Minneapolis cop who knelt on man’s neck charged with murder
By TIM SULLIVAN and AMY FORLITI Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minneapolis officer who was seen on video kneeling on the neck of George Floyd, a handcuffed black man who died in custody after pleading that he could not breathe, has been arrested and charged with murder. Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman says Derek Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter, after his office gathered enough evidence to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt. He did not have immediate details, but said a criminal complaint would be made available later. The charges come after three days of protests, which had been escalating in violence.

Matzie supports budget-related bills

HARRISBURG, May 29 – Pennsylvania nursing and personal care homes at the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic would receive more than $630 million in federal CARES Act funding under legislation the House passed unanimously yesterday, state Rep. Rob Matzie, D-Beaver/Allegheny, announced.

Matzie, who has led the charge to investigate and address the spiraling infection and death rates in nursing and long-term care facilities statewide, said he is relieved that a large chunk of $2.6 billion in federal CARES Act funding is going where it is needed most – to address the crisis facing seniors in care facilities.

“It is beyond frustrating to read the statistics on mounting deaths and see our seniors being held hostage by this virus without being able to go in and do something to address it,” said Matzie, whose legislation recently prompted the state to begin universal testing in facilities. “Now, thanks to this infusion of funding, we will have the test kits, personal protective equipment, additional staffing and other critical resources to start bringing the situation under control.”

Beyond the assistance to nursing homes, Matzie said the CARES Act funding will provide $50 million to volunteer fire and EMS companies, which lost key sources of revenue when the pandemic forced a halt to fundraising efforts.

“We ask our first responders to combat any form of disaster, and to do so with tight budgets and limited resources,” Matzie said. “Now, a new and unforeseeable danger has been demanding even more of these heroes, while at the same time cutting off a reliable form of revenue. This funding will ensure that they have the equipment and other resources they need to stay safe while protecting the rest of us.”

Matzie said he expects the governor to sign the legislation – which among other funding also allocates about $870 million for small business and local government relief, $347 million for education and early childhood resources, and $260 million to help people with intellectual disabilities – in the near future.

“For our seniors and most vulnerable to those who are committed to protecting them, the funding can’t come soon enough. It’s good to know we’re on the path to progress,” he said.

Matzie added that the bills passed would also restore a $300 million property tax shortfall created by the budget.

Gov. Wolf Signs Budget to Sustain Education, Support Communities Amid Pandemic

Harrisburg, PA – As Pennsylvania continues to address public health and safety amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Tom Wolf today signed a state budget that will provide 12 months of sustained public education funding at 2019-20 levels and makes important investments in communities and programs to help begin to restore the economy.

“Education must remain a priority even during a pandemic and this budget provides schools with the stability to continue building on the progress we have made to prepare our children for a successful future,” said Gov. Wolf. “Reaching an early budget agreement under these challenging circumstances is encouraging as we continue to fight the spread of COVID-19.

“While this is an encouraging step in the right direction, more needs to be done to ensure Pennsylvania has the resources it needs to protect key programs and investments.”

The $25.75 billion General Fund budget in HB 2387 includes an additional $2.6 billion in federal funding provided through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, known as the CARES Act. The budget sustains funding at current year levels for Pre-K Counts and Head Start, basic and special education in K-12 schools, and higher education. The budget also provides $300 million from the CARES Act to make up for a decline in gaming revenue that annually supports school property tax relief for homeowners.

To help communities to recover, the budget provides $420 million to assist nursing homes with COVID-19-related costs, $50 million to help Pennsylvanians with food insecurity and $225 million for grants to small businesses through the Department of Community and Economic Development.

The budget also provides $625 million to counties through block grants to help address the disruption to their budgets from the pandemic. The funding will assist counties with the cost of purchasing personal protective equipment, help local governments, and provide grants to small businesses, among other options.

“As the state’s economy begins to reopen from the public health emergency, there are still unanswered questions about the state’s finances, but this agreement is an important step to stabilize our schools and put Pennsylvania on a path to recovery,” said Gov. Wolf.

The governor also signed HB 1083, HB 2441, HB 2442, HB 2443, HB 2444, HB 2445, HB 2467, HB 2468, HB 2469, HB 2470, HB 2471, HB 2472, HB 2473, HB 2474, HB 2475, HB 2510, SB 166, SB 1108 and SB 1122. The governor vetoed SB 1027 and HCRRR#1.

Route 18 7^th Avenue Improvements Continue Next Week in New Brighton and Beaver Falls

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing roadway improvement work on Route 18 (7^th Avenue, 7^th Street) in the City of Beaver Falls and New Brighton Borough, Beaver County, will continue Monday through Friday, June 1-5 weather permitting.

Beginning Monday, single-lane restrictions will occur on Route 18 in both directions between 5^th Street (Route 65) in New Brighton and 20^th Street in Beaver Falls from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays through Friday, June 5. Crews will conduct punch list asphalt paving activities.

6. Liberoni, Inc. is the prime contractor on the $6.05 million project. The overall project is anticipated to conclude in July of 2020 which also included milling and resurfacing, guide rail improvements, and signal updates. Additional traffic safety improvements include a “road diet” (from the existing four lanes down to three lanes), curb extensions, bicycle lanes, and revised street parking between 3rd Street and 20th Street in the City of Beaver Falls.

Please use caution if traveling in this area.

Work on this project will be in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and state Department of Health guidance as well as a project-specific COVID-19 safety plan, which will include protocols for social distancing, use of face coverings, personal and job-site cleaning protocols, management of entries to the jobsite, and relevant training.

Motorists can check conditions on major roadways 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 950 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitte

Southbound Route 18 Ramp to Pleasant Street Long-term Closure Begins Monday in Beaver County

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing the closure of the southbound Route 18 ramp to Pleasant Street in Rochester Borough, Beaver County will begin Monday, June 1 weather permitting.

Beginning at 7 a.m. Monday, the ramp that carries traffic from southbound Route 18 to Pleasant Street will close to traffic around-the-clock through Tuesday, June 12 as crews conduct dam replacement. Traffic will be detoured.

Posted Detour

Southbound Route 18 Ramp to Pleasant Street

• Continue on southbound Route 18/65 past the closed ramp
• Take the left-hand ramp to southbound Route 51
• Turn right and cross the Monaca-East Rochester Bridge
• Turn right onto Pennsylvania Avenue (Route 4044)
• Turn right onto Route 18 (9^thStreet) and cross the Rochester-Monaca Bridge
• Follow to Pleasant Street
• End detour

Gulisek Construction, LLC is the prime contractor on this $10.07 million improvement project.

(Beaver, pa.) Beaver County Commissioner Jack Manning used the open comments period of the commissioners bye weekly regular meeting to make a statement  on his thoughts of the killing of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis, MN.

A copy of Manning’s statement is below:

When I took my oath of office a little over 150 days ago, I vowed that I would always try to make the best decisions I could with those things I can control and try to influence to the best of my ability those things I can’t. I also promised myself to continue speaking truth to power, and as someone now in power, however limited, to speak the truth from the platform I have been given. If you know the story of my parents and my two sisters and me, you’d know that we come from working class, devout and humble roots. We never thought we were privileged. But through the fate of having white parents, I was given privileges not born to my friends of color. I am white, they are not, and I will never know the true depths of their pain in a society where we continue demonstrate institutional and social racism.  There is zero chance that I, or either of my two sons, would ever be pinned to the pavement with a knee to my neck until I died, in front of white citizens compelling an officer to stop.

My late sister Susan, and my brother-in-law Reverend Rollin Kirk, lived the last 20 years or so of their lives in the Minneapolis / St. Paul area. They preached, served and fought for social justice their entire lives. Sue will be gone 15 year on June 14. She, as I am,  would be horrified and numbed by the continuing pain and suffering being inflicted discriminately on members of our society, especially our black community.  We started this meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance. Unfortunately, as we strive to form a more perfect democratic republic, we have failed to live up to the last six words of that pledge, “with liberty, and justice, for all”. I am hoping that in this latest case, that the family and friends of George Floyd, get the justice they deserve under the constitution.

I’ll close with my belief in free will and moral responsibility. For whatever reason that officer and those in uniform watching him, chose to ignore their moral responsibility and let a man be executed on the street. I also know that their actions do not represent character, and duty to protect and serve, of the 99.9% of law enforcement officers and people that I know, and who I appreciate every day for their service.

I ask everyone to please open your minds, your hearts, and set aside your prejudges to figure out how we can collectively stop this divisive insanity that plagues our great nation. I am willing to talk to anyone on this subject at any time. We must find “justice for all” and bring healing to so many who have suffered. I have seen way too much senseless death in my lifetime and it needs to stop.

Flood of mail-in ballots spurs fight to change deadlines
By MARC LEVY Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Some county and state officials are warning that a flood of mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania will create problems in Tuesday’s primary election that must be fixed before November’s presidential election. For one, they are warning that there will be no way to produce timely election results in November unless the law changes. Even in Tuesday’s relatively low turnout primary election, election-night results might be unlikely in closely contested races. Of more immediate concern is the question of whether voters can mail their ballots back to county election offices in time to be counted in Tuesday’s primary election.