Suspended Somerset County Prosecutor Faces New Charges in Unrelated Case

(File Photo)

(SOMERSET, Pa. (AP) — A suspended western Pennsylvania prosecutor facing charges in a sexual assault case has now been charged in an unrelated assault almost a year ago. Thirty-six-year-old Jeffrey Thomas, Somerset County’s elected district attorney, was jailed Monday on simple assault and reckless endangerment charges. Police allege that he was seen on a video call punching a woman in May 2021. Thomas was accused earlier of having attacked a woman in her Windber home in September. He faces sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault, unlawful restraint and strangulation charges in that case. His attorney has said he maintains that he is innocent of all charges.

Older People Fret Less About Aging in Place: AP-NORC Poll

(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The older you are, the less you fret about aging in place. That’s a key insight from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll, which found that people 65 or older feel much better prepared to age in their own homes than those 50-64. Among those 65 or older, nearly 8 in 10 said they’re extremely or very prepared to stay in their current home as long as possible. But among those 50-64, it’s noticeably smaller: about 6 in 10. The poll also found greater insecurity around aging in place among Black and Latino Americans, likely tied to a deep-rooted wealth gap that favors white people.

SpaceX Launches 4 Astronauts for NASA After Private Flight

(AP Photo/John Raoux)
By MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — SpaceX has launched four astronauts to the International Space Station for NASA, less than two days after completing a flight chartered by millionaires. The Falcon rocket blasted off before dawn Wednesday from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. The crew includes the first Black woman making a long-term spaceflight, NASA’s Jessica Watkins. Also on board: the European Space Agency’s lone female astronaut, Samantha Cristoforetti of Italy. It’s the first time NASA has sent up a crew comprised equally of men and women. They should reach the space station Wednesday night.

VP Harris positive for COVID-19, Biden Not a ‘Close Contact’

(AP File Photo)
By ZEKE MILLER Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris has tested positive for COVID-19, the White House says. It’s a sharp new reminder of the persistence of the highly contagious virus even as the U.S. eases restrictions in a bid to revert to pre-pandemic normalcy. Neither President Joe Biden nor first lady Jill Biden was considered a “close contact” of Harris in recent days. The White House says Harris “has exhibited no symptoms.” After consulting with her physicians, Harris is taking Paxlovid, the Pfizer antiviral pill. Harris will isolate at her residence but continue to work remotely, and will only return to the White House once she tests negative for the virus.

Pa State Rep. Kail’s (15th) Bill to Cut Corporate Tax Passes House and Heads to State Senate

(File Photo/Official Photo of Josh Kail) 

Story by Frank Sparks, Beaver County Radio News
(Harrisburg, Pa.) The Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed major economic ignition legislation to lower the Corporate Net Income Tax and provide additional tax relief to job creators as House Republicans continue their work to make Pennsylvania the economic Envy of the East.

House Bill 1960, penned by 15th District Rep. Josh Kail, would lower the Corporate Net Income Tax by one percentage point to 8.99 percent starting Jan. 1, 2023, with additional triggers to further lower the tax rate in future years.
The legislation would also provide additional tax simplification and fairness for Pennsylvania’s job creators by increasing the cap for net operating loss carry forwards.
The bill passed the House by a vote of 195 to 8 and now moves onto the Senate for approval.

Three Arrested After Drug Bust in New Castle

(Photo taken by New Castle Police)

(New Castle, Pa.) Three people are facing drug charges after they were arrested and taken to jail following the execution of a search warrant at a home along Hamilton Street in New Castle yesterday .
Upon entering the home officers found suspected heroin/fentanyl, crack cocaine, marijuana, a handgun
The search warrant execution was a joint effort between New Castle Police, the Lawrence County Special Operations Unit, and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office.
The names of the suspects have not yet been released.

New Community Development Director & More Announced at Beaver Falls City Council Meeting

The featured image above shows the Beaver Falls City Building
Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio. Published April 26, 2022 9:22 P.M.

(Beaver Falls, PA)  The Beaver Falls City Council met Tuesday evening for a meeting.  Council approved a second reading of Ordinance 4069, which would repeal Ordinance 4065 establishing a tax collector to be appointed as well as rules and regulations for the collection of Big Beaver Falls Area School District taxes. Due to the new Home Rule Charter regulations within the city, Solicitor Shannon Steele and City Clerk Paula Durish were both appointed to their respective positions within the Home Rule.  They will each serve indefinite terms.  Council also approved the hiring of a new Community Development Director following the departure of Bethany Williams.  Rochelle Burks was awarded the position and she will start in the coming weeks.

Center Township Police Seeking Suspect In a Car Theft at Sunoco on Pleasant Drive

(Photos of surveillance footage from the Sunoco Gas Station on Pleasant Drive in Center Twp. Courtesy of Center Twp. Police Department Facebook Page)

Story by Sandy Giordano, Beaver County Radio News

(Center Twp., Beaver County, Pa.) Center Township Police Chief Barry  Kramer  in a post on the Township Police’s Facebook Page is asking for the public’s help  to identify a suspect that stole a vehicle  last Saturday, April 23, 2022, from the Sunoco gas station on Pleasant Drive. The suspect is a white male, tall, long hair, wearing  dark clothes, and carrying a red back pack.

The victim told police , while he was outside  the store the suspect asked the victim and another witness for money and advised them he  just “got out of rehab,” The victim and another witness didn’t provide the suspect with any money. The suspect left the store, entered and drove off in the victim’s vehicle. The suspect should be considered armed and dangerous. Chief Kramer advises if you encounter the suspect, call the  police .

Rochester Twp. Police Arrest One in Drug Raid

(Photos of items and cash seized by police used with permission of Rochester Twp. Police Department)

Photo of the $3200.00 in cash that was seized

(Rochester Twp., Beaver County, Pa.) Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano is reporting that Rochester Township Police Chief George Yaccich reported yesterday morning that his department, assisted by neighboring departments , served a narcotics search warrant at 646 Pennsylvania Avenue last Friday morning. During the course of the investigation, amounts of heroin and marijuana, along with over $3,200.00 was seized. The male resident was taken into custody without any issues and placed in the Beaver County Jail pending arraignment.
Chief Yaccich said the bust was conducted at 6 AM.

VIDEO: Neighborhood North Pursues Grant & Announces Summer Program

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

The community has pushed forth to support the “North”.

Located in Beaver Falls, Neighborhood North: Museum Of Play is a center for creative learning for kids and teenagers alike, operating as an entity since 2018 but opening its doors to a brick-and-mortar facility in late 2021. Christine Kroger, the executive director for Neighborhood North, joined Matt Drzik on the April 26 edition of A.M. Beaver County and said that the response from the community has provided “overwhelming” feedback from the citizens and local leaders from Beaver Falls and the rest of the county.

Christine Kroger

The facility is currently located at 716 14th Street in Beaver Falls, but Kroger plans to move the facility to a permanent home located in the old News Tribune building next to the Carnegie Free Library on 13th Street. A boost towards that may be coming in the form of grant money that was recently applied for and submitted to Congressman Conor Lamb. Kroger stated that, within the 10 days allotted for completing the grant application, 2,000 signatures were collected in support of Neighborhood North to pursue it. The next move lies in the hands of the government, but Kroger noted that the plan to move to 13th Street is within the frame of completion by 2025.

Until then, the focus remains on the activities and learning taking place at Neighborhood North, and Kroger spoke extensively about the upcoming summer programs and possible expansion of summer hours. There will be nine “camps” covering different subjects for each of the nine weeks and cover subjects from podcasting to music and “everything in between”, as Kroger stated. Neighborhood North is also continuing their after-school programs that are available to kids throughout the county. To contact them, you can go to their website of neighborhoodnorth.com or find them on Facebook.

And speaking of Facebook, click on the Live feed below to check out the full interview with Christine Kroger.