HARRISBURG, Feb. 27 – In response to growing concerns over decisions and policies by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association and their impact on student safety, state Rep. Rob Matzie announced today that he will be introducing legislation to make lawmakers on the Pennsylvania Athletic Oversight Committee and the state secretary of education permanent voting members of the PIAA executive board.

Matzie, who is vice chairman and longest-serving member of the oversight committee, said the move is justified because of PIAA’s status as a public agency – and necessary given the association’s lack of adequate response to questions and concerns raised by the oversight committee.

“The PIAA is a governmental entity,” Matzie said. “That was settled by the PA Supreme Court last week. It’s appropriate and necessary to bring accountability. Elected members of the legislature are tasked by the state Constitution to answer to and speak on behalf of the people of Pennsylvania. That includes, perhaps most importantly, our children and our schools and – by extension – those participating in junior and senior high sports.

“This legislation has been in the works for some time, but I felt the time was now – based on recent correspondence the PIAA sent on the premise of defending their indefensible competition formula. In reality, the correspondence was a hit job on one school, my school, Aliquippa. It’s abundantly clear that the PIAA would prefer to double down rather than work toward a better system. Their current system is not working, and their evaluation process is, frankly, lazy.”

The Pennsylvania Athletic Oversight Committee, established in 2004, is comprised of six members – two appointed by the speaker of the PA House of Representatives and one appointed by the minority leader of the House; and two appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate and one appointed by the minority leader in the Senate. The PAOC meets annually to review the PIAA’s continued compliance with Act 91 of 2000, respond to issues related to the association’s activities, and issue an annual report of its findings.

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published February 28, 2024 10:19 A.M.

(Hopewell Township, Pa) A 2023 Ford Police Interceptor Police Vehicle will be purchased from McCandless Ford, and an update charge from Team Force for $40,000.00 was approved.  Police Chief Donald Sedlacek told Beaver County Radio that it’s been almost 14 years since new weapons were purchased for his department. Township commissioners approved the purchase of 23 Glock G45 MOSS 9mm from Witmer Safety Group. The cost is $15,720.00.

FILE – A U.S. flag waves outside the New York Stock Exchange, Monday, Jan. 24, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are holding relatively steady on Wall Street near their record levels. The S&P 500 fell 0.1% in Tuesday afternoon trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 149 points, or 0.4%, and the Nasdaq composite was mostly unchanged. Macy’s rose after unveiling a restructuring plan, and Norwegian Cruise Line steamed higher on hopes for a stronger 2024. Chevron was weighing on the Dow amid worries that its pending takeover of Hess may be facing a threat. Treasury yields were mixed in the bond market after a report showed that confidence among U.S. consumers unexpectedly weakened.

A phone holder hangs in a classroom at Delta High School, Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, in Delta, Utah. At the rural Utah school, there is a strict policy requiring students to check their phones at the door when entering every class. Each of the school’s 30 or so classrooms has a cellphone storage unit that looks like an over-the-door shoe bag with three dozen smartphone-sized slots. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The scene in classrooms around the country is similar: Kids are on their phones, even when school rules forbid it. Teachers say they see students on Snapchat, listening to music and even watching Netflix in class, among countless other examples of how smartphones distract from teaching and learning. Increasingly, educators are speaking with one voice on the question of how to handle it: Ban phones during classes. A growing number of leaders at the state and federal levels have begun endorsing school cellphone bans and suggesting new ways to curb access to the devices.

FILE – Taylor Swift performs during “The Eras Tour,” May 5, 2023, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn. Swift is adding one more accolade to her repertoire this year: a resolution recognizing 2023 as the Taylor Swift era in her home state of Pennsylvania. The resolution passed the state House of Representatives on Wednesday, Dec. 13. (AP Photo/George Walker IV, File)

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A photographer has told police he was punched in the face by Taylor Swift’s father on the Sydney waterfront hours after the popstar’s Australian tour ended. Ben McDonald said he provided police with a statement alleging the assault by Scott Swift at the Neutral Bay Wharf on Tuesday where the father and daughter had just come ashore from a yacht. The New South Wale Police Force media office confirmed that police were investigating the alleged assault. Taylor Swift’s representative accused members of the media of aggression during the interaction. The representative said in an email that two individuals pushed towards Taylor, grabbing at her security personnel and threatened to throw a female staff member into the water.