(Pittsburgh, Pa.) Authorities say a 15-year-old Marquis Campbell died at a Pittsburgh hospital after two people fired into a van that he was sitting in at Oliver Citywide Academy . Pittsburgh Public Schools said the male student was shot in the school van at dismissal time yesterday afternoon. No arrests have been made and witnesses say tht two masked men approached the van and ran off after the shooting. Police say they are reviewing surveillance videos and seeking witnesses. School officials say all other students were safe inside the building. The school was locked down for a time. Students will learn remotley for the remainder of the week.

Senate passes bills aimed at ransomware, data breaches
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s state Senate is advancing a package of legislation aimed at preventing data security breaches and requiring victims and law enforcement officials to be notified when they do happen. The bills’ passage Wednesday comes barely two weeks after the state’s unemployment compensation system acknowledged that hackers got into some recipients’ accounts. Both bills go to the House of Representatives. One bill would bar state and local governments from using public money to pay for an extortion attempt from a ransomware attack. The other bill would require any state agency, school district or local government agency to notify victims within seven days of determining a breach of personal information.

(Congressman Conor Lamb (PA-17) joins the Pittsburgh District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to inspect the Montgomery Lock in 2019. Photo Courtesy of  Rep. Lamb) 

(WASHINGTON, DC) – Representative Conor Lamb (PA-17) announced today that the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will receive $857.7 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to complete all construction work to rebuild the Montgomery Lock and Dam on the Ohio River. This critical funding will provide long overdue reconstruction to the Upper Ohio Navigation lock and dam system, which has exceeded its anticipated useful life, and ensure the region’s waterways continue to strengthen the region’s economy.

“River traffic is something few people think about unless it is shut down. The Montgomery Lock and Dam is nearly 100 years old and if it collapses, we could lose thousands of jobs and add thousands of trucks to our roads, meaning more pollution and traffic. This funding is essential and the result of years of advocacy and old-fashioned, hard legislative work,” said Lamb.

Today’s announcement builds on years of bipartisan work and progress to secure funding for this system. Congressman Lamb secured $22 million for a Construction New Start award in early 2021, which allowed the Army Corps to finish its pre-construction engineering and design. Today’s announcement would not be possible without this work. In 2020, Lamb announced that the Upper Ohio project received $7.7M for the initial funding for the engineering and design. He also led a bipartisan letter in 2019 with colleagues from the region and testified at the Energy and Water Appropriations subcommittee highlighting the importance of the project.

“We are so grateful to Senator Bob Casey, Congressman Conor Lamb and Congressman Mike Doyle for their work securing this critical funding,” said Darrin Kelly, President, Allegheny-Fayette Central Labor Council. “Completing construction on the Montgomery Lock and Dam will create thousands of good jobs for our members & help our economy continue to grow. We thank our entire team of federal, state and local officials who have worked together so long to put western Pennsylvania at the top of the list and finally get this done. We know this is only the first of many victories they will achieve for our workers, businesses and residents in western Pennsylvania in the years to come.”

“We are grateful for Congressman Lamb’s leadership in securing this investment,” said Matt Smith, President, Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce. “Investment in our waterways is uniquely critical for both the Pittsburgh region’s economy and quality of life. This funding will help us build a stronger economy for all and attract business investment to our region, as well as attract and retain talent.”

Congressman Lamb will continue work to rebuild the entire Upper Ohio Navigation system, including funding to repair the Emsworth and Dashields dams, critical components of the Upper Ohio Navigation system. According to the Army Corps, more than 15 million tons of commodities pass through the Upper Ohio River system annually, supporting thousands of jobs and companies.

Thursday’s Teleforum program with Eddy Crow starts with the Huntingdon Business Spotlight-Beaver County Chamber of Commerce president Helen Kissik joins Eddy to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the chamber! And since it’s Thursday it’s The Best of Beaver County with Mike Romigh; Mike’s guest is Mark Dennis! Teleforum happens every weekday from 9 till noon on AM1230, AM1460, 99.3fm presented by St. Barnabas, and NOW also on 95.7FM!

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

Beaver County once again has survived a major snowstorm, clearing the roads for its citizens in the process. The process however, has drawn concerns from Public Works director Dan Colville about the amount of staff who worked to clear the roads—and the amount of staff who didn’t.

“We were able to cover everything, and the guys that came out did a fantastic job,” Colville told the Commissioners at the Wednesday work session. “[But] what happened was that the guys that were out on the first shift to do the roads and everything like that…they worked for 12 hours. Then we had people lined up to go out and do the sidewalks, and guys weren’t answering their phones.”

While Colville expressed gratitude to the first-shift employees that stayed, he still hopes that further issues in regards to having the right amount of employees are dealt with in a proper manner.

“I’ve been working with Nate [Morgan] and the law office and HR on this for the past couple years now,” Colville added, “but we have to come up with a way where guys have to be held accountable for coming out.”

The Commissioners’ next work session is scheduled for January 26 at 10:00 AM.

 

(Photo taken in fall of 2021 by Keith Walsh, Beaver County Radio Staff Member)
Story by Sandy Giordano, Beaver County Radio News Correspondent
Wednesday, January 19, 2022 at 10:20 AM
(Center Twp., Beaver County, Pa.) Center Twp. Supervisors met Tuesday night, January 18, 2022  and approved the Planning Commission’s recommendation for the GetGo lot consolidation plan on the site of the former Toys R US location near the Beaver Valley Mall and The new Sheffield Café Land Development Plan on the site of the former Sheffield  chiropractic Clinic. Owners of the two businesses now have to go to the county planning commission for approval.

(File Photo)
Story by Sandy Giordano, Beaver County Radio News Correspondent
Wednesday, January 19, 2022 at 10:10 AM
(Center Twp., Pa.) Pa State Police in Beaver are reporting that a semi truck and a car collided West Bound on I-376  Wednesday near the Center Exit. Beaver County 911 said that the call for  the accident was reported at 7:10 AM. Troopers said there were  no injuries reported and there was no road closure due to the accident. Pa State Police did not provide any information on what caused accident or the names of the people involved.

ELLWOOD CITY, PA (Jan. 18, 2022) — Western Pennsylvania is experiencing a historic low blood supply amid the national blood shortage. The fast-spreading omicron variant is the latest COVID-19 complication forcing Vitalant’s community blood drives to cancel and lessening the number of healthy and available donors. Vitalant, formerly Central Blood Bank, is the exclusive blood provider to UPMC Jameson Hospital.

Riverside High School, located at 300 Country Club Dr, Ellwood City, PA 16117, traditionally hosts blood drives for their students and staff. However, in an effort to offer the community a convenient place to donate blood, the school is opening their facility to the public on Thursday, January 20, 2022 from 8am to 2pm. All eligible blood donors, especially those with the most transfused blood type O, are critically needed to make an appointment at this blood drive by calling Christie at 412-589-4570. Appointments can also be made on Vitalant.org and searching with Code HS010107.

As a special thank you during January, National Blood Donor Month, all those who give with Vitalant will be automatically entered into the $5,000 Big Game Giveaway to win one of four, $5,000 prepaid gift cards redeemable by email.*

People can give blood immediately after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine or the seasonal flu vaccine if all other eligibility requirements are met.

(File Photo of Viking Car Wash in Hopewell Twp.)

Millions of Americans face expensive vehicle repairs from rust damage every year, and the chemicals used to de-ice roadways can be one of the main culprits. AAA East Central advises motorists to be proactive throughout the winter to prevent dangerous rust-related vehicle damage to brake lines, fuel tanks, exhaust systems, and other critical vehicle components.

“Regularly washing your vehicle in the winter is critical to avoiding costly repairs down the road,” says Mike Hoshaw, vice president of automotive services for AAA East Central. “Over time, rust can not only cause cosmetic issues, but serious safety issues if components on the underside of your vehicle become damaged.”

In recent years, many state and local transportation departments have shifted from using rock salt to liquid de-icers to combat ice and snow on the roadways. These newer alternatives are more effective than traditional salt because they can be applied before a snowstorm, have a lower freezing point and melt ice and snow faster. However, these same characteristics can be even more damaging to vehicles since the chemicals remain in liquid form longer, are more likely to coat components and seep into cracks and crevices where corrosion can accelerate.

While some rust damage is unavoidable, AAA East Central recommends motorists take the following preventative steps in order to reduce the possibility of vehicle damage:

• When possible, limit driving immediately before, during and after winter storms when salt and de-icing solutions are being applied and are at their highest concentrations.
• Frequently wash your vehicle, paying particular attention to the undercarriage. This will loosen, dissolve and neutralize road salts. Many drive-through car washes offer an undercarriage rinse as an option.
• Always use a high-quality car wash solution, not a household dish detergent that will strip the wax from your vehicle.
• Repair any body damage and touch up paint scratches and chips that expose bare metal which could lead to rust.
• Give the entire vehicle and undercarriage one last cleaning in the spring. Any deposits left over from winter can continue to cause corrosion year-round if not properly removed.

AAA strongly urges drivers who experience any of the following vehicle malfunctions to immediately move the vehicle off the road to a safe location and have it towed to a trusted AAA Approved repair facility:

• In-dash warning lights for brakes and other critical systems.
• A “spongey” or soft feeling when applying pressure to the brake pedal.
• An unusually loud exhaust sound or the smell of fumes in or around the vehicle.
• The prominent smell of gasoline or diesel fuel when the vehicle is running or parked.

The AAA Approved Auto Repair (AAR) network includes more than 7,000 facilities which have met AAA’s high standards, including certifications, technical training, cleanliness, insurance requirements, rigorous inspections and customer satisfaction.  AAA members are eligible for special benefits such as priority service, a 24-month/24,000-mile warranty, discounts, free inspections, dispute resolution assistance and more.  To locate an AAR shop in your area, visit AAA.com/AutoRepair.

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.