PennDOT to release bridge rating information

HARRISBURG, PA — After initially declining to release bridge safety data when requested to do so by a newspaper, the Valley News Dispatch, PennDOT has announced it will make bridge rating information available to the public.

Of the 25,000 state-owned bridges, nearly 6,000 are considered “structurally deficient,” meaning they are in need of some level of repair, according to Pennsylvania State Transportation Secretary Allen D. Biehler, but he said he did not believe the information should alter driving habits. “The safety of the state’s 25,000 bridges is not in question and, after consultation with the governor’s chief of staff, I have directed our staff to work on making condition ratings available,” he said.

When it is compiled, the information will be available in a non-technical format and be placed on PennDOT’s web site at www.dot.state.pa.us where other bridge information is already available.

According to the newspaper, the agency had initially refused the information on the basis that it was “classified,” an “issue of national security,” and something the public might not readily understand.

Fisherman drowns after canoe capsizes in Delaware

SHOHOLA, PA — Peter Hardouin, 62, of Wappingers Falls, drowned in the Delaware River at about 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, August 12 when his canoe struck a rock and flipped over in rapid water. The capsize occurred about three quarters of a mile south of the Barryville-Shohola bridge.

Hardouin, who was not wearing a life vest, was fishing in the canoe with three others, all of whom got safely to dry ground. Hardouin was found about 50 yards away from the point at which the canoe flipped over. Persons on the scene attempted CPR before the rescue workers arrived.

Hardouin, an avid fisherman, had received a Purple Heart during the Vietnam War.

Loren Goering, chief of interpretation for the National Park Service, said there are about two deaths a year in the Upper Delaware.

Brooklyn man killed in Swan Lake

hit and run

SWAN LAKE, NY — Josid Zarkhin, 82, of Brooklyn, was fatally injured in a hit-and-run accident on Route 55 on Tuesday, August 7. Deputies from the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of the hit-and-run accident at approximately 6:50 p.m. Zarkhin was found just south of the Blanchard Road intersection lying on the southbound shoulder of the road with injuries including broken arms and legs and severe head injuries. He was flown to Westchester medical center in Valhalla, where he subsequently died.

According to the account the witnesses gave police, the impact of the car threw Zarkhin onto the hood and into the windshield, but the driver never stopped. Provided with a description of the vehicle that struck Zarkin, a Honda Civic, the deputies subsequently located the driver, Carmelo Luna, 24, of Liberty, at about 7:15 p.m. behind a building on a duck farm next to the Sullivan County airport. Luna was charged with leaving the scene of a serious personal injury accident, a felony, and driving without a license.

Luna was arraigned and sent to jail in lieu of $20,000 bail.

Drought watch declared in 58

PA counties, including Wayne and Pike

HARRISBURG, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection this week issued a drought watch for 58 Pennsylvania counties including Wayne and Pike.

A drought watch declaration is the first level—and least severe—of the state’s three drought declarations. It calls for a voluntary five percent reduction in non-essential water use. The other two levels are drought warning and drought emergency.

“Right now our reservoirs are in good shape, but with many water suppliers relying on groundwater wells, it’s imperative to curb consumption in affected areas to ensure an adequate supply,” said DEP Secretary Kathleen McGinty.

For more drought information and water conservation tips, visit www.depweb.state.pa.us, key word: drought.