Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro speaks with members of the media during a news conference at the Susquehanna County District Courthouse in Montrose, Pa., Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022. Pennsylvania’s most active gas driller has pleaded no contest to criminal environmental charges in a landmark pollution case. Houston-based Coterra Energy Inc. entered its plea Tuesday. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Republicans who control Pennsylvania’s Senate are kicking off the new legislative session by pushing through a trio of proposed constitutional amendments that sparked a partisan fight and poses a challenge to the incoming Democratic governor, Josh Shapiro. Wednesday’s vote, 28-20, was largely along party lines. The proposals, if approved by the state House of Representatives, would give voters say over expanding voter-identification requirements, curtailing a governor’s regulatory authority and giving victims of child sexual abuse a new chance to sue in court. The Senate’s vote comes six days before Shapiro is sworn in, as Republicans work quickly to enact measures without facing the veto pen of a Democratic governor.
District Attorney David Lozier approached the Commissioners at Wednesday’s meeting with some good news–at least at the start. Lozier thanked the Commissioners for their help in getting two grants approved: a $2.6 million grant approved by the state for law enforcement technology, and a federally approved grant for a rapid-DNA machine at an amount of $580,000.
DA David Lozier speaks to the Commissioners at the January 11 meeting.
The next request from DA Lozier, however, drew less support. He spoke about coverage for the health insurance of those working in essential services, and noticing that the plan put in place in 2017 “What I’m looking for is the authority to work with the solicitors to draft a new generation of agreements for the Anti-Drug Task Force and ESU,” Lozier stated, “to add a paragraph that would state that the County would cover that one-third ‘lung and heart gap’ for an officer injured on operation during training.”
Commissioner Jack Manning did not hide his feelings about the request that was made: “I’m hesitant on this because of the liability,” he stated. “The potential liability on this scares me…we have a lot of health and safety things happening in Beaver County that I think are of a higher priority for our attention than the ESU and the ‘heart and lung’ thing.”
Those “things” that Commissioner Manning referred are the recent emails that the Commissioners have been receiving about the elongated response times to emergencies throughout the county, which have led to complaints and lawsuits by those affected. “The issue is on the end that we don’t have direct curfew over, which is the ambulance services,” Manning said. “All of whom are in short supply of technicians and drivers to do that.”
County solicitor Garen Fedeles showed the Commissioners the 43 resolutions that will be voted on at the Public Meeting on January 12, including a $805,000 grant for Beaver County Libraries, a “tan note” for Human Services, and a agreement for stop loss insurance in the county. Fedeles also provided updates on Stone Quarry Road, stating that the county found no water leak in the hillside, and that the increase in precipitation has led to recent circumstances.
The next Work Session for the County Commissioners is scheduled for January 18 at 10:00 AM at the Beaver County Courthouse.
File Photo of Central Valley School District Logo Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published January 12, 2023 7:20 A.M.
(Center Township, PA) Central Valley’s 2023-24 tentative budget is $43,378,679 with expenditures expected to be $42,453,806.00. The contractor for the Center Grange Primary School renovation presented an update on the project and it is right on schedule. Superintendent Dr. Nick Perry said some changes. were made, and expenditures were less than anticipated for the project, and the district received credits. The board meets in regular session next Thursday, January 18, 2023 at 7 p.m. in the school cafeteria.
File Photo of Central Valley High School Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published January 12, 2023 7:17 A.M.
(Center Township, PA) Heather Semovoski is the Central Valley head coach for the cheerleaders and it was announced at Wednesday night’s school board work session. The overall competitive spirit championship award event was held for WPIAL 2A at Hempfield High School on Saturday, January 7, 2023.
The squad qualified to compete in Hershey on Friday, January 27, and Saturday, January 28 , 2023 for the PIAA title in District VII.
School board members at Wednesday night’s work session congratulated the cheerleaders for winning the first championship in school history.
File Photo of Lozier in the WBVP Studio Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published January 12, 2023 7:14 A.M.
(Beaver County, PA) Beaver County District Attorney David J. Lozier recused himself from the Kenneth Vinyard case because the officer involved in the investigation is a part time employee of his who works for the swat team. Autopsy reports from the county coroner and an independent agency haven’t released Vinyard’s cause of death. The attorney general’s press office reported last Friday that they have received and accepted a referral on the case, and there is no update.
File Photo Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published January 12, 2023 6:54 A.M.
Ted Eberhardt had worked on the Ambridge Road department for several years, mostly recently as the foreman. He resigned effective January 2, 2023. Council will advertise for a replacement on the road department. Council approved the payment of $286,947.45 to Jet Jack for the borough’s storm, sewer project based on the borough engineer’s recommendation. Five board appointments were made, civil service, alternate Carol Dingfelder, municipal authority, Thomas Morris, water authority, Dave Drewnowski, planning commission, John Ivancic, Russ Basalyga, Kelly Shaw, shade tree committee, Mike Mikulich. A workshop meeting will be held on January 24 at 6:30 p.m., a streetscape public workshop will be held on Wednesday, January 25 at 6 p.m.. Council meets in regular session on Tuesday, February 14, at 6:30 p.m..
Published by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio News Director
After a frosty morning, we can expect mostly cloudy skies with a slight chance of a rain shower during the afternoon. We’ll have a high near 48. Showers will be likely tonight with the temperature going down to a low of 42.
FILE – Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., right, talks with Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., during the eighth vote in the House chamber as the House meets for the third day to elect a speaker and convene the 118th Congress in Washington, on Jan. 5, 2023. Democrats are basking in having displayed remarkable unity, with every one of their members backing party leader Hakeem Jeffries for the House speakership again and again and again. Speculation Biden might have to overcome a hard Democratic primary has also quieted. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Not so long ago, Democratic in-fighting doomed a sweeping social spending package despite the party controlling Congress. President Joe Biden, meanwhile, faced increasingly sharp questions about whether he’d face a primary challenge if he even opted to seek reelection. Things look very different, at least for now. Democrats are basking in having displayed remarkable unity, with every one of their members backing party leader Hakeem Jeffries for the House speakership again and again and again. Speculation Biden might have to overcome a hard Democratic primary has also quieted. Being in lockstep marks a stark departure from the narrative of “Democrats in disarray” that long dominated Washington.
This image released by NBC shows host Jerrod Carmichael during his monologue at the 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Rich Polk/NBC via AP)
Can you throw a party on a Tuesday that millions will want to watch on live television? It was the big bet the embattled Hollywood Foreign Press Association was willing to take to get the Golden Globe Awards back on television for its 80th anniversary. For the most part, it played like a pretty typical awards show with some good winners, truly moving speeches and a runtime that dragged on and on, writes Associated Press Film Writer Lindsey Bahr. The biggest asset was its live-wire host, Jerrod Carmichael, whose unsparing and truth-poking jabs had the audience on edge.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Mega Millions prize has grown again to an estimated $1.35 billion after there was no winner of the lottery’s latest giant jackpot. The numbers drawn late Tuesday night were: 7, 13, 14, 15, 18 and gold Mega Ball 9. Mega Millions says the prize for the next drawing on Friday night is the second highest in the game’s history. There have been 25 drawings over three months since the last time a player matched all six numbers and claimed the jackpot. The estimated $1.35 billion jackpot prize would only be distributed to a winner who chooses an annuity paid over 29 years. Nearly all jackpot winners take a cash payout, which for Friday night’s drawing is an estimated $707.9 million.
