Local history

50 years ago: March 12, 1975

The Blair County Community Action Agency, James H. Pritchard executive director, announced a program to paint 200 homes and winterize 100 more belonging to elderly local residents, with the support of the local government, industry, business and religious community.

25 years ago: March 12, 2000

Mark Glenn of Gwin, Dobson & Foreman Engineers said that the Altoona Water Authority was losing fully half of its daily usage (12 million gallons) through leaks in the lines when the authority cleaned the lines and when hydrants were opened to fight fires.

10 years ago: March 12, 2015

After three people were killed in a house fire in January, the Altoona Fire Department, Tim Hileman chief, and the Western Pennsylvania Red Cross were installing free smoke detectors in city homes. They hoped to cover the whole city and have at least 1,000 installed by the end of the month.

— Compiled by Tim Doyle