(Credit for Photo: Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Beaver County)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Center Township, PA) Big Brothers Big Sisters of Beaver County has launched “Bigs in Blue” as of last month, which is a program aimed at recruiting local law enforcement to serve as mentors to youth in their local community.

This program is part of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America’s national initiative, which was launched in Center Township in October of 2026 with the Center Township Police Department and Central Valley School District.

Funds that are raised for the program go toward efforts of volunteer recruitment, training, and the process of matching Littles with the Big mentors.

Law enforcement officials that volunteer to serve as a Big Brother or Sister will be matched, monitored, trained, and vetted just as any other mentor in the network.

You can find out more information about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Beaver County by going to www.bcbigs.org or by following Big Brothers Big Sisters of Beaver County on social media.

(Credit for Photo: Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of Allegheny Health Network)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Four Allegheny Health Network (AHN) outpatient surgery facilities have recently been recognized among Pennsylvania’s highest-performing ambulatory surgery centers in Newsweek’s America’s Best Ambulatory Surgery Centers 2027 rankings.

AHN’s Monroeville Surgery Center, Westmoreland Outpatient Center, Bethel Park Surgery Center and Wexford Health + Wellness Pavilion Surgery Center were all ranked among the top 10 facilities in the state of Pennsylvania.

AHN’s Monroeville Surgery Center was ranked No. 2 in the state of Pennsylvania, while its Westmoreland Outpatient Center, Bethel Park Surgery Center and Wexford Health + Wellness Pavilion Surgery Center were ranked as No. 3, No. 5 and No. 10, respectively.

The 2027 ranking highlights 750 leading ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) that are across the country, and are evaluated through a rigorous scoring model which is based on accreditations, patient experience, peer recommendations, and quality metrics.

(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of the Monaca Community Development Corporation, Posted on Facebook on November 2nd, 2026)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Monaca, PA) Schmuck’s Boots and Shoes, located at 915 Pennsylvania Avenue in downtown Monaca, will be permanently closing after 122 years in business.

There is a “Store Closing” Sign on the business and the third-generation owner, Eugene “Gene” Schmuck, will sell his remaining inventory and retire. 

This family business was opened in 1904 by Eugene’s grandfather, Frank Schmuck, and it sold things like durable work boots and heritage footwear.

(File Photo of a Gavel)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced yesterday that a resident of Pittsburgh pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of false impersonation of a federal officer or employee.

Thirty-eight-year-old Lazaven Mitchell pleaded guilty before Senior United States District Judge David Stewart Cercone.

The Court was advised in connection with the guilty plea that Mitchell is a Pittsburgh-based licensed financial advisor and loan officer who, on multiple occasions between April 2024 and June 2024, presented himself to local businesses as working for the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA).

Mitchell would contact businesses in Pittsburgh, then would identify himself as working for EBSA, and would subsequently request to review the businesses’ retirement plans to determine whether they were in compliance with authorities governing retirement plans.

Judge Cercone scheduled Mitchell’s sentencing for March 25th, 2027.

Mitchell could face a maximum total sentence of up to three years in prison, a fine of up to the greater of $250,000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain to Mitchell, or both.

(File Photo of the Center Township Municipal Center)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Center Township, PA) A community in Beaver County is under a boil water advisory after a routine test showed E. Coli contamination. 

According to the Center Township Municipal Authority yesterday evening, a sample in the area of Township Road Garage and Wilhelm Drive tested positive for coliforms which included E. Coli. 

Four other samples were taken at other locations, but they did not have any coliforms. 

Residents are advised to boil all water for a minute and to let it cool before using it.  

Bottled water is also encouraged for brushing teeth, washing dishes, cooking, drinking and ice making.

Anyone that wants more information is encouraged to contact the Center Township Water Authority by calling 724-774-7766. 

(File Photo of a Gavel)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced that a Pennsylvania State Police Corporal was sentenced to time in jail for a wide range of criminal conduct, which included using work computers to access A.I. tools to create pornography and for secretly filming and photographing individuals, and this included coworkers. 

Forty-year-old Stephen M. Kamnik pleaded guilty to 14 charges in all against him.

These were nine felonies and five misdemeanors and they included official oppression, receiving stolen property, sexual abuse of children and unlawful use of a computer.

A Montgomery County Judge sentenced Kamnik to 5 to 10 years in jail, followed by seven years of probation and deemed Kamnik a “sexually violent predator” yesterday, which means that Kamnik must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. 

Kamnik was also sentenced for using secured law enforcement and Commonwealth databases for possessing child sexual abuse material and for personal reasons.

According to the investigation, Kamnik created some of the material at Montgomery County barracks, on Commonwealth-owned devices.

An investigation conducted by the Internal Affairs Division of the Pennsylvania State Police and the Office of Attorney General revealed that Kamnik allegedly misused Commonwealth computer resources for his own personal sexual gratification for years, which included the creation of A.I.-generated pornography of numerous female citizens of Pennsylvania.

Kamnik’s cellphone and an external hard drive from his home revealed evidence that he also used a secured database, JNET, to obtain hundreds of photographs of women, which is in violation of JNET usage policies.

Among the materials that investigators found was an unlawfully recorded video of a Montgomery County magisterial district judge during a court proceeding, which Kamnik also edited for apparent lewd purposes.

Kamnik was also found possessing a stolen .22 caliber firearm during a search of his vehicle in January of 2025.

According to a release courtesy of the Pennsylvania General’s Office, Kamnik pleaded guilty to these charges in all:

• Four felony counts of unlawful use of computer
• Sexual abuse of children, a felony
• Receiving Stolen Property (regarding a firearm), a felony
• Unlawful duplication, a felony
• Interception, disclosure or use of wire, electronic or oral communications, a felony
• Criminal trespass, a felony
• Misdemeanor counts of invasion of privacy, official oppression, tampering with evidence, misapplication of entrusted property, and unlawful use of an audio or video device in court

This case was prosecuted by the Office of Attorney General’s Public Corruption and Child Predator Sections.

(Credit for Photos: Photos Courtesy of KDKA)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Beaver County, PA) Today is Election Day in the state of Pennsylvania for the November 3rd general election.

The voting polls across the state will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. for those in Beaver County and beyond to vote for their favorite candidates.

The election for Pennsylvania Governor features the current governor of Pennsylvania and incumbent Josh Shapiro running on the Democratic ticket against current Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity running on the Republican ticket against Ken Krawchuk running on the Libertarian ticket.

Those three are joined by the respective candidates for Lieutenant Governor of the state, Incumbent and current Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis on the Democratic ticket, against Jason Richey on the Republican ticket, against John Thomas on the Libertarian ticket.

Incumbent Congressman Chris Deluzio (D-PA-17) will face off against current Beaver County Sheriff Tony Guy (R) for the spot to represent the 17th Congressional District of Pennsylvania.

The seat in the Senate’s 46th District is an election between incumbent Senator Camera Bartolotta (Republican) against Independent candidate Jodi Borello.

Beaver Falls native and Republican State Representative Roman Kozak and New Brighton native and Democrat Bradley Jacob “Jake” Young are seeking your votes to get the spot in the 14th Legislative District.

Brighton Township native and incumbent State Representative Joshua Kail (R) will go up against Democrat Sydney Speicher to seek your votes to get the spot in the 15th Legislative District.

Harmony Township native and Incumbent State Representative Robert Matzie (D) will go up against Center Township resident and Republican John Costanza to seek your votes to get the spot in the 16th Legislative District. John Costanza is also part of the ownership of Cesina’s Sausage Company in Aliquippa.

You can click here for the link to a website for Polling Place Information.

(Credit for Photo: Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of AAA East Central)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Gas prices are five cents lower in Western Pennsylvania this week at about $4.62 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report. 

The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline dropped 14 cents over the past week to $4.16.

Crude oil prices are presently below $100 per barrel, and pump prices are reflecting this decline.

The national average for gas is 23 cents less than a month ago but $1.13 more than a year ago. 

The average price that you can expect for a gallon of regular unleaded gas here in Beaver County is about $4.72.

According to a release from AAA East Central and AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report, here are the average price of unleaded self-serve gasoline this week in various Pennsylvania areas:

$4.492      Altoona
$4.717      Beaver
$4.614      Bradford
$4.398      Brookville
$4.693      Butler
$4.447      Clarion
$4.486      DuBois
$4.636      Erie
$4.664      Greensburg
$4.568      Indiana
$4.647      Jeannette
$4.671      Kittanning
$4.664      Latrobe
$4.649      Meadville
$4.643      Mercer
$4.647      New Castle
$4.650      New Kensington
$4.729      Oil City
$4.666      Pittsburgh
$4.649      Sharon
$4.710      Uniontown
$4.689      Warren
$4.624      Washington