Fire reported in Baden apartment complex

(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of Gavin Thunberg)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Baden, PA) Just before 8 p.m. yesterday, Baden Volunteer Fire Department, Station 47 and their first alarm were toned for a possible electrical fire in the Pinecone Village Apartment Complex on 5th Street. While enroute to the scene, police arrived and reported to Beaver County 911 that there was heavy smoke and there was entrapment. A second alarm was also added and the rest were requested to stage on Virginia Avenue. The floor was searched above and no fire was found. The incident was then held to the aparatus on scene. 

AAA: Gas Prices Steady in Pennsylvania as National Average Rises

(Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of AAA East Central)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Gas prices are stable in Western Pennsylvania this week at about $3.73 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report. The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline is $3.71, and that average jumped nearly 24 cents since last week. The last time the national average was in the $3.70 range was in October of 2023. Gas prices are also going up because of the conflict in Iran and the national average for gas has gone up 73 cents since that conflict began on February 28thThe report states that the average price for a gallon of regular gas in Western Pennsylvania was about $3.41 at this time a year ago and the average price that you can expect for a gallon of regular unleaded gas here in Beaver County is about $3.79. 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 areas:  

$3.753      Altoona
$3.787      Beaver
$3.678      Bradford
$3.490      Brookville
$3.741      Butler
$3.751      Clarion
$3.668      DuBois
$3.769      Erie
$3.743      Greensburg
$3.775      Indiana
$3.781      Jeannette
$3.765      Kittanning
$3.735      Latrobe
$3.771      Meadville
$3.809      Mercer
$3.721      New Castle
$3.665      New Kensington
$3.781      Oil City
$3.765      Pittsburgh
$3.639      Sharon
$3.746      Uniontown
$3.799      Warren
$3.728      Washington
 

Man arrested for being a suspect in connection with a shooting that took place on a Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus

(File Photo of a Police Siren Light)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) A suspect in a shooting that happened on a Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus on Saturday was arrested yesterday. According to Port Authority Police in Pittsburgh, eighteen-year-old  Michael Andrews was charged with aggravated assault, carrying a firearm without a license, reckless endangerment and person not to possess a firearm. He is now being held at the Allegheny County Jail. Police believe that Andrews shot a juvenile on the P1 bus near the Homewood Station on the East Busway over the weekend. The victim was taken to a hospital and is currently listed in stable condition. 

Coraopolis woman arrested for driving under the influence in Moon Township

(File Photo of Handcuffs)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Moon Township, PA) Pennsylvania State Police in Pittsburgh reported via release today that forty-seven-year-old Carol Santucci of Coraopolis was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in Moon Township on Friday. At 5:50 p.m., Pennsylvania State Police initated a traffic stop on the 700 block of Aten Road and Santucci was found to be under the influence of alcohol during the stop. 

Brush fire and hot spots occur in Brighton Township

(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of the Brighton Township Volunteer Fire Department, Station 63, Posted on Facebook on March 15th, 2026)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Brighton Township, PA) The Brighton Township Volunteer Fire Department, Station 63 was dispatched on Sunday to the area behind the St. Barnabas building off Dutch Ridge Road because of recurring hot spots caused by the high winds from Friday. After crews extinguished the hot spots, a brush fire occurred in the area of the 2900 block of Tuscarawas Road. An individual was also found at that scene who was experiencing a medical emergency. Firefighters began providing care immediately and they requested EMS from Medic Rescue to assist during this incident before it was resolved. 

Closings and Delays: March 17th, 2026

Snow Watch logo

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

Jim Messina discusses Oakmont concert

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.

Jim Messina headlines the Oaks Theater in Oakmont. (Jim Messina Band)

 

Pennsylvania Turnpike’s new super snow plow given the name of “Plow Force One” after a naming contest

(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.”

Two farms in Beaver and Somerset Counties will be preserved for farming after state of Pennsylvania purchases development rights to those properties

(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.