(File Photo taken by Beaver County Radio Staff)

Story by Beaver County Radio Staff

(Beaver Falls, Pa.) The Big Beaver Falls Area School Board held their regular monthly meeting last Thursday, March 20, 2025. During the  meeting the Board accepted and approved the resignations of Jason Wallace as a para-professional at Central Elementary School effective March 10, 2025, Doug Biega as Assistant Jr. High Track Coach effective immediately,  Alana Cleckley as Assistant Track Coach effective immediately,  and Monica Miles as Assistant Cheer Coach effective immediately.

The Board also accepted and approved the following retirements, Ronald Thomas as Social Studies and Driver’s Education teacher effective June 4th, 2025 with 28 years of service with the District and Raymond Carter as Middle School Guidance Counselor effective June 4th, 2025 with 31 years of service with the District.

The Board also made appointments of the following people to positions within the school district, Steve Wellendorf as Director of Student Services at a salary of $110,000.00 per Act 93 Agreement, effective May 12, 2025, Jenny Barnes as Special Education Compliance Director at a salary of $93,000.00, per Act 93 Agreement, effective July 1, 2025, Taylor Boulding as the 7th Grade Volleyball Coach at a salary of $1,600.00 effective the 2024/2025 school year, Brian Damaska as the 7th/8th Grade Assistant Track Coach at a salary of $1,550.00 effective the 2024/2025 school year, Maria Stevenson as Assistant Cheer Coach at a salary of $1,700.00 effective the 2024/2025 school year, Stevenson was also appointed as the 7th/8th Grade Assistant Cheer Coach at a salary of $650.00 effective the 2024/2025 school year, and Quadir Thomas as Assistant Track Coach at a salary of $1,750.00 effective the 2024/2025 school year.

The Board also granted a Leave of Absence for John Tisdale who is requesting a Family and Medical Leave of Absence to be used intermittently until July 8, 2025.

A Motion was passed to increase the substitute nurse’s daily salary rate to $200.00 per day.

In other business the board recommended approving the additions to the 2024/2025 Instructional Substitute List and five  field trip requests.  They also recommended the adoption of the Beaver Valley Intermediate Unit 2025/2026 Budget in the amount of $2,340,106.00.

The Board’s next meeting is scheduled for Thursday April 10, 2025 at 7:00PM

(File Photo)

Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano

(Aliquippa, Pa.)  The Aliquippa School Board met last week and accept Renee D’Alessandro’s resignation from her position as benefits coordinator effective on March 28, 2025.  Chandler Thompson also resigned as a Pre-k Counts Support Specialist effective on March 13, 2025.

(File Photo of a Dollar Sign Logo)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Beaver County, PA) According to a release from the Beaver County Foundation, the Beaver County Foundation is seeking scholarship applications from high school seniors pursuing post-secondary education. May 1st, 2025 is the deadline and undergraduates currently in college are in some instances eligible. There are criteria for each fund and to choose all of the awards. You can visit beavercountyfoundation.com to find out more about scholarships, guidelines and applications. 

(Photo Provided with Release)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Beaver County, PA) According to a release from Kerry Ford, Public Relations, Ellwood City High School and Riverside High School seniors graduating from those schools can apply now for the Dom Viccari-McDonald’s of Ellwood City Scholarship. The scholarship is awarded to local young people who excel in community service, academic achievement and leadership ability. The award is open for students that are attending academic or vocational schools for two or four years. One graduating senior from Ellwood City and one graduating senior from Riverside will earn a $1,000 scholarship. The scholarship is named after Dom Viccari, a council president, council member and borough manager in Ellwood City who worked hard in his community until retiring in 2013. Viccari passed away in 2022 and was 89 years old. Students also must write essays about three different topics, which all have to be addressed in the essay. According to the release, here are the topics:

• Explain how you would be inspired to improve your community.
• Describe what philosophy of community service you would pass on to those who aspire to lead.
• Being a leader requires compassion, empathy, energy, creativeness, responsibility, trust and other attributes. Describe the qualities you possess that make you worthy of receiving the Viccari – McDonald’s Scholarship.

Students that are interested need to apply before May 1st and can visit beavercountyfoundation.com to apply. 

(File Photo of Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) A new law allows the Pennsylvania Treasury Department to return property that is not claimed automatically. This week, over $1.7 million was delivered in the mail in Pennsylvania Money Match checks to more than 7,400 recipients. According to Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity, if you get a check, it is yours and it is real. Garrity also confirmed that the next two batches of checks will be sent in May and then in the middle of June.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – A health worker administers a measles test on Fernando Tarin, of Seagraves, Texas, at a mobile testing site outside Seminole Hospital District, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025, in Seminole, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Erie County, PA) It has been confirmed that there are two cases of measles in Western Pennsylvania. According to a report from WICU, health department officials in Erie County confirmed the cases were linked to international travel. According to the CDC, Pennsylvania and seventeen other states have measles cases totaling 378 as of March 20th, 2025 and measles spreads when a person that has it sneezes or coughs.

(File Photo of the Kennywood logo)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(West Mifflin, PA) Kennywood has been officially nominated in two polls for the USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. The first was for the best amusement park and the second was for “Phantom’s Revenge” as the top roller coaster in the country. According to a news release from the parent company of Kennywood, both Kennywood and “Phantom’s Revenge” also took places last year in the top ten of their respective polls. 

(File Photo of Police Lights)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Ambridge, PA) A man received a charge for attempted homicide after being connected to a shooting in Ambridge that happened last July. Authorities traveled to the 800 block of 11th Street and two suspects fired shots multiple times as the victim left in a vehicle in the parking lot of an apartment complex. The male victim left after an argument with his girlfriend. Police identified one of the suspects as Brandon Taylor, and a report confirms that Taylor was aiming for the person that drove up before the victim. Taylor was taken into custody by officials on Thursday and faces multiple charges including the attempted homicide charge.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – In this Monday, Sept. 16, 2019, file photo, a woman pumps gas at a convenience store in Pittsburgh. Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg of the Lundberg Survey said Sunday, March 15, 2020, that gas prices could continue to fall as demand shrinks amid the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Gas prices are three cents lower this week at around $3.37 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s gas price report. The report states that at this time last year, the average price for a gallon of gas in Western Pennsylvania was around $3.75. The report also notes that the average price that you can expect for a gallon of unleaded gas here in Beaver County is around $3.53. According to AAA East Central’s gas price report, here are the average prices of unleaded self-serve gasoline in various areas of Pennsylvania:

$3.251      Altoona
$3.526      Beaver
$3.568      Bradford
$3.244      Brookville
$3.315      Butler
$3.326      Clarion
$3.085      DuBois
$3.345      Erie
$3.357      Greensburg
$3.404      Indiana
$3.316      Jeannette
$3.502      Kittanning
$3.393      Latrobe
$3.382      Meadville
$3.436      Mercer
$3.244      New Castle
$3.291      New Kensington
$3.496      Oil City
$3.466      Pittsburgh
$3.224      Sharon
$3.505      Uniontown
$3.557      Warren
$3.362      Washington

(File Photo: Source for Photo: This combo of phots shows Republican state Rep. candidate Chuck Davis left, on Friday, March 14, 2025, in Clairton, Pa.; and Democrat state Rep. candidate Dan Goughnour in McKeesport, Pa., on Thursday, March 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Voters in a western Pennsylvania district will determine Tuesday if Democrats will hold onto a bare one-vote majority and keep control of the state House of Representatives.

The chamber has been tied at 101 to 101 since incumbent Rep. Matt Gergely, an Allegheny Democrat, died in January.

A Democratic win would keep Speaker Joanna McClinton of Philadelphia as the chamber’s presiding officer. But if Republicans pull off a win in the Democratic-leaning district, they will be able to replace McClinton and install their own members as committee chairs.

The race will provide a glimpse of voter sentiment in the state that Republican President Donald Trump won narrowly in November. Democratic nominee Kamala Harris easily won the state House district last year and a GOP flip would be a major upset.

The special election pits Democrat Dan Goughnour against Republican Chuck Davis. Goughnour is a police officer who supervises detectives and serves on the school board in McKeesport. Davis is a fire chief who also serves as president of the White Oak Borough Council.

There’s also a special election on Tuesday for a vacancy in the state Senate created when Sen. Ryan Aument, a Lancaster Republican, quit to take a job working for U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick. Republican Lancaster County Commissioner Josh Parsons is running against Democrat James Andrew Malone, the mayor of East Petersburg. No matter which candidate wins, the Republican majority in the state Senate will not change.