With the remnants of Hurricane Ida producing torrential rains and strong winds, tens of thousands of residents across Pennsylvania were without power Wednesday night. Shortly after 7PM, about 46,000 PPL Electric Utilities customers in the Keystone State were without power, according to the company’s website. Many of those customers are in central Pennsylvania, where most areas received several inches of rain yesterday. The Juniata River is expected to crest above flood stage this morning at about 27.5 feet. Mifflin County Emergency Services Director Phil Lucas said areas of Lewistown that can expect to see at least some flooding include Hale, South Main, South Juniata and South Grand Streets. Flooding from yesterday’s rainfall led to dozens of road closings which has resulted in more local schools and businesses shutting their doors for the day. Find the full list of closings and delays at merfradio.com.

14 Republican state lawmakers are the plaintiffs in a new lawsuit challenging Pennsylvania’s mail-in voting law, asking for it to be thrown out. The legal challenge was filed just before midnight Tuesday in the state Commonwealth Court. It is the latest attempt by Republicans to invalidate the 2019 law that Republican lawmakers almost unanimously supported. Attorney General Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, said the lawsuit is not only the height of hypocrisy, but it also has real consequences and damages public trust in our elections.

Some folks aren’t willing to wait for the federal government’s green light to get a booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine. A Centers for Disease Control report found an estimated 1.1 million have gotten an unauthorized third shot of Pfizer or Moderna already. The agency believes that number is even higher in reality because it doesn’t include those who got the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Pharmacies report they’ve also been noticing people lying about their vaccination status to receive a booster dose before it’s approved. While health officials had hoped Pfizer’s full FDA approval would encourage the unvaccinated to get a shot, pharmacists on the frontline are saying the only noticeable result they’ve seen is more people lying that they’ve never received the vaccine to get the third dose. Currently, the CDC only recommends a third dose for those who are immunocompromised. Boosters are set to be distributed to the general population in the fall.

PennDOT announced all driver license and photo centers will be closed Saturday through Monday in observance of Labor Day. Customers may still obtain a variety of driver and vehicle products and services, including all forms, publications and driver training manuals, online through PennDOT’s Driver and Vehicle Services website, www.dmv.pa.gov. Driver and vehicle online services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and include driver’s license, photo ID and vehicle registration renewals and much more. There are no additional fees for using online services.