ROCHESTER, PA – In a continued effort to promote beneficial family services, Sen. Elder Vogel, Jr. (R-47) will be hosting his 12^th Annual Kids Extravaganza on Saturday, May 13, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at CCBC – Athletics and Events Center, 1 Campus Drive in Monaca.

While vendors will be present to share information about services they can provide for parents and their children, there will be plenty of fun activities offered for kids to take part in including face painting, a coloring contest, special character performances, a selfie station, and more.

Families are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item for a chance to throw a pie at Vogel. The Beaver County District Attorney Dave Lozier will be present with a Drug Take Back box for disposal of expired or unused medications.

“There are many instances where parents aren’t aware of all the services available to them on a local level, which is why I host this event each year.” said Vogel. “It is a great opportunity to see families come together for not only a day of fun activities but a day for parents to gather helpful information to continue to propel their families forward. I look forward to seeing all who can attend this year!”

This event is sponsored by Brighton Hot Dog Shop, Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania, Heritage Valley Health System, Provident Charter School, Riverside Family Chiropractic, Rosalind Candy Castle, and Spokane Orthodontics.

For more information, contact Vogel’s Cranberry Township District Office at 878-978-2575.

Artist rendering submitted by Kennywood shown above
Kennywood released the following statement regarding their partnership with Primanti Bros.:

In the ultimate 412 Day celebration, Kennywood announces a partnership with Primanti Bros. to create the ultimate fan and guest experience with its first-ever theme park-based location. In celebration of Kennywood’s 125^th and Primanti Bros. 90^th birthday, it’s the perfect marriage of two iconic Pittsburgh brands.

The new restaurant will be located in Lost Kennywood and feature the almost-famous Primanti Bros. sandwiches, featuring house-made coleslaw, fresh-cut fries, Italian bread, and your meat of choice.

“I’ve been going to Kennywood and Primanti Bros. for more than 40 years – just like many Pittsburghers,” said Adam Golomb, CEO of Primanti Bros. “So, finalizing this partnership to open Primanti Bros. inside Kennywood has us very excited. And to be able to announce on 412 Day – it’s about as big a yinzsplosion as we can handle. We’ll see you this spring inside the park.”

“As a staple in the Pittsburgh community, we are thrilled to bring another beloved Pittsburgh brand to Kennywood this season as we both celebrate milestone years,” said Mark Pauls, Kennywood General Manager. “There’s no better present for our guests on this 412 Day than to announce this iconic partnership.”

Primanti Bros. Restaurant is expected to open in the park later this spring. Kennywood will open for its 125^th season on Saturday, April 22.

TSA officers prevented a Beaver Falls, Pa., man from carrying this handgun through the security checkpoint at Pittsburgh International Airport on April 9. (TSA photo)

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A Beaver County, Pa., man was arrested on Sunday, April 9, after Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) stopped the man with a loaded gun in his carry-on bag. The 9 mm firearm was loaded with five bullets.

When the TSA officer spotted the gun in the checkpoint X-ray machine, airport police were alerted, came to the checkpoint and confiscated the weapon and arrested the man, a resident of Beaver Falls, Pa. In addition to being arrested, the man also faces a stiff federal financial civil penalty. Federal penalties for bringing weapons to the checkpoint can run as high as $15,000, depending on the circumstances.

“The spring travel season is upon us and checkpoint operations are very busy,” said Karen Keys-Turner, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “We’ve seen an increase in travelers, and I am personally grateful that TSA officers here at Pittsburgh and across the country remain focused on their mission. Let this incident serve as a reminder to others who are traveling with a firearm, to take a few moments before you come to the airport to refresh your familiarity with the proper procedures on how to pack a gun for a flight. Firearms should never be brought to the security checkpoint in carry-on luggage.”

Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms only in checked baggage if they are unloaded and packed in a hard-sided locked case. Then the locked case should be taken to the airline check-in counter to be declared. TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website.

Firearms are not permitted through a security checkpoint because passengers should not have access to a firearm during a flight. This even applies to travelers with concealed carry permits or are enrolled in the TSA PreCheck® program, who will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges if they bring a gun to a checkpoint.  Individuals who bring their gun to a security checkpoint also face a federal financial civil penalty.

This is the 6th weapon caught in a checkpoint so far in 2023 at Pittsburgh International Airport.

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published April 13, 2023 7:40 A.M.  

(Ambridge, PA) Ambridge Borough Manager Mario Leone announced at Tuesday’s council meeting on March 16 the borough was notified that they will receive a $400,000.00 CFA Multi-Modal Grant for its Streetscape Project. On March 17, the borough submitted Federal Appropriations to both Senators Bob Casey and John Fetterman and Congressman Chris Deluzio for $2 million for the borough’s proposed Community Center/Recreational Complex. The borough received a $12,500.00 Humanities Grant for the continuation of the Heart and Soul Program, they have to apply to PA DCED for an additional $12,500.00. A Creative Communities Grant for $6,500 was received for the 5th Street Park Mural for the 2024 Bicentennial for Old Economy and Ambridge Mr. Leone reported that the borough applied for a DCNR  grant for $600,000.00 with a 50% match for the P.J. Caul Park Improvement Project.

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published April 13, 2023 7:29 A.M. 

(Ambridge, PA) Ambridge Fire Department responded to a fire in nearby Bell Acres Borough recently. Jordan Turner, one the department’s firefighters,  saved the resident’s dog, he also conducted a program on Career Day at Highland Elementary School.  He was named the borough’s Employee of the Month.

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published April 13, 2023 7:26 A.M.

(Aliquippa, PA) PA State police were called to the Eleanor Roosevelt Apartments , 740  Sheffield Avenue at 12:07 a.m. Wednesday to assist Aliquippa Police and take over the investigation into the death of a 40 year old female. No foul play is suspected, and the investigation is still open, according got a state police report issued Wednesday afternoon.

The Congressman toured Pittsburgh Technical College alongside President and CEO Dr. Harvey-Smith and other college staff. Photo courtesy of the office of Congressman Deluzio.

OAKDALE, PA – On Monday, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) visited Pittsburgh Technical College (PTC) a two-year, private, non-profit regionally accredited college in Pennsylvania’s 17^th Congressional District and announced that his office has helped the institution secure release of $3,729,168.71 in Employee Retention Tax Credits.

The IRS had allocated the federal credits, but the funds had been held up since they were first requested in the summer of 2021 and were delayed for over a year. Recognizing the critical need for funding, Congressman Deluzio’s office worked in coordination with the Internal Revenue Service and secured the release of the nearly $3.8 million in federal funds, including interest, that were slated to arrive on April 11^th, 2023. These new funds will help PTC retain instructors, boost workforce training for in-demand careers, and support students with scholarships and services.

“Colleges with an applied and technical focus like Pittsburgh Technical College help provide critical workforce training to fill good-paying, frequently union jobs that keep our community running,” said Congressman Deluzio. “I am proud that my constituent services team and I were able to bring home these federal funds to support job growth and training for those jobs right here in the 17^th Congressional District.”

“At Pittsburgh Technical College, one of our top strategic priorities is to expand access to higher education for all students in our region through scholarships and grants,” said PTC President/CEO Dr. Alicia B. Harvey-Smith. “Thanks to Congressman Deluzio and his team for assisting in expediting the release of this significant tax credit to PTC. These funds strengthen our ability to serve our mission of providing comprehensive access to advanced technical education.”

Dr. Harvey-Smith continued, “Congressman Deluzio and his team are great partners. Partnerships like this are key to transformative impact for all citizens across the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and surrounding regions. Pittsburgh Technical College is a community asset committed to expanding partnerships to innovatively develop an in-demand workforce. This funding helps to position PTC as an educator of choice in applied and technical education and further achieve its institutional priorities of building a comprehensive middle skills pipeline and fueling economic development, a commitment realized through a 95% in field placement rate.”

Among other things, the close to $3.8 million in tax credits will help Pittsburgh Technical College:

• Stabilize its workforce in applied and technical areas.
• Fund critical workforce initiatives for in-demand careers in Allegheny County, especially training Nurses, First Responders in Criminal Justice, Trades and Welding Professionals.
• Close gaps resulting from declines in enrollment and auxiliary revenue due to the pandemic.
• Provide students with vital resources such as scholarships and support services to enhance personal and professional success.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The electronics subsidiary of German company Merck KGaA says it will spend $300 million to expand its specialty gas production facility in eastern Pennsylvania. The announcement Wednesday was attended by Gov. Josh Shapiro. EMD Electronics says it will create the world’s largest integrated specialty gases facility to serve the fast-growing semiconductor industry. State officials hope it will boost Pennsylvania’s appeal to computer chip makers. Shapiro is pledging more than $1 million in state grants for the expansion in Schuylkill County. Company officials say the site houses a research center and synthesizes materials that form core building blocks of transistors, a component of microchips.

FILE – The New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday, June 29, 2022 in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are edging higher on Wall Street after a report showed inflation is cooling faster than expected. The S&P 500 was 0.2% higher Wednesday after bouncing between small gains and losses earlier. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose and and Nasdaq composite was relatively unchanged. A report showed prices at the consumer level rose 5% last month from a year earlier. That’s still high, which kept a check on financial markets. But it was also below what economists expected and marked a continued slowdown from inflation’s peak last summer. Yields also swayed following the report.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks to reporters during a news conference with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo and Philippine Officer in Charge of the Department of National Defense Carlito Galvez, at the State Department, Tuesday, April 11, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s been less than a week since news of highly classified military documents on the Ukraine war surfaced, sending the Pentagon into full-speed damage control to assure allies and assess the scope of the leak. The information on scores of slides has publicized potential vulnerabilities in Ukraine’s air defense capabilities and exposed private assessments by allies on an array of intelligence matters. Among the questions raised by the leak are whether it will erode allies’ trust in sharing information with the U.S. or impact Ukraine’s plans to intensify the fight against Russia this spring.