FILE – A Virgin Orbit Boeing 747-400 aircraft named Cosmic Girl prepares to land back at Mojave Air and Space Port in the desert north of Los Angeles Monday, May 25, 2020. Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit is slashing 85% of its workforce, Friday, March 31, 2023, after running into problems with funding less than four months after a mission of the satellite launching company failed. (AP Photo/Matt Hartman)

Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit is letting go of almost its entire work force with the satellite launch company finding it difficult to secure funding three months after a failed mission. The company, headquartered in Long Beach, California, will cut 675 jobs, about 85% of its workforce, according to a Friday filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In January, a mission by Virgin Orbit to launch the first satellites into orbit from Europe failed after a rocket’s upper stage prematurely shut down. It was a setback in the United Kingdom which had hoped that the launch from Cornwall in southwest England would mark the beginning of more commercial opportunities for the U.K. space industry

FILE – An electric vehicle is plugged into a charger in Los Angeles, Thursday, Aug. 25, 2022. Fewer new electric vehicles will qualify for a full $7,500 federal tax credit later this year, and many will get only half that under rules proposed Friday, March 30, 2023, by the U.S. Treasury Department. The rules are required under last year’s Inflation Reduction Act. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Fewer new electric vehicles will qualify for a full $7,500 federal tax credit under rules proposed by the Treasury Department. Many of those vehicles will get only half that amount. The rules proposed Friday are required under last year’s Inflation Reduction Act and likely will slow consumer acceptance of electric vehicles. The Biden administration concedes fewer electric vehicles will be eligible for tax credits in the short term but says eventually more EVs and parts will be manufactured in the U.S. Currently, 38 electric or plug-in hybrid passenger vehicles made in North America are eligible for the full tax credit. It’s unclear how many will get it under the rules taking effect April 18.

FILE – This photo taken with a drone shows portions of a Norfolk and Southern freight train that derailed Friday night in East Palestine, Ohio are still on fire at mid-day Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. The federal government filed a lawsuit Thursday, March 30, against railroad Norfolk Southern over environmental damage caused by a February derailment on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border that spilled hazardous chemicals into nearby creeks and rivers. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

The federal government has filed a lawsuit against railroad Norfolk Southern over environmental damage caused by a train derailment on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border that spilled hazardous chemicals into nearby creeks and rivers. The U.S. Department of Justice said in the suit filed Thursday that it’s seeking to hold the company accountable for polluting the waterways and to ensure it pays the full cost of the environmental cleanup. The derailment in early February led to the evacuation of about half the village of East Palestine. A message seeking comment on the lawsuit was left with the railroad on Friday.

The Connect Beaver County Broadband Program announced today that local Internet service provider (ISP) Armstrong has initiated fiber construction that will bring broadband internet to 65 previously unserved locations in Hanover Township.
Addresses slated for the new broadband Internet connection populate Hanover Kendall Road, Airline Drive, and Hanny Beaver Road. Locations are part of the Program’s Early Action Project for broadband development and were identified using information collected from the 2021 Broadband Data Collection and Feasibility Study.
Homeowners in the vicinity were notified late last month of pending construction and of their new opportunity for connectivity.
The new broadband service deployment is the result of a multi-year collaborative effort between Beaver County and ISPs that aims to bridge the digital divide and connect all unserved or underserved locations in the county with high-speed Internet.
“Beaver County is now one step closer to connecting Hanover, one of the many communities that need it most,” said Beaver County Commissioner Chairman Daniel Camp. “We’ve been eagerly anticipating the start of construction because we know prosperity depends on affordable, reliable, and fast Internet connections. Our Connect Beaver County Broadband Program is about ensuring that all our residents,
regardless of zip code, can participate in the digital economy, education, healthcare, and more.”

Newly connected Hanover locations will soon have the option to contract with Armstrong for high-speed broadband Internet. More information about the work can be found on the website in the program’s
News & Updates page.
“We are thrilled to bring high-speed Internet to more of our Hanover residents,” said Lance Grable, Director of the Beaver County Office of Planning and Redevelopment, “This start of construction in Hanover is a long-anticipated milestone in the project. We look forward to announcing additional progress in various areas of the county in the coming months.”
Beaver County continues to serve as a national leader in broadband infrastructure development. The Connect Beaver County Program demonstrates the power of collaboration between the public and private sectors to bridge the digital divide and create a more connected community.
To learn more about the Connect Beaver County Broadband Program, view progress, and join the mailing list, visit connectbeavercounty.com.

WASHINGTON – Get ready for takeoff! The Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Design Challenge will take flight on April 1 with an extended enrollment period.

The Challenge helps students design virtual airports using the Microsoft game Minecraft. Students studying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) across the globe will meet aviation professionals and learn about the aerospace industry and STEM concepts and careers.

“We need to continue to reach out to youth in their areas of interest,” said Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen. “The Airport Design Challenges does this by combining gaming and aviation to develop our leaders of tomorrow.”

During the competition, students collaborate in small teams to learn about their local airports and to complete developmental tasks in Minecraft. They participate in organized lesson plans covering topics ranging from airport layout, pavement and lighting to structures and innovative growth. Program facilitators, including over 150 FAA employees, will use weekly knowledge-check quizzes and screenshots of students’ designs to assess progress and provide feedback.

PITTSBURGH (March 31, 2023) – Allegheny Health Network (AHN) today announced the appointment of Devon M. Ramaeker, MD, to Division Chief of Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) within AHN Women’s Institute.

As Division Chief, Dr. Ramaeker will direct all MFM services across AHN, leading day-to-day operations and facilitating clinical research efforts that bring innovative, state-of-the-art care to high-risk obstetric patients. She will also continue to see patients as a practicing physician with Allegheny Perinatal Associates out of AHN Wexford Health + Wellness Pavilion, AHN Jefferson and West Penn hospitals.

Dr. Ramaeker joined AHN in 2022, having previously served as the medical director of MFM at St. Luke’s Health System in Kansas City, Missouri.

MFM physicians have advanced training in diagnosing and treating complex pregnancies that involve chronic health or genetic conditions, fetal abnormalities and/or any unforeseen complication to the patient or fetus. Chronic health conditions that can increase a patient’s risk profile when pregnant include diabetes, obesity, kidney disease or cardiovascular disease, among others.

Throughout her career, Dr. Ramaeker has advanced an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to managing the complex health needs of this patient population. In close collaboration with the AHN Cardiovascular Institute, she recently helped to establish the AHN Cardio-Obstetrics clinic to care for patients diagnosed with cardiovascular disease who are pregnant, trying to conceive, or in the postpartum period.

“AHN maintains a strong reputation for providing exceptional care to high-risk obstetric patients and their babies, and Dr. Ramaeker brings a remarkable wealth of experience managing extremely complex cases in pregnancy,” said Marcia Klein-Patel, MD, PhD, Chair of AHN Women’s Institute. “We couldn’t be more confident in her ability to lead this division with continued success, thanks to her unwavering commitment to innovative therapies, her advocacy for the highest quality of holistic care, and her passion for advancing research.”

The high-risk specialists within the MFM division offer patients the most advanced technologies, genetics counseling, emotional support and specialized newborn care. Advanced ultrasounds, placenta and amniotic fluid testing, genetic testing and fetal echocardiogram are available at AHN, allowing MFM physicians to provide a timely, accurate diagnosis and work closely with patients to achieve the best possible health outcomes.

As needed, special newborn care is available across all labor and delivery programs at AHN. AHN West Penn in Pittsburgh and Saint Vincent in Erie have Level 3 neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) for specialized critical care, and AHN Forbes, AHN Wexford and AHN Jefferson hospitals have Level 2 NICUs for infants with medical needs who are not critically ill.

Dr. Ramaeker earned her medical degree from Sanford School of Medicine at the University of South Dakota and completed her residency and fellowship in MFM at Magee-Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh. She has extensive clinical experience in gestational diabetes and cardiovascular disease among obstetrics patients. She is an assistant professor at Drexel University, and an active member of professional organizations including the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

She succeeds Ron Thomas, MD, former Division Chief of MFM. Dr. Thomas recently retired after dedicating more than three decades in the service of his patients and their families.

“It has been an honor to work alongside Dr. Thomas, and on behalf of the entire Institute, we would like to extend our utmost gratitude for his service to AHN West Penn and the thousands of patients he cared for during his tenure,” said Dr. Ramaeker. “Our high-risk obstetrics program wouldn’t be where it is without his tireless dedication to patient care and advocacy of empowerment through education, and we’re committed to upholding his legacy within our program.”

For more information on AHN Women’s Institute, visit ahn.org.

The photo above shows the police presence outside Hopewell High School Wednesday (Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio)
Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published March 31, 2023 9:50 A.M.  

(Hopewell Township, PA) Hopewell Police Chief Don Sedlacek made a statement to Beaver County Radio on the events that took place at Hopewell High School Wednesday. He said his department received a phone call from a male talking softly on Wednesday morning at 10:20 a.m. saying that 6 people were wounded at Hopewell High School. The chief said initially he and the SRO and other officers responded in 3-4 minutes after the call came in. The officers began a lockdown of the building and a safety sweep to locate threats or injured persons. “Once we concluded the sweep and no injured persons or threats were found, the students were escorted to safety, and there was no intruder found in the school”. At 10:24 a.m. the police were in the school and secured it and locked it down.
The all clear was given at approximately 1:30 p.m.
Chief Sedlacek said “there was a lot of controversy over the hoax and we believed that the action we took was necessary to be certain that there was no threat or no injuries”.

(Beaver, PA) Beaver County Young Democrats issued the following release:

This Saturday, April 1, 2023, Beaver County residents will gather in front of the Courthouse to rally for common sense gun reform. On Wednesday, March 29th, a hoax phone call was made to local police about Hopewell High School. In response to this threat, schools across Beaver County initiated lockdown protocols to keep students and educators safe. Parents and students deserve to live in a world where they don’t have to fear attending school as a potentially life threatening event. We are demanding that our leaders and political representatives do their best to make tangible policy changes to protect our communities. Thoughts and prayers do not protect anyone from active shooters. We must hold policy makers accountable for this cycle of fear and violence in our communities.

WHAT: Beaver County March For Our Lives

WHO: Beaver County Democratic Committee, Beaver County Young Democrats, Voices for Change Beaver County

WHEN: Noon, Saturday, April 1, 2023

WHERE: Front steps of the Beaver County Courthouse, 810 3rd St, Beaver, PA 15009

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published March 31, 2023 9:29 A.M.

(Aliquippa, PA) Solicitor Myron R. Sainovich and Fire Chief Dave Foringer will work to develop a Fire and Rescue Service Agreement with the city fire department and South Heights Fire Department. The motion read that once the terms and agreement is settled, the document will be sent to South Heights.

FILE – Former President Donald Trump speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2023, March 4, 2023, at National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

A lawyer for Donald Trump says he’s been told that the former president has been indicted on charges involving payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign to silence claims of an extramarital sexual encounter. It’s the first ever criminal case against a former U.S. president and a jolt to Trump’s bid to retake the White House in 2024. The specific charges were not immediately made public Thursday. Trump has insisted he “did absolutely nothing wrong.” He and his lawyers have said the charges are politically motivated and have suggested he was a victim of extortion.