Author: Beaver County Radio

Brad Wayne Johnson (1953-2026)

Brad Wayne Johnson, 73, passed away on August 22nd, 2026.

He was born on December 13th, 1953.

He was preceded in death by his son, Jessey Johnson.

He is survived by his daughter, Brittany Johnson, his grandchildren, Sophia Johnson & Ella Johnson, two other daughters, Christina and Shannon Johnson, and his girlfriend, Jessica McFarland.

Brad’s family will have a private memorial for him.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Simpson Funeral and Cremation Services, 1119 Washington Avenue, Monaca.

Gloria Villella (1947-2026)

Gloria Villella, 78, of Chippewa Township, passed away on August 30th, 2026.

She was born in La Grange, Texas on October 9th, 1947, the daughter of the late Budd A. and Mariam (Henninger) Norwood.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brother, Stephen Norwood. She is survived by her loving and devoted husband, whom she married in 1987, Donald Villella, four children: Jennifer (Eric) Joseph, Ted (Roseann) Villella, Don (Ginger) Villella and Ian (Julia) Finch; as well as five grandchildren: Baylor (Rebekah) Joseph, Theo and Madrona Villella, Henry and Emmet Finch.

Gloria was a secretary at Geneva College for 27 years in the Psychology Department, and was a member of Pathway Church in Beaver Falls. In her free time, she was an avid reader and was hooked on British Mysteries.

Friends will be received on Tuesday, September 8th, from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. at Corless-Kunselman Funeral Services, LLC, 3801 4th Avenue, Beaver Falls, who was in charge of her arrangements. A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, September 9th at 1 p.m. at Pathway Church, 239 Braun Road, Beaver Falls.

Private interment will take place at Beaver Falls Cemetery, 2045 Darlington Road, Beaver Falls.

In lieu of flowers and as an expression of sympathy, Gloria’s wish was to have donations made to Parkinson’s Research in memory of her parents who were both affected by the illness.

Pirates rookie shortshop Konnor Griffin has rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis in injury recovery

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates’ Konnor Griffin celebrates as he rounds second after hitting an RBI double, his first Major League career hit and run, during the second inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles in Pittsburgh, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Pittsburgh Pirates rookie shortshop Konnor Griffin continues to recover from a left-ring finger injury that has kept him sidelined for close to two months. 

Griffin continued a rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis yesterday and is eligible to come off of the injured list on Friday. 

Griffin tore the sagittal band in his left ring finger while making a diving defensive play in the Pirates’ game against the Washington Nationals in Washington D.C. on July 5th. 

He was placed on the 10-day injured list initially and was eventually transferred to the 60-day injured list. 

The twenty-year-old shortshop’s 2026 statistics include 5 home runs, 25 RBIs, and a batting average of .276. 

Griffin signed a nine-year, $140 million contract with the Pirates on April 8th, which was the largest contract in Pirates history.

Triumph drummer shares Pittsburgh memories ahead of band’s November show here

By SCOTT TADY

PITTSBURGH — Gil Moore recalls Pittsburgh being one of the first out-of-town markets to embrace his Canadian rock band, Triumph.

That respect and love gets rekindled Nov. 22, when Triumph headlines the Petersen Events Center on the University of Pittsburgh campus.

Moore, a drummer-vocalist, and guitar ace-singer Rik Emmet remain from the original Triumph lineup that achieved 1980s rock radio hits “Lay It On The Line,” “Magic Power,” “Hold On” and “Fight The Good Fight.”

Moore discussed the band’s legacy and upcoming tour in an interview with Beaver County Radio morning host Scott Tady. Hear that interview here:

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 Leg 2 of Triumph’s Rock & Roll Machine Reloaded Tour continues the band’s 50th year anniversary in music. Following a resonant return to form, the first leg of the tour met with fan exuberance at every stop and resonated across social media, prompting the addition of 16 new shows across the United States due to popular demand. Special guest April Wine will again join Triumph for the newly announced dates.

The second leg will take Triumph through major markets across the Midwest, Northeast, Southwest, and West Coast in November and December. Joining Emmett and Moore on stage are Phil X, Todd Kerns and Brent Fitz, bringing Triumph’s legendary catalog to arenas across the country.

Rock band Triumph has a November tour date in Pittsburgh. (Photo provided by Chipster P.R.)

Tickets for the Pittsburgh show are on sale now begins at LiveNation.com.

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Coraopolis man on the run for five months taken into custody

(Credit for Photo: Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Allegheny County Sheriff Kevin M. Kraus announced today that a man from Coraopolis, who has been on the run for the past five months, has been taken into custody.

28-year-old Khalil Faulkner has been a fugitive since March of 2026, which was when a bench warrant was issued for a probation violation concerning a guilty plea to burglary and robbery in 2022.

Faulkner also has an active arrest warrant out of the City of Pittsburgh for gun and drug charges which were related to a traffic stop on Saw Mill Run Boulevard that occurred in March of 2026.

Detectives from the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office developed information that Faulkner was inside a residence along East James Street in Homestead.

Detectives arrived at the residence on Monday morning and after they
announced their presence, they spoke to the mother of the woman who was dating Faulkner.

She was unsure about whether Faulkner was in the house but she allowed detectives to search the property.

Detectives then spoke with the girlfriend of Faulkner who confirmed that he was on the second floor.

Detectives announced their presence to Faulkner and he complied with commands to come downstairs and at that time, he was taken into custody without incident and was transported to the Allegheny County Jail.

Coraopolis teenager charged after crashing vehicle in Hopewell Township

(File Photo of a Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Car)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Hopewell Township, PA) Pennsylvania State Police in Beaver reported yesterday that a seventeen-year-old boy from Coraopolis was charged after he crashed his vehicle in Hopewell Township on July 28th.

The driver was traveling on I-376 West at approximately 5:55 a.m. and was driving too fast on the wet road and lost control of his vehicle.

His vehicle then hit a guide rail.

There were no reported injuries. 

Aliquippa man given warning after crashing vehicle in Potter Township

(File Photo of a Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Car)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Potter Township, PA) Pennsylvania State Police in Beaver reported yesterday that sixty-seven-year-old Kurt Kerry of Aliquippa was given a warning after he crashed his vehicle in Potter Township on July 6th.

Kerry was driving on I-376 East at approximately 3:40 p.m. and lost control of his vehicle because of a blown tire.

Kerry traveled off of the left side of the road and hit a guide wire off the road with his vehicle.

There were no reported injuries. 

Beaver Falls man charged after crashing motorcycle in Brighton Township

(File Photo of a Police Siren Light)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Brighton Township, PA) Pennsylvania State Police in Beaver reported yesterday that thirty-five-year-old Trent Humphries, Jr. of Beaver Falls was charged after he crashed his motorcycle in Brighton Township on June 24th.

Humphries was driving at a speed that was unsafe on I-376 East at 5:13 p.m. and lost control of his motorcycle.

Humphries suffered a suspected minor injury and he was taken to the hospital after the crash occurred. 

Central Valley School District Renews ZeroEyes AI Gun Detection and Intelligent Situational Awareness Technology

(File Photo of Central Valley High School)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Monaca, PA) ZeroEyes, the creators of the leading multi-analytics weapons detection and threat intelligence platform, announced yesterday that its proactive AI gun detection and intelligent situational awareness software has been renewed by Central Valley School District after a successful first year of deployment.  

ZeroEyes has been integrated across all of that district’s facilities as part of the district’s commitment to maintaining a welcoming, safe and secure environment for learning. 

Central Valley School District supports approximately 2,200 students and 200 faculty and staff and serves four schools across Beaver County including a primary center, elementary school, middle school, and high school.