Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio News Director. Published June 27, 2023 3:55 P.M.
(Beaver County, PA) Attorney John Salopek of the Beaver County Bar Association joined Mike Romigh Tuesday morning during “Live Mic” to discuss appealing your assessment. The new numbers and millage will go into effect January 1st, 2024 and school millage on July 1st, 2024.
Salopek says the notices that Tyler Technologies sent in the spring were looking for large mistakes. He says we are now in the true appeal period, with the notices that went out Friday, June the 23rd. A 40 day time period where a property owner can file an appeal to the Beaver County Board of Assessment Appeals and Revisions is now in effect.
Attorney Salopek notes that the assessors didn’t enter the properties, and assumes they input property descriptions to an algorithm and the algorithm creates the values. He is sure much of the process is computer generated.
He says real estate values have gone up since the last assessment in the 80s. The 80s assessment was 50% of market value, and this assessment is set at 100% of market value.
The county has indicated the old millage was 26 mills, and is now reduced to 3.66 mills. The county has the calculations for taxes listed on their website.
Salopek adds that school districts cannot raise their tax revenue based on the new assessment. They are not allowed to take advantage of the assessment for their own gain.
“Everybody needs to be realistic and credible when they go to their hearings.”
The assessment office will schedule appeals for those who file their request for one. They are expecting 12-15,000 appeals out of the 90,000 assessments.
Pepsi brings back #BetterWithPepsi campaign to declare that hot dogs go Better With Pepsi.
PepsiCo released the following statement: (Purchase, New York) Fourth of July is the quintessential American holiday filled with flags, fireworks, baseball, and hot dogs. According to the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council, Americans will consume over 150 million hot dogs on July 4 alone, enough to stretch from Washington D.C. to L.A. more than five times! (NHDSC, 2022) And with Pepsi sales heating up ahead of July 4, the brand is bringing even more red, white and blue to the party by showing the entire country that hot dogs go #BetterWithPepsi.
Even Joey Chestnut, widely considered the greatest competitive eater of all time, knows the best way to eat a hot dog is with a refreshing ice cold Pepsi. “I’m thrilled to be partnering with Pepsi to show America that hot dogs go better with Pepsi,” said Joey Chestnut, 15-time hot dog eating champion. “People might be surprised, but outside of competitions I love eating hot dogs at a more leisurely pace, and there’s no better way to eat a hot dog – steamed, grilled, or fried – than with a perfectly cool and crisp Pepsi.”
Pepsi, with help from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) Consulting (a business unit of The Culinary Institute of America), has completely reimagined what condiments can be for America’s favorite summer food, unveiling Pepsi Colachup, the world’s first Pepsi-infused condiment. Pepsi is so confident that hot dogs are #BetterWithPepsi, the brand is taking hot dog enjoyment to the next level with Pepsi Colachup, giving fans the chance to add even more of the iconic sweet, citrusy taste of a crisp, refreshing Pepsi-Cola directly onto their hot dog.
“The concept is both simple and creative. The distinctive flavors and vibrant citrus blend of Pepsi enhances the bright and tangy characteristics of ketchup, offsetting the smokiness of the hot dog,” said David Kamen, director of client experience for CIA Consulting. “It’s a whole new way to enjoy two American classics!”
On July 4, Pepsi is teaming up with the Detroit Tigers, Minnesota Twins, Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Yankees for exclusive in-stadium sampling during the team’s home games. Hot dog enthusiasts who want to be the first to try Pepsi Colachup can look for the sampling carts at these stadium locations:
“Pepsi has long been part of American culture and its cool crisp taste has been a favorite beverage choice for generations of Americans. We have always known that hot dogs taste better with Pepsi, and now the experts think so too,” said Jenny Danzi, Senior Director, Pepsi TM. “We’re thrilled to elevate this unparalleled pairing and build off our #BetterWithPepsi campaigns of past summers, when we proved that pizza and burgers go #BetterWithPepsi. We invented Pepsi Colachup to reinforce just how well hot dogs and Pepsi go together – an unapologetically mouthwatering creation that seamlessly merges a condiment with the ultimate hot dog pairing beverage, delivering a unified taste experience.”
Fans who can’t make it to the ballpark can still experience the joy of Pepsi with a hot dog. All weekend long through July 4, consumers who purchase a hot dog (or dogs) with a Pepsi at any food service or retail location can get the Pepsi comped by texting “FREEPEPSI” to 81234 and uploading the receipt that clearly shows a hot dog and a Pepsi purchase to get reimbursed the cost of a 20oz Pepsi product, via PayPal, Venmo or Digital Retailer Gift Card.
Harrisburg, PA – As millions of Pennsylvanians prepare to celebrate Independence Day, State Fire Commissioner Thomas Cook and DCNR Secretary Cindy Dunn are urging residents to leave fireworks displays to the professionals due to ongoing drought conditions and elevated wildfire risks.
“While we remind residents every year that fireworks are not toys, this year has the added risk of inadvertently setting off a wildfire due to lack of rain and dry conditions throughout the state,” said Commissioner Cook. “The safest way to enjoy fireworks during Independence Day is to enjoy fireworks displays managed by professionals.”
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) statistics show fireworks start more than 18,500 fires per year and cause an average of $43 million in direct property damage.
DCNR reminds Pennsylvanians that 99 percent of wildfires are caused by people. With especially dry conditions across the Commonwealth in 2023, DCNR is encouraging Pennsylvanians to follow guidance from experts on fireworks and be mindful of local, county and statewide guidance on burning.
“We have seen consistent elevated risks for wildfires this year, forcing our volunteer and wildland firefighters to suppress an unprecedented number of blazes this year,” Secretary Dunn said. “With that in mind, we ask that the public take all necessary precautions to protect the Commonwealth’s lands for the upcoming holiday as we continue to see dry conditions that make fireworks and other fire risks more likely to create wildfires.”
Low precipitation has dramatically increased the number of wildfires in Pennsylvania this year. There have already been 1,400 wildfires reported statewide so far in 2023, compared to 1,036 in all of 2022. This year’s wildfires have burned more than 8,500 acres, compared to 2,700 acres in 2022. Visit DCNR’s website for more information on wildfire danger, maps, forecasts, and tips on reducing wildfire risks.
Despite the risks associated with private use of fireworks, many continue to choose to use them during the holiday. Cook recommended the following safety precautions.
Never allow children to play with fireworks, even sparklers, which can burn at temperatures of at least 1200 degrees.
Only allow adults to light fireworks one at a time, then quickly back away.
Never point or throw fireworks at another person.
Keep a bucket of water or garden hose handy in case of a fire.
Never pick up or try to relight fireworks that have not fully ignited.
After the fireworks have burned, fully douse them with water before picking them up or disposing to prevent trash fires.
Never use fireworks after consuming alcohol, or other medications or substances that can impair judgment or the ability to react quickly to an emergency.
Whether attending a professional display, or using consumer fireworks, always remain at a safe distance from the ignition location.
Be sensitive of neighbors and their pets, particularly if military veterans live nearby.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that in 2018, there were five nonprofessional fireworks-related deaths and an estimated 9,100 patients were treated for fireworks injuries in hospital emergency rooms nationwide. Approximately half of the injuries reported were burns; with the head, eyes, face, or ears being the most frequently impacted part of the body. Thirty-six percent of those injuries involved children under the age of 15.
Under state law, Pennsylvanians who are at least 18 years old may purchase and use Class C, otherwise known as consumer-grade fireworks. Certain restrictions apply, including:
They cannot be ignited or discharged on public or private property without the express permission of the property owner.
They cannot be discharged from within a motor vehicle or building.
They cannot be discharged toward a motor vehicle or building.
They cannot be discharged within 150 feet of an occupied structure.
They cannot be discharged while the person is under the influence of alcohol, a controlled substance, or another drug.
Local ordinances may include additional restrictions, so always check with your municipality before purchasing or using Class C fireworks. Additional tips, and seasonal fire safety tips can be found online. Additionally, residents can subscribe to the ReadyPA monthly preparedness newsletter which features timely preparedness tips. Sign up to receive this helpful information here.
DCNR is encouraging residents to understand the factors that increase the risk of wildfires, including an available fuel source, such as dried grass or leaves; dry conditions, including low relative humidity; and an ignition source to start the fire, such as fireworks, sparks from an automobile, machine exhaust, or burning trash.
(New Castle, PA) Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Phil Cornelious, Western District of Pennsylvania, announces the arrest of fugitive Tracy Steel Scott, on June 27, 2023, in New Castle, Pennsylvania.
Tracy Scott is charged by the Racine Police Department with Criminal Homicide and Possession of a Firearm. These charges stem from a shooting incident which took place on June 6, 2023 in Racine Wisconsin that resulted in the death of a 38-year-old man.
The U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force Milwaulkee Division provided information that Scott may be in New Castle, PA. Operating with that information the U.S. Marshals Western Pennsylvania Fugitive Task Force conducted an investigation to determine Scott’s exact location. Early on the morning of June 27, 2023, with the assistance of the New Castle Police Department and Union Township Police Department Task Force members found Scott in a residence in the 1100 block of Booker Drive, New Castle, PA. Scott was arrested and transported to the New Castle Police Department where he was booked on outstanding felony homicide and firearm warrants from Wisconsin. Scott is currently awaiting extradition back to Wisconsin.
The arrest of this fugitive represents a culmination of extensive cooperative investigative efforts between, U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force, U.S. Marshals Western Pennsylvania Fugitive Task Force, Union Township Police Department, and the New Castle Police Department.
The Task Force objectives are to seek out and arrest fugitives charged with violent crimes, drug offenses, sex offenders and other serious felonies. Nationally the United States Marshals Service fugitive programs are carried out with local law enforcement in 94 district offices, 85 local fugitive task forces, 8 regional task forces, as well as a growing network of offices in foreign countries.
Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio News Director. Published June 27, 2023 12:06 P.M.
(Beaver County, PA) Upon the launch of the 2023-24 hunting license sales by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, hunters found themselves waiting longer than usual. The new process, which included being able to buy licenses online and at retailers, ran into some issues and the system experienced problems which led to long delays and long lines. Beaver County Treasurer, Sandie Egley, joined Eddy Crow on Teleforum Tuesday morning to discuss the effects felt by hunters here in the county.
Egley stated that 517 doe tags were processed at her office on opening day last year, that number was 120 yesterday. She says the system was down for at least 3 hours, and when it came back it took around a half hour to process one.
“Everybody was very cordial”, she says about the 30 people who stood in line for over 3 hours. She noted that they were frustrated with the system, not her office. Some hunters tried to buy their tag online while in her office, and were the 67,000th waiting in cue. She goes on to say that by the afternoon things started to improve, taking around 20 minutes to process a license.
The State Game Commission said hunters wanted the change. Egley went to sportsmans clubs to ask hunters themselves and most hunters agreed they did. They liked the idea of the process being more accessible online and being able to use credit cards rather than the usual processing and mailing method from the office.
The Beaver County Treasurers Office collects one dollar for every tag they process. She says the new process will lead to a loss of up to $17,000 coming into the local office. The office also had reduce the amount of printers they had. The Game Commission only allowed them to keep 2 out of 5, with the option of a third if the office purchased it, which they opted not to. The other 3 printers were sent out to retailers.
“It wasn’t a bad day, the hunters weren’t mad at us”, Egley says talking about the frustrations felt by hunters Monday. Everybody who stayed in line at the office left with what they came for.
Egley says “I liked it the old way because we knew we could issue the tags from our office, now “I can’t assure these hunters they’ll be able to feed their family”
The treasurers office works with approximately 55 million in taxes per year, and through there efforts, generate around 1.7 million dollars a year in interest for the county.
(Hopewell Township, PA) Beaver County 9-1-1 reported that, before 2:30 p.m. on Monday, they received a report that an unfamiliar pitbull had bitten an 11-year-old girl and another child on West Wind Boulevard in the Autumn Ridge Plan.
The dog was described as a large pit bull mix. The girl suffered puncture wounds and was taken to the hospital, the other child’s injuries weren’t specified.
No other information has been provided at this time.
(Brighton Twp., Pa.) Tune into Beaver County Radio Tuesday at 5PM for the all new “Sports Corner” with Ralph Williams and Smokin Jim Frazier.
Tonight’s guest are Ray Fidepaldo from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Leo Haggerty from Amped Up Sports, and Joey Davis from draft 412.
The show will also be presented via Facebook Live on the Beaver County Radio Facebook Page. Just Click the link below at game time:
If you can’t tune into the show you can click the link below to listen on-line via beavercountyradio.com:
You can also down load our free apps:
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Spurred on by train derailments, some states with busy criss-crossing freight railroads are pursuing their own safety remedies rather than wait for federal action amid industry opposition and questions about whether they even have authority to make the changes.
Legislatures in at least a dozen states have advanced measures in recent weeks, including some in states such as Minnesota that have witnessed disruptive derailments.
Some of the new requirements include provisions long resisted by the railroad industry. It contends it’s capable of making improvements and that its growing efficiency — including significantly longer trains and a much smaller workforce — doesn’t compromise safety.
In large part, states want limits on the length of trains that routinely stretch more than 2 miles long and on how much time trains can block road crossings — which can disrupt traffic and block emergency response vehicles.
They are also pursuing rules to maintain the current standard of two-person crews, bolster the trackside detectors used to identify equipment problems and require more notice to local emergency responders about hazardous freight.
The railroads argue that the industry’s overall safety record has been improving even as trains have grown longer and crew sizes shrank over the decades. So Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw said in an interview that he doesn’t think it makes sense to regulate those areas.
“We’re going to follow the science and we’re going to follow the data,” Shaw said. “We’re looking for investments in safety that are going to drive favorable outcomes.”
And the state efforts to regulate rail are fraught with legal uncertainty over whether only the federal government can enforce such requirements. And Congress and federal regulators are considering similar measures.
Ohio moved quickly, with the Republican-controlled government enacting a new law within two months of the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine.
State Representative Rob Matzie (D-Beaver)
The evacuation from the fiery crash extended into Pennsylvania, where the state House of Representatives approved a wide-ranging safety bill in early June.
The sponsor, Rep. Rob Matzie, a Democrat whose western Pennsylvania district is home to a major rail freight handling hub, said he is satisfied with the state’s legal standing.
He said he is sick of hearing that the East Palestine derailment is an isolated incident, that the rail companies are making improvements or that the federal government will order safety improvements.
“It’s now time for this state to act,” Matzie told colleagues during floor arguments. “We can’t wait for federal regulations, which always seem to be in the works, but never quite get done. Or for federal laws that will never ever see the light of day.”
States maintain that Congress long ago gave them the authority to regulate aspects of rail safety that federal regulations don’t cover and that courts require federal law to be clear about when that responsibility rests exclusively with a federal agency.
Railroads, however, argue that federal law broadly gives federal agencies exclusive jurisdiction to regulate rail transportation and that state laws ostensibly aimed at rail safety often do not actually improve safety.
Prior experiences haven’t exactly inspired confidence that the federal government will act quickly.
For instance, a 2008 law requiring the deployment of positive train control systems — equipment designed to prevent train-to-train collisions, over-speed derailments and other accidents — wasn’t fully implemented until almost 2021.
Then in 2018, then-President Donald Trump’s administration dropped a proposed rule that would have required trains hauling highly flammable liquids like crude oil to be fitted with advanced braking systems.
Two rail union officials — Jason Doering and Matt Parker — who have both lobbied for legislation in Nevada for years said it’s important for states to act because they’re not optimistic that Congress will pass meaningful reforms over the strong lobbying of the railroads in a polarized political climate. Plus, they said “the federal government’s approach to rail safety has historically been more reactionary than proactive.”
The Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine spurred legislation in Congress that advanced out of committee in the Democratic-controlled Senate, but its future in that chamber — not to mention the Republican-controlled House — is uncertain amid industry opposition.
Sen. Sherrod Brown, an Ohio Democrat who is a lead sponsor, said earlier this month that they are still trying to line up support and predicted “pressure by the rail lobby and, frankly, from some Republican leaders to weaken or kill the bill.”
Even though government data shows that derailments have declined in recent years, there were still 1,049 of them last year — roughly three a day. More than three quarters of them happen at slow speeds in railyards and don’t cause significant damage.
The industry contends that it remains the safest way to transport hazardous materials over land. Norfolk Southern and all the major railroads have announced steps to improve safety— such as by installing more trackside detectors that railroads use to spot problems and prevent derailments — though regulators and lawmakers have urged them to do more.
Investigators are still working to determine exactly what caused the East Palestine derailment. In a preliminary report, they said the likely cause was an overheating bearing on one of the railcars — but wasn’t flagged by a trackside detector early enough to prevent an accident.
Joseph L. Schofer, a retired professor of civil and environmental engineering from Northwestern University, said some rules being proposed at the state and federal level — for instance, minimum crew size — have nothing to do with the East Palestine derailment because that train actually had three people in its crew.
He also said state-to-state rules will result in chaos.
“What one state does to regulate the industry will have impacts on all states,” Schofer said. “Logically we ought to be able to establish a comprehensive, integrated rule set, based on a firm understanding of the rail industry as an integrated whole.”
Some bills were percolating before the East Palestine derailment.
In March, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed legislation creating an Office of Rail Safety, with backers citing disputes with railroads over widening roads at hundreds of rail crossings, but also derailments there.
“This is the most substantive state safety bill for my industry in over 50 years,” a union representative, Danny Brewer, told lawmakers at a February hearing.
The new law empowers state employees to take over the safety inspections otherwise performed by federal inspectors, and also to scrutinize rail crossings and seek federal penalties for trains blocking highway crossings without justification.
New York is advancing wide-ranging legislation that includes standards for more safety equipment after Gov. Kathy Hochul called for rail safety measures, citing the East Palestine derailment.
In Minnesota, Gov. Tim Walz signed a bill that requires railroads to promptly provide information to public safety agencies about hazardous materials being transported.
The Kansas Senate approved a bill to limit trains to 8,500 feet, but it is sitting in a House committee at least until the session resumes in January. Gov. Laura Kelly supports it, her office said.
Some measures have hit roadblocks.
In Nevada, Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoed legislation passed by the Democratic-controlled Legislature on party-line votes that would have capped train length at 7,500 feet. Lombardo said in his veto message that the bill was a “policy overreach” and possibly unconstitutional.
In Pennsylvania, the House-approved bill faces doubters in a Republican-controlled Senate where top Republicans suggest that it goes beyond state enforcement powers.
“There’s some concern that what the House passed lacks enforceability,” Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman, a Republican, said in an interview. “And I don’t think we’re ever well-served to pass bills that can’t have proper enforcement.”
(Hopewell Township, PA) An Erie County man was arrested in conjunction with a robbery in Beaver County.
33-year-old James Hribar entered the Snowy White Laundromat on West Main Street in Hopewell Township on May 24, 2023. He opened the cash boxes for the lottery machines using a crowbar, according to police, and took the money. He didn’t stop there, according to police, as he went to another business in the township, attempting to use the crowbar to open those machines. He was identified by people to township police, according to Detective Greg Durkos.
Durkos said Hribar is lodged in the Erie County Jail and will be extradited back to Beaver County for his hearing here. Detective Durkos didn’t have information on what Hribar is in jail for in Erie.
He is being charged with theft by unlawful taking and criminal mischief and a preliminary hearing is set for Monday, July 7, 2023 at 8:45 a.m. in Beaver County Central Court.
Kris Letang became the latest winner of the NHL’s Bill Masterton Trophy at Tuesday night’s NHL Awards ceremony in Nashville. The award is given to the NHL player voted to “best exemplify the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey” as voted on by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
The longtime defenseman played in 64 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins this season, despite suffering a second stroke in November of 2022. He returned to the ice in December, but then dealt with a broken foot at the turn of the new year, followed by the passing of his father, Claude Fouquet, soon after. Letang scored 12 goals and 29 assists for a total of 41 points on the blue line; three of the 12 goals he scored were game-winners.
Letang joins two other Penguins in winning the award: Mario Lemieux, who won it in 1993, and 1973 winner Lowell MacDonald.
