Lawmakers are preparing for a new, contentious round over how to end Pennsylvania state government’s five-month-old budget stalemate. Some are wondering if it’ll stretch into 2016. Last night’s brief session in the House of Representatives produced several changes to the hundreds of pages of legislation passed in a flurry last week by the Senate, with much work yet to be done. The chamber is returning today.

Allegheny Technologies Inc. says it will temporarily idle two western Pennsylvania plants next year due to low prices for specialty steel. The Pittsburgh-based steelmaker has locked out workers at 12 plants in Pennsylvania and five other states since August 15 over a contract dispute. On Thursday, the company blamed Chinese imports and a glut of global steelmaking for driving prices to levels not seen since 2003. The company says it will idle plants in Midland, Beaver County and Gilpin Township, Armstrong County next year until they can generate acceptable profits. The plants employed nearly 600 workers combined before the lockout. It’s not clear how many management and replacement workers have been keeping them running. The Midland shutdown will begin in January, and Bagdad’s in April.

With the budget impass at 163 days old, many school districts in the state are either out of money or very close to it. Districts here in Beaver County are not an exception. David Wytiaz – Aliquippa School District Superintendent – tells Beaver County Radio newsman Pat Septak that the district is very close to “crisis” mode. He says they have enough money to survive until mid-January. After that, anything can happen. He openly criticized state lawmakers in Harrisburg for not doing what they’re getting paid to do. He called the impass “ridiculous” and suggested that all schools in the state shut down and then maybe – just maybe – they’ll get the message.

The next move in the long-running budget stalemate in Pennsylvania is now with House members after the Senate yesterday sprinted through votes on a budget package. The House won’t return to work until tomorrow, all but ensuring the budget fight will stretch at least into next week.

Today the Beaver County Commissioners formally joined a coalition with the Beaver County Chamber of Commerce, the county corporation for economic development and the county redevelopment authority to form the Beaver County Economic Development Partnership, simply known as 376. The chamber of commerce will spearhead the effort. Chamber president Jack Manning says the emphasis will be on small business.  The development partnership will not have a physical  office but will operate from a website. A strategic planning meeting is scheduled for early next year.

A bus driver who had driven a group of high school basketball players to a game was cited for public drunkenness and having an open container. According to North Sewickley Township police, 53-year-old Mark Munda drove Perry High School players to the game at Riverside Tuesday night. Munda works for Lenzner Coach Lines. When officers noticed alcohol on his breath, they searched the bus and discovered two Pepsi bottles containing liquor next to the driver’s seat.