News

Grid operators ordered to speed electricity to AI data centers

Local Business June 18, 2026

WASHINGTON — Federal regulators on Thursday ordered regional grid operators to help large energy users connect more quickly to the nation’s inefficient and aging electric transmission system, a step they said is needed to accommodate surging demand from power-hungry artificial intelligence data centers. Energy Secretary Chris Wright had urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to act in an effort to help the United States better compete with China for superiority in the fast-growing AI sector. Tech companies and data center developers welcomed the chance to connect faster to ...

Stranded ships have begun transiting Strait of Hormuz

International News June 18, 2026

Major shipowners have begun moving vessels through the Strait of Hormuz since the U.S. and Iran signed an interim agreement to end their war, maritime data company Lloyd’s List Intelligence said Thursday. In a media briefing, Richard Meade, editor in chief of Lloyd’s List, said for the ...

Court’s in session: Claysburg debuts fitness facility at Claysburg Community Park

Local News June 18, 2026

CLAYSBURG — Those looking to get in shape or try something new need look no further than the Claysburg Community Park, where a bright blue outdoor gym has taken shape. During an official ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday, local government officials, school district administration and ...

Lake Altoona, Impounding Dam rubber dams in good shape

Local News June 18, 2026

A recent inspection of the inflatable rubber dams installed seven years ago atop the spillways for Lake Altoona and the Impounding Dam near Horseshoe Curve showed the rubber dams are in fundamentally good condition and could last another 25 or 30 years, according to authority General Manager Mark Perry. That “good news” assuages authority fears that the rubber dams would need replaced far sooner than would normally be expected, due to recent cracking and leakage of air, as reported at a meeting in May. The cracking of the rubber atop the Impounding Dam, however, is only ...

Rural King seeks dismissal of suit filed by Clearfield County woman

Local News June 18, 2026

The parent corporation of a Clearfield firearms store has asked a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the mother of a murder victim, who claims the company and the store had a duty to prevent the alleged “straw purchase” of the gun used in the killing. The lawsuit was filed ...

Mangione reverses course on psychiatric defense

Local News June 18, 2026

In a stunning reversal, Luigi Mangione’s lawyers told a judge Thursday that he will no longer be asserting a psychiatric defense at his state murder trial in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The retraction came just a day after Mangione’s lawyers told Judge Gregory ...