Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano

(Big Beaver, Pa.) State police responded to a call to the Super 8 Motel in Big Beaver  yesterday afternoon  and found a white male  in a hotel room  in severe respiratory distress.  The male was identified as Jeffrey Hogue, 49 of Wampum, and  a female  in the room identified as Chelsea Burkhammer, 32  told  troopers Hogue is addicted to heroin. A trooper administered a dose of Narcan to Hogue prior to the arrival of EMS Hogue was transported to  Heritage Valley Beaver by MedicRescue.  Burkhammer was taken into custody on unrelated warrants and transported to PSP Beaver and taken into custody by Beaver County Sheriff’s deputies..

GOP wins court order on mail ballots in state Senate contest
By MARK SCOLFORO Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania appeals court is stopping elections officials in one county from counting ballots that came in envelopes without handwritten dates on them. A state Senate race may hinge the decision issued Thursday on the fate of more than 2,000 ballots. Republican challenger Nicole Ziccarelli is currently trailing Allegheny County Democratic Sen. Jim Brewster by just 17 votes. The Associated Press hasn’t called the race. The issue of ballot markings is currently before the state Supreme Court. In that case, President Donald Trump’s campaign wants to invalidate thousands of ballots cast in Philadelphia.

Republicans OK election study despite House Dems’ opposition
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Republicans in the Pennsylvania House are getting a review of election procedures despite opposition from Democrats. The chamber voted Thursday for a resolution directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to conduct the study and report back by early February. Republicans say they’re responding to constituents who were confused by some of the procedures as the state conducted a high-turnout election during a pandemic and under greatly expanded mail-in voting eligibility. Democratic arguments that the measure should be revised or isn’t constitutional were defeated by the GOP majority.

(File Photo)

(Beaver County Pa.) The Beaver County commissioners strongly refute claims by the SEIU and employees of the county that are speaking out and saying they are concerned after 35 of their colleagues tested positive for COVID-19 and another 63 employees are in quarantine.

Some employees feel the county is not doing enough to protect them and does not have clear and consistent COVID-19 workplace policies.

The Beaver County commissioners held a press conference on the courthouse steps yesterday at 4pm to deny those claims. They said about 25% of the COVID-19 cases among county employees are from socializing outside of work.

Beaver County Commissioners Chairman Dan Camp said “A good deal of these employees who tested positive or are quarantining are due to outside social events,” Camp went on to say we can’t control the decisions that employees make when they are not at work on their own personal time and their commitment to the health and safety of county employees and the community has never wavered. They follow all COVID-19 protocol and will continue to make the courthouse and other county facilities as safe as possible for all employees.

Camp said that of that they currently have 35 people who have tested positive and 63 who are in quarantine. Camp said that that is near 100 employees who are unable to work. The Sheriff’s office is the hardest hit but he said they are still able to function with the limited number of staff available in the Sheriff’s Department.

Beaver County Commissioner Jack Manning wanted to make a statement during the press conference since his name was directly linked to some of the statements. Manning said “I’m highly offended and categorically refute every single word,”

Matzie: More than $52,000 awarded to fund equipment
for area career and technical schools 

AMBRIDGE, Nov. 18 – Two grants totaling $52,107 from the state Department of Education will fund training equipment for area career and technical schools, state Rep. Rob Matzie announced today.

Matzie, D-Beaver/Allegheny, said the funding includes $2,407 to Beaver County Career and Technology Center and $49,700 to Parkway West Career and Technology Center.

“State-of-the-art equipment is essential to prepare career and technical school students for real-world work environments,” Matzie said. “Securing this funding means area students will have the benefit of training with the latest technology so they can step into high-tech jobs and meet employer expectations with a shorter learning curve. Less down time for on-the-job training means greater productivity for area business and industry and quicker economic returns.”

The competitive grants are part of a statewide package of nearly $1.2 million to 32 career and technical centers and area vocational technical education schools and two school districts.

The maximum grant under the program is $50,000, and each must be matched dollar-for-dollar from a local source such as local school funds or contributions from business and industry pa

LONDON (AP) — A key researcher at the University of Oxford says scientists expect to report results from the late-stage trials of their COVID-19 vaccine by Christmas. Dr. Andrew Pollard, an expert in pediatric infection and immunity at Oxford, said Thursday that research was slowed by low infection rates over the summer but the Phase III trials are now accumulating the data needed to report results. He told the BBC “I think we’re getting close, and it’s definitely going to be before Christmas based on the progress.”  Pollard discussed progress in the late-stage trials as Oxford released a study based on earlier research that found the vaccine was well tolerated and produced a strong immune response in people over 70.

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) — The coronavirus pandemic means Groundhog Day won’t be the same in a Pennsylvania town long associated with a prognosticating rodent. Organizers say Punxsutawney Phil will predict whether spring will come early or winter will last longer in 2021 without the usual crowds who gather at Gobbler’s Knob, a tiny hill just outside Punxsutawney. Organizers say Phil and his inner circle on Feb. 2 will deliver the prediction virtually by means of a live internet steam and website. Spectators will not be permitted because “the potential Covid risks to overcome are too great.” Records dating back to 1887 show Phil has predicted a longer winter more than 100 times.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans seeking unemployment aid rose last week to 742,000,  the first increase in five weeks and a sign that the resurgent viral outbreak is likely slowing the economy and forcing more companies to cut jobs. The Labor Department’s report Thursday showed that applications for benefits rose from 711,000 in the previous week. Claims had soared to 6.9 million in March when the pandemic first intensified. Before the pandemic, applications typically hovered about 225,000 a week. The economy’s modest recovery is increasingly at risk, with newly confirmed daily infections in the United States having exploded 80% over the past two weeks to the highest levels on record.