AAA East Central honored local police departments today for their outstanding efforts to increase road safety for all motorists.  59 Western Pennsylvania departments received Platinum Awards, while an additional 48 departments were honored with Gold, Silver, or Bronze awards.

“We are honored to recognize these local departments for their efforts in the Community Traffic Safety Program,” said Terri Rae Anthony, safety advisor, AAA East Central. “Each organization has gone above and beyond their call of duty to make their community a safer place for motorists and residents.”

The Platinum awards were given to “Commendable Leaders” for their safety efforts and enforcement activities geared towards making communities safer. The recipients of the prestigious awards were police departments in: Allegheny County, Baldwin, Beaver, Bethel Park, Brentwood, Cambridge Springs, Canonsburg, Castle Shannon, Cecil, City of Pittsburgh, Clairton, Cranberry Township, Edgewood, Elizabeth Township, Etna, Findlay Township, Greensburg, Grove City, Hermitage, Homestead, Hopewell, Indiana, Jefferson Hills, McCandless, McDonald, Meadville, Millcreek Township, Moon Township, Mount Lebanon, Munhall, Neshannock, New Brighton, New Sewickley Township, Northern Regional, North Strabane Township, Ohio Township, Penn Hills, Peters Township, Pleasant Hills, Plum, Punxsutawney, Rochester, Shaler Township, Shenango, South Fayette, South Strabane Township, South Park, Swissvale, Upper St. Clair, Washington, and West View.  Sherriff’s Departments in the following counties were awarded with Platinum awards: Crawford, Allegheny, Washington; and Pennsylvania State Police Troops A (Greensburg), B (Washington), D (Butler), E (Meadville) and T (Somerset). 

Gold awards, the second highest recognition to be given, were awarded to police departments in: Butler, Chartiers Township, Cochranton, Connellsville, Clarion, Erie, Hampton Township, Heidelberg, Indiana County Sheriff’s Department, Linesville, Monessen, Rankin, Scott Township, South Buffalo Township, Southwest Greensburg, and Worthington.  

Silver awards were given to police departments in: Aliquippa, Allegheny County Port Authority, Beaver Falls, Bridgeville, Bridgewater, Carroll Township, Chatham University, Greentree, Monroeville, New Castle, North Huntingdon Township, University of Pittsburgh, and Waynesburg.  Sherriff’s Departments in the following counties were given silver awards: Greene and Venango.

Bronze awards were given to police departments in: Cumberland Township and Wilkinsburg.

AAA East Central conducts a variety of free highway safety programs throughout Pennsylvania focusing on all age groups.  The Club also partners with law enforcement and safety agencies on initiatives to improve the safety of the community and local highways.

Harrisburg, PA – With heavy widespread rainfall anticipated across the state Friday and overnight into Saturday due to Tropical Storm Nicole, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) reminds Pennsylvanians to exercise caution during periods of heavy rain and be alert for potential flooding on roadways and in low-lying areas.

Rain is expected to begin tomorrow morning and continue throughout that day and overnight. The heaviest rain is expected in the northwest region of the state, which could receive between 4 and 6 inches of rain, with rates of up to an inch per hour during the heaviest downpours. Much of the state could receive between 2 and 4 inches of rain.

“Our crews have been preparing for days by clearing out debris around drainage inlets and under bridges while readying equipment,” said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian. “With the forecast amount of rain, we remind the public to not drive on roads that are covered with water because even shallow, swiftly flowing water can wash a car from a roadway.”

Motorists should watch for ponding on roadways and flooding in poor drainage areas while traveling.

“Based on the current forecast, we’re not expecting widespread flooding due to this storm system,” said PEMA Director Randy Padfield. “However, you should be aware for the possibility of flooding on roadways and plan out several routes to get to your destination so that you don’t put yourself, your loved ones and first responders in danger.”

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) warns motorists not to drive across roads covered with water because even shallow, swiftly flowing water can wash a car from a roadway. Also, the roadbed may not be intact under the water. Never drive around barricades or signs on closed roads – Turn Around, Don’t Drown.

Anyone planning to travel should closely monitor weather conditions along travel routes. Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

More information about how to prepare for any type of emergency, including specific information for people with access and functional needs or pets, is available on the Ready PA webpage.

(AMBRIDGE, PA) A four-story 39-unit housing building in Monaca has been awarded $1.2 million in state housing tax credit funding, state Rep. Rob Matzie announced today.

“This marks another major state financial investment in our communities,” said Matzie, D-Beaver. “Since taking office I’ve worked here and in Harrisburg to leverage these kinds of investments to help fund local projects, and I am dedicated to continuing to do so. This is a very competitive funding program, and I want to congratulate Monaca, and all the people who worked to make this happen.”

The $1.2 million tax credit was awarded today by the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency through the Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement program.

More information on the tax credits is available at https://www.phfa.org/legislation/act105.aspx.

(Beaver Falls, PA) Some are without power in Beaver Falls this morning due to a blown transformer. Duquesne Light reports the outage has affected approximately 200 customers.

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

The Blackhawk High School Campus was a busy place on the night of November 10. Outside there was a “Powderpuff” football game raising scholarship funds happening at Blackhawk Stadium. In the auditorium, choral students from across the county gathered for a spirited performance. And in the school library, the Blackhawk School Board met for their regular meeting.

The meeting started on a positive note, as a trio of students were recognized as Students of The Month. Aidan Thellman was recognized by the Rotary Club, Olivia McClymonds was honored by the Chippewa Lions, and Chase Alexander was chosen by the Little Beaver Lions Club.

Following those recognitions was a presentation on “Restorative Practices” by Highlands Middle School teachers Drew Bosco and Sydney Migliore. The concept of restorative practices is designed to help students that commit non-violent offenses to be disciplined in a manner that teaches them the error of their ways and allows them to remain in the educational loop–as opposed to a traditional detention or suspension that merely serves as time spent before returning to classes.

“The great thing about this is [that] the students are creating their own timeline for a consequence,” Migliore said. “A lot of times, when you have the repeat offenders, they’re doing the same behavior, or they’re doing something even worse.” Migliore and Bosco said that one of the main forms of discipline will be an “accountability project”, where the students will learn about the real-life consequences of their wrongful actions, and present their findings in a presentation to be given to staff, parents, or whomever is deemed fit for full comprehension.

Dealing with real-life consequences was also on the plate for the Blackhawk School Board by meeting’s end, as they were met with a stern complaint from South Beaver Township resident Curtis Lloyd, who has two children in the school district; one of whom is a special needs student. Lloyd felt that the lack of a push to hire additional paraprofessionals is putting the educational staff in dire straits and improperly supporting the students.

“To me, as the father of a special needs student, it’s pretty much akin to opening up the school without a ramp or an elevator,” Lloyd said. “You are making education inaccessible, and it’s a choice. So what I’m asking is, what is this school board going to do to change that choice; to hire these paraprofessionals?”

The school board stated that the union wages were voted on last year by the board, and that current wages were being negotiated; negotiations were in progress per Chairperson Roberta Mansell. Lloyd accused the board of being in violation of the law because of funding received by the state; Superintendent Dr. Robert Postupac declined to answer any legal questions on private matters in a public forum.

The next Blackhawk School Board meeting is scheduled for November 17 at 7:30 PM in the Library.

FILE – Pennsylvania Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano speaks to supporters during an election night campaign event at the Penn Harris Hotel in Camp Hill, Pa., Nov. 8, 2022. Election deniers who backed Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election failed in some of their highest-profile races. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)
By NICHOLAS RICCARDI Associated Press
Election deniers who backed Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election failed in some of their highest-profile races. Conspiracy theorists were crushed in Michigan and Pennsylvania, and Trump’s handpicked candidate for Wisconsin governor lost, meaning the GOP won’t be able to change the way elections are administered in that pivotal swing state. There are two key states where the races for top posts are too close to call — Arizona and Nevada. But democracy advocates were cheered at the initial round of major losses. Says one GOP pollster: “Trying to overturn an election is not wildly popular with the American people.”

Adjudicators observe as ballots are tabulated inside the Maricopa County Recorders Office, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)
By DAVID KLEPPER Associated Press
A day after the midterm elections, misinformation about the results is zeroing in on the states of Arizona and Pennsylvania. In Arizona, most of the misleading claims now circulating online began after problems emerged Tuesday with voter tabulation machines in Maricopa County. In Pennsylvania, baseless allegations are spreading about delays in vote counting. Misinformation experts say it’s not unusual for voting irregularities or delays to be spun into rumors. Overall, however, few problems were reported Tuesday and threats of political violence did not materialize.

FILE – A salesman talks with customers at an Acura dealer in Wexford, Pa., on Sept. 29, 2022. The Federal Reserve may reach a turning point this week as it announces what’s expected to be another substantial three-quarter-point hike in its key interest rate. The Fed’s hikes have already led to much costlier borrowing rates, ranging from mortgages to auto and business loans. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
By PAUL WISEMAN AP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — Price increases moderated in the United States last month in the latest sign that the inflation pressures that have gripped the nation might be easing as the economy slows and consumers grow more cautious. Consumer inflation reached 7.7% in October from a year earlier and 0.4% from September. The year-over-year increase, a slowdown from 8.2% in September, was the smallest rise since January. A measure called core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy, rose 6.3% in the past 12 months and 0.3% from September. The numbers were all lower than economists had expected, and they raised the possibility that the Federal Reserve could decide to slow its interest rate hikes.

FILE – Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf delivers his budget address for the 2022-23 fiscal year to a joint session of the Pennsylvania House and Senate in Harrisburg, Pa., Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022. More than one-quarter of state lawmakers whose seats are up for election across the U.S. are guaranteed to be gone from office next year — a statistic almost certain to grow when the votes are counted from the November general election. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
By MARK SCOLFORO Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania House Democrats are likely to make significant gains in the chamber. Some even see hope they could retake the majority once smoke clears from the election that began with their party 23 seats behind the Republican majority. After Tuesday’s election, Democrats are facing a couple of potential losses in western Pennsylvania and one in Wilkes-Barre. Republicans are trailing in key races outside Philadelphia and others near Harrisburg, the Poconos and the Pittsburgh area. Republicans hold the chamber 113 to 90. That means Democrats would need a net pickup of 12 to retake the majority for the first time in 12 years.