Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, Feb, 11:
Duquesne Light rolls out smart sensors to detect outages
Duquesne Light has installed over 1,700 smart grid sensors on utility poles across Allegheny and Beaver counties to help quickly pinpoint power outages, the company said Wednesday.
The sensors can detect problems such as malfunctioning equipment, contact with vegetation and downed lines, even before they disrupt power transmission. If there is an outage, solar-powered backup batteries allow the monitors to continue to function.
Duquesne Light claims to be the first electric utility in Pennsylvania to deploy the technology.
“This level of insight improves safety for our crews, enhances reliability and affordability for our customers and ultimately helps DLC build a stronger, smarter grid for our region,” Josh Gould, the company’s director of advanced grid solutions, said in a statement.
The smart-sensor rollout comes after hundreds of thousands of Duquesne Light customers were left without power during a severe storm in April 2025. It was the company’s largest outage ever, and took over a week to fully address.
FirstEnergy customers also faced widespread power loss during the storm.
The company has installed more than 900 circuit breaker-like devices over the past three years “in and around Beaver and Allegheny counties” to improve reliability, said Lauren Siburkis, a FirstEnergy spokeswoman.
These devices can be switched back on remotely, help isolate outages and quickly pinpoint the location of the issue.
Fayette County woman charged in deadly crash
The woman driving a sedan that slammed into a tree in Bullskin Township, killing her husband, is facing charges more than seven months after the crash.
Wyola Gemas, 34, of Bullskin Township was charged Friday with homicide and driving under the influence during the June crash on Englishman Hill Road.
When officers arrived on scene, they found a smashed up Chevy Malibu next to a large tree with fresh damage, according to a criminal complaint. Gemas and her husband, Johnny, were taken Forbes and Highlands hospitals, respectively.
Johnny Gemas, 38, died about an hour later due to blunt force head and torso trauma, according to the complaint.
In an interview with police at Forbes Hospital, Wyola Gemas said she had starting drinking around midnight and stopped around 3 a.m., the complaint states.
Testing showed her blood alcohol level at .013%, police said. The legal limit is .08%.
Wyola Gemas is out on $50,000 unsecured bond ahead of her Feb. 25 preliminary hearing.
She did not have an attorney listed in court documents.
