In this week’s episode of Highmark Heroes, Jim Roddey discusses vaccines with Allegheny Health Network’s Dr. Mark Itskowitz, and then Jim will talk with Navy veteran and Navy communications specialist Don Nemchick about current issues with the military action throughout the world.

“Heroes” is presented by Highmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield and the Allegheny Health Network, airing Saturdays at 10:00 AM and Sundays at 12:30 PM on Beaver County Radio. Archived editions of “Heroes” can be heard at the Beaver County Radio Podcast Library.

Pastor Dave Grove breaks down the blessings of temporal joys of this earth compared to the eternal joys employed by God in this week’s edition of “Wake Up Beaver Valley”.

“Wake Up Beaver Valley” airs every Saturday morning from 9 AM to 10 AM on Beaver County Radio and is presented by the Church of The Redeemed of Beaver Valley. Archived editions of “Wake Up Beaver Valley” can be heard at the Beaver County Radio Podcast Library.

On this week’s edition of “Living Well”, hosts Jeff Bost and Dr. Joseph Maroon explore the truths about dopamine, and whether or not dopamine can be addicting to humans.

Dr. Joseph Maroon is a world renown neurosurgeon with extensive experience in neurosurgery. He specializes in minimally invasive surgery to speed recovery for his patients. He is a sports medicine expert and innovator in concussion management, personal fitness and nutrition. Dr. Maroon is also the Pittsburgh Steelers team doctor.

Jeff Bost is a consultant to the St. Barnabas Health System. Bost is also a Clinical Instructor in the Department of Neurosurgery at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, a consultant to the WWE, and Clinical Assistant Professor at Chatham University. He has a special interest in minimally invasive spine and brain surgery and have collaborated on scores of scientific medical papers and books in these areas. Over the last 15 years he has researched, lectured and written on the use of alternative treatment for pain control.

Bost, along with Dr. Joseph Maroon have authored two books on the use of omega-3 fish oil, including: Fish Oil: The Natural Anti-Inflammatory, currently in its forth printing with over 75,000 copies sold and recently, Why You Need Fish Oil. He has given over 100 invited lectures, 24 national posters and oral presentations, 29 coordinated research projects, five workshops presentations, 35 scientific articles and 10 book chapters.

You can rune into “Living Well” every Saturday morning at 8:30 on 95.7 and 99.3 FM, 1230 WBVP, 1460 WMBA, and beavercountyradio.com.

You can also listen to all previous episodes of “Living Well” by going to beavercountyradio.com clicking on the Listen Live Button, Then chose Beaver County Radio and click on Podcasts in the upper right hand corner.

You can also download our free apps by clicking on the proper store icon for your platform of a device:

CARNEGIE, PA — Today, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) announced a report from the Congressional Regional Leadership Council showing how the policies within the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) benefit the people of Pennsylvania’s 17^th Congressional District.

In this community, approximately 23,000 people enrolled in ACA marketplace health insurance in 2023, and the average enrollee will save $1,540 in premiums this year thanks to the IRA. Without the provisions in the IRA, the report states that the average premium would have increased 66%, from $2,320 to $3,870.

“No one should have to choose between filling a prescription or seeing a doctor and paying their bills. Everybody should have healthcare, period,” said Rep. Deluzio. “I am thrilled that laws like the Inflation Reduction Act are making it cheaper to get health insurance. I will keep fighting for policies that help my Western Pennsylvania constituents get the care they need, so that no one ever has to face a choice between their health or financial ruin.”

Individual families in the district can realize significantly larger savings. For example, here are the savings three representative families buying a benchmark silver plan would receive:

• A 60-year-old couple with a household income of $80,000 could obtain coverage this year for $5,640. Without the IRA’s extension of the ARP’s enhanced subsidies, the couple would have had to pay $17,482 in premiums, which would be a 210% increase in premiums. In dollar terms, this couple is projected to save $11,842 in premiums for health insurance coverage.
• A family with a 35-year-old single parent with one child and a household income of $30,000 could obtain coverage this year for $168. Without the IRA’s extension of the ARP’s enhanced subsidies, the family would have had to pay $1,440 in premiums, which would be an increase of 757%. In dollar terms, this family is projected to save $1,272 in premiums for health insurance coverage.
• A family with two 40-year-old adults, two children, and a household income of $75,000 could obtain coverage this year for $3,612. Without the IRA’s extension of the ARP’s enhanced subsidies, the family would have had to pay $6,708 in premiums, which would be an increase of 86%. In dollar terms, this family is projected to save $3,096 in premiums for health insurance coverage.

The full report is available here.

(Photo courtesy of Senate Republican Communications Office)

HARRISBURG – In the midst of Penn State’s Ag Progress Days and with federal negotiations underway regarding the 2023 Farm Bill, members of the Senate and House Agriculture and Rural Affairs committees joined for an informational meeting yesterday to discuss with stakeholders the potential impacts the impending legislation will have on Pennsylvania.

Senate committee leaders, Majority Chair Sen. Elder Vogel, Jr. (R-47) and Democratic Chair Sen. Judy Schwank (D-11); and House committee leaders, Majority Chair Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski (D-121) and Republican Chair Rep. Dan Moul (R-91), led the discussion with Congressman Glenn Thompson contributing to the conversation from a federal perspective.

“While our state continuously invests in the agricultural priorities our industry holds dear, the Farm Bill opens the door to critical federal funding and helps ensure the creation and continuation of national agriculture-based programs and incentives which benefit our residents,” said Vogel. “Today’s meeting really highlighted that our state remains united in its support for a fair and well-rounded bill that will benefit our Pennsylvania farmers.”

“It is a pleasure and a privilege to work with Senators Vogel & Schwank and Representative Moul as Chairs of the Senate and House Ag Committees to highlight how important the Federal Farm Bill is for Pennsylvania Agriculture and all of Pennsylvania’s citizens,” said Pashinski. “Today’s informational meeting demonstrates how critical the Farm Bill is in supporting our farmers & producers and making sure that we continue putting quality food on all our tables.”

Pashinski added, “Pennsylvania is also fortunate to have Congressman GT Thompson as Chair of our nation’s congressional Agriculture Committee to help guide this process and place our commonwealth in an excellent position for significant improvements from the new Federal Farm Bill later this year.”

Negotiations for the Farm Bill began on Jan. 7, 2023, and are expected to potentially wrap up on Sept. 30, 2023, which happens to be the expiration date of the enacted 2018 Farm Bill.

This legislation will provide funding for various farm programs; conservation efforts; food assistance programs like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Emergency Food Assistance Program; and other critical efforts such as trade promotion, forest management, rural broadband, biofuel development, and the national animal vaccine bank.

Stakeholders who were in attendance and provided testimony included Richard Roush, dean of Penn State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences; Russell C. Redding, secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture; Chris Hoffman, President, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau; and Hannah Smith-Brubaker, executive director, Pasa Sustainable Agriculture.

“This is a critical year for Pennsylvanians and our farmers, one that sees the passage of Federal Farm Bill and a recommitment to the Pennsylvania Farm Bill. Just last week Governor Shapiro signed into law a commonsense, bi-partisan budget that makes critical investments in the future of agriculture,” said Redding. “The Ag Progress Days Joint Informational Hearing of the House and Senate Agriculture & Rural Affairs committees is another moment to work together and discuss ways to meet the needs of our farmers and communities, whether through funding to increase farmland preservation across our Commonwealth, conservation programs that ensure clean water and healthy soils, and funding to address food insecurity affecting our children, our seniors, and our most vulnerable.”

Testifiers covered much ground and expressed their support of various initiatives and programs that remain at the center of discussion for the state and national agriculture industry including adjusting excessive conservation regulations on farmers; allowing whole milk as a drink option in school; further investments into SNAP benefits and other nutrition-focused programs; reauthorization of the Research Facilities Act; and addressing current veterinarian shortages.

“The federal farm bill impacts every Pennsylvania farmer in some way. It’s crucial our voices are heard as our federal lawmakers go about putting together the 2023 federal farm bill,” said Schwank. “Today’s hearing laid out very neatly what aspects of the 2018 farm bill have helped our agriculture sector and where we’d like to see improvements. Regardless of what the federal farm bill looks like, we will be ready to work at the state level to fill holes as needed.”

“As the federal government negotiates this important piece of legislation, it must not and cannot ignore the voice of the most critical piece of the equation…the farmer,” said Moul. “Agriculture is such an integral part of this country’s economy and potential for growth. We are asking more and more from Pennsylvanians who are the ones in the fields and barns, and need to make sure that we take into account what works best for them in working with them.”

The United States’ first ever Farm Bill was enacted back in 1933 with 2023 marking the 90^th anniversary of its inception.

WHEELING, W.Va. (AP) — A self-proclaimed white supremacist was arrested Thursday on charges that he made online threats toward the jury and witnesses at the trial of a man who killed 11 congregants at a Pittsburgh synagogue, the U.S. Justice Department said.

Hardy Carroll Lloyd of Follansbee, West Virginia, is accused of sending threatening social media posts and emails along with comments on websites about the trial of Robert Bowers. In addition, Lloyd, 45, allegedly was responsible for stickers placed in predominantly Jewish areas of Pittsburgh directing people to a website containing his threats and antisemitic messages, the Justice Department said in a news release.

“Jury trials are a hallmark of the American justice system and attempts to intimidate witnesses or jurors will be met with a strong response,” U.S. Attorney William Ihlenfeld said. “The use of hateful threats in an effort to undermine a trial is especially troubling.”

Bowers was sentenced to death last week after a jury determined that capital punishment was appropriate for the perpetrator of the deadliest attack on Jews in U.S. history.

The Justice Department described Lloyd as a self-proclaimed “reverend” of a white supremacy movement. He was being held without bond in the Northern Regional Jail in Moundsville. Jail records didn’t indicate whether Lloyd has an attorney who could comment on the charges.

Lloyd, who was arrested without incident, is charged with obstruction of the due administration of justice, transmitting threats in interstate and foreign commerce, and witness tampering. The charges carry a total maximum punishment of 35 years in prison upon conviction.

In May 2022, the Texas Department of Public Safety offered a cash reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to Lloyd’s arrest after he allegedly posted a series of comments online threatening to carry a firearm onto the Texas State Capitol grounds and challenge any police officer who tried to “take enforcement actions” against him. A statement from the department said Lloyd was a convicted felon.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Coming off a pair of draining, tight losses and facing an early deficit against perhaps the best team in baseball, the Pittsburgh Pirates could have bailed.

It’s August. They’re essentially out of the playoff mix following a scorching start. Their focus over the final third of the season is essentially trying to see how far along the young core they’ve been cultivating has come.

That core provided a pretty emphatic answer on Thursday, rallying past Atlanta 7-5 to earn a four-game split against a team that has long been where the Pirates are trying to go.

“We gave (the Braves) all they wanted this series,” Pittsburgh outfielder Bryan Reynolds said. “It was good to get this one and even it out.”

Ke’Bryan Hayes drove in three runs for the third straight game for Pittsburgh. Liover Peguero knocked in two and newly acquired reliever Thomas Hatch picked up his first win in nearly three years as Pittsburgh finished off an eight-game stretch against division leaders Atlanta and Milwaukee a respectable 4-4.

“That’s what winning teams do,” Hatch said. “I think for them to do it at this age shows what is on the horizon.”

Hatch, claimed off waivers from Toronto on Sunday, worked four scoreless innings in relief of Bailey Falter. Colin Holderman worked around an RBI single by Ronald Acuña Jr. in the ninth to earn the second save of his career.

“I like where we are right now as far as playing hard, doing the little things,” Hayes said. “That’s what it’s going to take to win ball games, compete with the good teams.”

Matt Olson hit his 40th home run of the season for Atlanta to move into a tie with Shohei Ohtani for the major-league lead but struck out looking as the tying run in the ninth to end it.

Orlando Arcia also homered for the Braves. Austin Riley added three hits, but Bryce Elder (8-4) couldn’t protect an early 4-0 lead.

The Braves are comfortably atop the East as they chase a sixth straight division title but their starting pitching has hit a rough spot. Elder (8-4) gave up five runs and six hits with two walks and five strikeouts in five innings. Atlanta’s starters have posted an ERA of 10.59 over the club’s past six games.

The bullpen did enough to help the Braves pull out taut wins late on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Not this time around.

Pittsburgh took the lead in the sixth off Atlanta reliever Joe Jimenez and pulled away in the seventh. Reynolds led off the seventh with a single and Hayes followed with a triple to the gap in right-center field to become the first Pirate to drive in three runs in three consecutive games since outfielder Jason Bay did it from May 24-27, 2006.

Hayes, all of 26, suddenly finds himself one of the elder statesmen on a team that includes Peguero, catcher/outfielder Henry Davis, outfielder Jack Suwinski and injured shortstop Oneil Cruz.

While not everyone will stick, the vibe — particularly since the trade deadline — has shifted. The future in Pittsburgh is edging closer. They’re hoping what they’ve shown of late is a glimpse of what’s to come.

“It’s very easy against really good teams when you get in deficit games when you have a young club, and even more so on a day game when you’re getting beat it’s easy to not continue to grind through your at-bats,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “That’s why I’m so proud of them.”