Massachusetts man charged in connection with hitting and killing a Pennsylvania State Police trooper in Schuylkill County with a vehicle

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

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Schuylkill County, PA) Thirty-three-year-old Michael Bon of Brockton, Massachusetts, has now been charged with homicide by vehicle and involuntary manslaughter after a Pennsylvania State Police trooper was hit and killed on Wednesday by a vehicle.

According to the criminal complaint, Bon was driving a tractor-trailer on Interstate 81 in Schuylkill County when he rear-ended another tractor-trailer. The second vehicle was being inspected by Trooper Michael Pahira, Jr. at around 7 a.m. and Pahira was pinned underneath.

Both vehicles caught fire, and even though nearby construction workers pulled Pahira out, he was taken to the hospital, where he later died because of his injuries.

Pahira was forty-four years old and was assigned to Pennsylvania State Police’s Troop L’s Frackville station for nearly twenty years. 

Bon was arraigned, and police note that a bail for him was set at $700,000.

Duquesne Light Company makes donation to The Salvation Army of Beaver Falls after recent power outage affects New Brighton and Beaver Falls community

(File Photo of the Duquesne Light Company Logo)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Beaver Falls, PA) Duquesne Light Company paid it forward to a local community after nearly 1,500 customers in the New Brighton and Beaver Falls area lost power on June 30th because of what the company described as a “cable issue.” 

Duquesne Light recently made a $5,000 donation to The Salvation Army of Beaver Falls, which is open Tuesday through Friday. This donation will support its food pantry and the donation was made a week after the incident occurred.  

DLC also noted that there will be a food distribution event at Big Beaver Middle School from 10:30 a.m. to noon on July 25th. 

New chaperone policy will be implemented at Sandcastle Waterpark starting this week

(File Photo of the Sandcastle Waterpark Logo)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(West Homestead, PA) A new chaperone policy will be implemented starting this week at Sandcastle Waterpark. 

General Manager Richard Spicuzza announced this policy yesterday and it will go into effect on Friday. 

Guests that are 15 years old and younger are now required to be with an adult who is aged 21 or older while they are at the park.  

Spicuzza confirmed that the change at Sandcastle was caused by positive feedback coming from the guests of the park. 

A chaperone can look after six guests who are teenagers that are 15 years old or younger. They need to be present at the park at all times when the teenagers visit, but it is not a requirement for them to accompany the teenagers at all times. 

Spicuzza is also the general manager of Kennywood Park, which implemented the same policy last month because of reports of possible gatherings that were unauthorized. 

Hookstown woman charged for tailgating after two-vehicle crash in Washington County

(File Photo of a Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Car)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Washington County, PA) Pennsylvania State Police in Pittsburgh reported that twenty-four-year-old Samantha Withers of Hookstown was charged for tailgating after a two-vehicle crash occurred in Washington County yesterday. She and forty-eight-year-old Adam Warren of Toronto, Ohio were driving  on US Highway 22 West in a construction zone in Hanover Township at 4:05 p.m. Withers was unable to stop her vehicle in time before it hit the vehicle of Warren. Warren was transported to the Weirton Medical Center because of a possible injury and there were no other injuries as a result of this crash. 

Rankin woman charged after two-vehicle crash in New Sewickley Township

(File Photo of a Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Car)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(New Sewickley Township, PA) Pennsylvania State Police in Gibsonia reported yesterday that thirty-four-year-old Ann Breia Kelly of Rankin was charged after a two-vehicle crash occurred in New Sewickley Township on June 22nd. Kelly was driving on I-76 East at 1:45 p.m. and side-swiped the vehicle driven by fifty-five-year-old Larry White of Tarentum. Kelly entered into the right lane with her vehicle when White was trying to negotiate a left-hand curve in that lane. Kelly was transported to UPMC Passavant Hospital because of an injury with an unknown severity and there were no other injuries as a result of this crash. 

No charges filed after two-vehicle crash in Big Beaver Borough

(File Photo of a Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Car)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Big Beaver Borough, PA) Pennsylvania State Police in Gibsonia reported yesterday that no charges were filed after a two-vehicle crash occurred in Big Beaver Borough on June 24th. Fifty-six-year-old Randal Jarrett of East Liverpool, Ohio was driving on I-76 West near Foxwood Road at 7:05 a.m. when the vehicle drive shaft of his MAC Truck broke and fell from the truck. Sixty-one-year-old Richard Beacom, Jr. of Russellton was driving behind Jarrett. Beacom punctured the fuel take of his vehicle after he ran over the drive shaft with his vehicle. There were no reported injuries. 

Ellwood City woman cited after two-vehicle crash in Cranberry Township

(File Photo of a Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Cars)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Cranberry Township, PA) Pennsylvania State Police in Gibsonia reported yesterday that twenty-year-old Hannah Davis of Ellwood City was cited after a two-vehicle crash occurred in Cranberry Township on Wednesday. She and twenty-two-year-old Matthew Jackson II of Wampum were preparing to merge their vehicles onto an acceleration ramp going to I-76 West at 5:14 p.m. Davis rear-ended the vehicle of Jackson after Jackson braked. There were no reported injuries. 

No charges filed after two-vehicle crash in New Sewickley Township

(File Photo of a Pennsylvania State Trooper Car)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(New Sewickley Township, PA) Pennsylvania State Police in Gibsonia reported yesterday that no charges were filed after a two-vehicle crash occurred in New Sewickley Township on Thursday. An unidentified driver was driving their semi-truck on I-76 West on the Pennsylvania Turnpike at 6:22 a.m. That semi-truck hit the mirror of the vehicle driven by sixty-three-year-old David Novak of Cheswick and kept going. There were no reported injuries. 

Aliquippa Police increasing police presence in city after recent incidents of violence; asking for community’s help for information on them

(File Photo of the City of Aliquippa Police Department Building)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Aliquippa, PA) Aliquippa Police Chief John Lane recently released a statement regarding the recent acts of violent crime in Aliquippa, which includes a shooting that hospitalized four people on Sunday at around 12:30 a.m. in the 200 block of Linmar Terrace.

Lane confirmed that his police department is increasing the presence of officers through additional patrols in the area where violent crime has happened and they are working to hold and identify those that are responsible for these violent actions accountable.

The goals of this enforcement are to reassure residents of Aliquippa, deter more violence and respond effectively and quickly to criminal activity.

However, Lane is also asking for the help of the community to get more information on these recent incidents of violence because he states people either do not come forward, become hostile or refuse to cooperate with officers.

If you have any information, you can call the Aliquippa Police Department at 724-375-6682.

You can also dial 911 for emergencies and 724-378-8000 for non-emergencies. 

Penguins sign Chinakov, Silovs, Gustafsson and Blomqvist to new contracts

(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The Pittsburgh Penguins signed four restricted free agents to new contracts with the team on Sunday. Right winger Egor Chinakov signed for three more years which carries a price tag of $6.3 million. 

Chinakov was acquired by the Penguins via a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets on December 29th, 2025 that sent left winger Danton Heinen, a 2026 second-round pick and a 2027 third-round pick to Columbus.

Goaltender Arturs Silovs also signed a one-year contract which is worth $2.8 million. 

Silovs was acquired by the Penguins via a trade with the Vancouver Canucks that sent forward Chase Stillman and a 2027 fourth-round pick to Vancouver. 

The Penguins also signed recently acquired center David Gustafsson and goaltender Joel Blomqvist to new deals. 

Gustafsson signed a two-year contract that has a salary cap hit of $835,000 and he was acquired by the Penguins on June 29th in a trade with the Winnipeg Jets that sent defenseman Jack St. Ivany to Winnipeg. 

Blomqvist agreed to a contract for two years with a salary cap hit of $875,000 and he completed his third season with the Penguins’ AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.