(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

Sometimes “business as usual” can draw an unusually large crowd.

The city of Beaver Falls held their second meeting of 2023 at the city building on Tuesday night, doing so in front of a standing-room-only gathering of citizens. Several of the citizens were students from Beaver Falls High School attending for a class project, but the majority of citizens in attendance were there to show improvements in the city–or challenge whether improvement is taking place.

Council itself went through the standard agenda, starting off by approving demolition of 804 3rd Avenue per the Reclaim Project and approving General Fund expenditures of $382,215.53. The Asset Purchase Agreement of the city’s wastewater treatment plant was also ratified, opening up the plant for sale to a purchaser.

Two properties were approved for purchase by Darren Cole, who is currently a firefighter for the Beaver Falls Fire Department. Another two properties were approved through repository purchase for renovation by Martin Cleckley Sr. and Martin Cleckley Jr. All four properties were approved unanimously by council.

City manager Charles Jones sought council’s approval for two grants to be sought: an AARP Community Challenge grant and a CDBG Grant specifically for 5th Avenue Park. Both were approved by council, greenlighting the city to pursue applications for the grants. Jones also announced that the city was approved for a $200,000 grant for 2nd Avenue Park, and stated that the Library Park’s construction is sought to be completed by spring.

Fire Chief Mark Stowe also is pursuing grants for his department, including the Assistance To Firefighters Grant through FEMA. Stowe explained that the SCBA units that allow the firefighters to breathe need to be renewed, as seven units are out of service and the remainder are approaching expiration. “They’re just worn out to the point where it doesn’t pay to have them fixed anymore,” Stowe stated. “So, we are in absolute dire need for these.” The grant would be for $210,000 to replace the SCBA units.

Tigerland Inc. secretary Jen Cunningham questioned the council on their decision to pull out of the transfer agreement for the wave pool, after Mayor Kenya Johns announced the decision at the beginning. Cunningham accused the city of “giving the keys” for the wave pool to Tigerland Inc., only for the cooperation to dissipate to its current stage. Shannon Steele, the solicitor of Beaver Falls, spoke about the decision on behalf of the council.

“I have had discussions with your council,” Steele said. “After the most recent correspondence that I received, where Tigerland made a proposal and said they would only sign an agreement with certain conditions; when I shared that with my council tonight, those conditions would not be in the best interest of the city in their opinion. If your council wants to continue discussions with me, we can certainly do that with regard to moving forward in any capacity from Tigerland to the city. But I will tell you…the city’s property is the city’s property.”

The next Beaver Falls City Council meeting is scheduled for February 14 at 7:00 PM.

FILE – A nurse prepares a syringe of a COVID-19 vaccine at an inoculation station in Jackson, Miss., July 19, 2022. U.S. health officials are proposing a simplified approach to COVID-19 vaccinations, which would allow most adults and children to get a once-a-year shot to protect against the mutating virus. The new system unveiled Monday, Jan. 23, 2023 would make COVID-19 inoculations more like the annual flu shot. Americans would no longer have to keep track of how many shots they’ve received or how many months it’s been since their last booster. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health officials want to make COVID-19 vaccinations more like the annual flu shot. The Food and Drug Administration on Monday proposed a simplified approach so that most adults and children would get a once-a-year shot. Americans would no longer have to keep track of how many shots they’ve received or when. The proposal comes as boosters have become a hard sell. The FDA is asking a panel of outside vaccine experts to weigh in on the new approach at a meeting Thursday. The agency will present data suggesting most Americans have enough protection to move to a once-a-year shots.

FILE – Text, in yellow, announcing cryptocurrency lender BlockFi’s bankruptcy filing, appears on the company’s website on a smartphone, Nov. 28, 2022, in New York. Over the past few years, a number of companies have attempted to act as the cryptocurrency equivalent of a bank, promising lucrative returns to customers who deposited their bitcoin or other digital assets. In a span of less than 12 months, nearly all of the biggest of those companies have failed spectacularly. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — Over the past few years, a number of companies have attempted to act as the cryptocurrency equivalent of a bank, promising lucrative returns to customers who deposited their bitcoin or other digital assets. In a span of less than 12 months, nearly all of the biggest of those companies have failed spectacularly. Last week, Genesis filed Chapter 11, joining Voyager Digital, Celsius and BlockFi in the list of companies that have either filed for bankruptcy protection or gone out of business. They failed because of a lack of safeguards and a rapid drop in crypto prices. Customers wonder if they’ll recover any of their deposits.

From left, Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. President and Chief Financial Officer Joe Berchtold, SeatGeek, Inc. Chief Executive Officer Jack Groetzinger, Jam Productions LLC Chief Executive Officer and President Jerry Mickelson, The James Madison Institute Senior Vice President Sal Nuzzo, American Antitrust Institute Vice President For Legal Advocacy Kathleen Bradish, and singer-songwriter Clyde Lawrence appear before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to examine promoting competition and protecting consumers in live entertainment on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Senators grilled Ticketmaster Tuesday about its spectacular breakdown last year during a sale of Taylor Swift concert tickets. Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee debated possible action, including making tickets non-transferable to cut down on scalping and requiring more transparency in ticket fees. Some suggested it may also be necessary to split Ticketmaster and concert promoter Live Nation, which merged in 2010. Ticketmaster is the world’s largest ticket seller, processing 500 million tickets each year. In mid-November, Ticketmaster’s site crashed during a presale event for Swift’s upcoming stadium tour. The Justice Department has also opened an investigation into the breakdown.

FILE – Former Vice President Mike Pence sits for an interview with the Associated Press, Nov. 16, 2022, in New York. Documents with classified markings were discovered in former Vice President Mike Pence’s Indiana Home last week, according to his attorney. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — Documents with classified markings were discovered in former Vice President Mike Pence’s Indiana Home last week, according to his attorney. The documents had been “inadvertently boxed” and transported to Pence’s home at the end of the last administration,” Pence’s lawyer, Greg Jacob, told the National Archives in a letter last week. He said that “Pence was unaware of the existence of sensitive or classified documents at his personal residence” and that he “understands the high importance of protecting sensitive and classified information and stands ready and willing to cooperate fully with the National Archives and any appropriate inquiry. ”

FILE – A sign is shown on a Google building at their campus in Mountain View, Calif., on Sept. 24, 2019. The Justice Department and several states sued Google on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, alleging that its dominance in digital advertising harms competition. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department and eight states have sued Google, alleging that its dominance in digital advertising harms competition as well as consumers and advertisers. The government alleges that Google’s plan to assert dominance has been to “neutralize or eliminate” rivals through acquisitions and to force advertisers to use its products by making it difficult to use competitors’ products. Attorney General Merrick Garland said Google’s dominance in the ad market means fewer publishers are able to offer their products without charging subscription or other fees. Alphabet Inc., Google’s parent company, says the suit “doubles down on a flawed argument that would slow innovation, raise advertising fees, and make it harder for thousands of small businesses and publishers to grow.”

Including the cities of Kittanning, Aliquippa, Murrysville,
Monaca, Weirton, Pittsburgh Metro Area, Carrollton, Steubenville,
Ambridge, Lower Burrell, Butler, Monessen, Indiana, Cadiz,
Cambridge, Coshocton, East Liverpool, Greensburg, Columbiana,
Salem, Latrobe, Malvern, Zanesville, Dover, Beaver Falls, Ellwood
City, New Kensington, Ford City, New Castle, and New Philadelphia
139 PM EST Tue Jan 24 2023

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM TO 1 PM EST
WEDNESDAY...

* WHAT...Snow expected. Total snow accumulations between 1 and 4
  inches. Winds gusting as high as 35 mph.

* WHERE...Portions of east central Ohio. Portions of southwest and
  western Pennsylvania. Portions of northern West Virginia.

* WHEN...From 3 AM to 1 PM EST Wednesday.

* IMPACTS...Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous
  conditions could impact the Wednesday morning commute.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Slow down and use caution while traveling. The latest road
conditions for the state you are calling from can be obtained by
calling 5 1 1.

PITTSBURGH, PA (Jan. 24, 2023)— Highmark Health announced today the appointment of Whitney Perkins Witt, PhD, MPH, as vice president of social determinants of health (SDoH), operations and strategy. In this pivotal leadership role for Highmark, Dr. Witt will direct SDoH interventions, research and evaluation, advanced data analytics, provider collaboration, health innovation and technology, and thought leadership.

Social determinants of health are the conditions in which people live, work, learn, and play that can impact up to 80 percent of an individual’s health before the healthcare system can intervene. By digging deeper into ‘non-health’ related questions, Highmark is leading the way in helping members and patients move past health care to focus solely on health.

“We’re pleased to welcome Dr. Witt and her long-standing history of success to Highmark,” said Nebeyou Abebe, senior vice president of social determinants of health at Highmark. “The importance of understanding social determinants and minimizing the barriers that stand before our communities and members is at the core of our work. I’m confident that Dr. Witt’s unique skill set and robust experience will lead to positive advancements in the health and well-being of our members while reducing health disparities.”

Dr. Witt brings nearly 30 years of experience to Highmark and has led multidisciplinary teams to develop and implement strategic health initiatives, conduct research, launch innovative technical assistance programs, and develop and create digital clinical tools using advanced data analytics. In addition, she has expertise, particularly with SDoH, to improve cost, quality, and patient-related outcomes.

Before joining Highmark, Dr. Witt served as the vice president of AmeriSpeak, which is NORC at the University of Chicago’s premier multi-client, panel-based research platform, where she oversaw the development and growth of AmeriSpeak-centered business among Federal sponsors.

Prior to her experience at NORC, she served as a professor and Inaugural Dean of the College of Health at Lehigh University. As Dean, she established the first undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs in population health and increased the diversity of university faculty by recruiting, hiring, and promoting talent from different racial, cultural, economic, and ethnic backgrounds.

“I could not be prouder to join the Highmark team at this exciting time,” said Dr. Witt. “I am very impressed with and support Highmark’s ‘Living Health’ focus on social health, along with physical and behavioral health. The organization is at the forefront of implementing and evaluating interventions to address the SDOH and whole-person care. I look forward to collaborating with my new colleagues to address the social determinants of health and improve health equity.”

Before joining Lehigh, Dr. Witt served as the Director of the Center for Maternal and Child Health Research at IBM Watson Health. She led multimillion-dollar Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) research projects and technical assistance programs, among other critical initiatives. While at IBM, Dr. Witt also led teams to develop award-winning, innovative healthcare delivery solutions using advanced data analytics, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. In recognition of this work, Dr. Witt won several Watson Health and IBM-wide prestigious honors. In addition, she is an IBM Certified Practitioner of Cognitive Solutions.

Dr. Witt is a 26-year American Public Health Association (APHA) member and recently the Chair of the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Section. As an industry leader, she provides thought leadership to over 2,500 maternal and child health professionals. Additionally, Dr. Witt has extensive experience with teaching, mentorship, and service at the graduate level and has held full-time academic appointments at Harvard Medical School, Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine, and the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Medicine and Public Health.

She earned her Doctorate and Master’s degrees in Health Policy and Management and Public Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Pediatric Health Services Research at the Harvard University School of Medicine, and a Bachelor’s degree in Law and Women’s Studies at Hampshire College.