The cause of a house fire in West Aliquippa Monday afternoon is now under investigation. Crews were called to the scene of a two-alarm fire in the 400 block of Allegheny Avenue around 4:30 p.m. There were no reports of any injuries. Beaver County Radio’s Sandy Giordano is talking with investigators to find out just how that fire started…and she’ll have a full report tomorrow morning on AM Beaver County right here on 1230 WBVP and 1460 WMBA.

Van, pickup collision sends vehicles into creek; 2 killed
BUTLER, Pa. (AP) — Authorities say a crash involving a van and a pickup truck sent both vehicles down an embankment and into a western Pennsylvania creek, killing both drivers.
Butler Township police say the eastbound van apparently went through a stop sign and collided with the southbound truck just before 7:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Police say both vehicles went through a guiderail, down an embankment and into the Little Connoquenessing Creek.
Police said 85-year-old Thomas Shaffer of Ellwood City and 66-year-old Glenn Davis Jr. of Harrisville were killed. The crash remains under investigation.

New GOP plan: Hold kids longer at border _ but with parents
By LISA MASCARO and ALAN FRAM, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans on Capitol Hill frantically searched on Tuesday for ways to end the Trump administration’s policy of separating families after illegal border crossings, with the focus shifting on a new plan to keep children in detention longer than now permitted — but with their parents.
House GOP leaders are revising their legislation amid a public outcry over the administration’s “zero tolerance” approach to illegal crossings. The change would loosen rules that now limit the amount of time minors can be held to 20 days, according to a GOP source familiar with the measure. Instead, the children could be detained for extended periods — alongside their parents.
House Republicans scrambled to update their approach ahead of a visit from President Donald Trump to discuss a broader immigration overhaul that is to be voted on this week. Trump called for Congress to approve the so-called third option on Tuesday.
“We want to solve this problem,” he said.
Trump’s meeting at the Capitol comes as lawmakers in both parties are up in arms after days of news reports showing images of children being held at border facilities in cages and an audio recording of a young child pleading for his “Papa.”
The issue boiled over Tuesday at a House hearing on an unrelated subject when protesters with babies briefly shut down proceedings.
Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings, the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, pleaded with Republicans on the panel to end what he called “internment camps.”
“We need you, those children need you —and I am talking directly to my Republican colleagues— we need you to stand up to President Donald Trump,” he said.
Under the current policy, all unlawful crossings are referred for prosecution — a process that moves adults to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service and sends many children to facilities run by the Department of Health and Human Services. Under the Obama administration, such families were usually referred for civil deportation proceedings, not requiring separation.
More than 2,300 minors were separated from their children at the border from May 5 through June 9, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
The House is already embroiled in an election-year struggle over immigration legislation that threatens to hurt Republicans at the polls in November.
Democrats have seized on the family separation issue, demanding that the administration end the separations. Republicans are increasingly worried about the problem.
Top conservatives, including key Trump allies, have introduced bills to stop the practice. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas introduced legislation that the White House said it was reviewing, and Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina, a leader of the conservative Freedom Caucus, also introduced a measure.
“While cases are pending, families should stay together,” tweeted Cruz, who is in an unexpectedly tough re-election battle. He introduced his own bill to speed up court proceedings to no more than 14 days. “Children belong with their families,” he said.
Both bills seemed to be longshots. “This becomes a backup proposal,” Meadows told reporters at the White House.
From afar, ailing Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., tweeted, “The administration’s current family separation policy is an affront to the decency of the American people and contrary to principles and values upon which our nation was founded. The administration has the power to rescind this policy. It should do so now.”
The Trump administration insists the family separations are required under the law. But after signaling Monday that it would oppose any fix aimed solely at addressing that issue, the White House said Tuesday it was reviewing the emergency legislation being introduced by Cruz to keep migrant families together.
The senator’s bill would add more federal immigration judges, authorize new temporary shelters to house migrant families, speed the processing of asylum cases and require that families that cross the border illegally be kept together, absent criminal conduct or threats to the welfare of any children.
At a White House briefing Monday, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen declared, “Congress alone can fix it.” That line has been echoed by others in the administration, including Trump, who has falsely blamed a law passed by Democrats for the “zero tolerance” approach to prosecutions of families crossing the border.
Two immigration bills under consideration in the House could address the separations, but the outlook for passage is dim. Conservatives say the compromise legislation that GOP leaders helped negotiate with moderates is inadequate.
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, a member of the Freedom Caucus, said he’s skeptical that even a full-throated endorsement from Trump will be enough to get the compromise bill through the House.
The compromise bill in the House shifts away from the nation’s longtime preference for family immigration to a new system that prioritizes entry based on merits and skills. It beefs up border security, clamps down on illegal entries and reinforces other immigration laws.
To address the rise of families being separated at the border, the measure proposes keeping children in detention with their parents, undoing 2-decade-old rules that limit the time minors can be held in custody.
Rep. Bob Goodlatte R-Va., chairman of the Judiciary Committee, is reworking the family separation provision in the compromise bill, a GOP aide said Tuesday.
Faced with the prospect of gridlock in the House, senators appear willing to take matters into their own hands.
John Cornyn of Texas, the No. 2 Republican leader, said Senate Republicans are working on language to address the family separations that could receive a floor vote, potentially as part of a spending bill package.
GOP senators including Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Jeff Flake of Arizona and Susan Collins of Maine also said they’ve been discussing family separation legislation.
The administration, meanwhile, is hoping to force Democrats to vote for the bills or bear some of the political cost in November’s midterm elections. Democrats brushed aside that pressure.
“As everyone who has looked at this agrees, this was done by the president, not Democrats. He can fix it tomorrow if he wants to, and if he doesn’t want to, he should own up to the fact that he’s doing it,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York.
___
Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.
See AP’s complete coverage of the debate over the Trump administration’s policy of family separation at the border: https://apnews.com/tag/Immigration

A DRUG TREATMENT CENTER PLAN IS SPARKING A LOT OF CONTROVERSY IN HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP. BEAVER COUNTY RADIO NEWS CORRESPONDENT SANDY GIORDANO WAS AT LAST NIGHT’S MEETING. Click on ‘play’ to hear Sandy’s report…

WEATHER FORECAST FOR TUESDAY, JUNE 19TH, 2018

TODAY – MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES. A STRAY SHOWER OR
THUNDERSTORM IS POSSIBLE. HIGH – 83.

TONIGHT – MOSTLY CLOUDY. POSSIBILITY OF A SHOWER
OR THUNDERSTORM. LOW – 64.

WEDNESDAY – CLOUDY WITH SHOWERS. HIGH NEAR 80.

Lawyers, family seek release of detained pizza deliveryman
By CLAUDIA TORRENS, Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — The family and attorneys of an Ecuadorean pizza shop worker who was arrested while trying to make a delivery submitted a formal request to immigration officials Monday demanding his immediate release.
Attorneys from the Legal Aid Society, accompanied by Pablo Villavicencio’s wife and two small daughters, said at a news conference that they filed the petition Monday.
The request argues that Villavicencio’s detention causes significant emotional and financial hardship to his U.S. citizen wife and daughters and that the immigrant has no criminal history and is not a threat to public safety.
Jennifer Williams, deputy attorney in charge of the immigration law unit at the Legal Aid Society, also said that her client’s detention is “unwarranted” until the circumstances surrounding his arrest are clear.
The 35-year-old married father of two young girls was arrested June 1 while making a delivery to the garrison in Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn. A routine background check revealed there was a warrant for his arrest for immigration law violations.
A federal judge temporarily blocked the deportation of Villavicencio, but he will remain in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody in New Jersey until his case goes to court.
On Monday, Villavicencio’s wife, Sandra Chica, stood next to his two daughters, ages 2 and 3, and pleaded for the release of her husband.
“Let him go back to his daughters and me,” she said in front of the cameras. “Every day my daughters ask, ‘Why is daddy not with us?’ I demand ICE to do the right thing.”
The 3-year-old girl, Luciana Villavicencio, spoke at the news conference, saying: “Daddy, I hope that angels take care of you and that you are well and that nothing bad happens over there.”
An ICE spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
New York City Council speaker Corey Johnson described Villavicencio’s arrest as a “grave injustice.”
“I am outraged, outraged, that the reason (daughters) Luciana and Antonia are feeling this loss is because of our government,” Johnson said. “As an American, my heart breaks.”
An ICE spokesperson has said that in March 2010 Villavicencio was granted voluntary departure by an immigration judge but failed to depart by July, as ordered.

Rendell, ex-Pennsylvania governor, says he has Parkinson’s
By MARC LEVY, Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell said Monday that he was diagnosed 3½ years ago with Parkinson’s disease, but said he believes that treatment has stopped the progression of the disease and he has maintained his quality of life.
The 74-year-old Rendell made the announcement at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia with officials and doctors from the University of Pennsylvania as part of a public service message to urge people who suspect they have symptoms to get diagnosed and get treatment early.
He was “stunned and a little bit scared” when he was diagnosed because he had always viewed himself as indestructible, he said.
But Rendell said treatment at the hospital, including medication, has stopped the progression of the symptoms and that he continues to keep a busy schedule, including working out six days a week.
“I’ve been more in a sort of battle mode than depressed,” Rendell said.
Rendell said he had not wanted to reveal his condition before he was certain whether treatment at the hospital was helping him.
“The good news is I can say without any fear of contradiction at least in my own mind that my disease has stabilized — progression has in many ways stopped,” Rendell said. “Some of the symptoms that I was undergoing are better now than they were 3½ years ago.”
His quality of life hasn’t changed, he said, in terms of the things he enjoys, what he eats and where he goes.
Rendell, a Democrat, was Pennsylvania’s two-term governor from 2003 through 2010. The outgoing former Philadelphia mayor with a larger-than-life persona smashed the state’s campaign fundraising records and went from the rough-and-tumble world of Philadelphia politics to the relatively stuffy state Capitol.
He became something of a national figure as a Democratic National Committee chairman during the 2000 presidential election. As a two-term Philadelphia mayor in the 1990s, he garnered the nickname “America’s mayor” after getting a reputation as a cheerleader for the city who would stop at nothing to promote it. He was the city’s No. 1 sports fan, even appearing as a regular on TV sports talk shows, and known for his love of indulgent foods, including cheesesteaks.
A lawyer, Rendell is also a former two-term district attorney of Philadelphia.
Dr. Matthew Stern, a University of Pennsylvania Health System neurologist, said the hospital is at a point where they can “significantly reduce” the effects of Parkinson’s disease.
Rendell, he said, kept a schedule in May that was “ridiculous. None of us would be able to keep up.”
Parkinson’s disease involves a loss of brain cells controlling movement. Besides tremors, it can cause rigid, halting walking, slowed speech and sometimes dementia. Symptoms worsen over time and there is no cure.
Rendell said his mother had Parkinson’s for the last 13 years of her life. He said he first noticed problems with his balance and his hands shaking 3½ years ago, when family members urged him to get it checked out.
“It turns out I wasn’t indestructible, none of us are,” Rendell said. “But I can be helped. All of us can be.”
___
Associated Press reporter Ron Todt in Philadelphia contributed to this report.

Trump announces plans for Pentagon to create ‘Space Force’
By MARCIA DUNN, AP Aerospace Writer
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Vowing to reclaim U.S. leadership in space, President Donald Trump announced Monday he is directing the Pentagon to create a new “Space Force” as an independent service branch aimed at ensuring American supremacy in space.
Trump envisioned a bright future for the U.S. space program, pledging to revive the country’s flagging efforts, return to the moon and eventually send a manned mission that would reach Mars. The president framed space as a national security issue, saying he does not want “China and Russia and other countries leading us.”
“My administration is reclaiming America’s heritage as the world’s greatest spacefaring nation,” Trump said in the East Room, joined by members of his space council. “The essence of the American character is to explore new horizons and to tame new frontiers.”
Trump had previously suggested the possibility of creating a space unit that would include portions equivalent to parts of the Air Force, Army and Navy. But his directive will task the Defense Department to begin the process of establishing the ‘Space Force’ as the sixth branch of the U.S. armed forces. He said the new branch’s creation will be overseen by Gen. Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“When it comes to defending America, it is not enough to merely have an American presence in space. We must have American dominance in space,” Trump said. He added: “We are going to have the Air Force and we are going to have the Space Force, separate but equal.”
The president also used the White House event to establish a new policy for reducing satellite clutter in space. The policy calls for providing a safe and secure environment up in orbit, as satellite traffic increases. It also sets up new guidelines for satellite design and operation, to avoid collisions and spacecraft breakups.
Trump was joined by Vice President Mike Pence, who leads the recently revived space council, and several Cabinet members, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, retired astronauts and scientists.
The council’s executive secretary, Scott Pace, told reporters before the meeting that space is becoming increasingly congested and current guidelines are inadequate to address the challenge.
___
Associated Press writer Ken Thomas in Washington contributed to this report.

H. Clinton: Separating families at border a ‘moral crisis’
By DEEPTI HAJELA, Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Monday called the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy that has separated children from their parents at the southern U.S. border “a moral and humanitarian crisis.”
Speaking at an awards lunch for the Women’s Forum of New York, Clinton said what was happening to families at the U.S.-Mexico border is “horrific.”
“Every human being with a sense of compassion and decency should be outraged,” Clinton said.
The separations stem from a policy that turns all cases of people trying to enter the country illegally over for criminal prosecution. Children are not detained with their parents when those parents are facing a criminal charge, as per U.S. protocol.
President Donald Trump has defended the policy, which has taken nearly 2,000 immigrant children away from their parents.
“The United States will not be a migrant camp and it will not be a refugee holding facility,” he added. “Not on my watch,” Trump said Monday.
Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, said she had warned during the campaign that Trump’s hard-line immigration stance would result in family separations.
“Now as we watch with broken hearts, that’s exactly what’s happening,” she said.
The policy has come under increasingly strong criticism, with accounts of children kept in cages and parents not knowing where their children are.
Trump has falsely blamed Democrats, and his administration has echoed his stance by claiming it was enforcing the law, with some using the Bible as religious justification.
Clinton pushed back on all of those points, saying the separations are required by no law and grounded in no religion.
“The test of any nation is how we treat the most vulnerable among us,” she said. “We are a better country than one that tears families apart.”

Today, the Pennsylvania legislature might have to break out their gym shorts, as an oversight committee holds a public hearing on school sports in the state. Beaver County Radio News Intern, Kaisha Jantsch, has the story…

Click ‘play’ below to hear the report.