Pompeo Calls Koch ‘Compassionate Philanthropist’

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says he was saddened to hear of the death of billionaire industrialist David H. Koch. Pompeo said in a tweet Friday that Koch was “a compassionate philanthropist, successful businessman, and a proud American.” David Koch and his brother Charles Koch were major donors to conservative causes and educational groups. David Koch died Friday at age 79.

300-Plus Accusers in Ohio State Doctor Scandal

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Lawyers for men suing Ohio State University over decades-old alleged sexual misconduct by a team doctor say the number of accusers has topped 300. Totals confirmed to The Associated Press put the group’s size in the same ballpark as the initial wave of plaintiffs who got $425 million from Michigan State University to settle claims about sexual misconduct by another sports doctor, Larry Nassar. Unlike Nassar, former Ohio State doctor Richard Strauss can’t be prosecuted. Strauss died in 2005.

Beto O’Rourke Promises Mandatory Assault Weapons Buyback

Democratic presidential hopeful Beto O’Rourke said he would institute a “mandatory buyback of every assault weapon in America.” O’Rourke made his comments in a column posted Thursday night by USA Today. He said some of the doctors treating the El Paso victims said they had not seen such “horrific wounds since they were deployed abroad in our armed forces.” O’Rourke acknowledged some believe the nation is too divided to bring about that change.

Ambridge Couple Faces Hearing On Animal Cruelty Charges

An Ambridge couple is facing more than 400 charges stemming from the seizure of dozens of cats from their home. Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano has details. Click on ‘play’ to hear Sandy’s report…

PA DEP Issues 22-Page Report on Beaver County Conservation District

THE PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION HAS ISSUED A 22-PAGE REPORT ON WHY IT IS TERMINATING THE DELEGATED PERMITTING AND INSPECTION AUTHORITY OF THE BEAVER COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT. BEAVER COUNTY RADIO NEWS CORRESPONDENT SANDY GIORDANO HAS MORE. Click on ‘play’ to hear Sandy’s report…

Salaries, Hiring and Appointments Approved by Aliquippa School Board

SALARIES, HIRINGS AND APPOINTMENTS WERE APPROVED BY THE ALIQUIPPA SCHOOL DISTRICT LAST NIGHT. BEAVER COUNTY RADIO NEWS CORRESPONDENT SANDY GIORDANO WAS THERE. Click on ‘play’ to hear Sandy’s report….

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Pittsburgh Hospital Honors 80th Anniversary of ‘Wizard of Oz’ by Dressing Up Newborns

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A Pittsburgh’s hospital’s obstetrics department became Ozstetrics as the staff dressed up four newborns as characters from “The Wizard of Oz.” Allegheny Heath Network’s West Penn Hospital wanted to honor the 80th anniversary of the film. The hospital posted photos on social media. The newborns, in costumes, appeared to take it all in stride. The hospital says the babies will soon learn there’s no place like home.

PA Roads Are Getting Better, New Report Says

A report out this week says Pennsylvania’s roads are getting better. The Reason Foundation’s report released yesterday puts the commonwealth at 35th in the nation for cost-effectiveness and condition. That rank is up six spots from their last report. P-A still ranks low in structurally deficient bridges and is 39th in total spending per mile. New Jersey now ranks dead last in overall highway performance.

TSA Agents Giving Travelers Friendly Reminder About Real ID

Transportation Security Administration agents have started offering a friendly reminder to travelers about Real ID compliance. Starting in October 2020, travelers will not be able to fly with just a regular license. A Real ID or a passport will be required — even for domestic flights. The most Real IDs in the state have been issued in Allegheny Co. Pennsylvanians aren’t getting Real IDs as fast as PennDOT would like them to. The Real ID Act was passed after 9/11 to create a single national standard for licenses. In order to get a Real ID, people are required to prove their identity with four forms of ID. They can include a current driver’s license, passport, social security card, utility bill, payroll stub or birth certificate.

State Attorney General, Telecom Companies Pledge to Fight Robocalls

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced Thursday that his office was partnering with 12 telecommunications companies to crack down on illegal robocalls. According to a press release from Shapiro’s office, the 12 companies are AT&T, Bandwith, CenturyLink, Charter, Comcast, Consolidated, Frontier, Spring, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, Verizon and Windstream. The companies have agreed to adopt eight principles targeted at improving prevention of the calls and enforcement. To prevent the calls, the companies will offer some form of call-blocking services for all customers at no cost; offer free, easy-to-use labeling tools for smartphone mobile and residential customers; implement technology to authenticate that callers are coming from a valid source; and monitoring the networks for robocall traffic.