Author: Beaver County Radio

Here’s what stores are open, and which ones are closed, on Christmas

FILE – A shopper heads into a Walmart store Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025, in Englewood, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

From department stores to grocery stores, most retailers across the U.S. close early on Christmas Eve and shut their doors entirely on Christmas Day — while others opt to cut back hours. But there’s also a handful of businesses that will be open during the holiday.

Before you run out the door this Christmas — whether it’s to buy last-minute gifts or simply get out of the house — it’s wise to double-check operating hours, which can differ depending on their location. When in doubt, call ahead or look up more specific schedules online for stores in your neighborhood.

Here’s a rundown of major chains on Christmas Day this year.

IS WALMART OPEN ON CHRISTMAS?

Walmart will be closed on Christmas Day — and reopen at 6 a.m. on Dec. 26.

IS TARGET OPEN ON CHRISTMAS?

Target will be closed on Christmas and reopen at 7 a.m. on Dec. 26.

IS COSTCO OPEN ON CHRISTMAS?

All Costco warehouses in the U.S. are closed on Christmas Day.

IS CVS OPEN ON CHRISTMAS?

Many CVS locations will have modified hours on Christmas Day. Customers are encouraged to call ahead or double-check local hours online.

IS WALGREENS OPEN ON CHRISTMAS?

Walgreens stores will be open on Christmas Day but pharmacy hours may vary. All 24-hour locations will continue to remain open. You can double-check local hours here.

IS STARBUCKS OPEN ON CHRISTMAS?

Many Starbucks locations will be closed on Christmas, while some may have limited hours. It’s best to check ahead online.

IS MCDONALD’S OPEN ON CHRISTMAS?

Many McDonald’s locations in the U.S. are open on holidays like Christmas, but hours vary by location. Consumers can use the chain’s online store locator to confirm.

IS KROGER OPEN ON CHRISTMAS?

Kroger stores are closed on Christmas Day and will resume regular hours on Dec. 26.

IS ALBERTSONS OPEN ON CHRISTMAS?

Many Albertsons stores will be closed on Christmas — but there will also be locations that remain open with adjusted hours. Select pharmacies may also be closed or have different hours.

WHAT STORES ARE CLOSED ON CHRISTMAS?

Here’s some other grocery, convenience and retail stores that are closed on Christmas Day:

1. ALDI: Stores are closed.

2. Harris Teeter: Stores are closed.

3. Home Depot: Stores are closed.

4. IKEA: Stores are closed.

5. Jewel-Osco: Stores and pharmacies are closed.

6. Lowe’s: Stores are closed.

7. Macy’s: Stores are closed.

8. Meijer: Stores are closed.

9. Publix: Stores are closed.

10. Rite Aid: Stores are closed.

11. Sam’s Club: Stores are closed.

12. Sprouts Farmer’s Market: Stores are closed.

13. Trader Joe’s: Stores are closed.

14. Whole Foods: Stores are closed.

WHAT STORES ARE OPEN ON CHRISTMAS?

Here are some stores that are open on Christmas Day (or have select locations that are):

1. Safeway: Many stores are closed, but there will also be some locations open with adjusted hours.

2. Sheetz: Stores are open with regular hours (24/7).

3. 7-Eleven: Most stores are open 24/7 (including on Christmas), but some locations’ hours can vary.

Red Cross to give away Super Bowl tickets to lucky donor

The American Red Cross is urging donors to make an appointment to give blood or platelets now in the final days of the year and into 2026.

As a special thank-you to donors for helping address the need for blood during the critical post-holiday time, those who give between Jan. 1-25, 2026, will be automatically entered for a chance to win a trip for two to Super Bowl LX in the San Francisco Bay Area.

See RedCrossBlood.org/SuperBowl for details.

“HOTDOG” Act aims to improve affordability and transparency at sports venues

Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio. Published December 23, 2025 7:42 A.M.

(Washington, D. C.) Congressmen Chris Deluzio and Dan Goldman have introduced the Honest Oversight of Ticketed Dining and Onsite Grub (HOTDOG) Act.

Despite significant public investment into sports venues, the cost of many concessions is deemed too expensive for the typical American family. The average lowest price for a hot dog across MLB’s 30 ballparks in 2024 was nearly $6.

The HOTDOG Act would direct the FTC to examine the prices of comparable food and drinks inside and outside stadiums and other types of pricing policies with a goal of improving affordability and transparency.

“One of life’s great joys is a hot dog and a cold beer or pop watching the Black and Gold. But concessions at pro stadiums across the country have become a ripoff, with so many teams pricing out fans and families,” said Congressman Deluzio.

“Congressman Goldman and I are introducing the HOTDOG Act to require the Federal Trade Commission to find ways to stop this price gouging. People should be able to go enjoy a game and grab a bite or a drink without breaking the bank.”

According to the release, The HOTDOG Act would direct the FTC to evaluate pricing practices at professional sports stadiums that were constructed or are operated with public subsidy funds. The FTC would examine the prices of comparable food and drinks inside and outside stadiums; pricing practices such as dynamic pricing, service fees, and promotions; transparency of concession prices to consumers, and other types of pricing policies. The bill requires the FTC to issue a report to Congress detailing the results of the study and any recommendations for legislative, regulatory, or industry action to improve affordability and transparency. 

Police Identify Suspect in Aliquippa 7-Eleven Robbery

Story by Beaver County Radio News Staff. Published December 23, 2025 7:37 A.M.

(Aliquippa, Pa) A suspect in a robbery that happened at a 7-Eleven on Brodhead Road in Aliquippa has been identified.

According to WPXI-TV, Police have identified the suspect as 31 year old Nathan Jones of Brighton Township.

A warrant has been issued for Jones arrest as he faces charges of robbery, terrorist threats, theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property.

Parity is one of the pillars of the NFL. The Steelers have spent a record 22 years defying it.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Steelers’ Aaron Rodgers, from left, Mike Tomlin and Cameron Heyward walk off the field after Pittsburgh won an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The NFL is not designed to work like this. If anything, the league is designed to prevent what the Pittsburgh Steelers have done for the past 22 years and counting.

In a league that considers parity one of its pillars, particularly in the salary cap era, the Steelers are an outlier.

Seasons come, seasons go, and Pittsburgh finds a way to make sure the number in the wins column is never smaller than the number in the loss column.

When the Steelers improved to 9-6 after an equal parts thrilling and bizarre 29-24 victory over the Lions, they assured themselves of an NFL record 22nd straight season at .500 or better, breaking the mark of 21 they shared with the Dallas Cowboys, who pulled off the feat from 1965-85.

Dallas’ run came in a far different era, a time when teams had far greater control over player movement. The Cowboys put their run together by drafting and developing future Hall of Famers, then making sure they never left.

Today’s NFL teams don’t have that luxury. And while the Steelers have had their own share of players who have donned — or, as in the case of former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and current outside linebacker TJ Watt, will likely don — gold jackets in Canton, Ohio, they’ve also managed to stay relevant and competitive year in, year out with a rotating cast of characters around them.

Their ability to find players others either “cast off,” as Aaron Rodgers described them and turn them into contributors in meaningful moments was on full display in Detroit.

Dylan Cook, a former quarterback turned offensive lineman who began the season on the fourth string, protected Rodgers’ blind side and helped open up enough holes for the Steelers to run for 230 yards.

To Cook’s right was Andrus Peat, a three-time Pro Bowler for New Orleans who was unemployed in August before the Steelers called. Peat was a backup all season until left tackle Broderick Jones and then left guard Isaac Seumalo went down with injuries.

Scotty Miller, who won a ring with Tom Brady in Tampa Bay but has spent the past two years in Pittsburgh bouncing back and forth off the practice squad, caught his second, third and fourth passes of the season during a pivotal second-half drive, including a fourth down conversion.

The list goes on and on. Pittsburgh’s late-season scrambling to find healthy bodies because of injuries is hardly unique. The way the club consistently finds a way to remain relevant is.

The Steelers have played 355 regular-season games since their run of .500 seasons or better began in 2004. They’ve been in playoff contention in all but two of them.

Two.

The three-time defending AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs, by comparison, will play three meaningless games this season alone.

No, the “Steeler Way” is not perfect. Their competence — which hasn’t always correlated to excellence — means they’re often picking in the middle-to-late portions of the first round, where it’s not as easy to identify (let alone develop) the franchise quarterback they still so desperately need.

Should Pittsburgh manage to win the AFC North, it will carry a six-game playoff losing streak into the first round. If that skid hits seven straight, the relentless chorus of fans and alumni calling for Tomlin’s job — a chorus that has gone quiet over the past three weeks — will be in full throat once again.

That’s just how it goes, and should the Steelers experience another mid-January pratfall, the conversation about why they keep coming up short will be difficult.

Still, it beats the alternative: sifting through the wreckage of a season in which they were never in the playoff conversation at all, something the Steelers have avoided better than any club in modern NFL history.

“It’s this time of year man, that’s (why) I love it,” Tomlin said. “If you’re a competitor, you run to this stuff. I think we’ve got a collection of competitors.”

What’s working

Not getting caught up in who is RB1. At this point, does it matter?

Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell seem to be feeding off each other. The duo has combined for 557 yards of total offense during Pittsburgh’s three-game winning streak and Gainwell’s “wait what?” 45-yard touchdown reception late in the first half on Sunday may be the best (or at least the most improbable) catch in the league this season.

What needs help

The defense when it’s time to close out an opponent.

The Steelers have allowed an NFL-high 157 fourth-quarter points this season. And while some of those have been scored in garbage time, it’s also indicative of a team that’s let three halftime leads morph into losses.

Stock up

Maybe Jonnu Smith’s true calling was as a running back. An afterthought in the passing game for most of the past two months, the tight end ran twice for 20 yards in Detroit a week after scoring the second rushing touchdown of his career on a toss play. Smith has nearly as many yards rushing over the past six weeks (38) as he has yards receiving (39).

Stock down

The details around wide receiver DK Metcalf’s altercation with an unidentified fan that ended with Metcalf taking a swipe at a man wearing Detroit Lions gear remain unclear. Whatever it is, it’s not the best look for a two-time Pro Bowler who leans into his competitiveness, perhaps a little too much on this occasion.

Injuries

WR Calvin Austin III tweaked his hamstring on Sunday and did not return. … CB Brandin Echols sustained a groin injury. … LB T.J. Watt missed his second straight game and has yet to practice since having surgery to repair a partially collapsed lung.

Key number

1 — number of regular-season victories Tomlin needs to tie Hall of Famer Chuck Noll (193) for the most in franchise history.

Next steps

Try to lock up their first division title since 2020 when they visit Cleveland next weekend.

Newly acquired Pirates 2B Brandon Lowe thinks his new team can make a “deep push” in 2026

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – Tampa Bay Rays Brandon Lowe follows through on a solo home run against the Baltimore Orioles in the third inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Gail Burton, File)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A small-market team in a division dotted with big-market clubs. A pitching staff bursting with potential. A manager with a modest resume as a player but an innate feel for the vibes within a clubhouse.

Yeah, Brandon Lowe has been here before.

The two-time All-Star second baseman was a fixture on Tampa Bay clubs that consistently punched above their weight in the AL East. He doesn’t see why the same can’t happen in Pittsburgh, which acquired Lowe, outfielder Jake Mangum and left-handed pitcher Mason Montgomery last week as part of a three-team trade that sent Pirates starting pitcher Mike Burrows to Houston and a pair of prospects to Tampa Bay.

While there’s a chance Montgomery and Mangum can be contributors in 2026, the focal piece of the unusually aggressive move by the Pirates is the left-handed Lowe, who hit 31 home runs last season and now finds himself playing half his games at PNC Park, where the nearest edge of the 21-foot-high Roberto Clemente Wall sits just 320 feet from home plate with the banks of the Allegheny River about another 100 feet away.

“The dimensions of the ballpark play into where my power alleys lie,” Lowe said. “Something about seeing a ball going flying into the river seems very, very exciting.”

So is the idea that the Pirates are ready to contend for the first time in a decade.

“I feel like there’s a real opportunity there for a deep push and some playoff baseball in Pittsburgh,” Lowe said. “The pitching staff is legit. The hitters, they have some extremely talented guys that play in the field and I’m excited to kind of come and help in any way that I can.”

Lowe spent eight years with the Rays, who made the postseason every year from 2019-23, including a run to the 2020 World Series. Tampa Bay won 96 games or more three times during that span despite playing in the same division as the far-deeper-pocketed New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.

While Lowe allowed there is something to be said for having an advantage in financial resources, in his experience it’s far from the sole determining factor for success.

“Payroll isn’t everything,” Lowe said. “The big names do get paid and obviously you know what you’re getting (with) some of those guys but those big names start somewhere.”

Like say, Tampa Bay, which has found a way to stay competitive despite having Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, among others, head elsewhere when they became too expensive.

Now it’s Lowe’s turn to make that transition. He has one year remaining on his current contract and is scheduled to make $11.5 million in 2026. When the Pirates have acquired players during general manager Ben Cherington’s tenure, a significant chunk of them have controllable years left.

That’s not the case with Lowe, yet the Pirates showed a bit of uncharacteristic urgency by taking somewhat of a small gamble that Lowe can help elevate an offense that ranked near the bottom of the majors in nearly every significant statistical category last season. That lack of production is the biggest reason why Pittsburgh finished at 71-91 despite having a pitching staff anchored by Cy Young winner Paul Skenes.

The window of opportunity to capitalize with Skenes still playing for a modest salary is already closing. Next season will be the seventh since Cherington was hired and patience — externally anyway — is starting to run out.

Cherington said over the weekend “there’s a lot more out there for us” in terms of adding to the lineup before the club reports to spring training in mid-February. Maybe, but Lowe’s arrival gives Pittsburgh something it’s lacked for most of the last decade: a proven veteran bat who can put the ball over the fence with regularity.

The Pirates have had just one player hit more than 30 homers in a season since 2014, and Josh Bell’s 39 home runs in 2019 came during a tumultuous year in which the club cratered during the second half, leading to sweeping leadership changes.

That group that took over — led by Cherington — now finds itself deep into the “prove it” phase of its tenure. The rotation anchored by Skenes and Mitch Keller could be excellent. After leaning heavily on inexperienced young players or hitters deep into their 30s in an effort to stitch something together, Lowe’s arrival signals a shift in mindset.

While he will start the season as the everyday second baseman, the Pirates may have to get creative to make sure manager Don Kelly writes down the names of the best nine hitters on the lineup card. That means Lowe may find time in the outfield or at designated hitter. He’s fine with either if it comes to that.

“One thing I was taught in Tampa is if you can play anywhere, it keeps you in the lineup,” he said. “That was the biggest thing (and) I want to be in the lineup for as many games as possible.”

Man from Clifton, Virginia charged for causing two-vehicle crash in Big Beaver Borough

(File Photo of a Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Car)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Big Beaver Borough, PA) Pennsylvania State Police in Gibsonia reported via release today that sixty-one-year-old Alan Boyd of Clifton, Virginia was charged after causing a two-vehicle crash in Big Beaver Borough on Saturday at 6:08 p.m. Boyd hit another vehicle while he was driving on I-76 East. There were no reported injuries to either Boyd or his passenger at the time of the crash, eighty-eight-year-old Anne Boyd of Clifton, Virginia. 

AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report: Gas prices drop six cents in Western Pennsylvania this week

(Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of AAA East Central)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Gas prices are six cents lower in Western Pennsylvania this week at about $3.22 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report. The national average for gas dropped to $2.85 decreasing five cents over the past week, and this marks the cheapest that gas has been since December of 2020. The report states that at this time a year ago, the average price for a gallon of gas in Western Pennsylvania was around $3.38 and the average price that you can expect for a gallon of unleaded gas here in Beaver County is about $3.23. According to a release from AAA East Central and AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report, here are the average prices of unleaded self-serve gasoline this week in various areas:

$3.158      Altoona
$3.234      Beaver
$3.433      Bradford
$3.099      Brookville
$3.198      Butler
$3.084      Clarion
$3.042      DuBois
$3.208      Erie
$3.160      Greensburg
$3.187      Indiana
$3.219      Jeannette
$3.321      Kittanning
$3.178      Latrobe
$3.176      Meadville
$3.378      Mercer
$3.106      New Castle
$3.185      New Kensington
$3.213      Oil City
$3.209      Pittsburgh
$3.219      Sharon
$3.176      Uniontown
$3.551      Warren
$3.204      Washington

Aliquippa teen charged for causing a two-vehicle crash in Robinson Township

(File Photo of a Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Car)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Robinson Township, PA) Pennsylvania State Police in Pittsburgh reported via release today that an unidentified seventeen-year-old boy from Aliquippa was charged after causing a two-vehicle crash in Robinson Township on the evening of December 14th, 2025. The teenager was driving on I-376 West in Pittsburgh in the left lane and lost control trying to merge into the right lane at 5:30 p.m. and hit the vehicle of fifty-two-year-old James Pushor of Lake George, New York. The boy also hit the concrete barrier with the driver side rear tire of his vehicle. There were no reported injuries and the vehicles of both the teenager and Pushor were towed from the scene.

Public Input Hearings Scheduled for Proposed Rate Changes by Pennsylvania American Water Company

(Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) has scheduled a series of ten in-person and telephonic hearings in the middle of January of 2026 to gather public input on the proposed rate increases by Pennsylvania American Water Company (PAWC) for both its water and wastewater service. According to a release in Harrisburg today from the PUC, here is more information about these hearings:

  • On December 4th, 2025, the Commission voted 5-0 to suspend and investigate the proposed changes.  PAWC serves approximately 682,000 water customers and 97,000 wastewater customers in 37 counties across the Commonwealth.
  • PUC Administrative Law Judges Jeffrey A. Watson and Emily DeVoe will preside over the public input hearings.


In-Person Public Input Hearings

 

A total of eight in-person public input hearings will be held at the following locations and times:
(Note: Preregistration in not required for the in-person hearings)

 

  • Tuesday, January 13th, 2026 (Washington County)

Crossroads Center
Meeting Room G-16
95 West Beau Street
Washington, PA 15301
Hearing #1 will begin at 1 p.m.
Hearing #2 will begin at 6 p.m.

 

  • Thursday, January 15th, 2026 (Lackawanna County)

Scranton University
Brennan Hall, Fifth Floor
320 Madison Avenue
Scranton, PA  18510
Hearing #1 will begin at 1 p.m.
Hearing #2 will begin at 6 p.m.

 

  • Friday, January 16th, 2026 (Dauphin County)

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Keystone Building
Hearing Room #1
400 North Street
Harrisburg, PA 17120
Hearing #1 will begin at 1 p.m.
Hearing #2 will begin at 6 p.m.

 

  • Tuesday, January 20th, 2026 (Berks County)

Dunn Community Center – Upper Level
4565 Prestwick Drive
Reading, PA 19606
Hearing #1 will begin at 1 p.m.
Hearing #2 will begin at 6 p.m.


Telephonic Public Input Hearings

 

Two telephonic hearings will be held on Wednesday, January 21st, 2026, at the following times:
(Note: Preregistration is encouraged for the telephonic hearings)

 

  • Wednesday, January 21, 2026Telephonic hearing #1 will begin at 1 p.m.
    Telephonic hearing #2 will begin at 6 p.m.


Participating in the Telephonic Input Hearings

 

The call-in information for the two telephonic hearings is as follows:

Toll-free Conference Number: 866-675-4281

PIN Number:                              85057514

To participate in a telephonic public input hearing, please complete the following:

  • You must dial the toll-free Conference number above.
  • You must enter the PIN number above when instructed.
  • You must speak your name when prompted, and press #.
  • Then, the telephone system will connect you to the hearing.

 

  • NOTE: Individuals wishing to testify at a telephonic public input hearing are encouraged to pre-register by 4 p.m. on January 19th, 2026. Failure to pre-register could result in you not being called to testify by the PUC Judges.
  • To pre-register, please email the PUC Judges’ Legal Assistant, Sumathi Jayakumar Raj, at sumjayakum@pa.gov or call the Judges’ office phone at 717-787-4972 and provide the following information:
  • Your first and last name.
  • The hearing for which you are registering.
  • The phone number you will be using to call into the public input hearing.
  • A phone number where you can be reached prior to the hearing, if needed.
  • Your email address, if you have one.


Assistance with Registration

 

If you need assistance pre-registering to testify, you may have someone register for you, but they will need to provide the PUC Judges with all the information listed above. Additionally, if more than one person in your household would like to testify, one person may pre-register for other individuals in the same household by providing the PUC Judges’ Legal Assistant with the information for each individual planning to testify.


Requests for Interpreters

 

If you require an interpreter, please pre-register as soon as possible.  If you register too close to the hearing date, we may not have enough time to arrange for an interpreter.  If you request an interpreter, we will make every reasonable effort to have one present.

The TTY-based Telecommunications Relay Service number for persons who are deaf or hearing-impaired is 1-800-654-5988.


Hearing Exhibits

 

If you have any hearing exhibits to which you will refer during the hearing, please email them to the Legal Assistant at Sumjayakum@pa.gov. The PUC Judges will forward your exhibits to the active parties.

 

  • Exhibits for any in-person public input hearing must be received by the Legal Assistant by Friday, January 9th, 2026.
  • Exhibits for the telephonic public input hearings must be received by the Legal  Assistant by Monday, January 19th, 2026.

 

Offering Testimony at a Public Input Hearing

 

The PUC offers tips on how to participate in a public input hearing, including:

  • Prepare what you are going to say beforehand. Even though it is not required, you may want to write out your statement, which can be read.
  • Any formal testimony that is offered during the hearing will become part of the record on which the PUC will issue its final decision.
  • Understand that parties in the case may want to ask you a question to clarify something you said.


Questions

 

Individuals needing assistance with pre-registration, or having questions about the public input hearing or the company’s application, may contact the Pennsylvania Office of Consumer Advocate toll free at 1-800-684-6560 or by email at consumer@paoca.org.  Small businesses can contact the Office of Small Business Advocate at 717-783-2525 or osba@pa.gov.


Other Ways to be Heard

 

If you want to be heard about the proposed rate increase but do not want or cannot testify at the public input hearings, you may file a formal complaint or comment on the proposed rate increase. Please visit the PUC’s website to use the applicable form available.


Proposed Rate Changes

 

PAWC’s proposes an overall increase of $168.7 million (approximately 14.6%) in total annual operating revenues for water and wastewater service.  As proposed, PAWC customers would have seen the following rate changes:

 

  • For a typical residential water customer using 3,263 gallons a month, an increase ranging from $2.73 per month to $27.77 per month, an increase between 9.8% and 41.14%, depending on their service area.

 

  • For a typical wastewater customer using 3,164 gallons a month, an increase ranging from $0 per month to $26.29 per month, an increase between 0% and 54.14%, depending on their service area.

 

  • For customers with combined stormwater and wastewater systems, an increase of approximately $20 per month.

 

A final PUC decision on PAWC’s rate increase requests is due by August 13th, 2026.