Thousands of people are woke up in the dark on this morning after a winter storm moved through the area. The storm started with freezing rain, which iced over power lines. As the storm progressed, the precipitation changed over to snow, which brought down trees and power lines across the area. At the storm’s peak, 22,000 West Penn customers were without power. An additional 20,000 Duquesne Light customers were without power as well. Most of the outages were reported in Butler County. However, there were 3,000 customers in Beaver County are also left in the dark. At last check, Duquesne Light reported there are still approximately 3,500 customers still without power in Beaver County. Spokesperson Jerry Bucci provided this information to Beaver County Radio News correspondent Sandy Giordano.
Tune into Beaver County Radio 1230 WBVP and 1460 WMBA Tuesday November 20, 2018 at 9 a.m. for Tom Young from 1st Consultants Inc. in Beaver. Tom will be making his monthly appearance and the topic this month will be “The difference between typical, traditional and Holistic financial planning ” . In a continuation of last month’s segment, find out why, although they might sound the same, the three methods have dramatically different perspectives regarding managing your money. Tom will explain that and more during his appearance this month. You can also participate in the show by calling 724-843-1888 or 724-774-1888. You can also ask your questions on Facebook Live.
Click Tom’s picture below at showtime of 9:10 a.m. to be directed to the WBVP and WMBA Facebook Page where Tom’s appearance will be on Facebook Live.
Click on the logo below to find out more about 1st Consultants Inc.
A GROUP OF 8TH GRADERS WAS RECOGNIZED BY THE ALIQUIPPA SCHOOL BOARD LAST NIGHT. BEAVER COUNTY RADIO NEWS CORRESPONDENT SANDY GIORDANO WAS THERE. Click on ‘play’ to hear Sandy’s report…
A Southwest Airlines flight to Fort Myers, Florida, returned to Pittsburgh shortly after takeoff because of a bird strike, the airline said Wednesday. Flight 1486 landed safely at Pittsburgh International Airport, where it will be removed from service and inspected. The passengers and crew members eventually boarded a different plane to Fort Meyers.
* WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR BEAVER COUNTY UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING… MIXED PRECIPITATION. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS OF A LIGHT GLAZE UP TO ONE TENTH OF AN INCH ARE EXPECTED. EXPECT REDUCED VISIBILITIES AT TIMES. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW, SLEET OR FREEZING RAIN WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. EXPECT SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES, AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING. *
TODAY – FREEZING RAIN THIS MORNING…CHANGING TO
RAIN. SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS LESS
THAN ONE INCH. TEMPS NEARLY STEADY IN THE
LOW TO MID 30’S.
TONIGHT – SNOW SHOWERS. 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW
EXPECTED. LOW – 32.
FRIDAY – CLOUDY. TEMPS NEARLY STEADY IN THE MID-30’S.
SATURDAY – CLOUDY. HIGH – 38.
SUNDAY – RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS IN THE MORNING
CHANGING TO ALL RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.
HIGH NEAR 40.
This year commemorates the 70th anniversary of when Beaver County’s first radio station, WBVP, was heard over the airwaves for the the first time on May 25, 1948. To mark the historical event, each week, another “70th Anniversary Moment” will be showcased on the airwaves and published on the station’s online feeds.
The line up at the end of the 1980’s on WMBA featured Jaye Phillips on the Mornings, Al McDowell hosted the morning talk show called “Straight Talk” and Bobbie Vaughn did an afternoon show on WMBA. Rob Matzie would help produce the talk show for Al McDowell and did many of the remote broadcasts.
Newspaper ad from 1988 promoting WMBA talk shows. Courtesy of Mike Romigh.
In March of this year, Rob Matzie met Mark Peterson for lunch at the Maple Restaurant in Ambridge, and while the Hot Roast Beef with gravy sandwiches were good, the two hours of story telling were great. Peterson later used much of the conversation shared that day in the book, Behind The Microphone, The History Of Radio In Beaver County, PA. Well, who’s kidding who, the Hot Roast Beef was great too, but we digress. Anyhow, the following excerpts about Al McDowell have been taken from the publication: “Al McDowell had already enjoyed a successful media career in Pittsburgh by the time Donn Wuycik hired him to host a show on WMBA. McDowell had done television work on WTAE, Channel 4. McDowell still resided in Upper St.Clair and commuted in to Ambridge, getting in about 9 A.M. everyday and taking up residence in a middle cubicle in a back room located down the hall from the Merchant Street studio of WMBA. Matzie used the far cubicle and the other cubicle was typically used by a variety of part timers. McDowell would have his USA Today paper in hand and read the paper for an hour, followed by hosting the talk show, which aired from ten until noon. Matzie reported that typically, Al McDowell would be out the door by about 12:30 in the afternoon after recording a commercial or two and then, being the man of routine that he was, he headed to Ro
Al McDowell at A Nationality Days live broadcast on WMBA on Merchant Street in Ambridge in 1989. Courtesy of Mike Romigh.
ok’s East side Saloon on 4th street in Ambridge everyday for a couple of Martinis. Not just any Martinis either. Matzie shared that Al McDowell would bring his own Martini glass with him everyday, and then have the bartenders at Rook’s make his daily Martini’s in his own glass. “That was his daily ritual” offered Matzie.”
One of the more popular promotions that WMBA staged in the late eighties and early nineties was “Breakfast With Santa”. The event featured a live broadcast hosted by Al McDowell at various Pappan’s Family Restaurants in the area. Rob Matzie reportedly would drive the WMBA van and go pick up Santa Claus, who, by the way, lived on 11th street in Ambridge in those days, and then head to the Breakfast with Santa promotion. It was a perfect idea, grandparents would arrive in huge numbers, bringing with them their their grand kids. The grandparents all enjoyed listening to Al McDowell on WMBA and this gave them a chance to see him broadcasting live and meet him. The grand kids in tow got to sit on Santa’s lap.
70th Anniversary Moments” is presented by Abbey Carpet and Floor, Albert’s Heating, Cooling and Plumbing, Aliquippa Giant Eagle, The Beaver Falls Municipal Authority, Beaver Valley Auto Mall, Beaver Valley Sheet Metal, Castlebrook Development, The Community College Of Beaver County, Farmers Building and Savings Bank, Freedom United Federal Credit Union, Hank’s Frozen Custard and Mexican food, The Health Huts, Kitchen City, Laughlin Insurance Agency, Rochester Manor and Villa and Young’s Jewelry and Coins.
The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh has issued the following winter weather advisory for our area tomorrow, Thursday November 14, 2018
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM TO 7 PM EST
THURSDAY...
* WHAT...Wintry mix expected. Expect total wet snow accumulation
of up to 2 inches and ice accumulation up to one-tenth inch.
* WHERE...western Pennsylvania, east-central Ohio and northern
West Virginia, including the northern panhandle.
* WHEN...Snow will begin after 3 am and will peak between 5-8 am
before changing to sleet and freezing rain during the morning.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...There remains considerable uncertainty in
the expected precipitation type. If warm air is not as strong as
expected, precipitation could remain as snow with much higher
amounts. Ice and wet snow will result in difficult travel
conditions.
Stay tune to Beaver County Radio for weather updates and any closings
or Delays.
Indians send INF Gonzalez to Pirates in 5-player swap
By TOM WITHERS, AP Sports Writer
CLEVELAND (AP) — The Indians traded versatile infielder Erik Gonzalez to the Pittsburgh Pirates as part of a five-player swap.
Cleveland sent Gonzalez, who appeared in 81 games for the AL Central champions last season, and right-handers Tahnaj Thomas and Dante Mendoza to the Pirates for outfielder Jordan Luplow and infielder Max Moroff.
Gonzalez batted .265 with one homer and 16 RBIs last season for Cleveland, which signed the Dominican native in 2009. Gonzalez filled a utility role for the Indians, but was not going to be able to get into the starting lineup behind All-Stars Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez.
The 25-year-old Luplow brings needed depth to Cleveland’s outfield, which was decimated by injuries last season. He appeared in 64 games over the past two seasons with the Pirates, who named him their top minor league player in 2017.
Moroff has split the last three seasons between Triple-A Indianapolis and Pittsburgh, appearing in 26 games for the Pirates in 2018.
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More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Hearing reveals chilling details of fatal Southwest flight
By DAVID KOENIG and CLAUDIA LAUER, Associated Press
There was a loud bang, and suddenly the Southwest Airlines jet rolled 41 degrees to the left. Smoke began to fill the cabin, and flight attendants rushed row by row to make sure all passengers could get oxygen from their masks.
When flight attendant Rachel Fernheimer got to row 14, she saw a woman still restrained by her lap belt but with her head, torso and arm hanging out a window.
Fernheimer grabbed one of the woman’s legs while flight attendant Seanique Mallory grabbed her lower body. They described being unable to bring the woman back in the plane until two male passengers stepped in to help.
The harrowing details from the April fatal flight were released for the first time as the National Transportation Safety Board began a hearing Wednesday into the engine failure on Southwest Flight 1380, which carried 144 passengers and five crew members.
After several failed attempts to reach the pilots by intercom because of the rush of air and noise, Mallory was finally able to relay the situation to Tammie Jo Shults and Darren Ellisor, who had already planned an emergency landing of the crippled Boeing 737-700 in Philadelphia.
“We got (unintelligible words) a window open and somebody – is out the window,” Mallory said. According to a transcript, she adds a little later, “Yeah everyone still in their seats, we have people have been helpin’ her get in I don’t know what her condition is, but the window is completely out.”
The flight attendants told investigators at least one of the male passengers put his arm out of the window and wrapped it around the woman’s shoulder to help pull her back in. Fernheimer said when she looked out the window, she could see that one of the plane’s engines was shattered, and there was blood on the outside of the aircraft.
The passenger in the window seat, Jennifer Riordan, was fatally injured — the first death on a U.S. airline flight since 2009. Eight other passengers including at least one of the men who helped pull Riordan back in the window, suffered minor injuries.
One of the men, an EMT in Texas, and a retired school nurse began CPR on Riordan, but according to interviews with investigators, they said her injuries seemed too severe. Emergency personnel took over once the plane landed, and passengers gathered her belongings to send with them.
The accident was triggered by an engine fan blade that broke off. A piece of engine cover struck and shattered the window next to Riordan, a 43-year-old mother of two from Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Wednesday’s hearing in Washington focused on design and inspection of fan blades on the engine, made by CFM International, a joint venture of General Electric and France’s Safran S.A.
A spokeswoman for CFM said in an emailed statement Wednesday that the company could not comment on an active investigation, but noted that it had “responded aggressively” to complete blade inspections after the fatal flight before an Aug. 31 deadline.
The blade that broke had made about 32,000 flights. An examination indicated that it probably was beginning to suffer cracks from metal fatigue when it was last inspected in 2012, said Mark Habedank, an engineering official at CFM. But the crack was smaller than could be detected by the test used at the time, which used fluorescent dye.
After the fatal accident, CFM recommended the use of more sophisticated tests using ultrasound or electrical currents. The company also recommended much more frequent inspections and lubrication of the blades.
A broken fan blade had triggered a similar engine failure with shrapnel on another Southwest flight, in August 2016 over Florida.
An FAA expert on engines, Christopher Spinney, said the agency considered the Florida incident “very unexpected.”
“We determined early that we would require some corrective action in that it was an unsafe condition,” Spinney said, “but we also determined we had some time.”
Rather than issue an emergency order for fan blade inspections after the 2016 incident, the FAA began a normal process for new regulations, which includes a chance for the public to comment and takes longer. That process was still underway when the fatal accident occurred.
Fan blades have been thought to have no real lifetime limit. CFM and FAA officials said they were now considering whether blades must be replaced at some point even if they don’t show wear.
Representatives from CFM, Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration were also expected to be questioned about design of the engine housing, which is supposed to prevent pieces from breaking loose.
