Beaver County Radio News Staff. Published April 9, 2024 2:17 P.M.
(Elizabeth Township, Pa) A missing Brighton Township man’s truck has reportedly been found in the Monongahela River in Elizabeth Township. 36 year-old Brian Posch was last seen Friday at 11 AM operating a white Ford Super Duty. No further details have been made available at this time.
Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published April 9, 2024 10:59 A.M.
(Aliquippa, Pa) The City of Aliquippa is seeking a full time police officer. Applications may be picked up at the city building for those having completed Act 120 training, are at least 18 years old and physically fit, and a licensed driver.
Students walk to and from classes on the Indiana University campus, Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021, in Bloomington, Ind. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Harrisburg, PA (April 8, 2024) – As part of America Saves Week, the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) is partnering with the Pennsylvania Treasury Department (Treasury) to host a free financial aid webinar geared toward helping students and families plan for the cost of college.
During the webinar, scheduled for April 9, from 12:00 – 1:00 PM, PHEAA financial aid experts will present an overview of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) process including an overview of financial aid opportunities in Pennsylvania and recent changes to calculating awards.
“It is our pleasure to join Treasury in providing a forum for college-bound students and their families to learn more about affording higher education during America Saves Week,” said Senator Wayne Fontana, Chairman of the PHEAA Board of Directors. “This free webinar is an excellent opportunity for them to take the first and most critical step in applying for financial aid – completing and submitting the FAFSA.”
“We’re excited to partner with PHEAA on this webinar to help Pennsylvania families save for their children’s future education,” Treasurer Stacy Garrity said. “It can seem overwhelming, but this webinar will give parents the tools they need to complete the FAFSA – along with an overview of the PA 529 College and Career Savings Program, which has been helping families save for more than three decades. PA 529 accounts are a fantastic way to save for any form of post-high school education, including qualified apprenticeships, technical schools, community colleges, and 4-year universities.”
“In keeping with PHEAA’s mission to provide affordable access to higher education, it made perfect sense to join Treasury in this webinar,” said James Steeley, PHEAA President & CEO. “We encourage every student and parent to take the steps necessary to find affordable funding options for higher education. Joining us for this webinar is an excellent start.”
Families can register to attend the free webinar at https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/4880897480333903190.
Students and families are encouraged to visit PHEAA on Facebook, X (@PHEAAaid), and LinkedIn where they can learn more about the college financial aid process, register for reminders of financial aid deadlines, and get information pertaining to planning for college. Additionally, video tutorials explaining the student aid process and types of aid available can be found at YouTube.com/PHEAAstudentAid.
Beaver County Radio News Staff. Published April 9, 2024 10:54 A.M.
(Brighton Township, Pa) As of Tuesday morning, Brighton Twp. Police reported that they had no update about a man who was reported missing over the weekend. Brighton Township Police are continuing to look for 36 year-old Brian Posch. Posch is described as a white male that is 5’11” 205LBS. He has hazel eyes, brown hair, both ears pierced, and a tattoo of the word “Posch” on his right rib area. He was last seen on Friday at 11 AM operating a white Ford Super Duty PA registration ZTH8685. Brighton Twp. is asking anyone who has seen or talked to Posch to contact them at 724-775-0880.
TUESDAY 2:30PM UPDATE HERE: https://beavercountyradio.com/news/missing-brighton-township-mans-truck-found/
Gas prices are 10 cents higher in Western Pennsylvania this week at $3.839 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.
This week’s average prices: Western Pennsylvania Average $3.839
Average price during the week of April 1, 2024 $3.735
Average price during the week of April 10, 2023 $3.757
The average price of unleaded self-serve gasoline in various areas:
$3.809 Altoona
$3.839 Beaver
$3.846 Bradford
$3.811 Brookville
$3.841 Butler
$3.711 Clarion
$3.848 DuBois
$3.857 Erie
$3.852 Greensburg
$3.881 Indiana
$3.868 Jeannette
$3.821 Kittanning
$3.818 Latrobe
$3.877 Meadville
$3.880 Mercer
$3.726 New Castle
$3.864 New Kensington
$3.888 Oil City
$3.842 Pittsburgh
$3.823 Sharon
$3.844 Uniontown
$3.886 Warren
$3.860 Washington
Trend Analysis:
As domestic gasoline demand increases and oil prices are now in the mid-$80s per barrel range, the national average for a gallon of gas climbed six cents to $3.59 over the past week. Today’s national average is 19 cents more than a month ago and the same as a year ago.
According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand rose from 8.72 to 9.23 million barrels per day last week. Meanwhile, total domestic gasoline stocks decreased by 4.2 million barrels to 227.8 million barrels. Higher demand and rising oil prices will likely nudge pump prices higher.
At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate increased by 28 cents to settle at $85.43. Renewed Ukrainian attacks on Russia’s oil infrastructure and increasing tension in the Middle East are causing oil prices to spike even though EIA reporting an increase of 3.2 million barrels from the previous week. At 451.4 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are about 2% below the five-year average for this time of year.
Danielle Smith – Keystone State News Service
In less than a week, Pennsylvania residents who need assistance in filing their income-tax returns can use the free services of the AARP Foundation’s Tax-Aide program. You don’t have to be an AARP member or a senior citizen to get help.
Francis Tremel, Pennsylvania state coordinator for the program, said while Tax-Aide volunteers assist people of all ages, their main focus is on serving individuals with low to moderate incomes.
“Last year, over 1.5 million Tax-Aide participants nationwide saved more than $1.1 million in refunds and credits. I work also at the Indiana office,” Tremel said. “And we will do 1,200 returns this year, which is a very significant number for individuals that really need the assistance.”
Tremel emphasized the volunteers are trained and IRS-certified to ensure they are caught up on the latest changes to the Tax Code. He added that volunteers can help in most cases, but the only restriction would be if a return is very complicated, such as a business return that has depreciation.
Tax-Aide is a full-service tax program that assists Pennsylvanians with federal, state and local returns and the Pennsylvania tax rebate program, and he explained that the program offers several options for taxpayers to get assistance.
“Obviously the in-person is probably the most popular, at least here in western Pennsylvania,” he continued. “And we also have a drop-off service that has a very specific set of guidelines set up to assure taxpayer privacy and confidentiality of their documents.”
Tremel said Tax-Aide also offers online coaching, facilitated self-assistance and self-preparation where taxpayers prepare their own return using a software product made available through the website. Pennsylvanians can find the closest site at AARPfoundation.org/TaxAide.
FILE – Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro arrives in Blue Bell, Pa., Friday, Jan. 5, 2024. Shapiro, a Democrat, is a prolific Tik Tok poster, with his efforts beginning on the campaign trail through a personal account. The first-termer is a rising star in the Democratic Party and among a handful of governors who are building their national profiles and possibly positioning themselves for a 2028 run for the White House. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Efforts to ban TikTok from government devices have picked up steam in the past year in state legislatures and Congress even as politicians continue to use it to connect with and expand their base. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is a prolific poster, but legislation seeking to ban the app from state networks and devices could reach his desk soon. Researchers say using social media to connect with constituents has a long history. And it’s largely Democrats having the internal debate about using TikTok while weighing a significant ban over security concerns. A TikTok spokesman said there is “no regard for the facts” when bills like this are pushed through.
FILE – A black plume rises over East Palestine, Ohio, as a result of a controlled detonation of a portion of the derailed Norfolk Southern trains Monday, Feb. 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
Norfolk Southern has agreed to pay $600 million in a class-action lawsuit settlement related to a fiery train derailment in February 2023 in eastern Ohio.
The company said Tuesday that the agreement, if approved by the court, will resolve all class action claims within a 20-mile radius from the derailment and, for those residents who choose to participate, personal injury claims within a 10-mile radius from the derailment.
Norfolk Southern added that individuals and businesses will be able to use compensation from the settlement in any manner they see fit to address potential adverse impacts from the derailment, which could include health care needs, property restoration and compensation for any net business loss. Individuals within 10-miles of the derailment may, at their discretion, choose to receive additional compensation for any past, current, or future personal injury from the derailment.
The company said that the settlement doesn’t include or constitute any admission of liability, wrongdoing, or fault.
The settlement is expected to be submitted for preliminary approval to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio later in April 2024. Payments to class members under the settlement could begin by the end of the year, subject to final court approval.
Norfolk Southern has already spent more than $1.1 billion on its response to the derailment, including more than $104 million in direct aid to East Palestine and its residents. Partly because Norfolk Southern is paying for the cleanup, President Joe Biden has never declared a disaster in East Palestine, which is a sore point for many residents. The railroad has promised to create a fund to help pay for the long-term health needs of the community, but that hasn’t happened yet.
The plaintiffs’ attorneys said the deal is the result of a year of intense investigation of the derailment, and should provide meaningful relief to residents.
“This resolution comes shortly after the one-year anniversary of the disaster and will provide substantial compensation to all affected residents, property owners, employees and businesses residing, owning or otherwise having a legal interest in property, working, owning or operating a business for damages resulting from the derailment and release of chemicals,” said Seth A. Katz of Burg Simpson Eldredge Hersh & Jardine, P.C., M. Elizabeth Graham of Grant & Eisenhofer P.A., Jayne Conroy of Simmons Hanly Conroy LLC and T. Michael Morgan of Morgan & Morgan, P.A.
The railroad also announced preliminary first-quarter earnings of 23 cents per share Tuesday to reflect the impact of the settlement.
Railroad CEO Alan Shaw, who is fighting for his job against an activist investor who wants to overhaul the railroad’s operations, said Norfolk Southern is “becoming a more productive and efficient railroad. There is still more work to be done to achieve industry-competitive margins.”
The railroad said even though volume was up 4% during the quarter, its revenue fell by 4% because of lower fuel surcharge revenue and changes in the mix of shipments it handled.
Ancora Holdings is trying to persuade investors to support its nominees for Norfolk Southern’s board at the railroad’s May 9 annual meeting.
Last week federal officials said that the aftermath of the train derailment doesn’t qualify as a public health emergency because widespread health problems and ongoing chemical exposures haven’t been documented.
The Environmental Protection Agency never approved that designation after the February 2023 Norfolk Southern derailment even though the disaster forced the evacuation of half the town of East Palestine and generated many fears about potential long-term health consequences of the chemicals that spilled and burned. The contamination concerns were exacerbated by the decision to blow open five tank cars filled with vinyl chloride and burn that toxic chemical three days after the derailment.
The head of the National Transportation Safety Board said recently that her agency’s investigation showed that the vent and burn of the vinyl chloride was unnecessary because the company that produced that chemical was sure no dangerous chemical reaction was happening inside the tank cars. But the officials who made the decision have said they were never told that.
The NTSB’s full investigation into the cause of the derailment won’t be complete until June, though that agency has said that an overheating wheel bearing on one of the railcars that wasn’t detected in time by a trackside sensor likely caused the crash.
The EPA has said the cleanup in East Palestine is expected to be complete sometime later this year.
Shares of Norfolk Southern Corp., based in Atlanta, fell about 1% before the opening bell Tuesday.
Beaver County Radio News Staff. Published April 9, 2024 10:16 A.M.
(Monaca, Pa) Monacrest Free Methodist Church in Monaca will be sponsoring a God’s Choice Prom for folks with special needs. The prom takes place Monday, May 20 at the Brady’s Run Lodge at Brady’s Run Park, 526 Brady’s Run Road, Beaver Falls, Pa.
The cost is 10 dollars per person for the attendees. Volunteers, parents, caregivers and staff can attend free. Dinner will be served at 5pm and dancing will begin at 5:45pm. Attire is casual.
Information for those who wish to attend:
RSVP by May 3rd: Kathy Rabe
724-513-4631(text or call)
Or sign up in March or April at God’s Choice
When you RSVP, please give your name, house name, number of special friends and staff attending, also the number of wheelchairs.
(Midland, PA) – The Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters (PAB) will induct RMU Men’s Basketball & Football Play-by-Play Announcer and Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center Chief Executive Officer Chris Shovlin into its Hall of Fame in a ceremony on Friday, April 26th at the Harrisburg Hilton.
In addition to serving as CEO of Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center, Shovlin is a member of and spokesperson for the Organizing Committee of the Midland Innovation and Technology Charter School. He is a past President and former member of the Board of Directors of the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School. But Shovlin’s broadcasting accomplishments are also well-documented and continue to receive accolades throughout the state and sports industry.
Chris has served for over 37 seasons as the play-by-play “Voice” of the Robert Morris University Colonials Basketball team, calling more than 1,100 NCAA Division-I games. Shovlin also hosts RMU’s talk shows on various platforms, including ESPN+. He is the only sportscaster to have won three Pittsburgh March of Dimes Achievement In Radio (A.I.R) Awards for Best Sports Play-By-Play in three different sports: football, basketball and soccer.
When asked how he balances his schedules, Shovlin said, “throughout my entire career, I’ve never had just one job, so it’s natural for me to do several things simultaneously. In fact, Bill Cardille used to call me the “hat man” when we worked together in Pittsburgh because, as he put it, I wore so many hats and had so many responsibilities. Some people play golf or have a hobby. I guess play-by-play is what I do as a release of sorts. Really, what I do at RMU is similar to what occurs at Lincoln Park since broadcasting is a performance art.”
Shovlin has been a news and sports anchor, show host, and DJ at numerous stations, including: WISH 99.7 FM and 1320 WJAS-AM, WBGN-TV, WBVP-AM, WWKS-FM, WBZY-AM, WKST-AM, WMBA-AM, and Comcast among others. He also served as the Vice President and General Manager at WBVP-AM and WWKS-FM, while also contributing to a variety of on-air roles. He previously served as the TV and radio “voice” of both the Pittsburgh Passion (women’s professional football) and Pittsburgh Riverhounds (professional soccer), as well as filling in for Bill Hillgrove on play-by-play for Pitt Panthers Basketball broadcasts. He has called nearly every RMU Football game since that sport’s inception in 1994.
Chris called his upcoming induction into the PAB Hall of Fame a “humbling career-defining honor”. “To join Ray Goss, who has been with Duquesne University Basketball for 56 years and Hillgrove who has called Pitt hoops for 55 years in the city where both radio and sports play-by-play were born is an honor in itself”. Goss and Hillgrove rank numbers 1 and 2 respectively in NCAA Basketball radio play-by-play tenure. At RMU, Shovlin is currently the 19th most tenured announcer in the nation. “This isn’t just an honor for me, but it’s also a tribute to Robert Morris University and its longstanding broadcasting tradition”.
Chris has been inducted into the Pittsburgh Basketball Club Hall of Fame, the Robert Morris University Athletics Hall of Fame, and the Beaver County Sports Hall of Fame. Currently, he serves on the Executive Committee of the WPIAL Hall of Fame and is the emcee of its annual induction dinner.
Chris is a graduate of Midland’s Lincoln High School and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Speech and Drama from Westminster College. Shovlin is the first Beaver County native and the second Westminster alumnus (the late Dow Carnahan was the first) to be inducted into the PAB Hall of Fame. He and his wife, Odette, reside in Brighton Township (Beaver), Pennsylvania. They have two adult daughters, Kylie and Krista.
Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center congratulates Chris on his well-deserved induction into the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame and for all his tremendous contributions to Lincoln Park and the Midland community.