(File Photo of a Gavel)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced that an Allegheny County jury has convicted a man for forging signatures on nomination petitions for a U.S. congressional candidate prior to the 2022 primary election.

Following a weeklong trial, Kirk Rice of Allegheny County was found guilty this morning of theft by deception, forgery, perjury and related charges. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 17.

According to testimony, Rice was paid $1,340 to collect 437 signatures for Democratic candidate Steve Irwin. Investigators determined the signatures — including one allegedly belonging to a federal judge — were falsified.

The Office of Attorney General said it interviewed dozens of people listed as signers, and none confirmed they had signed the petitions.

“This defendant deliberately undermined the integrity of Pennsylvania’s election process by falsifying signatures for financial gain,” Sunday said. “This type of conduct is taken very seriously as it threatens the foundation of our democracy. I applaud the agents and prosecutors whose work exposed the fraud and ultimately brought the offender to justice.”

According to testimony, Rice submitted 34 pages of signatures totaling 437 names, which were filed for Irwin’s nomination. He was paid per signature.

The campaign later discovered that Rice may have submitted fraudulent signatures, including the forged signature of U.S. District Court Judge Cathy Bissoon.

During the investigation, Rice admitted he did not go door-to-door, but instead collected signatures in Pittsburgh by entering businesses and gathering names without verifying whether signers were registered Democrats, a requirement of the petition process.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Alexander Cashman.

(Credit and Caption for Photo: Allegheny County Councilman Patrick Cetena will step down from his post as council president, his colleague announced. Council members had launched an effort to force him out of the position last week. (Giuseppe LoPiccolo/Post-Gazette)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Allegheny County, PA) Following calls for Pat Catena to step down as the president of Allegheny County Council — including statements from seven council members saying they would vote to remove him — Catena has announced he will resign from the position.

According to a social media post from Councilman Dan Grzybek, council members will hold an election Tuesday to choose Catena’s replacement.

Calls for Catena to resign intensified last week after campaign mailers tied to his bid for state representative criticized transgender athletes. In a joint news release, seven council members, including Grzybek, called on Catena to step down.

(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of Melissa Watkins)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(West Mifflin, PA) A crash temporarily shut down part of Kennywood Boulevard in West Mifflin yesterday.

Police in West Mifflin said both lanes of the boulevard were closed between Glenn Street in West Mifflin and Mifflin Street in Whitaker. The roadway has since reopened.

Video provided to WPXI shows a heavily damaged vehicle that appears to have struck a barrier.

It is unclear whether anyone was injured.

(File Photo of Water)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Butler County, PA) Pennsylvania American Water has begun monthly boat-based water quality sampling at Lake Oneida and Thorn Run reservoirs in Butler County.

The enhanced monitoring program is intended to help ensure safe, high-quality and reliable drinking water for more than 20,000 customer connections.

According to the company, the sampling program will help operators better understand changing reservoir conditions and make real-time adjustments to treatment processes to maintain water quality.

Pennsylvania American Water also uses solar-powered mixers in both reservoirs to improve water quality by creating continuous circulation that helps prevent algae growth.

Jake Gentile, senior director of operations for Pennsylvania American Water, said the work is important to maintaining reliable service.

“This work helps us deliver the high-quality water our customers depend on every day,” Gentile said. “By monitoring conditions across the reservoirs, we can make real-time adjustments to treatment and continue providing safe, reliable service.”

The Lake Oneida and Thorn Run reservoirs supply water to customers in the City of Butler; the boroughs of Connoquenessing, East Butler and Saxonburg; and the townships of Butler, Center, Clinton, Connoquenessing, Donegal, Forward, Franklin, Jackson, Jefferson, Lancaster, Oakland, Penn and Summit.

Recreational boating is prohibited on both reservoirs, though shore fishing is permitted.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – The Nittany Lion logo taken before an NCAA college football game between Penn State and Delaware, Sept. 9, 2023, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger, File)

(Reported by Danielle Smith, Keystone News Service)

(Harrisburg, PA) After six years of organizing, Penn State University faculty have formed a union to gain a stronger voice and greater influence in university decisions. The Penn State Faculty Alliance reports that about 75-percent of participating faculty voted to join the Service Employees International Union. More than 25-hundred supported the effort and roughly 850 stood opposed. Julio Palma Anda, an associate professor of chemistry, says the move follows years of frustration over limited faculty input on key decisions. He says that without a formal collective bargaining structure, faculty lacked a meaningful voice in decision-making, contributing to inequitable and challenging working conditions that hinder their ability to thrive as educators. The union will represent faculty of all ranks across University Park and Commonwealth campuses. He notes they’re awaiting certification from the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board, which they expect the administration to honor. He adds that the union is committed to working constructively with the administration toward a strong first contract.

(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of Commonwealth Media Services, Caption for Photo: Worcester, PA. Russell Redding, Secretary PA Dept. of Agriculture and Secretary Nancy A. Walker of Labor & Industry planting seeds using adaptive equipment during Thursday’s event. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture invited 2nd-12th-grade students to take part in Farm City Day at Variety. Students and educators from public and private schools, as well homeschool students spent the day exploring Variety’s sustainable organic and sensory gardens and greenhouses and participating in a variety of activities to demonstrate how agriculture touches their daily lives and brings their science and technology lessons to life in the world outside the classroom. May 21, 2026.)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Worcester, PA) The Shapiro Administration has invested $62,320 in Variety’s agricultural education programs aimed at expanding access to hands-on learning for students of all abilities. 

The funding will support the creation and expansion of school gardens featuring raised beds, horizontal trellises, wide pathways, lowered potting benches and sinks, and other accessibility-focused features designed to accommodate wheelchair and walker users. 

Pennsylvania has the highest percentage of farmers under the age of 35 in the nation, according to state officials. The administration also says it has expanded apprenticeship and training programs for young people interested in careers in agriculture.