(Story by Frank Sparks, Photos by Curtis Walsh and Frank Sparks)

(Brady’s Run Park, Beaver County Pa.) Beaver County bounced back in a big way on Saturday, May 14, 2022. Beaver County Behavioral Health along with the Beaver County Zero Suicide Initiative hosted Beaver County Bounces Back at the Brady’s Run Park walking trail. The event was held from 11 AM to 2PM.

Beaver County Radio’s Frank Sparks and Curtis Walsh hosted a live broadcast during the event. The Beaver County Radio Prize Caddy was also there and Sparks and Walsh gave away delicious food from Beaver Falls Mc Donald’s to winners on the world famous Beaver County Radio Personality prize wheel.

Elisia Majors, from Beaver County Behavioral Health, started the day and welcomed everyone who came out to the event. Majors said that it’s been a couple stressful year and they wanted to celebrate our resiliency and also to promote acceptance and recovery from mental health challenges that we have all faced.

There were food trucks, Free Games, a bounce house, health screenings, children’s activities, and give aways. There were also health screenings and many community resources.

Chris Coskey from B-Well Nation showed everyone how to warm up before you exercise. She then led participants on a wellness walk and demonstrated Yoga.

Jared Boyer the owner of Premier Youth and Community Center led a group that he is training to a demonstration of exercise and how good it can make you feel.

The day finished with Elisia pulling the names for different prize baskets that were donated by various offices and  businesses in the county.

Check out all of the photos below of a fun Saturday for a good cause in Beaver County.

(Harrisburg, Pa.) Pa Attorney General Josh Shapiro has issued a consumer alert this afternoon about being scammed overpaying for baby formula with the baby formula shortage.

Shapiro’s Tweet warning scammers can be seen below:

You can file a complaint be following the link below:

Submit a Complaint

(Pittsburgh, PA ) PennDOT District 11 is announcing the start of long-term detours as part of the final phase of the Freedom Road Upgrade Project in New Sewickley Township, Beaver County will begin Monday, May 16 weather permitting.

(Photo provided with release)

Keystone State News Connection

Emily Scott

Advocates for juvenile-justice and child-welfare providers in Pennsylvania want the General Assembly to approve one-time funding to boost staff recruitment and retention to fight a labor-shortage crisis.

The Pennsylvania Council of Children, Youth and Family Services is requesting a $94.7 million infusion to support nearly 19,000 positions, both vacant and filled.

William Vogler, CEO of Pinebrook Family Answers, which offers adoption, foster care, kinship care and child-abuse prevention programs in the Lehigh Valley, said the staffing shortage hurts young people the most.

“If we don’t have the people that are willing or able to drive kids to visits to see their biological families, or to engage with a foster family, help get kids to appointments, they simply don’t get that service,” Vogler explained.

Among the state’s providers, 35% have a waiting list largely due to staff limitations, according to a council survey. Rep. Rosemary Brown, R-Monroe/Pike, and Rep. Carrie DelRosso, R-Allegheny, are asking for the funding to be part of the 2022-2023 fiscal year budget, which must be finalized by June 30.

Janna Brubaker, executive director of Families United Network, a child-welfare provider offering foster care, kinship care, adoption and residential services in most Pennsylvania counties, said part of the challenge is providers have to plan ahead with county agencies to set reimbursement rates.

“We cannot just change our rates based on the cost of doing business,” Brubaker argued. “We actually have to evaluate our rates almost 18 months in advance. It’s difficult to compete against Walmart or Amazon that are offering over $20 an hour. We can’t do that.”

Brubaker added Families United Network increased its wages during the pandemic, but still averages a 15% to 20% job vacancy rate. She thinks some increased funding could be used to provide bonuses, both for new and longtime staff.

(Photo provided with release)

Keystone State News Connection

Emily Scott

Pennsylvania’s primary is four days away, and state election officials want to remind people of the different ways they can vote.

More than 8.7 million Pennsylvanians are registered to vote. Key races this year include governor, lieutenant governor, a U.S. Senate seat, U.S. representatives, state representatives, half of all state senate seats, and Democratic and Republican Party committee members.

Leigh Chapman, acting Secretary of the Commonwealth, said the state’s election website, vote.pa.gov can be an important resource for accurate election information.

“There you can find a tool to help voters locate their polling place, a candidate database, a list of voter rights, instructions for how voters can report a complaint if they experience a problem at their polling place and more,” Chapman outlined. “Voters can also call our toll-free voter hotline at 1-877-VOTES-PA.”

Pennsylvania is a closed-primary state, which means a voter must be registered as Democrat or Republican in order to vote on Tuesday. All registered voters can vote on local ballot questions and special elections. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in all counties.

A recent poll found one in six election officials nationwide have experienced threats because of their job and a majority feel threats have increased in recent years. Chapman pointed out the state is making it a priority to make election workers feel safe.

“Protecting election officials is definitely a top concern, from poll workers, to county election directors, to county commissioners,” Chapman explained. “We are partnering with our federal partners and our state partners to ensure that there is a plan to make sure that poll workers and those that are counting every vote are protected.”

In total, Pennsylvania voters requested more than 807,000 mail ballots and more than 103,000 absentee ballots. Chapman added it is critical voters follow all instructions on how to fill out and seal their mail-in ballot for it to be counted. It must be returned to your county Board of Elections by 8 p.m. on May 17.

(AP Photo/Marc Levy)
By MARC LEVY Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A Republican candidate for Pennsylvania governor says he is ending his campaign and endorsing rival Lou Barletta. The development on Thursday comes as GOP leaders warn that leading candidate Doug Mastriano is too far right to win in a general election. Jake Corman announced his endorsement of Barletta just days before Pennsylvania’s May 17 primary and amid hand-wringing by establishment Republicans that a Mastriano victory would doom their chances of flipping the governor’s mansion in November. Corman’s name will remain on ballots statewide, and mail-in voting has been underway for weeks. It’s unclear what, if any, effect Corman’s move will have on the race, since polls showed him gaining little traction.

(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
By MARC LEVY Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Sensing a threat in Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate race, Donald Trump has issued a warning that surging Republican candidate Kathy Barnette would upend the GOP’s chances of holding the seat in November. He is urging voters to back his pick, TV’s Dr. Mehmet Oz. Trump said Thursday that only Oz can win the fall election against the Democratic nominee. The former president’s statement echoed growing panic among his allies and the party establishment over Barnette’s sudden and unforeseen rise ahead of the state’s May 17 primary. Pennsylvania’s Republican Senate primary had been primarily an expensive duel between Oz and former hedge fund CEO David McCormick.

(AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
By ALAN SAUNDERS Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Connor Overton got his first major league win and combined with two relievers on a four-hitter for the Cincinnati Reds’ first shutout of the season, a 4-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Overton allowed three hits and four walks in 6 1/3 innings with one strikeout. The 28-year-old right-hander got nine outs on ground balls. Luis Cessa got five straight outs, and Art Warren finished. Cincinnati has the worst record in the major leagues at 8-24; the Reds are 3-1 against Pirates and 5-23 against other teams.

(File Photo)

Story by Sandy Giordano, Beaver County Radio News

(Aliquippa, Pa. )  THE ALIQUIPPA SCHOOL DISTRICT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR  RECOGNIZED THE 2021-22 BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM  AT WEDNESDAY NIGHT’S ALIQUIPPA SCHOOL BOARD WORK SESSION. COACH NICK LACKOVICH TALKED ABOUT THE TEAM’S SEASON. THEIR RECORD LAST SEASON 19-9-0.