(File Photo of a Drawing of a Dollar General Store)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) According to a release in Harrisburg yesterday from Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday’s office, Sunday announced a settlement with Dollar General Corporation and its parent company (Dolgen Corp, LLC) regarding consumers being charged higher prices than what was labeled and advertised on shelves. The Office of Attorney General investigation uncovered numerous occasions when consumers were charged higher prices at registers at Dollar General, which operates more than 900 retail locations throughout Pennsylvania. The investigation also revealed that Dollar General stores failed more than 40 percent of pricing accuracy inspections between 2019 and 2023. The corporation, under the settlement, will pay $1.55 million to the Commonwealth in penalties and costs, and agreed to improve their business practices through employee training and sufficient staffing.

“Our investigation found widespread and repeated instances of Pennsylvanians being overcharged at checkout — blatant deception of customers all over the Commonwealth,” Attorney General Sunday said. “We are hopeful the corporation takes this settlement very seriously as Pennsylvanians expect to pay the price that is on stickers and labels.”

This settlement resolves allegations that Dollar General misrepresented prices and engaged in practices that are prohibited by the Pennsylvania Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law. In addition to the settlement funds, the settlement further requires that Dollar General modify its business practices to prevent future violations of the Pennsylvania consumer protection law. As detailed in the settlement agreement, Dollar General will undertake the following steps in its Pennsylvania stores:

• Train employees on ensuring price accuracy as well as their obligation to honor the lowest advertised price, including Dollar General’s obligation to provide price adjustments for overcharges;
• Maintain sufficient staffing to update shelf tags on at least a weekly basis;
• Ensure each store undergoes at least two unannounced pricing audits during each fiscal year;
• Conduct either an enhanced audit or full store assessment of each store that fails three or more price audits during a 12 month period;
• Correct all reported or known price inaccuracies within 24 hours; and
• Post a notice at each register (point of sale) stating that the lowest posted price will be honored and informing customers that they can seek a price override if necessary.

Consumers who see retailers charging higher prices at the register than as advertised are encouraged to file a complaint with the Bureau of Consumer Protection online, over the phone at 717-787-3391, or by emailing scams@attorneygeneral.gov. This settlement was submitted for filing as an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County by Deputy Attorney General Jaimie George.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Dave Sunday speaks to the audience in the Forum Auditorium across the street from the Capitol after taking the oath to become Pennsylvania’s next attorney general, Jan. 21, 2025, in Harrisburg, Pa. (AP Photo/Marc Levy)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) According to a release in Harrisburg yesterday from Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday’s office, Sunday reacted to pair of bills that passed Pennsylvania Senate voting sessions this week: They are House Bill 1425, which would establish a directory similar to cigarettes for electronic nicotine devices (vapes) and House Bill 1615, which would maintain DUI sentencing conditions that preserve treatment programs while holding repeat offenders accountable.

On HB1425, Attorney General Sunday said: “Unregulated vaping devices and other e-cigarettes are often manufactured to appear attractive to children, who are most susceptible to such marketing. The reality is that users of these unregulated products have no idea what they are actually consuming. The products often contain no reliable disclosures about contents or potential dangers attached to consumption. I commend the bipartisan work in the Senate and House that recognized a threat to our children and took action to protect all Pennsylvanians.”

On House Bill 1425 Sunday said: “This bill remedies a state court’s ruling that essentially disregards a first DUI offense resulting in ARD when a second DUI conviction occurs. While I am an advocate of second chances when appropriate, I have found in my career that many DUI offenders are at high risk to re-offend, so precautions must be in place to ensure accountability if they commit subsequent offenses. Every time someone makes the intentional decision to get behind the wheel intoxicated, they endanger every person they encounter on the roadway. I have seen far too many tragedies caused by completely avoidable vehicle crashes rooted to DUI. I will continue to advocate for ARD and other worthy diversion programs as positive resolutions to criminal charges for certain offenders, but there is no such thing as a freebie when it comes to driving while intoxicated.”

Both bills return to the House for their concurrence on Senate amendments. Finally, the Senate Judiciary passed House Bill 1934, which offers clarification of discovery requirements under the Commonwealth Attorneys Act, which applies to the Governor, Commonwealth executive/independent agencies, and their employees. The legislation protects the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and other state agencies that have increasingly been subjected to “exhaustive” and “inappropriate” discovery demands in civil litigation.

(Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of Congressman Chris Deluzio’s Office)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Washington, D.C.) According to a release in Washington D.C. yesterday from Congressman Chris Deluzio’s office, Deluzio’s bipartisan legislation to rename the post office in Sewickley at 521 Thorn Street after Mary Elizabeth “Bettie” Cole passed the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously by a voice vote last night. This is a significant step forward in the commemoration of the beloved Western Pennsylvania community leader, local historian, and author. 

(File Photo of State Representative Rob Matzie)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Ambridge, PA) According to a release in Ambridge yesterday from State Representative Rob Matzie’s office, Matzie announced yesterday that expanded training opportunities in advanced manufacturing are coming to Beaver County thanks to nearly $1.4 million in new grant funding. The Community College of Allegheny County, Eastern Atlantic States Carpenters’ Technical Centers, the Pittsburgh Chapter of the German American Chamber of Commerce, Inc., Catalyst Connection, Pittsburgh National Machining and Tooling Foundation and Team Trade Program all received grants that were approved through the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry that will ensure that area workers will have the skills needed to step into settings that are technologically advanced. According to Matzie and that same release from his office, the funding includes:

• $400,000 to the Community College of Allegheny County to support the development of a new electrical maintenance technician/robotics apprenticeship program.
• $200,000 to Eastern Atlantic States Carpenters’ Technical Centers, with an Allegheny County training center, to expand the millwright apprenticeship program.

• $200,000 to the Pittsburgh Chapter of the German American Chamber of Commerce, Inc. to expand its mechatronics technician apprenticeship program serving Allegheny, Beaver, and several other regional counties.
• $200,000 to Catalyst Connection to expand its industrial manufacturing technician apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs serving Allegheny, Beaver, and several other regional counties.
• $199,467 to Pittsburgh National Machining and Tooling Foundation to expand its machinist apprenticeship program serving Allegheny, Beaver, and other regional counties.
• $199,280 to Team Trade Program to support the expansion of Carnegie Mellon’s Robotics Academy pre-apprenticeship program.

(File Photo of a Police Siren Light)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Hopewell Township, PA) Pennsylvania State Police in Beaver reported via release today that a two-vehicle crash occurred in Hopewell Township occurred on the night of November 6th, 2025. The crash occurred in Aliquippa on I-376 East near Exit 48 at 7:58 p.m. An unidentified driver was driving east at a high rate of speed on that road hauling a utility trailer and tried to move over to the left lane without clearing properly. This driver hit the vehicle of twenty-four-year-old Michael Arabia of Empire, Ohio and kept going. The driver that caused the crash had unknown injuries and Arabia was not injured as a result of this crash. 

(File Photo of a U-Haul Truck and U-Haul Sign)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Cranberry Township, PA) U-Haul Company of Pennsylvania recently announced that Camp Bow Wow, a local dog day care and boarding facility, signed on as a U-Haul® neighborhood dealer to serve the community of Cranberry Township. Camp Bow Wow, which is located at 41 Progress Avenue, will offer services that are essential like U-Haul trucks and moving supplies. Its normal business hours are 8 a.m.-6 p.m. on Mondays-Fridays and 10 a.m-4 p.m. on Saturdays and you can call (878) 208-1213 to reserve U-Haul products at this dealer location. 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – A man uses a cell phone in New Orleans on Aug. 11, 2019. A number of Americans are dealing with cellular outages on AT&T, Cricket Wireless, Verizon, T-Mobile and other service providers, according to data from Downdetector, Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Hopewell Township, PA) AT&T has now activated the first of three new cell phone sites that are coming to Beaver County in the next few months. The new site off Brodhead Road in Hopewell Township was unveiled yesterday and it will boost 5G coverage for the Five Points area of that community. According to officials, the system will also help with public safety communications. AT&T also expects to open a site close to Heinz Field in Aliquippa by the end of the month and one in Bradys Run Park in Brighton Township early in 2026.  

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – This photo shows the Facebook’s Messenger Kids application on an iPhone in New York, Feb. 16, 2018. U.S. regulators say Facebook misled parents and failed to protect the privacy of children using its Messenger Kids app. The Federal Trade Commission says Facebook misrepresented the access it provided to app developers to private user data. As a result, the FTC on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 proposed sweeping changes to a 2020 privacy order with Facebook — now called Meta — that would prohibit it from profiting from data it collects on users under 18. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, file)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) According to a release in Harrisburg yesterday from the Senate Republican Communications Office, the Pennsylvania Senate Education Committee advanced bipartisan legislation sponsored by Senators Devlin Robinson, Vince Hughes and Steve Santarsiero, to require public schools across the commonwealth to adopt policies prohibiting student cellphone use during the school day. The approval of Senate Bill 1014 was received unanimously, and this legislation aims to curb distractions in the classroom, improve performance in academics, and address the growing concerns about mental health and social development for youth.

(File Photo of the Duquesne University Athletics Logo)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Duquesne University recently announced plans to build a $68 million health sciences facility on Forbes Avenue in Pittsburgh, which is expected to open in fall 2028 and will consolidate programs for the John G. Rangos Sr. School of Health Sciences to enhance community access to clinical services and strengthen the role of Duquesne University in regional health care. The building will be 80,000 square feet and it will feature advanced simulation spaces, flexible classrooms, integrated technologies and street-level clinical entrances so the community can access them.