KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban say they have seized the last province not in their control after their blitz through Afghanistan last month. They overran forces who had opposed their takeover. According to witnesses, thousands of Taliban fighters charged into eight districts of Panjshir province overnight. A Taliban spokesman confirmed Monday that the province was now held by their fighters. Experts had doubted that the holdout efforts could succeed long-term. The Taliban’s rapid advance through Afghanistan met little resistance in the final days of America’s 20-year war in the country. The U.S. withdrew its last troops a week ago and ended a harrowing airlift to evacuate Western citizens and their Afghan allies.

The resurgence of COVID-19 this summer and the national debate over vaccine requirements have created a fraught situation for the nation’s first responders, who are dying in larger numbers but pushing back against mandates. It’s a stark contrast from the beginning of the vaccine rollout when first responders were prioritized for shots. The mandates affect tens of thousands of police officers, firefighters and others on the front lines across the country, many of whom are spurning the vaccine — despite mandates’ consequences that range from weekly testing to suspension to termination — even though the virus is now the leading cause of law enforcement line-of-duty deaths.

SARATOGA, Wyo. (AP) — The North Platte River in southern Wyoming is flowing low, slow and warm — not great conditions for trout fishing. After two dry summers in a row, low water and hot weather have spelled trouble for trout streams in the Rocky Mountain west. Warm water, especially, can be hard on trout because it carries less oxygen. Trout that are caught in warm water and released tend to have a lower survival rate. Yet extreme flooding also has been a problem on the North Platte and other Rockies rivers. Retired fishing guide Tom Wiersema says he’s seen the extremes and thinks climate change is at work.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Wildfires burning in the U.S. this summer have upended plans for countless outdoor adventures. Campers, hikers, rafters and other outdoor enthusiasts have had to scrap or change trips or endure thick smoke. One retired attorney and teacher from the Philadelphia area has twice canceled plans because of wildfires. He had planned to hike a section of the Pacific Crest Trail in California that closed because of the second-largest fire in state history. His backup plan to canoe a massive network of lakes on the Minnesota-Canada border also was sunk by fire. All national forests in California are closed to prioritize fighting fires.

Former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman and broadcaster Tunch Ilkin has died. Ilkin was 63. Ilkin played 13 of his 14 seasons for the Steelers, making a pair of Pro Bowls in the 1980s for Hall of Fame coach Chuck Noll. Ilkin spent 23 years as part of the organization’s radio broadcast team. He revealed last fall that he was battling Lou Gehrig’s disease and had been hospitalized recently with pneumonia. He is survived by his wife as well as three children.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Police say a wrong-way driver collided head-on with another car in a western Pennsylvania tunnel, critically injuring the other driver. State police in Pittsburgh say the vehicle entered Route 1376 traveling west in the eastbound lanes shortly before 3 a.m. Sunday. Police said the car entered the Fort Pitt tunnel under Mount Washington, still traveling in the wrong direction, and collided head-on with another car. The 36-year-old driver of the other car was taken to a local hospital and listed in critical condition with multiple injuries. The other 21-year-old driver was uninjured.

Garrison Day usually doesn’t signify the arrival of fall, but the annual event in downtown Beaver did just that with considerable flair.

Beaver County Radio spun the tunes (quite literally, in some cases) and the prize wheel for those attending Garrison Day, with a few big winners along the way.

Garrison Day 2021 proved to be a great success.. The event attracted a large number of people who were able to visit numerous vendors of goods such as local art, clothing, jewelery and food. After things began to wrap up, organizers asked vendors if they would prefer a September in the future.

Our coverage of Garrison Day was made possible with the sponsorship of the Beaver Valley Auto Mall, Patriot Home Care, and Angie Peluso of Remax Select Realty.

Here’s some photos from BCR’s stay at Garrison Day: