(Photo of Kim Villella receiving her recognition at Tuesday Night’s Ambridge Borough Council Meeting. Photo and Story by Sandy Giordano, Beaver County Radio)

(Ambridge, Pa.) The Ambridge Borough Council met on Tuesday night and honored Kim Villella for her years of community service with a proclamation read by  Councilman Tony Cafarelli. Kim was a business owner, a member of the  Ambridge Chamber of Commerce  and  had over 40 years total of community involvement.

Sophia Chickos was also honored for  53 years of service to the Ambridge Water Authority. Councilman Cafarelli made the presentation to her.

(North Beaver Twp., Lawrence County, Pa) Pa State Police in Gibsonia are looking for the driver of a white pick-up truck that was traveling eastbound on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in North Beaver Twp., Lawrence County , at mile marker .2 on Monday, August 1, 2022 at 11:30 AM
Troopers said via release that the driver of the white pickup truck stopped along the highway and took a black and yellow Scott Foil carbon fiber road bike that had fallen out of the back of the 35-year-old Arlington Virginia victim’s vehicle and onto the concrete median. The unknown actor fled east bound after taking the bike.
State Police in Gibsonia are asking anyone with information to call them at 724-443-5907.
The bike is valued at $12,000

FILE – Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., questions Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Capitol Hill in Washington, April 28, 2022. Perry says his cellphone was seized Tuesday, Aug. 9, by FBI agents carrying a search warrant. The circumstances surrounding the seizure were not immediately known. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

By MICHAEL BALSAMO Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — -U.S. Rep. Scott Perry says his cellphone was seized Tuesday by FBI agents carrying a search warrant. The circumstances surrounding the seizure were not immediately known. The Pennsylvania Republican says three agents visited him while he was traveling Tuesday with his family and “seized my cell phone.” Perry has been a figure in the congressional investigation into President Donald Trump’s actions leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection. Former senior Justice Department officials have testified Perry had “an important role” in Trump’s effort to try to install Jeffrey Clark — a top Justice official who was pushing Trump’s baseless claims of election fraud — as the acting attorney general.

(Ap Photo)

WACO, Texas (AP) — A Little League batter rose from a beaning to console the upset pitcher in a dramatic scene at a Little League regional tournament game in Waco, Texas. Pearland, Texas, righthander Kaiden Shelton was facing Tulsa, Oklahoma, batter Isaiah Jarvis Tuesday when an 0-2 pitch got away from him, striking Jarvis in the helmet. Jarvis fell to the ground clutching his head but was able after a few moments to take first base. Meanwhile, Shelton stood on the mound staring at the ground in tears until Jarvis walked to the mound and put his arms around Shelton to comfort him. The gesture drew a standing ovation.

(Photo courtesy of Keystone News Connection, Provided with release)

Keystone State News Connection

Danielle Smith

After eight years, the Pennsylvania school-funding lawsuit is in the hands of the judge, creating a waiting game heading into the new school year.

Oral arguments ended in July. Advocates argued the way Pennsylvania schools are funded violates the education clause and equal-protection provision of the state constitution.

Deborah Gordon Klehr, executive director of the Education Law Center, said students of color are disproportionately affected in underfunded districts in low-wealth communities, where they lack such basics as functioning school libraries and up-to-date textbooks.

“The inadequate resources prevent many Pennsylvania students from meeting academic standards set by the state,” Klehr asserted. “The state legislature has an obligation to ensure that every student, not only those living in select ZIP codes, receive the basic resources they need.”

Klehr added Pennsylvania has one of the widest gaps between low-wealth and high-wealth school districts in the nation. A typical high-wealth district in the commonwealth spends about $4,800 more per student than a low-wealth district, and the gap has been growing.

With trial proceedings are over, Klehr acknowledged the judge’s decision may take some time, and predicted it may not signal the end of the battle.

“We are confident about our case,” Klehr stated. “But whatever the outcome, an appeal by the losing side is likely, to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.”

Klehr noted the General Assembly does not have to wait for the outcome of the case. It has a legal obligation under the state constitution to solve the school-funding crisis as soon as possible.

Gov. Tom Wolf recently solidified his legacy with a historic $3.7 billion education budget, which includes a $1.8 billion increase for the coming school year.

Klehr emphasized it is an important confirmation of the spending levels needed in coming years.

“Those kinds of increases will need to be sustained in the years ahead to help get local districts to adequate, equitable levels of funding,” Klehr contended. “And bring Pennsylvania up from the bottom in the share of education funding that is provided by the state.”

Klehr stressed Pennsylvania currently relies on local funding for schools more than almost any other state. Her organization advocates shifting the funding system to recognize the very different needs of different commun

(Sewickley, Pa.) A Sewickley piercing shop owner is facing several charges after a criminal complaint said that he hired a 17-year-old girl and propositioned her for sex several times, even offering to pay her an extra $100 daily if she had sex with him.
33-year-old Zachary Watson the owner of Genisys Body Arts in Sewickley is facing several charges including promoting prostitution, making terroristic threats and corruption of minors.
Watson is accused of making several sexual advances towards her and when she refused, he told her that if the offers he was making ever got out, it could ruin his life. He then motioned toward two firearms sitting nearby and placed his hand on one.
Watson now has a preliminary hearing scheduled for later this month

(Photo of Representatives from the five Shelters that rescued the animals. provided with release)
(Center Twp., Pa.)  Five local organizations, including Beaver County Humane Society (BCHS), have teamed up to transport 21 beagles to western Pennsylvania. The dogs were relocated from the Virginia-based Envigo facility that breeds beagles for the laboratory industry after an investigation conducted by the Humane Society of the United States resulted in the surrender of up to 4,000 dogs in July.
“We are deeply grateful to be collaborating with other local regional shelters, said Susan Salyards, Executive Director of BCHS. “What’s so heartwarming about this entire effort is that these dogs will not have to live their lives for research
purposes and can enjoy what it feels like to be comforted and loved in a forever home.”
The cooperative rescue and transport were coordinated by staff at Animal Friends, Beaver County Humane Society, Butler County Humane Society, the Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh (HARP) and Washington Area Humane Society. Through the combined efforts of the five organizations, the 21 beagles were transported from the Envigo facility located in Cumberland, VA to Pittsburgh, a 6 1/2 hour trip spanning approximately 350 miles.
The dogs arrived at HARP’s Northside campus on the evening of Monday, Aug. 8 where smaller groups then made their way to the other participating organizations. Each of the dogs will undergo a medical exam and will receive all appropriate vaccinations and will be spayed or neutered before being made available for adoption.
This initiative was so critical to the five participating organizations after a nationwide plea went out to shelters and rescue groups to assist with this case. Because western Pennsylvania has such a compassionate community that comes together in times of crisis, the staff and volunteers at Animal Friends, Beaver County Humane Society, Butler County Humane Society, the Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh (HARP) and Washington Area Humane Society came together to make this lifesaving effort possible.

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

At their August 9 council meeting, the city of Beaver Falls learned of several grants awarded to the city to help out with purchases for the Library Park project, the Fire Department, and removal of blight in the city.

The largest of these grants was announced by City Manager Charles Jones toward the end of the 44-minute meeting. “I received a letter from the Board of Commissioners,” Jones stated. “I’m pleased to announce that we’re going to receive a little over three million dollars towards stormwater and blight remediation.” The $3 million grant was approved through a request through Pennsylvania state funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

Jones also announced a match grant of $30,000 from the DCNR for Library Park; matching a $30,000 expense that was approved by council on Tuesday evening. “As everyone knows, COVID has skyrocketed the cost of construction,” Mayor Kenya Johns spoke, “so costs that were not even feasible–if we’re being honest–are now definitely not feasible. So this is just kind of offsetting some of the final costs of last-minute trying to finish the project.”

The Beaver Falls Fire Department also had good news in regards to grant funding: “Our fire department did receive a COVID-19 Crisis Emergency Medical Services grant in the amount of $37,237,” Chief Mark Stowe announced. “That was a nice shot in the arm for us; that will purchase medical equipment and defibrillators, things like that for our department.”

Several properties were purchased in the city at the Council Meeting, including the sale of a Short 10th Street property to Alex & Danielle Lathom, an 8th Avenue purchase by Steven Cable, the purchase of a 19th Street Property by Lyudmila Tarshik, and the consolidation of a patch of land on 7th Avenue by Matt Nance of Tiger Pause. Nance plans to turn the area into a fenced parking lot.

The council also approved General Fund expenditures of $497,415.16, approved updated Civil Service Rules And Regulations for both the Fire Department and the Police Department, and consulted with Widmer Engineering in regard to the MS4 Stormwater Management Program. Jeffrey Lansberry was hired to join the city’s Department of Public Works effective on August 15.

The next Beaver Falls City Council meeting is scheduled for August 23 at 7:00 PM.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pennsylvania’s Republican governor nominee Doug Mastriano has appeared briefly before the Jan. 6 committee investigating the U.S. Capitol insurrection. Mastriano was outside the Capitol that day and helped organize efforts in Pennsylvania to submit alternate electors beholden to Trump. Mastriano appeared for less than 15 minutes Tuesday, his attorney Timothy Parlatore said. Parlatore says his client wanted to record the proceeding and questioned the panel’s validity. Mastriano is one of two people expected to provide private interviews Tuesday before the committee, according to a person familiar with the situation and granted anonymity to discuss it. The committee issued the subpoena for Mastriano back in February.