(Wayne Twp., Lawrence County, Pa.) Pa State Police in New Castle are reporting that they were called to West Lawrence Ave in Wayne Twp at 11:50 AM on December 5, 2022 for a report of a real estate sign being stolen.
Troopers said via release that the theft occurred approximately between Oct 31 and November 14, 2022. The sign was from Advantage Real Estate that is blue with white lettering. The sign was located on a property that is for sale.
The investigation is ongoing and Troopers are asking anyone with information to call them at 724-598-2211.
Story by Beaver County Radio Staff (Little Beaver Twp, Lawrence County, Pa.) Pa State Police in New Castle are reporting that they were called to State Line Road in Little Beaver Twp., Lawrence County at 11:51 PM Sunday night for reports of a possible stolen vehicle
Troopers said via release that a 41-year-old female from East Liverpool Ohio told them that her 1999 Lexus RX300 was missing from where she last parked it. Upon further investigation it was determined that her ex-boyfriend used the vehicle without her permission. The vehicle was located and recovered by Troopers. The investigation into this incident is continuing.
His voice was first heard over the airwaves on September 13, 1980. It was a day that changed the sound of sports coverage in Beaver County. That was the day when Freedom traveled to Western Beaver for a Saturday afternoon football game and Ambridge radio station, WMBA, was on site to broadcast the action. Up in the press box, a youthful Bob Barrickman joined Mike Shineberg as a color analyst. It was the beginning of a storied broadcasting career for Barrickman that spanned over a thousand games and forty years. Bob’s unique, enthusiastic and very recognizable delivery was heard as recently as part of the WPIAL football championship pre game show broadcasts on WBVP and WMBA. Sadly, the mute button on Bob’s microphone has been permanently pushed. Tuesday morning the beloved sports announcer passed away. He was 67.
2015 WBVP-WMBA staff photo of Bob Barrickman.
Bob Barrickman grew up in Industry, PA and graduated from Beaver Area High school. Afterwards he earned a degree in communications from Slippery Rock University. In addition to his radio announcing, Bob was also a skillful sports writer and contributor for the Beaver County Times. But, it was when he put on a sports headset in the press box or courtside at a high school game that his impact became the greatest. Part of it was Barrickman’s love of broadcasting and his dedication to the craft. Part of it was his devotion to high school sports. The mix of the two qualities proved to be a combination that would touch the lives of nearly everyone in Beaver County over Bob’s career. Fellow broadcaster Chris Shovlin noted: “I don’t know anyone that was more passionate about high school athletics in Beaver County. Nobody had more passion than Bob.” In addition to calling high school games, one of the things Barrickman became most known for was hosting the weekly “Coaches Corner” live broadcast on WBVP and WMBA.
Coaches Corner, March 1997 at Robert’s Roadside Inn, Bridgewater, PA. Clockwise around table: Brad Hays, Tom Hays, Bob Barrickman, Marcus Moore and Bruce Frey. In background L-R: Aliquippa Player, Brian Cureton, Mike Zmijanac, Sherman McBride, Jerry “Mole” Malesky and Dave Wytiaz (in white shirt).
For over thirty years, high school coaches and players were Bob’s guests on the program during sports seasons for lively conversation and great pizza and wings. For a long time, “Coaches Corner” was broadcast live from Robert’s Roadside Inn in Bridgewater. Robert Skerlec, owner of Robert’s Roadside Inn, remembered Bob Barrickman as “A man of Integrity and a super competitive Scrabble player.” Skerlec and Barrickman also played weekly scrabble games prior to the Wednesday evening “Coaches Corner” shows.
1991 WBVP sports announcers including Bruce Frey, Mike Young, Bob Barrickman and Tom Hays pose for a photo in the control studio.
The news of Bob’s passing has caused many people in Bob’s extended “radio family” to reflect on his life, his work and what he meant to others. Current WBVP-WMBA program director Frank Sparks said: “I never in my life have met anyone like Bob Barickman. His passion for sports and friendship was like no other. Bob Barrickman is a true legend in Beaver County sports. If You wanna know anything about High School Sports, past and present, Bob was your guy. Bob’s passion for broadcasting was apparent in every broadcast whether it was a touchdown, a sack, or a slam dunk.”
This past September, Bob Barrickman spoke to St. Barnabas Broadcasting, Inc. CEO, Mr. William Day, as he visited the press box at Oak Hill Field in New Brighton prior to a high school football game with Rochester. Other WBVP-WMBA staffers in the photo include John Perotto and Curtis Walsh.
Whether it’s a testament to Bob Barrickman’s long lasting broadcasting career, or the high quality of high school teams that seem to emanate from Beaver County every year isn’t completely clear. Either way, the amazing fact is that Bob called the action of over 60 high school state championship games. One of those earlier state championship broadcasts was when Bob Barrickman Joined Mark Razz in the booth for the 1988 high school football 3A state Championship. That year, the Aliquippa Quips were upset by A Berwick Bulldog team led by future West Virginia quarterback, Jake Kelchner. Luckily, there would be many other memorable game broadcasts along the way. Here is a small sampling of Bob Barrckman audio highlights:
In 2008, Bob Barrickman was inducted into the Beaver County Sports Hall of Fame. More ceremonies followed. In 2020 Barrickman was inducted into the Slippery Rock University Communications and Media Department Hall of Fame. Bob was also the voice of Geneva College athletics on WBVP and WMBA for the past three decades. His devotion to the Golden Tornado broadcasts was recognized by Achievement In Radio (AIR). His devotion to Geneva College throughout that time period earned him a “G Award” from Geneva College in 2012.
Outside of the time Bob spent broadcasting games, Bob used his talents in other ways to help the people of Beaver County. He served as the Emcee of the Outstanding Young Woman and Junior Miss programs and helped organize weekly volleyball leagues at Robert’s Roadside Inn. In 2015, Bob was recognized by the Rochester Chamber of Commerce with a Community Service Award.
It’s hard to imagine a big high school football game happening without Bob Barrickman. He had become the voice of Beaver County sports for generations. So, don’t think it strange if on Thursday night during the Aliquippa-Bishop McDevitt state championship football broadcast on WBVP and WMBA, you happen to hear a little thunder that sounds alot like play by play coming down from the great press box in the clouds.
Underneath the chaos of the national headlines that dominated the year 2020, a local change to law enforcement has anchored a multi-year progression for the Ambridge Borough Police Department.
That change came when the then-chief of the Beaver Falls PD, John DeLuca, was hired by the Ambridge PD in that same position (interim until 2021). Two and a half years later, the police staff has increased to 21 members, including a jump from 8 to 15 full-time staff. Chief DeLuca spoke to Matt Drzik about this and more during a sit-down on the December 5 edition of A.M. Beaver County.
Ambridge’s staff also includes several officers designed to focus on drug crimes in the borough, and two full-time SROs working at Ambridge High School. But other municipalities near Ambridge–particularly Conway, Baden, and Freedom–are short-staffed to the point of serious merger consideration. Chief DeLuca knows this and says that his staff is willing to help out when needed (and vice versa: “They kind of go back and forth; if we need them or they need us. We kind of bounce back and forth together.”
To watch the full interview with Chief DeLuca, click on the Facebook feed below!
Story by Beaver County Radio Staff (Chippewa Twp., Beaver County) Ryan Hardesty, a history teacher at Highland Middle School in the Blackhawk School District has been named as the 2023 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year.
Hardesty received the award yesterday at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center. He was one of 12 teachers from across the state who were nominated for the award that is co-sponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the state chapter of the National State Teacher of the Year.
Story by Sandy Giordano, Beaver County Radio News (Beaver, Pa.) Beaver County Coroner David J. Gabuaer has identified the victim of a fire that occurred Just after 10 p.m. on Sunday night in Chippewa Township. Gabauer said via release that 67-year-old Rebecca Crawford was pronounced dead at the scene of the fire at 100 Woodland Road in the township. When first responders arrived they found Crawford unresponsive in the home that suffered severe damage from the fire. Gabauer said the cause and manner of Crawford’s death is still under investigation.
Story by Beaver County Radio Staff (Cranberry Twp, Butler County, Pa.) 34-year-old Darren Michael Martin of Aliquippa is facing several charges following a fatal accident that occurred on Route 19 in Cranberry Twp on Sunday afternoon. Police believe that Martin was driving under the influence at the time of the crash.
Cranberry Township police were dispatched to the scene of the crash at the intersection of Route 19 and Ehrman Road around 2:15 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.
Witnesses told police that a U-Haul truck, which was being driven Martin, was traveling at a high rate of speed northbound on Route 19 and drove through a red light, striking a vehicle that was entering Route 19 from Ehrman Road.
The driver of the vehicle, who was pronounced dead at the scene was 46-year-old Bertram Forsyth of Cranberry Township.
Martin is facing charges of homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter, driving under the influence of alcohol or controlled substance, recklessly endangering another person, reckless driving and traffic control signals.
He is currently in the Butler County Prison on a $500,000 bond.
Route 19 was shut down for about five hours as officers investigated.
The crash investigation is ongoing. Cranberry Township police are asking anyone who may have witnessed the crash to contact them at 724-776-5180.
The year will be new come January 1, but most of the New Brighton School Board members and tasks to complete will remain the same. Keyword: most.
The final meetings of the year for the board took place on Monday, starting with the annual year-end reorganization meeting. John Ludwig was reinstated as board president, and Christeen Ceratti was reinstated as vice president for 2023. Both were approved by unanimous board votes. Richard Start was reinstated as Solicitor for another year on the school board. The same schedule as 2022 for alternating meetings on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month was also unanimously approved, as was the date for voting on the proposed final budget (May 22) and the final budget (June 26).
Following the reorganization was the regular meeting, in which Elizabeth Hough was unanimously approved to join the school board. Before the vote, it was revealed that Hough was one of three candidates in the selection process for the open position. Hough replaces the outgoing Travis Whalen, whose resignation from the school board was approved last month. Hough was not present at Monday’s meetings.
Dr. Julian Underwood [second from right, in grey] speaks with New Brighton School Board members following the December 5 meetings. Underwood had his resignation as Middle School principal unanimously approved.Another resignation became official at the regular meeting, as NB Middle School Principal Dr. Julian Underwood had his resignation unanimously approved by the school board. “We do regret ratifying your resignation, we appreciated your time here,” president Ludwig stated. “You were a great asset to this district for a long time. We wish that you could stay, but we understand.” The board then presented Dr. Underwood with a gift, followed by a round of applause.
“It’s been a great fourteen years, almost fifteen,” Underwood stated, noting that January 8 would have been his fifteenth anniversary. “But I don’t think I’ve worked with a board that was so supportive of everything that the Middle School tried to do, and a superintendent as great as Joe (Guarino).” Underwood’s official date of resignation was backdated to November 23 of 2022.
The reorganization meeting and regular meetings were the last for the New Brighton School Board in 2022. Their next scheduled meeting will be in the “Little Theatre” at the high school (their regular meeting space) on January 9, 2023.
(Conway, Pa.) Shortly after 3:30 PM on Monday, December 5, 2022, Patty Then, a spokesperson for the borough of Conway, informed Beaver County Radio that the boil water advisory that was issued last Friday for Conway Borough has been lifted.
(Conway, Pa.) The Boil Water Advisory that was issued for Conway Borough on Friday December 2, 2022 is still in affect as of late Monday morning.
On Friday Conway Borough Council Spokesperson Patty Then issued a statement stating that Conway citizens are under a Boil Water Advisory due to water testing over the next few days. Those with questions are asked to call Councilwoman Patty Then at (724) 312-6660. Stay tuned to Beaver County Radio for further updates on this developing story.
