Should DUI Alcohol Limit Be Lowered To 0.05 Percent?

The National Transportation Safety Board recommends reducing the limit. Some say it would save lives. Others say it's unreasonable.

One drink could be the standard for drunken driving—at least for some people if the National Transporation Safety Board has its way. On Tuesday, the NTSB recommended states lower the blood-alcohol threshold for driving under the influence from 0.08 percent to 0.05 percent. About 10,000 deaths a year are related to drunken driving. The NTSB says the lower limit would save 500 to 800 lives a year. However, officials at the American Beverage Institute called the proposal "ludicrous." It said the average woman could reach the 0.05 percent limit by having just one drink. According to the Post-Gazette, a blood-alcohol level of 0.05 would be attained by a would be attained by a 130-pound woman with two drinks consumed within one hour. A 180-pound…

• Photos (1)

Start Your Engines! You Can Race Your Car in North Park for a Good Cause

The sixth annual "Barbara Lee's Fast Track to a Cure for Huntington's Disease" autocross benefit supports the Huntington's Disease Society of America.

Drivers get ready. The sixth annual "Barbara Lee's Fast Track to a Cure for Huntington's Disease" autocross benefit is set to take place on Sunday, May 26, at the North Park swimming pool parking lot. Morgan McLane of Fast Track Pittsburgh, created the autocross event in honor of his aunt, Barbara Lee Scott of North Versailles, who was diagnosed with Huntington's disease in 1999 and died in 2010. “There's all kinds of work going on searching for a cure, (but) there's not one,” McLane, 25, of Edgewood told the Pittsburgh Tribune Review. Huntington's disease is a hereditary, degenerative brain disorder that slowly diminishes a person's mental and physical capabilities. There is presently no cure, only an FDA-approved treatment for a symptom…

• Photos (1)
• Videos (2)

Animal Friends Presents: Queenie!

Queenie is a quiet but affectionate girl who needs some steady love in her life to help bring her out of her shell.

Now Open: Emiliano’s Brings Authentic Mexican Food to Nearby Cranberry

The restaurant also has a location in Richland Township.

When owner Benny Ulloa says his new Emiliano’s restaurant in Cranberry features authentic Mexican, he means it from the food all the way to the décor. “We wanted to make people completely forget about what was here before,” he said. Located in the former CiCi’s Pizza in the Cranberry mall off Freedom Road, Emiliano’s held its soft opening Monday. The restaurant will hold a larger grand opening June 11, Ulloa said. On the eatery’s menu are a variety of homemade Mexican dishes, including appetizers, fajitas, quesadillas, vegetarian options and much more. Ulloa, who named the restaurant after his 6-year-old son, said his personal recommendations are the Taco Stand street tacos and the California Burrito, a large flour tortilla filled with …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (8)

Powerball Jackpot Reaches $600 Million for Saturday's Drawing

The $600 million jackpot is the largest jackpot in the game’s history.

Want to try your luck at Powerball? You only need is one $2 lottery ticket to play. The Powerball jackpot was boosted to $600 million, or a $376.9 million cash prize for the Saturday, May 18, drawing after none of the tickets sold Wednesday matched the winning numbers. The multi-state mega-lottery had rolled to a $475 million value after Wednesday's drawing, but increased by $125 million Thursday afternoon as a result of strong ticket sales, according to the Pennsylvania Lottery. The $600 million jackpot is the largest jackpot in the game’s history. The second largest was won last Nov. 28, 2012, when a $587.5 million jackpot was shared by two tickets sold in Arizona and Missouri. Tickets for the next Powerball drawing will be available …

• Photos (1)

Shop 'n Save Offers 20-Cent Pump Perks

The promotion comes at the same time as Giant Eagle's.

One day after Giant Eagle announced a 20-cent fuelperks promotion, Shop 'n Save contacted Patch to tell us about the stores' 20-cent pump perks happening during the same time duration. Shop 'n Save shoppers will receive 20 cents off per gallon of gas for every $50 they spend on groceries from May 16 through May 29. The limited time promotion aims to double customers’ savings at the pump in advance of one of the busiest travel weekends of the year. According to TripAdvisor’s 2013 Summer Travel Survey, one out every three people will drive between 100 and 200 miles to reach their destination this Memorial Day weekend. "This is the time when people are gearing up for long trips and when gas prices tend to rise as well,” said Bill Lipsky, …

• Photos (2)

Nonprofit Has Tons of Success Clearing Litter from State Waterways

Paddle Without Pollution, a non-profit organization, cleans waterways throughout the state, and cleaned up 2.6 tons of litter from Chartiers Creek in April. Sponsored by Post Grape-Nuts.

About this sponsorship: In honor of the 60th anniversary of Sir Edmund Hillary’s historic ascent of Mount Everest, Patch and Grape-Nuts are teaming up to highlight those who inspire people around them to climb their own mountains. This story was originally posted on Chartiers Valley Patch. Facing the Challenge Melissa Rohm and her husband, David, both avid kayakers, got tired of picking litter out of the waterways they love. So they founded the non-profit organization Paddle Without Pollution to make a difference. Finding the Inspiration “In the summer of 2011, we launched our kayaks on the South Side downtown just for kicks, and thought we’d paddle to Heinz field and come back,” Melissa Rohm said. “We didn’t get very far when we started …

• Photos (5)
• Videos (1)