Author: Beaver County Radio

Commissioners and Soul Food on Thursday’s Teleforum Program

Thursday’s Teleforum program with Eddy Crow will start with Ask the Commissioners at 9:10, Mike Romigh and The Best of Beaver County at 11;00, and at 11:35 Beaver County Times entertainment editor Scott Tady joins Eddy to talk about the Soul Food Trail being put on by Visit Beaver County. Drooling will occur. Teleforum is on every weekday from 9 till noon on am1230, am1460, 99.3fm presented by St. Barnabas, and now also on 95.7fm as well as streaming live on Beavercountyradio.com!

Beaver County Treasurer’s Report For 2021 Taxes Is Released

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

At the Commissioners’ work session for March 2, the board was given a copy of the 2021 Year-End Treasurer’s Report, showcasing the financial intricacies of Beaver County. Treasurer Sandie Egley delivered the report and spoke about it at the work session.

One of the more positive findings of the report was the twelve-year high in the percentage of taxes collected: 95.0% of taxes were collected in 2021, an over-6% increase from 2020, and at least 3.5% higher than the next highest year in that period of time (91.25% in 2016). “I think that goes to show that my office is very focused on efficiency,” Egley stated.

Conversely, the Treasurers’ Report showcased that the bank interest numbers for 2021 saw the County gain over $850,000 in interest, nearly $600,000 higher than in 2020. As for 2022, the County reported that $38,872,450 had already been collected.

Powell Tells Congress That Fed Will Raise Rates This Month

(Brendan Smialowski/Pool via AP, File)
By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell made clear that the Fed will begin raising interest rates this month in a high-stakes effort to restrain surging inflation. In prepared testimony to a congressional committee, Powell cautioned that the economic consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are “highly uncertain.” He said the Fed will “need to be nimble” in responding to unexpected changes resulting from the war or the far-reaching sanctions that the United States and Europe have imposed in response. The Fed is widely expected to raise its benchmark short-term interest rate several times this year beginning with its March 15-16 meeting.

Oil Tops $110 a Barrel, Stocks Rise After Powell Comments

(AP Photo)
By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Oil prices kept surging Wednesday and topped $110 per barrel as Russia’s war continues against Ukraine, but stocks and other markets were showing less fear than a day earlier. The S&P 500 was 1% higher in morning trading, while Treasury yields jumped to recover a sliver of their steep losses from the past week. Fed Chair Jerome Powell told Congress he would support raising interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point this month. That would be the first increase since 2018, but it would also be more modest than some investors along Wall Street had been fearing.

Correction: Hookstown Woman Victim of Terroristic Threats Via Her Son’s Social Media

(File Photo)

Story by Frank Sparks, Program/News Director Beaver County Radio

(Hookstown, Pa.) Pa State Police in Beaver are reporting that 36-year-old Victoria Lewis of Hookstown was the victim of terroristic threats that were received via her son’s social media.

The release stated that the unnamed suspect was charged with terroristic threats in regards to the incident that occurred on February 22, 2022 at 10:00 PM.

No other information was released about the incident.

Beaver County Radio previously reported Lewis as the suspect when indeed she is the victim. We apologize for any inconvenience that this may have caused.

Hit and Run Reported in Wampum

(File Photo)

(Wampum, Pa.) Pa State Police in New Castle are that they were called to the scene of a hit and run of a parked car on Beaver Street in Wampum Boro on Feb. 12, 2022 at 5:19 PM.
Troopers said via release that an unidentified vehicle traveling in an undetermined direction in the 400 block of Beaver Street struck a 2016 Volkswagen Jetta that was parked along the street.
Troopers said the entire side of the vehicle was scratched and the impact caused the vehicle to get a flat left front tire.
Troopers investigated the area and were not able to identify a suspect vehicle.
Anyone with information can call Pa State Police in New Castle at 724-598-2211

State Police Looking for Vehicle That Hit Utility Pole in Koppel and Fled

(File Photo)

(Koppel Boro, Pa.) Pa State Police in Beaver are looking to locate a vehicle that was in the process of executing  a right hand turn off of Big Beaver Blvd. onto Mount Street in Koppel Boro when it struck a utility pole and fled the scene yesterday afternoon around 5:40 PM.
Troopers said via release that a witness observed the undescribed vehicle hit the pole and stop in the middle of Mount Street but then fled the scene. The witness was not able to provide any identifying information that would assist Troopers in the investigation.
Troopers said in the release that the unidentified vehicle has possible minor damage.
Anyone who has any information is asked to call Pa State Police on Beaver at 724- 773-7400

Northbound I-79 Crossover Begins this Weekend in Allegheny County

(File Photo)

​Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing a traffic crossover on northbound Interstate 79 in Glenfield, Sewickley Hills, and Franklin Park boroughs and Kilbuck, Ohio, and Aleppo townships, Allegheny County, will begin Friday night, March 4.

A northbound crossover on I-79 will be implemented Friday night to allow crews to begin bridge deck replacement work. To accommodate this work, the following traffic configuration and restrictions will occur:

  • The left lane of northbound I-79 will be crossed over into the southbound lanes between the Neville Island Bridge and the Kilbuck Street on-ramp. This will be the EXPRESS lane. All traffic using this lane will not have access to the Mt. Nebo Road (Exit 68) interchange. Northbound express lane traffic will be crossed back over between the Red Mud Hollow Road overpass and I-279.
  • The right lane of northbound I-79 will remain in place. This lane is the LOCAL lane. Access to the Mt. Nebo Road interchange must be made from the local lane. Traffic will be shifted slightly at the Glenfield Road and Red Mud Hollow Road bridges to allow crews to conduct half width deck replacement work.
  • Two lanes of traffic will be maintained on southbound I-79. A barrier will separate the southbound lanes and the crossed over northbound lane.
  • Emergency pull-off areas will be implemented in various locations through the work zone. Three pull-off areas will be implemented in the southbound lanes, three in the northbound express lane, and one in the northbound local lane.
  • The northbound crossover will remain in place continuously through late-November.

To prepare for the crossover, single-lane restrictions and traffic stoppages will occur on northbound I-79 beginning at 7 p.m. Friday night. The crossover is anticipated to be in place by 11 a.m. Saturday morning.

While the crossover is in place, crews will conduct bridge rehabilitation work on the northbound structures over Glenfield Road and Red Mud Hollow Road in half-widths. This work includes bridge deck replacement, approach slab work, bearing pad and expansion dam replacement, substructure concrete repairs, and downspout upgrades. Work on the bridges is expected to begin at 7 p.m. Monday evening.

The work is part of the $26.49 million I-79 improvement project. Improvements include four bridge deck replacements, one bridge preservation, milling and resurfacing, preservation work on seven sign structures, installation of five new ITS signs, guide rail improvements, signage updates, and pavement marking installation. Crossovers will occur on I-79 in 2022 and 2023 for bridge deck replacement work. The majority of the project will conclude in the fall of 2023.

The prime contractor is the Joseph B. Fay Company. Work on this project will be coordinated with other projects in the area.

To help keep motorists informed as work progresses, PennDOT has created an email distribution list for the I-79 Neville Island Bridge rehabilitation including traffic advisories and construction updates. Enroll by sending email addresses to stcowan@pa.gov. Please write “Subscribe – I-79” in the subject line.

Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

Fog Will Give Way To Sunny Skies Wednesday, Warm Weekend Ahead

(Photo Taken by Frank Sparks/Beaver County Radio in May of 2018 of Sunrise in Bridgewater, Pa.) 
(Beaver Falls, Pa.) Patchy Fog will give way to Sunny Skies today. Temperatures will be in the 60’s this weekend with some rain showers. Below is a detailed forecast:
Today Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 53. Calm wind becoming west around 6 mph in the afternoon.
Tonight Rain showers likely before 4am, then a chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 26. Calm wind becoming northwest 5 to 7 mph in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 70%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Thursday A chance of snow showers, mainly before 7am. Partly sunny, with a high near 36. Northwest wind around 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Thursday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 20. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Friday Mostly sunny, with a high near 43. Calm wind.
Friday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 29.
Saturday Mostly cloudy, with a high near 61.
Saturday Night Showers likely after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 47. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Sunday Showers, mainly before 1pm. High near 68. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Sunday Night Showers likely, mainly after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 48. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Monday Showers. High near 57. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Monday Night A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 34. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Tuesday Partly sunny, with a high near 47.

Pfizer Shots Protect Kids From Severe COVID Even In Omicron

(AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
By LAURAN NEERGAARD AP Medical Writer
A new government report shows Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine gave children 5 and older strong protection against hospitalization and death even during the omicron surge. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the new data Tuesday. A day earlier, a study from New York raised the question of whether the vaccine is less effective in children ages 5 to 11, especially against milder infections. Younger kids get a smaller dose than teens. But CDC data from additional states doesn’t suggest an age problem. Vaccines generally are less effective against omicron infection but still protect against severe outcomes.