Category: News

Almost 1,000 Duquesne Light Company union workers go on strike after failed contract negotiations

(File Photo of the Duquesne Light Company Logo)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Almost 1,000 union workers from Duquesne Light Company (DLC) have recently gone on strike after not reaching a deal amid contract negotiations with their employer.  

According to Josh Ewing, the business manager for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 29, the union has tried continuously to bargain in good faith and had a conversation with some of the company’s top executives yesterday evening. 

Issues that Ewing highlighted include adequate staffing, creating of non-union jobs, retiring healthcare, retiring benefits, the right to organize, and safety concerns that are not being listened to. 

DLC confirmed that the nearly 1,000 workersfrom the company serve over 600,000 customers in Beaver and Allegheny counties. 

A spokesperson for Duquesne Light stated that the company remains committed to engaging in good-faith negotiations with its workers, and that they have a responsibility to keep costs affordable for customers while providing reliable service to its community.   

Bartolotta Bill to Protect Pennsylvania Farmers Advances from Senate Committee

(File Photo of Senator Camera Bartolotta)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) The Senate Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee approved legislation sponsored by Senator Camera Bartolotta (R-46) to prohibit the manufacture and sale of lab-grown meat and poultry in Pennsylvania yesterday. 

Senate Bill 1422 is intended to protect the farmers of Pennsylvania and the agricultural industry in the state from the growing push to replace traditionally raised meat with products that are produced in laboratory settings.

Pennsylvania would join seven other states which have enacted laws varying in scope to prohibit the distribution, manufacture and sale of cultivated meat products if this bill is enacted.

Senate Bill 1422 will now advance to the full Senate for its consideration. 

Mc Donald’s High School Football Preview: Week 6

McDONALD’S BEAVER COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PREVIEW

It’s time for our weekly look around the area at this week’s high school football games involving Beaver County teams.

Our high school football preview is brought to you by Tri- County McDonald’s (mmm I’m Lovin It!).

And we start with our Pond Lehocky Game of the Week — Blackhawk at New Castle. This could be one of the best games of the night. Blackhawk puts its perfect 5-and-0 record on the line against a New Castle team coming off its biggest win of the season. The Cougars have been an offensive machine, scoring 228 points through five games — better than 45 points per game. Last week, Blackhawk survived its closest test of the year, beating Shaler 40-31. But New Castle just sent a message of its own by knocking off Aliquippa 42-21. So we’ve got an undefeated Blackhawk team against a New Castle team playing with a ton of confidence. I expect points, and I expect Blackhawk to get one of its toughest tests of the season.

We’ll have the Pond Lehocky Game of the Week Friday night. Pregame at 6:30, kickoff at 7:00 on Beaver County Radio.

Now let’s get to the rest of the games.

Western Beaver travels to New Brighton.

Both teams are 1-and-4 and desperately need a win. Western Beaver has shown flashes, including that impressive 28-10 upset of Riverside. New Brighton lost to Riverside 33-22 last week, but the Lions showed improvement offensively. Keep an eye on Heath Lewis for New Brighton. If the Lions can get him into the open field, he can change the game quickly.

Hopewell travels to Beaver.

The Vikings are 4-and-1 and rolling right now. They’ve beaten Central Valley 34-6 and Western Beaver 47-6 in consecutive weeks. Quarterback James Armstrong gives Hopewell a dangerous threat with both his arm and his legs. Beaver is 1-and-4 and trying to bounce back from a 49-6 loss to Avonworth. We know quarterback Jaivin Peel can put up huge numbers, but Hopewell is playing too well for me to pick against the Vikings.

Ambridge travels to Aliquippa.

Aliquippa is coming off that surprising 42-21 loss to New Castle, and I expect the Quips to come out with something to prove.

How about Beaver Falls at Mohawk?

Don’t look now, but the Tigers have won three straight. And last week’s was the biggest — Beaver Falls handed previously unbeaten Freedom its first loss, 24-13. Mohawk was beaten 48-6 by Neshannock last week. Beaver Falls is getting better as the season goes along.

Montour visits Central Valley.

The Warriors are 2-and-3 and have lost two straight, including a heartbreaking 16-14 loss to Hampton last week. Montour is 3-and-2 and is coming off a 34-29 loss to Thomas Jefferson. Central Valley needs to establish the running game and avoid falling behind early.

Neshannock travels to Freedom.

Freedom started the season 4-and-0 before Beaver Falls handed the Bulldogs their first loss. Now they get a Neshannock team that’s 4-and-1 and has won three straight. Freedom is dangerous at home, but right now Neshannock has the momentum.

Northgate visits Rochester.

Rochester is 1-and-4, while Northgate comes in at 3-and-2 after barely escaping South Side last week, 21-20. That’s why I’m going with my upset pick here. Rochester is at home, and if the Rams protect the football, I think they can steal one.

Shenango travels to South Side.

South Side nearly picked up its first victory last week before losing to Northgate by one. But now the Rams face an undefeated Shenango team that just hammered Rochester 49-8.

And OLSH travels to Ellwood City.

Somebody is getting its first win because both teams enter at 0-and-5. Ellwood City showed some offensive improvement last week in a 27-13 loss to Shady Side Academy. With the Wolverines playing at home, I’ll give them the slight edge.

And finally, Riverside has the week off.

The Panthers enter their bye at 4-and-1. They started 3-and-0 before losing to Western Beaver, then bounced back last Friday with a 33-22 win over New Brighton. Riverside returns next week against Freedom.

But the spotlight Friday night is on Blackhawk at New Castle.

Blackhawk is 5-and-0. New Castle just knocked off Aliquippa. And the Cougars are averaging better than 45 points per game. It’s the Pond Lehocky Game of the Week.

Pregame coverage begins at 6:30, with kickoff at 7:00, right here on Beaver County Radio.

That’s your McDonald’s Beaver County High School Football Preview.

Cowboys acquiring cornerback Joey Porter Jr. from the Steelers for 2 draft picks, AP sources say

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. during warmups before an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys are acquiring disgruntled cornerback Joey Porter Jr. from the Pittsburgh Steelers, two people with knowledge of the deal said Wednesday night.

Pittsburgh will receive two draft picks from Dallas, a sixth-rounder in 2027 and a second-rounder in 2028, one of the people told The Associated Press. Both people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the teams hadn’t announced the deal.

Porter has been inactive all three games this season for the Steelers. The fourth-year pro has been dealing with a back issue and had also been in the middle of a stalemate with the Steelers over a new contract.

The 26-year-old Porter, a second-round pick out of Penn State in the 2023 draft, was seeking an extension as he entered the final year of his four-year rookie deal.

The Cowboys are getting Porter after earlier Wednesday putting safety Jalen Thompson (hamstring) on injured reserve with a designation to return. They also signed three defensive backs to their practice squad.

Safety P.J. Locke (torn plantar fascia) was already on injured reserve. He and Thompson were offseason acquisitions by the Cowboys as a part of retooling the secondary.

It’s the second major trade between the Cowboys and Steelers in two years.

Before the 2025 season, Pittsburgh sent receiver George Pickens to Dallas for draft picks. He made the Pro Bowl in his Dallas debut, setting career highs with 93 catches for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns last season.

Pickens is playing this season on a $27.3 million franchise tag and has 16 catches for 150 yards without a score.

The Steelers took Pickens out of Georgia in the second round in 2022. While his talent was on display during three seasons with the Steelers, so were enough instances of petulant or indifferent behavior for then-coach Mike Tomlin to question his maturity.

Dallas and Pittsburgh also made a lower-profile trade during the preseason this year. The Cowboys acquired offensive tackle Broderick Jones and a fourth-round pick in next year’s draft for third- and sixth-round choices.

Not only is Dallas suddenly seeking reinforcements in the secondary, but the defense as a whole is off to another rough start after being one of the NFL’s worst in 2025.

The Cowboys are second-to-last in rushing defense and one of four teams without an interception. Dallas had a franchise-worst six picks on defense last season.

In a 34-31 loss to Baltimore in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, the Cowboys let Lamar Jackson complete a 27-yard pass to Zay Flowers when the Ravens had just 7 seconds on the clock after a tying field goal by Dallas. Jackson got a timeout called with a second remaining, and Tyler Loop kicked a winning 56-yard field goal.

While the Cowboys had hopes of a quick turnaround with 34-year-old Christian Parker as a first-time defensive coordinator, the first three weeks have shown otherwise. In a season-opening loss to the New York Giants, Dallas had just two possessions in the second half because the defense couldn’t get a stop.

Porter was among the top 20 in the NFL in pass breakups over his first three seasons with 31. He had two seasons of double-digit passes defended. Last season, DaRon Bland was the leader for Dallas with six as the Cowboys finished last in the league in passing defense.

Pennsylvania records a fifth measles death as the nation endures its worst year since 1991

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – A nurse, prepares a combination measles, mumps and rubella vaccine for a patient at a pediatrics clinic in Easley, S.C., March 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Mary Conlon, File)

(LANCASTER COUNTY, PA-AP) Pennsylvania health officials reported a fifth measles-associated death Wednesday as the U.S. endures its worst year for the disease since 1991.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health said the person was from Lancaster County and was unvaccinated. The state did not provide any further information about the person who died. Lancaster County’s coroner, Dr. Stephen Diamantoni, said that his office did not handle the death and that state officials have not provided him with any details.

The state’s other deaths have included an 18-year-old resident of Mifflin County, in the center of the state; a 40-year-old woman from Jefferson County, a rural area in western Pennsylvania; and two infants in Lancaster County, in the southeastern part of the state.

None of them were vaccinated, according to the state health department. The infants were too young for vaccinations, according to current recommendations.

The U.S. has now seen eight reported measles-associated deaths in the last two years — more than the combined total of reported deaths over the previous three decades.

Pennsylvania’s measles outbreak continues to grow, with 943 illnesses reported so far this year across 39 counties. The measles-associated deaths are the first reported in the state in 35 years, state officials say.

The nation eliminated the domestic spread of measles in 2000 by maintaining high vaccination rates, but they have fallen in recent years to below the 95% coverage needed to prevent outbreaks. Meanwhile, measles infections have been surging in recent years.

In November, international health officials will meet to determine if the U.S. and Mexico have lost their measles-free status.

The problem has been years in the making, as fewer kids get routine vaccines because of parental waivers, healthcare access issues and rampant disinformation. More recently, Trump administration health officials, including Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have questioned and sown doubt about the established safety of vaccines at an unprecedented level while also defunding local efforts to improve vaccination rates.

Blood Recipient and Breast Cancer Survivor Urges Donors to Give This October

(File Photo of the Vitalant Logo)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(New Castle, PA) A nurse and mother who celebrated her fourth anniversary of beating a fast-growing aggressive form of invasive breast cancer recently is now joining nonprofit Vitalant to call for more community members to give blood during the month of October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 

Blood donors played a key role at two different points in the treatment of Amy McCarter. A platelet transfusion first helped her to have the strength to continue her chemotherapy. When she prepared for surgery and radiation, a blood transfusion assisted in counteract anemia so she can be able to move forward, keep going her treatment, take care of her kids and eventually return to work. 

According to McCarter: “I am here today because of incredible medical care, an army of people who supported me, and yes, because someone donated blood. Blood donation is life-giving. Blood donation is lifesaving. And somewhere, right now, someone is counting on a stranger to give. Please be that stranger.” 

Over one-quarter of the nation’s blood supply helps patients that are receiving cancer treatment, while chronic illnesses, trauma care and transplant surgeries require blood each day, which makes regular donation a community need that is constant

Donors of all blood types are constantly needed to help patients, especially those that have the most-transfused type O. O-negative blood can help any patient, which makes it vital in emergencies, and O-positive blood can help patients with a positive blood type, which is over 85% of the population.   

Vitalant donors who give between October 1st-31st will be entered automatically to win one of two $10,000 gift cards. You can give in these ways: visit vitalant.org, use and download the Vitalant blood donor app (click here) or call 877-25-VITAL (877-258-4825). 

According to a release from Vitalant, here are some upcoming local blood drives:

Upcoming Blood Drives
  

Beaver County

Darlington
Monday, Oct. 19
Lions-Little Beaver – Darlington Twp Building/Banquet Room
3590 Darlington Rd.
1 PM – 7 PM 

New Brighton
Friday, Oct. 9
DeFilippi Rich Replenishment – YMCA/Multi-Purpose Gym
2236 3rd Ave.
12 PM – 6 PM 

Lawrence County 

New Castle
Tuesday, Oct. 6
Shenango High School – Gymnasium
2550 Ellwood Rd.
8 AM – 1 PM 

Friday, Oct. 30
Holy Spirit Parish-New Castle – St. Camillus Church/McGurk Hall
314 West Englewood Ave.
11 AM – 4 PM 

New Wilmington
Wednesday, Oct. 14
Wilmington Area High School – Gymnasium
400 Wood St.
8 AM – 12:30 PM 

Youth Ambassador Program discussed at Commissioners’ work session

(File Photo of the Beaver County Courthouse)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Beaver, PA) Several topics were discussed at today’s Beaver County Commissioners’ work session at the County Courthouse.

One of them was when Commissioner Jack Manning praised a program from CCBC during the commissioners’ report.

Manning stated that it is the 10th anniversary of the Youth Ambassador Program, which is a program made up of middle school and high school students that are selected from their respective schools.

They are selected to learn about themselves when it comes to mental health and other topics like suicide prevention.

Manning noted that the Commissioners have a proclamation to celebrate the work that those that are involved with that program have done.

County Solicitor Garen Fedeles also noted that if anybody wants to be a poll worker in the conty, they should contact the County’s Elections Office.

Fedeles confirmed that 12,033 mail-in ballots have been processed, and most of them are out in the mail and have been received at this time.

Manning also let the audience of the session know that every county in Pennsylvania will be receiving a William Penn Peace Tree, which is an eastern pine tree.

The county will also get a plaque to symbolize the history that Pennsylvania has with William Penn.

More details are to come about a ceremony for planting that tree outside of the County Courthouse.

Aliquippa Police address false social media post about alleged gang activity in Aliquippa

(Credit for Headline Photo and Photo Below: Photo Courtesy of Aliquippa Police, Posted on Facebook on September 29th, 2026)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Aliquippa, PA) The Aliquippa Police Department was recently made aware of a social media post that is currently being circulated in local Facebook groups making claims regarding alleged gang activity in the City of Aliquippa.
This post can be found below:
The Aliquippa Police Department has no information or evidence to substantiate the claims that are being circulated in this post at this time.
An officer with the Aliquippa Police Department contacted Myers yesterday to get information and he advised the officer that he had nothing to report.
If Aliquippa Police become aware of a credible threat to public safety, they will provide appropriate information to the community through its official channels.
Anyone who has firsthand information about criminal activity should report it directly to law enforcement instead of relying on or spreading unverified posts on social media.

VA awards $1,975,000 to organizations working to strengthen community-based suicide prevention efforts in Pennsylvania

(File Photo of a Candle)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently awarded $1,975,000 in grants to three community organizations which provide suicide prevention services to Veterans in Pennsylvania.

This funding is part of grants worth a total of $112 million that were awarded to 191 organizations nationwide to support suicide prevention efforts.

These funds are made available through the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program (SSG Fox SPGP) and they will become available at the start of fiscal year 2027.

Vogel, Kinkead Lead Discussion on the Effects of Hunger in Pennsylvania and Reflect on the End of the 16th Hunger Garden Season

(File Photo of Senator Elder Vogel, Jr.)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) Senator Elder Vogel, Jr. (R-47) and Representative Emily Kinkead (D-20) were joined by state and local leaders and hunger advocates today at the Capitol Hunger Garden in Harrisburg as they discussed the increased effects of hunger across Pennsylvania and reflected on the end of the 16th Hunger Garden season.

According to Feeding Pennsylvania, one in seven Pennsylvanians are experiencing food insecurity. 

Vogel authored Senate Resolution 371, which designated September of 2026 as Hunger Action Month in Pennsylvania,

He also hosted a capitol and district food drive in September, which is when he collected nonperishable food items which were donated to the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank and a local food bank that was in the 47th Senatorial District.

Kinkead sponsored House Resolution 317, a companion to Senate Resolution 371 that recognizes September in both 2025 and 2026 as Hunger Action Month.

She is also the prime sponsor of legislation which would provide universal school meals to all K-12 public schools students.

This will ensure that every child gets access to breakfast and lunch at school, regardless of their family’s ability to pay for it.