(Photo of Rt. 65 in New Brighton taken in January 2019 by Frank Sparks)

(Pittsburgh, Pa.) The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh has upgraded the Winter Storm Watch it issued earlier this week to a Winter Storm Warning effective Late Wednesday night thru Friday Morning. The statement can be seen below followed by a detailed forecast of what to expect:

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM THURSDAY TO 10 AM EST
FRIDAY...

* WHAT...Heavy mixed precipitation expected. Total snow and sleet
  accumulations between 1 and 3 inches. Ice accumulations between
  one tenth and three tenths of an inch.

* WHERE...Portions of east central Ohio. Portions of southwest and
  western Pennsylvania. Portions of northern and the northern
  panhandle of West Virginia.

* WHEN...From 4 AM Thursday to 10 AM EST Friday.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in
your vehicle in case of an emergency. Road conditions can be found
by visiting your states Department of Transportation website.

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

With the recent collapse of the Forbes Avenue bridge at Frick Park in Pittsburgh, thousands of citizens in southwestern Pennsylvania are wondering if the bridges in their neck of the woods are safe enough to keep driving on. Beaver County–home to dozens of state and local bridges–is no exception to that concern.

Commissioner Jack Manning spoke in depth about these concerns at the Commissioners’ work session on February 2, noting that the majority of the major bridges are in fair to good condition based on PennDOT’s standards (the interactive map displaying the bridge conditions throughout Pennsylvania can be seen here).

“I know we’ve had a lot of questions about the safety of the [Ambridge-Aliquippa] bridge and bridges in general,” Manning stated, “but if we have any concerns at all, public safety is our number one concern.”

However, Commissioner Manning also mused at the future reality regarding the Ambridge-Aliquippa bridge, noting that the bridge is approaching 100 years since its creation. The bridge underwent emergency repairs in November 2021, and Manning brought up the possibility of replacing the bridge in the future.

“I don’t know what it would cost to build a bridge next to the Ambridge-Aliquippa bridge,” Manning said, “but I think that it’s probably going to happen or have to happen at some point in time. It’s probably the most expedient thing, but it’s going to take a lot of money from someone else–not the county–to come up with.”

Manning cited recent bridge upgrades and replacements in Beaver County, including the Veteran’s Bridge in Fallston ($25 million) and the Koppel Bridge ($28 million), to give an idea of what the cost of the Ambridge-Aliquippa bridge would be to replace.

AAA: How to Go on Ice and Snow
AAA advises motorists to prepare for inclement weather to avoid deadly situations

Wintry weather is predicted to impact our area in the coming days, and AAA East Central advises motorists to take precautions to avoid deadly crashes in the coming days. According to research by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, about 46 percent of all crashes involving bad weather take place during the winter. Winter storms, bad weather, and sloppy road conditions are a factor in nearly half a million crashes and more than 2,000 road deaths every year.

“Preventative steps today can go a long way tomorrow,” says Terri Rae Anthony, safety advisor for AAA East Central. “Weather conditions that lead to black ice, heavy snow, and other rough driving conditions are particularly dangerous this time of year.”

AAA East Central offers the following tips for driving in winter weather:

• Stay Home. This is the number one way to avoid a crash in the winter.
• Leave Early. If you’re running late to work, that’s going to lead to anxiety which will cloud your judgment, possibly leading to risky driving behaviors.
• Slow down. Accelerate, turn, and brake as gradually and smoothly as you can. This will help you maintain control in rough conditions.
• Don’t tailgate. Normal following distances of three to four seconds on dry pavement should be extended to a minimum of five to six seconds when driving on slippery surfaces. The extra time will provide additional braking room should a sudden stop become necessary.
• Never use cruise control on slippery roads. If your vehicle hydroplanes or skids, you will lose the ability to regain some traction simply by lifting off the accelerator. It will be harder to recover from the loss of traction if cruise control is active.
• Turn against the skid. If your car begins to skid, continue to steer in the direction you want the car to go

To prepare a vehicle for the winter ahead, AAA recommends the following tips:

• Have your battery tested. Last winter, AAA East Central contractors responded to more than 250,000 battery calls, the number one call received by the Club.
• Replace worn windshield-wiper blades. Purchase one-piece, beam-type or rubber-clad “winter” blades to fight snow and ice buildup. Use cold-weather windshield washer solvent and carry an ice scraper.
• Inspect your tires. Make sure tires have adequate tread depth – at least 4/32” – as worn tires can affect a driver’s ability to stop in slick conditions. An easy way to check for wear is by inserting a quarter into your tread groove. If the top of Washington’s head is exposed, the tread depth is less than 4/32″ and it’s time to replace your tires. Also, check that your car has a spare tire and keep it properly inflated in case you need it. In harsh winter climates, a set of snow tires may be a wise investment.
• Carry an emergency kit equipped for winter weather. The kit should include sand or cat litter, a small shovel, flashlight, an ice scraper or snow brush, booster cables, a blanket, gloves or mittens and flares or reflective triangles.

More AAA winter car care tips can be found here.

AAA East Central is a not-for-profit association with 72 local offices in Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia serving 2.7 million members.  News releases are available at news.eastcentral.aaa.com.  Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

(Photo of Dr. Thompson provided with release)

(Midland, Pa.)  The Board of Trustees of the Midland Innovation + Technology Charter School has  appointed veteran educator Dr. Chester D. Thompson as the school’s first Chief Executive Officer. He  assumes his duties on February 10, 2022.

Dr. Thompson, who resides in Rochester, Pennsylvania, was the Associate Dean of the School of Business,  Arts, Sciences, and Technology at the Community College of Beaver County for the past two-and-a-half years.  Prior to that, he spent six years at Robert Morris University as the Assistant Vice President – Underrepresented  Student Achievement, Executive Vice President – Executive Education and Partnerships, Advisor – Academic  Affairs, Director – Student Support and Outreach Programs, and as an adjunct professor. While at RMU, Chet  was the Director of the Black Male Leadership Development Institute. He has held positions with Bristol Myers  Squibb, Verizon, Pfizer, Oracle, and the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission and is a  United States Marine Corps veteran.  

“Midland Innovation & Technology Charter School is groundbreaking in its approach to preparing students for  meaningful work post-graduation and we could not be more pleased to have Dr. Thompson at our helm”, said  Jerry Hodge, President of the MITCS Board of Trustees. “His background in education and business makes  him uniquely qualified to not only interact with students and parents, but also work with local corporate  partners, all of whom will ensure our school’s success.”  

Midland Innovation + Technology Charter School, a project of Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center, is a new  Pennsylvania public high school for boys and girls in grades 9 through 12 that will open in September in the  ultramodern Charles J. Betters Innovation Center in Midland. It will offer the most modern career technical  education available and will adhere to an axiom of Diversity By Design in that it will welcome students from all  backgrounds from across southwestern Pennsylvania. MITCS will be organized through four inter-connected  and collaborative academies that include: The PGT Transportation + Logistics Academy, The Cyril H. Wecht  Forensic Science + Justice Academy, The MITCS Community Development + Sustainability Academy, and  The MITCS Skilled Trades + Technical Careers Academy. Disciplines will include: Petrochemical Studies,  Gaming and Simulations, Safety Engineering, Transportation and Logistics, American Enterprise and Global  Studies, Aviation Technology, Sustainable Water, and Healthcare Innovations.  

Prominent developer Charles J. Betters donated the land on which MITCS is located and has guided the  construction. Pat Gallagher, the founder, owner, and CEO of PGT Trucking donated $500 thousand to  establish the PGT Transportation + Logistics Academy, and famed forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril H. Wecht  gifted and developed curriculum for the Cyril H. Wecht Forensic Science + Justice Academy. The school also  won a $1.5 million start-up grant from the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools.  

Families interested in pre-enrollment and information about MITCS may visit the school’s official website  www.mitcharterschool.org. Enrollment seminars will be scheduled at regional hotel ballrooms and conference  centers soon. Watch the MITCS website as enrollment seminars are added. 

(File Photo)
By MARC LEVY Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The Democratic Party’s endorsed candidate for governor of Pennsylvania, state Attorney General Josh Shapiro, headed into 2021 with $13.4 million in his campaign account, a state record for a candidate heading into an election year. Shapiro, whose campaign report was posted online by the state after Monday night’s deadline, is not expected to face opposition in the primary. He reported raising $13.4 million in 2021. Labor unions gave Shapiro more than $3 million in 2021, while donors who gave at least $50,000 kicked in more than $5.4 million. The double-digits deep field of Republican candidates vying for the party’s nomination turned in relatively paltry results for fundraising through Dec. 31,

(AP Photo)
By PAUL J. WEBER Associated Press
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A major winter storm with millions of Americans in its path brought a mix of rain, freezing rain and snow to the middle section of the United States as airlines canceled hundreds of flights, governors urged residents to stay off roads and schools closed campuses. The blast of frigid weather, which began arriving Tuesday night, put a long stretch of states from New Mexico and Colorado to Maine under winter storm warnings and watches. Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan saw freezing rain, sleet and snow on Wednesday morning. The heaviest snow is expected in Missouri, Indiana and Illinois, while significant ice accumulation is expected in an area from Louisville, Kentucky, to Memphis, Tennessee.

(Hanover Twp, Pa.) Pa State Police in Beaver said via release that they were called to an address on Pa State Route 18 in Hanover Twp. Beaver County on January 2, 2022 for a complaint from 68-year-old George Roberts of Hookstown that an unnamed known person had dumped a load of trash at the location on route 18. Through investigation the unnamed person admitted to Troopers that he dumped the load of trash at the location. The Robert’s decided not to proceed with charges because the person paid restitution for the offense.

Beaver County previously reported erroneously that Robert’s was the suspect when he is fact the victim who reported to Troopers the person dumping the garbage.

(AP Photo)
PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) — There will be six more weeks of winter. That’s the prediction made Wednesday by Punxsutawney Phil after he emerged from his burrow in Pennsylvania to perform his Groundhog Day duties. Thousands of people gathered at Gobbler’s Knob as members of Punxsutawney Phil’s “inner circle” summoned him from his tree stump at dawn to learn if he’d seen his shadow. After Phil’s prediction was announced, the crowd repeatedly chanted “six more weeks!” According to folklore, spring would come early if he didn’t see it.