Category: News

Man Pleads Guilty to Murder in Mall Parking Lot Shooting

(File Photo)
PITTSBURGH (AP) — A man has pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and a firearms charge in a shooting death in the parking lot of a western Pennsylvania mall almost two years ago. The Tribune-Review reports that 21-year-old Lawrence Murphy of Braddock entered the plea Monday. Allegheny County prosecutors have agreed to recommend a 15- to 30-year prison sentence. Authorities said 20-year-old Saheed Gayle was shot in October 2020 at the Monroeville mall about 17 miles (27 kilometers) east of Pittsburgh. Prosecutors said he argued at the mall with Murphy and a woman, followed them to the parking lot and was shot by the defendant, who turned himself in nine days later.

President Biden to Talk Crime, Gun Control During Pennsylvania Visit

President Joe Biden arrives on Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Monday, Aug. 29, 2022, en route to Washington. Biden will push for a new ban on assault-style weapons when he talks about his crime prevention plans in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

By CHRIS MEGERIAN and MARC LEVY Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will push for a new ban on assault-style weapons when he talks about his crime prevention plans in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The trip Tuesday comes as Democrats and Republicans look for leverage on law enforcement issues ahead of the midterm elections in November. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre says Biden will focus his remarks on “the importance of making sure we protect our communities.” Crime is a particularly fraught issue in Pennsylvania, a key swing state where a U.S. Senate seat and the governor’s office are up for grabs. Biden’s trip comes days before former President Donald Trump hosts his own rally there on Saturday.

Pa State Police in New Castle to Conduct Sobriety Checkpoint in Lawrence County in September

(File Photo)

(New Castle, Pa.) Pa State Police in New Castle are reporting that they will be conducting DUI enforcement activities throughout Lawrence County the weekend of September 16-18, 2022.  Troopers said via release that the checkpoint and enforcement will be conducted on roadways determined to be problematic with DUI offenses in order to safeguard motorists traveling throughout Lawrence County.

Tar and Chipping Starts in Beaver County This Week

(File Photo) 

(​Pittsburgh, PA) PennDOT District 11 is announcing seal coating operations on various roadways in Beaver County will begin Tuesday, August 30 weather permitting.

Lane restrictions will occur during the mobile seal coating operations. Work will occur from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. through late September on the following roadways:

  • Route 4008 (Eighth Street/Braun Road) in Patterson and Chippewa townships
  • Route 4010 (Achortown Road) in South Beaver, Chippewa, and Brighton townships
  • Route 4011 (Elmbrook Road/McClain Road) in South Beaver Township
  • Route 4012 (Bradys Run Road/Groscost Road) in South Beaver, Chippewa, and Brighton townships
  • Route 4017 (Shenango Road) in Chippewa Township and Big Beaver Borough
  • Route 4019 (Park Road/McClain Road) in South Beaver, Chippewa, and Brighton townships
  • Route 4021 (Shenango Road) in Chippewa Township
  • Route 4023 (Braden School Road) in Chippewa Township
  • Route 4033 (Wildwood Road) in Brighton Township
  • Route 4035 (Brighton Road) in Brighton Township
  • Route 4040 (37th Street Extension) in various municipalities

Additionally, crews will conduct line striping operations and thermoplastic symbol and legend installation.

Each year, PennDOT’s maintenance crews perform numerous operations designed to maintain the integrity of the road surface and preserve its life. Seal coating, or more commonly referred to as “tar and chips”, is essential in preserving the life of a road surface because it prevents moisture from entering the pavement through surface cracks and oxidized asphalt surfaces.

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.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

VIDEO: Saint Luke The Evangelist Parish Festival Begins On September 1, Providing Four Days Of Food, Fun, & Worship

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

The name may be different, but the same tradition of gathering the Beaver Valley together for Labor Day weekend…that hasn’t changed.

The Saint Luke The Evangelist Parish Festival–formerly the Good Samaritan Parish Festival–returns for its 26th year beginning on Thursday, September 1 at 6:00 PM located at the Good Samaritan Parish grounds in Ambridge. Leah Lesak and Rose Filipponi joined Matt Drzik on the August 30 edition of A.M. Beaver County to preview the four days featuring an array of different food and entertainment.

Much like in years past, the staff of Saint Luke have prepared many dishes for the week, including “1700 dozen” pierogis–per Rose’s estimation–and the four main courses of the week: stuffed chicken breast, fried fish, stuffed cabbages and spaghetti with meatballs. There will also be additional food booths offering up different dishes from different cultures, and a bake sale will be taking place throughout the festival.

Also returning to Ambridge is the wooden dance floor for entertainment throughout the weekend, as El Dorado, Casanova, the Dick Tady Orchestra, Jimmie Ross & The Jaggerz, the Ambridge Steel Drum Band, The Cavaliers, and Dancing Queen take to the stage. There will also be the traditional polka mass at 5:30 on Saturday, and a full Spanish-language mass on Sunday. Plus, the Big Money Raffle, Silent Auction, bingo and regular 50/50 return for the 2022 festival.

To watch the full preview with Rose and Leah, click on the Facebook feed below!

Guardian Healthcare Reaches Tentative Agreement with Workers Union

(Pittsburgh, Pa.) Workers at several Pennsylvania nursing homes have reached a tentative agreement with Guardian Healthcare.
The tentative deal ends a planned strike for September 10, 2022 at ten different facilities.
The union is still in negotiations with two dozen nursing homes owned by Comprehensive and Priority.
Workers at four of those facilities have filed strike notices for September 9, 2022.

Aliquippa Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Heroin/Fentanyl that Caused a Death

(File Photo of the Federal Court Building in Pittsburgh, Pa.) 

(Pittsburgh, Pa.)  A resident of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of distribution of a substance containing, heroin, fentanyl, and acetyl fentanyl, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Zachary Martin Cymbalak, age 35, pleaded guilty to one count before United States DistrictJudge William J. Stickman.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on Jan. 6, 2019, law enforcement officers found a deceased individual under circumstances suggesting that the death was caused by an overdose, which was later confirmed by the Beaver County Coroner’s Office. At the location of the death, law enforcement officers found drug paraphernalia and distinctive empty stamp bags. Based on telephone records and other investigative techniques, law enforcement identified Cymbalak as the
likely source of supply of the drugs that caused the death.
Later on Jan. 6, 2019, law enforcement arranged for a confidential informant to purchase controlled substances from the defendant. The stamp bags were the same distinctive stamp bags found at the scene of the death. After the purchase, law enforcement stopped the vehicle in which Cymbalak was a passenger and recovered more of the distinctive stamps bags and the money used in the purchase. Laboratory tests confirmed that the stamp bags purchased from Cymbalak and recovered from Cymbalak’s person contained a combination of heroin, fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl.
As part of the plea agreement Cymbalak took responsibility for causing the death of the decedent.
Judge Stickman scheduled sentencing for Jan. 18, 2023. The law provides for a total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of $1 million, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, along with the Baden and Harmony Township Police Departments, the Beaver County Coroner’s Office, and the Beaver County District Attorney’s Office Anti-Drug Task Force, conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Cymbalak.

Tuesday’s AMBC: New Name, Same Celebration

Rose Filipponi & Leah Lesak join Matt Drzik on Tuesday’s edition of A.M. Beaver County to talk about the St. Luke The Evangelist Parish Festival–formerly known as the Good Samaritan Parish Festival–following the 8:30 news.

Frank Sparks starts the morning with local news at 6:30 on Beaver County Radio.