Cumberland County, PA – Today, Governor Josh Shapiro visited the West Shore Senior Center in New Cumberland to ceremonially sign HB1100, which expands the Property Tax/Rent Rebate (PTRR) program to nearly 175,000 more Pennsylvania seniors and doubles rebates for many of the 400,000 Pennsylvanians who already qualify. Last week, Governor Shapiro signed the expansion into law, delivering the largest targeted tax break in nearly two decades for Pennsylvania seniors.

Governor Shapiro proposed the expansion of the PTRR program during his campaign and in his first budget address to provide support for Pennsylvania renters and homeowners who need it most – and he visited the West Shore Senior Center in May to share the details of his proposal. Today’s return to the West Shore Senior Center highlighted that more than 2,300 Cumberland County residents will be eligible for the PTRR program as a result of the expansion.

“While I was campaigning, I heard from seniors all across the Commonwealth that they needed more support to keep up rising costs of living. I made a promise to them during my campaign and in my budget address that my Administration would be there for them – and we delivered with the largest targeted tax cut for our seniors in two decades,” said Governor Josh Shapiro. “Starting next year, for applications filed beginning January 1^st, we will put more money in older adults’ pockets. This expansion provides a much-needed update to PTRR and 173,000 more Pennsylvanians will qualify – including more than 2,000 seniors in Cumberland County alone.”

Providing a lifeline for Pennsylvania renters and homeowners who need it most and helping seniors across the Commonwealth stay in their homes is a priority of the Shapiro-Davis Administration – and the PTRR expansion passed the House and Senate with near-unanimous bipartisan support to increase income limits, provide larger rebates for those who qualify, and include a cost-of-living adjustment so the program keeps up with rising prices.

“Pennsylvania seniors deserve relief from the rising costs of inflation as grocery and heating bills continue to go up. They deserve to live in dignity, and they deserve a government that delivers real results for them and their families. That’s exactly what we’ve done with the Property Tax/Rent Rebate expansion,” said Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis. “This bill passed with bipartisan support in the House and the Senate. It’s truly an example of what happens when leaders come together to get things done here in the Commonwealth – and there’s more to come. We’ve got our first budget done, and we’re continuing to work on commonsense solutions to the most pressing problems that our Commonwealth faces.”

An estimated additional 2,300 Cumberland County residents are now eligible for under the expanded Property Tax/Rent Rebate program. In 2021, 5,972 residents in the county received rebates.

“I’m hopeful in the fact that we are seeing bipartisan legislation – and I see it in the House, I see it in the Senate, and, of course, in the Governor’s office. This is a man who understands politics is the art of compromise, and he has a way of communicating with people,” said West Shore Senior Center member Diane Salerno. “He doesn’t simply hear you – he listens. It’s been a long time since I’ve been this inspired and hopeful for Pennsylvania.”

East Palestine Train Derailment (Curtis Walsh)

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Regulators say Norfolk Southern has made improvements since a fiery Ohio derailment but still falls well short of being the “gold standard for safety” it is striving to be. Instead, the railroad is too often only willing to meet minimum safety requirements. The Federal Railroad Administration released a report on the railroad’s safety culture Wednesday. The agency has been working on the report for months in the wake of the Ohio derailment. The report also says poor communication and mistrust between employees and managers are hindering efforts to improve safety. The railroad’s CEO says the report will help Norfolk Southern make more progress.

NEPTUNE BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A single lottery ticket sold in Florida has won a $1.58 billion Mega Millions jackpot. The Florida Lottery says a Publix grocery store in Neptune Beach sold the ticket. No one had won the Mega Millions jackpot since April 18, enabling the prize to grow to the third-largest in U.S. history. The $1.58 billion payout is for a sole winner who opts for an annuity doled out over 30 years, although most winners usually prefer a lump sum option. For Tuesday’s jackpot, the lump sum was an estimated $783.3 million. The prize is nearly identical in size to the second-largest jackpot of $1.586 billion in 2016.

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania state police say five people died when a recreational vehicle blew a tire on an interstate highway, crossed the median and collided head-on with a tractor-trailer. The crash occurred Wednesday on northbound Interstate 81 near Chambersburg. The RV was heading south and towing a trailer. It crossed a grassy median after the tire blew and struck the truck. Four people in the RV and the truck driver were all pronounced dead at the scene. The victims in the RV were from Middletown, Pennsylvania. The truck driver was from Martinsburg, West Virginia. No other injuries were reported.

Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio. Published August 10, 2023 8:30 am. The photo above shows Nick Ziegler (left) with his band, The Forty Nineteens.

(Beaver County, PA) The Beaver Valley Musicians Hall of Fame has announced an induction banquet that will honor inductees for 2020 through 2023. The ceremony is set to take place October 6th at Center Stage. The list of inductees for 2020 consists of Pamela Cooney Coladonato, Randall Estelle, Sandy Reigel and Paul Thiessen. The 2021 class is Fred Campbell, Mickey Cherico and Raymond DeLisio. For 2022 the list is Michael Dingfelder, Billy Evanochko, Todd Goodman and Elbie Yaworsky. The class of 2023 includes just one inductee, Nick Zeigler.

Beaver County Radio had the opportunity to speak with a couple of the new hall of fame members about what it means to them.

Michael “Mickey” Cherico, of the pop rocking funk and soul infused Cosonova & the Divas has proven to be a guitarist and vocalist that doesn’t lock himself in a single genre. Whether Cherico is riffing out a soaring guitar lead for Prince’s “Purple Rain”, encouraging crowd participation during “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson, it’s no surprise he has landed his way into being a Hall of Fame entertainer.

Cherico says “It’s such a great honor to be inducted into the Beaver Valley Musicians Hall of Fame, and to join some of my local musical idols that I’ve admired growing up as a young musician in the area! I just hope I can pass on that love of music to the next generation of talented musicians in the same way I was Inspired.”

Nick Zeigler, who is a Monaca native, spends his time these days living in California as the drummer of The Forty Nineteens. The Forty Nineteens, who stay busy performing and releasing new music, produce a sound that incorporates everything you know and love about rock n’ roll. Big guitars, powerful vocals, soulful bass, and tight dynamic drumming by Zeigler creates a multi generational California sound that resonates all the way back to Pennsylvania.

“When I moved to California to pursue a career in music, I didn’t know a soul out here.”, says Zeigler. “The thing that kept me going was the encouragement from mom and dad, and teachers like Jim Blanarik, Mars Scarazzo, David Fath, and Pat Mancini. I carried those memories with me, and always pushed forward. Dad always would tell me “Make things happen” To be acknowledged by the BVM HOF and included with so many musicians that influenced me and countless others is something I will forever be proud of. I am looking forward to seeing everyone. Rock on.”

No tickets will be sold at the event. Reservations must be made in advance by visiting bvmusicianunion.org.

Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio. Published August 10, 2023 7:57 A.M.

(Beaver County, PA) Power outages are affecting a large amount of Duquesne Light customers in the county this morning. As of 7:57 am, Duquesne light had reported that approximately 2,120 customers in Beaver County were without power, mainly in the areas of New Brighton and Beaver Falls. Use caution when driving, as traffic lights are out in many areas. There is no timeline as to when power will be restored in your area.

Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio. Published August 10, 2023 6:49 A.M.

(New Brighton, PA) A tree fell down on Second Avenue in New Brighton near the Fallston Bridge. The tree took down power lines and areas of New Brighton lost power. Numerous traffic lights were also out in the area. Crews were on scene as of 6:05 am.

FILE – Musician Robbie Robertson arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Robertson, the lead guitarist and songwriter for The Band, whose classics include “The Weight,” “Up on Cripple Creek” and “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” has died at 80, according to a statement from his manager. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

One of rock’s greatest songwriters and musicians, Robbie Robertson, has died at 80. His manager said he died Wedensday in Los Angeles, surrounded by family. As the guitarist and lead writer for The Band, Robertson mined American music and history for such classics as “The Weight” and “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.” He later worked on the soundtracks for several Martin Scorsese movies, including “The Departed” and “The Irishman.” Robertson was a self-taught musicologist and storyteller who absorbed everything American from the novels of William Faulkner to the scorching blues of Howlin’ Wolf to the gospel harmonies of the Swan Silvertones.

Harrisburg – The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) today issued an invitation for bids to award 20 expired restaurant licenses in the 12th license auction since Act 39 became effective in August 2016.

This auction includes one license in each of the following 20 counties: Allegheny, Beaver, Berks, Bradford, Clearfield, Clinton, Delaware, Erie, Greene, Indiana, Lackawanna, Lebanon, Luzerne, Lycoming, Montgomery, Northampton, Northumberland, Pike, Potter, and Somerset.

Bids for this restaurant license auction are due by noon Monday, Sept. 25. The 12th auction will again use a sealed bid process. Bids will be opened Wednesday, Sept. 27, and auction winners will be determined soon thereafter.

The minimum bid for each license is $25,000, and each bid must be accompanied by a bid surety of $5,000 or 5% of the total bid amount – whichever is higher – to avoid frivolous and underfunded bids.

The highest responsive bidder for each license will win the right to submit an application for the license to the PLCB within six months of auction award. If bid payment is not received within two weeks of auction award, the second-highest bidder will have the opportunity to apply for the license. Bids will be held in escrow by the PLCB, pending approval of the license application.

The Invitation for Bids is available online. Once on the page, scroll down to “Related Solicitation Files,” and click the links to view.

Bidders with questions regarding this invitation for bids must submit inquiries via email to RA-LBLicenseAuction@pa.gov by noon Friday, Aug. 25. Questions and answers will be posted to the Department of General Services e-marketplace website by 3:00 PM Tuesday, Aug. 29.

Lists of winning bids from each of the 11 previous auctions are available on the license auction page of the PLCB website. Auction revenue recognized thus far from all previous auctions totals $34.2 million, while another $1.9 million remains in escrow, pending license approvals.

The PLCB regulates the distribution of beverage alcohol in Pennsylvania, operates 600 wine and spirits stores statewide, and licenses 20,000 alcohol producers, retailers, and handlers. The PLCB also works to reduce and prevent dangerous and underage drinking through partnerships with schools, community groups, and licensees. Taxes and store profits – totaling nearly $19.5 billion since the agency’s inception – are returned to Pennsylvania’s General Fund, which finances Pennsylvania’s schools, health and human services programs, law enforcement, and public safety initiatives, among other important public services. The PLCB also provides financial support for the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement, the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, other state agencies, and local municipalities across the state. For more information about the PLCB, visit lcb.pa.gov.

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published August 9, 2023 2:53 P.M.

(Beaver, PA) Beaver County Court of Common Pleas Judge Mitchell P.. Shahen  sentenced North Sewickley Township resident Eduardo Avriles 37, of Lancaster, to a minimum of 56 years to a maximum of 11 years  for the sexual assault of 2 victims under age 5. He was sentenced on Monday, August 7, 2023. A criminal complaint was filed on November 7, 2022 alleging he raped and sexually assaulted both children on multiple occasions at his home. The jury trial was in May 2023 and the jury rendered a guilty plea on 34 of the 30 criminal counts.