HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Republican David McCormick announced Thursday that he will make his second bid for U.S. Senate in swing-state Pennsylvania, this time to take on Democratic Sen. Bob Casey after losing in last year’s bruising and crowded Republican primary.

In a ballroom filled with supporters at the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh, McCormick — who had floated the possibility of running again since last year — accused Casey of rubber-stamping harmful immigration, economic, energy and national security policies of President Joe Biden.

“When Joe Biden says ‘vote,’ Bob Casey says ‘which way?'” said McCormick, who left his job atop one of Wall Street’s best-known hedge funds to enter politics. “Bob Casey represents six more years of rubber stamps. … Do you know what Bob Casey is? Bob Casey is a rubber stamp that’s been around too long.”

The Senate candidates in Pennsylvania will share a ticket with candidates for president next year in a state that is critical to whether Democrats can maintain control of the White House and the Senate.

A race between Casey and McCormick could be one of the nation’s most expensive and closely watched in a year when Democrats have a difficult 2024 Senate map that requires them to defend incumbents in red states — Montana, Ohio and West Virginia — and multiple swing states.

McCormick entered last year’s race for the seat being vacated by retiring Republican Sen. Pat Toomey and — after spending $14 million of his own money — ended up losing in the Republican primary to a Donald Trump-endorsed rival, celebrity heart surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz. Democrat John Fetterman beat Oz in the November general election.

McCormick, 58, was heavily recruited to run again by the party establishment and, thus far, has a clear GOP primary field.

In a statement Thursday evening, Montana Sen. Steve Daines, who chairs the campaign arm of Senate Republicans and had urged McCormick to run, said McCormick had unified the party’s grassroots. He is “exactly the type of candidate” who can win in a competitive state like Pennsylvania, Daines said.

For months, Democrats have treated McCormick as Casey’s de facto opponent, attacking his record in business, his opposition to abortion rights and indications that he still lives on Connecticut’s ritzy “Gold Coast,” where he spent a dozen years as an executive at the hedge fund Bridgewater Associates.

Casey is unlikely to face serious opposition, if any, in his party’s primary. He is a stalwart of Pennsylvania’s Democratic Party — the son of a former two-term governor and Pennsylvania’s longest-ever serving Democrat in the Senate.

Casey is an key ally of labor unions and Biden. In Congress, Casey has backed all of Biden’s top priorities and forged a close relationship with the president, at least in part because the men both hail from the same hometown of Scranton.

Casey spent a decade in elected statewide office — as auditor general then as treasurer — before going on to win three elections for Senate by no fewer than 9 percentage points each time.

McCormick singled out Casey’s long career in politics, saying he — and not Casey — is the kind of leader who will be able to shake up a broken Washington.

“I’m the only candidate in this race that can change Washington. … And frankly, my opponent is part of the problem,” McCormick said. “He first ran for office almost 30 years ago. Bob Casey’s not going to change Washington. Bob Casey is Washington.”

McCormick, who grew up near Bloomsburg, is the son of Pennsylvania’s first state university system chancellor. He won a Bronze Star for his service in the first Gulf War and worked in Pittsburgh, where he ran online auction house FreeMarkets Inc. at the dawn of the tech boom.

He served in senior positions in former President George W. Bush’s administration before moving to Connecticut to work for Bridgewater.

He resigned as CEO and bought a house in Pittsburgh before running for Senate last year — although Democrats are seizing on his connections to Connecticut, including the $16 million mansion in Westport, where McCormick still spends considerable time.

“He doesn’t even live here,” Democratic Lt. Gov. Austin Davis said at a news conference Thursday. “He’s a mega-millionaire who lives in a mansion on Connecticut’s Gold Coast.”

Democratic state Sen. Jay Costa, who represents the part of Pittsburgh where McCormick bought a house, said: “I know that he’s not there, because I work in that community day in and day out. … If you want to run for U.S. Senate, go to Connecticut and run for U.S. Senate in Connecticut, don’t come to be a carpetbagger here in Pennsylvania.”

(Sandy Giordano/Beaver County Radio)

The Central Valley School District hired five new paraprofessionals at Thursday night’s school board meeting, and it was also announced that a school resource officer will be hired for Todd Lane Elementary School and Center Grange Primary School.

The new hires come subsequent with a plea from Superintendent Dr. Nick Perry for interested individuals to come work for the school district. Perry spoke at Thursday night’s meeting to say that cafeteria workers, custodians and paraprofessionals are needed.

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio, with contributions by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio News Director. Published September 21, 2023 1:50 P.M.

(New Brighton, PA) New Brighton Police Chief Ron Walton reported on Thursday morning that Luis J. Rodriguez-Caban, 22, fought with officers at Valley View Apartments Wednesday evening. He attempted to escape from them, causing damage to the cruisers. One was damaged when he busted the divider in the cargo area.  He went running and was apprehended at 11th Street and Fifth Avenue, Chief Walton said. Witnesses stated that Caban was handcuffed when he escaped. The scene in New Brighton was cleared shortly after 10pm Wednesday.

MIDLAND, PA — Today, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) announced that his office, in collaboration with Midland municipal government, secured an agreement from Norfolk Southern Railroad to provide an easement on land in Midland, Pennsylvania, adjacent to the Ohio River and a Norfolk Southern rail line. This easement will allow the Beaver County borough to make needed repairs to the century-old stormwater pipes that process the borough’s stormwater and release it into the river.

A critical concern to Midland Borough since May 2022, water leaking from a hole in the terracotta stormwater pipe is eroding the hillside next to the river and is undermining the stability of the riverbank. Federal laws from over a hundred years ago prioritize railroad transportation land use over local and state use, and because the location of the pipe was in Norfolk Southern’s right-of-way, the borough had to obtain a land easement to legally access the pipe for repairs.

Midland Borough first requested the easement from Norfolk Southern in November 2022, but construction stalled for ten months as the railroad refused to move forward on granting the borough the necessary repair permission. Today, Congressman Deluzio shared that his office, along with Midland Borough government, successfully secured this needed land easement from Norfolk Southern Railroad.

“I am proud to have worked with the good people of Midland Borough government to secure this land easement from the railroad to protect the Ohio River, stop concerning hillside erosion, and allow Midland to repair their stormwater management system,” said Rep. Deluzio. “After causing our community so much pain in the wake of their devastating derailment, I will continue to push Norfolk Southern to operate as a strong partner in Western Pennsylvania communities like Midland.”

“Repairing the stormwater pipe and putting a stop to this concerning erosion is really important to our community, but it was stalled for ten months because Norfolk Southern would not grant us the land easement,” said Midland Council President David Trevino. “After such a delay, it is thanks to Congressman Deluzio and his team that we now have the land easement we need from the railroad to move forward on repairs and consequently protect our hillside and the river. We are grateful that Congressman Deluzio worked so hard to make this happen.”

Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Joshua Palacios, right, and center fielder Jack Suwinski celebrate the team’s 13-7 win over the Chicago Cubs in a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

CHICAGO (AP) — Joshua Palacios hit a three-run homer in a seven-run fourth inning and the Chicago Cubs’ postseason drive remained stalled with their sixth loss in seven games, 13-7 to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Connor Joe hit a two-run homer in the sixth as All-Star Justin Steele lost his second straight start, allowing six runs and eight hits in three-plus innings. Chicago, which has lost nine of 12, remained a half-game ahead of Miami for the third NL wild card spot, with Cincinnati another half-game back.

FILE – David McCormick speaks during a campaign stop in Lititz, Pa., on May 13, 2022. McCormick is expected to announce that he’ll enter Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate race in his second bid for the office, this time to take on Democratic Sen. Bob Casey after losing in last year’s Republican primary. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Republican David McCormick is expected to announce that he’ll enter Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate race in his second bid for the office, this time to take on Democratic Sen. Bob Casey after losing in last year’s Republican primary. McCormick’s aides have sent invites to a “special announcement” Thursday by McCormick at the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh at 5 p.m. ET. Senate candidates in Pennsylvania will share a ticket with candidates for president next year in a state that’s critical to whether Democrats can maintain control of the White House and the Senate. A race between Casey and McCormick could be one of the nation’s most expensive and closely watched.

FILE – A black plume rises over East Palestine, Ohio, as a result of a controlled detonation of a portion of the derailed Norfolk Southern trains, Feb. 6, 2023. Norfolk Southern announced new details Monday, Sept. 18, about its plan to compensate East Palestine residents for lost home values since the fiery derailment disrupted life in the eastern Ohio town in February. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The railroad industry is trying to make sure that emergency responders can quickly look up what is on a train quickly when they respond to a derailment. In the chaos after a Norfolk Southern train derailed and caught fire in East Palestine in February, firefighters couldn’t find that information for roughly 45 minutes. The railroads are now making the AskRail app they developed for firefighters available to emergency dispatch centers. The industry has also made that train information available through the chemical industry hotlines that first responders call to get advice on how to deal with specific chemicals. So the AskRail information that 40,000 users had signed up for by the end of last year is now available to more than 2 million first responders.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania state government will prepare to use artificial intelligence in its operations, as states are increasingly trying to gauge the impact of AI and how to regulate it. Gov. Josh Shapiro said Wednesday that his administration is convening an AI governing board, publishing principles on the use of AI and developing training programs for state employees. Shapiro says Pennsylvanians expect state government to understand AI, adapt to AI and ensure it’s being used safely in the private sector. Shapiro says the state’s public safety agencies have begun consulting with AI experts.

DRAVOSBURG, Pa. (AP) — Authorities say a crash involving a school van and a car in western Pennsylvania left a teenage girl dead and sent three other juveniles and two critically-injured adults to area hospitals. Allegheny County police said the Serra Catholic High School van was trying to make a left turn when it was struck by the sedan shortly before 7:30 a.m. Wednesday in Dravosburg. The county medical examiner’s office said a 15-year-old girl was pronounced dead at the scene. The Catholic Dioceses of Pittsburgh identified the juvenile victims as students at Serra Catholic High School in nearby McKeesport and said the injured students were in stable condition.

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published September 21, 2023 9:07 A.M.

(Aliquippa, Pa) Special Education Director Jason Guzie’s resignation is effective on October 4, 2023,  and Amanda Lane resigned effective October 2023. She was the high school music teacher. Second grade teacher Ashley Heinlein resigned effective October 27, 2023. Curriculum Coordinator Beth Smith will assume the duties  of Special Education Coordinator, she will be paid $20,000 a year. Amy Frank was hired as an elementary school guidance counselor, she will be paid $47,205. Her hiring was effective on September 4, 2023. Vernita Solomon as high school discipline secretary  beginning on October 4, 2023, she will be paid $25,000 a year Tanya Roberts was hired as a junior/senior high school science teacher. She will be paid $52,199.00. She begins her duty son Monday, September 25, 2023.