Author: Beaver County Radio

Pennsylvania budget still in turmoil over school vouchers and equity funding case

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A court’s ruling earlier this year that the way Pennsylvania funds public schools is unconstitutional helped make education spending one of the thorniest issues in state budget negotiations. The state government is approaching a second week without full spending authority. The final OK on a $45 billion spending plan has been stymied over a dispute about creating a $100 million program to allocate state subsidies for students in the lowest performing districts to attend private or religious schools. Complicating matters is the judge’s ruling, which ordered the Legislature and governor to fix the system but with no guidance about how — or how quickly — it should be done.

The Pittsburgh synagogue gunman should be eligible for the death penalty, prosecutor argues

FILE – This undated Pennsylvania Department of Transportation photo shows Robert Bowers. Federal prosecutors announced in August they would seek the death penalty for Bowers who is charged with killing 11 people inside the tree of Life synagogue. Bowers had offered to plead guilty in exchange for a life sentence. (Pennsylvania Department of Transportation via AP, File)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A prosecutor has urged jurors to find the gunman behind the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history eligible for the death penalty. Prosecutor Soo Song said Wednesday that Robert Bowers intentionally planned the attack on a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018 and preyed on vulnerable victims as they began Sabbath worship. But Bowers’ lawyer argued that he was overtaken by a “delusional belief system.” Bowers was convicted last month in the attack in the Tree of Life synagogue that claimed 11 lives. The jury began deliberating Wednesday and will resume Thursday. If it determines Bowers to be eligible, the jury will next hear evidence before deciding whether to impose the death penalty. If jurors determine he is not eligible, Bowers will receive a life sentence without parole.

Drone may have been flying near Pennsylvania jail before homicide suspect’s escape, police say

This booking photo provided by the Warren, Pa., City Police Department shows Michael Burham. Authorities searching for the inmate described by police as “very dangerous” who used bed sheets to escape from a northwestern Pennsylvania jail on Thursday, July 6, 2023, say they believe he is still in the area and have found stockpiles or campsites in the woods he may have been using. Burham was a suspect in a homicide investigation and was being held on $1 million bail on kidnapping, burglary and other charges, authorities said. (Warren City Police Department via AP)

WARREN, Pa. (AP) — Authorities are seeking information about a drone that may have been operating near a northwestern Pennsylvania jail before the escape of a homicide suspect last week, and they say they have increasing concerns that the escaped prisoner may be armed. Michael Burham fled the Warren County Prison late Thursday by climbing on exercise equipment, climbing through a window and then down a rope fashioned from jail bedding, authorities said. He remains on the loose. County commissioners are vowing security upgrades and a thorough review of procedures following the escape of a homicide suspect who used bedsheets to escape from a northwestern Pennsylvania jail last week.

Aliquippa Resident Sentenced to One Day of Imprisonment for Bank Fraud and Conspiracy

(Pittsburgh, PA) A resident of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to one (1) day of imprisonment and three (3) years of supervised release on her conviction of bank fraud and conspiracy, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. 

United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on Lee Ann Benninghoff,  age 45, Aliquippa.  

According to information presented to the court, Benninghoff owned and operated Complete  Escrow and Bella Casa Realty. From February 2014 through March 2017, Benninghoff used her  position and connections in real estate financing, and conspired with others in the industry, to submit  fraudulent gift letters in support of mortgage loan applications. The gift letters misrepresented the  source of the funds and their purported purpose. 

Assistant United States Attorney Robert S. Cessar prosecuted this case on behalf of the  government.  

United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of  Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector  General, and the U.S. Secret Service for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of  Benninghoff.

Beaver County Radio Presents 2023 Football Schedule

 (Photo/BCR Archives)

 

Beaver County Radio continues its longstanding tradition as Beaver County’s home for Friday Night Lights (and Saturdays too), as we present our schedule for the upcoming 2023 high school football and college football seasons. The Beaver County Radio sports crew will bring you all the action of the gridiron giants, unexpected underdogs, and hard-hitting headmasters of the grass and turf throughout the valley.

The first game of the season will be on August 25 when the Beaver Falls Tigers host the Blackhawk Cougars at Reeves Field on College Hill, with a 7:00 airtime and 7:30 kickoff.

Friday night games on Beaver County Radio will once again be livestreamed this season on our Facebook and YouTube pages, and this 76th year of high school football coverage will also mark the return of the “Coaches Corner” on Wednesday nights at 7:00 PM, and the “Wrap-Up Show” following the games on Friday night until 11:00 PM.


(photos by Sly Washington Jr.)

 

Beaver County Radio will also once again be the home of Geneva College football this season, as Bruce Frey, Joe Ursida, and John Perrotto have the call for Golden Tornado football under coach Geno DeMarco. Their first game will be on Saturday, September 2 against Carnegie Mellon at 7:30, and airtime will be at 7:00.

We also will be carrying select Pitt Panther Football games throughout the season, including the rematch of the Backyard Brawl at West Virginia on September 16.

 

2023 Football Broadcast Schedule

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Schedule subject to change.

Advertising opportunities are available by calling 724-846-4100.

 

Criminal complaint released for Aliquippa homicide suspect

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published July 13, 2023 7:49 A.M.

(Aliquippa, PA) Lamar Daveon James Seymour, whose address is listed as Hopewell Township 17 is not in custody as of 2 p.m. on Wednesday.  He is charged with 1 count of criminal homicide in the execution style shooting of Dahvea Sparrow and one count of  possession of a firearm by a minor.

An autopsy was performed on Sparrow and he died from a single gunshot wound of the head. from a distance of less than 5 feet. According to the criminal complaint,  multiple spent shell casings were recovered by police in the vicinity of Sparrow’s body. Videos were obtained from a residence that had multiple exterior cameras, videos were obtained by investigators and reviewed. The videos show a dark in color minivan with a light-colored bumper drive onto Knoll Street.  The driver remained in the van and 3 people exited the van, The front seat passenger when he exited the van walks toward the victim’s vehicle. The victim engages with the front passenger seat  person who exited it. They engaged in physical contact on the sidewalk of Knoll Street. 2 gunshots were heard on the video, and the victim falls to the ground on the Knoll Street sidewalk, the front seat passenger in the van was within 5 feet of the victim when he was shot, the front seat passenger who contacted the victim and the additional 2 passengers from the minivan ran from the scene on foot, the front seat passenger of the victim’s vehicle exits it, and runs from the scene.
On Tuesday, July 11, 2023 at 2 p.m. a witness reported the victim’s driver side door was open from the outside, and he observed Seymour pull Sparrow out. Witness 1  stated he heard gunshots and was aware Sparrow had been shot. He observed Seymour flee the scene down Knoll Street.
No picture of the suspect is able to be disseminated to the public because Seymour is a minor. He is five feet nine inches tall, and weighs 130 pounds.

Law enforcement officials give mixed answers on whether Ambridge and Aliquippa shootings were related

Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio News Director. Photo by Sandy Giordano. Published July 13, 2023 7:17 A.M.  

(Aliquippa, PA) The question of whether or not the Sunday shooting in Ambridge was in relation to the Saturday shooting in Aliquippa remains up in the air. When Beaver County Radio asked District Attorney David J. Lozier the question at a press conference Wednesday, Lozier stated “We have suspicions that the Ambridge and Aliquippa homicides are related”. At an Ambridge City Council Meeting Tuesday night, Ambridge Police Chief John DeLuca stated that the shootings were not related.

An arrest was made in the Ambridge case of 18 year old Nasean Malik Hunt, with one suspect still being sought. The shooter in the Aliquippa case has been identified as 17 year old Lamar Seymour, but he has not yet been located. Dahvea Sparrow, 15, was gunned down in Aliquippa Saturday and Asaun Moreland, 15, was shot and killed Sunday in Ambridge.

Shooter in Aliquippa homicide identified, GoFundMe page set up for victims family

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published July 12, 2023 1:19 P.M.

(Aliquippa, PA) A press conference was held outside Aliquippa Elementary School Wednesday morning and DA David J. Lozier commended those that came out in support Dahvea Sparrow’s family. Dahvea was gunned down execution style at Main and Knoll Streets Saturday night after he attended a graduation party in that area.

Aliquippa police, the Beaver County Detective Bureau, and PA State Police were in attendance when it was announced that the shooter shooter was Lamar Seymour, 17  can be found in both Ambridge and Aliquippa. Dahvea was shot with a 40 caliber handgun.
The DA said he is being charged as an adult for criminal homicide for committing the extremely violent crime. Anyone with information on Seymour’s is asked to call PA State Police at 724-773-7400, Aliquippa Police at 724-375-6682 or Crime Solvers at 724-774-2000. A $5,000,00 reward is being offered by Crime Solvers, and a $5,000.00 is being offered by the Aliquippa School Board.
Dahvea’s mom, nicole Sparrow said, “I’m happy they know who killed my son , I’m thankful for everyone for keeping me uplifted.”
The criminal complaint will be released sometime today, the DA said.
Dahvea’s aunt, Janetha Short, told those in attendance that his death “left a hole in her heart.”
It was announced at the press conference on Wednesday and a relative said “No one wants to bury a teenager”. “We have suspicions that the Ambridge and Aliquippa homicides are related”, the DA said, when asked.

Hopewell School Board hires special education teacher

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published July 12, 2023 10:34 A.M.

(Hopewell Township, PA) Danny Sonsini was hired Tuesday night to teach special education at the junior and senior high schools. Also hired were 1st assistant band director Kelsey Steele, 2nd assistant Carol Morse, 3rd assistant Carly Belich.

The board approved the resignation for retirement of Marisa Palmer, a paraprofessional at the junior high school.

PA Gaming Control Board Enhances Self-Exclusion Tools to Assist Individuals with a Gambling Disorder

HARRISBURG: The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (“Board”) today announced it has launched a more user-friendly online system that enables individuals with a gambling disorder to self-exclude from participating in any gambling activity regulated by the Board.

 

The Self-Exclusion Program began in 2006 to permit individuals to ban themselves from entering and gambling at Pennsylvania casinos.  The program was expanded after the passage in 2017 of the Gaming Expansion Act. Three additional self-exclusion programs are now available for iGaming (including online sports wagering), Video Gaming Terminals (VGTs) at truck stops, and online Fantasy Sports.

 

While a person is self-excluded, gaming facilities and operators in the Commonwealth must refuse wagers from and deny any gaming privileges to that person. If an individual on a list is found to be participating in gaming activities in Pennsylvania, they may be charged with criminal trespass and any gambling winnings are confiscated.

 

Individuals who wish to enroll online for a self-exclusion program can now simply complete the enrollment online by going to https://responsibleplay.pa.gov. At that site, individuals can:

 

  • enroll in one, several, or all self-exclusion programs;
  • request removal from the casino self-exclusion program;
  • extend the period of their self-exclusion ban period;
  • view their self-exclusion documents and status in real-time;
  • update their personal information (i.e. name change/address change); and,
  • access links to gambling disorder information and the helpline.

 

For identity verification purposes and to ensure confidentiality, individuals enrolling in a self-exclusion program must upload a “selfie” picture, a picture of their photo ID, and must receive Lexis Nexis verification during the enrollment process.

The Self-Exclusion programs are just one of the ways in which the Board’s Office of Compulsive and Problem Gambling (“OCPG”) is making sure that gaming is fair and safe. The Director of the OCPG also ensures that the casinos and the online gaming operators have an approved compulsive and problem gambling plan. Each plan details:

 

  • the training of casino and online operator employees on the signs and symptoms of gambling disorder and responsible gaming programs;
  • policies and procedures on identifying those with potential harmful behavior and the identification and removal of underage, self-excluded, and excluded individuals who have engaged in gaming activities;
  • responsible advertising policies;
  • the casino and online operator’s participation in outreach programs.

 

In addition, all online games (casino-type, sports wagering and fantasy) have options on their sites that would enable the player to place self-imposed limits on deposits, wagers, spend and play time.

 

The OCPG has also worked with the PGCB’s Office of Communications to develop the public health educational campaigns, “What’s Really at Stake” and “Don’t Gamble with Kids”.