Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published May 22, 2023 8:00 A.M.

(Beaver, PA) Members of the law enforcement community that include police, PA State Police, county detectives and members of the sheriff’s department, along with families and the general public gathered at the police memorial Friday morning.

(Chippewa Twp, Beaver County, Pa.) A soggy Saturday didn’t deter the crowd from coming out and celebrating aviation appreciation day at the 2nd Annual Wings and Wheels at the Air Heritage Museum at the Beaver County Airport.

There were activities for all members of the family. CCBC had a flight simulator that people could try their had at being a pilot. Festival attendees were also able to tour both of Air Heritages vintage planes. There was also may food vendors and community agencies at the festival.

Beaver County Radio General Manager, Frank Sparks and News Director, Curtis Walsh did a live broadcast on Beaver County Radio during the event. Daniel Campbell manned the Beaver County personality prize wheel.  The live broadcast was sponsored by Gnu’s Body Works, Old El Paso Mexican Restaurant , Circle of Friends, Habitual Glass Vape and Wellness, Ambridge Italian Villa, Giles Town and Country Market, Friendly Federal Credit Union, and Beaver County Radio.

Check all the photos below of the fun:

In this week’s episode of Highmark Heroes, Jim Roddey talks with Allegheny Health Network neurologist Dr. Rahul Chandra about stroke services offered and performed by AHN.  Then, Mr. Roddey sits down again with Eric Zahren and Melissa Brock from the Carnegie Hero Fund to discuss more tales of heroism.

“Heroes” is presented by Highmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield and the Allegheny Health Network, airing Saturdays at 10:00 AM and Sundays at 12:30 PM on Beaver County Radio. Archived editions of “Heroes” can be heard at the Beaver County Radio Podcast Library.

On this week’s edition of “Living Well”, hosts Jeff Bost and Dr. Joseph Maroon discuss the ins and outs of minimally invasive surgery, along with the leaps and bounds that have been achieved in modern medicine with the use of virtual reality.

Dr. Joseph Maroon is a world renown neurosurgeon with extensive experience in neurosurgery. He specializes in minimally invasive surgery to speed recovery for his patients. He is a sports medicine expert and innovator in concussion management, personal fitness and nutrition. Dr. Maroon is also the Pittsburgh Steelers team doctor.

Jeff Bost is a consultant to the St. Barnabas Health System. Bost is also a Clinical Instructor in the Department of Neurosurgery at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, a consultant to the WWE, and Clinical Assistant Professor at Chatham University. He has a special interest in minimally invasive spine and brain surgery and have collaborated on scores of scientific medical papers and books in these areas. Over the last 15 years he has researched, lectured and written on the use of alternative treatment for pain control.

Bost, along with Dr. Joseph Maroon have authored two books on the use of omega-3 fish oil, including: Fish Oil: The Natural Anti-Inflammatory, currently in its forth printing with over 75,000 copies sold and recently, Why You Need Fish Oil. He has given over 100 invited lectures, 24 national posters and oral presentations, 29 coordinated research projects, five workshops presentations, 35 scientific articles and 10 book chapters.

You can rune into “Living Well” every Saturday morning at 8:30 on 95.7 and 99.3 FM, 1230 WBVP, 1460 WMBA, and beavercountyradio.com.

You can also listen to all previous episodes of “Living Well” by going to beavercountyradio.com clicking on the Listen Live Button, Then chose Beaver County Radio and click on Podcasts in the upper right hand corner.

You can also download our free apps by clicking on the proper store icon for your platform of a device:

Pastor David Grove of the Church of the Redeemed of Beaver Valley talks about how  followers of Christ can rise from the pain of the eternal grave by committing themselves to the Lord, using scripture from the book of Hebrews to explain the finality of life on this earth.

“Wake Up Beaver Valley” airs every Saturday morning from 9 AM to 10 AM on Beaver County Radio and is presented by the Church of The Redeemed of Beaver Valley. Archived editions of “Wake Up Beaver Valley” can be heard at the Beaver County Radio Podcast Library.

PITTSBURGH, PA — A resident of Ambridge, Pennsylvania has been sentenced in federal court to 150 months imprisonment followed by 4 years of supervised release on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand imposed the sentence on Michael Gamble, age 38, formerly of Ambridge, Pennsylvania. According to information presented to the court, Gamble possessed with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl.

On December 10, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the Ambridge,
Pennsylvania residence where Gamble had been distributing controlled substances. A search of Gamble’s person revealed that he had approximately six (6) net grams fentanyl and $2,693.00. Between a cushion on a couch, where the defendant was seated, law enforcement received a loaded handgun with an attached extended magazine. The loaded handgun was found in the same basement as several digital scales, three boxes of empty glassine bags, a stamper, an ink pad and approximately 90 net grams of fentanyl.

Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all
levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Drug Enforcement Administration for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Gamble.

Recent Seton Hill University graduate and Beaver Area High School alumna Mackenzie Longo was awarded the title of Miss Three Rivers 2023, as part of the Miss Pennsylvania Scholarship Organization and Miss America Competition.

The Miss Pennsylvania Scholarship Organization empowers young women between the ages of 18 and 26 to earn scholarship awards for college, give back to their community, create a platform to exhibit their personal view on a critical issue, develop their public speaking and interview skills, and gain self- confidence.

“I began in the Miss Pennsylvania Scholarship program two years ago and served as Miss Butler County. I learned and grew so much as a result, along with building so many personal connections, that I made the decision to return this year. I was thrilled to be selected as Miss Three Rivers, representing the Greater Pittsburgh area, and be given the opportunity to continue to advance my social impact initiative – ‘If You Can See Her, You Can Be Her: Empowering Women in STE(A)M’ – which is all about encouraging young girls and women to pursue STE(A)M-related career paths,” said Longo.

Mackenzie graduated cum laude with her degree in Honors from Seton Hill earlier this month after majoring in Biology and Secondary Education. Throughout her daily life as a secondary science educator, she strives to empower young women and girls to challenge the stereotypes that exist in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, (Arts), and Math, known as STE(A)M.

“I chose the theme of STE(A)M education as my community service initiative because I believe there are unprecedented opportunities in these career paths for girls and women. STE(A)M involves thinking critically, analytically, and logically. It also approaches problems with creativity. STE(A)M subjects and activities can teach students how to think like a scientist, become better at problem solving, and make
them marketable employees in a wide range of careers,” Longo explained.

A native of Beaver, Mackenzie’s interest in promoting women in STE(A)M is more than just a social platform – she has created a science kit aimed at elementary aged students, along with companion instructional videos available via YouTube, where she guides students through science experiments. “I have been personally delivering science kits to schools in the Pittsburgh region, visiting classrooms, reading together and doing science experiments together. Sharing my love of science with the young
students has been rewarding for me, and I think I met some future scientists through my visits, too,” exclaimed Longo.

Over the next year, Longo will be highly visible at community and sporting events, where she frequently makes appearances.

In order to part of this dynamic program, candidates must first win a local competition to be eligible for Miss Pennsylvania. There are more than a dozen local programs in the Keystone State, which is a preliminary to the iconic Miss America Competition. The 2023 Miss Pennsylvania Scholarship Competition will be held June 15-17, 2023 in York, PA.

(Photo provided courtesy of Mackenzie Longo)

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing the reopening of the ramps from Route 65 to southbound I-79 at the Neville Island Bridge in Glenfield Borough, Allegheny County will occur Friday, May 19 weather permitting.

The ramps that carry traffic from Route 65 in both directions to southbound I-79 will reopen to traffic at approximately 3 p.m. Friday. The ramps have been closed to traffic since early March to allow for bridge painting operations.

A single-lane restriction will occur on the ramp from Deer Run Road to southbound I-79 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays through Thursday, May 25 to allow crews to remove the paint containment on the bridges.

The $43 million I-79 Neville Island Bridge Rehabilitation Project includes structural steel repairs, full structure painting, bearing and deck joint replacements, deck repairs and overlays, bridge barrier repair, substructure concrete work and drainage improvements.  The project also includes concrete roadway reconstruction, guide rail replacement and preservation work on four sign structures. Additionally, preservation work will occur on the I-79 bridge over Deer Run Road, north of the Neville Island Bridge.  Motorists will see ramp closures and single-lane and shoulder closures in each direction on I-79 during daylight off-peak and overnight hours. The overall project is expected to be completed in the summer of 2023.

The Trumbull Corporation is the prime contractor.

To help keep motorists informed as work progresses, PennDOT has created an email distribution list for the I-79 Neville Island Bridge rehabilitation including traffic advisories and construction updates. Enroll by sending email addresses to stcowan@pa.gov. Please write “Subscribe – I-79” in the subject line.

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 1,000 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.

(Sandy Giordano/Beaver County Radio)

Beaver County District Attorney David J. Lozier issued a press release yesterday after a defendant entered a guilty plea in 3 criminal cases of rape of a child under age 13. 

On May 20, 2022 New Sewickley Township Police received a complaint that a child had been sexually assaulted. A Forensic Interview was held at  A Child’s Place in Beaver Falls, PA. This is when the female minor revealed that she had been sexually assaulted numerous times by 29-year-old Austin Reefer. The child delayed in reporting the assault at age 9 because she saw an assault by Reefer and feared for their safety. She reported it after Reefer was arrested and jailed for the domestic violence of an adult known to the child.

Reefer was charged with felony strangulation and simple assault arising from  him assaulting the adult. Arising from Domestic violence, he was charged with 94 criminal counts, including 10 counts each of a rape of a child under age 13, statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviant sexual intercourse, and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse by forcible compulsion. The third case is a criminal felony, endangering the welfare of children arising from domestic violence regarding another sexual partner.

He offered a guilty plea in all 3 cases on Monday, May 15, 2023. After the jury heard the case, the Commonwealth asked the court for a 8 1/2 to 20 year prison sentence and Megan’s Law Registry. The Commonwealth agreed to the plea with the consent of all 3 victims to spare the child further trauma. He is currently in the county jail. Sentencing  is scheduled before Judge Mitchell Shahen on August 28, 2023.