(File Photo of the Beaver County Humane Society)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Aliquippa, PA) The Beaver County Humane Society is asking for the public’s help as authorities continue investigating a suspected illegal dog-fighting operation.

Officials said 23 dogs were found tied outside in Aliquippa during a winter storm and were taken to the shelter on January 25th.

According to the shelter, the dogs have now been in its care for more than 100 days — more than twice the typical maximum length of stay for dogs in that environment.

Shelter officials said they are concerned the animals are showing signs of deterioration caused by kennel stress.

Humane Society Police Officer Wendi Stafford said authorities are still trying to locate Ronald Dean Kidder, 48, and Terry Rahman Decarlos, 48, who face charges connected to the investigation.

Because the men live outside Beaver County, Stafford said investigators are relying on assistance from other law enforcement agencies.

The shelter said authorities have repeatedly attempted to serve warrants and arrest the suspects but have not yet been successful.

Anyone with information about the men’s whereabouts is asked to call 911.

(File Photo of Handcuffs)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Lehigh County, PA) Ten people are facing charges following the takedown of what authorities described as a major Pennsylvania-based drug trafficking organization.

According to a news release from the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, the group operated out of Lehigh County and used suppliers in Mexico to distribute fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine across multiple Pennsylvania counties.

Investigators identified Joaquin Gonzalez, 40, of Emmaus — also known as “Kino” — as the organization’s leader. Authorities said Gonzalez was arrested over the weekend and is accused of transporting drugs into Pennsylvania through a connection in Southern California.

The Attorney General’s Office said the investigation began in 2024 and involved the Federal Bureau of Investigation along with local police departments.

Officials said searches conducted during the investigation led to the seizure of:

• 5 pounds of fentanyl,
• 7 pounds of heroin,
• 3,000 fentanyl pills,
• 48 pounds of methamphetamine,
• 6 pounds of cocaine,
• and 2 pounds of marijuana.

“This was a high-level, cross-country operation that polluted neighborhoods across the eastern part of the Commonwealth with deadly poisons,” Dave Sunday said in the release.

Authorities said the defendants face charges including corrupt organizations, possession with intent to deliver, conspiracy and related offenses.

The 10 people charged are as follows:

Danny Cancel, 25, of Bethlehem; Joel Castro, 41, of Orefield; Sally Garcia-Colon, 39, of Emmaus; Jorge Marrero-Rodriguez, 60, of Allentown; Jordan Pagan, 37, of Leola; John Pagan DeJesus, 49, of Whitehall; Israel Perez, 45, of Bethlehem; Anthony Planas, 42, of Bethlehem; Hanzel Rivera, 37, of Bethlehem; and Gonzalez.

(File Photo: Caption for Photo: PennDOT, PSP, PTC, Construction Industry Highlight National Work Zone Awareness Week)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) PennDOT and the Pennsylvania Department of Education announced Wednesday that schools can now sign up for a new program aimed at introducing students to careers in the heavy highway industry.

PennDOT’s Heavy Highway Industry Career Day program will bring industry presenters and career information to participating schools beginning this fall.

The heavy highway industry includes jobs such as construction inspector, mechanic, laborer, electrician, stonemason, welder, painter, cost estimator and surveyor.

Pennsylvania middle schools, high schools and Career and Technical Centers can register to host a career day by emailing RA-PDWORKFORCEDEV@pa.gov by clicking here. According to PennDOT, the events will include hands-on demonstrations, presentations and opportunities for students to speak with industry professionals.

State officials said the program was developed following an executive order signed by Josh Shapiro in July 2023 that created the Commonwealth Workforce Transformation Program, a first-in-the-nation program which focuses on workforce development and infrastructure-related job training.

The program is one of the many ways the Shapiro Administration is investing in Pennsylvania workers to address workforce shortages across industries with real solutions and to empower Pennsylvanians to chart their own course and access the training they need to succeed.

(File Photo of a Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Car)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Lawrence County, PA) Pennsylvania State Police in New Castle reported that Brian Miller, 44, of New Castle, was arrested May 7 on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.

According to police, Miller displayed signs of impairment during a traffic stop along South Jefferson Street at about 6:22 p.m.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: In this image provided by NBCUniversal, Savannah Guthrie, right, her mom Nancy speak, Wednesday, April 17, 2019, in New York. (Nathan Congleton/NBCUniversal via AP)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Qunatico, VA) The investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie reached 100 days on Tuesday and may hinge on DNA evidence still being analyzed by scientists at the FBI laboratory in Quantico, Virginia. 

Guthrie, the mother of Savannah Guthrie, co-anchor of the “Today” show, was reported missing on Feb. 1. 

DNA recovered from Guthrie’s home in Tucson, Arizona was initially sent by Pima County Sheriff’s Department detectives to a private laboratory in Florida for analysis. Weeks later, the evidence was transferred to the FBI crime laboratory in Quantico, where law enforcement sources told CBS News the analysis remains ongoing. 

Investigators have not publicly disclosed details about the sample or where it was recovered. 

Another lead that has drawn significant attention is footage from a Ring doorbell camera that showed an individual wearing a ski mask, gloves and a backpack at Guthrie’s front door the night she disappeared.

(Credit and Caption for Photo: A Reserve police officer was placed on administrative leave and then suspended without pay after being accused of battery in Florida and retail theft in Ohio Township. (Courtesy of Reserve Township)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Reserve Township, PA) Manuel Pihakis, a police officer in Reserve Township, has been suspended without pay while facing criminal charges in two states, according to Police Chief Brandon Morgan. 

Pihakis, 36, was first charged in Sumter County, Florida, where court documents allege he bit a woman at a community pool and struck her in the back of the head at his family’s home. Following those charges, the Reserve Township Police Department placed him on administrative leave. 

More than two weeks later, Pihakis was charged again, this time in Ohio Township. 

Investigators allege Pihakis committed retail thefts at a Giant Eagle and a nearby Target over several months. 

According to court documents, surveillance footage showed Pihakis “skip scanning” at self-checkout stations — scanning some items while failing to scan others before placing all merchandise into bags and leaving the stores. 

Police said the alleged thefts occurred repeatedly between December 2025 and April 2026. The criminal complaint accuses Pihakis of stealing $283.08 worth of merchandise from Target and $167.45 in goods from Giant Eagle, including Dove soap, Red Bull and Twizzlers. 

Following the new charges, Morgan said Pihakis has now been suspended without pay pending further review. Morgan also told WTAE-TV that Pihakis’ employment status will be discussed during a June council meeting. 

Pihakis faces misdemeanor battery charges in Florida and misdemeanor retail theft charges in Pennsylvania. 

His Pennsylvania case is scheduled to go before a judge next month. 

(File Photo of a Gavel)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) A Pittsburgh man charged in a deadly shooting last year has pleaded guilty to federal firearms charges. 

According to the United States Department of Justice, Keenan Tolliver, 32, pleaded guilty Tuesday to violating a federal firearms law. 

Authorities said a loaded handgun was found inside the center console of a vehicle Tolliver was driving in February 2025. Because of prior felony convictions, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm. 

Federal prosecutors said Tolliver has previously been convicted of 10 felony or first-degree misdemeanor offenses. 

Tolliver was also identified as a suspect in a 2017 Pittsburgh police chase in which he was accused of attempting to strike officers with a vehicle. 

In a separate case, Tolliver faces charges in connection with a fatal shooting in Pittsburgh’s Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar neighborhood in 2025. 

He is scheduled to be sentenced in the federal firearms case on Sept. 16 and faces up to 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. 

Tolliver is also scheduled to appear in court May 13 in the homicide case. 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Voters line up outside the Bucks County Administration Building during early voting in the general election, Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, in Doylestown, Pa. (AP Photo/Michael Rubinkam)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) The Pennsylvania primary election is less than a week away, and locals will go to the polls on May 19th to vote for their favorite candidates. Polls open on election day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. According to a release from the Pennsylvania Department of State, here is some more information about this election:

To be eligible to register to vote in the May 19 primary, a person must be:

·   a citizen of the United States for at least one month before the primary,

·   a resident of the election district in which the person plans to register for at least 30 days before the primary, and

·   at least 18 years old on or before May 19.

The deadline for county elections offices to receive completed mail ballots is 8 p.m. on Primary Election Day, May 19. Mail ballots received after that time will not be counted.

Pennsylvanians who prefer to vote in person can find their polling place, which you can find by clicking here, at vote.pa.gov, by clicking here. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and any voter in line by 8 p.m. will be allowed to vote.

The Department’s voter information website, vote.pa.gov, which you can access by clicking here, is available in English, Spanish, and Chinese and offers a polling place locator, which you can access by clicking here, and contact information for county elections offices, which you can learn about by clicking here. It also includes tips for first-time voters (click here for information), mail-in and absentee voters (click here for information), elderly and disabled voters, (click here for information), and members of the military (click here for information).