Category: News

Beaver County Sheriff Tony Guy To Respond To Sandie Egley’s Accusations Regarding Budget

Beaver County Sheriff Tony Guy tells Beaver County Radio newsman Pat Septak that he wants to publicly respond to accusations made by County Commissioners Chairwoman Sandie Egley that his department is consistently over budget. Egley made the comments during the commissioners’ work session earlier this week. Sheriff Guy is on currently on vacation but he told us by phone that he plans to talk to WBVP-WMBA Radio News on Monday morning to address this issue.

Fire Damages Aliquippa Restaurant

Yianni’s Restaurant on Sheffield Road in Aliquippa was the scene of a fire yesterday afternoon. The fire was reported at 3:15 p.m. Beaver County Radio Correspondent Sandy Giordano reports that heavy fire, smoke and water damage was significant in the kitchen. The restaurant was closed at the time of the fire. Center and Hopewell Fire Departments assisted Aliquippa at the scene. The cause has not been determined.

Woman Faces Charges After Allegedly Threatening Children With Knife In Ambridge

A woman is facing charges after authorities say she threatened at least five children who were playing in their Ambridge neighborhood with a knife. Surveillance cameras at a home on Henrici Street in Ambridge captured the incident earlier this week. Police say Vera Smith can be seen holding a knife in her right hand, waving it around and yelling at the children, who were as young as 8 years old. Ambridge police say that they took the knife into evidence and said Smith admitted to everything, telling officers that she simply lost her cool. Smith is charged with making terroristic threats and simple assault.

Aliquippa School Board Approves 2016-17 Budget

The Aliquippa School Board met last night and approved the retirements of Assistant Elementary School assistant principal Dennis Drevna and elementary Gifted Education Teacher Debbie Frank. Drevna taught several years before becoming assistant principal.. Frank taught in the district 31 years Both are effective June 30.

Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano reports that the board also approved the 2016-2017 budget of $23,312,442.00. Real estate taxes will be 232 mills on land, and 36 mills on buildings. The 2015-16 millage was 224 on land, and 34.75 on buildings.

Salaries for the 8 clerical and secretarial staff members in the district were approved by the board.

Beaver County Sheriff’s Office Under Scrutiny For Being Over Budget

The Beaver County Sheriff’s office is coming under scrutiny for being consistently over budget. Beaver County Radio’s Greg Benedetti was at the courthouse this morning for the commissioners’ work session. He says that County Commissioners Chairwoman Sandie Egley stated that the sheriff’s department remains consistently over budget halfway through the budget year. According to Benedetti, Egley said that Sheriff Tony Guy was instructed to come up with a plan to correct the budget problem, but so far hasn’t done that. Egley has asked her fellow commissioners to consider what options are available to get the budget back on track.

Hopewell Area School Board Adopts 2016-17 Budget

THE HOPEWELL AREA SCHOOL BOARD MET LAST NIGHT AND ADOPTED ITS 2016-17 budget of $39-million dollars. According to Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano, real estate taxes will be 72.2 mills. The millage is an increase of 2.2 mills from 2015-16.

Giordano says that the board adopted a resolution requesting that the county’s chief assesor direct inspection and reassessment of all taxable properties within the district to which major improvements were made after 9/1/15. Those properties were not included in the tax duplicate for fiscal year 7/1/16 and ending 6/30/17.

The district hired Keelen Fiedler as InnovateED teacher to head the STEAM program for grades 5 through 8 in the district.

Deborah Skiba was hired as a transportation nurse effective May 26, 2016, The purpose of the hiring was to transport students to a Pediatric facility at the former Johnson Street School when necessary.

The board’s next meeting is July 26 at 7 p.m. in the Central Administration Building.

Cracked Windshield Forces Pittsburgh-Bound Flight Back To Boston

A Pittsburgh-bound JetBlue Airways flight had to return to Boston because of a cracked windshield. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the Wednesday morning incident. No one was hurt.  A passenger told New England Cable News that the pilot who made the announcement said it was a common occurrence.

Man Accused In Murder Of Beaver Woman Now Facing New Charges

A man, accused of killing his girlfriend, is now facing new charges today. According to a press release from the Beaver County District Attorney’s office, Edward Baker Jr. was charged yesterday with rape, criminal trespass and burglary. Baker was previously charged with murdering Addaleigh Huzyak in her Beaver apartment earlier this month. Baker was arrested in Kentucky shortly after the crime and reportedly told police to just shoot him.

Trial Underway For Accused Beaver Falls Arsonist

A trial is underway for an accused Beaver Falls arsonist. 22-year-old Zachary Metcalf is accused of igniting several fires in 2015. Police say Metcalf started nine fires in Beaver Falls and two in White Township during the months of August and September of last year. He was arrested near the scene of one of the White Township fires on September 29th. The non-jury trial began yesterday morning.

Rochester Police Investigating Daytime Burglary

Police in Rochester are asking for the public’s help in catching a daytime burglar. According to police, the suspect kicked down a resident’s door in the 500 block of Reno Street in the borough and took one-thousand dollars worth of coins and other items. The burglary occurred near Rochester High School, which is where police obtained surveillance video. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Rochester police at (724) 775-1110.