The national average for a gallon of gas has been steadily rising over the past week, moving seven cents higher to $3.46, and gas prices are eight cents higher in Western Pennsylvania this week at $3.715 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report. The current average for a gallon of gas in Beaver County is $3.70.

With the cost of oil crossing the $80 per barrel mark and gas demand popping as spring approaches, these seasonal increases are expected. Another critical factor is the arrival of more expensive summer blend gas in some markets, which tends to increase pump prices by 10 to 15 cents. Today’s national average of $3.46 is 19 cents higher than a month ago and two cents higher than a year ago.

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand increased slightly from 9.01 to 9.04 million barrels per day last week. Meanwhile, total domestic gasoline stocks dropped by 5.6 million barrels to 234.1 million barrels. Higher gas demand, amid tightening supply, has pushed pump prices higher.

At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate increased by $2.16 to settle at $79.72. Oil prices jumped after Ukrainian drones hit Russian refineries. The extent of the damage is unclear, but repairs could curtail Russian petroleum product exports, including diesel, and lead Russia importing products it needs. Additionally, the EIA reported that total domestic commercial crude stocks decreased by 1.5 million barrels to 447 million barrels last week.

Motorists can find current gas prices nationwide, statewide, and countywide at gasprices.aaa.com.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to  six months of imprisonment, to be followed by two years of supervised release, in connection with  his conviction for embezzling money from disabled veterans’ accounts and conducting a mail fraud  scheme to obtain pandemic unemployment assistance, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan 

announced today.  

United States Senior District Judge Nora Bary Fischer imposed the sentence on Corey Mizell,  51.  

According to information presented to the Court, Mizell previously worked as an agent  cashier at the H. John Heinz III Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center. In January  2021, the sister of a deceased veteran called the VA Police after reviewing the balance in her  brother’s patient account. According to the sister, her brother was essentially bedridden due to his  disability and the COVID-19 pandemic, and thus could not spend the amount of cash withdrawn  from his account. The VA Police opened an investigation into the account activity and questioned  Mizell, the teller who conducted each withdrawal.  

Mizell initially informed the VA Police that someone must have misrepresented their identity  to him in order to fraudulently obtain the funds. Mizell also opined that he was an easy target for  such a scheme since he recently had become an agent cashier. The investigation revealed that Mizell  would call for authorization to withdraw funds from patients who were either on COVID lockdown  or who could not leave their room without an escort due to their disabilities. The U.S. Department  of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG) confronted Mizell after driving by his  residence to find the backyard and exterior of his home being remodeled.  

Following his interview with the VA-OIG, Mizell provided a written confession in which he  admitted to “fraudulently taking money…from accounts of veterans.” Mizell, also a wedding DJ,  attributed his conduct to losing income during the pandemic and unpaid bills. Mizell identified three  veterans from whom he took money, estimating the total amount stolen as $17,660, and resigned  from the VA in April 2021.  

Mizell omitted from his written confession that he also embezzled funds from a fourth veteran  and that he also fraudulently applied for and obtained pandemic unemployment assistance. A  separate investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General  

-more- 

revealed that Mizell filed an electronic application for pandemic benefits in April 2020. Despite  working for the VA since 2016, Mizell falsely stated that he was not a federal employee. Beginning  in May 2020, Mizell falsified that he was not working full time, when he was in fact working full  time as an agent cashier. After his resignation from the VA, Mizell certified on a weekly basis that  he was unemployed due to the pandemic. These falsifications allowed Mizell to collect pandemic  benefits totaling $38,400.  

In imposing Mizell’s sentence, Judge Fischer denied the defendant’s request for a non incarceration sentence, finding it striking that Mizell, himself a veteran, embezzled money from other  veterans. The judge further stated that Mizell did not just steal money from the government, but also  stole money from veterans and their families, with some of Mizell’s victims so disabled that they  could not even walk to his cashier window. Judge Fischer also ordered Mizell to serve the first six  months of his supervised release (following his imprisonment) at home on an electronic location  monitor, and to pay over $57,000 in restitution to the four veterans and the government.  

Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the  government. 

United States Attorney Olshan commended the Department of Labor Office of Inspector  General and Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General for the extensive and  collaborative investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Mizell. 

Middletown, PA – With the Pennsylvania Lottery prepared to upgrade this week to a new computer system, Lottery officials are informing players that the transition to the new system will very briefly impact players’ ability to buy certain tickets and cash winning tickets. The transition is expected to take less than one day.

“The Pennsylvania Lottery is working to upgrade vending equipment, improve our technology, and debut many new features that will improve the playing experience for our players – and this upgrade is one part of that effort,” said Secretary of Revenue Pat Browne, who heads the Pennsylvania Lottery, a bureau within the Department of Revenue. “We have a thorough plan in place to make sure this transition to the new computer system has as little impact as possible for our players. This phase of our project is mainly taking place behind the scenes, but it’s a big move for us to improve our business, expand sales, and continue our mission of responsibly generating funding for programs that benefit older Pennsylvanians.”

Here is what players need to know about the planned computer system upgrade:

• The system upgrade is scheduled to start after midnight tonight. It is expected this transition will take until late into the day on Tuesday, March 19. The Lottery will post updates on its website and social media channels to inform players when this work is complete.

 

• During this time period, drawings will still occur, but players won’t be able to buy any Fast Play tickets or Draw Game tickets at Lottery retail locations or online. Draw Games include Powerball®, Mega Millions®, Treasure Hunt, Cash 5 with Quick Cash, Match 6 Lotto, Cash4Life® and the PICK family of games.
  • As a result, players are encouraged to purchase their tickets in advance for these drawings. In addition to buying Draw Game tickets in advance at retailers, the Lottery offers a subscription option for online players that allows them to purchase Draw Games tickets ahead of time.
  • As a reminder, Powerball® drawings take place on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday nights. Meanwhile, Mega Millions® drawings occur on Tuesday and Friday nights. Players interested in playing either game are strongly encouraged to buy their tickets in advance.
• Players will be able to purchase Scratch-Off tickets at the counter and at vending machines at Lottery retailers via cash only.
• Players will still be able to play eInstant games online during this time period.
• Additionally, winning tickets won’t be able to be paid during this time period. For winning Scratch-Off tickets, players are encouraged to sign the back of their tickets and hold on to them until they can be claimed once the system upgrade is complete.
• No vouchers will be able to be produced and/or used during this time period. A voucher is a receipt for any remaining dollars purchased from a Lottery terminal or vending machine. Players use vouchers to make future game purchases or redeem them for cash at a retailer.
• There may be instances, such as with the Daily Drawings, when results won’t be posted to the PA Lottery website until the system upgrade is complete.
• Claims on winning prizes are taking a few weeks longer to process due to the system upgrade. Processing times should return to normal in April.

The Lottery’s modernization project started with the upgrade of new vending equipment at retail locations, much of which has already been rolled out across the Commonwealth. As a result, players are benefitting from this new equipment — which holds more inventory — and new digital signage in many areas at the Lottery’s network of more than 10,000 retailers.

The transition to the new computer system will be accompanied by the move to new data centers, test environments, communications networks, and back-office systems — all things that are occurring behind the scenes to lay the foundation for enhancements yet to come.

“All of these efforts will help the Lottery operate more efficiently, improve the playing experience for our players, and help us generate funding for the critical programs that our older residents rely upon,” said Pennsylvania Lottery Executive Director Drew Svitko. “Our team is very passionate about responsibly providing entertainment options for our players. We are hard at work to make sure that we keep this momentum going and build on our success.”

Players can access more information about the Lottery’s system upgrade by visiting palottery.com/upgrade.

About Us: The Pennsylvania Lottery remains the only state lottery to direct all proceeds to programs that benefit older residents. Since ticket sales began in 1972, it has contributed more than $35.1 billion to fund property tax and rent rebates, transportation, care services, prescription assistance, and local services including senior centers and meals. The Pennsylvania Lottery operates as a bureau within the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue.

Visit the Winners and Benefits pages at palottery.com to review how much money each county receives in Lottery prizes and funding to benefit older Pennsylvanians.

Players must be 18 or older. Please play responsibly. Call 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) for help with a compulsive gambling problem.

Visit palottery.com for winning numbers, rules, chances of winning, and to join the VIP Players Club to play online or enter for second chances to win. Install our Official App, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @PALottery. Use the hashtag #palottery to share your messages with us.

Story by Curtis Walsh with contributions by Keith Walsh & Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published March 19, 2024 6:39 A.M.

(Midland, Pa) A man is dead after a manhunt took place in midland last night. Beaver County 9-1-1 reported that at 8:12 p.m. Midland Police were summoned to the west end of town in the area of Route 68 and Route 168 to investigate an incident. Sections of the road were closed to traffic as numerous agencies including the swat team, a helicopter, and the Brighton Township police drone were searching for a suspect who allegedly had an AR-15 style rifle. It is currently unclear how many times the gun was fired during the incident. Hours later around midnight, the suspect was located along train tracks approximately five feet into brush. The suspect was believed to have died from a self inflicted gunshot wound. We are currently working on gathering more details.

FILE – Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., talks to the media as he walks to the House chamber before President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol, March 7, 2024, in Washington. Sanders, the far-left independent from Vermont, introduced a bill Thursday, March 14, that would shorten to 32 hours the amount of time many Americans can work each week before they’re owed overtime. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

The 40-hour workweek has been standard in the U.S. for more than eight decades. Now some members of Congress want to give hourly workers an extra day off. Sen. Bernie Sanders this week introduced a bill that would shorten to 32 hours the amount of time many people in the U.S. can work each week before they’re owed overtime. The far-left independent from Vermont says U.S. companies can afford to give employees more time off without cutting their pay and benefits given advances in automation, robotics and artificial intelligence. Critics say a mandated shorter week would force many companies to hire additional workers or lose productivity.

Beaver County Radio News Staff. Published March 18, 2024 12:04 P.M.
Photo of Maize submitted by Megan Smith.

(Aliquippa, Pa) A fundraiser was held on Saturday in Aliquippa to support the Pitbull, Maize, who was attacked with a hatchet and lost an ear as a result in February. The Fundraiser was held at the Marathon Gas station on Brodhead road.

Hooves and Paws Delights/Healing Therapies was the organizer of the fundraiser. They sold homemade dog, horse, and cat treats as well as offered PEMF therapy (pulsed electromagnetic fields therapy). PEMF is the the type of therapy that Hooves and Paws performs weekly on Maize to help her with pain and inflammation from the incident that she experienced.

In total, over $500 was raised for the 10 month old Maize’s ongoing vet care, food, and supplies she will need.

David Askew of Aliquippa is awaiting a preliminary hearing in April for charges related to the attack.

ROCHESTER, PA – Sen. Elder Vogel, Jr. (R-47) will be hosting his 13th Annual Kid’s Extravaganza on Saturday, May 18, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at CCBC – Athletics and Events Center, 1 Campus Drive in Monaca.

Activities will be offered for kids to enjoy, including face painting, a bounce house, balloon artist, a photo booth/selfie station, coloring contest, and western themed games, while parents can learn more about local family services that are available.

Families are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item for a chance to compete in the cow milking contest. The winner gets to compete against Vogel in the final round of the competition!

Beaver County Radio News Staff. Published March 18, 2024 12:02 P.M.

(Chippewa Township, Pa) The Blackhawk School District announced that they applied for and was awarded a grant from the Arby’s Foundation. The grant is to be used to pay off over $30,000 of student meal account debt. The Arby’s Foundation is dedicated to ending childhood hunger and supporting their local communities. The Blackhawk School District wrote that they thank the Arby’s Foundation and note that Blackhawk families will directly benefit from the generosity of the foundation.

CARNEGIE, PA – Today, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) announced the official launch of the Congressional Art Competition for Pennsylvania’s 17^th Congressional District. Each year, Members of the House of Representatives sponsor the competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent of high schoolers in their districts. Congressman Deluzio is proud to participate and highlight a young artist from Western Pennsylvania in the halls of Congress.

“Western PA has long inspired artists and visionaries—the beauty of our rivers and hills and the determination of the people who call this place home. Today’s generation is no different,” said Rep. Deluzio. “I’m proud of the many creative young artists we have here in Pennsylvania’s 17^th Congressional District, and I’m excited to showcase their talent with this year’s Congressional Art Competition.”

Open to all district students grades 9-12, the winning artwork will be physically displayed for one year in the United States Capitol alongside pieces from across the country. The first place winner will also be featured on the House of Representatives’ Congressional Art Competition website.

Submitted artworks must adhere to certain size and medium restrictions and be original in concept, design, and execution. More details on the rules here.

A committee of judges will evaluate eligible art pieces. Congressman Deluzio’s office requests that students’ physical artwork be dropped off to the following locations by 5:00pm on April 22, 2024:

Carnegie Office: (412) 344-5583
Address: 600 N. Bell Ave
Building 1, Suite 102
Carnegie, PA 15106
Office hours are Monday – Friday, 9am-5pm

Beaver County Office: (724) 206-4860
Address: 3468 Broadhead Road,
Suite 1
Monaca, PA 15061
Office hours are Monday – Friday, 9am-5pm

Penn Hills Office – by appointment only

Call for appointments: (412) 344-5583
Address: 11 Duff Road
Suite A-3
Pittsburgh, PA 15235

The winner of this contest will be announced on at the end of April. More information is available on the Congressman’s website, and additional questions can be directed by email to PA17ArtComp@mail.house.gov or by phone to (724) 206-4860.

AMBRIDGE, March 15 – A $583,370 grant to the Ambridge Area School District will help school officials ensure students and staff enjoy a safe, supportive learning environment free of threats, bullying or violence, Rep. Rob Matzie, D-Beaver, announced today.

Matzie said the funding – awarded through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act – will allow school administrators to ensure that policies and programs include a focus on student and staff social, emotional, physical and mental health.

“We know a safe, supportive environment is essential for learning, but it takes resources and planning to create and maintain the kind of healthy, inclusive settings that give students and staff the peace of mind they need to focus and thrive. The new funding is going to allow school administrators to engage with families and the community and shape policies and programs that promote that kind of healthy environment.”

The funding was awarded under the Stronger Connections Grant program, which focuses on districts or schools that meet “high need” criteria such as a high poverty rate, a lack of available mental health supports for students, high rates of violence or school exclusion.