Author: Beaver County Radio

Sheila (Kolder) Smith (1971-2025)

Sheila (Kolder) Smith, 54, of Baden, passed away on November 19th, 2025. She was born on June 29th, 1971, a daughter of the late Rudolph and Constance Kolder. She is survived by her husband of 35 years, Raymond Smith, her children: Kaylee Smith, Zachary Smith, Chelsey Smith and Courtney Smith (fiancé, Nicholas Benton); as well as her sister, Darla (Bob) Bershok and her five beloved rescue cats.

Sheila was a graduate of Ambridge High School and was employed with UPS. She had a deep love for animals and cherished every moment spent with her husband and children.

Services are private and entrusted to Alvarez-Hahn Funeral Services and Cremation, LLC, 547 8th Street, Ambridge.

Ralph R. Dyson (1930-2025)

Ralph R. Dyson, 95, of Beaver Falls, a proud United States Air Force veteran, passed away on November 20th, 2025. He was born in New Brighton on July 24th, 1930, a son of the late Mildred (Sheets) and Ralph Dyson. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Ethel E. Dyson, his brothers, Jack and Rick Dyson and sister-in-law, Mary Dyson. He is survived by his son, Rick A. Dyson and his husband, Mark Hinzman of Beaver Falls, his brother, Bob Dyson of Chippewa Township, his sister-in-laws, Susan Dyson of Tuscan, Arizona and Karen Dyson of Sagle, Idaho and several nieces, nephews, and their families.

Ralph honorably served his country as a Staff Sergeant in the U.S Air Force and was a veteran of the Korean War. His pride in his service continued throughout his life as an active member of the American Legion Post #19. He also enjoyed being an organizer with the Golfing Gophers, where he built lasting friendships.

Throughout his working years, Ralph brought integrity and compassion to every role he held. He worked for Bell Telephone Company, Townsend Company and Washington National Insurance Company, before spending 20 years with the Department of Public Welfare as a case worker, retiring after a long and meaningful career helping others.

Above all, Ralph loved his family deeply. He cherished every moment spent with them and held a special, unwavering love for his late wife, who remained forever in his heart.

While no services are planned, Ralph will be laid to rest at the Beaver Falls Cemetery Mausoleum, 2045 Darlington Road, Beaver Falls. Arrangements have been entrusted to the J&J Spratt Funeral Home, 1612 Third Avenue, New Brighton.

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Ralph R. Dyson, please visit the flower store of the J&J Spratt Funeral Home by clicking here.

Yankee Trader 11-22-25

11-22-25 Listings

Theresa            West Mayfield         Land: 724-846-3375

Cell:   878-348-1219

Attention Wedding planners or other special occasions with a BLUE-colored theme accessories.  Used only once, stored in plastic totes.  Excellent condition-like new.

Assorted artificial flowers, champagne glasses, favors and much more.  Great prices.

//////////////////////////////////////

Shirley               Eastvale            724-513-7638

6 Animated, light-up Dolls.  Electric.

2 are Carolers: 1 ft high.

The others are Christmas themed, 2 ft. high purchased from Pool City for about $100 each.  They are beautiful, good condition and all work.

$25.00 each

//////////////////////////////////////

 

VAL       (Beaver)        PHONE:  724-513-9390

Many purses in a variety of styles and colors.  Some are hand-crafted.  Make an offer.

13” lighted blow-mold Santa for indoor use.  Best offer.

Incline Exercise Board (in 2 pieces).  Comfortable Padding and straps for holding feet.  Folds flat for storage.  Make an offer.

 

Over 1,000 Baseball and Football Trading Cards.  All kept in albums so they’re in terrific condition.  Purchase individually for $1 each or by the album.  Barry Bonds, Doug Drabek. You’ll find 2 AUTOGRAPHED John Burkett cards among them (ask about price ) He pitched from 1987 to 2003, with the San Francisco Giants, Florida Marlins, Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox.  Reasonable offers accepted.

Collections, Fleer, Sunoco, Holograms, even some unopened.

 

PIAA High School Football Playoff Scores, Friday 11/21/25

Friday, November 14 2025

Aliquippa

Oil City

 28

6

Final
Central Catholic

State College

 42

21

Final
Westinghouse

Bishop Guilfoyle

 6

7

Final
Sharon

Penn Cambria

 7

12

final
                                             
                                             

Beaver County Christmas Extravaganza ends after 35 years

(File Photo of a Lit Christmas Tree)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Beaver Falls, PA) A popular Beaver County Christmas event known as the Beaver County Christmas Extravaganza is ending permanently after 35 years. According to a statement posted recently on social media, Amy Wisbith Tyger, the daughter of the event’s late chairman Ronald Wisbith, said the festival committee has decided to end the annual event “with a heavy heart.” Tyger also noted that the death of her father on April 9th, 2025 as well as a lack of volunteers to help set up, tear down and work at the event were the main reasons for this decision. The Beaver County Christmas Extravaganza was a post-Thanksgiving event that was held at the Brady’s Run Lodge in Beaver Falls full of Christmas trees and other decorations to help begin the holiday season in Beaver County. It was originally founded back in 1989 as the Beaver County Festival of Trees and it had its final showing last year in 2024 from November 28th-December 1st and December 6th-8th with an award ceremony being held on December 12th.

Christmas tree lighting events around Beaver and Lawrence Counties

(File Photo of the Christmas Star)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Beaver County, PA) Christmas of 2025 is just over a month away, but you can celebrate early by going to a Christmas tree-lighting event to get into the holiday spirit in your community. There are some local get-togethers in both Beaver and Lawrence Counties to get the winter season in full swing. According to the Beaver County Times, here is a list of tree-lighting events that you can join through the first week of December:

November 19th-22nd, 2025

Shenango Township’s annual Christmas Tree Lighting Extravaganza takes place from 5:30-8 p.m. November 21st at the Shenango Township Community Park, 238 Kittery Drive. Live music, Christmas lights set to music, meet and greet with Santa, food trucks, holiday vendors, a “stuff the police car” holiday toy drive and fireworks are planned.

Hometown Holidays Christmas Parade in New Castle begins at 3 p.m. November 22nd in downtown New Castle with food trucks and music. A fireworks display starts at 5:30 p.m., followed by the city Christmas tree lighting at 5:45 p.m. and the Christmas parade at 6 p.m.

November 23rd-29th, 2025

Beaver Light Up Festival, November 28th from 5-9 p.m. along Third Street. Events include live music, a Christmas parade at 6 p.m., horse-drawn carriage rides and hayrides, hot chocolate and donuts, pictures with Santa from 6:30-8:30 p.m. and a fireworks display starting at 8:30 p.m.

Beaver Falls Christmas Parade and Winterfest is November 29th, along Seventh Avenue. This year’s theme is “Nutcracker Sweet.” The Christmas parade starts at 6 p.m. with floats, bands and the arrival of Santa Claus.

Light Up Enon Valley takes place from 6-9 p.m. at the community pavilion, 1084 Main Street in Enon Valley. Tree lighting, Christmas music, cookies, hot beverages and fun for the family.

November 30th-December 6th, 2025

Light Up the Town in Wampum is scheduled from 6-8 p.m. December 4th along Main Street. Activities include lighting of luminaries, free hot chocolate and fresh baked cookies, carriage rides and fireworks.

Ellwood City Let there Be Lights light up night starts at 6 p.m. December 5th along Lawrence Avenue. Live music and holiday performances, holiday shopping at vendors and stores, free face painting and visits with Santa, horse and carriage rides and trolley rides to Christmas in the Park. The tree lighting ceremony starts at 7:30 p.m. in the Community Plaza, followed by a fireworks display.

Sewickley Light Up Night is scheduled from 5-9 p.m. December 5th at Sewickley Village on Beaver Street. Activities include live performances on two stages, horse-drawn carriage rides, ice sculpting contest, visit with Santa, photo booth, food trucks, strolling characters, fireworks and more.

Santa, Trains and Candy Canes takes place from 4-7 p.m. December 6th at the Hopewell Township Community Park, 2500 Laird Drive. Enjoy a train ride around the lake, take a photo with Santa Claus, sample the hot chocolate and s’mores, shop among the holiday vendors and visit the train display in the Nature Center.

Monaca Borough Hometown Christmas Parade is from 5-7 p.m. December 6th at CJ Mangin, 998 Indiana Avenue. The Christmas parade starts at St. John’s Church on 15th Street and proceeds down Pennsylvania Avenue to George Washington Plaza. Other activities include the lighting of the borough’s Christmas tree, food trucks, kids’ activities, holiday vendors, raffles and pictures with Santa Claus.

Moon Lights Holiday Festival, 5-7:30 p.m. December 6th at Moon Park, 1350 Ewing Road in Moon Township. Live performances, food trucks, a holiday market, games and more. Santa and the Grinch will ride into Moon Park at 5:30 p.m. on a fire truck and light the Moon Park Christmas tree at the Rotary Pavilion. After the tree lighting, Santa will stick around for photos and visits with children and their families. Bring a letter to Santa to drop in his mailbox. A Toys for Tots collection is also planned.

New Brighton’s Christmas in the Park takes place from 5-7 p.m. December 6th at Townsend Park. The evening includes live entertainment, light refreshments and the lighting of decorations at 6 p.m. Santa Claus is to arrive and will greet guests after the lighting of the decorations. Wreaths decorated by New Brighton Elementary students will be on display and auctioned off later that evening.

Swedish company Tobii Dynavox opens new office space in Coraopolis

(File Photo: Caption for Photo: panoramic wide banner. coffee cafe shop text on vintage sign board hanging on glass door in cafe shop open after coronavirus quarantine in restaurant ready to service, small business owner concept)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Coraopolis, PA) The company Tobii Dynavox has recently opened a new office space in Pittsburgh International Business Park in Coraopolis. Tobii Dynavox is a Swedish company that produces technology that is assistive for individuals with disabilities that are speech-based. The company has roots in Pittsburgh because of an acquisition of the Pittsburgh-based company DynaVox by Tobii Technology, a Swedish-tech company.

Cranberry Township confirms Kenneth Ruckel will be their new chief of police

(File Photo of a Cranberry Township Police Car)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Cranberry Township, PA) Yesterday evening, the Cranberry Township Board of Supervisors officially ratified the selection of Kenneth Ruckel to serve as Cranberry Township’s new chief of police. Ruckel will start his new position on December 1st, 2025 and will replace the retiring Kevin Meyer, who had been the Cranberry Township chief of police since 2015. Ruckel has most recently served as a division commander at the Allegheny County Police Department headquarters. Ruckel started his career in law enforcement as a patrol officer in Hanover Township and then went on to serve with the Allegheny County Police Department. Ruckel also spent time as a detective in the general investigation and homicide units and then became a sergeant and took on roles as a shift and unit supervisor.

Samuel J. Lofaso, Sr. (1942-2025)

Samuel J. LoFaso, Sr., 83, of Economy Borough, passed away on November 20th, 2025, at UPMC Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh. He was born in New Brighton on September 30th, 1942, in New Brighton, the son of the late Samuel and Lina Bonanno LoFaso. In addition to his parents, she was preceded in death by one sister, Janet Primo. He is survived by his wife of forty-two years, Linda K. (Nicolo) LoFaso, as well as two daughters, Shelby L. Espenschied, of Kent, Ohio, and Kaylee L. LoFaso, of Baden, one son, Samuel J. Jr. and Joelle LoFaso, of Brunswick, Ohio, five grandchildren, Megan James and her husband Hunter, Samuel J. LoFaso III and his fiance, Audrey Guggenbiller, John J. LoFaso, Michael and Maci Espenschied, a great-grandson, Finley James, one brother and sister-in-law, Thomas and Anna LoFaso, of Monaca, three nieces, Natalie Anderson and her husband Kevin, Michelle Cronin and her husband Dan, and Angela Benson, two nephews, T.J. LoFaso and his wife, Carrie, Anthony Primo and his wife, Christine, several great-nieces and great-nephews. Samuel was a retired school teacher with the Wichita Kansas, Monaca, and Quaker Valley School Districts, where he taught Health and Physical Education, as well as coached football at all of these schools. He was the girls softball coach at OLSH and Chatham College. He was a 1960 graduate of Monaca highschool, where he was Class President and a 1964 graduate of Wichita State College, where he played quarterback on a full scholarship. He was also a member of the Divine Grace Parish and Holy Redeemer Roman Catholic Church in Ellwood City. He was also a charter member of the Quaker Valley Sports Hall of Fame, where he had been inducted. He was also inducted into the Beaver County Coaching Hall of Fame.  The family will receive friends on Tuesday, November 25th, from 3-7 p.m., at the William Murphy Funeral Home, Inc., 349 Adams Street, Rochester, who was in charge of his arrangements. Friends are requested to meet at St. James Roman Catholic Church, 200 Walnut Street, Sewickley, on Wednesday, November 26th for a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m. The celebrant of the Mass will be Father Rich Johns.