(Harrisburg, Pa.) Today, Sen. Judy Schwank (D- 11^th district) and Sen. Elder Vogel (R-47^th district) unveiled Senate Bill 1032, which would protect farmers from grain handlers that become insolvent.

Pennsylvania currently has no regulations providing indemnification coverage to farmers if a grain buyer goes out of business. The inspiration for the legislation came from two Berks County farmers who lost thousands of dollars when the dealer they’d been working with to sell their grain went out of business.

“The lack of protection afforded to Pennsylvania’s grain farmers puts them at significant risk and makes other farmers think twice before doing business here,” Schwank said. “This legislation will make sure other farmers don’t have to endure this economic hardship and blow to their livelihood when they’ve lived up to their end of the bargain. Other states protect their farmers. It’s time for Pennsylvania to do the same.”

The legislation would create a fund called the Agricultural Commodity Indemnity Fund (ACIF) to be used to reimburse farmers if their grain handler goes out of business. The ACIF will be funded by a half cent per bushel fee paid by farmers selling or storing grain with licensed grain handlers, and annual grain handler license fees. The per-bushel assessment will be discontinued once the fund reaches $10 million, and the assessment will not be reinstated unless the fund drops to $8 million.

“The establishment of ACIF will provide security for Pennsylvania farmers who do business with grain dealers, by preventing potentially devastating impacts should the company with which they have engaged in business become insolvent,” Vogel said. “Further, it will promote local licensed grain handlers in areas of the Commonwealth that border states with such a fund already in place.”

Several other states offer similar protections. The legislation proposed by Schwank and Vogel is based on laws adopted in other states and has the support of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau.

(Photo of locomotive fire provide by Baden Fire Department)
Story by Sandy Giordano, Beaver County Radio News Correspondent
(Baden, Pa.) Social media was a buzz early Monday afternoon as videos on Facebook showed a Norfolk Southern train with one of its locomotives on fire traveling along the tracks beside the Ohio River in Rochester and Freedom . Connnor A. Spielmaker, Media Relations Manager for Norfolk Southern Railroad said via release that one of it’s locomotive’s caught fire Monday while traveling south bound. Baden Fire Chief, Dennis Baker said the incident occurred   somewhere on the tracks in Rochester. The train finally stopped in Baden , about one quarter of a mile from the Pinney Street Bridge. Mr. Spielmaker  said the crew brought the train to a stop and exited the lead locomotive, and added there was no one in the trailing locomotive that caught fire. he said the locomotive was swapped out  and the train was sent back on its way. Many fire departments assisted Baden. The locomotive and two freight cars  were covered in oil and they were moved to the Conway rail  yard and taken off line.

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Story by Sandy Giordano, Beaver County Radio News Correspondent
Tuesday, January 25, 2022 at 10:51 AM
(Hopewell Twp., Pa.)  Hopewell Township Commissioners met in regular session Monday night, January 25, 2022,  and approved  a consolidation lot subdivision  owned by Deanna and Christopher Colonna.  Lot A is located on Royal and  Eldorado Drives  in the township’s R-2 zoning district, according to the commissioners.

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Story by Sandy Giordano, Beaver County Radio News Correspondent
Tuesday, January 25, 2022 at 10:48 AM
(Hopewell Twp., Pa.) Just after 3 p.m. Monday Hopewell Police Chief Don Sedlacek said his department received calls about vehicles being stopped on Brodhead Road in the area of Bucktail Hill by flaggers as a firm was retrieving branches from the southbound lane of the road as the snow fell.

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Tuesday, January 25, 2022 at 10:44 AM
(North Sewickley, Pa.) Pa State Police in Gibsonia are reporting that they were called to the scene of a one vehicle accident eastbound on the Pa. Turnpike in North Sewickley Township just after midnight on Sunday morning.
Troopers said via release that 56-year-old Lisa Iafe of Cranberry lost control of the 2018 Subaru Forester she was driving on the snowy road. Her vehicle left the road and hit a snow bank then went airborne over a guiderail and rolled over twice.
She was taken to UPMC Passavant in Cranberry for unknown injuries. Her vehicle needed to be towed from the scene and she has been cited by police for a driving violation.