(File Photo: Source for Photo: Brian Kohberger appears at the Ada County Courthouse, July 2, 2025, in Boise, Idaho. (AP Photo/Kyle Green, Pool)

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A judge is expected to order Bryan Kohberger to serve four life sentences without parole this week for the brutal stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students nearly three years ago.

Wednesday’s sentencing hearing will give the families of Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin and Kaylee Goncalves the opportunity to describe the anguish they’ve felt since their loved ones were killed in the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2022.

Kohberger was a graduate student at Washington State University when he broke into a nearby rental home through a kitchen sliding door and killed the four friends who appeared to have no connection with him.

Police initially had no suspects, and the killings terrified the normally quiet community in the small, western Idaho city of Moscow. Some students at both universities left mid-semester, taking the rest of their classes online because they felt unsafe.

But investigators had a few critical clues. A knife sheath left near Mogen’s body had a single source of male DNA on the button snap, and surveillance videos showed a white Hyundai Elantra near the rental home around the time of the murders.

Police used genetic genealogy to identify Kohberger as a possible suspect, and accessed cellphone data to pinpoint his movements the night of the killings. Online shopping records showed Kohberger had purchased a military-style knife months earlier, along with a sheath like the one at the home.

Kohberger was arrested in Pennsylvania about six weeks after the killings. He initially stood silent when asked to enter a plea, so a judge entered a “not guilty” plea on his behalf.

Both the investigation and the court case drew widespread attention. Discussion groups proliferated online, members eagerly sharing their theories and questions about the case. Some self-styled armchair web-sleuths pointed fingers at innocent people simply because they knew the victims or lived in the same town. Misinformation spread, piling additional distress on the already-traumatized community.

As the criminal case unfolded, Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson announced that he would seek the death penalty if Kohberger was convicted. The court-defense team, led by attorney Anne Taylor, challenged the validity of the DNA evidence, unsuccessfully pushed to get theories about possible “alternate perpetrators” admitted in court, and repeatedly asked the judge to take the death penalty off of the table.

But those efforts largely failed, and the evidence against Kohberger was strong. With an August trial looming, Kohberger reached a plea deal. Prosecutors agreed to drop their efforts to get a death sentence in exchange for Kohberger’s guilty plea to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. Both sides agreed to a proposed sentence of four consecutive life sentences without parole, plus an additional 10 years for the burglary charge. Kohberger also waived his right to appeal any issues in the case.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: White House special envoy Steve Witkoff waits for the arrival of President Donald Trump at Teterboro Airport in Teterboro, N.J., en route to attend the Club World Cup final soccer match, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, planned to head to the Middle East as the U.S. tries once again to reach a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, the State Department’s spokesperson said Tuesday.

Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters that Witkoff was going to the region with a “strong hope” that the U.S. can deliver a ceasefire deal as well as a new humanitarian corridor for aid distribution.

“I would suggest that we might have some good news, but, again, as we know, this could be a constantly changing dynamic,” said Bruce, who didn’t have other details about where Witkoff would be going or what he had planned.

Three U.S. officials said Witkoff is traveling to Europe this week to discuss a range of issues, including Gaza and the push for a ceasefire, but they had no details about Middle East stops and did not share where specifically Witkoff would travel to and when.

The officials were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The State Department press office didn’t respond to messages seeking more details on Witkoff’s travel, and it wasn’t immediately clear what his schedule would be this week.

A breakthrough in talks on a ceasefire deal has eluded the Trump administration for months as conditions worsen in Gaza. The territory had its deadliest day yet for aid-seekers in over 21 months of war, with at least 85 Palestinians killed while trying to reach food Sunday.

The Israeli army has said it fired warning shots, but says the reported death toll was greatly inflated. The United Nations’ food agency accused Israeli forces of firing on the crowd of Palestinians seeking humanitarian aid.

Bruce said the incident that took place while civilians were trying to reach aid entering through the Zikim crossing with Israel is “absolutely horrible” and reinforced why the U.S. is pushing for a new humanitarian corridor to be created as part of any truce.

The sides have held weeks of talks in Qatar, reporting small signs of progress but no major breakthroughs. Officials have said a main sticking point is the redeployment of Israeli troops after any ceasefire takes place.

The U.S. plan calls for a 60-day truce, during which Hamas would release some hostages while Israel would free Palestinian prisoners and allow a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza. During the 60 days, the sides are also to begin negotiations on a permanent end to the war.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the war until Hamas yields power and is disarmed, while Hamas says it will not release all of the hostages until the war is over. It is seeking assurances that Netanyahu will not resume the war after the 60 days, as he did in March after an early ceasefire expired.

Hamas is holding 50 hostages — 20 of whom are believed to still be alive.

(File Photo of the Beaver County Emergency Services Center Building)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Beaver County, PA) According to a preliminary report, a power outage of 911 call systems that happened in Pennsylvania on July 12th, 2025 was caused by a technical issue. The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency provided an update on this matter on Tuesday by saying Next Generation 911 had an issue with their operating system. The non-emergency number in Beaver County is still available to call anytime if this incident happens again. That number is 724-775-1700.

(Photo Courtesy of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Detectives from the Special Victims Unit of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police in Pittsburgh are looking for Pastor Rodriguez Rivera, Jr., a seventy-seven-year-old man who went missing. Rivera was previously seen in Polish Hill. According to police, Rivera was last seen Sunday in the 1000 block of Herron Avenue. He has a description of brown eyes, white and gray hair, 5 foot, 7 inches tall and 130 pounds. A photo of Rivera can be seen below. The Public Safety Department of Pittsburgh also confirms that Spanish is is the language Rivera would prefer you speaking to him in, even though he speaks in both Spanish and English. That same department also noted that both confusion and memory that is poor are what Rivera may be suffering from at this time. If you see Rivera, contact either 911 or 412-323-7141.

(File Photo of a Police Siren Light)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Aliquippa, PA) Pennsylvania State Police in Beaver report that a man from Aliquippa was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in Aliquippa on Sunday. Sixty-three-year-old Kevin Kimbrough was stopped by police during a traffic stop on the 1500 block of Kennedy Boulevard. According to police, Kimbrough was arrested for driving under the influence and his charges are pending.

(File Photo of Handcuffs)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Big Beaver Borough, PA) Pennsylvania State Police in Beaver report that a man from Austintown, Ohio was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in Big Beaver Borough on Tuesday. Fifty-one-year-old Victor Munz was found by police behind the wheel of his vehicle passed out on the 1 block of Arthur Street. According to police, Munz was arrested for driving under the influence and his charges are pending. 

(File Photo of Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Badge)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Washington, PA) According to a release from the Pennsylvania State Police, their Bureau of Criminal Investigation is asking healthcare agencies and providers in the state to review their employment records. This is because they are currently investigating activities that were fraudulent by Shannon Nicole Womack, who is now in custody for allegedly pretending to be a nurse at nine Pennsylvania healthcare facilities. According to investigators, Womack allegedly used at least ten aliases in various parts of Pennsylvania. These names are as follows, according to a release from the Pennsylvania State Police.

• Shannon Nicole Parham
• Shannon Nicole Abiola
• Shannon Nicole Armstrong
• Shannon Abiola-Parham
• Shannon Nicole Grimes
• Shannon Nicole Womack
• Shannon Nicole Lawson
• Shannon Nicole Lethco
• Shannon Nicole Robinson
• Shannon Lee Lawson

If one of those names match records of employment at a facility of a provider in Pennsylvania, call 724-223-5200, which is the phone number for Pennsylvania State Police in Washington, Pennsylvania.

(AP) Ozzy Osbourne, the gloomy, demon-invoking lead singer of the pioneering band Black Sabbath who became the throaty, growling voice — and drug-and-alcohol ravaged id — of heavy metal, died Tuesday, just weeks after his farewell show. He was 76.

“It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time,” a family statement said. In 2020, he revealed he had Parkinson’s disease after suffering a fall.

Either clad in black or bare-chested, the singer was often the target of parents’ groups for his imagery and once caused an uproar for biting the head off a bat. Later, he would reveal himself to be a doddering and sweet father on the reality TV show “The Osbournes.”

Black Sabbath’s 1969 self-titled debut LP has been likened to the Big Bang of heavy metal.

Bt LP has been likened to te Big Bang of

It came during the height of the Vietnam War and crashed the hippie party, dripping menace and foreboding. The cover of the record was of a spooky figure against a stark landscape. The music was loud, dense and angry, and marked a shift in rock ’n’ roll.

The band’s second album, “Paranoid,” included such classic metal tunes as “War Pigs,” “Iron Man” and “Fairies Wear Boots.” The song “Paranoid” only reached No. 61 on the Billboard Hot 100 but became in many ways the band’s signature song. Both albums were voted among the top 10 greatest heavy metal albums of all time by readers of Rolling Stone magazine.

“Black Sabbath are the Beatles of heavy metal. Anybody who’s serious about metal will tell you it all comes down to Sabbath,” Dave Navarro of the band Jane’s Addiction wrote in a 2010 tribute in Rolling Stone. “There’s a direct line you can draw back from today’s metal, through Eighties bands like Iron Maiden, back to Sabbath.”

Sabbath fired Osbourne in 1979 for his legendary excesses, like showing up late for rehearsals and missing gigs. “We knew we didn’t really have a choice but to sack him because he was just so out of control. But we were all very down about the situation,” wrote bassist Terry “Geezer” Butler in his memoir, “Into the Void.”

Osbourne reemerged the next year as a solo artist with “Blizzard of Ozz” and the following year’s “Diary of a Madman,” both hard rock classics that went multi-platinum and spawned enduring favorites such as “Crazy Train,” “Goodbye to Romance,” “Flying High Again” and “You Can’t Kill Rock and Roll.” Osbourne was twice inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — once with Sabbath in 2006 and again in 2024 as a solo artist.

The original Sabbath lineup reunited for the first time in 20 years in July 2025 in the U.K. for what Osborne said would be his final concert. “Let the madness begin!” he told 42,000 fans.

Metallica, Guns N Roses, Slayer, Tool, Pantera, Gojira, Alice in Chains, Lamb of God, Halestorm, Anthrax, Rival Sons and Mastodon did sets. Tom Morello, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, Billy Corgan, Ronnie Wood, Travis Barker, Sammy Hagar, Andrew Watt, Yungblud, Korn’s Jonathan Davis, Nuno Bettencourt, Chad Smith and Vernon Reid made appearances. Actor Jason Momoa was the host for the festivities.

“Black Sabbath: we’d all be different people without them, that’s the truth,” said Pantera singer Phil Anselmo. “I know I wouldn’t be up here with a microphone in my hand without Black Sabbath.”

Osbourne embodied the excesses of metal. His outlandish exploits included relieving himself on the Alamo, snorting a line of ants off a sidewalk and, most memorably, biting the head off a live bat that a fan threw onstage during a 1981 concert. (He said he thought it was rubber.)

Osbourne was sued in 1987 by parents of a 19-year-old teen who died by suicide while listening to his song “Suicide Solution.” The lawsuit was dismissed. Osbourne said the song was really about the dangers of alcohol, which caused the death of his friend Bon Scott, lead singer of AC/DC.

Then-Cardinal John J. O’Connor of New York claimed in 1990 that Osbourne’s songs led to demonic possession and even suicide. “You are ignorant about the true meaning of my songs,” the singer wrote back. “You have also insulted the intelligence of rock fans all over the world.”

(File Photo of Handcuffs)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Washington County, PA) A woman who allegedly worked at nine healthcare facilities in Pennsylvania unprofessionally over a five-year span is now in custody. According to a criminal complaint, Shannon Nicole Womack used at least twenty aliases and seven different social security number combinations. The criminal complaint also states that the name of Womack appears on the site in Georgia called “Nursing Imposter Alerts.” The impostor posed herself as a nurse. Womack allegedly worked at Beaver Valley Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center and eight other Pennsylvania healthcare facilities. The thirty-nine-year-old Womack was arrested in Washington County after she allegedly identified herself to police incorrectly on April 5th, 2025. According to police, they found multiple forms of identification, prescription medication, paraphernalia from different nursing and healthcare facilities, medical documents and equipment and patient logs in the vehicle of Womack. This happened some days after Womack went into custody. One of the three names that she allegedly  provided to police showed some warrants from the states of Georgia, Indiana, New Jersey and Tennessee. Womack appeared in court on Monday and faces multiple charges including identity theft. The other centers that Womack allegedly worked at besides Beaver Valley Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center are:

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – A Southwest Airlines jet arrives at Sky Harbor International Airport, Dec. 28, 2022, in Phoenix. With its flights now running on a roughly normal schedule, Southwest Airlines is turning its attention to luring back customers and repairing damage to a reputation for service after canceling 15,000 flights around Christmas. The disruptions started with a winter storm and snowballed when Southwest’s ancient crew-scheduling technology failed. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Dallas, TX) According to an announcement from Southwest Airlines on Monday, Southwest Airlines will begin flights with assigned seats on January 27th, 2026. Starting on July 29th, 2025, customers can start to book 2026 Southwest Airlines flights with assigned seats, with some to offer increased legroom to customers. Southwest Airlines also announced on Monday that their boarding process is being overhauled. There will be group numbers instead of the current number and group letter, with seat location determining where people will be grouped. Loyalty program members and those with more legroom will have the top groups for boarding on those Southwest Airlines flights next year.