(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of WTAE-TV Pittsburgh, Posted on Facebook on April 29th, 2026)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Westmoreland County, PA) Police in Pennsylvania are praising a teenager from Minnesota for alerting authorities to an alleged threat against Belle Vernon Area High School. 

According to the Rostraver Township Police Department, the teen was playing video games and chatting online with a 15-year-old Belle Vernon student when she allegedly described a plan to carry out a shooting at the school. 

Police said the Minnesota teen searched online to locate the school and then contacted authorities. 

The 15-year-old was arrested this week and initially taken to a mental health facility before being placed in a juvenile detention center, where she faces multiple charges. 

Officer Colleen Naylor, a school resource officer, said the teen’s quick actions helped prevent a potential threat. 

(Caption and Credit for Photo: Thomas Stanko is escorted by Westmoreland County Sheriffs deputies after a guilty verdict on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026 at the Westmoreland County Courthouse. (Shane Dunlap/ TribLive)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Westmoreland County, PA) Thomas Stanko, 55, was sentenced Friday to life in prison without parole after being convicted of killing a Westmoreland County woman who disappeared in 2018.

He was also sentenced to an additional 42 to 84 months in prison for a reckless burning conviction.

Stanko’s estranged girlfriend, Cassandra Gross of Unity Township, was never found after she went missing April 7, 2018. A judge later declared her legally dead about nine months after her disappearance.

A Westmoreland County jury convicted Stanko of first-degree murder and reckless burning on Feb. 11, 2026, but acquitted him of third-degree murder.

(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of the Pennsylvania State Police)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Westmoreland County, PA) The husband of a woman who died after falling into a sinkhole in Westmoreland County in 2024 has filed a wrongful death lawsuit.

The suit, filed by Kenny Pollard, names U.S. Steel, unspecified parties the company may have worked with, and Paul Iannuzzo, owner of Monday’s Union Restaurant.

According to Pennsylvania State Police, the remains of Elizabeth Pollard, 64, were recovered Dec. 6, 2024 — four days after she was reported missing while searching for her cat.

Investigators said she fell about 30 feet into a sinkhole in Unity Township that led to a mine abandoned in the 1950s. Crews searched for her in an area behind the restaurant.

The lawsuit alleges negligence and wrongful death, claiming the defendants failed to properly maintain and inspect the mine, address hazardous conditions and warn the public of potential dangers.

(File Photo of Police Siren Lights)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Beaver County, PA) Emergency crews in Chippewa Township helped save a 17-year-old Ellwood City boy who suffered sudden cardiac arrest Jan. 2 in the parking lot of the Walmart.

Police officers began CPR after finding the teen unresponsive and without a pulse. An automated external defibrillator (AED) from a police cruiser was used to restore a heartbeat, according to first responders.

Paramedics with Bridgewater Medic Rescue transported the teen to Heritage Valley Beaver, where complications led to him being flown to UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

He was discharged Jan. 9. First responders said he experienced a minor hypoxic brain injury affecting short-term memory and has no known prior medical history. The cause of the cardiac arrest remains under investigation.

Bridgewater Medic Rescue paramedic Abagale Young said the teen was in ventricular fibrillation, a life-threatening heart rhythm in which the heart cannot effectively pump blood.

“He was in a lethal rhythm … his heart was just quivering,” Young said.

The teen plans to pursue a philosophy degree at Geneva College before attending law school.

BRIGHTON TWP. — The Lost Highway Band performed live Friday morning from the Beaver County Radio studios.

The local band has several upcoming shows, including May 22, from 7-10 p.m., on the Veranda at Sheffield Lanes in Aliquippa.

If you missed Lost Highway band’s radio performance and interview with WBVP-WMBA morning host Scott Tady, here it is (just press play):

(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Lottery)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Aliquippa, PA) A Pennsylvania Lottery Lightning Loot ticket worth $107,817 was sold Thursday in Aliquippa.

The winning ticket was purchased at Stop N Shop, which will receive a $500 bonus for the sale.

Lightning Loot is a $5 Fast Play game with progressive top prizes starting at $50,000.

The prize has not been claimed at this time.

Scott Tady

Summer means free concerts at the Hartwood Acres and South Park amphitheaters in Allegheny County.

The Fixx, Don McLean, Reb Beach and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra are among this year’s concerts announced Friday by the county’s Parks Department.

Shows begin at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Local food trucks, Black Dog Winery and Hop Farm Brewing Company will be on-site at all concerts starting at 6 p.m. Performances will take place rain or shine at open-air amphitheaters with no covered seating.

HARTWOOD ACRES

in Hampton Township, in the county’s North Hills, the lineup is:

June 7	Pittsburgh Opera (Opera)
June 14	Melinda & the Night Sky (Rock) Opener: Grace Campbell & Rocket Loves Blue
June 21	Yacht Rocket (Dad Rock)
June 28	The Kings of Latin Jazz: Tito Puente, Jr. & Nestor Torres together! (Jazz, Latin) Opener: Hugo Cruz and Caminos
July 5	America’s 250th Anniversary Celebration Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Starts at 8:15 pm concluding with a patriotic drone show Suggested donation of $30 per vehicle to support children and youth receiving services through the Allegheny County Department of Human Services
July 12	The FIXX (Rock)
July 19	Cyril Neville (NOLA Funk & Soul) Opener: Norside
July 26	Arrested Development (Hip-Hop) Opener: Cam Chambers
August 2	The Wood Brothers (Folk/Americana) Presented by WYEP Opener: Ric Robertson
August 9	Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (Swing)
August 16	The Lemon Twigs (Alternative/Indie, Rock)
August 23	Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre (Ballet)
August 30	Blasey Plays the Beatles (British Invasion)
September 6	Buzz Poets (90s Pittsburgh Rock) Opener: New Invisible Joy

SOUTH PARK

Located in South Park Township, the schedule is:

 

June 5	River City Brass (Classic/Pop/Jazz)
June 12	Jimmie Ross & The Jaggerz (Rock)
June 19	Coltt Winter Lepley & The Briar Valley Rangers  (Americana) Opener: Dave Shepherd
June 26	Red Wanting Blue (Rock)
July 3	Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Starts at 8:15 pm
July 10	The Heavy Heavy (Retro Rock) Presented by WYEP Opener: MT Jones
July 17	Orleans (Classic Rock) Opener: Pete Hewlett
July 24	Ruthie Foster (Blues) Opener: Gabriella Salvucci
July 31	Don McLean (Folk)
August 7	Mathias Lattin & Dylan Triplett (Blues)
August 14	Women in Jazz Festival (Jazz) Featuring Su Terry with Jazz de Barro Deanna Witkowski Trio Camille Thurman with the Darrell Green Quartet
August 21	Tamburitzans (Eastern European Folk Music & Dance)
August 28	Summer of Love (60’s Revue)
September 4	Reb Beach (80’s Rock) Opener: School of Rock House Band

(File Photo of State Representative Rob Matzie)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Beaver County, PA) Representative Rob Matzie announced that $35,000 in state grants will support environmental education programs for students in Beaver County.

The funding, provided through the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Environmental Education Grant Awards program, will support lessons focused on nature, agriculture and environmental issues, Matzie said.

Among the recipients, RiverWise will receive $30,000 for its Summer Sustainability Institute 2026, a program for middle and high school students that includes activities such as air and water quality testing and urban farming, along with instruction on topics including climate change and environmental justice.

Aliquippa School District will receive $5,000 for its “Roots of Change: A Living Laboratory for Environmental Education” program, which will create an outdoor classroom for elementary students focused on soil health, water conservation and pollinator habitats.

(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of Commonwealth Media Services, Caption for Photo: Governor Josh Shapiro and First Lady Lori Shapiro joins America250PA to honor 25 outstanding Pennsylvania students as Semiquincentennial Scholars during a luncheon at the Governor’s Residence.)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) Josh Shapiro and First Lady Lori Shapiro joined America250PA to honor 25 students as Semiquincentennial Scholars during a luncheon at the Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg.

The students were selected from more than 1,800 applicants representing all 67 counties and recognized for their leadership, service and understanding of civic values as Pennsylvania prepares to mark 250 years of American independence in 2026.