Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published August 2, 2024 2:51 P.M.

(Hopewell Township, Pa) Parks and Recreation Director Brad Batchelor announced Friday morning that the upper and lower parking lots, the playground, the bathrooms of the Hopewell Park were affected by flooding. He  added that the power is also out at the park due to the heavy rains.

(Beaver, Pa) The historic, beloved Beaver Supermarket – the oldest and last independent such market in the county – will continue to serve the heart of the Beaver Area community under new, second-generation family ownership. Kevin Camp, who acquired the business from Mark Ondrusek in July, is the son of the late Willie Camp who owned the market as “Valu King” in the 1970s and ‘80s.

Located in the center of Beaver’s heavily traveled Third Street business district, Beaver Supermarket will retain its 50 employees, many of whom have an unheard-of 20 to 25 years of experience. It will maintain its base of a wide variety of meats, produce, dairy foods and dry goods in a small, friendly atmosphere with affordable prices. Camp has plans to expand social media platforms to educate customers about what’s available in supply and to pass along updates from wholesalers.

“It’s vital to the community to have a locally owned super market,” Camp said. “We have so many senior citizens who rely on a local store because they can’t always travel to the bigger stores which can be too big and confusing to navigate. The store has been part of the fabric of the town for such a long time and is known for doing all the little things that help people. I could never imagine Beaver without it.”

Camp said that not much will change from what customers have come to expect. Among his priorities are to make sure aisles are easy to navigate and that the equipment and shelving are up-to-date as possible. Otherwise, he said, “the store will always have the same feel as it always has.”

Local realtor Edwards McLaughlin of Bovard Anderson Company, who was involved with the ownership transfer, said that “This is so upbeat and positive for our community. I hope we all know how fortunate we are to have the market and that we can actively support Kevin in his continuation of a valuable local asset.”

Camp’s father Willie bought the original Beaver Supermarket from founder Abe Farkas in 1978 and operated it for a decade until 1988. Willie often brought his young son to work. Remembers Kevin:

I grew up in the business, I can remember as a child of about age five coming to the store.  My mother would dress me up in a blue suit, and it was off to work with my Dad.  He would have me do miscellaneous tasks on the sales floor, such as cleaning or straightening out product on the shelves or tidying up in the office.  Getting to spend that time with him and seeing him talk with customers and make them laugh. He taught me a lot for all those years, and the important thing was that the business is always about people, customers, employees, and the community, E and if we make sure we take care of them the business will come.  He also taught me all the business acumen as well.  He passed away in October of 2017, but all his wisdom, knowledge and passion for the grocery business still goes on.

During the Covid-19 epidemic, under Ondrusek’s leadership, the store delivered groceries to the homebound who could no longer shop by themselves and had no one else to whom to turn. The personal deliveries made sure these at-risk individuals received proper nutrition in the effort to stay healthy. The market quietly has helped support the police, fire and other first responders, schools, sports teams, and a host of non-profit organizations. Curbside pickups are a staple of delivery alternatives, with orders available the same day if placed before noon.

WEXFORD, Pa. (Aug. 1, 2024) – Allegheny Health Network’s (AHN) Wexford Hospital has been awarded a 5-star rating by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). This prestigious designation recognizes the hospital’s commitment to excellence and its dedication to providing safe, effective and patient-centered care at the highest level. Wexford Hospital is the only hospital in Western Pennsylvania to receive a 5-star rating.

Launched by CMS in 2014, the Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating summarizes into a single star rating a variety of measures across five areas of quality, including mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experience and timely/effective care. According to CMS, the rating system helps patients to better interpret hospital quality data and more easily make decisions regarding their health care needs. A hospital’s rating is based on its performance compared to all hospital across the U.S. The national average star rating is 3 out of 5 stars.

In addition to this recognition from CMS, Healthgrades recently announced Wexford Hospital as a recipient of its 2024 ‘Patient Safety Excellence Award™’ and ‘Outstanding Patient Experience Award™’. The Safety Excellence Award recognizes hospitals that provide quality care while preventing serious safety events during hospital stays, and the Outstanding Experience Award celebrates hospitals delivering best-in-class patient experiences. Wexford Hospital is one of less than 80 hospitals nationwide to receive both awards.

Wexford Hospital’s emergency department was also recently selected by the Emergency Nurses Association as a 2024 Lantern Award recipient alongside AHN’s Jefferson Hospital. The award is given to emergency departments which demonstrate a commitment to quality, safety, a healthy work environment and innovation in nursing practice and emergency care.

Earlier this year, Wexford Hospital was recognized by Press Ganey with a ‘Human Experience Guardian of Excellence Award’ in the patient experience category. The hospital later announced that, in its first year of eligibility to receive a grade from The Leapfrog Group, it had earned an ‘A’ grade. The Leapfrog safety report evaluates how hospitals and other health care organizations protect their patients from medical errors, injuries, accidents and infections.

“These achievements are testament to the commitment of our entire team – from our leading clinicians to our dedicated support staff – to providing patients safe, high-quality care that is matched by an outstanding experience,” said Allan Klapper, MD, president, Wexford Hospital. “For those who live in communities nearby Wexford Hospital, we are proud that these accolades serve as visible symbols and peace of mind that excellent care is available close to home.”

FILE – The Pennsylvania Judicial Center, home to the Commonwealth Court, is seen on Feb. 21, 2023, in Harrisburg, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal from the family of a Philadelphia woman whose 2011 stabbing death was initially ruled a homicide before the medical examiner switched it to suicide after police objected.

First-grade teacher Ellen Greenberg, 27, was found in her apartment with 20 stab wounds. Police considered her death a suicide because her apartment door was locked from the inside and her boyfriend — who said he found her after breaking down the door — had no defensive wounds.

Philadelphia Medical Examiner Marlon Osbourne initially ruled her death a homicide, noting the large number of stab wounds, including 10 to the back of her neck. After police publicly challenged the findings, Osbourne switched the ruling to suicide without explanation.

Greenberg’s parents are seeking to have the ruling changed back to homicide. The city has objected, arguing that state law “makes clear that a medical examiner can be wrong as to the manner of death yet cannot be compelled to change it.”

In Tuesday’s order, the Supreme Court said it will consider whether “executors and administrators of an estate have standing to challenge an erroneous finding recorded on the decedent’s death certificate where that finding constitutes a bar or material impediment to recovery of victim’s compensation, restitution or for wrongful death, as well as private criminal complaints.”

Joseph Podraza, the lawyer for Greenberg’s parents, told The Philadelphia Inquirer that his clients were “elated” by the Supreme Court’s decision to take the case. He said death rulings can impact survivors’ ability to access insurance money and victims funds. He also questioned giving a coroner or medical examiner “absolute discretion that can’t be challenged.”

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing roadway improvement work on Beaver Grade Road (Route 3077) in Moon Township, Allegheny County will begin Monday, August 5 weather permitting.

Single-lane alternating traffic controlled by flaggers will occur weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. through late November on Beaver Grade Road between Montour Run Road and University Boulevard in Moon Township.

Improvement work on this $5.63 million group paving job includes drainage work, milling and paving operations, and other various construction related activities.

Crews from A. Liberoni Inc. will conduct the work.