HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — President Joe Biden’s administration is taking the first step toward designating the Pennsylvania-owned section of Lake Erie as the state’s first national marine sanctuary. A formal designation could still take several years and it wouldn’t change existing regulations around the use of the lake. Thursday’s announcement sets up a public comment period before the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration writes a draft plan for the sanctuary. The designation would apply to an approximately 740-square-mile area of water off Pennsylvania’s 75 mile-long shoreline and would attract federal funding to help find and preserve shipwrecks in the water and boost education and outreach around the area’s history.

FILE—This is a Pittsburgh Transit Authority bus that was on the Fern Hollow Bridge in Pittsburgh when it collapsed in this file photo from Jan. 28, 2022. Investigators looking into the collapse of the Pittsburgh bridge last year want transportation officials nationwide to closely examine more than 10,000 other bridges with similar construction to make sure they don’t have the same kind of corrosion that was found on the bridge that collapsed. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

Investigators looking into the collapse of a Pittsburgh bridge last year want transportation officials nationwide to examine more than 10,000 other bridges with similar steel construction. The National Transportation Safety Board says in a report Thursday it wants states and cities to make sure their bridges don’t have corrosion like what they found on the bridge that collapsed. The safety board says drainage problems on the weathered steel bridge caused parts of it to deteriorate over time. It says Pennsylvania neglected for years to clear the debris, dirt and leaves that were causing the problem, even though inspectors noted the issue. The Pennsylvania Transportation Department didn’t immediately respond to the recommendations.

FILE – Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., waves to members of the media, Monday, April 17, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington, as he returns to the Capitol after seeking inpatient treatment for clinical depression. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Before Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman checked himself in to a hospital for clinical depression in February, he used to walk the halls of the Senate stone-faced and dressed in formal suits. These days, he’s back to wearing the hoodies and gym shorts he was known for before he became a senator. People close to Fetterman say his more relaxed style is a reflection of the progress he’s made after six weeks of inpatient treatment for clinical depression. He was treated with medication and fitted for hearing aids for hearing loss that had made it harder for him to communicate. His hospitalization came less than a year after he had a stroke during his Senate campaign.

Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio News Director. Published May 22, 2023 10:58 A.M.   

(Monaca, PA) Staples will be closing their Monaca location in June. The office supply retailer located in the Wal-Mart Plaza will close its doors on June 9th. The store is currently offering discounts on customer purchases as they clear their inventory.

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Publsihed May 22, 2023 10:46 A.M.

(Aliquippa, PA) St. Elijah Serbian Orthodox Church in Aliquippa held their annual spring food festival last weekend. Lines formed just as the doors opened both days for the Serbian and American foods, and many delicious pastries cooked, roasted, and baked by volunteers.

Story by Beaver County Radio News Staff. Published May 22, 2023 8:55 A.M.

(Chippewa Township, PA) A superintendent and a school board member have been caught on ethics violations for trading jobs for their children. The State Ethics Commission released two reports on Blackhawk Superintendent Dr. Robert Postupac and Moon school board member Mark Scappe. Superintendent Postupac’s daughter was given a job as a full-time elementary teacher at Moon and Scappe’s son received a full time gym teacher job at Blackhawk.

Scappe’s son reportedly previously didn’t make it past the initial round of interviews for the job at Blackhawk. Superintendent Postupac then got involved and made sure he would secure the job. Moon Acting Superintendent Dr. Donna Milanovich was instructed by Scappe to add Postupac’s daughter to the school board agenda for approval as a full-time teacher when the job didn’t exist. They were both found guilty of violating ethics laws and ordered to pay $750.

The Blackhawk School Board has begun taking action to decide how to handle the issue with Postupac, which could result in his firing.

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published May 22, 2023 8:29 A.M.

(Ambridge, PA) Beaver County District Attorney David J Lozier reported last Friday that no charges will be filed against an Ambridge Police officer who shot a stray dog that was aggressive towards him, biting him as he attempted to restrain him. The incident occurred outside the police station on Friday, May 12, 2023. Video footage and witness statements were used to make the determination.  No one came forward to claim the dog after attempts to find the owner.

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published May 22, 2023 8:00 A.M.

(Beaver, PA) Members of the law enforcement community that include police, PA State Police, county detectives and members of the sheriff’s department, along with families and the general public gathered at the police memorial Friday morning.