AN ALIQUIPPA SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER WILL RECEIVE THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD TONIGHT IN BEAVER. BEAVER COUNTY RADIO NEWS CORRESPONDENT SANDY GIORDANO HAS MORE. Click on ‘play’ to hear Sandy’s report…
TWO BASKETBALL PLAYERS FOR CCBC WHO ARE FACING FELONY CHARGES AFTER AN ALLEGED BOMB THREAT ARE BACK ON CAMPUS COMPLETING THEIR SPRING SEMESTER STUDIES…AFTER WRITING A LETTER OF APOLOGY TO THE CCBC COMMUNITY. 21-YEAR-OLD NASIR CAMPBELL OF PHILADELPHIA AND 19-YEAR-OLD TYREE CORBETT OF CENTER TOWNSHIP ARE CHARGED WITH FELONY COUNTS OF RISKING CATASTROPHE AND MAKING TERRORISTC THREATS. BOTH MEN ARE SCHEDULED TO HAVE PRELIMINARY HEARINGS AT 10:30 TOMORROW MORNING BEFORE DISTRICT JUDGE JOHN ARMOUR.
WEATHER FORECAST FOR THURSDAY, APRIL 25TH, 2019
TODAY – CLOUDY WITH PERIODS OF RAIN. HIGH – 63.
TONIGHT – RAIN LIKELY. LOW – 58.
FRIDAY – PERIODS OF RAIN WITH HIGHER WIND GUSTS.
HIGH – 61.
SATURDAY – OVERCAST. HIGH – 58.
SUNDAY – SHOWERS IN THE MORNING…THEN PARTLY
CLOUDY IN THE AFTERNOON. HIGH – 53.
Marte homers twice, D-Backs win 9th straight at Pittsburgh
By WES CROSBY Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) — There was no stopping Ketel Marte and the Diamondbacks — especially not in Pittsburgh.
Marte homered from both sides of the plate, and Arizona won at PNC Park for the ninth straight time, beating the Pirates 11-2 on Wednesday night.
Marte batted lefty while extending Arizona’s lead to 5-1 with a solo shot in the fifth inning before going righty and driving a three-run shot, his sixth homer this season, into the left-field bleachers in the eighth. It was the third multi-homer game of his career and second this season.
“He has so much offensive capability,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “It’s just nice to see him putting it together and making tonight very special. You hit home runs from both sides of the plate as a switch-hitter, it’s like a dream come true. You work extremely hard. It means you’re locked in.”
Arizona’s nine-game winning streak at Pittsburgh is its longest in an opponent’s stadium, surpassing its eight straight at Philadelphia from June 17, 2016-April 24, 2018. The Diamondbacks have not lost in Pittsburgh since May 29, 2017, when Andrew McCutchen homered in the ninth of a 4-3 win for the Pirates.
Eduardo Escobar, who was 3 for 4 with a walk, tripled in the first, and the Diamondbacks hit three straight singles to take a 2-0 lead. Nick Ahmed homered to lead off the second before Escobar doubled in Caleb Joseph for a 4-0 lead.
“When you win, everybody’s happy,” Escobar said. “I think what’s important is working hard every day. Come to the field and play hard.”
After Marte’s first homer, the Diamondbacks added three runs on back-to-back two-out doubles from David Peralta and Christian Walker, extending the lead to 8-2 in the seventh.
The Pirates have been outscored 25-7 in the first three games of the four-game series.
“We’re just not clicking consistently as an offense,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “We’re not bunching at-bats together. We’re shown some spurts at times, but the overall opportunities, we’re still kind of short with runners at third and less than two outs. Happened to us again tonight. … You own your at-bat. The guys know it.”
Merrill Kelly (2-2) gave up two runs on six hits in seven innings, walking two and striking out five. The runs came on homers from Josh Bell in the fourth and Jung Ho Kang in the sixth.
“Any time the offense puts runs on the board, it just allows you to be a little more aggressive,” Kelly said. “With the risk of taking the solo home runs like I did tonight, but I knew that they weren’t going to hurt me.”
Bell’s home run was his fifth in 22 games after hitting 12 in 148 games last season.
Jordan Lyles (2-1) lasted five innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on eight hits with three strikeouts. He gave up one run on 10 hits in 17 innings through his first three starts.
“There’s not much room in their lineup to take a breath,” Lyles said. “They scored early and often. That’s what good offenses do.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: OF Bryan Reynolds did not play because of left quadriceps muscle discomfort he experienced during Tuesday’s game. He took batting practice Wednesday. … SS Erik Gonzalez will have surgery Thursday to repair a broken collarbone. He was injured while colliding with OF Starling Marte last Friday. … OF Gregory Polanco was given the day off after having two hits in each of his first two games of the season. He had shoulder surgery last Sept. 12.
UP NEXT
Diamondbacks: RHP Zack Greinke (3-1, 4.60 ERA) takes the mound in the series finale. He is 3-0 in his past four starts. Arizona will finish its 10-game trip after winning seven of the first nine games.
Pirates: RHP Jameson Taillon (1-2, 3.12) will look to end Pittsburgh’s four-game skid. On Saturday, Taillon allowed one run on four hits in five innings of a rain-shortened 3-1 win over the San Francisco Giants.
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More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
(Beaver Falls, Pa.) Dr. Jane Bovalino, Superintendent of Rochester School District, joined Frank Sparks on Teleforum in the 10 o’clock hour Wednesday April 24, 2019 to talk about the 2019 Summer High School student Choral and instrumental Academy that will be taking place at the Rochester Area School District June 17-22, 2019.
The Academy is a joint venture of the Beaver Valley Choral Society and Rochester High School. The Academy is open to students grades 8-12 from any school district. If you are interested in applying for the academy go to https://www.rasd.org
Dr. Bovalino told the listeners how the academy came about in August, 2016, the Rochester Area School District and the Beaver Valley Choral Society entered
into a unique partnership. Through collective planning and collaboration, the Choral Society and the school district shared a vision to support the arts in Beaver County. To realize this vision, they have collaborated to provide many events. The high school student summer music academy is a unique and prominent part of their partnership.
She also talked about the events of the week at the academy and how it will all culminate with the Academy’s performance that will be held on Saturday
evening, June 22, 2019 at 7:30 pm. At Rochester High School Auditorium. The performance is free and the public is welcome to attend.
(Beaver County, PA) The Best of Beaver County is easy to discover; it’s right on your radio! Tune in this and every Thursday from 11 to 11:30 A.M. for “The Best of Beaver County”, an innovative radio program on WBVP and WMBA presented by St. Barnabas. The show is hosted by Jim Roddey and is dedicated to shining light on the great things going on right here in local neighborhoods, and the people that are making it happen. Find out what all the buzz is about by joining “The Best Of Beaver County”. This week’s guests are Pat Nardelli, Developer form Beaver County and Chris Heck, President/CEO of the Airport area Chamber of Commerce.
A live video stream of this week’s edition of “The Best Of Beaver County” can be viewed on the WBVP-WMBA Facebook page, plus the radio broadcast will be replayed each Sunday from 11:30 am to Noon on Beaver County Radio.
NCAA: Replay official can overturn close targeting calls
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel adjusted the targeting rule in college football, allowing video review officials to overturn calls if any element of the penalty cannot be confirmed.
The adjustment to the rule announced Tuesday means there will be no option for letting the call on the field “stand” during a targeting review. It must either be confirmed or overturned.
The panel also approved instituting a progressive penalty for targeting. Players who commit three targeting fouls in the same season are subject to a one-game suspension.
Overtime rules also were tweaked. If a game reaches a fifth overtime, teams will run alternating 2-point plays instead of starting another drive at the opponent’s 25-yard line. The change was made to limit the number of plays from scrimmage and to bring the game to a conclusion.
Targeting, or illegal hits above the shoulders, would still result in a 15-yard penalty and ejection of the player who committed the foul. Players ejected in the second half would still be required to sit out the first half of the following game.
The goal of the rule adjustment is to call targeting more accurately and have fewer players ejected for borderline calls. The option to let a call on the field “stand” meant that the video review official didn’t find enough evidence to reverse the call, so the 15-yard penalty and player ejection remained in effect. The rule adjustment puts the onus on the replay official to make a definitive call.
The overtime rule change was proposed after LSU and Texas A&M matched a record by playing seven overtimes in their regular-season finale last year. The Tigers and Aggies combined to run 207 offensive plays.
On average, 37 Bowl Subdivision games have gone to overtime over the past four seasons. Most end after one round of possessions. Only six games per season have gone past two overtimes, but the concern was those rare marathons came with increased injury risk for players.
The panel also approved the elimination of the two-man wedge formation on kickoffs that result in sprinting players running into double-team blocks. Also, it is now illegal to block an opponent with forcible contact on the blind side. It will be a personal foul with a 15-yard penalty. If the block also includes elements of targeting, it will be a blind-side block with targeting.
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More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
IndyCar hoping debris deflector helps protect drivers
By MICHAEL MAROT AP Sports Writer
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — IndyCar drivers will be using a new safety device starting with next month’s Indianapolis 500.
Series officials say each car will be fitted with a ¾-inch-wide titanium debris deflector, which is intended to protect the driver’s head in the open cockpit.
A handful of drivers got a brief chance to work with the deflector during Wednesday’s test session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. But seven hours of scheduled track time was cut short because of rain. Nobody turned more than five laps in the scheduled two-hour morning session.
IndyCar President Jay Frye says additional safety measures could be announced next month. The 500 is scheduled for May 26.
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More AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/apf-AutoRacing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Roethlisberger to remain with Steelers through 2021
By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers have reiterated repeatedly during an eventful offseason that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger remains the team’s unquestioned leader. They have handed him a new deal to prove it.
The Steelers and the two-time Super Bowl winner agreed to terms on a contract extension Wednesday that will keep Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh through the 2021 season. Roethlisberger had been set to enter the final year of a contract he signed in 2015. Financial terms were not disclosed, but Roethlisberger figures to get a significant pay bump over the $12 million he was due (with a $23 million cap hit) in 2019.
“It has always been a goal to play my entire career in Pittsburgh,” Roethlisberger said in a statement. “This is home for me and my family, and we love this city. I am as excited to be a Steeler in Year 16 as I was when they drafted me. They will get my absolute best.”
The deal gives Pittsburgh some stability going forward after the high-profile departures of wide receiver Antonio Brown and running back Le’Veon Bell. Brown pouted his way into a trade with the Oakland Raiders in March while Bell signed with the New York Jets as a free agent after sitting out all of 2018 when he opted not to sign his franchise tender.
Roethlisberger, who turned 36 last month, is coming off the finest statistical season of his 15-year career. His 5,129 yards passing led the NFL and his 34 touchdown passes broke his own franchise mark. Yet his once-solid relationship with Brown appeared to deteriorate during a late slide that culminated in a 9-6-1 finish, a swoon that caused the Steelers to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2013.
Brown sat out a crucial Week 17 game against Cincinnati and in the aftermath lashed out on social media, blaming Roethlisberger for having an “owner mentality.”
Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert went out of his way to defend the quarterback, saying that in a way, Roethlisberger was dealing with “52 kids” on the roster, a challenge for some of Roethlisberger’s teammates to take on a greater role in the locker room. Not that Roethlisberger minds the responsibility. He has been unapologetic in his approach and unafraid to call out himself and others when the team fails to play to the standard it has set for itself during his largely successful tenure.
Roethlisberger flirted with retirement after the 2016 season but has found a renewed sense of energy in his mid-30s. Having an offensive line that has kept him upright has certainly helped. Roethlisberger has been sacked an average of 20½ times over the last four years — compared with an average of 42 times per season between 2006-13 — due in part to stellar play in front of him and an approach predicated on getting the ball out faster while shying away from the “Ben being Ben” stuff that led to a mix of big plays and big mistakes earlier in his career.
The announcement of the extension came on the 15th anniversary of the Steelers making Roethlisberger the seventh overall pick in the 2004 draft. After taking over the starting job in Week 2 of the 2004 season following an injury to veteran Tommy Maddox, Roethlisberger has led the Steelers to three Super Bowls, along with seven AFC North titles and 10 total playoff berths.
“Ben is one of the most productive quarterbacks in NFL history, and he continued to climb the lists among the all-time passing leaders in the league last season,” team president Art Rooney II said. “But I know Ben’s focus is on only one goal — to bring another Lombardi trophy back to Pittsburgh.”
Roethlisberger will lead an offense in the midst of a generational shift at other skill positions. JuJu Smith-Schuster replaces Brown as Pittsburgh’s top receiver and the running back combination of James Conner and Jaylen Samuels combined to put up numbers in 2018 similar to Bell’s at his peak. There is stability, however, along the offensive line. Four of five starters return and there are plenty of potential in-house replacements for right tackle Marcus Gilbert, who was traded to Arizona in March.
Pittsburgh has toyed with finding Roethlisberger’s eventual successor, drafting Josh Dobbs in the fourth round in 2017 and Mason Rudolph in the third round last year. Dobbs won the backup job last summer over Rudolph and veteran Landry Jones, who was cut on the eve of the 2018 season. Having them in place means the Steelers are likely to avoid drafting a quarterback with one of their 10 selections in the draft that starts Thursday.
Inside linebacker, cornerback and wide receiver figure to be Pittsburgh’s biggest needs early.
Quarterback, for the 15th straight year, will not. Not with Roethlisberger still very much in charge early into the next decade.
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More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/tag/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)
Though it was nice and sunny outside, the vibes were less so inside the Beaver County Courthouse on Wednesday.
Things started off decently enough with an update from Tim Ishman regarding the County’s celebration of Earth Day, following Ishman was a very defensive District Attorney David Lozier. The reason for DA Lozier’s defensiveness was that he was addressing a recent rumor that the County was considering dropping the number of detectives in the county from a possible 8 (7 are currently employed) to possibly 6 or fewer detectives.
Lozier was staunch in defending his detective unit’s place in keeping the public safe–particularly from the public themselves:
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Then Cory Trautman–who is the representative of Susquehanna Consulting and working with the County on their budget (having done so since the firing of Ricardo Luckow in 2018)–gave an update on the current financial status in the county. Trautman said that the budget was in decent health, but still needed work:
But one part of the released numbers didn’t sit well with Hopewell resident Carl Hughes, who felt that the county’s financial situation will push residents away:
And lastly, the debate over the future of Beaver County’s K9 unit dogs continued, with Sheriff Tony Guy and several members of the Sheriff’s Department having a back and forth with Commissioner Sandie Egley about the issue. One such example of the dialogue featured Commissioner Egley still feeling like the details were unclear:
Commissioner Chairman Dan Camp said that he’d like to have the final decision on the addition of a K9 unit, whether leased or bought, by the May 9 public meeting.
Assistant County Solicitor Nathan Morgan was absent from this April 24 work session.