(Story by Beaver County Radio News Corespondent Curtis Walsh)

The New Brighton School Board met last night and took public opinion from parents, staff, and residents on the wearing of masks and following state and CDC guidelines. Dr. Joseph Guarino started with a presentation to show where the New Brighton Area School District is in terms of following guidelines and being safe.  One of his main concerns for New Brighton is the size of the rooms and buildings within the district, in which he explained are not built for the situation we are in today.  Tensions got high when people began voicing their opinions.  Most in attendance were not in favor of the Covid-19 protocols and stressed that they just want kids to be back in school like normal. Many insisted that the disease is a “hoax”.  The school board members were also under fire while people criticized their handling of the virus in the district and voiced their aggravation of virtual learning. Notable people in attendance were Beaver County Commissioner Dan Camp and Jim Marshall who both voiced their opinions on the subject.  Commissioner Camp talked about efforts being made to get teachers vaccinated and also mentioned that schools cannot be “forced to close” for not following all of the recommended guidelines.  Representative Marshall encouraged residents to reach out to him on issues that they believe he may be able to help with regarding their children in school. After public opinions were over, the school board resumed with their normal meeting which consisted of the approval of various bills and reports as well as policy revisions.  Also on the meeting agenda were multiple school property tax exonerations and a few teacher retirement acceptances.  Audio from the meeting can be heard below.

Dr. Joe Guarino Superintendent

Public Opinion Compilation

 

 

(File Photo from when Chief Deluca was Beaver Falls Chief)

Ambridge, PA – At approximately 1:30 PM, the Ambridge Police Department responded to a  reported shooting in the 900 block of Maplewood Avenue. Ambridge Police did arrive to find  that two people in the residence were deceased. The scene has been determined to be a crime  scene. The Ambridge Police Department is being assisted by The Beaver County Detectives  Bureau and The Beaver County Coroner’s Office. 

Police Chief John Deluca plans on holding a press conference at approximately 5:00 PM Monday outside  the Ambridge Police Department, 600 11th Street, Ambridge, PA 15003

Pittsburgh, PA – On April 5 – 7, leaders from across disciplines will join together for Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens’ second annual — and first virtual — Nature of Place Symposium. With a theme of Wild Childhood, speakers and attendees will discuss the deep importance of how children significantly benefit from time in nature, but also how some children are deprived of this experience due to a variety of factors such as racial injustice and disability exclusion.

The Nature of Place Symposium centers on the implications of biophilia — the innate human connection to nature — which extend across a vast array of disciplines including design and engineering, nutrition, psychology, public health, education, biology and the humanities. Biophilia is expressed all over the world every day, through complex collaborations such as the design and construction of buildings and landscapes; and intimate, personal encounters including nature hikes and home gardening. Since 2014, Phipps has held a monthly Biophilia: Pittsburgh gathering to bring creative minds together for learning, exploring and strengthening the bonds between people and the natural world. At Phipps’ first Nature of Place Symposium in February 2020, these concepts found a new expression as leaders across disciplines came together to discuss the influence and impact of biophilia on their work and the work of the future.

Each day of the symposium will include three pre-recorded talks, one live daily keynote speaker, and a panel discussion with the keynote and the other three speakers. The pre-recorded talks will all be available to registrants one week before the symposium begins to allow for flexible viewing. A full list of speakers will be added to Phipps’ website soon. Stay tuned to phipps.conservatory.org/NatureofPlace for details. Symposium sessions include:

Session 1: The Physical and Cognitive Value of Time in Nature
This session will discuss the developmental, cognitive and physical benefits of children spending time in nature.

Session 2: Equitable Access to Greenspace — Changing the Outdoor Culture
Although time in nature is beneficial to children, not all children have equitable access to greenspace due to such factors as racism and facilities that are not inclusive of different abilities. This session will explore the existing social, cultural and physical barriers to access to nature and discuss the needed changes.

Session 3: Equitable Access to Greenspace — Changing the Cities
Access to nature can be greatly improved by city infrastructure and planning, such as regulations to add more trees or minimize the distance to parks and green spaces. This session will explore the important role city planning can play in helping to ensure equitable access to nature.

Keynote speakers are educator Kimberly Refosco and Ariam Ford of Grounded Strategies. Session speakers include:

• Dr. Viniece Jennings, Agnes Scott College
• Trevanna Grenfell, Wildwood Path
• Eboni Preston, Greening Youth Foundation
• Britt Patterson Weber, Naples Botanical Garden
• Gabe Tilove, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
• Ujijji Davis Williams, Landscape Architect at SmithGroup

General registration for Nature of Place Symposium: Wild Childhood is $49 and student registration is $15. For more information, visit phipps.conservatory.org/NatureofPlace.

(Ambridge, Pa.) According to Beaver County Emergency dispatchers Police have been called to the scene of a shooting on Maplewood Ave. in Ambridge. No Details have been made available at this time. Stay tune to Beaver County Radio as Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano is working on this developing story.

Law enforcement is currently on the scene.

(Harrisburg, Pa.) Pennsylvania State Police announced on Twitter around noon on Monday that the department’s headquarters in Harrisburg have been evacuated due to a threat.

The 1800 block of Elmerton Avenue in the city is closed to traffic as authorities investigate the incident, according to state police.

Police are asking people to avoid the area.

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

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) has approved a smaller than requested increase in rates for natural gas distribution services by Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania Inc. (Columbia).  The order also includes a series of future steps the company must take to address energy affordability, customer assistance programs and outreach to households who may qualify for assistance.

The Commission voted 4-0 in support of an Order and Opinion granting Columbia an annual revenue increase of $63.5 million (11.1%), compared to Columbia’s initial request to increase annual revenues by $100.4 million (17.54%).  Additionally, the monthly residential customer charge was left unchanged, at $16.75, rather than increasing to $23.00, as Columbia had proposed.

In a joint statement, PUC Chairman Gladys Brown Dutrieuille and Vice Chairman David W. Sweet emphasized the need for Columbia Gas to address issues raised by consumer advocates about Columbia’s programs to assist struggling customers and outreach to those households.

Today’s Commission order details the following additional steps related to energy affordability and assistance for income-qualified households:

• Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania, Inc. shall submit to its Universal Service Advisory Committee, within six months of the entry date of this Opinion and Order, the question of how customer payments on Customer Assistance Program bills can be pursued through a reasonable collections process.
• Columbia shall be fully prepared to address this Customer Assistance Program collection policy issue in its next Universal Service and Energy Conservation Plan.
• Columbia shall address energy affordability in its next Universal Service and Energy Conservation Plan filing, specifically the energy burden guidelines established in the Commission’s Customer Assistance Program Policy Statement.
• Columbia shall address its efforts to reach and enroll low income customers in its upcoming annual Management Audit Progress Reports due in 2021 and 2022.

The Commission’s order was by notational vote – with each of the four Commissioners voting individually and separately – because of the quickly approaching deadline for final action in this matter. The results of the notational vote will be recorded at the next PUC public meeting, with the record of the votes cast and substance of the action taken formally entered into the minutes of that meeting.