In this week’s episode of “Heroes”, Jim Roddey talks with Allegheny Health Network neurosurgeon Dr. Matthew Shepard about his role with AHN. Then, Mr. Roddey sits down with longtime New Brighton coach and athletic director Joe Ursida.
“Heroes” is presented by Highmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield and the Allegheny Health Network, airing Saturdays at 10:00 AM and Sundays at 12:30 PM on Beaver County Radio. Archived editions of “Heroes” can be heard at the Beaver County Radio Podcast Library.
FILE – President Joe Biden speaks during a meeting with his “Investing in America Cabinet,” in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Friday, May 5, 2023, in Washington. Biden would veto a House GOP bill that aims to restrict asylum, build more border wall and cut a program that allows migrants a chance to stay in the U.S. lawfully for two years, an administration official said Monday, May 8. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and debt ceiling negotiators have hit “crunch” time as they strain to make a deal with the White House to raise the nation’s debt limit, avert default and cut federal spending. McCarthy said Friday there is still more work to do. Negotiators are racing for agreement this weekend. As soon as June 1, Treasury says it could run short of funds. A federal default on the national debt could send the economy into chaos. The budget flow isn’t the only hang-up. One thorny issue is a Republican demand opposed by Democrats for stiffer work requirements on people who receive government aid. Any compromise needs support from both Democrats and Republicans to pass in Congress.
Central Penn College baseball player Angel Mercado poses for a portrait on Baseball Media Day in January, 2023, in Summerdale, Pa. Mercado, 19, an aspiring middle infielder who had just completed his freshman season at Division II Central Penn College, died accidentally when a makeshift dugout collapsed playing in a summer recreation league that held its games and practices in a park in Harrisburg. (Central Penn College via AP)
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A coroner in Pennsylvania ruled that a college baseball player died accidentally when a makeshift dugout collapsed and he was struck in the face. Nineteen-year-old Angel Mercado was a middle infielder who had just completed his freshman season at Division II Central Penn College. He had been playing in a summer recreation league that held its games and practices in a park in Harrisburg. Mercado’s coach had built a makeshift dugout there out of wood on Sunday, but city officials told him it wasn’t allowed. The players were dismantling the structure Monday when it unexpectedly collapsed. Mercado died at a hospital the next day.
Scranton, PA – Today, Governor Josh Shapiro signed an Executive Order directing the Pennsylvania Department of Aging to develop its Master Plan for Older Adults – a 10-year roadmap to meet the needs of Pennsylvania’s senior population and improve Commonwealth services for older Pennsylvanians.
Older Pennsylvanians are vital contributors to our communities – and Governor Shapiro knows they deserve to have a voice in shaping their futures and how they will best be able to live and thrive in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania is home to 3.4 million seniors, with an older adult population that ranks fifth highest in the country. That’s why Governor Shapiro is taking action to bring state agencies and community organizations together to deliver a roadmap that will help support older Pennsylvanians.
“I’ve heard firsthand from seniors who told me we need to do more to help them stay in their homes, tackle rising costs, and have a high quality of life – and they deserve our full support,” said Governor Josh Shapiro. “My Administration is making a long-term commitment to our seniors with this master plan and my commonsense proposal to expand the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program, which will put more money back in more Pennsylvanians’ pockets. Together, we’re going to continue delivering results and help our seniors receive the support they need in order to age with dignity.”
Governor Shapiro was joined at today’s Executive Order signing by Department of Aging Secretary Jason Kavulich, who will soon embark on a regional listening tour to highlight the Master Plan for Older Adults and actively engage seniors across the Commonwealth in the plan’s development.
“We are grateful to Governor Shapiro for signing this Executive Order authorizing the Master Plan for Older Adults. This Executive Order is a clear demonstration that the health, well-being, and quality of life for older adults is a priority for our Administration and for the Commonwealth,” said Secretary of Aging Jason Kavulich. “This master plan for aging will be crafted by Pennsylvanians, for Pennsylvanians – because we are committed to ensuring the voices of older adults are heard in every component of this plan. Our next priority is visiting the communities we serve to make sure those Pennsylvanians who want to be heard know their opinions, thoughts, and priorities are reflected in this strategic initiative.”
In addition to creating the Master Plan, today’s Executive Order further directs the Department to, among other things:
The Area Agencies on Aging and the Centers for Independent Living will host listening sessions where the public can learn more about the plan and how to submit their input. The stakeholder engagement process will involve outreach and requests for feedback from anyone or any group with an interest or with some interaction toward aging-related services, programs, and infrastructure.
This executive order is the latest in Governor Shapiro’s commitment to support seniors and making sure their voices are heard. In the Governor’s first budget, he has proposed expanding the Property Tax/Rent Rebate (PTRR) program – a critical lifeline for seniors. The PTRR provides a rebate to low-income renters and homeowners every year, putting money back in their pockets so they can stay in their homes.
The Governor’s proposed budget also invests in more grant funding for the Department’s 485 Senior Community Centers, which are essential public meeting spaces that help seniors stay connected, supported, and make ends meet.
After today’s announcement, Pennsylvania joins 11 other states that are in the process of developing a master plan for older adults. There are five states currently implementing a master plan: California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Texas.
FILE – U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Anne Milgram speaks during a news conference at the Justice Department in Washington, Friday, April 14, 2023. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration stripped one of the nation’s largest drug distributors of its license to sell highly addictive painkillers Friday, May 26, after determining it failed to flag thousands of suspicious orders at the height of the opioid crisis. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has stripped one of the nation’s largest pharmaceutical distributors of its license to sell highly addictive painkillers after determining it failed to flag thousands of suspicious, high-volume orders at the height of the opioid crisis. The revocation order against Morris & Dickson Co. that threatens to put the Louisiana-based company out of business came two days after an Associated Press investigation found the DEA allowed the company to keep shipping drugs for nearly four years after a judge recommended the harshest punishment for its “cavalier disregard” of rules aimed at preventing opioid abuse.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jury selection has concluded in the trial of a man charged with killing 11 worshippers at a Pittsburgh synagogue in the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history. Prosecutors and the defense agreed Thursday on a panel of 12 jurors and six alternates who will hear the evidence against 50-year-old Robert Bowers in the 2018 massacre at Tree of Life synagogue. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. Testimony is expected to begin Tuesday. Prosecutors have said Bowers made antisemitic comments at the scene of the attack and online.
The Keweenaw Waterway Lower Entrance Light stands in Keweenaw Bay, June 2, 2022, in Chassell, Mich. The federal government’s annual effort to give away or sell lighthouses that are no longer needed for navigation purposes includes 10 lighthouses this year. (Luke Barrett/General Services Administration via AP)
BOSTON (AP) — Ten lighthouses that for generations have stood like sentinels along America’s shorelines protecting mariners from peril and guiding them to safety are being given away at no cost or sold at auction by the federal government. The aim of the program run by the General Services Administration is to preserve the properties, most of which are more than a century old. The development of modern technology, including GPS, means lighthouses are no longer essential for navigation and not critical to the Coast Guard’s mission. Since the passage of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act in 2000, the GSA the ownership of about 150 lighthouses have been transferred. One light up for grabs is the Erie North Land Light, located on Presque Isle.
FILE – Pennsylvania Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano speaks to supporters during an election night campaign event at the Penn Harris Hotel in Camp Hill, Pa., Nov. 8, 2022. Election deniers who backed Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election failed in some of their highest-profile races. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A hard-right Pennsylvania state lawmaker says he will not challenge Democratic Sen. Bob Casey. The decision leaves the GOP primary field wide open. State Sen. Doug Mastriano made the announcement Thursday night as top party officials try to recruit a strong candidate in the moderate battleground state in 2024. Former hedge fund CEO David McCormick is the favorite of party leaders and has drawn pledges of financial support from top Republican officials — should he decide to run. Mastriano was endorsed by former President Donald Trump in last year’s race for governor but lost badly. Pennsylvania is a top GOP target in their quest to recapture the Senate majority.
Tenaris released the following statement:
(Houston, TX) May 26, 2023. Tenaris has launched its Merit Awards, the company’s longest running education-based program, in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, awarding a total of $25,000 in scholarships.
Five seniors from Ambridge Area High School and five from Beaver Falls High School each received Merit Awards of $2,500, in recognition of their academic performance. Merit Award recipients include Norah Best, Grace Buchanan, Naomi Pedigo, Amara Platz and Ivan You from Ambridge Area School District and Emma Durr, Caitlyn Glitsch, Marley Graham, Chloe Lilly, and Kylie Napolitan from Big Beaver Falls Area School District.
“Beaver County is among our newest communities to our US industrial footprint, and as active neighbors, we are pleased to introduce one of our flagship scholarships programs to support students’ pursuit for higher learning. Congratulations to our inaugural Merit Award scholarship recipients,” said Tenaris Regional Vice President of Northern Operations Jose Torres.
Tenaris’s Merit Awards, a global scholarship program established in 1976, are presented to students pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, or STEM-related fields.
“It’s exciting to see the launch of the scholarship program in Beaver County, where I’ve worked for over twelve years,” said Tenaris Community & Regulatory Affairs Manager, Joshua Konecheck.
“Tenaris truly values the power of education, and the engagement from our students proves their desire to grow and build on all that they’ve already accomplished. They are the leaders in our neighborhoods, and I look forward to seeing the positive impacts of these students in the years to
come.”
Education and training drive the company’s community programs. Since 2010, Tenaris has invested $7.8 million across the United States on education-based initiatives.
Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published May 26, 2023 1:13 P.M.
(Beaver County, PA) Sobriety checkpoints will be conducted and/or roving patrols and mobile awareness checkpoints throughout the county this weekend due to the Memorial Day holiday. This is being done in support of the state’s Impaired Driving Enforcement Initiative.