Today is an important day for Pennsylvania’s highest court. Voters are deciding today which of seven candidates should fill an unprecedented three open seats on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. They also are settling races for a pair of open seats on the mid-level state appellate courts and many races for local judgeships, school boards and municipal offices. The Beaver County Courthouse and other county offices – except for the elections office – are closed today. Anyone with questions or problems with voting today should call (724) 770-4440.

Yes, Election Day is finally here. Polls opened at 7:00 this morning. They’ll remain open until 8:00 tonight. There is a full slate of state, county, municipal and school board races on the ballot today. Beaver County Elections Bureau Director Dorene Mandity says she hopes people will take advantage of the nice weather today and get out and vote. Mandity tells Beaver County Radio she’s predicting a 35 percent turnout at the polls today, but she’s hoping for 50 percent. Beaver County Radio will have all the election results in today’s key races on AM Beaver County tomorrow morning beginning at 6:30am.

Cyclists got together over the weekend to ride along Market Street in Beaver during the Memorial Bike Ride Saturday…to commemorate the anniversary of Taylor Bank’s death. Banks was killed in a hit-and-run accident while riding his bike along Route 51 in Aliquippa on October 31, 2014. The ride ended outside the Beaver County Courthouse in Beaver. A year after the fatal accident, no charges have been filed in connection with his death.

Investigators say an 11-year-old boy is dead and a 16-year-old boy is in critical condition after a shooting at a home in Mount Oliver. The shooting happened  at around 8:45 ast night. Investigators believe there was a knock at the door and gunfire broke out inside of the home.

People in Harmony Township are breathing easier now that a suspect has been arrested for the shooting of Officer Alan Loskoch. A three-day manhunt ended Friday when 28-year-old Earl Hollins turned himself in to police in Aliquippa. Officer Loskoch was shot in the chest Wednesday while on routine patrol along Beaver Road. Police believe his protective equipment or bulletproof vest saved his life.

Crews battled a 2-alarm fire at a home in Economy last night. According to officials, everyone who was inside at the time of the fire got out safely. The fire broke out at the home, located in the 200 block of Dogwood Circle, shortly after 7 p.m. The Red Cross is providing assistance to the two adults and three children affected by the fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Today we wrap-up our three-part series on the heroin and prescription drug epidemic in Beaver County. Beaver County Judge Deborah Kunselman works in the juvenile section of the courts. She tells Beaver County Radio News there is a little known program available to juveniles that will help them with their addiction problem without putting them through the criminal justice system.

It was one year ago tomorrow – on Halloween – that 23-year-old Taylor Banks was struck by a car and killed while riding his bike in Aliquippa. It was a hit-and-run. Nearly a year later, there’s still no arrest in the case. Beaver County District Attorney Anthony Berosh says the reason for that is that they’re still waiting for the accident reconstruction report from the county detectives bureau. In the meantime, a memorial bike ride for Banks will be held tomorrow…starting at 10 A-M at 1726 Pennsylvania Avenue in Monaca and ending at the Beaver County Courthouse.

The Beaver County Coroner’s office has investigated a total of 35 drug overdoses in the year 2014. 17 involved heroin. 2015 to date, the office has investigated 31 overdoses…17 of those involved heroin. Those numbers come from Beaver County coroner Teri Tatalovich Rossi. We’ll wrap up our series on the drug addiction problem in Beaver County tomorrow on Beaver County Radio News.

Police are offering a $15,000 reward in hopes of finding a man who shot a Beaver County police officer in his bulletproof vest. Harmony Township Officer Alan Loskoch was briefly hospitalized after the shooting early Wednesday. The suspect is described as a light-skinned African-American male, standing 6 feet tall with 3 to 4-inch dreadlocks.