On the Friday edition of A.M. Beaver County, Matt Drzik will talk with Midland Innovation & Technology Charter School CEO Dr. Chester Thompson and Chris Shovlin about the upcoming enrollment information session taking place for those interested in MITCS on March 31 at The Willows in Industry.
Frank Sparks gets the morning started with news at 6:30 on Beaver County Radio.
(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)
On March 24, 2022, the push to “close the digital divide” in Beaver County was made official.
The Beaver County Office of Planning and Redevelopment launched “Connect Beaver County” on Thursday at a press conference at the Western Beaver School District in Industry. BCOPR President Lance Grable was joined by several fellow county leaders and state representatives at the conference; all of whom were firmly enthusiastic about the launch of this program.
“What Beaver County is doing is amazing,” remarked State Representative Pam Snyder of Greene County. “I have never felt so good about an issue as I do with what we have done here and what we are gonna be able to do for every Pennsylvanian.” Snyder co-sponsored House Bill 2071 to develop the PA Broadband Development Authority. The bill was advanced to become Act 96 with the help of Beaver County State Representatives Jim Marshall and Rob Matzie, who were in attendance.
The Connect Beaver County program will focus on five key issues regarding broadband:
The immediate actions of Connect Beaver County are the launch of their website–connectbeavercounty.com–and the start of two broadband service installations in northern Beaver County. One will be in Hanover Township covering Hanover Kendall Road, Airline Drive, and Hanny Beaver Road–the other will be along Route 551 (along with Stitt Road) covering Big Beaver, South Beaver, and Darlington Townships.
“This is exciting to us,” said Lew Vilotti of the Beaver County Corporation for Economic Development, “because not only can we say that Beaver County is on the forefront, but it will also provide an essential service that allows us to grow our companies, start new ones, to keep them here, and to attract them.”
Also in attendance were Commissioner Chairman Dan Camp, State Representative Josh Kail, EMS director Eric Brewer, Jeremy Jurick of Michael Baker International, and Dr. Eric Rosendale of the Beaver Valley Intermediate Unit.
Along with the new website, Connect Beaver County can be reached through email or by calling (724) 495-4300.
The Friday edition of the Teleforum Talk program will be uplifting-the latest covid numbers are continuing to fall and Norm Mitry will join Eddy Crow to talk about it and all things healthcare. (Being the president and ceo of Heritage Valley Health Systems, Norm would know far more than Eddy would know) Teleforum is on the air every weekday from 9 till noon on am1230, am1460, fm99.3 presented by St. Barnabas, 95.7fm, streaming live at Beavercountyradio.com, and available everywhere with the free BeaverCountyRadio app!
(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)
The bus rides on the Beaver County Transit Authority are getting a new look as Spring approaches.
On March 1, the BCTA launched their mobile ticketing app, which allows riders to place their tickets and pay for their rides from the convenience of their phone or other mobile device. Mary Jo Morandini and Toni Sadecky joined Matt Drzik on the March 24 edition of A.M. Beaver County to discuss the new addition to the ongoing digital revitalization of the BCTA system.
The new app will be cash-free, and riders will be able to scan with their phone to get access to their rides in between Chippewa and Pittsburgh and all throughout Beaver County. Payment by cash is still an available option for riders, but–according to Morandini–70% of regular riders with the BCTA have joined the mobile app in the course of the last 3 1/2 weeks.
Sadecky and Morandini also made note of the upgrades done to the tracking systems available by phone and mobile device. Riders can now locate their exact bus in real time, knowing where and when they will (and won’t) stop on a given day, and whether or not there will be delays or slow-downs due to inclement weather or other reasons. Those who use BCTA will also be able to plan their trips in advance using the mobile app or at the BCTA website.
To watch the full interview with Mary Jo, Toni, and Matt…click on the Facebook feed below!
Keystone State News Connection
| March 24, 2022 |
Emily Scott
The United States and Britain have struck a deal to remove U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum along with U.K. tariffs on U.S. bluejeans, whiskey and motorcycles.
Some Pennsylvania lawmakers said the steel tariffs have been key to leveling the global playing field. In 2018, Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act was used to impose 25% and 10% tariffs, respectively, on some steel and aluminum imports to stabilize domestic production.
Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria, co-chair of the House Steel Caucus, said we should be cautious as the U.S. eases these tariffs on some countries.
“If we relax the Section 232 majors, foreign steel production in other countries that have little or no environmental regulations will stand to capture more market share,” Burns explained. “And put our workers in jeopardy because they’ll continue to dump cheap foreign steel into the United States.”
Pennsylvania’s steel industry employs more than 34,000 people, who earn $3.14 billion in wages and salaries annually.
Rep. Natalie Mihalek, R-Allegheny, the other co-chair of the House Steel Caucus, said one concern is some countries do not follow the same strict regulations American steelworkers and companies do.
“China’s government heavily subsidizes its companies, most of which are in fact state-owned or controlled, meaning that they can price their goods far below market value,” Mihalek asserted. “Companies here in the United States and in Pennsylvania, our workers face tougher labor and environmental laws than the competitors abroad.”
China is the number one producer of steel globally, according to the World Steel Association, although its production outstrips domestic demand. Last month, the U.S. announced it was relaxing the Section 232 tariffs on Japan and the European Union.
(Oil drilling derricks at desert oilfield for fossil fuels output and crude oil production from the ground. Oil drill rig and pump jack. Photo provided by Keystone State News Connection)
Keystone State News Connection
| March 24, 2022 |
Emily Scott
As gas prices across the country are at record levels due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis, elected officials who are also military veterans are calling on the Biden administration to invoke the
Defense Production Act to accelerate a clean-energy transition.
The rise in gas prices is connected to the ban on the importation of Russian oil as a result of Vladimir Putin’s assault on Ukraine.
Joel Hicks, a city council member in the Borough of Carlisle and a 20-year Navy veteran, said during a news conference hosted by Elected Officials to Protect America, U.S. dependence on foreign oil is a threat to national security and to the planet.
“The only way to free democratic countries from the grip of autocratic oil-producing nations is to accelerate this transition,” Hicks argued. “To free ourselves from the corrupt nature that petrostates yield and wield as we see quite dramatically in the last several weeks.”
Hicks added his also supports the Build Back Better Act’s clean-energy provisions, which include $555 billion for renewable energy and clean transportation incentives.
As of Wednesday, the average gas price in Pennsylvania was $4.31 a gallon, nearly 10 cents more than the national average.
Julia Nesheiwat, a member of the Consensus for American Security network who served as a military intelligence officer in the Army, said through the Defense Production Act, the Biden administration could increase the domestic supply of renewable energy, while also weakening the power of fossil fuels such as crude oil in shaping geopolitical issues.
“Clean energy certainly can be a part of our energy security when it comes to being safe, and reliable and affordable,” Nesheiwat contended. “It can create jobs, it can grow our economy, and it certainly can protect lives. If we’re able to really feed these diverse energy sources into our grid, it can insulate us from the fluctuations of fossil-fuel prices.”
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s report released last month said without a major reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions from fossil fuels, 3.5 billion people around the world are highly vulnerable to megafires, droughts, sea-level rise and flooding associated with climate change.
(File Photo)
By MARK SCOLFORO Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A scramble to collect enough signatures over a week and a half to make it onto the primary ballot is underway, kicking off what is certain to be a year of political change in the Pennsylvania Legislature. The state Supreme Court cut in half the normal three-week petition-gathering period last week. That’s when the court gave final approval to new General Assembly maps. The new schedule leaves in place the May 17 primary date but gives candidates a tight schedule to find enough valid signatures. Candidates need 500 signatures for state Senate and 300 for the House. At least 22 Republicans and seven Democrats in the House are not seeking another term. Five state senators are also bowing out.
