Author: Beaver County Radio

Smith-Schuster Returns to Steelers Seeking Strong Season

Smith-Schuster returns to Steelers seeking strong season
By DAN SCIFO Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger took a voluntary pay cut during the offseason. Roethlisberger’s restructured deal helped the Steelers free up enough money to persuade wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster to return to the team on a one-year deal. Smith-Schuster decided to stay in Pittsburgh rather than leave in free agency, citing a sense of loyalty.

Yankees Acquire Righty Reliever Clay Holmes from Pirates

Yankees acquire righty reliever Clay Holmes from Pirates
NEW YORK (AP) — Reliever Clay Holmes was acquired by the New York Yankees from the Pittsburgh Pirates for infielders Diego Castillo and Hoy Park. Holmes is 3-2 in 44 relief appearances with 44 strikeouts and 35 walks in 42 innings. The 28-year-old right-hander has held right-handed batters to a .173 average. Holmes is 5-7 with a 5.57 ERA in four major league seasons. The 25-year-old Park appeared in one major league game on July 16 against Boston. He is batting .307 with 10 doubles, 11 homers and 32 RBIs for Somerset and Triple-A Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Government Affairs Committee Update – By Harry Kunselman

July 2021 Beaver County Chamber of Commerce Monthly Message.

By Harry Kunselman, Chair – Government Affairs Committee

The Chamber’s Government Affairs Committee has been hard at work advocating for Beaver County businesses, both during the pandemic and this period of emergence, One of the Committee’s top goals is to keep the lines of communication open with our elected representatives to meet the needs of Beaver County’s businesses and the community at large.

To that end, the Chamber invites its members to attend a Legislative Welcome reception on August 18, 2021, at 5:30 p.m. at Antoline Park in Monaca. (Registration is required. Please see registration information at the end of this article). This is an opportunity for informal dialogue directly with local and state officials about issues and policies impacting Beaver County, and precedes the Beaver County Regional Council of Governments annual Local Government Conference the next day.

Events like the Legislative Welcome enable the Chamber to be a more effective advocate for Beaver County businesses. I wanted to share some examples of recent advocacy efforts by the Chamber.

Coordinated by State Senator Elder Vogel, members of Beaver County’s state legislative delegation attended the Government Affairs Committee’s June 2021 meeting for a dialogue about progress on the Chamber’s 2021 policy priorities. One area of progress is that all levels of government have heightened focus on expanding broadband access in Beaver County. As examples, federal COVID relief and proposed infrastructure plans would make considerable investments in broadband. The Federal Communications Commission has pledged $368 million for improving technology in Pennsylvania, and $9 billion to bring 5G technology to rural areas of the country. At the state level, Representatives Jim Marshall and Rob Matzie co-sponsored the Small Wireless Facilities Deployment Act, which will help provide a path for mobile connectivity build-out. At the local level, the Beaver County Office of Planning and Redevelopment is implementing the Infrastructure Connectivity Project to identify the gap areas of Beaver County for infrastructure expansion. We also acknowledged great progress on examining and improving K-12 education in Beaver County. Led by Senator Camera Bartolotta and Senator Elder Vogel, our state legislators have helped to secure state funding for the Beaver County Partnership’s Future of Education in Beaver County Public Schools Feasibility Study, which is examining what education could look like in Beaver County in the year 2030. At our June meeting, we also acknowledged progress on modernizing Pennsylvania’s unemployment compensation system, but we wanted to see more progress in supporting and strengthening Beaver County’s human services, whose limits were hyper-tested during the pandemic.

Elsewhere on the advocacy front, the Government Affairs Committee resolved to oppose the pending Break Free From Plastics Pollution Act (SB 984 and HB 2238) in its current form. As part of an effort to address waste and recycling collection systems for a variety of products including plastics, this proposed legislation would make certain producers of products fiscally responsible for collecting, managing, recycling and composting certain products after consumer use, and beginning in 2023, would phase out the use of certain single-use products such as plastic utensils and EPS food service and shipping containers. The Chamber is opposing the current form of this legislation due to its potential adverse impact on local jobs, the restaurant and food service industry, and potential burdens on local municipalities.

The Chamber has also joined the Pennsylvania Chamber of Commerce and other chambers to encourage a phase-out of the federal unemployment enhancement to help address labor shortages that are impacting the ability of small businesses to emerge successfully from the pandemic.

Finally, the Chamber is advocating for strong infrastructure investments, including those focused on railways and waterways, and has advocated with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to support the Mariner East Pipeline permit modification to foster more construction and energy jobs in Pennsylvania.

These are but a few examples of how the Chamber has been advocating for policies that will encourage more jobs and higher standards of living for Beaver County.
If you would like to join in those efforts, please attend the Legislative Welcome reception on Wednesday, August 18, 2021, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Antoline Park, Allaire Park Road, Monaca, PA 15061. Come and meet with your local legislators. You will find them to be very accessible, and they want to hear our voices. Registration is required. Please register at the Chamber’s Events page.

We hope to see you there. And if you are not a Chamber member, please join. You will not only make new friends, but you will find a wealth of resources for your business or organization. If interested, please contact Membership and Marketing Director Kaitlyn Poleti at kpoleti@bcchamber.com

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Lion Pride Weekend Activities To Be Discussed on Beaver County Radio

(New Brighton, PA ) New Brighton has a very rich heritage surrounding its football team and a group of people have decided to leverage that enthusiasm and tradition by planning “Lion Pride Weekend”, which will happen September tenth and eleventh this fall.   Special events surrounding New Brighton’s home opener football game vs. South Side Area High School on Friday evening September 10 are being planned.  Doug Campbell is heading up the effort and will be accompanied by New Brighton Head Football Coach, Joe Greco, along with Lion Pride Weekend committee members Gretchen Rombold and Joan Shanahan for a live multi media simulcast interview in the Beaver County Radio Sound Stage.  New Brighton Borough Manager, Tom Albanese will join in the conversation via phone. Matt Drzik will host the forum.  The live audio and video stream event will air from 8:40 to 9 A.M. on Beaver County Radio and the stations’ Facebook page.

Campbell and Greco played on one of New Brighton’s greatest football teams, the 1980 W.P.I.A.L. finalists. One of the key events of the weekend will be to honor that  1980 team during a special pregame ceremony to take place prior to the tilt with the Southside Rams on Friday evening September tenth at Oak Hill Field.  There will also be a hospitality tent for returning alumni at the game, a post game Party at the Oak Hill Vets, and activities on the following day after the game planned for Lion Pride Weekend.  Tune in to WBVP, WMBA, 99.3 F.M. or the BCR Online Audio Stream on Tuesday July 27, 2021 from 8:40 to 9 A.M. to find out more.

Photo of the 1980 New Brighton Football Team. Courtesy of Brian Debo and Doug Campbell.

Lion Pride Weekend is sponsored by Debo Moving and Storage, Ryno Production, Remax Select Real Estate – Ed Rae, Youngblood Paving, Bovard Anderson Real Estate – Joan Shanahan, Campbell Laboratory, Simply Brushed Vintage and Beaver County Radio.

Cover photo: New Brighton quarterback, Brian Debo (14), runs the option play with Craig Vukich (33) versus Riverside High School during the fall of 1980.  Photo courtesy of Brian Debo.

Injuries Reported after House Explosion in Tyrone Pennsyvlania

Injuries reported after house explosion in Pennsyvlania
TYRONE, Pa. (AP) — Authorities say injuries have been reported following a house explosion in central Pennsylvania. Emergency dispatchers in Blair County say the blast in Tyrone was reported shortly after 1 p.m. Monday and flames spread to two other houses. Officials said burn patients were transported to Altoona Hospital and to Tyrone Hospital. The extent of injuries wasn’t immediately available. There was no immediate word on a possible cause of the explosion.

NYC to Require Vaccines or Weekly Testing for City Workers

NYC to require vaccines or weekly testing for city workers
By KAREN MATTHEWS and JENNIFER PELTZ Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — New York City will require all municipal workers to get coronavirus vaccines by mid-September or face weekly COVID-19 testing. The move announced Monday by Mayor Bill de Blasio follows last week’s announcement mandating vaccinations or weekly testing for public health care workers as the city battles a rise in COVID-19 cases fueled by the highly contagious delta variant. The number of vaccine doses being given out daily in the city has dropped to less than 18,000, down from a peak of more than 100,000 in early April. About 65% of adults in the city are fully vaccinated.

Things Get “Class”-ic On Tuesday’s AM Beaver County

The Pride of the Lions will be celebrated tomorrow on A.M. Beaver County, as a panel of New Brighton graduates and staff will join Matt Drzik on Beaver County Radio and Facebook Live to talk about Lion Pride Weekend coming up on September 10 & 11, celebrating the classes of 1980 through 1983.

Sponsors for Lion Pride Weekend include:

Ryno Production
Remax Select Real Estate – Ed Rae
Campbell Laboratory
Debo Moving and Storage
Joan Shanahan – Bovard Anderson Real Estate
Youngblood Paving
Simply Brushed Vintage
Beaver County Radio

Ohio Women In Beaver County Jail After Chippewa Accident On Saturday Night

(File Photo)

Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano

(Chippewa Twp., Pa.) An Ohio woman struck a horse and buggy Saturday night, in Ohio and fled the scene . After fleeing and heading into Pa. she struck two vehicles  coming onto  Shenango Road from Route 51 in Chippewa Township, according to Police Chief Eric  Hermick. Shelly Joiner, 38, and her passenger fled the scene of the accident on foot  and were apprehended by police. One person was injured and taken to the hospital, four others were treated for their injuries at the scene.  Chief Hermick said she almost struck vehicles coming from the township’s firemen’s carnival.

Joiner was charged with  DUI drugs and alcohol, leaving the scene of a crash, reckless driving, driving at a safe speed, and careless driving.
She is in the Beaver County Jail on a detainer and is facing charges in Ohio, also.
Multiple fire departments assisted at the scene. Police from Patterson Township and  South Beaver assisted, also Chief Hermick said.

$1.1 Million Grant Awarded to Coraopolis Water & Sewer Authority

(Pittsburgh, Pa.) Pennsylvania State Senator Wayne Fontana announced a $1,117,000 grant has been awarded to the Coraopolis Water & Sewer Authority (CWSA) from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST). The grant will be used to replace approximately 2,200 feet of lead distribution lines and associated valves as well as aged service meters.

“This grant ultimately supports the health of our communities. By replacing these distribution lines, CWSA is eliminating the potential for health concerns and improving the reliability of water distribution in the area. I’m thrilled to see this investment in local infrastructure that will have real benefits for the communities these lines serve,” said Sen. Fontana.

Sen. Fontana’s legislation, passed by the General Assembly in 2017, allows local municipal authorities to access state funding for sewer and waterline repairs.  Act 44 of 2017, which included the language from his Senate Bill 656, provides communities more options and flexibility to fund these kinds of water infrastructure projects, while saving local taxpayer dollars.

In a joint statement with Senator Jay Costa and Senator Lindsey Williams, Sen. Fontana also announced the approval of a $23.9 million PENNVEST loan to support a project led by the Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority (PWSA) to rehabilitate and replace wastewater lines in Homewood, Squirrel Hill, Maytide, Marshall-Shadeland, Spring Garden and Highland Park.

PENNVEST serves communities and citizens of Pennsylvania by funding sewer, storm water and drinking water projects. These projects not only contribute to improving Pennsylvania’s environment and the health of its people, but also provide opportunities for economic growth and jobs for Pennsylvania’s workers. More information is available on the PENNVEST website: https://www.pennvest.pa.gov.

Beaver Falls Man Charged After Taking Cell Phone Someone Left Behind at the Rivers Casino

(File Photo)

(Pittsburgh,Pa.) A Beaver Falls man is being charged by Pennsylvania State Police at the Rivers Casino for an incident that occurred on July 9, 2021 at the Casino.
Troopers said via release on Sunday that they have charged 21-year-old Denis Bonilla of Beaver Falls for an incident that occurred when a 34-year-old man from Lower Burrell unintentionally left his cell phone at a gaming table and walked away. Troopers say Bonilla took the cell phone and then left the casino.
Bonilla has been charged with theft of property lost, mislaid, or dleivered by mistake and receiving stolen property. The charges were filed via summons at District Court 05-0-03.