The state Department of Community and Economic Development said it made improvements to its handling of the Weatherization Assistance Program after an internal review in 2006.

But based on a performance audit of the federally funded program by the state Auditor General's Office, DCED's supervision of the program leaves much to be desired.

Gov. Ed Rendell should commit himself to ensuring that needed changes take place.

The performance audit found examples of homes improperly getting aid more than once, lack of inspections for work performed and some counties having excessively long waiting lists for services.

Meanwhile, there were problems with how the program was advertised to the public and inadequate monitoring of local agencies having dealings with the program.

The audit report said there were weaknesses that could lead to abuse, and that there were examples of waste.

While it would be unreasonable to believe that a program of such scope could be carried out without any problems, the troubling situations uncovered by the audit in question merit demands for DCED to do better.

The weatherization program is important to many families of limited financial means. Some might call it a godsend.

It offers repair or replacement of heating systems; installation of new windows, insulation and ventilation; and implementation of other energy-saving measures.

A program of such importance should not have so many grounds for criticism. DCED knows that, and it deserves no options other than to make the needed changes.

Cranberry Township police should be applauded for their alertness while investigating a traffic accident July 20 on Route 228.During the accident investigation, they noticed a large amount of construction-grade copper cable in the bed of a truck involved in the crash and that a license plate in unusual condition was on the floor of that truck's cab.The police noticed that the license plate had been altered and that the corners of the plate had been bent so it could be hooked onto another plate.Continuing their probe led the police to file charges of receiving stolen property and driving with an altered license plate. The defendant in the case is Michael James McConnaughy, 26, of Portersville.McConnaughy admitted to police that the wire was stolen from the Pittsburgh area and that the license plate in the truck had been used during the theft.Most people would like to think that all police officers would have been so observant, but it's reasonable to believe that not all would have been.A cheer is in order to the Cranberry officers for looking beyond the situation for which they were initially summoned while skillfully handling that task.

There were a total of 502 citations and arrests in Butler County during the second wave of the Smooth Operator aggressive-driving crackdown by state and municipal police in July.Sunday begins the program's third wave. It will continue through Aug. 11.The state Department of Transportation is investing $2 million in the program, which also will include a fourth wave Sept. 2 through 15. The money supports police training, overtime and equipment, such as wireless infrared speed detectors.The program targets aggressive driving such as speeding, tailgating running red lights or stop signs and making unsafe lane changes. Roads chosen for the program are those that have shown a high frequency of aggressive-driving crashes.Citations also were issued for failure to wear a seat belt.Aggressive driving is the leading cause of highway fatalities in Pennsylvania. In 2006, 909 of the state's 1,525 traffic fatalities were related to such driving.Fortunately for drivers who tend to drive aggressively, advance notice of the stepped-up enforcement is given. But the second-wave satistics are proof that many motorists weren't paying attention.More than 150 municipal police departments and the state police will be participating in the new round of aggressive enforcement. Their commitment to highway safety should be applauded.