(File Photo of the Heritage Valley Health System Logo)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Sewickley, PA) An emergency room nurse at Heritage Valley Sewickley Hospital who was using narcotics he had stolen from the hospital caused the death of at least two patients, according to a six-count whistleblower lawsuit filed against the health system. 

Heritage Valley Health System, CEO Norm Mitry, chief nursing officer Linda Homyk and other hospital physicians and managers were named in the lawsuit. It was filed in February by the Pittsburgh office of Saul Ewing LLP and was unsealed on June 15th by U.S. District Court Judge Cathy Bissoon. 

Registered nurses Jennifer Duckett and Samantha Gallo allege in the lawsuit that co-worker Nolan D. Chismire of Baden was sometimes so intoxicated when caring for patients that he had trouble walking. They allege that he caused the 2024 death of a 70-year-old woman who came to the emergency room with a non-life-threatening condition and died after he delayed her care, then made an error in administering a medication, according to the lawsuit. 

In a second instance later that year, Chismire denied care to a 47-year-old man who was experiencing symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. 

The man left the emergency room without medical attention and was later found in the hospital parking lot with a bleeding head wound. He was transferred to Allegheny General Hospital, which was where he died. 

The lawsuit confirms that at least six nurses from HVHS, including Chismire’s wife, Tina, who is also a registered nurse at Heritage Valley Sewickley, alerted hospital officials about Chismire’s alleged drug problem between 2021 and 2025. The alleged drug problems began shortly after he received his nursing license in 2009 and it continued at HVHS, which was where he was often absent from duty for hours when he was suspected of using drugs. 

According to the lawsuit, Chismire had worked at a nursing home and hospital, where he stole morphine, fentanyl and other narcotics. He was hired at HVHS in 2017 after he completed a 14-month drug rehabilitation program and while on probation by the state board of nursing. 

(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Allegheny County, PA) Allegheny County Sheriff Kevin M. Kraus announced yesterday that an Etna man with seven outstanding warrants has been taken into custody. Thirty-one-year-old Robert Gizler has been a fugitive since February of 2026 when six bench warrants were issued for probation violations on a number of cases that involve theft and receiving stolen property. Gizler also has an active warrant issued by the Allegheny Valley Police Department charging him with theft and burglary involving a house in Springdale in February. After checking multiple addresses over several weeks, detectives from the Allegheny County Sheriff’s office developed information yesterday that Gizler was inside of a residence along Cherry Street in Etna. Detectives arrived and surrounded it before confirming with the owner that Gizler was inside. They entered the place and took Gizler into custody without incident. He is now in the Allegheny County Jail. 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: A man walks among the rubble of a building that collapsed in earthquakes the previous day in La Guaira, Venezuela, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Sewickley, PA) World Vision recently sent two truckloads of disaster relief supplies to Venezuela to assist those that were impacted by last week’s catastrophic earthquakes. 

According to Jeff Fields, the site manager of World Vision’s Pittsburgh warehouse which is located in Sewickley, the supplies include generators, tarps, flood buckets, personal hygiene kits, and other items needed for immediate relief. 

The supplies are now in Miami and will be shipped overseas, taking about six days to reach the most devastated areas. World Vision already has crews on the ground that are ready to help. 

(File Photo of a Police Siren Lights)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Lawrence County, PA) Pennsylvania State Police in New Castle reported that a sixty-two-year-old man from Beaver Falls was charged after a two-vehicle crash occurred in Lawrence County on Monday. This crash occurred at 10:18 a.m., when Kenneth Long was exiting off of I-376 onto State Route 208. According to police, Long was at the stop sign at the end of the exit ramp and proceeded without clearance onto State Route 208 and hit the vehicle driven by fifty-seven-year-old James Crowder of Pulaski. There were no reported injuries and both drivers were wearing their seat belts when the crash occurred. 

(File Photo of a Sunflower)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Beaver County, PA) The Penn State Master Gardeners of Beaver County announced its second biannual Demonstration Garden Discovery Tour. It is themed “Gardening Since the Revolution,” and it will take place on Friday, July 17th and Saturday, July 18th. The activities start with a prequel event on Friday at Penn State Beaver at 5-8 p.m. and the self-driving, self-guided tour of five gardens will begin on Saturday from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Guests will explore five beautiful demonstration gardens in the county so they can discover how historic gardening practices can connect with modern, research-based techniques. You can register for this event by calling 877-345-0691 or by going to extension.psu.edu/demo-garden-discovery-tour by clicking here. This year’s tour is made possible in part through grant funding from America250PA – Beaver County. According to a report from the Beaver County Times, here is more information about the event:

Community booths and local vendors will greet visitors in the quad area outside the upper level of the Student Union Building. Visitors who wish to register for the tour may do so during the prequel event, but pre-registration is highly encouraged. The cost is $20 for adults, $10 for youth age 10-18, and free for children under 10. 

Registered participants will check in and receive a tote bag with a tour booklet and access bracelet. They will then enter the Student Union Building where they can enjoy light refreshments and a series of four brief, engaging presentations on related garden topics. These sessions will highlight several historical aspects of gardening, including heirloom seed saving, dyeing textiles with plants, home food preservation, and more, introducing themes that the gardens on the tour demonstrate. The gardens that will be toured are as follows: 

Beaver Station Demonstration Garden in Beaver 

Spring Street Demonstration Garden in Aliquippa 

Old Economy Village in Ambridge 

Vegetable, Fruit, and Herb Demonstration Garden in Brighton Township 

Vicary Mansion in Freedom 

Each location highlights both educational and historical themes, with supporting materials available on-site. Master Gardeners will be present at all locations on Saturday to offer guidance, answer questions, and share additional resources. Participants can take their time to explore the gardens and become inspired with ideas for their own gardens while learning how a variety of gardening practices are rooted in both tradition and science.

(New Brighton, Pa.) Nearly 1500 Duquesne Light Customers in the New Brighton and Beaver Falls area lost power around 3:55 PM Tuesday afternoon due to what Duquesne Light is describing as a cable issue.

Alyssa Battaglia from Duquesne Light told Beaver County Radio that crews are currently working on the issue and they expect power to be restored by 6:00 pm.

We will continue to give you updates as they become available.

(File Photo of the Allegheny Health Network Logo)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) New clinical research led by physicians at Allegheny Health Network (AHN) suggests that surgery for a debilitating digestive condition linked to diabetes may help patients better control their blood sugar, reduce the need for insulin therapy, and lower the five-year risk of diabetes-related complications. 

The study was published in JAMA Surgery, and it examined outcomes among patients with diabetic gastroparesis, which is a condition that slows the movement of food through the stomach and can make diabetes difficult to manage. Researchers found that patients who underwent surgical treatment experienced sustained improvements in blood sugar levels over time compared to those receiving nonsurgical care. 

Diabetic gastroparesis affects roughly 1 in 10 people with diabetes, and it can significantly delay digestion. It makes blood sugar levels harder to predict and control as a result. Diabetes can lead to this illness because hyperglycemia and blood sugar fluctuations can damage nerves and stomach muscles, which disrupts the normal muscular contractions of the digestive tract. 

The study was led by AHN’s foregut surgery team and researchers at the Chevalier Jackson Esophageal Research Center at AHN West Penn Hospital, which underscores the institute’s role in developing and researching innovative approaches that address both digestive disease and long-term metabolic health. 

(Headline Photo: File Photo of the Beaver County Humane Society: Credit for Photos Below: Photos Courtesy of the Beaver County Humane Society, Posted on Facebook on June 29th, 2026)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Aliquippa, PA) The Beaver County Humane Society is now looking to find the owners of several stray pets that were brought into the Aliquippa animal shelter over the weekend. The pictures of these animals and more information about them can be found below. If one of them belongs to you, call 724-775-5801, extension 105 or email intake@beavercountyhumanesociety.org.