Author: Beaver County Radio

Roundabouts built and investigated for crash data in Pennsylvania

(Harrisburg, PA) PennDOT announced today that at intersection locations replaced with roundabouts, injury-involved crashes decreased by 51% and the total number of crashes decreased by 7%, as well as two fatalities at roundabouts on state routes during a twenty-year review period. During this twenty-year period, PennDOT investigated forty-seven roundabouts with at least one crash and three years of crash data seen both before and after these roundabouts were being built. Forty-six roundabouts have been constructed on state routes in addition to the ones that meet PennDOT’s selection criteria.

The eight new roundabouts included in this year’s review are at the following intersections:

Adams County:

  • Route 94 and Stoney Point Road.

Cumberland County:

  • Route 1011 (Lambs Gap Road) and Bali Hai Road.
  • Route 2017 (Lisburn Road) and Rossmoyne Road.

Lancaster County:

  • Route 772 (Rothsville Road) and 6th Street Extension.
  • Route 4022 (Woodcrest Avenue) and West 6th Street.

Mercer County:

  • Route 62 and Shenango Valley Mall.

Philadelphia County

  •  Route 2007 (Frankford Avenue), York Street and Trenton Avenue.

Washington County

  •  Route 1009 (Morganza Road) and Baker Road.

Lawrence J. DeDominicis (1942-2024)

Lawrence J. DeDominicis, 81, of Freedom, passed away on September 16, 2024 with his family by his side in Heritage Valley Sewickley.  He was born on September 30, 1942, a son of the late Anthony and Angeline DeDominicis. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by 6 siblings: Thomas, Toni, Richard, John, Anetta, and Agnes;  and a grandson, Zachary Lawrence DeDominicis.  

He is survived by his loving wife of 62 years, Agnes (Wichryk) DeDominicis, 5 children: Jeffrey & Janet DeDominicis, Christopher & Kim DeDominicis, Greg & Joya DeDominicis, Michele & Terry Bourne, and Patrick & Pam DeDominicis, 9 grandchildren: Mckenzie, Logan, Anthony (Jaimie), Lexi,  Nikolas, Vincent, Ryan,  Roman DeDominicis, and Domenique Bourne, 5 great grandchildren: Arianna, Angela, Tanner, Sienna, and Joey, and 3 sisters: Janice (Jim) Sarver, Joyce Porter and Joanne Flook. 

Lawrence was a retired construction worker with the Local 833 Labor Union. He was an US Airforce veteran. He loved to hunt, camp and especially go fishing as an avid outdoorsman. He loved to fish and enjoyed spending time in his Jigs and Rigs shop making lures. He loved his family and friends more than anything else, as well as being able to cook for everyone especially on holidays.  

A Memorial Mass will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, September 28 in St. Felix Roman Catholic Church. Arrangements have been entrusted to the branch of Huntsman Funeral Home and Cremation Services. 

Aliquippa driver taken in to custody after traffic stop

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published September 19, 2024 2:47 P.M.

(Aliquippa, Pa) Aliquippa Police initiated a traffic stop in the 900 block of Main Street on Friday, September 13, 2024 at 10:30pm. A backup officer responded to assist when a blue Chevy Impala pulled in front of the cruiser, almost striking it. The driver of the Impala fled the scene and police stopped him in the 800 block of Franklin Avenue.   The driver refused to provide his identification to the officer, telling the officer that under PA law he wasn’t required to do so. Antwonne Jones, 40, was taken into custody and charged with obstruction, according to police.

Northway Church in Rochester sponsoring 5K Color Run and Walk

Rochester

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published September 19, 2024 11:51 A.M.

(Rochester, Pa) Kylie Pusay, Northway church’s music director, announced last week that a 5k is to be held at Riverfront Park on Saturday, September  28, 2024 at 10am to benefit the Rochester School District. She said the focus is to help the community outside of the church. Ms. Pusay said in a recent phone interview 100-120 runners will participate. Runners will receive t-shirts blasted in colored powder. Walk-ins will also receive t-shirts, she said.

Male struck by a vehicle on Route 51 near the Aliquippa-Ambridge Bridge

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published September 19, 2024 11:45 P.M.

(Aliquippa, Pa) Aliquippa Police were dispatched to the area of Route 51 south near the Aliquippa-Ambridge Bridge at 9pm Wednesday, September 19, 2024. The male was transported by ambulance to a Pittsburgh hospital for treatment of his injuries.

No other information was  available, according to police.

PIAA sanctions high school girls’ flag football

PIAA logo

MECHANICSBURG, PA [September 18, 2024] – The Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers are thrilled to learn of today’s announcement from the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, Inc. (PIAA), declaring high school girls’ flag football an officially sanctioned sport in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The PIAA Board of Directors meeting took place on Wednesday, September 18 in Mechanicsburg, PA, where girls’ flag football was reviewed and approved on the third and final reading to be designated as a state sanctioned sport.

A sport is considered for sanctioning when it has adopted a set of operational and safety standards set forward by a governing body. When these standards and best practices are fully implemented within the overall framework of a program, events create a more positive and structured experience for participants. In the case of girls’ flag football in Pennsylvania, it was required that there be at least 100 participating teams across the state. That threshold was achieved in April with 65 schools from the eastern side of the state (Philadelphia Eagles) and 36from the western side (Pittsburgh Steelers).

“We’re thrilled that we can offer another opportunity for girls to participate interscholastic athletics,” said Frank Majikes, PIAA President. “This is the second girls’ sport in two years to be approved. In recognizing the National Federation of High School Associations (NFHS), we will be initiating development of a girls’ flag football rules book in January 2025. This will allow us to develop our process to host a championship. The structural changes to the sport won’t begin until the 2025-26 school year. The PIAA thanks the National Football League, Eagles, and Steelers
for their support and efforts for girls’ flag football.”

As part of a collaborative approach to get girls’ flag football sanctioned, the Eagles and Steelers worked in tandem over the past three flag seasons to grow the game at the youth level for girls through education, engagement, distribution of equipment, and resources. In July 2023, the PIAA designated girls’ flag football as an emerging sport in Pennsylvania thanks to the efforts of both clubs. This designation served as the next step in the process of getting girls’ flag football sanctioned and ultimately becoming an official sport in PA.

“This is not just an important day for the Eagles and Steelers, but for the sport of football and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” said Jeffrey Lurie, Chairman & CEO, Philadelphia Eagles. “When we launched our girls’ flag football league in 2022, we set an ambitious five-year goal to get the sport sanctioned in our state. Now, here we are three seasons later and two years ahead of schedule. The sport’s organic growth is a credit to the participants, administrators, coaches, officials, and parents who helped raise the profile of girls’ flag football. We thank the PIAA for their leadership in recognizing a sport that has the power to unlock new pathways and opportunities for
girls of all ages in every community.”

“We are excited to see such a groundbreaking moment for the future of girls’ flag football,” said Art Rooney II, Steelers President. “It has been great working with the Eagles to accomplish a successful ruling that will now give young girls the chance to compete at a state level. We look forward to seeing how girls’ flag football continues to grow in Pennsylvania and worldwide.”

Launched in the Spring of 2022, the Eagles Girls’ Flag League began with 16 schools from the Philadelphia Public and Catholic Leagues. The program then expanded to 38 teams in 2023 and then to 65 in 2024. Of those participating teams, the Philadelphia Public and Catholic Leagues have made girls’ flag an official sport within their
leagues – designating their own league chairs and hosting their own championships. The Eagles Girls’ Flag League has more than 1,600 girls playing throughout the eastern side of Pennsylvania.

The Eagles’ support for girls’ flag football has also included the facilitation of learn-to-play, coaching, and officiating clinics, a girls’ flag sports performance combine, girls’ flag jamborees, and the girls’ flag championships, which have been hosted at the NovaCare Complex and Lincoln Financial Field.

As part of their ongoing commitment to increase access to girls’ youth sports, the Eagles partnered with Operation Warm to launch an innovative new sports bra line – FLY:FWD – designed specifically for young girls and women
competing in sport. The initiative kicked off with the distribution of 30,000 FLY:FWD sports bras to girls in need across the Greater Philadelphia area.

The Steelers Girls’ Flag Football League began in 2022 with six schools. The first championship game was held at Acrisure Stadium. That year, the team hosted their first Steelers Flag Jamboree – a free camp for girls in grades 7-12 who are interested in learning more about playing flag football.

In 2023, the program grew to 17 schools with 22 teams. The organization implemented “Steelers Showcase Game of the Week,” where current Steelers players attend girls’ flag football games to show their support for the teams and highlight game changers within the league. Ahead of the 2023 season, the team hosted a special uniform
unveiling at Acrisure Stadium. The uniforms were hung in the Steelers locker room with special lighting to make it a one-of-a-kind experience for the participants. This year’s championship game was held at Carnegie Mellon University.

This year, the program grew to 36 high schools, with the Steelers hosting a girls’ flag coaching clinic and college showcase. The “Steelers Showcase Game of the Week” and Steelers Flag Jamborees are still largely successful events that continue to highlight girls’ flag football, giving girls the opportunity to learn more about the sport.

The Eagles and Steelers have received generous support to help grow and expand the game for girls from organizations, such as the NFL Foundation, NFL Flag, USA Football, Nike, FLY:FWD, and corporate partners. Items provided by both NFL clubs to first-year programs: $3,000 stipend ($1,500 stipend to returning schools), 25 customized uniforms from Nike, 30 flag belts, six footballs, and USA Football Flag Kits (flags, cones, footballs).

Support is increased for families in Pennsylvania for child and dependent care for Pennsylvania tax credit expansion

(Story reported by Danielle Smith of Keystone News Service, published by Noah Haswell of Beaver County Radio on September 19, 2024 at 11:43 A.M.)

Pennsylvania families facing challenges with child and dependent care expenses may now benefit from a significant state tax break. The expansion of the Child and Dependent Care Enhancement Tax Credit is expected to directly benefit almost two hundred and ten thousand working families in Pennsylvania by providing them with additional financial support when they file their income taxes. Gillian Kratzer with the advocacy group Better Pennsylvania says the tax-credit expansion is a substantial benefit, as it increased from six hundred dollars to twenty-one hundred dollars.

Shots fired at Aliquippa officers Tuesday night

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published September 19, 2024 11:27 A.M.

(Aliquippa, Pa) No officers were hit when a male fired shots in the area of Valley Terrace Apartments Tuesday night. State Police were asked by Aliquippa Police to take over the investigation of a male dressed in all black after Aliquippa officers lost sight of the male following a chase after 6pm Tuesday night. The incident occurred at Building C of the Valley Terrace Apartments on Superior Avenue. The investigation is ongoing.

Richard T. Kelleher (1936-2024)

Richard T. Kelleher, 87, of New Sewickley Township passed away on September 16, 2024 in Lakeview Personal Care Home of Darlington. He was born on October 1, 1936 in Allegheny County, the son of the late Richard T. and Catherine McCullen Kelleher. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Marlene B. (Braun) Kelleher, one daughter and son-in-law, Karen Ann and Gregg Rappaport of Sarasota, Florida, one son and daughter-in-law, Retired Master Sergeant Richard A. and Valentina Kelleher of Kansas City, Missouri, one grandson, Alex Rappaport of Sarasota, Florida, one granddaughter, Madison Kelleher of Kansas City, Missouri, a great-granddaughter, Lyra Rappaport of Sarasota, Florida and two sisters, Rita Jones of Mars and Betty Hewitt of Monaca, one brother Frederick F. Kelleher of New Sewickley Township, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. He was a retired employee of Valvoline Oil of Freedom. He was a member of New Hope Evangelical Lutheran Church of Economy Borough. He was an Army veteran during the Vietnam War, member of the Freedom American Legion Post 348. He was an avid fisherman and an avid bowler and was the captain of a Baden Bowling League. Friends will be received on Monday, September 23rd from 2-6 P.M., and then a service will be held at 6:30 P.M. in the William Murphy Funeral Home, Inc., 349 Adams Street, Rochester. The service will be presided by his pastor, Rev. Martin Galbraith with interment following at Sylvania Hills Memorial Park. The family wishes memorial contributions to be made to a favorite charity of choice.

Ann McGovern McIntyre (1929-2024)

Ann McGovern McIntyre, 94, passed on September 14, 2024 on her beloved farm in Brighton Township. She was born to Elizabeth and John F. McGovern in Beaver on October 16, 1929. She was preceded in death by her husband James H. McIntyre. She is survived by her only child, Elisabeth (“Lisa”) McIntyre, her son-in-law John Gribar, and her three beloved grandchildren, John, Ben and Case Gribar. She was a graduate of Grove City College and then went on to obtain a Master’s degree in social work from Tulane University in 1956.
After graduation, Ann returned to Beaver County and became the Director of Beaver County’s Child Welfare Services in 1956. Following her marriage to James H. McIntyre in 1962, the couple re-located to Cincinnati where Ann worked as an Adoption Supervisor. The couple returned to Beaver County in 1966. Ann then held various administrative mental health positions in Beaver County, including Administrative Director of the Community Mental Health Center and ultimately Director of the Beaver County Mental Health Base Service Unit. She retired in 1996, but continued to work as a Mental Health Consultant for Beaver County into her eighties. Ann was also the owner and operator of the McIntyre Tree Farm in Brighton Township for over 60 years.
When Ann was 25, she asked her parents for 1,000 pine tree seedlings for Christmas to pursue her dream of owning a tree farm. She officially began selling Christmas trees on McIntyre Farm a decade later. Ann spent many wonderful days on her farm planting and trimming trees in preparation for Christmas time. For Ann, the farm was less about the business of Christmas trees and much more about helping families make cherished memories. She viewed countless repeat customers as family. At age 88, she was interviewed by The Times about the success of her long-standing business and said, “if you can sit in a chair, you can sit on a tractor.” This quote is the epitome of Ann, who had an engaging energy, incredible sense of humor and a great love of helping families find “the perfect tree.”
Ann was also an avid equestrian from a very young age. As a child, she took the money her mother gave her for piano lessons and used it to take riding lessons. Her mother caught on quickly when Ann was only able to play one song at the piano recital. She grew up riding Saddlebred horses and showed both Saddlebreds and fine harness horses, including a World Champion fine harness horse. Ann was also a great lover of dogs and had many wonderful Dobermans, Boxers, Labradors and muts over the years. The dogs earned their keep by alerting Ann to Christmas tree customers arriving at the farm.
Ann was a devoted, loving mother to her daughter, Lisa. They shared the joys of daily farm work; selling Christmas trees, chasing naughty puppies and riding horses. Ann’s tireless work ethic allowed her to balance the demands of full-time work and the hectic weekends carting Lisa, her friends and ponies to horse shows far and wide.
Ann was thrilled when Lisa met and married John. She very much enjoyed discussing farm equipment with him and they loved to join forces to poke fun at Lisa. Ann’s grandchildren loved “Grammy Mac” with all their hearts, and what was not to love about a grandmother who took you for endless tractor rides and then filled your tummy with potato chips, ice cream cones and chocolates.
Visitation will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, September 19 at the William Murphy Funeral Home, Inc., 349 Adams Street, Rochester, where a service will be held on Friday, September 20 at 11 a.m. Private family internment will be held following the service in Beaver Cemetery. Online condolences may be shared at williammurphyfuneralhomeinc.com.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Beaver County Humane Society, 3394 Broadhead Road, Aliquippa.
Ann leaves wishes of “love and Merry Christmas!” to all her devoted friends, neighbors and tree customers.