(Beaver County, PA)  New faces and new businesses are appearing in Bridgewater.  The latest such incarnation is that of Brian Wozniak State Farm Insurance who recently opened  a new office on Brkich Way.   Wozniak opened his  original State Farm Insurance office in New Brighton about two years ago and recently decided to move the operation

to Bridgewater to be a part of what he describes as a fairly significant amount of business development activity in the borough.  On Thursday February 4, 2016, Brian Wozniak State Farm Insurance held a community open house to celebrate the grand opening of the new office.  Dozens of people attended the gathering including existing customers, well wishers from the nearby community and media personnel.  At the party, Brian talked about the exciting activity happening in Bridgewater and how he sees a bright future for the town:

 

Brian Woniak State Farm Insurance can be reached at 724-846-5995.

 

The Beaver County Commissioners were on the “hot seat” earlier today on Beaver County Radio. Republican Dan Camp and Democrat Tony Amadio sat down with Mike Romigh to answer a wide range questions on county government, many of them dealing with the budget and the pending deficit. During the Ask the Commissioners segment on Teleforum this morning, Camp said one of the first issues they’ve had to deal with as the new board is the deficit they discovered when they re-opened the budget. Amadio said that he was surprised when he heard Controller David Rossi say earlier this year that the county would be facing a 17-million-dollar deficit if cuts aren’t made. Amadio admitted that he doesn’t know what the deficit is at this point, but said it’s up to him and his fellow two commissioners to fix it. Commissioners chairman Sandie Egley did not participate on this morning’s program due to a previously scheduled engagement.

News from Aliquippa Council… Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Jordano reports that Aliquippa Mayor Dwan Walker last night presented Johnny Hill Sr. the One Aliquippa Award for his dedicated service as a crossing guard in the city. He recently retired. Council also approved the hiring of a new full-time police officer, Jim Brown…and it was announced last night that on March 19th the annual Easter Egg Hunt will be held from 10 am to 1 pm at “Lefty” Cepul Field. In case of inclement weather, the city is asking for use of the elementary school gym. 48 hours will be given to city residents if a change in venue is necessary.

Officials have identified a pedestrian hit and killed by a truck last week in Avalon. 24-year-old Kent Taylor was hit by a truck while he was walking northbound in the passing lane in the 900 block of Ohio River Boulevard (Route 65) around 3 a.m. Friday. That’s according to the Allegheny County medical exmainer’s office. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The medical examiner’s office says Taylor died from blunt force trauma to the head, neck and body. The manner of death is pending investigation.

A funeral was held today in Wilkinsburg for a police dog stabbed to death Sunday while helping officers apprehend a suspect. Several roads were closed for the procession for 5-year-old German shepherd Aren. The suspect, Bruce Kelly Jr., was shot and killed by police in the chase.

The very first “Ask The Commissioners” of 2016 is set to air Thursday on Teleforum with Mike Romigh. It’ll also be the the first “Ask The Commissioners” featuring the new county board of commissioners. It’ll also be the first “Ask The Commissioners” in which Republicans have held a majority on the board. Democratic incumbent Tony Amadio will join Republican Dan Camp for the program, where it’s a tradition for Beaver County Radio listeners to call in and ask the commissioners anything they want to know about county government. New commissioners chairman Sandie Egley will not be there due to a scheduling conflict. Some of the topics that are expected to come up during Thursday’s show include the county budget, county employee salaries and the current hiring freeze. Tune on Thursday morning at 9:05 for Ask The Commissioners on Teleforum with Mike Romigh on 1230 WBVP and 1460 WMBA.

Democratic Governor Tom Wolf says he’ll ask the Republican-controlled Legislature for another $200 million for public schools next year. Meanwhile, he’s still fighting for more school aid in this year’s budget. Wolf made the announcement  a week before he delivers next year’s budget proposal to lawmakers.

A bill that would help Pennsylvanians convicted of minor offenses to have their criminal record erased has been approved by the state legislature. The bill is now on its way to Governor Wolf for his signature.

Western Pennsylvania authorities warn they’re seeing a surge of overdoses, possibly tied to a batch of heroin. At least a dozen non-fatal ODs have been reported in Washington County since last weekend, with 15 similar cases in Cambria County since Monday.