(Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Curtis Walsh)

(New Brighton, PA) – The New Brighton Area school board met tonight for a special voting session as well as their committee meeting.  Superintendent Dr. Joseph Guarino started off by stating that the district will start the year with masking being a choice, although they are strongly recommending it.  Students will however, be required to wear face coverings while on buses and transportation due to TSA mandates.   The district intends to work in and out of distancing scenarios, meaning that they will engage students in group activities and projects with their desks in groups when appropriate and at other times their desks will be 3 feet apart.  Gym classes and recess will also resume as well as extracurricular activities such as band and sports being allowed indoors and outdoors.  The school will continue to participate in contact tracing efforts as well as encouraging families to monitor their child’s health.  Dr. Guarino noted that the school nurses keep exceptional data to aid in decision making for things such as potential mask requirements.  Furthermore, he stated that data from last year showed that masks caused a decrease in common infections such as strep throat, particularly within the elementary school.  Students will also be given guidance on proper mask care.  The board went on to answer questions from the public. When asked about the risk of school closures, Dr. Guarino stated that the Dept. of Health will make any decisions regarding the need to close the school.  Another question asked was if Critical Race Theory was being taught, and the superintendent relayed that it is not part of curriculum or integrated in the district in any way.  The board also approved the hiring of a librarian and four instructional assistants.

Man convicted of 3rd-degree murder in wife’s 2015 death
ALTOONA, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania man accused of having killed his wife and abandoning her body in a garage where it was found six months later has been convicted of third-degree murder. The (Altoona) Mirror reports that 33-year-old Michael Copley was also convicted Friday in Blair County of aggravated assault and related charges but acquitted of first-degree murder in the death of 29-year-old Catherine Copley. Prosecutors say Copley killed his wife at their Altoona home in December 2015, then used a friend’s vehicle to take her body to a garage behind a vacant house. Defense attorney Richard Corcoran said he’ll be speaking with his client about appealing the convictions.

DA: 1 dead, 1 wounded in shopping center parking lot gunfire
EASTON, Pa. (AP) — Authorities say one person was killed and another wounded by gunfire in the parking lot of a department store in eastern Pennsylvania. Northampton County District Attorney Terence Houck told LehighValleyLive.com that the two were injured in a shootout between occupants of two vehicles outside the Target store in Lower Nazareth Township on Sunday afternoon. Houck said one vehicle was parked in the Lower Nazareth Commons lot when a second vehicle arrived at about 2:15 p.m. Sunday. He said a verbal altercation ensued, followed by an exchange of gunfire. One person was killed and another person was taken to a hospital in stable condition.

Southbound Route 65 Lane Restriction Begins Monday in Allegheny County

(Midland, PA) Even during a pandemic, the Midland Women’s Civic Club managed to successfully find a way to host its Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day commemoration, the event that fuels the club’s Greater Midland Scholarship Foundation; a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization and the mechanism that annually provides thousands of dollars to the community’s high school graduates.  MLK Day Chair Stephanie Pennington told members of the Class of 2021 and their families that even with its unique challenges, this year’s event, held “virtually” due to COVID-19, was well-attended and reached its financial goals.

Mrs. Pennington spoke at a ceremony hosted by the Midland Borough School District and presided over by Superintendent Sean Tanner, Principal Brenda Militello, and members of the MBSD board.  As she saluted this year’s graduates, Mrs. Pennington also paid homage to the tireless efforts of the Midland Women’s Civic Club in raising funds to defray the cost of college.  She said when the Club was organized over 70 years ago, it was delighted when it could offer a student a $50 to $100 award.  Now, thanks to the MLK Day event and the generosity of its sponsors, every student who applied this year received between $1,000 and $3,000.

As Mrs. Pennington announced the recipients, her 94 year old mother and namesake of one of the scholarship funds, Mrs. Ruby T. Golding, watched with pride from the audience.  Mrs. Golding, a civil rights champion and community leader, has been the MWCC’s President and driving force for the last 50 years.  Mr. Tanner spoke of his life-long admiration for her and called Mrs. Golding a superhero.  Other MWCC scholarships are named for the late James Morrison, the first African-American member of the Midland school board and Dr. Nick Trombetta, the former MBSD superintendent who help elevate the club’s efforts.  This year’s recipients and the schools they have chosen to attend are:

Kamden Miller – (Penn State University – Fayette) – James Morrison Scholarship:  $1,000

Mina Barac – (Harvard University) – James Morrison Scholarship:  $2,500

Bianca Jijon – (University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg) – James Morrison Scholarship:  $2,500

Mackenzie Milkovich – (CCBC) – Dr. Nick Trombetta Scholarship: $3,000

Jaden Emerick – (University of Pittsburgh) – Dr. Nick Trombetta Scholarship:  $3,000

Ethan Gengarella – (Hood College) – Ruby T. Golding Scholarship:  $3,000

Monique Sawyer – (CCBC / University of Pittsburgh) – Ruby T. Golding Scholarship:  $3,000

Madison Dawson – (CCBC) – Ruby T. Golding Scholarship:  $3,000

Midland children have several options with regard to which high school they attend including Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School, Beaver Area High School, and the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School.

(File Photo)

(North Beaver Twp., Pa.) Pennsylvania State Police in New Castle are reporting that they were dispatched to scene of a one vehicle accident along Moravia Road around 7 PM on Saturday Night, August 7, 2021, in North Beaver Twp. Troopers say via release upon arriving on the scene, they found that 25-year-old John Ashby of Enon Valley lost control of the 2004 GMC Pick-up Truck that he was driving while doing a burnout. Ahsby’s truck hit an embankment and rolled over onto its roof. .
Ashby was trapped in the vehicle and was freed by a North Beaver Twp. Fire Department crew. According to Troopers Ashby is suspected of having serious injuries and three to four other people who were also in the truck were taken to the hospital
DUI charges against Ashby are pending blood results.

(Pittsburgh, Pa.) PennDOT District 11 is announcing lane restrictions Brodhead Road starting today.

Utility designation and survey work will occur between Community College Drive in Center Township and Diamond Street in Hopewell Township. Lane restrictions will occur in various locations from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays through late August.