IFO report: Pa. electric defaults jump nearly 12%

July 31, 2026

The default price charged by electric utilities in Pennsylvania jumped almost 12% for the six-month period beginning in June, according to a new analysis by the state Independent Fiscal Office. It’s just the latest sign of the financial strain faced by ratepayers due to electric demand fueled by the growth of data centers needed for artificial intelligence infrastructure, the IFO report said. Over the last four years, when all costs and taxes are included, the average monthly household electric bill has increased 34.9% more than double the rate of inflation over the same period, the ...

State Farm Bureau seeks moratorium on data centers

July 31, 2026

By the time Andy Bater held up a big map of the Gregg Township region during testimony to a state board on Wednesday, Pennsylvania’s farmers had already raised a red flag over the frenzy to build data centers. The previous day, the board of the 24,000-member Pennsylvania Farm Bureau had ...

Altoona Blair County Development Corp. seeks Gable’s building redevelopment proposals

July 31, 2026

The Altoona Blair County Development Corp. has opened a request for qualifications and concept proposals for a redevelopment opportunity of the Gable’s building, with an Oct. 1 deadline. In January, ABCD Corp. purchased the building with the goal of directing the next steps through a local ...

Weeds and all — God truly makes no mistakes

July 31, 2026

For those of you old enough to remember George Burns, you might remember the movie “Oh God” in which he portrayed God. If you don’t remember it or have not seen it, look it up; it was very well done. Funny, inspirational, thought-provoking and entertaining for the whole family. Of course it was made before movies were all about gruesome killings, constant explosions, violence or people having casual sex. By today’s present standards, it might not be considered popular, but I enjoyed it and I think you will too. In any event, George Burns portrayed God who makes contact with an ...

Wife’s West Coast trip leaves me at sea

July 31, 2026

I always admired my wife because of her ability to know a little bit about everything, but a recent trip by her to the West Coast for a week really made me appreciate her more than anything. She runs the household with a firm hand and a memory like no other, which is fine because my hands are not steady and my ability to recall past events is starting to go at age 61. In fact, if someone asks us about something we did in the past, I ask her if I had a good time, and she doesn’t like … I either did or I didn’t. The woman is incapable of lying. In fact, because I am good at it, I ...

In bloom

July 30, 2026

Calvary Cemetery grounds crew member Jamie Maybush weeds a bed of flowers along Pleasant Valley Boulevard in Altoona on Monday afternoon. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski