(Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano)

Brodhead Road runs from the Moon Township line in Allegheny County to Route 18 in Monaca and a ZOOM meeting that was open to the public for comment was held Wednesday night.  The road is an 11 mile stretch that runs through Hopewell  Township and planners are looking  at commercial and residential growth in the next 20-30 years and discussed ways to make the road safer. Two of the problem areas are Five Points where  traffic travels from 4 directions, and Pleasant Drive in Center Township. where traffic enters and  exits onto Brodhead Road. There is no funded transportation project on the corridor, officials said. The meeting was the second of a series in order to draft a plan for safety, growth and development in the area.

The Hopewell Police Department, along with Beaver County District Attorney, David J. Lozier, released a statement on the fatal shooting that occurred on Sunday morning in Hopewell Township.

Hopewell Township Police responded to a domestic disturbance along Brodhead Road Sunday morning August 15, 2021. A male individual was found shot in the torso. He was transported by ambulance but expired before being treated. The Beaver County Coroner identified the deceased as 33-year old Logan Ayres and the cause of death being homicide. The case is being investigated jointly by the Hopewell Township Police and the Beaver County Detective Bureau. No charges have been filed as of this time. The female who was on the scene is currently being treated as a victim and not a defendant but that status could change as the investigation progresses. She will not be identified by law enforcement unless charges are filed.

Nothing further will be released by law enforcement because this is an ongoing investigation.

Harrisburg, PA – Gov. Tom Wolf today announced that it had awarded $602,306 in grants to help Pennsylvania’s rural communities increase protection from wildfires.

The grants were awarded to qualifying local firefighting forces in rural areas and communities with fewer than 10,000 people. The funding may be used for training and equipment purchases directly related to fighting brush and forest fires.

​”Our first responders take their responsibility to protect communities and our natural resources very seriously and an important way to show our appreciation is to ensure they have the necessary tools and resources,” Gov. Wolf said. “These grants will allow our first responders to prepare for and, if needed, douse dangerous wildfires so that our communities remain safe.”

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn and Fire Commissioner Bruce Trego thanked volunteer fire companies for their service to communities close to home, as well as those members who often join DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry crews battling wildfires far beyond Pennsylvania’s borders. Several crews have been sent West to fight wildfires caused by hot, dry summer conditions, while also responding regularly to local woodland and brush fires. They noted the wildfire grants help enable smaller companies to concentrate more on public safety and training while easing their fiscal constraints.

“We are grateful to the men and women who help fight brush and forest fires across the commonwealth and are hopeful that these grants help ensure public safety,” Dunn said. “Having well-equipped and highly trained wildfire fighters is critical to protecting our forests and wilds, especially as we see rising temperatures globally.”

“Obviously wildfires continue to grab our attention, especially while other states are dealing with their crippling impacts.” Trego said. “As Pennsylvania heads into its wildfire season, there’s no better time to focus on getting our first responders the resources they need. Grant programs like these are vital lifelines for our departments to procure the needed equipment and training for professional, coordinated and safe response efforts.”

Grants are awarded on a cost-share basis. The maximum grant awarded in 2021 is $10,000 and cannot exceed 50% of the actual expenditures of local, public, and private nonprofit organizations in the agreement. ​The full list of recipients is available online.

Priority was placed on projects that include the purchase of wildfire suppression equipment and protective clothing. Grants may also be used for purchasing mobile or portable radios, installing dry hydrants, wildfire prevention and mitigation work, training wildfire fighters, or converting and maintaining federal excess vehicles. The vehicles are presented to the local departments exhibiting the greatest needs and those that commit to outfitting them for fire suppression.

In 2020, more than $591,000 was awarded to 109 volunteer fire companies. The grant program, offered through DCNR and paid through federal grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, has awarded more than $14.5 million since it began in 1982.

The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh has issued a Urban and Small Stream Flood Advisory for… Allegheny County in southwestern Pennsylvania… Central Washington County in southwestern Pennsylvania… Northwestern Westmoreland County in southwestern Pennsylvania… Southeastern Beaver County in western Pennsylvania… Until 130 PM EDT. At 925 AM EDT, Doppler radar indicated heavy rain. This will cause urban and small stream flooding. Between 1 and 1.5 inches of rain have fallen. Some locations that will experience flooding include… Pittsburgh, Penn Hills, Mount Lebanon, Bethel Park, Ross Township, McCandless Township, Monroeville, Moon Township, McMurray, Greensburg, McKeesport, Franklin Park, Jeannette, Aliquippa, Gastonville, Shaler Township, Plum, West Mifflin, North Side Pittsburgh and Baldwin. Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 1.5 inches are expected over the area. This additional rain will result in minor flooding. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Be aware of your surroundings and do not drive on flooded roads. In hilly terrain there are hundreds of low water crossings which are potentially dangerous in heavy rain. Do not attempt to cross flooded roads. Find an alternate route.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan says the Taliban have agreed to allow safe passage for civilians trying to leave Afghanistan. Sullivan says a timetable for completing the evacuation of Americans, Afghan allies and others has yet to be worked out with the country’s new rulers. Pentagon officials say that after interruptions Monday, the airlift is back on track and being accelerated amid regular communication with Taliban leaders. Additional U.S. troops have arrived and more are on the way. The White House says 13 flights Tuesday airlifted 1,100 U.S. citizens, permanent residents and their families from the Kabul airport.

NEW YORK (AP) — T-Mobile says about 7.8 million of its current postpaid customer accounts’ information and just over 40 million records of former or prospective customers who had previously applied for credit with the company were involved in a recent data breach. T-Mobile said Wednesday that customers’ first and last names, date of birth, Social Security numbers, and driver’s license/ID information were exposed. No phone numbers, account numbers, PINs, passwords, or financial information were compromised for those records or accounts.

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban have violently broken up a protest in eastern Afghanistan, killing at least one person as they quashed a rare public show of dissent. That comes as they met Wednesday with Afghan officials from the Western-backed government they toppled. As officials work to shape a future government, the United Arab Emirates acknowledged that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani was in that country. The Taliban’s every action in their sudden sweep to power is being watched closely. They insist they have changed and won’t impose the same draconian restrictions they did when they last ruled Afghanistan. But many Afghans remain deeply skeptical, and the violent response to Wednesday’s protest could only fuel their fears.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — An appeals court says a Pennsylvania federal judge shouldn’t have thrown out a legal challenge to township zoning rules that restricted operations at a gun range near Pittsburgh and limited “sportsman’s clubs” to nonprofit entities. The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday reinstated the case and directed the district judge to gather evidence. The three-judge panel says Second Amendment rights require a closer examination of the facts than had occurred in the case. The decision concerns William Drummond’s plans to revive the dormant gun range and operate the Greater Pittsburgh Gun Club on a 265-acre property in suburban Robinson Township.

GREENSBURG, Pa. (AP) — A former relief pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates has been sentenced to two to four years behind bars for statutory sexual assault and other charges in a case involving a girl who was 13 when the encounters began. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Tuesday that 30-year-old Felipe Vazquez has already served almost two years in jail. He will be eligible for a parole hearing one month after arriving in prison. Prosecutors say the former All-Star closer was in touch with the girl from 2017 to 2019 and once met her outside a home southeast of Pittsburgh. He faces related charges in Florida and Missouri.