A man from Beaver County is admitting to a scam to sell more than 57-hundred fake Viagra and Cialis pills. Rahnon Carter entered the plea Friday after investigators found thousands of pills in his possession in late 2016. Carter faces up to a year in prison during his January 2020 sentencing.

THE AMBRIDGE BOROUGH POLICE CHIEF IS ASKING FOR THE PUBLIC’S HELP… AS HE INVESTIGATES REPORTS OF A YOUTH WHO WAS INJURED AFTER BEING TASED BY AMBRIDGE POLICE FOLLOWING FRIDAY NIGHT’S FOOTBALL GAME. BEAVER COUNTY RADIO NEWS CORRESPONDENT SANDY GIORDANO HAS THE STORY. Click on ‘play’ to hear Sandy’s report…

Back to School – Preparing Students for Life & Career Pathways

Ask any of our 500 plus Chamber members what their biggest issue is these days and they’ll likely tell you it’s the attraction and acquisition of talent. Recruiting, training and retaining employees is a huge cost of doing business in today’s climate. With near record unemployment lows in our region and Beaver County specifically, it is getting harder and harder to find people to fill the current number of job openings. We’ve spoken of this before, but unless we start to grow the population of Beaver County more aggressively, it will only become more difficult to find employees and expand economic prosperity to the benefit of all our residents.

One way to grow the availability of our future workforce needs, and prepare our youth for successful lives, is by providing them with a wide array of career path options. The Chamber Government Affairs Education & Workforce Development Subcommittee, along with several of our member partners, are working to change the paradigm of how to prepare our youth for as many diverse career options as possible.

Organizations like Junior Achievement of Western Pennsylvania are continuing to invest in our youth through efforts like their soon to open BizTown. JA BizTown is a fully interactive, mock community which mimics the western Pennsylvania economy. Students in 4th through 6th grade will visit JA BizTown in South Fayette Township after completing 12 lessons of in class curriculum based on financial literacy, community and economy, workforce readiness, and business management. During the curriculum, students learn how to complete a check, write a resume, interview for a job, and how to be a good citizen, in addition to many other very important skills.

At the simulation, students work individually and with their business for four and a half hours to complete a set of individualized job tasks. Throughout the day citizens of BizTown get paid twice, have to make speeches to the town, lead staff meetings, act as consumers and producers, vote on serious issues, and do many other things that each of us do every day. JA BizTown provides students with the life skills necessary to be a productive member of an economy and a fun and engaging place to practice those skills.  JA’s goal is that students leave BizTown with a better understanding of the world around them.

 

Other partners in this effort to prepare our youth, like the Community College of Beaver County, are also investing heavily in our high school students by making a focused career-oriented education (and earning college credits), much easier. CCBC’s High School Academy program, which was the recent recipient of the Carnegie Science Center’s Leadership in STEM Education Award, provides pathways to high-demand career fields for high school students from across Western Pennsylvania. Launched in 2015 with its signature Aviation Academy, the program has grown to house five academies and to serve close to 200 students from nearly 40 school districts throughout the region.

Through a nationally distinctive and innovative dual enrollment model, high school juniors and seniors explore careers in Aviation, Health, STEM, Criminal Justice, and Construction receive hands-on instruction from college faculty, and acquire critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Students who devote two years of study to the program will graduate high school with one year of credits toward CCBC’s associate degree programs or programs at other colleges and universities.

For the past five years the Chamber has also facilitated an event now known as Pathways. It is a middle school program aimed at presenting students an opportunity to explore STEM related career pathways associated with  the building trades, construction, apprenticeships, process technology, and other science, technology, engineering, and math-oriented occupations. Last year all 14 Beaver County public school districts with middle school programs participated in the event.

This October 17^th we expect well over a thousand Beaver County middle school students from all of the public, private and parochial schools participate in the program at CCBC’s Athletics & Event Center. There will be dozens of labor, industry and education representatives interacting with the students to show them their various career paths and type of work they do in their industry. There will also be programs on robotics and artificial intelligence.

The more students are able to see and understand their full range of options, the better informed they will be when making decisions that best fit their educational, financial and personal needs for life after high school. Our Energy & Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (EAMP) members are more than happy to introduce them to these options. We are grateful for their investment in our youth and hopefully a new generation of future business and industry employees and leaders.

This important community update is brought to you by Beaver Falls Municipal Authority, 1st Consultants, Strassburger, McKenna, Gutnick & Gefsky, Ambridge Regional Chamber of Commerce, Skerlec Contracting, and NovaCare! 

(Photos of volunteers, Ambridge Downtown Development Committee, headed by Steve Roberts, Paramount Enterprises, Trish Digliodo, a Beaver County Consultant for Rivertowns, 5-year-old Penelope Sophia Dubay from Allison Park Church, Council President Mike Mikulich, and Mayor Dave Drewnoswk…all taken by Sandy Giordano)

ABOUT 100 VOLUNTERS CAME OUT TO HELP PUT A SHINE ON AMBRIDGE OVER THE WEEKEND. BEAVER COUNTY RADIO NEWS CORRESPONDENT SANDY GIORDANO WAS THERE. Click on ‘play’ to hear Sandy’s report…

STATE REPRESENTATIVE ROB MATZIE HAS ANNOUNCED THAT A STATE GRANT HAS BEEN AWARDED TO THE WOMEN’S CENTER OF BEAVER COUNTY. BEAVER COUNTY RADIO NEWS CORRESPONDENT SANDY GIORDANO HAS DETAILS. Click on ‘play’ to hear Sandy’s report…

TED YOUNG FROM YOUNG’S JEWELRY AND COINS IN ROCHESTER IS RAISING MONEY TO HELP PEOPLE IN THE BAHAMAS WHO SUFFERED LOSS WITH THE RECENT HURRICANE DORIAN DISASTER. TED OWNS A HOME IN THE BAHAMAS…AND HE WILL BE GOING DOWN THERE IN OCTOBER. HE TELLS BEAVER COUNTY RADIO NEWS THAT, THANKFULLY, HIS PLACE IS FINE…BUT THERE ARE SO MANY OTHERS WHO HAVEN’T BEEN SO LUCKY:

TO HELP OUT, TED IS ACCEPTING CHECKS AT HIS JEWELRY STORE IN ROCHESTER MADE OUT TO THE BAHAMAS RED CROSS, UP THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH…

TED PLANS TO TAKE THE MONEY DOWN TO THE BAHAMAS NEXT MONTH…

TED EXPLAINS WHAT THE MONEY WILL BE USED FOR…

 

HE SAYS SO FAR, AROUND $5,000 HAS BEEN RAISED.

BCTA HAS ANNOUNCED THE RESUMPTION OF A COUPLE OF POPULAR BUS ROUTES IN AMBRIDGE BOROUGH. BEAVER COUNTY RADIO NEWS CORRESPONDENT SANDY GIORDANO HAS MORE. Click on ‘play’ to hear Sandy’s report…

MCKEESPORT, Pa. (AP) — Authorities have taken into custody three men they say were found with the car of a woman whose body was found in a western Pennsylvania park. Allegheny County police say two men were arrested on charges of receiving stolen property and a third man was taken into custody on a parole violation. The county medical examiner’s office says the body of 43-year-old Tameka Dallas was found Thursday in a wooded area of Renziehausen Park. A cause of death hasn’t been released.

EDGEWOOD, Pa. (AP) — Authorities have recovered the body of a man who they believe triggered an explosion in his western Pennsylvania home on his daughter’s wedding day. Officials have not released the man’s name and they’re awaiting autopsy results to determine how he died. Police say neighbors reported the homeowner was in the front yard shortly before the fire and explosion Saturday in Edgewood. Police said relatives of the owner were attending a family wedding.

PennDOT District 11 is announcing roadway improvement work on the Rochester Roundabout (Route 1034 Brighton Avenue, Route 68 Adams Street, Route 18 Rhode Island Avenue/Brighton Avenue) in Rochester Borough, Beaver County will begin Monday night, September 16 weather permitting. Crews from Gulisek Construction and Lindy Paving will conduct milling and paving operations nightly from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. through Sunday night, September 22.  The roundabout and the following roadways will close to traffic during paving operations:

• Route 68 (Adams Street) in both directions between Connecticut Avenue and Massachusetts Avenue
• Route 18 (Rhode Island Avenue/Brighton Avenue) in both directions between Iden Way and West Washington Street
• Route 1034 (Brighton Avenue) in both directions between West Washington Street and Iden Way

Traffic will be detoured during working hours.

Additionally, the ramp from the Rochester-Beaver Bridge to southbound Route 65/51 is anticipated to close Tuesday, September 17 and Friday, September 20 from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. each night. The roundabout will remain open on those nights as it will be used for the ramp detour.

Posted Detours

Eastbound Route 68 (Adams Street)

• From eastbound Route 68 (State Street), take the Bridgewater exit ramp to Wolf Lane
• Turn left onto Market Street
• Turn right onto Bridge Street
• Cross the Rochester-Bridgewater Bridge
• Continue onto West Madison Street
• West Madison Street becomes Brighton Avenue
• Turn left onto Jefferson Street
• Follow Jefferson Street to Route 68 (Virginia Avenue)
• End detour

Westbound Route 68 (Adams Street)

• From westbound Route 68 (Virginia Avenue), turn right onto Jefferson Street
• Turn right onto Brighton Avenue
• Brighton Avenue becomes West Madison Street
• Cross the Rochester-Bridgewater Bridge
• Turn left onto Market Street
• Take the ramp to westbound Route 68 toward Beaver
• End detour

Northbound Route 18 (Rhode Island Avenue)

• From northbound Route 18 (Rhode Island Avenue), turn left onto West Washington Street
• Turn right onto Massachusetts Avenue
• Turn left onto Adams Street
• Cross the Rochester-Beaver Bridge
• Follow North 51 toward Chippewa
• Take the Bridgewater exit ramp to Bridge Street
• Cross the Rochester-Bridgewater Bridge
• Turn left onto northbound Route 18 (Delaware Avenue)
• End detour

Southbound Route 18 (Brighton Avenue)

• From southbound Route 18 (Delaware Avenue), turn right onto West Madison Street
• Cross the Rochester- Bridgewater Bridge
• Turn left onto Market Street
• Turn right onto Wolf Lane
• From Wolf Lane, take the ramp to eastbound Route 68 and cross the Rochester-Beaver Bridge
• Take the East 68/South 18 exit toward Rochester/South
• Follow Pleasant Street to Route 18 (Rhode Island Avenue)
• End detour

Northbound Route 1034 (Brighton Avenue)

• From northbound Brighton Avenue, turn left onto West Washington Street
• Turn right onto Massachusetts Avenue
• Turn left onto Adams Street
• Cross the Rochester-Beaver Bridge
• Follow North 51 toward Chippewa
• Take the Bridgewater exit ramp to Bridge Street
• Cross the Rochester-Bridgewater Bridge
• Follow West Madison Street back to Brighton Avenue
• End detour

Rochester-Beaver Bridge Ramp to Southbound Route 65/51

• Take East 68/South 18 exit toward Rochester/South
• Bear left toward North 51/To 68/Zelienople
• Turn left onto Massachusetts Avenue
• Turn right onto Adams Street
• Continue into the roundabout
• Take Brighton Avenue toward South 65/51
• From Brighton Avenue take the ramp to southbound Route 65/51
• End detour

Police will control key intersections during the closure.

Crews will conduct milling and paving operations as part of the $10.07 million Route 18 improvement project. Gulisek Construction, LLC is the prime contractor.

Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, 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 950 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.