Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published June 6, 2023 10:38 A.M.

(Pittsburgh, PA) At 10:45 a.m. Monday morning PIT Airport officials spotted an unmanned drone in close proximity to the airport. It was reported that after the discovery was made that a 1/2 ground stoppage was put in place. An official reported at 1:20 p.m. that the drone operator had not yet been located.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania lawmakers are back in session, as House Democrats are advancing a spending plan that could test Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s ability to manage a politically divided Legislature in his freshman year. House Democrats on Monday unveiled and passed a spending plan that goes well beyond what Shapiro proposed for the fiscal year starting July 1. Democrats want more money for public schools and say strong tax collections this spring will support it. It’s likely to get a chilly reception in the Republican Senate, however. There, GOP leaders were skeptical of Shapiro’s more modest spending proposal, citing forecasts of slowing tax collections, deficits and possibly a recession.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A measure that would expand the kind of criminal records that can be sealed from public view has passed the Pennsylvania House with bipartisan support. The legislation cleared the House on a 189-14 vote on Monday, and now goes to the Senate. It expands the state’s existing Clean Slate law to make non-violent drug felonies with a maximum sentence of 2 1/2 years eligible for automated sealing. It also would allow those with a criminal history to petition to seal other nonviolent felonies if they are conviction-free for 10 years. It would also reduce the waiting period for automated sealing of misdemeanors to seven years, rather than 10 years.

HARRISBURG, June 5 – Pennsylvania is on track for improved rail safety after the PA House today voted to pass legislation by Beaver County state Reps. Rob Matzie and Jim Marshall that would strengthen state standards for freight trains and add reporting requirements for transport of hazardous materials.

The lawmakers said they introduced H.B. 1028 – which passed by a vote of 141-62 – to supplement existing federal rail safety standards they say are insufficient to prevent the risk of derailments along heavily traveled Pennsylvania routes.

“There may be equals, but there has been no bigger supporter of freight rail in the legislature during my tenure than me,” said Matzie, who is majority chair of the PA House Consumer Protection, Technology, and Utilities Committee. “The intention is not to hurt railroads, but to enhance and strengthen rail safety for the public, the workforce and emergency responders.

“We can’t wait for Washington D.C. to act. We have the right to implement laws for rail safety in Pennsylvania, and that’s exactly what this bill does. Extraordinary events bring about extraordinary action. This bill lets the public know we hear them, and we are responding.

“The ball is now in the Senate’s court.”

Marshall, Republican committee chair, said, “I’m a strong proponent of rail freight and passenger service and I expect our railroads to prioritize the safety of both the public and their workforce. This legislation will help ensure that these expectations are met.”

Among other things, the bill would:

• Establish new staffing and train length requirements – including, among other things, a minimum two-man crew and a maximum train length of 8,500 feet (approximately 1.6 miles) – to be enforced by the state Public Utility Commission.
• Require PUC, working with PennDOT, to develop standards for reporting and tracking the transport of hazardous materials, including maintaining a database to be accessed by FEMA, PEMA and county emergency response agencies in the event of a derailment.
• Require PUC and PennDOT to ensure proper functioning of wayside detectors – trackside sensors intended to warn when train cars are overheating because of problems that can cause derailment.
• Limit the length of time trains may be parked in an area where they block road crossings needed for access by emergency response vehicles.
• Allow a union representative to be present for rail safety inspections without being accused of trespassing.

The bill now heads to the state Senate for consideration.

In 2022, there were more than 1,000 train derailments in the United States.

(New Brighton, PA) New Brighton Borough Council recently entered into a new five year agreement with Aiken Refuse for the collection of solid waste and recyclable materials in New Brighton Borough.  Aiken Refuse will begin providing services on Monday, July 3 and the new contract will require modifications to the collection schedule.  All customers will receive a letter in the mail late next week with the new schedule.

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

Some projects take hours. Others take months. Few may even take several years.

In the case of the new Emergency Men’s Shelter in Beaver County, it was all three.

Following years of fundraising, months of construction, and countless hours up until the ceremony itself…the official ribbon cutting for the new shelter facility in Vanport took place on the afternoon of June 5. The new facility, located on 697 State Street (Route 68), was manifested and will be under the operation of The Cornerstone of Beaver County (TCBC). The men’s shelter will provide shelter to the homeless men of Beaver County and surrounding areas under 24-hour operation.

The new three-story shelter contains dozens of beds for rest for those who enter, a classroom, fully operational kitchen, fitness room, shower room, laundry room bathrooms, and multiple main gathering rooms…along with office spaces for the operations staff and isolation rooms to be used when necessary.

TCBC executive director Marie Timpano spoke about the new facility with elation and confidence, speaking about the origins of creating a shelter for men following the death of her brother, Michael, in 1996. “Beyond seeing the transformation of a building, I saw the opportunity to transform lives,” she stated. “I have waited two and a half years–actually, I’ve been waiting twenty-seven years.”

The “two and a half years” that Timpano referred to was the $1 million grant funding awarded to TCBC through the American Rescue Plan Act in 2021, which helped put the project in motion; in cooperation with the Beaver County Commissioners, the Beaver County CDP, and Vanport Township. The construction of the building began in 2022, with WTW Architecture and Graham Construction taking care of the tangible aspects.

Even though a building is now finalized in its renovated state, Timpano implied that the ribbon-cutting is just the beginning.

“Today is a huge step for us towards a vision of ending homelessness in Beaver County,” Timpano added. “Some people will tell you that we don’t have a homeless problem in Beaver County, and I’m here to tell you that we do…and I hope that the Cornerstone, and some of our partner agencies in the continuum of care, are part of the reason why we don’t.”

Timpano was joined at the podium by Maureen Herrington–President for the TCBC Board of Directors–along with Beaver County Commissioner Chairman Dan Camp and CDP director Marlene Landrum. TCBC board secretary Darrell Jerome presented Timpano with a check for $15,000 in grant funding from New York Life Insurance.

Also in attendance for the ceremony were County Commissioner Jack Manning, District Attorney David Lozier, Controller Maria Longo, Treasurer Sandie Egley, Beaver Falls mayor Dr. Kenya Johns, and Beaver Falls city manager Charles Jones–just to name a few.

The shelter will officially open for operation on June 12.

To view pictures from the ceremony, including a look at the interior spaces of the new Emergency Men’s Shelter, check out the gallery below!

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Middletown, PA – The Pennsylvania Lottery and officials with Powerball^® today announced the Pennsylvania Lottery’s Online Prize Drawing for the NASCAR Powerball Playoff™. This special Online Prize Drawing offers players the chance to win a VIP trip to Arizona to attend NASCAR Championship Weekend™ at the Phoenix Raceway. The trip will also include the opportunity to win $1 million in a special drawing that will be held on Sunday, November 5.

“The NASCAR Powerball Playoff will have race fans and lottery players alike on the edge of their seats, as this exciting new promotion will culminate in one player winning a $1 million prize at the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race,” said Pennsylvania Lottery Executive Director Drew Svitko. “Players can also feel good about the fact that, in Pennsylvania, proceeds go to help older residents with life-sustaining programs and services. While these are exciting times, we remind players to please play responsibly and always within their means.”

Now through June 14, the following Draw Games purchased online, including subscriptions, are eligible for entry: PICK 2, PICK 3, PICK 4, PICK 5, Treasure Hunt, Match 6 Lotto, Cash4Life®, Powerball®, and Mega Millions®.

Including Pennsylvania, there are 24 U.S. lotteries participating in the NASCAR Powerball Playoff promotion. Here is how it will work:

• In Pennsylvania’s Online Drawing, 45 Pennsylvania semi-finalists will be drawn to be submitted for the NASCAR Championship Weekend™ and the chance to win $1 million.
• Each of the 45 PA Lottery semi-finalists will also receive a prize of $100 bonus money to play the PA Lottery online.
• Sixteen semi-finalists from all of the U.S. Lotteries will then be drawn with no more than one semi-finalist per lottery advancing.
• The 16 semi-finalists will be announced during the NASCAR Cup Series regular-season finale, the Coke Zero Sugar 400, at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, August 26.
• Those 16 semi-finalists will then go head-to-head in a series of drawings that will coincide with the elimination rounds of the NASCAR Playoffs.
• Four semi-finalists still in the playoffs after the fourth drawing will win a VIP trip to the NASCAR Championship Weekend™ at Phoenix Raceway, November 3-5, and advance as finalists to the $1 million drawing.

Cash prizes will be awarded to all 16 national semi-finalists based on their elimination position.

For more information, please visit www.powerball.com/nascar-powerball-playoff.

(Sandy Giordano/Beaver County Radio)

Aliquippa Fire Chief Dave Foringer reported that a one-brick, two-story building on Main Avenue was damaged by an early morning last Saturday at 4 a.m., and a triplex and two-story frame home were damaged on Erie Avenue. Aliquippa was assisted by 10 other departments and remained on scene until 9 a.m.

The state fire marshal is also investigating another fire that occurred in that area on Saturday, May  27, 2023.

(Sandy Giordano/Beaver County Radio)

Ana Cecelia de Mireles, 45, was captured at the US-Mexico border by US Marshals on homicide and arson charges in connection with  a fire and  homicide at a Big Beaver rental home on March 14, 2021. She fled to Mexico following the fatal fire. de Mireles was charged by Beaver Falls Police and Beaver County Detectives last week and placed. in the Beaver County Jail.

Mireles faces 2 charges of criminal homicide, 2 counts of arson, 1 count of criminal conspiracy, 1 count of abuse of a corpse, 1 count of tampering with/fabricating physical evidence, and 1 count of flight to avoid apprehension, trial or punishment.

She faces a preliminary hearing in Beaver County Central Court on  Tuesday, June 13 at 8:45 a.m.