(Racoon Twp., Pa.) Pa State Police in Beaver are reporting that they were dispatched to the scene of a two-vehicle accident along Pa State Route 18 in Raccoon Twp. Tuesday, July 13, 2021, at 8:30 PM.

Troopers said via release that 88-year-old Donald Williams of Aliquippa was driving a 2015 Chevrolet Trax on Pa 18 through its intersection with Green Garden Road and continued south through a slight right-hand curve and attempted to turn left onto Green Garden Road. As Williams began the turn a 2010 Toyota Highlander being driven by 53-year-old Debra Floyd of Hookstown, was traveling along Pa-18 North and William’s vehicle turned directly into Floyd’s. The impact cause disabling damage to both vehicles. Williams was transported to Heritage Valley Beaver for suspected minor injury and Floyd was transported to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh also with a suspected minor injury. Both vehicles were towed from the scene.

(Photo Courtesy of YouBehindtheWheel.com)

Lansdale, PA (July 14, 2021) – Across Pennsylvania, 88% of K-12 students from urban, rural and suburban communities begin and end their day on the school bus. But a shortage of drivers jeopardizes Pennsylvania’s ability to get 1.5 million students back and forth safely to school, sporting events and activities.

In order to address this shortage, the Pennsylvania School Bus Association (PSBA) is pleased to announce the official launch of their school bus driver recruitment campaign. The campaign is a statewide initiative aimed at raising public awareness of the school bus driver shortage as well as providing a number of resources that can be used to recruit new school bus drivers.

“Our school bus drivers are trained professionals who love what they do and provide an essential service to our communities,” said Denille Girardat Myers, PSBA President. “I would like to thank our Membership Committee and our Driver Recruitment Campaign Task Force for all their efforts to ensure our school bus driver recruitment campaign, You Behind the Wheel, will raise awareness about the benefits of becoming a professional school bus driver. The final outcome will allow our members to be involved in our overall campaign and to personalize various parts of it to meet their recruitment needs.”

At the heart of the campaign is a website – YouBehindTheWheel.com – featuring a job portal that connects interested individuals with driver openings in their backyards. Those who want to learn more about becoming a school bus driver are encouraged to visit the website. School bus transportation is widely recognized as the safest way to get students to and from school.

“We’re proud that during the pandemic school bus drivers remained on the job, dealing with various types of schedules and working as full partners with our school districts,” said Aaron Sepkowski, PSBA 2nd Vice President and Membership Committee Chair. “Our membership committee had this fabulous vision two years ago that our members would benefit from a driver recruitment campaign. Our members are working hard to ensure the bus driver seat will be filled as we plan for a full schedule of school and activities this fall.”

Individuals interested in learning more about becoming a school bus driver should visit YouBehindTheWheel.com.

The Pennsylvania School Bus Association was founded in 1980 and consists of over 300 school bus contractors and industry partners who have come together to be a strong voice for school bus safety and the school bus contracting industry.

PITTSBURGH, July 13, 2021 – UPMC Passavant-McCandless and UPMC Passavant-Cranberry have expanded pediatric emergency care services in partnership with nationally ranked UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, ensuring that children in Pittsburgh’s northern communities and beyond have convenient access to specialty care when in the emergency department.

This is the first UPMC Children’s Emergency Department affiliation offered in the western Pennsylvania region.

Children under age 18 account for 16% of all emergency department visits at adult hospitals. Starting today, UPMC Passavant providers easily can consult with board-certified pediatric emergency medicine physicians at UPMC Children’s via emergency department-to-emergency department real-time virtual telemedicine consultations—24 hours a day, every day of the year.

“This collaborative approach with our colleagues at UPMC Children’s allows us to provide a higher level of pediatric emergency care through advanced telemedicine technology right here in our communities,” said Raymond Viducich, M.D., associate chief of emergency services, UPMC Passavant. “By tapping into distinctive resources available to us across UPMC, it helps us address the specialty care needs of the communities we serve for Pittsburgh’s northern region and surrounding counties.”

“Additionally, advanced training by UPMC Children’s teams for our emergency department providers—with a significant investment in pediatric medical supplies and technologies—best supports our patients at UPMC Passavant hospitals,” Dr. Viducich added.

The new affiliation also allows pediatric patients to connect seamlessly with UPMC Children’s 400+ physicians across 33 subspecialities for follow-up appointments. These appointments can be scheduled before the patient and parent leave either of UPMC Passavant’s emergency departments.

“Creating an exceptional patient experience with access to UPMC’s advanced, signature specialty care is always our top priority,” said Susan Hoolahan, president, UPMC Passavant. “This innovative partnership with UPMC Children’s best serves people who live north of Pittsburgh—providing access even closer to home to specialty pediatric emergency care. The program harnesses the world-class expertise, unique resources and advanced technology that only UPMC can provide.”

This partnership builds upon UPMC’s dedication to providing families in communities north of Pittsburgh with top-quality pediatric care that’s conveniently located at multiple locations including UPMC Children’s North in Sewickley, UPMC Children’s Pine Center in Wexford, UPMC Children’s Community Pediatrics locations, and UPMC Children’s Express Care in Wexford and at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry Township.

“Our goal at UPMC Children’s is to share our world-renowned pediatric care whether it is in person or by leveraging technology,” said Mark Sevco, president, UPMC Children’s. “As a national leader, we are excited to partner with our sister hospital, UPMC Passavant, and have them lean on us and our expertise in caring for pediatric patients with the right provider, in the right place, at the right time.”

Families now also can access UPMC Children’s AnywhereCare—which provides 24/7 urgent care for newborns and children up to 17 years old by pediatric advanced practice providers—and can be found on the ChildrensPgh app or by searching “UPMC AnywhereCare” in the app store.

To learn more about UPMC’s services in Pittsburgh’s north region, visit www.CHP.edu/Passavant.

By JILL COLVIN and WILL WEISSERT Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The committee charged with helping Republicans wrest control of the House next year raised $45.4 million over the last three months, a record quarterly haul during a year without a national election. That total was bolstered by $20.1 million raised in June, the highest ever monthly off-year total. The fundraising numbers were shared with The Associated Press before a public filing deadline. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee last week announced that it had raised $14.4 million in June, bringing its second-quarter total to $36.5 million — its best ever for that stretch.

United Steelworkers members that have been on strike since March 30 will be back on the job by the end of the week at local ATI facilities.
Union members went on strike over disagreements about pay and health care coverage.
The union workers ratified a four-year contract that gives the workers a raise and preserves their health care coverage without premiums to the workers. ATI has two facilities in Beaver County with one in Rochester and the other in Monaca.

(Ambridge, Pa.) An Ambridge man who was diagnosed with the Delta variant of Covid-19, despite being fully vaccinated is finally home after spending 22 days in the hospital.
73-year-old Joe Pucci was experiencing some Covid-19 symptoms on his birthday, June 21, and went to the Pittsburgh VA Medical Center despite being fully vaccinated he was diagnosed with the Delta variant of Covid-19
Pucci was discharged from the VA hospital on Monday night but is now using an oxygen machine to help him breathe.

(File Photo)

(Beaver Falls, Pa.) Beaver County District Attorney David Lozier sent out a press release Tuesday evening identifying, what is now two fatal shooting victims names and saying that five people all together were shot.  In the statement Lozier said that : At about 9:30 Monday night, Monday July 12, 2021 there was an exchange of gunfire in the vicinity of 10th Street and 10th Avenue in the City of Beaver Falls. 

We can confirm that 5 people were shot. Two of those were fatalities. Two were life flighted to Pittsburgh Hospitals, underwent surgery and we are monitoring their condition. A fifth individual was treated at the hospital and released. 

The two fatalities were: Dwayne Lee Wells, age 31, of Beaver Falls and Youngstown. Monte Carlos Warren, age 30, of Michigan. 

The Coroner has ruled the causes of both death to be homicide. 

We will not at this time identify the other individuals involved. 

No charges have been filed as of this time and the investigation is ongoing. 

The investigation is being led by the City of Beaver Falls Police Department with the assistance of the Beaver County Detective Bureau. 

Both New Brighton Police, Brighton Township Police, Chippewa Township Police and the Sheriff‘s Department were of great assistance last night.

Stay tune to Beaver County Radio as this story continues to develop.

The Pa Turnpike is reporting a crash this afternoon, Tuesday July 13, 2021,  on the turnpike  I-76 West at milepost 14.1 between Cranberry Exit # 28 & Beaver Valley Exit # 13. The right lane is blocked. Stay alert in this area.