The former Beaver County district attorney named in the 900-page grand jury report into priest sex abuse in Pennsylvania is being investigated for allegations that blocked inquiries into priests suspected of child abuse. This after being fired from his longtime position as solicitor for Children and Youth Services. Greg Benedetti has more. Click on ‘play’ to hear Greg’s report…
WEATHER FOREAST FOR THURSDAY, AUGUST 16TH, 2018
TODAY – MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY
THROUGHOUT THE DAY. HIGH NEAR 80.
TONIGHT – MORE THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY. LOW – 68.
FRIDAY – AGAIN…SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS. HIGH
AGAIN NEAR 80.
SATURDAY – SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS IN THE
MORNING. HIGH – 78.
SUNDAY – PLENTIFUL SUNSHINE. HIGH – 81.
This year commemorates the 70th anniversary of when Beaver County’s first radio station, WBVP, was heard over the airwaves for the the first time on May 25, 1948. To mark the historical event, each week, another “70th Anniversary Moment” will be showcased on the airwaves and published on the station’s online feeds.
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In 1960, The original owners of WBVP, Frank Smith, Tom Price and Charles Onderka were granted a license to put an F.M. radio station on the air. Initially, the new radio station was known simply as “WBVP-F.M.” and was nothing more than a simulcast outlet for their popular A.M. radio station, WBVP, at 106.7 on the F.M. dial. By the 1970’s it had become apparent that this new fangled F.M. side of the radio business was indeed a huge opportunity worth developing into it’s own radio station, with a different format than that of WBVP. A huge power increase to 47,000 watts, construction of a 500 foot tower, and a new set of call letters were accomplished in 1975 to give the Beaver Falls F.M. radio station a whole new identity. It became known as WWKS with a nickname of Kiss. Initially it was referred to as Kiss 107 and later on in the mid 1980’s, when digital receivers became common, the station began to use the exact frequency, going by Kiss 106.7 F.M. Listeners throughout three states and a dozen counties or so could pick up the behemoth station’s soft rock music format. Success was immediate and soon new listeners and advertisers from New Castle, Butler, Cranberry, and even Pittsburgh, supplemented the strong local following in Beaver County. But, as they say, imitation is the most sincere form of flattery and within a short period of time, there were many F.M. stations throughout the Pittsburgh and Youngstown areas playing similar versions of soft rock, adult contemporary, or lite rock type music formats. So, another music format change was in order.
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The timing was perfect for a new edgy hard rock format. There was a growing interest among younger adults in newly released hard rock and alternative music, and there wasn’t yet a radio station serving that niche. In November of 1993, the decision was made to flip Kiss 106.7 F.M. to “The Force”. Over Thanksgiving weekend of that year, the music listeners were hearing went from Maria Muldaur to Motley Crue. The station kept the same call letters, WWKS and the same frequency of 106.7 F.M., but not much else was the same. The station was owned by The Baltimore Radio Show at the time and in order to support their new station, new computers and satellite receivers were installed at the Beaver Falls studio to enable the station to receive carry a network delivered music format produced by a company in Chicago called Major Networks. Many other aspects of the station would be “forced” to change as well. A troupe of scantily clad young girls was recruited to accompany station announcers like Carl Anderson, Bill Cameron, Paul Taylor, Mike Steele and Brandon Davis, among others to station appearances. The places where the newly named “force” was doing promotions changed along with the music too. In addition to the traditional live broadcasts from the county fair, or the local car dealer, “Force Nights” were now being held in various night clubs throughout the area including The Magic Twanger in Youngstown, Blondie’s in Greensburg, Fantasy’s in Moon Township and The Aquanaut in East Liverpool, Ohio, among other live music and entertainment venues.
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The hard rock format of “The Force” was so successful, that it gained the attention of, and was purchased by a competing broadcasting company in Pittsburgh in 1995 and was eventually given a new name and new frequency. Today the station format exists as “The X”, WXDX at 105.9 F.M. headquartered in Pittsburgh and the old frequency of 106.7 F.M. is still around as WAOB, and it offers Catholic religious programming from it’s studios in Latrobe.
“70th Anniversary Moments” is presented by Abbey Carpet and Floor, Albert’s Heating, Cooling and Plumbing, Aliquippa Giant Eagle, The Beaver Falls Municipal Authority, Beaver Valley Auto Mall, Beaver Valley Sheet Metal, Castlebrook Development, The Community College Of Beaver County, Farmers Building and Savings Bank, Freedom United Federal Credit Union, Hank’s Frozen Custard and Mexican food, The Health Huts, Kitchen City, Laughlin Insurance Agency, Rochester Manor and Villa and Young’s Jewelry and Coins.
The Latest: Former DA named by grand jury fired from job
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The Latest on a grand jury report on clergy abuse in six Pennsylvania Roman Catholic dioceses (all times local):
5 p.m.
A former Pennsylvania prosecutor has been fired from his job as an attorney for a county youth services office after a report showed that as prosecutor, he stopped an investigation into alleged child abuse by a priest to gain political favor from the Pittsburgh Diocese.
Former Beaver County District Attorney Robert Masters told a grand jury investigating clergy abuse that he wrote a letter to the then-bishop of Pittsburgh in 1964 saying he was halting an investigation to “prevent unfavorable publicity.”
He was let go Wednesday.
A report released Tuesday by the grand jury found that hundreds of priests had sexually abused more than 1,000 children in six of Pennsylvania’s dioceses over the past seven decades.
Since the report was made public, the attorney general says his office has received over 150 calls and emails from people wanting to “tell their stories and seek justice.”
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3:45 p.m.
A top clergyman faulted in a Pennsylvania grand jury report over his handling of sexually abusive priests is asking parishioners not to lose confidence in the church.
Cardinal Donald Wuerl, one of the highest-profile Roman Catholic cardinals in the United States, spoke Wednesday during Mass at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington D.C. on the religious feast of the Assumption of Mary.
He said Catholics need to help victims and he asked for Mary’s intervention for those whose confidence is shaken because of the “terrible plague” of abuse.
The report says Wuerl, as Pittsburgh’s bishop, approved transfers for priests who sexually abused children instead of removing and concealed information when priests were reported to law enforcement.
Wuerl made no mention of the allegations, but has previously said he acted diligently to protect children.
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7 a.m.
A priest raped a 7-year-old girl while he was visiting her in the hospital after she’d had her tonsils removed. Another priest forced a 9-year-old boy into having oral sex, then rinsed out the boy’s mouth with holy water.
A sweeping state grand jury report released Tuesday says those children are among the victims of roughly 300 Roman Catholic priests in Pennsylvania who molested more than 1,000 children, and possibly many more, since the 1940s.
The report accuses senior church officials, including a man who is now the archbishop of Washington, D.C., of systematically covering up complaints.
The grand jury notes that dioceses have established internal processes and seem to refer complaints to law enforcement more promptly, but says individual leaders of the church have largely escaped public accountability.
Forsythe has 3 RBIs in Twins’ 6-4 win over Pirates
By MIKE COOK, Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Logan Forsythe may be best known by Minnesota fans as the player who replaced fan favorite Brian Dozier.
The lone major leaguer of the three players the Dodgers sent to the Upper Midwest on July 31 for the second baseman, Forsythe has filled in capably.
Forsythe had three RBIs, the Minnesota bullpen tossed 5 1/3 shutout innings and the Twins beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-4 Wednesday.
In 13 games with Minnesota, Forsythe is hitting .386 with six multi-hit games. He had eight in 70 games this season with the Dodgers.
“It’s about consistency and these guys throwing me out there every day and letting me play my game is luckily paying off getting some hits and playing some good ball,” he said.
Oliver Drake, Gabriel Moya (3-0), Tyler Duffey and Taylor Rogers allowed five hits and struck out three before Trevor Hildenberger picked up his third save in four chances.
Minnesota is 16-4 in its past 20 home games.
Josh Harrison had three hits for the Pirates, who were 2 for 15 with runners in scoring position. Pittsburgh has dropped three straight.
Forsythe’s two-run single off reliever Edgar Santana (2-2) highlighted a three-run sixth as the Twins took a 5-4 lead.
“He just has a calmness about situational hitting. He knows how to execute, he knows how to put the ball in play for a chance to get guys in from third, hits the ball up the middle really well,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said.
Pirates starter Chris Archer retired 10 straight batters before giving up back-to-back singles, including an RBI by Jorge Polanco, to start the sixth, ending his day.
Acquired from Tampa Bay on July 31, Archer allowed four earned runs and six hits in five innings. In his first three starts with the Pirates, Archer has allowed nine earned runs in 14 1/3 innings.
“They had some productive at-bats,” he said. “They fouled some, they had some good takes. But I got to be better than that. I am better than that. And I will be better than that.”
Minnesota starter Jose Berrios allowed four runs — three earned — as he labored through 3 2/3 innings, his shortest start since April 29.
After a 1-2-3 first, Pittsburgh had at least two runners on in three straight innings, with a two-run single by Gregory Polanco putting the Pirates up 4-2 in the fourth. Elias Diaz homered to start the inning.
Berrios has allowed nine earned runs in 12 2/3 innings in three August starts.
NIGHT AND DAY
Berrios is 8-2 with a 2.79 ERA in 13 nights starts this season, but 3-6 with a 4.91 ERA in 12 day starts. Both his complete games have been during the day.
ROUGH DAY
Pittsburgh C Francisco Cervelli was hit by a pitch for a team-high 11th time in the second inning. One inning later, he fouled a ball off his foot — and took a minute to walk it off — before striking out on a called third strike at the knees. He briefly jumped up and down and said a few words to umpire Doug Eddings.
In the fifth, Cervelli tagged Joe Mauer on what he thought was a third strike and took a couple of steps to the dugout. However, Eddings called it a ball, leading to another discussion.
WEST IS SECOND BEST
Umpire Joe West worked his 5,164th career game, passing Bruce Froemming for second all time. Bill Klem worked 5,375.
“We got Dom Perignon for him. The base he worked. It’ll never happen again, ever. … It’s history. No one is close enough to ever get there again,” Eddings said.
TRAINERS ROOM
Pirates: CF Starling Marte missed the game with an illness. … SS Jordy Mercer, who left Tuesday’s came with left calf discomfort, did not play.
Twins: OF Robbie Grossman, on the disabled list since Aug. 6 with a right hamstring strain, will go to Triple-A Rochester on a rehab assignment. The plan is for him to DH Thursday, then play a couple of games in the outfield before being evaluated.
UP NEXT
Pirates: Face division-leading Chicago at PNC Park Thursday to begin a four-game series with RHP Ivan Nova (7-6, 4.42 ERA) scheduled to start the opener.
Twins: RHP Ervin Santana (0-1, 6.53) takes to the hill Thursday when Minnesota opens a four-game home series against Detroit.
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More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Beaver County Commissioners, meeting in regular work session, saved discussion about former district attorney Robert Masters for executive session. Solicitor Garen Fedeles says Master’s contract as attorney for children and youth services expired in June and he has continued on without a contract. Commissioners chairman Dan Camp told a blogger in light of the scandal in the Catholic Church, Master would be terminated.
In other news, Camp said Mount Airy Resort and Casino has had a person from their organization in the county to meet with local government and business persons.Camp says Mount Airy is looking for office space in order to have someone in the county on a day-to-day basis.
In regards to the 2019 budget, Cory Trautman of Susquehanna Financial Accountants and Consultants of Harrisburg is the acting financial administrator for the county and has set a timetable for the 2019 county budget that concludes with final adoption and approval in mid-December.
Commissioner Sandie Egley pointed out that about a dozen municipalities have not been reporting building permits to the county for tax purposes. She discussed with some department heads attending the meeting ideas to correct the situation.
Solicitor Fedeles asked for authorization for purchase a police vehicle for Hopewell Township as part of a 1998 agreement concerning location of the county jail.
Commissioner Tony Amadio is still at home recovering from back surgery.
ALIQUIPPA OFFICIALS ARE INVITING YOU TO GET YOUR HANDS GREEN NEXT WEEKEND. BEAVER COUNTY RADIO NEWS CORRESPONDENT SANDY GIORDANO EXPLAINS. Click on ‘play’ to hear Sandy’s report…
THE BEAVER COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MET IN REGULAR WORK SESSION TODAY…AND DISCUSSED A WIDE VARIETY OF ISSUES…INCLUDING THE QUESTION OF WHAT TO DO ABOUT CHILDREN AND YOUTH SERVICES’ ATTORNEY ROBERT MASTERS, WHO WAS NAMED IN THE STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S GRAND JURY REPORT ON SEXUAL ABUSE BY CATHOLIC PRIESTS. BEAVER COUNTY RADIO’S GREG BENEDETTI WAS AT THE COUNTY COURTHOUSE FOR TODAY’S MEETING. CLICK ON ‘PLAY’ TO HEAR GREG’S REPORT…
This breaking news report is brought to you by…
AMBRIDGE BOROUGH FIREFIGHTERS WILL SOON BE RECEIVING BULLETPROOF VESTS…AS WE HEAR IN THIS REPORT FROM BEAVER COUNTY RADIO NEWS CORRESPONDENT SANDY GIORDANO. Click on ‘play’ to hear Sandy’s report….
In lieu of Tuesday’s report about the abuse of over 1,000 children in Pennsylvania by Catholic priests, including over 80 priests in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, the city’s bishop, David Zubik, took some time to call into Teleforum to discuss the situation at hand with host Frank Sparks and guest co-host Kaisha Jantsch.
The FULL interview is below, in which Bishop Zubik (a native of Sewickley) expresses deep regret for the actions which have been committed, but also pointed an eye as to how the church can recover.
Part 1
Part 2