No Tax Increase For 2022 in the City of Aliquippa

(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.

No One Hits Power Ball Jackpot, Saturday’s Drawing Worth An Estimated $483 Million

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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.

The Pennsylvania Legislative Reapportionment Commission Is Hosting Five Hearings One in Mc Candless Twp.

(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 Matzie would no longer represent any areas in Allegheny County.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

Children Coming From Border Get Attention In Pa. Governor’s Race

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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.

Philadelphia Tourism Leader Jeff Guaracino Dies at 48

(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.”

Pa Supreme Court Rules Pot Smell Alone Can’t Justify Warrantless Search

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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.

ARPA Funding For County Infrastructure Projects Increases By $7 Million

(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.

AAA: Don’t Drive Hungover this New Year’s

Intoxication doesn’t end the morning after the celebration

As people prepare to ring in the New Year, many will choose to indulge with some alcoholic beverages. In addition to reminding people of the dangers of driving under the influence, AAA East Central also reminds everyone of the dangers of driving with a hangover.

“Driving hungover can be just as dangerous as driving after having a few drinks,” said Jim Garrity, director of public affairs, AAA East Central. “After a night of drinking, many people will wake up with alcohol still in their blood, or they will wake up tired and disoriented.”

According to the AAA DUI Justice Link, a resource to help reduce impaired driving, the only thing that will sober somebody up is time. It can take between 75-90 minutes or longer for the body to eliminate the alcohol contained in one standard-sized drink, which is longer than many people would assume.

Risks of Driving Hungover:
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, hangover symptoms peak when the blood alcohol concentration in the body returns to near zero. Symptoms can last 24 hours or longer, and can include:

  • Fatigue and weakness
  • Headaches and muscle aches
  • Nausea and stomach pain
  • Poor or decreased sleep
  • Dehydration
  • Vertigo
  • Sensitivity to light and sound
  • Anxiety
  • Irritability
  • Increased blood pressure

 

“We wouldn’t advise that anybody drives with any of these symptoms, regardless of whether they are recovering from a night of celebrating or not,” continued Garrity.

AAA East Central is a not-for-profit association with 72 local offices in Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia serving 2.7 million members.  News releases are available at news.eastcentral.aaa.com.  Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Slippery Rock Township Woman Missing Told Parents Heading to College Hill in Beaver Falls

(New Castle, Pa.) Pa State Police in New Castle need the public’s help in locating 32-year-old Lauren Cortez of New Castle. She was last seen when she left her residence in Slippery Rock Twp. with a known male at approximately 4:45 PM on Tuesday afternoon. She spoke with her parents at 7:35PM and told them that she was on her way to College Hill In Beaver Falls with the known male and two other unknown male. Cortez has not been heard from since.
She is described as a White Female with red or auburn air, and green eyes. Cortez is 5 Feet 1 inches in height and weighs 125 pounds. She was last seen wearing gray leggins, a gray “Echo” printed hoodie and gray Ugg boots.
Police are asking anyone with information about Cortez’s whereabouts to call them at 724-598-2211.
Troopers are currently working on getting a picture to provide to the public and once they do we will post it on our website.

Three Die In Wednesday Morning Fire In New Castle

(New Castle, Pa) Three people were killed in a house fire in home in the 700 block of West Clayton Street in New Castle, after the home caught fire around 5:30 a.m. this morning.
According to officials on scene, two adults and a child were found dead inside a home
When firefighters arrived there was fire on the right side of the house advancing to the second floor. The fire was put out rapidly, but that is when the three victims were found.
The fire appears to have started in the area of the kitchen, and one high-school aged victim was found on the first floor, another victim on the staircase and a second adult victim in an upstairs bedroom.

The Lawrence County Coroner is on scene, and the investigation into the incident is ongoing.