A police officer in Ambridge is being diagnosed with COVID-19. In a letter sent to borough staff Thursday, their borough manager said the police department member tested positive and was recovering at home. The officer began to exhibit symptoms during his shift on March 20th and has been off the job since. Their internal investigation showed that no one had close personal contact with the officer on that date.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The number of confirmed coronavirus cases here in Beaver County has jumped to the double digits. The county now is at 13 cases. Statewide, the number has leaped by 50% and record numbers of Pennsylvanians are filing for unemployment compensation, the most in the nation. Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration said Thursday that five more people stricken with coronavirus died, bringing the death toll to 16. With 560 new cases confirmed by the state Department of Health, there are now more than 1,680 cases in 48 counties. Meanwhile, Pennsylvanians filed about 650,000 unemployment compensation claims over the past 11 days as Wolf unveiled an order for “non-life-sustaining” businesses to shut down to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
WEST DEER, Pa. (AP) — Authorities say a fast-moving fire roared through a western Pennsylvania home, killing a 14-year old girl and her dog. Emergency responders went to the West Deer home around 9:15 a.m. Thursday. Firefighters tried to enter the residence to reach the girl, but were forced back by the intense heat and flames before part of the home collapsed. The girl was identified as an eighth-grader in the Deer Lakes school district. Her name has not been released. It wasn’t clear if anyone else was in the home when the fire broke out, but no other injuries were reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
(Beaver County, PA) Local reaction to the Corona Virus pandemic has forced the suspension or cancellation of large gatherings, including worship services across Pennsylvania. Along that line, WBVP, WMBA and 99.3 F.M. are pleased to be the “pulpit” of the airwaves during this time. Local listeners and parishioners can tune in to four different church and faith based programs this weekend. at 7 A.M. on Saturday Morning, March 28, Pastor David Grove from The Church of The Redeemed of Beaver Valley hosts his weekly “Wake Up Beaver County” program. At 9 A.M. on Sunday morning, March 29, live Sunday Mass from St. Monica Catholic Parish in Chippewa will still take place even though the church is closed to the public. Then, at 10 A.M. on Sunday March 29, a recorded version of this week’s message from Christian Dimensions, featuring Aliquippa native Jackie Billingslea-Davis, will provide worship and inspiration from a Jewish tradition and perspective. Finally, at 10:30 A.M. on Sunday March 29, Pastor Jan Davis from Central United Methodist church in Beaver Falls will engage with listeners via a broadcast recorded earlier this week. All four segments will air on WBVP, WMBA, 99.3 F.M. and The Beaver County Radio Live Audio Stream.
WEATHER FORECAST FOR FRIDAY, MARCH 27TH, 2020
TODAY – CLOUDY SKIES. HIGH – 63.
TONIGHT – SHOWERS IN THE EVENING, BECOMING A MORE
STEADY RAIN OVERNIGHT. LOW – 52.
SATURDAY – RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS. HIGH – 64.
SUNDAY – SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS IN THE MORNING.
REMAINING PARTLY CLOUDY IN THE AFTERNOON.
HIGH – 71.
Harlem Globetrotters great Curly Neal dies at 77
By JOHN MARSHALL AP Basketball Writer
Fred “Curly” Neal, the dribbling wizard who entertained millions with the Harlem Globetrotters for parts of three decades, has died. He was 77. The Globetrotters say Neal died in his home outside of Houston, but did not provide any other details. Neal played for the Globetrotters from 1963 to 1985, appearing in more than 6,000 games in 97 countries for the exhibition team known for its combination of comedy and athleticism. He became one of five Globetrotters to have his jersey retired when his No. 22 was lifted to the rafters during a ceremony at Madison Square Garden in 2008.
3.3 million seek US jobless aid, nearly 5 times earlier high
By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — A record-high number of people applied for unemployment benefits last week as layoffs engulfed the United States in the face of a near-total economic shutdown caused by the coronavirus. The surge in weekly applications for benefits far exceeded the previous record set in 1982. Layoffs are sure to accelerate as the U.S. economy sinks into what most economists expect to be deep and painful recession. Revenue has collapsed at restaurants, hotels, movie theaters, gyms and airlines. Auto sales are plummeting, and car makers have closed factories. Most such employers face loan payments and other fixed costs, so they’re forced to cut jobs to save money.
Trump says feds developing new guidelines for virus risk
By ZEKE MILLER and ALAN SUDERMAN Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says that federal officials are developing guidelines to rate counties by risk of virus spread. Trump wants to begin easing nationwide guidelines meant to stem the coronavirus outbreak. In a letter Thursday to the nation’s governors, Trump says the new guidelines are meant to enable state and local leaders to make “decisions about maintaining, increasing, or relaxing social distancing and other measures they have put in place.” Trump has been seeking for days to determine how to contain the economic fallout of the guidelines issued by his administration as well as local leaders to slow the tide of infections. States would still have authority to set restrictions.
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is forecasting quick bipartisan approval of the massive $2.2 trillion coronavirus economic relief bill approved by the Senate. The Senate unanimously passed the bill late Wednesday. Pelosi says the House will vote on the package Friday and she expects it will pass with “strong bipartisan support.” The package comes as fresh evidence emerges that the U.S. is sinking into recession. The government on Thursday reported 3.3 million new weekly unemployment claims, four times the previous record. President Donald Trump has implored lawmakers to finish the package so he can sign it into law.
NEW YORK (AP) — Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the economic toll of the coronavirus outbreak will be dramatic in New York. And he castigated federal officials Thursday for what he called a failure to address lost revenue in their $2.2 trillion relief package. Cuomo said the outbreak creates a “double whammy” of increased state costs and lost revenue as businesses shutter and workers are laid off. A health care worker at one of the New York City hospitals under siege by the coronavirus has died. Co-workers and his sister say assistant nurse manager Kious Kelly died Tuesday from the virus after he got sick two weeks ago. Kelly worked at Mount Sinai Health West Hospital in Manhattan.