HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s state Senate is approving veto-destined legislation to help gun owners and gun-rights organizations collect damages in court from cities that passed firearms restrictions that were found to violate state law. Despite the veto threat by Gov. Tom Wolf, the bill passed the Republican-controlled chamber Tuesday, 32-17, with three Democrats joining every Republican in support of it. The bill goes to Wolf’s desk, the latest in a long-running disagreement with the Democrat over how to deal with gun violence. Pennsylvania has long prohibited its municipalities from enforcing firearms ordinances that regulate guns and ammunition. That law is being challenged in court by Philadelphia and other municipalities.

By MARC LEVY Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Former President Donald Trump is holding off on making a new endorsement in Pennsylvania’s closely watched Republican primary for U.S. Senate. That’s leading former hedge fund CEO David McCormick to turn to other influencers in the party in hopes of generating conservative enthusiasm. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas headlined a rally for McCormick on Tuesday at a skeet shooting facility near Allentown. It was a preview of what McCormick’s campaign strategy of enlisting an all-star roster of party insiders and other officials who played a prominent role in the Trump White House. The race will help determine control of the Senate

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A man has been charged with aggravated assault and other crimes in a shooting in a Pittsburgh mall parking lot last month. Twenty-one-year-old John Hayden is also charged with child endangerment, reckless endangerment and weapons offenses in the Dec. 14 gunfire at The Waterworks mall near the borough of Aspinwall. Authorities allege that an argument inside the Walmart store was followed by gunfire in the parking lot. No one was injured. A vehicle was damaged and the store was evacuated. Court documents don’t list a defense attorney and a listed number for Hayden couldn’t be found Wednesday.

(File Photo)
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A statewide court has at least a dozen different proposed maps of Pennsylvania’s congressional district boundaries to consider, now that Gov. Tom Wolf and lawmakers appear hopelessly deadlocked. The state court system put the documents online on Wednesday. The deadline to submit plans was Monday. Pennsylvania, like most other states, must redraw its congressional district boundaries to account for a decade of demographic shifts. Complicating the process is Pennsylvania’s loss of a seat, from 18 to 17. Plans were submitted to the Commonwealth Court by Wolf’s office, Democratic lawmakers, Republican lawmakers, partisan groups of voters and good-government groups. Hearings are scheduled for Thursday and Friday.

(File Photo)

(Plum Borough, Pa) Pa State Police in Gibsonia are reporting that they filed DUI charges against 20-year-old Joshaway Odom of Ferndale, Pa..
Troopers said via release that they pulled over a silver 2014 Silver Ford Fusion being driven by Odom going in excess of 100 mph on the Pa Turnpike traveling east in Monroeville Borough.
During the traffic stop Odom and the unnamed occupants of the vehicle admitted to smoking Marijuana and also turned over a small amount of marijuana to state police.
After further investigation it was determined that Odom was driving under the influence

Charges are pending at district court pending toxicology results

(North Sewickley Twp., Pa.) Pa State Police in Gibsonia are reporting that they were dispatched to the scene of a one vehicle accident on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in North Sewickley Twp. at mile marker 14.7 on Sunday afternoon at 3:15 PM.
Upon arriving on the scene and investigating it was learned that 19-year-old ABigail Kaikkonen of Midlothian Virginia lost control of her 2013 Mercedes -Benz vehicle on the slick roads and hit the center concrete barrier causing disabling damage to her vehicle.
She was not injured in the accident but was cited by Troopers with not Driving a Vehicle at a safe speed.

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

Despite the recent funding that Beaver County has received from ARPA, along with maintaining a budget with little fuss, the Commissioners learned Wednesday that they could be saving money in places where they may be spending too much.

Controller Maria Longo spoke to the Commissioners on Wednesday about the recent numbers revealed in regards to the stop loss insurance policy that the county has been using for several years. “If you look at the numbers from 2021, we’ve paid $845,000 in stop loss insurance,” she stated. “The amount of people that went over the threshold would’ve amounted to $216,000 that we would have paid out of our pocket if we didn’t have stop loss. So in essence, if we would’ve just self-funded, we would’ve saved the county $629,000 last year.”

Longo also applied that to the entire term of the stop loss policy: “If we add up everything over the last eight years, we could have saved the county two million dollars if we just self-funded.”

The new information was handed to the Commissioners by Longo, who insisted that the board review the numbers with financial advisor Corey Troutman. A resolution for the January 27 public meeting in regards to the stop loss insurance policy was tossed out in order that the Commissioners could consult further with Troutman on the numbers presented by Longo.

“I think it’s low-risk,” Longo said, “because year after year we keep showing that we would pay out less than we do in stop loss. And for next year, if we stay with the same threshold, our stop loss insurance will go up 15% again.”

The Commissioners will hold a public meeting at 10:00 AM at the Courthouse on January 27. Their next scheduled work session is set for 10:00 AM on Wednesday, February 2.

(Photo Courtesy of Commonwealth Media Services)
(Harrisburg, PA) With the tax filing season opening today, the Department of Revenue is encouraging taxpayers to use a free online option to file their Pennsylvania personal income tax returns. Taxpayers can visit mypath.pa.gov to file their PA tax returns through the department’s state-only filing system.
In addition to being free, myPATH is user friendly and provides an option for the majority of taxpayers to seamlessly file the Pennsylvania Personal Income Tax Return (PA-40), make income tax payments, and access other services. The deadline to submit 2021 personal income tax returns is Monday April 18, 2022.
“We are encouraging people to file their returns online and as soon as possible. That will help us process returns quickly and deliver refunds to the taxpayers who are expecting one,” Revenue Secretary Dan Hassell said. “myPATH is a great option for filing your state return, especially if you’re looking to save some money this tax season and avoid paying someone else a fee to file your return for you.”
myPATH Offers Many Benefits.

Using the electronic filing option available through mypath.pa.gov offers many benefits,
including:
• Fast and free return/refund processing
• The “Where’s My Income Tax Refund?” system to track the status of a refund
• Instant confirmation of a successful filing
• The benefit of error-reducing automatic calculators
• User-friendly options that are not available to taxpayers filing by paper
• The ability to view a detailed Statement of Account for personal income tax
Other Important Features in myPATH
Taxpayers do not need to create a username or password to perform many functions in myPATH. That includes filing a PA-40 or making a payment, responding to department requests for information, and checking the status of a refund.

In order to file the PA-40, taxpayers will need to provide their Social Security number and either:
(1) the tax liability for a previous tax year; or (2) their birth date, Pennsylvania driver’s
license/photo ID number and the expiration date for the license/photo ID.
If you choose to create a username and password in myPATH, you’ll have the ability to update/view detailed account information and notices. You can also manage third-party access to your account, meaning you can give a tax professional or another person access to file your return and make payments on your behalf. A detailed list of instructions is available in the myPATH
User Guide.
New Spanish Feature in 2022
This tax season, myPATH has a new option for Spanish-speaking Pennsylvania taxpayers to file the PA Personal Income Tax Return (PA-40). To access the Spanish language version of the PA-40, visit mypath.pa.gov and select the “Presentar una declaracion deimpuestos sobre la renta personal de PA para 2021” option under the “Individuals” section.
Electronic Filing for Free
Other free electronic filing options are available to file state and federal returns using software from vendors. More vendor information is available on the Department of Revenue’s website.
Electronic Filing for a Fee
Paid tax preparers and commercial tax preparation software providers offer electronic filing, or e-filing, for a fee. Check a list of vendors on the department’s website for further information.
April 18 Deadline
All taxpayers who received more than $33 in total gross taxable income in calendar year 2021 must file a Pennsylvania personal income tax return by midnight, Monday, April 18, 2022. The deadline is extended this year due to Emancipation Day, a holiday in Washington, D.C., observed on Friday, April 15, which pushes the federal and state filing deadlines to April 18.
PA Personal Income Tax Guide
Pennsylvania taxpayers who have personal income tax questions are encouraged to review the PA Personal Income Tax Guide, an online publication prepared by the Department of Revenue that includes detailed information on a number of PIT-related topics.
Taxpayer Service and Assistance
Personal income tax assistance is also available through the department’s Online Customer Service Center and by calling 717-787-8201 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Online Customer Service Center contains answers to hundreds of common income tax questions and allows taxpayers to securely submit a question to the department through a process that is similar to sending an email.
Taxpayers may also visit a Department of Revenue district office for state personal income tax filing assistance. Assistance at district offices is available from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and taxpayers are encouraged to bring their Social Security cards and photo identification with them to facilitate tax filing.
Taxpayers can check the status of their refunds online by selecting the Where’s My Income Tax Refund? link on the department’s homepage; or by calling 1-888-PATAXES. Taxpayers will be prompted to provide their Social Security number and requested refund amount to obtain the current status.
Free tax forms and instructions are available at www.revenue.pa.gov.

(Pittsburgh , Pa.) An Allegheny County Judge upheld the charges against William Gorring the man accused of grabbing a 9-year-old girl as she waited at her school bus stop in Coraopolis earlier this month during his preliminary hearing yesterday.
The judge’s decision came after the nine-year-old victim testified that “ Gorring put his hand over my mouth and the back of my head.” as she waited at her bus stop by herself at the intersection of McCabe Avenue and School Street in Coraopolis.
The victim was able to drop to the ground to get away from Gorring
The Criminal complaint states that once she got away and Gorring fled she boarded the bus to school and then provided police with a description of Gorring. He was taken into custody shortly after that.
Gorring is being represented by a public defender and has plead not guilty.