Pittsburgh Pirates broadcaster Joe Block took his turn at bat Monday on Beaver County Radio, sharing his thoughts on the team’s Spring Training.
Block discussed the competition to lock down final roster spots and more.
Here’s the interview:
March 17th, 2026
| School or Organization | Cancellation or Delay ( If blank no cancellation or delay reported) |
| Adelphoi Education/Beaver (Rochester) | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday |
| Aliquippa Area School District |
2 Hour Delay Tuesday
|
| Ambridge Area School District | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday |
| Avonworth School District | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday |
| Baden Academy Charter School | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday |
| Beaver Area School District | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday |
| Beaver County Courthouse | |
| Beaver County Rehabilitation Center | |
| Beaver Falls Crime Watch | |
| Bethel Christian School (Raccoon Township) | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday |
| Big Beaver Falls Area School District | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday |
| Beaver County CTC | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday |
| Beaver County Transit Authority | |
| Beaver Valley Montessori School | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday, Modified Schedule |
| Blackhawk Area School District | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday |
| Blackhawk Meals on Wheels | |
| Butler County Community College (All Locations, Including Cranberry Township) | 9:30 A.M. Start Tuesday |
| CCBC | |
| CCBC Aviation Sciences Center | |
| Center at the Mall (Beaver Valley Mall in Monaca) | |
| Central Valley School District | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday |
| Chippewa Alliance Church | |
| Cornell School District | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday |
| Cranberry Community United Presbyterian Church (Cranberry Township) | |
| Divine Grace Parish (Cranberry, All Locations) | |
| Education Center at Watson (Sewickley) | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday |
| Ellwood City Area School District | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday |
| Ellwood City Area Public Library | |
| Ellwood City Meals on Wheels | |
| Evangel Heights Child Care (Beaver) | |
| Families Matter Food Pantry | |
| Footprints in the Sand Daycare (Aliquippa) | |
| Freedom Area School District | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday |
| H.A.P. Community Outings (Aliquippa) | |
| Head Start of Beaver County – Aliquippa | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday |
| Head Start of Beaver County -Ambridge | |
| Head Start of Beaver County – Beaver Falls | |
| Head Start of Beaver County – Beaver Falls 7th Ave. | |
| Head Start of Beaver County – Beaver Falls 6th Ave. | |
| Head Start of Beaver County – Central | |
| Head Start of Beaver County – Blackhawk | |
| Head Start of Beaver County – CCBC | |
| Head Start/ Early Head Start of Beaver County | |
| Head Start of Beaver County – Rochester | |
| Head Start of Beaver County – Southside | |
| Head Start of Beaver County – New Brighton Middle School | |
| Head Start of Beaver County – New Brighton High School | |
| Head Start of Beaver County – Riverside | |
| Heart Prints Center for Early Education (Cranberry Township) | |
| Hope Academy- Conway | |
| Hopewell School District | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday |
| Kiddie Korner (Beaver) | |
| Life Family Pre-School | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday, Modified Schedule |
| Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday |
| Mc Guire Memorial EOC | |
| Mc Guire Memorial School | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday |
| Midland Borough school District | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday |
| Montour Area School District | |
| Monaca Senior Center | |
| Monaca VFD #1 | |
| Moon Area School District | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday |
| Mother’s Morning Out/Noah’s Ark Preschool/Sewickley | Opening at 10:30 A.M. Tuesday |
| Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Pre-school (Moon Twp.) | 1 Hour Delay Tuesday Morning |
| New Brighton Area School District | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday, Morning Session of the CTC is Cancelled |
| New Horizons (Beaver and North in New Castle) | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday |
| North Catholic School District | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday |
| Our Lady of Fatima/ Hopewell | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday |
| Our Lady of the Sacred Heart High School (Coraopolis) | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday |
| PA Career Link (Beaver County) | |
| Pawmazing Bakery (Beaver) | |
| Penn State Beaver (Monaca) | |
| Provident Charter School West (Baden) | On Delay Schedule Tuesday |
| Quaker Valley School District | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday |
| Riverside Beaver County Area School District | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday |
| Road to Emmaus Baptist Church (Beaver) | |
| Rochester Area School District | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday |
| Robert Morris University (Moon Township) | |
| Seneca Valley Area School District | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday, Modified Kindergarten |
| Sewickley Academy | |
| Slippery Rock Area Parks and Recreation | |
| Slippery Rock Area School District | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday |
| Slippery Rock Program Center | Opening at 10 A.M. Tuesday |
| Slippery Rock University | |
| St. Andrews Day School (Moon Township) | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday |
| St. James-Sewickley | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday |
| St. Monica Catholic Academy | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday |
| St. Monica Parish (Beaver Falls) | |
| St. Killian’s Catholic School (Cranberry) | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday |
| St. Peter & Paul School/Beaver | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday |
| St. Stephens Lutheran Academy/Zelienople | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday |
| South Side Area School District | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday |
| Sto Rox | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday |
| The Baden American Legion | |
| The Lindsay Theater (Sewickley) | |
| The Phoenix Center (Rochester) | |
| The Prevention Network and Class Academy (Beaver County) | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday |
| Vanport VFD | |
| Western Beaver Area School District | 2 Hour Delay Tuesday |
| West Allegheny School District | |
| Zelienople Meals on Wheels |
Scott Tady
Jim Messina returns our way Tuesday night, headlining the Oaks Theater in Oakmont.
Messina will perform hits and fan favorites like “Your Mama Don’t Dance,” “House at Pooh Corner” and “Angry Eyes” from his days with Kenny Loggins as the duo Loggins & Messina.
Messina also co-founded the pioneering country-rock group Poco and worked with Buffalo Springfield.
Messina phoned into the Beaver County Radio Morning Show on Monday to talk about his Oakmont concert.
Here’s what Messina had to say:
Tickets for the 8 p.m. Oakmont show cost $55 to $97, available at theoakstheater.com and at the box office.
(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of Marissa Orbanek, Press Secretary for the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(Middletown, PA) The Pennsylvania Turnpike’s new super snow plow was recently given a new name after a naming contest for it was held between March 4th-11th, 2026. The huge 550-horsepower tri-drive truck that the Turnpike is using is now called “Plow Force One,” which received 400 votes from the public. Turnpike officials confirm that over 140,000 social media users engaged in the contest to name the truck that can clear a path that is 27 feet wide in one pass combined. The public submitted almost 1,200 suggestions for names and after the submissions closed on February 25th, 2026, the top five names were selected. The winning name of “Plow Force One” was chosen over the other nominees of “Big Leplowski,” “Darth Blader,” “Optimus Plow,” and “Sir Plows-A-Lot.”
(File Photo of a Farmer’s Market Truck Carrying Vegetables for a Farmer’s Market)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(Beaver County, PA) Two farms in Beaver and Somerset Counties will be preserved for farming because the state of Pennsylvania has recently purchased the development rights to those properties. The Shapiro administration announced last month that state and county governments bought the development rights to 25 farms in 17 counties, which invested $7.1 million under Pennsylvania’s Farmland Preservation Program to ensure that the 1,905 acres of land that are included on those farms would be used for agricultural purposes and would not be sold to residential or commercial developers. The development rights on a 62-acre crop and livestock farm in Hanover Township in Beaver County that are owned by William McNary Jr. and Deborah K. McNary, were purchased for $234,140, using funds from the state of Pennsylvania. The development rights on a 125-acre crop and livestock farm in Somerset Township in Somerset County that are owned by Tim E. Bell, Thomas E. Bell and Suzanne K. Bell, were purchased by state and local governments for $187,104, with the state of Pennsylvania paying $181,635 and Somerset County paying $5,469. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, agriculture contributes $132.5 billion to the economy of Pennsylvania and supports almost 600,000 jobs there.
(Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of Richman Communications)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(Pittsburgh, PA) According to a release today from Richman Communications, Citizens Live at the Wylie, the highly anticipated 4,000 capacity live music venue in the Lower Hill District of Pittsburgh is opening this fall, and it is kicking off its first concert announcements including a hometown headliner from Pittsburgh native and rapper Wiz Khalifa. This lineup features artists and performers that range across multiple genres, including comedy, hip-hop, pop and rock. It also includes artists who have never before headlined a show in Pittsburgh, such as Matt Mathews, Freya Skye and GloRilla. The initial lineup includes these dates, times and artists, according to that same release from Richman Communications:
Date, Artist/Act
10/2 Wiz Khalifa
10/3 Styx
10/6 Two Door Cinema Club
10/7 Freya Skye
10/8 Matt Mathews
10/9 Chelsea Handler
10/16 Boyz II Men
10/20 Tedeschi Trucks Band
10/27 The Living Tombstone
10/31 Aries Spears
11/2 GloRilla
11/6 Sting
11/15 Wyatt Flores
12/2 Stephen Wilson Jr.
12/3 Sabaton
1/16/27 Slappers N Bangers vs Union
Additional shows will be announced in the coming weeks. Friday, March 20th is when tickets for select shows will go on sale, with additional on-sale dates following. You can visit citizensliveatthewylie.com for information on tickets and updates on performances that are newly announced and you can also click here to find out about perks that you can get at this venue if you are a creditholder of Citizens Bank (debit or credit.)
(File Photo: Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of KDKA Photojournalist Bryce Lutz, Caption for Photo: Police are investigating a shooting that happened Sunday night during a home invasion along Vogels Lane in Verona Borough.)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(Allegheny County, PA) Police are searching for a suspect after a homeowner was shot multiple times during a home invasion in Verona Borough last night. This occurred at a house along Vogels Lane at around 10:30 p.m. According to police, when officers arrived at the home, they found a man who had been shot multiple times. He was taken to a Pittsburgh-area hospital and Allegheny County police stated that their Homicide Unit was called and the man who was shot was last said to be in stable condition. Verona Borough Chief Thomas Dessell noted that the preliminary investigation into the shooting confirms that it is “a targeted incident and does not appear to be a random act of violence,” and he also expressed that there is no broad, ongoing threat to the public. Anyone with information or anyone who saw anything unusual around Vogels Lane or in that area is asked to contact the Verona Borough Police Department at 412-828-6034 or call the Allegheny County Police Tip Line at 1-833-ALL-TIPS.
(File Photo: Source for Photo: United States pitcher Paul Skenes walks back to the mound during the fourth inning of a World Baseball Classic semifinal game against the Dominican Republic, Sunday, March 15, 2026, in Miami. Skenes flag patch on the hat and sleeve are backwards. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
MIAMI (AP) — Paul Skenes pitched with poise through pressure, dispatching a series of stars on a night of great stakes in a sold-out stadium with millions watching on TV.
This was the type of game he never sees with the Pittsburgh Pirates and he may not experience on a regular basis until 2030.
Skenes dominated the Dominican Republic’s lineup of All-Stars for 4 1/3 innings in the America’s 2-1 semifinal victory Sunday night, allowing his only run when Junior Caminero hit a go-ahead home run in the second on a 1-2 sweeper at the top of the strike zone.
“The D.R. is the toughest lineup I’ve ever faced, for sure,” Skenes said.
The NL Cy Young Award winner last year in his first full season at age 23, Skenes mixed six pitches among 71 offerings that included a fastball averaging 97.6 mph. He allowed six hits and finished the tournament 2-0 with a 1.08 ERA and a .226 opponents batting average.
“You can make the argument he’s the best pitcher in the game,” U.S. manager Mark DeRosa said. “Special presence, special man, wants the moment, wasn’t too big for him. Controls his emotions, makes pitches.”
Skenes retired his first five batters before Caminero homered, then hit Geraldo Perdomo with a pitch and allowed Ketel Marte’s single in the third, when right fielder Aaron Judge threw a 95.7 mph strike to third, cutting down Fernandez Tatis Jr. for the inning’s final out.
“A moment like that where I can throw a guy out and help out Paul Skenes, who is electric as he is, I was excited about that,” Judge said.
Skenes stranded the bases loaded in the fourth when Austin Wells flied out. He had been given the lead when Gunnar Henderson and Roman Anthony homered in the top half.
“He’s very smart. He likes playing with the mind of the hitters,” said Juan Soto, who went 0 for 2 against Skenes. “We have to think a lot when we face him. That’s why I think he’s so special.”
Skenes has a 1.96 ERA in 55 career starts, striking out 386 while walking 74 in 320 2/3 innings. The 6-foot-6 right-hander has not come close to the playoffs on Pirates teams that finished 76-86 in 2024 and 71-91 last year.
Pittsburgh enters this season with seven straight losing records and 27 in 30 years that included a record 20 in a row from 1993 to 2012. The Pirates haven’t reached the World Series since winning the 1979 title.
Skenes is on track to be eligible for free agency after the 2029 season, having earned extra major league service time by finishing among the top two in voting for the 2024 NL Rookie of the Year award, which he won. That provision was added to the collective bargaining agreement in 2022.
If he stays healthy and keeps pitching like the way he has been, he likely would command a record contract for a pitcher. Given the Pirates lack the revenue of large-market teams, they could consider trading him for prospects before he reaches free agency.
Skenes tends to not look too far ahead. He marveled at the Dominicans’ batting order that included eight All-Stars combining for 27 selections.
“Before and after,” he said, “but can’t get too caught up on that.”
(File Photo of a Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Car)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(Allegheny County, PA) Pennsylvania State Police in Gibsonia reported via release today that sixty-five-year-old Vicki Arnett of Pittsburgh was injured after a single-vehicle crash occurred this morning in Allegheny County. At 6:30 a.m., Arnett was traveling on I-76 East in Hampton Township while negotiating a left-hand curve in the roadway and then hit a deer with her vehicle even though she swerved her vehicle to try to miss it. The vehicle of Arnett hit a guide rail on the south side of the road and rolled down into a drainage ditch and hit a chain link fence before it rested on its roof. Arnett was transported to AHN Forbes Hospital because of a suspected minor injury that she suffered from that crash.
(File Photo of the Basketball Broadcast Schedule Logo)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(Beaver County, PA) The PIAA boys and girls high school basketball quarterfinals wrapped up on Saturday and those games took place around the state of Pennsylvania. Two local teams remain in this year’s PIAA playoffs after their recent victories as they moved on to the semi-finals. The Blackhawk girls defeated another local team in North Catholic High School by a score of 59-37 on Saturday in McMurray and the Cougars will take on Oakland Catholic tomorrow at a site and time that is to be determined. The Sewickley Academy boys defeated McConnellsburg 49-38 on Saturday in Johnstown and the Panthers will play Mercyhurst Prep in a semifinal tomorrow at Sharon High School at 7 p.m. New Castle’s boys lost to Central Dauphin 54-43 in Johnstown on Saturday. Moon’s boys lost to West York 59-53 in Hollidaysburg on Friday. North Catholic’s boys lost to Carver Engineering and Science 68-61 in McConnellsburg on Friday.
