Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio News Director. Published Decemeber 13, 2023 5:07 P.M.

(Center Township, PA) The off-duty officer accused of killing Kenneth Vinyard at the Monaca Walmart in November 2022, has now been charged. Center Township officer, John Hawk was recommended to be charged by a Grand Jury on December 8th.

He faces charges of involuntary manslaughter including aggravated assault simple assault, reckless endangerment, and perjury. The Vinyard family accepted a settlement in the case of 1 million dollars earlier this year.

Hawk was accused of shoving Kenneth Vinyard to the the ground while off-duty at the scene of a shooting in the Walmart parking lot. The 48 year old Vinyard was reportedly helping a shooting victim before Hawk struck him in the chest, performed a leg sweep, and took Vinyard to the ground causing him to hit his head on the asphalt.

Attorney General Michelle Henry states that an investigation reveals that Hawk was untruthful while testifying to a Grand Jury. On-duty officers testified that Hawk was only asked to secure the perimeter, and that he had no credentials displayed or announce himself as police at the scene.

The investigation also revealed that Vinyard was compliant to all orders and did not pose a threat to Hawk or anyone else. The Grand Jury ultimately decided that there was no legal justification for Hawk’s use of force against Vinyard.

Hawk turned himself in for arraignment Wednesday, with unsecured bail set at $200,000.

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

“The nice thing about December is when all your work from the whole year all comes together. ”

Beaver County Commissioner Tony Amadio spoke those words during the Commissioners’ regular weekly work session on Wednesday, pointing to a recent trend of a relaxed and easygoing vibe at the Courthouse with most of the major work for the new year–mainly the 2024 budget–taken care of except for the formalities.

One of the major projects of late has been the construction of a new parking lot located between Market Street in Beaver and Courthouse grounds. Public Works director Dan Colville stated that completion of the project is rapidly approaching completion, with final paving slated for Thursday and line painting to be completed Friday and Monday if necessary.

Colville also said that the renovation and repair for the back entrance of the Courthouse is near completion, and that Constellation Services had been contacted for caulking and sealing operations for that area.

Following a brief congratulations and thank you to the borough of New Brighton for holding their Fire And Ice festival successfully this past Saturday, Parks & Recreation director Tony Caltury announced that the Beaver County Kennel Club has entered a five-year agreement with the AKC (American Kennel Club) to host an annual dog show in October. Caltury mentioned that the show will be hosted at the Brady’s Run Recreational Facility, and that the show will feature an estimated 1500 dogs.

The next Commissioners’ work session is scheduled for Wednesday, December 20 at 10:00 AM.

Story by Beaver County Radio News Staff. Published December 13, 2023 10:52 A.M.

(Moon Township, Pa) 21-year-old Jacob Rettiger of Moon Township ended up in the Beaver County Jail following a domestic dispute with his 20-year-old girlfriend in Independence Township.   

Officers were called to Service Creek Road where they arrested Rettinger on strangulation charges. The officer on patrol noticed damage to the driver side mirror and a cellphone at the scene.

Charges against Rettiger are pending.

Story by Matt Drzik – Beaver County Radio. Published December 13, 2023 10:52 A.M.

(Sewickley Heights, Pa) Firefighters report that a gas leak led to the explosion of a guest house on the 500 block of Backbone Road in Sewickley Heights late last night. 

A plumber working in the house was taken to the hospital with hand burns, no other injuries were reported.

The cause of the gas leak that led to the explosion remains under investigation.  

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Tuesday, Congressman Deluzio (D-PA-17) wrote a letter to President Joe Biden calling for the President and his Administration to reconsider restrictions that could hinder job-creating and carbon-neutral hydrogen projects. Thanks to funding from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the Biden Administration is investing $7 billion in Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs, one of which includes parts of Rep. Deluzio’s district in Western Pennsylvania. In the current agency rulemaking, the Treasury Department is finalizing its eligibility rules for hydrogen power projects seeking the IRA’s 45V Clean Hydrogen Production Tax Credit and is considering restrictions on the types of hydrogen power that can be eligible for this industry-boosting tax credit.

Blue Hydrogen, which uses natural gas in the electrolysis process of making hydrogen, but then captures and sequesters any carbon dioxide emissions underground, is carbon neutral. This type of energy is the one targeted for many nascent hydrogen power projects in Western Pennsylvania.

While Congressman Deluzio applauds and appreciates the Biden Administration’s work to incentivize alternative fuel sources to propel the nation and economy into a cleaner future, in his letter he raises concerns to President Biden that rigid restrictions on Blue Hydrogen could result in unintended consequences and squash job-creation—especially in Pennsylvania’s 17^th Congressional District.

Congressman Deluzio writes to the President:

“Regions like Southwestern Pennsylvania have been the foundation of our nation’s energy economy for over a century, and we intend to keep it that way. I remain eager to work with your administration on behalf of my region and for the good of the country.

“I urge you to consider places like my region, and the solid union jobs that power them, before finalizing any rules that would unnecessarily exclude viable carbon neutral energy projects. I stand ready to assist your administration in any way that I can to this end and appreciate your attention to this matter.

ALIQUIPPA, Dec. 12 – The Beaver County Historical Research & Landmarks Foundation is receiving $4,000 in state funding from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, PHMC Commissioner state Rep. Rob Matzie announced today.

Matzie, D-Beaver, said the funding is part of a package of nearly $2 million in Cultural and Historical Support grants awarded statewide to Pennsylvania museums and historical societies.

“Our local history has plenty of lessons to teach, but it takes time and resources to collect, preserve and display those pieces of our past,” Matzie said. “The new funding will help ensure that our own Beaver County historical society and others throughout the state have the means to continue engaging and inspiring students of all ages.”

PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Pittsburgh, PA, has been sentenced in federal court to a total of  10 years of imprisonment on his revocation of federal supervised release in connection with his  violent conduct occurring in July of 2022, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. 

United States District Judge W. Scott Hardy imposed the sentence on Damien Bradford, age  42. 

According to information presented to the court, Bradford was previously convicted in the  Northern District of Ohio of Interstate Stalking and Use and Carry of a Firearm during the  Commission of a Felony. Those convictions related to Bradford’s killing of Dr. Gulam Moonda in  May 2005. Bradford was initially sentenced to a 210-month term of imprisonment, followed by 5 years of federal supervised release. Upon his release from imprisonment, Bradford’s supervision  was transferred from the Northern District of Ohio to the Western District of Pennsylvania. On July  29, 2022, the Pennsylvania State Police charged Bradford with numerous offenses, to include  Attempted Homicide, Aggravated Assault – Fear of Imminent Serious Bodily Injury Designated  Individual, Assault of Law Enforcement Officer, Disarming Law Enforcement Officer, and  Possession of Firearms Prohibited. In November 2023, Bradford was convicted in the Beaver County  Court of Common Pleas and sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 36 1/2 to 73 years. 

Following that sentencing proceeding, a federal supervised release violation hearing was  held. At the proceeding, the government introduced videos of Bradford’s conduct in July 2022. The  videos depicted Bradford pointing a firearm at an individual, a bystander applying a torniquet to a  Pennsylvania State Police Trooper who Bradford shot in the leg, and a bystander assisting another  Pennsylvania State Police Trooper restrain Bradford as he grabbed the Trooper’s firearm and taser.  

Bradford admitted to violating some conditions of his federal supervised release and  requested that the Court impose a sentence to be served concurrently to his sentence in Beaver  County. The government requested that the Court revoke Bradford’s supervised release, sentence  him to the maximum term of imprisonment of 10-years, and to impose that sentence consecutively  to the Beaver County sentence. 

Judge Hardy imposed a total 10-year sentence, to be served consecutively to the Beaver  County sentence. Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Hardy emphasized the seriousness of Bradford’s  conduct, Bradford’s propensity for enduring violence, and the need to impose the maximum sentence  authorized by law to protect the public from Bradford. Finally, Judge Hardy commended the bystanders who assisted the Pennsylvania State Police, as depicted in the videos introduced at the  hearing. 

Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the  government. 

United States Attorney Olshan commended the Pennsylvania State Police for the  investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Bradford. 

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing slide repair work on Hoenig Road (Route 2003) in Economy Borough, Beaver County, will begin Wednesday, December 13 weather permitting.

Slide repair work on Hoenig Road between Big Sewickley Creek Road and Cooney Hollow Road will occur from 7 a.m. Monday continuously through Wednesday, January 17. Traffic will be controlled by flaggers during work hours daily from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and stop signs during now work hours as crews repair a failed wall.

Crews from JET Excavating will conduct the work.

Please use caution when traveling in this area.

Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published December 13, 2023 10:23 A.M.

(Aliquippa, Pa) Students from  Aliquippa Elementary School competed with 59 other teams last Saturday at Aliquippa High School for the Western PA FLL Robotics State Championship.