TSA PreCheck Participants Eligible for Expedited Screening on Select International Flights

TSA PreCheck began in October 2012 at Pittsburgh International Airport.

Effective immediately, The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced that TSA PreCheck participants will be eligible for expedited screening on select international travel itineraries in addition to domestic travel. Eligible passengers traveling on Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and US Airways will be allowed to leave on their shoes, light outerwear and belt, keep their laptop in its case, and their 3-1-1 compliant liquids and gels bag in a carry-on. Enrolled passengers heading to Paris, France, on Delta Air Lines flight to Charles de Gaulle Airport may be eligible for expedited screening when boarding. More than 9 million passengers have experienced TSA PreCheck since it launched in 2011…

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Road Conditions: Check Here Before You Head Out

The snow has been falling most of the night. Use our interactive map to check out roads in and around your neighborhood.

Click on "view larger map" for an interactive look at how the roads are in the Moon and Robinson areas.  Then click on the blue camera icon to see live pictures from traffic cameras.  Map Legend: Let Patch know how the roads are where you live in the comments box below. ___________________ Like us on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter Check out some of today's other top stories here.

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Higher PA Turnpike Tolls Start Jan. 6

Drivers on the Pennsylvania Turnpike will pay higher tolls in 2013.

Pennsylvania Turnpike tolls will be higher in 2013 as the result of an increase approved by the turnpike commission: The last time tolls went up was January 2011. The commission says the change will hike toll revenue 3 percent to fulfill a $450 million funding obligation to the state. More changes are in the works as turnpike officials consider the possibility of eliminating toll plazas and cash payments.   Sign up for the Robinson-Moon Patch email newsletter. 

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Rockin' the Suburbs

Missing Robinson for the Holidays

Columnist Gab Bonesso has been traveling all over the country this month and now she muses about coming home for Thanksgiving.

I am to traveling as oil is to water. I enjoy new locations, but I hate the getting there. Mostly because I suffer from vertigo, but also because I don't like change. Lately, I've been traveling the country by bus on behalf of a Pittsburgh-based corporation filming training videos designed to motivate employees during the upcoming holiday season.  My fellow corporate travelers are more at ease than I am. I’m a homebody. I’m from Pittsburgh/Robinson Township and that’s where I attended college (Duquesne). I have not spent very much time away from home, except for a four-month stint in San Francisco, working on finding my voice as a comedian. So this year marks the very first time in my entire life that I will be coming, “home for the …

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Hurricane Sandy Cancels East Coast Flights at Pittsburgh International

A spokeswoman at Pittsburgh International said it's business as usual at the airport Monday, despite the approaching storm.

Harry Goldin wasn't planning a pit stop in Pennsylvania after his New York City vacation.  The Chicago resident sat in the Pittsburgh International Airport terminal Monday afternoon, slowly repacking his suitcase.  One flight cancellation and $400 later, he said he's finally heading back home.  "I was supposed to fly from New York to Chicago yesterday," Goldin said. "They cancelled my flight from New York. So I drove to Pittsburgh."  A massive storm front heading in from the eastern seaboard has grounded more than 30 flights today at Pittsburgh International Airport. The late-season Hurricane Sandy, which is now making landfall along the East Coast, threatens to sweep Western Pennsylvania with winds at speeds of 25 to 30 mph and gusts up …

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Around the Rivers

Nearby: Police Chase, Crash Closes Route 65

Headaches lie ahead this morning for commuters who rely on access to Ohio River Boulevard.

Moon and Coraopolis-area commuters who rely on heavily traveled Ohio River Boulevard should avoid it during this morning's rush hour due to a police chase and crash that has closed the highway in Avalon and Ben Avon. Route 65 is closed between Camp Horne Road and Brighton Road, according to police. The suggested detour is Camp Horne Road and the Parkway North/Interstate 279 North. Traffic is congested in the area, according to KDKA-TV. The chase began around 3 a.m. at a gas station in Bellevue and involved gunshots when the vehicle briefly dragged an officer who attempted to stop it, according to KDKA. Two Avalon police officers were injured, and Ohio Township police arrested one motorist, the television station reported.  

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Southwest Offers New, Non-Stop Flights to Palm Beach

The new service kicks off in February.

Southwest Airlines will begin non-stop service in 2013 from Pittsburgh International to Palm Beach International, according to Allegheny County officials.  Beginning in February, Southwest will offer daily, non-stop season service to the Florida airport. The inaugural flight for the service will mark the first time daily, non-stop flights have been offered between the airports since 2007.  The flights can be booked at the airline's website.  Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald told on-lookers at Pittsburgh International last week that increasing the number of daily, non-stop flights was a priority for his adminstration.  According to a statement from Fitzgerald:  “Our region’s travelers love to fly to southern Florida in the winter…

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PA Has 30th Highest Rate of Injury Deaths in U.S.

PA joins states such as Texas and Iowa by making only half of 10 key safety indicators.

We all know Pennsylvania is beautiful—but is it safe? A new report from the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation says Pennsylvania ranks higher than the national average for injury-related deaths.  The national survey found Pennsylvania had the 30th highest rate of injury-related deaths for Americans at 59.4 per 100,000 people suffering injury fatalities.  The national average is 57.9 per 100,000 people. The report looked at what the state did—or did not—do to prevent injury, such as whether they had a booster seat law up to age 8 (Pennsylvania does) or require motorcycle helmets of all riders (the state does not.)  Other safety suggestions Pennsylvania has so far not undertaken: mandatory ignition interlocks …

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Pennsylvania’s New Bike Safety Law Takes Effect Today

The new law mandates motorists give bicyclists a 4-foot 'cushion of safety' when passing.

Listen up, Moon-area folks! A law that sets new rules for Pennsylvania motorists to follow when encountering a bicyclist takes effect today. The law, designed to improve safety and traffic flow, was signed by Gov. Tom Corbett on Feb. 2. The new law requires motorists to leave a 4-foot “cushion of safety” when passing a bicyclist. To achieve this cushion, drivers may cross a roadway’s center line when passing a bicycle on the left, but only when opposing traffic allows. Drivers attempting to turn left must also yield the right of way to bicycle riders traveling in the opposite direction. “The differential in speed is the biggest safety challenge with motor vehicles and bicycles sharing our state’s roadways,” said state Department of …

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Airline Announces Layoffs at Pittsburgh International

U.S. Airways eliminates 15 positions at Pittsburgh International Airport.