Pennsylvania is setting up a $15 million pilot program to give support services and housing help for state residents fighting opioid addiction. The Wolf administration said Wednesday the federal grants aim to encourage treatment and recovery and reduce overdose deaths. Housing aid could include temporary rent assistance. The support services could include applying for food stamps or linking people with recovery services. The money is going to 16 agencies and health entities.
State Representative Rob Matzie has announced that the Monaca Gateway Project has been awarded a $1 million grant to improve Pennsylvania Avenue in town…The grant will be used to build motorist and pedestrian improvements between 13th and 16th Streets, including signal upgrades at 14th Street, and the creation of a right-turn lane for eastbound traffic to improve traffic flow. Beaver County Radio newsman Pat Septak spoke with Monaca borough manager Mario Leone, who had this reaction to the news…
Also included in the project is repairing and upgrading sidewalks and improvements of the streetscape, including better lighting, the addition of plants, bicycle racks and storm water upgrades. Leone tells Septak that the goal is not just to increase accessibility but also to increase pedestrian safety…
Septak asked Leone how soon construction will begin on the project…
The grant was approved by the Commonwealth Financing Authority through its Multimodal Transportation Fund. The fund provides grants to encourage economic development and ensure safe transportation is available to all Pennsylvania residents.
And there’s more good news out of Monaca….Monaca Borough recently received the SUSTAINABLE PITTSBURGH award for a small municipality . The borough was the top scorer in their division for 2018-19, according to Leone. Mayor Simon Short, Neighborhood Service officer, Nick Vorrias, and Leone attended the award presentation on Thursday at PNC Park’s Jim Beam Club. Leone says the group received a trophy and recognition accepted by Vorrias…
Special thanks to Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano for contributing information and photos for this report.
STATE REPRESENTATIVE ROB MATZIE’S LIMB LOSS RESOLUTION HAS BEEN ADOPTED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. BEAVER COUNTY RADIO NEWS CORRESPONDENT SANDY GIORDANO HAS MORE. Click on ‘play’ to hear Sandy’s report…
Western Pennsylvania is seeing an increase in flu cases. The CDC says the percentage of medical visits for flu-like symptoms is up to four-point-four-percent from a baseline of two-point-two-percent. The late peak of flu season comes as the H1N1 strain shifted to H3N2. Allegheny County currently has the most reported flu cases in the state with about six-thousand this season.
A redevelopment project in Pittsburgh’s Lower Hill District is getting a helping hand from the state. The state has granted more than $670,000 to the project at the former Civic Arena site. About half of that will go toward a plaza and pedestrian walkway. That funding is part of more than $2.2 million given to Allegheny County.
The first female Muslim member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives says she was offended by a lawmaker who opened the session with a prayer that “at the name of Jesus every knee will bow.” Democratic Rep. Movita Johnson-Harrell of Philadelphia said Tuesday she felt remarks by Republican Rep. Stephanie Borowicz shortly before Johnson-Harrell was sworn in used her religion against her. The Republican legislator who gave the remarks defended them, saying, “I pray every day. I prayed.”
Legislation has been introduced in both the House and Senate that will reform the process that deals with sexual harassment among lawmakers and their staffs. Don Rooney has more…
Legislation designed to eliminate or reduce the barriers standing between willing workers and employment opportunities was unveiled on Tuesday in Harrisburg by Rep. Andrew Lewis (R-Dauphin) and Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (D-Philadelphia). Lewis said that this legislation would cut the government red tape that hampers business development and blocks meaningful employment….
Pennsylvania lawmakers are being asked to raise the minimum salary for teachers. Lawmakers were joined by teachers yesterday at the state Capitol in pushing for a new minimum salary of 45-thousand-dollars. Teachers now make a minimum of 18-thousand-500-dollars.
Beaver County is factoring into the one-point-two-billion-dollar purchase of a U.S. company. IPSCO Tubulars, which operates plants where pipe products are produced in Harmony Township and Koppel, is being purchased by Tenaris, a company from Argentina, it was announced on Friday. The purchase must be approved by U.S. antitrust regulators.
