Author: Beaver County Radio

Joanne M. Borkovic (1934-2026)

Joanne M. Borkovic, 91, of Freedom, passed away on February 3rd, 2026. She was born in Aliquippa on July 5th, 1934, a daughter of the late Joseph and Hilda Berny. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 42 years, Victor Borkovic and two sisters, Margaret Edwards and Mary Ann Snowden. She is survived by her loving and devoted son, Ken Borkovic, who gave such loving and wonderful care to her at the end of her life, her daughter, Kathleen Borkovic Vertullo and her daughter’s husband, Dr. David Vertullo.

Joanne was very active in her beloved Catholic parish of St. Felix Catholic Church in Freedom by serving as a Eucharistic minister, lector, and holding and facilitating prayer groups with her beloved husband, Victor, with whom she was inseparable in life.

Friends and family will be received on Tuesday, February 10th, from 4-6 p.m. and on Wednesday, February 11th from 9:30 a.m. until the time of prayers at 10 a.m. at the J&J Spratt Funeral Home, Inc., 1612 3rd Avenue, New Brighton, who was in charge of her arrangements. A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at St. Felix Catholic Church, 450 13th Street, Freedom on Wednesday, February 11th at 10:30 A.M. An internment will follow in Calvary Cemetery, 9th Street Extension at Pine Run Road and Lovi Road, Freedom (New Sewickley Township.)

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Joanne M. Borkovic, please visit the flower store of the J&J Spratt Funeral Home, Inc. by clicking here.

Ramon E. Solero (1936-2026)

Ramon E. Solero, who was born on August 28th, 1936, in Conway, Pennsylvania, passed away peacefully on February 4th, 2026, at the Greenery Center Nursing Home in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. He was the loving son of the late Helen and Elliot Solero and was also preceded in death by his sisters, Sylvia, Anelia, Rita and Linda. He is survived by his beloved nephews, Darren and Jason Basich, who will remember him for his dedication, loyalty, and quiet strength.

Ramon was a proud graduate of Freedom Area High School and went on to serve his country honorably with four years of service in the United States Army. Following his military service, he pursued higher education at Edinboro University in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in education. He dedicated his professional life to teaching, serving as a history teacher in the Ambridge Area School District. He had a deep appreciation for history and education and took great pride in teaching and mentoring his students.In his free time, he enjoyed fishing and was an avid Pittsburgh Steelers fan, faithfully cheering on his team. He will be deeply missed and fondly remembered by all who knew him.

Family and friends will be received on Friday, February 6th from 10 A.M. until the time of blessing service at 12 noon in the John Syka Funeral Home, Inc., 833 Kennedy Drive, Ambridge, who was in charge of his arrangements.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Ramon E. Solero, please visit the floral store of the John Syka Funeral Home, Inc. by clicking here.

Getting Customer Service Done: Shapiro Administration Upgrades 23 PennDOT Driver License Centers Across Pennsylvania

(File Photo of the PennDOT Logo)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Carlisle, PA) PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll highlighted the process of the Shapiro Administration to upgrade PennDOT facilities while visiting the newly renovated PennDOT Driver License Center in Carlisle. That center is one of 23 driver license centers across Pennsylvania which recently underwent renovations to modernize facilities and improve customer service for Pennsylvanians. The Shapiro Administration has a commitment to making government more accessible and more effective for Pennsylvanians across the state. Millions of Pennsylvanians visit one of the many Driver License Centers from PennDOT every year and these facility improvements will help serve more Pennsylvanians, speed up processes, and cut wait times. PennDOT has been able to add more workstations and counters, expand seating for customers and overall space for buildings, upgrade both electrical and HVAC systems and install new flooring, lighting and carpet, among other projects as part of the renovations for driver license centers. Select driver license center locations offer free public Wi-Fi in addition to physical renovations improving the customer experience. The Motor Vehicle Network, which displays relevant information to customers on flat-screen TVs while they wait, are also equipped in all 76 PennDOT driver license centers in Pennsylvania. Customer queuing information on these screens that display the Motor Vehicle Network are also displayed at 59 of those driver license centers.

Congressman Chris Deluzio Delivers $6.8 Million More for Western Pennsylvania Projects

(File Photo of Congressman Chris Deluzio)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Washington D.C.) Congressman Chris Deluzio celebrated today that funding for eight more of his community projects was signed into law by President Donald Trump in Washington D.C. The Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development spending bill that President Trump signed yesterday included over $6.8 million in federal funds for key transportation and community development projects in Pennsylvania’s 17th Congressional District. According to a release in Washington D.C. from Deluzio’s office, the $6,888,581 in funding passed into law breaks down across the following eight projects:  

  1. $2,000,000 for the Borough of Aspinwall to create a safer intersection by realigning Brilliant Ave at Freeport Rd and the entrance to Allegheny RiverTrail Park–formerly known as Aspinwall Riverfront Park 
  2. $1,338,581 for the Borough of Crafton to implement a streetscaping and pedestrian safety project along Crafton Blvd, from Noble Ave to Baldwick Rd 
  3. $850,000 for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to replace the existing Verona Bridge in the Municipality of Penn Hills, located on Verona Rd between Mt. Carmel Rd and Lincoln Rd.
  4. $850,000 for Allegheny County to extend Panhandle Trail by about 3.4 miles by acquiring and converting inactive Pittsburgh & Ohio Central Railroad property from Genesse and Wyoming, Inc. (G&W) in the Borough of Carnegie 
  5. $850,000 for Mt. Lebanon Municipality to upgrade and expand their existing community recreation center, focusing on accessibility upgrades 
  6. $500,000 for Churchill Borough to build an all-inclusive, fully accessible playground 
  7. $250,000 for the Borough of Sewickley to implement the Sewickley Road Safety Improvement Project, which aims to monitor and eliminate roadways vulnerable to landslides 
  8. $250,000 for Ben Avon Borough to install a rooftop solar photovoltaic system on a borough-owned building

CCBC and Republic Airways Establish Aviation Career Pipeline Agreement

(Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of the Community College of Beaver County)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Monaca, PA) According to Statista projections, the global airline pilot shortage could reach 50,000 by 2025, while the National Air Traffic Controllers Association reports that the FAA is short nearly 4,000 air traffic controllers. The Community College of Beaver County (CCBC) and Republic Airways Inc. have signed an agreement to create the Aviation Career Pipeline Interview Program to address industry hiring demands and to put future pilots and air controllers on successful career paths, as stated in a recent release from CCBC. The purpose of this agreement is to increase the access of Republic Airways to qualified candidates for certain positions while increasing the employment opportunities for graduates of CCBC’s renowned James M. Johnson School of Aviation Sciences.

Driver causes single-vehicle crash in Darlington Township after hitting a deer

(File Photo of a Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Car)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Darlington Township, PA) Pennsylvania State Police in Beaver reported via release today that an unidentified driver caused a single-vehicle crash in Darlington Township yesterday evening. At 10:34 p.m., the driver was driving west on Constitution Boulevard on Route 51 near its intersection with Oakdale Road. A deer came from a wood line on the left side of that road and the driver tried to slow their vehicle down before hitting the deer, but they were unable to, which resulted in the front passenger side of their vehicle making minor contact with the deer. The driver then drove their vehicle off of the right side of the roadway, leaving the road that was cleared for travel. The driver that was involved in this crash was not injured and the vehicle of the driver sustained minor damage as a result of the crash, but the driver requested that their vehicle would be towed from the scene.

Pennsylvania House advances bill to raise the minimum wage in Pennsylvania to $15 an hour

(File Photo of a Dollar Sign)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) According to a Facebook post yesterday from the Office of the Governor of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, the Pennsylvania House just advanced a bill to finally raise the minimum wage in the state to $15 an hour. This happened in Harrisburg not too long after Shapiro’s 2026-2027 budget address on Tuesday. Shapiro called on both parties and both houses yesterday to get that done and to put a bill regarding minimum wage on his desk. The office of Shapiro also noted in the aforementioned post that the Senate of Pennsylvania should follow the lead of the House regarding this development. 

Beaver woman charged after two-vehicle crash in Brighton Township

(File Photo of a Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Car)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Brighton Township, PA) Pennsylvania State Police in Beaver reported via release today that forty-six-year-old Elissa Allen of Beaver was charged after a two-vehicle crash in Brighton Township on Monday morning. At 7:44 a.m., Allen was driving on I-376 East near Exit 36 and she lost control merging onto I-376. Allen crossed both lanes of traffic with her vehicle and was hit by the vehicle of forty-six-year-old Anna Edris of Beaver Falls. There were no injuries as a result of the crash and both vehicles were towed by Monroe’s Towing from the scene.

Spiro L. Nellas (1932-2026)

Spiro L. Nellas, 93, of Chippewa Township, passed away peacefully at his home on February 4th, 2026.  He was born in Beaver Falls on August 27th, 1932, a son of the late Louis K. and Harriet (Karachristos) Nellas. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, Dr. Constantine Nellas, his nephews, Lee Nellas, John Papas and Van Papas and his cousins and best friends: Louis D. Pappan, Nick Matsukas, Frank Matsukas, and Stathe Pournaras. He is survived by his wife of over 68 years, Victoria Nellas, his children, Louis Nellas and Christa (Scott) Ewine of Frederick, Maryland, his brothers, Dr. Jim and (Elaine) Nellas of Pittsburgh and Dr. Alex Nellas of San Francisco, California, his sister-in-law, Joanne Nellas of Pittsburgh, his grandchildren: Spiro Nellas, Griffin and (Jules) Ewine, Isabella Ewine, and Cameron Ewine; as well as his nephews and nieces: Louis J. and (Laurie) Nellas, Zack and (Kristine) Nellas, Mark and ( Kristen) Nellas, Elizabeth Nellas, Hillary and Wayne Miller; along with his great nephew and nieces: Zachary Nellas, Grace Nellas, Anna Nellas, Sophia Nellas, Leeah Miller and Elena Miller; as well as his Godson’s, Demetrios Pappan and George Pournaras, along with his special cousins: Panagiota Pappan, Dr. Spiro and Carol Papas and Leon and Anna Karachristos.

Spiro graduated from Beaver Falls High School in 1950, Allegheny College in 1954, and The University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy in 1957. He married his wife, Victoria Paparodis of Salem, Ohio on September 29th, 1957. He opened Hoffman’s Center Pharmacy in Center Square Shopping Center in 1963 and ran the business for over 25 years. Before the rise of the retail chain, Hoffman’s was the place where “if you need it, you could find it.” The drug store offered everything from daily necessities, a jewelry counter where Peg Conrad would greet you, and hot roasted peanuts, to prescriptions where Spiro filled them while listening to 1230 WBVP and Jim “Teddy Bear” Reynolds. Hoffman’s was known by the community for its lunch counter and soda fountain featuring the homemade chili recipe of Mary Bickerton and Muggsy Brown. He gave all he could to his family and will be fondly remembered for his quick wit and dry sense of humor. His favorite time was being with his grandchildren.  Prior to losing his vision, he enjoyed toying in the yard and  garden, could be seen bicycling throughout Chippewa, and swimming laps at the neighbor’s pool.

Viewings will be held on Friday, February 13th from 1-3 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. at Gabauer-Lutton Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Inc., 117 Blackhawk Road, Beaver Falls, who was in charge of his arrangements. A Funeral Service will also be held at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 2930 Beaver Road, Ambridge at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 14th.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church: 2930 Beaver Road, Ambridge, PA 15003.

John A. Yeck (1940-2026)

John A. Yeck, 85, of Moon Township, passed away on February 1st, 2026 in WeCare at Rolling Meadows of Waynesburg, Pennsylvania. He was born in Sewickley on November 24th, 1940, a son of the late Arthur & Helen (Hutchinson) Yeck. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Judith Dawn (Loerch) Yeck and a brother, Robert (Bob) Yeck. He is survived by his two sons, Richard A. Yeck of Moon Township and David A. Yeck (Kimberly) of Jefferson, Pennsylvania and three grandchildren, Hayden, Logan & Collin Yeck.

John was a lifelong resident and fire fighter of Moon Township, who was active in a local Presbyterian church choir. He retired as a Lieutenant with the Allegheny County Bureau of Fire at the Pittsburgh International Airport. During his retirement, he helped his son Richard in his towing business and drove a school bus.

Friends will be received on Sunday, February 8th from 1-5 P.M. in The Huntsman Funeral Home & Cremation Services of Moon Township, 1522 Coraopolis Heights Road, Coraopolis, who was in charge of his arrangements, and where a funeral service will be held on Monday, February 9th at 11 A.M. Private entombment will take place in Coraopolis Cemetery, 1121 Main Street, Coraopolis, at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to support his son David in his mission work through: www.continue to give.com/yeck or to the Moon Township Volunteer Fire Company, 1000 Beaver Grade Road, Moon Township, PA 15108.