Milk House Meats relocates, Ambridge grad CEO of aviation nonprofit
Biz in the Valley is a monthly roundup of business happenings in the Beaver Valley and beyond. To submit an item, email csuttles@gannett.com.
A beloved Beaver County butchery is open for business in a new North Sewickley Township location after years of renovations.
Milk House Meats reopened in the former home of Paul’s Specialty Meat Market on Dec. 5 after owners purchased the building in 2021.
The new site at 786 Mercer Road is less than two miles from Milk House Meats’ prior location at 215 Harpers Ferry Road.
Owner Freddy Pflugh, a fourth-generation butcher and owner of the family-run butchery, said on Facebook the space allows the business to expand and become a “one-stop shop” for a variety of locally produced, high-quality meats.
Choices include fresh hand-cut beef, pork, lamb, chicken, turkey and more – including dog treats.
Visit www.milkhousemeats.com, Milk House Meats’ Facebook page or call 724-846-0222 for hours and more information.
Ambridge, CCBC grad named CEO of Breaking Down Barriers
A graduate of Ambridge Area High and Community College of Beaver County’s aviation program is the new CEO of Breaking Down Barriers, a Texas-based nonprofit established to help lift barriers for women and people of color seeking a career in aviation.
The newly formed organization, founded by former American Airlines CEO Doug Parker and his wife, Gwen Parker, is centered on removing the systemic roadblocks facing many aspiring pilots, including financial obstacles, to address the national pilot shortage and foster industry inclusion.
This involves helping historically marginalized people get into flight training through aviation outreach, awareness, mentorship and scholarships.
Dana Donati, who is also a Robert Morris University and Embry-Riddle University graduate, is a board member and CEO of the nonprofit. A Certified Flight Instructor with an Airline Transport Pilot certificate, Donati has more than two decades of aviation experience. She’s led two airline-owned flight schools and has held various flight operations positions at Republic Airways.
Just 3.4% of U.S. airline pilots are Black, 2.2% are of Asian descent and fewer than 10% are women, according to the Women in Aviation Advisory Board.
Breaking Down Barriers’ work will begin “with recruiting and retaining the best in the Dallas, Texas, area before extending our mission nationwide to all minorities and to other aviation professions,” according to its website.
For more information, visit www.breakingdownbarriers.org.
New grant program for Beaver County businesses
A new grant program administered by the Beaver County Corporation for Economic Development is designed to assist start-ups and new small businesses in Beaver County’s central business districts.
The districts are in Aliquippa, Ambridge, Beaver, Beaver Falls, Bridgewater, Midland, Monaca, New Brighton and Rochester.
Through the Business District Initiative Mini-Grant Program, qualified applicants are eligible for up to $10,000 in funding that’s reimbursable and requires a 50% match. The funding can be used for operating costs, such as rent, and property improvements.
The program, funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission, is part of a year-old CED partnership with Town Center Associates to establish the Business District Initiative. The goal is to reduce vacancy rates within Beaver County’s nine business districts to increase community vitality and grow the local job market.
More information can be found at beavercountyced.org.
More than $3.7 million awarded for water, wastewater projects
Multiple Beaver County water and wastewater infrastructure projects will receive a combined $3.7 million in pandemic relief funding from the American Rescue Plan Act.
The funding is through the COVID-19 ARPA H2O PA and Small Water and Sewer programs administered by the Department of Community and Economic Development under the direction of the Commonwealth Financing Authority.
Highest-funded projects include:
- $1.1 million to Hopewell Township to replace VCP lining along Route 151 and an interceptor sewer.
- $633,492 to the Center Township Sanitary Authority to rehabilitate a sanitary sewer interceptor.
- $430,450 to Rochester Area Joint Sewer Authority for an interceptor rehabilitation project.
- $265,823 to the Center Township Sanitary Authority to construct a 140,000-gallon storage tank.
- $250,000 to Monaca for the Ninth Street storm/sanitary sewer separation project.
- $245,000 to Hopewell for the Raccoon Creek bar screen replacement project.
- $203,722 to Harmony for storm sewer infrastructure improvements.
Beaver County will also share in $264,000 awarded under the Arts and Cultural Recovery Program to the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council for distribution to arts and cultural professionals.
“These are big projects that will ensure better water and wastewater service across our district,” said state Rep. Rob Matzie, D-16, Harmony Township, who announced the funding. “We’re talking about projects that will bring state-of-the-art improvements, reduce service interruptions and shutdowns and boost efficiency to benefit ratepayers. With the funding for these projects secured, residents and small businesses will soon be reaping the benefits.”
USDA funding to rehab housing for low-income residents
A new U.S. Department of Agriculture grant will advance housing rehabilitation for low-income residents in Beaver, Butler, Lawrence and Mercer counties.
USDA Rural Development State Director Bob Morgan last month announced two Housing Preservation Grants in Pennsylvania, including $275,762 to New Castle-based DON Enterprises Inc. to repair 30 houses in the four counties.
The federal grant program sponsors the repair and rehabilitation of housing owned or occupied by low- and very-low-income rural residents. Grant funds are used to remove health and safety hazards, correct code violations and improve accessibility in homes.
CCBC opens campus resource center and wellness store
The Community College of Beaver County opened a new campus resource center and wellness store on Dec. 13.
The student resource center, located in the student services center, is an on-campus resource available to CCBC students in need of assistance.
Within the center is the wellness store, which allows students in need to access non-perishable food items, select personal hygiene products, limited school supplies and clothing. The initiative is funded by ACT 101, a Pennsylvania program to assist students who meet certain academic and economic guidelines.
PennEnergy earns high marks for methane emissions performance
Natural gas producer PennEnergy Resources received a “Grade A” certification through MiQ’s Methane Emissions Performance Standard in December.
The MiQ Standard is an independently audited certification program facilitated by the Rocky Mountain Institute and SystemIQ. Natural gas operators share emissions intensity and detected events, deploy methane monitoring technology and implement emission control best practices to be assessed against the MiQ Standard and assigned an A to F grade for methane emissions performance.
PennEnergy received top marks in methane intensity, or the percentage of methane emitted versus methane produced, monitoring technology deployment and company practices.
“PennEnergy is committed to continuous improvements in facility design, operation and maintenance, as well as upgrading legacy assets, which allows for emissions mitigation and reduction across our field,” said Greg Muse, PennEnergy president.
Source link
