Trump Accepts Republican Presidential Nomination

Donald Trump made his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention last night. Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, has promised Republican convention delegates that her father will fight for equal pay for women and affordable childcare for parents.

Those are two issues that Trump has rarely if ever addressed during the campaign.

After a slow start, big money is flowing into efforts to help Trump. Republican officials say that super PAC side meetings during the convention have yielded millions of dollars in financial commitments.

 

Sheriff and Commissioners Battle over Budget.

The Beaver County Commissioners and Sheriff Tony Guy continue to haggle over the sheriff’s budget. At the commissioner’s work session yesterday, the sheriff returned for a second straight week and asked the commissioners for a budget increase to promote four part time deputies to full time and hire and additional five part- timers.

The sheriff says he needs the additional manpower to conduct the functions of the sheriff’s department. Commissioners told budget director Ricardo Luckow to compile a financial workup to determine the additional cost. Last week, Luckow said the sheriff was about 100 thousand dollars short of balancing his department’s 3.1 million dollar budget. Tony Guy’s request for more manpower would sharply increase that deficit.

Service Workers Reject Contract Proposal.

During their work session yesterday, Beaver County Commissioners noted that the service workers union that represents the court house workers have rejected the latest contract proposal from the commissioners. In other business, the commissioners said they intend to increase the hotel tax to five percent and not consider a five dollar registration fee. Also, the commissioners said they plan to approve five thousand dollars from the tourism budget to provide security for the Beaver County Regatta.

Trump Brushes Off Ted Cruz Snub.

In Cleveland, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump says “it’s no big deal” that his former rival, Senator Ted Cruz did not endorse him last night at the Republican National Convention. Cruz drew boos as he told delegates “to vote your conscience.” Trumpj and Cruz engaged in bitter battles during the primaries with Trump calling Cruz “Lying Ted” and Cruz calling Trump “a pathological liar.”

Southwest Flights Being Delayed, Cancelled.

Southwest Airlines flights across the country are being held up today while the airline works to fix technology problems. Southwest began having intermittent problems with several systems after an outage. A Southwest spokesman says the systems are gradually coming back, but that it might take time before the airline could resume normal operations. By last night, Southwest cancelled 17 flights and delayed more than six hundred.

Turnpike Tolls on the rise again

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission has approved a toll increase that will take effect next year.

Beginning in January  tolls will increase 6 percent for both E-Z Pass and cash customers.

The most common toll for passenger vehicles trips is one interchange and the toll would go from around $1.16 to $1.23 for E-Z Pass customers and from $1.80 to $1.95 for cash customers.

 

Heritage Valley Nurses go on Strike

Registered nurses from Heritage Valley Beaver and the Family Medicine Center had a one day strike yesterday against hospital management.

A series of events were held yesterday beginning with a morning picket line outside Heritage Valley Beaver Hospital in Brighton Twp.. A solidarity rally with other labor officials at noon, followed by a community rally and dinner at Irvine Park in downtown Beaver

About 500 nurses are in the bargaining unit.

 

Blackhawk School Board Appoints new Director

The Blackhawk School Board appointed Susan Smith of South Beaver Township to fill a vacant seat in the District’s Region 1.

The vote was split 4-2, with Board members Ken Yonkee and Marian Jones dissenting.

Smith, a veterinarian whose two children graduated from Blackhawk High School, will fill a spot initially vacated by former director Clint Berchtold, who resigned in June for personal reasons.

Heritage Valley Nurses Strike

Nurses at Heritage Valley Beaver are on strike today. The nurse’s union and Heritage Valley management have been unable to agree on a new contract. The strike is for one day only.

Cyber School Chief Resigns

The board of trustees of Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School in Midland has accepted the resignation of chief executive officer Michael Conti. No reason was given for the resignation. Chief operating officer Nicole Granito was named acting ceo.