(File Photo)

(Harrisburg, Pa.) Riverside School District was awarded $500,00 from the Commonwealth for redevelopment of the school’s natatorium. Riverside is one of the schools in Beaver County with a swimming pool that not only offers recreation to the students within the district, but to the public as well.

Installed in 1976, the pool is in need of multiple repairs and redevelopment. Between inadequate regulation slope depth for diving, lane line anchors, cracks in the aluminum, and a need for a new air filtration system, the pool, while still functional, needs these repairs.

Senator Elder Vogel said via statement that “We are very pleased that the Department has awarded Riverside with the money for these upgrades. It is a good school that has a commitment to the many swimming programs it offers. After seeing their report on the air filtration system, age of the pool and the cracks in the aluminum lining, it was clear the pool needed some help, and I am happy that our Commonwealth could provide them with that assistance. The pool plays an important role in that community and I would hate to see it go into disrepair because we were not able to help out. With all the people that use the pool for instructional, recreational, and athletic uses, it is an exciting time for Riverside and the area.”

(Harrisburg, Pa.) Brighton Township was awarded $250,000 from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Recreation and Conservation Grant Program. The awarded funds will be used for Brighton Township Fireman’s Social Hall.

The Brighton Twp. Grange Renovation Project became necessary as membership and volunteers for the Brighton Township VFD made operating in the existing building impossible. The project proposes the renovation of the existing building for ADA compliance, energy efficiency and needed upgrades to form and function. Additionally, the parking area will be renovated to improve access and traffic circulation, along with storm water management and landscaping improvements.

State Senator Elder Vogel said in a release that “Brighton Township has taken a great step in addressing the needs of the existing building. By updating its ADA compliance and switching some products over to more energy efficient designs, they are making sure the building is more up-to-date and accessible for its community. I am in full support of Brighton Township and was delighted to get the news that they had received funds.”

Pa State Rep Josh Kail said via text message that “I support fully Brighton Twp. receiving this grant. They well deserve this resources . Brighton Township has a long history of using state resources wisely and to benefit the community . This Project is consistent with that history.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has
issued a code ORANGE air quality alert for Wednesday, including
the greater Pittsburgh region
A code ORANGE air quality alert means that air pollution
concentrations within the region may become unhealthy for
sensitive groups. Sensitive groups include children, the elderly,
and people suffering from asthma, heart disease, or other lung
diseases. The effects of air pollution can be minimized by
avoiding outdoor exercise or strenuous activity.

Today: A slight chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms High 92

Tonight: A chance of showers and thunderstorms Low 69

Tomorrow: A chance of showers and thunderstorms High 89

Friday: A chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms High 88

Saturday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms High 87

Sunday: A chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms High 89

(File Photo of Skip Homan during a recent appearance about the partnership on Beaver County Radio)

(Harrisburg, Pa.) The Beaver County Partnership was awarded $125,000 from the Commonwealth for Phase 3 & 4 of its Quality Education and Work Force Development study. Formed in 2016, the Beaver County Partnership is a public/private partnership of more than 300 volunteer Beaver County Leaders from local businesses, government, and public service organizations.

The study focuses three main questions, the first of which is with the changing population, fiscal and demographic trends, how can Beaver County address equity of opportunity and access as we maintain community identities? Second, how do we address the cost of aging infrastructure and remain cost-effective for the Beaver County taxpayers? Lastly, With the cost of education continuing to rise, what will Beaver County education look like by 2030?

Pa State Senator Elder Vogel said via release that “The Beaver County Partnership has done a great job interacting with the local stockholders during every step of the on-going study. The questions they are asking, are not easy ones for any county to answer and it is why we are thankful they have taken it upon themselves to gather the necessary information to form a plan that will benefit the students and communities within Beaver County. We want a cost-effective system that maximizes all of our children’s limitless potential and I am excited for what this study will find in our area.”

The Quality Education Council is part of the Beaver County Partnership and is comprised of educational leaders from schools across the county. The council is divided into three committees, namely the K-12 Education, Bridges and Pathways College Partnership and the post-Secondary Workforce Development committees.

Assembly map-drawing panel to count inmates in home towns
By MARK SCOLFORO Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Inmates in Pennsylvania’s state prisons will be counted in their home districts and not where their prisons are located after a divided vote by the five-member panel redrawing legislative district maps this year. The Pennsylvania Legislative Reapportionment Commission voted 3-to-2 on Tuesday for the policy shift that had been introduced by House Minority Leader Joanna McClinton, a Philadelphia Democrat. The House and Senate Republican leaders voted no, while McClinton was joined by the Senate Democratic floor leader and by the commission’s chair, former University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Mark Nordenberg.

Pennsylvania ends jobless-claims system lawsuit against IBM
By MARC LEVY Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration is ending a lawsuit against IBM after suing the company four years ago and accusing it of failing to deliver on a contract to produce an updated system for processing unemployment compensation claims. The Department of Labor and Industry refused to reveal any terms Tuesday other than saying that IBM “acknowledged no liability or wrongdoing.” The department only filed a one-sentence discontinuance in court. The lawsuit said the technology giant was paid $170 million on a 2006 contract but had delivered a failed project by the time the state let the contract expire in 2013. IBM had said the state’s claims had no merit.

Keystone State News Connection

Emily Scott

HARRISBURG, Pa. – This week marks the 25th anniversary of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, the cash-assistance program commonly known as TANF, and a new report in Pennsylvania says changes are needed to improve its accessibility.

The Meet The Need Coalition report surveyed current and former TANF recipients about the program and changes they’d like to see. Louise Hayes, supervising attorney at Community Legal Services, part of the coalition, said the people surveyed see the program as a crucial safety net, but added that current benefits aren’t helping families rise out of poverty.

“The number one thing that people mentioned is that the grant amount has not increased since 1990,” she said. “A family of three has received, in most counties in Pennsylvania, $403 a month to live on. Since 1990, there’s been no change for the cost of living.”

TANF is the only form of cash assistance for low-income families and pregnant people that allows them to buy diapers, personal hygiene products and other basic necessities.

Rochelle Jackson, founder and director of coalition-member Black Women’s Policy Agenda, said it’s critical to see the changes needed for TANF from a racial-justice perspective as well. In the Commonwealth, 53% of TANF recipients are Black. Jackson said she believes it’s part of a history of systemic racism that’s led to Black women, in particular, dealing with discriminatory hurdles that have made it harder to gain employment.

“Black women who wanted to work, and still want to work today, often are not able to work because people will not hire them because of the color of their skin, and their sex,” she said. “So, if we are not dealing with all these different aspects of it, do we really want Black women to succeed, right? Are we really creating a program, and a process, that helps them build a pathway to self-sufficiency?”

The report also recommended increasing the asset limit that now disqualifies anyone in Pennsylvania from receiving TANF benefits if they have more than $1,000 in savings. Currently, 65,000 Pennsylvanians are TANF recipients.

Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano

(Beaver, Pa.) A hearing was held in Beaver County Central Court on  Monday  morning  for Jarrone Roscoe Peake, 46 , of Aliquippa  who was arrested, charged, arraigned, and jailed  on June 10, 2021  for starting fires at 134 and 136 First Avenue in the city..

(Hopewell Twp., Pa.) Hopewell Township Commissioners met Monday night and  announced that Youngblood Paving was the lowest bidder for the road paving to be done on several roads.