Harrisburg, PA – Acting Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt reminded Pennsylvanians today that the deadline to register to vote in the May 16 municipal primary is four weeks away. Ensuring that our elections are conducted freely and fairly, and that every eligible voter can make their voice heard, are top priorities of the Shapiro Administration.

“I urge every eligible Pennsylvanian who is not yet registered to vote to register online before the May 1 deadline,” Schmidt said. “It takes only a few minutes to register, and then you can exercise your fundamental right to vote and let your voice be heard in the upcoming primary election.”

To be eligible to vote in the May 16 primary, an individual must be:

• A citizen of the United States for at least one month before the primary.
• A resident of Pennsylvania and the election district in which the individual plans to register and vote for at least 30 days before the primary.
• At least 18 years of age on or before the date of the primary.

Pennsylvanians who are already registered to vote can check their registration status online and update their voter record with any name, address, or party affiliation changes.

Because Pennsylvania has a closed primary, only voters registered as Democrats and Republicans can vote for their party’s nominees to run in the Nov. 7, 2023, municipal primary election. Eligible voters will have the opportunity to cast a ballot for their parties’ nominees for judicial and local government positions. The department’s candidate database lists all candidates running for office.

Regardless of party affiliation, all registered voters can vote on any local ballot questions that may be on the primary ballot, and all registered voters in the following districts can vote in special elections for state representative also to be held on May 16:

• 108^th Legislative District in Montour and Northumberland counties and
• 163^rd Legislative District in Delaware County.

In addition to registering online, eligible Pennsylvanians can register by mail or in person at the following locations:

• their county voter registration office,

• county assistance offices,
• Women, Infants & Children (WIC) program offices,
• Pennsylvania Department of Transportation photo and drivers’ license centers,
• Armed Forces recruitment centers,
• county clerk of orphans’ courts or marriage license offices,

• area agencies on aging,
• county mental health and intellectual disabilities offices,
• student disability services offices of the State System of Higher Education,
• offices of special education in high schools, and
• Americans with Disabilities Act-mandated complementary paratransit providers.

Registered voters can also request a no-excuse mail-in or absentee ballot online. Mail-in or absentee ballot applications must be received by a voter’s county elections board by 5 p.m. May 9. Voted mail ballots must be received by county election offices by 8 p.m. on May 16. Postmarks do not count.

The department’s website, vote.pa.gov, is available in English and Spanish and offers printable voter registration applications, a polling place locator, and county boards of elections contact information. It also includes tips for first-time voters and members of the military. In addition, voters going to the polls can familiarize themselves with the voting system they will use on Election Day.

Gas prices are stable in Western Pennsylvania this week at $3.683 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline rose seven cents over the past week to hit $3.50. Robust demand for gasoline and rising oil prices are the driving factors for the recent uptick in pump prices. Today’s national average is 11 cents more than a month ago but 69 cents less than a year ago.

The average price of unleaded self-serve gasoline in Beaver County is $3.73

(Keystone State News Connection)
Danielle Smith

April is Earth Month, a time to raise environmental awareness worldwide.

In Pennsylvania, a nonpartisan group called Science Moms wants families to know about new rebates and tax credits through landmark federal clean-energy laws.

Joellen Russell, professor of geosciences at the University of Arizona and co-founder of Science Moms, said making the switch to clean energy is more affordable. But many people are still unaware of the tools at their disposal, or the reasons for making the switch. She stated they are educating parents on the risks of dirty energy and the everyday actions they can take to keep their little ones safe.

“And we’re trying to talk to our fellow moms about the opportunity here with the federal Clean Energy laws,” Russell explained. “To do everything from get a heat pump for your house to, for less money, switching out those nasty belching school buses for clean electric buses, and get federal dollars to help make that switch.”

Russell noted school districts purchasing new electric buses can get big rebates and save money immediately because they are not pumping a bunch of new diesel. It also produces cleaner air. In the meantime, the Philadelphia public school district purchased its first five electric school buses in 2022 and are planning on expanding its fleet in 2023 to reduce its carbon footprint.

Russell pointed out burning fossil fuels not only adds heat-trapping gases such as carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, which then makes it warmer, but it is also harmful to Pennsylvanians’ health. She stressed it is time for families to take action in their communities by switching from carbon polluting to non-carbon polluting, sharing information, and speaking up about best practices for clean energy.

“Do EV, do hybrid, if you’re in the market for a car, used or not used,” Russell urged. “This is just much better, and it will save money on your gas. Plus, there are new incentives for electric vehicles here. If your community is thinking about putting in more charging stations, there’s money through the federal clean-energy laws.”

Russell encouraged parents to engage with local schools and let them know electric school buses will cut toxic fumes emitted from diesel buses. She also suggested starting conversations about cleaner energy with family and friends, in person and on social media.

(AP) NASA has named the four astronauts who will fly around the moon late next year. The first moon crew in 50 years includes the first woman and the first African American assigned to a lunar mission. NASA introduced the three Americans and one Canadian on Monday during a ceremony in Houston. The four are NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen. They will not land or even go into lunar orbit. Rather, they will fly around the moon and head straight back to Earth. The 10-day mission will be a prelude to a lunar landing a year later.

FILE – Former President Donald Trump speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2023, March 4, 2023, at National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Former President Donald Trump is flying from Florida toward New York for his historic booking and arraignment. As his arrival nears, the nation’s largest city is bolstering security and warning potential agitators that it is “not a playground for your misplaced anger.” Trump’s journey from his Mar-a-Lago club tto the airport in Florida took him past supporters waving banners and cheering the former president as they slammed the case against him — stemming from hush money payments during his 2016 campaign —as politically motivated. The scene is quite different in New York, where Trump built a national profile in business and entertainment but became deeply unpopular as he moved into politics.

FILE – People queue with their cars at a gas station in Frankfurt, Germany, on Aug. 31, 2022, the last day when the government’s fuel prize discount is in effect. Major oil-producing countries led by Saudi Arabia and Russia have said they’re throttling back supplies of crude — again. And this time, the decision to cut back was a surprise that is underlining worries about where the global economy might be headed. (AP Photo/Michael Probst, File)

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Some of the globe’s biggest oil producers are cutting back. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and others are saying they’ll dial back supplies of crude to the global economy by a million barrels a day. That could send prices higher — or at least keep them from sliding to where they hurt the budgets of oil-producing countries. Russia is extending its own cuts, too. Higher prices could help Moscow weather Western sanctions over Ukraine. But much depends on the global economy and whether demand for oil rebounds strongly in coming months. Combined with a cut of 2 million barrels per day announced in October, producers have axed about 3% of the world’s oil supply.

Harrisburg – The Shapiro Administration today unveiled a first-of-its-kind plan to tackle Pennsylvania’s shortage of certified elementary and secondary teachers through apprenticeship – a workforce development strategy that creates earn-as-you-learn career pathways to family-sustaining jobs. For workers, apprenticeship is an opportunity to gain in-demand skills while earning a paycheck. For employers, apprenticeship is an opportunity to build their workforce instead of constantly searching for it.

The departments of Labor & Industry (L&I) and Education (PDE) aim to confront Pennsylvania’s teacher shortage by expanding the apprenticeship model in the education sector to include training for individuals like paraprofessionals and teachers’ aides who want to become certified elementary and secondary teachers. L&I and PDE are looking for partners to create a new apprenticeship model specifically designed for and targeting this population.

“Building opportunity for our kids starts in our classrooms, but students can’t succeed if we don’t have enough well-qualified, well-paid teachers helping them learn and grow,” said Governor Josh Shapiro. “This apprenticeship-driven approach will not only alleviate teacher staffing shortages in our schools, but it will also create a talent pipeline and an education workforce representative of the students it serves.”

While there are currently more than 30 registered apprenticeship programs in the education sector throughout Pennsylvania, most are focused on the early childhood education workforce. L&I is soliciting applications for up to $500,000 in grant funding from organizations capable of building a registered apprenticeship program that school districts across Pennsylvania could use as a template for teacher career pathways.

“The goal of creating registered apprenticeship programs for certified teachers is rooted in the Shapiro Administration’s commitment to helping Pennsylvanians by directly investing in our workers and their future,” L&I Acting Secretary Nancy Walker said. “For more than a decade, there has been a significant decline in the number of individuals obtaining teacher certification in Pennsylvania. This grant program is a commonsense solution to address this challenge and provide a meaningful pathway to family-sustaining jobs for workers who have already demonstrated commitment to children in their communities.”

“Educators play a pivotal role in our Commonwealth. Supporting our teachers, investing in programs and alternative pathways to a career in education is a top priority,” said Acting Secretary of Education Dr. Khalid N. Mumin. “This grant program is an opportunity to help strengthen the workforce and provide future generations of educators the chance to pursue their passion and make a difference in their communities.”

Established in 2016, L&I’s Apprenticeship and Training Office (ATO) is responsible for guiding and promoting the expansion and compliance of all registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs across the Commonwealth. The ATO currently supports 868 unduplicated program sponsors and 1,573 occupation-specific registered apprenticeship programs across the Commonwealth, with 16,254 registered apprentices currently active. Governor Shapiro’s budget proposes an investment of $2.5 million for apprenticeships that will support the creation of at least 20 new programs serving about 1,200 apprentices.

Schools throughout Pennsylvania face significant barriers to adequate staffing levels of well-qualified teachers. According to an analysis conducted by the Penn State College of Education’s Center for Evaluation and Education Policy, the number of teaching positions filled by individuals on an emergency permit has increased significantly compared to the number of newly certified teachers who participated in state teacher preparation programs.

Other factors exacerbating the teacher shortage include a significant decline in teachers certified in specific subject areas; the presence of teacher preparation program “deserts,” particularly in rural areas; and a substantial shortage of teachers of color. According to the report, teacher staffing challenges are felt most acutely by schools serving high proportions of students living in poverty and students of color.

The deadline to apply for grant funding is June 1, 2023. More information about the Building and Supporting a Certified Teacher Registered Apprenticeship Program grant availability is available on L&I’s website. This opportunity is 100% federally funded using the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Statewide Activity funding.

Rochester, Pa.—On March 30, the Beaver County Democratic Committee fulfilled one of its primary functions and voted on endorsements for the Pennsylvania primary election scheduled for May 16, 2023.

Endorsed candidates received over two-thirds of the votes of those in attendance, except for the office of Recorder of Deeds, which will be an open primary between Sandra Gill and Michael Jackson. Notably, the Committee unanimously endorsed Beaver County’s own Judge Debbie Kunselman for Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

Committee Chair Erin Gabriel said, “We have all seen over the last few years just how critical it is for our rights to be upheld by our courts — our rights to health care, including reproductive health care and bodily autonomy; our voting rights; our privacy rights; and the rights of our children to a free and appropriate public education.

“At the state level, the Beaver County Democrats have endorsed the most experienced and qualified judicial candidates who will protect our rights and uphold our values in the Pennsylvania Supreme, Superior, and Commonwealth courts.

“We also know just how important it is for our children to see leaders who look like them working to build a better and brighter future for all of us. At the county level, we have never fielded a more diverse slate of candidates, who will bring experience AND new perspectives to local government.

“We believe that these are the candidates who are ultimately the most qualified and most well-suited to winning in November and helping to build a stronger and more inclusive Beaver County for all of us.”

The Committee’s endorsement was awarded to:

• Debbie Kunselman, PA Supreme Court
• Timika Lane, PA Superior Court
• Jill Beck, PA Superior Court
• Bryan Neft, PA Commonwealth Court
• Dirk A Goodwald, Magisterial District Judge, District 36-1-02
• David Neely, Magisterial District Judge, District 36-3-01
• Joseph L. Schafer, Magisterial District Judge, District 36-3-03
• Tony Amadio, County Commissioner
• Julian Taylor, County Commissioner
• Tina Price-Genes, Controller
• Judy Enslen, Clerk of Courts
• Nate Bible, District Attorney
• Michael Rossi, Prothonotary
• Tracey Antoline-Patton, Register of Wills/Clerk of Orphans’ Court
• Leonard C Seanez, Treasurer
• Antonio Pitts, Coroner

The Committee is united in its strong support of the above endorsed candidates and looks forward to bringing their character, principles, and service before the residents of Beaver County in 2023.

[April 3, 2023] — April is National Volunteer Month, and the American Red Cross is celebrating the millions of people who volunteer to give blood, platelets and plasma throughout the year. This month, the Red Cross and PEANUTS® are joining forces as a reminder that it’s cool to be kind and help save lives. 

Don’t wait until there’s a crisis to give – donors of all blood types, especially type O blood donors and those giving platelets – are needed now to keep the blood supply strong enough to support critical patient care all season long.

People coming together to care for one another is the humanitarian spirit shared by the Red Cross community and PEANUTS. Donors are encouraged to take a page from the comic strips that have charmed generations and take care of one another by making a blood or platelet donation.

Book a time to give by visiting RedCrossBlood.org, downloading the Red Cross Blood Donor App, or calling 1-800-RED CROSS.

As a thank-you, all who come to give April 1-23 will receive an exclusive Red Cross and PEANUTS T-shirt featuring Snoopy as the coolest beagle in town, Joe Cool, while supplies last.* Those who come to give April 1-30 will be automatically entered for a chance to win a three-night trip for two to Sonoma County, California. This getaway includes flights, hotel, a $1,000 gift card and special tours of the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Snoopy’s Home Ice, courtesy of Peanuts Worldwide.​​​​​​​​​​​​ 

How to donate blood

Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enable the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass® to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, before arriving at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App.

Amplify your impact − volunteer! 

Another way to support the lifesaving mission of the Red Cross is to become a volunteer blood donor ambassador at Red Cross blood drives. Blood donor ambassadors help greet, check-in and thank blood donors to ensure they have a positive donation experience. 

Volunteers can also serve as transportation specialists, playing a vital role in ensuring lifesaving blood products are delivered to nearby hospitals. For more information and to apply for either position, visit redcross.org/volunteertoday. 

The photo above shows a cake made in honor of Police Chief Robert Sealock and Officer James Naim (Sandy Giordano)
Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published April 3, 2023 9:45 A.M.  

(Aliquippa, PA) Aliquippa Police hosted the annual police memorial service Friday morning honoring fallen Police Chief Robert Sealock and Officer James Naim. Chief Sealock suffered a severe asthma attack on April 11, 2020 while in pursuit of a suspect. He died on Saturday, April 26, 2020 in a Pittsburgh hospital. Officer Naim died on March 15, 2001 after being shot in the back while on patrol in Linmar.

Photos from the event (Sandy Giordano):