Author: Beaver County Radio

Belva Herrmann (1932-2025)

Belva Herrmann, 92, of North Sewickley Township, passed away on January 12th, 2025 at Cambridge Village.

She was born in Economy Township on January 23rd, 1932, a daughter of the late Harry Paul and Ethel Pearl Stange. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Donald Herrmann, grandson Arthur Herrmann, and sister Annabelle Kelley. She is survived by her son Fred (Patricia) Herrmann, daughters, Carol (Frank) Kunkel, and Sandy (Andrew) Sprankle, grandchildren: Katherine (David Tockman) Kunkel, Robert (Mickey) Kunkel, Samantha (Devin) Walsh, Joetta (Benjamin) Vroman, Tabitha (Travis) LeTourneau, Annette (Austin) Percy; along with nine great-grandchildren.

Belva spent her life taking care of her three children. She was a devoted mother and enjoyed quality time with her children as they grew up, making wonderful memories along the way.

A public visitation will be held on Thursday, January 16th, from 7-9 p.m. and Friday January 17th at 10 a.m. followed by services at 11 a.m. at Corless-Kunselman Funeral Services, LLC, 3801 4th Avenue, Beaver Falls, followed by a private interment at Sylvania Hills Memorial Park of Rochester.

The family would like to thank Alyssa Crispeno and Beth Britton from Heartland Hospice for their compassion and care. The family would also like to express gratitude to the entire staff of the Cambridge Village Memory Care Unit during her time there.

 

Darryl Paul Zdenek (1942-2025)

Darryl Paul Zdenek, 82, passed away on January 7th, 2025.
He was born in Nyack, New York on May 18th, 1942, the son of the late Ola and Otto Zdenek. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his older sister Barbara Aventuro. He is survived by two sons, Eric (Lisa) Zdenek and Michael (Erika) Zdenek, two grandchildren, Miles and Ava, two younger sisters, Karen (Paul) Neilson and Melissa (Dennis) Danewalski and their spouses.
Darryl was a graduate of the Merchant Marine Academy and received an Honorable Discharge from service in the United States Navy. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Anthony Mastrofransesco Funeral Home Inc., 2026 McMinn Street, Aliquippa.

Virginia Ann Wolf (1963-2025)

Virginia Ann Wolf, 61, of New Castle, passed away on January 13th, 2025, at Edison Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center of New Castle.

She was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina on September 22nd, 1963, a daughter of the late Robert and Wilma (Wright) Coburn. She is survived by her children, Joshua and Cody Gault, Lynn Adams, Megan (Joseph) McGovern, her sister, Donna Gumpf, caregiver, Shawn Stimmill, many grandchildren, a great-grandchild and numerous cousins. Virginia was a wife, a loving mother and a devoted homemaker.

In accordance with Virginia’s wishes, no services will be held. Arrangements have been entrusted to the J&J Spratt Funeral Home, 1612 Third Avenue, New Brighton.

Struggling Penguins place 2-time All-Star goaltender Tristan Jarry on waivers

A shot by Seattle Kraken’s Chandler Stephenson gets past Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry for a goal during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Pittsburgh, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Penguins ran out of patience waiting for two-time All-Star goaltender Tristan Jarry to emerge from a slump, placing him on waivers Wednesday ahead of a pivotal seven-game road trip that could determine the course of the rest of their season.
The 29-year-old Jarry is 8-7-4 with a 3.32 goals against average and a .886 save percentage this season for Pittsburgh, which is on the fringe of the playoff race in the Eastern Conference due in large part to subpar play in net.
The Penguins have allowed an NHL-high 173 goals, with neither Jarry nor Alex Nedeljkovic establishing themselves behind a defense prone to lapses.
The Penguins will call up promising rookie Joel Blomqvist to join Nedeljkovic on the road trip, which starts on Friday in Buffalo. Blomqvist went 3-5 with a 3.60 goals against average and a .904 save percentage during a stint in Pittsburgh earlier in the season.
It seems unlikely a team would be willing to claim Jarry and pick up his salary, meaning Jarry will be reassigned to the Penguins’ American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton once he clears waivers.
“At this point, (I) just feel it’s best in the long run for the team and for Tristan to allow Joel to come up here,” Pittsburgh general manager Kyle Dubas said Wednesday. “We think over the past year-and-a-half, with his play in Wilkes-Barre and when he’s been up here with us, he’s earned the right to have a go at it.”
The decision comes 18 months after Dubas signed Jarry to a five-year deal with an average annual value of $5.375 million. Jarry was an All-Star in 2020 and 2022 but has struggled most of the last two seasons.
“He’s continued to come in here, put the work in and that’s not been a question at all,” Dubas said. “That just hasn’t materialized the way we would like it to on the ice. At this level, you get to the point where you have to do what’s right … for him and for us.”
Jarry ceded the starting job to Nedeljkovic last spring. While he reclaimed his spot atop the depth chart coming out of training camp, he stumbled out of the gate and was sent to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for a lengthy conditioning stint.
While there was a brief uptick in his play after he returned, Jarry has lost five straight starts and continues to struggle early in games. He’s allowed a goal on an opponent’s first shot six times this season and allowed a shorthanded goal on Seattle’s second shot in a 4-2 defeat to the Kraken on Tuesday.
“When you lose, this is the kind of stuff that can happen,” Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said Wednesday. “A goaltender already has a ton of pressure, and it’s difficult for us because we feel like as a team we’re responsible if we don’t give our goalies enough help sometimes. I think that’s the tough part.”
Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan, who took his team to task for defensive letdowns in the third period against the Kraken that opened up the door for Seattle’s comeback, believes there’s a chance Jarry will make his way back at some point.
“I don’t think you make the All-Star team twice if you don’t have a certain level of talent and you’re not capable of making timely saves,” Sullivan said. “So, I know that Tristan has it. I believe to my core that he’s an NHL goaltender.”
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL

Seven Charged For Aiding Beaver Falls Homicide Suspect Eric Krassman

(Photo of Beaver Falls Police Car)

(Beaver Falls Pa.) The City of Beaver Falls Police Department and Beaver County District Attorney Nate Bible announced the charging and apprehension of multiple suspects who aided Homicide suspect Eric Krassman Jr, after he reportedly shot and killed sixteen-year-old Darrell Love, Jr. in Beaver Falls on December 18, 2024

The City of Beaver Falls Police Department said via release that at 8:30 AM Wednesday morning  Detectives with the City of Beaver Falls Police Department and Beaver County Detective Bureau did arrest seven people for their role in hindering or obstructing law enforcement from the apprehension of homicide suspect Eric Anthony Krassman, Jr..

The following people have been arraigned and are now incarcerated in the Beaver County Jail:
Stevie Jo Canakes (18) Hindering Apprehension – F3 1
Obstruction of Law – M2 2
Kevin Goode, Jr. (32) Hindering Apprehension – F3 3
Obstruction of Law – M2 1
Paige Goode( 28) Hindering Apprehension – F3 1
Eric Krassman, Sr. (38) Hindering Apprehension – F3 2
Sandra Mccullough (42) Hindering Apprehension – F3 1
Payge Murphy (32 )Hindering Apprehension – F3 1
Eric Walker (55) Hindering Apprehension – F3 1

The City of Beaver Falls Police Department stated that they extend their appreciation to the New Brighton Borough Police, Ellwood City Borough
Police and other agencies that assisted this operation.

Ohio man given prison sentence for distributing drugs

(File Photo of Gavel)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced Tuesday that a man from Youngstown, Ohio was sentenced to forty-five months in jail and three years of supervised release for distributing four drugs. Twenty-one-year-old William McCree was accused of trafficking cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl and fluorofentanyl between May 2021 and October 2022. McCree had a drug trafficking charge from Mercer County that was pending and was on bond at that time.

Represntative Kail and three other Pennsylvania State leaders announce formation of the Pennsylvania Competitiveness Caucus to improve competitiveness in economy in Pennsylvania

(File Photo of Representative Josh Kail)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) Representative Josh Kail (R-Beaver) joined three other Pennsylvania State leaders, Pennsylvania State Sens. Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York) and Lisa Boscola (D-Northampton), along with Reps. Paul Friel (D-Chester) and Lisa Boscola, and Rep. Paul Friel to announce the formation of the Pennsylvania Competitiveness Caucus on Tuesday. This group hopes to unite efforts throughout party lines and the Capitol to improve the competitiveness of economy in Pennsylvania and in the future. A press conference will be occurring at 8:30 a.m. on Jaunary 28th inside the Main Capitol Rotunda by the caucus to talk about goals during the legislative session.

 

Crash occurs in South Heights Borough when driver from McKees Rocks did not stop at the bottom of an icy hill

(File Photo of Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Badge)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Beaver County, PA) Pennsylvania State Police in Beaver report that a single-vehicle crash occurred in South Heights Borough on Tuesday. At 4:27 p.m., twenty-year-old Dana Farrell of McKees Rocks drove with two passengers, twenty-year-old Malichi Simmons of Pittsburgh and an unidentified two-year-old male from McKees Rocks. Farrell hit a ditch after she did not stop her 2019 Nissan Altima on the bottom of a snowy and icy dead end hill of Overlook Avenue. There were no injuries after the crash.

Gas prices are three cents lower in Western Pennsylvania this week, according to AAA East Central’s gas price report

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – In this Monday, Sept. 16, 2019, file photo, a woman pumps gas at a convenience store in Pittsburgh. Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg of the Lundberg Survey said Sunday, March 15, 2020, that gas prices could continue to fall as demand shrinks amid the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Gas prices are three cents lower in Western Pennsylvania this week at about $3.38 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s gas price report. The report states that at this week last year, the gas price was about $3.37. The report also notes that the average price that you can expect for an unleaded gallon of gas here in Beaver County is about $3.40.

According to AAA East Central, here are the prices for an unleaded self-serve gallon of gas in certain areas of Pennsylvania:

$3.428      Altoona
$3.403      Beaver
$3.503      Bradford
$3.182      Brookville
$3.390      Butler
$3.381      Clarion
$3.389      DuBois
$3.349      Erie
$3.319      Greensburg
$3.415      Indiana
$3.385      Jeannette
$3.452      Kittanning
$3.378      Latrobe
$3.403      Meadville
$3.477      Mercer
$3.246      New Castle
$3.362      New Kensington
$3.383      Oil City
$3.379      Pittsburgh
$3.229      Sharon
$3.341      Uniontown
$3.499      Warren
$3.348      Washington

Matzie announces awarded tax credits to expand projects for three Beaver County companies

(File photo of Representative Rob Matzie speaking)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Ambridge, PA) According to a release from Rep. Rob Matzie’s office, Matzie announced Tuesday that three Beaver County companies will continue projects to expand operations with awarded tax credits totaling nearly $1.2 million. Matzie confirmed that tax credits were given from the Enterprise Zone Program in Pennsylvania. According to Matzie, the companies that received credits were BIL Holdings LLC of Monaca, and Avalotis Industrial Services and Versatex Building Products LLC, both of Aliquippa.