(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

Will the puck be dropped? Or will the season be put on ice?

Following the decree of a federal judge ruling Governor Tom Wolf’s pandemic restrictions on gatherings “unconstitutional”–and the Wolf administration’s announcement to appeal that ruling–the futures of many local events are in a state of limbo, including the upcoming hockey season for high schools and youth organizations alike.

“We’re waiting to determine and see if, while that appeal’s pending, if those numbers are still in play or if they’re not,” said Solicitor Garen Fedeles at Wednesday’s Commissioner Work Session, referring to the limit set by Governor Wolf of 25 people at indoor events and 250 at outdoor events.

“If that were to be removed,” Fedeles said, “I believe it would go back to 50% of whatever the occupancy limit is for that facility.”

This has been an issue that the Commissioners have received numerous emails about, and the issues haven’t been relegated to simply crowd size.  Commissioner Dan Camp brought up two particular concerns from those emails; one about players changing in the lobby as opposed to the locker rooms, and the other about player safety.

“We were reached out to by a lady whose son is now playing [a level of] hockey where they can check each other, so there’s a higher chance of getting hurt,” Camp said. “Her concern is that if a kid gets hurt and she has to take them to the hospital or doctor, she can’t relay back to that doctor or hospital what happened to her child, because that would just be hearsay from whoever was there.”

“So I guess the question is,” Camp proposed, “how do we get around these parents–or at least one parent–into the crowd during practice if they wanted to?”

The dubious future of the Ice Arena’s usage comes at the heels of its winning of a $100,000 grant to “Renovate The Rink” from the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation.

(Photo courtesy Matt Drzik)

Brodhead Road will be soon going through an engineering study, thanks to a $250,000 grant that was approved by for Beaver County, as announced by Planning Commission Director Joe West at Wednesday’s Commissioner Work Session.

The County will match 25% of the grant at $62,500 which brings the total to roughly $312,500.

“Because of all of the development and everything that occurred on Brodhead Road…the road was never designed for that much development,” West said at the work session, “so now PennDOT is looking at that area.”

West added, “they’re also looking at Route 18, and there’s another grant in for that.”

Brodhead Road is one of the longest roads in the county, stretching from 6th Street (Route 18) in Monaca to University Boulevard  in Moon Township, covering a majority of Center Township, Monaca, Aliquippa, and Hopewell Township.

Firefighters have prevented a California wildfire from damaging the Mount Wilson Observatory, which played a pivotal role in early 20th century astronomy. The Bobcat Fire came within 500 feet of the observatory on Tuesday but Angeles National Forest officials say firefighters were able to protect the historic site. The observatory is where astronomers confirmed that galaxies exist outside the Milky Way and that the universe is expanding. The blaze remains a threat to foothill communities but officials say the fire behavior has moderated.

PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) — Hurricane Sally has lumbered ashore near Gulf Shores, Alabama, as a Category 2 storm, with top winds of 105 mph. The coast is being pummeled with sideways rain and beach-covering storm surges. Sally’s northern eye wall raked the Gulf Coast for hours before the center finally made landfall, delivering punishing wind and rain from Pensacola Beach, Florida, westward to Dauphin Island, Alabama. The National Hurricane Center says Sally will cause dangerous flooding from the Florida Panhandle to Mississippi and well inland in the days ahead. Nearly 500,000 homes and businesses are without power between Sally and Hurricane Laura’s aftermath in Louisiana.

PA House Republicans and Democrats Call on Gov. Wolf to Sign PIAA Sports and Spectators Bill

HARRISBURG – Dozens of House Republicans joined together in a press conference Wednesday morning to call for Gov. Tom Wolf to sign House Bill 2787, legislation that will enshrine in law that decisions about school sports and spectators can be made at the local level.

House Bill 2787 passed both the House and the Senate with enough supporting votes that, should the bill be vetoed, a veto could be overridden if the vote totals remain the same.

“It is time to give the people their voice back and ensure our children have the best educational outcomes. We encourage Gov. Wolf to join a bipartisan majority of the General Assembly and sign this bill. If he does not, we will hold a vote to override his veto,” said Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin). “This should not be a hard decision for members. It comes down to this: Do you support your constituents or do you support your governor?”

Rep. Mike Reese (R-Westmoreland/Somerset), who is the lead sponsor of House Bill 2787, said the governor’s indoor and outdoor occupancy limits relative to school sports to do not make sense.

“Applying a 250-person gathering limit to sports stadiums that have seating for a few thousand people simply does not make sense. It is even harder to understand the 25-person limit for indoor gatherings being applied in gymnasiums that are larger than some big box retail stores,” Reese said.

“Who are Gov. Wolf, Secretary Levine – or anyone in Harrisburg — to dictate that parents and grandparents cannot attend a loved one’s sports event or activity? Local officials know their facilities and have no less a commitment to public safety than Gov. Wolf. It makes sense that they should be empowered to make these decisions.”

Rep. Jesse Topper (R-Bedford/Fulton) noted the overwhelming support the bill received in both chambers clearly expressed the bipartisan will of the people as voiced through their representatives in the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

“It is clearly the will of the General Assembly that these decisions regarding all extracurricular activities are placed in the hands of local school districts. I would encourage the governor to sign this bill and demonstrate some trust in our local districts to make these very important decisions,” Topper said.

Rep. Joe Emrick (R-Northampton), who was a student athlete and is the parent of two student athletes, noted the importance of this legislation to Pennsylvania families.

“From my time as a student athlete the memories I have of my parents meeting me outside the locker room after every game—win or lose—are some of my most cherished. As the father of two daughters who are also student athletes, I share the desire of parents across Pennsylvania to be there in support of my children,” said Emrick. “This is more than just about sports. This is about moments and opportunities that are finite and irreplaceable, that once they are lost can never be recovered or recreated.”

Wednesday’s rally had bipartisan support with Democratic House members Rep. Bill Kortz (D-Allegheny), Rep. Anita Kulik (D-Allegheny), Rep. Harry Readshaw (D-Allegheny), and Rep. Joe Petrarca (D-Westmoreland) appearing in support of House Bill 2787 becoming law.

3rd man surrenders in Pittsburgh shootout that killed infant
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The third man sought in the death of an infant who was struck by a stray bullet that went into his family’s apartment during a shootout on a Pittsburgh street has turned himself in to authorities. Devon Thompson,  surrendered Tuesday. The 37-year-old McKees Rocks man faces charges of criminal homicide, criminal attempted homicide, aggravated assault and a weapons count, and it wasn’t known Wednesday if he’s retained an attorney. Authorities have  said Thompson and two other men were at the Three Rivers Manor apartment complex when they opened fire on Aug. 24. Zykier Young was sleeping in his family’s apartment when he was struck in the head by a bullet.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A man paralyzed in a 2016 shooting at cookout in western Pennsylvania that killed five people and an unborn baby has died, officials said.
John Ellis, 51, died Tuesday at UPMC Mercy Hospital, where he was taken Friday for complications, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Ellis lived next door to the Wilkinsburg home where the cookout was taking place on March 9, 2016, and was sitting at a backyard table when gunfire rang out.
Three siblings — including one who was eight months pregnant — and two cousins were killed. Ellis and two others were wounded.
Authorities charged two men in the shooting.
Charges were dismissed against one man, and a jury in February reached acquitted the other.

CCBC APPOINTS NEW VICE PRESIDENT OF STUDENT AFFAIRS

Monaca, PA – Community College of Beaver County (CCBC) announced today the appointment of its newest academic leader, Dr. Sutonia Boykin, as Vice President of Student Affairs. Effective October 1, 2020, she will be responsible for leading all student affairs and will oversee other departments. Reporting to President Dr. Roger W. Davis, she will also be a member of the President’s Executive Cabinet.

“We are pleased to welcome Sutonia to the CCBC faculty,” said Dr. Davis. “Her impressive experience, leadership style and results-driven approach will help to build educational pathways for the students and faculty around her, and ensure that our core value of Students First is upheld and maintained.” 

Dr. Boykin joins CCBC from Rockland Community College of the State University of New York, where she was the Dean of Student Development. Her prior positions include Director of Transfer Services at LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City, NY, as well as an adjunct professor, teaching the First Year Success Courses in both face-to-face and online formats at LaGuardia and the University of Maryland, respectively.

“I am excited to get started at CCBC. I am always on the front line or in the trenches helping students – especially first-generation students, as I was one myself,” said Boykin. “I value collaboration with faculty, academic colleges, and student leaders to enhance the student experience and each student’s potential for success and to create environments that foster that success by celebrating learning, accepting differences, and developing critical thinking.”

Dr. Boykin earned her B.S. in Business Administration, M.S. in Education, and Doctorate in Community College Leadership at Ferris State University.

Dr. Boykin joins Dr. Davis’s leadership team as the College’s third female vice president, and first African American vice president of student affairs. By supporting the College’s strategic priority to promote and retain a diverse workforce, students will see themselves in the campus’s workforce, and leave prepared to maneuver in a multicultural world. 

Hurricane Sally unleashes flooding along the Gulf Coast
By JAY REEVES, ANGIE WANG and JEFF MARTIN Associated Press
PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) — Hurricane Sally has lumbered ashore near Gulf Shores, Alabama, as a Category 2 storm, with top winds of 105 mph. The coast is being pummeled with sideways rain and beach-covering storm surges. Sally’s northern eyewall raked the Gulf Coast for hours before the center finally made landfall, delivering punishing wind and rain from Pensacola Beach, Florida, westward to Dauphin Island, Alabama. The National Hurricane Center says Sally will cause dangerous flooding from the Florida Panhandle to Mississippi and well inland in the days ahead. Nearly 500,000 homes and businesses are without power between Sally and Hurricane Laura’s aftermath in Louisiana.