Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published September 19, 2024 11:45 P.M.

(Aliquippa, Pa) Aliquippa Police were dispatched to the area of Route 51 south near the Aliquippa-Ambridge Bridge at 9pm Wednesday, September 19, 2024. The male was transported by ambulance to a Pittsburgh hospital for treatment of his injuries.

MECHANICSBURG, PA [September 18, 2024] – The Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers are thrilled to learn of today’s announcement from the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, Inc. (PIAA), declaring high school girls’ flag football an officially sanctioned sport in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The PIAA Board of Directors meeting took place on Wednesday, September 18 in Mechanicsburg, PA, where girls’ flag football was reviewed and approved on the third and final reading to be designated as a state sanctioned sport.

A sport is considered for sanctioning when it has adopted a set of operational and safety standards set forward by a governing body. When these standards and best practices are fully implemented within the overall framework of a program, events create a more positive and structured experience for participants. In the case of girls’ flag football in Pennsylvania, it was required that there be at least 100 participating teams across the state. That threshold was achieved in April with 65 schools from the eastern side of the state (Philadelphia Eagles) and 36from the western side (Pittsburgh Steelers).

“We’re thrilled that we can offer another opportunity for girls to participate interscholastic athletics,” said Frank Majikes, PIAA President. “This is the second girls’ sport in two years to be approved. In recognizing the National Federation of High School Associations (NFHS), we will be initiating development of a girls’ flag football rules book in January 2025. This will allow us to develop our process to host a championship. The structural changes to the sport won’t begin until the 2025-26 school year. The PIAA thanks the National Football League, Eagles, and Steelers
for their support and efforts for girls’ flag football.”

As part of a collaborative approach to get girls’ flag football sanctioned, the Eagles and Steelers worked in tandem over the past three flag seasons to grow the game at the youth level for girls through education, engagement, distribution of equipment, and resources. In July 2023, the PIAA designated girls’ flag football as an emerging sport in Pennsylvania thanks to the efforts of both clubs. This designation served as the next step in the process of getting girls’ flag football sanctioned and ultimately becoming an official sport in PA.

“This is not just an important day for the Eagles and Steelers, but for the sport of football and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” said Jeffrey Lurie, Chairman & CEO, Philadelphia Eagles. “When we launched our girls’ flag football league in 2022, we set an ambitious five-year goal to get the sport sanctioned in our state. Now, here we are three seasons later and two years ahead of schedule. The sport’s organic growth is a credit to the participants, administrators, coaches, officials, and parents who helped raise the profile of girls’ flag football. We thank the PIAA for their leadership in recognizing a sport that has the power to unlock new pathways and opportunities for
girls of all ages in every community.”

“We are excited to see such a groundbreaking moment for the future of girls’ flag football,” said Art Rooney II, Steelers President. “It has been great working with the Eagles to accomplish a successful ruling that will now give young girls the chance to compete at a state level. We look forward to seeing how girls’ flag football continues to grow in Pennsylvania and worldwide.”

Launched in the Spring of 2022, the Eagles Girls’ Flag League began with 16 schools from the Philadelphia Public and Catholic Leagues. The program then expanded to 38 teams in 2023 and then to 65 in 2024. Of those participating teams, the Philadelphia Public and Catholic Leagues have made girls’ flag an official sport within their
leagues – designating their own league chairs and hosting their own championships. The Eagles Girls’ Flag League has more than 1,600 girls playing throughout the eastern side of Pennsylvania.

The Eagles’ support for girls’ flag football has also included the facilitation of learn-to-play, coaching, and officiating clinics, a girls’ flag sports performance combine, girls’ flag jamborees, and the girls’ flag championships, which have been hosted at the NovaCare Complex and Lincoln Financial Field.

As part of their ongoing commitment to increase access to girls’ youth sports, the Eagles partnered with Operation Warm to launch an innovative new sports bra line – FLY:FWD – designed specifically for young girls and women
competing in sport. The initiative kicked off with the distribution of 30,000 FLY:FWD sports bras to girls in need across the Greater Philadelphia area.

The Steelers Girls’ Flag Football League began in 2022 with six schools. The first championship game was held at Acrisure Stadium. That year, the team hosted their first Steelers Flag Jamboree – a free camp for girls in grades 7-12 who are interested in learning more about playing flag football.

In 2023, the program grew to 17 schools with 22 teams. The organization implemented “Steelers Showcase Game of the Week,” where current Steelers players attend girls’ flag football games to show their support for the teams and highlight game changers within the league. Ahead of the 2023 season, the team hosted a special uniform
unveiling at Acrisure Stadium. The uniforms were hung in the Steelers locker room with special lighting to make it a one-of-a-kind experience for the participants. This year’s championship game was held at Carnegie Mellon University.

This year, the program grew to 36 high schools, with the Steelers hosting a girls’ flag coaching clinic and college showcase. The “Steelers Showcase Game of the Week” and Steelers Flag Jamborees are still largely successful events that continue to highlight girls’ flag football, giving girls the opportunity to learn more about the sport.

The Eagles and Steelers have received generous support to help grow and expand the game for girls from organizations, such as the NFL Foundation, NFL Flag, USA Football, Nike, FLY:FWD, and corporate partners. Items provided by both NFL clubs to first-year programs: $3,000 stipend ($1,500 stipend to returning schools), 25 customized uniforms from Nike, 30 flag belts, six footballs, and USA Football Flag Kits (flags, cones, footballs).

(Story reported by Danielle Smith of Keystone News Service, published by Noah Haswell of Beaver County Radio on September 19, 2024 at 11:43 A.M.)

Pennsylvania families facing challenges with child and dependent care expenses may now benefit from a significant state tax break. The expansion of the Child and Dependent Care Enhancement Tax Credit is expected to directly benefit almost two hundred and ten thousand working families in Pennsylvania by providing them with additional financial support when they file their income taxes. Gillian Kratzer with the advocacy group Better Pennsylvania says the tax-credit expansion is a substantial benefit, as it increased from six hundred dollars to twenty-one hundred dollars.

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published September 19, 2024 11:27 A.M.

(Aliquippa, Pa) No officers were hit when a male fired shots in the area of Valley Terrace Apartments Tuesday night. State Police were asked by Aliquippa Police to take over the investigation of a male dressed in all black after Aliquippa officers lost sight of the male following a chase after 6pm Tuesday night. The incident occurred at Building C of the Valley Terrace Apartments on Superior Avenue. The investigation is ongoing.

FILE – Chester County, Pa., election workers process mail-in and absentee ballots at West Chester University in West Chester, Pa., Nov. 4, 2020. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)

Pennsylvania voters are not yet able to cast ballots, despite some confusion over a state law concerning applications for mail ballots. Counties in the state are still preparing mail ballots for voters.

Pennsylvania counties, which typically send out mail-in ballots weeks before the election to voters who request them, have been waiting for the state Supreme Court to rule in multiple cases concerning whether third-party candidates could be listed on the ballot. The last ruling came Monday, and now county election officials say they will need time to test, print and mail the ballots.

That process could drag into next month, depending on the county.

“It could very well be till the first week of October until ballots start going out to those voters,” said Lisa Schaefer, executive director of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania.

Confusion over Pennsylvania’s voting process stems from a state law requiring counties to begin processing voters’ applications for mail ballots 50 days before an election, which is Sept. 16 this year.

But Sept. 16 is “not a hard-and-fast date for when counties must have mail ballots ready to provide to voters who request them,” Amy Gulli, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Department of State, wrote in an email.

Following the Monday’s court ruling, Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt certified the official candidate list for the November general election. Counties can now prepare their ballots to be printed, then begin sending mail ballots to voters who have requested them, Schmidt said in a news release Monday.

Under state law, counties must start delivering or mailing the official mail-in ballots to voters who applied for one as soon as a ballot is certified and available.

Counties may also have mail-in ballots available earlier for over-the-counter service for voters who come into a county election office and apply for a ballot in person.

Cumberland County Elections Director Bethany Salzarulo said in a statement that her office had been hearing from voters and others that ballots would be going out Sept. 16, which is “not accurate.”

“Historically, mail-in and absentee ballots are sent out three to four weeks prior to any election, and we are on track to do the same for the upcoming presidential election,” Salzarulo added.

The Philadelphia City Commissioners Office said it anticipates that ballots will go out in Philadelphia County next week.

Pennsylvania does not have an early voting system where voters can cast ballots at the polls before Election Day like some other states. In the commonwealth, registered voters can apply for their mail ballot in person at their local county elections office and submit their mail ballot in one visit, but they can’t go vote at a polling place prior to Election Day.

“Pennsylvania has mail-in ballots, and every eligible voter can get one of those as soon as those ballots are available,” Schaefer said. “Voters should not be concerned that they are not able to get those yet.”

The deadline for counties to receive a completed mail-in ballot is when polls close, by law, at 8 p.m. on Election Day. The deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot is Oct. 29, one week before the Nov. 5 election.

FILE – The cover of a U.S. Passport is displayed in Tigard, Ore., Dec. 11, 2021. Americans can now renew their passports online, bypassing a cumbersome mail-in paper application process that often caused delays. The State Department announced Wednesday that its online passport renewal system is now fully operational. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans can now renew their passports online, bypassing a cumbersome mail-in paper application process that often caused delays.

The State Department announced Wednesday that its online passport renewal system is now fully operational.

“By offering this online alternative to the traditional paper application process, the Department is embracing digital transformation to offer the most efficient and convenient passport renewal experience possible,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

After staffing shortages caused mainly by the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in lengthy passport processing delays, the department ramped up hiring and introduced other technological improvements that have reduced wait times by about one-third over last year. It says most applications are now completed in far less than the advertised six weeks to eight weeks and the online renewal system is expected to further reduce that.

The system will allow renewal applicants to skip the current process, which requires them to print out and send paper applications and a check by mail, and submit their documents and payment through a secure website, www.Travel.State.Gov/renewonline.

BEAVER, PA (September 18, 2024) – The Beaver County Commissioners announced that the first homes in the countywide Connect Beaver County Broadband Program are now eligible for high-speed fiber-optic
Internet access.

“Today starts the reality of a goal our team at the Office of Planning and Redevelopment has had for several years – to bring broadband Internet access to every resident of Beaver County,” said Commissioner Dan Camp. “Our successful partnership with Verizon and dedication to this project is now bringing the results we’ve been looking forward to for many years.”

Approximately 250 addresses throughout Hookstown Borough, Greene Township, and Hanover Township are the first available to receive service through the County’s contract with Verizon. To date, Verizon has placed more than 166 miles of fiber-optic cable. Homes located within the new fiber build have multiple Internet options including up to 2 Gigabit download speeds. The announcement marks a long-awaited milestone in the Connect Beaver County Broadband Program.

In 2019, the Beaver County Office of Planning and Development set aside $11.9 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for this phase of the Connect Beaver County Broadband Program. As part of its successful response to proposal in 2022, Verizon agreed to more than match the County’s investment by contributing another $12.3 million. Additional ARPA Funds were designated for Early Action Projects performed by Armstrong and Kinetic in the northwest and southeast areas of the County, respectively.

“Having a plan for 100% coverage is a goal that few counties are able to boast,” said Commissioner Jack Manning. “Our Board of Commissioners recognized early on that high-speed broadband service is essential for our County’s long-term viability and livability, and it’s an exciting time for the project as more and more of our residents are able to seek opportunities presented by the digital world.”

Beaver County continues to serve as a national leader in broadband infrastructure development. The Connect Beaver County Program demonstrates the power of collaboration between the public and private sectors to bridge the digital divide and create a more connected community.

“We are proud of the hard work that our team at the Office of Planning and Redevelopment has achieved to arrive at this point,” said Commissioner Tony Amadio. “We know these investments will be transformational for residents in Beaver County who have for too long been unable to enjoy a certain quality of life.”

More than 1,800 locations throughout the County previously identified in a 2021 Beaver County Broadband Feasibility report as Connectivity Opportunity Areas will receive service through Verizon before the project’s expected completion in 2026.

Other Beaver County municipalities with Verizon construction slated for 2025 or 2026 include: Big Beaver Borough, Brighton Township, Center Township, Chippewa Township, Darlington Township, Daugherty Township, Eastvale Borough, Frankfort Springs Borough, Franklin Township, Hanover Township (additional locations), Hopewell Township, Independence Township, Industry Borough, Marion Township, Midland Borough, New Sewickley Township, North Sewickley Township, Ohioville
Borough, Patterson Township, Potter Township, Raccoon Township, Shippingport Borough, South Beaver Township.

Newly eligible residents can call Verizon at 1-800-225-5499 to subscribe.

Residents’ previous enrollment in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) or enrollment in Lifeline, Medicaid, or other programs, may indicate eligibility for the Verizon Forward program, a reduced-cost Internet program for qualifying households.

As soon as service becomes available in eligible areas, Verizon will notify serviceable locations.

FILE – Colorful Tupperware products are seen in Bellflower, Calif. on Aug. 5, 2011. (AP Photo/Garrett Cheen, File)

Tupperware Brands, the company that revolutionized food storage decades ago, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

The company plans to continue operating and will seek court approval for a sale, it said just before midnight on Tuesday.

The company is seeking bankruptcy protection amid growing struggles to revitalize its business. Tupperware sales growth improved during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, but overall sales have been in steady decline since 2018 due to rising competition. And financial troubles have continued to pile up for the Orlando, Florida, company.

Doubts around Tupperware’s future have floated around for some time. Last year, the company sought additional financing as it warned investors about its ability to stay in business and its risk of being delisted from the New York Stock Exchange.

Shares have fallen 75% this year and closed Tuesday at about 50 cents apiece.

Tupperware experienced explosive growth in the mid 20th century with the rise of Tupperware parties, first held in 1948. Tupperware parties gave many women a chance to run their own businesses out of their homes, selling the products within social circles.

The system worked so well Tupperware removed its products from stores three years later. Social changes, namely fewer dinners made from scratch and more nights spent dining out, took a toll Tupperware sales.

HARRISBURG – In recognition of Hunger Action Month, Sen. Elder Vogel, Jr. (R-47) stood with local and state leaders to shed light on the impacts of food insecurity in Pennsylvania and how the state is involved in addressing and spreading awareness about hunger.

According to Feeding America, with a population of almost 13 million, one in eight (1.5 million) Pennsylvanians and one in six (436,250) children continue to face some kind of food insecurity.

“There is no county in our commonwealth that has been untouched by food insecurity,” said Vogel. “With many factors contributing to Pennsylvanians experiencing hunger, such as the rise in inflation and overall price increases, residents continue to face the difficult decision of choosing between paying their bills and purchasing groceries for their family. All our residents deserve to have access to quality, healthy food, and as a legislator I remain committed to supporting responsible initiatives that will make this a reality.”

Vogel and Rep. Emily Kinkead (D-20) lead the bipartisan Legislative Hunger Caucus and oversee the Capitol Hunger Garden.

The Hunger Garden has been in operation since 2010 and has been maintained by volunteers, Penn State Master Gardeners, and the Department of General Services. Hundreds of pounds of produce continue to be donated to Downtown Daily Bread who in turn provides hearty meals to the homeless in the Harrisburg area. This year so far 426 pounds of produce have been donated with more to come as the season continues.

Other press conference attendees included Pennsylvania Dept. of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding; Pennsylvania Dept. of Human Services Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh; Feeding PA CEO Julie Bancroft; Central PA Food Bank CEO Joe Arthur; and Hunters Sharing the Harvest Executive Director Randy Ferguson.

The state departments of Agriculture and Human Services continue to play a critical role in assisting with nutrition and food assistance which are available statewide to those in need.

Secretaries Redding and Arkoosh provided their perspectives as to how their departments actively assist to address food insecurity.

“In a state where we have so much bounty, no one should go hungry,” said Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding. “Partnerships with Feeding Pennsylvania, Hunger-Free Pennsylvania, and groups like Hunters sharing the Harvest extend our reach to Pennsylvanians who need our help. The department connects more than two million Pennsylvanians annually with healthy, local food through the Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System and Local Food Purchase Assistance and other food assistance programs. Over the past year, these state and federal investments alone meant that $15 million in Pennsylvania-produced fruit, vegetables, animal protein, and dairy products reached families in need in every county in the state, while also supporting our farms and communities.”

“Every Pennsylvanian deserves the dignity and peace of mind of knowing where their next meal is coming from. Helping our communities affected by food insecurity requires public investment in anti-hunger initiatives and strong partnerships with agriculture, anti-hunger organizations, and private partners – work that DHS is proud to support,” said Human Services Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh. “SNAP and anti-hunger programs are here to help, so I urge those who need help paying for food to apply for nutrition assistance rather than going without and putting your health at risk. For those who are able, please consider donating your time or treasure to local food banks, pantries, and community kitchens. Our communities are only as strong as our neighbors who are struggling, so let’s work together to make sure every Pennsylvanian has what they need to be healthy, pursue their goals, and thrive.”

Ferguson, who is the executive director for Hunters Sharing the Harvest, shared a unique account of how his organization helps fight hunger through distribution of donated venison.

“Pennsylvania hunters are not just taking care of their families with the deer they are harvesting here in Pennsylvania, but they are performing a social service on a scale that may surprise you,” said Ferguson.

Ferguson stated that last year alone, Pennsylvania hunters donated 262,000 pounds (about 7,000 deer) of venison, which they equate to 1.3 million servings of venison, to the food insecure in the state. Over the course of the organization’s 33 years in operation approximately 2.5 million pounds of venison have been donated in Pennsylvania.

On the legislative front, the General Assembly has helped fight against hunger in many ways, especially through its state budget.

Specifically in this year’s budget, the legislature allocated:

• $98.8 million toward School Food Services.
• $26.7 million toward the State Food Purchase Program under PA Dept. of Agriculture.
• $2 million toward the Fresh Food Financing Initiative under the PA Dept. of Agriculture.
• $1 million toward the Food Access Initiative under the PA Dept. of Community and Economic Development which funds the DCED Fresh Food Financing Initiative administered by The Food Trust.