Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published April 10, 2024 9:18 A.M.

(Hopewell Township, Pa) At Tuesday night’s brief work session, Hopewell School Board hired Samantha lash as an elementary music teacher.  Her salary was set at $57,025, she begins her duties Wednesday, April 10, 2024.   The board hired 4 assistant soccer coaches, 2 paraprofessionals resigned, and head cheer coach Shelley Syrko resigned effective April 3, 2024.

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley celebrates after the Final Four college basketball championship game against Iowa in the women’s NCAA Tournament, Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Cleveland. South Carolina won 87-75. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

The women’s NCAA championship game drew a bigger television audience than the men’s title game for the first time, with an average of 18.9 million viewers watching undefeated South Carolina beat Iowa and superstar Caitlin Clark. The Sunday afternoon game on ABC and ESPN outdrew Monday’s men’s final between UConn and Purdue by four million. The Huskies’ 75-60 victory averaged 14.82 million on TBS and TNT. The women’s final was the second most-watched non-Olympic women’s sporting event on U.S. television, trailing only the 2015 Women’s World Cup final between the United States and Japan.

Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher David Bednar walks to the dugout after being pulled from the team’s baseball game against the Detroit Tigers in the ninth inning in Pittsburgh, Tuesday, April 9, 2024. The Tigers won 5-3. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pirates two-time All-Star closer David Bednar is off to a rough start. Bednar blew his third save in four opportunities this season in a 5-3 loss to Detroit. The 29-year-old Bednar, a Pittsburgh native, was booed after letting a two-run lead slip away. Pirates first baseman chastised the fans for their behavior, calling it “unacceptable.” Bednar says control issues are his biggest problem at the moment. He added he plans to get with the coaching staff to figure out what the issue is. Even with Bednar struggling, the Pirates are off to a 9-3 start heading into a four-game series at Philadelphia.

Beaver County Radio News Staff. Published April 9, 2024 2:17 P.M.

(Elizabeth Township, Pa) A missing Brighton Township man’s truck has reportedly been found in the Monongahela River in Elizabeth Township. 36 year-old Brian Posch was last seen Friday at 11 AM operating a white Ford Super Duty. No further details have been made available at this time.

Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published April 9, 2024 10:59 A.M.

(Aliquippa, Pa) The City of Aliquippa is seeking a full time police officer. Applications may be picked up at the city building for those having completed Act 120 training, are at least 18 years old and physically fit, and a licensed driver.

Students walk to and from classes on the Indiana University campus, Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021, in Bloomington, Ind. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Harrisburg, PA (April 8, 2024) – As part of America Saves Week, the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) is partnering with the Pennsylvania Treasury Department (Treasury) to host a free financial aid webinar geared toward helping students and families plan for the cost of college.

During the webinar, scheduled for April 9, from 12:00 – 1:00 PM, PHEAA financial aid experts will present an overview of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) process including an overview of financial aid opportunities in Pennsylvania and recent changes to calculating awards.

“It is our pleasure to join Treasury in providing a forum for college-bound students and their families to learn more about affording higher education during America Saves Week,” said Senator Wayne Fontana, Chairman of the PHEAA Board of Directors. “This free webinar is an excellent opportunity for them to take the first and most critical step in applying for financial aid – completing and submitting the FAFSA.”

“We’re excited to partner with PHEAA on this webinar to help Pennsylvania families save for their children’s future education,” Treasurer Stacy Garrity said. “It can seem overwhelming, but this webinar will give parents the tools they need to complete the FAFSA – along with an overview of the PA 529 College and Career Savings Program, which has been helping families save for more than three decades. PA 529 accounts are a fantastic way to save for any form of post-high school education, including qualified apprenticeships, technical schools, community colleges, and 4-year universities.”

“In keeping with PHEAA’s mission to provide affordable access to higher education, it made perfect sense to join Treasury in this webinar,” said James Steeley, PHEAA President & CEO.  “We encourage every student and parent to take the steps necessary to find affordable funding options for higher education. Joining us for this webinar is an excellent start.”

Families can register to attend the free webinar at https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/4880897480333903190.

Students and families are encouraged to visit PHEAA on Facebook, X (@PHEAAaid), and LinkedIn where they can learn more about the college financial aid process, register for reminders of financial aid deadlines, and get information pertaining to planning for college. Additionally, video tutorials explaining the student aid process and types of aid available can be found at YouTube.com/PHEAAstudentAid.

Beaver County Radio News Staff. Published April 9, 2024 10:54 A.M.

(Brighton Township, Pa) As of Tuesday morning, Brighton Twp. Police reported that they had no update about a man who was reported missing over the weekend. Brighton Township Police are continuing to look for 36 year-old Brian Posch. Posch is described as a white male that is 5’11” 205LBS. He has hazel eyes, brown hair, both ears pierced, and a tattoo of the word “Posch” on his right rib area. He was last seen on Friday at 11 AM operating a white Ford Super Duty PA registration ZTH8685. Brighton Twp. is asking anyone who has seen or talked to Posch to contact them at 724-775-0880.
TUESDAY 2:30PM UPDATE HERE: https://beavercountyradio.com/news/missing-brighton-township-mans-truck-found/

Gas prices are 10 cents higher in Western Pennsylvania this week at $3.839 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

This week’s average prices: Western Pennsylvania Average                         $3.839
Average price during the week of April 1, 2024                                                $3.735
Average price during the week of April 10, 2023                                              $3.757

The average price of unleaded self-serve gasoline in various areas:      

$3.809      Altoona
$3.839      Beaver
$3.846      Bradford
$3.811      Brookville
$3.841      Butler
$3.711      Clarion
$3.848      DuBois
$3.857      Erie
$3.852      Greensburg
$3.881      Indiana
$3.868      Jeannette
$3.821      Kittanning
$3.818      Latrobe
$3.877      Meadville
$3.880      Mercer
$3.726      New Castle
$3.864      New Kensington
$3.888      Oil City
$3.842      Pittsburgh
$3.823      Sharon
$3.844      Uniontown
$3.886      Warren
$3.860      Washington

Trend Analysis:

As domestic gasoline demand increases and oil prices are now in the mid-$80s per barrel range, the national average for a gallon of gas climbed six cents to $3.59 over the past week. Today’s national average is 19 cents more than a month ago and the same as a year ago.

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand rose from 8.72 to 9.23 million barrels per day last week. Meanwhile, total domestic gasoline stocks decreased by 4.2 million barrels to 227.8 million barrels. Higher demand and rising oil prices will likely nudge pump prices higher.

At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate increased by 28 cents to settle at $85.43. Renewed Ukrainian attacks on Russia’s oil infrastructure and increasing tension in the Middle East are causing oil prices to spike even though EIA reporting an increase of 3.2 million barrels from the previous week. At 451.4 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are about 2% below the five-year average for this time of year.

Danielle Smith – Keystone State News Service

In less than a week, Pennsylvania residents who need assistance in filing their income-tax returns can use the free services of the AARP Foundation’s Tax-Aide program. You don’t have to be an AARP member or a senior citizen to get help.

Francis Tremel, Pennsylvania state coordinator for the program, said while Tax-Aide volunteers assist people of all ages, their main focus is on serving individuals with low to moderate incomes.

“Last year, over 1.5 million Tax-Aide participants nationwide saved more than $1.1 million in refunds and credits. I work also at the Indiana office,” Tremel said. “And we will do 1,200 returns this year, which is a very significant number for individuals that really need the assistance.”

Tremel emphasized the volunteers are trained and IRS-certified to ensure they are caught up on the latest changes to the Tax Code. He added that volunteers can help in most cases, but the only restriction would be if a return is very complicated, such as a business return that has depreciation.

Tax-Aide is a full-service tax program that assists Pennsylvanians with federal, state and local returns and the Pennsylvania tax rebate program, and he explained that the program offers several options for taxpayers to get assistance.

“Obviously the in-person is probably the most popular, at least here in western Pennsylvania,” he continued. “And we also have a drop-off service that has a very specific set of guidelines set up to assure taxpayer privacy and confidentiality of their documents.”

Tremel said Tax-Aide also offers online coaching, facilitated self-assistance and self-preparation where taxpayers prepare their own return using a software product made available through the website. Pennsylvanians can find the closest site at AARPfoundation.org/TaxAide.

FILE – Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro arrives in Blue Bell, Pa., Friday, Jan. 5, 2024. Shapiro, a Democrat, is a prolific Tik Tok poster, with his efforts beginning on the campaign trail through a personal account. The first-termer is a rising star in the Democratic Party and among a handful of governors who are building their national profiles and possibly positioning themselves for a 2028 run for the White House. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Efforts to ban TikTok from government devices have picked up steam in the past year in state legislatures and Congress even as politicians continue to use it to connect with and expand their base. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is a prolific poster, but legislation seeking to ban the app from state networks and devices could reach his desk soon. Researchers say using social media to connect with constituents has a long history. And it’s largely Democrats having the internal debate about using TikTok while weighing a significant ban over security concerns. A TikTok spokesman said there is “no regard for the facts” when bills like this are pushed through.