NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tornadoes ripped across Tennessee overnight, shredding at least 40 buildings in the Nashville area and 100 more east of the city as it killed at least 22 people. One twister damaged damaged a 10-mile stretch of Nashville early Tuesday, leaving blown-down walls and roofs, snapped power lines, huge broken trees, and city streets in gridlock. Another wiped out much of a subdivision in Putnam County, where the sheriff says more survivors could be trapped in the rubble of their homes. Damaged polling stations have been closed, forcing Super Tuesday voters to wait in long lines at other sites. President Donald Trump said he’d visit the area Friday.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Federal appeals court judges in New Orleans have questioned whether they can rule that the United States’ men-only military draft registration is unconstitutional. Members of a 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel noted a 1981 Supreme Court ruling upholding male-only draft registration. A men’s rights organization argued Tuesday ‘before the three-judge panel that the circumstances on which that ruling was based changed drastically in 2015 when women were allowed combat roles. The appeals court panel is considering whether to uphold a lower court ruling that said excluding women from draft registration is unconstitutional.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Some lawmakers in South Carolina are pushing a bill that would give death row inmates no choice but to be executed in the electric chair. The state has allowed lethal injection since 1995 and 36 of the 39 inmates put to death since then have chosen that method. But South Carolina hasn’t had an execution since 2011. Its supply of lethal injection drugs expired and pharmaceutical companies won’t sell the state any more. Opponents of the bill in the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday say the electric chair is barbaric and changing the method after a prisoner is sent to death row could open the state up to lawsuits.

(Photos of Karma Jackson in the AJSHS office, taken by Sandy Giordano)

There’s a new administrative assistant in place at Aliquippa Junior-Senior High School and volleyball coach. Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano has more. Click on ‘play’ to hear Sandy’s report…

A break-in at a Center Township food pantry is under investigation this noon. Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano has the story. Click on ‘play’ to hear Sandy’s report…

Beaver County Radio News continues its series on local races for the State Legislature and Senate. Today we speak with Zachary Wilson of New Sewickley Township, who is running as a Democrat in the 14th Legislative district, for the seat currently held by Republican State Rep. Jim Marshall. In an interview with Beaver County Radio Newsman Pat Septak, Wilson says that running for a seat in the state legislature has always on his bucket list…

Wilson calls himself a ‘natural leader’….

Wilson says he believes taxes is the number one issue plaguing our communities…

Wilson says he plans to be out in the community more than State Representative Marshall has been…

That’s Zachary Wilson of New Sewickley Township going after the seat currently held by Jim Marshall in the 14th Legislative district.

Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg is coming to Pittsburgh. According to the Associated Press, Bloomberg will be in town on Thursday. The time and place are still not known. Over the weekend, Bloomberg opened a field office in Pittsburgh. The campaign office is located on Broad Street in the East Liberty section of the city. The campaign says the purpose of this office is to get to know Pittsburgh voters.

Twelve county commissioners in Southwestern Pennsylvania – including one from Beaver County – are endorsing Joe Biden for president. Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald led the major coalition on Monday, which also include Democratic commissioners from Butler, Lawrence, Washington and Westmoreland counties. The coalition endorsing Biden includes: Beaver County Commissioner Tony Amadio.

The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh has announced a number of changes in response to the global spread of coronavirus. So far there are no cases in the Pittsburgh area, but the Allegheny County Health Department and other public organizations are preparing for what they say is inevitable. To go along with these preparations, Catholics can expect the following changes when they attend Sunday Mass:

• The distribution of the Precious Blood during communion is temporarily suspended
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• Holy Water fonts will be cleaned and drained more often
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• The exchange of handshakes and other physical contact during the Sign of Peace is temporarily suspended
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• Those who feel ill are being advised to stay home from Mass until they are well.

HEMPFIELD, Pa. (AP) — In Hempfield Township, a man has admitted using his SUV as a weapon against a romantic rival last year. Seth Vanderella pleaded guilty Monday to simple assault, reckless endangerment and three traffic offenses stemming from the July 4 incident in Hempfield. In return, Westmoreland County prosecutors dismissed an aggravated assault charge against the 27-year-old Greensburg man. This was the second time in less than two years that Vanderella admitted causing injuries to another person with a vehicle. He struck a female pedestrian in April 2018 when he drove onto a sidewalk in a Hempfield shopping plaza parking lot and then drove away. The woman suffered multiple broken bones and bruises.