The Beaver Falls City Council met tonight for their first meeting of the month.  They started by approving a list of general fund expenditures and accepting the retirement of Beaver Falls Police Department Captain Curt Couper.  They went on to approve Beaver Falls Police Department Policy 55, which will allow the department to use an Automated License Plate Reader System.  The main purpose of the system will be to use for investigations, to determine what vehicles were in what area at any given time. Also discussed at the meeting was the controlled burning of certain properties within the city by the Fire Department.  Abandoned and dangerous properties that need demolished can be burnt down by the department, while being a learning experience for fire fighters and saving the city on demolish costs. Audio from the meeting can be heard below.

Plate Reader System:

Monaca, PA – Community College of Beaver County (CCBC) announced today that it has again earned the 2021-2022 Military Friendly® School designation. The list aims to set the standard for higher education institutions to provide the best opportunities for military, veterans and their spouses.
“At CCBC, we embrace, celebrate and take pride in fostering a spirit of respect, accountability, and integrity,” said Dr. Sutonia Boykin, CCBC vice president for Student Affairs. “We put our students first at CCBC, a place where every student feels welcome and can seize success. We are proud to be recognized by the prestigious Military Friendly Schools list and to demonstrate our commitment to meeting the needs of this student community.”
CCBC currently enrolls approximately 40 active military or veteran students in growing
workforce training programs like Healthcare, Information Technology, Criminal Justice, Process Technology and Aviation. The 2021-2022 Military Friendly Schools list specifically recognizes CCBC for exceeding national Military Friendly standards in number of areas including academic policies and compliance; admissions and orientation practices; culture and commitment to military families; and military support and retention.
As part of its commitment to military students, CCBC has developed partnerships with local industries, businesses and institutions to develop programs that best serve future career opportunities and build upon military training and experiences. CCBC provides a robust military and veteran support program, including scholarship funds, a veteran-specific orientation program, flexible courses and schedules, dedicated staff and faculty, no-cost tutoring and social and professional organizations and clubs such as a Student Veterans of America chapter.
CCBC’s commitment to supporting military and veterans extends beyond the classroom and into the College faculty and staff. Recently, CCBC hired several new faculty and staff who have a military background, including roles in aviation, nursing and marketing.
Annually, the list provides a comprehensive guide for veterans and their families using data sources from federal agencies and proprietary survey information from participating organizations. It is created by VIQTORY, a service that connects the military community to civilian employment, educational and entrepreneurial opportunities.
The list can be found at www.militaryfriendly.com.

(North Beaver Twp., Pa.) Pa State Police in Gibsonia are reporting that a one vehicle accident occurred Saturday afternoon on Interstate 376 in North Beaver Twp.. Troopers report that 26-year-old Madison Grabowski of Springdale Pa was driving a 2018 Honda CRV east on Toll 376 in the left lane when she lost control of the vehicle and crossed onto the north berm and struck a concrete barrier with the left side of the vehicle. After hitting the barrier, she was able to stop her vehicle on the berm of the road.  Grabowski was charged by State Police with not driving properly on Roadways laned for traffic.

(File Photo)

(New Brighton, Pa..) New Brighton Borough announced via Social Media and mass e-mail Tuesday morning, March 9, 2021 that Second Avenue in the borough will be closed at the intersection of Tenth Street for approximately two weeks beginning Tuesday afternoon to perform underground storm sewer repairs. This is the brick road that is on the west side of Third Ave. in the borough.

(File Photo)

(Pittsburgh, Pa.) Pa State Police at the Rivers Casino is reporting that they have filed charges of Defiant Trespass against a Wampum man. The incident occurred on February 20, 2021 around 1:30 in the morning.

According to the report from State Troopers 29-year-old Trevon Lay of Wampum knowing that he was not licensed or privileged to enter or remain in the casino did so after he was given communication verbally by the Pa Gaming Control Board that he was in violation of section 3503b1j. Lay was charged by State Police with Defiant Trespass.

(Pittsburgh, Pa.) PennDOT is announcing lane restrictions on the McKees Rocks Bridge in Stowe Township, Allegheny County will occur Tuesday and Wednesday nights, March 9-10 weather permitting.

A single-lane restriction will occur on the bridge between the Ohio River and Agnus Street from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. each night. An eastbound restriction will occur Tuesday night and a westbound restriction will occur Wednesday night. Crews will conduct debris removal operations and net repair work.

Motorists are advised to use caution and expect changing traffic patterns when traveling through the area.

Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

(Connoquenessing Twp. Pa.) Pa State Police in Butler are reporting that a 66 year-old Connoquenessing Twp. woman was scammed out of $10,000.00.

Troopers say that the victim came to the Butler Barricks to report that she was involved in the scam. She was scammed by providing Nike Gift Cards to an unknown individual via Facebook. According to the report the victim sent the scammer five $500 Nike Gift Cards on one occasion and fifteen  $500 Nike Gift Cards on another occasion. PSP Butler are asking anyone with information on this incident to contact them at 724-284-8100.

AAA: Pennsylvania Gas Prices Cross the Three-Dollar Mark
The average price of gasoline across Western Pennsylvania is nine cents higher this week at $3.051 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report. Today’s average in the region is more than 50 cents higher than at the beginning of the year.

This week’s average prices: Western Pennsylvania Average                  $3.051
Average price during the week of March 1, 2021                                      $2.967
Average price during the week of March 10, 2020                                    $2.604

The average price of unleaded self-serve gasoline in various areas:      

$3.085      Altoona
$3.041      Beaver
$3.069      Bradford
$3.033      Brookville
$3.069      Butler
$2.998      Clarion
$3.030      DuBois
$3.074      Erie
$3.012      Greensburg
$3.070      Indiana
$3.062      Jeannette
$3.049      Kittanning
$3.007      Latrobe
$3.076      Meadville
$3.058      Mercer
$2.974      New Castle
$3.057      New Kensington
$3.091      Oil City
$3.040      Pittsburgh
$3.078      Sharon
$3.063      Uniontown
$3.098      Warren
$3.030      Washington

Trend Analysis:
With a nickel increase on the week, the national gas price average has reached $2.77, which is a 31-cent jump in the last month. Every state average has climbed by double-digits since February, resulting in 1 in 10 gas stations with pump prices that are $3/gallon or more.

Pump prices are increasing as refinery utilization is at an all-time low and crude oil prices (WTI) surged by more than $2/bbl to $66/bbl on Friday, the highest price in nearly two years. The jump in crude followed the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries’ and their allies’, collectively known as OPEC+, surprise decision to minimally increase production in April.

The Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) report for the week ending February 26 shows refinery capacity at 56%, which is the lowest rate recorded by the agency. It is also 12 percentage points below last week and 18 percentage points lower than a year ago. EIA data also point to a decrease in gasoline stocks to 243.4 million barrels, which is 3.5% below levels at the end of February 2020.

With refinery utilization at a record low, gasoline supplies tightening, demand modestly increasing, and crude prices on the rise, prices are likely to remain this high. Today’s national average is nearly 40 cents more expensive compared to a year ago, which was right before state lockdowns and working/school from home started.

Motorists can find current gas prices nationwide, statewide, and countywide at GasPrices.AAA.com.

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.  News releases are available at news.eastcentral.aaa.com.  Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

(Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Curtis Walsh)

The New Brighton Area School Board held their first meeting of the month tonight.  Like last month, a group of local citizens showed up to voice their opinions. While the group was smaller than last month, their voices were louder.  The main issue they voiced their opinions on was the push to fully reopen the school.  One citizen in attendance began to interrupt the discussion by shouting his opinions and used profanity toward Board President John Ludwig. Ludwig asked the man to leave and when he refused the police were called to remove him. Following public comments, the committee meeting began where they touched on a few different topics. They first announced that all New Brighton Area School District teachers should have their Covid-19 vaccination by Saturday, which will help in keeping the school open. They went on to approve the reading of revisions on a few district policies including extracurricular participation by home schooled students and school bus and vehicle drivers. They also approved the list of graduates for the 2020-2021 school year pending completion of academic and financial obligations. The acceptance of a high school teachers retirement was also on the agenda.  Audio from the meeting can be heard below.

Arguments leading up to police being called: