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June 16, 2017

Senator Vogel to Host Veterans’ Specialist at New Castle District Office

Senator Vogel announced today that he will host a veterans’ specialist in his New Castle District Office to assist constituents with various issues related to their military service. Stephanie Bengoa of the American Legion Veterans Assistance Program will be available on Wednesday, June 21 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Senator Vogel’s New Castle Office (1905 W State St New Castle). No appointment is necessary. Ms. Bengoa can assist veterans and their families understand the benefits they have earned, enroll in the V.A. health care system, assist with the appeals process, and much more. Please bring any documentation and…

June 14, 2017

Residents Cautioned about Non-Official Third-Party Bill Pay Site

While many Borough of Ellwood City residents should soon be receiving their May utility bills, they are urged to be aware that a third-party website is appearing in search results for “Ellwood City online bill pay”. When any variation of “Ellwood City online bill pay” is typed into a search engine, a clickable link comes up just a few links below the actual Ellwood City Borough online bill pay website, which is currently still suspended for updates. The third party bill pay site URL is www.doxo.com/info/borough-ellwood-city-pa.  While doxo.com is a legitimate third-party bill payment service, similar to online bill payment…

June 14, 2017

Borough Offices Closed in Observance of Flag Day

Flag Day is an annual event that commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States, which happened on June 14, 1777, by resolution of the Second Continental Congress. Though Flag Day is observed nationwide, it is not a federal holiday. Pennsylvania is the only state to establish June 14 as a state holiday for Flag Day. Borough Offices will be closed today, June 14th in observance of Flag Day. The federal buildings, including the post office, should remain open as normal.  

June 14, 2017

Bernstine, Solomon Bill Would Prepare PA Students to Enter Workforce

HARRISBURG – In a bipartisan effort to prepare Pennsylvania’s youth for the 21st century workforce, state Reps. Aaron Bernstine (R-Beaver/Butler/Lawrence) and Jared Solomon (D-Philadelphia) introduced legislation which would allow high school students to obtain real-world work experience while still in school. House Bill 1522 would establish a pilot grant program which would encourage schools and local businesses to collaborate to provide work-based learning opportunities for high school students. “As we work to prepare students for the 21st century workforce, this legislation would allow job creators to help transform our education system. When I came to Harrisburg, I wanted to develop…

June 12, 2017

Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program Deadline Extended to End of Year

The Property Tax/Rent Rebate program deadline for older adults and residents with disabilities to apply for rebates of rent and property taxes paid in 2016 has been extended to December 31, 2017, according to Senator Elder Vogel Jr. The rebate program benefits eligible Pennsylvanians age 65 and older; widows and widowers age 50 and older; and people with disabilities age 18 and older. The income limit is $35,000 a year for homeowners and $15,000 annually for renters, and half of Social Security income is excluded. Forms and other information are available online at www.revenue.pa.gov or by calling, toll-free, (888) 222-9190….

June 9, 2017

Bernstine Backs Pension Reform to Better Protect Taxpayers

HARRISBURG – Rep. Aaron Bernstine (R-Beaver/Butler/Lawrence) issued the following statement after the House of Representatives’ bipartisan vote to reform Pennsylvania’s two public pension systems, which have a combined unfunded liability of more than $62.7 billion: “While this legislation won’t make all our pension problems disappear, it represents a meaningful step that will reduce our massive unfunded liability by more than $5 billion. Most importantly, it shifts financial risk away from our hard-working taxpayers.  Every dollar we add to our pension debt threatens the quality of our schools and the paychecks of our taxpayers, and we need to stop adding to…

June 8, 2017

Join Senator Elder Vogel, Jr. for his Annual Kids Extravaganza

Event set for Saturday June 24th at Community College of Beaver County Athletics & Events Center, Monaca, PA 15061 Senator Elder Vogel, Jr. would like to invite all area children and their families to attend his free Kids Extravaganza on Saturday June 24th at Community College of Beaver County- Athletics & Events Center from 11 AM-2 PM. Senator Vogel’s Kids Extravaganza is a fun and free way to gain valuable information on programs and benefits available to help families and children. The Kids Extravaganza will feature more than 80 different representatives from state, county, and local organizations. The Carnegie Museum…

June 7, 2017

Youth Development Center in Shenango Sold to Islamic Consulting Firm

After laying abandoned for several years, the 145-acre state-owned property housing the former Youth Development Center in Shenango Township has been sold to a Newark, New Jersey based Islamic consulting firm called HIRA. Out of three total bids on the property, HIRA was the highest and now the public is curious to know what the potential business plans on doing with the space. HIRA’s official website – which contains many grammatical errors throughout – does not provide much information about the firm other than their main goal is to “offer services to the Islamic Schools who are not getting the…

June 6, 2017

Vogel Applauds Bipartisan Passage of Historic Pension Reform

Today (June 5) the Senate approved legislation reforming Pennsylvania’s two largest public pension systems, the Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS)  and the State Employees’ Retirement System (SERS). Senator Elder Vogel Jr. (R-47) praised the bipartisan passage of this historic reform which both limits future taxpayer liabilities while also still providing a competitive retirement benefit for school and state employees. “For years, school boards and fiscal watchdogs throughout Pennsylvania have been sounding the alarm about the unchecked growth of the state pension systems. In fact, the exponential growth of pension obligations is the #1 reason cited by school boards for…

June 2, 2017

Mayor’s Advisory Meeting Recap

On Thursday, May 25, 2017 the Mayor’s Advisory Committee met in Mayor Courts Office. Discussion included the parking ticket issue on Wampum Avenue, complaints voiced concerning a large black dog around Crestview and Skyline Drive. Mayor Court is urging people to trim their hedges when they get too high so that they do not obstruct traffic. The fight against drugs continues with 393 arrests since Mayor Court took office. The Mayor’s Beautification Award program has begun with one Award being presented already. The Mayor wants everyone to know that they can nominate anyone if they wish to do so. On…