(All photos  taken by Matt Drzik)

BREAKING NEWS: Firefighters were called to a house fire this morning in Rochester borough. The fire started after 8 a.m. at a home in the 500 block of Lacock Street. When crews got there, the flames had consumed the home. We’re working to find out if anyone was inside at the time, but we’re told by Beaver County Emergency Services that there are no injuries.

 

 

BREAKING NEWS: At least one person is dead following a crash involving a dump truck in Lawrence County this morning. The crash was first reported around 9 a.m. at Routes 288 and 18 in Wampum. A tri-axle truck and red vehicle collided, trapping one person in the car. The Lawrence County Coroner’s Office says one person died in the crash. The name of the victim has not yet been released. Route 18 was closed for an extended period of time. Traffic was being re-routed from Koppel, Beaver County, through Ellwood City and back into Wampum.

A plane flying from New York to Chicago had to make an emergency landing at Pittsburgh International Airport in Moon Township after a man on board became unresponsive. Once the plane landed around 1 p.m., the man was taken to a hospital where he later died. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the man as 48-year-old Thomas Guziak of Tinley Park. A cause of death was not released by the coroner.

State and local police have reported that there have been a few accidents in the county due to slick spots. Motorists are advised to exercise caution due to the road conditions. In the meantime, no injuries reported in a chain reaction accident involving two cars and a BCTA bus in Ambridge last night. Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano has more. Click on ‘play ‘ to hear Sandy’s report…

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Part of Route 51 in Moon Township will reopen next week after a landslide earlier this month. PennDOT officials closed both sides of the road between Flaugherty Run and Purdy Road after the January 2nd slide. Crews are still taking down rock and, granted everything stays to plan, the road will reopen at some point next week.

Travelers are concerned about the growing number of gun confiscations at the Pittsburgh International Airport. The Transportation Security Administration says it saw a five-percent spike in gun confiscations last year. Thirty-five guns were confiscated in 2019 compared to 34 gun confiscations in 2018 and 32 in 2017. Anyone trying to carry a firearm through TSA security may face charges or a fine.

State police are cautioning people to be wary of a social security scam that has cheated two Lawrence County residents out of thousands of dollars. Police report a 71-year-old North Beaver Township woman was taken for $4,900 after getting a phone call from someone pretending to be from the Social Security Administration. The caller told the woman her social security number was compromised and to avoid a legal issue she needed to purchase 49 hundred dollars worth of gift cards, which she did. Police said a 40-year-old Wayne Township man fell victim to a similar scam losing around one thousand dollars. Anyone with information is urged to contact State Police.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s governor is back in the United States after an unannounced trip to Israel that mixed personal travel with state business. Wolf’s office said the second-term Democrat returned Thursday. A spokesman says Gov. Tom Wolf and his wife, first lady Frances Wolf, spent three days at the end of their trip engaged in cultural and civic exchange programs and economic development efforts. His office said the trip wasn’t announced until it was over for security reasons.

WEATHER FORECAST FOR FRIDAY, JANUARY 17TH, 2020

 

TODAY – SNOW SHOWERS THIS MORNING. PEEKS OF
SUNSHINE LATER. HIGH – 31.

TONIGHT – CLOUDY. SNOW LIKELY. SOME SLEET OR
FREEZING RAIN POSSIBLE. 1 TO 3 INCHES OF
SNOW EXPECTED. LOW – 26.

SATURDAY – SNOW DURING THE MORNING WILL GIVE WAY
TO RAIN DURING THE AFTERNOON. SOME
MIXED WINTER PRECIPITATION POSSIBLE.
SNOW ACCUMULATING ANOTHER 1 TO 3
INCHES. HIGH – 44.

SUNDAY – OVERCAST. A FEW FLURRIES OR SNOW SHOWERS
POSSIBLE. HIGH – 24.