Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukrainian minister of digital transformation, poses for a photo illuminated by a lamp in the shape of a Ukrainian trident, a national symbol, in his office in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022. The Ukrainian government minister in charge of technology says his country has bought some 1,400 drones, mostly for reconnaissance, and is now developing air-to-air combat ones that can attack the drones Russia is using against Ukrainians. In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Mykhailo Fedorov, (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The Ukrainian government minister in charge of technology says his country is developing combat drones that attack the ones Russia has used during its invasion of Ukraine. In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov described Russia’s war in Ukraine as the first major war of the internet age. He credited drones and satellite internet systems like Elon Musk’s Starlink with having transformed the conflict. Fedorov says the Ukrainian military so far has used drones mostly for reconnaissance and that strike zones are the next step. The minister also discussed the challenges Ukraine faces in maintaining internet service during the war.

FILE – A customer fills out a Mega Millions lottery ticket at a convenience store in Northbrook, Ill., on Jan. 6, 2021. The holiday shopping season, for Mega Millions lottery ticket buyers, at least, is ramping up as officials say the estimated jackpot for the drawing the night of Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022, has surpassed half a billion dollars. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A giant Mega Millions jackpot has grown larger to an estimated $640 million after another drawing without a winner. No one won the lottery game’s top prize Tuesday night, making it 21 straight drawings without anyone matching all six numbers. The next drawing will be Friday night. The huge jackpot comes less than two months after the largest lottery prize ever, a $2.04 billion Powerball prize that was won Nov. 8 in California. The reason for all the big prizes is simple. Long odds ensure there are few winners and the long streaks of lottery futility allow jackpots to grow ever larger week after week. The odds of winning a Mega Millions jackpot is one in 302.6 million.

(AP Photo/John Raoux)

The U.S. Census Bureau has released new information showing that Pennsylvania has lost more than 40,000 residents between July 2021 and 2022. The loss falls in at 4th place in yearly losses of all 50 states. With just under 13 million residents, Pennsylvania is the 5th most populated state in the country.

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Story by Beaver County Radio Staff

John Rooney, who was the son of Steelers founder Arthur J. Rooney and the brother of former chairman Daniel M. Rooney, has died. Rooney was a minority shareholder of the Steelers. He was 84.

Story by Sandy Giordano and Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio. Published December 28, 2022 6:23 A.M.

(Aliquippa, PA) State Police say the victim of a Tuesday evening shooting is an 18 year old female who suffered single gunshot wound.  After investigating, they determined that the female was struck by an accidental discharge while her 2 year old son and multiple others were nearby at Valley Terrace Apartments.  The female was life flighted to a hospital.  Charges are pending for an 18 year old male for tampering with evidence, recklessly endangering, and other firearms charges.

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Story by Sandy Giordano and Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio.  Published December 28, 2022 6:05 A.M.

(Aliquippa, PA) A shooting occurred at Valley Terrace Apartments in Aliquippa Tuesday night Aliquippa. Police received a call around 6 p.m. for a shooting victim, according to 9-1-1 . The victim was life flighted to a Pittsburgh hospital.  State police took over the investigation, and as of 10:15 p.m. Tuesday night there was no  further information being released.

UPDATE 6:15 A.M. – State Police say the victim of a Tuesday evening shooting is an 18 year old female who suffered single gunshot wound.  After investigating, they determined that the female was struck by an accidental discharge while her 2 year old son and multiple others were nearby at Valley Terrace Apartments.  The female was life flighted to a hospital.  Charges are pending for an 18 year old male for tampering with evidence, recklessly endangering, and other firearms charges.

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

The city of Beaver Falls is looking to make 2023 “even bigger, better, and greater”, as Councilwoman Vanessa Taylor phrased it during her invocation…and they’ll have a good amount of cash to attempt such progress.

At their final meeting of 2022, the city’s council approved the 2023 budget for Beaver Falls at the amount of $46,685,492.13. The budget will take affect when the money is appropriated to the individual departments specified in the budget. The number matches that in the proposed budget, which can be seen by clicking here; the final, approved budget will be available online within the coming days.

The bulk of the budget was arranged and presented through the city’s treasurer, Sandy Wilkins, who was commended for her efforts following the budget’s approval. “You really help the city in ways that we can’t begin to thank you,” Mayor Kenya Johns stated to Wilkins. “We all appreciate you. All your hard work, your late nights, it doesn’t go unnoticed.”

The city also approved the hiring of Michael Gurney as an Operator-In-Training for the Water Works Treatment Plant, a one-year agreement with Valley Waste Services, and a list of General Fund expenditures in the amount of $279,602.59. The councilmembers thanked each other for a good 2022 and thanked Mayor Johns for her first year of leadership; the mayor returned thanks to the Council in kind.

A new year of meetings for the Beaver Falls City Council begins on January 10 at 7:00 PM at the City Building.

FILE – A shopper carries bags down Fifth Avenue on Black Friday, Nov. 25, 2022, in New York. Holiday sales rose as shoppers showed some resilience during the most important shopping season despite surging prices on everything from food to rent. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson, File )

NEW YORK (AP) — Holiday sales rose as American spending remained resilient during the critical shopping season despite surging prices on everything from food to rent, according to one measure. Holiday sales rose 7.6, a slower pace than the 8.5% increase from a year earlier when shoppers began spending the money they had saved during the early part of the pandemic, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse, which tracks all kinds of payments including cash and debit cards. Mastercard SpendingPulse had expected a 7.1% increase. The data released Monday excludes the automotive industry and is not adjusted for inflation, which has eased somewhat but still remains painfully high.

FILE – Zach Bryan performs at the Railbird Music Festival on Sunday, Aug. 29, 2021, in Lexington, Ky. The chorus against Ticketmaster’s contentious concert pricing practices is growing, numbering among them Zach Bryan and friends.
(Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP, File)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The chorus against Ticketmaster’s contentious concert pricing practices is growing, including Zach Bryan and friends. The country music artist dropped a live album titled “All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster” on Sunday. Bryan also issued a statement on social media in which he decried “a massive issue with fair ticket prices to live shows lately.” The statement doesn’t mention Ticketmaster by name except in the new album title, though he tagged the company in a separate Instagram post displaying the track listing. A message seeking comment from Ticketmaster was not immediately returned.