Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio. Published September 12, 2024 3:11 P.M.

(Beaver, Pa) The Beaver County Commissioners were met with concerns and questions regarding the consideration of buying the former Beaver County Times building in Beaver at their Thursday morning work session. County Controller Maria Longo and Treasurer Sandie Egley were two notable officials that voiced their concerns on the subject. Both want to see a comprehensive analysis performed for the project. Longo has stated that there is a conflict of interest in the deal and with the assessment appeals.

Discussions have been in place between the Commissioners and building owner  Joe Askar to purchase the building for document storage among other things. Beaver County Radio has been told that Michael Coleman possibly has something to do with the ownership of the building as well.  According to documents provided to Beaver County Radio, Askar paid $675,000 for the building in May 2023. Under the new assessment, the building was valued at $3 million. The estimated cost, if the county pursued the purchase of the building, would be $2.8 million.

Kohlman, who is alleged to also have a part in the ownership of the building,  is the former Chief Assessor for Beaver County who worked as a consultant with Tyler Technologies for the initial assessment, and helped to set property values. Following his retirement, he was replaced by current Chief Assessor Josh Eckelberger. The county rehired Kohlman, along with his assistant Joann Ferrazzano, and his company, Commonwealth Real Estate Services LLC, to perform third-party appraisals for the county on properties in which owners filed appeals, even though individuals involved were involved in the initial assessment. Eckelberger also works for Kohlman’s company in addition to his role with the county. Commonwealth Real Estate Services has been contracted by the county from November 30th, 2023 through December 31, 2024 at a rate of $2,400 dollars per residential property appraisal and $6,700 per property for commercial. Kohlman is estimated to make up to $1 million dollars on the appraisals alone.

During the meeting, Beaver County Radio asked the Commissioners what the purpose of the Times building would serve for the County. Chairman Dan Camp relayed that the county needs a new place to keep hard documents. Currently they are stored in the mushroom mine storage facilities in Wampum. Camp says this has become costly, paying around $200,000 dollars a year for the storage in addition to extra fees whenever documents need to be retrieved. He said the building could also safely store ESU and election equipment.

The county has contracted another third party appraiser, Nicklas King McConahy, to appraise the Times building under the recommendation of the Assessment Department including Eckelberger, where Kohlman and Askar have also been working. It is also unclear at this time how many repairs or renovations the building would require, or what the cost would be.

Controller Longo is asking for due diligence and a fair process for taxpayers from the Commissioners. The former Times Building, located at 400 Fair Avenue in Bridgewater was the home of the newspaper from the early 1940s through 2019.

The U.S. Postal Service’s next-generation delivery vehicle is displayed at the Kokomo Sorting and Delivery Center in Kokomo, Ind., Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — The Postal Service’s new delivery vehicles aren’t going to win a beauty contest. They’re tall and ungainly. The windshields are vast. Their hoods resemble a duck bill. Their bumpers are enormous.

“You can tell that (the designers) didn’t have appearance in mind,” postal worker Avis Stonum said.

Odd appearance aside, the first handful of Next Generation Delivery Vehicles that rolled onto postal routes in August in Athens, Georgia, are getting rave reviews from letter carriers accustomed to cantankerous older vehicles that lack modern safety features and are prone to breaking down — and even catching fire.

Within a few years, the fleet will have expanded to 60,000, most of them electric models, serving as the Postal Service’s primary delivery truck from Maine to Hawaii.

Once fully deployed, they’ll represent one of the most visible signs of the agency’s 10-year, $40 billion transformation led by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who’s also renovating aging facilities, overhauling the processing and transportation network, and instituting other changes.

The current postal vehicles — the Grumman Long Life Vehicle, dating to 1987 — have made good on their name, outlasting their projected 25-year lifespan. But they’re well overdue for replacement.

Noisy and fuel-inefficient (9 mpg), the Grummans are costly to maintain. They’re scalding hot in the summer, with only an old-school electric fan to circulate air. They have mirrors mounted on them that — when perfectly aligned — allow the driver to see around the vehicle, but the mirrors constantly get knocked out of alignment. Alarmingly, nearly 100 of the vehicles caught fire last year, imperiling carriers and mail alike.

The new trucks are being built with comfort, safety and utility in mind by Oshkosh Defense in South Carolina.

Even tall postal carriers can stand up without bonking their heads and walk from front to back to retrieve packages. For safety, the vehicles have airbags, 360-degree cameras, blind-spot monitoring, collision sensors and anti-lock brakes — all of which are missing on the Grummans.

The new trucks also feature something common in most cars for more than six decades: air conditioning. And that’s key for drivers in the Deep South, the desert Southwest and other areas with scorching summers.

“I promise you, it felt like heaven blowing in my face,” Stonum said of her first experience working in an air-conditioned truck.

Richard Burton, another driver, said he appreciates the larger payload area, which can accommodate bigger packages, and the fact that he doesn’t have to crouch, helping him avoid back pain. The old trucks also had a habit of breaking down in traffic, he added.

Brian Renfroe, president of the National Letter Carriers Association, said union members are enthusiastic about the new vehicles, just as they were when the Grummans marked a leap forward from the previous old-school Jeeps. He credited DeJoy with bringing a sense of urgency to get them into production.

“We’re excited now to be at the point where they’re starting to hit the streets,” Renfroe said.

The process got off to a rocky start.

Environmentalists were outraged when DeJoy announced that 90% of the next-gen vehicles in the first order would be gas-powered. Lawsuits were filed demanding that the Postal Service further electrify its fleet of more than 200,000 vehicles to reduce tailpipe emissions.

“Everybody went nuts,” DeJoy said.

The problem, Dejoy said, wasn’t that he didn’t want electric vehicles. Rather, the expense of the vehicles, compounded by the costs of installing thousands of charging stations and upgrading electrical service, made them unaffordable at a time when the agency was reporting big operating deficits every quarter.

He found a way to further boost the number of electric vehicles when he met with President Joe Biden’s top environmental adviser, John Podesta. That led to a deal in which the government provided $3 billion to the Postal Service, with part of it earmarked for electric charging stations.

In December 2022, DeJoy announced that the Postal Service was buying 106,000 vehicles through 2028. That included 60,000 next-gen vehicles, 45,000 of them electric models, along with 21,000 other electric vehicles. He pledged to go all-electric for new purchases starting in 2026.

“With the climate crisis at our doorsteps, electrifying the U.S. government’s largest fleet will deliver the progress we’ve been waiting for,” said Katherine García of the Sierra Club, which sued the Postal Service before its decision to boost the volume of electric vehicle purchases.

Between the electric vehicles, reduced tailpipe emissions from optimized mail routes and other changes, the agency anticipates cutting carbon emissions by 40% by 2030, DeJoy said. The route revisions will also save money.

This summer the Postal Service’s environmental battles came full circle as the White House honored it with a Presidential Federal Sustainability Award, marking the end of “an interesting journey,” DeJoy said.

The honor signifies the agency’s ability to work through complex problems — be they operational, financial, technical, political or of a public policy nature, he said.

“It comes from forging forward,” he said. “Keep moving.”

___

Sharp reported from Portland, Maine.

Norfolk Southern Railroad ceo Alan Shaw speaks during an interview Wednesday, June 21, 2023, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Norfolk Southern said Wednesday it has fired CEO Alan Shaw for having an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate.

His ouster comes after two difficult years in the top job and just days after the company’s board announced it was investigating him for alleged ethical lapses.

The Atlanta-based railroad said Shaw had an inappropriate consensual relationship with Norfolk Southern’s chief legal officer, who was also terminated. Norfolk Southern promoted Chief Financial Officer Mark George to be the railroad’s next CEO.

Shaw was leading Norfolk Southern in February 2023 when one of its trains derailed, spilled toxic chemicals and caught fire in East Palestine, Ohio, the worst railroad disaster in the last decade. Then, activist investor Ancora Holdings tried to take control of the railroad earlier this year and fire Shaw.

He weathered congressional hearings and difficult community meetings after the East Palestine derailment, while promising to make Norfolk Southern the “gold standard for safety” in the industry. He also managed to persuade investors not to back the majority of Ancora’s board nominees. Three of its nominees did win seats on the railroad’s board, but that wasn’t enough to give it control.

The derailment near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border prompted the nation to re-examine railroad safety and led lawmakers and regulators to call for reforms. But those proposals have largely stalled, and the industry has made only minimal changes since the derailment, such as installing more trackside detectors to spot overheating bearings like the one that caused the East Palestine crash.

The disappointing financial results Norfolk Southern delivered after the derailment, combined with questions about Shaw’s strategy of keeping more workers on hand during a downturn, made the railroad ripe for pressure from an investor like Ancora. Norfolk Southern’s profits have consistently lagged behind the other major railroads that more aggressively adopted the lean operating model that has become the industry standard.

The railroad said Shaw’s firing was unrelated to Norfolk Southern’s financial performance, and the board reaffirmed its financial guidance. The railroad has said it expects to improve productivity by about $550 million and boost its profit margin over the next two years.

Shaw received $13.4 million compensation last year in his first full year as CEO. The railroad said earlier this year that Shaw would be entitled to nearly $9.6 million in retirement compensation if he left the company. It wasn’t immediately clear how being fired for cause will affect the $2.3 million severance pay Norfolk Southern had previously promised him. More details on his final compensation are expected to be disclosed Thursday.

The railroad’s Chairman Claude Mongeau said, “The Board has full confidence in Mark and his ability to continue delivering on our commitments to shareholders and other stakeholders” despite having only worked on the railroad since 2019. Previously, George was CFO for air conditioning maker Carrier Corporation and Otis Elevator Company.

Mongeau said George will work with John Orr — the chief operating officer hired during its fight with Ancora — to continue improving the railroad’s profits by cutting costs and getting more efficient.

“I look forward to my continued partnership with John and the entire (Norfolk Southern) team as we further our progress on optimizing operations and serving our customers, while creating a safe and satisfying workplace and delivering enhanced value for our employees, customers, shareholders, and communities,” George said in a statement.

Norfolk Southern is one of the six largest railroads in North America with tracks crisscrossing the Eastern United States.

(Monaca, PA) – Community College of Beaver County (CCBC) was recognized for its non-partisan democratic engagement efforts that fostered high levels of student voter engagement in the 2022  midterm elections. ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (ALL IN) recognized CCBC as having the Most  Improved Voter Turnout for a 2-Year Institution in 2022, reflecting its commitment to ensuring that  nonpartisan democratic engagement is a defining feature of campus life. 

“At CCBC, we feel it is important to engage our students in the voting process and educate them about  the power of their voices. Not only do we encourage first time voters to register, but we provide  information about absentee and mail-in ballots as well,” said Brittney Golden, dean of students. 

CCBC will include these initiatives into a variety of campus and student life events through the 2024 election period, including: 

• New Student Orientation and Club Fair – provides opportunities for the Director of the Beaver  County Elections Bureau and the college’s Student Government Association (SGA) to register  new voters, distribute voter information, and highlight the upcoming Voter Education Week in  October while exploring materials available on vote.pa.gov and information provided through  ALL IN.  
• ROCK the Vote –paint rocks, have fun, and learn of deadlines, resources, and important  instructions.  
• Election Day – celebrating students who come to class with an “I Voted” sticker.  

“The ALL IN Awards were created to celebrate nonpartisan democratic engagement and the outstanding  campus voter registration and turnout rates achieved by our ALL IN campuses. Ahead of the 2024  elections, ALL IN campuses are ready to build on the momentum from 2022 to ensure their communities  are ready to make an even bigger impact this fall,” said Jennifer Domagal-Goldman, executive director of  the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. “ALL IN is proud to celebrate and honor top-performing  campuses, like CCBC, who demonstrate that nonpartisan student voter engagement is possible and  effective.” 

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CCBC was recognized alongside more than 500 campuses using data from the National Study of  Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE) out of Tufts University, which found that colleges an universities had the second-highest voter turnout among students in a midterm election since NSLVE  began measuring this data. The full list of campus award winners is available here. 

More than 1,060 institutions enrolling more than 10 million students participate in the ALL IN Campus  Democracy Challenge, which supports colleges and universities in achieving excellence in nonpartisan  student voter engagement.  

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published September 12, 2024 2:57 P.M.

(Ambridge, Pa) Ambridge Borough accepted a donation from the Officer Robert Shaw Foundation for the police department’s K-9 at Tuesday night’s meeting in the total of $15,000.

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published September 12, 2024 2:54 P.M.

(Hopewell Township, Pa) Hopewell Township Police officers Jared Rogers and Miles Newton explained the School Resource officer program in the Hopewell Area School district. The 2 officers explained that the program has been in effect for 6 years and was preceded by the DARE program and having a juvenile officer in the schools.

Officer Rogers explained that with new legislation and training for officers, the SRO program was introduced and mandated by the state. Both officers go to all 3 elementary schools, Officer Newton goes to the junior high school, along with Officer Newton, and Officer Rogers is at the high school. The officers said the biggest issue in the junior and senior high schools is vaping.  Sanctions are filed against the students by the district and they are cited by the Hopewell Police Department.  There are detectors in the bathrooms, and the SRO’s check the cameras when the detector goes off. They both comment that the they think the students enjoy seeing them in the schools.

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing nightly ramp closures on I-376 (Parkway West) in Collier and Robinson townships, Allegheny County, will occur Monday through Friday night, September 16-20 weather permitting.

Nightly ramp closures on I-376 will occur next week from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m., according to the following schedule:

• Monday night through Tuesday morning – Ramp from northbound I-79 to westbound I-376 (Exit 59B) towards the Pittsburgh International Airport/Beaver
• Tuesday night through Wednesday morning – Ramp from northbound I-79 to westbound I-376 (Exit 59B) towards the Pittsburgh International Airport/Beaver
• Wednesday night through Thursday morning – Ramp from southbound I-79 to westbound I-376 (Exit 59B) towards the Pittsburgh International Airport/Beaver
• Thursday night through Friday morning – Ramp from southbound I-79 to eastbound I-376 (Exit 59A) towards Pittsburgh

Traffic will be detoured.

Posted Detours

From northbound I-79 to westbound I-376

• Continue northbound on I-79
• Take the Crafton/Moon Run (Exit 60) exit
• Turn left onto Route 60 (Steubenville Pike)
• Turn right onto the southbound I-79/Washington ramp
• Take southbound I-79 to the westbound I-376 (Exit 59B) exit toward the Pittsburgh International Airport/Beaver
• End detour

From southbound I-79 to westbound I-376

• Continue southbound on I-79
• Take the Carnegie (Exit 57) exit
• Turn left onto West Main Street
• Turn right onto the northbound I-79/Erie ramp
• Take northbound I-79 to the westbound I-376 (Exit 59B) exit toward the Pittsburgh International Airport/Beaver
• End detour

From southbound I-79 to eastbound I-376

• Continue southbound on I-79
• Take the Carnegie (Exit 57) exit
• Turn left onto West Main Street
• Turn right onto the northbound I-79/Erie ramp
• Take northbound I-79 to the eastbound I-376 (Exit 59A) exit towards Pittsburgh
• End detour

Crews will conduct milling and paving operations.

This $12.6 million I-376 Parkway West preservation project is located between the Campbells Run Road (Exit 62) interchange and I-79 (Exit 64A) exit in Robinson and Collier townships. Work includes milling and resurfacing, base repair, structure preservation and rehabilitation, with signage, guide rail, drainage, pavement marking upgrades. Motorists will see daytime and overnight lane restrictions on the Parkway West, overnight single-lane closures on five I-79 interchange ramps, and as needed weekend lane closures on I-376.  Additionally, in the summer 2025 an approximate six-week full closure and detour will occur on Boyce Road and the two associated ramps at the interchange. The project is anticipated to be completed in the fall of 2025. Northeast Paving is the prime contractor.