Today we wrap-up our three-part series on the heroin and prescription drug epidemic in Beaver County. Beaver County Judge Deborah Kunselman works in the juvenile section of the courts. She tells Beaver County Radio News there is a little known program available to juveniles that will help them with their addiction problem without putting them through the criminal justice system.

It was one year ago tomorrow – on Halloween – that 23-year-old Taylor Banks was struck by a car and killed while riding his bike in Aliquippa. It was a hit-and-run. Nearly a year later, there’s still no arrest in the case. Beaver County District Attorney Anthony Berosh says the reason for that is that they’re still waiting for the accident reconstruction report from the county detectives bureau. In the meantime, a memorial bike ride for Banks will be held tomorrow…starting at 10 A-M at 1726 Pennsylvania Avenue in Monaca and ending at the Beaver County Courthouse.

The Beaver County Coroner’s office has investigated a total of 35 drug overdoses in the year 2014. 17 involved heroin. 2015 to date, the office has investigated 31 overdoses…17 of those involved heroin. Those numbers come from Beaver County coroner Teri Tatalovich Rossi. We’ll wrap up our series on the drug addiction problem in Beaver County tomorrow on Beaver County Radio News.

Police are offering a $15,000 reward in hopes of finding a man who shot a Beaver County police officer in his bulletproof vest. Harmony Township Officer Alan Loskoch was briefly hospitalized after the shooting early Wednesday. The suspect is described as a light-skinned African-American male, standing 6 feet tall with 3 to 4-inch dreadlocks.

Heroin and prescription drug abuse – and drug overdose deaths – are on the increase across the country and it’s no different in Beaver County. Today Beaver County Radio began a three-day series on the growing problem of drug addiction and how we as a community can do a better job of responding to and hopefully preventing such abuse. Dr. Neil Capretto is the Medical Director at Gateway Rehabilitation Center. He says the drug problem as it exists today in Beaver County is the worst he’s ever seen. He says every age bracket and every community in the county is affected by this problem.

A police officer in Harmony Township has survived a shooting thanks to his bulletproof vest. State police in Beaver county say shots that were fired at the Harmony officer early today struck his bulletproof vest. He was taken to a local hospital. No word on his name or condition. Police are still searching for a suspect.

We’re just one week away from Election Day…and there’s a war of words underway between the two Democratic commissioners and the Republican Committee of Beaver County. The committee has taken issue with a political mailer that was sent out by commissioners Joe Spanik and Tony Amadio (who are up for re-election in next week’s elections) that did not have the legally required disclaimer, noting who paid for them. Amadio admits they made a mistake, but he says it just an oversight and he says he has the receipts and invoices to prove who paid for those fliers. But Megan Carpenter, chairwoman of the Republican Committee of Beaver County – is still calling for a full investigation immediately.

Democratic candidates for the Beaver County row offices were showcased at Center Stage on Sunday afternoon along with hundreds of supporters as part of a “Good Old Fashioned Democratic Rally”.   With just over a week to go before elections on November 3rd, the featured candidates took full advantage of talking about their agendas and encouraging people to get out and vote.  The event featured a special address by AFL-CIO official Frank Snyder who stressed the importance of supporting  democratic choices in the general election. State Representative Rob Matzie served as Master of Ceremonies and talked about the importance of next year’s election as well and how it will be pivotal in the make up of state wide politics.