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.

FILE – A black plume rises over East Palestine, Ohio, as a result of a controlled detonation of a portion of the derailed Norfolk Southern trains Monday, Feb. 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

Norfolk Southern has agreed to pay $600 million in a class-action lawsuit settlement related to a fiery train derailment in February 2023 in eastern Ohio.

The company said Tuesday that the agreement, if approved by the court, will resolve all class action claims within a 20-mile radius from the derailment and, for those residents who choose to participate, personal injury claims within a 10-mile radius from the derailment.

Norfolk Southern added that individuals and businesses will be able to use compensation from the settlement in any manner they see fit to address potential adverse impacts from the derailment, which could include health care needs, property restoration and compensation for any net business loss. Individuals within 10-miles of the derailment may, at their discretion, choose to receive additional compensation for any past, current, or future personal injury from the derailment.

The company said that the settlement doesn’t include or constitute any admission of liability, wrongdoing, or fault.

The settlement is expected to be submitted for preliminary approval to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio later in April 2024. Payments to class members under the settlement could begin by the end of the year, subject to final court approval.

Norfolk Southern has already spent more than $1.1 billion on its response to the derailment, including more than $104 million in direct aid to East Palestine and its residents. Partly because Norfolk Southern is paying for the cleanup, President Joe Biden has never declared a disaster in East Palestine, which is a sore point for many residents. The railroad has promised to create a fund to help pay for the long-term health needs of the community, but that hasn’t happened yet.

The plaintiffs’ attorneys said the deal is the result of a year of intense investigation of the derailment, and should provide meaningful relief to residents.

“This resolution comes shortly after the one-year anniversary of the disaster and will provide substantial compensation to all affected residents, property owners, employees and businesses residing, owning or otherwise having a legal interest in property, working, owning or operating a business for damages resulting from the derailment and release of chemicals,” said Seth A. Katz of Burg Simpson Eldredge Hersh & Jardine, P.C., M. Elizabeth Graham of Grant & Eisenhofer P.A., Jayne Conroy of Simmons Hanly Conroy LLC and T. Michael Morgan of Morgan & Morgan, P.A.

The railroad also announced preliminary first-quarter earnings of 23 cents per share Tuesday to reflect the impact of the settlement.

Railroad CEO Alan Shaw, who is fighting for his job against an activist investor who wants to overhaul the railroad’s operations, said Norfolk Southern is “becoming a more productive and efficient railroad. There is still more work to be done to achieve industry-competitive margins.”

The railroad said even though volume was up 4% during the quarter, its revenue fell by 4% because of lower fuel surcharge revenue and changes in the mix of shipments it handled.

Ancora Holdings is trying to persuade investors to support its nominees for Norfolk Southern’s board at the railroad’s May 9 annual meeting.

Last week federal officials said that the aftermath of the train derailment doesn’t qualify as a public health emergency because widespread health problems and ongoing chemical exposures haven’t been documented.

The Environmental Protection Agency never approved that designation after the February 2023 Norfolk Southern derailment even though the disaster forced the evacuation of half the town of East Palestine and generated many fears about potential long-term health consequences of the chemicals that spilled and burned. The contamination concerns were exacerbated by the decision to blow open five tank cars filled with vinyl chloride and burn that toxic chemical three days after the derailment.

The head of the National Transportation Safety Board said recently that her agency’s investigation showed that the vent and burn of the vinyl chloride was unnecessary because the company that produced that chemical was sure no dangerous chemical reaction was happening inside the tank cars. But the officials who made the decision have said they were never told that.

The NTSB’s full investigation into the cause of the derailment won’t be complete until June, though that agency has said that an overheating wheel bearing on one of the railcars that wasn’t detected in time by a trackside sensor likely caused the crash.

The EPA has said the cleanup in East Palestine is expected to be complete sometime later this year.

Shares of Norfolk Southern Corp., based in Atlanta, fell about 1% before the opening bell Tuesday.

Beaver County Radio News Staff. Published April 9, 2024 10:16 A.M.

(Monaca, Pa) Monacrest Free Methodist Church in Monaca will be sponsoring a God’s Choice Prom for folks with special needs. The prom takes place Monday, May 20 at the Brady’s Run Lodge at Brady’s Run Park, 526 Brady’s Run Road, Beaver Falls, Pa.

The cost is 10 dollars per person for the attendees. Volunteers, parents, caregivers and staff can attend free. Dinner will be served at 5pm and dancing will begin at 5:45pm. Attire is casual.

Information for those who wish to attend:

RSVP by May 3rd: Kathy Rabe

724-513-4631(text or call)

Or sign up in March or April at God’s Choice

When you RSVP, please give your name, house name, number of special friends and staff attending, also the number of wheelchairs.

(Midland, PA) – The Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters (PAB) will induct RMU Men’s Basketball &  Football Play-by-Play Announcer and Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center Chief Executive Officer Chris Shovlin into its Hall of Fame in a ceremony on Friday, April 26th at the Harrisburg Hilton. 

In addition to serving as CEO of Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center, Shovlin is a member of and  spokesperson for the Organizing Committee of the Midland Innovation and Technology Charter School.  He is a past President and former member of the Board of Directors of the Lincoln Park Performing Arts  Charter School. But Shovlin’s broadcasting accomplishments are also well-documented and continue to  receive accolades throughout the state and sports industry.  

Chris has served for over 37 seasons as the play-by-play “Voice” of the Robert Morris University  Colonials Basketball team, calling more than 1,100 NCAA Division-I games. Shovlin also hosts RMU’s talk  shows on various platforms, including ESPN+. He is the only sportscaster to have won three Pittsburgh  March of Dimes Achievement In Radio (A.I.R) Awards for Best Sports Play-By-Play in three different  sports: football, basketball and soccer. 

When asked how he balances his schedules, Shovlin said, “throughout my entire career, I’ve never had  just one job, so it’s natural for me to do several things simultaneously. In fact, Bill Cardille used to call  me the “hat man” when we worked together in Pittsburgh because, as he put it, I wore so many hats  and had so many responsibilities. Some people play golf or have a hobby. I guess play-by-play is what I  do as a release of sorts. Really, what I do at RMU is similar to what occurs at Lincoln Park since  broadcasting is a performance art.”  

Shovlin has been a news and sports anchor, show host, and DJ at numerous stations, including: WISH  99.7 FM and 1320 WJAS-AM, WBGN-TV, WBVP-AM, WWKS-FM, WBZY-AM, WKST-AM, WMBA-AM, and  Comcast among others. He also served as the Vice President and General Manager at WBVP-AM and  WWKS-FM, while also contributing to a variety of on-air roles. He previously served as the TV and radio  “voice” of both the Pittsburgh Passion (women’s professional football) and Pittsburgh Riverhounds  (professional soccer), as well as filling in for Bill Hillgrove on play-by-play for Pitt Panthers Basketball  broadcasts. He has called nearly every RMU Football game since that sport’s inception in 1994.

Chris called his upcoming induction into the PAB Hall of Fame a “humbling career-defining honor”. “To  join Ray Goss, who has been with Duquesne University Basketball for 56 years and Hillgrove who has  called Pitt hoops for 55 years in the city where both radio and sports play-by-play were born is an honor  in itself”. Goss and Hillgrove rank numbers 1 and 2 respectively in NCAA Basketball radio play-by-play  tenure. At RMU, Shovlin is currently the 19th most tenured announcer in the nation. “This isn’t just an  honor for me, but it’s also a tribute to Robert Morris University and its longstanding broadcasting  tradition”.  

Chris has been inducted into the Pittsburgh Basketball Club Hall of Fame, the Robert Morris University  Athletics Hall of Fame, and the Beaver County Sports Hall of Fame. Currently, he serves on the Executive  Committee of the WPIAL Hall of Fame and is the emcee of its annual induction dinner. 

Chris is a graduate of Midland’s Lincoln High School and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Speech and Drama  from Westminster College. Shovlin is the first Beaver County native and the second Westminster  alumnus (the late Dow Carnahan was the first) to be inducted into the PAB Hall of Fame. He and his  wife, Odette, reside in Brighton Township (Beaver), Pennsylvania. They have two adult daughters, Kylie  and Krista. 

Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center congratulates Chris on his well-deserved induction into the  Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame and for all his tremendous contributions to  Lincoln Park and the Midland community. 

[April 8, 2024] — During National Volunteer Month in April, the American Red Cross asks donors to help protect the blood supply by making and keeping blood or platelet donation appointments in the weeks ahead. Donors of all blood types – especially type O blood donors and those giving platelets – are needed now to keep the blood supply strong enough to support critical patient care this
spring.
The Red Cross depends on thousands of volunteer blood donors to collect about 12,000 blood donations every single day. With no substitute for blood and no way to manufacture it, volunteer donors are essential in transfusion care. Blood drives and donation centers also depend on the generosity and valuable time of those who make it possible for the Red Cross to help people in need.
Spring into action – book a time to give lifesaving blood or platelets now by visiting
RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS or by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App.
Those who come to give April 8-28, 2024, will receive a $10 e-gift card to a merchant of choice, plus be automatically entered to win a $7,000 gift card. There will be two lucky winners. See RedCrossBlood.org/Spring for details.

How to donate blood
Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enable the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in.
Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.
Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass ® to complete their pre- donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, before arriving at
the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood
Donor App.

(File Photo of Senator Vogel)

(Cranberry Twp., Butler County)  In addition to his Beaver County Senior Expo, Sen. Elder Vogel, Jr.  will now be hosting another senior expo in Butler County, which will be Friday, June 7, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Discovery Church, 170 Scharberry Lane in Mars.

It is encouraged to pre-register for this event which can be done here.

Representatives from various state and local organizations will be present to offer helpful information concerning healthcare, government services, and more to attending seniors.

Additionally, there will be refreshments, door prizes, and free health screenings.

Should seniors be unable to attend this senior expo, Vogel’s Beaver County Senior Expo will be held on Friday, Sept. 27 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Community College of Beaver County, 1 Campus Drive in Monaca.

For further information, contact Vogel’s Cranberry District Office at 878-978-2575.

(Photo courtesy of Congressman DeLuzio’s Office) 

MCKEES ROCKS, PA – Last Friday , Iraq War veteran and former voting rights attorney Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) announced the second part of his Defend Democracy Agenda, his plan to Strengthen and Expand Voting Rights. This slate of policies provides a roadmap for Congress to protect and expand the sacred right to vote for all Americans. This announcement follows the Congressman’s roll out of the first part of his agenda, which focused on earning public trust. He announced his plan at a press conference at a polling place in McKees Rocks and was joined by local and national voting rights advocates.

“Government of, by, and for the People depends on our foundational right to vote,” said Rep. Chris Deluzio. “Voting rights are under attack, including here in Pennsylvania, and Congress must take urgent action to shore up this sacred, hard-won freedom. Today, I am proud to announce the second part of my Defend Democracy Agenda, a plan to Strengthen and Expand Voting Rights. We can, and must, keep fighting for a government that lives up to our founding ideals, where every eligible American can exercise their freedom to vote. No exceptions.”

“Congressman Deluzio continues to be at the forefront of the fight to defend our democracy and protect our rights,” said Tiffany Muller, President of End Citizens United // Let America Vote Action Fund. “His Defend Democracy Agenda is a commonsense set of reforms that tackles the most pressing threats against our ability to vote. From protecting youth and student voting, to addressing the challenges facing unhoused Americans, to ending prison gerrymandering, to allowing same day registration, Congressman Deluzio is committed to breaking down the barriers to make our democracy more reflective of the people.”

Congressman Deluzio’s plan to Strengthen and Expand Voting Rights is the second in his three-part Defend Democracy Agenda to defend American democracy from the threat of rising anti-democratic forces. The slate he announced today starts with two comprehensive legislative packages to protect the right to vote: the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act. The rest of Congressman Deluzio’s plan includes a wide slate of policies that take more targeted approaches to protect and expand voting rights for all eligible Americans. The final part of Deluzio’s Defend Democracy Agenda is themed on election security and will be released in the coming months.