It was a celebration to remember for Aliquippa’s Serbian immigrants over the weekend. Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano was there…

CHANGES IN PSSA TESTING ARE GENERATING SOME POSITIVE FEEDBACK IN THE HOPWELL AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT. BEAVER COUNTY RADIO NEWS CORRESPONDENT SANDY GIORDANO REPORTS. Click on ‘play’ to hear Sandy’s report…

In Pennsylvania, the number of drugged driving vehicle crashes has jumped from 3,019 in 2011 to 4,078 last year. The same trend is seen nationwide as Heroin & other drug users who typically used to buy it and go home to get high or go to a party now seem to be so anxious to get high or sick from withdrawal that they’ll shoot up as soon as they get in the car before the overdose takes effect causing them to lose consciousness.

A fire in a vacant house in Mercer County jumped to a neighboring house overnight.

Those homeowners were across the street at the time so no one was hurt. The fire on Walnut Street in Sharon is the latest in a series of blazes that have vexed firefighters.

“This year alone, we’ve had, I think, 19 fires (and) 16 were suspicious in nature,”said Sharon police Chief Gerald Smith
On July 31, a juvenile was arrested for starting fires in five vacant homes in one day, according to the Sharon Herald.

Two weeks earlier, they arrested John Andrew Burns; he is suspected in at least a dozen suspicious fires, the Herald reported.

Thursday night’s fire is under investigation.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro signed a letter along with 49 other Attorney Generals asking Congress to amend a law so that state and local authorities can prosecute online sex traffickers.

A statement from Shapiro’s office said it “actively pursues” predators who seek victims via online apps and the change in the CDA (Communications Decency Act) would “assist these law enforcement efforts” being undertaken.

Shapiro said. “Federal enforcement alone is not enough to stop the growth in online child sex trafficking. We need clear authority to investigate and prosecute anyone and any company that promotes these horrible crimes.”

The AGs said “it is both ironic and tragic that the CDA, which was intended to protect children from indecent material on the internet, is now used as a shield by those who profit from prostitution and crimes against children.”

Several reports of a black bear raiding bird feeders in Chippewa have been made. Photos were seen of the bear on Oakville, Pleasantville and Sunview Drives. Yogi was even seen crossing roads in the middle of the day. It is suggested that you never go near or feed any wild animals.

Photo courtesy of Diane Brosius

Fireworks 2 nights in a row? That’s the plan for this Saturday and Sunday at the Beaver County River Regatta in Bridgewater. There will be something for everyone as the event kicks off Friday night. Speed boats, bands, a fishing derby, anything that floats and old motorcycles. Admission is free and plenty of food and merchandise vendors will be set up on Riverside Drive.