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)

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s highest court on Wednesday said people whose mail ballots are rejected for not following technical procedures in state law can cast provisional ballots, a decision sure to affect some of the thousands of mail-in votes likely to be rejected this fall.

The Supreme Court ruled 4-3 that Butler County’s Republican-majority election board must count provisional ballots that were cast by two voters after they learned their mail-in ballots were voided because they arrived without mandatory secrecy envelopes.

The decision was a legal defeat for the Republican National Committee and the state Republican Party, which had argued Butler County had correctly rejected the provisional ballots cast during the April primary.

Secrecy envelopes keep ballots concealed as elections workers open the stamped outer envelopes used to mail the whole packets back. Voters also must sign and date the exterior envelopes. Pennsylvania voters have so far applied for more than 1.9 million mail ballots.

The two voters had received emails notifying them of the “naked ballot” problem, and they both went to their polling places on the primary election day and cast provisional ballots. They sued after learning the Butler County Board of Elections also rejected their provisional ballots, and a county judge upheld the election officials’ decisions.

Mail-in ballot rules in Pennsylvania changed drastically under a 2019 law, widely expanding their use and producing a series of lawsuits. Pennsylvania’s status as the swing state with the most electoral votes in the close presidential election, now in its final two weeks, puts the court decision under heightened scrutiny as the parties scrape for votes.

Most counties — but not all — help inform voters in advance of Election Day that their mail-in ballot will be rejected, giving them the opportunity to cast a provisional ballot at their polling place, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania.

“The General Assembly wrote the Election Code with the purpose of enabling citizens to exercise their right to vote, not for the purpose of creating obstacles to voting,” wrote Justice Christine Donohue for the majority.

In a dissent joined by the other Republican on the court and one of the five Democratic justices, Justice Kevin Brobson argued the two voters had already cast their ballots by mail, so the provisional ballots they also cast should not be counted.

He said voters have to follow election laws, whether that means using the secrecy envelope or showing up at the polls during the time they are open. State lawmakers could have told election boards to count provisional ballots under such circumstances, Brobson wrote.

“The General Assembly, however, clearly did not, and this Court is not at liberty to make additions or modifications to the unambiguous statutory language in order to effectuate that result,” Brobson said.

An ACLU lawyer involved in the case, Witold Walczak, said Wednesday the decision applies across the state, that all voters whose mail-in ballots are disqualified for any reason will be allowed to cast valid provisional ballots.

“In the end, this is about not two votes counting or zero votes counting, it’s about one vote counting,” Walczak said. “If your first vote does not count, as with these disqualified mail ballots, the provisional ballot must count. You’re entitled to have one vote counted.”

Walczak expects the number of disqualified mail-in ballots to be in the tens of thousands in this year’s election.

FILE – A Denny’s restaurant is shown Sept. 14, 2017, in Cranberry, Pa.(AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File)

Denny’s says it’s closing 150 of its lowest-performing restaurants in an effort to turn around the brand’s flagging sales.

About half of the closures will happen this year and the rest in 2025, the company said during a meeting with investors Tuesday. The locations weren’t revealed, but the restaurants represent around 10% of Denny’s total.

Stephen Dunn, Denny’s executive vice president and chief global development officer, said in some cases, the restaurants are no longer in good locations.

“Some of these restaurants can be very old,” Dunn said during the investor meeting. “You think of a 70-year-old plus brand. We have a lot of restaurants that have been out there for a very long time.”

Others saw traffic shifts during the pandemic that have yet to reverse, he said.

On Tuesday, Denny’s reported its fifth straight quarter of year-over-year declines in same-store sales, which are sales at locations open at least a year.

Restaurant inflation is outpacing grocery price inflation, which makes it harder for some customers to justify eating out, Denny’s said. And when they do eat out, they often head to fast-casual brands like Chipotle or fast-food chains. Denny’s said family dining — the category in which it competes — has lost the most customer traffic since 2020.

Still, Denny’s said it has bright spots, including a value menu that lifted sales in its most recent quarter and growing sales of its delivery-only brands like Banda Burrito.

Shares in Denny’s Corp., which is based in Spartanburg, South Carolina, tumbled almost 18% on Tuesday.

Harrisburg, PA – Today, the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP), Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA), and Department of Aging (PDA) joined officials from the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General to encourage Pennsylvanians to take part in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day initiative this Saturday, October 26.

The DEA has offered National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day since 2010 with the goal of fighting prescription drug misuse by creating convenient ways to dispose of medication that could otherwise be at risk of misuse.

In addition to the DEA’s Prescription Drug Take-Back Days, the Shapiro Administration offers year-round opportunities to dispose of medication through DDAP’s Prescription Drug Take-Back Program. Today’s event was held at the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s headquarters in Harrisburg, which houses one of DDAP’s drug take-back boxes.

“This event is tailor-made to dispose of expired, unused and unwanted prescription medications in a safe manner. It’s a simple three-step process: clean out your medicine cabinet, find the nearest take-back box, and drop off the medications,” said DDAP Deputy Secretary Kelly Primus. “In addition to the DEA’s boxes, there are nearly 900 DDAP drug take-back boxes available throughout Pennsylvania year-round for residents to use, including at buildings throughout the Shapiro Administration. Every day – not just Saturday – is a take-back day in Pennsylvania.”

During the most recent National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day in April 2024, the DEA collected more than 31,000 pounds of unused medication in Pennsylvania alone across 263 collection sites.

Since the inception of Pennsylvania’s drug take-back program in 2015, more than 1.4 million, or 700 tons, of prescription medication have been destroyed across 67 Pennsylvania counties.

The PSP aims to provide a safe and convenient means of disposal year-round by collecting unwanted prescription medications at 65 stations across the Commonwealth. No personal information is required, and drop-off boxes are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. More than 4,400 pounds of medications were collected at PSP stations last year.

“Drug take-back boxes are safe, free of charge, easy to use, and conveniently located at a state police station near you,” said PSP Commissioner Colonel Christopher Paris. “Please make sure prescription medications do not end up in the wrong hands or used the wrong way by disposing of them properly and responsibly.”

The DMVA’s Counterdrug Joint Task Force (CJTF) is operated by the Pennsylvania National Guard (PNG) and, along with narcotics agents from the Attorney General’s office, is responsible for collecting and weighing discarded prescription drugs through Pennsylvania’s drug take-back program. In addition, the CJTF provides counterdrug support and training to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, community-based organizations, and educational and government organizations that request assistance at no cost to the agency supported. The PNG is part of the DMVA’s dual mission, which also includes supporting Pennsylvania’s more than 700,000 veterans.

“Safeguarding our communities is a priority for the DMVA, and that starts with eliminating threats and harmful temptations like the use of unused prescription drugs,” said Brigadier General John Pippy, Acting Adjutant General and head of the DMVA. “We are proud to partner with DDAP and other agencies on Saturday. Together, as one team, with one mission, we will properly transport and dispose of these drugs assuring that they will not fall into the wrong hands.”

“We thank our friends at DDAP for partnering on this proactive measure that will save lives,” Attorney General Michelle Henry said. “This partnership will offer everyone a chance to do their part in fighting the opioid epidemic by conveniently disposing of their expired and unwanted prescriptions.”

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 83 percent of adults 65 and older report they are currently taking prescription medicine and older adults are also more likely to be taking multiple prescription medications. This can lead to a higher rate of exposure to potentially addictive medications. The increased availability of prescription medication in the homes of older adults makes it vitally important to regularly clean out and dispose of old, unwanted, or unneeded prescription medication.

“An older adult’s prescription needs may change over time, resulting in either taking a different medication or stopping a particular one altogether. This could generate unused or unwanted prescriptions that remain in their home and potentially getting into the wrong hands, leading to misuse, developing a substance use disorder or lethal overdose,” said Secretary of Aging Jason Kavulich. “To protect both the older adults and the persons who may come across those prescriptions, we encourage everyone to consider the risks and to take proper action to discard those unused or unwanted medications.”

BEAVER FALLS, PA – Neighborhood North: Museum of Play celebrates 3 years of growth in their temporary space by launching a capital campaign and Giving Gears community funding campaign towards building their new permanent home. 

Neighborhood North: Museum of Play (NN) is a children’s museum project that started as a local pop-up exhibit in 2015; grew into a fully-operating temporary space in 2021; and now seeks to redevelop the unoccupied News Tribune Building into a permanent home for youth learning and exploration. The new space can serve as a keystone for downtown community renaissance in Beaver Falls. Currently the museum’s Preview Space occupies a former bank on the corner of 14th St & 8th Ave – a 2,500 sf space transformed and open daily for general fun, school field trips, birthday parties, and special learning events. The project’s immediate popularity and 3 years of continual growth has propelled it to plan a move into the former regional newspaper publishing and printing house, a few blocks away. 

Community Involvement Building a Community Museum 

This year, NN launched its capital campaign to fund the Tribune Building’s renovation. Over $1.2 million has been raised towards a $10 million goal. In addition to attracting large private donations and public grants, NN is now launching a community giving campaign called Giving Gears. This unique program offers anyone the opportunity to be a part of the museum’s construction. Donations ranging from $100 – $10,000 will directly support design and renovation, and will be recognized with an inscription on an actual machine gear. All sponsored gears will be interconnected in a brand new exhibit featured on the exterior of the new museum. Turning one gear will rotate all of them together – symbolizing the communal revitalization efforts. Giving Gears donation info is available at: https://www.neighborhoodnorth.com/giving-gears/. 

Founder and Executive Director, Christine Kroger says: “Giving Gears is a fantastic opportunity for classrooms, clubs, businesses, workplaces, families, friends, and groups of any kind to join together and raise money towards constructing a vital new children’s museum.” 

Full Steam Ahead on an Amazing Revitalization Journey 

Renovating the Tribune Building will create a premier regional attraction where children and families can access playful learning experiences that nurture curiosity, belonging, and confidence. The larger footprint (18,000 sf) will also integrate teen programs, adult-learning and family-engagement offerings. The Preview Site’s success (15,000+ visitors lifetime) has laid the groundwork for this new project to aim for a 2028 opening. Christine credits partnerships with local government and redevelopment agencies, as well as regional businesses and family foundations, for helping grow the audience for youth discovery and innovation in the region. 

(Pittsburgh, PA) PennDOT has revealed some guidelines for vehicles that can automatically drive without someone in the driver’s seat on the road. As of Wednesday, not only will these highly automated vehicles drive on roads, but also, people can go to a remote location to drive them. The HAV Advisory Committee, which was created in October 2018, teamed up with PennDOT to establish these guidelines for highly automated vehicles. In addition, this committee was made to continue to test these vehicles as well to keep Pennsylvania safe. 

(Reported by Beaver County News Correspondant Sandy Giordano, Published on October 23, 2024 at 10:03 A.M.)

The board voted at Tuesday night’s meeting and  unanimously approved  the building of an addition and to make alterations at the high school  that would include grades 7 and 8., making it a 7-12 facility. Construction of a new elementary school to include k-6. The district worked with the architectural firm  DRAW Collective representative Dan Engen  for the past 2 years  and public meetings , including regular school board meetings took place to come to the final decision. The estimated cost of the project is $112.6 million dollars. Hopewell Elementary School will be closed as a result of the final decision. Declining enrollment and condition of facilities necessitated  these actions, according to  Superintendent Dr. Jeff Beltz..

(Harrisburg, PA- AP) A bill that would give pension increases to more than 60,000 retired school and government workers passed the Pennsylvania House by a comfortable margin on Tuesday, although opponents warned it would saddle taxpayers with a $1 billion bill.

The 135-67 vote sent the measure to the Republican majority state Senate as the current two-year legislative session is winding down.

The proposal applies to municipal police officers and firefighters who have been retired for at least five years, as well as teachers and state employees who retired before July 2, 2001. A House financial analysis said the increases for teacher and state workers would range between 15% and nearly 25%, depending on when the person retired.

Supporters argued that public sector retirees used to get regular cost-of-living increases.

“They’ve had to make do because we haven’t done,” Majority Leader Matt Bradford, D-Montgomery, argued on the House floor. “Let’s give these folks the dollars they need to provide for themselves, since they have provided for us for so long.”

However, the Republicans who voted ‘no’ characterized it as unaffordable and hard to justify to constituents who don’t have traditional defined benefit pensions but will end up paying for the retirees’ raises. The financial analysis said the proposal would add $332 million to the unfunded liability for the State Employees’ Retirement System and $614 million for the Public School Employees’ Retirement System.

(Reported by Beaver County News Correspondant Sandy Giordano, Published on October 23, 2024 at 9:49 A.M.)

Mikaela Malobabich was hired as  a long term substitute teacher at the junior high school. she will begin her duties on  Thursday, October 25, 2024.  Sharon Mercer was hired  as a new junior high school grill-prep person in the cafeteria beginning today.  Lauren Hale was hired as a cafeteria substitute worker.. Tim McGovern was hired as a substitute custodian , Barry MacDonald was hired as a bus driver..

(Pittsburgh, PA) Pittsburgh International Airport could surpass over ten million passengers in 2024. According to data released on Friday during the Allegheny County Airport Authority’s monthly meeting, there were 7.5 million passengers through Pittsburgh International Airport through the end of September. The last time that Pittsburgh International Airport had ten million passengers was back in 2005.

(Harrisburg, PA) According to a release from the Pennsylvania Department of State, Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt said Tuesday that there is one week left to to apply for their mail-in ballot online or in person. Schmidt also hopes those who want to vote by mail to apply for and return their completed ballot as soon as possible to ensure their vote is counted. Schmidt also notes the steps to make sure their ballot is counted.

• Read all instructions enclosed with the ballot.
• Fill out the ballot by following the instructions on how to mark selections. Check both sides of the ballot in case there are races listed on the second page.
• Seal the ballot in the yellow inner secrecy envelope marked “official election ballot.” Do not make any stray marks on the envelope.
• Seal the yellow inner secrecy envelope in the pre-addressed outer return envelope.
• Sign and write the current date on the voter’s declaration on the outer return envelope.
• Mail or hand deliver the completed ballot to their county elections office, or hand deliver the ballot to an officially designated satellite office or drop box.

Source for Photo: In this Oct. 13, 2020, photo, an envelope of a Pennsylvania official mail-in ballot for the 2020 general election in Marple Township, Pa. The Supreme Court will allow Pennsylvania to count ballots received up to three days after the election, rejecting a Republican plea. The justices divided 4-4 on Oct. 19, an outcome that upholds a state Supreme Court ruling that allowed election officials to receive and count ballots until Nov. 6, even if they don’t have a clear postmark. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)