Beaver Falls, PA – One year ago, Geneva College launched the Geneva Tuition Promise, offering  free tuition to all eligible first-year, traditional undergraduate, Pennsylvania residents. Today, 96  students have joined the Geneva community with support of the Tuition Promise, and we look forward  to continuing this initiative this year.  

Students attending through the Tuition Promise program represent a broad range of families, high  schools, and geographic regions within Pennsylvania, and come with strong academic backgrounds.  Over 82% of students come with a GPA over 3.0. 

A few highlights of the Tuition Promise recipients include: 

• Students from more than 25 different church denominations 
• Families from 28 different counties in Pennsylvania ranging from Allegheny and Erie to Bucks,  Delaware, and Columbia 
• 25 Tuition Promise recipients are starting Engineering and Computer Science programs at  Geneva while 6 pre-medical and 5 future teachers are part of the cohort.  
• More than 25 of the Tuition Promise recipients were referred to Geneva by alumni through  Geneva’s Gold and White Program

VP of Enrollment and Marketing Willem de Ruijter says, “In a time when there is so much uncertainty  about the cost of higher education, the Tuition Promise helps put a quality Christian education within  reach. Though we knew there were many for whom college cost was a barrier, the Tuition Promise  has shown us that the college financial aid process is often completely overwhelming for families.  This program offers clarity that a college education is possible.” 

The Geneva Tuition Promise ensures that quality Christian higher education is within reach for every  Pennsylvania family. Traditional undergraduate students from families earning less than $70,000 pay  no tuition at Geneva College, starting with the incoming class of fall 2024.  

To be eligible for the Geneva Tuition Promise, a student must have a completed application for  admission and FAFSA by March 1, 2025, have official residency in Pennsylvania, and be eligible to  receive any amount of Pell Grant. Additional details for eligibility can be found on our website. 

The outcomes and value of a Geneva education are long-lasting. The Tuition Promise has helped  students and families who did not think college was an option for them, find a home here at Geneva. 

Jamie Swank, VP and Dean of Student Development says, “So many students face barriers of all  types, many of them are financial. My team works with students throughout their four years here to 

help them face challenges outside of the classroom to create a place where they can truly thrive. The  Tuition Promise is just another way we can support students and meet students where they are.” 

Through strong missional commitment and fiscal stewardship of our leadership and alumni network,  we are grateful to have seen success from this program and look forward to continuing to expand the  reach of Geneva’s ministry of education to more students in the years to come. 

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Through purposeful learning in a community reflecting the full spectrum of God’s kingdom, a Geneva  College experience inspires students to discover a faith-life calling in service to God and neighbor.  Offering 195+ traditional undergraduate majors and programs, fully online Adult Degree Programs  and high-demand graduate degrees, Geneva’s programs are recognized for their high quality and  affordability. Geneva was founded and is governed by the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North  America (RPCNA) and is a founding member of both the Council for Christian Colleges and  Universities (CCCU) and the International Association for Christian Education (IACE). 

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing daylight restrictions at an intersection at the southern end of the East Rochester-Monaca Bridge in Monaca Borough, Beaver County are underway today, September 5.

Lane closures will occur at the intersection of Seventeenth Street (Route 51) and Pennsylvania Avenue (Route 4044) Thursday, September 5 until 3 p.m. to allow crews to conduct line painting and removal of temporary signals at the intersection. There will be additional lane closures weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. through late September, as needed, to return the intersection back to its original configuration.

Flaggers will assist motorists through the work zone.

This $6.69 million project includes bridge preservation work on the Rochester-Monaca Bridge between Atlantic Avenue in Monaca Borough and Pleasant Street in Rochester Borough. Preservation work includes expansion joint replacement, zone painting, concrete deck overlay, downspout repair and replacement, steel and concrete repairs, as well as sidewalk, deck, barrier, and fence repairs, pavement marking upgrades, and other miscellaneous construction activities. This project is expected to be completed in late 2024.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand  jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon,  United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. 

The one-count Indictment named Tyland Witherspoon, 27, as the sole defendant. Witherspoon was arrested on August 30, 2024, related to this federal charge.  

According to the Indictment, on or about June 19, 2024, Witherspoon, who was previously  convicted of a felony, was found to be in possession of a Glock 23 40 caliber pistol along with  Smith & Wesson 40 caliber ammunition. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or  ammunition by a convicted felon.  

The law provides for a total sentence of up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based  upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.  

Assistant United States Attorney Nicole A. Stockey is prosecuting this case on behalf of the  government. 

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police  conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment. 

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all  levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun  violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department  launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles:  fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that  help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement  priorities, and measuring the results. 

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

Story by Sandy Giordnao – Beaver County Radio. Published September 5, 2024 11:58 A.M.

(Aliquippa, Pa) Just before midnight on Wednesday, a traffic stop was conducted by Aliquippa Police at Reed and McMinn Streets. The operator of the vehicle Auriana Lay, 21, was operating the vehicle while her license was under suspension. An officer had lay exit the vehicle as the second officer observed her male juvenile passenger reach into his waistband and attempt to shove a firearm under the seat. Police removed the juvenile and discovered a loaded Glock 20 10mm pistol.  According to the report, police confirmed the firearm was stolen from Rochester Borough.  Police said they also found marijuana on the juvenile. He was transported to the Aliquippa Police Department and securely detained.  Juvenile Services was contacted and he was transported by the Beaver County Sheriff’s Department to Ohio. He will be housed at the facility until he faces a hearing for the juvenile allegations.

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published September 4, 2024 2:23 P.M.

(Hopewell Township, Pa) On Thursday morning, September 5, 2024, the first ALICE Evacuation Drill of the Year will take place at 9:30am for the Hopewell School District.  Junior High School students and staff will evacuate to the Ohio UP Church parking lot. Drivers are being asked by police to be aware of pedestrian traffic in the area of Laird  Drive, Longvue Avenue, and Maratta Road. Please avoid the area for the safety of students, staff, and police officers.

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) today released the results of its annual Labor Day Weekend enforcement initiative.

During the four-day period from August 30 to September 2, the PSP investigated 580 crashes that resulted in 170 injuries and six deaths. Impaired driving was a factor in 65 of those crashes, three of which were fatal.

Troopers arrested 514 motorists for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and issued 24,865 citations, including:

• 7,069 for speeding
• 889 for failing to wear a seatbelt
• 121 for not securing children in safety seats

Table 1: Labor Day Weekend Crash Statistics

Table 2: Labor Day Weekend Enforcement Statistics

FILE – Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump attends a campaign rally in Waterford Township, Mich., Feb. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A man arrested last week at a Pennsylvania rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump had hoped to hang a banner to protest Trump’s policies, Johnstown’s police chief said Tuesday.

Authorities announced that misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest were filed against Stephen A. Weiss, 36, of Pittsburgh, who was taken into custody at Friday’s Trump rally.

Johnstown Police Chief Richard Pritchard said investigators do not know what the banner said because arena staff apparently discarded it. He said it was made from a bed sheet and that Weiss told a detective that he does not believe in Trump’s policies.

Pritchard said Weiss faked a foot injury and concealed a tube of glue in a metal crutch.

Weiss declined comment when reached by phone Tuesday, saying he was seeking legal advice.

The arrest affidavit by a Johnstown police detective said Weiss “ran onto the arena floor, jumped onto the media stage (and) began to yell towards the main stage where President Trump was speaking.” Weiss allegedly would not release himself from steel barricade fencing “and force had to be used,” police said in the charging document.

A man who accompanied Weiss to the rally told police he was unaware of Weiss’ plan, Pritchard said. The second man was not charged, the chief said.

Weiss also was charged with disrupting a public meeting, a misdemeanor. The Secret Service questioned Weiss on Friday and he was released later that night. He has a court hearing scheduled for Oct. 9.

A Trump campaign spokesman offered no immediate comment Tuesday.

The disruption occurred shortly after Trump criticized major media outlets for what he said was unfavorable coverage.

As Weiss was led away, the former president told the crowd: “Is there anywhere that’s more fun to be than a Trump rally?”

There has been heightened scrutiny of security at Trump rallies since a gunman fired at him, grazing his ear, during an outdoor rally in July in Butler, Pennsylvania. Security at political events has been noticeably tighter since then.

(Story written by Noah Haswell of Beaver County Radio, Published on September 4, 2024 at 10:13 A.M.)

(Pittsburgh, PA) The Pennsylvania Turnpike announced Wednesday morning that their *11 emergency phone number was down throughout the entire state. Drivers who are traveling on the turnpike should call 911 for emergency purposes until further notice, and officials for the turnpike will provide more information in the future. 

Gas prices are eight cents lower in Western Pennsylvania this week at $3.621 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

This week’s average prices: Western Pennsylvania Average                         $3.621
Average price during the week of August 26, 2024                                          $3.700
Average price during the week of September 5, 2023                                      $3.852

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

$3.434      Altoona
$3.743      Beaver
$3.802      Bradford
$3.443      Brookville
$3.593      Butler
$3.551      Clarion
$3.628      DuBois
$3.599      Erie
$3.659      Greensburg
$3.637      Indiana
$3.643      Jeannette
$3.744      Kittanning
$3.587      Latrobe
$3.608      Meadville
$3.712      Mercer
$3.570      New Castle
$3.546      New Kensington
$3.621      Oil City
$3.653      Pittsburgh
$3.491      Sharon
$3.656      Uniontown
$3.795      Warren
$3.558      Washington

Trend Analysis:
Pump prices continued to fall over the past week and are three cents lower this week at $3.32.  With Labor Day signaling the unofficial end of the summer travel season, there was a slight uptick in gas demand but lower crude prices are helping to offset gas price increases. Today’s national average is 15 cents lower than a month ago and 49 cents less than a year ago.

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand rose last week from 9.19 million barrels per day to 9.30. Meanwhile, total domestic gasoline stocks fell from 220.2 to 218.4 million barrels, and gasoline production decreased last week, averaging 9.6 million daily.

At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate fell by $1.01 to settle at $74.52 a barrel. The EIA reports that crude oil inventories decreased by 0.8 million barrels from the previous week. At 425.2 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are about 4% below the five-year average for this time of year.