Story by Beaver County Radio news Staff. Published May 9, 2023 7:58 A.M.

(Darlington Township, PA) Pennsylvania State police are searching for a person who left a dead dog on the side of the road in Darlington. Troopers responded to the 800 block of Cannelton Road to investigate a large black trash bag that was emmitting an odor. A deceased dog was found inside the bag.
Pennsylvania State Police in Beaver ask anybody with information to contact them at 724-773-7400.

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

Though the final budget won’t be cemented until late June, preparations for it were cemented at the New Brighton’s school board meeting on Monday evening. The board placed a resolution on the agenda for approval to adopt a proposed final budget at the May 22 voting meeting–though what the details of that are remain somewhat ambiguous.

“It’s still a giant question mark,” stated Superintendent Dr. Joseph Guarino. “We don’t really know any more today than we did back at the beginning of March when the Governor released it. There has been absolutely nothing out of Harrisburg, so we don’t know if the numbers released are accurate, if they might go up or they might go down, we really don’t know much of anything at this point. [It’s] not uncommon for this time of year.”

Guarino added that while there are discussions about what the budget could contain–including a potential millage increase for the next year–but reminded the public that the proposed budget is simply that…proposed. “It is just a proposed one,” Guarino stated, “so what we approve at the end of May can be changed as much as we want between the end of May and the end of June.”

Also added to the list of resolutions at Monday night’s meeting were approvals for board member Bernadette Mattica to be appointed as the board’s treasurer, and three submissions of applications for Title I, Title II and Title IV for the 2023-24 school year. Several contract renewals are also set to be voted on at the May 22 meeting, including a $3,500 one-year renewal with Medic Rescue and the “All Sports & Voluntary Student Accident Insurance” for the 2023-24 school year at a total of $7,900.

The May 22 voting meeting is scheduled for 7:30 PM at the “Little Theatre” in the high school.

FILE – Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen speaks on the U.S.-China economic relationship at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, Thursday, April 20, 2023, in Washington. Yellen said Sunday that there are “no good options” for the United States to avoid an economic “calamity” if Congress fails to raise the nation’s borrowing limit of $31.381 trillion in the coming weeks. She did not rule out President Joe Biden bypassing lawmakers and acting on his own to try to avert a first-ever federal default. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — A union of government employees has sued Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and President Joe Biden to try to stop them from complying with the law that limits the government’s total debt, which the lawsuit contends is unconstitutional. The lawsuit comes just weeks before the government could default on the federal debt if Congress fails to raise the borrowing limit. Financial markets have become increasingly nervous about the potential for default, with economists warning that a failure to raise the debt limit could trigger a global financial crisis. On Tuesday, Biden will meet with the top Republicans and Democrats in Congress to seek a potential breakthrough. The two sides remain far apart..

FILE – A briefcase of a census taker is seen as she knocks on the door of a residence, Aug. 11, 2020, in Winter Park, Fla. A significant number of non-citizens appear to have been missed in the 2020 census, according to results from a U.S. Census Bureau simulation, during a head count of all U.S. residents in which the Trump administration tried but failed to prevent people in the country illegally from being tallied. (AP Photo/John Raoux, file)

A number of noncitizens appear to have been missed in the 2020 census. That’s according to results from a U.S. Census Bureau simulation that utilized records from government agencies instead of the survey-like responses used in the official once-a-decade tally of every U.S. resident. The simulation results were released Friday. The simulation found that almost a fifth of noncitizens in the administrative records had addresses that couldn’t be matched in the 2020 census. During the 2020 census, the Trump administration unsuccessfully tried to prevent people in the country illegally from being tallied. The census helps determine political power and the distribution of federal funding.

E. Jean Carroll arrives at Manhattan federal court, Monday, May 8, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

NEW YORK (AP) — A jury is hearing closing arguments from a lawyer for the advice columnist who says Donald Trump sexually attacked her in a department store in 1996. Attorney Roberta Kaplan represents E. Jean Carroll in Manhattan federal court. She said no one, not even a former president, is above the law. Trump’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, responded by saying nobody is below the law either. Trump, who has not attended the trial, insisted in an October deposition that Carroll made up the claims to boost sales of a 2019 memoir. Carroll is seeking compensatory and punitive damages.

FILE – Winston, a French bulldog, competes for Best in Show at the 146th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, Wednesday, June 22, 2022, in Tarrytown, N.Y. French bulldogs are ranked as the United States’ favorite dog breed, yet none has ever won the nation’s pre-eminent dog show. This year, Winston is a strong contender to take the trophy at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — French bulldogs are ranked as the United States’ favorite dog breed, yet none has ever won the nation’s pre-eminent dog show. But this year, a Frenchie named Winston is a strong contender to take the trophy at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show. After coming in second at the show last year and winning another major event in November, he competes Monday for a shot at the top prize. Frenchies have undergone a stunning surge in popularity in the U.S. over the last 30 years. But their rise has been dogged by concerns about their health and debate over the ethics of breeding them.

Harrisburg, PA – Today, The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Pennsylvania State Police, and motorcycle safety advocates joined forces to promote and encourage the safe operation of all vehicles. Governor Josh Shapiro has proclaimed May Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month in Pennsylvania. As rising temperatures bring an increase in the number of motorcycles travelling on Pennsylvania roadways, the Shapiro Administration reminds drivers and motorcyclists to share the road, obey traffic laws and watch out for one another throughout the riding season.

“As more and more people enjoy the fun and excitement of motorcycling and the benefits of a more budget-friendly means of transport, it is in the best interest of both riders and drivers to share the road safely,” said PennDOT Deputy Secretary for Driver and Vehicle Services Kurt Myers. “Drivers and riders can work together to help lower fatalities and crashes by staying aware while driving or riding, obeying speed limits, and being responsible while operating any vehicle.”

There were approximately 3,369 crashes involving motorcycles on Pennsylvania roadways in 2022, resulting in 217 fatalities. Crashes fell by more than 200 from the 2021 number of 3,578, and fatalities also decreased from 230 in 2021.

“Enjoy Pennsylvania’s roadways on your motorcycle, but please do it responsibly and safely,” said Pennsylvania State Police Director for the Bureau of Patrol Major Robert Krol. “Don’t hesitate to seek training if needed, and never ride while impaired.”

Through the Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program (PAMSP), Pennsylvania residents with a motorcycle permit or license can take advantage of the opportunity to earn a motorcycle license or refresh their skills through a variety of training to help develop safe riding skills, no matter how experienced or inexperienced. The courses include: the Basic Rider Course (BRC); the Intermediate Rider Course (IRC); the Advanced Rider Course (ARC); and the 3-Wheeled Motorcycle Basic Rider Course (3WBRC). Successful completion of a basic or intermediate course waives the requirement to take a skills test at a PennDOT Driver License Center and automatically earns the permit holder their motorcycle license. Motorcycle permit holders who complete a 3-wheel basic course will earn a motorcycle license with restriction prohibiting the operation a of 2-wheel motorcycle.

PennDOT contracts several third-party motorcycle training providers to offer these safety training classes free of charge to residents with a motorcycle permit or license. Interested individuals are encouraged to contact training providers directly for class availability, as additional courses may be offered, and providers may offer additional walk-in or waiting list opportunities when individuals fail to report for the training. Class schedules are coordinated by each third-party training provider for their individual locations. To find a local training provider, please visit PennDOT’s PAMSP Training Provider Locations page.

To ensure that only properly licensed riders are operating on Pennsylvania roadways, under Act 126 of 2013, after securing their first motorcycle learner’s permit, people may only reapply for a permit up to three times in a five-year period. When a person’s motorcycle leaner’s permit expires, the individual may retake the knowledge test and reapply for a new permit. If a permit holder is unsuccessful in obtaining a motorcycle license after the third permit reapplication, they must wait the entire five years from the initial issuance of the permit to get another one. This law is aimed at preventing the practice of continually extending the permit without retaking the knowledge test or ever taking the skills test and obtaining a motorcycle license.

Some safety tips motorists can keep in mind when sharing the road with motorcycles include:

• Watch for Motorcycles: be aware that motorcycles are small and may be difficult to see.
• Check mirrors and blind spots before changing lanes and at intersections.
• Allow more following distance: leave at least four seconds when following a motorcycle.
• Always signal your intentions before changing lanes or merging with traffic.
• Respect a motorcycle as a full-size vehicle with the same rights and privileges as any vehicle on the roadway. Allow a motorcyclist a full lane width as the motorcyclist needs the room to maneuver safely in all types of road conditions.
• Never drive impaired.

Motorcyclists can do their part to help avoid crashes by following some simple safety tips:

• Be seen by wearing reflective clothing and put reflective tape on your protective clothing and motorcycle. Also wear face or eye protection and a DOT-approved helmet.
• Use common sense by riding sober, obeying all speed limits and allowing enough time to react to potentially dangerous situations.
• Know your motorcycle and conduct a pre-ride check.
• Practice safe riding techniques and know how to handle your motorcycle in adverse road and weather conditions.

FILE – A worker rides a rail car at a BNSF rail crossing in Saginaw, Texas, Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. Tens of thousands of engineers remain frustrated with the lack of paid sick time and the demands railroads like BNSF are making in negotiations despite the progress that has been made in 2023 with sick time deals for most of the other rail unions. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Tens of thousands of engineers remain frustrated with the lack of paid sick time and the demands railroads like BNSF are making in negotiations despite the progress that has been made this year with sick time deals for most of the other rail unions. The lack of paid sick time and concerns about demanding schedules took center stage during last fall’s contract talks. Several railroads have made deals this year to give some of their workers sick time. But the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen say the railroads are still asking for too much in return for giving sick time, and most railroads still want to penalize workers if they do take sick time.

Upper Darby High School students Rayan Hansali, from left, Tanveer Kaur, Elise Olmstead, Fatima Afrani, Joey Ngo and Ata Ollah, talk in the campus courtyard, Wednesday, April 12, 2023, in Drexel Hill, Pa. For some schools, the pandemic allowed experimentation to try new schedules. Large school systems including Denver, Philadelphia and Anchorage, Alaska, have been looking into later start times. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

DREXEL HILL, Pa. (AP) — The idea of later school start times, pushed by many over the years as a way to help adolescents get more sleep, is getting a new look as a way to address the mental health crisis affecting teens across the U.S. Nationally, at least nine states are considering legislation related to school start times, up from four the previous year, according to the National Conference on State Legislatures. For some schools, the pandemic allowed experimentation to try new schedules. Large school systems including Denver, Philadelphia and Anchorage, Alaska, have been looking into later start times.