People walk past the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday, June 29, 2022 in New York. Wall Street is making only modest moves following a hotly anticipated report on inflation Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023 as investors try to square what it will mean for the economy and interest rates.(AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is slumping after a report suggested inflation may not be slowing as quickly and as smoothly as hoped. The S&P 500 was 1% lower in midday trading on Tuesday, while yields shot higher in the bond market as investors braced for the Federal Reserve get firmer on interest rates to combat inflation. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 417 points. Analysts said the inflation report shows the long road ahead for the Federal Reserve in getting inflation down to its 2% target. Traders upped their bets for how high the Fed will take interest rates this summer.
A scintillating Super Bowl 57 was filled with magical moments but also some that were cringe-worthy. The field at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, lived up to its reputation as a slippery place to play as players from both the Chiefs and Eagles had a hard time keeping their footing. And a debatable call in the closing minutes ensured there would be an anticlimactic finish to an otherwise thrilling 38-35 win by Kansas City that gave coach Andy Reid his second Super Bowl title and a win over the Philadelphia team that fired him.
U.S. Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley speaks during a media conference after a meeting of NATO defense ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Olivier Matthys)
BRUSSELS (AP) — The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff says the first U.S. missile fired at an unidentified object over Lake Huron missed the target and “landed harmlessly” in the water, but a second one successfully hit. The acknowledgment Tuesday by Gen. Mark Milley of the errant strike comes amid questions about whether the shootdown of aerial objects that military officials say didn’t pose a threat is creating unnecessary risk. The object taken down Sunday was the third in as many days to be shot from the skies. The White House has said the objects differed in size and maneuverability from a Chinese surveillance balloon that U.S. fighter jets shot down earlier this month
FILE – Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley speaks at an annual leadership meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition, Nov. 19, 2022, in Las Vegas. Haley may be the first to take on former President Donald Trump, but a half-dozen or more high-profile Republicans are expected to join the GOP’s 2024 presidential nomination contest over the coming months. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador, announced her candidacy for president on Tuesday. She becomes the first major challenger to former President Donald Trump for the 2024 Republican nomination. The announcement, delivered in a video, marks an about-face for the ex-Trump Cabinet official, who said two years ago that she wouldn’t challenge her former boss for the White House in 2024. But she changed her mind in recent months, citing, among other things, the country’s economic troubles and the need for “generational change,” a nod to the 76-year-old Trump’s age.
HARRISBURG – Rep. Aaron Bernstine (R-Butler/Lawrence) has announced that school districts in the 8th Legislative Districts have been awarded funding totaling $266,616 from the Safe Schools Targeted Grant programs.
“Each school’s needs are different, and these grant programs allow schools flexibility to address their own unique security requirements,” said Bernstine. “Protecting our students is a point of emphasis for me, and I am grateful that our local schools will soon see the benefits of this grant program.”
The following school districts were awarded an Equipment and/or Program Grant award:
Lawrence County Career and Technical Center – $49,791.
Mohawk Area School District – $17,725.
Slippery Rock Area School District – $50,000.
In addition, the Butler County Area Vocational-Technical School will receive a $75,000 School Police Officer Grant, and the Lawrence County Career and Technical Center will be awarded a $74,100 School Resource Officer grant.
Safe Schools Program grants fund a variety of different projects, including hiring school security officers, purchasing security-related technology, completing safety and security assessments, implementing violence prevention curricula, offering counseling services for students, and creating other programs to protect students.
Safe Schools Equipment grants assist schools in reducing unnecessary student disciplinary actions and promote a climate of greater productivity, safety and learning. In addition, the funding assists schools in procuring the resources and training necessary to create a physical environment that fosters the safety and well-being of students and staff.
(Beaver Falls, Pa.) Tune into Beaver County Radio 95.7 and 99.3 FM along with 1230 WBVP, 1460 WMBA, and Beaver County Digital Media at 9:10 AM for the official announcement about this years Maple Syrup Festival at Brady’s Run Park.
Regis Collins and Georgia Miller from PUSH Beaver County will join Eddy Crow to make the announcement right before a special Valentine edition of “The Time Machine”.
AAA: Gas Prices Dip in Pennsylvania This Week
Gas prices are two cents lower in Western Pennsylvania this week at $3.833 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.
This week’s average prices: Western Pennsylvania Average $3.833 Average price during the week of February 6, 2023 $3.851 Average price during the week of February 14, 2022 $3.629
The average price of unleaded self-serve gasoline in Beaver County is $3.812.
The national average for a gallon of gas dropped this week by six cents to $3.41. Fewer people fueling up, and lower costs for oil, are behind the price dip. Today’s average is 13 cents more than a month ago and seven cents less than a year ago.
According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand dipped slightly from 8.49 million to 8.43 million b/d last week. The current gas demand rate is approximately 700,000 b/d lower than the rate during the first week of February 2022, helping to explain why gas prices are declining. Meanwhile, total domestic gasoline stocks increased significantly by 5 million barrels to 239.6 million barrels last week.
At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate increased by $1.33 to settle at $78.47. Crude prices rose last week due to persistent market optimism that global oil demand will be stronger than expected.
Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing the closure of a portion of Hardin Run Road (Route 3032) in Hanover Township, Beaver County, will begin Tuesday, February 14 weather permitting.
Slide repair and roadway paving requiring the closure of a portion of Hardin Run Road between Mack Hollow Road and Swearingen Road will begin at 8 a.m. Tuesday. Through traffic will be prohibited around-the-clock as crews conduct the slide remediation work through early March. Traffic will be detoured.
Posted Detours
West of the Closure
From westbound Hardin Run Road, continue into West Virginia
Hardin Run Road becomes Route 24 (Frankfort Road) in West Virginia
Turn right onto West Virginia Route 8 (Veterans Boulevard)
Turn right onto Gas Valley Road (West Virginia 18)
Continue on Gas Valley Road into Pennsylvania (Route 3026)
For the second consecutive meeting, the focus of the New Brighton School Board was detailing and discussing the possibility of a “competitive spirit” team for the school, and what it would take for that to become a reality…if it can even become one.
This time, though; NBASD Superintendent Dr. Joseph Guarino was who captained the contents of the subject at hand. In the three weeks following the prior meeting, the school board, along with Athletic Director Joe Greco, met with the parents who provided information and input regarding the formation of a competitive spirit team. What was gathered was then presented by Dr. Guarino in a slideshow at Monday night’s meeting.
New Brighton Superintendent Dr. Joseph Guarino (far right) presents a slideshow presentation regarding the details of putting together a competitive spirit team at the February 13 school board meeting.
While the majority of the presentation was heavily facts-based, there were moments where Guarino showcased what he considered to be challenges with putting a competitive team together. The challenges expressed echoed the initial concerns of the board at the January 23 meeting, focusing heavily on numbers–particularly, financial numbers and participation numbers.
“I do believe there is a concern with long-term viability,” Guarino expressed. “91% of those schools from our area [with competitive spirit teams] are larger in student body size than we are. Quite frankly, like anything else we have in the district, they just have more kids to pull from every year than we do. That’s no different than talking about the basketball team or the football team; but when you’re talking about starting something new, it’s something to consider.”
Dr. Guarino also stated that the estimated cost of operations for a competitive spirit team falls roughly around the $2,000-$2,500 range, not including stipends for coaches, choreography fees, and any additional fees for PIAA competition. “I just don’t think it’s wise to start a program and try and function a program under the guise of a booster group paying for it,” he stated. “The funds may exist one year for that booster group but not in another year. You may have one set of parents in one year that’s really gung-ho and out there fundraising, and two years later or five years later…not have any of that.”
School board president John Ludwig stated that a vote on the operation of a competitive spirit team will be added to the voting meeting for February 27.
Following the presentation, the regularly scheduled committee meeting commenced, beginning with a concerned plea from NBGBB (New Brighton Girls’ Bantam Basketball) representative Shelly King. King’s concern was with the school’s affiliation–or lack thereof–with the operations of the NBGBB following an incident with several coaches getting hit by another coach during a practice at the gym that the group used for practices on school grounds. King pleaded that the school board look to rectify its affiliation with the Bantam Leagues so that future incidents like these could be dealt with in a swift and concise manner. Ludwig apologized on behalf of the board regarding the confusion and said that there are plans to correct the current affiliations.
The board then set up additional items to be voted on at the February 27 meeting, including an approval of the 2023-24 School Calendar, the operation of a K-12 summer school, the retirement of one Instructional Assistant for June 2023 (Mary Kubis) and the hiring of another for February 2023 (Brittany Caldwell). These, along with others (including the competitive spirit vote), will be voted on at the next voting meeting.
The February 27 voting meeting is scheduled for 7:30 PM at the “Little Theatre” inside the New Brighton Area High School.
