(Story written by Noah Haswell of Beaver County Radio, Published on September 18, 2024 at 11:17 A.M.)

(Monaca, PA) Governor Josh Shapiro will visit the Beaver County Career & Technology Center (BCCTC) in Monaca Wednesday to highlight investments in workforce development, job training, and career and technical education included in the bipartisan budget the Governor signed into law this year, as well as securing investments from the budget to help grow workforce and give Pennsylvanians the opportunity to succeed. 

Photo File Source: Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro delivers his budget address for the 2024-25 fiscal year to a joint session of the Pennsylvania House and Senate in the Rotunda of the state Capitol in Harrisburg, Pa., Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

(Story written by Noah Haswell of Beaver County Radio, Published on September 18, 2024 at 11:14 A.M.) 

(Indiana, PA) Former President and Republican Presidential Nominee Donald Trump is returning to Western Pennsylvania for an event on the campus of Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Former President Trump will speak on Monday, September 23rd at Ed Fry Arena, and this is Trump’s fifth time in Pennsylvania since the attempted assassination attempt on his life that happened in Butler in July. 

(Story written by Noah Haswell of Beaver County Radio, Published on September 18, 2024 at 11:10 A.M.) 

(Beaver County, PA) The 2024-2025 school year continues with expensive education costs in Beaver County. The cost of education is rising a little above 4% on average in public education expenses for the current school year in the Beaver Valley communities. Here are the budget changes from the 2023-2024 to the 2024-2025 school years for school districts in the Beaver Valley.

Aliquippa School District: Budget Change: +3.86%

Ambridge Area School District: Budget Change: +8.91%

Beaver Area School District: Budget Change: +4%

Big Beaver Falls Area School District: Budget Change: +2.38%

Blackhawk School District: Budget Change: +3.6%

Central Valley School District: Budget Change: +7.55%

Cornell Area School District: Budget Change: +3.15%

Ellwood City Area School District: Budget Change: +5.66%

Freedom Area School District: Budget Change: +3.44%

Hopewell Area School District: Budget Change: +3.5%

Midland Borough School District: Budget Change: +6%

Moon Area School District: Budget Change: +5.9%

New Brighton Area School District: Budget Change: +4.94%

Quaker Valley School District: Budget Change: +4.13%

Riverside Area School District: Budget Change: +2.15%

Rochester Area School District: Budget Change: +1.8%

South Side Area School District: Budget Change: +2.11%

West Allegheny School District: Budget Change: +5.59%

Western Beaver (County) School District: Budget Change: +0.57%

Story by Sandy Giordnao – Beaver County Radio. Published September 17, 2024 2:00 P.M.

(Center Township, Pa) C.J. Betters asked Center Township to approve the consolidation of properties. One half of the land is located in Hopewell township on Woodlawn Road, and the other half on Constitution Boulevard in Center Township. A spokesperson for the township said the property may be used for future development on the riverfront. The supervisors next meeting is Monday, October 21, 2024 at 7pm.

Story by Sandy Giordnao – Beaver County Radio. Published September 17, 2024 1:56 P.M.

(Rochester, Pa) A spokesman for the Beaver County Sheriff’s Department reported  Tuesday morning that the department is hosting Operation Safe Surrender Day at the BCTA hub in Rochester on Tuesday, October 8, 2024 from 10am to 6pm.

Harrisburg, PA – Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt certified the official list of candidates for the Nov. 5 general election today after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court resolved all pending cases involving third-party candidates.

“Counties can now prepare their ballots to be printed, then begin sending mail ballots to voters who have requested one as soon as they are printed,” Schmidt said.

Now that the ballot is certified, the Department’s online candidate database reflects the official candidate list for all races.*

In addition, to help voters and the media track when each county has its ballots available, the Department created an online mail ballot availability page.

Once ballots are printed and available, registered Pennsylvania voters can go to their county election office, apply for a mail ballot, complete it, and submit it all in one visit until Oct. 29, which is the deadline to apply for a mail ballot.

Registered voters can also request a mail ballot online or via a paper application, which they can then mail in or drop off at their county election office.

Completed mail ballots must be returned to county election offices by 8 p.m. on Election Day. For more information about voting and elections in Pennsylvania, visit vote.pa.gov.

CARNEGIE, PA — Today, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) announced that Pittsburgh Conservation Corps, also known as Landforce, has been selected as a Track I Project for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Community Change Grants. In a Western PA and Philadelphia partnership led by Landforce, the organization will receive $13.9 million to support their work to upcycle and commercialize materials from urban tree waste, all while training local workers.

“The Citizens Conservation Corps of the 1930s built up Western PA in a time of unique hardship. With its environmental conservation work, Landforce continues this proud tradition, creating opportunities for good work for our community,” said Congressman Deluzio. “I’m glad to see this federal investment in Landforce. Their work to restore and create our critical infrastructure builds up our region and our workforce in more ways than one.”

“This funding will create job training and employment opportunities for the people of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia while keeping urban wood waste out of landfills, produce lumber, and create biochar to clean soils in our communities,” said Ilyssa Manspeizer, Executive Director of Landforce. “We are deeply grateful to our elected leaders, including Representative Deluzio, who work so hard to bring life-changing federal funding opportunities to our region.”

Landforce is an employment and environmental social enterprise with a distinct focus on advancing economic and ecological growth in the region. Landforce offers workforce development and job training, and is focused on providing career pathways in land stewardship services and wood products sectors. Landforce works with a variety of public and private agencies to support traditionally hard to employ adults, such as people with limited income and education levels, people facing homelessness or reentry, and military veterans. This project focuses on converting fallen or arborist removed trees into lumber and biochar, thus keeping wood waste out of landfills, helping to detoxify soils, and retaining carbon in the woody material. Congressman Deluzio’s office recently joined a tree planting work session with Landforce.

The EPA’s Community Change Grants select applications to help disadvantaged communities take on environmental challenges through projects that reduce pollution, increase community climate resilience, and build community capacity. The Pittsburgh Conservation Corps was one of 17 recipients selected to receive this grant money. Applications for these awards are still open through November 21, 2024. The funding for these grants come from the Inflation Reduction Act that President Biden and Democrats in Congress passed in 2022.

AMBRIDGE, Sept. 16 – New grants totaling nearly $720,000 will fund upgrades for the Center Township Police Department and expand supports and services for crime victims, state Rep. Rob Matzie announced today.

Matzie, D-Beaver, said some of the funding awarded through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency will allow the Center Township Police Department to upgrade the department’s reporting system.

“Our officers work hard to protect the community, and departments can support that work by ensuring the best possible recordkeeping and reporting procedures,” Matzie said. “The new funding will allow the Center Township Police Department to upgrade its operations to comply with the National Incident-Based Reporting System, which is the national standard for crime data reporting that helps agencies better analyze, track, investigate and solve crimes.

“Additional funding will expand critical resources for survivors of domestic violence and other crimes.”

Matzie said the funding to Beaver County includes:

• $485,802 to The Women’s Center of Beaver County for projects involving the STOP Violence Against Women Advocacy Project and the Victims of Crime Act.
• $128,500 to Center Township for police department reporting upgrades.
• $105,017 to the Beaver County Commissioners for Victims of Crime Act funding.

In addition, Beaver County will benefit from a $613,516 grant to Neighborhood Legal Services Association, which serves Allegheny, Beaver, Butler and Lawrence counties, and a $167,104 grant to A Child’s Place PA, which serves Allegheny, Beaver, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties.

(Story reported by Danielle Smith of Keystone News Service, Published by Noah Haswell on September 17, 2024 at 11:15 A.M.)

As the November 5th general election fast approaches, there’s a push for more voter education in the Pennsylvania. It’s National Voter Registration Day, and more than eight-point-seven million Pennsylvanians may participate in the general election. Amy Widestrom with League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania, says it’s important that you register to vote before the deadline to make sure your voice will be heard.

Source for Photo: FILE – An early election ballot completion area is prepared at a collection location inside the North Park Ice Skating Rink Lodge area, Oct. 9, 2020, in McCandless, Pa. Pennsylvania’s state Senate approved a bill Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023, to move up the state’s 2024 primary election by five weeks to March 19, aiming to avoid a conflict with the Jewish holiday of Passover and give voters more of a say in deciding presidential nominees. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File)

(Story written by Noah Haswell of Beaver County Radio, Published on September 17, 2024 at 9:47 A.M.)

(Beaver Falls, PA) Beaver Falls High School will be taking the stage this month for their performance of “Six The Musical: Teen Edition!” This show turns the tales of the historical six wives of King Henry VIII on its head, and it transforms the women, who unveil their power to become female pop divas. The show has a PG-13 rating, so discretion is advised for viewers aged thirteen and under. The show times will be at 7 p.m. on September 26th and September 28th and 2:30 p.m. on September 29th after entering the lower doors of the high school auditorium. All seats are reserved and tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students.