Category: News

PHEAA Encourages Students to Complete 2027-2028 FAFSA®

(Credit for Photo: Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) recently announced that the 2027-28 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) is available to college-bound students and families today, and this joins the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) in presenting a FAFSA completion workshop event.

Filing the FAFSA online is the first step to determine if someone qualifies for federal student loans, institutional awards, scholarships, a Federal Pell Grant or a Pennsylvania State Grant.

PHEAA and PDE are offering a FAFSA Completion Workshop on Thursday, October 8th, to assist students and their families in successful FAFSA completion.

PHEAA Access Partners will provide some hands-on guidance in submitting and completing the FAFSA.

The FAFSA Completion Workshop is an event in person that will be held at the PHEAA Headquarters, located at 1200 North Seventh Street in Harrisburg.

Assistance will be offered in sessions of 30 minutes, beginning at 5:30 P.M., 6:00 P.M., and 6:30 P.M. Even though walk-ins are welcome, PHEAA will have a limited number of laptops available for these sessions, so registration is recommended (click here to register.).

All contributors and students (such as parents and spouses) need to establish their federal accounts on StudentAid.gov at StudentAid.gov/fsa-id/create-account (click here) before attending this event.

This workshop will be preceded by a brief press conference at 5 P.M. (ET) with leadership of PHEAA and PDE discussing the importance of successful FAFSA completion.

An informational fair will also be held during the FAFSA Completion Workshop and that allows students and families to learn about the financial aid programs of PHEAA, which includes the PA State Grant Program, the Student Teacher Support Program, and the Grow Pennsylvania Scholarship Grant Program, the PA Forward Student Loan Program and PA 529 plans.

There will also be representatives from Central Penn College, Harrisburg University, Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC) and Penn State Harrisburg at this event.

Hookstown man charged after DUI in Raccoon Township

(File Photo of a Police Siren Light)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Raccoon Township, PA) Pennsylvania State Police in Beaver reported yesterday that a forty-five-year-old man from Hookstown was charged for driving under the influence after a two-vehicle crash occurred in Raccoon Township on September 18th.

This crash happened at 5:56 p.m.

Sixty-nine-year-old John Depaolis of Shippingport was driving his vehicle entered Frankfort Road from the Dollar General at 928 State Route 18 and did not yield to the vehicle driven by the man from Hookstown.

That man from Hookstown was found to be impaired during the investigation into this incident.  

According to police, his blood alcohol content was between 0.10% and 0.16%.

Motorcyclist killed in crash in Moon Township

(File Photo of Police Siren Lights)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Moon Township, PA) A motorcyclist is dead after a two-vehicle crash occurred in Moon Township today.

It happened at the intersection of Business 376 and Airside Drive at around 7 a.m.

According to PennDOT, the eastbound Business Loop 376 is closed between University Boulevard and Thorn Run Road.

WPXI crews on scene noticed a motorcycle that was lying in the middle of the roadway and an SUV with damage to its front-end.

The motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.

Their identity has not been released at this time.

The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office, the Moon Township Police Department and the S.H.A.C.O.G. Crash Investigation Team are investigating this crash.

Pittsburgh Researchers Launch Novel Cell Therapy Trial Using Immune Cells From Fluid That Would Otherwise Be Discarded

(File Photo of the Allegheny Health Network Logo)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Allegheny Health Network (AHN) Cancer Center is actively enrolling patients in a first-in-human clinical trial that tests an innovative cell therapy for advanced cancers which have spread to the lining around the lungs, and that is a condition which is known as malignant pleural effusion. 

Pleural effusion describes fluid buildup in the pleural cavity, which is the space around the lungs.

Malignant pleural effusion is the abnormal buildup of fluid and cancer cells in that space and it is most often associated with advanced lung and breast cancers, even though it can occur with other cancers. 

The fluid can cause chest discomfort, shortness of breath and a significant decline in quality of life.

Current treatments focus mainly on controlling fluid buildup and easing symptoms, rather than directly treating cancer in the pleural space. 

The Phase 1 clinical trial is known as RIOT-4 or Regional Immuno-Oncology Trial 4, repurposes the fluid drained from the chest cavity of cancer patients as a source of tumor-fighting immune cells, and this offers a faster and less invasive path to cellular immunotherapy.  

The lead clinical investigator for this trial is Patrick L. Wagner, MD, MPH, the vice chair of surgery and chief of surgical oncology at AHN Cancer Center.

Researchers in the cellular therapy lab at AHN, who are directed by Albert D. Donnenberg, PhD, the vice chair of clinical research, rapidly grow and activate the cells before returning them directly to the pleural cavity of the patient, which is where the cancer is located. 

Man apprehended in Brighton Township for failing to comply with Megan’s law registration requirements

(File Photo of Handcuffs)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Brighton Township, PA) Pennsylvania State Police in Beaver reported yesterday that sixty-five-year-old Michael Conci was taken into custody for failing to comply with Megan’s Law registration requirements in Brighton Township.

This arrest occurred yesterday in the area of 3800 Dutch Ridge Road at 1:22 p.m.

According to police, Conci was found to be out of compliance for requirements of Megan’s Law registration.

Conci was remanded to the Beaver County Jail and was unable to post a bail of $25,000.

A preliminary hearing for Conci will occur on October 5th, 2026 at 10 a.m. 

McMurray man arrested for driving under the influence of drugs in Vanport Township

(File Photo of a Police Siren Light)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Vanport Township, PA) Pennsylvania State Police in Beaver reported yesterday that twenty-five-year-old Carson Sinisko of McMurray was arrested for driving under the influence of drugs in Vanport Township on September 17th.

This incident occurred in the area of 390 I-376 West at approximately 11:20 p.m.

According to police, they received numerous 911 phone calls relating to a vehicle driving east bound in the west bound lanes of travel.

The female victim that was involved in this incident stated that her vehicle was hit on the driver’s side by a vehicle at Mile Marker 43 on I-376 West in Aliquippa.

Sinisko was the operator of the vehicle that hit the woman’s vehicle, and he was arrested for DUI at the scene of the incident. 

Ex-NFL star Antonio Brown appears in Miami court but judge delays hearing on expected plea deal

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Former NFL player Antonio Brown speaks with his attorney Mark Eiglarsh before a court hearing Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

MIAMI (AP) — Former NFL star wide receiver Antonio Brown’s court hearing where he was expected to accept a plea deal and avoid prison time in an attempted murder case was postponed Wednesday.

Brown arrived in a Miami courtroom Wednesday morning and was ready to plead no contest to aggravated assault and be sentenced to probation, his lawyer said. But a Florida judge said she was in the middle of another trial and not ready to go forward. The hearing was pushed back to Oct. 28.

Brown is accused of grabbing a handgun from a security staffer after a celebrity boxing match in Miami on May 16, 2025, and firing two shots at a man he had been in a fistfight with earlier, according to an arrest warrant. Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu told investigators one of the bullets grazed his neck.

Defense attorney Mark Eiglarsh said Brown was looking forward to putting the case behind him. Eiglarsh said the plea deal offered by prosecutors was too good to turn down and that it says Brown would not be considered a convicted felon.

“It’s a setback because it’s another month that my client has an ankle monitor on and doesn’t have closure, which everybody in this case wants,” Eiglarsh said. He said he was “cautiously optimistic” the judge would agree to the terms.

Brown could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted of the original attempted murder charge. He has said on social media that he was defending himself from an attack and others were trying to steal jewelry from him.

Florida’s Stand Your Ground law allows people who believe they face death or serious injury to use deadly force to defend themselves without a duty to retreat.

Nantambu said after Wednesday’s postponement that he hopes Brown will take advantage of the deal to “become a better person and be there for his family.”

“We want him to get the healing that he needs,” he said.

Richard Cooper, an attorney for Nantambu, said Nantambu forgave Brown and would not cooperate with law enforcement.

At one point in the court’s hallway, Brown slipped on a dark mask while talking to his attorney and then pulled it off before going into the hearing.

Brown, 38, spent 12 years in the NFL and was an All-Pro wide receiver who last played in the 2021-22 season for Tampa Bay and won a Super Bowl with quarterback Tom Brady the previous season.

Over the course of his career, much of it spent with Pittsburgh, he had 928 receptions for more than 12,000 yards and accounted for 88 total touchdowns, including punt returns and one pass.

During a January 2022 game with Tampa Bay against the New York Jets, Brown took off his jersey, shoulder pads and gloves and ran off the field, leading to his release by the Buccaneers and effectively ending his career.

Brown has dealt with several legal problems over the years. He previously was accused of battery of a moving truck driver, several domestic violence charges, failure to pay child support and other incidents.

Brown was extradited in November 2025 from Dubai, where he has business interests, after an arrest warrant on the attempted murder charge was issued in June of the same year.

Almost 1,000 Duquesne Light Company union workers go on strike after failed contract negotiations

(File Photo of the Duquesne Light Company Logo)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Almost 1,000 union workers from Duquesne Light Company (DLC) have recently gone on strike after not reaching a deal amid contract negotiations with their employer.  

According to Josh Ewing, the business manager for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 29, the union has tried continuously to bargain in good faith and had a conversation with some of the company’s top executives yesterday evening. 

Issues that Ewing highlighted include adequate staffing, creating of non-union jobs, retiring healthcare, retiring benefits, the right to organize, and safety concerns that are not being listened to. 

DLC confirmed that the nearly 1,000 workers from the company serve over 600,000 customers in Beaver and Allegheny counties. 

A spokesperson for Duquesne Light stated that the company remains committed to engaging in good-faith negotiations with its workers, and that they have a responsibility to keep costs affordable for customers while providing reliable service to its community.   

Bartolotta Bill to Protect Pennsylvania Farmers Advances from Senate Committee

(File Photo of Senator Camera Bartolotta)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) The Senate Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee approved legislation sponsored by Senator Camera Bartolotta (R-46) to prohibit the manufacture and sale of lab-grown meat and poultry in Pennsylvania yesterday. 

Senate Bill 1422 is intended to protect the farmers of Pennsylvania and the agricultural industry in the state from the growing push to replace traditionally raised meat with products that are produced in laboratory settings.

Pennsylvania would join seven other states which have enacted laws varying in scope to prohibit the distribution, manufacture and sale of cultivated meat products if this bill is enacted.

Senate Bill 1422 will now advance to the full Senate for its consideration. 

Mc Donald’s High School Football Preview: Week 6

McDONALD’S BEAVER COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PREVIEW

It’s time for our weekly look around the area at this week’s high school football games involving Beaver County teams.

Our high school football preview is brought to you by Tri- County McDonald’s (mmm I’m Lovin It!).

And we start with our Pond Lehocky Game of the Week — Blackhawk at New Castle. This could be one of the best games of the night. Blackhawk puts its perfect 5-and-0 record on the line against a New Castle team coming off its biggest win of the season. The Cougars have been an offensive machine, scoring 228 points through five games — better than 45 points per game. Last week, Blackhawk survived its closest test of the year, beating Shaler 40-31. But New Castle just sent a message of its own by knocking off Aliquippa 42-21. So we’ve got an undefeated Blackhawk team against a New Castle team playing with a ton of confidence. I expect points, and I expect Blackhawk to get one of its toughest tests of the season.

We’ll have the Pond Lehocky Game of the Week Friday night. Pregame at 6:30, kickoff at 7:00 on Beaver County Radio.

Now let’s get to the rest of the games.

Western Beaver travels to New Brighton.

Both teams are 1-and-4 and desperately need a win. Western Beaver has shown flashes, including that impressive 28-10 upset of Riverside. New Brighton lost to Riverside 33-22 last week, but the Lions showed improvement offensively. Keep an eye on Heath Lewis for New Brighton. If the Lions can get him into the open field, he can change the game quickly.

Hopewell travels to Beaver.

The Vikings are 4-and-1 and rolling right now. They’ve beaten Central Valley 34-6 and Western Beaver 47-6 in consecutive weeks. Quarterback James Armstrong gives Hopewell a dangerous threat with both his arm and his legs. Beaver is 1-and-4 and trying to bounce back from a 49-6 loss to Avonworth. We know quarterback Jaivin Peel can put up huge numbers, but Hopewell is playing too well for me to pick against the Vikings.

Ambridge travels to Aliquippa.

Aliquippa is coming off that surprising 42-21 loss to New Castle, and I expect the Quips to come out with something to prove.

How about Beaver Falls at Mohawk?

Don’t look now, but the Tigers have won three straight. And last week’s was the biggest — Beaver Falls handed previously unbeaten Freedom its first loss, 24-13. Mohawk was beaten 48-6 by Neshannock last week. Beaver Falls is getting better as the season goes along.

Montour visits Central Valley.

The Warriors are 2-and-3 and have lost two straight, including a heartbreaking 16-14 loss to Hampton last week. Montour is 3-and-2 and is coming off a 34-29 loss to Thomas Jefferson. Central Valley needs to establish the running game and avoid falling behind early.

Neshannock travels to Freedom.

Freedom started the season 4-and-0 before Beaver Falls handed the Bulldogs their first loss. Now they get a Neshannock team that’s 4-and-1 and has won three straight. Freedom is dangerous at home, but right now Neshannock has the momentum.

Northgate visits Rochester.

Rochester is 1-and-4, while Northgate comes in at 3-and-2 after barely escaping South Side last week, 21-20. That’s why I’m going with my upset pick here. Rochester is at home, and if the Rams protect the football, I think they can steal one.

Shenango travels to South Side.

South Side nearly picked up its first victory last week before losing to Northgate by one. But now the Rams face an undefeated Shenango team that just hammered Rochester 49-8.

And OLSH travels to Ellwood City.

Somebody is getting its first win because both teams enter at 0-and-5. Ellwood City showed some offensive improvement last week in a 27-13 loss to Shady Side Academy. With the Wolverines playing at home, I’ll give them the slight edge.

And finally, Riverside has the week off.

The Panthers enter their bye at 4-and-1. They started 3-and-0 before losing to Western Beaver, then bounced back last Friday with a 33-22 win over New Brighton. Riverside returns next week against Freedom.

But the spotlight Friday night is on Blackhawk at New Castle.

Blackhawk is 5-and-0. New Castle just knocked off Aliquippa. And the Cougars are averaging better than 45 points per game. It’s the Pond Lehocky Game of the Week.

Pregame coverage begins at 6:30, with kickoff at 7:00, right here on Beaver County Radio.

That’s your McDonald’s Beaver County High School Football Preview.