(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – Governor Josh Shapiro speaks during a news conference regarding the shooting at UPMC Memorial Hospital in York, Pa. on Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) Governor Josh Shapiro called on the Pennsylvania General Assembly to take action in Harrisburg yesterday and send a bill to his desk to require schools to implement a bell-to-bell ban on cell phones and mobile devices. Governor Shapiro posted the following statement on X yesterday: “It’s time for us to get distractions out of the classroom and create a healthier environment in our schools. Students need to spend time focused on learning, on socializing with their peers, and on developing the critical skills they’ll need later in life. I’m calling on the State Legislature to send a bill to my desk requiring our schools to implement policies that take cell phones and mobile devices out of kids’ hands from the time they start class until the time they leave for home — helping teachers and kids focus on learning.”

(File Photo of a Top of a School Bus)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The Pittsburgh Public Schools board took a vote to reopen the discussion on possibly closing almost a dozen schools. A unanimous 8-0 vote was taken on Wednesday night with the conversation surrounding the “Future Ready Facilities Plan” resuming after it was voted down in March last year. The most controversial piece of that plan which caused it to be voted down was that nine schools would be closed in an effort to reduce costs.   

(File Photo of the UPMC Logo)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor announced yesterday morning that UPMC has provided the city with a $10 million contribution to help upgrade the city’s EMS vehicles and equipment. According to the city of Pittsburgh, the $10 million contribution will allow the city to purchase nine new ambulances and one rescue truck in 2026 and a “similar” amount in 2027. This purchasing will be done in phases so the maintenance and lifetime of the vehicles will be staggered. 

(Photo Courtesy of WPXI-TV Pittsburgh, Posted on Facebook on December 14th, 2025)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Beaver County, PA) The Beaver Valley Intermediate Unit’s (BVIU’s) board of directors voted on Wednesday to approve a plan to borrow up to $15 million to make necessary repairs at the New Horizon School. According to the BVIU, Students and staff of New Horizon School were relocated to the Charles J. Betters Innovation Center in Midland for the 2025-26 school year, but the lease on that building expires on June 30th and cannot be renewed and the building renovations should be completed in time for the start of the 2026-27 school year. 

(File Photo of a City of Aliquippa Police Department Car)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Aliquippa, PA) More details that are disturbing are now coming out about what happened inside a home in Aliquippa where police say they rescued 23 dogs with obvious signs of neglect and abuse. According to Beaver County District Attorney Nate Bible, “Police found a dog fighting pit in the basement, blood on all of the walls of the dog ring, different types of medication associated with dog fighting.” Bible also noted that the rescue of these dogs began when someone alerted police to the dogs barking outside the home during the snowstorm on Sunday. Bible can not share the names of the people who could face charges, however; he believes he knows “who the owner of at least some of the dogs are” and he is looking at the owner and leaser of the building. 

(Photo Courtesy of KDKA)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) According to authorities, a woman was pulled from the Monongahela River after her vehicle plunged into the water yesterday evening. She has now died. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the woman who died as thirty-one-year-old Jacinta Stevens of the West End of Pittsburgh. First responders were called to the scene around 4:30 p.m. near Second Avenue between the Hot Metal and Birmingham bridges close to UPMC Mercy Hospital for reports of a vehicle falling into the river from Interstate 376. The victim was rescued by Pittsburgh River Rescue at around 5:45 p.m. and she was taken to a local hospital, which was UPMC Presbyterian. Gilchrist could not provide specifics yesterday about what led up to the vehicle landing in the water that was about 5 feet from shore. You can call 412-299-1607 of you have any information about this crash.

(File Photo of Water)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The “Bathtub” throughway on the Parkway East has now reopened after a water main break occurred in Pittsburgh yesterday. According to PennDOT, the westbound lanes of the Parkway East “bathtub” area between Grant Street and the Fort Pitt Bridge were closed, along with the on-ramp from Grant Street to I-376 West.   

(File Photo of a Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Badge)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Darlington Township, PA) Pennsylvania State Police in Beaver reported via release yesterday that they are investigating the report of an identity theft that happened in Darlington Township on Monday. This occurred along Little Beaver Road and an unidentified twenty-one-year-old woman from Enon Valley had a credit card fraudulently opened in her name.  

January 30th, 2026