(File Photo)
Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano
(Beaver, Pa.) Beaver County Deputy Coroner Bill  Pasquale released the identities of the two men who lost their lives as a result of a two vehicle head-on accident that occurred Wednesday night, February 16, 2022, on the Shippingport Bridge in Shippingport, Beaver County. Pasquale said via release that 56-year-old Raymond Rock, of Midland, and 20-year-old Nikola Dordevic, also of Midland were both killed in the accident. Pasquale said the cause of death for both men was blunt force trauma.

There is no word on what caused the accident as police continue to investigate.

(File Photo)

(McKees Rocks, Pa.)  A man that was found shot in the 400 block of Broadway Avenue in McKees Rocks on February 5 has died
According to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office, 51-year old Keith Glaser died at a local hospital last night.
Police are continuing to investigate what led to Glaser being shot.

(File Photo taken in New Brighton during flooding of Feb. 2018. Taken by Frank Sparks)

(Beaver County ,Pa.) PennDOT District 11 is advising motorists that portions of the following state roadways are closed or restricted due to flooding:

Beaver County

Route 18 southbound lane restriction between Parkside Drive and Anderson Hozak Road in Hanover Township
Route 30 between Long Road to Hookstown Frankfort Road (PA-168) in Greene Township
Shenango Road (Route 4017) between Route 551 (Wallace Run Road) in Big Beaver Borough to 37th Street Extension in Chippewa Township
Mercer Road (Route 1006) between Route 65 and PA-288 (Zelienople Road) in Franklin Township
North Camp Run Road (Route 1011) between PA-288 and American School Road in Franklin Township
Barclay Hill Road (Route 4037) between Midland Beaver Road and John E Gray Drive in Industry Borough
Brush Creek Road (Route 1019) between Powell Road and Mellon Road (Route 1018) in New Sewickley Township
Service Creek Road (Route 3020) between Parrish Drive in Hopewell Township and Clearview Road in Independence Township
Hartzell School Road (Route 1015) between PA-588 in Marion Township and Fombell Road in Franklin Township
Park Road (Route 3023) between E. Hookstown Grade Road and Hookstown Grade Road in Independence Township
Independence Road (Route 3013) between Tank Farm Road in Independence Township and Bryson Road in Hopewell Township
Soap Run Road (Route 1008) between PA-288/Zelienople Road Intersection and Celia Road in Franklin Township

Allegheny County
Little Pine Creek Road (Route 4017) between Kiwanis Park Road and Wise Lane in Shaler Township
Lawrence County

Old Plank Road (Route 1003) in Neshannock Township from Woodland Drive to Oakwood Way
Houston Road (Route 3011) in Little Beaver Township from Scott-Wallace Road to Beaver Dam Road
Route 351 from Gilmore Road to Route 351/551 intersection
Route 551 from Gilmore Road to Route 551/351 intersection
Mt. Herman Church Road (Route 2013) between Frew Mill Road and Princeton Station Road in Slippery Rock Township

The National Weather Service issued a flood warning for Beaver County at 8:32 P.M. that will last until 2:30 A.M. Friday.  Flooding of rivers, creeks, streams and other low lying locations is imminent or occurring.  Any release of the ice jam could result in sudden rises of water, leading to a rapid flooding situation.

...FLOOD WARNING FOR AN ICE JAM IN EFFECT UNTIL 230 AM EST FRIDAY...

* WHAT...Flooding caused by an ice jam is expected.

* WHERE...Portions of west central and western Pennsylvania,
  including the following counties, in west central Pennsylvania,
  Butler. In western Pennsylvania, Beaver and Lawrence.

* WHEN...Until 230 AM EST.

* IMPACTS...Flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying
  and flood-prone locations is imminent or occurring. Depending on
  ice behavior, any release of the ice jam could result in sudden
  rises of water, leading to a rapid flooding situation.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
  - At 832 PM EST, emergency management reported an ice jam near
    the warned area. Flooding is ongoing or expected to begin
    shortly. Between 0.5 and 1.2 inches of rain have fallen.
  - Additional rainfall amounts of 0.2 to 0.5 inches are possible
    in the warned area.
  - Some locations that will experience flooding include...
    Ellport, Harlansburg, McConnells Mill and Rose Point Park.
  - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don`t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood
deaths occur in vehicles.

Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize the
dangers of flooding.

The featured image above shows the exterior of the New Brighton Borough Building
Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio. Published February 17, 2022 8:15 P.M.

(New Brighton, PA) The New Brighton Borough Council appointed a new member at their meeting Thursday evening.  Borough Manager Tom Albanese swore in Carrie Lofaso to take the vacant fifth ward seat created by the resignation of Richard Haddox.  Council also adopted Resolution 2022.02-01 which will allow for an application to be placed for a local share account grant program to make improvements to the Grove Avenue playground.  In addition, council gave the okay to Fischer’s Beverage for a facade renovation on the former Foodland building, where the business will move to.  The Borough also extended their contract with Valley Waste to run through June 30, 2023 at a fee increase of 4.7%.

(South view rendering of the Vanport building soon to be renovated to serve as the TCBC Men’s Emergency Shelter. Rendering by architectural partner, WTW Architects. Photo provided by TCBC)

(Beaver Falls, Pa.)  The Cornerstone of Beaver County (TCBC) has secured funding to begin construction of Beaver County’s long-awaited 24-hour men’s emergency shelter. The shelter will fill a critical gap in the county’s housing-related crisis solutions.

Early in 2021, TCBC purchased the building at 697 State Street in Vanport and worked with WTW Architects on the renovation design.

Through a bidding process completed last December, Graham Construction was selected by the Community Development Program (CDP) of Beaver County and approved by Beaver County to serve as construction partner for the project. To move forward, however, additional funding was needed.

In a recent resolution of the Beaver County Board of Commissioners, $1 million of the county’s American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding was allocated for shelter construction. Funding from the Community Development Grant (CDBG) CV funds, Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) CV funds, and Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement Fund (PHARE) funds were also approved.

Beaver County Commissioners said in a joint statement, “The men’s emergency shelter is a priority. The lack of an in-county, 24-hour shelter that accepts men has created hardship and vulnerability that was significantly exacerbated by the pandemic. We are excited and honored to commit our support to The Cornerstone of Beaver County to ensure their successful completion and operation of this vital project. The men’s emergency shelter and all of its supportive services will strengthen and uplift our community.”

Community donations also play an important role in the men’s shelter build-out and ongoing operations. In December, TCBC received a major gift of $10,000 from PennEnergy Resources to assist with initial shelter construction costs.

“We are pleased to support construction of the new emergency men’s shelter in Beaver County. This is a critical need that has been lacking in our community and we are honored to partner with the dedicated staff at TCBC to help make it happen,” said PennEnergy Resources Chairman and CEO, Richard D. Weber.

With funding secured, plans are underway for a wall-breaking ceremony to celebrate the construction commencement of this highly-anticipated project.

It is estimated that the shelter will open in the summer of 2022.

“We are deeply grateful for the county’s unwavering commitment to this project, and we are inspired by the increasing support coming from the community,” said TCBC Executive Director Marie Timpano.

Timpano continued, “Since the beginning of winter, we have expressed our hope that this will be the last winter our community has to endure without a men’s emergency shelter. I’m thrilled to say that it looks like that hope is going to become a reality.”

Shelter build-out plans include accommodations for 24/7 emergency shelter and safety, case management and basic needs provisions, and a variety of supportive services to help shelter participants transition successfully to permanent housing, stability, and long-term independence.

A TCBC Men’s Emergency Shelter FAQ can be found at TCBC’s website, CornerstoneBeaver.org. Shelter updates can be found on the TCBC website and Facebook page @cornerstonebeaver.

For more information about TCBC’s emergency and permanent housing programs as well as utilities and basic needs assistance, visit CornerstoneBeaver.org or call 724-846-6400.

(AP Photo)
By JOHN FLESHER AP Environmental Writer
President Joe Biden’s administration says the bipartisan infrastructure law will pump $1 billion into a Great Lakes restoration program. Biden travels to Lorain, Ohio, on Thursday to highlight the measure’s benefits for the lakes. Much of that extra money will help finish cleanup of harbors and rivers polluted with industrial wastes in the last century. Thirty-one U.S. toxic hot spots were designated around the Great Lakes in 1987. Officials say by 2030 work should be finished at all but three. Support for the cleanup is one issue on which the region’s congressional Democrats and Republicans routinely agree.

(Shipping Port, Pa.) The Beaver County coroner was called to the scene of a head on crash on Shippingport Road in Shippingport last night around 9 PM. At least one person was killed and another was airlifted to a local hospital.
The person’s name who was killed has not been released nor has the condition of the the person who was air-lifted as police continue to investigate

(AP Photo)
By CARLA K. JOHNSON AP Medical Writer
The omicron wave that assaulted the United States this winter also bolstered its defenses, leaving enough protection against the coronavirus that future spikes will likely require much less disruption to society. Millions of individual Americans’ immune systems now recognize the virus and are primed to fight it off if they encounter omicron, or even another variant. One influential model looks at vaccinations, recent infections and other factors to estimate that 73% of Americans are, for now, immune to omicron, and that could rise to 80% by mid-March. Still, while the population is better protected, tens of millions of individuals are not because they are unvaccinated or have never been infected.

Keystone State News Connection

February 17, 2022

Emily Scott

A new partnership is bringing support services to incarcerated pregnant women in Pennsylvania as they prepare for childbirth and reentering communities once they’re released.

The pilot program at State Correctional Institution (SCI) Muncy provides seven incarcerated women with doula services. Doulas support pregnant women by providing emotional and physical support and resources before and after childbirth.

Gerria Coffee, founder of Genesis Birth Services, which is providing doula care at SCI Muncy, said it is about reducing the trauma of incarceration to ensure a positive birthing experience for both the mom and baby.

“It separates the circumstance and really focuses on the person and gives that holistic support,” Coffee explained. “And in turn, that’s going to benefit birth outcomes, that’s going to benefit mental-health outcomes, and it’s going to benefit the child.”

The program is a partnership between the state Department of Human Services, Department of Corrections and the Tuttleman Foundation. The pilot also connects the family caring for the child while the mother is incarcerated to services such as home visiting, assistance paying for child care and cash assistance.

Part of the aim of the program is to address Pennsylvania’s maternal mortality crisis. Research shows doulas can reduce the likelihood of birth complications and increase breastfeeding rates.

Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Philadelphia, said the investment can help reverse some troubling trends in the state.

“Doula care helps to cut down on maternal mortality and morbidity,” Cephas pointed out. “We know women are the fastest growing population in our prison system. So why not use that as an opportunity when you see two problems, bring those two issues together to make a shift in these abysmal numbers.”