House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s six-page letter to her slamming the chamber’s articles of impeachment was “really sick.” Asked about her initial reaction to the letter by CNN, Pelosi said “no reaction” as she walked through a corridor at the Capitol with other Democrats. When asked “Why not?” Pelosi responded “I’ve seen the essence of it. It’s really sick”. Trump’s angry letter objected to the House of Representatives’ articles of impeachment and accused Democrats of “perversion of justice and abuse of power.” President Trump also maintained that he did nothing wrong in seeking foreign investigation of former Vice President Joe Biden, attacking Democrats for focusing on impeachment rather than other issues. He also claimed that “more due process was afforded to those accused in the Salem Witch Trials” versus his impeachment inquiry. The president said he did not believe his letter would change anything, but that he was registering his objections “for the purpose of history.”

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, reacting to a comment by President Donald Trump about whether the high court could stop impeachment proceedings against him, said the president “is not a lawyer.” Ginsburg’s remarks came during an interview with the BBC posted Tuesday. Trump had tweeted earlier this month: “Radical Left has NO CASE. Read the Transcripts. Shouldn’t even be allowed. Can we go to the Supreme Court to stop?” The BBC asked Ginsburg what her reading of the Constitution was in this context. She replied: “The president is not a lawyer. He’s not law trained.” She was also asked about senators making up their minds in advance of any impeachment trial. “Well if a judge said that, a judge would be disqualified from sitting on the case,” she said.

(Photos of Connie Javens taken by Sandy Giordano)

Connie Javens is retiring as county treasurer…as we hear in this report from Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano:

A man and two teenage boys are facing disorderly conduct charges for allegedly covering two cars and a home with slices of cheese. Pennsylvania state police say the prank occurred in Girard early Saturday. But it’s not clear what motivated it. The names of the three suspects — a 17-year-old Girard boy and two Lake City residents, ages 17 and 18, — have not been released. Authorities say they admitted their involvement in the prank but won’t say why they did it.

A high school teacher from Plum borough and his wife are accused of burglarizing a neighbor’s house. According to court documents, Michael Verrico and his wife took an odd collection of items, and got a teenager to help them. The neighbor’s house was in foreclosure and they allegedly entered an unlocked closed garage door and took the items, according to the criminal complaint. Police interviewed the 17-year-old and three other kids who said Verrico destroyed evidence and told them to lie to police. Verrico is on administrative leave from the Plum School District where he teaches physical education at Oblock Junior High School. He is now charged with felony burglary, corruption of minors and tampering with evidence. According to the criminal complaint, the couple allegedly took sheets, a washing machine, five suits and a broom.

Gas prices in Beaver County are down slightly this week by about 2 cents. Beaver County Radio News intern Alex D’Itri has more. Click on ‘play’ to hear Alex’s report…

The Center Supervisors move one step closer to bringing a new daycare center to the township. Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano has more. Click on ‘play’ to hear Sandy’s report…

On the eve of the historic House vote, demonstrators came out in Beaver and Westmoreland counties in opposition to the impeachment of President Donald Trump. Many pro-Trump individuals took to the streets to make sure their voices were heard on Tuesday. In total, five rallies for and against impeachment were held in the Pittsburgh area, including one outside the office of Democratic Congressman Conor Lamb, who recently decided to vote to impeach President Trump. There was extra security on hand at some of the rallies to control the crowds.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The Pennsylvania House is advancing changes to the state’s parole system for lower-level, less violent offenders and revamping the process by which inmates get into drug treatment. Representatives voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to send the amended legislation back to the Senate. It would set up a system of more automated parole, a change designed to make it more consistent and efficient. The bill also provides a “quick dip,” short-term detention for parole violations that aren’t considered serious enough to return them to prison, and authorizes a Corrections Department review team to examine homicides by parolees.

UNDATED (AP) — A man convicted on murder charges stemming from a deadly 1993 fire at two Pittsburgh buildings will get a new trial. The ruling issued Tuesday comes after prosecutors discovered evidence that had never been turned over to the defense. Daniel Carnevale has maintained his innocence since he was initially questioned following the fires in Bloomfield, which left three people dead. He was sentenced to life without parole. The Allegheny County District Attorney’s office initially opposed his bid for a new trial, but consented after a report found in a case file showed one federal chemist disagreed with the findings of another.