Author: Beaver County Radio

Reports are saying Lyles has been traded the Brewers

3:22 p.m.   Update:  The Pirates Twitter account now confirms that the Pirates will receive  RHP Cody Ponce In exchange.

OFFICIAL: The Pirates have acquired RHP Cody Ponce from the Brewers in exchange for RHP Jordan Lyles.    Ponce was a second round selection (55th pick overall) in the 2015 First-Year Player Draft, has a 3.29 ERA with 44 Ks in 27 relief appearances with Double-A Biloxi this season.

 

The Pittsburgh Pirates are reportedly trading pitcher Jordan Lyles. Beaver County Radio Program Director Frank Sparks saw the report on Ken Rosenthal’s official Twitter page that the Brewers have acquired Lyles from the Pirates. There is no word at this point what the Pirates have received in return. This shows that the Pirates are wavinb the white flag with the fact they are willing to trade within their division. Stay tuned to Beaver County Radio for more updates as they become available.

 

7-time NASCAR champion Johnson gets new crew chief

7-time NASCAR champion Johnson gets new crew chief
By DAN GELSTON AP Sports Writer
Out of a playoff spot, seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson is moving on to another new crew chief.
Hendrick Motorsports on Monday replaced Kevin Meendering with Cliff Daniels, will be atop the pit box for Sunday’s road course race at Watkins Glen International in New York.
Johnson won seven championships with crew chief Chad Knaus over 17 years before they were split up after last season. Meendering failed to steer Johnson into victory lane, and the former champ is 12 points out of the 16-driver playoff field with five races left before the cutoff.
The 43-year-old Johnson has 83 career wins but none since June 2017 at Dover and is mired in the longest losing streak of his career. Johnson finished 15th in the No. 48 Chevrolet on Sunday at Pocono Raceway. He has just three top-five finishes this season and eight top 10s.
“We have great confidence in Cliff’s ability to win races with Jimmie and the team,” team owner Rick Hendrick said. “He’s a natural leader and tremendously talented from both a technical and communication standpoint. Cliff’s familiarity with Jimmie and the No. 48 team culture will benefit us a ton. He will bring the spark that’s been our missing ingredient.”
The 31-year-old Daniels was Johnson’s race engineer on the 2016 championship team. He moved into Hendrick Motorsports’ competition systems group following the 2018 season and rejoined the No. 48 team as race engineer last month at Sonoma Raceway, a sign that a shakeup could be looming.
“Cliff has really shined since he came back to the 48,'” Johnson said. “When he returned, there was an immediate change in the team dynamic that all of us felt. We’ve worked together for a long time, have a ton of mutual respect and a shared vision. I have no doubt the strong connection and working relationship is going to pay dividends right away.”
Meendering will remain with Hendrick Motorsports in a senior competition role.
Johnson and Knaus won their record-tying seventh championship in 2016. Johnson hasn’t been much of a factor over the last three seasons and was knocked out of the playoffs in the first round in 2018. Johnson and Knaus were partnered in 2002 when Knaus built the No. 48 team as part of a Hendrick expansion and made the playoffs in all 15 years of its existence.
Knaus is the crew chief for Hendrick driver William Byron this season.
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More AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/apf-AutoRacing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

UPDATE!! Fire chief faults utility in Penn Hills shopping center blaze

Fire chief faults utility in shopping center blaze
PENN HILLS, Pa. (AP) — A western Pennsylvania fire chief is faulting a utility company’s response to a shopping center fire near Pittsburgh that destroyed several businesses and injured a number of firefighters.
Chief Bill Jeffcoats of the Penn Hills fire department said Peoples Natural Gas didn’t get gas service shut off for about five hours after the blaze at Churchill Center was reported at about 7:30 p.m. Sunday.
He told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that “There’s no amount of water we could put on the fire when it’s fed by natural gas.”
Utility spokesman Barry Kukovich said two of the three lines were shut down quickly but the third was harder to locate and shutting it off was delayed due to the emergency equipment and the “significant amount of water” used to fight the fire.

Accused of Racism, Trump Blasts Black Congressman as Racist

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is criticizing Al Sharpton, a prominent defender of Rep. Elijah Cummings. Over the weekend, Trump lashed out at Cummings, a prominent black congressman, calling his Baltimore-area, majority-black district a “rodent-infested mess” where “no human being would want to live.” On Monday, Trump also tweeted against Sharpton, a prominent African American media figure who was in Baltimore to hold a press conference condemning Trump. Sharpton responded by calling Trump a bigot.

Gunman Kills 2 kids, 1 Other in California Festival Attack

GILROY, Calif. (AP) — Police say the shooter who attacked a California festival used an assault-type rifle and opened fire on three local police officers who immediately responded. Gilroy Police Chief Scot Smithee says even though the handgun-equipped officers were outgunned, the officers were able quickly fatally shoot the gunman. The shooting on the closing day of the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival killed a boy, a teenage girl and a young man.

Large Fire at Penn Hills Shopping Center Destroys Several Businesses, Injures Firefighters

PENN HILLS, Pa. (AP) — Authorities in western Pennsylvania say a large fire at a shopping center near Pittsburgh destroyed several businesses and injured a number of firefighters. The blaze at Churchill Center in Penn Hills was reported at about 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Fire Marshal Chuck Miller said four firefighters were hurt when an explosion occurred and a fifth was taken to a hospital for severe heat exhaustion. No life-threatening injuries were reported. Damage was estimated at $1.2 million to $1.5 million.

Car Batteries In Heatwave

The recent heatwave has PA drivers worried about their car batteries sustaining damage. Beaver County Radio News Intern, Kristian Biega, has more on the story…

Frayed Relationships Between Trump and Dan Coats Reflect Division

The frayed relationship between President Donald Trump and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats reflects broader divisions between the president and the government’s intelligence agencies. Coats is resigning after a turbulent two years in which he and the Republican president were often at odds over Russian interference in the 2016 election. Coats regularly appeared out of step with Trump, who says he plans to nominate a Texas congressman  to replace Coats when he leaves next month.

President Trump Criticizing Al Sharpton

President Donald Trump is criticizing Al Sharpton, a prominent defender of Rep. Elijah Cumminhgs. Over the weekend, Trump lashed out at Cummings, a prominent black congressman, calling his Baltimore-area, majority-black district, a “rodent-infested mess” where “no human being would want to live.” On Monday, Trump also tweeted against Sharpton, a prominent African American media figure who was in Baltimore to hold a press conference condemning Trump. Sharpton responded by calling Trump a bigot.