DRAVOSBURG, Pa. (AP) — Authorities say a crash involving a school van and a car in western Pennsylvania left a teenage girl dead and sent three other juveniles and two critically-injured adults to area hospitals. Allegheny County police said the Serra Catholic High School van was trying to make a left turn when it was struck by the sedan shortly before 7:30 a.m. Wednesday in Dravosburg. The county medical examiner’s office said a 15-year-old girl was pronounced dead at the scene. The Catholic Dioceses of Pittsburgh identified the juvenile victims as students at Serra Catholic High School in nearby McKeesport and said the injured students were in stable condition.

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published September 21, 2023 9:07 A.M.

(Aliquippa, Pa) Special Education Director Jason Guzie’s resignation is effective on October 4, 2023,  and Amanda Lane resigned effective October 2023. She was the high school music teacher. Second grade teacher Ashley Heinlein resigned effective October 27, 2023. Curriculum Coordinator Beth Smith will assume the duties  of Special Education Coordinator, she will be paid $20,000 a year. Amy Frank was hired as an elementary school guidance counselor, she will be paid $47,205. Her hiring was effective on September 4, 2023. Vernita Solomon as high school discipline secretary  beginning on October 4, 2023, she will be paid $25,000 a year Tanya Roberts was hired as a junior/senior high school science teacher. She will be paid $52,199.00. She begins her duty son Monday, September 25, 2023.

FILE – An early election ballot completion area is prepared at a collection location inside the North Park Ice Skating Rink Lodge area, Oct. 9, 2020, in McCandless, Pa. Pennsylvania’s state Senate approved a bill Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023, to move up the state’s 2024 primary election by five weeks to March 19, aiming to avoid a conflict with the Jewish holiday of Passover and give voters more of a say in deciding presidential nominees. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File)

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s state Senate wants to move up the state’s 2024 primary election by five weeks to March 19. Lawmakers touted the move as a way to avoid a conflict with the Jewish holiday of Passover and to give voters more of a say in deciding presidential nominees. The bill passed Wednesday, 45-to-2, although it still requires passage in the state House of Representatives. Under the bill, the primary election would move from April 23 to March 19. That date falls after primaries in other big delegate states. Pennsylvania is a premier battleground in presidential elections, but it hasn’t hosted a competitive presidential primary since 2008.

The Beaver County District Attorney’s Office released the following statement regarding the synthetic drug Xylazine:

District Attorney David Lozier today announced two fatal drug overdoses from the synthetic drug Xylazine, a/k/a “tranq.”

Xylazine is an animal tranquilizer which is now being used with or in place of Fentanyl. Xylazine can be sold in powder form; it can be pressed into pill form to imitate prescription drugs such as Oxycontin, Xanax or Percocet; or it can be mixed with Cocaine, Crack or Methamphetamine.

Xylazine is often fatal. It is more deadly than Fentanyl. A Xylazine overdose CANNOT BE REVERSED with Narcan.

If used on a repeat basis the Xylazine user develops open skin ulcers, decaying skin lesions and dangerous skin infections.

One Pill Can Kill.

We are again warning the public that any drug or any pill obtained from any source or person other than a licensed pharmacist may be mixed with fatal Fentanyl or Xylazine. One pill from a friend or black-market source can kill.

The presence of Xylazine in the two recent deaths was confirmed by the Beaver County Anti- Drug Task Force using its MX-908 drug testing device. This new equipment was purchased by the Beaver County District Attorney with the assistance of PCCD Grant funding and the help of our Beaver County State Representatives, the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, and the Beaver County HIDTA.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Democrats will retain their one-vote majority in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives after voters in Pittsburgh on Tuesday elected former congressional aide Lindsay Powell.

Powell’s victory gives Democrats a 102-101 majority in the House. Republicans have a 28-22 majority in the Senate, creating a divided Legislature that has kept Democrats from passing priorities such as broadened protections for LGBTQ+ people and gun control measures and Republicans from wins on issues including school vouchers.

The divided Legislature has also meant Republican senators have been unable to take to voters proposed constitutional amendments limiting the governor’s power and implementing voter ID.

Most recently the division has mired the state in a two-month budget stalemate after negotiations soured over education funding, in part because of the voucher debate.

Powell identified affordable and dignified housing, a strong local economy and community assets such as robust recreation centers, libraries and strong infrastructure as top issues. Housing, she said, was a particular concern. People feel displaced by rising costs and seniors want to stay in their homes.

“I’m grateful. As someone who’s been a lifelong public servant, this is the highest honor of my life, and I am so excited to be able to work on behalf of every single one of us,” she said in an interview Tuesday night.

Powell, 32, is the director of workforce strategies for InnovatePGH, a public-private partnership aimed at making the city a leading tech hub. She previously worked in Washington, D.C., for U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries.

“I joke, but truly I’ve had the honor of holding every job in government except this one,” she said previously.

Powell will fill the vacancy left by progressive Democrat Sara Innamorato, who resigned in July to pursue local office in Allegheny County. She defeated Republican Erin Connolly Autenreith in the heavily Democratic district.

Autenreith said in a phone interview Tuesday night that she hopes the Legislature tackles her top priorities — funding for police, improvements in education and increasing jobs in Allegheny County. She hopes to continue working with Republican candidates in her role as Republican committee chair in Shaler.

The House is due back at the Capitol next week to resume work on a long-overdue state budget, though Powell’s victory may not be certified until early October, a spokesperson for the county said.

Majority Leader Rep. Matt Bradford said fellow Democratic lawmakers welcomed Powell to the House and “we look forward to continuing our work as the majority to move our commonwealth forward.”

CHICAGO (AP) — Rookie Alexander Canario hit a grand slam for his first major league home run in an eight-run eighth inning, and the Chicago Cubs ended a five-game losing streak with a 14-1 rout of the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night.

Cody Bellinger hit a three-run homer later in the eighth for the Cubs, who are a half-game ahead of Miami for the final NL wild card, with Cincinnati one game behind Chicago.

“It was just nice to take a breath,” Cubs manager David Ross said. “You had to feel good, all the way around. Just relentless all night and we piled it on at the end.”

Canario, a 23-year-old who debuted on Sept. 6, had five RBIs. He hit an RBI double in the sixth for his first big league hit and drove a hanging slider from into the left-field bleachers for a 10-1 lead against Kyle Nicolas.

Chicago teammate Christopher Morel was so filled with emotion he pulled off his own jersey in the Cubs dugout.

“It’s incredible, it’s surreal,” Canario said through a translator. “It’s something I’ve always dreamed of, especially with the bases loaded.”

Although he had been called up nearly two weeks ago, Canario had only one plate appearance before Tuesday. His double came in his fourth at-bat, the slam in his fifth.

“I was always ready for the moment,” Canario said. “Just to be able to contribute to the team overall and just to be able to contribute with such a big moment into the score in the game like that.”

Nicolas, a 24-year-old right-hander, gave up six runs while getting one out in his debut for a 162.00 career ERA.

Dansby Swanson and Seiya Suzuki also homered for the Cubs, and Suzuki had three of Chicago’s 12 hits. The Cubs are 10-1 against the Pirates this season.

“They’ve given us trouble,” Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton said. “Throughout the year, we’ve missed in the middle of the plate a ton to them and they’ve done damage.”

In a game that started after a 1-hour, 25-minute rain delay, Javier Assad (4-3) allowed one run and five hits in five innings with eight strikeouts. Drew Smyly, José Cuas, Mark Leiter, Jr. and Luke Little finished a five-hitter.

Pirates batters struck out 16 times, one shy of their season high.

Pittsburgh’s Bailey Falter (2-9) allowed Swanson’s 21st homer and was replaced in the second by Quinn Priester, who gave up four runs and five hits in six innings

Ke’Bryan Hayes hit a solo homer for Pittsburgh (70-81), which was assured its eighth consecutive season without a winning record.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board announced on Tuesday that the state generated $457,153,095 in gaming revenue for August 2023, which is a 7.5% increase from the previous year.

iGaming slots and tables were particularly successful during this past August, with slots gaining 39% from last year at $105,270,893 and tables going up 29% for a revenue total of $37,269,167. Both totals ease the major 35% drop by sports wagering in Pennsylvania over the last 12 months.

Locally, the three casinos remained somewhat steady. Rivers Casino Pittsburgh and Live! Casino Pittsburgh each increased their revenue slightly at 2.79% and 1.65% respectively, while Hollywood Casino at The Meadows dipped down 3.62% from August 2022.

An agreement between Norfolk Southern and the borough of Midland to provide an easement of land for the repair of stormwater pipes was reached on Tuesday. Congressman Chris DeLuzio’s office collaborated with municipal government leaders from Midland in order to have the agreement secured.

The stormwater pipes that have been used for over a century suffered major leaks in May of 2022, and the leaks have caused erosion that has led to the stability of the nearby riverbank to begin coming into question. The borough needed approval from Norfolk Southern in order to secure the land easement due to federal right-of-way railroad transportation laws.

“I am proud to have worked with the good people of Midland Borough government to secure this land easement from the railroad to protect the Ohio River, stop concerning hillside erosion, and allow Midland to repair their stormwater management system,” said Rep. Deluzio. “After causing our community so much pain in the wake of their devastating derailment, I will continue to push Norfolk Southern to operate as a strong partner in Western Pennsylvania communities like Midland.”