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Downtown Altoona parking improvements discussed

At a City Council workshop Monday, Altoona Parking Authority manager David Curtis told council members about policies he’s enacted since taking over three months ago, while officials floated their own ideas about how to improve parking in the downtown. Curtis has stressed building good relationships with customers, businesses and students; has interacted with drivers who’ve parked in the wrong places with “friendly” letters designed not to alienate; worked on making regulations clearer and easier to find; emphasized keeping facilities clean and well-lighted; and worked on ...

Fraud ring suspect says co-defendant coerced him

HOLLIDAYSBURG — A member of an alleged fraud ring told a Blair County jury Monday morning that he was coerced into cooperating with the group, during the first day of trial for the ring’s supposed “supplier.” Jaylon Maurice Speight, 31, of Walstonburg, North Carolina, is accused of ...

Panel weighs 3-year pause on sales of AI-enabled toys

House lawmakers weighed putting a moratorium on AI Chatbots in children’s toys during a committee hearing Monday. The House Communications and Technology Committee heard testimony on House Bill 2637 sponsored by Committee Majority Chair Joseph Ciresi, D-Montgomery. HB2637 sets a three-year moratorium on the manufacture, distribution and sale of toys containing AI Chatbots. Ciresi said the moratorium would help keep children safe, allow more research and give government and the AI industry time to set guardrails. The toys use an internet connection, microphone and a speaker allowing ...

Liberty Tree planted in Tyrone

TYRONE — Tyrone Borough officials reaffirmed their love of freedom by planting a Liberty Tree Monday for the 250th anniversary of Pennsylvania ratifying its first constitution. The tulip tree planted near the Tyrone Railroad Park came from Mifflin County. It is expected to grow up to 150 ...

Hometown taste: Altoona boasts its own unique food traditions

Altoona-style pizza. Texas hot dogs. The Curve Burger. Mallo Cups. Are you drooling yet? Although internet users call this food niche and a bit peculiar, these delights have shaped Altoona’s culture, passing down well-loved recipes through generations. Several longtime restaurants and ...

Thousands miss out on utility assistance

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s electric and natural gas companies are required to offer discounted bills to low-income customers, but for years the programs have reached only a fraction of those who qualify. Now the long-running debate about how to increase the number of customers getting help is taking on new urgency as utility bills skyrocket and shutoffs hit record highs. A new data-sharing system could help increase participation, but opposition from the state Public Utility Commission is thwarting efforts to use the data in the way consumer advocates argue would be most ...