(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

2020 proved that anything and everything could change, and 2021 is trying to shift that change in a positive direction–at least in the eyes of the Beaver County Office of Planning & Redevelopment.

The BCOPR, in conjunction with Michael Baker International, will begin a public survey of fixed and mobile broadband availability throughout Beaver County on May 10. Their goal is to provide access and effective use of technology for residents and businesses alike, and to bridge any gaps between high-speed and low-speed usage.

One of the biggest pushers of the new survey is County Commissioner Jack Manning, who spoke to Beaver County Radio about the importance on improving the amount of technology throughout the county in lieu of last year’s chaos.

“We certainly saw during COVID,” said Manning, “the impact it had on education and the impact it had on working from home. Broadband is an eligible infrastructure expenditure, and that’s what we hope to do–to find out what the need is, what the different solutions are, and be able to apply that money to make this thing much better for Beaver County.”

Michael Baker International will perform tasks including (but not limited to): taking photographs of utility poles and associated infrastructure, performing mobile internet tests for upload and download speed, placing door hangers at the entry ways of businesses being surveyed, and communicating with the owners of those businesses and residents.

The online survey can also be done by the general public on their internet-use devices (laptop, phone, tablet, etc.) by going to the link on the Beaver County home page, or by going to connectbeavercounty.com to find the speed of their internet. “We ask people to do it as many times as they can,” Manning suggested, “so that we get better data points—cause sometimes the signal is a lot stronger at some points in the day as opposed to others of peak demand.”

For questions and more info, contact BCOPR director Lance Grable at 724-770-4422 or email at lgrable@beavercountypa.gov.

ALLEGHENY – Reps. Carrie Lewis DelRosso (R-Allegheny/Westmoreland) and Josh Kail (R-Beaver/Washington) – in collaboration with Sen. Kim Ward (R-Westmoreland), who released a statement on Friday – issued the following statement regarding U.S. Steel’s cancellation of its $1 billion investment project:

“As U.S. Steel President and Chief Executive Officer David Burritt noted, Pennsylvania is not competitive with other states. Permitting takes way too long, which delays projects to the point that we lose opportunities. That’s exactly what happened with U.S. Steel. And with the loss of the $1 billion investment project, we also lose infrastructure money because there’s no revenue streams because the jobs were pulled.

“There’s nothing western PA needs more than jobs and money to invest in infrastructure. Yet, we let the false narrative of environmental concerns steal family-sustaining jobs from Commonwealth families. Having goods manufactured in Pennsylvania benefits the environment because we know how to do things right – unlike foreign countries, where these jobs are being driven, that have little to no environmental or labor standards. Somehow, certain people are convinced that we must choose between saving the planet and saving families in the area from financial distress. That’s simply not the case, and now, we have to brace ourselves for higher rates of crime and blight because the jobs are gone.

“But unlike others, we’re not willing to accept that. No, we’re going to fight back against the job loss, against the blight, against the crime. The revitalization of western Pennsylvania can happen through a job infusion and infrastructure investments, and that’s why we support a package of bills called the Commonwealth’s COVID Comeback. The pro-jobs, pro-families and pro-growth initiative is all about incentivizing manufacturers and providing protections to small businesses, as well as offering tax and regulatory reform.

“U.S. Steel’s announcement is all the more reason to push for real reform in Harrisburg, and we will work to make this awful news the last of its kind that Western Pennsylvanians will have to hear.”

Facebook board upholds Trump suspension
By MATT O’BRIEN and BARBARA ORTUTAY AP Technology Writer
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Former President Donald Trump won’t return to Facebook — for now. The social network’s quasi-independent Oversight Board voted to uphold his ban from the platform after his account was suspended four months ago for inciting violence that led to the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot. While upholding the suspension, the board faulted Facebook for the way it made the decision, calling it “not appropriate” to suspend him indefinitely. The board says Facebook has six months to reexamine its “arbitrary” penalty.

After Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf’s announcement on re-openings across the commonwealth on Memorial Day the Pittsburgh Pirates are in the process of making plans to bring more fans into PNC Park.

According to the team, they’ll announce new ticket sale plans soon.

MLB also announced it’s easing some on-field entertainment restrictions beginning today. That smeans the Pierogi Race will back to the OF warning track when the Bucs return home Monday, May 10.

If You’re keeping score this year Bacon Burt and Cheese Chester posted 3 wins each on the Clemente Bridge.

The pierogis had been racing across the Clemente Bridge since the start of the season.

2021 AAA Car Guide Highlights the Latest in Vehicle Tech

Tesla Model Y and other eco-friendly options take top honors in annual AAA ranking

Vehicle safety technologies, environmental concerns, and several other factors are highlights of the 2021 AAA Car Guide, an annual report to help consumers navigate the marketplace. The AAA Car Guide ranks and rates the latest in vehicle technology, including alternative fuel vehicles. The guide includes comprehensive, easy-to-read reviews of each vehicle, which are based on 13 criteria, including the number of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) safety features, emissions, braking, fuel economy, handling, ride comfort and acceleration.

These vehicles are tested, scored and placed in one of five vehicle categories by the Automotive Research Center (ARC) of the Automobile Club of Southern California, a member of the AAA federation of motor clubs.

The 2020 Tesla Model Y Long Range EV SUV has earned the overall top score in this year’s rankings. The majority of the category winners for 2021 are either electric, plug-in electric hybrids or hybrids since manufacturers tend to load up these with the newest in safety technology.

“Consumers are showing a growing interest in electric vehicles and new, improved safety features,” says Mike Hoshaw, vice president of automotive services, AAA East Central. “As long as motorists aren’t over relying on these technologies, it is encouraging to see these trends proliferate as vehicles evolve.”

The AAA Car Guide also contains a compendium of AAA’s recent research of current automotive technologies and topics, such as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), gasoline quality, headlight effectiveness and safely transporting a pet in the vehicle.

Winners, detailed evaluation criteria, vehicle reviews and an in-depth analysis of the ADAS technology can be found at aaa.com/carguide.

AAA East Central is a not-for-profit association with 73 local offices in Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia serving 2.7 million members.  Past news releases are available at news.eastcentral.aaa.com.  Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

(Freedom, Pa.) Firefighters in Freedom were called to the scene of a fire on 4th Ave in the borough on Tuesday evening. The man who lived in the home was able to make it out safely on his own but fire fighters rescued a dog from a burning home.

Firefighters had a hard time getting into the home because of how much stuff was inside the home.
The house was lined with clutter so high it was covering the upstairs windows and firefighters had to fight the fire from the inside because of it.

The Red Cross is assisting the man that lives inside the home.