"The Board Of Commissioners Can No Longer Stand Here On Mute" - Commission Chairmen Leads Charge Against Governor's Decision.

Story and photos by Mark Peterson

(Beaver, PA) There were actually two prominent news stories on Friday concerning Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf potentially lifting stay at home restrictions in Western Pennsylvania. The obvious angle was the fact that Beaver County was the only county in the entire southwest region of the state to not be scheduled for re classification into the lesser restrictive “yellow phase” of the COVID-19 shut down orders that began back on March 16, 2020. The reason given from Governor Wolf and his team was that Beaver County’s per capita infection rate from the virus was still too high. Sad news for sure for many residents who were hoping to be able to go out and shop at local merchants again starting on May 15, when the other areas will begin easing restricting. Officially, at least, Beaver County will continue to be Full shut down mode for the time being until at least June 4, 2020. The other story, and perhaps the more interesting one that surfaced from the same issue on Friday, was the fact that Beaver County’s leaders stood in solidarity and thumbed their noses at Governor Wolf’s bad news for the area.

Beaver County political leaders Jim Marshall, Joshua Kail, Jack Manning and Dan Camp at Friday’s press conference in courtroom #1.

County Commission Chairman Dan Camp was the opening speaker at a noontime press conference held at the Beaver County Courthouse, and much like the kid who didn’t get picked to play on the school yard pick up team until last, vowed to make the ones doing the selecting pay for their oversight. Camp announced that businesses would be welcome and encouraged to open anyway, regardless of the fact that the restrictions would still still in place. He assured the gathering of media types in attendance that District Attorney, David Lozier, would not be pursuing any potential future cases brought against merchants by local law enforcement officials for opening their shops. Lozier later on in the meeting confirmed the fact.

Dan Camp’s Opening monologue segment of the press conference.

The 37 minute press conference featured words of the same ilk from the other Beaver County commissioners, state representatives and Lozier himself.