Category: News

McKees Rocks Man, Convicted of Dealing Deadly Fentanyl after Federal Firearms  Conviction 

(File Photo)

(Pittsburgh, Pa.)  A resident of McKees Rocks, PA, pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to  possess with the intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute  heroin and fentanyl, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today. 

David Anthony Somerville, a/k/a “Midnite Da Nitemare,” 33, pleaded guilty to Counts One  and Two of the Indictment at Criminal No. 17-222 before Senior United States District Judge Nora  Barry Fischer. 

In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Mr. Somerville, on January 9,  2016, was found in possession of eleven bundles of heroin and fentanyl, along with multiple  cellular telephones, and $1,200.00 in United States currency.  

Mr. Somerville was already on court supervision after serving a previous sentence of 70 months of incarceration after his previous federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a  firearm or ammunition. A jury had been selected and the prosecution had presented all of its  witnesses and evidence before Mr. Somerville made the decision to plead guilty. 

Judge Fischer scheduled sentencing for July 7, 2022. The law provides for a total sentence  at each count of not more than 30 years in prison, a fine of not more than $2,000,000.00, or both.  Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the  seriousness of the and the prior criminal history of the defendant. 

Pending sentencing, the court continued Mr. Somerville’s release on electronic monitoring. 

Assistant United States Attorneys Ross L. Lenhardt and Benjamin J. Risacher are  prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. 

The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Scott Township Police Department (K9 Unit),  Robinson Township Police Department, Kennedy Township Police Department, Allegheny County  Police Department, and the Allegheny County Office of Medical Examiner conducted the  investigation that led to the prosecution of Mr. Somerville.

Matzie Announces Area Child Care Providers Receiving Nearly $2.9 Million to Stabilize Operations

(File Photo)

(AMBRIDGE, Pa.) Nearly $2.9 million in federal funding will help 33 child care providers in the 16th Legislative District rebuild from the damaging effects of the pandemic, state Rep. Rob Matzie announced today.

Matzie said the American Rescue Plan Act funding includes grants ranging from approximately $10,000 to $287,000 to help businesses with key expenses.

“Extended closures, dwindling enrollment and other pandemic-related problems hit child care providers hard, and many are still struggling to come back,” Matzie said. “This funding, which can be used for operations and personnel costs, supplies and equipment, and a range of other expenses, is going to help them rebound. More centers reopening their doors means more working parents returning to the workplace.”

According to the state Department of Human Services, which administers the funding, providers will receive the funding in six monthly installments and must use it within nine months after their applications were approved. Centers also must report to DHS on how the funding is spent.

A list of providers receiving the funding is available here: https://www.pahouse.com/files/Documents/2022-04-07_010731__BEAVERCC.pdf.

The American Rescue Plan Act provided $24 billion to states nationwide to stabilize the child care sector. The grants to centers in the 16th Legislative District are part of a package of $628.5 million in approved ARPA funding to child care providers statewide.

In the fall, DHS announced its plan to distribute the ARPA funding to help stabilize the child care industry.

VIDEO: New Galilee Mayor Mark Benes Sees Potential For Growth In Community

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

Sometimes a small community has big plans.

Thus is the case with the borough of New Galilee in northern Beaver County, and Mayor Mark Benes joined Matt Drzik to talk about those plans on the April 8 edition of A.M. Beaver County. Benes has been the mayor of the borough for six years, and prior to that he was on council for the borough and helped establish the New Galilee CommUNITY Foundation in 2012.

Benes, who grew up in New Galilee, is happy to see the ongoing growth of the events coming to the community…but he doesn’t want it to stop there. “We’ve always been pushing for infrastructure, sewage, and water,” he said. “For now, the kids and taking care of these community events and making sure they have positive things to do within the borough is kind of what we’re pushing.

The mayor is also hoping that the growth of New Galilee comes with cooperation and partnership from neighboring municipalities such as Darlington to help boost connections and opportunities within both communities.

To watch the full interview with Mark Benes, click on the Facebook feed below!

PennDOT, PSP, PTC, Construction Industry Highlight National Work Zone Awareness Week

(Photos courtesy of Pa Media Services)

(Harrisburg, PA) The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC), and Associated Pennsylvania Constructors (APC) hosted an event today urging motorists to slow down and pay attention in work zones ahead of National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW). The week, which runs April 11-15, is designated to highlight the critical importance of safe driving through work zones. The theme of this year’s NWZAW is “Work Zones are a Sign to Slow Down.”

“We are beginning another construction season,” said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian. “Too often this means hazards for the men and women who are delivering improved roads and bridges. These workers deserve to get home safely. Please slow down and never drive distracted, especially in work zones where roadway conditions can change every day.”

According to preliminary PennDOT data, in 2021 there were 1,617 work zone crashes, resulting in 15 fatalities. Additionally, since 1970, PennDOT has lost 90 workers in the line of duty. The PA Turnpike has lost 45 workers since 1940.

With a mock work zone in the background, PA Turnpike CEO Mark Compton referenced the hazards of working so close to live traffic. “Our crews are doing their jobs, day in and day out, mere inches from live traffic,” Compton explained. “Our colleagues have been injured and lives have been taken when drivers do not pay attention to construction signage, respect posted speeds or maintain a safe distance.”

In Pennsylvania, there are two distinct programs related to active work zones. Under Title 75, Section 3326, motorists caught by police driving 11 mph or more above the posted speed limit in an active work zone, or who are involved in a crash in an active work zone and are convicted for failing to drive at a safe speed, automatically lose their license for 15 days. Additionally, fines for certain traffic violations — including speeding, driving under the influence, and failure to obey traffic devices — are doubled for active work zones. The law also provides for up to five years of additional jail time for individuals convicted of homicide by vehicle for a crash that occurred in an active work zone.

Under Title 75, Section 3369, fines are allowed to be administered through the Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement (AWZSE) program. Pennsylvania’s AWZSE program, first implemented in March 2020, uses vehicle-mounted systems to detect and record motorists exceeding posted work zone speed limits by 11 miles per hour or more using electronic speed timing devices. AWZSE systems are only operational in active work zones where workers are present. Work Zones that have an AWZSE system present and active will have unique signs in advance of the enforcement area, alerting drivers to the upcoming enforcement. Registered owners receive a warning letter for a first offense, a violation notice and $75 fine for a second offense, and a violation notice and $150 fine for third and subsequent offenses. These violations are civil penalties only; no points are assessed to driver’s licenses.

In 2021, PSP supported 101 projects for work activities where existing enforcement remains the most effective tool. The combination of existing and automated enforcement continues to be applied in a complementary manner and is yielding benefits in Pennsylvania work zones.

“Increased penalties in work zones and the implementation of the AWZSE program have made Pennsylvania’s work zones safer,” said Major Robert Krol, Director of the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Patrol. “The PSP is committed to supporting safety across Pennsylvania’s roadways.”

Results included in the AWZSE Annual Legislative Report released online today show that the program is meeting its goals of reducing work zone speeds, changing driver behavior, and improving work zone safety for both workers and motorists.

During 2021’s primary construction months (April – November), speeding in AWZSE enforced work zones was reduced to 20 percent of all traffic, down from 35 percent at the start of the program. Similarly, excessive speeding (11 mph or more over the posted speed limit) was reduced to three percent from eight percent at the start of the program. Additionally, improvements in driver behavior have been observed through not only sustained speed reductions in AWZSE-enforced work zones, but also smaller, but measurable, reductions at times when AWZSE is not in effect in those zones.

“Ultimately, this program is not about issuing violations,” said Gramian. “The goal is to change driver behavior. We want all motorists to slow down and drive safely so that enforcement programs like AWZSE are no longer needed.”

Associated Pennsylvania Constructors Executive Vice President Robert Latham emphasized that highway workers risk their lives every day in order to maintain a roadway system that is safe for the motoring public. “We’re asking that motorists do their part to keep highway workers safe, too,” said Latham. “It only takes a moment of distraction to cause an injury or fatality. Slow down and stay alert.”

For more information on the Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement program, including a list of projects where the units are deployed, visit workzonecameras.penndot.gov.

For more information on work zone safety, visit www.PennDOT.pa.gov/Safety.

For more information on work zone safety and an opportunity to take the safe-driving pledge, visit www.idriveorange.com/.

Friday’s AMBC: Mayorin’ & Motorin’

On the Friday edition of A.M. Beaver County, Matt Drzik speaks with New Galilee mayor Mark Benes following the 8:05 news to talk about the latest issues involved with the small borough in the northern corner of Beaver County.

Also on the Friday show, mechanic Rick Maddock joins Matt to talk about how to look after your car as winter transitions to spring. That conversation follows the 8:30 news on A.M. Beaver County.

Frank Sparks starts the last show of the work week with news at 6:30 on Beaver County Radio.

VIDEO: Beaver Falls Business District Authority Hopes Citizens Shop Local This Spring

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

The warmer weather is coming soon, and with that comes many an opportunity to walk down the street of your neighborhood to see who’s selling what.

The Beaver Falls Business District Authority is looking forward to such opportunity to bless the city over the course of the next several months, as its various shops continue to open their doors for the public. Denise Donnelly (Carnegie Free Library & Clear Choice Enterprises) and Tammy Clark (This & That Consignments) joined Matt Drzik on the April 7 edition of A.M. Beaver County to talk about the different businesses throughout the city and the network of services and goods they provide.

To watch the full interview with the BFBDA, click on the Facebook feed below!

Friday with Larry and Josh and Norm! (and Eddy)

Friday’s Teleforum program begins with Larry! Larry Kelly of the law group Luxenberg, Garbett, Kelly & George. The second hour has a visit scheduled from state representative Josh Kail calling in to explain what exactly is a ‘carbon policy.’ A Friday show means a talk with Norm Mitry-ceo/president of Heritage Valley Health Systems. Busy! The Teleforum talk program with Eddy Crow is on every weekday from 9:10 till noon on am1230, am1460, fm99.3 presented by St. Barnabas, and now on 95.7fm. Listen to Beaver County Radio on the FREE Beavercountyradio App!

 

VIDEO: New Brighton To Hold Drive-Thru Easter Egg “Hunt” On April 16

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

The Easter Bunny has had to come up with new ways to hide its eggs over the course over the last couple years, but that won’t stop the Easter celebration in New Brighton on April 16.

The New Brighton Borough, with the cooperation of Fischer’s New Brighton Foodland, will be holding a drive-thru Easter Egg Hunt on April 16 from 11 AM until 1 PM at the store located on 415 9th Street. Valerie McElvy from We’re At Your Service joined Matt Drzik on the April 7 edition of A.M. Beaver County to talk about the event, which she hopes will put a smile on the face of everyone who attends.

According to McElvy, this is the third such year that the traditional egg hunt has taken the “drive-thru” route, and it has proven to have become a successful event for the Easter season. She also stated that while there is no limitation on the amount of bags per family, she wants families to be honest as they need only to make one trip through the line. New Brighton Police will be assisting with traffic throughout the event.

To watch the full interview with Valerie, click on the Facebook feed below!

Pennsylvania State Police settle profiling, immigration suit

(File Photo)

By MICHAEL RUBINKAM Associated Press
Pennsylvania State Police have settled a federal lawsuit alleging that troopers routinely and improperly tried to enforce federal immigration law by pulling over Hispanic motorists on the basis of how they looked and detaining those suspected of being in the U.S. illegally. The settlement was announced Wednesday. It pays a total of $865,000 to 10 plaintiffs who alleged that state police discriminated against them and violated their civil rights. State police also agreed to amend their policy to forbid troopers from engaging in civil immigration enforcement. Police did not admit wrongdoing.

Georgetown Woman Injured after Swerving to Avoid Vehicle and Deer and Hitting a Tree

(File Photo)

(Frankfort Springs, Beaver County, Pa.) Pa State Police in Beaver are reporting that they were called to the scene of a one vehicle accident on Pa Route 18 in the area of Logue Road in Frankfort Springs Borough on Tuesday march 29, 2022 ar 3:45 PM
Upon arriving and investigating it was determined that 47-year-old Catherine Simmons of Georgetown was operating a 2017 Ram 1500 when she swerved into the left lane of travel before exiting the roadway due to a vehicle and a deer on the roadway. Simmons vehicle struck a tree causing disabling damage. She was transported to Heritage Valley Beaver for suspected minor injuries. Simmons’ vehicle was towed from the scene.