Author: Beaver County Radio

James R. Pasarilla (1945-2025)

James R. Pasarilla, 79, formerly of Darlington, passed away on October 8th, 2025, while residing at Christian House Assisted Living in East Palestine, Ohio. He was born in Beaver Falls on December 9th, 1945, the son of the late James and Edna Schultz Pasarilla. He is survived by his children, James “Robbie” Pasarilla, Patricia Passehl and Stacey Anderson, his grandchildren, Cody and Lucas Passehl, Daniel and Thomas Anderson and his dear friends, Lorraine Fanze and Cindy Hupp.

James spent many years working as a custodian for the Blackhawk School District up until his retirement and was a member of the First Baptist Church of Beaver Falls.  There will be a visitation on Friday, October 17th from 10am-12 noon at Corless-Kunselman Funeral Services, 3801 4th Ave, Beaver Falls, who was in charge of his arrangements. A graveside service will also occur at 1 p.m. at the Little Beaver Cemetery, 1471 PA-351, Enon Valley. A procession to the Little Beaver Cemetery will also happen before the graveside service starts.

Ruth Elaine Greene Mills (1950-2025)

Ruth Elaine Greene Mills, 75, of Hopewell Township, passed away peacefully on October 7th, 2025, after a courageous battle with cancer. She was born in Indiana, Pennsylvania on March 25th, 1950, a daughter of the late Olive Hess Greene and Russell Greene. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her sisters, Vivian Nestic and Gertrude Fike, her children’s father, Charles Mills and several nieces and nephews. She is survived by her loving daughters, Lori Mills and Brenda Baldwin (Brandon), her cherished grandchildren: Jordan Little, Kiley Baldwin, Aiden Baldwin, and Hunter Baldwin; as well as her nephews she helped to raise, Bob Worden and Tim Worden (Melissa), her two sisters, Marion (Mike) Shotter and Ethel (Rich) Babinec, three brothers, Robert Greene, John (Michelle) Greene and James Greene and her long time friend, Rich Mitro.

Ruth’s legacy lives on in their lives, in her art, and in the countless hearts she touched. Ruth spent her life grounded in faith, family, and creativity. She was a gifted artist who expressed her talent across a variety of mediums, pouring beauty and meaning into every piece she created. Whether through brushstroke, sewing, or craft, her art reflected not only her immense skill but also her deep faith and desire to uplift others. She excelled in other career paths as well, advancing to managerial positions as a certified diamontologist and in retail stores.

Ruth loved Jesus and Mary with all her heart and lived her life as a witness to God’s grace and love. Her greatest wish was to lead others closer to God, and she did so not only through words, but through the way she lived: full of generosity, compassion, and strength. She dedicated much of her time to charity work as a member of the Ladies of Charity and the Daughters of Jerusalem, and as an Associate of Divine Providence. Even in illness, she fought hard to live, inspiring all who knew her with her bravery, determination, and unwavering faith. She passed from this life surrounded by the love of her devoted family.

Friends will be received on Sunday, October 12th, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. at SIMPSON FUNERAL & CREMATION SERVICES, 1119 Washington Avenue, Monaca, who was in charge of her arrangements, and where prayers will be offered on Monday, October at 9:30 a.m. followed by a  Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. at St. John the Baptist Church, 1409 Pennsylvania Avenue, Monaca. Father Celestine Xu will be the celebrant. Interment will follow in Sewickley Cemetery, 501 Hopkins Street, Sewickley.

To  leave an online condolence, view her video tribute, add photos or get directions, please visit www.simpsonfuneralhome.com.

Winona Jean Bills (1935-2025)

Winona Jean Bills, 89, of New Sewickley Township, passed away at her home on October 7th, 2025. She was born in New Galilee, Pennsylvania on November 3rd, 1935, the daughter of the late Carl and Viola Myers McCoy. She was preceded in death by her husband, Oliver E. Bills Sr., (1989), as well as one daughter and son-in-law, Michelle E. and Robert Sutter, and one son, Carl A. “Andy” Bills. She is survived by one son, Oliver E. “Pete” Bills, Jr., of New Sewickley Township, with whom she lived, four grandchildren: Andy R. and his wife, Nicole Bills of Rochester, Kayla Marie Bills and her companion, Shawn, of New Brighton, Josha J. and his wife, Ashley Inman of Patterson Township, and Hunter Shayne of New Brighton; as well as five great-grandchildren: Laura, Nathan, Jayda, Malea, and Jensen; along with one great-great-grandson, Onyx, one sister and brother-in-law, Stacy L. and Mike Hinzman of Brighton Township, a special niece and nephew, Jacob C. Poling of Ambridge and Misti Amber Pumphrey, of Beaver Falls, as well as several other nieces and nephews.

Winona was Methodist by faith. She was also a retired former employee with Big Lots of East Rochester and was a former member of the F.O.E. Club of Freedom.

The family will receive friends on Monday, October 13th, from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. at the William Murphy Funeral Home, Inc., 349 Adams Street, Rochester, who was in charge of her arrangements and where a service will follow, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Pastor Jason Gabauer will officiate the service. A private interment will take place at Sylvania Hills Memorial Park, 273 PA-68, Rochester.

Family wishes memorial contributions be made to St. Jude Children Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, Tennessee 38105.

Samuel H. “Sam” Sozio (1941-2025)

Samuel H. “Sam” Sozio, 84, of Ohioville, passed away on October 8th, 2025, with his family at his side.

He was born on September 18th, 1941, a son of the late Adam and Dorothy Sozio. He is survived by his wife of 57-years, Betty Matthews Sozio, his son, Samuel J. Sozio, his daughter, Elissa (James) Tanner, his grandsons, Jonah (Nikita Langnecker) Tanner and Jacob Tanner, his granddaughters, Jaime and Sarah Tanner and great-grandchildren, Maria, Atticus and Theo.

Samuel graduated from the former Lincoln High School in Midland and Geneva College in Beaver Falls. He was a proud veteran of the U. S. Army, going on to work as an accountant for Crucible Steel of Midland. He later worked for the Pennsylvania State Departments of Welfare and Insurance as a financial examiner and auditor. He was a member of St. Augustine Parish, St. Blaise Catholic Church of Midland and the Knights of Columbus Council of Midland. He was an outgoing person who enjoyed helping with various church activities, attending Steeler games, and bowling with his friends. He especially loved being with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Sam will be very much missed by his family.

Friends will be received on Sunday, October 12th, from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. in the Schwerha-Noll Funeral Home, 629 Midland Avenue, Midland, who was in charge of his arrangements. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Monday, October 13th, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Blaise Church, 772 Ohio Avenue, Midland. Interment will take place at Beaver Cemetery, Buffalo Street, Beaver. Online condolences may be shared at nollfuneral.com.

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Samuel H. “Sam” Sozio, please visit the flower store of the Noll Funeral Home, Inc by clicking here.

Two lawsuits filed against Ambridge police claiming they violated rights of two people who were arrested at their police department

(File Photo of an Ambridge Police Badge)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Ambridge, PA) Two lawsuits were recently filed in federal court that claimed that Ambridge police violated the rights of two people who were observing and protesting arrests outside the police department, believing the arrests involved ICE, before they were arrested themselves. This incident occurred on July 31st, 2025 in Ambridge and a video, provided by the attorney of the plaintiffs, shows a large presence of police before you hear a voice, which an attorney, Christine Elzer, stated is from her client, Isaac Elias, who was arrested for carrying a sign and causing a disturbance by screaming. Elzer, who also represents plaintiff Katherine “Katie” Melson, confirmed Melson can be seen in the video questioning the actions of the officers before she was arrested. The lawsuits name Beaver County, Ambridge Borough, and two Ambridge Borough police officers. The lawsuit also states that representation was denied for both Elias and Melson, who spent the night they were arrested in prison. According to Beaver County Assessment Solicitor Joe Ascar, while the case is now in the hands of the insurance company, he will be discussing it with the council next week.

Acrisure Stadium will undergo $6.1 million renovation project

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – People stand on the field in Acrisure Stadium before an NFL football game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks in Pittsburgh, Sept. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) An approval was made by the Pittsburgh-Allegheny County Sports & Exhibition Authority yesterday to replace 22,236 seats at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh and to conduct associated concrete and sealant work there as part of a $6.1 million renovation project. According to Triblive, plans are afoot to replace a total of 58,000 seats at Acrisure Stadium over the next four years at a total cost of $17 million. The current seats at that stadium are the original ones, which were there when Acrisure Stadium opened as Heinz Field in 2001. 

GoFundMe launched for family affected by a recent Chippewa Township house fire

(File Photo of the GoFundMe logo, Caption for Photo: More Than 500K People Helped GoFundMe Set Single-Day Giving Record After George Floyd’s Death, Credit for Photo: Courtesy of GoFundMe)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Chippewa Township, PA) A GoFundMe page was recently launched to support the family that was affected by a fire in their house in Chippewa Township. Multiple fire units responded to this fire at a house on the 3700 block of 37th Street Extension, which took place at 8:40 p.m. on Wednesday. The side and the roof near the front door of this house that caught fire were damaged and Beaver County dispatchers told WTAE that one dog was rescued from inside. There were no reported injuries, and the cause of the fire is unknown at this time. The link to donate to help the family affected by this incident can be found below:

Click here to donate: Fundraiser by Shelly Mann : Support Shelly’s Friends After Devastating Fire

Joseph Alexander Catalano, Jr. (1929-2025)

Joseph Alexander Catalano Jr., 96, of Rochester Township, passed away on October 7th, 2025 in his home. He was born in Rochester on April 3rd, 1929, a son of the late Joseph A. and Rose Catalano Sr. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Ruth O. Catalano and his sister, Angela Marie (Owen) Whipple. He is survived by his four children: Michael J. & Deborah Catalano of New Sewickley Township, John D. & Bronwyn Catalano of Ambridge and Jodi A. & Bobby Moxley of Beaver and Joseph A. Catalano & Regina Hunter; as well as his grandchildren: Dawn Lamenza, Dana Ratliff, Beth Peterson, Candace A. Glass, Chad Catalano, Brittany Hunter, David Hunter, Jeffrey Sypolt; along with his great grandchildren: Andrew, Alyssa, Kyleigh, Kelly, Ambrose, Leah, Ava, Emma, Ruth, Tyler, Benjamin, Lillian, Joseph, Lincoln, Lennon, Veronica, and Sawyer.

Joseph was a retired supervisor for Bell Telephone and a U.S. Army Veteran. He was also a member of both Our Lady of the Valley Parish and St. Cecelia Church of Rochester.

Friends will be received on Friday, October 10th from 2-4 P.M. & 6 P.M. until the time of a Blessing Service at 7:30 p.m. in the Huntsman Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Rochester, 502 Adams Street, Rochester, who was in charge of his arrangements.

Private interment will take place in Calvary Cemetery of Freedom.

Justin Brazeau’s late goal propels Penguins to 4-3 win over Islanders

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby (87) celebrates after his goal with Evgeni Malkin (71) and Rickard Rakell (67) during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Islanders in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Justin Brazeau beat Ilya Sorokin on a breakaway with 5:39 left to lift the Pittsburgh Penguins past the New York Islanders 4-3 on Thursday night.

Brazeau collected a lead pass from Evgeni Malkin, then deked his way by a sprawled Sorokin as the Penguins won for the second time in as many games under first-year coach Dan Muse.

Malkin finished with a goal and two assists while Sidney Crosby added a goal and an assist.

Crosby’s second-period tally from one knee at the top of the crease gave him 626 goals in his career, broke a tie with Hall of Famers Jarome Iginla and Joe Sakic, and moved Crosby into 16th-place by himself on the NHL’s career list.

Pittsburgh rookie Harrison Brunicke became the first South African to score in the NHL when he beat Sorokin between the legs in the second period. Tristan Jarry finished with 34 saves, including a couple of key stops in the frantic final seconds.

Jonathan Drouin, Kyle Palmieri, and rookie Max Shabanov scored for the Islanders. Sorokin stopped 24 shots.

Islanders rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer, the top overall pick in this year’s draft, picked up the first point of his career when the 18-year-old set up a knuckler from the slot by Drouin just past the midway point of the opening period.

Schaefer, who had around 30 friends and family in the stands, played 17:15 while becoming the second youngest defenseman to make his NHL debut in the last 70 years. Schaefer hardly looked out of place and showcased his dazzling speed on a handful of occasions while racing through the neutral zone to jump into the play.

Up next

Islanders: Host Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals in their home opener on Saturday.

Penguins: Welcome former coach Mike Sullivan and the New York Rangers on Saturday.

Ship parade kicks off events celebrating 250 years of the US Navy and Marine Corps

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Spectators look on as U.S. Navy ships pass the viewing stand during the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, along the Delaware River, Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A ship parade streamed up and down the Delaware River beside Philadelphia on Thursday to kick off a celebration of the 250th birthdays of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.

Among the ships that took part were the USS Lassen, the USS Billings and the USS Cooperstown. A military flyover accompanied the flotilla.

Thousands of people were expected to attend the boat parade and other anniversary-linked events over the next few days, including a reunion of veterans, a downtown street parade and a concert featuring singer Patti LaBelle, the Navy band and the Marine Corps Drum and Bugle Corps.

Other celebrations were expected to take place on military bases around the world, organizers said.

The events marking the 1775 creation of the Navy and Marine Corps proceeded despite the government shutdown that has closed many federal agencies and offices. The Navy press office did not immediately respond to a Thursday email asking if any festivities had been curtailed because of the shutdown.

Vice Admiral John Gumbleton, speaking at the Delaware River waterfront along with Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, the governors of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and others, said the celebration also marks the start of the nation’s semiquincentennial next year.

He encouraged civilians to engage with active and retired military personnel visiting Philadelphia and to ask them about their service.

“For every missile that destroys a threat, for every jet aircraft launched, for every engine that steams, none of this happens without a sailor behind it,” Gumbleton said.

“The ships are cool, the jets are cool, everything looks cool, but it’s the people — it’s those sailors, it’s those Marines, that get it done,” he said.