(Credit for Photo: Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of Firearms Owners Against Crime Institute for Legal, Legislative, and Educational Action)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Lehigh County, PA) The Court of Common Pleas of Lehigh County has ruled in favor of the Firearm Owners Against Crime – Institute for Legal, Legislative, and Educational Action (FOAC-ILLEA) and another plaintiff against Coplay Borough.  

The Court specifically found that an ordinance which prohibited the discharge of guns or other firearms within the borough (with limited exceptions) violates Pennsylvania law as well as the state Constitution.

The Court ruled that Coplay Borough may not enforce the ordinance and issued a directive that the borough would formally repeal it.  

The order was issued by the Honorable Melissa T. Pavlack on July 14th declared Coplay Borough’s Ordinance Section 6-201 unlawful under both the Pennsylvania Uniform Firearms Act (UFA), Pennsylvania Statutes Title 18 Pa.C.S. § 6120, and the Pennsylvania Constitution. 

(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of Alexandra Wimley/ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) After the successful lateral slide of the new $95 million Interstate 376 Commercial Street Bridge in Allegheny County, PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll and PennDOT District 11 Executive Jason Zang announced yesterday that I-376 is anticipated to reopen next week, ahead of the original targeted date of August 3rd.

At approximately 10 A.M. on Sunday, the innovative lateral slide operations began.

Crews moved the structure 96 feet in seven hours using Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) techniques.

The remaining six feet of the slide was completed on Monday morning and was one of the largest lateral slide projects ever performed in Pennsylvania.

A skidding system was then used to move the bridge into alignment with the I-376 Parkway East. Each of the 42 skid shoes installed can operate on its own, with integrated hydraulic jacks used to lift the load from its temporary supports and set it down on the permanent bearings.

Before the slide occurred, the explosive demolition occurred at approximately 8 A.M. last Thursday morning.

Crews continued to demolish the remnants of the former bridge and cleared the necessary debris before beginning the slide of the new bridge.

I-376 was closed to traffic on July 10th and the new projected reopening is now ahead of the original date of August 3rd that was anticipated.

The exact opening date will be determined dependent on weather conditions, with Commercial Street and Nine Mile Run Trail expected to reopen soon after.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – A sign on a door at The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania at the Capitol in Harrisburg, Pa., Feb. 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) The Pennsylvania Supreme Court made a ruling on Tuesday that the Pennsylvania Game Commission must have a warrant based on probable cause before entering private property. 

This ruling was made based on arguments that were presented on April 9th, 2025, by Institute for Justice attorneys for the Punxsutawney and Pitch Pine hunting clubs in Clearfield County. 

According to a statement in a news release about the ruling from Institute for Justice senior attorney Joshua Windham: “Today, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court affirmed that private land is not public property. It’s yours, and that means you get to decide who enters it. If government officials want to invade your posted land without your consent and spy on you, they need to get a warrant. By restoring that foundational protection, the court bolstered the property and privacy rights of millions of Pennsylvanians – and sent a warning to officials across the country who still believe they can invade private land at will: Watch your step.”

(File Photo of the National Weather Service Logo)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Lawrence County, PA) Three tornadoes came from Tuesday evening’s severe storms in Pennsylvania and they hit communities in Lawrence and Butler counties. 

National Weather Service Pittsburgh confirmed three separate EF-0 tornadoes came from the storms which swept through western Pennsylvania around 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

According to the NWS, one of them touched down near Pulaski Township in Lawrence County, and the other two hit Butler County, south of Moraine State Park’s Lake Arthur.

The severe weather prompted multiple tornado warnings in the northern counties of the Pittsburgh region.   

(File Photo of a City of Aliquippa Police Department Car)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Aliquippa, PA) The Aliquippa Police Department sent out a Facebook post yesterday saying that they were aware of social media posts recently reporting that shots were fired in the Plan 12 area. 

That department did not receive any calls or reports of shots fired in the Plan 12 area or anywhere else within Aliquippa.

Officers responded to and checked the Plan 12 area after becoming aware of these Facebook posts out of an abundance of caution and they found no evidence of shots fired and no suspicious activity. 

Aliquippa Police are encouraging residents to report emergencies or suspicious activity to 911 directly rather than relying completely on social media.  

(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of Gavin Thunberg)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Center Township, PA) Center Township Fire Rescue was dispatched before 1 p.m. on Tuesday to Primanti Bros. because of a report of smoke that was coming from the walls.

Fire alarms were received for the Center Township building as the response occurred.

A reportedly partially severed electrical cord for a cooler was discovered during the incident. 

(File Photo of a Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Car)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Beaver County, PA) Pennsylvania State Police in Beaver will be conducting a sobriety checkpoint at an undisclosed location in Beaver County during the month of July in their continuing effort to reduce crashes, injuries and fatalities that are caused by impaired drivers.

Police reminded the public that the blood-alcohol concentration limit is 0.08% for most drivers and 0.02% for drivers that are under 21 years old.

Police also state that people who are operating vehicles should never drive impaired and they encourage them to designate a driver who is sober and to plan ahead.

They also assert that Paul Miller’s Law is in effect in the state of Pennsylvania and it prohibits drivers from using a hand-held interactive mobile device while they are operating a motor vehicle.

Hands-free technology is still permitted in terms of Paul Miller’s Law.

(File Photo of a Road Work Ahead Sign)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Beaver Falls, PA) PennDOT District 11 announced that inspection work on the bridge that carries Route 18 (Seventh Avenue) over the Beaver River in New Brighton Borough and the City of Beaver Falls will occur today and tomorrow, weather permitting. 

From 8 A.M. to 4 P.M. each day, single-lane restrictions will occur on the Route 18 bridge in both directions between Third Street in Beaver Falls and Fourth Avenue in New Brighton Borough.  

Inspection activities will be conducted by crews from Michael Baker International.