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Altoona Parking Authority must spend $70,000 by end of year

The Altoona Parking Authority must spend $70,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) on parking technology before an end-of-the-year deadline for spending that money. The authority is planning to buy a kiosk for the exit gate of the parking garage, license plate readers for both the entrance and exit and possibly payment kiosks and meters for 11th and 12th avenues — along with software to run that hardware, to enable smart phones to read license plates on the streets and in the lots and to handle permitting, ticketing, validation and fine payments. The city allocated the ARPA ...

Green thumb

Maureen McGough cleans out the garden in her yard next to her East Street home in Altoona on Tuesday afternoon. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

Bedford County 911 requests tower equipment funds

BEDFORD — The Bedford County Department of Emergency Services will need to replace emergency equipment in eight towers to ensure the county’s 911 system remains up-to-date. During budget talks Tuesday with the county commissioners, emergency services Director Brittany McConnell said the ...

Blair County's Shop with a Cop expands

HOLLIDAYSBURG — Blair County’s Shop with a Cop program is adding a second shopping location as it enters its third year, with donations now being accepted to sponsor a child ahead of the upcoming holiday season. Freedom Township Police Chief Nathan Claycomb said during the kickoff announcement Tuesday morning that he was “proud to announce” the program’s expansion to include the Walmart located in Duncansville, Freedom Township, in addition to its Altoona location. “We feel that this is a good step forward to provide better for the children of Blair County,” Claycomb ...

Proposed bills eye privacy concerns raised by smart glasses

Lawmakers in more than a dozen states are preparing to introduce legislation next year to address privacy concerns raised by smart glasses and other wearable devices. The nonprofit consumer advocacy group Public Citizen has been sharing model legislation with lawmakers that would bar wearables from using technologies such as facial recognition to identify anyone other than the user. Ilana Beller, Public Citizen’s director of state AI governance and tech policy, told Pluribus News that legislators in 14 states have said they will sponsor legislation on the topic in 2027, and three ...