Centre Hall
Here’s a question worth sitting with for a moment: what if the best place to live in Pennsylvania isn’t the place everyone’s already talking about?. Altoona has been sitting quietly in the Allegheny Mountains, doing its thing, building its community, and maintaining its character while the rest of the country has been busy arguing about which overpriced city is the most desirable place to spend all of your money on rent.
State environmental officials say an earthquake struck Allegheny Township last month, but it was so small it’s likely no one but seismologists noticed. On Oct. 4, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) was alerted to a seismic event near EQT’s Porter well pad in Allegheny Township off Willowbrook Road.
One Pennsylvania mill lets you eat breakfast while a 24-foot water wheel turns on the other side of the glass. I love that detail. It makes pancakes feel like a field trip. That mill is not the only one still at work. Across the state, old wheels keep scooping creek water and spinning heavy stones.
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County’s Lake Erie Regional Grape Program has announced the 2026 Survey of Unsold Grapes. The Lake Erie Regional Grape Program surveyed growers in 2025 to find out how many grapes were not sold after harvest. This data was used to show the economic impact of the current market conditions on grape growers in Pennsylvania and New York. Data was collected, analyzed, and can be found in this article: 2025 Unsold Grapes Survey Results.
Sit in a diner off US-220 near Williamsport and you’ll probably hear it from the next booth: the rigs are busy again. After a couple of slow years, drilling crews are back on pads across Lycoming and Bradford counties. Each pad needs steel, mats and machinery hauled up roads mostly built for milk trucks and school buses.
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — Pennsylvania’s Outdoor Business Alliance and Office of Outdoor Recreation awarded $45,000 in PA Trout Tank grants to 21 businesses across 19 counties. Among the recipients is Jefferson County’s Twisted Antler Seed Company, which received funding through the program designed to support Pennsylvania’s outdoor recreation industry. The PA Trout Tank program […]
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters . HARRISBURG — Faced with stark evidence that residents who shop for electricity suppliers pay higher bills and face more frequent shut-offs, Pennsylvania regulators approved a significant policy change sought by the state’s largest electric company. In a 3-2 vote in late October, the Public Utility Commission agreed to allow FirstEnergy Pennsylvania to limit suppliers’ access to its “purchase of receivables” program based on the prices they charge. But the commission rejected the utility’s attempt to prevent customers from being enrolled in new supplier contracts they have not actively chosen, instead ordering a statewide review of the issue. The split decision indicates regulators are open to new guardrails on retail suppliers — but only up to a point. A landmark state law passed in 1996 gave Pennsylvanians the ability to choose which company to buy their supply of electricity from: They can stay on the “default service” offered by their utility, or sign up with a different type of company — a retail electricity supplier. Under state law, utilities
State leaders are looking for feedback on the newly formed plan on how goods move throughout the state. It’s called the Draft 2050 Freight Movement Plan, and it’s a comprehensive look at infrastructure investments that are helping move freight in Pennsylvania. The plan is required to be done...
Classrooms once filled with students now hold antiques, handmade crafts, jewelry, soaps, and even the occasional garden gnome. The building is about a century old, but its newest purpose brings together more than 65 independent vendors under one roof. I love the idea of a Pennsylvania couple looking at an...
Senior homeowners in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Illinois and New York can cut their property tax bills if household income stays under a cap, and those caps run from $48,110 in Pennsylvania to $112,000 for Massachusetts couples. The biggest single payout among the four is Massachusetts’ senior circuit breaker credit, which maxes out at $2,820 for tax […]
In the next legislative session, Democrats in Pennsylvania will not necessarily have to compromise with Republicans to pass laws. Voters handed both chambers in the General Assembly and the governor’s office to Democratic candidates. The results were part of a nationwide “blue wave” that ousted GOP lawmakers on the...
Genesee & Wyoming Inc. announced today their plan to divide into three separate holding companies effective January 1, 2027, pending regulatory approval. All three will remain under the ownership of Brookfield and GIC. will include G&W operations in New England, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, including Berkshire & Eastern Railroad....
NATIONAL REPORT — Tobacco legislation and regulation is constantly under review at the local, state and federal levels. In this monthly roundup, Convenience Store News highlights the latest proposals and approved changes happening across the United States. COLORADO. Fort Collins — The Larimer County Department of Health and Environment...
The settlement amount includes $7.68 million in administrative penalties and $142,785 in fines Walmart paid during the initial stages of an investigation by the state Department of Labor and Industry. It is the largest such settlement in the commonwealth’s history, the statement said.
ALTOONA, Pa. (WTAJ) — The Altoona-based restaurant and convenience chain is shaking things up with a new President and Chief Operating Officer — Adam Sheetz, grandson of founder Bob Sheetz. Adam, who previously served as the company’s executive vice president of operations, will become President and COO effective Jan. 1, 2027. Travis Sheetz will remain […]
Pennie’s annual Open Enrollment Period is here. Open Enrollment began on Nov. 1 for 2027 health coverage. Open Enrollment is the annual opportunity for Pennsylvanians who need health coverage to shop and enroll in a health plan at pennie.com. Uninsured Pennsylvanians are encouraged to find quality health coverage by enrolling through Pennie.
(WTAJ) — A price increase in natural gas has been approved and customers of the company can expect to see the change immediately. National Fuel Gas Distribution Corporation requested a price hike, which the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission approved for $10.4 million annually after an extensive 9-month regulatory review. The increase averages $2.94 monthly for […]
HARRISBURG — Faced with stark evidence that residents who shop for electricity suppliers pay higher bills and face more frequent shut-offs, Pennsylvania regulators approved a significant policy change sought by the state’s largest electric company. In a 3-2 vote in late October, the Public Utility Commission agreed to...
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WTAJ) — The Draft 2050 Freight Movement Plan (FMP), a strategic plan for moving goods throughout Pennsylvania, has opened for public comment and review. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) said the plan provides information on Pennsylvania’s freight infrastructure and PennDOT’s efforts to improve the safe and efficient movement of freight statewide. The […]
(The Center Square) – Pennsylvania’s longstanding role as a leader in energy production is entering a new chapter with the arrival of a company that is turning air into fuel. AIRCO, formerly Air Company, recently relocated from Brooklyn, N.Y. to Bucks County, Pa., to start a new hub for research, development, engineering, and manufacturing of advanced fuel technologies. Its proprietary AIRMADE technologies convert carbon dioxide into synthetic fuels – including diesel and jet fuel – which the company says could have implications for national security and global fuel supply. Although the facility will produce some fuel, its primary focus is manufacturing its MAD (Mobile, Adaptable, and Dynamic) Fuel Systems, which are designed to produce fuel near the point of use, potentially reducing dependence on vulnerable fuel supply lines. “For over a century, fuel has been produced in centralized refineries and shipped around the world. We’re changing that,” said Gregory Constantine, co-founder and CEO of AIRCO , at a ribbon-cutting event on Oct. 28. “This facility enables us to manufacture autonomous systems that produce fuel anywhere, on demand. It’s a fundamental shift from fuel as a commodity to fuel as infrastructure.” Constantine said they plan to mass manufacture modular e-fuel production
