Breaking News

Local News

NTSB: Derailment proves need to replace flawed tank cars

A fiery North Dakota derailment that happened two years ago demonstrated yet again why the National Transportation Safety Board has been urging the rail industry for decades to replace flawed tank cars that tend to rupture in a crash. The NTSB said in its final report Thursday that the workhorse DOT-111 tank cars are long overdue for replacement because of the way the devastating impact of a derailment is magnified anytime hazardous chemicals leak, especially if they catch fire as they did in this derailment just outside the town of Bordulac, North Dakota. In addition, the NTSB said ...

Pennsylvania Senate rejects bill to regulate intoxicating hemp products

The state Senate shot down legislation that would have banned intoxicating hemp products and set up a cannabis control board to assume oversight of the state’s medical marijuana program. The bill’s prime sponsor, Sen. Dan Laughlin, R-Erie, called the defeat a “missed opportunity.” The bill was defeated by bipartisan opposition in a 29-21 vote, although only Democrats criticized the bill during the debate before the vote. “Pennsylvania is choosing to leave intoxicating ‘gas station weed’ completely unregulated,” Laughlin said. “That means no testing, no oversight, no ...

Branching out

Anna Resig (left) and Elle Dalby of the Altoona Department of Public Works pick up trimmed tree branches along the 2100 block of Sixth Avenue on Wednesday afternoon. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

Armed standoff in Altoona ends without injuries

An Eldorado man who had allegedly threatened to kill family members with a shotgun was arrested midmorning Wednesday at a relative’s house after an eight-hour standoff with police that closed down Pleasant Valley Boulevard near Seventh Street. No one was hurt. Suspect Patrick A. McIntire, ...

Duncansville residents air concerns about police officer

Many residents crowded the Duncansville Borough Council meeting Wednesday night, searching for answers concerning a police officer speeding through traffic signs in front of a school bus before school. Kristina McIntire, the mother of a child who boarded that bus, asked the board about the ...

Portage Area School District budget approved with 2-mill tax hike

PORTAGE — The final 2026-27 general fund budget was unanimously approved with a 2-mill tax increase during Wednesday’s Portage Area School Board meeting. Traditionally, the district raises taxes every other year to maintain its local effort, which determines the amount of money the state gives back or withholds from the district each year, business manager Jeff Vasilko explained. Since the district didn’t raise taxes last year, the board voted to approve the tax increase this year, which will generate about $70,385 in revenue for the district and set its new school real estate ...