(File Photo of an I-376 Interstate Toll Sign)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The Parkway East is among the “angriest” commutes in Pennsylvania, according to a new survey. A poll by Munley Law found that Interstate 376, also known as the Parkway East, is the third-angriest commute in the state, only behind Interstates 95 and 76 in Philadelphia. Munley Law stated that participants were “asked to identify the commute in their state that makes them feel angriest behind the wheel due to congestion, bottlenecks, aggressive driving, or unpredictable delays.” The survey pointed out that some of the Parkway East’s commute troubles stem from the Squirrel Hill Tunnel. None of the commutes in Pennsylvania made this Top 10 list from Munley Law. The Baltimore-Washington Parkway in Maryland was number 1 on this list, followed by United States 101 and Interstate 5 in Los Angeles. 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – This April 2, 2021, file photo shows bridges spanning the Allegheny River in downtown Pittsburgh. Republicans in Congress are making the politically brazen bet that it’s more advantageous to oppose President Joe Biden’s ambitious rebuild America agenda than to lend support for the costly $2.3 trillion undertaking for roads, bridges and other infrastructure investments. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) A multimillion-dollar investment from the state of Pennsylvania is coming to Pittsburgh to revitalize its Downtown area. This new investment is designed to keep the long-term status of that area in mind and revitalize it to where it was before the COVID-19 pandemic. $3.32 million will come through Pennsylvania’s Neighborhood Assistance Program, and this money will be spread over the next six years to help the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership with revitalization efforts. 

(File Photo of a Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Badge)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Coraopolis, PA) According to a release in Coraopolis from the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), they rolled out a presentation yesterday to educate families about emerging technology, the risks of online gaming, and the critical precautions to take to ensure their children can enjoy the internet safely as part of the Shapiro Administration’s ongoing commitment to protect Pennsylvanians from predatory artificial intelligence (AI) practices. The comprehensive program from the PSP, which was unveiled at the Allegheny County Emergency Services Facility, explored a variety of popular online games and experiences, and this included the gaming platform Roblox. Participants learned about the potential risks for youth users and the parental controls that are available to help manage their children’s online activities safely. The online safety presentation also included the latest tools using AI, detailing how malicious actors exploit people through content that is AI-generated like deepfake voices and images. Attendees were also educated on the warning signs to watch out for and how to teach children to use their online technology responsibly.

(File Photo of a Gavel)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti announced yesterday that a citizen of the Dominican Republic who entered the United States illegally has been sentenced in federal court to eight years of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of federal supervised release. Forty-six-year-old Santos Castro-Mota was sentenced and according to information presented to the Court, a joint investigation by federal, state, and local law enforcement operating under the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program in Beaver County determined that Aliquippa drug trafficker Kijana Lowe frequently communicated with Castro-Mota while Castro-Mota was serving a five-to-ten year sentence at State Correctional Institution Phoenix in Collegeville, Pennsylvania on a drug trafficking conviction. After the completion of his sentence, Castro-Mota will be deported from the United States. Recordings of calls between Lowe and Castro-Mota revealed that Lowe would order kilogram
quantities of cocaine from Castro-Mota, with the defendants referring to a kilogram of cocaine as a “white car.” After Castro-Mota negotiated the sale with Lowe, Castro-Mota would then direct a co-defendant, who Castro-Mota referred to as “the mechanic,” to deliver the controlled substances to Lowe. The investigation established that Lowe would then supply the drugs to another co-defendant, Anthony Tusweet Smith Jr., who would subsequently sell them to end users. In November of 2021, investigators learned that an in-person delivery of kilogram quantities of cocaine was planned to Lowe in the Western District of Pennsylvania, and, during a surveillance
operation, observed Lowe accept a suitcase outside of a motel in Coraopolis. Law enforcement detained the individuals that were involved and executed search warrants on the suitcase, a motel room, and the vehicle of Lowe. The suitcase contained nearly 10 kilograms of cocaine, while the vehicle of Lowe contained over $280,000 that was to be used to purchase the seized cocaine. In conjunction with the
interdiction, law enforcement obtained search warrants for cell phones found in the possession of Lowe and a co-defendant (“the mechanic”), with digital extractions from these devices revealing numerous communications and photographs between the conspirators regarding their drug trafficking activity, in addition to Castro-Mota’s involvement in the conspiracy.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Law enforcement respond to a call at Temple Israel synagogue, Thursday, March 12, 2026 in West Bloomfield Township, Mich. (AP Photo/Corey Williams)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police stated that it is increasing its presence outside all of the city’s Jewish institutions after yesterday’s attack on a synagogue in the Detroit area. The attack occurred at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan. The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police posted on Facebook yesterday that the increased presence will continue until “further notice.” 

(File Photo of the Cornerstone of Beaver County Logo)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Beaver County, PA) The Cornerstone of Beaver County will host its 10th Anniversary Celebration of Hope on Saturday, April 18th from 6-9 p.m. at The Fez in Hopewell. This milestone event, which is presented by Luminary Sponsor, Housing Opportunities, commemorates a ten years of the Cornerstone of Beaver County’s service, community partnership, and life-changing impact through their work to provide emergency shelter, housing and utility assistance, basic needs, and resources for individuals and families who are unhoused or experiencing housing-related crisis. According to a release yesterday from the Cornerstone of Beaver County, here is some more information about this event:

• TCBC invites the community to join in the Celebration of Hope and enjoy an inspiring evening featuring:
• Dinner and TCBC 10-year impact presentation with special guest speakers including Beaver County Commissioners Tony Amadio and Jack Manning, PA State Representatives Josh Kail and Roman Kozak, and others to be announced
• Outstanding Volunteer Award
  
• Motown Tribute Concert Featuring Chantal Joseph & Friends – Voted Best R&B Performer by Pittsburgh City Paper, Chantal Joseph and her band will perform classic Motown hits that will have guests singing along and heading to the dance floor.
• Basket Raffle and 50/50 Drawing
  
• Cash bar
• Registration is $75 per person and all proceeds benefit TCBC’s work to prevent and end homelessness in Beaver County.
• Event details and registration are available at CornerstoneBeaver.org. Registration closes April 6th. Seating is limited. Early registration is encouraged.

(File photo of the Rochester Municipal Building)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Rochester, PA) Residents in the area of Rochester say that a persistent chemical smell has taken over the air. Neighbors believe it’s coming from the nearby Sherwin-Williams manufacturing plant. The Sherwin-Williams site in Rochester formulates coatings that are transported by truck to distributors and blending facilities. KDKA reached out to Sherwin-Williams about the concerns of neighbors. A spokesperson said they are working with the DEP to “resolve any issues that investigations determine to be related to site operations.” 

(File Photo of an American Flag)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Franklin County, PA) Authorities stated yesterday that a U.S. Army soldier died during a training incident at the Letterkenny Army Depot in Franklin County. According to a report from WHP, a spokesperson for the depot in Chambersburg said the soldier was fatally injured during a training incident at around 9:30 a.m. The soldier, who has not been identified as of yesterday evening, received on-site medical care before he was taken to a local hospital, which was where he was pronounced dead. The cause and manner of his death were not immediately released. WHP also confirmed that the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division is investigating the soldier’s death. Officials expressed that the depot was safe and secure and added that there was no threat to the community. 

(Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of the Pennsylvania State Police: Credit for Photo: Courtesy of the Pennsylvania State Police)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) announced today the funeral arrangements for Corporal Timothy J. O’Connor Jr., who lost his life in the line of duty on Sunday. The services will be held at St. Joseph Parish, which is located at 338 Manor Avenue in Downingtown. Public viewing is scheduled for Tuesday, March 17^th from 4:30-8 p.m. The funeral service will be held on Wednesday, March 18^th at 11 a.m. at the same location, but this service will be closed to the public. Commonwealth Media Services will provide a livestream of the funeral service on March 18th. Details about the livestream will be released through a media advisory on March 17th. Corporal O’Connor was shot and killed during a traffic stop in West Caln Township in Chester County, following a report of an erratic driver. As he approached the vehicle, the driver immediately opened fire from inside the vehicle, striking the PSP veteran of 15 years. After the fatal shooting occurred, the gunman exited the vehicle, walked a short distance, and then fatally shot himself. Corporal O’Connor enlisted with the Pennsylvania State Police in September of 2010 as a member of the 131st Cadet Class. Upon his graduation from the State Police Academy in April of 2011, he was assigned to the patrol unit at Troop J, Avondale. He was transferred to Troop J, Vice Unit in October of 2016 before he transferred to the patrol unit at Troop J, Embreeville in March of 2022. He was promoted to corporal in July of 2022, where he remained a member of the patrol unit at the Embreeville Station. Corporal O’Connor is the 105th member of the PSP to be killed in the line of duty. Anyone that is interested in donating to assist Corporal O’Connor’s family can send a check to the Pennsylvania State Troopers Association (PSTA) at 3625 Vartan Way, Harrisburg, PA 17110. “O’Connor” should be written in the memo portion of the check, which should be made out to the “Survivor’s Fund.” Donations can also be made online at Support the family of Cpl. Timothy O’Connor, Jr. by clicking here.