Local politicians announced this week that grants totaling $2.86 million are being made to several Beaver County schools, thanks to the Commonwealth Financing Authority’s Public School Facility Improvement Grant Program. Provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, these grants will help fix leaks and problems involving drainage flow. According to State Representative Rob Matzie, issues on the roofs of several school districts have lead to not only drainage and leak issues, but also the rise of mold, mildew, and deterioration. The grants include $1.15 million to the Hopewell Area School District, $1 million to the Aliquippa School District, and $713,777 to the Rochester Area School District.

The unofficial results to the United States Senator vote are now official as Republican Dave McCormick has defeated Democrat Bob Casey, two days after Election Day. However, according to a statement from Casey, he will not concede as over one hundred thousand votes still need to be counted. The 59-year-old McCormick gives Republicans control of the Senate after winning the position. With votes still being counted, McCormick led Casey by about 31,000 votes, or half a percentage point. It was McCormick’s second time running, this time with a clear primary and with President Trump’s endorsement, after he lost narrowly to the President Trump-endorsed Dr. Mehmet Oz in 2022’s expensive seven-way primary. McCormick was also an Army veteran and the former CEO of the world’s largest hedge fund.

Source for Photo: Republican candidate for Pennsylvania U.S. Senate Dave McCormick talks to supporters as returns show a close race during his returns watch party in the Pennsylvania primary election, Tuesday, May 17, 2022, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

Beaver will be hosting the Beaver County Veteran’s Day Parade on Veteran’s Day, Monday, November 11th. The parade will take place on Third Street at 10:30 a.m. Veteran’s Day is a federal holiday, so that means that regular mail service will not happen, as well as the closing of both courthouse and government offices.

(Reported by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano, Published on November 8th, 2024 at 8:56 A.M.)

From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.  in the main corridor entrance to Ambridge and the Historic District  from Ohio River Boulevard to Merchant Street. According to a press release issued this morning, the borough plans to augment the new outdoor gym, across from the Henning Street Splash Pad area, with tree planting and is requesting community support for the initiative. Borough workers will dig the holes and volunteers will plant the trees. Water will be provided by the fire department for the trees as well as both pre and post planting. This initiative is being brought forth by the Ambridge Historic District Development Board.

As winter gets closer, the administration of Governor Josh Shapiro urges Pennsylvanians to get vaccinated, especially for respiratory diseases. Secretary of Health Debra Bogen gave a message at Taylor Community Center in Lackawanna County to encourage all Pennsylvanians to keep up on their yearly vaccinations to protect against flu, COVID-19, and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) leading up to the holiday season.

Source for Photo: FILE – Prepared Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine syringes for children ages 5 to 11 and adults are displayed on a table at Northwest Community Church in Chicago, Dec. 11, 2021. The Biden administration said Thursday, June 2, 2022, that children under 5 may be able to get their first COVID-19 vaccination doses as soon as June 21, if federal regulators authorize shots for the age group, as expected. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

The administration of Governor Josh Shapiro held a meeting before the polls in Pennsylvania closed after election night. Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt held a media briefing in Harrisburg stressing the mail ballot process and how it is important. This audio is courtesy of Commonwealth Media Services.

Source for Photo: FILE – Chester County, Pa., election workers process mail-in and absentee ballots at West Chester University in West Chester, Pa., Nov. 4, 2020. Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, approved a bill long-sought by counties seeking help to manage huge influxes of mail-in ballots during elections in the presidential battleground state and to avoid a repeat of 2020’s drawn-out vote count. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)

 

 

Beaver County police are looking for a suspect that robbed a mailman in Rochester at gunpoint. Around 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, November 2nd, police asserted that a United States Postal Service mail carrier was walking in Rochester on Case Street, his usual route, when the suspect, according to Rochester Police Officer Andrew Krawchyk, brought up the question of what the mailman was possessing, and then took out a gun inside the pocket of his hoodie and forced the mail carrier to give him what was in his pocket. After the mailman conceded his pocket money, the suspect escaped west of Case Street and was able to get away from cameras that police had placed. Postal Inspectors and local police are currently working on this case. After the incident occurred, Rochester Police provided no comment, however, there is a person of interest that police are investigating in regards to the case. 

(Reported by Danielle Smith of Keystone News Service)

The early childhood development initiative “Too Small to Fail” is expanding in Pennsylvania to boost children’s brain and language development, preparing them for kindergarten and beyond. Nearly sixty percent of children in the United States begin kindergarten unprepared, lagging behind their peers in essential language and reading skills. Perri Chinalai is the managing director at Too Small to Fail with the Clinton Foundation. She says her organization is partnering with the Barbara Bush Foundation and United Way of Pennsylvania to implement two hundred and fifty new early education activations over the next two years.

(Reported by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano, Published on November 8th, 2024 at 7:55 A.M.)

On Thursday, an Ellwood City man has pleaded guilty after being charged of sexually exploiting a minor. According to a release from United States Attorney Eric Olshan, thirty-year-old Shayne Clapper pleaded guilty to five counts before United States District Judge William S. Stickman. Olshan noted that Clapper initiated a sexual relationship with a minor known to him, gave the minor a cell phone, and then forced the minor to send nude pictures as well as content to make a pornographic video. Olshan also expressed that Judge Stickman set the sentencing time for Clapper at 1:30 p.m. on March 12, 2025, with a punishment of either a lifelong stint in prison or a quarter of a million dollar fine, or both. 

US Senator Bob Casey who according to The AP has been defeated by David McCormick released a statement tonight refusing to concede the election until all ballots are counted. Casey said in the statement that there are still over 100,000 ballots to count. Casey’s statement from his campaign is below:

Statement from Senator Casey on Pennsylvania Senate Race  PENNSYLVANIA – Senator Casey released the following statement on the ongoing vote count in Pennsylvania. Statement from Senator Bob Casey:  “I have dedicated my life to making sure Pennsylvanians’ voices are heard, whether on the floor of the Senate or in a free and fair election. It has been made clear there are more than 100,000 votes still to be counted. Pennsylvania is where our democratic process was born. We must allow that process to play out and ensure that every vote that is eligible to be counted will be counted. That is what Pennsylvania deserves.”