(File Photo of a Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Car)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(Moon Township, PA) Pennsylvania State Police in Pittsburgh reported via release today that thirty-three-year-old Dominic Ferreri of Pittsburgh was charged after causing a single-vehicle crash in Moon Township late yesterday evening. At 11:13 p.m., Ferreri could not negotiate a right-hand curve while driving on I-376 West after exiting exit 58 there.
(File Photo of Police Siren Lights)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(Allegheny County, PA) According to The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office, thirty-six-year-old Bryon Lewis of Pittsburgh died on Monday at a hospital following a shooting on Omega Court. Pittsburgh police, fire, and EMS were called to East Liberty on Friday to the 400 block of Omega Court at 1 a.m. after reports of a man with a gunshot wound were received. Lewis was taken to the hospital last in critical condition before he passed away. The shooting is believed to have occurred inside a home along Omega Court following an altercation. The investigation into this incident is ongoing.
(File Photo: Source for Photo: This image contained in a court filing by the Department of Justice on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025 shows the the defendant, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, top right, bending down next to Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe after shooting them, according to police. (Department of Justice via AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) — A man accused of shooting two National Guard troops near the White House pleaded not guilty Tuesday to murder and assault charges during his first hearing before a judge, appearing remotely by video from a hospital bed.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who was also shot during last Wednesday’s confrontation, said through an interpreter that he was in pain and couldn’t open his eyes. A court-appointed defense attorney entered Lakanwal’s plea on his behalf during a brief hearing in Washington, D.C.
Lakanwal is charged with first-degree murder, assault with intent to kill and illegal possession of a firearm in the shooting that killed Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and wounded Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24.
Another National Guard member heard gunshots and saw Beckstrom and Wolfe fall to the ground as Lakanwal fired a gun and screamed, “Allahu Akbar!” according to a police report filed in court Tuesday. Lakanwal chased after and shot at another Guard member before troops detained him as he tried to reload his gun, the report says.
D.C. Superior Court Judge Renee Raymond ordered Lakanwal held without bond. His case is due back in court Jan. 14.
Beckstrom and Wolfe were deployed with the West Virginia National Guard for President Donald Trump’s law-enforcement surge in the nation’s capital, which has flooded the city with federal agents and troops since August.
Authorities were investigating a possible motive for what they described as an ambush-style attack.
A prosecutor, Ariel Dean, described the shooting as a “shocking crime” and said it appears that Lakanwal “traversed the city to some extent” before approaching the troops and shooting them.
Raymond ordered him detained, citing the “sheer terror that resulted” from Lakanwal’s actions. The magistrate said it appears that Lakanwal, a resident of Washington state, travelled across the country “with a specific purpose in mind.” She described the government’s case against him as “exceedingly strong.”
Defense attorney Terrence Austin noted that Lakanwal doesn’t have any prior criminal record.
After the hearing, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said Lakanwal will be taken to a correctional facility that can address his “medical concerns” once he is well enough to leave the hospital. Pirro said Lakanwal could face additional charges in federal court as the investigation continues. Attorney General Pam Bondi ultimately will decide whether to seek the death penalty in the case, according to Pirro.
“That is a very weighty decision. That is a decision that comes later in time,” she said.
The rare shooting of National Guard members on American soil came amid court fights and a broader public policy debate about the Trump administration’s use of the military to combat what officials cast as an out-of-control crime problem.
Lakanwal entered the U.S. in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration program that resettled Afghans after the U.S. withdrawal from the country, officials said. Lakanwal applied for asylum during the Biden administration, but his asylum was approved under the Trump administration, #AfghanEvac said in a statement.
“This is an individual about whom we don’t know a lot. But we will, trust me, before it’s over,” Pirro said.
Trump called the shooting a “terrorist attack” and criticized the Biden administration for enabling Afghans who worked with U.S. forces during the Afghanistan War to enter the U.S. The president has said he wants to “permanently pause migration” from poorer nations and expel millions of immigrants from the country.
(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE = Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen warms up before an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Oct. 19, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt, File)
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Adam Thielen didn’t stay out of work long.
The Pittsburgh Steelers signed the veteran wide receiver to their practice squad on Tuesday, a day after the 35-year-old was released by the Minnesota Vikings so he could pursue more playing time elsewhere.
Thielen had just eight catches for 69 yards in his return to Minnesota, where he starred from 2014-22 before a two-year stint with Carolina.
It might not take Thielen long to find his way onto the field in Pittsburgh. The Steelers (6-6) have struggled to do much in the pass game of late with neither Roman Wilson nor Calvin Austin III becoming consistent contributors alongside DK Metcalf.
Thielen is the second experienced wideout to join Pittsburgh’s practice squad in recent weeks. The Steelers signed Marquez Valdes-Scantling last month, though he has yet to find his way onto the 53-man roster on gamedays.
Pittsburgh also promoted Asante Samuel Jr. from the practice squad and released six-time Pro Bowler Darius Slay, who had been a healthy scratch in recent weeks.
Samuel made his first appearance with the Steelers in Sunday’s loss to Buffalo, finishing with three tackles in his return to action after undergoing neck surgery last spring. Tomlin saw enough of Slay to sign him to the active roster rather than risk someone poaching Slay from the practice squad late in the season.
“We certainly wanted to have an opportunity to see him in stadium before we maybe had to make a decision on him, before someone else forced our hand regarding decisions,” Tomlin said, later adding, “we liked some of the things we saw.”
Slay, signed to a one-year deal in March, had essentially been benched by Tomlin in favor of less experienced players, including James Pierre.
(Photo Courtesy of WPXI)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(Verona, PA) Fifty-nine-year-old Jerry Chambers of Pittsburgh was taken into custody yesterday after being connected to an incident which involved a group of masked men trying to steal the registration plate of a vehicle at a Sheetz in Cheswick, Pennsylvania on Friday at 7:18 p.m. A video shows Chambers and two other men unsuccessfully trying to steal that registration plate. According to court records, this group of men in masks attempted to steal an ATM from this Sheetz location in Cheswick. Authorities chased a truck later believed to be the vehicle involved in the alleged theft on Monday and police later learned that the white truck believed to be involved belonged to Enterprise Rent A Car and had been scheduled to be returned yesterday at the company’s Verona location. Officers noticed the vehicle that day and arrested the driver after they conducted a traffic stop at the Verona Enterprise Rent A Car, and the driver was identified as Chambers. According to court records, Chambers was released on a non-monetary bond. Chambers was charged with offenses including the use of instruments of a crime and attempted theft and December 22nd, 2025 is when he is expected to appear before a judge.
(FIle Photo: Caption for Photo: police car lights at night in city with selective focus and bokeh background blur, Credit for Photo: Courtesy of Getty Images/iStockphoto/z1b)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(Pittsburgh, PA) Federal prosecutors announced yesterday that a self-proclaimed social media influencer from Pittsburgh was indicted for the “relentless” stalking and harassment of nearly a dozen women across multiple states. First Assistant United States Attorney Troy Revetti confirmed in a news release that thirty-one-year-old Brett Michael Dadig, would meet women in gyms and stalk them, moving around to a different city whenever he was banned or reported to police. According to the indictment, Dadig took advice from an artificial intelligence chatbot and tried to meet women at gyms. Dadig is accused of harassing, intimidating and threatening these women through social media posts and phone calls. Prosecutors state that Dadig would show up at their homes and workplaces and follow them, try to get them fired and post pictures of them online. Dadig was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of cyberstalking, interstate stalking and interstate threats for allegedly harassing 11 women from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida, Iowa and New York. If he is convicted, Dadig could serve a minimum sentence of one year for each charge and a total maximum sentence of up to 70 years in jail.
(Photo Courtesy of Gavin Thunberg)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(West Aliquippa, PA) Aliquippa Firefighters and their first alarm were dispatched to West Aliquippa on Third Street yesterday afternoon just before 1 p.m. because of multiple vehicles that were inside a metal garage that were caught on fire. Those responding did not have enough tank water to significantly knock the fire out. However, the frozen shut hydrant that they wrapped hindered their mission. After the responders grabbed a plug on Main and Third Street, a secondary hydrant was grabbed just in case to complete their duties. No one was injured and Aliquippa Fire Chief Tim Firich confirms the garage building has minor damage.
(File Photo of a For Sale Sign)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(Ambridge, PA) On Monday, December 22nd, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church in Ambridge will sell both pierogis and dumpling halushki, which will be available with potato/cheese pierogi for $10 a dozen and dumpling halushki for $10 a quart. They will be at the Parish Center of the church on Fifth Street in Ambridge. Advanced orders can be placed by either calling (412) 512-5521 or by emailing anrighetti21@gmail.com by clicking here by December 17th.
(File Photo of a Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Badge)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(Harrisburg, PA) The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) announced its crash and enforcement totals from the 2025 Thanksgiving travel period today as part of the commitment from the Shapiro Administration to ensure the safety of roadways across the Commonwealth. PSP investigated 1,183 vehicle crashes, which resulted in six deaths, with impaired driving as a factor in 61 crashes from November 26th-30th, 2025. Troopers arrested 458 individuals for driving under the influence and issued 7,472 citations for speeding, 934 citations for failing to wear a seat belt and 72 citations for not securing children in safety seats during the five-day holiday weekend. According to a release from the Pennsylvania State Police, here are the statistics of the PSP’s crash and enforcement totals from the 2025 Thanksgiving travel period:
Table 1: Thanksgiving Weekend Crash Data
| Year | Total Crashes | Fatal Crashes | People Killed | Injury-Related Crashes | DUI-Related Crashes | DUI-Related Fatal Crashes |
| 2025 (5 days) | 1,183 | 5 | 6 | 186 | 61 | 0 |
| 2024 (5 days) | 1,167 | 6 | 6 | 164 | 61 | 1 |
Table 2: Thanksgiving Weekend Enforcement Data
| Year | DUI Arrests | Speeding Citations | Child Seat Citations | Seat Belt Citations | Other Citations |
| 2025 (5 days) | 458 | 7,472 | 72 | 934 | 19,267 |
| 2024 (5 days) | 537 | 8,148 | 102 | 1,072 | 20,608 |
These statistics have covered only those incidents that were investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police and they do not include incidents that were responded to by other law enforcement agencies.
(Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of the All AMERICAN+ Field House)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(Monroeville, PA) According to a release from the All AMERICAN+ Field House in Monroeville yesterday, they announced that day that League One Volleyball, (LOVB) has signed a 10-year lease with the Monroeville-based complex, a long-term partnership designed to accelerate the growth of the sport in Western Pennsylvania and position Pittsburgh as a hotspot for volleyball. ALL AMERICAN+ Field House, which is already the largest sports and volleyball facility in the region of Pittsburgh, will expand to 13 in-house volleyball courts, which enables the venue to host multiple large-scale tournaments yearly and serve as a regional hub for elite training and competition with the agreement. 3DGE Volleyball, a new elite junior volleyball club, will operate the club program at ALL AMERICAN+ Field House under the LOVB umbrella, delivering leagues branded by LOVB and training pathways locally while aligning with the broader competition framework of LOVB under the agreement. LOVB also operates a league that is professional and this partnership will establish a roadmap for high-performance development in the region. Six new 3DGE-dedicated courts will be installed in November and will be ready ahead of the next club season. Programming that is near-term will prioritize junior girls’ club teams, camps and clinics, youth development programs and events, which focuses on divisions spanning elementary, middle and high school athletes, specific age divisions, dates, and registration details, which will be released with the tournament calendar. The presence of LOVB at ALL AMERICAN+ Field House will help centralize programming, elevate coaching standards, and expand opportunities for local and regional athletes to train and compete within a unified pathway as part of the lease and the facility plans to attract more major events, invite national competition to the region, and deepen the talent pipeline across Western Pennsylvania with thirteen dedicated courts.