(Photo Courtesy of the Mt. Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Mt. Pleasant, PA) A car and a tractor-trailer crashed on the Pennsylvania Turnpike yesterday evening. According to the Mt. Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department, the crash happened at the 87.7-mile marker at 8:23 p.m. When crews arrived, they found that the car was pinned underneath the trailer. The driver of the car was able to get out on their own and it is unknown at this time if that person was injured. The vehicle was removed by firefighters, who were back in service at around two hours after they were called to the scene. 

(File Photo of Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Cars)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Police are investigating an armed carjacking that occurred in the Perry South neighborhood of Pittsburgh yesterday evening. According to Pittsburgh Public Safety, officers were called to the 2300 block of Perrysville Avenue around 9:30 p.m. Officials confirm that a male victim was not hurt, but the actor escaped going north in the stolen vehicle. The unoccupied vehicle was found close by later. Police towed the vehicle away for the processing of evidence. 

(File Photo of the Allegheny County Police Department Logo Courtesy of the Allegheny County Police Department, Posted on a Facebook post on January 1st, 2026)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Allegheny County, PA) Allegheny County Police are now working with the nonprofit Greater Valley Community Services in a collaborative approach to crime prevention, which is helping drive down violent crime across the county. Police describe the strategy as an “all-hands” effort, combining traditional enforcement with violence prevention programs designed to stop crime before it starts. Police statistics released this week in Allegheny County show 36 homicides in 2025, down from 64 the year before. City numbers also show a decrease, with 35 homicides last year compared to 42 the year before. However, detectives also seized 127 illegal firearms, which is up from 102 the previous year. This county data does not include the City of Pittsburgh. 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro arrives to deliver his budget address for the 2025-26 fiscal year to a joint session of the state House and Senate at the Capitol, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, in Harrisburg, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro will become the highest paid United States governor in 2026. Effective yesterday, a 3.3% salary bump will go into effect for Shapiro along with a bunch of other state officials. This increase of 3.3% will take the annual salary of Shapiro from $245,760 to $253,870. According to data from Business Insider, which lists the salaries of all 50 United States governors, as of November of 2025, New York Governor Kathy Hochul was the highest paid at $250,000 per year, and that means Shapiro will surpass this figure in 2026. Business Insider also confirmed that the average annual pay for a state governor in 2025 was $167,128.

(File Photo of a Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Car)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Pennsylvania State Police in Pittsburgh reported via release today that fifty-one-year-old Tameka Rankin of McKees Rocks had charges withdrawn by police after causing a single-vehicle crash in Pittsburgh on the afternoon of December 2nd, 2025. Rankin was traveling on I-376 West in Churchill Borough at 1:01 p.m. and she lost control of her vehicle and it began to spin before it hit a concrete barrier on that road. Rankin was also transported to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh because of a possible injury from the crash.

(Photo Courtesy of WPXI)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Allegheny County, PA) A woman is still in critical condition after being hit by a vehicle in West Homestead yesterday evening. According to Allegheny County police, after 6:30 p.m., officials were notified of a crash between a vehicle and a pedestrian within the 500 block of West 7th Avenue. When officials arrived on scene, they found an adult woman that had injuries and she was taken to the hospital in critical but stable condition. Preliminary information showed that the victim was crossing West 7th Avenue when she was hit. The driver also remained on scene and cooperated with detectives. An investigation into this incident is underway and anyone with information about it is asked to call the Allegheny County Police Tip Line at 1-833-ALL-TIPS and callers can be anonymous.

(Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of Allegheny Health Network of Rachel and Tyler Solis of Irwin with their newborn baby girl, Marina)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Allegheny Health Network’s (AHN’s) Forbes Hospital and UPMC’s Magee-Women’s Hospital welcomed some of the first babies born in 2026 in the Pittsburgh area. Rachel and Tyler Solis of Irwin welcomed Marina Solis, a healthy baby girl, at 12:19 a.m. yesterday, when she was born in Monroeville at AHN Forbes Hospital. According to a recent release from Allegheny Health Network, Marina is AHN’s first baby born in 2026 and her family will receive one year of free diapers thanks to the Western PA Diaper Bank. Another baby girl who was healthy named Helena was born at UPMC Magee-Women‘s Hospital in Pittsburgh at 12:16 a.m. yesterday and her parents are Fernando and Camila of Westview. 

(File Photo of a Police Siren Light)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrsibrug, PA) A new law is now in effect in Pennsylvania, which changes penalties for driving under the influence. This was signed by Governor Josh Shapiro last month, but before that, if somebody was arrested and charged with a DUI, prosecuting attorneys could allow first-time offenders to enter what is called an Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition, or ARD. A Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling last April changed that because district attorneys and judges could no longer look at someone who was charged with DUI for a second time as a repeat offender if they successfully completed a diversion program after their first DUI. Even though the PA Supreme Court stated that a first DUI was not a conviction on your record, you can now face penalties as if it were a conviction because of this new Pennsylvania law. 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – A view of the scene Friday, Feb. 24, 2023, as the cleanup continues at the site of a Norfolk Southern freight train derailment that happened on Feb. 3 in East Palestine, Ohio. Norfolk Southern alone will be responsible for paying for the cleanup after last year’s fiery train derailment in eastern Ohio, a federal judge ruled, Wednesday, March 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Freed, File)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(East Palestine, OH) As the three-year anniversary of the toxic East Palestine train derailment approaches, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost recently provided an update on ongoing efforts by Norfolk Southern to help the community. Yost confirms that legal proceedings with Norfolk Southern continue following the incident that occurred on February 3rd, 2023. The dashboard from Norfolk Southern called “Making It Right” outlines several financial commitments, which included a $600 million settlement reached in 2024. The company has also allocated funds of $115 million for support in the East Palestine community, as well as $25 million for a city park revitalization project, along with $22.2 million for direct assistance to local families. 

(File Photo of a Lit Christmas Tree)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) A part of Grant Street will be temporarily closed today as crews remove the City of Pittsburgh’s 110th Christmas tree. The closures will be from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. between Third Avenue and Fifth Avenue. The Department of Public Works Forestry Division will remove and transport both the tree and wreaths from the Portico of the City-County Building.