On Thursday, the United States Department of Labor announced that benefits for unemployment that were filed in Pennsylvania increased after last week in comparison to the previous week. According to the Department of Labor, more than five hundred claims for unemployment were added from two weeks ago, from 10,033 to 10,524. Meanwhile, in the United States, the total number of claims from last week went up to two-hundred and twenty-one thousand, three thousand more after a sum of the week that passed before last week of two-hundred and eighteen thousand. 

Source for Photo: In this Wednesday, June 3, 2020 photo, Juan Santos stocks shelves at the Presidente Supermarket in the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami. The U.S. government is set to issue its latest report on the layoffs that have left millions unemployed but have steadily slowed as many businesses have begun to reopen and to rehire some laid-off workers. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

(Reported by Danielle Smith of Keystone News Service)

Behavioral-health providers in Pennsylvania face financial instability because of inconsistent rate increases, impacting staff recruitment and retention. In a survey by the Pennsylvania Council of Children, Youth and Family Services, one provider stated that when increases occur, seventy percent goes to salaries, twenty to occupancy, and ten percent to insurance. Adelphoi CEO Nancy Kukovich recommends improved Behavioral Health Managed Care Organizations review processes for rate increase requests, citing insufficient state oversight over the rate request process. She says their evidence-based multi-systemic therapy is in need of a master’s-level therapist, but due to lack of funding it’s been difficult to recruit for this position. 

Gas prices are five cents lower in Western Pennsylvania this week at $3.416 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report. 

This week’s average prices: Western Pennsylvania Average:                         $3.416
Average price during the week of Nov. 4, 2024:                                                $3.462
Average price during the week of Nov. 13, 2023:                                         $3.708

The Western Pennsylvania Average for a gallon of gas is .046 cents less than a week ago and .246 less than a year ago. The average price you can expect to receive for a gallon of unleaded gas here in Beaver County is $3.353.

The average price of unleaded self-serve gasoline in various areas, according to AAA:
$3.432      Altoona
$3.353      Beaver
$3.746      Bradford
$3.370      Brookville
$3.357      Butler
$3.377      Clarion
$3.417      DuBois
$3.434      Erie
$3.439      Greensburg
$3.432      Indiana
$3.467      Jeannette
$3.487      Kittanning
$3.421      Latrobe
$3.540      Meadville
$3.408      Mercer
$3.212      New Castle
$3.271      New Kensington
$3.542      Oil City
$3.420      Pittsburgh
$3.129      Sharon
$3.402      Uniontown
$3.759      Warren
$3.152      Washington

Source for Photo: FILE – In this Monday, Sept. 16, 2019, file photo, a woman pumps gas at a convenience store in Pittsburgh. Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg of the Lundberg Survey said Sunday, March 15, 2020, that gas prices could continue to fall as demand shrinks amid the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

A tour was given to the administration of Governor Josh Shapiro to check out Riverton Farms in Doylesburg, part of Franklin County on November 1st, 2024. Seventeen other farms that are owned by veterans, along with Riverton Farms were provided with grants, thanks to the PA Veteran Farming Network. Agricultral Secretary Russell Reading talked about how the grants will help to expand the agricultural landscape to help veterans who work in this field. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture developed the PA Veteran Farming Network in 2023.

Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Paul Skenes is officially a finalist for two of Major League Baseball’s top awards for the 2024 season. On Monday, according to the Baseball Writers Association of America, Skenes joins fellow pitchers Chris Sale and Zach Wheeler to round out the National League Cy Young Award finalists, while Skenes also joins top rookie players Jackson Chourio and Jackson Merill as the National League Rookie of the Year finalists. In only twenty-three major league starts, Skenes posted a 1.96 ERA with 170 strikeouts, 0.95 WHIP, and an 11-3 record. Skenes, who was drafted first overall last year also pitched as the starter for the 2024 MLB All-Star Game for the National League. 

Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates first round draft pick, pitcher Paul Skenes, left, poses with Pirates general manager Ben Cherington after signing with the team in Pittsburgh, Tuesday, July 18, 2023. The Pirates drafted Skenes first player overall in this year’s Major League Baseball draft. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Even though the United States Senate race ended with Republican David McCormick announced the winner, his Democratic opponent Bob Casey will still not surrender after a very close voting race. On Saturday and Sunday, McCormick and his lead increased and in the morning of Monday, forty-thousand votes separated him and Casey. The estimated percentage that McCormick is ahead by is 0.58, which is over the 0.5 percent mark in which the vote would be processed to be recounted. According to the Pennsylvania Secretary of State, around one-hundred thousand ballots were not counted as of Thursday, and the campaign of Casey is aware that the majority lean towards Democrats. Evidence of complaints filed by McCormick last week about canvassing the provisional ballots in Philadelphia, according to the team of Casey, is developing towards a suspicious end to the closest election race in the state of Pennsylvania.

Source for Photo: This combination of photos taken in Pennsylvania shows Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., left, at a campaign event, Sept. 13, 2024, in Wilkes-Barre, and David McCormick, the Republican nominee for Senate in Pennsylvania, at a campaign event, April 25, 2024, in Harrisburg. (AP Photo)

(Reported by Beaver County Radio news Correspondant Sandy Giordano, Published on November 12, 2024 at 6:23 A.M.)

Aliquippa Police responded to 1917 Main Street after a call came in Sunday night at 9:31 p.m. from a female for an unwanted person. According to the report, the caller told police she was assaulted by Johnny Hill, Jr. on the front porch of the residence He struck her multiple times, causing her eye to swell shut. Police reported that they observed swelling and bruising  on the victim’s face. Two witnesses provided police with information about the altercation. 

Hill was arrested and transported to the police department. He was transported to the Beaver County Jail and is facing charges of simple assault, harassment, and recklessly endangering another person.

(Reported by Beaver County Radio News Correspondant Sandy Giordano, Published on November 11th, 2024 at 10:14 A.M.)

Teachers from the Hopewell School District as well as their National Junior Honor Society and National Honor Society are holding a food drive. A non perishable food drive is in progress from November 1-12, 2024 at all school buildings. Monetary and food donations will be accepted until Friday, November 15, 2024 at the high school main office entrance. 

The non-perishable items are needed, not only for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, but for every day use too.

Please help those in need in your neighborhood. 

(Reported by Beaver County Radio News Correspondant Sandy Giordano, Published on November 11th, 2024 at 10:10 A.M.)

Beauty and the Beast, Jr. will be performed by Hopewell Junior High School. Chad Toporski, music director and teacher at the junior high school announced the showtimes for the production will be at 7 p.m., on Friday, November 22nd and Saturday, November 23rd, at 2 p.m. and at 7 p.m., The Cost is $10 for adults, $6 for students, and $6 for Senior citizens. 

Toporski is also leaving the Hopewell Are School District in January because he has accepted a similar position in the Quaker Valley School District. 

The 2024-2025 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program or LIHEAP, for short, was announced by the Shapiro administration on Friday, November 1st.  Dr. Valerie Arkoosh delivered a message that Pennsylvanians who are qualified can get their heating bills paid from this program. LIHEAP is a program that is federally funded to assist both homeowners along with renters to pay their heating bills as the cold winter months approach.