HARRISBURG, PA (April 9, 2026) – On May 5, 2026, hundreds of youth and adult lung health advocates from across Pennsylvania will travel to the Capitol for the 21^st annual Day at the Capitol, hosted by the American Lung Association in Pennsylvania and and PACT (Pennsylvania Alliance to Tobacco Control).

 

Youth and adult advocates from across the Commonwealth will gather at the Capitol to meet with lawmakers and call for stronger tobacco control policies, including closing loopholes in Pennsylvania’s Clean Indoor Air Act and increasing revenue from tobacco sales to support tobacco prevention and cessation efforts.

 

Nearly 500 advocates, including 300+ youth from Tobacco Resistance Unit (TRU) groups statewide and 131 adult advocates, will meet with lawmakers and participating in an outdoor rally on Soldier’s Lawn to elevate the voices of youth and communities impacted by tobacco and nicotine addiction. The call to action is for stronger tobacco control policies that protect youth, safeguard workers and reduce tobacco related disease.

 

“Pennsylvania’s tobacco control laws are not aligned with what we know works to protect public health,” said Elizabeth Hensil, Advocacy Director for the American Lung Association in Pennsylvania. “Too many people are still exposed to secondhand smoke, and too many young people continue to be targeted by the tobacco industry. We are calling on lawmakers to close gaps in clean indoor air protections and invest in prevention efforts and policies that save lives.

 

Despite decades of evidence showing what works to reduce tobacco use, Pennsylvania continues to lag behind in adopting comprehensive tobacco control policies. According to the American Lung Association’s 2026 State of Tobacco Control report, the state received grades of F for funding tobacco prevention programs, D for smokefree workplace laws, and F for tobacco tax levels. These shortcomings have real consequences: tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable death in Pennsylvania, killing more than 22,010 residents each year.

 

A key focus of the 2026 Day at the Capitol will be the need to strengthen Pennsylvania’s Clean Indoor Air Act, which currently includes exemptions that leave workers and patrons in more than 1,300 establishments across the state unprotected from secondhand smoke. Advocates argue that these loopholes undermine public health and disproportionately impact workers in service and hospitality settings.

 

Advocates will also urge lawmakers to increase revenue from tobacco sales to support evidence-based tobacco prevention and control programs. These programs have been shown to reduce tobacco use, prevent youth addiction and lower health care costs across the state.

 

“It is important to use your voice to advocate for others’ health even when the audience isn’t open minded,” said Sanai Lester, 12^th grade, Capital Area School for the Arts and TRU one-year participant.

 

Now in its 21st year, Day at the Capitol brings together youth leaders and lung health advocates to highlight the importance of strong tobacco control policies and to encourage lawmakers to take action to protect all Pennsylvanians. Additional details, including a media advisory and event schedule, will be shared closer to the event.

Pittsburgh, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is announcing a lane shift at the I-376 (Parkway West)/I-79 interchange in Collier and Robinson townships, Allegheny County, will occur Monday through Friday nights, April 13-17 weather permitting.

A lane shift will occur on the ramp from westbound I-376 to northbound I-79 (Exit 64A) exit, just after the split toward Erie each night from 6:00 PM until 5:00 AM as crews conduct repair work on the anti-icing system.

This work is part of the $12.6 million project on the Parkway West located between the Ridge Road (Exit 61) and I-79 (Exit 64A) interchanges in Robinson and Collier townships. Additionally, milling and paving on I-376, ramp preservation work, overhead sign structure repairs, drainage improvements, guide rail updates, and sign and pavement marking installation work are included in the project. The majority of the project was completed in late 2025, however, punch list work is expected to continue through summer of 2026.

To help keep motorists informed as work progresses, PennDOT has created an email distribution list for Parkway West traffic advisories and construction updates. Enroll by sending email addresses to ymanyisha@pa.gov. Please write “Subscribe – Parkway West” in the subject line.

(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of Mengshin Lin / Associated Press)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Honolulu, HI) A doctor who was previously an anesthesiologist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center that was accused of trying to kill his wife during a cliffside hike last year in Hawaii was found guilty of the lesser charge of attempted manslaughter based on extreme mental or emotional disturbance by a jury in Honolulu yesterday. Forty-seven-year-old Gerhardt Konig was convicted after a trial that lasted three weeks in which both he and his wife testified. The Maui-based doctor had pleaded not guilty to second-degree attempted murder following his arrest and indictment last year on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. His charge stemmed from an incident that occurred on March 24th, 2025 in which prosecutors confirmed that Konig assaulted his wife, Arielle Konig, as they walked along the Pali Puka trail, which is a scenic hiking trail in Honolulu. His conviction yesterday was on a lesser charge, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years. The Pali Puka trail wraps around the edge of a cliff and also includes a popular but remote lookout spot, where Arielle Konig alleged that her husband attacked her by trying to stab her with a syringe first and then by hitting her over the head with a rock. She said in her testimony at his trial that she believed her husband wanted to render her unconscious before pushing her off the cliff. Arielle Konig said she suffered critical injuries in the attack and has since filed for divorce from her husband. Prosecutors stated at the trial that she survived because a pair of hikers saw the assault happening on the trail, which prompted Gerhardt Konig to stop. According to a report from CBS affiliate KGMB-TV, he escaped the scene and was eventually arrested after a manhunt that lasted more than six hours. Arielle Konig testified that her husband was angry with her for having an affair, and that motivated the attack. Gerhardt Konig’s nineteen-year-old son, Emile Konig, said during his own testimony that his father told him as much during a FaceTime call after it happened. Emile Konig also referred to Gerhardt Konig as “the defendant” when he spoke to jurors from the stand. Gerhardt Konig claimed self-defense when he took the stand last week, testifying that Arielle Konig grabbed his wrists, threw herself to the ground and hit him on the side of his face with a rock. Gerhardt Konig worked as a doctor at Anesthesia Medical Group in Hawaii and earlier as an anesthesiologist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center before his arrest. He was also an assistant professor of anesthesiology and bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh.

(Credit for Photo:  (PRNewsFoto/SHEETZ, INC.) Caption for Photo: Sheetz logo.

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Altoona, PA) Sheetz now has plans to open 100 stores in Indiana over the next ten years. The Altoona-based gas station and convenience store chain announced the expansion yesterday. According to Sheetz, it plans to open its first stores in the greater Indianapolis area next year. The company plans to invest nearly $1 billion in the state of Indiana, creating over 3,000 long-term jobs.

Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio. Published April 9, 2026 6:55 A.M.

(Rochester, Pa) Ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, the Beaver County Transit Authority has announced plans for travel during the busy event.

Direct travel will be available from BCTA at the Expressway Travel Center on Pleasant Drive in Aliquippa to downtown Pittsburgh.

The cost is $5 per person each way and $10 unlimited day passes are available as well.

You can learn more about all options by contacting BCTA, visiting their website, or downloading their app.

Harrisburg, PA – As part of the Shapiro Administration’s ongoing effort to protect travelers and keep Pennsylvania roadways safe, the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) today released traffic enforcement and crash statistics for the Easter holiday weekend.

From Friday, April 3, to Sunday, April 5, the PSP investigated 532 vehicle crashes, six of which resulted in fatalities. Impaired driving was identified as a factor in 42 crashes.

During the three-day holiday period, troopers arrested 286 individuals for driving under the influence and issued the following citations:

• 3,230 for speeding.
• 335 for failing to wear a seat belt.
• 40 for not securing children in safety seats.

Table 1: Easter 2026 Weekend Crash Data

Year	Total Crashes	Fatal Crashes	People Killed	Injury-Related Crashes	DUI-Related Crashes	DUI-Related Fatal Crashes
2026 (3 days)	532	6	6	91	42	2
2025 (3 days)	527	4	6	95	42	0

 

Table 2: Easter 2026 Weekend Enforcement Data

Year	DUI Arrests	Speeding Citations	Child Seat Citations	Seat Belt Citations	Other Citations
2026 (3 days)	286	3,230	40	335	8,385
2025 (3 days)	282	3,055	55	350	8,519

 

These statistics cover only those incidents investigated by the PSP and do not include incidents to which other law enforcement agencies responded.

Governor Shapiro’s 2026-27 budget proposal continues to aid in PSP’s mission to help prevent crashes and save lives by calling for a $16.2 million investment to support four additional cadet classes, approximately 380 troopers. The governor’s 2025-26 state budget included funding for four additional PSP cadet classes.

 

The governor announced the elimination of college credit requirements for state troopers in 2023. Since then, PSP has seen a nearly 60% increase in the number of cadet applicants. In fact, approximately 50% of the state troopers who were accepted into and graduated from the PSP Academy after the change took effect would not have been eligible to apply if the requirement had not been eliminated.

 

Since taking office, Governor Shapiro has secured funding for twelve cadet classes to train over 1,000 new Pennsylvania State Troopers and obtained funding through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) to help municipal police departments recruit and retain nearly 700 municipal police officers across the Commonwealth. To date, approximately 557 cadets have graduated and joined the ranks of PSP under Governor Shapiro’s leadership.

 

PSP’s latest hiring cycle is open until May 29, 2026. After five years of service, troopers can earn approximately $96,225. Those interested in becoming a state trooper can find application requirements, job benefits, and other details at PATrooper.com.

For more information about the Pennsylvania State Police, visit the PSP website.

Beaver County Radio News Staff. Published April 9, 2026 6:48 A.M.

(Bell Acres, Pa) Bell Acres Police are trying to find information regarding a hit and run. The crash occurred on April 4, 2026 around 8:55 p.m. in the 1300 block of Big Sewickley Creek Road.

The suspect vehicle is described as a large white truck or SUV.

They say the vehicle traveled eastbound toward Economy and may have damage to the driver’s side mirror.

Anyone with information on the vehicle or about the incident is asked to contact the Bell Acres Police Department.

 (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)

HARRISBURG — Attorney General Dave Sunday announced that a pair of western Pennsylvania-based amusement companies pleaded guilty to felony corrupt organizations regarding the widespread distribution of hundreds of illegal video gaming devices.

 

The companies — Buffalo Skills Games, Inc. and J.J. Amusement, Inc. — agreed to dissolution and the forfeiture of $5 million in assets, as part of the plea resolution.

 

Investigators seized nearly 400 illegal gambling devices from more than 60 locations in several western Pennsylvania counties.

 

”This resolution secures a multimillion-dollar forfeiture for the Commonwealth, while assuring the companies will cease to exist,” Attorney General Sunday said. “I commend our partners at the Pennsylvania State Police for helping disband a large-scale operation that involved slot machines essentially dressed up as skill games.”

 

The Pennsylvania State Police assisted the Office of Attorney General’s Gaming Enforcement and Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Sections in a series of 2024 seizures at bars, gas stations, and convenience stores in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Cambria, Crawford, Indiana, Somerset, Venango, Erie, Washington, Armstrong, and Westmoreland counties.

 

“Illegal gambling operations are not victimless crimes,” Attorney General Sunday added. “They can fuel criminal enterprises, exploit individuals addicted to gambling, and rip off consumers with games that are not regulated, provide little or no chance of winning, and do not comply with gambling self-exclusion lists intended to protect those struggling with addiction.” 

 

This case was prosecuted by the Office of Attorney General’s Gaming Enforcement Section.