(New Brighton, PA) The New Brighton Borough Real Estate Tax Office will be closed on Saturday, May 27 through Friday, June 16.  Modified summer hours will begin on Monday, June 19, with the office being open every Friday from 10:30 AM to 4:00 PM and the second and fourth Saturday of each month from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM.  Appointments are recommended and can be scheduled by emailing the tax collector at fortune@newbrightonpa.org.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Yesterday, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) convened the first meeting of his Veterans Advisory Council (VAC). A Navy and Iraq War veteran himself and member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, this wider group of Western Pennsylvanian veterans will advise Congressman Deluzio on issues relating to veterans’ policy, veterans’ services, and veterans’ care.

“I am thrilled to announce my Veterans Advisory Council and am thankful for their service—past and present,” said Rep. Deluzio. “These VAC members represent a wide range of communities across PA-17, military branches, and experiences in and out of uniform. I am grateful for their willingness to step up once again for our community and advise me in the best ways to support our fellow veterans.”

The Veterans Advisory Council will meet quarterly and is staffed by Congressman Deluzio’s Constituent Services Representative Ken Aquiline, a Marine Corps veteran himself.

The Mission Statement of Congressman Deluzio’s Veterans Advisory Council is as follows:

The Council will advise the Congressman on relevant policy and promote awareness of veterans’ issues within the Seventeenth District community. Additionally, the council will work together to address challenges and opportunities facing our servicemembers, veterans, and their families. It will also help preserve the honor due to all veterans and actively recognize distinguished veterans and advocates on behalf of the Congressman.

The members of the VAC include the following:

• Chris Anderson, United States Navy
• Megan Andros, United States Army
• Brigette Bethea, United States Army
• Dwight Boddorf, United States Marine Corps
• Chris Cieslak, United States Army Reserves
• Carl Curtis, United States Marines
• Bart Farzati, United States Air Force
• Tammy Garcia, United States Air Force
• Jessica King, United States Marine Corps
• Kenneth Nagel, United States Navy
• Craig Romanovich, United States Army veteran
• Lee Wagner, United States Marine Corps
• Bart Womack, United States Army

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) today announced that all driver license and photo centers, including its full-service center in Harrisburg, will be closed Saturday, May 27, 2023, through Monday, May 29, 2023, in observance of the Memorial Day holiday.

Gas prices are four cents lower in Western Pennsylvania this week at $3.690 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

This week’s average prices: Western Pennsylvania Average                          $3.690
Average price during the week of May 15, 2023                                                $3.730
Average price during the week of May 23, 2022                                                $4.700

The average price of unleaded self-serve gasoline in Beaver County is $3.766  

As next week’s busy Memorial Day travel weekend approaches, gas prices are relatively stable, increasing a penny over the past week to $3.54 for a gallon of regular unleaded. A decline in demand and the low cost of oil are the main factors. Today’s national average is 13 cents less than a month ago and $1.05 less than a year ago.

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand declined from 9.30 to 8.91 million barrels per day last week. The drop has reduced pressure on pump prices. Meanwhile, total domestic gasoline stocks decreased by 1.4 million barrels to 218.3 million barrels.

At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate increased by $1.97 to settle at $72.83. Oil prices rose amid growing market optimism that global energy demand is rebounding, particularly since China is recovering faster than originally expected following the lifting of its COVID restrictions. Additionally, the EIA reported that total domestic commercial crude inventories increased by 5 million barrels to 467.6 million barrels last week.

Motorists can find current gas prices nationwide, statewide, and countywide at gasprices.aaa.com.

Photo – Hopewell swatting false alarm. March 2023. (Curtis Walsh)
Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published May 23, 2023 9:30 A.M.

(Hopewell Township, PA) Six officers responded in six minutes when a swatting call came in stating that there was an active shooter at the high school. The commissioners,bby adopting a resolution supports and recognizes the selfless and heroic service of the officers and leadership of the Hopewell Township Police Department and their invaluable contributions in upholding justice, enforcing the rule of law, and protecting our community and thank each officer and their families for their extraordinary dedication and service on March 29, 2023.  Police Chief Don Sedlacek supervised and directed  the efforts of 18 responding law enforcement agencies at the local, state, and federal direction with distinction.

(Beaver, PA) Do you have a furry friend? Do you enjoy embarrassing them with ridiculous costumes? If so, Beaver Area Memorial Library would like you to consider entering their Pet Parade & Costume Contest July 1st, from 10:30-12:30pm. The pet who wins ‘Best in Show’ will be crowned Grand Marshall and win a ‘Pet Parade 2023’ custom tote bag. Other ribbon-winning categories include Biggest Pet, Smallest Pet, Most Creative Costume, Funniest Costume, and Most Unique-Looking Animal.
Even without a pet of your own, there will be plenty to enjoy at the Pet Parade, from snow cones to hot dogs to live music from the Dewey Decimators. An adoptable dog will also be present at the event, as well as the new pet shop ‘Wags on Third.’
Tickets are $20 for one person and $60 for a group of 4. $2 from every ticket will be donated to the Beaver County Humane Society.

Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio. Published May 23, 2023

(New Brighton, PA) The New Brighton School Board met last night for a voting Session. All but one board member voted to approve the hiring of Kyah Bentley as the Competitive Cheer Coach. Nicholas Henderson was hired as a Special Education Teacher for the district, and Corey Price as an Informational Technologist. The board also chose to ratify the reinstatement of Bernice Ferralli to her role as an Instructional
Assistant, after she decided to not retire and there was still an open position. Bernadette Mattica was appointed to the position of Board Treasurer. Alexander Poellnitz’s resignation as a High School Science teacher was also approved.

The U.S. Capitol is seen in Washington, Sunday, May 21, 2023. President Joe Biden planned on Sunday to speak directly with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, hoping to salvage talks to raise the debt limit that have stalled in recent days while he was abroad at the Group of Seven summit. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy are to meet face to face on Monday after a weekend of on again, off again negotiations over raising the nation’s debt ceiling. Their meeting comes mere days before the government could reach a “hard deadline” and run out of cash to pay its bills. The two sides are working to reach a budget compromise before June 1. McCarthy and Republicans are insisting on spending cuts in exchange for raising the debt limit; Biden has come to the negotiating table after balking for months but says the GOP lawmakers will have to back off their “extreme positions.”

This photo provided by Zenith Auto Care shows damage to a steering wheel column and ignition assembly after the car was stolen, on April 20, 2023, in North Las Vegas. A sharp uptick in thefts of Hyundais and Kias over the paast two years has been linked to viral videos posted to TikTok and other social media platforms that teach people how to exploit a security vulnerability to steal the cars. (Zenith Auto Care via AP)

NEW YORK (AP) — A sharp uptick in thefts of Hyundais and Kias over the past two years has been linked to viral videos posted to TikTok and other social media platforms that teach people how to exploit a security vulnerability to steal the cars. Police and others say despite voluntary fixes from the automakers, waves of thefts have continued, illustrating the lingering effects of dangerous content that gains traction with teens looking to go viral. Police departments are frazzled, attorneys generals have urged federal intervention and cities and consumers have resorted to lawsuits to hold car companies accountable. Still, some point the finger at social media platforms unable to remove content at the breakneck speed it appears.