PITTSBURGH (AP) — A Michigan man has pleaded guilty to hacking a University of Pittsburgh Medical Center employee database, stealing the personal information of more than 65,000 people and then selling the information online. The Tribune-Review reports that Justin Johnson is being held at Butler County Prison and will be sentenced in four months. Johnson pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of conspiracy and one count of aggravated identity theft. According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Melucci, investigators found that Johnson used his expertise in the PeopleSoft software to gain access to the database. He then sold the information on the dark web. Johnson was arrested last year in Detroit.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Stephen Zappala Sr., a former chief justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court being remembered for his distinguished legal career and public service, has died. He was 88. The William Slater II Funeral Service of Pittsburgh said Zappala Sr., died Friday. He served in the Army and attained the rank of first lieutenant before returning to Pittsburgh to begin private law practice. Zappala Sr. then became Allegheny County’s planning director and solicitor before winning a Common Pleas court seat. In 1981, he was elected to the state Supreme Court and became chief justice in 2001 before retiring in December 2002. Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said he was “saddened” to hear of Zappala Sr.’s passing. A funeral service is scheduled Saturday.

(Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondents Curtis Walsh and Sandy Giordano)

(Darlington, PA) Firefighters are reportedly battling a fire at a Church on Market street in Darlington. Beaver County 9-1-1 received a  call after 5 a.m. for crews to respond to a  fire at the Presbyterian Church on Market Street in Darlington. There are currently no reported injuries.  Several departments remain on scene , and no cause has been determined.

Chris Shovlin, former Beaver County Radio alum and current Executive Director For Development at Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School (among other things) will join Matt Drzik to talk about the recent grant for the new Midland Innovation & Technology Charter School. The interview will follow the 8:30 news and be presented through video feed on Facebook Live.

Per the Hookstown Fire Department, US Route 30 is closed from the PA/WV state line to Route 168 due to a fatal vehicle crash.  The closure is expected to last several hours.

The detour is as follows:

PA Route 168 North to Midland, from Midland take PA Route 68 East to the Ohio State line, once in Ohio, follow OH Route 39 until it meets back up with Route 30 in East Liverpool where you can then get back on Route 30 heading east or west.

The Pennsylvania State Police Beaver Barracks is the investigating agency should there be any further inquiries.

Stay tuned to Beaver County Radio for developing information.

NEW YORK (AP) — First lady Jill Biden has told young immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children that she feels “inspired” by them because they didn’t just receive a college education, they “fought for it.” The first lady delivered the keynote speech Thursday at a ceremony organized by TheDream.US, a scholarship providing organization for young immigrants often described as “dreamers.” Her speech took place nearly a week after president Joe Biden met in the Oval Office with six young immigrants who benefited from an Obama-era program that protected those brought to the U.S. illegally as children.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is pushing a new reason to swipe right: Dating apps are starting to offer vaccination badges and “super swipes” for people who’ve gotten their coronavirus shots. It’s part of the administration’s push to encourage COVID-19 vaccinations. The White House says apps like Hinge, Tinder, Match and Bumble are offering special incentives to people who roll up their sleeves. These include badges showing vaccination status and free access to premium content. The administration is stepping up its efforts to sustain demand for COVID-19 shots to help meet its goal of delivering at least one dose to 70% of adult Americans by July 4.

WASHINGTON (AP) — CNN says the Trump administration Justice Department secretly obtained the 2017 phone records of a CNN correspondent. The revelation Thursday comes two weeks after The Washington Post disclosed that the Justice Department had last year seized phone records belonging to three current and former journalists. CNN said the Justice Department informed Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr in a May 13 letter that it had obtained phone and email records covering a two-month period between June 1 and July 31, 2017. The Justice Department confirmed that the records were formally sought last year, though it did not reveal anything else about the investigation and what it might pertain to.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Negotiations between the White House and Senate Republicans over President Joe Biden’s $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan are hitting a crucial stage ahead of talks Friday. The latest GOP offer has left some dismay in the administration that there hasn’t been more movement off the Republicans’ initial $568 billion proposal. A Republican says GOP lawmakers did increase their offer and have been working in good faith with the White House. But the slog of the closed-door talks is certain to spark fresh worries from Democrats. The president’s team had set a soft Memorial Day deadline to determine if a deal was within reach.

ORIENT, Ohio (AP) — Farming techniques that are good for the soil may also play an important role in fighting climate change. A growing number of U.S. farmers are planting winter cover crops, reducing tillage and taking other steps that keep carbon underground instead of releasing it to the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is the primary gas causing global warming. President Joe Biden’s administration is encouraging government programs and private markets that pay farmers to use the carbon-trapping methods. Some farmers are reluctant to change their ways, and some scientists question the effectiveness of the new practices against climate change. But other experts say the measures can have a significant impact if used more widely.