Here, kitty: Bidens welcome cat named Willow to White House
By DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden have added a cat to their pet family. The cat’s name is Willow, and she’s a 2-year-old, green-eyed, gray and white tabby from a Pennsylvania farm. A spokesperson for the first lady says Willow is settling into the White House with her favorite treats, toys and plenty of room to sniff and explore. The first lady named Willow after her hometown of Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. Willow joins Commander, a German shepherd puppy the president introduced just before Christmas. The Bidens have a second German shepherd, Major, who no longer lives at the White House.

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PITTSBURGH (AP) — A two-lane bridge collapsed in Pittsburgh, prompting rescuers to rappel nearly 150 feet while others formed a human chain to help rescue multiple people from a dangling bus. The collapse early Friday came hours before President Joe Biden was to visit the city to press for his $1 trillion infrastructure bill, which includes bridge maintenance. Authorities say there were minor injuries from the collapse but no fatalities. Police reported the span, on Forbes Avenue over Fern Hollow Creek in Frick Park, came down just before 7 a.m. A photo from the scene showed a commuter bus upright on a section of the collapsed bridge.

A key inflation gauge rose 5.8% in 2021, most in 39 years
By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — A measure of prices that is closely tracked by the Federal Reserve rose 5.8% last year, the sharpest increase since 1982, as brisk consumer spending collided with snarled supply chains to raise the costs of food, furniture, appliances and other goods. The report Friday from the Commerce Department also said that consumer spending fell 0.6% in December. A wave of omicron cases discouraged many Americans from traveling, eating out or visiting theaters and other entertainment venues. At the same time, incomes rose 0.3% last month, providing fuel for future spending.

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By MARC LEVY Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A statewide court says Pennsylvania’s expansive two-year-old mail-in voting law is unconstitutional, agreeing with challenges by Republicans who soured on mail-in voting after then-President Donald Trump began baselessly attacking it as rife with fraud in 2020’s campaign. Friday’s decision by a five-judge Commonwealth Court panel could be put on hold immediately by an appeal from Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration to the state Supreme Court. The decision throws the state’s voting laws into doubt in a big election year. The three Republican judges agreed with Republican challengers. The two Democrats on the panel dissented. The state Supreme Court has a 5-2 Democratic majority.

Lawmakers look to head off all-electric building codes
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s Republican-controlled Legislature is signaling again that it wants to stop municipalities in the nation’s No. 2 natural gas state from adopting building codes that prohibit gas hookups. Legislation passed the GOP-controlled House Wednesday, 118-83, three months after the state Senate passed a similar bill. The bills prohibit municipalities from writing new building codes that restrict utility service based on the energy source. Neither bill has reached Gov. Tom Wolf’s desk. States, cities and counties elsewhere have begun looking at all-electric building codes as a way to fight climate change. In December, New York City barred most new buildings from using natural gas.

Judge begins review to pick new congressional district maps
By MARK SCOLFORO Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania judge is undertaking a review of competing proposals for the state’s redistricted congressional maps. The hearing that began Thursday in Harrisburg followed a veto Wednesday night by Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf of a plan that had been sent to him by legislative Republicans. Commonwealth Court Judge Patricia McCullough warned the parties the hearing could go into the weekend. The schedule reflects pressure to redraw lines for 17 congressional districts in time for the May primary election. The matter is highly likely to be ultimately decided by the state Supreme Court, which currently has a 5-2 Democratic majority.

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Story by Sandy Giordano, Beaver County Radio News Correspondent
Thursday, January 27, 2022 at 1:33 PM
(Aliquippa, Pa.) Aliquippa City Council approved it’s first resolution of 2022  at its  work session Wednesday night

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Story by Sandy Giordano, Beaver County Radio News Correspondent
Thursday, January 27, 2022 at 1:16 PM
(Hopewell Twp., Pa.) Dr. Robert  Kartychak  presented the board with feedback from the principals and a parent survey on the ESSER III plan and it was presented to the school board at Tuesday’s night’s meeting.  The superintendent reported that the district has  $1,682,601 remaining,  Deadline to use the funds 9/30/2022. The remaining amount is $1,682,601. The fund addresses students’ academic, social emotional, and mental health needs as well as opportunity gaps that existed before and were worsened by the pandemic..