An Illinois man has been arrested in Tennessee on charges he tried to kill an Aliquippa woman as she slept. The Pennsylvania State Police announced Monday that 47-year-old William Spengler, of Harvard, Illinois, has been arrested in Knox County, Tennessee. Police say he repeatedly hit the 50-year-old woman in the head with a blunt object while she slept in her home in Independence Township. Police say that happened around 10:30 a.m. Saturday and that Spengler then stole the woman’s car. Police say Spengler drove to Tennessee before he was arrested. Police aren’t releasing the woman’s name and condition, and aren’t saying whether or how she knew Spengler. Spengler’s charged with attempted homicide and theft.
Author: Beaver County Radio
Lung Transplant Patient Suing UPMC Presbyterian Hospital
A lung transplant patient is suing UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh after coming down with a fungal infection during a hospital mold outbreak. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports the outbreak has been linked to the deaths of three other transplant patients.
Business Tax Swept Out By New Year
A much-reviled Pennsylvania business tax has been swept out by the new year. State Revenue Department spokesman Gary Miller says the capital stock and franchise tax expired Thursday as 2015 ended.
Drug Conviction Keeps Council Member From New Post
A drug conviction from 23 years ago is keeping a newly elected city council member in Mckeesport from taking his new post. Corey Sanders was prevented from being sworn in with his colleagues Monday night. A prosecutor says he’ll need the governor’s pardon to allow him to hold public office.
Beaver County Sheriff’s Office Terminating Seven Deputies
There’s a big shake-up in the Beaver County Sheriff’s Department. New sheriff Tony Guy spent his first day on the job today…and he told Beaver County Radio’s Pat Septak that after conducting interviews and background checks on the entire staff, he’s decided to terminate seven deputies. That means his staff is short-handed so he has now begun the process of looking for replacements. Otherwise, Sheriff Guy says the transition in the sheriff’s department went very smooth and operations went on without a hitch.
Tourism Is Big Business in Beaver County
The tourism industry currently brings in nearly 40-billion dollars into Pennsylvania’s economy…and at least 250-million of that comes back to Beaver County. Those numbers are good…but Tim Ishman – Director of the Beaver County Recreation and Tourism Department – says that doesn’t mean they can’t get better. Ishman tells Beaver County Radio’s Pat Septak that his New Year’s resolution is to attract more visitors than ever to Beaver County…and he’s hoping to do that with the help of YouTube. Ishman says he believes that tourism will soon be the #1 industry in Pennsylvania.
Lottery Prize Gets Bigger
With nobody winning the Powerball jackpot Saturday night, the top prize for Wednesday’s drawing is growing to a projected $400 million. That would make it one of the game’s largest-ever prizes. One Pennsylvania player won $2 million in Saturday’s drawing.
Budget Standoff Stretches Into 7th Month
Pennsylvania’s budget standoff stretches into its seventh month even after Governor Tom Wolf signed parts of a spending plan last week. House Speaker Mike Turzai says there will be a six-hour call today for House members.
Shut up and lick the Stamps . . .
What good does it do to complain?
As near as I can tell, nobody ever got rich by complaining. Recently at a trip to the post office, I became agitated myself at the counter worker’s constant complaining and bad mouthing his employer, the U.S. Postal Service. Granted, it was the holiday season, and it did appear like he was short handed, but still, what good can possibly come out of complaining? Not only was his situation not going to be rectified, but he was speaking to people, who at best didn’t care about his situation and at worse, could potentially call this boss and create a real problem for him. He was complaining to the very people who write his paycheck, the postal customer.
There are many issues going on here that need to be addressed:
- Negativity doesn’t sell. If the post office had a competitor for regular mail, this branch would be in danger of chasing it’s customers away. People like to shop in an inviting friendly environment.
- Input is great, but talk to someone who can help. If there are problems with your system, speak to the ones who have the power to change it. Everything else is just gossip.
- Don’t hire bad apples. In his tirade to a previous customer in line, the postal worker commented that he was supposed to have gotten his lunch an hour ago, and that’s exactly why he had quit his previous job, at another area post office. Stating that “They pulled the same crap.” Seems to me, a little checking up on the guy, especially since he was in the same company already, would have revealed his shortcomings in this area.
- Don’t forget why you are there. Companies make money, and workers get paid when the cash register rings. Disturbing the cash flow pipeline for any reason is not only selfish, but downright malicious, and stupid for that matter.
- Go help. There were other workers in the back of that post office, and I assume a supervisor among them, who were letting this guy fail. If need be, get out there in the front line and save the day. Don’t wait to react when you get a negative phone call, or forgive the pun, letter mailed from a customer to you.
- Take action. If need be, get rid of the cancer in your sales force. Today his lunch was late, tomorrow, he will need to leave early for a court hearing, next week, his equipment won’t work right and on and on. Tough action and short term pain have long term benefit. Don’t be a coward and tolerate sub par and damaging behavior.