Politics

HARRISBURG – Rep. Aaron Bernstine (R-Beaver/Butler/Lawrence) took the oath of office Tuesday, marking the beginning of his first term representing the 10th Legislative District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. “I am deeply grateful to the people of the district for giving me their confidence to represent their interests and concerns in Harrisburg, and I am honored to begin this work in earnest,” said Bernstine. “This session begins with very serious challenges and I am ready to work hard to meet the expectations of the residents of the district.” Prior to running for state representative, Bernstine divided his professional time…

Senator Elder Vogel Jr. took his oath of office and was sworn-in as Senator for the 47th Senate District today (January 3) at the State Capitol. The ceremony marked the beginning of the 2017-18 Legislative Session of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. The New Sewickley Township native returns to the State Senate looking to build upon a legislative track record of commonsense reforms to state government, strong support for Pennsylvania agriculture, and the enactment of pro-growth policies encouraging the creation of good-paying jobs for families in Western Pennsylvania. “The new year presents new challenges to our Commonwealth,” Senator Vogel said. “A…

State Representative-Elect, Aaron Bernstine, will take the oath of office as state representative of the 10th Legislative District, Tuesday, Jan. 3 beginning at noon. The swearing-in ceremony will be hosted at the Floor of the House of Representatives in Harrisburg. Family members and supporters of the State Rep.-Elect are encouraged to join the ceremony in person or via live stream. The live stream be available to view on his official website.  

Reminder: the current holiday parking resolution of two free hours at all metered spaces in Ellwood will officially be lifted on December 31st and meter parking will resume as normal.

It’s not always easy knowing where to start, especially when it comes to something like establishing a business – that’s why the Borough of Ellwood City has partnered with the Ellwood City Chamber of Commerce and the Lawrence County Economic Development to encourage and provide information and resources to anyone interested in starting a business in Ellwood. Located on the Borough’s website under the work tab, a clickable link saying “Business Start-Up Guide” will appear, which contains a guide called “Starting and Growing Your Business in Ellwood.” The guide was put together by experts in the local business industry to…

ELLWOOD CITY – Promising to provide high-quality constituent services to the residents of the 10th Legislative District, Rep.-elect Aaron Bernstine (R-Beaver/Butler/Lawrence) today announced that his new district office is open at 438 Line Ave., Ellwood City. Bernstine’s district office will be open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. On Thursdays, the office will be open until 7 p.m. Residents can contact the office by phone at (724) 752-2120. The office will be staffed by Nick Kerin, district office manager, and Mandy Hyde, constituent outreach specialist. “I invite residents to stop by and let us know their thoughts…

The hot topic of the council meeting last night was the proposed 2017 budget, including the tax mill increase from 7.75 to 8.75. Both the 2017 budget and the tax mill increase were approved by council, but not without discussion. The budget was passed in a 5-2 vote by council, with council members Judy Dici and Marilyn Mancini voting against it. The new tax mill is expected to increase property taxes just over a dollar per every thousand the property is worth; so for the average property owned in Ellwood (about $60,000) taxes will increase roughly $60 for the 2017…

Monaca, PA – Demonstrating strong support for CCBC’s industry-approved Process Technology associate degree program, Royal Dutch Shell has donated $150,000 to CCBC for student scholarship assistance and state-of-the-art educational simulation equipment. The gift will address high priority workforce needs and meet industry-specific training requirements as CCBC expands its Process Technology program. CCBC will launch a new daytime cohort of the program during the spring semester beginning on January 9, 2017. Registration is currently ongoing. Shell’s gift will further strengthen the College’s initiatives to recruit and train a diverse, skilled workforce for career opportunities available at the new ethane cracker plant…

In the ongoing efforts to provide more information to the public regarding the electric utility, Bob Villella, the Borough Manager, has provided the following press release: The attached information is being provided in order to inform Ellwood City Electric customers of the effect the reduction in the Transmission and Capacity charges set by PJM has had upon the Rate Adjustment (PPA Factor) and customer billings during the months of October 2016 through the upcoming billing in January 2017. Comparisons of PPA components (Energy Purchased, American Municipal Power-Power Charges, as well as Transmission and Capacity Charges) were used. The Rate Adjustment…

Updated- 12/15/16– Few visitors were in attendance at Ellwood City’s December Council Meeting, and those who attended did not publicly speak. The main discussion matter was adopting a 2017 budget that, for a fourth consecutive year, includes a property tax increase. Finance Resolution- adopt 2017 Budget Ordinance- adopt 2017 tax rate, 8.75 mill Under finance, the ordinance to adopt the 2017 tax rate of 8.75 mill was discussed by council. On the average property owned in Ellwood City (averaging about $60,000), taxes will be expected to increase roughly $60 a year to accommodate the increase, Bob Villella, the Borough Manager…