(File Photo: Source for Photo: U.S. Vice President JD Vance, right, meets with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, during high-level talks aimed at advancing a deal to end the Middle East conflict, at the Bürgenstock Resort in Obbuergen, near Lucerne, in Switzerland, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (Nathan Howard/Pool Photo via AP)

OBBUERGEN, Switzerland (AP) — High-level negotiations in Switzerland seeking a permanent end to the Iran war concluded early Monday, with lower-level talks planned for the rest of the week as Iran and the United States agreed to create a “de-confliction cell” to address the fighting in Lebanon.

A statement from mediators Pakistan and Qatar said the cell would include the Lebanese government and would “ensure the adherence of the termination of military operations in Lebanon.” But it remains unclear whether that will be enough to stop fighting between the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah and Israel, which occupies Lebanon and insists it must maintain a free hand to attack militants who are launching attacks into northern Israel.

The U.S. offered no immediate comment, while Iran praised the meditators’ work.

The talks marked the start of a 60-day diplomatic process that seeks to reach a permanent deal to end the Iran war. But the fighting in Lebanon remains one of the key sticking points.

Meanwhile, Iran insisted it had again shut the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf crucial to energy shipments, while the U.S. said traffic continued.

(File Photo of Police Siren Lights)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(New Brighton, PA) Cranberry Township police spent hours searching for a suspect who was involved in an incident in Beaver County. 

According to Cranberry Township Police Chief Ken Ruckel, an incident happened in New Brighton earlier yesterday evening. Ruckel said that the suspect vehicle in the New Brighton situation escaped to Cranberry Township. Police located the vehicle and tried to pull it over, but confirmed that the suspect ran away on foot once it was pulled over. 

Officers then spent hours in the area of Rochester Road, near the municipal building, looking for that person. 

Anyone who sees suspicious activity or unusual behavior in that area is asked to call 911 immediately.

Pennsylvania State Police were called to the scene and police said the search ultimately ended with negative results. 

(Credit for Headline Photo and Photo Below: Photo Courtesy of the City of Aliquippa Police Department, Posted on Facebook on June 19th, 2026)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Aliquippa, PA) Aliquippa Police are looking for a wanted suspect involved in an assault last week in Aliquippa. Their police department issued a Facebook post on Friday saying that at approximately 7 p.m. on June 15th, officers were dispatched to the 100 block of Carroll Street for the report of an assault. Officers arrived and found an older adult male victim who had sustained serious injuries after being assaulted by two men. An investigation revealed that the dispute began when the victim confronted the suspects for trespassing on his property, which was clearly marked with “Private Property” and “No Trespassing” signs. The officer investigating the incident determined that the victim was not armed with any type of weapon during the incident. One of the suspects, who was later identified as twenty-seven-year-old Emere Mason of Ambridge, pointed a handgun at the victim, threatened him, and pistol-whipped him multiple times during the altercation. Mason, along with twenty-year-old Benjamin Ridley, Jr. of Aliquippa, then assaulted the victim, which caused severe facial and body injuries that resulted in several teeth being knocked loose or knocked out. The victim suffered significant bleeding, bruising and swelling as a result of this attack. The suspects also forcibly stole the cell phone and wallet of the victim and removed his pants during the course of the assault. A short time later, Ridley was located in the area of the Valley Terrace B Building and was taken into custody. Ridley faces charges of aggravated assault, robbery, and simple assault. Mason is still at large and an arrest warrant has been issued for him. Mason faces charges of aggravated assault with a firearm, possession of a firearm without a license, possession with intent to deliver controlled substances, robbery, simple assault and terroristic threats. A search warrant was also executed on the vehicle that was operated by the suspects during the time of the assault. Officers recovered a fanny pack containing identification belonging to Mason during the search and they also seized approximately 20 grams of cocaine, 27 grams of crack cocaine, and marijuana from the fanny pack. Anyone with information regarding where Mason is asked to call the Aliquippa Police Department at 724-378-8000. A photo of Mason can be found below.

(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of Beaver County Events on Facebook, Posted on Facebook on April 28th, 2026)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Beaver County, PA) The route has been changed for Union Pacific Big Boy 4014 when it comes to Beaver County in July. Union Pacific’s website confirmed that the world’s largest operating steam locomotive will now go up the Beaver River on the Rochester side of the river, which is the east side of the river. The train will not cross the river in New Brighton to Beaver Falls. However, it will continue up the east side of the river before passing through Rock Point near Ellwood City by passing Beaver Falls, Homewood, and Koppel. Then, it will go up the east bank and will cross the river into Wampum before crossing the Beaver River again in its journey to Struthers, Ohio. 

(File Photo of the Allegheny Health Network Logo)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Doctors at Allegheny Health Network’s West Penn Hospital recently delivered four sets of triplets. 

The Pittsburgh hospital announced the births in an Instagram post on Friday, saying that it helped welcome “an astonishing four sets of triplets, bringing triple the joy to their proud parents.” 

The babies were taken to the neonatal intensive care unit to get extra support from Allegheny Health Network’s team after they were born. 

(File Photo of a Center Township Police Department Car)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Center Township, PA) The Center Township Police Department has identified a juvenile over the weekend who was operating an e-bike recklessly in the township on Friday. The juvenile also escaped from officers while an attempt was being made to stop him on Center Grange Road at approximately 10:22 p.m. on the day of the incident. That department received multiple complaints regarding the reckless operation of the juvenile’s e-bike throughout the township. The Center Township Police Department thanks the community for its assistance in helping to keep its parks, neighborhoods and roadways safe.

(File Photo of a Gavel)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Ambridge, PA) The former dean of the Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Pittsburgh has pled guilty to stealing baseball cards from a Walmart as of Friday, but he is still in trouble over several dozen artifacts that have gone missing.   

Reverend Aidan Smith had been a popular and energetic leader at the downtown cathedral, until his arrest in February for stealing hundreds of dollars worth of baseball cards from the Walmart store in Economy Borough. 

He resigned in March after the cathedral said it discovered he had taken and was in the process of selling dozens of cathedral-owned artifacts, putting several chalices, communion plates and silver crosses up for sale on eBay.  

Cathedral officials went to his home in Ambridge, where communication director Andrew Muhl says they recovered 91 missing artifacts.  

Smith pleaded guilty to one count of retail theft, downgraded from a felony to a summary offense, and has paid a $201 fine regarding the baseball cards. 

The alleged theft of artifacts is an ongoing matter and is the focus of an internal disciplinary board investigation.   

Smith is banned from the cathedral that he used to work at in Pittsburgh but he is still an Episcopal priest.

He could be removed from the priesthood, and charges could be referred to law enforcement for criminal prosecution if he is found to have taken and sold the artifacts.