(File Photo)

Story by Sandy Giordano, Beaver County Radio News
(Center Twp., Beaver County, Pa.) Police and firefighters from Center Township responded to the scene of a fatal motorcycle accident in front of Cactus Lounge late Saturday night, August 27, 2022.

Officials say that 40-year-old Christopher Graeser was operating his motorcycle on Center Grange Road in the area of the Cactus Lounge when he lost control and struck a pole. Beaver County Coroner David J. Gabauer reported Sunday morning that Graeser died as the result of blunt force trauma from the accident.

HARRISBURG – Attorney General Josh Shapiro today announced the arrest of two individuals, as part of an investigation into drug trafficking in Lawrence County. The six month investigation conducted by the Office of Attorney General Bureau of Narcotics Investigations resulted in the arrest of Detroit native, Dennis Reid, and his girlfriend, Elizabeth Basham. During the investigation, agents learned Reid was trafficking cocaine and other illegal drugs across state lines from Detroit, Michigan to New Castle, Pennsylvania.

On August 24, 2022, agents executed a search warrant on Reid’s New Castle residence and a storage facility where they recovered approximately 1,688 grams of cocaine, 2 grams of crystal methamphetamine, 84 grams of heroin and 4 firearms. Reid is a convicted felon who is not legally able to possess a firearm.

“The firearms confiscated in this search are a reminder that drug trafficking is a violent enterprise,” said AG Shapiro. “My office is committed to keeping our communities safe and holding those accountable who profit off of drug trafficking. Thanks to the hard work of agents with my office and our partners, the Lawrence County District Attorney Special Investigations Unit and the New Castle Police Department, we were able to take these dangerous individuals off the streets.”

 The Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Narcotics Investigation was assisted in their investigation by the Lawrence County District Attorney Special Investigations Unit and the New Castle Police Department.

Dennis Reid has been charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession of paraphernalia, illegally possessing a firearm, dealing in proceeds of illegal activities and conspiracy. Elizabeth Basham was charged with dealing in proceeds of illegal activities and conspiracy.

These cases are being prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Kara Cotter. All charges are accusations. The defendants are innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing a northbound lane restriction on Route 65 (Ohio River Boulevard) in Bellevue Borough, Allegheny County will begin Monday, August 29 weather permitting.

(Beaver Falls, Pa.) On this week’s episode of Living Well on Beaver County Radio at 8:30 AM Saturday morning Dr. Joseph Maroon and Jeff Bost, PAC, will discuss when the question arises about when is the right time to enter a retirement facility.

Dr. Joseph Maroon is a world renown neurosurgeon with extensive experience in neurosurgery. He specializes in minimally invasive surgery to speed recovery for his patients. He is a sports medicine expert and innovator in concussion management, personal fitness and nutrition. Dr. Maroon is also the Pittsburgh Steelers team doctor.

Jeff Bost  is a consultant to the St. Barnabas Health System. Bost is also a Clinical Instructor in the Department of Neurosurgery at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, a consultant to the WWE, and Clinical Assistant Professor at Chatham University. He has a special interest in minimally invasive spine and brain surgery and have collaborated on scores of scientific medical papers and books in these areas. Over the last 15 years he has researched, lectured and written on the use of alternative treatment for pain control.

Bost, along with Dr. Joseph Maroon have authored two books on the use of omega-3 fish oil, including: Fish Oil: The Natural Anti-Inflammatory, currently in its forth printing with over 75,000 copies sold and recently, Why You Need Fish Oil. He has given over 100 invited lectures, 24 national posters and oral presentations, 29 coordinated research projects, five workshops presentations, 35 scientific articles and 10 book chapters.

You can tune into “Living Well” every Saturday morning at 8:30 on 95.7 and 99.3 FM, 1230 WBVP, 1460 WMBA, and beavercountyradio.com.

You can also listen to all previous episodes of “Living Well” by going to beavercountyradio.com clicking on the Listen Live Button, Then chose Beaver County Radio and click on Podcasts in the upper right hand corner.

You can also download our free apps by clicking on the proper store icon for your platform of a device:

AHN Penn West president Dr. Brian Johnson and Joe Kirk–the CEO/Founder of the Point Of Pittsburgh Sailing League–talk about their work and their life journeys with host Jim Roddey on this week’s episode of “Heroes.”

“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 Photo)

(Adams Twp., Pa.) The driver of a Waste Management garbage truck was seriously injured early this morning after his truck collided with another garbage truck from Vogel Disposal and then slammed into a building in the 400 block of Mars Valencia Road in Adams Township.
The Waste Management truck driver was trapped in the vehicle and had to be rescued by emergency crews. Once rescued he was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries.
The Vogel Disposal Truck was on the side of the road when crews arrived and does not appear that he is injured.
Part of Mars Valencia Road is expected to be shut down for at least 4 to 5 hours as The Butler County structural collapse team is at the scene and state police are investigating.

(McKees Rocks, Pa.) Police have finally caught up with the grandmother who was wanted in connection with her 10-month-old grandchild’s overdose in McKees Rocks.
47-year-old Robbie Boyer was arrested in McKees Rocks on yesterday.
She is being charged with aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of a child, possession of controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Police also obtained an additional warrant for her after a 9-year-old girl that she was caring for tested positive for cocaine metabolites and a 3-year-old boy that she ws also caring for tested positive for cocaine and fentanyl.
Boyer is currently in the Allegheny County Jail awaiting arraignment.

(File Photo)

(Union Twp., Pa.) We have an update now on that head on crash that occurred on Route 422 in Lawrence County early yesterday morning.
Pa State Police in New Castle are reporting that they were dispatched to the scene of of a wrong way head on crash on Route 422 just before the intersection of Interstate 376.
Troopers said that 42-year-old Dwayne Howell of Pittsburgh was driving a 2010 Acura TL Eastbound in the Westbound lanes when his vehicle collided a red 2002 Chevrolet Silverado pick-up truck being driven by a 45-year-old Ellwood City man. Howell fled the scene but was able to be located by State Police. Howell was arrested by Troopers on an outstanding warrant for possession of Marijuana originating from Mercer County. He was also additionally arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and hit and run of an attended vehicle Among several other violations.
No one was injured in the accident and Howell is currently being housed in the Lawrence County Jail.

(Photo of Governor Wolf Provided by Commonwealth Media Services)

Pittsburgh, PA – Governor Tom Wolf announced today that ElevateBio, a technology-driven company focused on powering transformative cell and gene therapies, will be investing in its first Pennsylvania operation through the buildout of an ElevateBio Base Camp biomanufacturing facility with the University of Pittsburgh and creating 172 new, six-figure jobs in Pittsburgh.
“When I first took office, I promised to support Pennsylvanians with a strong business economy by creating and retaining good jobs that pay well. This investment in ElevateBio is just the latest fulfillment of that promise,” said Gov. Wolf. “I’m thrilled to welcome ElevateBio to the commonwealth, where they’re joining a $50 billion life sciences ecosystem.”
ElevateBio received a funding proposal coordinated by the Governor’s Action Team (GAT) for an $860,000 Pennsylvania First grant and is encouraged to apply for the department’s Manufacturing Tax Credit, Research and Development Tax Credit, and Enterprise Zone Tax Credit programs. ElevateBio will be making significant investments in the build-out and operations of the biomanufacturing facility, including $35 million in capital expenditures, as well as investments in the training of 172 new full-time jobs paying more than $105,000 annually within five years of the start of construction.
The ElevateBio BaseCamp facility will be dedicated to developing and manufacturing cell and gene therapies and will be located in the Pitt BioForge Biomanufacturing Center at Hazelwood Green.
ElevateBio is a technology-driven company built to power the development of transformative cell and gene therapies today and for many decades to come. Pennsylvania is home to a nearly $50 billion life sciences ecosystem driven by world-class R&D institutions, top-notch universities – like the University of Pittsburgh – and strategic investments in venture capital, technology, and infrastructure.
“ElevateBio’s mission is to enable the entire cell and gene therapy industry to accelerate the development of life-saving therapies for many decades to come,” said David Hallal, chairman and chief executive officer of ElevateBio. “We thank Gov. Wolf for his support and are excited that Pittsburgh will be home to one of our BaseCamp facilities so that we can enable greater access to our next-generation enabling technologies and end-to-end capabilities for local, national, and global scientific innovators.”
The University of Pittsburgh will finance the build out of the anticipated 80,000-square-foot ElevateBio BaseCamp biomanufacturing facility and ElevateBio will commit to a long-term lease with extensions. Construction is expected to begin in 2023 and the University of Pittsburgh and ElevateBio estimate that it will take three to four years to complete construction, fit-out and qualification as a biomanufacturing facility for cell and gene therapies.
“Western Pennsylvania is on course to become a leader in both driving and commercializing life sciences discoveries, and we have taken one giant leap forward in realizing this vision today,”
said Chancellor Patrick Gallagher. “The University of Pittsburgh is honored to partner with ElevateBio and the commonwealth on this journey, which will see us leveraging lessons from the lab – in new and exciting ways – for the benefit of the region, research and humankind.
“We are excited to welcome ElevateBio to our region as the most recent addition to our life sciences ecosystem,” said Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. “We are proud of Pittsburgh’s ability to attract new and emerging life science companies and fortunate to have magnets like the University of Pittsburgh and its medical school. Along with this region’s quality of life and investment in innovation, we continue to see businesses choosing Pittsburgh and providing great career opportunities for talent to fill jobs across the ecosystem’s pipeline. We look forward to all that ElevateBio will do here.”
Through GAT, Gov. Wolf has invested nearly $17.8 billion over the past seven years to partner with nearly 430 companies to create and retain more than 191,000 jobs for Pennsylvanians.
Knowing that creating good paying jobs is only one piece of the puzzle, Gov. Wolf has also prioritized improving STEM education and manufacturing training opportunities across the commonwealth to ensure that Pennsylvanians have the necessary skills to succeed in the jobs being created. In 2018, he launched PA Smart to expand STEM education and make computer science available to all students.
Gov. Wolf’s investments in manufacturing, STEM, and education to ensure worker
success include:
• A historic $3.7 billion increase in education funding
• A $40 billion investment in STEM education
• A $28 million investment in apprenticeship training through PASmart
• $16.9 million invested in manufacturing training-to-career programs through
his Manufacturing PA Initiative
For more information about the Governor’s Action Team or the Department of Community and Economic Development, visit the DCED website