PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Sahire Walker was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for committing  crack cocaine trafficking and firearm crimes, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced  today.  

Walker, age 45, of New Castle, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District  Judge David Stewart Cercone. Judge Cercone ordered Walker to serve six years of supervised  release following his prison sentence.  

Walker previously pled guilty in this case to committing the following crimes on June 4,  2020: (1) possession of cocaine base with intent to distribute, and (2) possession of a firearm in  furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Prior to imposing the sentence, the Court was informed  that Walker possessed crack cocaine with intent to distribute, and a loaded pistol, inside the rental  vehicle he was operating on June 4, 2020, at 1:00 a.m., in New Castle, Pennsylvania. As of that  date, he had five prior drug trafficking convictions over the preceding 15 years.  

  

Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the  United States. 

The New Castle Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau  of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the  convictions and sentence in this case.  

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all  levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun  violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department  of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core  principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based  organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and  strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

PITTSBURGH, PA (March 26, 2024) — Every two seconds, a patient in the U.S. needs blood. During National Donate Life Month in April, nonprofit Vitalant urges eligible donors to give blood and help support patients including those who undergo more than 40,000 organ transplants each year.

 

Jen Lentini was a teenager when she underwent a heart transplant. She needed blood transfusions before and during the surgery, and in the years since, blood donations have continued to help her fight anemia.

 

“Whether you’re a blood or organ donor – you’re not just impacting the person receiving the blood or a transplant, you’re impacting everyone they’re going to meet in their life,” Lentini said. “Every story, every adventure. You’re saving someone’s child, their relative, their friend.”

 

A robust blood supply must be ready for patients every day before it’s needed. Donors of every blood type are vital to maintaining the supply, especially those with the most-transfused type O.

 

As special thanks, all donors who give with Vitalant April 1-20 who opt-in to the Donor Rewards program will be entered into a drawing for 20 winners of $420 gift cards in the Blaze a Trail giveaway.

 

Learn more and make an appointment to give at vitalant.org, download and use the Vitalant app or call 877-25-VITAL (877-258-4825). Stay updated with the latest news on saving lives by following Vitalant’s regional social media accounts: @VitalantPAOH on Instagram, Twitter (X), and Facebook.

 

Upcoming Blood Drives

 

Aliquippa

Monday, April 15

B F Jones Library

663 Franklin Ave.

1 PM – 6 PM

 

Darlington

Monday, April 15

Little Beaver Lions- Darlington Township Building

3590 Darlington Rd.

1 PM – 6:30 PM

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing lighting installation on the southbound I-79 off-ramp to westbound I-376 (Parkway West) in Robinson Township, Allegheny County, will begin Wednesday, March 27 weather permitting.

Shoulder restrictions will be in place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, March 27-28 on the I-79 southbound ramp to westbound I-376 Parkway West (Exit 59B). Short-term stoppages under flagging operations will occur on the ramp to allow material and equipment delivery for the lighting installation work to occur.

Please use caution when driving through the area. Work zone safety is everyone’s responsibility.

Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras.

Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio. Published March 27, 2024 10:22 A.M.

(Pittsburgh, Pa) Iconic Krispy Kreme Doughnuts will soon be available once again in numerous towns throughout the area. According to a press release issued Wednesday morning, McDonald’s and Krispy Kreme have made a sweet announcement for doughnut fans. The pair of companies are teaming up for a national expansion. Doughnut seekers will soon begin spotting Krispy Kreme doughnuts in local McDonald’s restaurants. Our tristate region is first among the phased market rollout planned for across the country. Nationwide availability is anticipated by the end of 2026.

Three varieties of Krispy Kreme doughnuts will be delivered fresh to McDonald’s restaurants every day and will be available individually or in boxes of six. The doughnuts will be served starting at breakfast and continue throughout the day while supplies last. The three Doughnuts will be The Original Glazed Doughnut, The Chocolate Iced with Sprinkles Doughnut, and The Chocolate Iced Kreme Filled Doughnut.

Krispy Kreme President and CEO Josh Charlesworth said “The top request we receive from consumers every day is ‘Please bring Krispy Kreme to my town.’ Partnering with McDonald’s on a national scale will provide our fans and doughnut lovers unprecedented daily access to fresh doughnuts and the joy that is Krispy Kreme.”

The announcement follows a successful test at 160 McDonald’s restaurants in the Lexington and Louisville, Kentucky areas where consumer excitement and demand was said to have exceeded expectations.

Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio. Published March 26, 2024 10:26 A.M.

(South Heights, Pa) State Police in Beaver say they responded to a report of a Peterbilt 379 truck going through a residential area striking signs in South Heights Borough. When Troopers encountered the truck, the female driver relayed that she was following her truck’s GPS and it led her down a residential drive that couldn’t accommodate the vehicle. No injuries were reported. The driver contacted the borough for restitution purposes.

Beaver County Radio News Staff. Published March 26, 2024 10:00 A.M.
Photo Obtained from Crop & Kettle Facebook Page

(New Brighton, Pa) A local non-profit has received a grant. Crop & Kettle in New Brighton recently received a $5,000 grant award from United Way of Beaver County as part of their “ALICE” program! Crop & Kettle provides workforce training specializing in the food service industry.  The Alice Program funds programs that assist those that are asset limited, income restrained, employed, and in poverty.
Original Facebook post:     

Photo Left to right:  Justin Fortunato, Producing Artistic Director, Cameron, and Chris Shovlin, Chief Executive Officer. Photo obtained from Lincoln park Performing Arts Center Facebook Page.
Beaver County Radio News Staff. Published March 26, 2024 9:56 A.M.

(Midland, Pa) A local theater student has been selected to attend a theater festival in Europe. LPPACS student Cameron Patterson, who is on the Jeter Backyard Theater Team was selected to participate in the Junior Theatre Festival in Europe. He, along with his team will perform in the UK this May. They will also participate in acting and dance workshops, see a new works showcase, get to meet theatre professionals, among other things.
Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center presented him with a $1,000 Sponsorship to assist with his trip expenses. The original Facebook post with additional details and how to help Cameron with his trip is here:

Beaver County Radio News Staff. Published March 26, 2024 9:26 A.M.

(Center Township, Pa) The Center Township Police Department says there is no reason for concern over a man who was spotted on a ring doorbell camera. On March 18th, 2024 at approximately 9:30pm, an individual was observed on a Ring Door Bell camera in the area of Sebastian Estates. The formerly unknown male was observed peeking towards and reaching for the front door knob. No attempt of forced entry was made. Center Township Police now say the man was a family member of a neighboring house and was not of the area.

Parts of the Francis Scott Key Bridge remain after a container ship collided with a support Tuesday, March 26, 2024 in Baltimore. The major bridge in Baltimore snapped and collapsed after a container ship rammed into it early Tuesday, and several vehicles fell into the river below. Rescuers were searching for multiple people in the water. (AP Photo/Steve Ruark)

BALTIMORE (AP) — A container ship rammed into a major bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, causing it to snap in a few places and plunge into the river below. Several vehicles fell into the chilly waters, and rescuers were initially searching for at least seven people.

Two people were pulled from the waters under the Francis Scott Key Bridge, one in serious condition, according to Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace.

The cargo ship appears to have crashed into one of the bridge’s supports during the middle of night when traffic would be expected to be lighter, according to a video posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. The vessel caught fire, and thick, black smoke billowed out of it.

“Never would you think that you would see, physically see, the Key Bridge tumble down like that. It looked like something out of an action movie,” said Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, calling it “an unthinkable tragedy.”

The fire chief said authorities “may be looking for upwards of seven people” but said that number could change. It was not clear if the two rescued were included in the seven.

Sonar has indicated that there are vehicles in the water, where the temperature was about 47 degrees Fahrenheit (8 degrees Celsius) in the early hours of Tuesday, according to a buoy that collects data for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Earlier, Kevin Cartwright, director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department, told The Associated Press that several vehicles were on the bridge at the time, including one the size of a tractor-trailer truck.

He called the collapse a “developing mass casualty event,” though he didn’t know at the time how many people were affected.

Cartwright added that some cargo appeared to be dangling from the bridge, which spans the Patapsco River at the entrance to a busy harbor. The river leads to the Port of Baltimore, a major hub for shipping on the East Coast. Opened in 1977, the bridge is named for the writer of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore declared a state of emergency and said he was working to get federal resources deployed. The FBI was also on the scene.

Synergy Marine Group — which owns and manages the ship called the “Dali” — confirmed the vessel hit a pillar of the bridge at about 1:30 a.m. while two pilots were in control. It said all crew members, including the pilots, were accounted for and there are no reports of any injuries.

From a vantage point near the entrance to the bridge, jagged remnants of its steel frame were visible protruding from the water, with the on-ramp ending abruptly where the span once began.

A vessel called Dali was headed from Baltimore to Colombo, Sri Lanka, as its final destination, according to Marine Traffic and Vessel Finder. The ship was flying under a Singapore flag, WTOP radio station reported, citing Petty Officer Matthew West from the Coast Guard in Baltimore.

In 2001, a freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed in a tunnel in downtown Baltimore and caught fire, spewing black smoke into surrounding neighborhoods and forcing officials to temporarily close all major roads into the city.