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Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano

(Aliquippa, Pa.) Aliquippa Police responded to  a call  for a domestic situation in Plan 6 Tuesday afternoon  at 1:45 p.m. When Police arrived at the home on Major Street they found out that Raphel Johnson was holding a woman and two children hostage. Johnson threatened their lives   and those of responding  police officers.   The Beaver County ESU unit was called to assist  at approximately 2 p.m. and secured the house.   The ESU  negotiated with Johnson ,and he released the hostages. He surrendered peacefully  and was taken into custody a few hours after the stand off started. Johnson is currently  in the Beaver County Jail, according to Beaver County District Attorney David Lozier.

Trump campaign loses another round in Pennsylvania’s courts
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — President Donald Trump’s campaign has lost another round in lawsuits over Pennsylvania’s election. The state Supreme Court refused Tuesday to hear its appeal over nearly 2,000 mail-in ballots in Bucks County in which voters failed to handwrite their name, address or date on the outside ballot-return envelope, or enclosed their ballot in an inner unmarked secrecy envelope that became unsealed. The Trump campaign maintains the ballots should be thrown out. The court has refused previous such Republican requests in other counties. Buck County’s lawyers contended that Trump’s campaign shouldn’t be allowed to appeal. The number of ballots in question are far too few to overturn President-elect Joe Biden’s win in Pennsylvania.

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(Hopewell Twp., Pa.) The Pennsylvania Lottery announced that a $3 million scratch-off ticket was recently sold in Hopewell Twp.

The Pa Lottery reported that Caivano’s Discount Tobacco Outlet in the Hopewell Shopping Center sold the $3 million-winning ticket. The ticket is the $3 Million Extravaganza Scratch-Off,  Caivano’s will receiving a $10,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.

$3 Million Extravaganza is a $30 game that offers top prizes of $3 million.

As a reminder, Scratch-Off prizes expire one year from the game’s end-sale date posted at palottery.com. Winners should immediately sign the back of their ticket and call the Lottery at 1-800-692-748

Farm Show cancels butter sculpture, citing COVID-19 concerns
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — There won’t be a butter sculpture at next month’s annual Pennsylvania Farm Show, which had previously been converted to an all-virtual format because of the coronavirus pandemic. Organizers said Tuesday that COVID-19 makes the event too risky for the sculptors, the Farm Show staff and those involved in recording and broadcasting the event. State officials announced in August that the Farm Show won’t be an in-person event, a disappointment for the hundreds of thousands who usually attend the weeklong fair. The Jan. 9-15 event will be virtual, with the theme of “cultivating tomorrow.” The Farm Show claims — in normal times — to be the country’s largest agricultural exposition under a single roof.

Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano

(Aliquippa, Pa.) Tax credits totalling  $400,00 from the state’s Neighborhood Assistance program  have been awarded to the Aliquippa Economic Development Corp, State Representative Rob Matzie announced last night.  The funding will be used to  remove blight in the West end of Franklin Avenue, and rehab a house there, part of the business district will be revitalized , residents will receive food, rent, and job training assistance, too. The program  is part of the public-private partnership  with the commonwealth and BNY Mellon, Rep. Matzie said.

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Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano 

(Hopewell, Pa.) Hopewell School Board, at last night’s work session, voted to  extend the suspension of winter athletic programs until Monday, December 14, which is its regular meeting.. They are awaiting a decision from the PIAA  and WPIAL and will meet with the high school principal and athletic director whether athletes can practice.

US productivity increased at 4.6% rate in third quarter
By MARTIN CRUTSINGER AP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. productivity increased at a solid 4.6% pace in the July-September quarter, slightly below the initial estimate, while labor costs fell at a slower pace. The Labor Department reported Tuesday that the third quarter increase in productivity was below the first estimate a month ago of a 4.9% increase. Productivity had surged at a 10.6% rate in the second quarter. Labor costs fell at a 6.6% rate in the third quarter , a smaller drop than the 8.9% decline estimated a month ago.

(New Brighton, pa.) New Brighton citizens have been reporting that they have seen a bear throughout neighborhoods in New Brighton in social media over the last few weeks. On Monday night a large black bear was spotted in the 1300 block of Sixth Avenue. The game commission was called to the scene, but the animal was not found.

If you do spot the bear do not approach it. Call local authorities who will notify the game commission.

Beaver County Radio’s Program Director Frank Sparks, a New Brighton resident, has spotted a black bear in his Oak Hill neighborhood on occasion lately. Sparks said that usually we see bears this time of year. I think they are just hungry and looking for something to eat before hunkering down for the winter. Sparks said that last week when he was leaving for work around 5 a.m. he spotted a black bear canvasing the neighbors garbage for some grub. He said “I don’t usually call the authorities cause they aren’t bothering anyone.”