Author: Beaver County Radio

Mayor of Philadelphia says plane crash leaves five people hospitalized and three of them in critical condition

File Photo: Source for Photo: First responders work the scene after what witnesses say was a plane crash in Philadelphia, Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Three people injured on the ground when a jet crashed in a busy Philadelphia neighborhood, killing seven people, remain in critical condition, Mayor Cherelle Parker said Sunday.

Parker said 22 people were injured and five of them remain hospitalized. At least 11 homes were significantly damaged, along with some businesses.

“Our city continues to mourn their loss and they are in our thoughts and prayers,” Parker said of the deceased.

A Mexico-bound air ambulance plunged to the ground Friday evening, less than a minute after takeoff from Northeast Philadelphia Airport with six people on board, including a girl who had spent months being treated at a city hospital.

One of the dead was killed inside a car as debris from the Learjet 55 crash exploded into the neighborhood, damaging nearby homes.

The investigation into the crash remained ongoing, Parker said, adding that officials were going door to door to seek information from neighborhood residents.

The National Transportation Safety Board said Sunday that investigators recovered the jet’s cockpit voice recorder at the impact site at a depth of about 8 feet (2.4 meters). Also recovered was the aircraft’s ground proximity warning system, which could also contain flight data, the agency said on social media.

The crash came just two days after the deadliest U.S. air disaster in a generation, when an American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided in midair in Washington, D.C., with an Army helicopter carrying three soldiers. There were no survivors.

A busy thoroughfare near the Philadelphia crash site remained closed Sunday, but police said Roosevelt Boulevard would reopen by rush hour Monday morning.

The neighborhood known as Castor Gardens is a working-class area of dense row homes, said state Rep. Jared Solomon, who grew up there. It’s a busy commercial and residential area crisscrossed by heavy traffic.

“These are just people who want to help others,” Solomon said Sunday. “They’re nurses, they’re construction workers, they are first responders. In a community that is always poised to help others in and around our city; now we sort of are able to turn inward and all unite together.”

The plane, bound for Tijuana with a scheduled stop in Missouri, had reached about 1,500 feet (457 meters) before it plummeted to the ground. National Transportation Safety Board chair Jennifer Homendy called it a “high-impact crash” that left the plane “highly fragmented.” She said NTSB staff would be working to collect debris from the wreckage, a process that could take weeks.

The child had recently completed treatment at Shriners Children’s Philadelphia hospital for a condition not easily treated in Mexico, hospital officials said. Her mother and four crew members also died. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said all six victims on the plane were from her country.

Philadelphia officials and plane owner Jet Rescue Air Ambulance have not disclosed the identities of the dead, but XE Médica Ambulancias, a Mexican emergency service, identified one of the victims as Dr. Raúl Meza of the State of Mexico near Mexico City, the air ambulance company’s chief of neonatology. Relatives of Josué Juárez of Veracruz said he was the aircraft’s co-pilot.

Parker said names of all of the deceased victims from Mexico will not be made public until Mexican consulate officials deem it appropriate.

But in Mexico, the Ensenada municipal government confirmed that two of the victims were from that coastal city in Baja California state and identified them as Valentina Guzmán Murillo and her mother, Lizeth Murillo Osuna.

Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, which operated the Mexico-registered airplane that crashed in Philadelphia, is based in Mexico and also has operations in Miami. In 2023 five crew members working for Jet Rescue were killed when their plane overran a runway in the central Mexican state of Morelos and crashed into a hillside.

Audio recorded by LiveATC captured an air traffic controller at Northeast Philadelphia Airport telling “Medevac Medservice 056” to turn right when departing. About 30 seconds later, the controller repeats the request before asking, “You on frequency?” Minutes later the controller says, “We have a lost aircraft. We’re not exactly sure what happened, so we’re trying to figure it out. For now the field is going to be closed.”

Punxsutawney Phil predicts six more weeks of winter on Groundhog Day 2025

File Photo: Source for Photo: Groundhog Club handler A.J. Dereume holds Punxsutawney Phil, the weather prognosticating groundhog, during the 139th celebration of Groundhog Day on Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa., Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) — Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow Sunday and predicted six more weeks of wintry weather, his top-hatted handlers announced to a raucus, record-sized crowd at Gobbler’s Knob in Pennsylvania.

Phil was welcomed with chants of “Phil, Phil, Phil,” and pulled from a hatch on his tree stump shortly after sunrise before a member of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club read from a scroll in which he boasted: “Only I know — you can’t trust A.I.”

The woodchuck’s weather forecast is an annual ritual that goes back more than a century in western Pennsylvania, with far older roots in European folklore, but it took Bill Murray’s 1993 “Groundhog Day” movie to transform the event into what it is today, with tens of thousands of revelers at the scene and imitators scattered around the United States and beyond.

When Phil is deemed to have not seen his shadow, that is said to usher in an early spring. When he does see it, there will be six more weeks of winter.

The crowd was treated to a fireworks show, confetti and live music that ranged from the Ramones to “Pennsylvania Polka” as they awaited sunrise and Phil’s emergence. Gov. Josh Shapiro, local and state elected officials and a pair of pageant winners were among the dignitaries at the scene.

Self-employed New York gingerbread artist Jon Lovitch has attended the event for 33 years.

“I like the cold, you know, and this is probably the best and biggest midwinter party in the entire world,” Lovitch said in Punxsutawney. “And it’s just a really good time.”

Phil has predicted a longer winter far more often than an early spring, and one effort to track his accuracy concluded he was right less than half the time. What six more weeks of winter means is subjective.

Tom Dunkel, president of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, says there are two types of people who make the trek to Gobbler’s Knob: the faithful seeking to validate their beliefs and the doubters who want to confirm their skepticism.

Phil communicated his forecast to Dunkel through “Groundhog-ese” with the help of a special cane that Dunkel has inherited as the club’s leader. It’s not as if he speaks in English words.

“He’ll like wink, he’ll purr, he’ll chatter, he’ll — you know — nod,” Dunkel said.

Attendance is free but it cost $5 to take a bus and avoid a 1 mile (1.6 kilometer) trek from the middle of town to the stage where the prediction was made, some 80 miles (123 kilometers) northeast of Pittsburgh. The need for so many buses is why the local schools, where the sports mascot is the Chucks, close when Groundhog Day falls on a weekday.

Keith Post, his wife and a friend have watched the “Groundhog Day” movie in each of the past five years and decided this was the time to make the trip from Ohio to witness the event.

“We booked rooms almost a year in advance and we’re here,” Post said. “We’re doing it.”

A new welcome center opened four years ago and the club is working on an elaborate second living space for Phil and family so they can split time between Gobbler’s Knob and Phil’s longtime home at the town library. The club also put up large video screens and more powerful speakers this year to help attendees in the back of the crowd follow the proceedings.

“It’s a holiday where you don’t really owe anyone anything,” said A.J. Dereume, who among the club’s 15-member inner circle serves as Phil’s handler and held him up to loud cheers on Sunday. “You’re grasping onto the belief, you know, in something that’s just fun to believe in.”

Jackie Handley agreed a year ago to visit Punxsutawney for the first time to help a friend check off an item on their bucket list. They were ready for the subfreezing temperatures.

“It’s once in a lifetime — we’re probably not going to come back. And we have tons of warm clothes,” said Handley, who lives in Falls Church, Virginia.

After the forecast was made, club members and Phil posed for photos with people from the crowd.

Phil has a wife, Punxsutawney Phyllis, and two pups born this spring, Shadow and Sunny, although his family did not join him on stage for the big event. The groundhog family eats fruits and vegetables, get daily visits from Dereume and sees a veterinarian at least once a year.

The club’s lore is that Phil is the same woodchuck who has been issuing weather forecasts for the past century, thanks to an “elixir of life” that keeps him immortal.

“There’s only one Phil, and it’s not something that can be handed down,” Dunkel said. “Just like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, there’s only one.”

There have been Groundhog Day events in at least 28 U.S. states and Canadian provinces. In Pennsylvania, groundhogs predicted more winter Sunday in Mount Joy, Dover, York, Lebanon County and Lancaster County’s Manheim Township. But at the Slumbering Groundhog Lodge in Quarryville, Octoraro Orphie was said to predict spring is on the way.

In Georgia, about 50 miles (81 kilometers) southeast of Atlanta in Jackson, a groundhog named “General Beauregard Lee” saw his shadow, his handlers declared, meaning six more weeks of winter. It was said that Shubenacadie Sam at a wildlife park in Nova Scotia, Canada, also saw her shadow and predicted six more weeks of winter.

Melissa E. Szczepanksi Quay (1964-2025)

Melissa E. Szczepanski Quay, 60, of Beaver, passed away unexpectedly on January 30th, 2025.
She was born in Sewickley on June 24th, 1964, the daughter of the late Felix and Dorothy Rebich Szczepanski. She is survived by her beloved husband of nearly twelve years, John G Quay Sr., her son, John G Jr. (Savanah) Quay, of Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, her brother, Felix (Roxanne) Szczepanski of Beaver, her grandson, Stone Jordan Quay; along with several nieces and nephews, including her special nieces, Jade and Angela.

Melissa had been a resident of Beaver her entire life. She had worked for ServiceLink as a Market Manager for thirty-seven years. She also enjoyed yoga.

A Memorial Visitation will be held at the Noll Funeral Home Inc., 333 Third Street, Beaver, on Saturday, February 8th from 12 noon to 4 p.m. Online condolences may be shared at www.nollfuneral.com.
Inurnment will take place at a later date at the Beaver Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be shared in Melissa’s name to the Beaver County Heart and Cancer Association, 3582 Brodhead Road, Suite 201, Monaca PA 15061.

 

Janet Josephine Eckstein Burns (Passed on January 31st, 2025)

Janet Josephine Eckstein Burns passed away at home on January 31, 2025 with her family at her side. She was preceded in death by her parents, Mary and John Eckstein, her siblings: Betty, Dan, Dorothy (Frank), Ann, (Norman) Veda, Butch; her husband Charles Keating Burns, her brother-in-law, Walt and her sister-in-laws, Mary Jane Bryner (Homer) and Patricia Phillips (Stan).

She is survived by her four children, David (Jessica) of Annapolis, Maryland, Brian of Hampton, Virginia, Susan (Lee) of Huntersville, North Carolina, and Kelly (Doug) of Pittsburgh. She is also survived by her twin sister, Janice Jane and her sister, Gladys (Don). Janet had three grandchildren who were the loves of her life: Kelsey Newman Thomason (Patrick) of Centreville, Virginia, Jenna Newman of Charleston, South Carolina, and Jonathan Newman of Wilmington, North Carolina. She welcomed her first great grandson, Steven Baird Thomason On January 11th, 2025. Her favorite grand-dog, Tillie, spent countless hours by her side and brought her great joy and comfort.

Janet was a graduate of Midland High School. She and her sisters worked at the Beaver Supermarket while in high school and Janet spent her earnings right across the street at the Shirley Shoppe. This is when she perfected her keen sense of fashion and hair. She became the unofficial hairdresser of family and friends for years and was always known for her sense of style.

She married Charles Keating Burns on June 6th, 1959 at St. John the Baptist Church in Monaca. True partners, they spent 54 loving years together until his death in 2013. They raised their four children on Monaca Heights happily surrounded by grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Later in life, they spent ten years in Reston, Virginia where Janet taught at the Nysmith School. They retired back to Monaca, but they often wintered in Hawaii with their sons and visited Ireland, England, Scotland, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Switzerland and Italy.

Janet had many interests including her card clubs, which gave her joy and resulted in lifelong friendships. Her trips to Mountaineer always made her happy along with lottery tickets.

Janet was surrounded by close friends throughout her life. Two special friends she found early on in her Monaca neighborhood made it feel like home: Mary Egan and Shirley Golixer, who have been considered part of the Burns Family since 1971. In recent years, Mark and Jeannie McAnnany, not only became great neighbors, but also lovingly became caregivers to Janet and provided unwavering support to her children. The family would also like to thank AHN Hospice, including her nurses Rhonda and Joyce, for care throughout this journey.

The family will receive friends on Tuesday, February 4th from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. at Simpson Funeral & Cremation Services, 1119 Washington Avenue, Monaca where prayers will be offered on Wednesday, Ferbuary 5th at 9:30 a.m. followed by a service at 10 a.m. at St. John The Baptist Catholic Church of Monaca. Interment will follow in the parish cemetery. The family has suggested Memorial Contributions be made, if desired to the National Arthritis Association. https://info.arthritis.org

Peggy Lynn Reda (Passed on January 31st, 2025)

Peggy Lynn Reda, 62, of Monaca, passed away on January 31st, 2025 at Heritage Valley Beaver. She was born in Ohioville and was preceded in death by her parents, Ernest and Sylvia Keyser.

Peggy was a 1981 graduate of Western Beaver High School and went on to harness her innate nurturing abilities at Villa St Joseph, where she trained as a certified nursing aide. Her passion for helping others led her to a career with Lutheran Senior Life, where she was not just an employee, but a beloved member of the community she served with dedication and compassion. She was united in love with Ronald A. Reda in October of 1984, with whom she shared the joys and challenges of life. Together, they navigated the waters of life aboard their boat, finding peace and happiness in the simple pleasure of a day spent on the water. Her love for the outdoors extended to bike riding and exercising. In her quiet moments, Peggy’s companionship with her beloved dog, Miley, provided her with comfort and joy.

Friends will be received on Wednesday, February 5th from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. at Simpson Funeral and Cremation Services, 1119 Washington Avenue, Monaca.

Evelyn May Chembars (1938-2025)

Evelyn May Chembars (Buffalini), 86, passed away on January 24th, 2025. She was born in Monaca on May 13th, 1938. Evelyn was preceded in death by her beloved daughter, Marla McClain. She is survived by her devoted husband, Frank, with whom she shared 64 wonderful years of marriage, her daughters, Julia Metz and Rebecca Chembars, their husbands, Bill Metz and John Hayden, her son-in-law, Thomas McClain, her cherished grandchildren, Laura Brightbill (Zac), Justin Gooding and Christian McClain, her brother, John Buffalini; as well as many nieces and nephews. She was very much looking forward to soon becoming a great-grandmother.

She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and registered nurse leaving behind a legacy of love, faith, and service. Evelyn was a proud graduate of Monaca High School and pursued her passion for nursing by obtaining her RN from Mercy Hospital School of Nursing. She dedicated her early career to the emergency room and nursery at Rochester Hospital before taking time off to raise her beloved children.

In a remarkable testament to her determination and commitment to education, Evelyn returned to school at the age of 50, earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Slippery Rock University and later her Master’s in Education (Health Education) from Penn State University. Her career as a school nurse in Midland brought her immense joy, and she concluded her professional journey at the Hopewell Area School District at the age of 72. Evelyn cherished her work with children and held deep respect and love for her colleagues. Known for her feisty and tenacious spirit, she approached every challenge with unwavering strength and determination.

Faith was the cornerstone of Evelyn’s life. She was a lifelong member of St. John the Baptist Parish, where she celebrated significant milestones within the church community, including the Sacraments bestowed upon herself, her husband, her children and grandchildren. Her commitment extended beyond her own faith journey as she and her dear friend Marie Galzarano co-founded the kindergarten program at the parish school, nurturing the next generation.

Evelyn found joy in nature, relishing the fresh air and the beauty of flowers and wildlife, especially in her own backyard. She was a devoted family woman who cherished summer vacations at Disney World, creating lasting memories with her loved ones. Her home was adorned with decorations for every season, reflecting her playful spirit and love for family traditions.

In accordance with her wishes, there will be no visitation. A private service and interment has been held to honor her life and legacy. Arrangements have been entrusted to Simpson Funeral and Cremation Services, 1119 Washington Avenue, Monaca. Evelyn May Chembars will be deeply missed but forever remembered for her unwavering faith, loving heart, tenacious spirit, and dedication to family and community.

Michael P. Ubaldi (1950-2025)

Michael P. Ubaldi, 74, of Rochester Township, passed away on January 29th, 2025 in UPMC McCandless. He was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey on July 20th, 1950, a son of the late Carmen Ubaldi and Elizabeth McConnell. He is survived by his wife Sundy Ubaldi, two daughters, Niki Ubaldi (Thaddee Boyogueno), and Gina (Jay) Kolanko, four grandsons: Yves, Beau, Theo and Real; a grandaughter, Camren, a son, Tony Ubaldi, four siblings: Donna (Rob) Cron, Dennis (Denise) Ubaldi, Raymond (Loretta) Ubaldi and Mark McConnell; as well as four sisters-in-law: Marsha (Willie) Ellison, Yvonne Bell, Doris Nash, and Norma Pinkston.

Michael earned a Bachelors Degree from Mansfield College. He was a retired Locomotive Engineer who worked for Norfolk Southern for 36 years. He loved to walk with his wife and his dog Buddy around the track at Rochester High School. They also enjoyed walks in the neighborhood. He also enjoyed traveling, especially to Jamaica.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, February, 8th at Second Baptist Church of Rochester, 200 Clay Street, Rochester.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude.

Mary Ann Kester (1935-2025)

Mary Ann Kester, 90, of West Mayfield, passed away on January 31st, 2025 at Providence Care Center.

She was born in New Brighton on January 19th, 1935, the daughter of the late Lloyd Javens. In addition to her father, she was preceded in death by her loving husband, Dale W. Kester, a son, Scott A. Kester, her two daughters, Linda J. Bradley and Kathleen S. Kester; as well as a son-in-law, Douglas Rader. She is survived by three sons, Robert Kester, Brad W. (Lisa) Kester and Donald L. (Cindy) Kester, her daughter, Michelle Rader, her son-in-law, John Bradley, eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Mary Ann spent the majority of her life caring for and raising her children. She was very involved with school events, such as the PTA. She also enjoyed being crafty and crocheting. She also liked to go to church. She also liked to go bowling.

Friends will be received on Wednesday, February 5th from 2 P.M. until the time of service at 4 P.M. at Corless-Kunselman Funeral Services, LLC, 3801 4th Avenue, Beaver Falls. Pastor Gary Hilton will officiate.

Interment will be private at Sylvania Hills Memorial Park.

Biagio John Pagani (1934-2025)

Biagio John Pagani (Badge), 90, of Beaver, passed away on January 30th, 2025. He was born in Fallston on October 22nd, 1934, a son of the late Gerolomo James and Margaret Gaz Pagani. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister Zita, his sister and brother-in-law, Irma and John Smakosz, brother, Livio Pagani, and a nephew, John Smakoz Jr.  He was also preceded in death by his wife’s family: Michael and Anna Smelko, Margaret and John Reedich, Eleanor Smelko, Elizabeth Smelko, Mary Ann and Francis Stablow, John and Mary Ellen Smelko, Theresa Bernadette Penczak; as well as his nephew, John Reedich Jr.

He is survived by his wife Alice Mary (Smelko), daughters, Joy Ann (Jeffery) Wintersgill and Lynn Marie (Michael) Akins, granddaughters, Allison Grace and Elizabeth Claire Wintersgill, brother, Eugene Pagani, in-laws, Barbara Pagani and Leonard Penczak, along with many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.

Biagio was a member of Our Lady of the Valley Parish and attended the Saints Peter and Paul worship site, where he served as an usher.

Biagio graduated from New Brighton High School and Geneva College.  He was a veteran of the U.S. Army, serving as a petroleum laboratory specialist in Okinawa, Japan.  He was employed at Freedom Oil/Ashland for forty-three years as a chemist.  For many years, Badge was on the Board of Directors at Freedom United Credit Union and was Treasurer of the Beaver Valley Chapter of Credit Unions.

Biagio was a lifelong lover of model trains.  For many years, he was a volunteer for the train display at the Festival of Trees.  He also loved dancing and, along with his wife, was a member of the New Brighton Croatian Kolo Ensemble. He enjoyed traveling and especially visiting his family in Italy.  Christmas was his favorite holiday.  He loved decorating the house and hosting his family’s Christmas Eve celebration.  In the summertime, his favorite season, you could find Badge soaking up the sun with his “pool buddies” at the Beaver Pool or in his backyard.  Most of all, he enjoyed spending time with his family.

Friends and family will be received at the J & J Spratt Funeral Home, 1612 Third Avenue, New Brighton on Wednesday, February 5th, from 2-4 P.M. and 6-8 P.M. A Mass of Christian burial will be held at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Beaver at 10 A.M. on Thursday, February 6th. He will be laid to rest at Calvary Cemetery in Freedom.  Memorial contributions may be made to the St. Vincent De Paul Society at Our Lady of the Valley Parish, 300 Third Street, Beaver, PA 15009 or to a charity of personal choice.

Lonnie Dale Croston (1958-2025)

Lonnie Dale Croston, 66, formerly of North Sewickley Township, passed away on January 31st, 2025 at Heritage Valley Beaver.

He was born in New Brighton on April 24th, 1958, a son of the late Charles and V. Burndetta (Poe) Croston.

He is survived by his siblings, Tracy Croston, Joy Mayle, and Charles (Debra) Croston; as well as several nieces, nephews, and great-nephews.

No services are planned at this time.

The family would like to thank the staff of Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center and the staff of Heritage Valley Beaver for the love and care they gave to Lonnie. They would also like to thank all those who reached out to them with condolences and words of support.

Gabauer-Lutton Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Inc., 117 Blackhawk Road, Beaver Falls was honored to help Lonnie’s family during this difficult time.