This Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021, photo shows a Social Security card in Tigard, Ore. Social Security checks to increase by 5.9%, as inflation fuels largest COLA for retirees in nearly 40 years (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Millions of Social Security recipients will get a 2.5% cost-of-living increase to their monthly checks beginning in January, the Social Security Administration announced Thursday.

The cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, for retirees translates to an average increase of more than $50 for retirees every month, agency officials said.

About 72.5 million people, including retirees, disabled people and children, get Social Security benefit.

But even before the announcement, retirees voiced concern that the increase would not be enough to counter rising costs.

Sherri Myers, an 82-year-old retiree from Pensacola City, Florida, is now hoping to get an hourly job at Walmart to help make ends meet.

“I would like to eat good but I can’t. When I’m at the grocery store, I just walk past the vegetables because they are too expensive. I have to be very selective about what I eat — even McDonald’s is expensive,” she said.

Recipients received a 3.2% increase in their benefits in 2024, after a historically large 8.7% benefit increase in 2023, brought on by record 40-year-high inflation.

The smaller increase for 2025 reflects moderating inflation.

Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley told The Associated Press that the upcoming increase will provide a measure of relief for recipients as inflation has cooled and the agency serves a record number of retirees while funding is at a historic low.

His message to those who feel that the adjustment is not enough: “They’re not wrong.”

”I’ve heard the stories and it is a struggle for seniors,” he said, adding that “in their older years, they have to spend their money on a different array of costs and expenses, including prescription drugs.”

He said policies advanced by the Biden-Harris administration should result in many people seeing lower prescription drug costs.

The agency will begin notifying recipients about their new benefit amount by mail starting in early December. Adjusted payments to nearly 7.5 million people receiving Supplemental Security Income will begin on December 31.

The program is financed by payroll taxes collected from workers and their employers and that is slated to increase to $176,100. The maximum amount of earnings subject to Social Security payroll taxes was $168,600 for 2024, up from $160,200 in 2023.

The announcement comes as the national social insurance plan faces a severe financial shortfall in the coming years.

The annual Social Security and Medicare trustees report released in May said the program’s trust fund will be unable to pay full benefits beginning in 2035. If the trust fund is depleted, the government will be able to pay only 83% of scheduled benefits, the report said.

AARP CEO Jo Ann Jenkins said in a statement that “there is more we must do to ensure older Americans can continue to count on Social Security. AARP continues to call on Congress to take bipartisan action to strengthen Social Security and secure a long-term solution that Americans can rely on.”

The presidential candidates, Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump, have presented dueling plans on how they would strengthen Social Security.

AARP conducted interviews with both Harris and Trump in late August and asked how the candidates would protect the Social Security Trust Fund.

Harris said she would make up for the shortfall by “making billionaires and big corporations pay their fair share in taxes and use that money to protect and strengthen Social Security for the long haul.”

Trump said “we’ll protect it with growth. I don’t want to do anything having to do with increasing age. I won’t do that. As you know, I was there for four years and never even thought about doing it. I’m going to do nothing to Social Security.”

O’Malley said there is a push for the Social Security Administration to use a different index to calculate the cost-of-living increase that measures price changes based on the spending patterns of older people on things such as health care, food and medicine costs.

The COLA is now calculated according to the Consumer Price Index, a market basket of consumer goods and services. O’Malley said lawmakers who are advocating for a shift “are advancing a very sound policy.”

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published October 10, 2024 1:49 P.M.

(Hopewell Township, Pa) In a report released Thursday morning, State Police reported they responded to a report of a male that was assaulted inside a vehicle. The incident took place just after 3pm on Monday, October 7 in Hopewell  Township. The incident is under investigation, according to the report.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to  18 months of probation, including 90 days of home confinement, a $1,375 forfeiture, and a $1,500  fine on his conviction for bribery, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. 

Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Walter Eiseman, 59.  

According to information provided to the Court, Eiseman was a building inspector for the  City of Pittsburgh, where he was responsible for performing inspections of properties that were the  subject of applications for certificates of occupancy. In 2018, a developer was working on a project  to redevelop a commercial building in downtown Pittsburgh as luxury apartments and hotel rooms.  As part of the financing for the project, the developer sought a historical tax credit, which would  only be granted after the developer obtained a temporary certificate of occupancy for one of the  project’s floors by the end of December 2018. As part of his guilty plea, Eiseman admitted  performing inspections on two floors of the project during the month of December, which resulted  in a temporary certificate of occupancy being issued. In return for such official action, Eiseman  accepted home appliances from the developer, which were delivered in early January 2019. Eiseman  also admitted that he solicited a set of kitchen cabinets from the developer, which were ordered but  ultimately not delivered to Eiseman’s residence.  

Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey R. Bengel prosecuted this case on behalf of the  government. 

U.S. Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation  that led to the successful prosecution of Eiseman. 

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court on  October 8, 2024, to a charge of mail fraud, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced  today. 

Michael Dominick, 44, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge  Cathy Bissoon. 

In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that Dominick, a former manager  at the Ambridge Water Authority (AWA), defrauded AWA of money and property totaling  approximately $1,073,185 during the period of January 2020 through August 2022. As manager of  AWA, Dominick was responsible for overseeing all daily business and financial activity and thus  had access to AWA’s bank accounts and cash and check payments made to AWA for water and  related services. Dominick admitted that he secretly diverted AWA’s money into his own personal bank accounts by writing checks to himself, depositing cash and checks issued to AWA into his  personal bank accounts, using an AWA debit card to make purchases of personal items, and  adjusting or failing to report the true location of AWA’s funds on critical financial records.  

“Michael Dominick’s theft of more than a million dollars from the Ambridge Water  Authority is an alarming violation of the public trust,” said U.S. Attorney Olshan. “Those who  hold positions of authority at any level of government—and particularly those who are responsible  for managing and safeguarding public finances—owe a special duty to act in the best interest of  their employer and the community. Our office and our partners in law enforcement will continue  to root out and hold accountable public officials who violate federal law and undermine public  confidence in government.” 

“This plea marks a significant step toward justice,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in  Charge Kevin Rojek. “This fraud not only affects critical public resources, but also represents a  betrayal of public trust. The AWA exists to provide an essential resource to our community.  Stealing money in this manner has the potential to directly impact the well-being of tens of  thousands of people.”

Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for February 20, 2025. The law provides for a total  sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal  Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. 

Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch is prosecuting this case on behalf of the  government. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Beaver County District Attorney’s Office  conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Dominick. 

With winter fast approaching, AAA East Central is offering free battery and electrical system checks for Pittsburgh-area residents. At the Battery Wellness Clinics, technicians will determine if attendees’ batteries are strong enough to endure the cold winter months.  If needed, attendees can purchase batteries on-site.

Summer heat breaks down the components inside a battery, making them susceptible to failure in cold weather.  AAA’s number one service call during the winter is for dead batteries, and each year, AAA East Central responds to more than 270,000 battery-related calls. To celebrate AAA Car Care Month, AAA East Central is offering this free service to help members and the public avoid being stranded with a dead battery in the dead of winter.

WHERE & WHEN:
The free Battery Wellness Clinic will be held at the following AAA Branch office from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.:

Thursday, Oct. 10

North Hills (4790 McKnight Road)

Thursday, Oct. 10

Monroeville (2725 Mosside Boulevard)

Tuesday, Oct. 15

Pleasant Hills (9 Clairton Boulevard)

Thursday, Oct. 17

Rochester (300 Adams Street)

(Story written by Beaver County Radio News Corespondant Sandy Giordano)

DRAW Collective’s Dan Engen presented the final options and their costs.  At Tuesday night’s meeting, residents and board members were permitted to ask questions at the October 22, 2024 meeting. The board meets in regular session on Tuesday, October 22, 2024 at 7 p.m. and their decision will be presented.

This week, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) and his wife Zoë Bunnell welcomed their fourth child into their family, a healthy baby boy.   

Congressman Deluzio and his family are thrilled to share this news and released the following statement:   

“We are over the moon to welcome our son into our family and are grateful that both the baby and Zoë are healthy and recovering well.   

“We want to thank the dedicated team of nurses, doctors, and staff at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital who helped us begin this new chapter for our family!   

“Our hearts are full, and we thank everyone for their well wishes. We’re so proud to be raising our family in Western Pennsylvania.” 

(Hanover, PA) The superintendent of South Western School District confirmed on Friday that the Pennsylvania school district has boarded up window openings it recently installed that allowed people in a middle school hallway to peer into two gender-neutral-designated bathrooms. After a vote in August from the South Western School District’s conservative-majority school board, the board president asserted that this action was designed to monitor and prevent misbehavior. The windows were not installed in any of the school’s non-gender-neutral bathrooms. Here in Pennsylvania, the Education Law Center wrote in a January analysis that federal appeals courts have ruled students have a right to use bathrooms and locker rooms aligned with their gender identity. 

(Pittsburgh, PA) Pennsylvania is one of the top states in the country where automobile crashes occur, most of them involving deer. According to new data from State Farm insurance, the chance of crashing into a deer in Pennsylvania is 1 in 61, the fourth highest in the country, while the chance of an animal crash in Pennsylvania is 1 in 128.