(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

The Pennsylvania Department of Education has released the results from last year’s school assessments across the commonwealth, and the numbers show a slight increase in subject proficiencies.

English Language Arts proficiency is up to 54.5% in 2023, up 0.4% from the year prior. Math and Science have increased higher; with the former up 2.6% to 38.3%, and the latter up 4.5% to a rating 58.9% this year.

These numbers were compiled from data taken from the state-level assessments given to students Grades 3-12, including the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA), Pennsylvania Alternate System of Assessment (PASA), and Keystone Exams.

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

On Wednesday, AAA East Central announced winners of Platinum, Gold, and Silver Awards for police departments who were recognized for their efforts to keep the roadways in their communities safe. Throughout Western Pennsylvania, 63 police departments were awarded Platinum awards, while 25 departments won Gold or Silver Awards.

Locally, Platinum Award police departments include Beaver, Cranberry Township, Hopewell, New Brighton, New Sewickley, and Rochester. The Troop D division of the Pennsylvania State Police was also awarded with a Platinum status. 

Additionally, a gold award was given to the University of Pittsburgh police department, and the police departments of Aliquippa and Beaver Falls each received Silver Awards.

(File photo of Pa. State Rep Jim Marshall during an appearance at Beaver County Radio) 

Story by Beaver County Radio Staff

(Brighton Twp., Pa.) Pennsylvania State Representative Jim Marshall who represents the 14th District which includes parts of Beaver announced on “Rappin with the Reps”, with Eddy Crow, that he will not seek re-election in next year’s election. Jim was first elected to the State House in 2006.  Marshall said “That the decision to not run again is complex and that when it’s time you know and he knows it is now time. ”

Rep. Marshall said that “Serving the people of the 14 th District has been, and will continue to be, one of the greatest honors of my life. When I was elected in 2006, I made a commitment that I would do everything in my power to better the lives of my constituents, with a focus on the needs of our first responders and veterans. I believe that I met that goal.
“Reflecting on my years of service, I am proud of the bipartisan work accomplished as a co-chair of the Consumer Protection, Technology and Utilities Committee with my friend and colleague, Rep. Rob Matzie. We worked together in a manner with all Pennsylvanians in mind.
Furthermore, making the changes in Harrisburg that affected home meant the most. With respect for blue collar workers and involvement in strong small communities, we used our life experiences to navigate changes in legislation. From furthering rail safety to expanding rural broadband, protecting consumers and more, we enjoyed facing the challenges of delivering the needed improvements to all Pennsylvanians but, affectionately, even more – Beaver County.
“Thank you to my constituents for displaying unwavering trust in me, as well as my colleagues for collaborating with me on how we can make the Commonwealth a better place to live, work and raise a family. This has truly been the opportunity of a lifetime.
“As I finish the remainder of my term, my dedicated team and I will continue to have an open-door policy and offer outstanding constituent service.”

You can see Jim’s appearance on “Rappin with the Reps” and the discussion on Jim’s decision Below:

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Democrat Dan McCaffery won an open seat on Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court in Tuesday’s general election, preserving a strong Democratic majority on a panel that has produced several critical election-related rulings in the presidential battleground state.

The seven-member bench, which will be made up five Democrats and two Republicans, is also at the center of cases on guns and abortion rights — which had a prominent role in the campaign.

McCaffery, a judge who serves on a statewide appellate court, beat Carolyn Carluccio, a Montgomery County judge. Justices serve 10-year terms before they must run for retention to stay on the court.

McCaffery, a former Philadelphia judge and prosecutor, had positioned himself as a defender of abortion rights and other rights that he said Democrats had fought for, but were under threat from the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority.

McCaffery’s talk of fighting for threatened rights — and a state-record-smashing amount of money spent on the race — transformed what would have normally been a sleepy judicial campaign into a high-profile affair with a crush of TV ads and fliers stuffing mailboxes.

“It’s something that really caught fire on the campaign trail, and I think a lot it of had to do with the more recent decisions at the U.S. Supreme Court and the scandals at the U.S. Supreme Court,” McCaffery told The Associated Press. “People were really taking notice.”

Carluccio conceded the race in a statement and congratulated McCaffery.

McCaffery’s victory is the latest for abortion rights proponents in a string of races around the country, including a pivotal state Supreme Court race in Wisconsin where abortion was the top issue.

Like in Wisconsin, Democrats in Pennsylvania’s high court race focused on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last year to overturn Roe v. Wade and end nearly a half-century of federal abortion protections — making it a key avenue to attack Carluccio.

Carluccio tried to avoid that debate, saying the issue didn’t belong in the race since state law makes abortion legal through 24 weeks. She sought to avoid publicly expressing an opinion on the issue, though she was endorsed by anti-abortion groups.

More than $20 million — believed to be a state record for a judicial campaign — flowed into the race, much of it from billionaire Jeffrey Yass, who supported Carluccio, and labor unions and trial lawyers that backed McCaffery.

McCaffery said Tuesday that he was surprised by how much money flowed into the race.

“It was crazy, I never saw anything like it in my life,” he said.

Democrats currently hold a 4-2 majority on the court, with the open seat created by the death last year of Chief Justice Max Baer, a Democrat.

The court is currently examining a challenge to a state law that restricts the use of public funds to help women get abortions as well as Philadelphia’s challenge to a law barring it and other municipalities from restricting the sale and possession of guns.

In recent years the court has issued pivotal decisions on major election-related cases, including throwing out GOP-drawn congressional districts as unconstitutionally gerrymandered and rejecting a Republican effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election in the state after Donald Trump lost to Joe Biden.

It also upheld the constitutionality of the state’s expansive mail-in voting law and settled a variety of voting-related disputes before the 2020 election, spurring an outcry from Republicans.

In one 2020 case, justices ordered counties to count mail-in ballots that arrived up to three days after polls closed, citing delays in mail service caused by disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Republicans unsuccessfully challenged the decision up to the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to take the case.

The ballots in question — nearly 10,000 in all — were never counted in any federal race, including for president, because the election was certified while their fate remained in legal limbo. State elections officials said the votes weren’t enough to change any results.

Two other Democrats won races Tuesday for lower statewide courts. Jill Beck won a seat on the state Superior Court and Matt Wolf won a seat on the Commonwealth Court. The AP had not yet called a race for a second open seat on the Superior Court.

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Tristan Jarry and Magnus Hellberg combined on a 32-save shutout after Jarry left with an injury late in the second period, and the Pittsburgh Penguins snapped the Anaheim Ducks’ six-game winning streak with a 2-0 victory Tuesday night.

Radim Zohorna scored in the first period and Sidney Crosby added an empty-net goal for the Penguins, who avenged Anaheim’s spectacular 4-3 comeback victory in Pittsburgh eight days ago.

“What I loved about our third period is that we competed hard, that we defended well,” Pens coach Mike Sullivan said. “It’s a good win for our team, especially to close it out in a low-scoring game against a team that’s beaten a lot of good teams lately.”

Jarry made 21 saves for Pittsburgh before leaving the game with a cut near his right eye. Jarry’s head hit Ducks forward Adam Henrique, who had his back turned to the goalie outside the crease, yet Jarry still inadvertently stopped the puck when Henrique attempted to fire a rebound shot underneath him.

Sullivan said after the game that Jarry was still being evaluated.

Hellberg took over and stopped 11 shots in the third period of Pittsburgh’s second straight victory to open its three-game California road trip following a 1-5-0 slump.

“There’s always pressure on this level,” Hellberg said. “I just had to try to come up big for the team. … I’m just really happy we got the win because of the game we had in Pittsburgh when I think they stole a win from us.”

John Gibson made 34 saves against his hometown team for the upstart Ducks, who hadn’t lost since Oct. 22 in their longest winning streak in two years. Anaheim was shut out for the first time this season.

Ducks center Mason McTavish’s seven-game point streak ended. The 20-year-old scored the late tying goal in Pittsburgh last week before adding the winning short-handed goal with 13 seconds to play.

Ducks coach Greg Cronin said he could tell the Penguins spent plenty of practice time last week refining their defensive concepts after blowing their late lead over Anaheim in Pittsburgh.

“It was an awkward game,” Cronin said. “You could feel it. There wasn’t a lot of rhythm to the game. There wasn’t a lot of scoring chances either way. It was like two boxers just jabbing each other.”

Anaheim had five late comebacks during its six-game winning streak, but the Ducks failed to become only the fourth team in NHL history with four consecutive third-period comeback victories.

Zohorna scored his third goal in seven games since rejoining the Penguins this season, getting a lucky deflection off Gibson’s pads and underneath the goalie late in the first period.

Anaheim ramped up its attack in the third period, but repeatedly missed the mark. Moments after Ross Johnston couldn’t collect a rebound in the crease in time to hit an open net, Troy Terry’s deflected wrist shot hit Hellberg’s far post.

McTavish briefly had the puck in the crease with 3:30 left, but couldn’t get it under Hellberg.

Crosby scored his sixth goal of the season with 19.5 seconds left, lofting home a backhand from mid-ice.

“We didn’t have a great first period, but we stuck with it,” Crosby said. “So hopefully we can learn from this and keep going.”

UP NEXT

Penguins: At Los Angeles on Thursday.

31-year old Rayjzon Sams of New Castle pled guilty to federal charges of multiple charges on Monday, including conspiring to distribute crack and cocaine, distributing crack within 1,000 feet of a school and possessing crack and fentanyl with an intent to distribute.

The plea hearing was overseen by U.S. District Judge Cathy Bissoon, who scheduled the sentencing hearing for Sams to take place on March 7 of 2024. The minimum sentence for the charges is one year in prison, while the maximum sentence can be up to 120 years in prison and a fine not to exceed 8 million dollars. The actual imposed sentence will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and prior criminal history–if any–of the defendant.

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

All 129 precincts in Beaver County have reported, and the results are in for Election Day 2023.

The board of County Commissioners will remain intact for a second consecutive four-year term, as incumbents Dan Camp, Jack Manning, and Tony Amadio won the majority of the vote in the race yesterday, with challenger Julian Taylor finishing nearly 4,000 votes behind his closest competitor.

Two offices in the Courthouse will have new nameplates, as Democrat Nate Bible defeated Republican incumbent David Lozier in the race for District Attorney by over 600 votes. Republican Jodi Janicki Jones won the race for Prothonotary by nearly 500 votes over Democratic incumbent Michael Rossi.

Elsewhere, Ron Alberti will remain Recorder of Deeds, Maria Longo will retain her position as County Controller, Sandie Egley will remain County Treasurer, David Gabauer won his race to stay as County Coroner, and Tracey Antoline-Patton will remain Register of Wills. Sheriff Tony Guy and Clerk of Courts Judy Enslen retained their positions in uncontested races.

45,120 ballots were cast across the County’s 129 precincts, resulting in a 40.43% voter turnout. Both numbers are up from 2019, when 36.43% of voters turned out to vote for County positions.

Full results from Tuesday’s election can be seen by clicking here.

(Brooke Schultz/AP)
Voters on both ends of Pennsylvania are deciding Tuesday who will lead the state’s most populous counties, in races that could help shape how Democrats talk about crime, progressive policy and abortion in the political arena.

The results in Philadelphia and Allegheny County, which is home to Pittsburgh, will set the electoral stage for 2024, when the state will be a presidential battleground state, with candidates taking lessons about how Democrats see crime and the strength of progressives in local races. into the next election cycle.

In Philadelphia, the nation’s sixth largest city, voters will choose a new mayor between Democrat Cherelle Parker and Republican David Oh.

Parker, 51, a former state legislator and former city councilmember, is favored to win in the heavily Democratic stronghold. Her tough-on-crime and moderate approach resonated with voters in a crowded primary in May.

Oh, 63, also a former city councilmember, has built a broad coalition in public office and emphasized the need for an outsider to address civic problems such as public safety and quality-of-life issues, from faulty streelights to potholes to trash collection.

The candidates are vying to replace Democrat Jim Kenney, who cannot seek reelection due to term limits.

Across the state in western Pennsylvania, voters are choosing between progressive Democrat Sara Innamorato and Republican Joe Rockey for their next Allegheny County executive.

Innamorato, 37, is a former state lawmaker who resigned to pursue local office. Pushing to modernize county government and create a community-driven office, she campaigned on progressive policies like taking a public health approach to public safety, affordable and dignified housing and a revamped workforce. She also has invoked national issues such as abortion and voting rights that can be protected at the local level.

Rockey, 59, is a retired chief risk officer for PNC bank who has touted his business expertise as giving him the ability to manage the budget and workforce. He identified public safety, jobs and taxes as top concerns to voters and rejected letting specific ideologies drive decisions at the county executive level. He’s sought to appeal to moderate voters.

Though Allegheny County leans Democratic, a Republican was narrowly elected to the position when it was first created in 1999.

Voters in the county will also decide between a 25-year incumbent and the county’s chief public defender in a race for district attorney that is a rematch from the May Democratic primary, in which Matt Dugan defeated longtime incumbent Steve Zappala. After a late campaign, Zappala received enough write-in votes in the Republican primary to run as that party’s nominee in the general election.

Dugan, 44, has called for reform of the office and pushed for new leadership. He emphasized diverting low-level, nonviolent offenders to mental health and substance abuse programs rather than cycle them through the criminal justice system. He said that would let prosecutors focus on violent crimes and also help break the cycle of recidivism.

Zappala has criticized those proposals, highlighting his record and career in the office and arguing in favor of prosecuting low-level crimes so they don’t spiral out of control. He said his opponent offers only “empty promises, empty assurances.”

The average price of gas is down again this week, dropping to a price of $3.74 for an unleaded gallon across Western Pennsylvania. The average is down three cents from $3.77 a week ago, and a full twenty-six cents below the average of $4.01 this time last year.

Throughout the region, the highest average is in the Mercer area with an average $3.87 for a gallon of unleaded gas, while the Meadville area is averaging just $3.53 for an unleaded gallon–-a full 21 cents below the regional average reported by AAA East Central.

The Beaver County average exceeds that of the regional average by five cents at $3.79. Butler is up seven cents at $3.81, and the Pittsburgh area is only one cent higher at $3.75.