WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Merrick Garland is directing U.S. attorneys across the nation to swiftly prioritize prosecution of federal crimes that happen on commercial flights. The directive comes as federal officials face a historic number of investigations into passenger behavior. The Federal Aviation Administration said earlier this month that it had launched 950 investigations into passenger behavior on flights this year. Garland’s memo, issued Wednesday, emphasizes the Justice Department is committed to aggressively prosecuting violent passengers who assault crew members or endanger the safety of other passengers. So far this year the FAA has reported dozens of incidents of unruly airline passengers to the FBI for possible criminal prosecution.
NEW YORK (AP) — The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has returned in full, after being crimped by the coronavirus pandemic last year. The lineup of balloons, floats, marching bands, clowns, performers and Santa Claus again wended though 2 1/2 miles of Manhattan streets Thursday. Participants were confined to one block or sometimes pre-taped last year. Spectators were shut out in 2020 but are lining the route again this time. The Thanksgiving parade is the latest U.S. holiday event to make a comeback amid the ongoing pandemic. Still, some safety measures continue. Parade staffers and volunteers must be vaccinated against COVID-19, and most must wear masks.
Eight civilian Philadelphia Police Department employees have been indicted on charges of collecting Pandemic Unemployment Assistance they were not entitled to. Seven of the employees are dispatchers and one is a clerk. Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw on Tuesday said she will suspend them for 30 days with the intent to dismiss them at the end of the 30 days upon completion of arrest procedures. A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging them with theft of government funds, wire fraud and mail fraud. Prosecutors say the accused were employed and took advantage of a system that was designed to aid people left out of work because of the pandemic.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate fell for the eighth month in a row in October, as payrolls grew but the labor force shrank. Department of Labor and Industry figures released Friday show Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate dropped two-tenths of a percentage point to 6% from September’s rate. The national rate was 4.6% in October, and Pennsylvania lags most other states, tied at 40th among 50. In a survey of households, the labor force shrank for the fifth month in a row, although the number of employed grew. Payrolls grew in October by 19,000, and Pennsylvania has regained about 65% of the 1.1 million jobs lost in the pandemic.
(Hopewell Twp., Pa.) The Hopewell area School Board honored three board members who are retiring. Lesia Dobo has served on the Hopewell School Board for almost 20 twenty years and reflected on her time as a board member at a recent meeting, Kathryn Obolak and Darren Newberry also reflected on their time on the board during the meeting . Gifts were presented to the retirees for their service to the community. The board will reorganize on Tuesday, December 7, 2021 at 7 p.m.
All 3 defendants found guilty of murdering Ahmaud Arbery
By RUSS BYNUM Associated Press
BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP) — All three men charged in the death of Ahmaud Arbery were convicted of murder Wednesday. The jury reached its decision after more than 10 hours of deliberations following a trial in which prosecutors argued that the defendants provoked a confrontation with Arbery and defense attorneys said their clients were acting in self-defense. Father and son Greg and Travis McMichael grabbed guns and jumped in a pickup truck to pursue the 25-year-old Black man after seeing him running in their neighborhood outside the Georgia port city of Brunswick in February 2020. Their neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan joined the pursuit in his own pickup and recorded cellphone video of Travis McMichael fatally shooting Arbery.
ts found guilty of murdering Ahmaud Arbery
By RUSS BYNUM Associated Press
BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP) — All three men charged in the death of Ahmaud Arbery were convicted of murder Wednesday. The jury reached its decision after more than 10 hours of deliberations following a trial in which prosecutors argued that the defendants provoked a confrontation with Arbery and defense attorneys said their clients were acting in self-defense. Father and son Greg and Travis McMichael grabbed guns and jumped in a pickup truck to pursue the 25-year-old Black man after seeing him running in their neighborhood outside the Georgia port city of Brunswick in February 2020. Their neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan joined the pursuit in his own pickup and recorded cellphone video of Travis McMichael fatally shooting Arbery.
The Thursday episode of Teleforum with Eddy Crow is a thanksgiving feast of thankfulness-in keeping with the theme of the holiday. It’s possible, however, that Eddy will jump the start a bit by introducing a Festivus staple-the airing of grievances. Teleforum is on Beaver County Radio every weekday from 9 till noon. Teleforum can also be livestreamed at Beavercountyradio.com, and enjoyed worldwide with the free Beaver County Radio app.
US to require vaccines for all border crossers in January
By ZEKE MILLER Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden plans to require essential nonresident travelers crossing U.S. land borders, such as truck drivers and emergency response officials, to be fully vaccinated beginning on Jan. 22. A senior administration official said the requirement brings the rules for essential travelers in line with those that took effect earlier this month for leisure travelers, when the U.S. reopened its borders to fully vaccinated individuals. Essential travelers entering by ferry will also be required to be fully vaccinated by the same date. The official spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to preview the announcement.
US jobless claims hit 52-year low after seasonal adjustments
By PAUL WISEMAN AP Economics
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits plummeted last week to the lowest level in more than half a century, another sign that the U.S. job market is rebounding rapidly from last year’s coronavirus recession. Jobless claims dropped by 71,000 to 199,000, the lowest since mid-November 1969. The drop was much bigger than economists expected. The four-week average of claims, which smooths out weekly ups and downs, also dropped — by 21,000 to just over 252,000, the lowest since mid-March 2020 when the pandemic slammed the economy. Seasonal adjustments around the Thanksgiving holiday contributed significantly to the bigger-than-expected drop.
The rise and fall of the steel mills. The division into two school districts. The introduction to reverse parking.
The city of Beaver Falls has seen many changes over the course of the last several decades, and with a switch to home rule charter, a new mayor, and several additions and renovations coming to the city…many more changes are on the horizon.
Bethany Williams is the director of Community Development for the city of Beaver Falls. (Photo by Frank Sparks)
A person who has been part of that parade of change over the last several years has been Bethany Williams, who is the director of Community Development for the city of Beaver Falls. She spoke to Matt Drzik on the November 24 edition of A.M. Beaver County to talk about these changes, including the change to home rule charter that city citizens voted on back in November after a process that took over a year.
“We’re looking forward to more community engagement,” Williams said. “We’re learning just as much as everyone in the community is about this, because it is new for us as well compared to what we’ve been used to.” Williams mentioned that the new system will take place in January, when a transition team will be put in place to create a new code of conduct.
“Just expect more communication from us in the near future,” Williams added. “We’re hoping to add a pipeline of leadership development in our community…what we can’t do is outpace the community in our growth. We don’t want to be building the community that the same 75 people want, we want to a build a community that all voices have a say in creating.”
To hear the full conversation with Bethany Williams, click on the player below.
