The Shuman Juvenile Detention Center in Allegheny County will close on September 18, 2021 after the facility’s operating license was revoked on August 20, 2021.

The facility opened in December 1974. Shuman is licensed to hold up to 120 residents. Currently, there are 20 juveniles being housed there. The average age is 16, and the ages of the youth currently in the facility range from 14-20.

The facility and its staff provide services to juveniles in their custody, including education, health services, social services, religious services, and recreation.

Future steps will depend on the Courts and the state, but kids currently at Shuman can be transferred to other facilities that the state operates, including facilities in other counties.

Police: Body of missing girl, 2, recovered from river
TIDIOUTE, Pa. (AP) — Authorities say the body of a missing 2-year-old girl was recovered from the Allegheny River in western Pennsylvania over the weekend. State police in Warren County said the child, whose name wasn’t released, was reported missing at about 11 a.m. Saturday from her home in Limestone Township near Tidioute. Troopers said a tracking dog traced her scent from her bedroom to the place where she was believed to have fallen into the water. State police and volunteer fire department rescuers and others began a search, and police said the girl’s body was recovered Sunday.

By MARC LEVY Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The top Republican in Pennsylvania’s Senate says hearings will begin this week as part of a “full forensic investigation” of the state’s 2020 presidential election. Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman said Monday that he has communicated with former President Donald Trump, whose baseless claims about election fraud have propelled loyalists to pursue election audits in battleground states he lost. Corman says he thinks Trump is comfortable with Senate Republicans’ plans. Corman on Friday removed the state senator who had been the figurehead for the push for an Arizona-style election audit in Pennsylvania. That came amid clashes over how to conduct it and how to pay for it.

(Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Curtis Walsh)

(New Brighton, PA) The New Brighton School Board met tonight for their second meeting of the month.  The meeting got started with comments and questions from the approximately 15 people that were in attendance from the public.  The first question asked was where the district was on their mask and distancing policy.  Superintendent Dr. Joseph Guarino relayed that nothing has changed since their last meeting where it was announced that the district would leave masking optional for the time being with the exception of masks being required on buses and transportation by FAA and TSA mandates.  The district will not guarantee that masks will be optional throughout the entire year, with Board President John Ludwig saying ‘I cannot deal with the what-ifs”, if an issue arises they will deal with it then.  One person asked about the possibility of signing waivers to allow students to not wear a mask if it became mandatory again, without holding the district liable.  Dr. Guarino stated that New Brighton does not have intentions of doing anything of that nature, with the exception of students who may have a medical condition, which is handled in a different manner.  Another question was how the district would react to the usual common cold cases that spread during the beginning of school, in which the superintendent said that they will not overreact.  The school nurses will use their discretion to determine if the child needs to go home and if they will need to be tested before returning to school.  An additional concern that was brought up was kindergarten age students being able to see their teachers faces, to learn things like proper pronunciation.  Dr. Guarino responded that teachers are also given the option to wear masks, and the district provides clear face shields for that exact reason.  Elementary Principal Jason Hall stated that around 6 or 7 percent of kindergarteners were held back last year, which they consider a normal amount.  After addressing the public, the regular meeting took place.  Bernadette Mattica was approved to serve as the district’s representative to the Beaver County Career and Technology Center’s Joint Operating Committee and Christeen Ceratti was approved to serve as the district’s representative to the Joint Beaver Valley Intermediate Unit’s School Board.  The board approved an agreement with the Beaver Valley Intermediate Unit to provide services to eligible New Brighton students that attend nonpublic schools, as well as an approval for Dare2XL to operate an afterschool program.  A floor and retaining walls study will be conducted by Barber & Hoffman Inc. at a cost of $8,500 due to cracks appearing in the floors of the high school.  Clayton Dentistry will serve as the school dentist for the 2021-2022 school year at a stipend of $1,900.  7 new teachers have been hired by the district for this upcoming school year, and the district is currently struggling to find enough substitutes.

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT is announcing the closure of a portion of Hitzel Hill Road (Route 4045) in Bell Acres Borough, Allegheny County, will begin today, August 23, 2021, weather permitting.

HARRISBURG – As the calls to reform a broken education system grow, Rep. Joshua D. Kail (R-Beaver/Washington) announced he is co-sponsoring a bill that would ensure parents are equipped with academic choices and would grant them access to state funding.

“House Bill 1, or the Excellent Education for All Act, ensures all children would have access to quality education,” Kail said. “It is important to expand educational opportunities so families can choose the best option for their children. This bill tailors more to each student’s needs instead of operating under a one-size-fits-all approach.”

The legislation would allow the nearly $6,000 the state pays per student to be placed into a scholarship account for that child, instead of going directly to the public school district in which the family resides. This would assist any families that choose to homeschool students or enroll them in charter, private or parochial schools.

On top of creating the Keystone Hope Scholarship program, House Bill 1 would expand existing tax credit scholarship programs, reform and innovate charter schools, and protect coronavirus learning pods that grew in popularity as the COVID-19 pandemic progressed.

“I would like to commend the bill’s prime sponsor, Rep. Andrew Lewis (R-Dauphin), for his hard work in making sure no child gets left behind,” Kail said. “This is a tremendous step toward putting our children in a best position to succeed.”

The bill has been referred to the House Education Committee.

(McKees Rocks, PA)  Governor Tom Wolf announced today a $2 million investment in Allegheny County to support blight remediation in McKees Rocks. Secretary of the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Dennis Davin joined Sen. Wayne Fontana, County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, McKees Rocks Mayor Jack Muhr, McKees Rocks CDC President Taris Vrcek, and others for a press conference in McKees Rocks.

“Since taking office, I’ve repeatedly stressed the need to strategically invest in our communities to allow them to tackle blight and bring unused or abandoned spaces back into productive use,” said Gov. Wolf. “McKees Rocks is a great example of the positive outcomes that can be achieved by supporting communities in an intentional and meaningful way, which improves the quality of life for residents, attracts new businesses, and creates new opportunities for the region.”

In addition to $1 million in Industrial Sites Reuse Program (ISRP) funding and $1 million in Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) funding announced today, McKees Rocks was approved for $300,000 in Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA) funding to address blight.

“Blight is a big issue in communities throughout the commonwealth. This funding will serve as a catalyst to combat blighted housing and create new affordable home ownership opportunities for residents; it also allows the community to continue improvements along Chartiers Avenue at the bank building,” said Sec. Davin. “This $2.3 million investment is a continuation of the support the Wolf administration has provided since the governor took office in 2015, and I want to thank and applaud our local partners for all of their efforts to put this funding to good use in their community.”

This month, the McKees Rocks Community Development Corporation (MRCDC) was approved for $1 million in ISRP grant funding to remediate the former Cathode Ray Tube facility site located at 602 Chartiers Avenue. The site consists of one building totaling 27,000 square feet over four floors and a basement. The overwhelming concern at the property is the large volume of waste in the building primarily comprised of old and decomposed Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) television sets. The funds will be used for the removal and disposal of old television sets and asbestos abatement.

“I’ve always been a proud advocate for McKees Rocks and have always been supportive of their efforts to secure state funding to advance this great neighborhood,” said Sen. Fontana. “There has been significant investment made in recent years to remake industrial sites, revamp the business district and grow housing stock and I look forward to continue supporting these initiatives.”

In December 2020, McKees Rocks was approved for $1 million in RACP funding as part of Phase I of a community-wide blight property rehabilitation plan. More than 50 vacant properties have been identified that need remediation. After further research which included physical visits to each home, the borough has narrowed the list of properties down to 10 initial homes as the priorities for Phase I of this project which include interior demolition and stabilization of the properties.

Additionally, at the May 25, 2021 CFA Board meeting, the borough was approved for $300,000 in Blight Remediation Program funding to acquire and rehabilitate a property, and the borough plans to purchase up to 10 properties for rehabilitation and ultimate resale as affordable housing.  The proposed remediation project is in line with an existing blight remediation plan. The funds will be used for acquisition, renovation, engineering, and infrastructure costs.

“For the first time in six decades, Allegheny County is growing. We have been successful because there are opportunities here. We offer a great quality of life, affordability and are a welcoming community,” said County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. “Now is the time to build on that momentum, and this investment in McKees Rocks allows the borough and the county to do exactly that as we work collectively to showcase the community and all of the opportunity that exists within it. Thank you to Governor Wolf, Secretary Davin and Senator Fontana for their continued commitment to expanding opportunities and growing wealth in each municipality.”

“These are strategic investments that will enable a transformative impact in our community by improving public safety, downtown and neighborhood vibrancy, and providing pathways into homeownership for our residents,” said Taris A. Vrcek, Executive Director, McKees Rocks Community Development Corporation.  “We are deeply grateful to the elected officials and PA Dept. of Community and Economic Development for working hand in hand with us over the many years of hard work and diligence it’s taken to get us here. It’s now incumbent upon us as a community to come together and leverage this opportunity so that the community can derive the maximum benefit from these hard earned dollars.”

“We’re moving forward in the community,” said Mayor John “Jack” Muhr, who noted that several new businesses have opened in McKees Rocks recently. “We’re very appreciative of all of the hard work that went into obtaining these grants.”

Last week the governor visited Aliquippa to discuss his administration’s $11 million investment in the Beaver County community that will encourage business development to strengthen the regional economy and benefit working families.

For more information on blight and community assistance, visit the DCED website, and be sure to stay up-to-date with all of our agency news on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Carbon monoxide poisoning suspected in deaths of couple
NORTH HUNTINGDON, Pa. (AP) — Authorities say carbon monoxide poisoning is suspected in the deaths of an elderly couple in western Pennsylvania. The Westmoreland County coroner’s office said the bodies of 88-year-old Joseph Polinski and 88-year-old Freda Polinski were found late Thursday night after a relative unable to contact them went to their North Huntingdon Township home. Authorities said emergency responders confirmed carbon monoxide levels within the residence. Toxicology tests are being done to confirm the cause of death, but that will take several weeks.