Thirty-four people across the nation have died this year while responding to roadside incidents. A Butler County commissioner’s son is just one story of how roadside workers can be injured or killed if drivers are not paying attention.

State trooper Joshua Osche, son of county Commissioner Leslie Osche, was struck by a vehicle while laying flares at a crash site on the Parkway West in Robinson Township, Allegheny County. He was not on duty at the time, but was wearing a reflective jacket, Leslie Osche recounted during a Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission press conference Tuesday, Nov. 14.

As part of a news conference about Crash Responder Safety Week on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023, Leslie Osche, Butler County commissioner and chairwoman of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, tells how her son state Trooper Joshua Osche was seriously injured at an accident scene on the Parkway West in August.

Pennsylvania State Trooper Joshua Osche was off duty and traveling on the Parkway West in Robinson just after 11:30 p.m. Aug. 24 when he came upon an accident scene, pulled over, put on a safety vest and got out to help.

Renewed calls are coming for lawmakers to consider first responder safety on the road after an off-duty state trooper was hit by a car while helping a driver on the side of the Parkway West in August.

A state trooper in Butler County says that he was heading home from a concert when he stopped in his personal car to help at an accident involving a car and tow truck. When he got out of his car with his safety vest and was setting up to divert traffic, he was hit.

An upcoming event in Pittsburgh will include remarks from a local official.

The Southwest Pennsylvania Commission is holding a press conference to raise awareness and call attention to Crash Responder Safety Week on Tuesday morning in the Strip District.

Butler County Commissioner Leslie Osche will briefly share remarks about her son, PA State Trooper Joshua Osche, who is recovering from an injury sustained in August while responding off-duty to a crash in Robinson Township.

The Pittsburgh Robotics Network recently announced the appointment of Jennifer Apicella as executive director. She has been serving as interim executive director since May and previously held the position of vice president of partnerships and programs.

The Pittsburgh Robotics Network serves as the nexus for over 140 robotics organizations in the Greater Pittsburgh region.

As part of the region’s Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) that the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) manages, the organization is hosting a public meeting for Beaver County residents on Monday, Nov. 13, 2023. At the meeting, residents will learn about the TIP and have the opportunity to share their thoughts on any local transportation and infrastructure projects they want addressed in their community. The TIP for years 2025-2028 is currently being developed. This meeting serves as an introduction/status update on the TIP before a draft plan is made available for the public’s review/comment period in late Spring 2024.

As the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) looks toward infrastructure projects beginning in 2025, they are seeking public input on what residents want to see improved around Beaver County.

Representatives from the SPC, PennDOT and local county officials will host a public meeting for Beaver County residents to discuss desired infrastructure projects for their Transportation Improvement Plan on Monday. The meeting will be held in the Beaver County Courthouse from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. and is expected to occur in other communities across Southwestern Pennsylvania in the coming weeks.

Artificial intelligence is making a big change in traffic counting and classification.

After state, regional and local agencies spent years counting traffic using rubber hoses and classifying the types of vehicles by hand, electronic camera and computerized systems have made the chore easier, safer and more effective, officials say.

After more than eight years of limited funding, the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission will have $1.7 billion available for regional roads and bridges over the next two years due to increased federal funding, the most since 2015-16.

At a public hearing Wednesday on how to spend the funds in Allegheny County, Dom D’Andrea, SPC’s director of transportation, outlined the expected financing. Overall, including funds for public transit and alternative projects such as trails, the agency expects to have $3.1 billion to allocate over the next two years.

The Mexican economy 2023 growth is 3.2%. Growth industries are private consumption, services, agriculture, tourism, construction and automotive production not to mention a rise in nearshoring. There are Free Trade Agreements signed with most of the countries in Latin America.

Latin America and Caribbean markets will grow this year in “real” terms by 1.6% but in PPP terms, the region will expand by over 6% and per capita consumption, when measured in US Dollars will grow by a whopping 11%. Experienced speakers from Mexico, Colombia, Peru, and Chile will provide the most current and accurate information on how to trade with Mexico and the rest of Latin American countries.