Category: News

Penn State waives student surcharges and fees for its seven closing campuses for the semester in spring of 2027

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – The Nittany Lion logo taken before an NCAA college football game between Penn State and Delaware, Sept. 9, 2023, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger, File)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(University Park, PA) Seven Penn State University campuses will be closing soon and that is why students at those campuses will now have their surcharges and fees waived for the Spring 2027 semester. This affects students at Penn State’s DuBois, Fayette, Mont Alto, New Kensington, Shenango, Wilkes-Barre and York campuses. More information about these waived fees can be found by clicking here.

Congressmen Deluzio and Rulli Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Protect Supplemental Security Income Benefits for Disaster Victims

(File Photo of Congressman Chris Deluzio)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Washington, D.C.) According to a release in Washington D.C. today from Congressman Chris Deluzio’s office, Congressmen Deluzio (PA-17) and Mike Rulli (OH-06) introduced the Protecting Supplemental Security Income for Disaster Victims Act, legislation to ensure that Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients do not lose or have their benefits reduced when they receive settlement payments after a tragedy, like the February 3rd, 2023 Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. This bill ensures that settlement payments are exempt from them being counted as income or as resources when determining eligibility for SSI and the amounts for benefits. The bill is aligned with guidance from the IRS on the treatment of settlement funds for tax purposes and covers both the East Palestine derailment settlement and any settlements in the future received for damage or depreciation of property, personal injury, or physical sickness.

Wampum man arrested for assaulting his girlfriend in Independence Township

(File Photo of Police Siren Lights)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Independence Township, PA) Pennsylvania State Police in Beaver reported via release today that an incident of harassment occurred in Independence Township on the morning of November 3rd, 2025. This happened along 165 Thompson Hill Road at 7:19 a.m., and a complaint states that thirty-nine-year-old Alex Patterson of Wampum hit his girlfriend, thirty-nine-year-old Mandy Martin of Mars, Pennsylvania. Patterson was arrested for assaulting Martin after police located him.

Major water break occurs in the Chippewa area

(File Photo of Water)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Chippewa, PA) A major water break occurred in the area of Chippewa this morning that caused low water pressure there. This shut down Route 51 because a contractor hit one of the main lines in that area. The Beaver Falls Municipal Authority is dispatching someone out so the problem can be fixed and the water can be shut off, so it can be isolated to begin repairs on the break. An investigation is also currently occurring to find out where the water came from.

Quaker Valley High School forward Mimi Thiero becomes the all-time leading scorer in Quaker Valley girl’s high school basketball history

(Photo Courtesy of Maryland Terrapins on 247 Sports, Posted on December 16th, 2025, Quaker Valley high school senior basketball forward Mimi Thiero is seen with her sign that recognizes her as Quaker Valley’s all-time leading scorer for their girl’s high school basketball program standing next to the University of Maryland women’s college basketball head coach, Brenda Frese)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Leetsdale, PA) Quaker Valley high school senior basketball forward Mimi Thiero broke a record yesterday to become the all-time leading scorer in the history of the Quaker Valley girl’s high school basketball program in the third quarter of the girl’s high school basketball game in Leetsdale that day between Quaker Valley and Sto-Rox in which the Quakers won 65-18. Thiero finished the game with 28 points, which put her at 1,399 points for her career, which passed the record of 1,396 set by Farrah Causby in the 1995 season. On November 12th, 2025 in Leetsdale, Thiero commited to playing women’s college basketball at the University of Maryland, located in College Park, Maryland. The University of Maryland women’s college basketball head coach, Brenda Frese, was also at the game yesterday in Leetsdale to see Thiero break the record for the most points scored in the history of Quaker Valley girl’s high school basketball. Thiero continues the basketball legacy of her older brother, Adou, who was drafted at #36 overall in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft which sent him in a trade to the Los Angeles Lakers and played for Naismith Hall of Fame coach and Moon Township native John Calipari at both the University of Kentucky and the University of Arkansas. Thiero also continues the basketball legacy of her parents, Almamy and Mariam, as Almamy played under Calipari for most of his career in college basketball at Memphis University and Mariam was drafted by the Washington Mystics at #33 overall in the third round of the 2006 WNBA Draft after being an NAIA first-team all-American at Oklahoma City University.

Fire occurs at Cesina’s Sausage Company building in Aliquippa

(Photo Courtesy of KDKA Photojournalist Bryan Orr)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Aliquippa, PA) A fire occurred yesterday at the establishment of Cesina’s Sausage Company in Aliquippa. Fire crews were called to the business located along Kennedy Boulevard just before 4 p.m. yesterday afternoon. The owner of Cesina’s Sausage Company told KDKA that he was not there when the fire broke out, but was shocked to find smoke billowing from his building. The owners do not know what caused the fire that damaged the building. However, they are planning to work with their insurance company to replace the expensive equipment that was damaged by soot and water. Cesina’s Sausage Company has operated for over 100 years in Aliquippa and is also a supplier for the Beaver County Maple Syrup and Music Festival.

Senators Fetterman and Budd Introduce Legislation to Create First National Network of AI-Enabled, Automated Labs

(File Photo of Senator John Fetterman)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Washington, D.C.) According to a release in Washington D.C. yesterday from Senator John Fetterman’s office, last week, Senators Fetterman (D-PA) and Ted Budd (R-NC) introduced the National Programmable Cloud Laboratories Network Act to create a national network of six remotely accessible programmable cloud laboratories (PCLs) for academic research, led by the National Science Foundation (NSF). This bill would assist in researchers using their time and financial resources more effectively through automation and integration of large data sets by knitting together existing laboratory data processing power. 

Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission Elects New Chairman, Vice-Chair and Secretary-Treasurer

(Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) According to a release in Pittsburgh yesterday from the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC), they elected Fayette County Commissioner Vince Vicites as its new Chairman in Pittsburgh yesterday for the calendar years of 2026 and 2027. The federally-designated regional commission for transportation and economic development chose Vicites to lead the United States Department of Transportation (DOT)’s designated Metropolitan Planning Organization for both the City of Pittsburgh and the ten counties in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Vicites is replacing outgoing Chairman Commissioner Pat Fabian of Armstrong County, whose term will expire at the end of this year. Additionally, Commissioner Betsy McClure of Greene County was elected as the Vice-Chair and Commissioner Bonni Dunlap of Indiana County was elected as the Secretary-Treasurer of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission. 

Murray Avenue Grill in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh will permanently close soon

(Photo Courtesy of Murray Avenue Grill, Posted on Facebook on December 12th, 2025)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) After 39 years of business in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Murray Avenue Grill will be closing its doors later this month. According to a post from that restaurant on Facebook on Friday, the final day of serving food and drinks at the Murray Avenue Grill will be on December 28th, 2025. 

Commercial fire occurs at a Beaver County building

(Photo Courtesy of the Beaver Volunteer Fire Department, Posted on Facebook on December 16th, 2025)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Beaver County, PA) At approximately 4 p.m. yesterday, the Beaver Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched as a part of the Beaver County Strike Team to help Aliquippa Firefighters to stop a working commercial fire in Beaver County. Crews and several volunteers staffed by one of the fire stations assisted on scene for about two hours to put out the fire before heading back into service. The cause of this fire is unknown at this time.