Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio. Published February 13, 2024 10:24 P.M.

(Beaver Falls, Pa) A month after a woman identified as 41-year-old Rebecca Miller of Beaver Falls was found dead on a walking trail behind Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Beaver County Radio has learned new information regarding the homicide case. At a Beaver Falls City Council Meeting Tuesday evening, we asked the Council why residents were told there was no danger to the community, even though very little information about the situation has been released including if police have actually identified any suspects.

Beaver Falls Mayor Kenya Johns responded initially saying that “right now it’s an active investigation and we can’t get involved with that, so that’s not a question we really could answer, if there’s anything we could give, we would.”

Deputy Mayor Peggy Evans proceeded to then tell Beaver County Radio, SOMA prays out front of Geneva on Thursdays at 8am. She says they pray “for the woman who was murdered in our city” and added “we’re just praying that whoever done it will just reveal themselves, we’re just praying that their hearts become heavy enough and come to the frontline on their own”. Evans statement suggests that police currently do not know who killed Miller.

SOMA is a Christian community organization in Beaver Falls and Evans says any community members are welcome to join in the prayer sessions.

Beaver County Radio also reached out to Coroner David Gabauer Tuesday to find out if the autopsy report had been completed. Gabauer responded, “it is an ongoing investigation and there is no new evidence including the autopsy report”.

The City of Beaver Falls Police Department have yet to publicly say the case is a homicide or if they had a suspect. However, hours after the scene was cleared on January 11th, Police Chief David Johnson and District Attorney Nate Bible released a statement that they do not “believe there is a danger to residents or the community”.

A week after Miller was found, they released a statement asking for help obtaining security footage from anyone in the area but wouldn’t say what they were looking for. Beaver County Radio witnessed police back at the scene two weeks after the body was found, appearing to be collecting or searching for evidence.

While there is no evidence that the events are connected, Beaver County Radio has noticed that 3 Beaver Falls Police officers have resigned since the incident.

Miller was last known to be going on a walk with a male friend on January 7th before being reported missing on January 9th.

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)
(Photo/Ceisler Media)

The Center In Midland has received a $3,000 donation from Vistra Energy and its subsidiary Dynergy on Monday, which will go to its youth development program.

Along with the youth development program, the Center is also responsible for a food bank, thrift shop, mentoring services and counseling among other resources. They have on-site counselors and community volunteers to help run the operation.

“We are beyond grateful for the support of Vistra/Dynegy,” said Jen Miller, Executive Director of The Center. “On behalf of the lives of so many beautiful children and families their generosity will impact, thank you!”

Members from Vistra and Dynegy were at the Center yesterday along with State Representative Josh Kail to present the award, which is part of a $10,000 initiative by Vistra to organizations in Beaver, Butler, and Washington counties.

“The Center in Midland is all about helping neighbors. Their goodwill is changing lives and giving hope and strength to children and families throughout the region,” said state Rep. Joshua Kail (R-15th), who represents portions of Beaver County, including Midland. “I’m grateful for the commitment Vistra and Dynegy have made to support these local efforts.”

(Sandy Giordano/Beaver County Radio)
(Photo/BCR Archives)

Following candid remarks from fans across the WPIAL and similar injunctions from local politicians, the citizens of Aliquippa are taking their matters with the PIAA into their own hands.

An online petition that is seeking for the Aliquippa Quips to continue playing in Class 4A instead of Class 5A is currently seeking 1,000 signatures. As of Tuesday morning, the petition had already achieved 950 signatures.

Once all 1,000 signatures are collected, the petition will be sent to the PIAA for request. The PIAA has recently denied Aliquippa’s formal appeal sent by the school to prevent moving up in classification.

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)
(Photo/BCR Archives)

Twenty-two teams. Ten boys’ rosters. Twelve girls’ rosters.

One golden goal.

The 2024 WPIAL Basketball Playoffs are set to get underway on Friday night, and nearly two dozen local teams will be tested among the rest of the top teams from District 7 for a chance to qualify for the PIAA playoffs and to participate in the WPIAL Championships–which take place from February 29 through March 2 at the Petersen Events Center on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh.

The first-round matchups are listed below, with local teams listed in boldface.

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS

Class 5A
#10 Moon at #7 Indiana 7:00 PM Tue 2/20
#13 Penn-Trafford at #4 Lincoln Park 7:00 PM Tue 2/20

Class 4A
#10 West Mifflin at #7 Central Valley 7:00 PM Tue 2/20
#9 Hopewell at #8 Greensburg-Salem 7:00 PM Tue 2/20
#12 Quaker Valley at #5 Laurel Highlands 7:00 PM Tue 2/20
#1 Blackhawk BYE

Class 3A
#10 Ellwood City vs #7 OLSH 12:00 PM Sat 2/17 (at Avonworth)
#14 McGuffey at #3 Beaver Falls 12:00 PM Sat 2/17

Class 2A
#9 Rochester at #8 Burgettstown 7:00 PM Fri 2/16
#12 South Side at #5 Chartiers-Houston 7:00 PM Fri 2/16
#10 Clairton at #7 Freedom 7:00 PM Fri 2/16
#15 California at #2 Aliquippa 7:00 PM Fri 2/16

BOYS’ BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS

Class 5A
#1 Moon vs #16 Trinity/#17 Woodland Hills 7:00 PM Mon 2/19

Class 4A
#9 Beaver at #8 Knoch 7:00 PM Fri 2/16
#16 Freeport at #1 Lincoln Park 7:00 PM Fri 2/16
#15 Central Valley at #2 Hampton 7:00 PM Fri 2/16
#13 Quaker Valley at #4 Uniontown 7:00 PM Fri 2/16

Class 3A
#9 Ellwood City vs #8 Washington 7:00 PM Mon 2/19
#14 Beaver Falls at #3 Shady Side Academy 7:00 PM Mon 2/19

Class 2A
#16 Nazareth Prep at #1 Aliquippa 7:00 PM Tue 2/20
#11 Sewickley Academy at #6 Jeannette 7:00 PM Tue 2/20

Class 1A
#14 Saint Joseph at #3 Rochester 7:00 PM Fri 2/16

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

Patterson Township Police released a warning on Monday for residents to lock their vehicles and retain all belongings following multiple break-ins along the 400 block and 700 block of 18th Avenue on Sunday evening

The police department released the warning on their Facebook page at around 8:30 on Monday morning, asking that if anyone in the area has camera footage of the incidents, they call Patterson Township police at (724) 846-8400.

No names or further details have been released at this time.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s 2024 primary election may lack drama in the high-stakes races for president and U.S. Senate, but the field for lower-ballot contests are filling up for the state’s attorney general’s office and a handful of its 17 seats in the U.S. House.

The deadline is Tuesday at 5 p.m. for Republicans and Democrats to submit voter signatures to get on the April 23 primary ballot.

The battleground state’s primary election is relatively late — and, by then, Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden may have locked up the delegates they need to become their parties’ nominees in the November general election for president.

Meanwhile, Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and Republican challenger David McCormick appear unlikely to face primary opponents. Control of the U.S. Senate is on the line in 2024, and Casey’s bid for a fourth term is expected to be one of the nation’s most expensive and closely watched races.

Still, primary voters will have choices in other races.

The state allows one week to file court challenges to a candidate’s paperwork, and courts have one more week after that — until Feb. 27 — to render a decision. April 8 is the last day to register to vote before the primary and April 16 is the last day to apply for a mail-in or absentee ballot.

Independents and minor party candidates file paperwork on a different timeline, with a deadline of Aug. 1.

A look at who has filed in each race, according to information from state election officials:

___

PRESIDENT

Biden, Trump and Trump’s remaining primary opponent, Nikki Haley, have filed to run for president.

___

U.S. SENATE

McCormick and Casey have filed.

___

CONGRESS

All 17 incumbents — nine Democrats and eight Republicans — are running for reelection in Pennsylvania’s 17 congressional seats, although Democratic U.S. Rep. Summer Lee of the Pittsburgh area had not filed paperwork by close-of-business Monday, according to information from the state elections office.

Only a handful of the seats are expected to be competitive in the November general election. For the primary, 40 candidates filed to run, including 13 Democratic challengers and 11 Republican challengers.

Most notable are challengers in two districts.

In the 7th District in eastern Pennsylvania, there are three Republicans vying for the nomination to challenge Democratic U.S. Rep. Susan Wild of Allentown. They are state Rep. Ryan MacKenzie, IT firm owner Kevin Dellicker and lawyer Maria Montero.

Meanwhile in southcentral Pennsylvania’s 10th District, which includes Harrisburg, three Democrats — former TV news personality Janelle Stelson, Harrisburg City Council member Shamaine Daniels and retired Marine Corps pilot Michael O’Brien — are seeking the nomination to challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Scott Perry of York County.

Every incumbent has a general election challenger, except for two: Democratic U.S. Reps. Mary Gay Scanlon of Delaware County and Dwight Evans of Philadelphia.

In the primary, just four have a challenger: Democrats Lee and Evans and Republican U.S. Reps. Mike Kelly of Butler and Bryan Fitzpatrick of Bucks County.

___

ATTORNEY GENERAL

Four Democrats filed for the party’s primary.

They include Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer, former state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale, former federal prosecutor Joe Kahn and Keir Bradford-Grey, the former head of Philadelphia’s and Montgomery County’s public defense lawyers. State Rep. Jared Solomon of Philadelphia also was expected to file.

On the Republican side, York County’s district attorney, Dave Sunday, filed to run.

___

TREASURER

Stacy Garrity, the Republican incumbent, filed to run for a second four-year term. On the Democratic side, state Rep. Ryan Bizarro of Erie filed to run.

___

AUDITOR GENERAL

The Republican incumbent, Tim DeFoor, filed to run for a second four-year term. On the Democratic side, two filed to run: state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta of Philadelphia and Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley.

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

Residents of the area may need an extra dime or two to make up the difference in gas prices this week. According to AAA East Central’s latest report, the average price for a gallon of unleaded gasoline has jumped up to $3.52 across Western Pennsylvania. That average is eight cents higher than last week’s $3.44 a gallon, and down 41 cents from the average of $3.83 one year ago.

Beaver County has increased their prices three cents to $3.49/gallon this week, Pittsburgh moves up six cents to be at $3.50/gallon, and Butler takes a five-cent jump to $3.54/gallon this week.

The national average has also risen, moving up five cents this week to $3.19/gallon according to AAA East Central.

This week’s average prices: Western Pennsylvania Average                       $3.521
Average price during the week of February 5, 2024                                         $3.444
Average price during the week of February 13, 2023                                       $3.833

The average price of unleaded self-serve gasoline in various areas:      

$3.522      Altoona
$3.494      Beaver
$3.598      Bradford
$3.363      Brookville
$3.542      Butler
$3.404      Clarion
$3.537      DuBois
$3.525      Erie
$3.548      Greensburg
$3.534      Indiana
$3.535      Jeannette
$3.556      Kittanning
$3.545      Latrobe
$3.547      Meadville
$3.589      Mercer
$3.432      New Castle
$3.516      New Kensington
$3.540      Oil City
$3.505      Pittsburgh
$3.466      Sharon
$3.514      Uniontown
$3.598      Warren
$3.520      Washington

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers cut quarterback Mitch Trubisky on Monday, sending the former No. 2 overall draft pick into free agency after two disappointing seasons.

Trubisky signed with the Steelers in March 2022 and was given first crack at replacing the retired Ben Roethlisberger. Trubisky started four games before being benched in favor of then-rookie Kenny Pickett. Trubisky struggled again this season while filling in for an injured Pickett, losing starts against New England and Indianapolis before being replaced by third-stringer Mason Rudolph.

Releasing Trubisky creates about $11.5 million in salary cap space over the next two seasons.

Pittsburgh also cut offensive tackle Chukwuma Okorafor and punter Pressley Harvin III to begin what could be a series of moves to free up money before free agency begins.

With Trubisky gone, Pickett is the Steelers’ only quarterback under contract for next season. Rudolph is set to become a free agent in March, though coach Mike Tomlin said the team is interested in bringing Rudolph — who won three games as a starter to help the Steelers reach the playoffs — back to compete with Pickett during training camp.

Trubisky went 2-5 as a starter with the Steelers, throwing for eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions. While gave Pittsburgh an athletic presence in the pocket, his questionable decision-making and poor mechanics — issues that plagued him earlier in his career in Chicago — forced the Steelers to turn to others.

The 29-year-old Trubisky lasted four seasons with the Bears, who drafted him in 2017, and spent a year as a backup for Buffalo before trying to revive his career with the Steelers.

Okorafor’s departure was all but assured when he was benched in favor of rookie first-round pick Broderick Jones midway through the season after his outburst late in a loss to Jacksonville. Okorafor started 59 games for the Steelers after being taken in the third round of the 2018 draft.

The 26-year-old played well at times and was given a three-year, $29.25 million contract in 2022.

Yet when Pittsburgh selected Jones with the 14th overall pick of the 2023 draft and with left tackle Dan Moore Jr. on a rookie contract, Okorafor’s days were numbered. Okorafor said after Pittsburgh’s season ended with a first-round playoff loss to Buffalo that he wouldn’t have signed the new contract if he thought he wouldn’t be with the team through the end of it.

“If I knew that was going to be the case, I probably wouldn’t have chosen to come back here,” Okorafor said in January. “At this point, there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Harvin, a seventh-round pick in 2021, struggled with consistency during his three years with the Steelers. He averaged 43.7 yards per punt in 47 games with Pittsburgh, but rather than bring him back to play the final year of his four-year deal, the Steelers instead will head into the offseason looking for a new punter.

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are falling on Wall Street after a key reading on inflation at the consumer level in the U.S. came in hotter than expected.

S&P 500 futures fell 1.1% about 10 minutes after the report from the Labor Department. Dow futures fell 0.8% and Nasdaq futures fell 1.6%. Bond yields jumped.

The Labor Department report released Tuesday morning showed that consumer prices rose 3.1% in January compared to a year ago. Economists were expecting an increase of 2.9%.

The stronger-than-expected inflation data follows recent reports showing the U.S. economy and job market remain remarkably solid. Those reports, along with some comments from Fed officials, have forced traders to push out their forecasts for when the Federal Reserve will begin to cut interest rates.

Inflation, which peaked above 9% in June 2022, had been cooling enough that the Fed has hinted it may cut its main interest rate several times this year. Such cuts typically juice financial markets and the economy, and they would release pressure that’s built up since the Fed has taken its main interest rate to the highest level since 2001.

In the bond market, yields were rising sharply. The yield on the 10-year Treasury jumped to 4.26% from 4.16%, late Monday.

The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks expectations for the Federal Reserve, rose to 4.60% from 4.48% Monday.

European benchmarks slipped further after the U.S. inflation report. France’s CAC 40 slipped 0.4%, Germany’s DAX shed 0.5% and Britain’s FTSE 100 fell 0.2%.

Asian shares mostly finished higher on Tuesday.

In Asia, Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 added 2.9% to finish at 37,963.97, briefly topping 38,000 for the first time in 34 years. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 lost earlier gains, edging 0.2% lower to 7,603.60. South Korea’s Kospi jumped 1.1% to 2,649.64.

Markets were closed in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan for the Lunar New Year holiday.

In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude rose 67 cents to $77.59 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, the international standard, rose 59 cents to $82.63 a barrel.

Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio. Published February 12, 2024 9:05 P.M.

(New Brighton, Pa) The New Brighton Area School met Monday evening for a committee meeting. Among the items to be voted on at their next meeting was the resignation of Amy Fazio from the Board. The board will also vote to accept the resignation of Tony Caltury as the Middle School Assistant track coach, to be replaced by Nick Ehko. They will also vote to accept the retirement of Holly Zeigler as an elementary school teacher. The items will be voted on at their next meeting on February 26th.