(File Photo of Representative Aaron Bernstine)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(Harrisburg, PA) Representative Aaron Bernstine (R-Butler/Lawrence) announced today that nearly $1.2 million in Local Share Account (LSA) grants have been approved by the Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA) to support water infrastructure, road maintenance, public safety and municipal services in Butler and Lawrence counties.
Local Share Account grants are funded through the gaming revenues under Act 71 of 2004 and support community improvements, economic development and projects that enhance the quality of life for residents of Pennsylvania.
According to a release from Representative Bernstine’s office, the approved projects include:
- Adams Township Municipal Water Authority – $400,000 to extend a water line along Harbison and Forsythe roads in Middlesex Township, Butler County. The project will create a looped connection between existing distribution lines, improving water service reliability and fire protection for nearly 1,000 residents, businesses, farms and essential facilities.
- Clay Township – $155,000 to purchase a new smooth drum vibratory soil compactor to replace an aging and undersized roller. The new equipment will support maintenance of the township’s 43.73 miles of roads while reducing equipment downtime and repair costs.
- Ellport Borough – $50,000 to purchase a new truck equipped with a snowplow to replace a 15-year-old vehicle with increasing maintenance costs. The vehicle will help the borough maintain approximately 20 miles of roadway.
- New Beaver Borough – $50,000 to purchase and upfit a police vehicle to replace a vehicle that has been out of service since September 2024. The new vehicle will help the borough police department meet emergency response needs while restoring a second operational police vehicle.
- Plain Grove Township – $150,000 to purchase a new tractor with mower, broom and ditcher attachments to replace a 2003 tractor and worn equipment. The new equipment will be used for roadside mowing, winter operations and ditch maintenance to improve roadway safety and drainage.
- Slippery Rock Township – $200,000 to purchase a new JCB Hydradig wheeled excavator and attachments. The equipment will support maintenance of the township’s 48.5 miles of roads, including mowing, tree removal, grading and berm maintenance.
- Washington Township – $150,000 to purchase a tractor with boom mower and ditcher attachments. The equipment will allow the township to mow and trim vegetation along roadways and maintain roadside ditches to improve visibility, drainage and roadway safety.