(AP Photo)
Thursday, December 30, 2021 at 10:16 AM
(New York, New York) Mayor Bill de Blasio says New York City will ring in 2022 in Times Square as planned despite record numbers of COVID-19 infections in the city and around the nation.

De Blasio said on NBC’s “Today” show on Thursday that he wants to show the world that the city is “fighting our way through this.”

After banning revelers from Times Square a year ago due to the pandemic, city officials announced plans previously for a scaled-back New Year’s bash with smaller crowds and vaccinations required.

The city’s next mayor, Eric Adams, will take the oath of office in Times Square shortly after the ball drop

(Photo’s used with permission of St. Barnabas)
Story by Frank Sparks, News/Program Director
Thursday, December 30, 2021 at 10:07 AM
(Brighton Twp., Pa) Brighton Twp. Police are reporting on their Facebook Page that they have made an arrest in connection with the robbery that took place at the Tusca Plaza Shop N Save gas station on Thursday Evening, December 16, 2021.
The post reads: An arrest has been made in reference to the incident at Tusca Plaza. We’d like to thank everyone for your help and information that assisted us in this apprehension.
According to PA e-Docket 19-year-old Nathan Edward Kistner of Beaver was charged today, December 30, 2021 by Brighton Township Police Department with Robbery with intent to cause serious injury, Theft by unlawful taking, simple assault, terroristic threats causing serious public inconvenience, and receiving stolen property. He was arraigned in District Court at  District Judge Alex Korol’s office ad his bond was set at $100,000.00.  Kistner was unable to post bail and was taken to the Beaver County Jail. He faces a preliminary hearing at 10:00 AM on January 12, 2022 in Beaver County Court.
St. Barnabas Senior Vice President and CFO J.D. Turco said via e-mail that St. Barnabas would like to thank the Officers of Brighton Township Police Dept for their fine work in quickly apprehending the thief, and to the community at large for their outpouring of support for the station but mostly for their support of our employee who experienced this terrible incident. We value Brighton Township police and are grateful or their good work.
Beaver County Radio has reached out to the Brighton Twp. Police department for more information but have yet to hear back.

(File Photo)
Story by Sandy Giordano, Beaver County Radio News Correspondent
Thursday, December 30, 2021 at 7:45 AM
(Aliquippa, Pa.) Aliquippa City council met last week and  officials voted  for a no-tax increase budget in 2022.  The total city budget is $6,048,900.00. The  tax rate on buildings is 16.25 mills and the tax rate on land is 86 mills.

(File Photo)
Thursday, December 30, 2021 at 7:41 AM
(Harrisburg,  Pa.) No one matched all five numbers and the Power Ball in last nights drawing meaning that someone can ring in the new year as a millionaire Saturday night if they can win the jackpot that is now said to have climbed to an estimated $483 million.
According to Powerball officials, jackpot-winning numbers have not been selected in the past 37 drawings.
No one has won a Powerball jackpot since Oct. 4, when one player won $699.8 million. That was Powerball’s fifth-largest and the seventh-largest for any lottery in the United States.
If somebody wins the jackpot on New Year’s Day, they can take the full amount in an annuity payment or take a lump sum option of $347.7 million before taxes.
The numbers drawn last night were 2-6-9-33-39 and the Powerball was 11.

(Harrisburg, Pa.) The Pennsylvania Legislative Reapportionment Commission is hosting five hearings  and accepting public comments about the preliminary maps that divides the state into 203 house districts and 50 Senate districts.
Locally under the proposed map for the State house of Representatives municpalities currently in the 10th District with Aaron Bernstine as the State Rep. would be moved into the 14th District with Jim Marshall as the State Rep.. The 15th District, which is currently representated by Josh Kail will pretty much stay the same and the 16th District that is currently being represented by Rob Matzie would cover Bridgewater, Rochester, Freedom, Center Twp., Conway, Baden, Ambridge, and Aliquippa. Matzie would no longer represent any areas in Allegheny County.

Under the Senate map the majority of the county would remain in the 47th District which is represented by Elder Vogel.
A small portion at the southern end of the county would be in the 46th District which is represented by Cam Bartolotta
There will be four hearings being held in Harrisburg, but citizens can still take part remotely. The Commission will also hold an in-person hearing  in McCandless Township on January 4, 2022. You can also submit comments online if you can’t attend the McCandless hearing in person.
If you click the link below you can sign up to make a comment.

https://www.redistricting.state.pa.us/commission/article/1087

You can see the preliminary State Representative District map by clicking the link below:

https://app.districtbuilder.org/projects/0602584b-c112-466c-ac01-028e2825c482

You can see the preliminary State Senate District map by clicking the link below:

https://app.districtbuilder.org/projects/ae240ab1-2005-40b4-b312-7b92460a3eba

(File Photo)
Thursday, December 30, 2021 at 6:00 AM
By MARC LEVY Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Lou Barletta, a Republican candidate for governor of Pennsylvania, says he’ll take a harder line against the federal government’s yearslong practice of bringing unaccompanied minors found by the Border Patrol to various facilities in states. Republican governors in some states have protested the practice. Barletta said Wednesday he’d stop it if the state doesn’t know the medical and criminal backgrounds of the minors. Barletta says he supports a newly unveiled platform by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. One aspect of that platform is an emergency rule that prohibits licensing agencies that provide services to unaccompanied migrant children unless it is done with the consent of the state.

(AP Photo)
Thursday, December 30, 2021 at 5:58 AM
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A Philadelphia tourism official and LGBTQ advocate whose creative marketing campaigns helped draw diverse groups of visitors to the city, Jeff Guaracino has died at 48. Guaracino was the chief executive officer of Visit Philadelphia. He helped launch a series of catchy tourism slogans such as “Philly’s more fun when you sleep over.” The agency said he died Tuesday of cancer. Guaracino had also led the nonprofit that plans the city’s Fourth of July celebrations and an Atlantic City tourism group after Superstorm Sandy hit the New Jersey coast in 2012. Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney on Wednesday says that Guaracino left an “indelible mark.”

(File Photo)
Thursday, December 30, 2021 at 5:55 AM
By MARK SCOLFORO Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The Pennsylvania Supreme Court says the smell of marijuana can be a factor police use to justify a search without a warrant but can’t be the sole basis for it. The state’s top court ruled Wednesday that a state police search of a vehicle in Allentown three years ago was conducted only because the troopers smelled marijuana. A trial court had ruled the search unconstitutional and said the evidence it produced was not able to be used in court, and dismissed the charge of possession of a small amount of marijuana. The Supreme Court majority reinstated the order suppressing the evidence.

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

There was one major topic at the otherwise brief work session at the County Courthouse on Wednesday, but the Commissioners didn’t leave 2021 without a major announcement.

The ARPA (American Rescue Plan) funding for Beaver County’s first phase of infrastructure rebuilding and creation, originally set at $10 million, was increased to $17 million after a meeting over the holiday break held by the Commissioners with Zelenofske Axelrod, LLC of Pittsburgh.

“It’s a good problem to have,” stated Commissioner Tony Amadio. “I don’t think, throughout my whole tenure, I ever remember having this ability to give out money to governments and municipalities.” Amadio has served as a County Commissioner since 2008.

The Commissioners said that the process of notifying the municipalities and entities that their money will be sent will begin soon after the new year begins. The next work session is scheduled for January 5, 2022 at 10 AM.