Category: News

15,000 National Guard troops to deploy to DC

A total of 15,000 National Guard members have now been activated and will deploy to Washington, D.C., to help provide security in the run up to the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.

The number of Guard members coming in from other states has been growing, amid escalating fears of more violent protests in the wake of the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol last week.

Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, was given the authority to tap up to 15,000 Guard, but he has said that requests for assistance from the Secret Service, the U.S. Park Police and the Capitol Police have been increasing this week.

The Army also said Tuesday that officials are working with the Secret Service to determine which Guard members may need additional background screening. Rep. Jason Crow, D-Co., had asked Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy to have the Army’s Criminal Investigation Command screen Guard members coming in to ensure they were not “sympathetic to domestic terrorists.”

The Army said CID will not be reviewing all the Guard, but some members may be subject to additional background screening. Traditionally, those who get within close proximity to the president — or in this case the president-elect — are checked more closely.

So far, officials said they have not yet identified any Guard members who participated in the protests, but investigations are ongoing.

In a statement, the Army said the D.C. National Guard is also giving troops additional training as they arrive in the city, so they know to identify and report any extremist behavior to their commanders.

The Army also said it is working with the FBI to identify people who participated in Capitol attack, adding, “any type of activity that involves violence, civil disobedience, or a breach of peace may be punishable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice or under state or federal law.”

Trump takes no responsibility for riot as he heads to Texas

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is taking no responsibility for his part in fomenting a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol last week, despite his comments encouraging supporters to march on the Capitol and praise for them while they were still carrying out the assault. Trump says, “People thought that what I said was totally appropriate.”

 

He made the comments Tuesday during his first appearance in public since the Capitol siege, which came as lawmakers were tallying Electoral College votes affirming President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. He was heading to Texas to trumpet his campaign against illegal immigration in an attempt to burnish his legacy with eight days remaining in his term.

State Police Begins Comprehensive Contact Data Reporting for Traffic Stops

Harrisburg, PA – Colonel Robert Evanchick, commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), announced today that the department has initiated a wide-ranging contact data collection program designed to capture demographic and other information related to traffic stops. The data will be analyzed by researchers at the University of Cincinnati to identify potential patterns of racial/ethnic disparities in policing and, if appropriate, make recommendations on changes to PSP policy or training.
On January 1, 2021, troopers statewide began documenting additional information during traffic stops, regardless of whether the encounter results in a citation or written warning. The contact data report contains more than 30 fields, including driver and passenger age, gender, race, and ethnicity. Troopers also record the duration of the stop, whether a vehicle search was conducted, and the results of that search, if applicable.
“Troopers take an oath to enforce the law ‘without any consideration of class, color, creed or condition,’ and this data collection effort is one way to show the public we are upholding that oath,” said Colonel Evanchick. “Regular and ongoing analysis by a neutral third party is a critical part of this program that emphasizes our department’s commitment to transparency and continuous improvement.”
PSP previously conducted a contact data reporting program from 2002 through 2011, and researchers with the University of Cincinnati examined patterns and trends in traffic stops to better inform changes in policy and training. The new program will benefit from advances in technology over the past decade, and the ongoing national conversation about the relationship between police and the communities they serve has reinforced the importance of collection and analyzing this type of data.
“Contact data reports were previously completed and reviewed by hand, which was a cumbersome and time intensive method. For this project, we have digitally streamlined the process and integrated contact data reports with our existing mobile office environment to minimize the impact data collection has on the duration of traffic stops,” said Colonel Evanchick. “We look forward to learning from the data and analysis by the University of Cincinnati.”
The independent research team is led by Dr. Robin Engel, a professor of criminal justice and director of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) / University of Cincinnati Center for Police Research and Policy. Dr. Engel is a leading academic in the field of criminal justice and criminology, with expertise in empirical assessments of police behavior, police use of force, and police-minority relations.
The program, which runs through the end of 2021, is outlined in Field Regulation 6-18: Contact Data Reporting. Dr. Engel and her team will provide regular reports to the department, and a final statistical analysis in April 2022. PSP anticipates continuing the collection and independent analysis of contact data reports in subsequent years.

Trump says ‘tremendous anger’ in nation over impeachment

WASHINGTON (AP) — Impeachment ahead, the House will first try Tuesday to push the vice president and Cabinet to act even more quickly to remove President Donald Trump from office. Democrats are set to pass a resolution calling on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke constitutional authority under the 25th Amendment to oust Trump. Trump said impeachment is causing “tremendous anger” but said he wanted “no violence.”

Democratic lawmakers say Trump is a danger to democracy after the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol. Impeachment proceedings are set for Wednesday. Pence has shown no inclination to invoke the Constitution’s 25th Amendment. Trump is to face a single impeachment charge — “incitement of insurrection.”

Trump heads to Texas border in final days to showcase wall

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump will travel to Texas to trumpet one of the pillars of his presidency: his campaign against illegal immigration. Tuesday’s trip is part of an effort by aides to try to salvage a Trump legacy that will forever be stained by the siege he incited on the U.S. Capitol last week.

 

Trump has spent the final days of his presidency isolated, aggrieved and staring down the prospect of a second impeachment. Aides have been urging him to instead highlight what they see as the chief accomplishments of his presidency, including a tax cut and the appointment of conservative judges.

Trump says he wants ‘no violence’ as impeachment nears

WASHINGTON (AP) — Impeachment ahead, the House will first try Tuesday to push the vice president and Cabinet to act even more quickly to remove President Donald Trump from office. Democrats are set to pass a resolution calling on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke constitutional authority under the 25th Amendment to oust Trump.

Trump said impeachment is causing “tremendous anger” but said he wanted “no violence.” Democratic lawmakers say Trump is a danger to democracy after the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol. Impeachment proceedings are set for Wednesday. Pence has shown no inclination to invoke the Constitution’s 25th Amendment. Trump is to face a single impeachment charge — “incitement of insurrection.”

House returns after Capitol siege to try to push Trump out

WASHINGTON (AP) — Impeachment ahead, the House will first try Tuesday to push the vice president and Cabinet to act even more quickly to remove President Donald Trump from office. Democrats are set to pass a resolution calling on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke constitutional authority under the 25th Amendment to oust Trump.

They say he is a danger to democracy after the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol. Impeachment proceedings are set for Wednesday. Pence has shown no inclination to invoke the Constitution’s 25th Amendment. President-elect Joe Biden said Monday that those who “engaged in sedition” must be held accountable. Trump is to face a single charge — “incitement of insurrection” — over the riot.

Joint civil suit filed by 2 female Ambridge Police officers

(Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano)

Amanda Brown and Alexis Korol were both working in the Ambridge Police Department on a part time basis  and have filed a joint civil suit against the borough, borough manager, and Police Chief James Mann in the U.S. District Court  for Western PA. The joint sexual harassment and sexually hostile work environment  suit was filed last Wednesday, according to their attorney  Nikki Lykos of Pittsburgh.  The plaintiffs filed their complaints with the EEOC  around May 30, 2018, Korol began working for the borough in 2016, and no longer works there.  Brown began working in Ambridge in 2017 and still works part time there.

 

A jury trial in the case is requested  and no one from the borough was available for comment.

Hopewell School Board approves return to school dates

(Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano)

Hopewell School Board met for more than 2 hours last night and decided that the hybrid learning model will be in place when grades  k-4 return on January 19., grades 5 and 6 will return on January 25.  Monday will be a virtual learning day for all students. The board will render a decision  at the January 25 meeting on when grades 7-12 will return to class.  Dr. Michelle Miller said the hybrid model of instruction is beneficial to the students.

The board  voted to resume all sports on January 19, students have been practicing  for the winter sports programs.
Gary Huntsler was hired as the assistant elementary school principal  . He is expected to begin his duties January 20. His salary was set at $75,000.00 a year.