Author: Beaver County Radio

Tributes for victims of September 11th attacks being held in Shanksville as people honor them across the United States

(Story written by Noah Haswell of Beaver County Radio, Published on September 11, 2024 at 9:44 A.M.)

(Shanksville, PA) On the 23rd anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, on September 11th, 2024, people here in the United States will be paying tributes all around the country. In Shanksville, Pennsylvania, the Flight 93 National Memorial tribute will start at 9:45 a.m., and President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro and Former President Donald Trump will make an appearance to honor the victims. A private wreath laying ceremony will also be held. According to reports from the Associated Press, President Biden and Vice President Harris will visit the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. after the ceremony, while Former President Trump will visit both a fire station and the 9/11 memorial in New York City. 

Source of Photo: FILE – In this Sept. 11, 2002, file photo, the sun rises on Mt. Rushmore National Memorial near Keystone, S.D. as the flag is flown at half staff in honor of the first anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks against the United States. President Donald Trump is planning to kick off Independence Day weekend in South Dakota with a show of patriotism _ fireworks popping, fighter jets thundering overhead and revelers crowding beneath a piece of classic Americana _ Mount Rushmore. (AP Photo/Laura Rauch, File)

Robert M. Burak (1933-2024)

Robert M. Burak, 90, passed away on September 9, 2024 surrounded by his loving children. He was born on December 10, 1933, a son of the late Mitchell and Anna Burak. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife of 64 years, Margaret “Peggy” (Acheson) Burak. He was the cherished father of Robert M. (Barbara) Burak, Jr., Pamela A. (Robert) Rosati and Catherine Burak (Ronda). He is survived by his twin brother Edward (Shirley) Burak and brother James (Shirley) Burak. He was the grandfather of Roberta (Jason) Knox, Bradley Rosati, Jonathan R. Burak and Allyson K. (Cameron) Duff, the great-grandfather of Hayden Rosati, Izabelle Knox, Benjamin Rosati. He is survived by twins Olivia and Madelynn Knox, Cash Duff and Cruz Duff and many loving nieces and nephews. Robert was a proud U.S. Army veteran earning the rank of Corporal and playing for the Fort Bragg, North Carolina Army football team. He worked as a steel worker/foreman for Jones and Laughlin/LTV steel. He also served as a consultant for various steel manufacturers in the region. He and his wife Peggy were longtime members of the New Bethlehem Presbyterian Church. An avid sports fan, he enjoyed all Pittsburgh sports teams. He also thrived as an outdoorsman, relishing in the time spent hunting and fishing in nature with family and friends. He will be remembered most as a loving son, husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and brother. Friends will be received at the R.D. Copeland Funeral Home, 981 Brodhead Road, Moon Township on Thursday, September 12th from 2-4 P.M. and 6-8 P.M. A prayer service will be held at the funeral home on Friday, September 13th at 10 A.M. prior to funeral services at New Bethlehem Presbyterian Church of Aliquippa at 11 AM. Interment will follow at the Sylvania Hills Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Veterans Administration or Good Samaritan Hospice.

Joyce Marie Funkhouser (Passed on September 3, 2024)

Joyce Marie Funkhouser, 92 formerly of New Brighton and more recently of Monaca, passed away peacefully on September 3, 2024, at Cambridge Falls Senior Living of Wampum. She was preceded in death by her parents, Harold and Helen (Dishler) Chandler, her husband Donald Funkhouser, her sister Susan Boettner, and her brother Harold Chandler, Jr.. She is survived by her loving daughter, Vicki (John) Burchett, and her granddaughters, Lesley and Carley Hupp, four great-grandchildren, Trente, Troy, Timothy, and Tayliyah, and a great-great-grandson, Zion James.

Born and raised in New Brighton, Joyce proudly graduated from New Brighton High School with the class of 1950. On December 16, 1950, Joyce married the love of her life, Donald Funkhouser, embarking on a shared journey filled with love and devotion until his passing.

For many years, she was a well-known fixture at the former Puritan Drug Store in New Brighton, where her warm smile and caring nature made her more than just an employee; she was a friend to all who crossed the threshold.

A woman of faith, Joyce was a faithful member of the Beaver Falls Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

She found solace and pleasure in sewing, knitting, crocheting, and cooking. Family events were made all the more special with her delicious, lovingly prepared meals.

She was a devoted mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and great great grandmother.

Her passing leaves a void in the hearts of those who knew her, yet her memory will be celebrated and kept alive in the stories shared, the crafts cherished, and the family traditions continued.

Per her request, she will be laid to rest privately next to her late husband, Donald in Grove Cemetery of New Brighton.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Simpson Funeral and Cremation Services, 1119 Washington Avenue, Monaca.

 

Blood supply still fragile after blood emergency; donors urged to help save lives this fall

[Sept. 9, 2024] — In September, the American Red Cross stresses the continuing critical need for blood products to ensure patient care. Donors of all blood types are asked to give now to keep blood supply levels rising after a summer shortage. Type O blood donors and those giving platelets are especially needed. 

 

A steady increase in lifesaving blood products is vital to ensuring hospitals stay ready for any situation this fall. As National Preparedness Month continues, the Red Cross highlights the importance of having a strong supply of blood products already on hand for disasters and emergencies of all kinds and to meet the needs of patients every day.

 

Now is the time to book an appointment and help patients counting on lifesaving transfusions. To schedule a time to give blood or platelets, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS or use the Red Cross Blood Donor App. In thanks, those who come to give Sept. 1-15, 2024, will receive an exclusive Red Cross raglan T-shirt, while supplies last. 

 

All who come to give Sept. 16-30, 2024, will get a $15 e-gift card to a merchant of choice. For details, visit RedCrossBlood.org/Fall. 

 

How to donate blood

Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enable the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

 

Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass® to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, before arriving at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App.

Pitt fires athletic director Heather Lyke months before her contract was set to expire

FILE – In this March 20, 2017, file photo, Heather Lyke makes remarks during a news conference in Pittsburgh, Pa. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The University of Pittsburgh has fired athletic director Heather Lyke, a somewhat surprising move that came a few months before Lyke’s contract was set to expire.

Pitt chancellor Joan Gabel made the announcement Monday.

While Gabel thanked Lyke for her leadership, Gabel also noted that with the landscape of college athletics changing rapidly, she felt it was time for a fresh start.

“We need a new vision and a new leader of our athletics department,” Gabel said in a statement.

Lyke arrived at Pitt in 2017 and helped the Panthers start to find their footing in the Atlantic Coast Conference after treading water in their initial years following their departure from the Big East.

The football program won its first ACC title in 2021 and her decision to hire Jeff Capel as the men’s basketball coach in 2018 helped bring that program back to life. The women’s volleyball team has become a national power and the men’s soccer team reached the College Cup twice, 2020 and 2022.

In a statement posted on social media, Lyke thanked the many she worked with at Pitt.

“Today, I reflected of the wise words from a mentor: ‘If you leave a place better than you found it, you can be proud of your work,’” she said. “I am immensely proud of the accomplishments of the student-athletes, coaches, staff, alumni, donors and community members that I have had the privilege to serve alongside at the University of Pittsburgh.”

Lyke’s most ambitious project was “Victory Heights,” a $240 million facility currently under construction next to the Petersen Events Center. When completed, Victory Heights will serve as the home for 16 of Pitt’s 19 intercollegiate programs and will accommodate seating for up to 3,000 for volleyball, wrestling and gymnastics.

The building, launched in 2020 just before the COVID-19 pandemic, is scheduled to open in the fall of 2025.

Lyke, however, will not be around to see her vision come to fruition. She was in the final months of a contract that ran through 2024 but had explored other options lately, most recently when she was a finalist for the athletic director job at Northwestern.

The Wildcats ended up hiring Villanova athletic director Mark Jackson for the job.

Gabel said the school will launch a “comprehensive search” for Lyke’s replacement. Jennifer Tuscano will serve as interim athletic director until the search is complete.

Fewer than 400 households reject $600 million Ohio train derailment settlement

FILE – A black plume rises over East Palestine, Ohio, as a result of a controlled detonation of a portion of the derailed Norfolk Southern trains, on Feb. 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

Very few people who live near the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment opted out of a $600 million class action settlement despite residents’ reservations about whether the deal offers enough, so lawyers argue the agreement should be approved later this month.

The lawyers who negotiated the deal with Norfolk Southern on behalf of everyone affected by the disastrous February 2023 derailment said only 370 households and 47 businesses in the 20-mile (32-kilometer) radius around the derailment opted out of the property damage payments.

That includes only 82 opt-outs from households within 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) of the crash who were promised $70,000 for property damage. People who lived at the outer edge of the area will only receive a few hundred dollars if a federal judge approves the settlement after a Sept. 25 hearing.

Altogether, 54,925 claims had been filed as of last week, and that number should be close to the final total because there was an Aug. 22 deadline to submit forms.

“It is deeply satisfying that this community overwhelmingly supports this settlement,” the plaintiffs’ lawyers said in a statement. “This result would not have been possible without their resolve and determination to hold Norfolk Southern accountable.”

A separate payment of up to $25,000 for personal injuries was more controversial because residents were required to give up any right to sue in the future if they develop cancer or other serious ailments. But some 97% of East Palestine residents still signed onto that.

Some residents have complained that even though the lawyers have said this settlement is bigger than any other derailment settlement, the payments still aren’t enough to compensate them for all their suffering. Many people don’t like the fact that aid payments they have received from the railroad will be deducted from any settlement they ultimately receive.

One of the key concerns for those objecting to the deal is that the contamination left behind after hazardous chemicals spilled and burned after the train crash could be worse than they know. That’s why they filed a motion asking the judge to order the lawyers to release all the tests their expert did in the community.

The plaintiff’s lawyers said in their motion that they can’t release those tests because it would violate the terms of the settlement. They tried to reassure the community that they did extensive research to make sure the settlement was adequate by interviewing some 70 people and reviewing nearly 1.35 million pages of documents.

A separate federal settlement between the government and the railroad will ensure that Norfolk Southern pays for the cleanup that is still ongoing and for long-term medical monitoring of residents and tests of groundwater.

The National Transportation Safety Board confirmed early this summer that the derailment was caused by an overheated wheel bearing that wasn’t caught in time by trackside detectors. Investigators also said they determined that officials never needed to blow open five tank cars containing vinyl chloride and burn the plastic ingredient because those tank cars weren’t going to explode.

The plaintiffs’ lawyers said that because of their extensive investigation they weren’t surprised by anything that came out at the NTSB hearing in June.

Matzie: More than $540K secured for 16th District school repairs, improvements

AMBRIDGE, Sept. 9 – School districts in the 16th Legislative District will have funding for repairs and upgrades to ensure students and staff enjoy a healthy learning environment thanks to new grants totaling $540,363, state Rep. Rob Matzie announced today.

Matzie, D-Beaver, said the funding – awarded through the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Environmental Repairs Grant program – includes $381,778 to Central Valley School District and $158,585 to Freedom Area School District.

“Our students thrive with the best educators, support staff and curriculum, but they also need modern, safe classrooms that keep them warm, breathing clean air and protected from any environmental hazards,” Matzie said. “That’s why I fought for budget funding that will support equipment upgrades, repairs and any other improvements our schools need. Our kids – and the educators and school staff who work so hard to support them – deserve no less.”

The funding is part of a package of $75 million secured in the state’s 2023-24 budget and awarded under the PDE Environmental Repairs Grant program. Schools can use the money to improve water infrastructure and eliminate contamination, install point-of-use treatment devices to reduce lead and other contaminants, remediate mold or asbestos contamination and perform other projects that remediate environmental hazards.

Two vehicle accident reported in Racoon Township

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published September 10, 2024 1:58 P.M.

(Raccoon Township, Pa) Raccoon Township Police reported that last Thursday night at 9pm, officers responded to Route 3016 in the area of Route 18 in the township for an accident. Fire rescue had to extricate a passenger from one of the vehicles involved. A driver and a passenger were life flighted to a Pittsburgh hospital. Police reported that the cause if the crash was improper turning and yielding.

Aliquippa Police report vehicle theft and attempted thefts

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published September 10, 2024 1:55 P.M.

(Aliquippa, Pa) Early Friday morning, September 6, 2024, a Hyundai was stolen from the Hollywood section of Plan 12. The vehicle was recovered, according to the police report on Wade Street. The vehicle was towed from the scene and is being processed.

At 5:15pm. Friday, police responded to the 2000 block of Main and Davidson Streets  for 2 attempted vehicle thefts. According to the report, a witness saw 2 younger black males dressed in black wearing face masks were attempting to steal the vehicles. Within 5-10 minutes of each other there were 2 incidents where the males broke the driver’s side windows attempting to steal the vehicles. One vehicle was a white Hyundai, and the other was a KIA.
“Be aware of your surroundings and report any suspicious activity in your neighborhood”, Aliquippa Police advised. Residents should call 9-1-1 or 724-775-0880 to report suspicious activity.