Author: Beaver County Radio

Robert H. “Bob” Bixler (1937-2026)

Robert H. “Bob” Bixler, 88, of Chippewa Township, passed away peacefully on January 10th, 2026, in the comfort of his home, surrounded by his loving family.

He was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania on March 14th, 1937, the son of the late Homer and Alice (Small) Bixler. He is survived by his loving wife of 63 years, Judith (Branson) Bixler, his children, Jeff (Michelle) Bixler, Cindy Bixler-Reed and Eric (Heather) Bixler, his grandchildren: Jake (Lindsey) Bixler, Rebecca Reed, Maddie Bixler, Logan Bixler, Clarissa Reed, Katie Bixler, Ben Reed, Julia Bixler and Mikayla Reed, a great-grandchild, Carsen Bixler as well as extended family and friends.

Robert graduated from Penn State University with a bachelor’s degree, a lifelong love of PSU Football, and a devotion to the woman who would become his wife within weeks of her own graduation. They began their marriage with a road trip honeymoon and he served as a steady captain for countless family trips across the country in the motor home over the years. He was a member of the Professional Engineering Society of Pennsylvania, CUP Evangelical Presbyterian Church, the Chippewa Area Lions Club, and the Blackhawk School Board. He was awarded Engineer of the Year in 1983. He spent most of his career at Michael Baker Corporation as a civil engineer. He retired from Honeywell, but did not stay retired for long. He entered into real estate, volunteered for Meals on Wheels, and provided transportation to deaf children. He enjoyed supporting Penn State University football, even traveling to cheer on the Nittany Lions at the Rose Bowl. He tended his garden, which provided his family with perfect apples for apple sauce and Pumpkins and zucchini of record-breaking size. Besides his workshop, where he took on impressive woodworking projects, he felt most comfortable taking care of others. He dedicated his life to making life easier for those around him, as shown by his quiet acceptance, support, and respect for his wife’s occasionally outlandish projects and dreams.

Friends will be received on Thursday, January 15th, from 4-6 P.M. in the GABAUER-LUTTON FUNERAL HOME & CREMATION SERVICES, INC., 117 Blackhawk Road, Beaver Falls, who was in charge of his arrangements. Friends will also be received at 10 A.M. until the time of the funeral service at 11 A.M. on Friday, January 16th at CUP Evangelical Presbyterian Church, 530 Blackhawk Road, Beaver Falls.

Interment will be in Sylvania Hills Memorial Park, 273 PA 68, Rochester.

Amber Lynn (Maylone) Wardle (1987-2026)

Amber Lynn (Maylone) Wardle, 38, of Monaca, passed away peacefully on January 12th, 2026, surrounded by her loving family. She was born on December 1st, 1987, the daughter of Robert and Beverly Maylone. In addition to her parents, she is survived by her husband, Richard Wardle, her stepfather, Stan McHoe, her siblings, Jacqulynn Maylone, Richard Cox and Bobby Maylone (fiancée, Chelsea Ketterer), her in-laws, Marggie and Brian Wardle and her brother-in-law, Damian Wardle. She was preceded in death by her maternal grandmother, Gladys Hasman, her paternal grandparents, Albert and Eleanor Maylone and her aunt, Paulette Weber.

Amber was a devoted homemaker who loved swimming and soaking up the sun. She especially enjoyed riding motorcycles with her father. She also found joy in listening to Elvis Presley and had a deep love for animals and children.

Family and friends will be received on Saturday, January 17th, from 12 noon until the time of the funeral service at 2 p.m. at Alvarez-Hahn Funeral Services and Cremation, LLC, 547 8th Street, Ambridge, who was in charge of her arrangements. Burial will be private.

Barbara Ann Petrella (Passed on January 10th, 2026)

Barbara Ann Petrella, 82, of Monaca, a cherished mother, grandmother, sister, and friend, passed away peacefully on January 10th, 2026, at Heritage Valley Beaver. She was the daughter of the late Ira and Vada Mauk. She was a loving sister to Richard (Mary) Mauk and Larry (late Cynthia) Mauk. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her beloved son-in-law, Joe DeFelice, dear in-laws, Orazio and Viola Petrella and her brother-in-law, Donnie (Paula) Petrella. Barbara’s spirit will be carried on by her devoted son, Dean, and his wife, Dena Petrella, and her daughter, Tracy DeFelice. She was the proud grandmother to Brandyn (Natalie) DeFelice, Daryn (Katie) DeFelice, Joccelyn (Jalen) Lawson, Gianna (Will) Petrella, and Renata Petrella. The joy of her life extended to her great-grandchildren, Carter Thomas, Cameron DeFelice, Cayson DeFelice, Jayla Lawson, and she was eagerly awaiting the arrival of twin great grandbabies in March. Barbara’s family circle was wide, including her sisters-in-law, Sherry Petrella and Carol (Henry) Adamek, and numerous nieces and nephews, all of whom will miss her dearly. Barbara was an alumna of the Community College of Beaver County and she took classes that enriched her life and broadened her horizons. She spent her professional years dedicated to customer service at Verizon Wireless. Beyond her family and professional accomplishments, Barbara was known for her creative passions. She loved doing crafts, ceramics, and crocheting, and she was known for her skill in decorating cakes and cookies. Holidays were a special time for Barbara, as she relished in playing catch phrases with her family, an activity that always resulted in peals of laughter and fond memories. No family gathering was complete without Barbara’s signature dishes and her potato salad and stuffing were requested at every event.

Friends will be received on Tuesday, January 13th from 4 -7 p.m. at Simpson Funeral & Cremation Services, 1119 Washington Avenue, Monaca, who was in charge of her arrangements.

Shapiro Administration Awards $600,345 in PA Farm Bill Grants to Expand Career Opportunities for Young Pennsylvanians in Agriculture

(Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Departments of Agriculture, Labor & Industry and Education)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding announced yesterday in Harrisburg on the third day of the 2026 Pennsylvania Farm show that $600,345 in PA Farm Bill Agriculture & Youth Grants, which includes 15 matching and 47 direct awards to organizations in 33 counties, will fund projects that will empower youth across Pennsylvania to succeed in its $132.5 billion agriculture industry. Pennsylvania Labor & Industry Secretary Nancy A. Walker, and Pennsylvania Education Secretary Dr. Carrie Rowe joined Secretary Redding to make this announcement during a Career Expo which connected over 2,200 Pennsylvania students with career opportunities offered by 48 agricultural businesses. According to a release yesterday in Harrisburg from the Pennsylvania Departments of Agriculture, Labor & Industry and Education, here is some more information about these grants:

Grant recipient Trellis for Tomorrow, a Chester County nonprofit, received $18,100 to expand its garden and farm-based youth programming initiatives in 2026. For the last 22 years, Trellis has provided hands-on, paid work experiences for young people in agriculture, prioritizing youth in historically disadvantaged neighborhoods in the Greater Philadelphia Region. The group has worked with more than 1,600 youth over that time, and in the last six years has provided over 30,000 lbs. of organic produce to neighbors in need through its youth programming initiatives.

Grant recipients, funded project titles, and funding amount by county are as follows:

 

Allegheny

Riverview School District –Seeds of Tomorrow: VR Agriculture and Aquaponics Career Lab, $7,000

Bible Center Church –The Oasis Project, Oasis Farm Field 2 Fork Youth Academy, $7,500

Hilltop Urban Farm  – Season extension, $7,398

Grow Pittsburgh – Garden Dreams, $25,000

Chatham University – Deer Education and Infrastructure at Eden Hall Campus, $12,280

 

Beaver

RiverWise  – 2026 Summer Sustainability Institute, $7,500

 

Berks

Alvernia University – Seeds of Discovery: Raised Bed Pilot Project, $7,500

Brandywine Heights Area School District – Poultry Science Program, $7,500

 

Blair

Spring Cove School District – Food Science and Safety, $7,481

 

Bucks

Middle Bucks Institute of Technology – Phase 2 Greenhouse Restoration Project, $25,000

Upper Bucks County Technical School – Barn Renovations and Expansion Capital Project – $25,000

Snipes Farm and Education Center – Youth Ag Education Equipment for Snipes Farm Seed-to-Fork Program, $7,482

Middle Bucks Institute of Technology – Hydroponics Project for Horticulture and Landscape Program – $6,165

 

Butler

Butler Area School District Districit – Ag Programming Expansion, $7,500

 

Centre

The Pennsylvania State University – Philipsburg-Osceola High School Greenhouse and Gardening Program, $7,000

Bald Eagle Area School District – Floriculture on Display – Floral Cooler, $4,494

 

Chester

Ryerss Farm for Aged Equines – Ryerss Farm for Aged Equines Youth Summer Camps, $7,500

Chester County Intermediate Unit – School Co-op Garden, $7,500

Chester County Intermediate Unit – The Learning Lab Grant, $7,500

Trellis for Tomorrow, Trellis for Tomorrow – Agricultural Education Grow Space Expansion, $18,100

 

Columbia

Southern Columbia Area High School Agriculture Program – SCA Agriculture Career Exploration and Leadership Development Project, $7,500

Southern Columbia Area High School Agriculture Program – Greenhouse Project, $10,000

 

Crawford

Conneaut Area School District Agriculture Department – CASH Greenhouse, $4,010

 

Cumberland

Pennsylvania Friends of Agriculture Foundation – Mobile Ag Lab Increases Access to Vital Agriculture Education, $7,500

 

Dauphin

Center for Dairy Excellence Foundation – DLT Farm Tours and Exploration Experiences, $7,500

Wildheart Ministries – The Hill Farm Field Trips 2026, $25,000

 

Erie

Groundwork Erie – 4th Street Farm Expansion and Education, $7,487 

Eco-Erie – Water and Sanitation Upgrade for Youth Agricultural Training, $25,000

 

Franklin

Franklin County Fair Commission, Franklin County Junior Fair Board Improvement and Expansion, $7,500

 

Huntingdon

Standing Stone FFA – Huntingdon Area High School Plant and Soil Science Curriculum Equipment, $7,500

Southern Huntingdon County High School, Animal Science Equipment for Southern Huntingdon County Agriculture Department, $7,460

 

Lancaster

Killiann George – Hands-On Animal Reproduction Technology and Safety Lab, $7,018

 

Lawrence

Wilmington Area School District – Wilmington Farms: Growing Creativity, $7,500

 

Lebanon

ELCO School District – Legacy in the Making: The ELCO Barn Raising, $21,250

 

Montgomery

Variety – the Children’s Charity of the Delaware Valley – Variety’s Agricultural Vocational Program for Youth with Disabilities, $7,500

Montgomery County Intermediate Unit – 25-26 MCIU Transition Envision Horticulture, $7,500

 

Montour

The Pennsylvania State University – Montour County 4-H Agricultural and Environmental Science Program Extension, $3,354

 

Northampton

Easton Area Neighborhood Center – Pathways in Agriculture and Leadership, $7,500

 

Northumberland

Line Mountain School District Animal and Veterinary Program Additions, $7,368

 

Perry

LEAF Project – Farm Fellowship: Shared Authority and Sustainability on the LEAF Farm, $7,500

Greenwood School District – Energizing Engines Small Gas Engine Curriculum Enhancement, $7,500

 

Philadelphia

Novick Urban Farm – Giving of Self Partnership School Garden, $1,226

AgrotheraPA – G.R.O.W. Hub Intergenerational Garden Initiative, $5,000

The School District of Philadelphia – Fox Chase Farm Student-Run Farm Store, $7,500

Home and School Association of the Penn Alexander School – Penn Alexander Middle Grades Science Ag Education Program, $7,500

WB Saul Alumni Association – Saul School Support, $3,732

Home and School Association of the Penn Alexander School – Outdoor Classroom for Urban Garden, $25,000

Greener Partners – Farm Explorer, $7,500

Potter
The Pennsylvania State University – Learning Kits for Agricultural and Rural Education, $2,447

Snyder

The Pennsylvania State University – Agriculture Adventures Youth Day Camp, $6,103

 

Somerset

Berlin Brothersvalley High School – Animal Production Equipment, $7,490

 

Tioga
Wellsboro Area School District – Lab Science Supplies for Student Success, $7,500

 

Union

The Pennsylvania State University – Putting the Science Back in Livestock and Environmental Projects, $7,500

Mifflinburg Area School District – Agriculture Program Mobile Workstation – Mifflinburg, $25,000

 

Warren

Warren County School District – Eisenhower Middle-High Agricultural Program Supports, $7,500

 

Washington

California Area School District – The Greenhouse as a Living Classroom for STEAM, $5,658

Pennsylvania Guernsey Breeders Association – PA Junior Guernsey Breeders Attendance at 2027 National Convention, $7,500

Jeannette Hartley – Trinity Hydroponics Retrofit, $7,500

California Area School District – Agri-Ready Youth Training in Veterinary and Animal Science, $24,000

 

Wayne

The Pennsylvania State University – Wayne County 4-H Spring 2026 Education, $7,492

 

Wyoming

The Pennsylvania State University – Cloverbud and Junior Explorers Agriculture Safety and Community Discovery, $6,850

 

Statewide Project

The Pennsylvania State University – AP 4-H Agriculture and Nutrition Education – Books for Cooks, $7,500

Witnesses state fight over parking complaint happened before gunfire broke out in the Hazelwood neighborhood

(File Photo of Police Siren Lights)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Witnesses stated that a fight over a parking complaint happened before gunfire broke out in the Hazelwood neighborhood of Pittsburgh last night. According to Pittsburgh Public Safety, it happened at around 10:15 p.m. on the 100 block of Tecumseh Street. Police noted that officers responding to a ShotSpotter alert discovered shell casings on the sidewalks, two homes that had been hit by bullets, as well as a woman who had a gunshot wound to the leg. She was stable when she was taken to the hospital. No arrests had been announced as of early this morning. 

Allegheny County Police: Marijuana, cash seized from 2 Ross Township vape shops

(Credit for Photo: Courtesy of the Allegheny County Police Department)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Allegheny County, PA) According to Allegheny County police, detectives seized marijuana, illegal drug products and cash while executing search warrants at two vape shops in Ross Township last week. Authorities noted that the Allegheny County police department’s Narcotics Unit, working with Ross Township police, served warrants on Friday at Smoke World and Vape in the 4800 block of McKnight Road and Powerful Smoke in the 7300 block of McKnight Road. Investigators confirm that the businesses were involved in a large-scale illegal marijuana sales operation. Police reported seizing over two kilograms of marijuana, thousands of illegal THC- and psilocybin-infused products and over $9,000 in cash from the two locations. Allegheny County police state that the investigation into this incident is ongoing and they are working with the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office. 

Four-wheeler stolen from a New Castle man in Lawrence County

(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 via release yesterday that a theft of a motor vehicle occurred in Lawrence County on Saturday from 4 a.m. to 11 a.m. This happened along 1600 Marr Road in Pulaski Township and forty-four-year-old Dustin Klamer of New Castle reported that a red in color 1996 Suzuki Trailboss 250 four-wheeler was stolen from him. If you have any information about this incident, you can contact PSP New Castle Trooper Bartosiewicz by calling 724-598-2211. 

Ohio man arrested and charged for trespassing on New Castle property

(File Photo of Handcuffs)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(New Castle, PA) Pennsylvania State Police in New Castle reported via release yesterday that twenty-nine-year-old Aaron Bertovich of Hubbard, Ohio was arrested for trespassing in Lawrence County on January 6th, 2026. This happened at 3:27 p.m. along 3539 Wilmington Road in Neshannock Township. Bertovich trespassed on the property of Hillcorp Energy Company in New Castle and an amethyst Toyota Tacoma vehicle was involved. Charges were filed against Bertovich.

Pittsburgh Parking Authority expanding ticket-by-mail program

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – This April 2, 2021, file photo shows bridges spanning the Allegheny River in downtown Pittsburgh. Republicans in Congress are making the politically brazen bet that it’s more advantageous to oppose President Joe Biden’s ambitious rebuild America agenda than to lend support for the costly $2.3 trillion undertaking for roads, bridges and other infrastructure investments. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Pittsburgh Parking Authority is now expanding its ticket-by-mail program. If you get a ticket in the Steel City, there could be an increased chance that instead of getting it on the windshield of your car, you are getting it in the mail. This program began in 2024.

Pittsburgh-area church tied to noise complaints could have new home in Hopewell

(Photo Courtesy of WPXI-TV Pittsburgh, Posted on Facebook on January 13th, 2026)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Hopewell Township, PA) According to Hopewell Zoning Officer John Bates, late last year, the township approved a request from Revival Today to allow assemblies at 400 Commerce Drive in the Hopewell Business and Industrial Park. That building permit is still working through the process for approval, which would allow renovations inside the building. Bates expects that to be approved in the coming weeks. Neighbors near the location of the church on Coraopolis Heights Road were complaining about the noise of the outdoor events being held there in 2024. Last month is when Moon Township denied the permit of the church to operate. Revival Today has been around the area of Pittsburgh for the last few years. Bates also expressed that by approving the request to allow assembly at the Hopewell location, there will be language that is said to control the noise. There is no word yet on when services will start at the new location.