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.

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

Just a few months after the New Brighton School Board stood pat with leadership, they elected to do the same up at the very top.

Superintendent Dr. Joseph Guarino was approved for a contract renewal for five years in a unanimous decision by the New Brighton School Board on Monday night. The contract would extend Guarino’s term as the head of the school district until June 30, 2028. The extension for Guarino, who has served as New Brighton’s superintendent since 2013, will begin its active status on July 1 of this year.

Another major agreement approved by the school board was the establishment of a notice to proceed with Constellation Services to begin repair on the majority of windows and doors in various school buildings in the district. Guarino stated that this initial agreement for a total of $3,293,300 is so that the company can procure materials as soon as possible.

“We’ll start this, and then in a subsequent month we’ll have to approve the contract,” Guarino added, “but this is enough for them to start procuring materials. Right now the timeline is they think that the best-case scenario is they might actually be able to start doing some of the doors in the August/September time frame.”

All of the votes throughout the brief meeting were unanimously approved, including the entirety of the measures organized at the board’s March 13 meeting. Among the measures were the contract for Nutrition Inc. to provide cafeteria food for the 2023-24 school year, the official submitted list for graduates for the Class of 2023, and the appointment of Nicole Oliver to the New Brighton Recreation Commission as a representative of the New Brighton School District.

A dual enrollment agreement with Robert Morris University that was not established at the March 13 meeting was also unanimously approved by the board.

Due to the Easter holiday, the next New Brighton School Board meeting will not be held until April 24 at 7:30 PM.

The Hopewell HEA released the following statement regarding contract negotiations:

Hopewell Education Association (HEA) members have been working without a contract since July 1, 2022, even though early negotiation talks began with the District in November 2020.
Historically, HEA and the Hopewell Area School District have worked amicably to settle contracts prior to the expiration date. Even though that date has passed, the HEA bargaining team remains optimistic that with future negotiation dates already scheduled, both parties will come to terms on a fair and just contract that benefits the students, teachers, and the community they serve.
The HEA membership stands in solidarity with their bargaining team and has unanimously voted to give that team the authority to authorize a strike if they feel it is necessary; however, they hope the Board will recognize the value of keeping them in the classroom and bargain a fair contract.
Members of the community plan to join HEA members for a solidarity rally on Tuesday, March 28th at 6:30 pm at the Hopewell Area Junior High School, prior to the School Board meeting which begins at 7:00 pm in the Jr High Cafeteria.
The Hopewell Education Association represents 165 teachers, nurses, and guidance counselors employed by the Hopewell Area School District.