Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published August 21, 2023 10:08 A.M.

(Hopewell Township, PA) Just before 11 p.m. Sunday night power went out in the area around  Hopewell High School and extended into Aliquippa. Aliquippa Fire Chief Dave Foringer said there were issues with power transformers. A transformer fire was reported on Maratta Road in the township and firefighters were called to the scene.

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published August 21, 2023 9:58 A.M.

(Aliquippa, PA) At last Wednesday’s School Board meeting Nicolette DeVincentis was hired as an elementary teacher,  middle school special education teacher Aylssa King was hired, middle school science teacher Katy Malone was hired, a high school math teacher hired is Thomas Horn,  and high school business teacher will be Darian Reynolds. Betty Curenton and Lakesha Cobb were hired as paraprofessionals for emotional support Kanden Vandervert was hired as a junior high school reading teacher.

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published August 21, 2023 9:55 A.M.

(Beaver County, PA) On Wednesday, August 23, 2023 school bells will ring in Ambridge and West Allegheny School Districts. Lincoln Park and MIT in Midland also will be back in the classrooms.

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is inviting the public to attend a recruitment event on Thursday, August 24 to learn about winter maintenance position opportunities the department offers in Beaver County.

The recruitment event will be held at PennDOT’s Rochester Maintenance Building located at 155 Stewart Avenue, Rochester, PA 15074 from noon to 6 p.m. on Thursday, August 24.

Recruiters will be available to discuss current and future openings within the Commonwealth. On the spot applications and interviews will take place for individuals with their Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) license for both permanent and winter equipment operator positions. Individuals without standard transmission experience are welcome to apply as many PennDOT trucks are now equipped with automatic transmissions.

Other permanent and seasonal employment opportunities with the department that don’t require a CDL license are also open for applicants.

Laptops and staff will be available to assist interested participants navigate the new electronic application system.

PennDOT is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer promoting workforce diversity. To learn more about jobs, please visit www.employment.pa.gov.

(New Brighton, PA) In a matter of days, men and women who like to sing can meet at a special  preview session for “Joy of Every Longing Heart,” this year’s Christmas  concert by the Beaver Valley Choral Society. The 7pm preview session  meets on Monday, August 28 at New Brighton Methodist Church, 1033  Sixth Avenue, New Brighton.  

The informal two-hour session is open to the general public as well as BVCS  members, and is under the leadership of BVCS Artistic Director and  Principal Conductor Sharon Burchill. Any interested adult men and  women are encouraged to attend the preview session.  

The first full rehearsal for the Adult Principal Choir and Treble Youth  Chorale begins on Monday, September 11 at 7pm. Selections include the  title piece, “Joy of Every Longing Heart,” written by Lloyd Larsen; “Savior  from on High,” composed by Stephen Paulus; a setting of the poem,  ‘Neighbors on This Frosty Tide,’ from William Bolcum’s “The Wind in the  Willows;” “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” for piano four-hands; a special  Christmas bluegrass selection; plus the closing work, Glenn Rudolph’s “The  Dream Isaiah Saw.”.

The Choral Society welcomes new singers and musicians to its ranks.  Auditioning is not required, as long as a vocalist can sing tunefully. Orchestra members must be able to read music and play their  instrument proficiently. The chamber orchestra begins rehearsing  Monday, November 7.  

The volunteer 100-plus voice chorus was formed a century ago and  celebrated its Diamond Jubilee this year. Prospective members should  contact BVCS Membership Coordinator Judi Contino, at judirenkin@yahoo.com  

The Beaver Valley Choral Society is a landmark community,  intergenerational, Christian faith-based, non-denominational, not-for-profit  choral and orchestral arts music organization that values excellence, energy  and entrepreneurial spirit. Visit their website at www.bvchoralsociety.org.  

FILE – Norfolk Southern locomotives are moved in Norfolk Southern’s Conway Terminal in Conway, Pa., June 17, 2023. Lawyers and unions who represent rail workers say there is a clear pattern across the industry of railroads retaliating against workers who report safety violations or injuries on the job. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Lawyers and unions representing rail workers say there is a clear pattern across the industry of railroads retaliating against workers who report safety violations or injuries on the job. Often these workers run afoul of managers who don’t want to jeopardize their bonuses. The examples of retaliation discourage other workers from speaking up, out of fear they also could be disciplined or fired. The railroads say they are trying to eliminate the practice by prohibiting retaliation and creating multiple ways for workers to report safety concerns. The number of cases are down over the past five years, but government statistics show whistleblower cases continue to be filed every year.

(Conway, PA) The lower portion of Conway Borough from 5th avenue to Route 65 is under a BOIL WATER ADVISORY due to a water line break. This advisory is in effect until repairs are made and testing has been completed.

Plum, PA – Earlier this week, Governor Josh Shapiro directed the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to launch an investigation into the house explosion in the Rustic Ridge neighborhood of Plum Borough, Allegheny County.

Under the Governor’s direction on Monday morning, August 14, 2023, in coordination with local and County authorities, DEP inspectors began conducting a stray gas investigation at the incident site to look for sources of combustible gas near the structure and inspecting nearby natural gas-related facilities and infrastructure under DEP’s jurisdiction. DEP continues to work in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC), Allegheny County Fire Marshal’s (ACFM) Office, utility operators, and other county and local emergency service agencies. The ACFM continues its investigation into the cause and origin.

“From the moment DEP was called in to investigate, our experts have worked tirelessly alongside county officials and partner agencies to aid in identifying the cause,” said DEP Secretary Rich Negrin. “Our emergency response team, geologists, and members of the Oil and Gas District Operations will continue to have boots on the ground in the days ahead, as we exhaust every relevant resource in our scope of jurisdiction.”

DEP inspectors are using handheld gas detectors to take daily readings for the presence and concentration of combustible gas – like methane – in the soil or in structures around Rustic Ridge. Where sufficient volume of gas is measured, inspectors are taking samples for lab analysis. DEP expects expedited results from the first samples collected. Potential methane sources include landfills, sewer lines, active/abandoned/historic oil or natural gas wells and associated pipelines, and coal mines. Analysis of the isotopic signature of the gas can indicate the depth of where the gas originated to aid in DEP’s identification of the source of the gas.

DEP staff have already inspected the closest oil and gas well sites near Rustic Ridge and are coordinating with the owners/operators of the wells and associated pipelines. DEP staff have begun inspecting abandoned/historic wells and will continue to search for unregistered oil and gas wells in the area that may also be a source of natural gas.

“I am in constant communication with Governor Shapiro, who has expressed his unwavering support for the Plum community and for the use of all available investigative measures. At the Governor’s request, an extensive amount of testing has been completed. I have ordered that the results be expedited. Over the next few days additional testing will be conducted and shared with the public appropriately,” added Negrin. “It is not lost on our agency the tremendous impact this event has had on the Plum community. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the family and the precious lives lost through this tragic incident.”

Media sources have noted the presence of abandoned mine lands in the area. Vast swaths of southwestern Pennsylvania sit atop abandoned underground mines. DEP has assessed the coal seam in the Plum Borough area and found no nearby shafts or drill/bore holes in the vicinity of the incident and determined the likelihood of an abandoned mine-related gas issue to be very low. Two DEP projects to extinguish the nearby Renton abandoned mine fire were successfully concluded in October 2021. Abandoned mine features are not currently part of DEP’s investigation.