NEWS

Coming up at Hills Creek State Park at 111 Spillway Road, Wellsboro, PA 16901-9676 are free in-person programs this Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 1, 2 and 3.

The park is seven miles northeast of Wellsboro in Charleston Township via Charleston Street and Hills Creek Lake Road. All programs are held rain or shine. 

Free, in-person programs are being held this Friday and Saturday, Sept. 1 and 2 at Cherry Springs State Park at 4639 Cherry Springs Road, Coudersport, PA 16915. The park is 12 miles from Route 6 in Galeton via West Branch Road and 15 miles from Coudersport via Route 44. 

BRADFORD – Rep. Martin Causer (R-Turtlepoint) is again offering area veterans the opportunity to work with a representative from the American Legion to ensure they get the services and support they need.

Due to changes initiated by the American Legion, appointments in the Bradford and Kane offices will be conducted virtually via a tablet.

Appointments are required for meetings with the Legion representative, whether they are in person, by phone or by tablet. The schedule is as follows:

• Coudersport office: Thursday, Sept. 7, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Coudersport office is located at 107 S. Main St. Please call 814-274-9769 to schedule an appointment.
• Bradford office: Wednesday, Sept. 13, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Bradford office is located at 78 Main St., first floor. Please call 814-362-4400 to schedule an appointment.
• Kane office: Wednesday, Sept. 27, from 9 a.m. to noon. The Kane office is located at 54 Fraley St., Suite 2. Please call 814-837-0880 to schedule an appointment.

Assistance is available with issues such as compensation, education, pension, health care and death benefits. Veterans need not be a member of the American Legion to participate.

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) today announced that all driver license and photo centers, including its full-service center in Harrisburg, will be closed Saturday, September 2, 2023, through Monday, September 4, 2023, in observance of the Labor Day holiday. 

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.     

Smethport — The McKean County Republican Committee will host a fall picnic on Thursday, September 14th, starting at 4 p.m. at the Hamlin Lake Park pavilion in Smethport.

Invited featured speakers include statewide judicial candidates as well as candidates for county and local government offices. Congressman Glenn “GT” Thompson, Rep. Martin Causer and Sen. Cris Dush have also been invited to speak.

There is no charge and no need to RSVP for this event. Come out and meet the candidates and pick up campaign materials for the fall.

Additional information is available at www.mckeancountygop.org.

​Montoursville, PA – A pipe replacement project is set to begin next week on Route 3009 (Roundtop Road) in Charleston Township, Tioga County.

On Tuesday, September 5, 2023, a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) maintenance crew will begin replacing pipes along Roundtop Road during daylight hours. While work is being performed, the roadway will be closed to traffic between Mills Hill Road and Mt. Zion Spur Road. A detour will be in place using Route 3011 (Shumway Hill Road) and Route 6.

This project is expected to take one week, weather permitting. Motorists are urged to drive with caution in the area.

DEP aims to protect every Pennsylvanian’s Constitutional right to clean air and clean water and ensure communities most at risk from pollution and climate change have an equal seat at the table

Harrisburg, PA – The Shapiro Administration will adopt an updated Environmental Justice (EJ) Policy, which expands environmental safeguards throughout the Commonwealth, a milestone in updating a 20-year-old policy the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has used to guide protections for communities most vulnerable to environmental challenges. Environmental justice areas make up 20 percent of the entire Commonwealth.

“Pennsylvanians’ right to clean air and pure water is enshrined in our Constitution and I’m committed to protecting those rights – that’s why my Administration is elevating environmental justice work within DEP and implementing a new policy that will protect communities most at risk,” said Governor Josh Shapiro. “The impacts of climate change aren’t limited to one community or another — they affect rural and urban areas alike, and every Pennsylvanian deserves to be able to let their children play outside without worrying about air quality and drink their tap water without fear of harmful chemicals. At my direction, Secretary Negrin and the Department of Environmental Protection will continue their important work to ensure every community, no matter their location, demographics, or wealth, has equal access to environmental protections.” 

Read more here…..

Following a public comment period, the Environmental Justice Policy is expected to be implemented on September 16, 2023. This updated policy will usher in deeper advancements for the Commonwealth’s environmental justice communities and is a critical benchmark towards the final EJ Policy, which is expected to be implemented by 2024. Additionally, DEP has developed an improved mapping tool to better identify EJ areas within the Commonwealth and has expanded the Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) and elevated its leadership to a more senior position within the DEP for the first time in Pennsylvania history to better serve EJ areas. 

“Through the process of creating this EJ Policy and mapping tool, DEP reached out to community leaders to get input. The policy calls for proactively bringing communities together, to help make people aware of the rights they have around the environment and protect those rights. The emphasis on the Environmental Rights Amendment in this administration is an exciting change in perspective for the agency,” said Rafiyqa Muhammad, a member of the Environmental Justice Advisory Board, the body charged with making written recommendations to the Secretary concerning policies, practices, and actions that DEP may implement to advance the goals of Environmental Justice.

Clearfield, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) alerted motorists that work to a deteriorated driving surface along Interstate 80 westbound in Cooper Township, Clearfield County, started today. This project will improve the ride quality and extend the life of the roadway surface.

How many times do we encounter hearing impaired people and wish that we could communicate with them? As we age, we gradually lose some of our hearing. Sign language can help. Also, mothers of pre-lingual children can use sign language as a tool with their little ones. Here is your opportunity to learn basic sign language that could help you or someone you care about.

Published on 8/29/2023

Filed under: Gas

Note: The following information is preliminary and may be supplemented or corrected as the investigation continues.

HARRISBURG – The investigation of a deadly August 12^th house explosion in Plum Borough, Allegheny County, by the Safety Division of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) remains active and ongoing, exploring whether public utility infrastructure or operations contributed to the cause and circumstances surrounding this tragic incident.

Plum Investigation Overview

Added experience and depth, new attackers, better team bonding and extra motivation to win. Those are the things that coach Tyler Mensch is counting on to get his Pennsylvania College of Technology men’s soccer team to the next level this season.

The Wildcats open at 7 p.m. Friday at Keystone College in the first of five nonconference road matches over nine days.

“One of our Achilles heels over the years has been our results on the road, and unfortunately, the way our two-year agreements align for this fall, we are road-heavy to begin the season. We talked about it a lot in the spring on how can we be better prepared for road matches this fall, knowing we were going to have a busy first 10 days of our season. We have a deep roster where we feel like we can go further into our bench to hopefully save some legs during our busy stretch,” Mensch said.

After a season during which first-year coach Ian Scheller’s Pennsylvania College of Technology women’s soccer team reached the United East Conference semifinals, Scheller has one expectation for this year’s players: Do your job.

“Everyone on the team prides themselves on their ability to work hard and also possess the ability to impact a game in many ways. It is important to not try to do too much, trusting your teammates to handle their responsibilities,” Scheller said as his squad prepped for its nonconference season opener at 6 p.m. on Friday at Mount Aloysius College.

After taking over the Pennsylvania College of Technology women’s volleyball program that had only two wins in its previous two full campaigns and was coming out of the COVID-canceled 2020 season, coach Carolyn McKeon had her hands full.

The Wildcats’ 2021 season again produced one win and last year’s squad doubled that number but began to show signs of growth in player bonding and on-court success against some of the United East Conference’s top teams.

Entering his second season, coach Tom Leeser is looking for improvement for his Pennsylvania College of Technology men’s and women’s cross-country teams.

Both squads open their seasons at 6 p.m. Friday at Misericordia University.

A year ago at the United East Conference meet, the Wildcat men finished third among eight teams, with freshmen Mitchell Campbell, of Riegelsville, and Matthew Woolcock, of Oil City, placing third and seventh, respectively; both earning all-conference first-team honors and Campbell was the UE Rookie of the Year. The men’s squad also finished 25 of 32 at the NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic Region race, the highest ever for the program.