(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Braxton Ashcraft throws during the third inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Saturday, July 4, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(Pittsburgh, PA) The MLB announced today that Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Braxton Ashcraft will replace fellow Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes in the 2026 MLB All-Star Game next Tuesday, July 14th in Philadelphia.
Skenes was the only Pirate player to make it to the National League’s team this year, but since he stated on Saturday that he is pitching tonight’s game against the Atlanta Braves and Sunday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park, he is ineligible to play in the 2026 edition of baseball’s all-star game.
Ashcraft’s 2026 statistics going into his next start against the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park on Friday include 122 strikeouts, an ERA of 3.24 and a 9-3 record.
Skenes also requested for Ashcraft to take his place, and this makes Ashcraft a first-time MLB All-Star.
(Credit for Photo: The Pirates’ Konnor Griffin runs the bases after hitting a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Reds, Friday, June 26, 2026, at PNC Park, in Pittsburgh. (Matt Freed/Post-Gazette))
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(Pittsburgh, PA) Pittsburgh Pirates senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said today that the team placed shortstop Konnor Griffin on the 10-day injured list with a torn sagittal band, which stabilizes the extensor tendon, in his left ring finger.
He will not be expected back for the Pirates until at least September and this injury occurred during the team’s game against the Washington Nationals in Washington, D.C. on Sunday when Griffin was making a diving catch.
His estimated timeline is eight to ten weeks and Tomczyk confirmed that his injury will be splinted for six weeks.
The twenty-year-old rookie already missed nearly a month for the Pirates this season because of a flexor strain in his right forearm and has played just eight games since returning from that first injury on June 26th.
(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of Beaver County Events on Facebook, Posted on Facebook on April 28th, 2026)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(Leetsdale, PA) The world’s largest operating steam locomotive dubbed the Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 is getting ready to visit Beaver County this Saturday, July 11th.
It is expected to arrive in the area of eastern Allegheny County sometime after 11:15 a.m. and eventually follow Route 65 through Sewickley, Avalon and Bellevue.
It will stop for thirty minutes for a public viewing in Leetsdale at 6:15 p.m. The train will then stop at the Conway Yard before departing on Sunday, July 12th at 9 a.m. to go to Ohio.
(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates shortshop Konnor Griffin, front, makes a diving catch on a popup hit by Washington Nationals’ Keibert Ruiz for an out during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, July 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(Pittsburgh, PA) According to ESPN Senior MLB Insider Jeff Passan, Pittsburgh Pirates rookie shortshop Konnor Griffin has been diagnosed with a torn tendon in his left ring finger and could be sidelined for at least a month.
Griffin’s status is day-to-day and he injured that finger while he was making a diving catch during the Pirates’ game against the Washington Nationals in Washington, D.C. on Sunday.
Griffin has already missed about a month for the Pirates this season with a right forearm strain.
He was put on the injured list for the forearm strain injury on May 31st and returned to play for the Pirates on June 26th.
(File Photo: Source for Photo: Tyler Robinson, accused in the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk, appears during a hearing in 4th District Court in Provo, Utah, on Friday, June 12, 2026. (Francisco Kjolseth/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP, Pool)
(PROVO, UTAH- AP) The weeklong preliminary hearing for the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk enters its second day on Tuesday. Prosecutors aim to show that they have enough evidence against Tyler Robinson to proceed to a trial. After the hearing concludes, state District Judge Tony Graf must determine if the case should proceed, which experts say is likely.
Prosecutors were expected to present a recorded statement from Robinson’s roommate and more videos from law enforcement on Tuesday.
Robinson, 23, is charged with aggravated murder in Kirk’s Sept. 10 assassination on the Utah Valley University campus, for which prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. Robinson’s attorneys have not commented on his guilt or innocence.
BEAVER — As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, a team of developers is using advanced technology to resurrect a vanished piece of America’s frontier history.
Immersive Beaver, a new volunteer-led initiative making interactive media for local museums, announced its partnership with the Beaver Area Heritage Museum to develop a historically informed digital twin of Fort McIntosh for use as an in-person exhibit.
Built in 1778 along the Ohio River in present-day Beaver, the fort was a consequential Revolutionary War outpost and the site of significant treaty negotiations. It is also recognized as the birthplace of the United States Army in peacetime. While the physical structure disappeared centuries ago, this new reconstruction will allow the public to explore the fort as it may have stood all those years ago.
The upcoming digital exhibit was introduced at the museum July 4 as the nation commemorated the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Visitors received a preview of the work-in-progress experience, which is planned to become a permanent museum installation in 2028, marking
the 250th anniversary of Fort McIntosh. While the project has reached an important milestone, significant historical research, 3D modeling, programming, and exhibit development remain.
Immersive Beaver is actively seeking volunteer historians, artists and engineers, as well as financial supporters to help enhance the experience and ensure it remains freely accessible to the public through the Beaver Area Heritage Museum.
“Our team is excited to unveil our work to bring Fort McIntosh back to life, built by hand on an accurate digital landscape of Beaver,” said Robert Belle-Isle of Immersive Beaver. “We are using revolutionary approaches to give people the chance to see something that has not been seen in centuries.”
The reconstruction is a serious historical and educational undertaking. The Immersive Beaver team will use archival evidence, historical maps and archaeological data to build the environment. Given the ambiguity of historical data from the time, a complete interpretation is not possible. However, the digital space helps the team test competing historical interpretations.
“I have always been drawn to the idea that new technology can help us reach backward, not just forward. We usually talk about innovation in terms of creating the future, but it can also give us extraordinary new ways to recover, preserve and understand the past,” said Ryan O’Shea of Immersive Beaver.
“We are in the business of making history accessible to everyone from children to adults,” said Mark Miner, chairman of the Beaver Area Heritage Museum. “This digital reconstruction allows us to pull the fragments of a rather scattered history together in a truly immersive way so that you can really visualize in an all new format what it felt like to be at the fort. And by doing this, we are going to make history as accessible as possible, not only for today but for future generations.”
Immersive Beaver volunteers Ryan O’Shea, Davey Wagner and Robert Belle-Isle, (left to right) stand before a screen displaying the team’s digital reconstruction of Fort McIntosh during the project’s public unveiling at the Beaver Area Heritage Museum in Beaver, on July 4, 2026. The historically informed 3D environment is being developed for a planned permanent museum installation in 2028, the 250th anniversary of the fort’s construction.
About Immersive Beaver
Immersive Beaver is an ambitious volunteer-led organization that partners with small local museums to develop state-of-the-art exhibits and immersive experiences. By bringing together engineers, artists, historians and educators, the organization creates opportunities for volunteers to apply their professional skills in service of their communities.
Immersive Beaver is actively accepting volunteers to help develop the Fort McIntosh digital reconstruction and future museum projects. The organization welcomes software developers, digital artists, grant writers, researchers and anyone interested in applying their skills to create innovative museum experiences for their local communities.
Support the Fort McIntosh Project
The Fort McIntosh reconstruction is made possible through community support. Donations directly fund historical research, software and equipment costs, exhibit development and the permanent installation at the Beaver Area Heritage Museum. Additional funding will directly expand the scope and depth of the experience, enabling more detailed environments, enhanced interactive features, and a richer, more engaging visitor experience.
As a one-time recognition, supporters who contribute during the project’s early development will have their names permanently displayed on an Early Supporters Monument within the digital exhibit.
To support the project, visit: beaverheritage.org/digital-fort-mac-donation/
Kelli R. Bosworth, 58, of South Beaver Township, passed away on July 5th, 2026 in her home. She was born on May 7th, 1968.
Friends will be received on Wednesday, July 8th from 1-3 P.M. and 5 P.M. until the time of services at 7 P.M. in the GABAUER-LUTTON FUNERAL HOME & CREMATION SERVICES, INC., 117 Blackhawk Road, Beaver Falls, who was in charge of her arrangements.
Interment will be private in Beaver Falls Cemetery, 2045 Darlington Road.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Kelli’s name may be directed to the Beaver County Humane Society, 3394 Brodhead Road, Aliquippa, PA 15001 or the Brady’s Run Veterinarian Hospital, 443 Constitution Boulevard, New Brighton, PA 15066.
Tiayona Renee Harmon, 41, of Aliquippa, the beloved daughter of Jacqueline C. Harmon and the late Robert L. Gill Sr., passed away on June 23rd, 2026, at the home of her daughter. She was born on September 5th, 1983.
Tiayona was affectionately known as “Tee Tee,” “Tee,” and “Shorty.” She was loved by so many and touched countless lives with her presence. She will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her. Though she is no longer with us, her memory will live on forever in the hearts of those she leaves behind.
Family and friends are invited to a viewing and funeral service from 10 A.M. until the time of service at 12 noon on Sunday, July 12th, at Lord of the Harvest Cathedral, 409 11th Street, Beaver Falls. Pastor Gayle J. Barnard-Cobb will officiate.
The family sincerely thanks everyone who has extended their condolences, prayers, kind expressions of sympathy, and acts of love during this difficult time. They also offer prayers for peace, love, and comfort to all families who have experienced the loss of a loved one.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Alvarez-Hahn Funeral Services and Cremation, LLC, 547 8th Street, Ambridge.
(Credit for Photo: Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of Governor Josh Shapiro’s Office)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(Harrisburg, PA) Governor Josh Shapiro announced yesterday in Harrisburg that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has secured an $80 million, multi-yearinvestment fromCurtiss-Wright to expand its operations in Allegheny County. The Commonwealth is investing more than $1.2 million in the project, which will create 150 new jobs over the next three years while retaining over 860 existing positions.
Curtiss-Wright’s Cheswick campus spans 118 acres and designs, manufactures, and tests advanced solutions for critical naval defense and commercial nuclear markets.
The company will construct two new buildings to expand manufacturing and testing capacity, improve operational efficiency, reduce lead times, and support future growth as part of these investments.
