Monaca Waterline Project Underway

Story by Beaver County Radio Correspondent, Sandy Giordano.

(Monaca, PA) – Monaca Borough Manager, Dave  Karmer, reported Tuesday morning that the Phase 1 of Monaca’s water service line project for the buildings from 9th to 15th Streets is underway.  Kramer said this phase of the project ‘s cost is estimated under $750,000.00; JJ Stefanik is the contractor. The project has been in the works for 10 years, and finally has come to fruition. Total cost is expected to be $3.3 million.

The bid for Phase 2 is expected to be approved at council’s  Tuesday, July 13, 2021 meeting

Center At The Mall Re-Opens Today!!

(File Photo)

(Center Twp.,Pa.) Center at the Mall is re-opening the entire center beginning (Tuesday) July 6, 2021

The Center’s hours will be Monday – Thursday 8AM – 5PM and Friday 8AM – 4PM. The Center will be closed to the public on Wednesday July 7, 2021. Grab N Go meal pickups will still occur on July 7, 2021.

There will be guidelines and limitations that participants must be aware of before returning to the Center.

  1. Participants must sign a waiver upon their first visit that acknowledges they understand the new guidelines at CATM.
  2. Non-vaccinated members are required to wear a mask. We will not ask for proof of vaccination, but we request anyone not vaccinated follow this protocol out of respect for others.
  3. Lunch will be available July 6th, 8th, and 9th on a first come first serve basis. Lunches starting July 12th will require a reservation at least one business day in advance. July’s monthly menu is available at the Center.
  4. Fitness Center, fitness classes, café area, computer lab, pool tables, and library will all be available.

If you want more information you can get a hold of the Center at the Mall by calling (724)774-5654, going to www.centeratthemall.net, by going to the Facebook Page.

Spotted Lanternflies Spotted In Beaver County!

(Beaver County, PA) – Beaver County residents are encouraged to keep a lookout for Spotted Lanternflies in your neighborhood! They are not only a threat to trees by causing oozing sap, wilting, and leaf curling, but they are also a huge danger to the Pennsylvania Agriculture Industry! Use the image below to identify the insect so that you can take the precautionary actions needed to keep your environment safe!

Photo provided by canr.msu.edu

Semi Truck Rolls On I-76, Blocking Traffic

(Big Beaver Boro, PA) – Pennsylvania State Police have reported via release that on July 01, 2021 at approximately 08:15 a.m., Robert Genard, a 64 year old man from Greensburg, PA, was operating his Kenworth Northwest Semi along I-76 West during heavy rain. Genard eventually lost control of his vehicle on the wet roadway and crossed the north berm where he struck the embankment, over turned on the trucks right side, and entered both west bound lanes where he then struck the concrete barrier coming to rest facing northeast on its right side. Due to the roadway being blocked, traffic was detoured until the roadway was clear at 10:11 a.m. Mr. Genard was charged with careless driving and refused transport via Medevac Ambulance.

Portersville Man Air-Lifted To Pittsburgh Following Motorcycle Accident on Rt. 488 in Portersville

(Portersville, Pa.) Pa State Police in Butler are reporting that 27-year-old Nicholas Krizmanich of Portersville was injured following a motorcycle crash at 6:30 PM on West Portersville Road in Portersville Monday evening.

Troopers said via release that Krizmanich was traveling eastbound on his motorcycle, with 29-year-old Katie Krizmanich as a passenger on the back, when traffic entering a nearby business parking lot came to a sudden stop. Krizmanich quickly hit the brakes on the motorcycle. The motorcycle overturned on one side. Krizmanich was flown to AGH in Pittsburgh Katie Krizmanich was not injured according to the release.

Jackpot-Winning Mega Millions® Ticket Worth $516 Million Claimed in Pennsylvania

Pictured left to right: Christopher Mahoney, attorney with Stuckert & Yates, Kurt Panouses, attorney with Panouses Law Firm, and Pennsylvania Lottery Executive Director Drew Svitko

(Harrisburg, Pa.) Pennsylvania Lottery officials announced that a jackpot-winning Mega Millions® ticket from the May 21, 2021 drawing has been claimed. The jackpot had an annuity value of $516 million.

The jackpot winners who wished to remain anonymous opted to form a trust to claim the jackpot prize as a cash, lump-sum payment. As a result, Peace of Mind Trust, a five-member group, will receive the prize of $348,600,000, less 24 percent federal and 3.07 percent state tax withholding. The after-tax prize amount is $254,233,980.

The winning ticket, sold at 7-Eleven, 2760 Trenton Road, Levittown, Bucks County, matched all five white balls drawn, 6-9-17-18-48, and the yellow Mega Ball 8.

The chances of winning the Mega Millions® jackpot are approximately 1 in 302 million.

PA Child-Care Providers: State Budget Falls Short for Youngest Learners

Keystone State News Connection

July 6, 2021

Emily Scott

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Gov. Tom Wolf signed the new state budget last week, which includes a historic $416 million increase in public-education funding.

While the investment was praised by some, child-care providers say the budget missed the mark in their field. They also want to ensure the $1.2 billion dollars the state received from the American Rescue Plan for child-care centers gets to them as soon as possible.

Jen DeBell, executive director of the Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children, said child-care line items got no state-budget increases despite being devastated by the pandemic, so the federal funds are critical.

“We’ve seen almost 700 programs close, and more than 360 are still temporarily closed,” DeBell observed. “So, we don’t want to see those numbers driven up because the money isn’t going out quick enough.”

Some areas she’d like to see receive increased funding include hiring or retention bonuses to help centers build back staff lost in the pandemic. DeBell noted the average child-care teacher in Pennsylvania makes $10.69 an hour.

Nancy Frederick, director of The Learning Center at Third Street Alliance, a child-care center in Northampton County, said they’ve been struggling to hire teachers, making it difficult to increase classroom size to meet the growing need.

She argued government support is necessary for them to increase pay and offer teachers a living wage, and stressed the importance of high-quality early learning.

“I think the state and federal support financially there would be greatly put into use,” Frederick asserted. “Because they are really getting students early on, where they can make a difference and build those connections before they even go to the public school, or whatever school they go to once they are the age of five or six.”

Frederick added she also hopes to see funds for expanding what’s known as the Infant/Toddler Contracted Slots Program, which provides free child care for children of eligible families, up to age three.

Gamel hits 2 HRs, drives in 6 runs; Pirates rip Braves 11-1

Gamel hits 2 HRs, drives in 6 runs; Pirates rip Braves 11-1
By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ben Gamel homered twice and drove in six runs to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates past the Atlanta Braves 11-1 on Monday night. Gamel took Max Fried (5-5) over the fence in center field for a two-run home run in the fourth. He doubled home Bryan Reynolds in the sixth and added a three-run shot in the seventh. The Pirates have won two straight following a six-game losing streak. Freddie Freeman and Ronald  Acuña Jr. had two hits each for Atlanta, but the Braves missed a chance to get back to .500 for the first time in a month.

Vatican says pope ‘reacted well’ to intestinal surgery

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican says Pope Francis has “reacted well” to planned intestinal surgery at a Rome hospital. In a statement late Sunday, a Holy See spokesman says the 84-year-old Francis had general anesthesia during the surgery necessitated by a narrowing of the sigmoid portion of the large intestine. the Vatican gave little detail about the pontiff’s condition. Spokesman Matteo Bruni didn’t say how long Sunday’s surgery lasted or give any other details of the procedure. Bruni also didn’t say for how long the pope was unconsciousness under anesthesia or how long Francis is expected to stay in Rome’s Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic. Francis is expected to convalesce in a special 10th floor suite reserved for popes.

In crosshairs of ransomware crooks, cyber insurers struggle

BOSTON (AP) — The cyber insurance industry, once a profitable niche, is now in the crosshairs of ransomware criminals. They have hacked brokerages and major insurers. Determining who has coverage and how much can help them pick targets and negotiate payments. Skyrocketing extortion demands and a rise in ransomware attacks have the industry teetering on the edge of profitability. Pressure is building on the industry to stop reimbursing for ransoms, but so far only one major cyber insurer, AXA, is doing so — and only with new policies in France. To try to absorb the growing onslaught and stay profitable, insurers are retooling coverage, demanding clients up their security.