Pepsi is unveiling a new logo and visual identity system after 14 years that includes a bold typeface, updated color palette and a signature pulse. (PepsiCo)

(PURCHASE, N.Y) Pepsi has announced they will be unveiling a new logo and visual identity system, the first update of the iconic Pepsi globe logo in 14 years. Pepsi will roll out the new look in North America this fall in time for the brand’s 125th anniversary, and globally in 2024. They also say as of 2022, Pepsi has begun to convert all 20oz bottles of Pepsi, including Pepsi Zero Sugar to 100% recycled PET. Pepsi says the new logo and visual identity pays homage to the brand’s rich heritage while taking a big leap toward the future.

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published March 30, 2023 7:43 A.M.

(Hopewell Township, PA) Hopewell Area School District is running on a 2 hour delay today, Thursday, March 30, 2023. Parents have been notified and the information is on the district’s website. Our Lady of Fatima students are also on a 2 hour delay.

Emergency responders and heavy equipment are seen at the site of a deadly explosion at a chocolate factory in West Reading, Pennsylvania, Saturday, March 25. (AP Photo/Michael Rubinkam)

WEST READING, Pa. (AP) — Federal safety investigators are looking at a natural gas pipeline for fractures and other damage as they gather evidence on the cause of a deadly explosion at a Pennsylvania chocolate factory. The National Transportation Safety Board opened a probe into Friday’s blast at R.M. Palmer Co., which killed seven, wounded several others and leveled the building in West Reading. An agency spokesman said Wednesday that safety investigators are gathering evidence about the pipeline. The family that owns the factory says the loss of their employees “will be felt forever.” A coroner is set to release the names of most of the victims later Wednesday.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Amid nationwide shortages in police officers, nurses and teachers, a central plank in Gov. Josh Shapiro’s effort to attract more people into Pennsylvania’s ranks is a financial incentive that many new recruits may not fully receive. That is because the size of the proposed tax credit depends on how much a newly certified officer, nurse or teacher pays in state income tax. Many of them likely would pay well below the $2,500 tax credit maximum in state income tax. A worker would have to make almost $82,000 to get the full $2,500 benefit, and the worker may not even work a full year the first year they are eligible.

Pittsburgh, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) partnered with the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), Ross Township Police Department, Impact Teen Drivers (ITD), and local teen leaders today to address reckless and distracted driving and kick off April’s National Distracted Driving Awareness month.

The partners joined North Hills High School students to demonstrate the very real dangers of distracted driving through a mock trial. Veronica Smith, mother of 16-year-old Mary Smith, was charged with distracted driving after drinking (coffee) while driving. The Honorable Magisterial District Judge Opiela, who serves Ross Township and West View Borough, presided over the mock courtroom.

Cell phone use is not the only distraction while driving. Other common distractions include eating and drinking, reaching for objects inside the vehicle, changing settings in the vehicle, brushing hair or applying makeup, and over-engaging with passengers, to name a few.

“Anything that causes a driver to take their attention away from driving, take their eyes off of the road, or take their hands off of the wheel is a distraction,” said PennDOT District 11 Safety Press Officer Yasmeen Manyisha. “National Distracted Driving Awareness Month is the perfect time for everyone – students, parents, and all motorists – to commit to driving distraction free, this month, and always.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens aged 15-18 in the United States. Modeling good behavior is particularly important when it comes to driving. The trial emphasized the central importance of parents as influencers of teen driving behaviors.

Impact Teen Drivers (ITD) is a nationally recognized nonprofit whose vision is to create a widespread culture shift among teens and their influencers where reckless and distracted driving are recognized as unacceptable behaviors outside social norms. “Most teens are making good decisions behind the wheel, and we leverage this good behavior using positive community norming to make distracted driving as socially unacceptable as driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol,” said Dr. Kelly Browning, ITD Executive Director.

Impact Teen Drivers’ evidence-based programming for schools and communities in Pennsylvania is made possible by NJM Insurance Group (NJM), a nationally recognized insurer and teen driver safety advocate. For more information on how to bring our programs to your community, please contact us at (916) 733-7432 or info@ImpactTeenDrivers.org.

For more information on distracted driving, visit www.PennDOT.pa.gov/safety.

PennDOT’s media center offers social-media-sized graphics highlighting topics such as seat belts, impaired driving, and distracted driving for organizations, community groups, or others who share safety information with their stakeholders.

For regional updates, follow PennDOT on Twitter and join the Greater Pittsburgh Area PennDOT Facebook group.

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced today that registration has opened for its upcoming 12-Year Program (TYP) update, which will be held on Wednesday, April 12, from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM. The Online Public Forum will be broadcast live via PAcast and PennDOT social media channels.

Pennsylvanians can ask transportation-related questions to PennDOT leadership and members of the STC during the forum’s Q&A session. Questions may also be submitted in advance of the forum by filling out the registration form or by emailing RA-PennDOTSTC@pa.gov. The public may also call PennDOT and share their questions at 717-783-2262.

Every two years the State Transportation Commission (STC) and PennDOT update Pennsylvania’s 12-Year Program (TYP) and public feedback is a critical part of that process. The public comment period for the TYP update began on Wednesday, March 1, and continues through Sunday, April 30. During the public comment period, Pennsylvanians can submit feedback by taking the Transportation Survey or emailing comments to RA-PennDOTSTC@pa.gov. Public feedback and survey results will help identify needs and prioritize transportation projects across the state.

For more information on the TYP Public Comment Period, Transportation Survey, and Online Public Forum, and how transportation projects are planned and funded, visit www.TalkPATransportation.com.

PennDOT will make all reasonable modifications to policies, programs, and documents to ensure that people with disabilities and those with limited English proficiency have an equal opportunity to provide feedback on Pennsylvania’s transportation network. To request assistance participating in the survey or the Online Public Forum, contact the Department’s Program Center by emailing RA-PennDOTSTC@pa.gov or calling 717-783-2262. Requests for Public Forum assistance should be made by Monday, April 3. If you have other questions or challenges, contact PennDOT’s Bureau of Equal Opportunity to request help by emailing beodot@pa.gov or calling 717-787-5891; TTY (711).

Subscribe to statewide PennDOT news and traffic alerts at www.penndot.pa.gov/news or choose a region under “Regional Offices.” Information about the state’s infrastructure and results the department is delivering for Pennsylvanians can be found at www.penndot.pa.gov/results. Find PennDOT’s planned and active construction projects at www.projects.penndot.gov.

Follow PennDOT on Twitter and like the department on Facebook and Instagram.

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

Nearly sixty years later, the meaning isn’t lost.

March 29 is Vietnam Veterans Memorial Day, and VVA Chapter #862 in Beaver County held a 24-hour vigil in Quay Square in Beaver. The area included a continually burning flame kept guard by local Beaver County veterans, along with signage thanking the troops for their service.

“Beaver County has done more than its fair share of protecting our freedoms and serving our country over the years,” remarked Beaver County Commissioner Jack Manning at their weekly work session on Wednesday. “Just a great group of guys over there.”

Photos from the vigil site can be seen below:

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) is investigating a series of phone calls made to 911 centers about schools across the Commonwealth involving threats of an active shooter situation or bomb threat.

 

These phone calls were made to several schools in different counties. All calls have had similar content. All calls are being thoroughly investigated and responded to by law enforcement.

 

These calls have created lockdowns and/or evacuations of the schools with a large response from police and emergency services.

 

The PSP has responded to all incidents in our primary coverage areas and has been in contact with municipal law enforcement partners investigating these incidents in their coverage areas.

 

At this time, all claims in these calls have been determined to be false. All schools involved have been cleared or are in the process of being cleared by law enforcement.

 

The investigation is ongoing.

 

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

Despite the time of the meeting running under 30 minutes, the Beaver County Commissioners managed to provide and receive many different updates at their March 29 work session.

Public Works director Dan Colville announced that there was no major damage done to any of the major parks in Beaver County following the series of harsh winds over the weekend. “Just a couple trees, nothing that interfered with operations,” Colville said. He also added that cleanup crews were out on Monday collecting whatever minor debris had made its way into those areas.

Parks and Recreation director Tony Caltury announced that the opening of trout season will be this Saturday (April 1), and that camping for the weekend will be allowed from 3 PM on Friday with evacuation set for Sunday at noon. He also notified the Commissioners that the inspection of the infrastructure at county pools is set to take place this coming Tuesday, “with the anticipation of the pool agreement being on the next resolution without any major infrastructure issues.”

Commissioner Tony Amadio spoke about the board’s meeting with the National Transportation Safety board in Darlington recently, with both him and Commissioner Jack Manning praising the conversation they had with NTSB chairperson Jennifer Homendy in regards to the eventual report that will come from the East Palestine train derailment. “I have complete confidence that they will eventually come up with a very good summary report of everything that happened,” Manning added.

Perhaps the biggest topic of discussion throughout the week leading up to the meeting was the release of reassessment values for properties throughout Beaver County, with an expected mill rate drop from around 26 to an estimated 3.5857. “We’re not raising county taxes,” Manning reaffirmed. “We’re still going to collect only 57 and a half million dollars in taxes.”

Commissioner Dan Camp stated that the possible tax increases may come from school taxes following their reactions to the reassessment of their properties. “The county will set those tentative values for the municipality for the schools and what their millage rate will be,” Camp mentioned, noting that the schools will then take two votes following the rates being set. One will be to accept the values, and the second will be to raise the values–“which will virtually be a tax increase,” per Camp.

The Beaver County Historical Landmarks & Research Foundation finally received bids for the restoration of the Vicary Mansion in Freedom, where the BCHLRF is headquartered. Executive director Brenda Applegate presented the bids to the County Commissioners at the work session, and the Commissioners chose Landmarks SGA as the contractors as their preference for the restoration of the porch for the building. Applegate stated that the foundation is also seeking a DCED grant through State Representative Rob Matzie.

The next Commissioners’ work session is scheduled for April 5 at 10:00 AM.

The photo above shows students exiting the school as police line the entrance to Hopewell High School amid the false alarm shooter situation.
Story and photos by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio News Director. Published March 29, 2023 1:10 P.M.

(Hopewell Township, PA) Students crying, parents and faculty distraught, and emergency responders in full action were the sights and sounds of a false alarm school shooting at Hopewell High School Wednesday morning. The call came in around 10:30am. Parents told Beaver County Radio at the scene, they were relieved when they found out the shooting was a hoax, citing it was sparked by an automated phone call. They commended the fast response time by police. Most were initially under the impression that an active shooter had killed or injured 6 students, it is unclear where the number 6 rumor originated. These reports were ultimately false and no shooting took place nor was anybody harmed.

Students were evacuated and moved to the Hopewell Junior High School to be dismissed along with the rest of the district as an investigation got underway. As students were reunited with their parents and gaurdians, they described actions of what happened during the lockdown, such as moving heavy items to block doorways, and noting the actions their teachers took to protect them. One story was that a group of students locked themselves in a bathroom, and wouldn’t come out until the police correctly said the predetermined password that was in place.

Officials were unable to make a statement on scene, but said they will as soon as the situation is wrapped up. State Police are investigating similar calls made to numerous other districts as well. Beaver County Radio’s Sandy Giordano reported the scene was officially cleared at 12:53pm, according to a statement from Hopewell Police Chief Don Sedlacek. Stay tuned to Beaver County Radio, we will keep you informed as more details become available.

Police cars line the entrance to Hopewell High:

Video from the scene shows students exiting the school: