Times, Ledger provide enormous impact to Beaver Valley
Even as the remnants of the last year wash away in the latest rainstorm, The Times and Ledger already are working on ways to provide a clearer picture of what is going on in our communities in 2023.
For 2023:Looking ahead: Headlines to follow in Beaver County next year
Our small but mighty team of reporters is watching closely as one of the first major petrochemical plants on the East Coast begins full operations in Beaver County, it is identifying community officials who are abusing their power and it is telling the tales of local residents who are struggling but trying to make the region a better place to live.
But we can't really be effective without the support of the community. Let us know when you see stories that need to be told that have a real impact on the region. Reach out when you think of issues that need to be explored for the betterment of the Beaver Valley and beyond. The best way to contact us is at timesnews@timesonline.com or through our official social media sites.
Through all the travails of the last year, The Times and Ledger have continued to have a huge impact on the community. Just think of the biggest things to happen in the Beaver Valley and we were there, providing the information residents really needed to know.
From 2022:A year in review: Beaver County’s top stories of 2022
Here are some of the stories your top local journalists were able to bring you that you might not have realized:
Shell ethane cracker plant starts up
We have been the leading source of information for this enormous $6 billion project since it first was proposed about 12 years ago, but in 2022 there was nowhere better to go for updates on the company's final steps in bringing the facility online.
It was here that residents learned to expect large flareups from towers that would turn the sky orange and became popular internet memes in the valley. And it was here that people had the debate over whether the proposed economic impact would outweigh any environmental impacts.
Stay or go:With Pa. plastics plant poised to open, residents decide: Stay or go?
We were the first to report on the DEP fining the plant less than a month after startup in October for air pollution violations and the only ones to report the issue resulted from some unexpected problems in the startup process.
And we will continue to monitor this plant and its impact, from the drop in 6,000 workers needed during construction to about 600 regular workers and the projected related industries that officials have promised will come with this plant's completion.
One pill can kill
It seems like everyone is talking now about the dangers of fentanyl being mixed in unknowingly with other illegal drugs, resulting in more overdose deaths because of its high toxicity. But when The Times told the story of two local families impacted by the situation, it was still mostly unknown by most.
Hidden danger:'One Pill Can Kill': Two local families share the unexpected loss of their sons
These families each lost a son just months apart to drugs they bought from the same dealer. He was charged with several offenses but was never really held accountable for the deaths he caused.
Federal officials eventually would target more attention on the problem, but at the time these families felt like they needed to tell their stories to prevent others from having to go through the pain they did. And their tales received a lot of attention in the region and encouraged others to come forward with similar stories.
Life beyond football
When we wondered what ever happened to one of the greatest high school football athletes of his generation, Hopewell Township's Rushel Shell, we were pleasantly surprised to find a 28-year-old man who had mostly left that life behind but is extremely happy in his role as a family man.
Shell was a household name in western Pennsylvania and beyond more than a decade ago when he dominated on the field, running at will on just about every opponent. He was expected eventually to join the pantheon of NFL greats from Beaver County, but through various circumstances, it did not work out that way for him.
Family man:Blue-chip recruit to blue-collar dad: How Rushel Shell has adjusted to life after football
Faced with the end of one dream, Shell found his motivation in his family, especially his wife and three children. He found a new joy and peace in dedicating his life to his family, as well as the community, which has continued to embrace him even off the field.
"I'm proud of what I was able to do, but I'm even prouder of what I'm doing now," Shell told us. "They'll (his children) learn who Rushel Shell the football player was. But I hope they'll always know me as Dad over anything else."
Fixing deteriorated bridges
Sparked by the January 2022 collapse of the Fern Hollow Bridge in Pittsburgh, The Times conducted an investigation into Beaver Valley bridges also marked deficit, many of them marked even worse than the Fern Hollow span before its fall.
More than 11% of Beaver County’s 398 state and locally owned bridges were considered to be in poor condition by Pennsylvania’s Department of Transportation.
Among those considered structurally deficient in Beaver County is the Route 18 bridge over Raccoon Creek in Potter Township, first built in 1932 and rehabilitated in 1977. Just down the street from Shell’s ethane cracker plant, the structure sits in the midst of a major industrial hub ― expected to facilitate as many as 9,000 vehicles daily in the coming decades. PennDOT plans to begin replacing the steel truss bridge in 2023.
Check your bridge:Dozens of Beaver County bridges are in poor condition. Here's how to check yours
The attention paid to these bridges has resulted in further inspections and repairs by state and local crews, but a lot of bridges remain a source of concern.
Our Towns worth visiting
And on a more fun note, The Times started a project called Our Towns, where reporters embedded themselves in some of our communities that don't normally get as much media attention and told stories of what makes those communities special.
We started out in the Darlington and South Beaver Township area with a closer look at the North Country Trail, a 4,800-mile hiking path that cuts through northern Minnesota and Wisconsin, traverses Upper Peninsula Michigan, southeastward through Ohio, onward through upper Beaver County, then Lawrence County past McConnells Mill Park, eventually weaving north into upstate New York.
Darlington/South Beaver Twp.:Our Towns: North Country Trail weaves a connection through Beaver County
We learned about the community that has sprung up along the trail, which is nationally known to hikers, but likely never seen by most Beaver Valley residents. Through pictures, videos and words, we painted an image that beauty left much unexplored by our residents.
Then, we profiled the Beaver Valley Golf Club in tiny Patterson Heights, the only real commercial property in the community and the third oldest golf course in western Pennsylvania.
Patterson Heights:Our Towns: How Patterson Heights connects through its lone business, a public golf course
The regulars at this course are almost like family, and many of them have been coming there for decades. A certain popular local rock star (Donnie Iris) also has been known to smoke a cigar and shoot some holes on the course. But the club's charm rests on its simplicity. It is just a relaxing place to spend a day.
Next, we spent time at Hopewell Community Park, an underlooked nature preserve in the heart of Hopewell Township. It is a place where an osprey might be the best fisher, but that is OK because its purpose is to bring residents closer to nature.
Hopewell TownshipHopewell Community Park remains a 'labor of love' for local community
It is a park that was built by a high school ecology club and expanded and maintained over the last several decades by local community members. An oasis in Beaver County, the park has informed the childhoods of thousands in the Hopewell area and continues to draw people from all over every year.
Most recently, we spent some weekend nights along the Beaver River in Bridgewater, partaking in unexpectedly rich nightlife entertainment at area restaurants and clubs there.
Bridgewater:Our Towns: Bridgewater hopes to become a 'destination location' for western PA nightlife
In recent years, there has been a lot of activity in this tiny borough, which is pushing to earn a reputation as a place you can go for music, fun and fine dining without having to travel to Pittsburgh. And The Times will be bringing you more information on some club moves very soon.
This is just a small sample of what you are missing if you are not regular readers of The Times/Ledger. And those with print subscriptions automatically have access to all our online material at timesonline.com or the e-edition at https://timesonline-pa.newsmemory.com/.
If you would like to subscribe, go to https://subscribe.timesonline.com/offers. Print subscribers who want to access their digital benefits or those seeking other answers can go to https://help.timesonline.com/.
Patrick O'Shea is the editor of The Beaver County Times/Ellwood City Ledger. He can be reached at poshea@timesonline.com.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Beaver Valley gains a lot from Times, Ledger
