Author: Beaver County Radio

Future Of New Educational Discovery Center Becomes Cloudy Amidst Delays and Rising Costs

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

It was less than ninety days ago that the shovels were placed in the ground at the site of what would become the new Educational Discovery Center at Brady’s Run Park, a state-of-the-art facility that would showcase the ways that Beaver County excels in environmental efficiency and recycling practices.

However, as was made the focal point of the latest Commissioners’ work session, the progress of the Educational Discovery Center is at a standstill due to several major factors. The discussion about the feasibility of the EDC’s construction laid heavily on the fact that the project will require nearly double the initial cost expected, jumping from roughly $4 million to over $8 million.

Waste Management director Becca Naber, who is overseeing the project following former director Holly Vogt’s departure, faced a flurry of questions from the Commissioners and Row Officers regarding the project, which she stated was dealing with a floodplain issue at the site located along Park Road.

One person at the meeting who disclosed her concern about the cost was controller Maria Longo, who felt that taxpayers would not want to front that bill.

“The fact we’re still considering eight-and-a-half million for an Environmental Center without considering how much man power the County’s going to have to pay for…and all the other stuff…I’m a taxpayer, I still can’t believe we’re considering this,” Longo stated. She added that the aftermath of reassessment and an increase in bills would lead taxpayers to develop a similar sourness.

Naber countered by stating that the adjusted cost estimates for the project have inflation considered into the final numbers, noting that grant funding–if acheived–could help reduce any or all of the brunt that taxpaying citizens would have to deal with.

Commissioner Tony Amadio said that the best way to approach the current situation is to proceed cautiously, considering that costs may inflate even higher.

Matzie: Hopewell Transportation Employer Secures $3.3 Million for Zero-Emission Fleet Upgrades

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

PGT Trucking in Hopewell will be receiving $3.3 million in grant money from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to upgrade part of its trucking fleet with zero-emission vehicles.

State Representative Rob Matzie of Beaver County announced the funding yesterday that was awarded under the Medium- and Heavy-Duty Zero-Emission Vehicle Fleet Pilot Grant Program in Pennsylvania.

“All the improvements will save PGT Trucking on fuel and maintenance costs while cutting diesel emissions to our region. It’s an investment that’s also a great step into the future.”, Matzie stated.

Rep. Matzie also mentioned that there will be an additional $1.1 million in matching funds that will bring the total funding of the project to $4.4 million.

Impact Of Farm Bill Discussed And Dissected During Joint Hearing In Harrisburg

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

As State Senator Judy Schwank described it: “It truly is amazing that we have something that no one else in the country has.”

That “something” is the 2019 Farm Bill that has been in ink for Pennsylvania farmers for five years, and on Wednesday–concurrent with the Annual Farm Show nearby–the Senate and House Agriculture and Rural Affairs committees met with several local farmers and Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding to discuss the impacts that the Farm Bill has had not just on agriculture, but other parts of everyday life such as education.

The hearing was led by Senate committee leaders, Majority Chair Sen. Elder Vogel, Jr. (R-47) of Beaver County and the aforementioned Democratic Chair Sen. Judy Schwank (D-11), along with House committee leaders Majority Chair Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski (D-121) and Republican Chair Rep. Dan Moul (R-91).

“Today’s hearing was incredibly productive as we witnessed the immense impact of the PA Farm Bill since its inception in 2019,” Vogel stated. “Many of the grants that were instituted through this bill have allowed for farmers and agricultural organizations to expand their practices, acquire needed equipment, and better educate those involved in their day-to-day business. This feedback will allow for us to formulate future legislation that will build on the foundations we began with as well as provide improvements that were brought to our attention today.”

The focus now shifts to establishing a newer–and possibly bigger–farm bill in 2024, which Secretary Redding hinted at during the committee session. “The beauty of the Farm Bill is that you can add to it,” he said, “you can put an emphasis on different places if you want to.” Redding said that the new bill would focus on dairy farms and vitality grants.

The full session can be watched by clicking here.

Bonnie L. Morell (1939-2024)

Bonnie L. Morell, age 84, of New Sewickley Township, formerly of Rochester Township, passed away Tuesday January 9, 2024 at her home; with her loving son Pat and his fiancé Cass at her side. Bonnie was born August 22nd 1939 in Unionville, New Sewickley Township. She is the daughter of the late Morris S. and Florence Hart Pfeifer. She was a retired Elementary School teacher for 35 years with the Freedom Area School District, Big Knob Elementary School. She was a member of the New Sewickley Presbyterian Church and the Presbyterian Woman. She was a graduate of New Brighton High School in 1957, received her B.S. degree in Elementary Education from the University of Texas El Paso. She was a volunteer with the Heritage Valley Beaver Auxiliary. She was preceded in death by her husband John E. “Doc” Morell, 2021. She is also preceded by a favorite cousin Judy Kuchinski. Bonnie is survived by one son, J. Patrick Morell and his fiancé Cass Judd of Lexington, KY and one brother and sister-in-law John and Virginia Pfeifer of Patterson Heights, PA. She is also survived by her first cousin Genevieve Zahn Thomas of San Antonio, TX, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Bonnie’s wishes were to be cremated and any contributions to be sent to https://nittanygreys.org with the Nittany Greyhound organization. Friends are invited to gather with the family at the New Sewickley Presbyterian church to attend a celebration of life memorial service Monday January 15th at 2 pm. Officiating will be done by Rev. Beth Wierman. Arrangements are entrusted to WILLIAM MURPHY FUNERAL HOME, INC. 349 Adams Street, Rochester.

Robert A. “Bob” May (1949-2024)

Robert “Bob” Arthur May, 74, of Koppel, died on Monday, January 8, 2024, in the comfort of his home.

Born on August 2, 1949, in Beaver Falls, he was the son of the late Clarence “Pun” May and Gladys May.  Bob was predeceased by his brother, Clarence “Pete” May; sister ZoAnn May; and sister Patricia May.

Bob held many jobs in his lifetime, some of which included being a mechanic, logging, and a general laborer.  He was a member of Valley Baptist Church, and was an avid outdoorsman, loving to cut firewood for the winter months.  Bob enjoyed tinkering on anything mechanical in the garage and spending time with his friends and family.

Bob is survived by his wife, Susan (Thompson) May; children, Pam (Kirk) Rekasie, Karen (Jonathan) Glass, and Eva (David Jr.) Opina-Ledford; his sisters, Nita Jane Bevington and Judy Hage; grandchildren, Michael Ledford, Joshua Ross, Banjamin Ross, Joe Campbell, Clark Campbell, Jonathan Glass, Elizabeth Sage, Katherine Jamroz, and Clarissa Glass; one great-granddaughter, Charlotte Sage; numerous nieces, nephews, and friends.

Friends will be received on Sunday, January 14th from 1-4PM in the GABAUER-LUTTON FUNERAL HOME & CREMATION SERVICES, INC., Chippewa Twp., 117 Blackhawk Road, Beaver Falls.

A funeral service will be held in the funeral home at 4PM with Pastor Jeff Seivers as officiant.

In accordance with Bob’s wishes, he will be cremated following services.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Bob’s name may be made to Valley Baptist Church, 1405 8th Ave., Beaver Falls, PA 15010.

Richard A. “Tony” Eichelberger (1940-2024)

Tony Eichelberger, Sewickley, PA, (son of late Tony and Eva [Brown] Eichelberger) was born on April 15, 1940, in Pekin, Illinois, and passed away on January 9, 2024, after a courageous battle with Multiple Systems Atrophy.  Tony, Professor Emeritus, University of Pittsburgh, received his Ph.D. at Southern Illinois University.  He is survived by his wife, Rita Bean; two children, Erin, of Tucson, Arizona, and Derek (Barbara) Eichelberger, Wexford, PA.; and 3 grandchildren (Ethan, Ava, and Dylan).  He has three surviving sisters: Jean (Whitson) McClain and Sally Caracheo (both from Chicago area), and Alosia (Ron) Carlson, Salt Lake City. Tony is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

Tony had a long and distinguished career at the University, teaching, conducting research,  and writing articles that were published in national journals.  His book, Disciplined Inquiry: Understanding and Doing Educational Research, was based on a course that he taught at the University. He reflected on the notes from his course outline and then wrote the book long-hand from those notes.   One of Tony’s greatest professional strengths was his ability to challenge and encourage his graduate students, providing them with thoughtful feedback about their work.

As the only son of a “baseball” family, Tony was involved in playing baseball at an early age, following in the footsteps of his father and uncles who all played in local ball clubs.  He was also an outstanding basketball player for the Pekin High School Team (1956-1958), and then went on to accept a baseball scholarship at the University of Illinois.  Tony’s athletic career also included playing minor league baseball for the Giants organization. Given Tony’s love for baseball, he and Rita traveled to Omaha and attended the College World Series for 30+ years.  Tony was an avid golfer, and proud that in his mid-seventies, he was able to shoot his age.   He loved to tell stories about his athletic experiences, including the fact that he batted against Satchel Paige and Juan Marichal.

What Tony valued most, however, was family, not only his immediate family, but also his Eichelberger relatives. The Eichelberger reunions were always a joy to attend, with time spent reconnecting, and memories shared.  Tony spoke often of what he learned as a child, the love that he experienced, and the values that he was taught.  Those values were exemplified in the way he lived. He was a generous, accepting, and compassionate person, a wonderful father and husband.    The family wishes to thank the doctor and nurses at Good Samaritan Hospice, Wexford, for the loving care that they provided for Tony and for our family. A memorial service is being planned at Heinz Chapel for May, 2024.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that those wishing to make contributions in memory of Tony make them to the MSA Coalition (www.multiplesystematrophy.org/donate) or to the Rita Bean & Tony Eichelberger Endowed Fund University of Pittsburgh  (http://giveto.pitt.edu/eichelberger) , whose purpose is to study and promote greater understanding of the factors hindering equitable outcomes for members of underserved communities, and promote equity in education, economic stability, and health. This effort has always been Tony’s desire and commitment.

Robert Hlista (1948-2024)

Robert Hlista, 75, a resident of Brighton Rehab and Wellness Center, Brighton Twp., formerly of Baden, died Friday, January 5, 2024. He was born on March 4, 1948 in Ambridge, to the late Stephen Hlista, Sr. and Elizabeth (Tomko) Hlista. He is survived by his brother, Stephen Hlista, Jr. of Baden, aunt, Ann Neish of Center Twp., nieces, Valerie Neish of Center Twp., Rachael Hlista of Coraopolis and a nephew, Anthony (Lexi) Hlista of Bethel Park. There was no public visitation. Private burial will take place in SS Peter and Paul Cemetery. Arrangements were entrusted to the John Syka Funeral Home, Inc. Ambridge, PA.

John Allen Mihaloew (1932-2024)

John Allen Mihaloew, 91, of Economy Borough, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, at his residence.

Friends will be received Saturday from 6-8 PM and Sunday from 2-4 PM and 6 until the time off Parastas at 7 PM in the CORLESS-MATTER FUNERAL HOME & CREMATION SERVICES, LLC 1133 Church Street, Ambridge. Online condolences may be shared at www.corlessmatterfuneralhome.com. A funeral service will be held Monday at 10 AM at Saint John the Baptist Orthodox Church, 450 Glenwood Dr, Ambridge, PA 15003.

Interment will follow at Sylvania Hills Memorial Park.

A full obituary will appear in shortly.

Patriots parting with Bill Belichick, who led team to 6 Super Bowl championships, AP source says

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Six-time NFL champion Bill Belichick agreed to part ways as the coach of the New England Patriots on Thursday, bringing an end to his 24-year tenure as the architect of the most decorated dynasty of the league’s Super Bowl era, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because it has not yet been announced.

ESPN first reported the decision. A news conference is planned for later in the day in which team owner Robert Kraft and Belichick will address the decision.

Belichick, 71, became just the third coach in NFL history to reach 300 career regular-season wins earlier this season, joining Hall of Famers Don Shula and George Halas. With 333 wins including the playoffs, Belichick trails only Shula (347 wins) for the record for victories by a coach.

But the Patriots ended this season 4-13, Belichick’s worst record in 29 seasons as an NFL head coach. It supplanted the 5-11 mark he managed in his last year in Cleveland in 1995 and again in his first year in New England in 2000. Including the playoffs, he ends his Patriots tenure with a 333-178 overall record.

With his cutoff hoodies and ever-present scowl, Belichick teamed with quarterback Tom Brady to lead the Patriots to six Super Bowl victories, nine AFC titles and 17 division championships in 19 years. During a less successful — but also tumultuous — stint with the original Cleveland Browns, Belichick earned 37 of his career victories.

It’s not immediately clear who Kraft will tap to replace the future Hall of Famer.

Patriots linebackers coach Jerod Mayo won a Super Bowl ring playing under Belichick and has interviewed for multiple head coaching vacancies since becoming a New England assistant in 2019. Mayo turned down a few interviews last offseason before signing a contract extension to remain with the Patriots.

Mike Vrabel, who was fired earlier this week by the Tennessee Titans and won three Super Bowls with the Patriots, is also expected to be a candidate for the head coaching job.

Belichick had been grooming offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to replace him before McDaniels left following the 2021 season to become the coach of the Raiders. He has since been fired by Las Vegas. Belichick’s two sons, Steve and Brian, are also on the coaching staff.

Belichick’s exit from the Patriots comes just a day after another legendary coach and his longtime friend Nick Saban announced he’d retire after winning seven national championships at the collegiate level. Saban worked for Belichick’s father, Steve, in the 1980s as a coach at Navy. Bill Belichick went on to hire Saban as his defensive coordinator when he became Cleveland’s head coach in 1991.

The six Super Bowl wins tie Belichick with pre-merger mentors Halas and Curly Lambeau for the most NFL championships. Belichick also won two rings as Bill Parcells’ defensive coordinator with the New York Giants.

But the Patriots have stumbled to a 29-38 record since Brady departed following the 2019 season and missed the playoffs in three of those four seasons. Beginning in 2001 when Brady became the starting quarterback, the Patriots missed the playoffs only once (2008) when Brady was injured. This marked New England’s fifth consecutive season without a playoff victory.

Belichick’s subsequent solutions at quarterback haven’t panned out.

Brady’s initial replacement, Cam Newton, didn’t resemble the player who won the 2015 MVP award and was cut after a 7-9 finish in 2020. Meanwhile Brady won his seventh Super Bowl ring with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that same season.

Potential long-term replacement Mac Jones, a 2021 first-round draft choice, was a Pro Bowl selection as a rookie and led New England to the playoffs. But he regressed in Year 2 when Belichick put longtime defensive assistant Matt Patricia in charge of the offense. Jones didn’t fare much better this season when Bill O’Brien returned as offensive coordinator. He was benched four times before being replaced as starter by backup Bailey Zappe for the final six games.

That left the Patriots looking at a lengthy rebuild, with no candidate on the roster to bring stability to the sport’s most important position.

Belichick, who also served as the de facto general manager with final say on personnel decisions, was celebrated for his ingenuity managing the salary cap during the run of Super Bowl success. It included getting stars like Brady and others to accept cap-friendly contracts or adjust their deals to accommodate the signing of other players.

But that acclaim has waned in the years since Brady left, as a run of draft picks and high-priced free agents didn’t live up to expectations. In addition, Belichick has seen several members of his personnel and scouting departments leave for other jobs. The list includes his former player personnel director, Nick Caserio, who was hired as Houston’s general manager in 2021.

Now it won’t be Belichick making the decisions for the Patriots on or off the field.

The only child of a World War II veteran who spent three decades as a Navy assistant coach, Belichick is a football historian with an encyclopedic knowledge of strategy from the sport’s early days to current NFL trends. His players said his attention to detail never left them unprepared.

Belichick has been a master of the NFL rule book, unearthing loopholes in clock operations and offensive line formations that — though entirely legal — cemented his reputation as a mad genius.

But his legacy in New England also includes two major cheating investigations — and other, minor ones — that cost him and the team draft picks and more than $1 million in fines. Opponents accused the Patriots of everything from hacking their headsets to cutting corners on injury reports.

His friendship with former President Donald Trump, which Belichick insisted was not political, landed the coach on the list to receive a Presidential Medal of Freedom in the waning days of the administration. After the outcry against the U.S. Capitol siege, Belichick announced “the decision has been made not to move forward.”

Municipalities That Have Yet To Spend ARPA Grant Money To Receive Letters From County

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

While several communities across Beaver County have been using American Rescue Plan Act funds to rejuvenate their business culture following the pandemic shutdown, it turns out that some communities haven’t spent any money at all.

This was spoken out loud by County solicitor Garen Fedeles at Wednesday’s work session, as he spoke about the next steps for those communities.

“Probably within the next week, a letter is going to be sent out to those communities who have not spent any money at all, asking for a detailed plan as far as what they plan to utilize that money for, any sitting contracts they have signed…just some type of idea to understand where they plan on utilizing that money,” Fedeles stated.

The reasoning for this push by the County to inquire about the update is simple, according to Solicitor Fedeles: “If that money isn’t spent–and the county has been pretty clear with this–we lose it. So we want to ensure that we don’t lose it.”

Fedeles did not disclose which communities did not spend any money; however it was pointed out by Controller Maria Longo that the ARPA Tracking page on the County website does display a comprehensive breakdown of money spent as opposed to money allocated based on category.