(File Photo: Source for Photo: Emergency crews respond to a shooting and fire at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in Grand Blanc, Mich., Sept. 28, 2025. (David Guralnick/Detroit News via AP)

GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — An ex-Marine smashed a pickup into a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints church in Michigan, opened fire and set the building ablaze during a crowded Sunday service and then was fatally shot by police. At least four people were killed and eight wounded, and authorities were searching the building ruins for more victims.

The attack occurred about 10:25 a.m. while hundreds of people were in the building in Grand Blanc Township, outside Flint.

The man got out of the pickup with two American flags raised in the truck bed and started shooting, Police Chief William Renye told reporters. The attacker apparently used gas to start the fire and also had explosive devices but it wasn’t clear if he used them, said James Dier of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Authorities identified the shooter as Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, of the neighboring small town of Burton. The FBI is leading the investigation and considered it an “act of targeted violence,” said Ruben Coleman, a special agent in charge for the bureau.

Officers responding to a 911 call were at the church within 30 seconds, Renye said. After the suspect left the church, two officers pursued him and “engaged in gunfire,” killing him about eight minutes later, the chief said.

People inside the church shielded children and moved them to safety during the attack, Renye said.

Flames and smoke poured from the large church for hours before the blaze was extinguished.

Two bodies were found during a search of the debris, and Renye said more victims could be found as searchers made their way though the entire church. One of the wounded people was in critical condition Sunday evening and the seven others were stable.

Renye said “some” people were unaccounted for, but he didn’t have an exact number.

Michigan State Police Lt. Kim Vetter said bomb threats were made at other churches in the area after officers shot and killed Sanford. No bombs were found and police were investigating the threats.

The motive not yet clear

Investigators were searching Sanford’s residence but authorities did not say what they found or provide any additional details about him, including whether he was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the Mormon church.

Sanford served in the Marines from June 2004 through June 2008, working as an automotive mechanic and vehicle recovery operator, according to military records obtained by The Detroit News. He was deployed to Iraq from August 2007 through March 2008 and had the rank of sergeant.

It was the latest of many shooting attacks on houses of worship in the U.S. over the past 20 years, including one in August that killed two children during Mass at the Church of the Annunciation in Minneapolis.

It also was the second mass shooting in the U.S. in less than 24 hours. On Saturday night, a man in a boat opened fire on a crowd in Southport, North Carolina, killing three and injuring five,

President Donald Trump applauded the FBI for its response to the Michigan shooting in a social media post. Local authorities said the FBI was sending 100 agents to Grand Blanc Township, a community of roughly 40,000 people.

“PRAY for the victims, and their families. THIS EPIDEMIC OF VIOLENCE IN OUR COUNTRY MUST END, IMMEDIATELY!” Trump wrote.

The church building, circled by a parking lot and a large lawn, is near residential areas and a Jehovah’s Witness church.

Brad Schneemann, whose home is about 400 yards (365 meters) from the church, told The Associated Press that he and his daughter heard “two rounds of four to five shots” around 10:30 a.m. “Then, we really didn’t hear anything for a while” before they left their home to see what was happening.

Tight-knit church community

Timothy Jones, 48, said his family is part of another Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints congregation, or ward, about 15 minutes away, but that his children were at the Grand Blanc Township ward Saturday night for a youth fall festival. He and his family moved to Flint two years ago in large part because of how strong the faith’s community is in the area, he said.

As people in his congregation got word of the shooting from texts and phone calls during their Sunday service, his ward went into lockdown and police came as a precaution, he said. His children were “frantically, just trying to get word that people were OK.”

Sundays are “supposed to be a time of peace and a time of reflection and worship,” Jones said. Yet in the wake of violence at other houses of worship, a shooting “feels inevitable, and all the more tragic because of that,” he added.

The shooting occurred the morning after Russell M. Nelson, the oldest-ever president of the Utah-based faith, died at 101. The next president is expected to be Dallin H. Oaks, per church protocol.

“The church is in communication with local law enforcement as the investigation continues and as we receive updates on the condition of those affected,” spokesperson Doug Anderson said.

“Places of worship are meant to be sanctuaries of peacemaking, prayer and connection. We pray for peace and healing for all involved.”

The impact of the shooting spread throughout the area

When striking nurses at nearby Henry Ford Genesys Hospital heard about the shooting, some left the picket line and ran the short distance to the church to help first responders, Teamsters Local 332 President Dan Glass said.

“Human lives matter more than our labor dispute,” Glass said.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement that her heart was breaking for the community. “Violence anywhere, especially in a place of worship, is unacceptable,” she said.

The impact spread quickly to neighboring communities, including the small city that shares a name with the township.

“Although we are two separate governmental units, we are a very cohesive community,” said city of Grand Blanc Mayor John Creasey. “This sort of thing is painful for our entire community.”

About 100 people gathered for a prayer service Sunday evening at The River Church in Grand Blanc, a nondenominational Christian church about 5 miles (8 kilometers) from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Many bowed their heads, some cried softly. A few spoke their prayers aloud, asking for healing for the victims, the victims’ families and first responders.

“We live in days that are difficult and troubled, days that are weary and tiring,” said Pastor Chuck Lindsey, leading the congregation in prayer. “We’re exhausted by the evil, we’re exhausted by these things. But Lord, you are our refuge.”

(File Photo: Source for Photo: This photo released by the Utah Governor’s Office on Friday, Sept. 12, 2025 shows Tyler Robinson. (Utah Governor’s Office via AP)

PROVO, Utah (AP) — The 22-year-old man charged with killing Charlie Kirk will have a court hearing Monday where he and his newly appointed legal counsel will decide whether they want a preliminary hearing where the judge will determine if there is enough evidence against him to go forward with a trial.

Prosecutors have charged Tyler Robinson with aggravated murder and plan to seek the death penalty.

The Utah state court system gives people accused of crimes an option to waive their legal right to a preliminary hearing and instead schedule an arraignment where they can enter a plea.

Kathryn Nester, the lead attorney appointed to represent Robinson, declined to comment on the case ahead of Monday’s hearing. Prosecutors at the Utah County Attorney’s Office did not respond to email and phone messages seeking comment.

The hearing in Provo is open to the public, just a few miles from the Utah Valley University campus in Orem where many students are still processing trauma from the Sept. 10 shooting and the day-and-a-half search for the suspect.

Authorities arrested Robinson when he showed up with his parents at his hometown sheriff’s office in southwest Utah, more than a three-hour drive from the site of the shooting, to turn himself in. Prosecutors have since revealed incriminating text messages and DNA evidence that they say connect Robinson to the killing.

A note that Robinson had left for his romantic partner before the shooting said he had the opportunity to kill one of the nation’s leading conservative voices, “and I’m going to take it,” Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray told reporters before the first hearing. Gray also said that Robinson wrote in a text about Kirk to his partner: “I had enough of his hatred.”

The assassination of Kirk, a close ally of President Donald Trump who worked to steer young voters toward conservatism, has galvanized Republicans who have vowed to carry on Kirk’s mission of moving American politics further to the right.

Trump has declared Kirk a “martyr” for freedom and threatened to crack down on what he called the “radical left.”

Workers across the country have been punished or fired for speaking out about Kirk after his death, including teachers, public and private employees and media personalities — most notably Jimmy Kimmel, who had his late-night show suspended then quickly reinstated by ABC.

Kirk’s political organization, Arizona-based Turning Point USA, brought young, evangelical Christians into politics through his podcast, social media and campus events. Many prominent Republicans are filling in at the upcoming campus events Kirk was meant to attend, including Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and Sen. Mike Lee at Utah State University on Tuesday.

(File Photo of Commissioner Manning)

(Brighton Twp., Pa) Beaver County Commissioner Jack Manning recently sent an editorial letter to Beaver County Radio talking about how bright Beaver County’s future is and he feels that Shell has kept their promise of bringing new business to Beaver County. He went on to say: “Shell has not only produced over 800 permanent jobs, they kept the County moving forward and financially viable by investing billions of dollars (reportedly $14B) in the regional economy during the pandemic. In addition they continue to support many of our schools, nonprofits, workforce development, senior programs, and main street businesses.” Commissioner Manning went on to say “It is clear to those of us who work every day on improving the quality of life in the County that our bright future is coming to fruition. Beaver County is leading the way in creating manufacturing, construction, entrepreneurship, hospitality, healthcare and technology investments.”

Commissioner Manning will be Frank Spark’s guest at 10:00 AM Monday, September 29, 2025, on “Driving In The Fastlane”. The interview will also be video streamed live on the Beaver County Radio Facebook Page and Youtube Channel.

You can read Commissioner Manning’s Editorial below:

Beaver County’s Proud Legacy brings a Bright Future
By Jack Manning
This past June I had the privilege of speaking to the Beaver County Chamber of Commerce Leadership Development Cohort VII as they graduated from the yearlong program. Among my remarks were comments made about the economic future of Beaver County in a video scripted and produced by RYNO Production, Inc. The video collaboration was completed in 2019 as the Shell Polymers facility was being constructed. There was immense pride and excitement around our manufacturing and energy related legacy being restored and how this largest construction project in North America and Pennsylvania history was putting us on map.
The video begins with, “They say that to see what the future holds, you must first look at the past”. Our past was forged by steel and we recounted the impact Beaver County has had on the construction of America, from the Empire State Building to the Golden Gate Bridge. Our steel helped win wars and make the products that made us the envy of the world. We Beaver Countians are extremely proud of that history and we predicted a renaissance and new beginning was about to take hold.
It is clear to those of us who work every day on improving the quality of life in the County that our bright future is coming to fruition. Beaver County is leading the way in creating manufacturing, construction, entrepreneurship, hospitality, healthcare and technology investments.
That growth and prosperity started with Shell Polymers and that video. Shell has not only produced over 800 permanent jobs, they kept the County moving forward and financially viable by investing billions of dollars (reportedly $14B) in the regional economy during the pandemic. In addition they continue to support many of our schools, nonprofits, workforce development, senior programs, and main street businesses. They not only bring financial stability, they brought new leadership, talent and volunteer resources to our communities. They are meeting their promises on job creation and striving to fulfill their obligations to be a good neighbor. We are grateful to have them in our community.
While Shell paved the way, it was just the start of billions more being invested in Beaver County. Vista Corporation soon followed with the purchase of the Shippingport Nuclear Power Station and have become a tremendous neighbor and employer. When looking to expand into the US Market, Stoelzle Glass noticed what was being constructed along the Ohio River and purchased the Monaca glass facility. Their investment has expanded the workforce and invested in new technology.
A partial list of others that have invested and continue to help grow and diversify our economy since Shell announced include Tenaris Steel, Beemac Trucking, Saint Barnabas Health System, UPMC, Highmark, Heritage Valley Health System and Kenson Plastics. Most recently Mitsubishi Electric Power Products announced an $86M advanced switchgear facility. The Frontier Group recently announced $3.2B for converting the former Bruce Mansfield power plant back to an energy producing facility that will bring a state of the art hyperscale AI data center. Again, more jobs, more economic diversification, more growth and more potential for Beaver County.
As a county we have also invested millions of ARPA funds into infrastructure improvements of our municipalities and county assets, like our national award-winning Connect Beaver County Broadband implementation. We continue to work with entrepreneurs and developers throughout the region to ensure Beaver County continues to attract and retain workers and families supported by those businesses.
Sometimes we are too focused on the task at hand that we can’t always see that there has been a remarkable transformation in our legacy river towns. From Aliquippa to Midland, from Ambridge to Beaver Falls, and in Monaca, New Brighton, Rochester and Bridgewater. In addition, our retail centers in Brighton, Center, Chippewa and Townships, in Economy, Franklin, North Sewickley and New Sewickley continue to bring in new retail, restaurants and housing.
Our tireless work ethic, community resilience, combined with tremendous geographic and infrastructure advantages, (along with the natural beauty of our rivers, parks, farmland and forests) are producing a new era of prosperity and quality of life in Beaver County. Like any County in the Commonwealth, we have many continuing obstacles to overcome and problems to solve. We are not naïve and know that our work is never done. But those of us who actually live, work and play in Beaver County can see and feel the progress every day.
That video in 2019 ends with the tagline of, “We are proud of our past; tireless in our present; and confident in our future… Won’t you join us?” Please know that we are always willing to collaborate with anyone wanting to make Beaver County a home for their business and family.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: This Nov. 2019 photo provided by Predapix/Sam Cahir shows a White shark investigating testing board with bite-resistant neoprene at Neptune Island Group Marine Park in Australia. (Sam Cahir/Predapix via AP)

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Australian scientists tested the strength of bite-resistant wetsuits by allowing sharks to chomp the materials at sea and found that the suits can help keep swimmers safe.

Fatal shark bites are vanishingly rare, with less than 50 unprovoked shark bites on humans worldwide in 2024, according to the International Shark Attack File at the Florida Museum of Natural History. But increased sightings of large sharks in some parts of the world have swimmers, surfers and divers looking for new ways to stay safe.

Scientists with Flinders University in Adelaide, South Australia, tested four bite-resistant materials and found they all reduced the amount of damage from shark bites. They performed the work by dragging samples of the materials behind boats and allowing white and tiger sharks to bite the samples.

The bites from such large sharks can still cause internal and crushing injuries, but the materials showed effectiveness beyond a standard neoprene wetsuit, the scientists said. The research found that the bite-resistant materials “can reduce injuries sustained from shark encounters,” said Flinders professor Charlie Huveneers, a member of the Southern Shark Ecology Group at Flinders and a study co-author.

“Bite-resistant material do not prevent shark bites, but can reduce injuries from shark bites and can be worn by surfers and divers,” Huveneers said.

There were small differences between the four tested materials, but they all “reduced the amount of substantial and critical damage, which would typically be associated with severe hemorrhaging and tissue or limb loss,” said Tom Clarke, a researcher with the science and engineering college at Flinders and a study co-author.

Chainmail suits to resist shark bites have existed for decades, but lack in flexibility for aquatic activities like surfing and diving, the scientists said in research published in the journal Wildlife Research on Thursday. Newer wetsuits can be designed to provide flexibility as well as protection.

The scientists tested the efficacy of wetsuit materials Aqua Armour, Shark Stop, ActionTX-S and Brewster. The scientists said in their paper that they found that all of the materials “offer an improved level of protection that can reduce severe wounds and blood loss, and should be considered as part of the toolbox and measures available to reduce shark-bite risk and resulting injuries.”

The promise of effective shark resistant wetsuits is encouraging for people who spend a lot of time in areas where there are large sharks, said Nick Whitney, a senior scientist and chair of the Fisheries Science and Emerging Technologies Program at the New England Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life in Boston. That includes surfers and spearfishers, he said.

Whitney, who was not involved in the study, said it’s also encouraging that the materials are unlikely to make a person “feel invincible” and engage in risky behaviors around sharks.

“I also like it because it’s not relying on any impact on the shark’s behavior,” Whitney said. “It’s basically very, very simple. In the extremely rare event that you get bitten by a shark, this material will hopefully make you bleed less than you would if you were not wearing this.”

The researchers said the suits do not eliminate all risks from sharks, and precautions still need to be taken around the animals.

They are hopeful their research will help the public “make appropriate decisions about the suitability of using these products,” Huveneers said.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: This image released by Disney shows Jimmy Kimmel hosting his late night show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (Randy Holmes/Disney via AP)

BALTIMORE (AP) — Sinclair Broadcast Group is bringing Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show back to its ABC affiliate stations on Friday night, ending a dayslong TV blackout for dozens of cities across the U.S. over remarks the comedian made in the wake of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s killing.

“Our objective throughout this process has been to ensure that programming remains accurate and engaging for the widest possible audience,” Sinclair said in a statement Friday afternoon. “We take seriously our responsibility as local broadcasters to provide programming that serves the interests of our communities, while also honoring our obligations to air national network programming.”

Disney-owned ABC suspended Kimmel on Sept. 17, following threats of potential repercussions from the Trump-appointed head of the Federal Communications Commission. Nexstar, another affiliates group, had announced it would preempt “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” before ABC’s decision, and Sinclair also condemned the host. And even after Disney brought Kimmel back to its national airways on Tuesday, both Sinclair and Nexstar continued to preempt the show.

As a result, viewers in cities like Washington, D.C., and Seattle had been left without the late-night program on local TV. The blackouts escalated nationwide uproar around First Amendment protections — particularly as President Donald Trump’s administration and other conservatives police speech after Kirk’s killing, and also cast a spotlight on political influence in the media landscape, with critics lambasting companies that they accuse of censoring content.

(Photo of the late Addalena Maiette Courtesy of the A.W. Beattie Career Center)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(West View, PA) According to Allegheny County police, a nineteen-year-old is dead after an early morning, multi-vehicle crash at the Ross Township-West View border in Allegheny County yesterday. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the woman that passed away as nineteen-year-old Addalena Maiette, who was a 2025 graduate of North Hills High School and a member of the North Hills School District girls soccer team who both studied carpentry at the A.W. Beattie Career Center of Allison Park and was ready to begin her career at West Shore Home in Pittsburgh. This crash that killed Maiette occurred after 6 a.m. yesterday at the Cornell Avenue and Highland Avenue intersection. An early investigation of this crash shows that in the left-hand lane of Highland Avenue were three cars that were stopped, and when the third vehicle in line tried to pass the other two vehicles that were stopped by merging into the oncoming lane, the first vehicle in line tried to turn left, which is what caused the collision. Maiette was the driver of one of the three vehicles involved in this crash. According to police, due to the amount of damage sustained in the crash, they are not able to determine which of the vehicles was attempting to pass and which was attempting to make a turn. Power outages also occurred because of this crash yesterday, which was also when Northgate Middle-High School cancelled their activities and classes. According to the website of Duquesne Light Company, nearly 1,000 people were without power in the area after this crash. This crash also brought down a utility pole in West View yesterday morning. Allegheny County Police say that another driver involved in this crash, who is a man who is unidentified at this time, is doing fine. That undientified male driver who was involved in this crash had no injuries. This crash is still being investigated and if you have any other information about this crash, call 1-833-ALL-TIPS.

(Photo Courtesy of the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) According to authorities, a mother from Pittsburgh has been recently accused of allegedly throwing her one-year-old daughter to the ground and slapping the father of that child outside the Pittsburgh Municipal Court building yesterday. According to court paperwork, Allegheny County sheriff’s deputies were called to the building on First Avenue around 12:30 p.m. yesterday afternoon. The security guard at the front entrance of the Pittsburgh Municipal Court building who processes visitors there and stated to deputies that a fight and argument occurred between thirty-year-old Shataiya Troutman and the father of her child. Investigators confirm that the witness of this alleged incident heard the male victim tell Troutman he could not take their one-year-old daughter because he needed to be at the court building for fingerprinting. The response from Troutman was that she allegedly threw the one-year-old girl to the ground and slapped the man before exiting the scene of this alleged incident. The one-year-old girl got cleared with no injuries that were apparent to her after medics were called to evaluate her. The man that Troutman allegedly slapped had no injuries that were visible. Court paperwok confirms that Troutman drove away after the alleged incident occurred. The Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office also stated Troutman also allegedly led a chase between her and multiple agencies that got terminated after the information of the vehicle of Troutman was broadcast out. Troutman was then taken into custody after investigators went to her known address, where her vehicle was in the driveway. Troutman is now in the Allegheny County Jail and has charges of aggravated assault with the victim being under six years old, endangering the welfare of children with one count each, recklessly endangering another person and two counts of simple assault. According to sheriff’s deputies in the criminal complaint, ChildLine also got a notification about “the possibility of additional abuse considering the egregious behavior and indifference displayed by the actor towards her daughter.”

(Photo Courtesy of Tenaris)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Koppel, PA) The $85 million fume exhaust system upgrade to the Tenaris facility in Koppel will help to reduce the pollution in that area. On Tuesday, Tenaris announced the project with a ribbon-cutting event at its Koppel plant with several dignitaries including Guillermo Moreno, the president of Tenaris, United States, U.S. Congressman Chris Deluzio and Pennsylvania State Senator Elder Vogel. According to the announcement, this baghouse system is the latest upgrade to the former Koppel Steel shop and part of the company’s broader $140 million investment in the site since 2020, when Tenaris integrated the mill into its industrial system. Tenaris stated that this new exhaust system will more effectively separate, capture and collect particulates and dust generated during the process for steel production, while also assisting to reduce emissions of carbon monoxide. This $85 million fume exhaust system upgrade to the Tenaris facility in Koppel includes new compressors, a new quench tower, a tower for water-cooling, ducts that are updated, the expnasion of the dropout box and the installation of a state-of-the-art baghouse and an electrical room as a place to house the components that are necessary for this upgrade. The new baghouse also has a featuring single stack, which replaces the ten stacks of the previous system that simplifies the containment, measurement and monitoring of emissions that are potential. Tenaris also noted that the fumes-exhaust collection system that was upgraded will clean the filters more efficiently by using pulse jet technology, which improves maintenance in the long-term. Tenaris is based in Luxembourg and is a leading manufacturer and supplier of steel pipe products and services that are related for the energy industry of the world and other applications that are industrial globally. Tenaris employs about 26,000 people around the world in the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.