Author: Beaver County Radio

Democrats shun idea of Pelosi floor fight in speaker’s race

Democrats shun idea of Pelosi floor fight in speaker’s race
By LISA MASCARO, AP Congressional Correspondent
WASHINGTON (AP) — Call it the chaos theory for picking the next House speaker.
Those Democrats trying to stop California Rep. Nancy Pelosi from reclaiming the job say they don’t need a rival candidate just yet. Instead, they plan to show that Pelosi lacks the votes to win the race. And then, they say, new challengers will emerge.
It’s strategy that has other Democrats cringing at the prospect of their new House majority in disarray. They say voters swept them to office in this month’s elections to govern, not become bogged down by the kind of Republican infighting that sent Ohio Rep. John Boehner to an early exit as speaker and weakened his successor, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan.
The last thing they want is a floor fight over the leadership post when Congress opens work in January.
“If the first Democratic value they see is chaos, I don’t think that’s very good,” said Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., who recently wrote an op-ed with colleagues supporting Pelosi. “I don’t think it’s a good look at all.”
The chaos theory will be put to a test this coming week when House Democrats meet in private for a vote nominating Pelosi to become speaker in January. She held that post from 2007 to 2011, the first woman to serve as speaker.
After one potential rival stepped aside, Pelosi is expected to easily win the majority from her ranks. But opponents have hopes of denying her the broader support she needs when the new Congress holds a vote in January.
One of those organizing against her, Rep. Kathleen Rice, D-N.Y., said recently that the lack of a sure-fire challenger is beside the point. The goal is to force the question.
“The whole concept of you can’t beat somebody with nobody is a Nancy Pelosi talking point,” she said.
As Rice and others in the group led by Reps. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts and Tim Ryan of Ohio see it, it’s all in the math.
At the moment, there are at least 15 Pelosi opponents, making for a razor-thin vote. House Democrats won a 233-seat majority in the 435-member House in the November midterm election, with a few races still uncalled. Pelosi needs 218 to win the job, if all Republicans oppose her, which is likely. The margin could expand slightly with absences or if lawmakers simply vote “present.”
“The first step is showing that she cannot get to 218,” Rice told reporters, “and then I believe the challengers will emerge that can allow new members to say, Ok here’s another possibility, now I get it.”
Moulton, a Marine veteran, said earlier he hopes it will be “a chaotic debate” for new leadership because “that would be healthy for the party.”
But after the election delivered Democrats the House majority, it’s an approach that may require a leap of faith that other lawmakers are unwilling to take, especially as Pelosi amasses an outpouring of support from advocacy groups, labor unions and even former President Barack Obama in a display of raw power.
Trying to head off that debate, Pelosi sent a letter to colleagues thanking “so many of you for the strong support you have given me” and asked that “we all support” the party’s nominee for speaker when the full House votes. “Our unity is our power,” she wrote.
At one point Pelosi’s opponents counted 17 Democrats on a letter against Pelosi and were hoping for more. But one by one, some of them started standing down.
A potential rival, Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio, decided against a challenge, agreeing instead to lead a new subcommittee on voting integrity. Pelosi revived that panel and recommended Fudge for the post, elevating an issue important to the Congressional Black Caucus, especially after close races this month in Florida and Georgia.
Another opponent, Rep. Brian Higgins, D-N.Y., dropped his opposition after he said Pelosi agreed to have him take the lead on his proposal to expand Medicare as an option for those age 50 to 65.
As opponents regrouped, Pelosi was home for the holiday recess in California, working the phones and doling out the kinds of perks that show the potential power of being speaker in ways it hasn’t been wielded on Capitol Hill.
Boehner and Ryan struggled to corral their majority since Republicans gained control of the House in 2011. The revolt from within the GOP ranks started with the 2010 tea party election and continued with the Freedom Caucus that pushed Boehner to early retirement. Ryan was able to pass the GOP tax bill into law but the right flank repeatedly flexed its muscle including during California Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s recent election as minority leader.
Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., said she remembers being in the House chamber as the Boehner speaker’s race teetered, and thinking the dysfunction on display wasn’t good for Republicans or Democrats.
She wrote the op-ed with Beyer in part because she cannot imagine facing voters in the St. Paul suburbs back home if a floor fight emerges as the Democratic majority’s first order of business.
“People in Minnesota would be very, very disappointed — from disappointed to outrage — that we are blowing an opportunity,” she said. “Those voters aren’t looking for chaos. They’re looking for effective, responsible governing.”
Newly elected members, especially those who pledged to oppose Pelosi and make way for a new generation of leaders, are caught in the middle.
One who supports Pelosi, Rep.-elect Katie Hill of California, said Democrats “need to minimize any internal party strife” and “hit the ground running day one.”
Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York said in a tweet: “I hope that we can move swiftly to conclude this discussion about party positions, so that we can spend more time discussing party priorities.” She backs Pelosi.
Seasoned lawmakers, including Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., say now is not the moment for a public split.
“I wouldn’t want to see it come to the floor, in front of the nation,” Cleaver said. “I don’t want to shake the confidence of the millions of people who stepped out to vote.”
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Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.
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Follow on Twitter at https://twitter.com/lisamascaro and https://twitter.com/AP_Politics

Deer-related crashes spike in Pennsylvania

Deer-related crashes spike in Pennsylvania
By Joe Sylvester and Justin Strawser, The Daily Item
SUNBURY, Pa. (AP) — If you live in the Valley and drive, there’s a good chance you’ve struck a deer.
It’s not just in the Valley. More Pennsylvanians have collided with a white-tailed deer, as of June 30, than ever before, based on claims filed with State Farm, the top auto insurer in the state and country.
Travis Lau, the communications director for the Game Commission, said Wildlife Management Unit 4D, which has parts of Union and Snyder counties, and WMU3E, which has parts of Union and Snyder counties and the majority of Northumberland and Montour counties, both increased in estimated deer population in 2017 and 2018. WMU4D was a one-year increase from 63,000 to 100,000 and WMU4E saw a continuing trend from 62,000 to 70,000.
Because WMU4E is showing a trend, Lau said they allocated for more hunting licenses this year.
The numbers are based on estimates as well as what the commission knows about the harvest. The commission believes that only one-third of hunters report their harvest, said Lau.
While State Farm estimates deer-vehicle collisions have decreased slightly to 1.33 million, from 1.34 million, nationally between 2017 and 2018, they have gone up in Pennsylvania, to 141,777, from the previous year’s 141,145. The company measures claims between July 1 and June 30 in each fiscal year, so the company could include a true rut, or mating, season.
More than half (58.7 percent) of the drivers who participated in an online poll at dailyitem.com said they have hit a deer while driving on Pennsylvania roads.
“November is usually the number one hit month when it comes to a (deer-vehicle) collision,” said State Farm spokesman Dave Phillips. “The average claim is between $4,179 and $4,341. “We’ve probably been in the top five for as long as we’ve been doing this study.”
Officer Bill Williams, of the Northeast Region of the Game Commission, said deer habitats are not shrinking in state or federal lands, but, “We’re always losing habitat on private lands” that might push deer out of those areas.
When in the rut, deer tend to be less cautious, especially the buck, he said.
“The decrease in daylight increases testosterone in the bucks, so that keys them in to breed,” Williams said. “They will chase a doe around until she is receptive. That could take days. They’ll run across highways and roads.”
During fawning season from May to June, does are also looking for a place for their young, he added.
“There’s another spike in being hit,” she said.
Phillips said 10 percent of all deer collisions with vehicles in the country occur in Pennsylvania.
“West Virginia is number one because of the odds or risk of a collision,” Phillips said. “But 10 percent of all deer claims are in Pennsylvania, based on State Farm data and estimates.”
He explained the odds are based on the number of licensed drivers and deer collisions.
He said drivers can reduce the risk of hitting a deer by being aware and slowing down.
“The main thing always is if an area is clearly marked deer crossing, you need to be cognizant of that,” Phillips said. “The faster you’re going, the more damage you’re going to do to your car.”
He said that sometimes it’s better to hit the deer head-on rather than to swerve and risk tipping the car or going into oncoming traffic.
“Just slow down,” Phillips said.
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Hines leads Duquesne to 31-10 win in FCS playoffs

Hines leads Duquesne to 31-10 win in FCS playoffs
TOWSON, Md. (AP) — A.J. Hines turned a screen pass into a 71-yard touchdown for the lead, rushed for 175 yards and another score and Duquesne defeated Towson 31-10 in a relentless downpour on Saturday to advance to the second round of the FCS playoffs.
The Dukes (9-3), who lost to William & Mary in 2015 in their only other FCS playoff appearance, will travel again next Saturday, taking on No. 5 seed South Dakota State (8-2).
In the first two quarters, Duquesne managed only a Mitch Maczura 32-yard field goal to end the second half, trailing 10-3.
But Daquan Worley scored up the middle on a 48-yard run early in the third quarter to tie the game before Hines took Daniel Parr’s pass to the end zone. Parr capped a 10-play drive with a 3-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter before Hines went in from 3 yards out for the final points.
The Tigers, making their first playoff appearance since 2013 and third overall, scored on Tom Flacco’s 34-yard pass to Jabari Allen in the first quarter and Aidan O’Neill’s field goal in the second quarter.
The passing games suffered in the harsh conditions with Flacco completing only 10 of 33 passes for 127 yards with Parr 6 of 19 for 144. Duquesne outrushed the Tigers 282-230.

Miami tops No. 24 Pitt 24-3

Miami wins regular-season finale, tops No. 24 Pitt 24-3
By TIM REYNOLDS, AP Sports Writer
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The biggest contribution that a Miami player made on the Hurricanes’ regular-season finale against Pittsburgh apparently came a night before kickoff, when Jaquan Johnson addressed his teammates.
He likened adversity to quicksand, and talked about how to escape.
“It really hit us hard, in the heart,” running back Travis Homer said.
Homer was apparently listening, as were plenty of other Hurricanes. Homer needed only eight carries to rush for 168 yards, DeeJay Dallas ran back a punt for one of his two scores and Miami knocked off No. 24 Pittsburgh 24-3 on Saturday.
“I think our guys rose to the occasion,” Miami coach Mark Richt said. “It was very obvious that it was a dominating defensive performance, and I thought it was a dominating special-teams performance as well.”
The Hurricanes (7-5, 4-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) yielded only 200 yards, held Pitt to a 1-for-15 effort on third-down conversion tries and forced 12 punts in a game where they yielded only 11 first downs. Miami also had six sacks and 14 tackles for loss.
“We’re 7-5,” cornerback Michael Jackson Sr. said, “but we’re not a 7-5 defense.”
Dallas also had a rushing touchdown for the Hurricanes, saying afterward he’s gotten valuable help in recent days from a sports psychologist. And Homer is up to 969 yards this season, and would have a chance to become the 10th runner in Miami history with a 1,000-yard season if he gets 31 in the bowl game. His career rushing total is now 1,979 yards, which moved him four yards past Frank Gore for 12th on the Hurricanes’ list.
“Travis was the spark tonight,” Dallas said.
Kenny Pickett completed 14 of 22 passes for 130 yards for Pitt (7-5, 6-2), which had already locked up the ACC’s Coastal Division and a berth in next weekend’s conference title game against Clemson. It was a reversal of last season, when Miami had the Coastal clinched and lost to Pitt in the regular-season finale for both clubs.
“That’s the most talented defense we’ve faced by far,” Pickett said.
Homer’s 64-yard touchdown in the third quarter put Miami up 17-3, and matched the longest scoring run of his Miami career. It also continued his knack for breaking big plays for scores; he has 12 rushing TDs for the Hurricanes, the average length of them being 27 yards.
Dallas scored on a 65-yard punt return in the second quarter, giving Miami one of those for the second straight week. The one last week came from Jeff Thomas, who left the Hurricanes on Wednesday — team officials said he was dismissed, while Thomas claimed that his departure was by mutual decision.
Either way, it didn’t derail Miami on its Senior Day, even with the passing game struggling again. N’Kosi Perry completed only six of 24 passes for 52 yards, though was hurt by no fewer than seven dropped passes. It was the lowest passing total Miami posted in an ACC game, four yards shy of the 56 the Hurricanes managed against Georgia Tech in 2007.
Alex Kessman’s 40-yard field goal for Pitt late in the third quarter allowed the Panthers to avoid the shutout. This was the first ACC season since 2009 that there were no shutouts in conference games.
“Ran into a buzzsaw today,” Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said.
THE TAKEAWAY
Pittsburgh: The Panthers had won four straight before Saturday, averaging 40.8 points in those games. It was Pitt’s lowest point total since 2010 — a 31-3 loss to Miami.
Miami: The Hurricanes’ bowl game gives Richt a chance at winning at least eight games for the 17th time in his 18 seasons as a head coach. Miami still has not had a one-game streak of anything under Richt, whose Hurricane tenure has gone thusly — four wins, then four losses, then 15 wins, then four losses, then five wins, then four losses and, now, two wins.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
The Panthers will almost certainly fall out of the AP Top 25 after one week. The last time Pitt lasted more than two consecutive weeks in the poll was 2009. This current appearance was only the fifth for Pitt in the last 142 editions of the AP Top 25.
WILD COASTAL
The Coastal this year featured Pitt losing to North Carolina, North Carolina going 0-7 in all other ACC games, Miami rolling past Virginia Tech, Virginia Tech beating Virginia and Virginia beating Miami. In other words, the Coastal made minimal sense.
UP NEXT
Pittsburgh: Faces Clemson in ACC title game at Charlotte, North Carolina on Dec. 1.
Miami: Awaits bowl-destination announcement on Dec. 2.
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For more AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

McSorley helps No. 15 Penn State rout Maryland 38-3

McSorley helps No. 15 Penn State rout Maryland 38-3
By TRAVIS JOHNSON, The Associated Press
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Just before he ran out of the Beaver Stadium tunnel for the last time, Trace McSorley gathered his teammates and made a promise he probably didn’t have to make.
“I just said, ‘I promise you guys that I’m going to leave everything out there today,'” McSorley said following No. 15 Penn State’s 38-3 victory over Maryland on Saturday.
But they’ve already come to expect that from No. 9 — the program’s winningest quarterback.
McSorley completed 12 of 22 passes for 230 yards and had a hand in three touchdowns to power No. 15 Penn State (9-3, 6-3 Big Ten, No. 12 CFP) to its third straight win and help its chances at playing in a New Year’s Six bowl game.
The senior dual-threat added 64 rushing yards on 11 carries for the Nittany Lions and made good on his promise by doing literally everything he could to ensure a win.
He threw a 34-yard bullet through freezing rain to KJ Hamler on the game’s first play, sprinted downfield to throw a block that opened Miles Sanders up for a 35-yard run on the next, then skipped into the end zone from 3 yards out to cap the quick opening drive.
McSorley added another touchdown run two possessions later when he scrambled through a pair of defenders up the middle for 20 yards and a 14-3 lead. Later, his teammates jumped up and down on the sideline when the shifty running opted to bowl over Maryland safety Jordan Mosley, rather than juke around him in the open field, to pick up 17 on 3rd-and-15.
“With Trace, it’s not the sexy quote that you guys are looking for, but It’s consistency,” Penn State coach James Franklin said. “You love Trace as what you want in all your players because he’s the same guy every day. The guy hasn’t had a bad day in five years.”
Ricky Slade added 8- and 1-yard touchdown runs and tight end Pat Freiermuth caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from McSorley in the fourth quarter.
Sanders finished with 128 yards on 14 carries, Hamler caught three passes for 90 yards and Jake Pinegar added a 25-yard field goal for the Nittany Lions who won their third straight.
Tyrrell Pigrome completed 14 of 23 passes for 185 yards but was sacked five times for the Terrapins (5-7, 3-6). They will miss out on a bowl trip for the third time since joining the Big Ten.
Maryland kicker Joseph Petrino made a 26-yard field goal to break the shutout.
“We obviously left some plays out on the field today,” Maryland interim coach Matt Canada said. “I’m disappointed in that for our players. It’s hard to see that happen when you know how bad they wanted it.”
SHUTDOWN D
Since it was shredded by No. 4 Michigan on Nov. 3, Penn State’s defense has played near-flawless football.
The Nittany Lions notched five sacks and 15 tackles for loss on the afternoon. They finished the season with 33 stops behind the line of scrimmage over the final three weeks. Controlling the edges was a focus against the Terps who racked up 353 and 339 rushing yards in each of their last two games.
But Maryland speedster Anthony McFarland was held in check all afternoon. He finished with just 12 yards on six carries while Javon Leake led the Terps with 34 rushing yards on 11 touches.
“Guys wanted to have no regrets,” Penn State safety Nick Scott said. “Finishing it off the right way was something that was huge for us.”
THE TAKEAWAY
Maryland: A year that began with the death of offensive lineman Jordan McNair following a team workout in the spring ends on a 4-game losing streak for the Terrapins who’ll miss out on a bowl game for a second straight season. The program will have to make a call on Canada, but Maryland has a nice class of freshman to give whoever takes over a young core to build around.
Penn State: The Nittany Lions spent much of this season trying to iron wrinkles out on offense with a new coordinator and a few fresh skill players. Their defense, meanwhile, spent the last three weeks of the season blossoming. After giving up 42 points to No. 4 Michigan in Ann Arbor on Nov. 3, Penn State allowed just 10, seven and three over its last three games. Much of that success can be traced to a front seven that helped produce 43 sacks on the season.
UP NEXT:
Maryland: Season over.
Penn State: Await bowl destination.
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More AP college football: https://apnews.com/tag/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

Guentzel’s hat trick leads Penguins past Columbus 4-2

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jake Guentzel scored his first career regular-season hat trick and the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-2 on Saturday night.

Guentzel’s first career hat trick came in the 2017 playoffs against Columbus, and he had another in the 2018 playoffs against Philadelphia.

Guentzel has scored six goals in his last seven games overall and has 16 points in 13 regular-season and playoff games against Columbus. He has nine goals, including two hat tricks, in his last eight games against the Blue Jackets.

Tanner Pearson also scored for the Penguins, who have won two of their last three after losing nine of their previous 10. Kris Letang had three assists and Sidney Crosby two. Phil Kessel continued an eight-game point streak for Pittsburgh and Evgeni Malkin has a seven-game run.

Pittsburgh won its sixth straight against the Blue Jackets, matching the longest win streak against Columbus. The Penguins also won their sixth straight at home against the Blue Jackets.

Casey DeSmith made 37 saves for Pittsburgh.

Cam Atkinson continued a career-best, seven-game goal streak with his 15th of the season. He tied the all-time franchise mark set in November 2002 by Geoff Sanderson. Atkinson, with nine goals and 13 points in seven games, owns the longest goal-scoring streak of any NHL player this season.

Scott Harrington also scored for the Blue Jackets, who lost for the second time in three games after winning five of their previous six. Joonas Korpisalo stopped 32 shots for the Blue Jackets.

Harrington, Pearson and Guentzel scored three goals in 2:13 as Pittsburgh held an early 2-1 lead.

Harrington, Pittsburgh’s second-round pick in 2011, opened the scoring for Columbus, but Pearson responded 45 seconds later with his third goal in four games.

Guentzel took a drop pass from Crosby and sent a wrist shot behind Korpisalo from the slot to put Pittsburgh in front.

Guentzel scored again on a second Crosby drop pass later in the period. Crosby powered around Columbus defenseman Markus Nutivaara and dropped a pass to Guentzel, who beat Korpisalo to the blocker side with a wrist shot.

Atkinson made it 3-2 when he scored in his seventh straight, but Guentzel restored Pittsburgh’s two-goal lead with his third of the game, a backhander from the top of the crease.

NOTES: Both teams had goals disallowed in the second period. … Penguins’ F Patric Hornqvist missed the game with a concussion. … Malkin tied Jaromir Jagr for third on the team’s all-time games played list and Letang equaled Brooks Orpik for most by a defenseman in team history. … Penguins’ D Jack Johnson played his former team for the first time since signing a five-year, free-agent contract with Pittsburgh in the offseason. Johnson spent seven seasons in Columbus. … Mike Sullivan coached in his 240th game with the Penguins, tying Bob Berry and Johnny Wilson for fifth-most in franchise history.

UP NEXT

Blue Jackets: Visit Detroit on Monday.

Penguins: Travel to Winnipeg on Tuesday.

Beaver Falls Holiday Light Parade highlights the start of the Holiday Season in Beaver Falls

Beaver Falls Pa- The 30th Annual Beaver Falls Holiday Lighted Parade took place on Saturday November 24, 2018 at 6 pm along 7th Avenue in Beaver Falls. The parade capped of a big day of celebration in Beaver Falls to promote the local businesses on Small Business Saturday and to get the Holiday shopping season off to a bang. The Big Beaver Falls Marching Tiger Band and the Riverside Panthers marching band got the attendees in the mood by belting out some holiday classics as they marched along the parade route. Beaver County Radio’s Matt Drzik and Frank Sparks did a live broadcast of the parade. Maureen Ciapriani had the Beaver County Radio Personality Prize Wheel in full swing and Ed Hermick drove the prize van in the parade.  The evening was capped by an appearance by Santa Claus and Mrs. Clause riding on the back of a vintage fire truck on their way to Santa Land. The kids were all encouraged to attend Santa Land and sit on Santa’s lap and tell them what they want for Christmas.

Check out all of the photos of the parade below……..