On Thursday’s Teleforum program will be Eddy’s guest to talk about the 198,000$ grant he was able to help secure for Beaver Falls. The questions is : How should Beaver Falls best allocate the funds to maximize improvements in the city? Teleforum begins right after the 9 o’clock news on AM1230, AM1460, and 99.3 FM presented by St. Barnabas. Teleforum with Eddy Crow happens Monday thru Friday, 9a til noon on Beavercountyradio. 
Governor seeks big increase in school funding, tax increase
By MARC LEVY Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Administration officials say Gov. Tom Wolf will propose a sweeping new plan to dramatically boost funding for public schools to be supported by an increase in the state’s personal income tax rate. The Democratic governor will ask the Republican-controlled Legislature for what could approach $2 billion for public schools. The personal income tax increase would take the rate to 4.49% from 3.07%, but increase the exemption for the lowest earners. Lawmakers last approved an increase in the tax in 2004. Wolf’s administration began releasing details of the plan ahead of Wednesday’s planned budget address.
The United Way of Beaver County is holding a golf ball drop as a fundraiser If you click on the photo above you will be directed to the registration form. For a $25.00 donation you could win one of 20 prizes. There are only 144 balls for the drop available so you have a 1-7 chance of winning a prize.
HARRISBURG – Rep. Aaron Bernstine (R-Beaver/Butler/Lawrence) today announced that a $198,000 Strategic Management Planning (STMP) grant has been awarded for the City of Beaver Falls.
“This is great news for our area,” said Bernstine. Beaver Falls’ renaissance will be driven by the need to increase community revitalization efforts. This grant is an investment in our community in many areas. It provides assistance and supports jobs that pay for our workers to remain a vital part of our community.”
STMP provides financial assistance to local governments to develop and implement multi-year financial management, administrative, service delivery, and economic development programs and strategies. In addition, the program requires that local governments prioritize their most critical needs and establish a process that ensures that resources are focused on areas of highest priority, thus creating a “triage” approach to fiscal distress intervention.
(Punxsutawney, Pa.) Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his borrow for the 135th time today to make his annual prediction. If Phil sees his shadow it’s six more weeks of winter and if he doesn’t it means an early spring. At 7:27 a.m. Tuesday morning Phil emerged and and for the 106th time did indeed see his shadow meaning six more weeks of winter.
(Pittsburgh, Pa.) A man was arrested for allegedly threatening to blow up the William S. Moorhead Federal Building in downtown Pittsburgh and the Hoover Building in Washington D.C. on Monday.
Allegheny County 911 received a call for a bomb threat around 5pm Police evacuated the Federal Building on Liberty Avenue and blocked off several streets in the area as they investigated..
After searching the building and bringing in bomb sniffing dogs to assure the building was clear Police investigated and traced the 911 calls to Albert Morris, of Pittsburgh.
Morris was arrested at his home. He admitted to making calls. His home was searched and no explosive devices were found.
Morris will be charged locally, but not federally, with terroristic threats and threat to use weapons of mass destruction.
Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano
(Ambridge, Pa.) Ambridge Area School District is seeking a referendum from the PA Department of Education to increase taxes above the 4% limit because it may be required to balance the 2021-2022 budget. The approval is required under an Act 1 referendum. Currently, the district’s school tax millage is the highest in the county at 83.4709 mills.
Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano
(Pittsburgh,Pa.) Friday night PA Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced the arrest of a Pittsburgh man who acted as a ringleader of a gun and drug trafficking organization. Dennis Alexander, 28 was arrested as a result of a 10-month investigation by OAG agents in partnership with the New Brighton Police Department and the City of Pittsburgh Police Department .
Cutler, Benninghoff Comment on Boockvar Resignation
HARRISBURG – Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Bryan Cutler (R-Lancaster) and Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin) made the following on the resignation of Secretary of the Commonwealth Kathy Boockvar:
“Today is a sad day for victims. For the last 12 months, our caucus has raised serious concerns about this administration’s ability to competently manage the basic functions of state government. Today, our worst fears were realized by the revelation that incompetency in the Department of State may stand in the way of victims being able to seek justice.
“Also troubling is the unconstitutional interference of Pennsylvanians being able to determine their own form of government by amending their Constitution. The executive branch’s role is ministerial – and their failure to carry out these simple functions directly threatens the provisions of Article XI of our Constitution.
“We are also mindful that just a few weeks ago, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court struck down a constitutional amendment to strengthen victims’ rights due to a technicality.
“That amendment was overwhelmingly supported in favor of victims by the voters who actually adopted it at the ballot box. That majority popular vote was set aside by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and now years of additional delay will result for victims in our state.
“While we appreciate the governor’s swift action in seeking Secretary Boockvar’s resignation, it will not undo further delay of justice for victims of child sexual abuse and the harm the administration has caused to people’s faith in their ability to carry out the basic processes of our government.
“Pennsylvanians deserve better. Much better.”
Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf is announcing changes at the Department of State after it failed to advertise a proposed constitutional amendment that would extend retroactively the timeline for victims to file civil actions against their abusers. Because of the error, the process to amend the constitution must now start from the beginning, unless the General Assembly pursues this initiative through the bill process.
Effective Feb. 5, Kathy Boockvar is leaving the administration following three years with the department, including two years as secretary of the commonwealth. The department is also immediately instituting new controls, including additional tracking and notifications of constitutional amendments, to ensure similar failings do not occur in the future. The governor has asked the Pennsylvania Office of State Inspector General to review the situation and make additional recommendations to improve the department’s process for handling constitutional amendments.
“This change at the Department of State has nothing to do with the administration of the 2020 election, which was fair and accurate,” said Gov. Wolf. “The delay caused by this human error will be heartbreaking for thousands of survivors of childhood sexual assault, advocates and legislators, and I join the Department of State in apologizing to you. I share your anger and frustration that this happened, and I stand with you in your fight for justice.
“The progress that you have made through your bravery and activism is remarkable, and I urge all of the advocates, including Sen. Lisa Baker, Rep. Jim Gregory, Rep. Mark Rozzi, Attorney General Josh Shapiro and all others, to keep up this fight. Your voices still must be heard.”
The proposed amendment, which is in response to the child sexual abuse by Catholic clergy, first passed the legislature as House Bill 963 in November 2019. The Department of State was constitutionally required to advertise the wording of the proposed constitutional amendment in two newspapers in every county, in each of the three months before the next general election when members of the General Assembly are elected. That advertising did not occur before the 2020 general election.
Proposed constitutional amendments must pass in two consecutive sessions of the state legislature, after which the proposal is put to the voters in a statewide referendum. The General Assembly was set to begin the process for second passage of the amendment this week. In preparing for the potential passage, DOS staff noticed late last week that the amendment was not previously advertised.
The governor would commit to working with the General Assembly to reach a legislative resolution, if the General Assembly wants to pursue a bill creating a civil “window” for victims to file child sexual abuse claims.
The governor thanked Boockvar for taking responsibility for the department’s error and praised her leadership over the past three years to provide a fair election last year under tremendously challenging circumstances.
“I’m extremely proud of what we’ve accomplished for the people of Pennsylvania,” said Secretary Boockvar. “I’ve always believed that accountability and leadership must be a cornerstone of public service. While I only became aware of the mistake last week, and immediately took steps to alert the administration to the error, I accept responsibility on behalf of the department.”
Accomplishments during Boockvar’s service include:
“Thanks in part to Kathy’s leadership, Pennsylvania voters either cast ballots using modern voting machines or securely voted by mail for the first time,” said Gov. Wolf. “It is through her commitment to helping the counties administer a fair election that we can all have confidence in the accuracy and integrity of the recent election results.”
The governor will appoint Veronica Degraffenreid to serve as acting secretary of the commonwealth. Degraffenreid was the department’s special advisor on election modernization. She has over 12 years of experience in election administration and was the former Director of Election Operations for the North Carolina State Board of Elections. Her bio is online.