Keystone State News Connection

Emily Scott

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Many Pennsylvania county jails don’t have clear policies to support voting access for people in jails, according to a new report that says this inconsistency leaves some eligible voters in the dark.

The groups All Voting Is Local, Common Cause Pennsylvania and Committee of Seventy filed right-to-know requests with 61 county jails, asking for their voting procedures for people incarcerated. They learned there’s no universal plan for providing information on voter registration or getting ballots to the 25,000 people in county jails.

Aerion Abney, special-projects director for All Voting is Local, said that without any processes in place, it leaves those prospective voters disenfranchised.

“You’re basically telling the person in jail, ‘It’s your own responsibility, it’s up to you to know who to call to even ask for a voter-registration form.’ When you don’t do that,” he said, “you have a whole segment of the voting bloc that may not even know that they have the right to cast a ballot.”

Of the 46 county jails that responded, 57% had no written policy on jail voting. The report also found in the entire state jail population, only 52 people requested mail-in ballots in the 2020 general election at 18 of the county jails.

The report suggested maintaining relationships with county election officials and providing voter-registration opportunities are pathways forward for county jails. Abney said helping people in jail determine their voting eligibility can have a major impact, even after they’re released.

“We really see this as an opportunity to create positive voting experiences for people who are in jail, and there are longterm benefits to that happening,” he said. “When they have positive experiences with voting, they tend to vote again in the future.”

(Beaver Falls, Pa.) City of Beaver Falls Police Chief David Johnson issued a press release involving the shooting that occurred in the city on Friday night , September 10, 2021.

The release stated that at approximately 8:11 PM on Friday City of Beaver Falls Police were dispatched to a shooting incident in the 300 block of 12th Street in the city.

Upon arrival, it was discovered that two victims were shot. Both were treated on the scene with one being flown to a Pittsburgh Area Hospital and the second victim was transported to a local hospital by ambulance for treatment of injuries.

Chief Johnson said in the release that it is an active investigation and no further information is available for release.

(Beaver Falls, Pa.) The City of Beaver Falls Police Department is reporting via press release that on Monday, September 13, 2021 at approximately 1:55 PM City Officers were notified of an incident involving an attempted child luring in the city involving a firearm.

Upon further investigation officers identified the suspect vehicle to be a rental out of Michigan. Two suspects, identified as Marvin Marquis Hollis of Detroit, Michigan and Devin Deandre Wesley of Westland, Michigan, were later apprehended by police.

Both Hollis and Wesley were found to be in possession of crack cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin.

Both were incarcerated in the Beaver County Jail. Hollis is charged with luring a child into a motor vehicle, possession with intent to deliver, aggravated assault, and possession of a controlled substance, Wesley is charged with luring a child into a motor vehicle, possession with intent to deliver, and possession of a controlled substance.

No further information is available for release currently according to Police Chief David Johnson.

(Photo taken by John Dean of New Brighton. Used with permission)

Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano

(New Brighton, Pa.) New Brighton Area Police reported that  there was a rear end accident involving a 1940 Studebaker and a 1950 Nash at Third Avenue and Tenth Street Saturday, September 11, 2021  at 7:52 p.m. in the borough.  Police Chief Ron Walton reported that one of the vehicles, the wagon pictures above,  was towed from the scene. No injuries were reported..

Free rides take $104M toll on Pennsylvania Turnpike finances
By MARK SCOLFORO Associated Press
CARLISLE, Pa. (AP) — More than $104 million in Pennsylvania Turnpike tolls went uncollected last year as the agency fully converted to all-electronic tolling. Turnpike records show the millions of motorists who don’t use E-ZPass have a nearly 1 in 2 chance of riding without paying under the “toll-by-plate” license plate camera system. The turnpike says nearly 11 million out of the total of about 170 million turnpike rides generated no revenue for the agency last year and its bad debt expense has more than quadrupled in the past seven years. About 10,000 Pennsylvania vehicle registrations are currently suspended for overdue toll bills, but that doesn’t apply to out-of-state drivers.

(Bridgewater, Pa.) Pa State Police in Beaver are reporting that they initiated a traffic stop at the intersection of Riverside Drive and the Veterans Memorial Bridge in Bridgewater on a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu that was being driven by 53-year-old Robert Irons of Beaver for a traffic violation on September 4, 2021 at 1:50 AM
State Police via release said that during the encounter with Irons he showed signs of impairment and SFST’s were administered. Irons was subsequently placed under arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol. Troopers reported that charges were filed accordingly with the local Magistrates Office.