By MARK SCOLFORO Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A lawyer for Pennsylvania’s acting health secretary is defending the validity of the secretary’s order requiring masks inside K-12 schools to fight COVID-19. The attorney for Acting Heath Secretary Alison Beam asked state Supreme Court justices during oral argument in Philadelphia on Wednesday to focus their decision on a single regulation he says gives her that authority. The directive remains in place while the court considers a legal challenge from the state Senate’s highest ranking leader and others. Beam’s mandate took effect in early September. A lower court has ruled Beam lacked authority to require masks, didn’t follow state laws about enacting regulations and acted without a required existing disaster emergency.

Keystone State News Connection

Emily Scott

PHILADELPHIA — New legislation in the state Senate would address what housing advocates say are unfair eviction records leading to residents being denied rental applications.

The screening report services landlords use for personal information on prospective tenants take data from court websites to determine if there was an eviction filed against them, without always including the outcome.

Sen. Nikil Saval, D-Philadelphia, introduced Fair Records for Renters legislation, which would permanently seal eviction records for tenants, and only allow them to become public if the landlord wins the eviction case.

Saval said the flaw in eviction records can create housing barriers for Pennsylvanians.

“This is incredibly pertinent right now because of the pandemic when a number of people have had evictions filed against them for nonpayment of rent,” Saval asserted. “They are going around with these eviction records in the data screening services, and it’s going to be impossible or very difficult for them to find housing and stable housing.”

Saval released a co-sponsorship memo last week and plans to introduce legislation this month. A similar bill has already been introduced in the House by Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler, D-Philadelphia, and Rep. Rick Krajewski, D-Philadelphia.

Holly Beck, supervising attorney for Community Legal Services in Philadelphia, has supported many families who have experienced issues finding housing because of an eviction case coming up on their screening report.

Beck said Black mothers are hit hardest by these rental procedures.

“It is an enormous racial-justice and gender-justice issue,” Beck contended. “Sealing eviction records would allow families to move forward from a time of crisis and stabilize neighborhoods, communities, and allow landlords to see responsible tenants who are able to pay their rent.”

Philadelphia’s Renters’ Access Act went into effect in October and requires landlords to give tenants a copy of the screening report to check for errors in the event it is used to deny housing.

Keystone State News Connection

Emily Scott

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Beaver County will soon be the home of the largest petrochemical plant in the Appalachia region, but a new report cautions with the project near completion, the promise of an economic boom for Western Pennsylvania so far has not materialized.

Shell’s Pennsylvania Petrochemicals Complex, an ethane cracker plant, was announced in 2012 and is expected to open in 2022 or 2023. The Ohio River Valley Institute’s recent report found over the last decade, Beaver County has seen no reduction in poverty, and once construction is complete, the 6,000 temporary jobs will reduce to 600 permanent work opportunities.

Eric de Place, research fellow at the Ohio River Valley Institute, said the realities in the county are dire.

“Since the project was announced, the county has lost population,” de Place observed. “It actually lost businesses. It has fewer people employed now in that county than it did before the project was announced. So, if you’re another community thinking about petrochemicals, I would say Beaver County is a big red warning flag.”

Once fully operational, the plant is expected to produce 1.6 million tons of polyethylene each year. In an attempt to attract Shell to the region, state lawmakers approved a $1.6 billion tax break for the company, the largest ever in state history.

A recent study from Robert Morris University found the Shell plant could add nearly $4 billion to the Pennsylvania economy annually, with hundreds of millions of dollars going directly to Beaver County.

But de Place noted headwinds in the petrochemical industry make it worth questioning if the project will be viable in the future.

“As the cracker facility opens, and as it shifts to actually producing polyethylene, let’s continue to look back at the track record on the ground and compare it to the promises and see whether economic growth happens or not,” de Place urged. “We can use that to make decisions about the relative tradeoffs, there are some environmental impacts, of course, with a project that size.”

The Ohio River Valley Institute report found income did increase in Beaver County, with median income unadjusted for inflation growing at the same rate as the U.S. as a whole, and slightly faster than the state overall.

(Beaver, Pa.) Krisinda Bright the Ambridge mother who is accused of shooting and killing her two children in their Ambridge home in February of this year has agreed to plead guilty to charges of first degree murder according to the Beaver County District Attorney David Lozier’s office.

Bright told police that she shot and killed her 22-year-old daughter Jasmine Cannady in an upstairs bedroom and then went to the basement and pointed the gun at 16 year-old Kiara Bright as she pled for her life and shot and killed her.

Bright will plead guilty to two counts of murder in the first degree next week. Each count comes with a life sentence.

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

BEAVER, PA–After nearly two years of hearing about reassessment and theorizing about how much has happened, on December 8 the men behind the operation provided an update of their own.

A group of individuals from Tyler Technologies spoke at Wednesday’s Commissioners’ work session at the Beaver County Courthouse to showcase their progress up to this point, led by regional manager Kevin Rake.

“We have 92,000 properties to visit,” Rake said. “[and] we have visited 91% of residential properties, and 100% of commercial properties…save for a few ‘straggling’ properties.”

Rake mentioned that the reassessment phase of the actual property inspection should wrap up in early 2022 during either January or February. After that, it’ll be time for the next step of the process, which gives citizens their chances to review and respond.

“What we’ll do after the first of year is mail to each property owner a report known as a ‘day-mailer’ to outline information we have on record for that property,” Rake added. “And it’ll give the opportunity to the property owner to review that record. If they have anything they want revised, they will mark on that and send it back to us either by mail or by website, which we’re working on.”

The Commissioners will hold a public meeting on Thursday at 10 AM in the public meeting room.

(File Photo)

Wednesday December 8, 2021 at 10:16 AM

With a smooth start to holiday travel season, TSA provides tips for less stress travel
Sign up for TSA PreCheck® today to travel with ease later this month

WASHINGTON – The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screened just under 21 million travelers during the 10-day Thanksgiving holiday. The agency expects high travel volumes into the December holidays and encourages passengers planning to travel this holiday season to sign up for TSA PreCheck® to provide more convenience and save time at the airport.

“We see a strengthening in the airline travel industry toward pre-pandemic levels and our goal is to ensure you as the passenger have a safe and secure flight,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske. “We work hard with our airport and airline partners to achieve this by ensuring screening operations meet the upcoming demand. I also want to thank our Transportation Security Officers across the country who, each and every day, meet the travel volume demand and help keep airport screening lanes moving to ensure millions of passengers arrive at their destinations safely.”

Holiday travelers may enjoy a smoother screening process by enrolling in TSA PreCheck. Members of the trusted traveler program do not have to remove their shoes, belts, 3-1-1 liquids, laptops, or light jackets. In November, 94% of members waited less than 5 minutes. Those who apply today will likely have their application accepted within 5 days, just in time for the holidays.

The application process is a simple two-step process, which can be started online and at home. 1) Apply online and schedule an appointment at any of the more than 400 enrollment centers. 2) Attend a 10-minute or less in-person appointment that includes fingerprinting for a background check and a payment of $85 for the 5-year membership. Many credit cards and loyalty programs also reimburse the application fees. Travelers whose membership expired can renew their membership online for $70 before the holidays at TSA.gov/PreCheck.

In order to keep screening lanes moving quickly throughout the holiday season, travelers should:

• Be flexible. Airports have rush hours too. If you want to avoid normal airport rush hours, which are normally between 5-7 a.m. or 4-6 p.m., consider booking your flight outside of those hours. Check all carriers, as they might have other flight options.
• Pack smart by contacting TSA or visiting our What Can I Bring page before you leave you home.
• Arrive early at the security checkpoint: two hours for domestic or three hours for international flights.
• Follow signs and verbal direction provided by our Transportation Security Officers (TSO) to help keep screening lanes moving.
• Be patient and considerate of others. Our TSOs are working as fast as they can and many travelers are flying for the first time since the pandemic began. In an effort to remind passengers to show gratitude and practice patience with others while traveling, TSA worked with its partners in the development of this Public Service Announcement about the Gift of Travel.
• Avoid fines by properly packing your firearm and respecting our officers, flight crew and other frontline workers. Firearms are prohibited at the checkpoint and in carry-on luggage.
• Join TSA PreCheck or renew your existing membership here before the holidays.

Firearms found at TSA airport security checkpoints continue to trend higher. This year, TSA officers have stopped more than 5,000 firearms at checkpoints – a 20-year record – ensuring they didn’t make it into the airport’s secure area and the passenger cabin of aircraft. Over 85% of firearms are loaded. In some cases, local law enforcement confiscates firearms at checkpoints and arrests those in possession of a firearm at a TSA checkpoint. TSA fines passengers caught with firearms at checkpoints up to $13,910 and suspends their TSA PreCheck membership benefits.

Airline passengers traveling with a firearm must properly pack it in checked baggage and declare it to their airline.

Since March 2020, TSA has dramatically modified airport security checkpoint operations as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic to improve social distancing and reduce physical contact. These operational modifications continue in an effort to contain the virus, including the new Omicron variant. These changes include upgraded screening and credential authentication equipment at many airports to help reduce physical contact. The face mask requirement currently in place across the nation’s transportation systems is extended through March 18, 2022 and aligns with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance.

In accordance with the President’s Executive Order requiring federal employees to be vaccinated against COVID, 93% of the TSA workforce is in compliance with the vaccine and exemption requirements. About 86% are either partially or fully vaccinated and TSA will continue to work diligently with those who have submitted exemption requests.

Airline travelers may contact TSA directly before their flight with questions on airport screening. General questions can be answered by submitting a question directly to @AskTSA on Twitter and Facebook or by calling (866) 289-9673 between the hours of 8am-11pm Eastern on weekdays or 9 a.m.-8 p.m. on weekend/holidays. For individuals with special needs, TSA Cares is available via email here or by calling (855) 787-2227 on weekdays between 8am-11pm or during weekends/holidays between 9 a.m.-8 p.m. EST.

For more information on traveling safely during the holiday season, please visit www.tsa.gov.

(File Photo)
Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano
(Hopewell, Pa.) The Hopewell School Board had their annual reorganization meeting on Monday night and  Beaver County Court of Common Pleas Judge Dale Fouse  swore in  six Hopewell  School Board members  prior to the board’s meeting. David Bufalini, Jeannette Miller, Bethany Pistorius, Dan Santia, Jeffrey Winkle, and Lindsay Zupsic.

(File Photo)
Story by Frank Sparks News/Program Director
(Pittsburgh, Pa.) A Beaver Falls Man has been sentenced to 25 to 37 months in jail after he lied about buying four 9 MM Taurus pistols from the Rural King Store at the Beaver Valley Mall in Monaca.

Calvin Brady Jr. went to the Rural King with two other men on December 12, 2020 and bought the four pistols along with extended magazines. He told the store employee that he was buying the guns for himself.

The next day, New Jersey State Police arrested the two men that were with Brady when he purchased the guns after a high speed chase. During the chase the men threw three guns out of the vehicle. The guns were found by officers and traced back to Brady purchasing them at the Rural King Store.

Store video showed the men with Brady at the store and Police charged Brady with lying to them.

Brady will now serve 25 to 37 months behind bars, serve a period of probation after release, and also pay a fine.