CARNEGIE, PA — Today, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) announced $1,140,952 in federal funding for law enforcement, public safety, and addiction recovery services across Pennsylvania’s 17^th Congressional District. The grants are going to Allegheny County, Bell Acres, Brighton Township, Leet Township, Moon Township, and Scott Township. These federal grants are from the Local Law Enforcement Grant Program categories of the American Rescue Plan as well as Federal State Opioid Response funds.

“I am thrilled to bring home these federal funds for police, public safety, and addiction and recovery services for communities in Allegheny and Beaver County,” said Congressman Deluzio. “I will keep fighting to ensure that every municipality across the 17^th District has the resources and support they need to have safer communities.” 

The grants were allocated by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), and are as follows:

Allegheny Passages to Recovery, Inc., $500,000: Criminal justice focused peer support program for justice-involved individuals and families dealing with opioid or substance use disorders.

Bell Acres Borough, $35,513: Local law enforcement support program Records Management Systems upgrade.

Brighton Township, $194,035: Police video evidence system update.

Leet Township, $54,752: Police Records Management Systems upgrade, Body-worn cameras.

Moon Township Moon Police Department, $174,420: Records Management Systems upgrade and technology equipment upgrade.

Northern Regional Police Department, $105,300: Data migration to achieve National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) conversion.

Scott Township, $76,932: Portable radios and reception upgrades.

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (PHMC) today announced the appointment of Heather Hicks, to the position of site administrator at Old Economy Village, Ambridge.  Hicks takes over the position from former site administrator Michael Knecht who took over operations at Drake Well Museum and Park, Titusville in the spring of 2022. Ms. Hicks’ start date is April 3.

As site administrator, Hicks will be responsible for day-to-day operations and all aspects of visitor services and site operations at Old Economy Village. She will manage a volunteer program and ensure the site is welcoming to visitors and maintains the highest standards of customer service.

“We are very fortunate to have someone with Heather’s passion for public history take on the leadership of Old Economy Village,” said Melissa Mann, Director of PHMC’s Bureau of Historic Sites and Museums. “Heather brings with her a wealth of experience in educational programming, museum and non-profit management and relationship-building, all of which will serve the historic site and community well.”

Hicks previously served as site manager at Daniel Boone Homestead, Birdsboro, and before that as the site administrator at Fonthill Castle, which is owned by the Bucks County Historical Society (BCHS). At Fonthill she was responsible for all day-to day management of the site. She supervised over 40 staff and volunteers, managed, and produced fundraising events, created new community outreach initiatives, managed the retail museum shop, and coordinated maintenance of the facility and grounds. Before that, she worked at Stenton House in Philadelphia. Ms. Hicks has a BA in art history and fine art from Arcadia University and a MA in archaeology from Temple University.

Old Economy Village, a National Historic Landmark, tells the story of the Harmony Society, one of the oldest and most successful religious communal groups of the nineteenth century. The Society sought to create a utopia inhabited by German Lutheran separatists who subscribed to the mystical religious teachings of their leader George Rapp (1757-1847).

Old Economy Village is administered by the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission with the active support of the Friends of Old Economy Village, a non-profit community-based organization and is one of 23 historic sites and museums that make up the Pennsylvania Trails of History.

For more information on Old Economy Village, visit: http://oldeconomyvillage.org/.

The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission is the official history agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Learn more by visiting PHMC online or following us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn.

Emergency personnel work at the site of a deadly explosion at a chocolate factory in West Reading, Pa., Friday, March 24, 2023. ( Ben Hasty /Reading Eagle via AP)

Investigators looking for the cause of a deadly explosion that leveled part of a Pennsylvania chocolate factory are facing an even more difficult task as they comb through wreckage that was picked apart and moved around during the weekend search for victims and survivors. Seven people were killed and several others wounded in the powerful blast at the R.M Palmer Co. plant in West Reading (REHD’-ing). With the recovery effort now over, attention turned to identifying the cause. Authorities say that task is even more complicated because heavy equipment was used to pick apart the wreckage.

A child weeps while on the bus leaving The Covenant School following a mass shooting at the school in Nashville, Tenn., Monday, March 27, 2023. (Nicole Hester/The Tennessean via AP)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The former student who shot through the doors of a Christian elementary school in Nashville and killed three children and three adults had drawn a detailed map of the school, including potential entry points, and conducted surveillance of the building before carrying out the massacre. Metropolitan Nashville Police Chief John Drake did not say exactly what drove the shooter to open fire Monday morning at The Covenant School before being killed by police. But he provided chilling examples of the shooter’s elaborate planning for the bloodshed, including a manifesto and other writings that police are going over. The victims include three 9-year-old children, the school’s top administrator, a substitute teacher and a custodian.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Two men accused of stuffing fish with lead weights and fish fillets in an attempt to win an Ohio fishing tournament last fall have pleaded guilty to charges including cheating. The two men have also agreed to three-year suspensions of their fishing licenses. Both are scheduled to be sentenced May 11. Prosecutors plan to recommend a sentence of six months’ probation. The cheating allegations surfaced in September. A walleye fishing tournament director became suspicious when their fish were significantly heavier than typical walleye. They would have won a little over $28,000 in prizes for winning the tournament.

Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio. Published March 28, 2023 10:13 A.M.

(Monaca, PA) Shell Polymers Monaca released a statement Saturday that they will be performing maintenance and conduct repairs on on of their systems. They said they will initiate a controlled shutdown of portions of the plant. An elevated flare will be fully activated for a “period of time”.  Shell said “We apologize for any noise or visual disruption this may cause our friends and neighbors. All appropriate regulatory agencies have been notified. The safety of our employees, our community and the environment are our top priorities.”

File Photo of Margaret Ross Elementary School in Hopewell
Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published March 28, 2023 9:08 A.M.

(Hopewell Township, PA) Friday night around 7pm, a student was found outside the school with a potential weapon, according to an email sent out to parents by Superintendent Dr. Jeff Beltz.  According to the email there was no danger to anyone. Hopewell Police are investigating, and they weren’t available to comment Tuesday morning.

(Photo of water facility in Industry, submitted by Industry Residents)
Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio News Director. Published March 28, 2023 7:40 A.M. 

(Industry, PA) Industry Borough residents say they are planning to speak up at a council meeting in regards to their ongoing water issues. They say the Industry Borough Municipal Authority has provided them with zero answers about their water problems since they started in late October. Residents claim to be experiencing brown water with low pressure, and they say the water facilities are in disrepair. Residents hope to get answers at the meeting Tuesday night at 1149 Willowbrook Drive in Industry at 6pm.

PA Cyber Polytechnic Van File Photo
The PACSEA released the following statement:

PA Cyber Special Education Association (PACSEA), the union representing 135 Special
Education Teachers and Reading Specialists employed by The Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School, has been bargaining a new contract with their employer since December 2021. They continue to work under the terms of a contract that expired on June 30, 2022.
PACSEA members are seeking equity and fairness with other PA Cyber educators in terms of compensation and work/life balance as their members are required to work in June, July, and August, yet their compensation remains comparable to their peers who are only required to work nine months a year.
They are also fighting for improved working conditions, which they know will further enhance their students’ learning conditions. For instance, establishing clear class size maximums will ensure that students receive the support they need and deserve. In addition to their teaching duties, the Special Education Teachers are responsible to manage an Individual Education Plan (IEP) for each student on their roster. An IEP is developed to ensure that a child who has a disability identified under the law and is attending an elementary or secondary educational institution receives specialized instruction and related services.
Teaching in a cyber school, educators are not face-to-face with their students in a building, so ensuring teachers have a reasonable number of students on their roster provides the ability to build and maintain relationships with both students and parents, which is essential and crucial for student success.
Members remain optimistic that representatives negotiating on behalf of The Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School will show respect and support their teachers by working collaboratively to settle a fair, equitable, and just contract.
In a show of solidarity for their bargaining team, members of PACSEA are conducting an informational picket on Tuesday, March 28th from 4:30 – 5:30 pm in front of the PA Cyber offices located at 1200 Midland Avenue, Midland, PA 15059.