WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he agrees a whistleblower should be protected, “if the whistleblower is legitimate.” Trump is commenting about a House impeachment inquiry today as he meets with the president of Finland. Trump was highly critical though of the whistleblower report alleging he used the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 2020 U.S. election.

WINDSOR LOCKS, Conn. (AP) — A vintage B-17 bomber experiencing trouble after takeoff crashed into a maintenance shed as it circled back for a landing today at a busy airport in Connecticut, bursting into flames and killing an unknown number of people, officials and witnesses said. The Collings Foundation confirmed the plane that crashed was the B-17 nicknamed the “Nine-O-Nine,” the same plane that crashed in August 1987 at an air show in Beaver County. In the 1987 incident, the bomber overshot a runway while attempting to land at the Beaver County Airport in gusty winds and plunged down a hillside as thousands of spectators were waiting for the show’s finale.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — State senators are hearing from victims, church advocates, lawyers and others about whether Pennsylvania should alter rules for child sexual abuse claims that happened too long ago to file a lawsuit. A Senate Judiciary Committee session on proposals to extend the criminal and civil statutes of limitations in such cases got underway Wednesday. It’s unclear whether majority Republican opposition that has stalled legislation has changed.

Smoking is being banned at Veterans Administration facilities, but some argue it’s not healthy. The new V-A rules, went into effect yesterday, prohibit all tobacco products on their campuses and outpatient facilities nationwide. Opponents of the law fear the change will be tough for veterans with addiction or mental health issues. Patients who violate the new policy could be issued a citation and removed from their care facilities.

MONACA COUNCIL AWARDED A CONTRACT…AND HIRED A PART-TIME POLICE OFFICER DURING ITS WORK SESSION LAST NIGHT. BEAVER COUNTY RADIO NEWS CORRESPONDENT SANDY GIORDANO WAS THERE. Click on ‘play’ to hear Sandy’s report…

The son of WTAE-TV anchor Mike Clark died Saturday in a hiking accident in the Rocky Mountains, just four days after his 26th birthday. Matthew Clark, of Denver, was hiking with some friends when he slipped and fell. He was pronounced dead at the scene, about an hour west of Denver. Mike Clark will be taking some time off from work, according to the station, and has asked for prayers for his family.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A tax on beer sold at Pennsylvania breweries and brew pubs is in effect, and some are passing along the higher cost to customers. The use tax of about 1.5 percent that began Tuesday is technically a tax on the brewer for using its own products at its business.

Some state lawmakers are introducing their own bill that would allow college athletes to be paid. The bill would allow students to sign endorsement deals, letting them earn money for their name and likeness. The measure would also permit the young athletes to hire an agent. Allegheny County state Representative Dan Miller calls the bill a worker’s freedom issue, adding the athletes help their coaches earn big salaries while they don’t financially benefit as well.

State lawmakers are considering a bill that would raise the salary cap on local elected officials. The bills, if approved, would allow townships and boroughs the option to increase salaries for their leaders, based upon the size of the community. The largest communities could see the amount of compensation rise from five-grand to near 84-hundred-dollars per year. The bills could come up for a vote starting October 21st.