Author: Beaver County Radio

Former Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw announces he’s cancer-free, but nearing retirement from broadcasting

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Terry Bradshaw speaks during a memorial for Franco Harris during the NFL Honors award show ahead of the Super Bowl 57 football game, Feb. 9, 2023, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(New York City, NY) Four-time Super Bowl champion Terry Bradshaw announced that he is now cancer-free after he received two separate diagnoses for cancer in 2022.

The 78-year-old and two-time Super Bowl MVP gave an update on his health in a recent interview with “Good Morning America” co-host and fellow “FOX NFL Sunday analyst Michael Strahan to promote his new memoir and talked about his double cancer diagnosis in 2022 and his struggles with depression and mental health and depression.

Bradshaw was diagnosed with bladder cancer in November of 2021 and had a tumor in his neck which was from a rare form of skin cancer in March of 2022.

Even though Bradshaw is cancer-free, he made comments in a separate interview with “NBC News Daily” on the future of his career in broadcasting.

According to Bradshaw: “I realize my time on television as a sports broadcaster is coming to an end. “I just love life. Billy Graham said, and I never forgot this quote, he said, ‘The day you retire is the day you start dying.'”

Susan M. Robinson (1962-2026)

Susan M. Robinson, 64, of New Brighton, passed away at home unexpectedly on October 13th, 2026.

She was born in Rochester on June 1st, 1962, the daughter of Jean (Martin) Kisic and the late Charles Kisic.

Susan was employed by her family’s business, Robinson Home and Garden, where she was proud to be part of a business rooted in family and community.

Outside of work, she found happiness in many of life’s simple pleasures. She loved spending time at the beach, enjoying the peaceful sound of the waves and the beauty of the shoreline. Gardening was another favorite pastime, allowing her to nurture growing things and surround herself with natural beauty. She also enjoyed reading, working on puzzles, and creating crafts, each offering her a special way to relax, express herself, and enjoy her time.

She is survived by her loving husband of 33 years, Bryan Robinson, two sons, Shawn Spooner of New Brighton and Alan Hunsberger of North Fayette, two grandchildren, Ethan Sherman and Gavin Hunsberger, five siblings: Charles (Karen) Kisic of Big Beaver, Robert (Lynn) Kisic of South Carolina, James (Julia) Kisic of Plum, Edward (Mary) Kisic of Beaver Falls and Rose (Richard) Krepps of Brighton Township, numerous nieces, nephews and their families.

A celebration of life will be held on Sunday, October 25th from 2 p.m.- 5 p.m. at The Oak Hill Vets, North 4th Street, New Brighton.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the J&J Spratt Funeral Home, Inc., 1612 Third Avenue, New Brighton.

Marlene D. Crain (1947-2026)

Marlene D. Crain, 79, of Moon Township, passed away on October 12th, 2026, at Heritage Valley Sewickley.

She was born in Pittsburgh on July 27th, 1947, a daughter of the late William and Florence Gillott.

Marlene loved gardening, helping special needs individuals, singing, and playing music, and she adored her cat, Lexus.

She is survived by her husband of 38 years, Andrew H. Crain Jr., a son, Douglas Manion of Aliquippa, a daughter, Stacy Riley of Coraopolis, and eight grandchildren: Cait Miller, Timothy Riley, Taylor Riley, Maddison Riley, Joseph W. Riley, Alayna Arroyo, Shayla Stiegler, and Daylin Manion.

She was the proud great-grandmother of Remi Miller, Palmer Miller, and Selah Arroyo, who preceded her in death.

She is also survived by her sister, Joyce Silverblatt of Bethlehem, her niece, Dina Nichols and nephew, Daniel Silverblatt and many loving and caring friends and family.

All services are private for Marlene at this time.

Huntsman Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Moon Township is in charge of her arrangements.

Interment at Sewickley Cemetery will take place at a later date.

Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe and utility player Jared Triolo become finalists for 2026 National League Rawlings Gold Glove Awards

(Caption for Photo: Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe makes a sliding, back-handed play during the first inning against the Brewers on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026, at PNC Park. Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of Christopher Horner, TribLive)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe and utility player Jared Triolo are now finalists for the 2026 Rawlings National League Gold Glove Awards. 

The MLB announced finalists yesterday for each position for those awards in both the National League and the American League, and the winners will be announced on an ESPN broadcast live on November 1st. 

The thirty-two-year-old Lowe played for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2025 and was acquired by the Pirates on December 19th, 2025 in a three-team trade involving the Pirates, Rays and the Astros. 

Lowe made 130 putouts and recorded 363 assists in 554 chances over 1,181 innings in 138 games at second base for the Pirates, which included 133 starts. 

Lowe also had 78 double plays in 2026 and he is looking to become the first Pirates second baseman to win a Gold Glove Award since Jose Lind in 1992.  

The twenty-eight-year-old Triolo made his major league debut with the Pirates on June 28th, 2023, and recorded four defensive runs saved in 527 2/3 innings over 71 games in 59 starts at shortstop. 

Triolo recorded 35 double plays at shortstop and five double plays from third base, which is where he played 260 1/3 innings over 50 games in 27 starts, with one defensive run saved. 

Triolo is the most recent Pirates player to win a Gold Glove award and he earned that award as a utility player in 2024. 

Lowe joins Brice Turang of the Milwaukee Brewers and JJ Wetherholt of the St. Louis Cardinals as finalists for the 2026 National League Rawlings Gold Glove Award for second base. 

Triolo joins Mauricio Dubón of the Atlanta Braves and Ildemaro Vargas of the Arizona Diamondbacks as finalists for the 2026 National League Rawlings Gold Glove Award for utility players. 

Secretary of the Commonwealth Reminds Pennsylvania Voters of On-Demand Mail Ballot Voting Option for Midterm Election

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – Voting booths are set up at a polling place in Newtown, Pa., Tuesday, April 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt discussed on-demand mail ballot voting yesterday at his sixth weekly virtual media briefing before the election on November 3rd. 

According to Schmidt, “Pennsylvania voters have the option of going in person to their county elections office (click here to learn more), applying for a mail ballot, receiving it, filling it out, and returning it all in one visit. This option is available until October 27th, which is also the deadline to apply for a mail ballot.”

Voters should check with the elections office in their county for hours when that option is available.

Schmidt added. “Mail ballot voters also can fill out their ballot at home and mail it or hand-deliver it to their county elections office or a drop box designated by their county.”

County election offices must receive completed mail ballots by 8 p.m. on November 3rd for them to count. 

Schmidt also stated that the deadline to register to vote in the state of Pennsylvania in the November 3rd election is Monday, October 19th.

Pennsylvanians that are eligible to vote can register online (click here) at vote.pa.gov (click here) or at their county elections office (click here).

Artwork by Local High School Students to Be Displayed at Local McDonald’s Restaurants in Celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month

(Credit for Photo: Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of McDonald’s)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Coraopolis, PA) McDonald’s will be celebrating artwork created by talented Cornell High School and Sto-Rox Junior Senior High School students in support of Hispanic Heritage Month.

The selected artwork by Vanessa Bosetti will be displayed and unveiled tomorrow at the Coraopolis McDonald’s at 4 p.m.

This event marks the culmination of the “Golden Arches Mural Program,” which is a McDonald’s-supported initiative that honors student creativity and community pride.

Bosetti will receive an award of $1,000 from McDonald’s in recognition of her artistic achievement. 

The art departments at Cornell High School and Sto-Rox Junior Senior High School will also receive a grant of $500 to support creative endeavors in the future. 

High school art students from Cornell High School and Sto-Rox Junior Senior High School were invited to participate in the program this semester in partnership with local McDonald’s Owner/Operator Sam Nwagbo.

Students were challenged to create artwork which blends McDonald’s nostalgia with their unique interpretation of Coraopolis, to showcase their personal connection to the city.

The winning artwork will be transformed into 5-foot by 5-foot mural and will be displayed at the McDonald’s in Coraopolis to highlight the commitment the McDonald’s has to celebrate creativity and culture in every community.

Bosetti’s piece and pieces created by other students that participated in the program will be on display at the McDonald’s at 1010 4th Avenue in Coraopolis.

Mississippi Man Convicted by Federal Jury of Participating in a Criminal Conspiracy to Exploit Children and to Distribute Child Sexual Abuse Material

(File Photo of a Gavel)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) A federal jury in Pittsburgh recently convicted thirty-nine-year-old
Justin Lee Plunk of Corinth, Mississippi, of conspiring to distribute and distributing child sexual abuse material for profit over multiple years on platforms including Instagram and Telegram after less than two hours of deliberation.

The jury found Plunk guilty of the two counts on October 9th after a trial that lasted four days.

The evidence that was presented during the trial established that Plunk was part of a criminal conspiracy that operated online from at least 2021 to 2024 in which the conspirators recruited female minors, including ones as young as 10 years old, in the Western District of Pennsylvania and other places to make “packages” of 30 images and seven videos of child sexual exploitation material, and participate in live video calls with customers.

This conspiracy operated over messaging and social media platforms which included Instagram, Snapchat, and Telegram, with one female minor introduced to the conspiracy when she was on Roblox.

It used multiple payment methods, which included the payment services Cash App and Venmo as well as gift cards from Roblox and Walmart.

The evidence also established that Plunk was involved in the conspiracy in a lot of ways, which included receiving over $57,000 in proceeds from the conspiracy in the form of cash transfers and retail store gift cards.

Plunk had been convicted previously of enticement of a child for sexual purposes in 2016 in Mississippi.

Plunk’s sentencing is scheduled for January 26th, 2027 and he could face a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in jail, a fine of up to $250,000, or both on each count, provided by the law.

AHN Appoints Renowned Surgical Oncologist Nipun Merchant, MD, as Chair of the Department of Surgery and First Surgeon-in-Chief

(Credit for Photo: Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of Allegheny Health Network)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Allegheny Health Network (AHN) announced today that Nipun B. Merchant, MD, who is an internationally recognized healthcare executive, researcher, and surgical oncologist, has been appointed chair of the network’s Department of Surgery and its first surgeon-in-chief, effective February of 2027.

The newly created surgeon-in-chief role reflects the commitment that AHN has to creating a more integrated model of surgical care across its network that is growing.

Dr. Merchant’s appointment as chair represents an investment that is broader in elevating the Department of Surgery to national prominence in education, patient care, and research.

Dr. Merchant joins AHN from the University of Miami Health System and Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, which are where his leadership spanned clinical care, health system operations and scientific investigation.

He was the Alan S. Livingstone Professor of Surgery and served in senior leadership roles including Chief Surgical Officer, Executive Director of Perioperative Services and Chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology.

He was also Sylvester’s Associate Director of Translational Research and founding Director of the Sylvester Pancreatic Cancer Research Institute, which are roles that brought together cancer care, program development and translational science.

Dr. Merchant will serve as the senior physician executive for AHN’s surgical enterprise as surgeon-in-chief to provide strategic oversight for surgical services across the hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers of the network.

He will lead the Department of Surgery’s academic, clinical and strategic growth as chair of that department, with a focus on developing and recruiting outstanding faculty, expanding surgical programs that are advanced, building its research enterprise and strengthening education.

He will also help to drive improvements in patient experience, safety and quality by working closely with physicians, nurses and operational leaders.

Sewickley Woman Sentenced for Bank Fraud Involving Guardianship Agency Funds

(File Photo of a Gavel)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today that a resident of Sewickley has been sentenced in federal court to two months of imprisonment, to be followed by two years of supervised release, on her conviction of bank fraud.

The sentence was given to sixty-four-year-old Judith A. Hetzell yesterday, who was ordered to pay $80,966 in restitution to her former employer. 

According to information presented to the Court, between November of 2023 and February of 2025, Hetzell, who was the former business manager for a non-profit guardianship agency based in the Western District of Pennsylvania, fraudulently drafted checks against individuals’ bank accounts to which the agency had access as a provider of guardianship and other fiduciary services to the victims. 

These checks were drafted to cash and to Hetzell’s mother and were deposited into two personal bank  accounts that Hetzell controlled. 

Southbound Route 65 Utility Work Begins Thursday in Baden Borough

(File Photo of A Road Work Ahead Sign)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Baden, PA) PennDOT District 11 announced that utility work on Route 65 in Baden Borough will begin tomorrow, weather permitting.

From 9 A.M. to 3 P.M. each weekday, as needed, through late April of 2027, there will be a single lane restriction on southbound Route 65 between Tevebaugh Road and Logan Lane.

Sanitary sewer line cleaning and surveying work will be conducted by crews from Robinson Pipe Cleaning.