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Burns: Dolly Parton touched lives of many

State Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria, who worked to bring the Dolly Parton Imagination Library to Cambria County five years ago, praised Dolly Parton as a champion of child literacy who left a legacy of educating children to achieve their dreams. “Dolly Parton touched the lives of many children — and many right here in Cambria County,” Burns said. “She had a vision to foster a love of reading in all children and she made it happen. Like her, I’ve always believed that reading is a gateway skill that makes all other learning possible, which is why I wanted to help bring the Dolly ...

Antis Township to get new fire hydrants

Antis Township, Excelsior Fire Department No. 1 of Bellwood and the Altoona Water Authority are working together to install eight new fire hydrants in the township. Five hydrants have been installed so far: along Spruce, Kingdom and Reed streets in Tipton and on Grandview Road near Reightown Road and on Becker Road at the top of a hill where an authority water line crosses, according to township Manager Doug Brown. Officials are working to determine the other locations. The hydrants are generally being placed in underserved areas where firefighters would need to use tankers or where ...

Van Zandt VA Medical Center holding virtual Tele-Town Hall

The Van Zandt VA Medical Center is holding a virtual, live Tele-Town Hall at 6:30 p.m. today, Wednesday, Aug. 26, to help veterans learn about health care eligibility. Participants can listen to VA staff, ask questions and obtain personalized guidance on applying for benefits. The session is intended to explain the scope of potential benefits and to debunk the common myths and misconceptions about eligibility, income and private insurance that sometimes lead veterans to delay seeking help, according to a Van Zandt news release. More than 93% of VA patients report that they trust their ...

Altoona Parking Authority tables removal of parking meters

Members of the Altoona Parking Authority tabled the removal of downtown parking meters at Tuesday’s meeting as they wait for a parking timeframe approval. According to Parking Authority Executive Director David Curtis, they can collect change from seven of the 22 meters located in the city. The keys for the remaining 15 meters don’t work. For now, City Council is considering changing the signage for parking time regulations, he said. Until the council decides on a particular time frame, the parking authority can’t move forward by posting signs and removing the meters. City ...

All aboard

The westbound Amtrak “Pennsylvanian” heads toward Pittsburgh from New York City after emerging from the Gallitzin Tunnel on July 5, 2022. Amtrak is set to add a second trip of the Pennsylvanian starting in November. Mirror file photo by Patrick Waksmunski

Amtrak sets debut for second daily trip of Pennsylvanian train

A second daily round-trip passenger train between Pittsburgh and New York City will begin operation in mid-November, according to a news release Monday from Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office. Amtrak’s board had previously announced the addition of the second Pennsylvanian at a meeting July ...