HARRISBURG – Rep. Aaron Bernstine (R-Beaver/Butler/Lawrence) today announced that a $198,000 Strategic Management Planning (STMP) grant has been awarded for the City of Beaver Falls.

“This is great news for our area,” said Bernstine. Beaver Falls’ renaissance will be driven by the need to increase community revitalization efforts. This grant is an investment in our community in many areas. It provides assistance and supports jobs that pay for our workers to remain a vital part of our community.”

STMP provides financial assistance to local governments to develop and implement multi-year financial management, administrative, service delivery, and economic development programs and strategies. In addition, the program requires that local governments prioritize their most critical needs and establish a process that ensures that resources are focused on areas of highest priority, thus creating a “triage” approach to fiscal distress intervention.

(Punxsutawney, Pa.) Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his borrow for the 135th time today to make his annual prediction. If Phil sees his shadow it’s six more weeks of winter and if he doesn’t it means an early spring.  At 7:27 a.m. Tuesday morning Phil emerged and  and for the 106th time did indeed see his shadow meaning six more weeks of winter.

(Pittsburgh, Pa.) A man was arrested for allegedly threatening to blow up the William S. Moorhead Federal Building in downtown Pittsburgh and the Hoover Building in Washington D.C. on Monday.

Allegheny County 911 received a call for a bomb threat around 5pm Police evacuated the Federal Building on Liberty Avenue and blocked off several streets in the area as they investigated..
After searching the building and bringing in bomb sniffing dogs to assure the building was clear Police investigated and traced the 911 calls to Albert Morris, of Pittsburgh.

Morris was arrested at his home. He admitted to making calls. His home was searched and no explosive devices were found.

Morris will be charged locally, but not federally, with terroristic threats and threat to use weapons of mass destruction.

Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano

(Ambridge, Pa.) Ambridge Area School District is seeking a referendum from the PA Department of Education to  increase taxes above the 4% limit because it may be  required to balance the 2021-2022 budget. The  approval is  required  under an   Act 1 referendum.  Currently, the district’s school tax  millage is the highest in the county at 83.4709 mills.

Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano

(Pittsburgh,Pa.) Friday night PA Attorney General Josh Shapiro  announced the  arrest of a Pittsburgh man who acted as a ringleader of a  gun and drug trafficking organization. Dennis Alexander, 28  was arrested  as a result of a 10-month investigation  by OAG  agents  in partnership  with the New Brighton Police Department  and the City of Pittsburgh Police Department .

Cutler, Benninghoff Comment on Boockvar Resignation

HARRISBURG – Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Bryan Cutler (R-Lancaster) and Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin) made the following on the resignation of Secretary of the Commonwealth Kathy Boockvar:

“Today is a sad day for victims. For the last 12 months, our caucus has raised serious concerns about this administration’s ability to competently manage the basic functions of state government. Today, our worst fears were realized by the revelation that incompetency in the Department of State may stand in the way of victims being able to seek justice.

“Also troubling is the unconstitutional interference of Pennsylvanians being able to determine their own form of government by amending their Constitution. The executive branch’s role is ministerial – and their failure to carry out these simple functions directly threatens the provisions of Article XI of our Constitution.

“We are also mindful that just a few weeks ago, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court struck down a constitutional amendment to strengthen victims’ rights due to a technicality.

“That amendment was overwhelmingly supported in favor of victims by the voters who actually adopted it at the ballot box. That majority popular vote was set aside by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and now years of additional delay will result for victims in our state.

“While we appreciate the governor’s swift action in seeking Secretary Boockvar’s resignation, it will not undo further delay of justice for victims of child sexual abuse and the harm the administration has caused to people’s faith in their ability to carry out the basic processes of our government.

“Pennsylvanians deserve better. Much better.”