Author: Beaver County Radio

CCBC Announces President’s and Dean’s Lists for Fall 2025 Semester

(File Photo of the Community College of Beaver County Logo)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Monaca, PA) The Community College of Beaver County recently released 359 names of their full-time and part-time students who achieved either the President’s List or Dean’s List honors for its fall 2025 semester in Monaca. Students must have completed at least 12 hours of credit-bearingcourses and have received a 3.75 grade-point average or above for the semester to be named to the President’s List. Students must have completed at least 12 hours of credit-bearing courses and have received a 3.25 to 3.74 grade-point average for the semester to be named to the Dean’s List.

According to a recent release in Monaca from CCBC, the following full-time students were named to the President’s List:

Sophia Adams
Jaelynn Anderson
Sydney Anderson
Shreya B K
Teagan Baker
Nathan Baskar
Joseph Beaver
Mohammed Beqqi
Chase Blackburn
Mia Blakeslee
Johnathan Brady
Chandler Brendel
Empress Cain
Maria Callaghan
Isabella Campbell
Matthew Caratelli
Lillian Carreon
Anthony Carter
Carmyn Catley
Matthew Chirico
Troy Clark

Ella Clerici
Kaiden Cribbs
Cammie Crouse
Laina Cusato
Jessica Davis
Nikkia Dawson
Amanda DeDominicis
Danielle Densmore
Gianni Dietz
Luke Dimerling
Hannah DoVidio
Carter Dyke
Declan Eaton
Nevaeh Faytak
Katelyn Ferguson
Armando Ferri
Evangeline Fogle
DeLana Fox
Olivia Galusha
Faith Ganoe
Rialy George

Alivea Gimbus
Leah Godwin
Noah Goetz
Thaddeus Gonzalez
Aleena Gray
Franklin Grayson
Julia Grove
Catessa Guadagnoli
Dennis Habrle
Lilly Hartley
Stone Hartline
Olivia Henderson
Tyler Hepler
Jocelyn Herda
Moises Hernandez
Ruben Hernandez
Segarra
Noah Hilliker
Zoe Hilton
Brianna Huntington
Alexa Hupp

Reyad Jaber
Jonathan Janicki
Isaiah Jeter
Brendan Jones
Chelsey Joseph
Ryan Kelly
Baylee Kirkham
Baylor Kirsch
Annabelle Komlos
Preston Korol
Taylor Kosinski
Nikita Kotuba
Cameron Kriberney
Shawn Kristophel
Logan Kryder
Carlie Kuga
Matthew Kwok
Maggie Laemmle
Myckenzie Laneve
Rylee Lavelle
Heather Lawrence

Vincent Lazzaro
Lindsey Lehman
Dominick Lightner
Dallyn Love
Kimberly Malatesta
Elizabeth Martin
Will Martin
Sage Kylie Mateer
Ella McCormack
Brooke Menegon
Jacob Mersing
Mya Mitchell
John Montini
Dylan Myers
Ryan Neils
Nathan Norton
Charles Nourigat
Jacqueline Ohl

Jeffrey Palmer
Julia Patrisian
Branden Plowman
Remington Pond
John Porter
Joseph Pruszenski
Gianna Rankin
Rylee Reynolds
Jah’Nauri Riggins
Sharin Robb
Emil Rodriguez
Sanchez
Curtis Runyan
Josie Russell
John Samosky
Jiovonni Santella
Nolan Saxe
Nathan Scarpone
Lucas Scheidemantle

Jessica Schriner
Nathan Sciaretta
Jacee Serak
Kira Shakespeare
Willie Simmons
Arielle Simonds
Aashna Sinha Roy
Logan Smith
Jacob Snatchko
Jack Stablow
Cliff Stobart
Kodiak Stobart
Abigail Stowe
Helgalie Suh
Annette Thomas
Victoria Tomei
Annamarie Vitale
Nicole Vo

Ryan Vukovcan
Colton Wayne
Liam Welge
Logan Wells
Carl Wendt
Jenna White
Allie Williams
Robert Wilson
Danae Woods
William Wright
Joseph Yarosz
Sean Yates
Rebecca Zemaitis
Laura Zeranick

and the following full-time students were named to the Dean’s List:

Vincent Adams
Batule Altahawi
Riley Balco
Kenneth Beatty
Raelyn Boyer
Zachary Bucka
Logan Butter
Ryan Cain
Lexie Carpenter
Zachary Casto
Domenic Catanzarite
Darcell Cleckley
Ryleigh Clyde
Ethan Colvin
Carly Condes
Landon Connolly
Michael Croswell
Joel Cunniff
Kayden Curcio
Lillyanna Davis
Jacquelynn Demacio
Kora Eaton
Carson Emerick

Alexander Espenship
Aiden Fattore
Camten Fazzino
Sarah Firich
Tianyao Gao
Chloe Garing
Mackenzie Gould
Jordan Grant
Raelynn Harris
Annaray Hatt
Joshua Hatton
Taylor Hazlett
Brady Hess
Maxwell Hill
Ethan Hunt
Heba Iham
Rebecca Jennings
Javon Johnson
Allison Kalcevic
Nataley Keefer
Kole Kerestes
Ava Kernaich
Anna Kosol

Braya Kramer
Kasaya Krause
Validus Lauzon
Evanna Lay
Cornell Lee
Noah Lovett
Zaynah Makowiecki
Joey Malia
Hannah Malingowski
Victoria Mann
Angelina Martin
Samwise Mason
Lainey Mayer
Elizabeth McDonald
Shaelyn McDonald
Jaden McMeekin
Robert McNear
Gianna Merulli
Alexandra Mikolajczak
Amber Miles
Lucas Moore
Alicen Mosura
Cameron Mulica

Maria Mundy
Zachary Neel
Preston Norman
McGinnis O’Shea
Orlando Ortega
Tristan Oudit
Nathan Paliwoda
Allison Parrish
Kilian Perkins
Logan Pettibon
Louis Rabatin
Roman Reichart
Rylee Ringhoff
Sheldon Rini
Omar Rivera
Rachel Sabat
Cristiana Schaefer
Nehemiah Seifert
Ava Sellers
Madison Sherlock
Anastasia Smith
Tysheal Smith
Catherine Spiker

Elizabeth Spilsbury
Louis Suh
Logan Sullivan
Camryn Thomas

Shane Tillia
Anthony Tuschong
Simone van der Ham
Jacob Weiman

Skylar Westerman
James Wetzel
Chloe Wijnen-Riems
Sarah Windsheimer

Abigail Winterhalter

and the following part-time students were named to the President’s List:

Jacob Albanese
Brianna ArnoldBesiso
Caden Beringer
Ashliann Brenner
Hayden Burrell
Joshua Carr
Lily Ceriani
Ethan Clark
Caroline Clow
Hannah Cornelius
Mary Cropps
Brandie DeNelle
Brandon Downs
Daegan Duffy

Elizabeth Elias
Domanic Francis
Gwendolyn Fritz
Marc Galante
Joel Garcia Crego
Shawn Geisinger
Graecyn Gibbons
Marin Glomb
Stacey Goff
Aubrey Grater
Brandon Hansen
Ethan Herstine
McKenna Houser
Christina Ion

Timothy Jakubek
Joshua Lanzoni
Jakob Lee
Abbigail Lyon
Mackenzie Maga
Melanie Maldonado
Brian McCabe
Zachary Nemec
Lily Parish
Matthew Park
Braden Pechart
Emily Peroni
Aaron Pfeifer
Sara Powell

Ella Quatman
Colby Ramirez
Amy Rectenwald
Vivian Riggins
Vance Rooke
Rachel Sledzianowski
Sarah Smith
Kirsten Sokolovich
Breanne Steiner
Leanne Suhoney
Trinity Will
Breonna Wissinger
Shelby Young

and following part-time students were named to the Dean’s List:

Maya Abt
Marianne Ansa
Elijah Ansell
Carly Arbes
Demetrius Bridges
Ella Brunton
Sara Burgos-Negron
Madilyn Burket
Christian Burrell
Tyler Byer
Ella Ceriani
Kylee Dean

Emily DeMaiolo
Laura Dennis
Tessa DeSanzo
Delaney Dixon
Ebony Dorsett
Lily Geweth
Samantha Gutierrez
Diana Hernandez
Morgan Hochschild
Annica Jones
Jada Lahita
Emma Leonard

Olivia Logue
Keaton Matteson
Mikenzi McBride
Kayleigh McCabe
Myari McCracken
Josephine McKenna
Brittney Megyesy
Tori Miller
Emma Mrkonja
Ava Novajosky
Kirstin Pantaleo
Annamarie Price

Rose Pyles
Breanna Reynolds
Makayla Sanko
Niko Santarelli
Ilgaz Sevinc
Aubrey Stamm
Zoi Waite
Allison Ware
Olivia Warren
Maura Watterson
Selby Willmorth
Dominic Yoho

US Departments of Labor, Agriculture announce effort to streamline job opportunities and training for SNAP participants

(Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of the U.S. Department of Labor)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Washington, D.C.) According to a release in Washington D.C. on Friday from the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. departments of Labor and Agriculture announced on Friday a Memorandum of Understanding to maximize skills training and work opportunities for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participants. The agreement will help states connect SNAP participants more effectively with Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act job training programs, which will aim to help more low-income Americans find and maintain employment. 

Bicyclist taken into custody for drug possession in New Castle

(File Photo of Handcuffs)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(New Castle, PA) Pennsylvania State Police in New Castle reported via release on Saturday that an unidentified bicyclist was taken into custody for drug possession in the city of New Castle on the evening of September 5th, 2025. This occurred at 10:19 p.m. along Agnew Street and Marion Court. According to police, PSP New Castle attempted a traffic stop on the bicyclist for a traffic violation and that person attempted to flee on foot but was immediately apprehended and was taken into custody. Charges will be filed against the bicyclist. 

Central Catholic High School introduces campus improvement fundraising campaign worth $55 million for its centennial

(Photo Courtesy of KDKA-TV CBS Pittsburgh, Posted on Facebook on December 20th, 2025)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh has now revealed what they are calling the most ambitious capital campaign in the history of the school. The “Centennial Campaign: Rooted in Tradition, Building For Our Future” aims to raise $55 million for improvements to the campus ahead of the 100th anniversary of the school in the 2027-28 school year. The project will consist of three phases. The first phase will be a renovation of the Brothers’ House that houses the De LaSalle Christian Brothers who serve on the campus. Phase two will be the construction of a new student center, which the school is preparing to break ground on the new center that is 102,000 square feet. The new student center will include student gathering spaces, a TV studio, a lecture hall, a dining hall, a regulation-sized gymnasium, a fitness center, and team locker rooms for the season. This would replace the gym on campus that is nearly 50 years old. The third and final phase will be the main enhancements to the building. That would include the installation of an elevator to ensure compliance for the ADA, upgraded measures for security, and climate control that is modernized. This will also create extended space for the fine arts program, as the facilities for athletics and the dining hall will be moved to the new student center. 

Pittsburgh City Council approves 2026 budget with a real estate tax hike of 20%

(File Photo of a Dollar Sign)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Pittsburgh City Council approved a real estate tax hike of 20% yesterday in an effort to remedy a budget deficit of roughly $20 million. The council voted 6-2 to approve the tax increase in a rare weekend session. The $20% increase for taxes would be the first spike in taxes like this in over ten years. Council members passed a spending plan of over $693 million for the 2026 budget. Mayor Ed Gainey now has ten days to decide whether to veto, approve or take no action on the measure. 

Three people hospitalized in a crash in White Oak

(File Photo of Police Siren Lights)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Allegheny County, PA) Three people were injured in a vehicle crash in White Oak yesterday. According to an Allegheny County 911 supervisor, emergency crews were called to the 3000 block of Jacks Run Road around 3:45 p.m. and three people were taken to the hospital from the scene. Debris and lines were down in the roadway near McClintock Road. No additional details about the crash have been released. 

Congressmen Deluzio, Goldman Introduce Legislation to Lower Cost of Stadium Concessions

(File Photo of Congressman Chris Deluzio speaking to three ladies)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Washington, D.C.) According to a release in Washington D.C. on Saturday from Congressman Chris Deluzio’s office, last week, Congressmen Deluzio (PA-17) and Dan Goldman (NY-10) introduced the Honest Oversight of Ticketed Dining and Onsite Grub (HOTDOG) Act to direct the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to conduct a nationwide study of concession pricing practices at sports venues. The HOTDOG Act would direct the FTC to evaluate the pricing practices at professional sports stadiums which were constructed or operated with public subsidy funds.   

Romanian court sentences Pittsburgh rapper Wiz Khalifa to nine months for drug possession

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – Wiz Khalifa, a cast member in “Spinning Gold,” arrives at the premiere of the film, Wednesday, March 29, 2023, at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — American rapper Wiz Khalifa was sentenced by a court in Romania on Thursday to nine months in jail for drug possession, more than a year after he took part in a music festival in the Eastern European country.

Khalifa was stopped by Romanian police in July 2024 after allegedly smoking cannabis on stage at the Beach, Please! Festival in Costinesti, a coastal resort in Constanta County. Prosecutors said the rapper, whose real name is Cameron Jibril Thomaz, was found in possession of more than 18 grams of cannabis, and that he consumed some on stage.

The Constanta Court of Appeal handed down the sentence after Khalifa was convicted of “possession of dangerous drugs, without right, for personal consumption,” according to Romania’s national news agency, Agerpres. The decision is final.

The decision came after a lower court in Constanta County in April issued Khalifa a criminal fine of 3,600 lei ($830) for “illegal possession of dangerous drugs,” but prosecutors appealed the court’s decision and sought a higher sentence.

Romania has some of the harsher drugs laws in Europe. Possession of cannabis for personal use is criminalized and can result in a prison sentence of between three months and two years, or a fine.

It isn’t clear whether Romanian authorities will seek to file an extradition request, since Khalifa is a U.S. citizen and doesn’t reside in Romania.

The 38-year-old Pittsburgh rapper rose to prominence with his breakout mixtape “Kush + Orange Juice.” On stage in Romania last summer, the popular rapper smoked a large, hand-rolled cigarette while singing his hit “Young, Wild & Free.”

Hoffmann Family to purchase controlling interest in Pittsburgh Penguins

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby plays during an NHL hockey game Monday, Dec. 1, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A family-owned, Chicago-based investment company has reached a “definitive agreement” to purchase a controlling interest in the Pittsburgh Penguins from Fenway Sports Group.

The Penguins announced Friday that Hoffmann Family of Companies and FSG have come to terms on a sale that would signal Hoffmann’s initial foray into major professional sports. Any purchase would need to be approved by the NHL’s Board of Governors, though that is often merely a formality.

The financial details of the agreement were not released, though the Penguins were valued at around $1.7 billion recently by Forbes.

“Hockey has always been a meaningful part of our family’s story, which makes this an incredibly special opportunity,” Geoff Hoffmann, CEO of Hoffmann Family of Companies, said in a statement. “We’ve long admired the Pittsburgh Penguins — not just for their championship legacy and history, but for the culture, passion, and loyalty that define the organization.

The sale, if completed, would end FSG’s brief run as stewards of the five-time Stanley Cup-winning franchise. FSG, which owns Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox and Liverpool of the Premier League, agreed to purchase the Penguins from Ron Burkle and Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux in late 2021.

The terms of that sale were not announced, though the team was valued at around $845 million by Sportico at that time.

The Hoffmann Family, a private equity enterprise of more than 125 global brands that counts the ECHL’s Florida Everblades among the many entities it runs, will pay considerably more than that to become the team’s third owner in a half-decade.

The Penguins said FSG will remain a minority shareholder for a period of time to continue its support in key business areas, including sponsorship sales and regional sports network management, as part of a phased transition.

“From our earliest conversations, (the Hoffmanns) love of the sport and their commitment to doing things the right way made it clear they would be thoughtful stewards of the franchise, which is why we chose to seriously consider their interest,” FSG CEO Sam Kennedy said in a statement. “We plan to work closely with them to ensure a smooth transition and to carry forward the momentum that’s been built.”

The sale comes with the Penguins in a bit of a transitional period as the era defined by stars Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang nears its end. The trio — who are playing their 20th season as teammates — have guided the club to three Stanley Cups (2009, 2016 and 2017), though Pittsburgh has not reached the playoffs since 2022 and hasn’t won a postseason series since 2018.

The Penguins are in the midst of an overhaul orchestrated by general manager Kyle Dubas. They parted ways with two-time Stanley Cup-winning coach Mike Sullivan last spring and are off to a better-than-expected start under first-year coach Dan Muse, though they are currently riding a seven-game losing streak.

Attendance has dipped since the club’s 633-game sellout streak ended in October 2021. The Penguins are currently playing to about 88% capacity this season at PPG Paints Arena, the third-lowest percentage in the league.

What’s unclear is where Lemieux might fit in. The franchise icon’s role during FSG’s tenure was nebulous, though he has been around more frequently of late as Crosby neared Lemieux’s franchise points record.

Crosby has 1,722 career points entering Saturday night’s game in Montreal, one shy of Lemieux’s total of 1,723.

Lemieux, who led the team to a pair of Stanley Cups in 1991 and 1992, remains beloved in Pittsburgh, where a statue of him sits outside one of the gates at PPG Paints Arena, which was built during his tenure as one of the club’s majority owners.

Pirates acquire All-Star 2B Brandon Lowe in three-team trade involving the Rays and the Astros

(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) — The offense-starved Pittsburgh Pirates finally made an aggressive offseason move, acquiring two-time All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe from the Tampa Bay Rays as part of a three-team trade that also includes the Houston Astros.

The Rays are sending Lowe, left-hander Mason Montgomery and outfielder Jake Mangum to Pittsburgh, who in turn are dealing right-hander Mike Burrows to Houston. The Astros are sending outfielder Jacob Melton and right-hander Anderson Brito to Tampa Bay.

The 31-year-old Lowe, an All-Star in 2019 and 2025, gives the Pirates a veteran bat for a lineup in desperate need of some pop to support a promising young pitching staff led by National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes.

The left-handed Lowe hit .256 with 31 home runs and 83 RBIs for Tampa Bay and now heads to PNC Park, where the 21-foot-high Clemente Wall in right field could be a tantalizing target.

The move is an unusually aggressive one for the Pirates, who have been reticent to acquire much in the way of salary in recent years. Lowe is scheduled to make $11.5 million in 2026 and can become a free agent after the World Series.

Pittsburgh was thought to be pursuing slugger Kyle Schwarber, who opted to stay in Philadelphia. The Pirates did trade for outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia, who hit 18 homers in Triple-A in the Red Sox organization last year.

Lowe, however, is the kind of splashy move that provides actual proof that the team is committed — in 2026, at least — to upgrading an offense that was at or near the bottom of the majors in nearly every major category, including runs and home runs.

The 26-year-old Burrows went 2-4 with a 3.94 ERA for the Pirates last season, but he may have found himself the odd man out in a starting rotation projected to include Skenes, Bubba Chandler and Mitch Keller, among others.

The left-handed Montgomery will have a chance to carve out a spot in a Pittsburgh bullpen that includes closer Dennis Santana and veteran left-hander Gregory Soto. Montgomery went 1-3 with a 5.67 ERA in 57 games last season for the Rays.

The 29-year-old Mangum hit .296 and stole 27 bases in 118 games for Tampa Bay during his rookie season last year.

Melton, 24, hit just .157 during his debut with Houston last season but batted a solid .286 while playing for Triple-A Sugar Land before his call-up. The 21-year-old Brito had a sub-4.00 ERA while playing in the low minors last year.