(File Photo of Red Wine being poured into a glass)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Midland, PA) The Midland Fine Wine and Good Spirits store reopened to the public on Monday at noon. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board closed the store because of renovations on Saturday, January 4th. The store is open from 12 noon to 7 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. The store is closed on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

(File Photo of a glow in the dark gun in a suitcase)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Agents from TSA intercepted a gun at Pittsburgh International Airport for the third time this year this past weekend when they confiscated a 9 mm handgun that was loaded. The chamber of the gun also had a bullet inside of it. An airline contractor at the Pittsburgh airport owned the gun and TSA officials confirmed that person has their credentials removed and is not working there anymore.

 

(File Photo of Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Badge)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Raccoon Township, PA) Pennsylvania State Police in Beaver report that a domestic incident occurred in Raccoon Township on December 28th, 2024. At 7:30 p.m., thirty-five-year-old Zachary Pietruszka of Aliquippa was physically assaulted by thirty–six-year-old Alyssa Pietruszka of Aliquippa on 130 Maplehurst Drive. Alyssa Pietruszka was apprehended by troopers and is now in the Beaver County Jail after the incident.

(File Photo of the AARP logo)

(Reported by Danielle Smith of Keystone News Service)

(Harrisburg, PA) Pennsylvania cities or civic groups with ideas for improving their communities have a new chance to make them a reality. Grants from the AARP Community Challenge fund projects which do not take long to complete. Since 2017, Pennsylvania has given almost 500-thousand dollars in grants toward 41 projects. AARP Pennsylvania state director Bill Johnston-Walsh says this is the ninth year for the grants and the applications are being accepted for three different grant opportunities, capacity-building microgrants, demonstration, and what he explains are known as flagship grants. He says AARP Community Challenge Grants fund quick-action projects that boost “livability” and help improve walk and bike audits, home modifications, pedestrian safety and more. Applications are open now through March 5th.

(Photo Courtesy of the Ambridge Police Department)

(Reported by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano)

(Ambridge, PA) The Ambridge Police Department announced Monday that a new K-9 will be joining one of their police officers. The dog’s name is Pitt and the K-9 will be joining Mikey Longo, who is the K-9 officer of the Ambridge Police Department.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – This photo taken with a drone shows portions of a Norfolk Southern freight train that derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, Feb. 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(East Palestine, Ohio) East Palestine, Ohio and Norfolk Southern have made a deal to settle claims from the train derailment that occurred there in February of 2023. A press release on Monday stated that $22 million will be given to East Palestine by Norfolk Southern. The release also notes that police and fire department vehicles were replaced, the renovation of the train depot continued and the water treatment plant was improved in East Palestine for $13.5 million. Norfolk Southern will continue to upgrade the East Palestine City Park with a funding of $25 million.

Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio. Published January 28, 2025 8:09 A.M.
The photo above shows Parker.

(New Brighton, Pa) January is School Directors Appreciation month, and New Brighton Superindent Dr. Joseph Gaurino found a unique way to show appreciation to the district’s School Board.

Dr. Gaurino invited a special guest to the meeting, Parker, who is a therapy dog. Parker has become an important part of the elementary school, where he helps students on a regular basis. Gaurino credits the school board for allowing Parker to be a part of student life.

Parker’s journey with New Brighton started in 2021. 2nd Grade Teacher and Parker’s caretaker Lisa Patterson, approached Dr. Gaurino with the idea, who admits that originally he thought it was crazy. However, since then Parker has helped countless students when they are having a bad day or need assistance of any kind.

Parker shown with Lisa Patterson

Dr. Gaurino expressed his pride in New Brighton for being the first school in the county to have a therapy dog.

Patterson told Beaver County Radio about an event where the school lost electricity and Parker helped to comfort students. She also says students are always excited to see him when they get off the bus. Parker even answers to letters that students write to him.

Students also have the opportunity to be awarded with time to read to Parker, among other activities.

Elementary principal Jason Hall commented that Parker is the best person working in the building and he even has his own office.

Parker primarily visits the school on Fridays and other special days while attending school events as well. He has also made his way on to to district social media pages.

Dr. Gaurino commented that Patterson has a miniature horse as well, but they are sticking with just Parker for now.

File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – United States Steel’s Edgar Thomson Plant in Braddock, Pa. is shown on Feb. 26, 2019. U.S. Steel, the Pittsburgh steel producer that played a key role in the nation’s industrialization, is being acquired by Nippon Steel in an all-cash deal valued at approximately $14.1 billion. The transaction is worth about $14.9 billion when including the assumption of debt. Nippon, which will pay $55 per share for U.S. Steel, said Monday, Dec. 18, 2023 that the deal will bolster its manufacturing and technology capabilities. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

(AP) An asset manager is seeking to quash Nippon Steel’s takeover of U.S. Steel and oust the leadership of the U.S. steelmaker after taking a stake in the company.

Ancora Holdings Group, with $10 billion in assets, reported acquiring a 0.18% stake in the Pittsburgh company. It said Monday that U.S. Steel CEO David Burritt and the company’s board have prioritized a sale to Nippon because they stand to receive more than $100 million if it goes forward.

President Joe Biden blocked the nearly $15 billion acquisition this month — affirming an earlier vow to prevent the acquisition of Steeltown USA’s most storied steel company.

But the deal is not dead yet. The deadline to unwind the proposed takeover was extended by the Biden administration and this month U.S. Steel and Nippon challenged the Biden decision in a federal lawsuit.

Ancora is seeking an independent slate of directors at U.S. Steel and new CEO that are committed to walking away from the Nippon deal. In an open letter on Monday, the firm said it has nominated nine independent directors for election at U.S. Steel’s annual shareholders meeting this year. Those directors have a plan that includes making Alan Kestenbaum, a former steel executive, the new chief executive of U.S. Steel.

Ancora wants new board members to focus on U.S. Steel’s turnaround, not selling the company. It also wants them to pursue the $565 million breakup fee from Nippon.

“U.S. Steel is now in a dire state due its excessive capital spending, high debt, soft earnings and nonexistent contingency plan,” Ancora wrote.

The exit of the Biden administration does not necessarily improve the odds of the Nippon deal going through. President Donald Trump has consistently voiced opposition to the deal and questioned why U.S. Steel would sell itself to a foreign company given the regime of new tariffs he has vowed.

“We see no reason to believe that President Trump, a high-conviction businessman who was elected by middle-class and working-class voters, is going to contradict his self-described “America First” agenda and disregard the opposition of the United Steelworkers,” Ancora said Monday.

U.S. Steel said it remains committed to pursuing a deal with Nippon, believing it is best for the U.S. steel industry, supply chains and for steel workers.

It also raised earlier allegations that rival steelmaker Cleveland-Cliffs had attempted to sabotage its merger with Nippon. U.S. Steel filed a separate federal lawsuit against the Ohio steelmaker and its CEO Lourenco Goncalves, as well as David McCall, the head of the U.S. Steelworkers union, accusing them of “engaging in a coordinated series of anticompetitive and racketeering activities” to block the deal.

“Ancora’s interests are not aligned with all U.S. Steel stockholders,” U.S. Steel said. “Our stockholders will not be well served by turning over control of the company to Ancora. We are also concerned about the motivations behind these nominations, given Ancora’s and Alan Kestenbaum’s recent dealings with failed bidder Cleveland-Cliffs.”

Ancora is also based in Cleveland.

U.S. Steel had rejected a bid from Cleveland-Cliffs in favor of the offer from Nippon in 2023. Cleveland-Cliffs’ Goncalves said this month that he wanted to make a new bid for U.S. Steel.

Shares of U.S. Steel Corp. slipped more than 1% Monday.

File Photo: Source for Photo: President Donald Trump signs an executive order withdrawing the U.S. from the World Health Organization in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. public health officials have been told to stop working with the World Health Organization, effective immediately.

A U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official, John Nkengasong, sent a memo to senior leaders at the agency on Sunday night telling them that all staff who work with the WHO must immediately stop their collaborations and “await further guidance.”

Experts said the sudden stoppage was a surprise and would set back work on investigating and trying to stop outbreaks of Marburg virus and mpox in Africa, as well as brewing global threats. It also comes as health authorities around the world are monitoring bird flu outbreaks among U.S. livestock.

The Associated Press viewed a copy of Nkengasong’s memo, which said the stop-work policy applied to “all CDC staff engaging with WHO through technical working groups, coordinating centers, advisory boards, cooperative agreements or other means — in person or virtual.” It also says CDC staff are not allowed to visit WHO offices.

President Donald Trump last week issued an executive order to begin the process of withdrawing the U.S. from WHO, but that did not take immediate effect. Leaving WHO requires the approval of Congress and that the U.S. meets its financial obligations for the current fiscal year. The U.S. also must provide a one-year notice.

His administration also told federal health agencies to stop most communications with the public through at least the end of the month.

“Stopping communications and meetings with WHO is a big problem,” said Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, a University of Southern California public health expert who collaborates with WHO on work against sexually transmitted infections.

“People thought there would be a slow withdrawal. This has really caught everyone with their pants down,” said Klausner, who said he learned of it from someone at CDC.

“Talking to WHO is a two-way street,” he added, noting that the two agencies benefit from each other’s expertise. The collaboration allows the U.S. to learn about new tests, new treatments and emerging outbreaks — information “which can help us protect Americans abroad and at home,” Klausner said.

The CDC details nearly 30 people to WHO and sends many millions of dollars to it through cooperative agreements. The U.S. agency also has some of the world’s leading experts in infectious diseases and public health threats, and the two agencies’ staffers are in daily contact about health dangers and how to stop them.

The collaboration halt isn’t the only global health effect of Trump’s executive orders. Last week, the president froze spending on another critical program, PEPFAR or the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.

The anti-HIV program is credited with saving 25 million lives, including those of 5.5 million children, since it was started by Republican President George W. Bush. It was included in a Trump administration freeze on foreign aid spending slated to last at least three months.

PEPFAR provides HIV medication to more than 20 million people “and stopping its funding essential stops their HIV treatment,” International AIDS Society President Beatriz Grinsztejn said in a statement. “If that happens, people are going to die and HIV will resurge.”

A U.S. health official confirmed that the CDC was stopping its work with WHO. The person was not authorized to talk about the memo and spoke on condition of anonymity.

A WHO spokesperson referred questions about the withdrawal to U.S. officials.

Officials at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services didn’t immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. And CDC officials didn’t respond to the AP’s request to speak with Nkengasong about the memo.