Breaking News

K4 steam engine needs $2.5 million to return to service

With the Union Pacific Big Boy steam locomotive in town this week generating massive excitement thousands of miles from its home base in Wyoming as part of a national tour, it’s hard not to ask questions about Altoona’s own steam engine, the K4 1361, which has been languishing through 34 ...

Several factors in play for state’s overdue budget

For the fifth consecutive year, Pennsylvania’s government failed to pass a budget by the June 30 constitutional deadline. The latest delay adds to the state’s long history of missed budget deadlines, a pattern reflected in five decades of budget records. Lawmakers appear poised to vote ...

PIAA seeks dismissal of Bishop McCort religious discrimination lawsuit

The governing body for high school sports in Pennsylvania has asked a federal judge to dismiss a religious discrimination lawsuit brought by Bishop McCort Catholic Academy of Johnstown that contends the statewide organization ignored attempts by the public schools in the Laurel Highlands ...

Indivisible Blair County plans ‘sit-in’ over Altoona urban camping ordinance

Because of lightning in the weather forecast, Indivisible Blair County postponed a sit-in it had planned for Friday evening at Tuckahoe Park, to protest a three-month-old city ordinance that the group says “criminalizes” homelessness. The group intends to reschedule the sit-in, which is intended to draw attention to what the group believes is a wrongheaded and counterproductive measure, according to group President Carol Taylor. The “urban camping” ordinance adopted in April is not meant to criminalize homelessness, and is paired with policies that are intended to help, not ...

Area briefs: City files emergency declaration

Altoona has submitted an emergency declaration in connection with storms that occurred July 5-6, according to a news release from the city. City residents with property damage caused by those storms should use the following link to report the damage: https://crisistrack.juvare.com/public/blairPA/request.html. Those residents should also attend a Multi-Agency Resource Center (MARC) event between 2 and 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 14, at the Church of the Good Shepherd, 1650 Clay Ave., Tyrone, where they can speak with representatives of various agencies who may be able to help with recouping ...