WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Judiciary Committee is arguing through a marathon session ahead of voting to send impeachment charges against President Donald Trump to the full House. It’s the latest big step as the politically split Congress debates whether to remove Trump from office. The Judiciary panel debated for nearly three hours Thursday before rejecting a Republican amendment to simply delete the first of two articles of impeachment. That vote was 23-17, along party lines, and later votes were expected to be the same. Democrats called Trump’s actions a “constitutional crime spree.” Republicans decried what they called the “hot garbage’’ impeachment.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh police shot and killed a pit bull after it charged at an officer following a fight with a poodle. Officers found a woman caring for her poodle, which was covered in blood, when they responded to a report of dogs fighting Wednesday. Police say the pit bull’s owner told them he had stabbed his pet and used pepper spray to get it to release the poodle. When the wounded pit bull lunged at police, an officer shot it to death. The poodle was taken to a veterinarian.

(Photos of District Attorney David Lozier, Incoming Commissioner Jack Manning and Incoming New Treasurer Sandie Egley, all taken by Sandy Giordano)

BREAKING NEWS: The Beaver County Commissioners made appointments and adopted resolutions at today’s public meeting at the courthouse. Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano was there. Click on ‘play’ to hear Sandy’s report…

A new report out this noon says plans for expansion of oil and gas development through 2024 will “lock in” more than 1.5 degrees Celsius of global warming. Andrea Sears reports…

A Baden woman has been charged with government fund theft. Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano reports. Click on ‘play’ to hear Sandy’s report…

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The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported that the number of cases of the flu is on the rise. Beaver County radio news intern Alex D’itri has more. Click on ‘play’ to hear Alex’s report…

Two state grants totaling $321,923 will bolster resources to combat the opioid addiction crisis statewide and expand services locally for victims of child abuse. State Rep. Rob Matzie, D-Beaver/Allegheny says a $275-thousand-dollar grant to Commonwealth Prevention Alliance will fund the statewide PA STOP campaign to expand public awareness about the dangers of opioid use…

Matzie said a second grant of $47,000 will fund continuing services for the Beaver County satellite branch of A Child’s Place, which provides protection and advocacy services for children.Matzie added that the grant will also continue to support a community/police liaison position for the Beaver County site. Both grants are administered by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, which awards funding based on recommendations from various advisory committees. The grant to the Commonwealth Prevention Alliance was based on a recommendation from the Criminal Justice Advisory Committee, and the grant to the Child’s Place satellite was based on a recommendation from the Children’s Advocacy Center Advisory Committee.

UPDATE: A man is found in South Carolina after going missing from Aliquippa. Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano has more. Click on ‘play’ to hear Sandy’s report…

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HARRISBURG (AP) — Faculty at Pennsylvania state universities will go without a pay raise this year but see their pay climb at least 12% over the next three years. The four-year contract approved Wednesday covers about 5,000 professors and instructors at 14 schools. Spokesman David Pidgeon of the state System of Higher Education says the raises are expected to cost about $22 million. A similar deal has been reached with about 700 other employees who work in student services. The agreement comes three years after prolonged contract talks between the educators’ association and the state led to a three-day faculty strike.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The county prosecutors’ association in Pennsylvania is giving its members guidelines about informing defendants when police officers on their cases have been shown to be dishonest or biased, or may have committed crimes or engaged in certain types of misconduct at work. The Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association released model standards on Wednesday regarding how to handle evidence that could cast doubts about an officer’s trial testimony. The association says the nonbinding guidelines will help prosecutors maintain quality standards during criminal investigations and prosecutions, and protect the rights of victims and defendants.