(File Photo of a Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Badge)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) The Pennsylvania State Police is now accepting applications for its annual youth camp, and they are collaborating with the Pennsylvania National Guard and the Pennsylvania American Legion. The Elmer Hafer–American Legion–State Police–National Guard Youth Camp will take place at Messiah University in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania from June 7th-13th, 2026. The six-day program is for teenagers that are 15 to 17 years old who are interested in exploring careers in either Pennsylvania law enforcement or the military. Cadets will take part in a wide range of hands‑on learning experiences and physical fitness training designed to build their understanding of law enforcement as well as their confidence, teamwork, and leadership abilities. You can apply for this camp by clicking here.

(Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) is now reminding consumers in Pennsylvania that as the state moves into the coldest part of the winter,that December electric and natural gas bills are now arriving in mailboxes, and those bills may be noticeably higher than expected for some households. According to a recent release in Harrisburg from the PUC, here is some more information regarding options for payment, tips for saving energy and assistance programs:

Call Utilities Now: A First Step to Support

 

Calling your utility is often the fastest way to get connected with available resources, including:

• Customer Assistance Programs (CAPs) offered by utilities for eligible households.
• Budget billing plans that help smooth seasonal highs and lows.
• Payment arrangements to avoid service disruption.

Utility representatives can also help direct consumers to additional state and local resources.

 

 

LIHEAP and Other Assistance Programs

 

Consumers struggling with heating bills are also encouraged to explore the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which provides help with winter heating costs for eligible households. LIHEAP grants can help pay for heating bills and may also provide crisis assistance in certain situations. Information about LIHEAP eligibility and application options is available through the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services and local assistance offices.

Ways to Save Energy and Manage Winter Bills

 

Small steps can make a meaningful difference during the heating season. The PUC encourages consumers to consider these practical ways to save energy and manage winter utility costs:

• Set thermostats carefully. Lowering your thermostat a few degrees when you are asleep or away from home can reduce heating costs.
• Seal drafts. Check doors and windows for gaps and use weatherstripping or draft blockers to keep warm air inside.
• Use space heaters safely — and sparingly. If used, follow manufacturer instructions and keep heaters away from flammable materials.
• Close unused rooms. Closing doors and vents in rarely used spaces can help focus heat where it’s needed most.
• Change furnace filters. Clean or replace filters regularly to help heating systems run more efficiently.
• Use window coverings wisely. Open curtains on sunny days to capture natural warmth, and close them at night to reduce heat loss.
• Be mindful of hot water use. Shorter showers and cold-water laundry can help reduce energy consumption.

More energy efficiency and conservation tips are available at www.PAPowerSwitch.com and www.PAGasSwitch.com, which also provide educational resources to help consumers better understand their energy use.

 

Take Action Now — There’s More Winter Ahead

 

With several weeks of winter still ahead, the PUC encourages consumers not to wait if they are concerned about rising energy bills. Weather remains one of the biggest drivers of winter utility costs, and reaching out early can open the door to support and solutions.

Consumers can learn more about managing winter energy costs, assistance programs, and energy shopping tools by visiting PAPowerSwitch and PAGasSwitch, or by contacting their utility company directly.

 

(File Photo of Road Work Ahead Sign)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Allegheny County, PA) PennDOT announced that tonight, weather permitting, overnight restrictions on I-376 in the City of Pittsburgh and Rosslyn Farms and Carnegie boroughs in Allegheny County will occur. From 10 p.m. tonight to 6 a.m. tomorrow morning, a single lane restriction will occur on I-376 as PennDOT crews will conduct crash barrier repair work. According to a recent release from PennDOT District 11, here are the places that this work will occur:

• Parkway West in each direction between the I-79 (Exit 64A) and Carnegie/Heidelberg (Exit 65) interchanges 

• Parkway West in the eastbound (inbound) direction between the West End (Exit 69C) exit and Fort Pitt Tunnel 

• The lower deck of the Fort Pitt Bridge (eastbound) at the West End (Exit 69C) exit 

• The upper deck of the Fort Pitt Bridge (Westbound) at the ramp to Monroeville 

• Parkway East in the westbound (inbound) direction at the Stanwix (Exit 70D) exit 

• Parkway East in the eastbound (outbound) direction at the Forbes Avenue/Oakland (Exit 72A) exit 

 

(File Photo of the Allegheny Health Network Logo)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Allegheny Health Network (AHN), they made an announcement today that Brian Johnson, MD, has been appointed as medical director and chief population health officer for its clinically integrated network, Physician Partners of Western PA. Dr. Johnson is a long-time physician leader for AHN and had most recently served as the president of AHN West Penn Hospital. According to a release in Pittsbrugh today from Allegheny Health Network, other role changes at AHN include:

• Lou Baverso, AHN’s chief operating officer, will serve as interim hospital president at AHN West Penn until a permanent successor is named. Mr. Baverso joined AHN in 2025. 

• Saad Mahmood, DO, has been appointed CMO at AHN Allegheny General Hospital. Dr. Mahmood brings significant experience to this role, having served as the hospital’s associate CMO since 2023. He succeeds Al Philp, MD, the hospital’s long-time CMO and network director for Trauma. Dr. Philp will remain on staff at AGH and will transition back to a full-time clinical role.
    

• Alan Murdock, MD, a trauma, critical care and emergency general surgeon who has served as director of the General Surgery residency program since 2017, will assume the role of interim network director, Trauma.
    

• Giath Shari, MD, has been appointed CMO for AHN Forbes Hospital. Dr. Shari, who has served as chief of the AHN Forbes Medicine Department since 2022, is a pulmonary and critical care physician. He succeeds Ezz-Eldin Moukamal, MD, the long-time Forbes CMO who last year was named AHN’s Chief Quality Officer. 

(Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of AAA East Central)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Gas prices are two cents higher in Western Pennsylvania this week at $3.11 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report. As 2026 continues, the national average for a gallon of gas has dropped two cents over the past week to $2.79 and March of 2021 was the last time the national average for a gallon of regular gas was this low. The report states that at this time a year ago, the average price for a gallon of gas in Western Pennsylvania was around $3.37 and the average price that you can expect for a gallon of gas here in Beaver County is about $3.11. According to a release from AAA East Central and AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report, here are the average price of unleaded self-serve gasoline this week in various Pennsylvania areas:

$3.153      Altoona
$3.113      Beaver
$3.390      Bradford
$2.867      Brookville
$3.098      Butler
$3.072      Clarion
$3.022      DuBois
$2.994      Erie
$3.123      Greensburg
$3.106      Indiana
$3.156      Jeannette
$3.237      Kittanning
$3.159      Latrobe
$2.893      Meadville
$3.164      Mercer
$2.996      New Castle
$3.157      New Kensington
$3.199      Oil City
$3.101      Pittsburgh
$3.030      Sharon
$3.146      Uniontown
$3.429      Warren
$3.079      Washington

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE -A Meta logo is shown on a video screen at LlamaCon 2025, an AI developer conference, in Menlo Park, Calif., April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Shippingport, PA) According to a release in Irving, Texas on Friday from Vistra Corporation, that company announced on Friday that it has entered into 20-year power purchase agreements to provide more than 2,600 megawatts of zero-carbon energy from a combination of three different Vistra nuclear plants to support Meta’s operations in the region. One of these plants is the Beaver Valley Power Station in Shippingport and Meta is also purchasing 433 megawatts of incremental nuclear energy and capacity from equipment upgrades to increase uprates (also known as generation output) there and at the Perry and Davis-Besse Plants in Ohio. State Representatives Josh Kail (R-Beaver County/Washington County) and Rob Matzie (D-Beaver County) praised this development. Kail stated: “The Beaver Valley Nuclear Plant has been a trusted source of affordable, reliable power since 1976. Extending its operating license will secure over 750 high-quality jobs for decades, ensuring long-term economic stability for Beaver County and beyond. It’s a smart, private investment that benefits communities without shifting the burden to taxpayers. This is a major win for western Pennsylvania.” Matzie expressed: “Beaver Valley has delivered clean, reliable energy and stable employment for generations. This agreement ensures that tradition continues—without adding costs to taxpayers. As a co-chairman of the Pennsylvania Legislative Nuclear Energy Caucus this is exactly the kind of forward-looking investment we have championed and one that Pennsylvania needs, and for which Beaver County is perfectly positioned: one that keeps and creates jobs, energizes local economies, and keeps dependable power on the grid.”

(File Photo of the PennDOT Logo)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) PennDOT announced today that all of its driver license and photo centers, including its full-service center in Harrisburg, will be closed on Saturday, January 17th, through Monday, January 19th, 2026, in observance of the holiday of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Customers can still go online to PennDOT’s Driver and Vehicle Services website anytime to obtain a variety of driver and vehicle products and services, including all forms, publications, and driver training manuals by clicking here.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Austyn Whirt, 18, prepares for a mullet hairstyle contest, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026 in Harrisburg, Pa. (AP Photo/Tassanee Vejpongsa)

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A contest that celebrates the much-maligned but enduring mullet hairstyle will get underway Monday at the Pennsylvania Farm Show.

The short-in-the-front, long-in-the-back coiffure, once the province of Canadian hockey players and hair metal bands, was expected to attract dozens of competitors for the day’s “mane” attraction. Categories included children under 5, throwback mullets and the patriotic Flow of Freedom Award.

Ben Barley, 7, of Red Lion, Pennsylvania, arrived at the event with his parents two hours ahead of the event wearing a T-shirt featuring his name and the words “MULLET LIFE 6-7,” a nod to both his hairstyle and the bafflingly popular youth catchphrase. He said he’d been working on his mullet for two years.

Though mullets likely have been around longer than there have been barbers, the Oxford English Dictionary cites hip hop legends the Beastie Boys for helping popularize the term mullet with the song “Mullet Head” on their 1994 recording, “Ill Communication.” As the venerable dictionary notes, it’s a term that is slang, humorous “and frequently derogatory.”

The contest, in its third year, is one of the few at the fair open to people who live outside Pennsylvania.