Tenants behind on rent in pandemic face harassment, eviction
By REGINA GARCIA CANO and MICHAEL CASEY Associated Press
BALTIMORE (AP) — The coronavirus pandemic has shut housing courts and prompted most states and federal authorities to initiate policies protecting renters from eviction. But not everyone is covered and a number of landlords — some desperate to pay their mortgages themselves — are turning to threats and harassment to force tenants out. The evictions threaten to exacerbate a problem that has plagued people of color long before the pandemic, when landlords across the U.S. were filing about 300,000 eviction requests every month. Some tenants are now banding together to push for legislation at the state and federal level to provide rent and mortgage relief.
Popular Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, 34, found dead
By RAFIQ MAQBOOL Associated Press
MUMBAI, India (AP) — Police and Indian media reports say popular Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput has been found dead at his Mumbai residence. Initial reports citing Mumbai police said the 34-year-old actor was found hanging in his apartment in suburban Bandra on Sunday. Mumbai police confirmed the death and said details were being investigated. Rajput, who started as a TV actor, made his Bollywood debut in 2013 with director Abhishek Kapoor in “Kai Po Che,” based on the book by Chetan Bhagat.
Gov. Wolf: State’s Measured, Phased Reopening Plan Succeeding as Other States See Cases Rise
Harrisburg, PA – As Pennsylvania continues to implement Governor Tom Wolf’s Process to Reopen PA, the state is also among a select few with a steady decline in cases, a positive indicator that the state’s phased, measured reopening plan is working to balance public health with economic recovery.
According to data analysis from Johns Hopkins University’s Coronavirus Resource Center data, Pennsylvania’s steady decline in cases since a peak in mid-April is particularly important as more counties reopen. The latest report indicates Pennsylvania is among the states with a sustained decline in cases over the past two weeks, an important indicator that reopening plans are measured and thoughtful.
In an Associated Press analysis, more than half the states in the U.S. are experiencing an increase in COVID-19 cases as reopening begins. Pennsylvania is not among them. Many other states are experiencing significant case increases tied to reopening too soon or too much.
“Pennsylvania’s measured, phased process to reopen is successful because of its cautious approach that includes factors relying on science, the advice of health experts and that asks everyone to do something as simple as wearing a mask when inside or around others outside the home,” Governor Tom Wolf said. “We will continue to move forward cautiously.”
A Tableau Public analysis of states using four primary factors: daily tests, daily positive tests, current hospitalizations, and daily deaths shows Pennsylvania with a significant increase in tests accompanied by steep declines in positive cases, hospitalizations and deaths since a peak in mid-April. And while the country as a whole is seeing declines in cases, hospitalizations and deaths, many states are seeing increases that are cause for concern as reopening widens.
Mask-wearing has proven to be an important deterrent to the spread of the virus.
A recent study from Cambridge and Greenwich universities in the United Kingdom found that cloth masks, “even homemade masks with limited effectiveness can dramatically reduce transmission rates if worn by enough people, regardless of whether they show symptoms.”
The study also notes that mask-wearing will be especially important as a possible second wave of the virus could occur in the fall.
Pennsylvania has urged mask-wearing throughout its response to the pandemic and even as counties reach the green phase of reopening, masks are still required when entering businesses and encouraged for use in any space where social distancing is difficult to maintain. The state’s business guidance outlines mask-wearing for both employees and customers.
“Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine has said it countless times, ‘My mask protects you and your mask protects me,’ and that is important for all Pennsylvanians to remember as we continue a successful and safe reopening of the state,” Gov. Wolf said.
For more information on COVID-19 cases, visit the data dashboard here.
Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano
(Ambridge, Pa.) Ambridge Borough Council awarded a contract for paving to Independent Enterprises. Borough manager Joe Kauer said the paving will be done from 10th Street to the public works garage, and Beaver Road to the Harmony Township line. The contract is for $51,000.
Council appointed Dennis Lapic to the planning commission. His term will expire December 31, 2024.
With regret, council accepted the resignation of Borough manager Joe Kauer effective July 24, 2020
Line Painting Operations Continue Next Week in District 11
Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is advising motorists that line painting operations on various roadways in Lawrence, Beaver and Allegheny counties will occur Monday through Friday, June 15-19, weather permitting.
Work to repaint lines will occur from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day in the following locations:
Lawrence County
Various I-376 ramps between the Pennsylvania Turnpike exit (Exit 26) and the Route 208/New Wilmington exit (Exit 5)
Route 422 between Business Route 422 in Shenango Township and Mt. Herman Church Road (Route 2103) in Slippery Rock Township
Beaver County
Route 65 in various municipalities
I-376 in both directions between the Hopewell (Exit 48) and Center (Exit 42) interchanges
Route 989 in various municipalities
Allegheny County
I-279 Parkway North between the I-79 split in Franklin Park Borough to Camp Horne Road exit (Exit 8) in Ohio Township
Route 837 in various municipalities
Route 910 in various municipalities
PennDOT advises motorists to exercise caution and patience, and suggests allowing at least 250 feet (13 car lengths) behind line painting equipment to avoid damage. Motorists should avoid passing the paint vehicles unless directed by a paint crew member or flag person to do so. Passing too quickly can cause damage to fresh paint lines and may result in paint on the motorist’s vehicle. Line painting vehicles normally pull over every two and one-half miles or when safety permits. Recent technological advancements on the mix of formulas have produced fast dry paints that are dry to the touch within 2 to 3 minutes. It is crucial to stay off these lines during the curing period.
Motorists who accidentally get paint on their vehicles should immediately wash the paint off with a high-pressure water stream and detergent. Dried paint can be removed with de-natured alcohol and a soft cloth. Generally, PennDOT is not responsible for paint on vehicles.
Roadway line painting is an important part of PennDOT’s highway safety initiatives. Paint lines provide direction, delineation, and guidance to motorists.
Glass beads applied on top of wet paint during the painting process provide retro reflectivity. These small, spherical beads reflect light during dark hours and periods of low visibility. As the glass beads become worn or wet, the reflectivity becomes greatly diminished resulting in reduced visibility during dark and wet hours.
Lines need repainting each year because of normal wear, tear, and weather. Winter maintenance activities such as plowing, spreading anti-skid materials, and studded tires are very abrasive to paint lines and can cause fading. Normal weathering caused by snow, rain, and ice also contribute to line reflectivity reduction.
PennDOT establishes painting schedules to minimize delays to motorist. On days before holidays and on Fridays, crews will focus on secondary routes to minimize inconvenience for motorists.
Motorists should use caution and be aware of changing traffic patterns when driving through the area.
Visit 511pa.com or call 511 from any phone to check traffic conditions on major roadways before traveling.
As we continue to look at Beaver County Memories, we turn our attention to “industrial strength” memories. This segment begins a special series showcasing the manufacturing sector. Beaver County Memories brought to you by St. Barnabas.
Beaver County is well known for making steel. Behemoth mills bearing the names of Jones and Laughlin, Crucible and Babcock and Wilcox became legendary for their contributions to the local economy as well as keeping the world supplied with top quality products, as only Beaver County workers could produce. But there were other things that were made in Beaver County. Everything from fine china to chocolates, to bricks to cork and many other things were created by local residents through the years.
Curtiss-Wright logo on a propeller blade on display at the Beaver Heritage Museum Collection and Research Center in Beaver, PA
One such company is Curtiss-Wright Corporation. In an article that he wrote for Milestones, a quarterly publication of The Beaver County Historical Landmarks and Research Foundation, Roger Applegate highlighted the Curtiss-Wright operation in Vanport. Much of this information is taken from Roger’s writings and is used with his permission. More information, artifacts and displays about Beaver County history, including the Curtiss-Wright Corporation and other topics, can be found at the foundation’s headquarters, located in the Vicary Mansion in Freedom. Applegate writes that the company was formed when prominent early aviation expert, Glenn Curtiss, who had founded Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Corporation,teamed up with the Wright Aeronautical Corporation along with a group of other affiliated and subsidiary companies to form The Curtiss-Wright Corporation in 1929. Up through the nineteen forties, Curtiss-Wright was the nation’s biggest airplane manufacturer and had several factories throughout the country. Locally, around four thousand workers at the Curtiss-Wright plant in Vanport churned out the propellers that would give those planes the propulsion they needed to get off the ground. Very Famous propellers, too, we might add. Curtiss-Wright handiwork can be seen in one of the most enduring images of world war two, the Enola Gay. The Enola Gay was a B twenty nine super fortress bomber that dropped the nuclear bomb on Hiroshima, Japan in 1945. The massive plane was equipped with Propellers that were created by Curtiss-Wright. Beaver Countians who were part of that era worked at Curtiss-Wright’s sprawling forty acre factory site that later on became the home to Westinghouse and is now known as Eaton Corporation.
Applegate reports that Curtiss-Wright Corporation made innovative hollow blade propellers, that because of their unique, lightweight and yet durable characteristics, were perfect for giant warbird planes, like the B twenty nine. These huge airborne cargo haulers were often used to carry and then drop bombs that sometimes weighed as much as nine thousand pounds, as was the case with the first nuclear weapon. The need for added power and propulsion without adding too much extra weight became a very needed characteristic. Curtiss Wright even helped develop reverse thrust propellers that functioned as an auxiliary braking system and allowed the B twenty Nine to be able to land in much smaller spaces.
The former Curtiss-Wright and current Eaton Corp. plant in Vanport, PA. Pictured in June 2020.Bill Day stands next to a Curtiss-Wright propeller blade on display at the Beaver Heritage Museum Collection and Research Center in Beaver, PA
Having four thousand workers created a couple of unique problems that caused Curtiss Wright Corporation to deal with them in lasting, meaningful ways. First of all, the many employees needed housing, and with a dearth of available places in the vicinity, that led to the construction of nearby Tamaqui Village and Van Buren Homes in Vanport. Those two plans still provide housing to many local people to this day. Also, like many large companies, Curtiss Wright Corporation also had fairly prominent labor problems from time to time. Bill Day, current President and CEO at St. Barnabas grew up in Rochester, and his father, George Day, was the Director of Industrial Relations at the plant. That meant that the edler Day was championed at times with pacifying and entertaining the workforce. Mr. Day reports that his dad would, on occasion, book top notch talent of the time like Count Basie, Tommy Dorsey and others to come in and perform for the rank and file. The special entertainment must have helped calm the labor unrest and put the workers back in a good mood. That’s because, as Mr. Applegate writes, over one hundred thousand propellers were made at the vanport facility over the course of its existence in Beaver County. Roger Applegate’s wife, Brenda, is the Director of The Beaver County Historical Landmarks and Research Foundation and she tells us that one of those propellers is on display at The Beaver Area Heritage Museum on River Road, in the East End of Beaver.
The Curtiss-Wright Legacy in this area even lends itself to this radio station. For over thirty years, the annual Rotary Radio Auction was staged in one of the large upper floor conference rooms that are part of the Eaton Corporation office and administration section of the facility that was originally built by American Bridge for Curtiss-Wright Corporation in 1941.
This “industrial strength” Beaver County memory has been presented by St. Barnabas with content provided by Roger and Brenda Applegate and Bill Day. Archived transcripts of this and other Beaver County Memories can be found at Beaver County Radio dot com. Tune in everyday for another Beaver County Memory on WBVP, WMBA, 99.3 F.M., and online through google play and iTunes apps, and Alexa smart devices.
(PITTSBURGH, PA) – Representative Conor Lamb (PA-17) announced the Beaver County, Mt. Lebanon and Penn Hills District Offices will reopen to constituents effective Monday, June 22 as Beaver County and Allegheny County have both entered Pennsylvania’s Green Phase of the reopening matrix.
“My offices have been helping constituents remotely over the past few months,” said Lamb. “As we begin to reopen our economy, I strongly encourage constituents to call our office for assistance, practice social distancing and to limit contact. However, some constituents may need an in-person meeting. Our office will follow the guidance from the CDC and local and state public health officials while working to meet the needs of constituents.”
All visitors to PA-17 District Offices are required to wear masks for entry, and all office staff will continue to follow non-contact protocols. Appointments are not required but are strongly encouraged. To schedule a meeting or for assistance with any federal issue please contact: Beaver County (724-206-4860), Mt. Lebanon (412-344-5583) or Penn Hills (412-871-2060).
Lamb’s office is available to assist PA-17 residents with issues regarding federal agencies, including:
Social Security Administration (SSA)
Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA)
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
Medicare
U.S. Postal Service (USPS)
Department of State (DoS)
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
Click here for resources and information on coronavirus.
As we continue to look at Beaver County Memories, we turn our attention to “industrial strength” memories. This segment is part of a special series showcasing the manufacturing sector. Beaver County Memories brought to you by St. Barnabas.
Beaver County is well known for making steel. Behemoth mills bearing the names of Jones and Laughlin, Crucible and Babcock and Wilcox became legendary for their contributions to the local economy as well as keeping the world supplied with top quality products, as only Beaver County workers could produce. But there were other things that were made in Beaver County. Everything from fine china to chocolates, to bricks to cork and many other products were created by local residents through the years.
Even as this segment was being written, a quick search on one of the prominent online auction sites found over eleven hundred items listed for sale bearing the name of Mayer China. The listing of items included everything from cups, saucers, bowls, plates, teapots, coffee mugs and other items that were created at Mayer China’s plant located in Beaver Falls. Some of the locally produced dinnerware was priced, in some cases, over a thousand dollars for a complete table setting.
Mayer China continues to be a very popular and well recognized brand as it was back in the day. The company had a very successful run for around a hundred years that began in 1881 when Ernest and Joseph Mayer bought Economy Pottery, a small company that was originally set up by The Harmonist Society. By the 1920’s Mayer China was recognized around the world as being a top quality product and was used in cruise ships, railroads, fancy hotels and later on airlines. Mayer China even supplied its signature place settings for the The White Star Line, the famous British ship builder that built the RMS Titanic.
Current structure in Beaver Falls that used to house the Mayer China offices and warehouse store.
Mayer China was located near the Beaver River along second avenue in Beaver Falls. That location enabled the plant to harness water power from the river in the early days to run its machines. At its height, around three hundred people worked in the factory and they helped create a lasting legacy. A tradition especially common among people from Beaver Falls, continues to be flipping over plates and saucers in restaurants to see if the chinaware has the Mayer China name imprinted on the bottom. In addition, Beaver County grandparents would bequeath their precious sets of Mayer China to their grandkids. The chinaware produced by Mayer China seemed to have special value simply because it was made locally in Beaver Falls.
Mayer China closed in 1990, but was reopened a couple of times up through about 2000 under different ownerships before closing for good. The factory has since been torn down, but the former office building and warehouse store still stands and houses a used auto parts business.
Here is one tip from the writer, wait until you are completely done with that cup of coffee before you turn it upside down to inspect it for the Mayer China name. A suggestion learned from experience.
This “industrial strength” Beaver County memory has been presented by St. Barnabas. Archived transcripts of this and other Beaver County Memories can be found at Beaver County Radio dot com. Tune in everyday for another Beaver County Memory on WBVP, WMBA, 99.3 F.M., and online through google play and iTunes apps, and Alexa smart devices.
Projected first-year college enrollment down in Pennsylvania
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Projected first-year enrollment is down at Pennsylvania’s 14 state universities. According to numbers released Thursday by the state’s higher education system, 17,277 students paid deposits this week compared to 17,583 during this period last year. That’s a decline of nearly 2%. However, enrollment numbers vary. Cheyney University saw a 51% increase in first-year students making deposits at the historically black school. Bloomsburg University saw the deepest decline with 19% fewer first-year students enrolling. Officials cited the coronavirus pandemic as a reason for the lower numbers. But they also say there is a continuing decline in high school graduates. Completed applications statewide are down 6% this year.
This Saturday demonstrators plan to be at the Beaver County Courthouse for another protest, the latest in a series of protests here in Beaver County and across America following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Beaver County Radio spoke with Julian Taylor, who helped organize the last protest in Beaver Falls, about the details regarding this Saturday’s protest:
Taylor also wants to reiterate that this protest will NOT be the last, and that there is an important lesson that he hopes those protesting will keep with them:
The protest will be at the Courthouse from 1:00pm to 3:00pm on Saturday, June 13.
