(File Photo)

(HARRISBURG, Pa.)  In response to Russia’s regional aggression and continued attempts to expand its geopolitical influence, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Monday passed a package of legislation that would invest in freedom by expanding Pennsylvania energy production, Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin) said.

“Pennsylvania has the ability and resources to invest in freedom by contributing to American-led energy independence for ourselves and our allies by increasing natural gas production and transmission capabilities to help end Russia’s energy dominance in Europe and other parts of the world,” Benninghoff said.

The package of bills passed by the House today that would invest in freedom by expanding Pennsylvania energy production include:

• House Bill 604 (Rep. Jonathan Fritz, R-Wayne/Susquehanna): Would establish a permitting framework at the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to ensure that decisions on permits are rendered reliably and in a timely manner.
• House Bill 2450 (Rep. Jonathan Fritz, R-Wayne/Susquehanna): Would amend the Delaware River Basin Compact (DRBC) to reapportion the voting rights within the DRBC based on the amount of the basin territory that is within each state. Pennsylvania would have six votes under this plan, New Jersey would have three votes, New York would have two votes, Delaware would have one vote, and the federal government would have one vote.
• House Bill 2451 (Rep. Jonathan Fritz, R-Wayne/Susquehanna): Would amend the Delaware River Basin Compact (DRBC) to make it clear that it is not within the DRBC’s authority to ban fracking.
• House Bill 2461 (Rep. Clint Owlett, R-Tioga/Potter/Bradford): Would require the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to establish a program to lease the subsurface rights under state lands for oil and gas development.

House Bill 637, legislation introduced by Rep. Jim Struzzi (R-Indiana), which would require legislative approval before Pennsylvania could enter into a multi-state carbon tax program like RGGI, is also part of the package and passed the House on March 30, 2022.

Passage of the legislative package comes on the heels of the Biden administration entering into an agreement with the European leaders to significantly increase domestic natural gas exports to these countries.

“Forty percent of the Russian government’s budget comes from its oil and gas industry, meaning the more petroleum products Russia exports, the more it can wage war and finance its pursuit of regional and global influence. Currently, the world buys between $5 billion and $7 billion worth of Russian oil and gas per week. While the United States recently banned the import of Russian petroleum products, European countries—currently receiving over 40% of their natural gas from Russia—have been unable to do so,” Benninghoff said.

“Increasing Pennsylvania energy production and transmission capacity can increase supply and exports to help our allies make the decision to join us in ending their reliance on Russian petroleum products,” he concluded.

House Bill 2458, introduced by Rep. Martina White (R-Philadelphia), which would establish the Philadelphia LNG Export Task Force is also part of the package and is scheduled to be considered on the Floor later this week.

(File Photo)

Story by Sandy Giordano, Beaver County Radio News Correspondent

(Hopewell Twp., Beaver County, Pa.) Pa State Police in Beaver are reporting that a sudden onset of bad weather caused a three vehicle accident on I-376 in Hopewell Township Saturday.  Delbert V. Howze, 64 of Aliquippa  was  travelling east during a burst of bad weather and another vehicle operated by Vincent W. Harmon, and a third vehicle operated by Khalil Lamis, 32 , of Southfield, MI were all eastbound when they came across  a single vehicle crash.  Traffic slowed and came to a stop, according to  state police.  Lamis, vehicle, swerved to avoid stopped traffic , and left the roadway coming to rest in the median .Harmon’s vehicle  was able to stop and  was struck by Howze’s vehicle  Howze’s vehicle left the roadway, ricocheted off a guard wire  before coming to rest against Lamis’s vehicle. Lamis’s vehicle sustained  minor damage  from Howze’s vehicle. Lamis  reported no injuries. Harmon’s vehicle sustained  rear end  damage  and both juveniles in the vehicle were transported to Heritage Valley  Sewickley for head, neck, and back pain. Howze’s vehicle had disabling damage and he had to be extricated from the vehicle, he also sustained, head, neck, and back pain  and also was transported to HV Sewickley. Howze and Lamis’s vehicle had to be towed from the scene.

(Photo Provided with Release)

Keystone State News Connection

Emily Scott

With Pennsylvania’s primary election nearly a month away, older adult advocates want to ensure state residents are aware of major changes to the electoral process.

After the results of the 2020 census, Pennsylvania lost one congressional seat because of population decline. Officials also redrew state House and Senate districts to better reflect population changes.

Bill Johnston-Walsh, state director for AARP Pennsylvania, which put together an election guide, said the organization is focused on utilizing its 500 volunteers to ensure residents know how and where to vote.

“It’s been a rollercoaster ride this year for Pennsylvania voters,” Johnston-Walsh acknowledged. “AARP volunteers can help them figure out where your polling place is, make sure they don’t miss any important dates before the primary, and also figure out if they need a ride to the polling place.”

This primary Election Day, Pennsylvanians will vote for their party nominees for U.S. Senate and governor, with Sen. Pat Toomey retiring and Gov. Tom Wolf’s two-term limit up. All 203 state House seats and 25 out of 50 state Senate seats are up for election as well.

In 2019, Pennsylvania passed no-excuse mail voting, which now faces legal challenges after a Commonwealth Court judge sided earlier this year with some Republican lawmakers who say it violates the state Constitution. It now awaits a decision by the state Supreme Court.

Johnston-Walsh pointed out it has helped make voting more accessible for older adults and people with disabilities.

“We’ve been able to utilize the mail-in balloting aspect so that people could feel comfortable being able to vote,” Johnston-Walsh explained. “It’s their right to vote. People have realized that I don’t need to go to my voting place to be able to vote. I can do it from the comforts of my own home.”

While awaiting a decision from the state’s top court, no-excuse mail voting will be in place for the primary election. The deadline to request an absentee or mail ballot is Tuesday, May 10, by 5 p.m.

The featured image above shows a lion painting in the New Brighton High School Gymnasium.
Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio. Published April 11, 2022 9:44 P.M.

(New Brighton, PA) The New Brighton Area School Board met for a committee meeting Monday night.  One citizen voiced their ongoing concern for a book that is currently a part of curriculum for 9th grade students by reading an excerpt of a mature situation to the board.  The novel, Speak, has been brought up at meetings previously for being seen as inappropriate by some parents, while the intended audience is for young adults.  Superintendent Dr. Joseph Gaurino commented that the district has no intentions of removing the book from curriculum and assured that students have optional alternatives if they are not comfortable with the novel. Another citizen had concerns over students being involved in suicide prevention programs, suggesting that the programs should be opt-in rather than opt-out.  Members of the board assured that the programs are state required and parents are given information about the programs beforehand.

(AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
By DAVID PORTER Associated Press
AVENEL, N.J. (AP) — When the Kmart in Avenel, New Jersey, closes its doors on April 16, it will leave just a handful of remaining locations for the former retail powerhouse. It’s a far cry from the chain’s heyday in the 1980s and ’90s when it had more than 2,000 stores and sold product lines endorsed by Martha Stewart and former “Charlies Angel” Jaclyn Smith. Kmart’s demise is attributed to the rise of Walmart and Target and online behemoth Amazon. But retail expert Mark Cohen says the company also was dogged by poor management decisions and could have stayed viable.

Pennsylvania child swept over North Carolina waterfall
SYLVA, N.C. (AP) — A sheriff’s office says a 3-year-old Pennsylvania girl was killed after she was swept over Whitewater Falls in North Carolina. News outlets report the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office says in a news release that Nevaeh Jade Newswanger of Denver, Pennsylvania, had been visiting the waterfall with family, who are staying in Oconee County, South Carolina, while working in the area. Jackson County Emergency Management received a 911 call around 5:50 p.m. on Sunday from someone reporting a little girl had been swept over the edge of the falls. Her body was recovered early Monday morning.

(File Photo of 3rd Ave. in New Brighton in full spring bloom in 2021)

New Brighton Borough is informing the residents of New Brighton that Valley Waste will be delayed one day in the collection of recycling materials in New Brighton Borough. Collection will occur on Wednesday, April 13, 2022.

(Ambridge, Pa.) Ambridge Police Chief John A. DeLuca reported Monday  afternoon that  the second suspect in the car thefts in the borough has been charged.  Ian Paul Welling of  Lenz Avenue  in Ambridge is charged with  altering or obliterating identification, two counts of receiving stolen property,  three felonies, and two counts of possession of firearm while being prohibited to.