Billionaire Mike Bloomberg’s presidential campaign on Saturday downplayed a report that he is considering 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton as his pick for vice president. The Drudge Report, citing a source close to Bloomberg’s campaign, reported that Clinton was under consideration after internal polling found that a Bloomberg-Clinton ticket would be a “formidable force.” The conservative news outlet, which came to prominence in the 90s for first reporting the Monica Lewinsky scandal, reported that Bloomberg would consider changing his residence to a home he owns in Colorado or Florida, “since the electoral college makes it hard for a POTUS and VPOTUS from the same state.” But the Bloomberg campaign quickly tamped down that report but fell short of denying it outright. “We are focused on the primary and the debate, not VP speculation,” Bloomberg communication director Jason Schechter said in a statement. A source familiar with Clinton’s thinking said the former Secretary of State hasn’t closed the door on politics and would seriously consider joining a VP ticket.

LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) — A Florida city has shut down a section of lake after receiving reports that numerous snakes had swarmed the area to have sex. The Lakeland Parks & Recreation department wrote on its Facebook page Thursday that a group of non-venomous water snakes congregated to mate near a traffic roundabout. City officials said the snakes aren’t aggressive as long as they aren’t disturbed, adding that once mating is finished, they should disperse. Water snakes are native to Florida.

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — Billionaire Mike Bloomberg is taking lots of heat from his rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination. On Monday, he answered in kind. The former New York mayor tweeted a video mashup of aggressive and threatening comments made by people who appear to be Bernie Sanders supporters, juxtaposed with Sanders calling for “civil discourse.” Bloomberg said such aggression won’t give Democrats the unity they need to beat President Donald Trump. Bloomberg isn’t contesting the Nevada caucuses next weekend. But he may be on the cusp of qualifying for the debate Wednesday. Sanders, Joe Biden, Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg have made it clear they’d like to get him on the stage.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s push to ban the sale of assault weapons has failed after members of his own party balked at the proposal. Moderate Democrats joined Republicans on a Senate committee Monday in rejecting legislation that would have prohibited the sale of certain semiautomatic firearms, including popular AR-15 style rifles, and banned the possession of magazines that hold more than 12 rounds. The bill was a top priority for Northam, a Democrat who has campaigned heavily for a broad package of gun-control measures.

Water from a burst pipe inside a building in Aliquippa left a church significantly damaged Sunday morning. Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano has the story…

Beaver County Radio News’ look at the new faces of the County Courthouse lands in the Treasurer’s Office with a more familiar face. Matt Drzik explains in this report…

A petition is circulating in the Hopewell Area School District…asking the school board to slow down when it comes to its plan to move fourth graders to the junior high school next year. Sandy Giordano has details. Click on ‘play’ to hear Sandy’s report…

A school police officer now will be at every Ellwood City Area School Board meeting. The board voted 8 to 1 to have an officer at each meeting for security purposes. School director Jennifer Tomon voted against the motion, saying she didn’t think the public should be paying for the officer’s extra time. The officers are paid $25 an hour.

WYNNEWOOD, Pa. (AP) — A cascade of scandals in the Catholic Church has had surprisingly little impact on enrollment in its American seminaries. Though the number of seminarians is down from a half-century ago, it’s held relatively steady in the past decade and even registered slight increases in the past few years. At St. Charles Borromeo Seminary outside Philadelphia, though the clergy abuse crisis isn’t a constant topic of discussion, students say they know they’ll be ministering to a flock that has been fractured by crimes in the church alongside broader societal secularization. Future priests say they can be the examples who restore the public’s faith in the church.

An Ambridge man is headed to trial on drug charges this morning. Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano has more. Click on ‘play’ to hear Sandy’s report…