FILE – The New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday, June 29, 2022 in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are edging higher on Wall Street after a report showed inflation is cooling faster than expected. The S&P 500 was 0.2% higher Wednesday after bouncing between small gains and losses earlier. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose and and Nasdaq composite was relatively unchanged. A report showed prices at the consumer level rose 5% last month from a year earlier. That’s still high, which kept a check on financial markets. But it was also below what economists expected and marked a continued slowdown from inflation’s peak last summer. Yields also swayed following the report.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks to reporters during a news conference with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo and Philippine Officer in Charge of the Department of National Defense Carlito Galvez, at the State Department, Tuesday, April 11, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s been less than a week since news of highly classified military documents on the Ukraine war surfaced, sending the Pentagon into full-speed damage control to assure allies and assess the scope of the leak. The information on scores of slides has publicized potential vulnerabilities in Ukraine’s air defense capabilities and exposed private assessments by allies on an array of intelligence matters. Among the questions raised by the leak are whether it will erode allies’ trust in sharing information with the U.S. or impact Ukraine’s plans to intensify the fight against Russia this spring.

The likeness of Benjamin Franklin is seen on a U.S. $100 bill, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, in Marple Township, Pa. In a time of high inflation and high interest rates, refunds for taxpayers are on average 10% smaller this year compared with last year, in part due to expired pandemic relief programs. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

NEW YORK (AP) — If you’re expecting a tax refund, it could be smaller than last year. And with inflation still high, that money won’t go as far as it did a year ago. The 90 million taxpayers who have filed as of March 31 got refunds that were an average of nearly 10% less than last year. That’s in part due to pandemic relief programs expiring. The filing deadline for most taxpayers is Tuesday. According to the most recent IRS data, the average refund is $2,910, down from $3,226. That’s a difference of more than $300.

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing a portion of Pine Grove Road (Route 4039) in Industry Borough, Beaver County, will close to traffic today, Wednesday, April 12 for wall repair work.

A portion of Pine Grove Road between Doyle Road and Route 68 will close to traffic for wall repair work. Local traffic will be accommodated to the repair area. Through traffic will be detoured via Route 68, Barclay Hill Road and Doyle Road. The project is expected to be completed in late May.

Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 950 traffic cameras.

FILE – An electric vehicle charges at an EVgo fast charging station in Detroit on Nov. 16, 2022. The Biden administration is proposing strict new automobile pollution limits that would require as many as two-thirds of new vehicles sold in the U.S. to be electric by 2032 — a nearly tenfold increase over current EV sales, according to an announcement from the Environmental Protection Agency Wednesday, April 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is proposing strict new automobile pollution limits that would require as many as two-thirds of new vehicles sold in the U.S. to be electric by 2032. That’s a nearly tenfold increase over current electric vehicle sales. The proposed regulation was announced Wednesday by the Environmental Protection Agency. The regulation would set tailpipe emissions limits for the 2027 through 2032 model years that call for far more new EVs than the auto industry agreed to sell less than two years ago. If finalized next year, the plan would represent the strongest push yet toward a once almost unthinkable shift from gasoline-powered cars and trucks to battery-powered vehicles.

FILE – Emergency personnel work at the site of a deadly explosion at a chocolate factory in West Reading, Pa., March 25, 2023. According to a lawsuit filed Tuesday, April 11, a Pennsylvania candy-maker ignored warnings of a gas leak at its chocolate factory and bears responsibility for a subsequent explosion that killed seven workers. (Ben Hasty/Reading Eagle via AP, File)

A lawsuit over a deadly explosion at a Pennsylvania chocolate factory says the candy-maker ignored warnings of a natural gas leak. The lawsuit was filed by the family of one of seven workers killed last month. It alleges that R.M. Palmer Co. bears responsibility for the explosion. The family of Judy Lopez-Moran on Tuesday filed the first wrongful-death suit against Palmer. The suit says Palmer was warned about a natural gas leak, but failed to evacuate. A message seeking comment was sent to Palmer. Another defendant, gas utility UGI, declined comment. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the March 24 blast in West Reading.

The Beaver County Educational Trust has announced its inaugural class selection to the Beaver County Education Hall of Fame.  After careful consideration of many nominations from across Beaver County, the following individuals will be inducted into the Education Hall of Fame on Tuesday, May 9 at a dinner gala ceremony at the Willows in Industry, PA.

James “Jim” Johnson was the founding director of the aviation program at the Community College of Beaver County.  An instructor, mentor, and coach, Jim Johnson had impacted more than 3000 aviation alumni from the School of Aviation Sciences named in his honor in 2019 by the CCBC Board of Trustees. Mr. Johnson will be awarded posthumously having passed in 2010.

Paulette Miller is the former Executive Director of Beaver County Rehabilitation Center.   Ms. Miller spent 30 of her 47 years of service with BCRC as Executive Director and guided BCRC, which has state and national recognition, to ensuring all individuals with intellectual disabilities and/or mental health diagnosis have the educational and vocational opportunities to prepare them to thrive both personally and professionally.  Ms. Miller retired in 2022.

Jean Macaluso has impacted education in Beaver County for over 40 years having served as a classroom teacher, guidance counselor, assistant principal, director of pupil personnel services, and assistant superintendent. Jean also taught at CCBC and Geneva College.  Jean continues to be involved in various community organizations.

Dr. Dan Matsook has 47 years of education experience in various roles.  Mr. Matsook has served as an English teacher, assistant principal, high school principal, assistant superintendent, and superintendent. He helped establish the Central Valley School District, which is the first and only voluntary school merger in Pennsylvania.  Mr. Matsook continues to work as an education consultant and as a professional training facilitator for the PA Department of Education.

In addition to the Hall of Fame inductees, the Beaver County Educational Trust will also recognize its “Teacher of the Year” at the Gala on May 9.  This year’s “Teacher of the Year” is Isaac Dixon of Rochester Area School District.

All friends of the inductees and friends of education in general are encouraged to attend the award ceremonies. Hall of Fame honorees will be recognized at the BCET “Coming Together For Education” gala to be held on May 9 from 6 to 8 PM at the Willows.  Tickets for the gala are available to the public on-line at the BCET website or through BCET Trustees or the Executive Director.

Nominations for The Education Hall of Fame are open to all, and nominations may be made year round through website: www.beavercountyeducationaltrust.org.

For more information contact, Executive Director Jamie Connelly as indicated above.

Secretary of Health Dr. Debra L. Bogen

Harrisburg, PA – The Shapiro Administration today announced Acting Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen is being honored as 2023 Pediatrician of the Year by the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (PA AAP). The chapter gives this award annually to recognize a pediatric fellow who exemplifies the ideals of the profession and advocates for children’s health and increased access to health services.

“Congratulations Dr. Bogen for being honored as the 2023 Pediatrician of the Year,” said Governor Josh Shapiro. “Dr. Bogen has dedicated her career to caring for children and their families, a task she continues to carry on now as Acting Secretary of Health for all Pennsylvanians. She is a shining example of the commitment to excellence I looked for in appointing qualified cabinet members dedicated to serving our residents.”

Before joining the Commonwealth, Dr. Bogen was the Director of the Allegheny County Health Department. Prior to that appointment, she was a member of the Pittsburgh region medical and research community for more than two decades. She held a primary academic appointment as Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh, and secondary appointments in psychiatry and clinical and translational science. Dr. Bogen also served as the Vice Chair of Education for the Department of Pediatrics at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. She was one of the founders of the Mid-Atlantic Mothers’ Milk Bank and served as the organization’s Volunteer Medical Director until assuming her role at the state.

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published April 12, 2023 9:48 A.M.

(Aliquippa, PA) Beaver County 9-1-1 reported that just after midnight there was a call to the Eleanor Roosevelt Apartments after a body had been found there.  The apartment complex is located off of Sheffield Avenue in the city.