Category: News

BREAKING NEWS: Sandie Egley Ousted As Chairwoman Of Commissioners; Ricardo Luckow Fired!!

BIG SHAKE UP AT THE BEAVER COUNTY COURTHOUSE…

THAT’S COMMISSIONER TONY AMADIO TELLING BEAVER COUNTY RADIO NEWS THAT THERE’S A NEW CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD. THIS MORNING – IN AN UNEXPECTED MOVE – THE COMMISSIOENRS OUSTED SANDIE EGLEY AS CHAIRWOMAN OF THE BOARD…AND THEY ALSO FIRED FINANCIAL ADIMINSTRATOR RICARDO LUCKOW. AMADIO SAYS HE MADE THE MOTION THIS MORNING…

AS TO WHY HE AND COMMISSIONERS DAN CAMP VOTED TO REPLACE EGLEY WITH CAMP AS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMISSIONERS…AND WHY THEY ALSO VOTED TO FIRE LUCKOW…AMADIO SAYS IT WAS TIME FOR A CHANGE…

AMADIO SAYS HE WANTS A PAIR OF FRESH EYES LOOKING AT THE BOOKS FROM NOW ON…

EGLEY VOTED AGAINST BOTH MOVES.

UPDATE: Monaca Police Chief Asking For Public’s Help In Finding Person Who Vandalized Vehicles

UPDATE: THE MONACA POLICE DEPARTMENT IS ASKING FOR YOUR HELP IN FINDING THE PERSON WHO VANDALIZED VEHICLES AND A NEIGHBORING BUSINESS EARLY MONDAY MORNING.  THIS HAPPENED IN AN ALLEY THAT RUNS BETWEEN BECHTOL STREET AND WALNUT STREET IN THE 1000 BLOCK. MONACA POLICE CHIEF DAVID PIURI TELLS BEAVER COUNTY RADIO NEWSMAN PAT SEPTAK  THAT THIS CRIME HAPPENED IN A NORMALLY QUITE NEIGHBORHOOD…

CHIEF PUIRI SAYS THEY’RE HOPING THE PUBLIC WILL COME FORWARD TO HELP SOLVE THIS CASE…

CHIEF PIRURI SAYS THERE WERE AT LEAST FOUR VICTIMS IN THIS CRIME…

CHIEF PIURI TELLS US THERE WERE NO INJURIES…AND THEY HAVE NO SUSPECTS AT THIS TIME. POLICE ARE ASKING ANYONE WHO HAS ANY INFORMATION ON THE CASE TO GIVE THEM A CALL AT (724) 775-9614.

Beaver Falls Assistant Bank Manager Indicted On Embezzlement Charge

An assistant manager of First National Bank in Beaver Falls has been indicted on charges of stealing about $20,000. 63-year-old Robin Chiappetta of Beaver Falls has been indicted on a count of embezzlement following an investigation by the FBI. The grand jury said she stole the money from Feb. 2014 until Dec. 2016. She’s due in federal court March 27 to face the charge.

Get Ready For Snow, Beaver County!!

WEATHER FORECAST FOR THURSDAY, MARCH 8TH, 2018

TODAY – A MIX OF SUN AND CLOUDS THIS MORNING…THEN
SOME SNOW SHOWERS THIS AFTERNOON.
HIGH – 35.

TONIGHT – SNOW SHOWERS THIS EVENING AND
CONTINUING OVERNIGHT. 1 TO 3 INCHES
EXPECTED BY MORNING. LOW – 28.

FRIDAY – CLOUDY. A FEW FLURRIES OR SNOW SHOWERS
POSSIBLE. HIGH – 36.

SATURDAY – PARTLY SUNNY SKIES. HIGH – 41.

SUNDAY – PARTLY SUNNY. HIGH – 42.

70th Anniversary Moments – Gertrude “Gert” Trobe.

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.

 

In 1948, WBVP was making history on many different fronts.  Aside from being the first radio station  in Beaver County, WBVP was on the cutting edge of another historical event, that of having a woman talk show host.  Gertude, or “Gert” Trobe was one of the first women, anywhere, to be involved with broadcasting when she began her show as part of the original staff that station owners Frank Smith, Tom Price and Charles Onderka had assembled together in Beaver Falls.   The following is an except from the forthcoming book “Behind The Microphone – The History Of Radio in Beaver County”, which is being published in conjunction with the 70th Anniversary of WBVP in May.

Gert and Max Trobe at a radio station party in 1954. Courtesy of Owen Simon.

“Following the news, one of the most beloved announcers in the Beaver County Area, of all time, Gertrude Trobe, would take control of the airwaves. (Beaver County historian and local author) Ken Britten summed up the significance of Ms. Trobe’s contributions. ‘Shortly after going on the air, Mr (Frank) Smith hired Gertrude Trobe to become the first woman’s director thus making WBVP the first radio station in history to have a full time Woman’s Director in charge of special programming aimed directly at the female market. You must remember radio was only 28 years old when WBVP went on the air and was still in its infancy. The hiring of a Woman’s Director made news throughout the industry.

Mrs Trobe was already well established on the faculty of Geneva College where she taught English, Drama and Communications. After being hired at WBVP she would become one of the leaders in female broadcasting within the industry, winning and receiving many awards, honors and certificates. She would become one of the founding members of the New York based “American Women In Radio and Television”, become recognized for introducing many radio firsts and be listed in “Who’s Who”.

Initially beginning by broadcasting daily 15 minute programs, she would eventually do a daily 45 minute show called “You and Your Home” that ran for thirty years and two shorter programs entitled “Market Place” and the “Shoppers Guide”. She would also be fondly remembered for her annual “Christmas Tea Party” and her many travel cruises.’

Gert Tobe on the cover of a promotional booklet published in the 1960’s. Photo taken inside the Grand ballroom at The General Brodhead Hotel. in Beaver Falls.

The Cookie Teas hosted by Gert Trobe over at the Brodhead Hotel  on 7th Avenue in Beaver Falls were some of the  the biggest events staged by WBVP every year.  the Cookie Teas were held up in the Grand Ballroom around Christmas time.   The events were for ladies only, were free of charge to attend and usually featured a buffet and guest speaker and sometimes a singing group or two.  Women who wanted to attend had to call WBVP and make a reservation.  The Cookie Teas were so popular that they needed to be held twice in the same day to accommodate the crowd of 500 to 600 ladies that would attend each year, given the 250 person seating capacity of the Brodhead Hotel’s Grand Ballroom.  (WBVP Engineer) Jim Roush also added in a December, 2017 discussion, that once the Cookie Teas were advertised on WBVP,  the phones in the office would receive a deluge of calls and all of the available reservations would be gone in a day. Gert would get dress shops and other sponsors to donate supplies, prizes and other things that were needed to pull off the Cookie Teas each year.”

Gert and her husband, Max were fixtures in the local community.  Max Trobe was a popular dentist in Beaver Falls and was involved with and attended many radio station social events through the years.

“70th Anniversary Moments” is presented by  Albert’s Heating, Cooling and Plumbing, The Beaver Falls Municipal Authority, Beaver Valley Auto Mall, Beaver Valley Sheet Metal, Castlebrook Development, Freedom United Federal Credit Union, Hank’s Frozen Custard and Mexican Food,  Laughlin Insurance Agency and Rochester Manor and Villa.

Camp Unveils Plan For More Security Cameras

Beaver County Commissioner Dan Camp told his fellow commissioners at Wednesday’s regular work session that plans are in the works to add security cameras at any county office or facility that handles money. Offices such as treasurer’s and assessor are affected as well as the ice arena. The ice arena is in the process of adding 17 security cameras. Camp says the sheriff’s office website is running out of space to monitor security cameras and assessor Kevin McElwain was instructed by commissioners to do the legwork to have a final proposal ready for commissioners.

At the work session, budget director Ricardo Luckow disclosed that seven union contracts are up for negotiation, one this year and six in 2019.

Luckow reported the 4.7 million dollar surplus in the 2018 budget includes the 1.3 million that was already included in the budget.

As for financial matters, a representative of Penn State-Beaver told commissioners they are 100 thousand dollars in arrears for pledge support. Luckow was instructed to work out details to see what money can be given to Penn State-Beaver. The school is asking for at least 50 thousand dollars this year.

Solicitor Garen Fedeles told commissioners website and print advertising is underway  concerning the 16 hundred square feet of office space available for lease at  the Human Services Building in Beaver Falls.