Category: News

Union Leaders Discuss County Budget Crisis on Teleforum With Mike Romigh

Union leaders appeared with Mike Romigh on Teleforum this morning to talk about the county budget crisis and the alleged 17-million-dollar deficit. Joe Mann, president of the employees union in Beaver County, and Al Smith, business manager for the SEIU (Service Employees International Union), say that in order to fight for a new contract for county employees, they want to see the real numbers and then get the truth out to the public. County employees currently contribute two percent of their salaries to their health insurance but the county commissioners are pushing for workers to contribute more.IMG_3347

Seneca Valley Teacher Charged with Possessing Child Pornography

The Seneca Valley School District announced this afternoon that it has suspended without pay a middle school math teacher arrested Thursday for possessing child pornography. Meanwhile, the Allegheny County District attorney’s office says it learned only today from Seneca Valley that defendant 26-year-old Jonathan Brecht of Franklin Park was a teacher. As a result, the D-A’s office is continuing its investigation and says it plans to notify its counterparts in Butler County.  According to the affadavit, Brecht admitted to investigators that he posed as a woman on the dating app Skout and suggested a sexual liaison with an underage girl. The affadavit says that investigators poring over Brecht’s hard drive found three images of child pornography. Brecht was arraigned and has posted bond.

Several Beaver County School Districts Apply For Act 1 Status

Several Beaver County school districts have applied for Act 1 status, which would allow them to increase property taxes over the state limit. These districts include Ambridge Area, Blackhawk, Central Valley, Freedom Area, South Side Area and Western Beaver. However, local district officials say that applying for Act 1 is only a way to give the district options, not a guarantee that taxes will be raised.

AG Kane Gets Two Weeks To Give Ethics Board Justice’s Emails

Pennsylvania’s judicial ethics court is giving state Attorney General Kathleen Kane two weeks to produce material for a pending disciplinary case against Supreme Court Justice Michael Eakin. Judge Jack Panella with the Court of Judicial Discipline signed an order Thursday setting a Feb. 25 deadline to fulfill a demand for emails involving Eakin since 2008. If convicted, Eakin could be removed from the bench. Kane’s spokesman says she will comply but believes she’s already turned over all Eakin-related materials in her agency’s possession.

Beaver County Sheriff Concerned About Budget Cuts To His Department

There is more fallout from the county budget shortfall. Beaver County Sheriff Tony Guy tells Beaver County Radio Newsman Pat Septak that he’s concerned about some of the cuts that the commissioners have proposed in a revised 2016 budget that would hurt his department. To make the cuts that were initially proposed by the commissioners, the department would have to cut its DARE program in Beaver County school districts, its K-9 unit and some deputies in the warrant division. After meeting yesterday with commissioners chairwoman Sandie Egley, county financial administrator Ricardo Luckow and commissioners chief of staff Joe Weidner , Sheriff Guy says he feels a bit more hopeful that cuts to his department won’t be as drastic as originally proposed.

OneJet Adding Pittsburgh Flights To Hartford, More In Future

OneJet has named Pittsburgh a “focus city” and plans to add daily flights to Hartford, Connecticut and four other cities. The carrier uses seven-passenger Hawker 400 jets to cater to business travelers. It launched service from Pittsburgh International Airport in May, with nonstop flights to Indianapolis and Milwaukee. At a news conference today, the company pledged to add nonstop flights to four still-to-be decided destinations later this year, and to hire about 40 pilots, mechanics and other workers in Pittsburgh. The airport has added 14 non-stop destinations in the last 13 months, meaning the airport now served 53 destinations with non-stop flights. Hartford will become the 54th once twice-daily flights begin May 9.

Kane Survives Senate Vote To Remove Her From Office

State Attorney General Kathleen Kane has survived a Senate vote to remove her from office. All but one of her fellow Democrats stood by her yesterday, defeating a resolution that said her lack of a valid law license had rendered her unable to perform her officials duties.