(File Photo)
Story by Sandy Giordano, Beaver County Radio News Correspondent
Wednesday, January 5, 2022 at 10:28 AM
(Ambridge, Pa.) Gerald “Duke” McCoy was sworn as Ambridge’s new mayor at the Monday night council meeting. Two new councilwomen Beth DeVincent and Mary Jane Gilliam were also sworn in.

Mayor McCoy, who is 80 said in a phone interview he served 16 years on council, took a break for 2 years and ran for mayor. He got married on Labor Day 2021, his first wife died in 2016.
He said his goal is to work with Police Chief John DeLuca to fight the borough’s drug problem. He added, the mayor and council should work together to move Ambridge forward.”

(File Photo)
Wednesday, January 5, 2022 at 7:43 AM
(Portersville, Pa.) Pa State Police in Butler are reporting that they were called to the scene a one vehicle crash on I-79 southbound shortly after midnight Tuesday morning.
The accident happened at mile marker 94.8 near the Portersville exit. Troopers said via release that 60-year-old Andrew Smith from New Castle was operating a 2007 Lexus rx 350 when he lost control of the car and went off the highway and rolled over into the median.

When crews arrived on scene they found Smith still inside the vehicle. According to the release, Portersville-Muddy Creek Township Volunteer Fire Department had to use hydraulic tools to open the door and get the person out.

Smith was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital. His current condition is unknown.
He was cited by State Police with not driving a vehicle at a safe speed.

(Beaver, Pa.) Today, Wednesday, January 5, 2022,  is the final day to register for this Friday’s “State of the County” that is being presented by the Beaver County Chamber of Commerce.
The event takes place at Alexander Hall on the campus of Geneva College from 8:00 to 10:00 AM.. Beaver County Commissioners Tony Amadio, Jack Manning and Dan Camp will join Moderator, Tracy L. Lawless for this annual event that discusses the state of Beaver County.
The cost to attend is $35.00 for a chamber member and $45.00 for a non-member
There is also a zoom option available if you would prefer to join that way.
Beaver County Radio will carry coverage of the event with reports during Teleforum from Beaver County Radio’s Matt Drzik. We will also replay the state of the county on Beaver County Radio at 12:30 PM Next Monday, January 10, 2022.
If you would like more information on the event or to register you can go to:
BCCHAMBER.COM/EVENTS

Keystone State News Connection

January 5, 2022

Emily Scott

As the Omicron variant surges in Pennsylvania and affects people’s health and economic security, a new assistance program aims to help residents of the Commonwealth pay their water bills.

This week, Pennsylvania launched the Low Income Household Water Assistance Program, a federally funded service to help households struggling to pay their water bills on time. The state received $43.2 million through the American Rescue Plan for the program.

Meg Snead, acting secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, said access to clean drinking water and wastewater services is key to helping families live healthy lives.

“This program is for those who have past due water bills, had their service terminated or received a notice that their service will be terminated in the next 60 days,” she said. “Grants are issued directly to water-service providers, and families must meet income requirements.”

More information is available online at dhs.pa.gov/waterhelp. People can also visit a DHS county assistance office for support in person. Households can receive one grant of up to $2,500 for their water bills, and one grant of the same amount for wastewater services.

Gladys Brown Dutrieuille, who chairs the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, said consumers also should be having direct conversations with their utility providers to determine what assistance they might be eligible for to ensure essential services stay on.

“We know that there are households across the state facing the uncertainty and the stress of worrying about their utility bills,” she said, “including some who’ve never had to experience these problems before.”

JD Aculay was the hot hand for the Rochester Rams lighting it up for 19 points and named player of the game for the Rams. Rochester got out in front and held off a late 3rd quarter charge by the Beavers closing it two a 2 point game late in the 3rd quarter, but that was as close as it got with Rochester responding with some 3 pointers and closed out the game. The players of the game were JD Aculay for the Rochester Rams and Levi Gray for Western Beaver Beavers, the players of the game will be invited to a future coaches corner.

 

The featured image above shows the big hill of the Blue Streak after the fire was out. Photo courtesy of Lyndsey Price Bartoo.

Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Curtis Walsh, published January 4, 2022 at 7 P.M.

(Conneaut Lake, PA) A fire broke out Tuesday afternoon at Conneaut Lake Park. It was reported that crews were dismantling the historic “Blue Streak” roller coaster and having a controlled burning of wood when the ride caught fire. The fire has been extinguished, and crews will continue to demolish what’s left. The Blue Streak was the 17th oldest Wooden Coaster in the United States, opening in 1938. It was listed on the ACE (American Coaster Enthusiests) list of historically designated  landmarks in 2010. This is the third fire at Conneaut in recent history, with the Dreamland Ballroom burning in 2008 and the Beach Club and Dockside Pavillion in 2013.  Conneaut Lake Park changed ownership last year. Photos can be seen below.

Photos courtesy of Lyndsey Price Bartoo

Wolf heads into last budget season with flush state coffers
By MARK SCOLFORO Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania is sitting on a fat budget reserve, a healthy and growing surplus in the current budget year, and billions in unspent federal coronavirus relief funds. Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf is about to lay out his eighth and final state budget proposal. For him, Pennsylvania’s healthy account balances make this a “magical year” in “budget surplus territory” that won’t require higher taxes or the pain of spending cuts. The governor’s annual budget address is scheduled for Feb. 8. It will be followed by weeks of hearings by the appropriations committees in the House and Senate. The deadline to get a deal is July 1.

Shapiro backs Pittsburgh-area lawmaker to be running mate
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Attorney General Josh Shapiro, the Democratic Party’s presumed nominee for governor this year, is endorsing a Pittsburgh-area state lawmaker to be his running mate and lieutenant governor. Shapiro on Tuesday endorsed 32-year-old Austin Davis, who is in his third term in the state House of Representatives and has connections to Allegheny County’s party leaders. If elected, Davis would be the state’s first black lieutenant governor. Also seeking the party’s nomination for lieutenant governor is five-term state Rep. Brian Sims of Philadelphia. Sims made history in 2012 when he became Pennsylvania’s first openly gay candidate to be elected to the Legislature. The primary election is May 17.

Court asked to require accredited lab in GOP ‘investigation’
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Dominion Voting Systems wants to restrict any inspection of its voting machines as part of what Republican lawmakers call a “forensic investigation” of Pennsylvania’s 2020 election to a laboratory that has specific credentials. The Denver-based voting-system manufacturer filed paperwork in court Monday evening as Republican lawmakers are planning to inspect Dominion’s machines and software in southern Pennsylvania’s sparsely populated Fulton County using an unaccredited contractor that has no election experience. Dominion’s voting equipment has been at the center of conspiracy theories about the presidential election and it has filed defamation lawsuits against right-wing broadcasters and Trump allies.