(File Photo)
Thursday, January 6. 2022 at 12:58 PM
(Aliquippa, Pa.) Two Beaver County men have landed in the Beaver County Jail after they were charged following an armed robbery outside of the Villa Di Pizza on Brodhead Road in Aliquippa around 4:30 PM Tuesday.
25-year-old Daivon Skinner of Aliquippa and 33-year-old Tariq Taylor of Rochester are accused wearing ski masks and holding up a man at gunpoint, stealing his phone, four bags of suspected marijuana and cash.
After the incident the two fled the scene and were apprehended moments later by police.
Both men are facing several charges and are being held in the Beaver County Jail.

2021 was a costly year for many motorists due to collisions, weather, and animal related auto insurance claims. While all automobile insurance claims may not be avoidable, most can be by driving defensively, avoiding impaired or distracted driving, and following simple tips. In addition to reducing the risk of a claim, motorists should be aware of the most common claims to avoid paying higher premiums.

“Car crashes are stressful and traumatizing events, and having proper coverage is crucial in providing financial protection and liability coverage,” said Jonathon King, vice president of insurance sales, AAA East Central. “The top three claim categories in our region show that life can be unexpected at times, and you’re best served with add-ons like comprehensive coverage.”

Rear-end collisions/Fender Benders
Even a seemingly minor fender bender can cost more than $7,000 in damages and increase the cost of insurance premiums. Rear-end collisions and fender benders accounted for 15% of all auto insurance claims AAA East Central processed in 2021, with many of the crashes resulting from distracted driving. To avoid being involved in a rear-end collision or fender bender, AAA East Central recommends:

• Put down your phone and stay focused on the road. Taking your eyes off the road for just two seconds doubles your risk for a crash.
• Ask passengers for help or pull over if you need to read or write a text message.
• Activate “Do Not Disturb” settings on your smart phone while driving.
• Take the pledge to end distracted driving by visiting aaa.com/dontdrivedistracted.

Backing Up
Collisions caused by backing up a vehicle, on average, cost more than $1,800 in damages in 2021. This type of crash made up 12% of all auto insurance claims AAA East Central processed, with many occurring in parking lots or driveways. Motorists should be especially cautious when backing out of a driveway or navigating parking lots. Drivers can follow these tips to reduce their risk of being involved in a backup collision.

• Drive slowly and obey all traffic and directional signs.
• Avoid shortcuts such as cutting across parking lanes and rows of parking spots.
• Watch for pedestrians and other vehicles when slowly backing up and do not rely on backup cameras alone.
• Be extra alert for small children, pets, and parents pushing baby strollers in parking lots.

Animals/Fowl
Collisions involving animals or fowl made up more than 8% of AAA East Central’s automobile insurance claims, with an average damage cost of more than $4,100. Deer collisions can be especially destructive to vehicles and can result in severe injuries to motorists and passengers. To prevent a crash or to reduce damage from an animal collision, AAA suggests motorists:

• Pay attention to road signs. Yellow, diamond-shaped signs with an image of a deer indicate areas with high levels of deer activity.
• Keep your eyes on the road. Ditching distractions is one of the easiest ways to make sure you’re ready for when an animal comes out of nowhere.
• Be especially attentive in early morning and evening hours. Many animals, especially deer, are most active from 5-8 a.m. and 5-8 p.m., prime commuting times for many.
• Use high beams when there’s no oncoming traffic. You can spot animals sooner. Sometimes the light reflecting off their eyes will reveal their location.
• Resist the urge to swerve. Instead, stay in your lane with both hands firmly on the wheel. Swerving away from animals can confuse them so they don’t know which way to run. It can also put you in the path of oncoming vehicles or cause you to crash into something.
• If the crash is imminent take your foot off the brake. During hard braking, the front end of your vehicle is pulled downward which can cause the animal to travel up over the hood towards your windshield. Letting off the brake can protect drivers from windshield strikes because the animal is more likely to be pushed to one side of the vehicle or over the top of the vehicle.

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.

Crosby, Rodrigues rally Penguins to 5-3 win over Blues
By DAN SCIFO Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Sidney Crosby and Evan Rodrigues scored 12 seconds apart in the third period, and the Pittsburgh Penguins rallied past the St. Louis Blues 5-3. Crosby scored his fifth, Rodrigues his 14th and Brock McGinn his ninth, as Pittsburgh scored three in the third to erase a 3-2 deficit. Bryan Rust also scored twice for the Penguins, who won their ninth straight. Casey DeSmith stopped 13 shots, but was pulled after the Blues’ third goal. Tristan Jarry, who recently came off the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol, stopped all 13 shots in relief. Brayden Schenn returned from injury to score his fifth of the season and 200th of his career. Jordan Kyrou and Colton Parayko also scored for St. Louis.

(Story & Photo by Matt Drzik)

The opening commissioners’ work session for 2022 was very brief, but it didn’t come and go without some good news.

Tony Caltury, the head of the Parks & Recreation Department in Beaver County, informed the Commissioners that the County received a proposal for a new Zamboni to be used at the Ice Arena at Brady’s Run Park. “It’s roughly $124,000,” Caltury said, “and they said that if we order it now, we’ll get it in late July or August.”

The commissioners gave their verbal approval for the purchase at the work session; a purchase that will not be included in the recreation budget per recommendation of Financial Advisor Corey Troutman.

Meanwhile, Caltury said that the old machines are still in functional shape. “We have CO2 sensor for the older machine that’s getting fixed Tuesday”, he said, “but after that we should be operational.”

Commissioner Tony Amadio was not in attendance for the work session. The next work session is scheduled for January 12 at 10:00 AM.

Big GOP gubernatorial field to crowd onto stage together
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — More than a dozen Republican candidates for governor are expected to appear on stage for the first time in a question-and-answer session sponsored by conservative groups and a statewide business association. One candidate, former U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, declined to attend Wednesday evening event’s at Dickinson College in Carlisle. He says he won’t participate in forums or debates — other than a Feb. 4 state GOP event — until candidates have qualified to be on the ballot. The huge GOP field of candidates is unlike anything party officials have seen. The presumed Democratic nominee is Josh Shapiro, the state’s two-term attorney general.

(File Photo)
Story by Sandy Giordano, Beaver County Radio News Correspondent
Wednesday, January 5, 2022 at 10:28 AM
(Ambridge, Pa.) Gerald “Duke” McCoy was sworn as Ambridge’s new mayor at the Monday night council meeting. Two new councilwomen Beth DeVincent and Mary Jane Gilliam were also sworn in.

Mayor McCoy, who is 80 said in a phone interview he served 16 years on council, took a break for 2 years and ran for mayor. He got married on Labor Day 2021, his first wife died in 2016.
He said his goal is to work with Police Chief John DeLuca to fight the borough’s drug problem. He added, the mayor and council should work together to move Ambridge forward.”

(File Photo)
Wednesday, January 5, 2022 at 7:43 AM
(Portersville, Pa.) Pa State Police in Butler are reporting that they were called to the scene a one vehicle crash on I-79 southbound shortly after midnight Tuesday morning.
The accident happened at mile marker 94.8 near the Portersville exit. Troopers said via release that 60-year-old Andrew Smith from New Castle was operating a 2007 Lexus rx 350 when he lost control of the car and went off the highway and rolled over into the median.

When crews arrived on scene they found Smith still inside the vehicle. According to the release, Portersville-Muddy Creek Township Volunteer Fire Department had to use hydraulic tools to open the door and get the person out.

Smith was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital. His current condition is unknown.
He was cited by State Police with not driving a vehicle at a safe speed.

(Beaver, Pa.) Today, Wednesday, January 5, 2022,  is the final day to register for this Friday’s “State of the County” that is being presented by the Beaver County Chamber of Commerce.
The event takes place at Alexander Hall on the campus of Geneva College from 8:00 to 10:00 AM.. Beaver County Commissioners Tony Amadio, Jack Manning and Dan Camp will join Moderator, Tracy L. Lawless for this annual event that discusses the state of Beaver County.
The cost to attend is $35.00 for a chamber member and $45.00 for a non-member
There is also a zoom option available if you would prefer to join that way.
Beaver County Radio will carry coverage of the event with reports during Teleforum from Beaver County Radio’s Matt Drzik. We will also replay the state of the county on Beaver County Radio at 12:30 PM Next Monday, January 10, 2022.
If you would like more information on the event or to register you can go to:
BCCHAMBER.COM/EVENTS