Beaver County Radio News Staff. Published May 22, 2024 8:25 A.M.
(Brighton Township, Pa) The Brighton Township Police Department is asking anyone with information regarding vandalism and graffiti damage to the boys restroom at Hardy Field that occurred between Saturday 5/18 to Sunday 5/19 is requested to contact them. They add that all information can be kept confidential.
Beaver County Radio News Staff. Published May 22, 2024 8:22 A.M.
(Center Township, Pa) Center Township Police are looking to identify the three females caught on surveillance cameras at the Kohl’s store in Center. The three individuals are said to have entered Kohls on May 5th and walked out with approximately $1500.00 in merchandise. They were viewed getting into an older model white SUV possibly a Ford. Anyone with information is told to contact the non-emergency number at 724-775-0880 and ask to speak with a Center Township Police Officer. Photos of the individuals can viewed on the Center Township Police Department Facebook page.
Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published May 22, 2024 8:20 A.M.
(Hopewell Township, Pa) Hopewell’s newly named football Head coach John Rosa will be resigning. ROsa is headed to Winchester Thurston High School in Pittsburgh, PA to be their athletic director, but he hasn’t officially resigned yet. Superintendent Dr. Jeff Beltz told Beaver County Radio that Rosa and the coaching staff are conducting spring workouts that will continue through the summer months.
The question residents are asking is “Who will be the next football coach? Athletic Director and former trainer Donnie Short is retiring at the end of the current school year.
Wednesday, May 22 –McDonald’s is giving away FREE 6-piece Chicken McNuggets when ordered on the McDonald’s app. The offer is valid for one day only at participating restaurants across the US – no purchase necessary.
This is just the first of many deals McDonald’s has in store for fans this summer season – more special offers are planned on top of McDonald’s everyday affordable prices. Fans can stay in the loop on exclusive local deals simply by downloading the MyMcDonald’s Rewards app.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) voted to pass the Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2023. Among other disaster recovery measures, the bill includes a provision to exempt Norfolk Southern Railroad’s payments to residents impacted by the East Palestine train derailment from federal taxes, something Congressman Deluzio has been pushing for since January.
The Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2023 came to the House Floor for a vote after Congressman Deluzio signed on to an effort to discharge the bill, bypassing committee and bringing it directly to the floor for a vote. The bill passed on a bipartisan basis and now heads to the Senate for consideration.
Following the bill’s Congressman Deluzio released the following statement:
“The East Palestine derailment was a disaster for a lot of families in Beaver County, and it is ridiculous that folks hurt by this train derailment in their backyard would have to pay taxes on Norfolk Southern’s payments to them.
“I knew we had to make this right, and tonight, we passed a bill to do just that.
“Now, these payments will be exempted from federal taxes—just like we do for natural disasters. It’s the right thing to do, and I was glad to see colleagues in both parties support this measure.
“Let’s keep going to hold big railroads accountable and make freight rail safer. It’s time to pass my bill, the Railway Safety Act.”
Monaca, PA – Community College of Beaver County (CCBC) is proud to release 364 names of full-time and part-time students who achieved either President’s List or Dean’s List honors for the spring 2024 semester.
To be named to the President’s List, students must have completed at least 12 hours of credit-bearing courses in which performance grades are awarded and have received a 3.75 grade-point average or above for the semester. Dean’s List honorees must have completed at least 12 hours of credit-bearing courses in which performance grades are awarded and have received a 3.25 to 3.74 grade-point average for the semester.
The following full-time students were named to the President’s List:
Katrina Adams Jade Adkins
Damon Astorino Calahan Bedard Julia Bennett Hunter Bock
Vanessa Borgen Aaron Bruder Kira Burd
Meagan Burke Carol Buzard
Amelia Callaghan Eva Campbell Logan Cantwell India Carlisle
Saige Chambers LeAndra Clark Jada Cleckley
Adam Cline
Kira Coffman
Jason Commentucci Amanda Cramer Kaden Cvitkovic Kail Davidson
Gabrielle Davis
Sydney Davis
Gabriella DePace Brandi Dornetto Josef Druzak
Erica Gazdik
Jayden Geer
Olivia Geiger
Farrah Glomb
Anna Goberish
Abbie Graves
Gabrielle Gretch
Olivia Guido
McKala Harris
Peyton Hastings
Connor Haynes
Peyton Heidish
Monjeana Henderson Brook Henry
Jack Hickman
Trinity Hill
Olivia Hogue
Faith Holcomb
Mandy Hopkins
Sarah Hottenfeller Jacy Hudock
Lauren Huey
Spencer Hunter
Dalton Janicki
Preston Jasek
Mayank Jathan
Trevor Keenan
Sydney Klaas
Michael Krumpe Joseph Lamb
Grace Lane
Tanner Leavens Troy Leininger
Devin Lewis
Katherine Livengood Michael Longo
Madeline Luke
Abbigail Lyon
Sarah Lyons
Brynn MacQueen Mackenzie Maga Austyne Mann
Maya Marshall
Landyn McClean Colin McKissic
Carmen Mercado Gracie Miller
Jalen Mills
Garrett Milnes Gage Nagy
Payne Nairn
Alexander Neel Genavieve Pansera Lucas Peretik
Gabriella Petrof
Remington Pond Lily Pruszenski Kody Pulaski
William Rebello Landon Reckerd Cody Record
Joshua Rexroad Michela Ricci
Cristian Rodriguez Madelyn Ronk Zachary Ryan
Emily Sedgwick
Errett Sedlacek Jillian Sedlacek Jonathan Selavko Aaron Shanor
Mackenzie Snyder Maura Sosack Philip Spann
Carmen Spara Ashley Stoltz
Caleb Terrick
Blake Thewes
John Tilson
Alexis Tolejko
Hannah Triscila
Teariney Trosky
Emma Weismantle Samantha Whiteman Selena Wilson
Alexandra Wise
Isabella Woodrow Paige Young
Sarah Zeiber
The following full-time students were named to the Dean’s List:
Jenson Baker
Avery Baldwin
Jenna Bechtold Emily Beres
Abigail Blumling Ella Brubaker
Emma Burkard Sean Cady
Brianna Cahill Chase Campbell Anna Carlgren Hannah Carothers Sarah Causey
Travis Cerce
Alexander Clark Ethan Colvin
Ashton Costanza Meredith Cote Gianna Dale
Connor Denes Sarah Dettinger Isabella Dibe
Jake Dokmanovich
Kyle Donovan
Domonic Dorsey Erin Dugan
Priscilla Eberlein Serenity Eubanks Ashley Evans
Lahela Fisher
Meghan Franciscus Camden Glass Nick Greiner
Amanda Grimm Jaxon Guido
Kaydance Hagan Sydney Hale
Lillie Hans
Jocelyn Herda
Jeniene Hill-Lyles Xianyi Jiao
Mara Kachur
Zakary Klaas
Olivia Kullen
Mia Leonberg
Jordan Mcclain
Jacob Mersing
Zane Metzgar
Jacob Mima
J’Daniel Mosquera Glenn Ohmer Truxel Jarett Pence
Rhea Pieprzyk
Abigail Pokorski Garrett Reynolds Nathan Ritchey Tyler Roman
Kyle Schad
Evan Scheib
Hayden Schulte Mayley Servick
Ana Shipman
Deniro Simpson Charlie Sinclair Zoe Slavinsky
Bradley Solyan
Zoe Staley
Julia Stoyer
Isabella Viscuso
Kennedy Vogel
Nicholas Waschak Ella Watterson
Aubrey Westfall Stefania Wiley
Reilly Wilfong
Colin Willoughby Abigail Winterhalter Lauren Winters Matthew Wolfe
Meah Yonlisky
Christopher Zarilla
The following part-time students were named to the President’s List:
Grace Abbott Maya Abt
Meara Adams-Moots Mohammed Aziz
Scout Barber
Logan Bickerstaff
Trent Bonfield Joslyn Brandt
Lauren Brilhart Lilly Burgess
Danica Burns Jay Busch
Victoria Cain
Domenick Cerilli Brice Conrad
Brianna Dobbins Autumn Donahue Hannah DoVidio Dylan Falvo
Isabella Finnegan Adison Fox
Bryce Froble
Joel Garcia Crego Anthony Gerace Alyssa Gibbons Delphine Giles Haleigh Grabski Matthew Gregory
Elaina Guy
Mya Hazelwood Aurea Hickenboth Harrison Hill
Shana Hormel
Alec Jerome
Brendan Jones
Ava Katkich
Noah Kurschinske Wanda Lay
Flora Lieb
Riley Long
Zoe Mangus
Maxwell Martin Aidan McConnell Catherine McCurdy Bryce Millerschoen Sara Miloszewski Sherry Modro
Mynor Morales
Kaitlyn Murdock Madison Murtha Payton Nunes
Patrick O’Leary Abigail Olszanski Kaylee Orgovan Kaitlyn Oslick
Courtney Parish Luke Paskey
Jayda Pawelkoski Vanessa Perry Julia Pratt
Arielle Prieto
Breanna Reynolds Rylee Ringhoff Reese Riordan Stefano Rosati Ethan Rosenfelder Isabella Ruminer Madison Schiebel
Angela Sgro
Madelyn Sheffel
Kelly Sledzianowski Dylan Slovick
Taylor Smith
Jenna Stiteler
Cliff Stobart
Charity Tellish
Jaimie Tharp
Brandon Turcola
Veronica Van Dam Nicholas Vanhorenbeck Danyel Walker
Paige Warzynski
Mckenna Wass
Sarah Windsheimer Connor Young
The following part-time students were named to the Dean’s List:
Sophia Adams
Jacob Albanese
Anna Allison
Nathan Anderson
Ava Bell
Isabella Bertucci
Sean Brigode
Keeley Brown
Brock Budacki
Josilyn Burkett
Roman Carlucci
Kianna Copeland
Andrew Crofoot-Franco Kennedy Cron
Ronnie Davies
Brianna Essey
Luke Fagan
Aiden Froedtert
Brendan Gianantonio Ryder Goe
Julie Golnik
Jeslyn Gouldsbarry Evan Green
Dakota Gural
Alexa Hapach
Rylea Heitzenrater Aubrey Hess
Brady Hess
Benjamin Hipple Stephanie Houk Alaina Huey
Alexandria Huselton Cassandra Kirkland Jenna Kosanovich Cameron Kraus Ashlyn Krizan
Chloe Lin
Aidan Lindner
Mario Marcellus Theresa Master
Kayleigh McCabe Clara McFarland Megan Mortimer
Nicholas Moulinie Ella Murphy
Breana Nalesnik Dante Nalli
Morgan Negley Zachary Nemec Hailey Ochman Kandace Olenik
Gracie Patterson Anthony Persuitte Rylee Peters
Qualin Pitts
Alexa Presutti Michael Pudina Rose Pyles
Fiona Quinn
Brayden Reeves
Dominic Renzo
Arielle Reynolds
Pressley Roush
Sarah Rowland
Miah Sabo
Avery Sassic
Jesse Scarfo
Jason Shiring
Roman Solomich
Jeffrey Stewart
Carynn Suter
Mariah Taylor
Elissa Toy
DaiShauna Washington Sara Willey
Jerome Willig-Friedrich Carter Wilson
Kaelin Wooley
Tamara Wright
Isaiah Zahn
FILE – This photo provided by the Municipal Water Authority of Aliquippa shows the screen of a Unitronics device that was hacked in Aliquippa, Pa., Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023. Cyberattacks against water utilities across the country are becoming more frequent and more severe, the Environmental Protection Agency warned Monday, May 20, 2024, as it issued an enforcement alert urging water systems to take immediate actions to protect the nation’s drinking water from electronic threats. (Municipal Water Authority of Aliquippa via AP, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Cyberattacks against water utilities across the country are becoming more frequent and more severe, the Environmental Protection Agency warned Monday as it issued an enforcement alert urging water systems to take immediate actions to protect the nation’s drinking water.
About 70% of utilities inspected by federal officials over the last year violated standards meant to prevent breaches or other intrusions, the agency said. Officials urged even small water systems to improve protections against hacks. Recent cyberattacks by groups affiliated with Russia and Iran have targeted smaller communities.
Some water systems are falling short in basic ways, the alert said, including failure to change default passwords or cut off system access to former employees. Because water utilities often rely on computer software to operate treatment plants and distribution systems, protecting information technology and process controls is crucial, the EPA said. Possible impacts of cyberattacks include interruptions to water treatment and storage; damage to pumps and valves; and alteration of chemical levels to hazardous amounts, the agency said.
“In many cases, systems are not doing what they are supposed to be doing, which is to have completed a risk assessment of their vulnerabilities that includes cybersecurity and to make sure that plan is available and informing the way they do business,” said EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe.
Attempts by private groups or individuals to get into a water provider’s network and take down or deface websites aren’t new. More recently, however, attackers haven’t just gone after websites, they’ve targeted utilities’ operations instead.
Recent attacks are not just by private entities. Some recent hacks of water utilities are linked to geopolitical rivals, and could lead to the disruption of the supply of safe water to homes and businesses.
McCabe named China, Russia and Iran as the countries that are “actively seeking the capability to disable U.S. critical infrastructure, including water and wastewater.”
Late last year, an Iranian-linked group called “Cyber Av3ngers” targeted multiple organizations including a small Pennsylvania town’s water provider, forcing it to switch from a remote pump to manual operations. They were going after an Israeli-made device used by the utility in the wake of Israel’s war against Hamas.
Earlier this year, a Russian-linked “hacktivist” tried to disrupt operations at several Texas utilities.
A cyber group linked to China and known as Volt Typhoon has compromised information technology of multiple critical infrastructure systems, including drinking water, in the United States and its territories, U.S. officials said. Cybersecurity experts believe the China-aligned group is positioning itself for potential cyberattacks in the event of armed conflict or rising geopolitical tensions.
“By working behind the scenes with these hacktivist groups, now these (nation states) have plausible deniability and they can let these groups carry out destructive attacks. And that to me is a game-changer,” said Dawn Cappelli, a cybersecurity expert with the industrial cybersecurity firm Dragos Inc.
The world’s cyberpowers are believed to have been infiltrating rivals’ critical infrastructure for years planting malware that could be triggered to disrupt basic services.
The enforcement alert is meant to emphasize the seriousness of cyberthreats and inform utilities the EPA will continue its inspections and pursue civil or criminal penalties if they find serious problems.
“We want to make sure that we get the word out to people that ‘Hey, we are finding a lot of problems here,’” McCabe said.
EPA did not say how many cyber incidents have occurred in recent years, and the number of attacks known to be successful so far is few. The agency has issued nearly 100 enforcement actions since 2020 regarding risk assessments and emergency response, but said that’s a small snapshot of the threats water systems face.
Preventing attacks against water providers is part of the Biden administration’s broader effort to combat threats against critical infrastructure. In February, President Joe Biden signed an executive order to protect U.S. ports. Health care systems have been attacked. The White House has pushed electric utilities to increase their defenses, too. EPA Administrator Michael Regan and White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan have asked states to come up with a plan to combat cyberattacks on drinking water systems.
“Drinking water and wastewater systems are an attractive target for cyberattacks because they are a lifeline critical infrastructure sector but often lack the resources and technical capacity to adopt rigorous cybersecurity practices,” Regan and Sullivan wrote in a March 18 letter to all 50 U.S. governors.
Some of the fixes are straightforward, McCabe said. Water providers, for example, shouldn’t use default passwords. They need to develop a risk assessment plan that addresses cybersecurity and set up backup systems. The EPA says they will train water utilities that need help for free. Larger utilities usually have more resources and the expertise to defend against attacks.
“In an ideal world … we would like everybody to have a baseline level of cybersecurity and be able to confirm that they have that,” said Alan Roberson, executive director of the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators. “But that’s a long ways away.”
Some barriers are foundational. The water sector is highly fragmented. There are roughly 50,000 community water providers, most of which serve small towns. Modest staffing and anemic budgets in many places make it hard enough to maintain the basics — providing clean water and keeping up with the latest regulations.
“Certainly, cybersecurity is part of that, but that’s never been their primary expertise. So, now you’re asking a water utility to develop this whole new sort of department” to handle cyberthreats, said Amy Hardberger, a water expert at Texas Tech University.
The EPA has faced setbacks. States periodically review the performance of water providers. In March 2023, the EPA instructed states to add cybersecurity evaluations to those reviews. If they found problems, the state was supposed to force improvements.
But Missouri, Arkansas and Iowa, joined by the American Water Works Association and another water industry group, challenged the instructions in court on the grounds that EPA didn’t have the authority under the Safe Drinking Water Act. After a court setback, the EPA withdrew its requirements but urged states to take voluntary actions anyway.
The Safe Drinking Water Act requires certain water providers to develop plans for some threats and certify they’ve done so. But its power is limited.
“There’s just no authority for (cybersecurity) in the law,” Roberson said.
Kevin Morley, manager of federal relations with the American Water Works Association, said some water utilities have components that are connected to the internet — a common, but significant vulnerability. Overhauling those systems can be a significant and costly job. And without substantial federal funding, water systems struggle to find resources.
The industry group has published guidance for utilities and advocates for establishing a new organization of cybersecurity and water experts that would develop new policies and enforce them, in partnership with the EPA.
“Let’s bring everybody along in a reasonable manner,” Morley said, adding that small and large utilities have different needs and resources.
___
Phillis reported from St. Louis.
Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) today announced that all driver license and photo centers, including its full-service center in Harrisburg, will be closed Saturday, May 25, 2024, through Monday, May 27, 2024, in observance of Memorial Day.
Customers may still obtain a variety of driver and vehicle products and services, including all forms, publications, and driver training manuals, online through PennDOT’s Driver and Vehicle Services website.
Driver and vehicle online services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and include driver’s license, photo ID and vehicle registration renewals; driver-history services; changes of address; driver license and vehicle registration restoration letters; ability to pay driver license or vehicle insurance restoration fee; driver license and photo ID duplicates; REAL ID pre-verification; and driver exam scheduling. There are no additional fees for using online services.
A complete listing of PennDOT driver and photo license center closings in 2024 is available online. If you are planning to visit one of PennDOT’s On-Line Messenger Service Centers, please call ahead for hours of operation during holidays.
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty in federal court on May 15, 2024, to a fraud conspiracy charge involving the largest known Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud in the Western District of Pennsylvania, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Matthew Lloyd Parker, 37, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge W. Scott Hardy.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, between March 2020 and August 2021, Parker conspired with others to defraud lenders of more than $14 million through false PPP loan applications for COVID-19 pandemic relief. Parker, a licensed CPA from Detroit, recruited hundreds of small businesses in Pittsburgh and Detroit and falsified PPP loan applications in their names. The Small Business Administration approved 226 of those applications, resulting in loans totaling approximately $14.5 million to various businesses.
Judge Hardy scheduled sentencing for September 17, 2024. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Parker.
[May 20, 2024] — Late May signals the beginning of a busy time for celebrations and summer holidays. The American Red Cross asks donors to make an appointment to give blood or platelets now before calendars start to fill up. Donors of all blood types – especially those giving type O blood and donors giving platelets – are vital to people counting on blood products for critical medical procedures.
Every single donation can help keep the blood supply as stable as possible during a busy time of year when many regular donors may be unable to give. Book a time to give now by visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS or by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App.
The Red Cross has teamed up with Tetris, creators of the iconic, best-selling video game, to celebrate their 40th anniversary and build the blood supply for patients in need. In commemoration, all who come to give May 20 – June 9, 2024, will get an exclusive Tetris® + Red Cross T-shirt, while supplies last, plus be automatically entered for a chance to win a trip for two to New York to meet Tetris creator, Alexey Pajitnov. See RedCrossBlood.org/Tetris for details.
How to donate blood
Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enable the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.
Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass® to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, before arriving at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App.
Amplify your impact − volunteer!
Another way to support the lifesaving mission of the Red Cross is to become a volunteer blood donor ambassador at Red Cross blood drives. Blood donor ambassadors help greet, check in and thank blood donors to ensure they have a positive donation experience.
Volunteers can also serve as transportation specialists, playing a vital role in ensuring lifesaving blood products are delivered to nearby hospitals. For more information and to apply for either position, visit redcross.org/volunteertoday.