Aliquippa City Council  met a packed house, standing-room only crowd at last night’s meeting. Mayor Dwan Walker said this is what he likes, people who care about the city. VieCare, a company that operates group homes, bought 2 homes in DiMarttia Plan, and according to  zoning,  the homes are for single families, and several residents are upset. The matter is in the solicitor and zoning officer’s hands. Council unanimously approved an ordinance to  get rid of blight and vacant properties  in the city.  A volunteer in each of the zones is to be appointed, to advise of any problems, such as broken windows, steps, high grass and weeds. Any interested  resident (eight are needed, one for each zone) is to  send a resume to the city.  There are over 800 blighted properties in  the city. Council accepted Rebecca Whitaker’s resignation from the zoning hearing board. Applications for police officers are due by  July 18th at 4 p.m.  Fire Chief Dave Foringer reported that the police and fire department assisted Hopewell yesterday (Wed.) for 2 drug overdoses because it was a 25 minute wait for an ambulance. Fire Captains J.T. Pennington and Dave Childs presented  Police Captain Steve Roberts with a $200 check for the K-9 fund.  A collection was taken by the fire department, resulting in the donation.

The Beaver County Commissioners held their weekly work session today. Beaver County Radio’s Greg Benedetti was there at the courthouse this morning and he reported that Commissioners Chairwoman Sandie Egley said that Sheriff Tony Guy must stick to the allotted budget for his department, despite his recent financial woes. Sheriff Guy had asked the commissioners for more money to keep his department operational for the remainder of the year.

A spokesperson for Beaver County District Attorney David Lozier’s office, early this morning announced  that Aliquippa substitute teacher Ahna Tania Anderson’s hearing has been continued to Thursday, August 25, according to Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano.   Anderson is represented by Attorney Blaine Jones, who could not be present today. School board member Aileen Gilbert’s  hearing has been continued to Thursday, July 28. Both women face charges in connection  with their failure to report the sexual assault of a 12 year old minor on April 26.  A report was made by another district employee, who reported it on the afternoon of April 27. The employee contacted school officials, law enforcement and Child Line. bAnderson is  faced with a 3rd degree felony and 2nd degree misdemeanor because she violated the persons required to report suspected child abuse statue. She also faces endangering the welfare of a child, a first degree misdemeanor. Aileen Gilbert faces the same  charges as Anderson.

More than 296-thousand dollars in grants have been approved to help improve local parks and trails. That announcement comes from 10th District State Representative Jaret Gibbons. The projects, according to Gibbons, include a $32-thousand-dollar greenways, trails and recreation grant for Wampum Borough Park; $52-thousand dollars for Wampum Station Park; and more than $212-thousand dollars for Slippery Rock Trail. The Commonwealth Financing Authority administers and finances projects and is an independent agency created by the legislature.