Parkway West Career and Technology Center on Steubenville Pike in Oakdale  is the newest location of the Community College of Beaver County’s Aviation Sciences Academy.  Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano was at yesterday’s  ribbon cutting ceremony with officials from both school’s participating. Retired Air Force Colonel Bill Pinter, is the director of the  Aviation Sciences Center. He was hired as the school’s dean of Aviation Sciences 3/3/2014.  The academy began at the site 1/2015 next to the Beaver County Airport, Chippewa Township as a dual enrollment program between local  high schools and the college.. Pinter said that  the program is a success, and   12 Allegheny County high schools are participating s.tudents spend 1/2 a day at their home schools, the  other portion  at CCBC;s Aviation Sciences Academy. The new facility is located in a building that  was used for another program previously, and has been decorated with aviation logos and photos. Currently, 38  students are enrolled  at the new academy, and 95 at the Chippewa facility  Pinter said 39 schools are participating in the program.  If they spend 2 years in the program, they can earn almost 1/2 of an associate degree, and complete one year of college by the  time they graduate high school. Pinter said he loves teaching, he’s an  Air Force vet, and retired as a full “Bird Colonel” He flew a F15E Strike Eagle in the Air Force, and a photo is on the wall of the center.

Now that the State House is back in session, State Representative Jim Marshall of Beaver County is eager to tackle one of his big concerns…and that is autonomous car safety. Marshall is sponsoring a bill in the House that would regulate self-driving cars. Marshall tells Beaver County Radio newsman Pat Septak that he’s not against new technology but he says safety is paramount especially when it comes to driverless cars. He says the actual text of the bill is still a work in progress.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held this afternoon to commemorate a new, additional location of the CCBC Aviation Academy. It’s being held at the Parkway West Career and Technology Center on Steubenville Pike in Oakdale. Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano will be there. She’ll be taking a tour of the new location and will talk with academy instructors about the innovative aviation academy. Be listening for Sandy’s reports on Beaver County Radio news.

The heroin epidemic in Beaver County will be the topic of a three-night seminar – beginning tonight – in Beaver Falls, sponsored by the Knights of Columbus Council 604. Mike Donnadio- organizer of the event – tells Beaver County Radio newsman Pat Septak that the seminar is open to the public, from teenagers on up. There is no cost to attend. The seminar will be held at St. Monica Parish on Thorndale Drive in Beaver Falls from 7 to 9pm…that’s Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, September 19th through the 21st.