Monaca borough officials are weighing several options for a proposed public safety building. Officials plan to to build a public safety building to house the combined fire stations, and if the borough building is sold, the police department. Borough officials decided earlier this month to put the borough building up for sale. Beaver borough manager Mario Leone told guest host Frank Sparks on Teleforum this morning that if the building is sold to developers, the police department would also be located in the public safety building.

The number of people dying from heroin overdoses has tripled since 2010, according to data from the National Center for Health Statistics. In 2015, more than 52,000 people died from drug overdoses nationwide. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf previously said heroin and opioid overdoses are now Pennsylvania’s leading cause of accidental deaths. More than 2,300 opioid overdoses have been reversed by first responders in Pennsylvania from November 2014 to January 2017. Overdose deaths involving fentanyl and tramadol also increased, according to data from 2015 which is the latest year available. Hundreds of people died from opioid overdoses in Beaver, Allegheny, Westmoreland, Butler, and Fayette counties in 2016.

Beaver County weights and measures manager Ron Zuccarro met with the commissioners for specifics on a new registration fee for scales and fuel pumps. According to Beaver County Radio’s Greg Benedetti, Zuccarro says there are 60 fuel stations in the county with 1,248 dispensers for gasoline grades. The new county fee will be 35 dollars per dispenser. Zuccarro says there are 84 stores with 461 scales in the county and the new registration fee will be 30 dollars per scale. Zuccarro will do the billing and collections. The commissioners have to adopt a resolution setting the fee schedule.

A cell phone caller alerted Aliquippa Fire Department of a brush fire between 1st Ave. and the hillside behind St. Titus Church at 1:30 p.m., according to Fire Capt. Bill Brucker. Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano reports that a  blown transformer knocked out power on Franklin Ave.Brucker said the brush fire could have been responsible. Capt. Brucker said the fire was put out quickly, the cause is undetermined.

Hopewell township Zoning Hearing Board approved a request from Kelar Properties LLC   owners of Washington Street Apartments  last night   for variances to build 6 townhouses on the existing property. this year.  According to Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano, the units will  have 2 bedrooms and 1/12 baths Zoning board, co owner Phil Laird told the board .chairman Dan Maravich  said that residents have 30 days to appeal the decision if they aren’t in favor of the development.    The owners Phil Laird and Ed Keller told the board that they plan to build 18 more units in the future. Mr. Laird said   2 18 unit apartments are located  on the 3.3 acre site.  The men purchased the site last year from Glen Wells of Pittsburgh..