Flight 93 passengers, crew to be honored on 9/11 anniversary
Observer-Reporter
The 24th anniversary of the most devastating assault on the United States, which prompted an overwhelming response of national unity, is less than a week away.
The terrorist attacks on the nation, brazenly on U.S. soil, occurred Sept. 11, 2001, when hijackers crashed four jets, resulting in the deaths of nearly 3,000 people.
Two of those jets obliterated the twin towers of New York City’s World Trade Center; one heavily damaged the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.; and – one – Flight 93 – crash landed in a field in Western Pennsylvania.
Terrorists who had commandeered Flight 93 apparently were headed to the U.S. Capitol Building, intending to wreak further havoc, when 40 passengers and crew members courageously fended them off, sacrificing their lives to abort the hijackers’ devious mission.
On Thursday, exactly 24 years later, the passengers and crew who perished will be honored at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Somerset County, where their jet went down.
They will be memorialized in a 30-minute Moment of Remembrance, a 9:45 a.m. ceremony featuring the reading of names and a moment of silence. A wreath-laying and gate-closing ceremony will take place near the Wall of Names on the Memorial Plaza.
The memorial will open at 7 a.m. Visitors are advised to arrive an hour before the observance to allow time to park and shuttle to the event site.
All visitors will park in designated lots and shuttle to and from the event site. Visitors are encouraged to wear appropriate footwear, as the ceremony will be held in a field and require walking on mowed grass and uneven ground.
Accessible buses will be available to accommodate wheelchairs. Standing room and ADA seating will be available.
The visitors center will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sept. 11. All programming will be free and open to the public.
This will be the third year the National Park Service and the Friends of Flight 93 National Memorial will offer “Teach to Remember 9/11” virtual education programs, which will be available Sept. 8-12. The programs will include the Moment of Remembrance on Sept. 11. Classrooms can join the ceremony via livestream. Educators can register for the virtual event now.
“We are excited to again host a week of virtual programs in partnership with Flight 93 National Memorial,” said Donna Gibson of the Friends of Flight 93 National Memorial. “Teachers and students from across America have the opportunity to connect and learn from rangers at the memorial about this story.”
CCBC
The Community College of Beaver County has announced that the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing has approved its request to expand its Associate Degree in Nursing program to CCBC’s Washington County College Center, at 625 E. McMurray Road in McMurray.
The program will include the full traditional ADN and the Practical Nurse PN to ADN transition track. Students will begin attending the Washington site in the fall of 2026.
Tina Gallup, dean of the School of Health Sciences at CCBC, said in a statement: “This is a major step forward in meeting the health-care workforce needs of our region. We are thrilled to bring our high-quality nursing education to Washington County and make it more accessible to students in the surrounding communities.”
The state board commended CCBC on several counts, including “a robust plan for student support services”; strategic partnerships with Trinity Area School District, St. Clair Health and Western Area Career and Technology Center for clinical and classroom learning opportunities.
CCBC said it is “actively promoting the new program location to residents of Washington, Greene, and Fayette counties.”
The Washington center celebrated its first graduating class in May, which included nursing students from the former Pittsburgh Technical College, who completed their degree at CCBC, and the first Aviation High School Academy graduate. The center served 71 new students during the spring semester.
For more information, or to apply, call 724-480-2222, or visit www.ccbcwashington.com/programs.
Penn Highlands
Penn Highlands Healthcare will open its first community pharmacy in its Southwest Region this fall.
Penn Highlands Community Pharmacy-Mon Valley will be on the ground floor of the Anthony M. Lombardi Education Conference Center, on the campus of Penn Highlands Mon Valley.
Josh LaFleur, Southwest Region market president for Penn Highlands, said in a statement: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to offer our patients, employees and members of the community a retail pharmacy. The pharmacy will provide easy access not only to prescriptions, but to our knowledgeable pharmacists.”
Enhanced Wellness
A Washington business formerly known as Elizabeth L. Wakim, DDS LLC, has been renamed Enhanced Wellness. According to a news release, the rebranded business has expanded “into a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to dentistry, facial esthetics and whole-person wellness.”
“This is more than a name change,” Wakim said. “Enhanced Wellness reflects our mission to uplift people through health, beauty, and great energy. We are deeply committed to treating people, not just teeth.”