age of four must be restrained in an approved child safety seat. Children must ride in a booster seat until their eighth birthday.

Additionally, drivers and front seat passengers 18 years old or older are required to buckle up. If motorists are stopped for a traffic violation and are not wearing their seat belt, they can receive a second ticket and a second fine.

The enforcement mobilization, which includes 275 Pennsylvania municipal agencies, supplements the national “Click It or Ticket” Mobilization which also runs through December 8, 2019. As part of the initiative, PennDOT distributes federal enforcement funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Other police agencies participating in the enforcement in the northwest region include the Greenville-West Salem, Jefferson, and City of Hermitage police departments in Mercer County and City of Franklin and Sugarcreek police departments in Venango County.

For more information on seat belt safety, visit at www.PennDOT.gov/safety.

The attached news release contains valuable information and tips for businesses and residents regarding scams. Take a moment to view the award-winning video "Hang Up, Don't Pay Up: When a Scammer Calls" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WO1Hwnig31Q)
Share this email with businesses or residents that may benefit from knowing this information.

FirstEnergy maintains a SCAM information page on the website: https://www.firstenergycorp.com/…/scam-info/known-scams.html

Never dial the phone number the scammer provides - West Penn Power & Penn Power phone numbers are printed on your bill.

West Penn Power
24 Hours a Day - 1-888-544-4877
Customer Service - 1-800-686-0021
Payment Options - 1-800-736-3404

Penn Power
24 Hours a Day - 1-888-544-4877
Customer Service - 1-800-720-3600
Payment Options - 1-800-774-1674

Know these important tips:
• Customers who are behind on their accounts receive written notices of a possible disconnection and how to prevent it. FirstEnergy representatives will not call or email demanding immediate payment to avoid a same-day shutoff.
• While FirstEnergy representatives often make courtesy calls to customers to remind them about an outstanding balance, they would explain how a payment can be made using the established payment options. They would never require a customer to purchase a pre-paid money card as the only acceptable means of payment.
• FirstEnergy employees do not contact customers to request sensitive information such as social security numbers or bank account information.
• Scammers often use Caller ID spoofing software to misrepresent the source of a phone call to further mislead and confuse their targets. Call-back numbers provided by these criminals often use greetings and hold messages that mimic legitimate businesses.
• If customers have any doubts about the status of their electric service, they should call their utility company using the customer service phone number listed on the FirstEnergy website or printed on their invoice. Never dial the phone number the scammer provides.
• Customers who suspect a scam should hang up the phone or close the door and call the local police then FirstEnergy.

Realizing scammers feed off people’s fear of losing heat in the cold weather, FirstEnergy and dozens of other electric and gas companies are banding together for Utility Scam Awareness Week, held Nov. 17-23, to prevent customers from falling victim to scams this season. The annual awareness week is organized by Utilities United Against Scams – a group consisting of more than 100 utilities and related organizations – to educate the public about the ever-growing list of scams targeting utility customers.

Please contact the Borough Office at phone 814-908-0002  or email ClintonvilleBoro@zoominternet.net for more info. 

Oil City, PA –  The Route 38 (Fifth Street) bridge in the Borough of Emlenton, Venango County is scheduled to be closed for repairs starting next week.

The bridge will be closed from October 28, 2019 to November 15, 2019. The closure is necessary so that repairs can be made to the approaches at both ends of the structure.

The work is being done as part of a project to preserve seven bridges in Venango County in 2019. Mekis Construction Corp of Fenelton, PA, is the contractor.

A detour will be posed using Route 38, Route 478 and Interstate 80 at St. Petersburg (Exit 45). 

PennDOT urges motorists to slow down when driving in work zones, and also to be alert to changing conditions, avoid distractions and to pay attention to signs and flaggers. Drive responsibly in work zones for your safety and the safety of the workers.

Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 950 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

Subscribe to PennDOT news in Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties at www.penndot.gov/District1.

Follow local PennDOT information on Twitter at www.twitter.com/511PAErie.

MEDIA CONTACT: Jill Harry, 814-678-5035