When a questioner at a town hall asked Kamala Harris what she would do in the next year to curb “the mentally retarded action” of President Trump, she laughed with the crowd. “Well said, well said,” she told him, the Washington Post reports. Now the Democratic senator and presidential candidate has apologized for her response to the “incredibly offensive” wording. Harris said the next day that the term “was not something that I really heard or processed” during the exchange Friday in New Hampshire. She said she would never condone that kind of language being spoken by anybody about anybody…and had she understood what the man was saying, she says she would have stopped and corrected him.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is cutting its ranks after 63 legislative employees jumped on the chance to be paid a bonus to quit their jobs. Pennlive.com says 31 Republican staffers, 21 Democratic staffers and 11 who work under the House chief clerk and comptroller’s offices took the offer. They’ll receive $1,000 payments for each year of service, up to 25 years. The offer was open to those with at least five years’ experience. It expired at the end of August.

Photos of the All Americans (Hopewell High School Seniors Madison Klodowski and Trinity Pisano) and of the principals (High School Principal Michael Allison, Elementary Principal Korri Kane and Junior High School Principal Ed Katkich) taken by Sandy Giordano

THE HOPEWELL AREA SCHOOL BOARD HEARD ABOUT VIKING PRIDE LAST NIGHT. BEAVER COUNTY RADIO NEWS CORRESPONDENT SANDY GIORDANO WAS THERE. Click on ‘play’ to hear Sandy’s report…

When Pennsylvania lawmakers return to the Capitol later this month, they will have new legislation to consider: a bill designed to cut carbon emissions from electric power plants by at least 90 percent by 2040. Don Rooney has details…

According to this week’s Triple-A East Central gas price report, the average price of gasoline across Western Pennsylvania is a penny cheaper this week at $2.74. In Beaver, the average is at  2.67 a gallon while drivers in New Castle are paying a penny less at 2.66. Slowly but surely, gas prices continue to trend cheaper with half of all states seeing pump prices drop two-cents on the week. This caused the national average to push cheaper by a penny down to $2.56. The average is 11-cents less than a month ago and 28-cents cheaper than a year ago.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in Philadelphia over whether the chief lawyer for Penn State when the Jerry Sandusky scandal broke should face public censure. The state’s lawyer disciplinary board recommended that punishment in March for Cynthia Baldwin. The board has leveled several claims against Baldwin regarding her conduct. Lawyers for Baldwin and the Office of Disciplinary Counsel will debate the matter Tuesday. Baldwin’s lawyer is urging that the matter be dropped.

Pittsburgh’s mayor is among a group of mayors and police chiefs meeting with the White House to demand gun reform. Mayor Bill Peduto left for Washington, DC today with all mayors from cities that have seen mass shootings with assault rifles. Peduto says he plans on sitting one-on-one with Senator Pat Toomey because they have opposing views but a good working relationship. He wants to find a middle ground on solving the gun violence crisis.

An Ellwood City teen was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital following a one vehicle accident Saturday afternoon in Wayne Township. Police say the 16-year-old male lost control of his vehicle after suffering a blown tire. He lost control and struck a utility pole. State Police say the teen then had to be extricated from the vehicle and was flown to a Pittsburgh Hospital. His condition has not been released.

State Police in Butler County report a New Castle man was taken to the hospital after his car caught fire on Interstate 79. According to police, 29 year old James Masterson was southbound on 79 in Jackson Township when fire and smoke engulfed the vehicle. Masterson was able to pull the vehicle off to the shoulder of the road and escape. He was taken to UPMC Passavant Hospital in McCandless and treated for smoke inhalation.

There’s no word yet of any arrests after a drive-by shooting in New Castle. Police say someone opened fire on a home on Finch Street early yesterday after a nearby bar fight. The shooters targeted the wrong house, however, nearly shooting a sleeping baby and its parents.