(File photo)

(Beaver Falls, Pa.) Local organization Pressley Ridge has received its largest donation ever of $10 million thanks to Jeff Bezos’ ex-wife, Mackenzie Scott.

Pressely Ridge, which has a location in Beaver Falls, provides mental health, foster care, and special education services to local families and children.
They are planning to use the money to serve the community.

Keystone State News Connection

Emily Scott

Pennsylvania is receiving more than $3 million in federal funding for watershed restoration projects.

Conservation groups said it will help the state get back on track to meet its Chesapeake Bay Clean Water Blueprint goals.

The funds will go toward restoration plans for both the Pequea and Halfmoon Creek watersheds, to reduce nutrients and sediment impairing creeks and streams.

Harry Campbell, Pennsylvania science policy and advocacy director for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, said the influx of resources will play a role in closing a $324 million annual state shortfall in its plan to reduce pollution ending up in the bay.

“This will help the folks that live within those watersheds get the resources to help design and implement these high-priority best management practices,” Campbell explained. “Ultimately going toward improving the streams to the degree to which they become non-impaired and then functional, for things like fishing, swimming, and all those other opportunities.”

The Chesapeake Bay Clean Water Blueprint has set a deadline for watershed states to have pollution-reduction practices in place by 2025. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., and Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., helped secure the funding through the omnibus spending package signed by President Joe Biden this month.

Campbell noted through ongoing state budget negotiations, he also hopes to see Pennsylvania use $250 million in unallocated American Rescue Plan dollars to address farm pollution in waterways.

“Half of that would go toward establishing an agricultural cost-share program,” Campbell pointed out. “That would help the 50-plus thousand farmers in Pennsylvania, to help design and implement those conservation practices that keep soil and nutrients on the land instead of in the water.”

Within the Pequea Creek Watershed, the money will support cover crops, no-till agriculture, riparian buffers and more, to help keep soil out of waterways. For Halfmoon Creek, it will go toward reducing sediment, land preservation and restoration, and fostering stewardship of the watershed.

More than 80% of the state’s remaining bay pollution reductions must come from agriculture.

By LAURAN NEERGAARD and MATTHEW PERRONE Associated Press
U.S. regulators are allowing people 50 and older to get another booster dose of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. The Food and Drug Administration’s decision aims to offer extra protection to the most vulnerable in case the virus rebounds. The FDA said Tuesday that age group can seek a fourth dose at least four months after their previous booster. With COVID-19 cases currently low, it’s not clear if they should rush out and get one. There’s limited evidence to tell how much benefit another booster could offer right now. The FDA ruled without input from its independent advisers.

(File Photo)
By MARK SCOLFORO Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A Republican proposal to prevent transgender girls from competing in girls’ school sports is advancing in the Pennsylvania Legislature. The measure was passed on party lines Tuesday by the Pennsylvania House Education Committee. The “Save Women’s Sports Act” bill would restrict players to male or female teams based on their reproductive organs, biology or genetics at birth. The bill says athletic teams designated for women or girls may not be open to “students of the male sex.” It would give students a route to sue if they feel harmed by violations of that rule. It covers K-12 school teams, college sports, intramurals and club teams sponsored by school entities.

(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
By TALI ARBEL AP Business Writer
The Federal Trade Commission is suing TurboTax maker Intuit, saying its ads for “free” tax filing misled consumers. The consumer protection agency said millions of consumers cannot actually use the free tax-prep software option because they are ineligible for it. The agency says Intuit has for years focused on the word “free” in its ads, running them during major events like the Super Bowl. The FTC has asked a federal judge to order Intuit to stop what it said were Intuit’s deceptive ads during the rush of tax season. Intuit did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

(Photo provided by Hopewell Police Chief Don Sedlacek)

Story by Sandy Giordano, Beaver County Radio News Correspondent

(Hopewell Twp., Beaver County, Pa.) Officers Joe Daransky and Brian Marvich responded to a 9-1-1 call  on Wednesday, March 2 at 9:28 p.m.  for an elderly woman who fell and possibly not breathing , according to Police Chief Don Sedlacek. The officers arrived on scene along with Sgt. Ron McMasters  began to perform CPR   on the female who was lying on the kitchen floor. They performed CPR  for an extended period of time  to free up time for EMS personnel  to complete other lifesaving measures on the female.  Chief Sedlacek said they assisted EMS  with   loading the patient into the ambulance.

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(Little Beaver Twp., Lawrence County, Pa.) Pa State Police in Gibsonia are reporting that they were called to the scene of a two vehicle crash on the Pa Turnpike East Bound at mile marker 1.8 Sunday morning at 1:33 AM.
Troopers reported upon arriving and investigating it was learned that an unnamed 44-year-old female from Beaver Falls was was drivign a 2008 Jeep Wrangler East on the Turnpike in the left lane. She attempted to pass 2020 MAC Truck being driven by 42-year-old Garret Kemp of New Brighton and misjudged the distance and struck the truck. The Jeep traveled off the right side of the roadway and hit the guardrail head on. The vehicle came to a final rest on the guard rail. Kemp pulled his truck to the berm of the road and waited for police. The unnamed Beaver Falls woman was transported to Heritage Valley Beaver for suspected minor injuries.
She was charged by Troopers with not driving properly on roadways laned for traffic.

(File Photo)

(Harrisburg, Pa.) New legislation is being introduced that would require the Pa Turnpike Commission to alert EZ-Pass account holder’s within 24 hours by email if their transponder does not properly read as they passed through an E-ZPass Toll location is being introduced.
The email must explain why the driver is receiving a V-toll and provide solutions to fix the issue with the transponder.
Under the proposed legislation, the Commission may charge a fee for the toll if the email provided by the account holder is invalid.
The legislation is aimed at increasing transparency for E-ZPass holders and to save them from paying unexpected fees when they go through toll booths.
State leaders say last year, thousands of Pennsylvanians were charged V-tolls, or $10 fees, totaling millions of dollars.
If the legislation passes, it will go into effect in 60 days.