(Credit for Photo: Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of AAA East Central)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(Pittsburgh, PA) The average price for a gallon of regular gas in Pennsylvania as of today is about $4.60, according to the AAA gas prices website. The report also confirms that the average price of regular unleaded gas here in Beaver County is about $4.82. Prices have been increasing because of reasons including the ongoing war in Iran.
(File Photo of a Gavel)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(Pittsburgh, PA) A resident of Alberta, Canada, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges related to the sexual exploitation of children, U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
According to the indictment, Cyril Borle, 55, faces six federal charges, including three counts of producing child sexual abuse material and three counts of receiving child sexual abuse material.
Prosecutors allege that on three occasions in early 2020, Borle persuaded a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of creating visual depictions of that conduct. The indictment also alleges Borle received those visual depictions.
If convicted, Borle faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and could be fined up to $1.5 million, according to federal prosecutors.
Authorities noted that any sentence would ultimately depend on the seriousness of the offenses and the defendant’s criminal history under federal sentencing guidelines.
Alma Arlene “Peg” Canonaco, 92, of South Beaver Township, passed away on May 24th, 2026, at Heritage Valley Health System – Beaver Campus.
She was born in Beaver Falls on October 20th, 1933, a daughter of the late Steve and Josephine West. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her children, Ken, Keith, and Bruce Humphrey and a sister, Merle. She is survived by her loving husband of 60 years, Ralph Canonaco, her grandchildren: Chris, Aaron, Matt, Lauren, Nicole, and Keith; as well as eight great-grandchildren, her sisters, Dorothy, June, and Elsie, along with numerous extended family members, and friends.
Alma spent her life as a homemaker and was extremely fond of her grandchildren. She enjoyed traveling with her husband and reading.
In accordance with Alma’s wishes, she will be cremated and no services are being planned.
The GABAUER-LUTTON FUNERAL HOME & CREMATION SERVICES, INC., 117 Blackhawk Road, Beaver Falls, was honored to provide care and guidance to Alma’s family during this time and was the funeral home that was in charge of her arrangements.
Joan Marie Lapic, 74, of New Brighton, passed away peacefully on May 23rd, 2026, at Cedar Hill Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Moon. She was born in New Castle on May 10th, 1952, a daughter of Agnes (O’Connor) and Carl Oswald. In addition to her parents, she is survived by her four children: Jeremiah (Ermida) Lapic, Jacob Lapic, Justin Lapic, and Jessica (Chris) Brown; as well as two brothers, Martin and Tom Oswald, her sister, Carleen Rainey and four beloved grandchildren, Connor, Aiden, Elise, and Sofia.
Joan graduated from New Castle High School with its Class of 1970 and earned a Bachelor’s degree from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with a double major in English and Environmental Studies. She began her career as a writer at several newspapers in Michigan before returning to Pennsylvania, where she continued working in journalism while spending every free moment on the river. She devoted her life to nurturing growth — in gardens, in people, and in the hearts of those around her. During her formative years, she explored the wilds of the upper Allegheny River around her father’s river cabin in Emlenton, which instilled in her a deep appreciation for nature. She later renewed her faith and embraced a strong belief in natural living, giving birth to all four of her children at home. She envisioned and helped build a passive solar home in the country, where she homeschooled her four children while mastering raised-bed gardening, beekeeping, raising small animals, growing orchids, and maintaining a greenhouse. She was also a Penn State Master Gardener and herb specialist, Joan volunteered at the local Grange and youth home before becoming the Therapeutic Horticulture Program Coordinator at Glade Run Lutheran Services. There, her lifetime of passions truly bloomed as she combined compassion, knowledge, and reverence for the natural world in her work as a therapist. She was a gifted herbalist and educator who found immense joy in plants, flowers, and the outdoors, and loved teaching others about their healing properties through presentations and hands-on learning. Through her work and gentle spirit, she inspired many to discover the beauty, comfort, and connection found in nature.
A memorial gathering will be held for friends and family on Friday, May 29th from 4 p.m. until the time of a Memorial Service at 6 p.m. at the J&J Spratt Funeral Home, Inc., 1612 Third Avenue, New Brighton, who was in charge of her arrangements.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Joan Marie Lapic, please visit our flower store of the J&J Spratt Funeral Home, Inc. by clicking here.
SCOTT TADY
PITTSBURGH — Acclaimed medium and beloved TV personality Theresa Caputo will appear live at Rivers Casino Pittsburgh on June 19.
Known as the “Long Island Medium,” Caputo has made fans the world over for her hit television shows, her best-selling books, her widely-listened-to podcast and her live stage appearances.
Caputo was a phone-in guest Tuesday on The Beaver County Radio Morning Show, discussing how she brings first-hand spirit communication to her live audiences.
If you missed it, or want to relive or share what she said, here is that interview (just press play):
Tickets for her 8 p.m. Pittsburgh show are at etix.com, starting at $64.10 (plus applicable service charges). Purchasing a ticket does not guarantee a reading.
(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of Getty Images: Caption for Photo: Jared Jones is nearing his return to the Pirates’ roster after he underwent elbow surgery last year.)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(Pittsburgh, PA) The Pittsburgh Pirates are still awaiting the return of starting pitcher Jared Jones from the injured list.
Jones is currently on the 60-day injured list, but is eligible to be activated at any time. His return would require the Pirates to make corresponding roster moves, including optioning a player to the minors to make space on the 26-man roster and clearing space on the 40-man roster.
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said on The Pirates Insider Show on 93.7 The Fan that Jones is scheduled to throw a bullpen session today and that the team will evaluate his status afterward.
If Jones is activated, manager Don Kelly would need to decide how he fits into the team’s five-man rotation, which currently includes 2025 NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, Carmen Mlodzinski, Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler.
Jones most recently made his fifth rehab start — and second with Triple-A Indianapolis — throwing 4 1/3 innings Saturday against Toledo. He allowed three earned runs on two hits, including a solo home run, while walking three and striking out six over 76 pitches.
Timothy E. Ralston, 51, of Glenwillard, passed away on May 19th, 2026 at his residence. He was born in Burgettstown on September 11th, 1974, a son of Jane Smith Ralston and the late Elwood T. Ralston. In addition to his mother, he is survived by his wife, Laura Gable, two daughters, Lydia Gable and Meadow Ralston, his brother, Thomas R. Ralston and his in-laws, Richard Eberle and Kerrin Powers.
Timothy crafted a name as a remarkable chef, especially when it came to his chicken wings. However, he was more than just an expert in the kitchen. He loved the simple pleasures of life: fishing, spending time with his children, being with his family, and cheering on his favorite teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Pittsburgh Pirates. His love for wrestling was matched only by his passion for music. Friends will be received on Wednesday, May 27th from 2 P.M. until the time of service at 5:30 P.M. at the CORLESS-MATTER FUNERAL HOME & CREMATION SERVICES, LLC, 1133 Church Street, Ambridge, who was in charge of his arrangements.
(File Photo of a Fire Background)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(New Castle, PA) A fire that spread to multiple buildings in Lawrence County last night is under investigation, and officials say the cause is being treated as “very suspicious.”
The fire broke out shortly after 10 p.m. on North Mercer Street in New Castle.
WPXI confirmed that no one was injured.
It primarily damaged Giovanni’s Salon and Spa, which had been closed for some time, as well as an adjacent building. Fire officials said damage to Hazel’s Restaurant was minimal, though the fire did reach the structure.
New Castle Fire Chief Mike Kobbe said investigators consider the origin of the fire highly questionable. He said police detectives are actively investigating, and a state arson investigator is likely to be called in to assist.
Kobbe also noted that New Castle has experienced arson cases in the past, including a series of roughly 20 fires between 2012 and 2013 that led to the formation of an arson task force and multiple arrests.
“The only thing we know for certain is this is very suspicious,” Kobbe said.
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(File Photo: Source for Photo: Sonny Rollins performs during a concert in Tokyo, Oct. 4, 2010. (AP Photo/Junji Kurokawa, File)
NEW YORK (AP) — Sonny Rollins, the tenor saxophonist and restless genius whose bold, distinctive tone and constant experimentation kept him on the cutting edge of jazz for more than 50 years, died Monday at age 95.
Spokesperson Terri Hinte told The Associated Press that Rollins died at his home in Woodstock, New York. She cited no specific cause of death, but said he had been largely housebound over the past couple of years because of various physical problems.
From his early days as a teen phenom to his more measured solo work and experimentation with free jazz, Rollins was revered for his improvisational skill. He was one of the last living greats of the bebop era and — along with John Coltrane and Charlie Parker — one of the most influential saxophonists of his time.
Rock fans got a dose of his music with the Rolling Stones’ 1981 album “Tattoo You,” which features’ Rollins’ wistful sax solo on the ballad “Waiting on a Friend,” devised after watching Mick Jagger dance.
Despite his enduring success, Rollins was never quite satisfied with his art, occasionally taking lengthy hiatuses from playing and consistently adopting eclectic new styles.
He always referred to himself as “a work in progress,” saying he wasn’t one of those artists who settle into one way of playing.
While his early bebop work was the most popular with his fans, Rollins never looked back, saying he found it “excruciating” to even listen to the flaws in his older recordings.
“I don’t consider myself a musician that has learned as much as I want to learn,” he told The Associated Press in 2007.
Enduring achievements
In the 1990s and 2000s, Rollins released a string of critically acclaimed albums. He maintained a rigorous practice regimen, and continued to tour, into his 80s. Pulmonary fibrosis, a thickening and damaging of the lungs, would eventually force him into retirement. He played his last concert in 2012 and stopped playing altogether in 2014.
While he missed the adoration of crowds, he missed the actual playing more.
“I played a couple of concerts early on where I was out in the open in the afternoon,” He told the New York Times in 2020. “I was able to look up in the sky, and I felt a communication; I felt that I was part of something. Not the crowd. Something bigger.”
His 2001 album “This is What I Do,” earned him a Grammy award for best jazz instrumental album. He won again in 2006 for best jazz instrumental solo for “Why Was I Born?”
“Why Was I Born” was from the album “Without a Song: The 9/11 Concert,” a live recording from a performance in Boston just four days after the Sept. 11 attacks. Rollins, who had been evacuated from his apartment a few blocks from ground zero, had gone ahead with the concert at the urging of his wife and manager, Lucille. She died in 2004.
His survivors include a nephew, Clifton Anderson, and nieces Vallyn Anderson and Gabrielle DeGroat.
Meeting the greats
Rollins had gotten his first major break in his late teens when he was invited to join Thelonious Monk’s band. He soon was jamming with Miles Davis and Bud Powell, who introduced him to the recording world even before he finished high school.
But like many jazz musicians in the late 1940s and early 1950s, Rollins’ rising star almost faded when he became hooked on heroin at the age of 19. As his addiction grew steadily worse, Rollins served two stints in jail — 10 months in 1950 and three months in 1953 — and ultimately found himself living on the streets in Chicago. In 1954, Rollins checked himself into a hospital in Lexington, Ky., to undergo drug treatment.
He left underwent a spiritual awakening as he kicked drugs.
“I began to have a deeper philosophy of what life was about,” he told the AP in 2007. “From that point on is when my consciousness awoke.”
After being discharged, he returned to Chicago and signed on as a member of the Max Roach-Clifford Brown quintet. In 1956 he recorded a solo album, “Saxophone Colossus.” Its stripped-down, hard bop sound announced him as one of jazz’s premier sax players and remained one of his most influential works.
In the following two years Rollins hit upon a different approach, switching to a pianoless trio on three more landmark albums: “Way Out West,” “A Night at the Village Vanguard” and “Freedom Suite.”
Then, at the peak of his popularity, Rollins went into seclusion, spending the next two years practicing alone on a solitary niche above the East River on a Williamsburg Bridge walkway.
“The thing that I am most proud of in my career is that fact that I was able to see beyond being popular and all that stuff,” he told the AP in 2007, “and do what my inner self told me to do.”
During his absence, jazz moved away from the fast-paced, tightly woven sound of bebop to the more frenetic and chaotic free jazz. When Rollins chose to return to the scene in 1961, he embraced the new sound — a move that divided his fans. In the mid-’60s, Rollins toured heavily in Europe, switching back and forth between more traditional and avant garde approaches. He contributed original music to the soundtrack of “Alfie,” the 1966 British film that made Michael Caine a star.
It was during a trip to Japan when Rollins discovered Zen Buddhism, prompting another lengthy sabbatical that would last into the early 1970s.
A living legend
When he chose to record again in 1972, he was now regarded as a legend and gained mainstream acceptance. He was granted a Guggenheim fellowship that year, and was inducted into the Downbeat Hall of Fame the next. He appeared on the “Tonight Show” and began playing in concert halls instead of nightclubs.
Theodore Walter Rollins was born into a musical household in Harlem on Sept. 7, 1930. His father, a naval petty officer, played the clarinet, his sister played the piano, and his older brother was a violinist.
When he was eight, his parents insisted he study the piano, but, as he recalled, “it didn’t take.” Instead, he said, he’d rather be outdoors playing baseball. But by age 11, Rollins became fascinated with the saxophone, and persuaded his parents to buy him one — an alto.
He had difficulty affording lessons and was largely self-taught, but Rollins quickly became an all-star, switching to tenor sax and playing the clubs at night.
He leaves behind many unreleased recordings, and said he didn’t plan to leave behind instructions for what to do with them.
“After I get out of this planet I’m not going to have any say about what’s going on, so I’m not worried about that,” he told the New York Times in 2020. “And, boy, I agonize over my music; I won’t have to agonize about it anymore. Thank God.”
