(File Photo of Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Cars)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Darlington Township, PA) Pennsylvania State Police in Beaver reported yesterday that a twenty-five-year-old man from New Castle was charged with driving under the influence in Darlington Township on August 8th.

The driver was traveling south on New Galilee Road at 11:55 p.m. and he exited the left side of the road before hitting a guiderail with his vehicle.

The driver was transported because he had a suspected minor injury when he sustained minor damage to his chest and head.

The driver told police that he had been drinking earlier on the night of the crash. 

(File Photo of a Mosquito)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Butler County, PA) Three more samples of mosquitos have recently tested positive for West Nile virus in Butler County. 

According to officials, West Nile virus was detected in samples in Slippery Rock Borough, Zelienople and Cranberry Township. 

The new samples bring the total to eight counts of positive samples for Butler County. 

There have been no human cases of West Nile virus reported in that county at this time. 

Officials will be monitoring the area where the samples were taken and “control work will be conducted” depending on the types and number of the mosquitoes that were found. 

Residents should take extra precaution by doing things like wearing long-sleeved pants and shorts outside.

(File Photo of a Gavel)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday recently announced that a former IT tech for a Washington County school district was jailed up to eight years for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). 

A Washington County Judge sentenced 48-year-old Jason Wayne Ayres yesterday to 4 to 8 years in prison, following Ayres’ guilty plea to two felony counts of sexual abuse of children.   

Ayres was a contracted IT tech for Peters Township School District at the time of his arrest, and the charged conduct does not involve students at that district. 

Ayres must register as a sex offender for 15 years following release from prison as part of the sentence. 

The Office of Attorney General received a tip in 2025 regarding file-sharing at the home of Ayres and eventually served a search warrant at his home in Washington, Pennsylvania.  

Ayres was taken into custody at a school and he admitted to having child sexual abuse material on a laptop. 

(File Photo of State Representative Roman Kozak)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Chippewa Township, PA) Testifiers told lawmakers Wednesday during a House Republican Policy Committee hearing that Pennsylvania can lower electricity costs, strengthen grid reliability and attract new investment by expanding energy production, removing regulatory barriers and allowing energy sources to compete in the marketplace.  

The hearing was hosted by State Representative Roman Kozak at Bolland Machine in Chippewa Township and it was called “Keeping the Lights On and Costs Down: Securing Pennsylvania’s Energy Future.” 

According to Kozak, government mandates that favor certain energy sources have increased costs without adequately addressing Pennsylvania’s need for dependable baseload power.  

The Commonwealth’s Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act requires that electric utilities obtain a portion of their electricity from government-designated sources.  

Kozak is proposing to replace this law with an Affordable Energy Portfolio Standards Act as part of the “Lights On, Costs Down” energy package from House Republicans. 

(Credit for Photo: Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of AAA East Central)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Gas prices are a penny lower in Western Pennsylvania this week at about $4.33 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline is at $4.08.

Crude oil prices remain in the $85 per barrel range because of continued volatility in the Strait of Hormuz.

The national average for a gallon of gas in August has been above $4 per gallon every day for the first time ever.

This month is poised to set a new record as the most expensive August at the gas pump, which surpasses the previous August record that was set in 2022.

The report also states that the average price that you can expect for a gallon of regular unleaded gas here in Beaver County is about $4.40.

According to a release from AAA East Central and AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report, here are the average prices of unleaded self-serve gasoline today in various Pennsylvania areas:

$4.321      Altoona
$4.399      Beaver
$4.317      Bradford
$4.132      Brookville
$4.394      Butler
$4.110      Clarion
$4.359      DuBois
$4.317      Erie
$4.368      Greensburg
$4.392      Indiana
$4.419      Jeannette
$4.379      Kittanning
$4.395      Latrobe
$4.275      Meadville
$4.374      Mercer
$4.290      New Castle
$4.345      New Kensington
$4.399      Oil City
$4.365      Pittsburgh
$4.128      Sharon
$4.415      Uniontown
$4.399      Warren
$4.344      Washington

Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio. Published August 31, 2026 1:50 P.M.

(Freedom, Pa) Students and staff were evacuated from the Freedom Area High School shortly before 1pm Monday afternoon. The Middle and Elementary schools were also evacuated shortly after.

Messages sent to parents said the reason for the evacuation was a “nondescript bomb threat” that was emailed to the High School Principal Steve Mott.

An early dismissal of students was held and police remained on scene as of 1:30pm Monday.

We have no additional details at this time.

(File Photo of a Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Car)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Chippewa Township, PA) Pennsylvania State Police in Beaver reported today that thirty-six-year-old Vincent Scappe of McDonald was given a warning by police after crashing his vehicle in Chippewa Township on August 2nd.

Scappe was driving on I-376 West at about 1:35 p.m. and he lost control of his vehicle.

He went off of the road with his vehicle, and his vehicle hit a guide wire.

There were no reported injuries. 

(File Photo of a Police Siren Light)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(New Sewickley Township, PA) Pennsylvania State Police in Gibsonia reported today that forty-one-year-old Stewart Rodes of Philadelphia crashed his vehicle in New Sewickley Township yesterday.

According to police, Rodes was traveling on I-76 East south of Harkins Mill Road in an area within a warning zone leading up to a construction zone at 8:55 p.m.

Rodes suffered a medical emergency and lost consciousness while he was driving and traveled off of the road.

His vehicle then hit a concrete barrier. 

There were no reported injuries and no charges were filed in connection with this incident. 

(File Photo of the PennDOT Logo)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) PennDOT announced today that all of its driver’s license and photo centers will be closed from Saturday, September 5th through Monday, September 7th in observance of the 2026 Labor Day holiday.

Customers can still obtain a variety of driver and vehicle services and products, which include driver training manuals, forms and publications at PennDOT’s Driver and Vehicle Services website by clicking here.