(Harrisburg, PA) According to a release in Harrisburg today from Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday’s office, Sunday announced that the former director of a southwestern Pennsylvania youth football league is charged with diverting nearly a quarter-of-a-million dollars in league assets to personal accounts. Fifty-seven-year-old William Spencer was the director of the Washington/Greene Youth Football League, now known as the Western Pennsylvania Youth Football League (WPYFL), from 2013 until he resigned in March of 2025. Spencer diverted league funds to his accounts to bolster a retirement account, fund credit cards and make various purchases at Amazon, restaurants, and other retailers during that time. Spencer is not in custody, but the Office of Attorney General’s Financial Crimes Section charged him this week with felony and misdemeanor counts of theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property, and two misdemeanor counts of misapplication of entrusted property. Spencer fraudulently wrote 187 checks payable to himself in total from WPYFL’s accounts, which totaled about $230,000, from January 4th, 2020, through February 18th, 2025. Spencer also made direct payments totaling over $3,000 from WPYFL’s accounts to accounts in his and/or his wife’s name, without the knowledge or consent of WPYFL.
(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – A sign for Eli Lilly & Co. stands outside their corporate headquarters in Indianapolis on April 26, 2017. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(Allentown, PA) Governor Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Rick Siger announced today that Pennsylvania has secured a $3.5 billion private-sector investment from global pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly and Company to build a new, state-of-the-art pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Lehigh County. Lilly is purchasing a site in Fogelsville and their investment is the largest by a life sciences company in the history of Pennsylvania. The expansion project will make at least 850 new jobs over the next five years and will continue growing the robust pharmaceutical and life sciences industries of Pennsylvania. This will also be the first Lilly manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania and it represents a long-term commitment to the state from one of the world’s leading drugmakers and it is supported by Commonwealth investment of $100 million.
February brings fun concerts to the Pittsburgh region.
The Wallflowers, Rascal Flatts, Dropkick Murphys and Donnie Iris’ annual birthday bash are among the musical events ready to get you on your feet and dancing.
Here’s the concert calendar to help you pick a few good shows.
PPG PAINTS ARENA
Feb. 27: Rascal Flatts
March 2: Journey; March 3: Three Days Grace; March 6: Cody Johnson; March 20: Bert Kreischer; May 5: Bring Me The Horizon; June 11: 5 Seconds of Summer; June 16: Megan Moroney; June 23: Alex Warren; June 30: Lionel Richie with Earth, Wind & Fire; July 11: Meghan Trainor; July 30-31: Nate Bargatze; Aug. 13: Zac Brown Band; Dec. 21: Andre Bocelli.
Rascal Flatts headlines PPG Paints Arena.
STAGE AE
Feb. 12: Dropkick Murphys
Feb. 19: Ole 60
March 13: Rise Against; March 19: Dark Star Orchestra; March 22: Zara Larsson; April 8: Last Dinner Party; April 10: 49 Winchester; April 14: The Maine; May 12: Ashnikko; June 10: Mt. Joy; July 10: Louis Tomlinson; July 23: O.A.R.; Sept. 23: Rainbow Kitten Surprise
PETERSEN EVENTS CENTER
Feb. 22: Dancing With The Stars Live
March 20: Brit Floyd; March 26: Toby MAC; April 4: B2K, Bow Wow; April 11: Bailey Zimmerman; June 7: Teddy Swims.
PALACE THEATRE
Feb. 21: Donnie Iris & The Cruisers
March 15: Steven Curtis Chapman; April 19: Kenny Wayne Shepherd; May 3: The Jaggerz, Chuck Blasko’s Vogues, The Skyliners, The Marcels and Pure Gold; May 19: ZZ Top; July 23: Air Supply; Oct. 15: Micky Dolenz
Donnie Iris & The Cruisers. (Photo provided by Live Nation Pittsburgh)
CARNEGIE OF MUSIC HOMESTEAD
Feb. 7: Serendipity: A Night of Film with John Cusack
March 7: Sheena Easton; April 9: Colin Mochrie & Brad Sherwood; April 30: Jim Breuer; May 5: Melissa Etheridge; May 28: Airplane! Live With Julie Hagerty and Robert Hays; June 7: Napoleon Dynamite – A Conversation with “Napoleon Dynamite’s” Jon Heder, Efren Ramirez, & Jon Gries; June 9: Ben Folds.
CITY WINERY PITTSBURGH
Feb. 22: Steel Wheels
March 9: California Guitar Trio; March 20: Low Cut Connie; April 13: Soul Asylum acoustic; April 21: BBMak; April 24-25: Vanessa Carlton; April 29: Melissa Manchester; May 10: Willie Nile.
ROXIAN THEATRE
Feb. 14: Chase Matthews
Feb. 15: Badflower
Feb. 17: Descendants and Frank Turner
Feb. 20: The Wallflowers
March 17: Gary Numan; March 28: Thievery Corporation; May 14: Sevendust; May 18: Alter Bridge; April 4: Our Lady Peace and the Verve Pipe; April 7: Ally and AJ; April 14: Snarky Puppy; April 21: Band of Horses; Aug. 12: Courtney Barrett.
MR. SMALLS THEATRE
Feb. 6-7: Pigeons Playing Ping Pong
March 12: Punchline; March 20: Sebastian Bach; March 27: Hunter Hayes; March 28-29: Lotus; April 7: Madison Cunningham; May 2: Afghan Whigs; May 7: Pete Thorn.
BYHAM THEATER
Feb. 7: Ghost Hounds
March 6: Kathleen Madigan; April 18: David Spade.
Ghost Hounds will play the Byham Theater in Pittsburgh.
JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE
Feb. 18: Scott Blasey
Feb. 21: Tyler Braden
March 12: FireHouse; March 15: Jaggerz CD release party; March 19: Max Weinberg’s Jukebox; March 26: Slaughter; April 7: Lynch Mob; April 8: Throwing Muses; April 9: Kylie Morgan; April 22: Uli Jon Roth; April 23: The Band Perry; April 28: Paul Gilbert; May 8: Crack The Sky; May 16: Everclear; July 5: Quiet Riot; Sept. 6: Throwing Muses; Sept. 16-17: Leonid & Friends.
BENEDUM CENTER
March 2: Jason Isbell; 3: Patti LuPone; March 7: Joe Bonamassa; April 8: CeCe Winans; 10: Anne Wilson; April 11: The Temptations & The Four Tops.
UPMC EVENTS CENTER
March 10: Sabaton; April 7: Bush; May 11: Bilmuri; June 15: Yellowcard, New Found Glory, Plain White T’s.
HEINZ HALL
April 11: Lake Street Dive with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra; July 3: Derek Hough.
OAKS THEATER
March 17: Jim Messina; March 26: Spyro Gyra; March 29: Joanne Shaw Taylor.
CRAFTHOUSE GRILL
March 5: Sponge; March 26: The Fell.
ACRISURE STADIUM
June 5-6: Morgan Wallen; Aug. 29: Bruno Mars.
PNC PARK
July 3: Noah Kahan
RIVERS CASINO
Feb. 21: Colin Jost
March 13: Skillet
THUNDERBIRD CAFE
Feb. 17: The Lone Bellow
Feb. 23: Langhorne Slim
April 16: Whitney; May 2: Bahamas; May 12: Marc Broussard; May 22: Southern Culture on The Skids.
PAVILION AT STAR LAKE
June 10: MGK; June 17: Chris Stapleton; June 23: Godsmack; June 26: Riley Green; July 3: Jack Johnson; July 17: Motley Crue; July 24: Dave Matthews Band; Aug. 1: “Weird” Al Yankovic; Aug. 2: Ne-Yo & Akon; Aug. 7: Five Finger Death Punch; Aug. 8: Parker McCollum; Aug. 14: Goo Goo Dolls; Aug. 29: Rob Zombie & Marilyn Manson.
YOUNGSTOWN FOUNDATION AMPHITHEATER
July 10: Jason Aldean; July 11: Eric Church; Aug. 9: Joe Bonamassa and Gov’t Mule.
Others
April 22: Rev. Horton Heat, Preserving Underground, New Kensington; May 28, Jo Dee Messina, Timber Rock Amphitheater, Farmington; June 27: Dustin Lynch, Beaver County Boom on The Bridge, Bridgewater.
(File Photo: Source for Photo: People stand on the field in Acrisure Stadium before an NFL football game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks in Pittsburgh, Sept. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(Pittsburgh, PA) Pitt is making major changes to seating at its football games at Acrisure Stadium. Pitt will close off the upper east and west sides of the stadium and reduce the capacity to 51,416 seats for the 2026 season. Pitt athletic director Allen Greene stated that the decision was in response to feedback from fans who want “a better home field advantage” and this will improve the experience for fans by “transforming Pitt football into a must-attend event.” Pitt will also reevaluate all season ticket holders for 2027. The capacity for Pitt students will remain at 10,000 seats each game.
(Pittsburgh, PA) The PNC Foundation announced this morning that it would be contributing a $2 million grant to the city of Pittsburgh to help purchase new snow removal equipment.According to Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor, the $2 million grant from the PNC Foundation will help the city purchase 15 new vehicles this year. The contribution from the PNC Foundation comes just one day after a donation from UPMC of $10 million to help Pittsburgh upgrade its EMS fleet.
(Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of Allegheny Health Network)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(Wexford, PA) According to a release in Wexford from Allegheny Health Network (AHN), they announced today that AHN Wexford Hospital is a recipient of the 2025 Human Experience (HX) Guardian of Excellence Award, which places the hospital in the top 5% of health care providers in delivering patient experience in the last year.This is the fourth year in a row that AHN Wexford Hospital has been recognized by Press Ganey, and this award is part of Press Ganey’s yearly annual patient experience ranking of top U.S. health systems and hospitals. AHN Wexford Hospital is located north of Pittsburgh in Pine Township, and it includes 158 inpatient beds and a 24-bed emergency department that is capable of caring for both pediatric and adult patients.
Jeffrey Colman Fletcher, 55, of Moon Township, passed away on January 27th, 2026 peacefully in his home following a terminal illness. He was born in Pittsburgh on October 26th, 1970, a son of the late Herbert and Catherine (McDonough) Fletcher. He is survived by his wife of 27 years, Anne (Dixon) Fletcher, his children, Sydney and Coleman Fletcher and his siblings: Herb Fletcher Jr, Kathleen (Thomas) Vogus, Cindy Fletcher and Michele (Matthew) Slogan, along with several beloved nieces, nephews and cherished friends.
Jeffrey graduated from Langley High School in 1988 and Indiana University of PA in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in Dietetics. The majority of his career was spent in public health with the Allegheny County Health Department as a Nutritionist Supervisor for the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program. He was a sports enthusiast who loved supporting Pittsburgh’s professional teams and volunteered in the communities of Ingram Borough and Moon Township where he coached both his daughter and son’s youth softball and baseball teams. One of his favorite places was the beach, where he cherished time with family in Ocean City, Maryland, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, as well as a number of Caribbean destinations.
Family and friends will be received on Wednesday, February 4th and Thursday, February 5th from 5-8 P.M. at the Huntsman Funeral Home & Cremation Services of Moon Township, 1522 Coraopolis Heights Road, Coraopolis, who was in charge of his arrangements, and where a funeral service will be held on Friday, February 6th at 10 A.M. Committal will follow at Forrest Lawn Gardens Cemetery, 3739 Washington Road, Cannonsburg.
In lieu of flowers, the family would be appreciative of donations made in Jeffrey’s name to the AHN Office of Development with a specific designation to the AHN Cancer Institute of which Jeff was a grant recipient.
BRIDGEWATER — Beaver County Recreation & Tourism announces Dustin Lynch as the official headliner for Boom on the Bridge, the county’s signature summer celebration returning this year with live music, fireworks, food, and community pride along the Ohio and Beaver rivers in Bridgewater.
One of country music’s most consistent hitmakers, Lynch will take the Boom on the Bridge stage June 27 with a catalog of chart-topping songs and a high-energy performance that has made him a fan-favorite nationwide.
“Boom on the Bridge continues to grow into a destination event that brings people together from across Beaver County and beyond,” Commissioner Dan Camp said in a press release. “Securing an artist like Dustin Lynch as our headliner reinforces our commitment to delivering top-tier entertainment while showcasing our region as a vibrant place to live, visit, and celebrate.”
Produced by Beaver County Recreation & Tourism, Boom on the Bridge blends national-caliber live music with local food vendors, family-friendly activities, and a spectacular fireworks finale orchestrated by PUSH Beaver County and Zambelli Fireworks, drawing thousands to the riverfront each year.
“Dustin Lynch is exactly the kind of artist Boom on the Bridge was built for—energetic, engaging, and widely loved,” Tony Caltury, Director of Recreation and Tourism for Beaver County, said. “This announcement reflects how far the event has come and our continued focus on creating memorable experiences that drive tourism and economic impact for our communities.”
Dustin Lynch.
Lynch songs “Small Town Boy” and “Hometown Angels” won awards, and his radio hits — including those played on Beaver County Radio — include “Thinkin’ About You” and his Jelly Roll collab, “Chevrolet.”
Prior Boom on the Bridge headliners were country stars Big & Rich and Chris Lane, both on a stage at the Bridgewater-Fallston end of the Veterans Memorial Bridge.
Last year’s festival, with local music headliners Ghost Hounds, took place in a new location, along Bridge Street in Bridgewater.
Further details on this year’s event will be forthcoming.
Singer/songwriter Dustin Lynch poses for a portrait, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023, in Los Angeles, to promote his latest album “Killed the Cowboy.” (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
(Washington County, PA) According to authorities, multiple people were injured after an explosion at a plant in Washington County yesterday. Dispatchers state that a call about an explosion at Langeloth Metallurgical Company’s plant in Smith Township came in around 6:15 p.m. Smith Township Fire Chief Brandon Kriznik confirmed that four people were taken to the hospital for treatment. Their conditions were not known immediately. Chief Kriznik expressed that the explosion happened during a chemical transfer and there were no hazardous emissions. A Facebook post yesterday from Smith Township wanted “to reassure the community that at this time there are no reported casualties and no immediate risk to the public.”
John Frederick Thompson, 68, of White Township, passed away on Thursday, January 22, 2026 at West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh. He was born on April 17th, 1957.
All services for John were private. The GABAUER-LUTTON FUNERAL HOME & CREMATION SERVICES, Inc., 117 Blackhawk Road Beaver Falls, PA 15010, was honored to care for John and his family during this most difficult time.
In lieu of flowers, donations in John’s name can be made to the American Association for Cancer Research, 615 Chestnut Street 17th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106.
