Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published December 23, 2022

(Hopewell Township, PA) Hopewell Police Chief Don Sedlacek reported Thursday morning that his department is investigating the theft of high end hydraulic equipment from Station #1 on Brodhead Road.  The chief said the equipment is used for life saving  efforts when firefighters receive a call.

(Hopewell Township, PA) State Police in Beaver have released information regarding a two vehicle accident that occurred last Saturday on Interstate 376 near Hopewell. A trooper was speaking to the operator of a vehicle through a passenger side window when a pickup truck operated by 21 year old Christopher Lamonaca lost control, striking the parked vehicle. The door of the struck vehicle hit the troopers head and he was thrown backwards into a ditch. The Trooper suffered minor injuries while both vehicle operators were unharmed. Summary charges are pending for the operator of the pickup.

(File Photo)

(AMBRIDGE, Pa) A $25,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Education will fund new resources for The Beaver County Career and Technology Center, state Rep. Rob Matzie, D-Beaver, announced today.

Matzie said the Career and Technical Education Equipment grant will help ensure Beaver County CTC graduates are ready to compete in the modern workplace.

“Maintaining state-of-the-art equipment is essential for preparing career and tech students to hit the ground running,” Matzie said. “The new funding will ensure Beaver County CTC has the resources needed to train students in cutting-edge techniques so they can step into family sustaining jobs. It will also help ensure regional businesses have the well-trained workforce they need to stay competitive.”

More on PDE Career and Technical Education grants is available here:
https://www.education.pa.gov/K-12/Career%20and%20Technical%20Education/Grants/Pages/default.aspx.

Below is a list of closings and Delays for Friday 12/23/22 in the Beaver County Area:

Beaver Falls Meals on Wheels- Closed Friday 12/23/22

Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium- Closed Friday 12/23/22

Slippery Rock University- Closed Friday 12/23/22

Southside Beaver School District – Closed Friday 12/23/22

Zelienople-Evans City Meals on Wheels- Closed Friday 12/23/22

(Photo of Casanova and the Divas from Beaver Light Up Night in 2018)

(Beaver Falls, Pa.) The Beaver County Radio 4th Annual Christmas Show returns on Thursday morning after a two year hiatus due to the pandemic.

This three hour extravaganza is being presented by East Rochester and Tusca Shop N Saves and gets underway  at 9AM. You’re hosts will be Eddy Crow and Mike Romigh from Beaver County Radio and Scott Tady, Entertainment Editor for the Beaver County Times. Scheduled to perform all of your Christmas favorites are Beaver County’s own Mickey Cherico and the Divas, Casanova, Better Think Twice, The Beaver Valley Choral Society, the Pittsburgh CLO, and Donna Groom.

The show will be on Beaver County Radio 95.7 and 99.3 FM, 1230 WBVP, 1460 WMBA, beavercountyradio.com, and on Facebook Live.

Click below to be directed to our Facebook Page at show time:

Includes funding for Aliquippa streetscaping, Monaca business facade improvements

(AMBRIDGE, Pa.) Nearly $200,000 in new funding from the state Department of Community and Economic Development will fund streetscape improvements for the city of Aliquippa and storefront renovations in Monaca, among other improvements, state Rep. Rob Matzie announced today.

Matzie, D-Beaver, said the grants awarded under the Keystone Communities Program include $100,000 to the Aliquippa Economic Development Corp. for the Clean and Safe Franklin Avenue project and $45,000 to the Monaca Community Development Corp. for the Façade Grant Program.

“The new funding will bring fresh changes to the Aliquippa and Monaca downtown areas,” Matzie said. “The grant to Aliquippa Economic Development Corporation will fund streetscape improvements to the Franklin Avenue corridor, supporting the city’s efforts to make real substantive change to the downtown’s appearance.”

“Likewise, the funding to the Monaca Community Development Corporation will support work to restore building facades in the downtown area, which will draw more pedestrian traffic and boost area stores.”

Matzie said that in addition to the Aliquippa and Monaca funding in his district, the Beaver Falls Community Development Corp. was awarded $43,500 to renovate a home through the Jubilee Housing Project.

Keystone community grants are administered through the Department of Community and Economic Development for projects such as business facades, accessible housing, public infrastructure and other community-strengthening projects.

The grants are part of a package of funding for 51 projects statewide. More information is available at: https://www.governor.pa.gov/newsroom/gov-wolf-announces-nearly-8-million-in-new-funding-to-support-51-community-improvement-projects-across-pennsylvania/.

(File Photo)

(Pittsburgh Pa.) Officials have made two additional arrests in a contraband investigation that lead to a former Allegheny County Jail corrections officer being charged.
Officials say that police obtained arrest warrants for 42-year-old Lamar Castile, an inmate of the jail, and 33-year-old William Gilliam. They were both charged with contraband, criminal conspiracy and other related offenses.
Castile was served with an arrest warrant Monday night and he is still in jail and is awaiting arraignment.
Gilliam was arrested at the Pittsburgh Municipal Courts building on yesterday afternoon and was taken to jail and is awaiting arraignment.
Castile and Gilliam were identified as the individuals receiving the contraband from Raymond Toomey a former corrections officer who is also a former Pittsburgh police officer who had previously been charged.
Toomey is accused of selling K-2, which is synthetic marijuana, to an inmate.
Toomey was released on a non-monetary bond. He is awaiting his preliminary hearing in January.

(Beaver, Pa.) The Beaver County Board of Commissioners’ Work Session Meetings scheduled for Wednesday, December 21 and 28, 2022 have been canceled. The next Work Session Meeting will be held Wednesday, January 4, 2023 at 10:00am in the Commissioners’ Public Meeting Room.

(File Photo) A crane is in place as part of clean up efforts at the Fern Hollow Bridge in Pittsburgh that collapsed Friday, Jan. 28, 2022. AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Story by Beaver County Radio Staff
(Pittsburgh, Pa.) The Fern Hollow Bridge is set to reopen today less than one year after it collapsed into a Frick Park ravine
The bridge was rebuilt in what is considered rapid time, partially thanks to $25 million in federal funding.
A ceremonial ribbon-cutting will be held today with Governor Tom Wolf and Mayor Ed Gainey in attendance.
Ten people were injured in total when the bridge collapsed, with four of them taken to the hospital. Thankfully, no one was killed.