Author: Beaver County Radio

Shapiro administration against keeping two Pennsylvania ICE facilities from opening

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro speaks at the United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania Oppenheim Healthy Aging Campus in Scranton, Pa., on Thursday, May 25, 2023. After a top aide to Gov. Shapiro was accused of sexual harassment earlier this year, the governor’s office settled with the complainant for $295K last month, according to documents released by the administration Friday, Oct. 20, through an open records request. (Christopher Dolan/The Times-Tribune via AP, File)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro recently slammed the plans of the Department of Homeland Security to open two immigration detention facilities in the state, accusing the agency of disregarding how the centers would impact residents who live nearby. Shapiro claimed that plans to open centers in Berks and Schuylkill counties would threaten local infrastructure, threaten water and sewer functions in the surrounding areas, and “deprive local communities of critical tax revenue” in a letter sent to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem on February 12th, 2026. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement finalized the purchase of properties in Tremont and Upper Bern Township in the early part of February. 

Allegheny Health Network Unveils New Central Fill Pharmacy and Distribution Center in Zelienople

(Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of Allegheny Health Network)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Zelienople, PA) According to a release from Allegheny Health Network, Allegheny Health Network Pharmacy announced the opening of its new, state-of-the-art central fill and distribution center today. This 20,000 square-foot facility is situated in Jackson’s Pointe Commerce Park in Zelienople and it represents an investment of $10 million and will serve as the central hub for the comprehensive pharmacy operations of Allegheny Health Network. Pharmacy leaders and network officials will gather this afternoon at 1 p.m. for a ribbon cutting event to officially mark the opening of this first-of-its-kind facility for the region. The facility is equipped with the latest technologies for a more automated and streamlined prescription fulfillment across the footprint of Allegheny Health Network and it is staffed by approximately forty pharmacy professionals. The center is designed to significantly improve the efficiency, safety and timeliness of medication dispensing. 

Romanian court rejects Wiz Khalifa’s appeal against 9-month jail sentence for drug possession

(File Photo: Source for Photo: American rapper Wiz Khalifa poses for a photo at the “Spinning Gold” file premiere at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles, March 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — A Romanian court on Thursday rejected an appeal by American rapper Wiz Khalifa to annul his nine-month jail sentence handed down for drug possession in the Eastern European country.

The Constanta Court of Appeal’s decision came after Khalifa, whose real name is Cameron Jibril Thomaz, filed an appeal last month against the December conviction. The sentence came after Khalifa was stopped by Romanian police in July 2024 after allegedly smoking cannabis on stage at the Beach, Please! Festival in Constanta County.

Prosecutors said the rapper was found in possession of more than 18 grams of cannabis, and that he consumed some on stage.

The court convicted Khalifa of “possession of dangerous drugs, without right, for personal consumption.”

The appeals court on Thursday rejected as inadmissible Khalifa’s appeal to annul the sentence, and ruled as unfounded a request to suspend the sentence.

The Associated Press contacted Khalifa’s representatives via email to request a comment on the latest legal developments, but has not yet received a response.

That December conviction came after a lower court in April issued Khalifa a criminal fine of 3,600 lei ($830) for “illegal possession of dangerous drugs,” but prosecutors appealed that decision and sought a higher sentence.

Romania has some of the harsher drugs laws in Europe. Possession of cannabis for personal use is criminalized and can result in a prison sentence of between three months and two years, or a fine.

It isn’t clear whether Romanian authorities will seek to file an extradition request, since Khalifa is a U.S. citizen and doesn’t reside in Romania.

Pittsburgh Police looking for missing Haitian woman who does not speak English and has dementia

(Source for Headline Photo and Photo Below: Photo Courtesy of Pittsburgh Police, WPXI, WPXI)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Pittsburgh Police are looking for a missing woman who has dementia and does not speak English. Officers are considering sixty-seven-year-old Marie Alphonse of Haiti to be endangered. Investigators say that Alphonse will respond to her name even though she does not know English. According to police, she was last seen on Lawndale Street in the Homewood North neighborhood of Pittsburgh near the Penn Hills border. Alphonse was reported to be wearing a brown or tan Carhartt jacket, pants, sneakers and a large tan hat with a big brim at the time of her recent disappearance. She has grey hair, weighs around 90 pounds and is 5 feet, 5 inches tall. Anyone with information about her is asked to either call 911 or call 412-323-7141, which is the phone number for Pittsburgh Police SVE detectives. Her picture can be found below:

Northbound Route 837 Closure at the McKeesport-Duquesne Bridge Begins Next Week in Allegheny County

(File Photo of Road Work Ahead Sign)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) PennDOT District 11 announced that the closure of the northbound Route 837 ramp under the McKeesport-Duquesne Bridge in the City of Duquesne will begin on Monday, March 2nd, weather permitting. Northbound Route 837 will close to traffic at the McKeesport-Duquesne Bridge daily from 9 A.M. to 3 P.M. through Sunday, March 8th. All of the northbound Route 837 traffic will be detoured onto the McKeesport-Duquesne Bridge, and according to a release from PennDOT District 11, this is the posted detour for this work:

Posted Detour

·       From northbound Route 837 take the left-hand ramp onto the McKeesport-Duquesne Bridge toward McKeesport

·       Cross the McKeesport-Duquesne Bridge

·       Continue straight to North 148/30

·       Merge onto northbound Route 148 (Fifth Avenue)

·       Turn left onto US 30 (Greensburg Avenue)

·       Turn left onto Navy-Marine Corp Way

·       Turn right onto East Pittsburgh McKeesport Boulevard

·       Turn left on to Braddock Avenue

·       Braddock Avenue becomes Kenmawr Avenue

·       Turn right onto the ramp to the Rankin Bridge

·       Cross the Rankin Bridge to Route 837

·       Turn left onto Route 837 to return to the McKeesport-Duquesne Bridge

·       End detour

Crews from Duquesne Light Company will replace poles and connect a new temporary service as part of the McKeesport-Duquesne Bridge project.

Late goals by Clifton and Chinakhov push the Penguins past Jack Hughes and the Devils 4-1

 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Penguins’ Tommy Novak (18) celebrates his goal during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the New Jersey Devils in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Connor Clifton and Egor Chinakhov scored 50 seconds apart in the third period and the Pittsburgh Penguins surged past Jack Hughes and the reeling New Jersey Devils 4-1 on Thursday night.

Tommy Novak, serving as the first-line center while captain Sidney Crosby recovers from a lower-body injury sustained at the Milan Cortina Olympics, picked up his 12th goal of the season. Blake Lizotte added an empty-netter late for Pittsburgh, which has won eight of 10 to move into second place in the crowded Metropolitan Division.

Arturs Silovs stopped 28 shots to win for the fourth time in five starts.

Paul Cotter scored his sixth goal of the season for the Devils but couldn’t halt New Jersey’s slide. The Devils have dropped seven of eight to fall off the pace in the race for one of the Eastern Conference’s two wild-card spots.

Hughes, who carved out a piece of U.S. Olympic history when he scored the winning goal in the gold medal game against Canada, received an extended ovation on the road — replete with chants of “Huuuughes” and “USA! USA!” — during a brief pregame ceremony in which the Penguins acknowledged the gold-medal winning U.S. men’s and women’s teams, as well as members of Team Canada.

The Penguins have pledged to stay in the playoff mix without Crosby. They began a busy stretch without him by using solid goaltending from Silovs and timely playmaking to keep it going.

Clifton’s blast past Jacob Markstrom 6:30 into the third period gave Pittsburgh a 2-1 lead. Chinakhov doubled the Penguins’ advantage less than a minute later when he collected a stretch pass from Evgeni Malkin then slipped the puck between Markstrom’s legs for his ninth goal in 19 games since being acquired from Columbus in December.

Up next

Devils: At St. Louis on Saturday.

Penguins: At the New York Rangers on Saturday.

 

Vitalant holding several blood drives in Beaver County in March of 2026

(File Photo of the Vitalant Logo)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Beaver County, PA) The nonprofit Vitalant is holding several blood drives this March in Beaver County and anyone who donates has a chance to win $10,000. Every blood type and platelets are needed to help patients, which include cancer patients, that need them, but O blood is needed the most. You can make an appointment today by either going to vitalant.org by clicking here, downloading the Vitalant app, which you can find out more about by clicking here or by calling 877-25-VITAL (877-258-4825). According to a release from Vitalant, here are the dates, times and locations for their upcoming Beaver County blood drives this March:

Aliquippa

Tuesday, March 3

Raccoon Township Municipal Building – Meeting Room

1234 State Route 18

1 P.M. – 5 P.M.

Ambridge 

Thursday, March 19th

Ambridge Area High School

909 Duss Avenue

8 A.M. – 12:30 P.M.

Beaver Falls   

Thursday, March 5th

Concord United Methodist Church – Bethany Hall

285 Concord Church Road

2 PM – 6 PM

Monaca 

Friday, March 27th

Beaver Valley Mall – Unit 344

570 Beaver Valley Mall

12:30 P.M. – 5:30 P.M.

Delmont A. Goe (1935-2026)

Delmont A. Goe, 91, of East Palestine, Ohio, passed away on February 24th, 2026, at Christian House Assisted Living in East Palestine following an extended illness. He was born in Beaver Falls on January 18th, 1935, a son of the late J. Wilford and Minnie (Harper) Goe. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brothers: John, Wylie, James and Robert; as well as his infant sister, Janet and his brother-in-law, John Wise.

Delmont was a lifelong resident of the Beaver County area and was a 1952 graduate of the Beaver Falls High School. He was a 36-year employee of the Babcock & Wilcox Company and was a U.S. Army Veteran. He is survived by two sons, Mark and Anne of Oro Valley, Arizona, Rick and Tracy of Englewood, Florida, his daughter, Jeanna of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, three grandchildren, Zachary, Baxton and Morgan, one sister, Terrell Wise of North Sewickley, and one brother, Thomas and Karen of Salem, Ohio. In accordance with Delmont’s wishes, there will be no public viewing. However, there will be a graveside service with military honors on Monday, March 2nd at 11 a.m. at Grandview Cemetery, 139 Norwood Drive, Beaver Falls. Arrangements have been entrusted to Corless-Kunselman Funeral Services, LLC, 3801 4th Avenue, Beaver Falls.

Pittsburgh-based nonprofit seeking street performers for the 2026 NFL Draft which will be hosted in the Steel City

(File Photo: Credit for Photo: Courtesy of Visit Pittsburgh)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The Pittsburgh-based nonprofit Downtown Neighbors Alliance is looking for street-performers to perform at various locations throughout the city, including Acrisure Stadium and Point State Park, during the festivities of the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23rd-25th. Anyone who is interested needs to apply by tomorrow by clicking here. Performances would be between 10 a.m. and midnight each day and it must have content that is family-friendly. According to Downtown Neighbors Alliance, performers will receive $150 to $200 each for 90-minute shows. Submissions will be held onto for one year in consideration of future events in Pittsburgh. Those that are chosen for the performances during the 2026 NFL Draft will be notified by March 23rd, 2026.

Kennywood, Idlewild & SoakZone, and Sandcastle Water Park holding upcoming job fairs to hire their 2026 workforces

(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of WPXI/WPXI)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(West Mifflin, PA) Three amusement parks in the Pittsburgh area are holding upcoming job fairs to hire their 2026 workforces. Kennywood, Idlewild & SoakZone and Sandcastle Water Park are all looking to hire hundreds of people, and will begin to fill roles at job fairs. There are 2,500 roles to fill between the three properties. Idlewild & SoakZone’s job fair will be on Saturday, February 28th from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Ligonier Valley Library.  Kennywood and Sandcastle will hold a dual job fair on Saturday, March 7th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Kennywood in West Mifflin. Online applications are available at each park’s website, by clicking here for Kennywood, clicking here for Idlewild & SoakZone, and clicking here for Sandcastle Water Park.