(File Photo: Source for Photo: Governor Josh Shapiro speaks during a news conference regarding the shooting at UPMC Memorial Hospital in York, Pa. on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said Monday that President Donald Trump ’s administration has freed up billions in federal aid that the Democrat had accused it of withholding illegally and unconstitutionally.

Shapiro said in a news conference that more than $2 billion that his administration had identified as either frozen or held up by an unspecified review was now accessible to state agencies.

Shapiro sued in federal court over the aid on Feb. 13, after federal courts had repeatedly rejected the Trump administration’s sweeping pause on federal funding and questioned whether the Trump administration was ignoring court orders.

Shapiro also said he pressed his case in conversations with senior Trump administration officials while he was in Washington, D.C., over the weekend. The U.S. attorney’s office in Philadelphia, which represents the federal agencies named in the lawsuit, declined comment Monday.

In federal court in Rhode Island, Trump administration lawyers, however, have argued that the government’s move to freeze funds was legal and asked a judge to reject a request by nearly two dozen Democratic states for a preliminary injunction.

Administration lawyers characterized the freeze as simply a “pause” to consider how best to use federal funds. They contended the case was moot since the Office of Management and Budget had rescinded its memo in late January freezing federal grants and loans.

Much of the stalled grant funding identified by Shapiro’s administration was passed by Congress in signature laws signed by former President Joe Biden, including his landmark 2022 climate law, the Inflation Reduction Act, and his 2021 infrastructure law.

The lawsuit had said aid was being withheld from programs that distribute money to upgrade energy efficiency in homes, plug abandoned gas wells, clean up abandoned mine land, improve municipal water and sewer systems and reimburse industry for cutting their planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions.

Five federal agencies were named as defendants: the White House Office of Management and Budget, the Environmental Protection Agency and the departments of Interior and Transportation.

None have commented on the lawsuit, except for the Department of Energy, which said it was complying with the court orders. However, the department didn’t say whether it had released funding that Shapiro’s administration accused it of holding up.

(File Photo of Police Lights)

(Reported by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano)

(Aliquippa, PA) An unidentified suspect was apprehended on Friday after the person stole a car. Aliquippa Police were informed of a pursuit on northbound State Route 51 at around 10:20 p.m. A Honda was being searched for by Moon Township Police which has escaped from them multiple times. The driver was found and was taken to jail without incident after their vehicle became disabled in West Aliquippa.

(File Photo of PennDOT logo)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) PennDOT District 11 announced that on Tuesday, February 25th and Wednesday, February 26th weather permitting, lane restrictions on Route 65 on the Ohio River Boulevard will occur. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day, single-lane and shoulder restrictions will be on the road as sanitary sewer work will be conducted by crews from State Pipe Services. On Tuesday, Northbound Route 65 at the North Avenue intersection will be affected and on Wednesday, Route 65 in both ways between Charles Street and Camp Horne Road will be affected.

(Photo Provided with Release)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) According to a release from the Pittsburgh Steelers, the team is partnering up with Seaside Events for the first-ever Steelers Fan Cruise in May of 2026. On May 19th, 2026, the Norwegian Escape Ship will set sail from Miami to Mexico and the Bahamas before going back to Florida. The activities include pool and beach parties, group dinners and meet-and-greets and autographs with legendary Pittsburgh Steelers players. You can go to SteelersFanCruise.com now to save up to a price of $250 for each person attending through April 1st, 2025. If you use the code KICKOFF2025 when you check out, you can get an autographed Steelers Fan Cruise commemorative football. The roster of legendary Steelers that will be present on the cruise with more to come include: Dermontti Dawson, Keith Gary, Louis Lipps, and Walter Abercrombie.

Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio News. Published February 25, 2025 5:00 A.M.

(Ambridge, Pa) A new computer lab aimed at training individuals in need of how to use computers is now open in Ambridge. Tech 2 Elevate is a nonprofit organization that will teach people common useful skills to getting online.

The facility is located on Merchant Street in Ambridge and held a grand opening and open house Monday morning.

Those in attendance heard statements from leaders of Tech 2 Elevate and Kinber as well as State Representative Rob Matzie.

Their organization has recently been working with libraries to offer their teaching but they say the benefits of the new facilty include more computers and more time to help residents.

In regards to the resources available, Representative Matzie said, “tell your neighbors, tell your friends, let them know that this exists”.

Matzie said the Covid pandemic allowed people including his own family to see the benefits the older population can recieve by using the internet such as interacting with their doctors.

The center has 25 laptops which were provided through state funding while Kinber did work such as wiring and providing furniture to properly equip the facility for use.

The facility is located at 233 Merchant Street in Ambridge.

(File Photo of the Pennsylvania Department of Education Logo)

(Reported by Danielle Smith of Keystone News Service)

(Harrisburg, PA) A Pennsylvania nonprofit is praising Governor Josh Shapiro’s new budget proposal, which includes a funding increase for early childhood education. The budget boosts support for child care, pre-K, early intervention and other programs, and addresses staffing shortages. Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children CEO Kari King says low wages fuel child care worker shortages, with pay of just over 15 dollars an hour. She hopes the governor’s proposed 55 million dollar funding package for child care workers will strengthen programs statewide. The budget proposal contains an additional 17 million dollars for Pre-K Counts, while funding for the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program would remain unchanged. The state House and Senate must vote on the budget by June 30th.

(File Photo of Police Lights)

(Reported by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano)

(Aliquippa, PA) A shots fired incident occurred in Aliquippa on Saturday night. At around 10:20 p.m., Aliquippa Police went to the Valley Terrace Apartments Building B and negative results were found after the area was checked. Nobody was injured and there was no property damaged following the incident.

(Photo Courtesy of the City of Aliquippa Police Department)

(Reported by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano)

(Aliquippa, PA) A man from Aliquippa was apprehended after an alleged domestic disturbance in Aliquippa on Saturday. Thirty-four-year-old Brian Beightley got into an incident with an unidentified female on the 1300 block of Maratta Road. The female had injuries that were caused by Beightley. Beightley is in the Beaver County Jail and is charged with harassment and simple assault.