State Police in Lawrence County report an Ellwood City woman was the recent victim of bank fraud. The victim told police that two recent bank withdrawals totaling six thousand dollars were made to her account without her permission. Police are asking anyone with information to contact them. The investigation is ongoing.
A man formerly from Detroit was arrested by Lawrence County narcotics agents on Monday. The New Castle News reports 36 year old Sheldon Whitehead was arrested after agents found suspected fentanyl and cocaine and a semiautomatic handgun, at a home on Wildwood Avenue. Whitehead is facing three counts of possession with intent to deliver controlled substances and one count each of illegal possession of a firearm and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arraigned and bond was set at 80 thousand dollars.
All schools in the Mercer Area School District were closed yesterday due to a “hit list” that surfaced. Authorities say threats were made against the middle-high school. They were reported on the Safe2Say Anonymous Reporting System. The district notified law enforcement about the threats, which started coming in last night. Students are expected to return to class on today.
State Senator Lisa Boscola wants to make sure there are plenty of election ballot drop boxes installed across Pennsylvania. She’s also vowed to enact other measures to guarantee that. The Northampton County Democrat says she’ll push to provide funds for counties to operate the boxes and make it legal for people to drop off family members’ ballots. The ideas are part of her seven-bill election reform package. Boscola got a bill passed three years ago that started widespread mail balloting and eventually became law.
The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency is unveiling guidelines for a new 100-million-dollar grant program. It’s designed to boost affordable rental housing in the state and funded by money from the American Rescue Plan Act. But people can’t apply for it just yet – it may be a month or so before that’s possible. Instead, the state agency suggests those who’d like to take advantage of the program read the guidelines to make sure they qualify.
Grocery chain Giant Eagle is making changes to the way they inform shoppers of sale items each week. The company says they will no longer be mailing weekly ads to homes beginning March second. Customers can sign up for a digital account that will deliver the discount information via email. Print copies of the ads will still be available in stores.
Work is underway to bring a massive indoor sports facility to Beaver County. M-Seven Sports is developing 38-thousand-square-feet of space at Stefanik Industrial Park, in Center Township. Planners say the project will ultimately provide three indoor basketball courts and ten-thousand square feet of artificial turf. The complex is currently slated to open on June first.
A special election to determine who will take over for the late Representative Tony DeLuca is set for next Tuesday. Democrat Joe McAndrew and Republican Clayton Walker are facing off for the 32nd District seat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. If Democrats win all three of next week’s special elections in the state they will take control of the Pennsylvania House.