(Pittsburgh, PA) One of the most popular and unique attractions at Kennywood, the Raging Rapids is back open. The ride underwent a complete multi-year refurbishment project, to ensure it’ll be around for guests to enjoy for years to come. And, this is the perfect summertime weather to enjoy the fantastic upgraded ride and experience white-water rafting right here at Kennywood.

PITTSBURGH (July 20, 2023) – Allegheny General Hospital (AGH), the flagship academic medical center of Allegheny Health Network (AHN), announced today it has once again received the Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center Award from the American Heart Association (AHA) and the Mitral Foundation for a demonstrated record of superior clinical outcomes resulting from evidence-based, guideline-directed degenerative mitral valve repair.

This is the third consecutive year AGH and its AHN Cardiovascular Institute team have been recognized as a Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center since the recognition was established in 2019, placing AHN’s program among the most elite nationwide. To date, only 21 facilities have earned this award across the country and AGH remains the only hospital to receive this recognition in Pennsylvania.

“This award recognizes the commitment of our clinicians and caregivers who provide the highest levels of care to our patients, year after year,” said Walter E. McGregor, MD, lead surgeon of the AHN mitral valve program and director of AHN cardiac surgery at AHN Cardiovascular Institute. “On behalf of the entire Network, I want to extend my sincere gratitude to their tireless work that upholds the AHN Cardiovascular Institute’s longstanding legacy of clinical excellence.”

The mitral valve is in the left side of the heart and works to keep blood flowing properly in one direction from the left atrium to the left ventricle. When the valve doesn’t work correctly, allowing blood to flow backward, the heart can’t pump enough oxygenated blood for the body. Symptoms of mitral valve regurgitation often include fatigue and shortness of breath.

Mitral valve repair is considered the gold-standard therapy for degenerative mitral valves and is generally preferred over mitral valve replacement since valve repair is associated with improved survival and fewer long-term complications. Valve replacement with a bioprosthetic or mechanical valve typically has higher five-to-ten-year complication rates compared to repair.

“We are pleased to recognize Allegheny General Hospital for their commitment to patients who need mitral valve repair,” said Robert O. Bonow, MD, professor of cardiology at Northwestern University and past president of the American Heart Association. “Choosing the right hospital for heart surgery is one of the most important health care decisions that patients and their referring physicians must make to ensure best outcomes. The Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center award identifies hospitals with excellent processes and outcomes and gives patients and cardiologists the information necessary to make these important decisions when mitral valve surgery is required.”

The Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center Award was developed to identify, recognize and promote the nation’s recognized medical centers for mitral valve repair surgery. AGH earned the award for demonstrating adherence to evidence-based treatment guidelines as well as an ongoing commitment to reporting and measuring quality and outcome metrics specific to mitral valve repairs.

“This such a meaningful designation as it is contingent on superb outcomes  – 95% repair rate and less than 1% mortality – in a high volume of patients and verified by the AHA,” said Stephen Bailey, MD, cardiothoracic surgeon and Chair of AHN Cardiovascular Institute. “We’re incredibly proud of today’s recognition as it further establishes our program as a nationally recognized leader in managing and treating complex cardiovascular disease.”

 

For more information on the AHN mitral valve program, please call 412-359-8180 or visit ahn.org; for more on the American Heart Association and Mitral Foundation Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center Award, go to heart.org.

Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio News Director. Published July 21, 2023 9:46 A.M.

(Chippewa Township, PA) A representative of Dr. Robert Postupac issued a statement to Beaver County Radio from Dr. Robert Postupac, who announced he plans to file an appeal with the Court of Common Pleas in response to the “accusations and illegal actions” that have been taken against him. Dr. Postupac released the statement shortly before the Blackhawk School Board voted to fire him as superintendent. He said “I have been made aware that this evening, some members of the Blackhawk School Board will deliberately mischaracterize and illegally misuse a document in an attempt to terminate my employment contract, I am innocent and the State Ethic’s Commission did not recommend the filing of criminal charges against me, I have been an educator for decades and have made tough decisions to turn around Blackhawk’s once sinking financial ship”. Dr. Postupac goes on to say that his firing would “further widen the deep-seated political biases that certain board members hold against school leadership”.

A representative of Dr. Postupac noted that under Dr. Postupac’s leadership, Blackhawk rose to the 2nd ranked school in Beaver County and to a top 50 school district in the Pittsburgh region. The district had a $228,485 general fund balance when Dr. Postupac was appointed and that number was $7,300,000.00 on June 30, 2021.

 

 

The photo above shows Tony Bennett appearing live with Chuck Wilson on WBVP in the early 1950s. Photo courtesy of Bobbie Tkacik.

NEW YORK (AP) — Tony Bennett, the eminent stylist and last of the great saloon singers whose devotion to classic American songs and knack for creating new standards such as “I Left My Heart In San Francisco” graced a decadeslong career, has died at 96. His publicist said he died Friday. Bennett often said his lifelong ambition was to create “a hit catalog rather than hit records,” which he accomplished through more than 70 albums. Bennett was praised often by fellow performers, but never more meaningfully than by what Frank Sinatra said in a 1965 Life magazine interview: “For my money, Tony Bennett is the best singer in the business.

Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio News Director. Published July 21, 2023 7:24 A.M.

(Chippewa Township, PA) Members of the Blackhawk School Board voted to fire Dr. Robert Postupac Thursday. Postupac and Moon Area School Board member Mark Scappe violated ethics laws by trading jobs for their children within districts. Postupac has been on paid administrative leave since early June, when Dr. William Pettigrew was named the Acting Superintendent of schools. Postupac is still currently employed as the superintendent of Western Beaver School District.

PITTSBURGH – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District will transfer leadership during a Change of Command ceremony Friday, Aug. 4, at 10:30 a.m. at the Senator John Heinz History Center, 1212 Smallman Street, Pittsburgh.

 

Colonel Adam Czekanski, commander of the Pittsburgh District since July 2021, will transfer command to Colonel Nicholas Melin during a traditional military ceremony. Major General William Graham, Deputy Commanding General for Civil Works and Emergency Operations, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Headquarters, will preside over the ceremony.

 

The Change of Command ceremony symbolizes the continuation of leadership and unit identity. It represents the transfer of responsibility and authority from one individual to another while continuing the mission. The ceremonial passing of the unit colors from the departing commander to the incoming commander physically represents the transfer of authority.

 

“I had the honor of commanding truly great people who give their best for the betterment of our district,” said Czekanski. “As a commander, I’m thankful for my role in bringing people together for a common goal and earning the trust of those we serve. I’m excited to see the district continue its standard of excellence under new leadership.”

 

Melin comes to the Pittsburgh District following an assignment as the division chief for Oceania, South, and Southeast Asia in the Directorate for Strategy, Plans, and Policy (J-5) on the Joint Staff. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil and Mechanical Engineering from West Point, a Master of Military Art and Science from the United States Army Command and General Staff College, a master’s degree in Strategic Studies from Madras University and a Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering Science from Oxford University. Melin served in key leadership positions such as commanding a Security Force Assistance Battalion. He is a registered Professional Engineer in Missouri.

 

As commander and district engineer, Melin will lead the Pittsburgh District in delivering integrated solutions that minimize risk and enhance reliability for the region’s water resource infrastructure while improving the environment. The Pittsburgh District covers an area of approximately 26,000 square miles comprising the upper Ohio River Basin and extending into five states: Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Maryland, and New York.

 

The district supports commercial navigation on the upper Ohio, Allegheny, and Monongahela rivers, operating and maintaining 23 locks and dams. Pittsburgh’s flood-damage reduction mission encompasses 16 multi-purpose reservoirs that have prevented an estimated $866 million in flood damages during 2022. The district’s flood-risk management portfolio also includes more than 80 local flood protection projects, which have prevented more than $5.3 billion in flood damages during their lifetime.

 

Media note:  Members of the media are invited to attend the Change of Command ceremony. No RSVP is required.

President Joe Biden speaks during a meeting of his Competition Council in the State Dining Room of the White House, Tuesday, July 19, 2023 in Washington. Biden will court unions as a cornerstone of the country’s economic future with a speech on Thursday at a Philadelphia shipyard — right as more major unions are weighing strikes that could disrupt the growth he wants to campaign on in 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is courting unions as a cornerstone of the United States’ economic future with a speech at a Philadelphia shipyard. Thursday’s speech comes just as some major unions are weighing strikes that could disrupt the growth the Democratic president wants to campaign on in 2024. Tensions are rising between unions and companies about a rapidly evolving economy in which artificial intelligence, clean energy and e-commerce are rewriting some of the basic rules of work. Biden is trying to allay those concerns by saying unions should be part of that future. But Biden also knows a strike could harm his reelection chances.

FILE – A Star of David hangs from a fence outside the dormant landmark Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood, Apr. 19, 2023. Robert Bowers. Bowers, the gunman who massacred 11 worshippers at a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018, has a “very serious mental health history” from childhood and a “markedly abnormal” brain, a defense expert testified Wednesday, June 28, 2023, in the penalty phase of the Bowers’ trial. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Survivors of the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue attack have testified to the severe physical and emotional injuries they suffered during the deadliest antisemitic massacre in U.S. history. The testimony Wednesday came in the sentencing phase of the trial of Robert Bowers, who was convicted last month of killing 11 worshippers and could face the death penalty. Officer Tim Matson, who was shot in the head and body, spoke of being in a “dark place” emotionally. But he has drawn support from friends and family, as well as inspiration from an unlikely buddy: a resilient weed in his yard. Bowers’ lawyers presented testimony from a clinical psychologist who says Bowers was exposed to extraordinary risk and instability as a child.

Story by Beaver County Radio News Staff. Published July 20, 2023 8:03 A.M.

(Hookstown, PA) State Police responded to an incident in the driveway of a home on Heizler Drive in Hookstown. The report says 28 year old Antonio Butera fired a warning shot in an attempt to de-escalate the situation. The altercation ended and parties were separated , with non residents leaving without further incident. During the Troopers investigation, it was discovered that the single round fired traveled approximately 100 yards through the woods and went through the siding of a neighbors house, travelling through a picture frame and through living room drywall before coming dislodged in a bathroom wall.