FILE – In this Feb. 5, 2019, file photo, the dome caps the Pennsylvania Capitol in Harrisburg, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

HARRISBURG – Attorney General Michelle Henry announced charges against an Allegheny County man for his role in forging signatures on nomination petitions to get his client on the ballot for the 2022 Democratic primary race in Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District, which includes the City of Pittsburgh and much of Allegheny County, and portions of Westmoreland County.

 

Kirk Rice, 64, was hired by a congressional candidate to help acquire the necessary signatures to get the candidate on the ballot. Of the 437 signatures that Rice obtained, many appeared to be forged or falsified. Ultimately, the candidate for whom Rice worked was not successful in their bid for office.

 

Rice was charged with 33 counts of identity theft, 33 counts of forgery, one count of theft by deception, two counts of unsworn falsification, two counts of perjury, two counts of nomination petition, and two counts of false signatures.

 

“At the foundation of our democracy are free and fair elections, and this defendant is charged with undermining that essential process,” Attorney General Henry said. “Instead of working to obtain legal signatures, the defendant allegedly took the easy way out and falsified much of the information that secured a ballot spot for the candidate he represented. This case is a reminder that interfering with Pennsylvania’s election process is a very serious matter and will always be treated that way by this office.”

 

An investigation by the Office of Attorney General found that Rice allegedly forged names, addresses, and signatures of dozens of individuals on the nomination petitions. Many of the people who had signatures appear on the petitions told investigators they did not sign, and several lived out of state. In some instances, names were duplicated or rearranged on separate pages.

 

This matter is being prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Alexander Cashman. All charges discussed are accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

(Monaca, Pa) You may have heard an alarm coming from the Shell Polymers Plant in Monaca yesterday. Shell announced, as part of their safety plan, they will conduct a monthly test of their site-wide alarm at noon on the first Wednesday of each month. The test may be audible outside of the site, but community members do not need to take any action. In the event of a real emergency that has any impact beyond the site, Shell will inform the public, and local emergency response officials may also provide updates depending on the nature of the event.

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published December 7, 2023 11:07 A.M.

(Hopewell Township, Pa) Hopewell Township officials held a thank you groundbreaking ceremony at the community park on Wednesday. The efforts of State Representative Rob Matzie and the Beaver County Commissioners were highlighted at the ceremony because the township received $3 million in grants for various projects in the township.

One of the grants for $250,000  is for upgrades of the playground’s aging equipment at Hopewell Park playground, Sharon Grange Park, and Woodlawn Park’s playground.

FILE – Cars for sale line the road at a used auto dealership in Philadelphia, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, FILE)

Harrisburg, PA – Today, the Department of General Services’ Bureau of Vehicle Management (BVM) announced that over 450 used vehicles will be up for public purchase at the December Commonwealth Vehicle Auction. The auction is open to the public and will take place on December 12th at 10:00 a.m. at Manheim Keystone Pennsylvania, 488 Firehouse Road in Grantville.  An in-person preview of vehicles begins on Thursday, December 7th and will run through Sunday, December 10th.

This auction will also feature numerous vehicles seized by state law enforcement agencies.

Vehicle offerings will include a variety of 4-wheel drive SUVs, utility vehicles and pickup trucks from Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, GMC, and Jeep as well as front- and all-wheel drive sedans and minivans from the previously mentioned manufacturers and more.

Pre-registration and in-person previewing of the vehicles begins on Thursday, December 7th through Sunday, December 10^th from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day at the Grantville auction site. Pre-registration is mandatory and must be completed on or before Sunday, December 10th at 4:00 p.m. There will be no registration on the day of the auction.

The auction will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, December 12^th. Buyers must purchase with certified funds in the form of money order, cashier’s check, certified check or bank check – made payable to “Manheim Keystone PA.” No cash will be accepted.

The December auction is the fourth, largest, and last being held for 2023. More information on this auction, registration information, payment conditions and a complete listing of vehicles is available on the DGS Auto Auction Information page.

Story by Beaver County Radio News Staff. Published December 7, 2023 10:56 A.M.

(Beaver, Pa) Robert J. Capo, Sr., of Beaver, PA passed away peacefully on Thursday morning, November 30, 2023. Many knew Bob as the owner of Capo Furniture & Appliance in New Brighton.
The family business was started by his father and grew over the years, evolving into a 3 generation operation.
Bob was a licensed appraiser for over 50 years, an auctioneer for 44 years, and was involved in real estate. He was also a founding member of the Beaver Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Friends and family will be received at the Noll Funeral Home, 333 Third Street, Beaver, PA on Sunday, December 10, 2023 from 1 PM to 4 PM until time of service at 4:30PM. The Rev. Melissa Morrison officiating.

FILE – U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., speaks before President Joe Biden about his infrastructure agenda while announcing funding to upgrade Philadelphia’s water facilities and replace lead pipes, Feb. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA) announced $143,629,028 from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to upgrade rail infrastructure along the Keystone West Corridor between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg to accommodate a second daily round-trip of the Amtrak Pennsylvanian service. Additionally, Casey and Fetterman announced a $500,000 grant from the Corridor Identification and Development (Corridor ID) program to plan and develop how to expand both Amtrak’s Pennsylvanian and Keystone services along the entire Pittsburgh to Philadelphia corridor, including in smaller communities like Altoona, Johnstown, and Lancaster. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) will match 20 percent of the project’s total cost.

“I fought for this funding because when Pennsylvanians can move quickly and easily across the state for work, study, or travel our Commonwealth thrives,” said Senator Casey. “Improving rail service means more jobs, more economic opportunities, and more time spent with family for urban and rural communities alike.”

 

“I’m extremely honored and excited to join with Senator Casey to announce this funding for passenger rail between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Pennsylvania will see numerous benefits from this expansion, including safer and more reliable transit, reduced travel time, and strengthened local economies,” said Senator Fetterman. “I am proud to see us investing in so many rail infrastructure projects throughout the commonwealth. The more trains and public transportation options for Pennsylvanians, the better.”

In March 2023, Senator Casey wrote a letter of support to the FRA urging them to consider the Keystone Corridor for the Corridor ID program. In April, Casey sent another letter to the FRA urging them to consider the Keystone West Corridor for federal investment.

The $143,629,028 grant comes from the Federal Rail Administration (FRA)’s Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Grant Program (FSP) to help complete the final design and construction of track and signal improvements along existing rail while improving safety and Amtrak’s service reliability. The FSP funds capital projects aiming to replace, rehabilitate, or repair infrastructure, improve intercity passenger rail service performance such as reducing trip times or increasing train frequency, or expand or establish new intercity passenger rail service.

The $500,000 grant comes from the Corridor ID Program, a comprehensive intercity passenger rail planning and development program established by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which Senator Casey fought to pass. The program is guiding intercity passenger rail development throughout the country and creating a pipeline of intercity passenger rail projects ready for implementation.

The Borough of New Brighton released the following statement regarding Santa Claus coming to town: 

The Pulaski Township Fire Department will be parading Santa through the township on Saturday, December 16 starting at approximately 6:00 PM.  The Pulaski Township Fire Department requests that parents not bring any children to their Fire Station following the event.

Santa’s sleigh is then scheduled for a visit to New Brighton Borough and Fallston Borough on Sunday, December 17.  The New Brighton Fire Department will begin escorting Santa Claus through the communities during the afternoon.  Residents can follow Santa using a real time tracker to see his exact location.  A link to the Santa tracker and an exact start time will be posted on the Department’s Facebook page earlier the same day.

The Daugherty Township Fire Department will also be accompanying Santa through Daugherty on Saturday, December 23 beginning at approximately 12:00 Noon.

Please be patient, it takes Santa several hours to visit all of the neighborhoods in the four New Brighton area municipalities.

Harrisburg, PA – Today, the Department of General Services’ Bureau of Vehicle Management (BVM) announced that over 450 used vehicles will be up for public purchase at the December Commonwealth Vehicle Auction. The auction is open to the public and will take place on December 12th at 10:00 a.m. at Manheim Keystone Pennsylvania, 488 Firehouse Road in Grantville.  An in-person preview of vehicles begins on Thursday, December 7th and will run through Sunday, December 10th.

This auction will also feature numerous vehicles seized by state law enforcement agencies.

Vehicle offerings will include a variety of 4-wheel drive SUVs, utility vehicles and pickup trucks from Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, GMC, and Jeep as well as front- and all-wheel drive sedans and minivans from the previously mentioned manufacturers and more.

Pre-registration and in-person previewing of the vehicles begins on Thursday, December 7th through Sunday, December 10^th from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day at the Grantville auction site. Pre-registration is mandatory and must be completed on or before Sunday, December 10th at 4:00 p.m. There will be no registration on the day of the auction.

The auction will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, December 12^th. Buyers must purchase with certified funds in the form of money order, cashier’s check, certified check or bank check – made payable to “Manheim Keystone PA.” No cash will be accepted.

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

At a relatively quick work session on Wednesday, the Beaver County Commissioners were in discussions with department heads on two main subjects: construction at the County Courthouse and the future funding for the County’s 911 operations.

Public Works director Dan Colville updated the Commissioners that the outdoor construction near the front of the courthouse may be completed sooner than expected. “They’re gonna attempt to get this entire project done,” he spoke. “Instead of waiting until the spring, they’re gonna try and get this all done, and they are anticipating–with good weather–that they’ll be done by next Friday.”

Colville also stated that the back steps on the Courthouse that are currently being worked on should also be completed by the end of the month.

Another department head, Eric Brewer of Emergency Management Services, made a plea to the Commissioners to “call our Senators” in regards to an upcoming vote on a PA State House Bill (HB 1304) that would increase the surcharge rate from $1.65 to $1.97 in order to fund the 911 centers across Pennsylvania.

“I’m not sure if it’s going to benefit me to go to Harrisburg and knock on doors if nobody’s going to be there,” Brewer stated, adding that one reason that there is a struggle for support of a surcharge raise is “political”, since the initial proposal for the surcharge raise came from Governor Josh Shapiro.

The next work session for the Beaver County Commissioners is scheduled for December 13 at 10:00 AM.

Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio News Director. Published December 6, 2023 2:53 P.M.

(Potter Township, Pa) Three Rivers Waterkeeper has filed a lawsuit against Beaver County polystyrene pellet producer Stryropek. Heather Hulton Vantassel, Executive Director of Three Rivers Waterkeeper, joined Mike Romigh during “Live Mic” on Beaver County Radio Wednesday to discuss their findings.
Vantassel says Styropek has been disposing plastic polystyrene beads, referred to as “nurdles”, from their plant in Potter Township into the confluence of the Raccoon Creek and Ohio River in Potter Township. The pellets were initially discovered when crews were testing for baseline samples around the Shell Polymers plant prior to it being operational. Litter and debris in water exposed the nurdle buildup. They have also found them in the sediment and “all over the vegetation”. Currently, it is not known how many have been discharged, or for how long.
Vantassel says it’s “really hard to clean up, it’s not just plastic pollution. Aquatic and birdlife think they are fish eggs and can eat them, they can actually continue to break down in the envirement until they are microscopic. Without proper filtration in our water systems, we can end up consuming them”. She adds that they can also aid in carrying other toxic materials. She says that the more time they have to break down further, they will pass the point of being able to be filtered and will make their way into local water supplies and eventually to the ocean.
Three Rivers Waterkeeper filed their initial complaint as soon as they realized the pellets were being found everywhere in the water with the PA Department of Environmental protection. Styropek has currently been communicating with Three Rivers Waterkeeper, holding themselves accountable and willing to negotiate for a remediation strategy.
Vantassel says the discharges are believed to be accidental and were not intentional by Styropek and simply part of other discharges of alternate substances. The issue that Three Rivers Waterkeeper has however, is that even after Stryropek was made aware of the problem in 2022, they have not made an attempt to prevent the discharges to this day. The lawsuit filed against them will help Three Rivers Waterkeeper pursue the issue if Stryopek were to stop coorperating with them.
Monthly patrols of the water are still resulting in finding more nurdles. Vantassel says it is currently unclear if the nurdles pose an immediate threat, partially because they don’t know how long they have been there. It is possible that water quality could be impacted at this point, and Three Rivers Waterkeeper recommends filtering water at the home level.
Three River Waterkeeper actively monitor the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers, and you can learn more about them by visiting www.3rwk.org.