Celebrating Juneteenth
Karen Ferguson of Altoona dances to the band 8-1-FUNK during Blair County’s Juneteenth Jubilee Block Party and Cook-Out at Prospect Park on Friday afternoon. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
Restoring glory: Blair County Historical Society starts off long-term slate of Baker Mansion projects
The Blair County Historical Society is starting to fulfill a multi-year $2 million-plus plan for restoration and preservation of its Baker Mansion with a $200,000 project comprising repairs on the columns — front and back — and the second floor porch in back. The Pittsburgh ...
Trio who met as Little League players, coach celebrates enduring bond of friendship
To develop and thrive on the long and challenging path to adulthood, children need a solid foundation and a stable home base. Carl Fochler and Dr. Zane Gates — two graduates of Bishop Guilfoyle High School (now Bishop Guilfoyle Academy) — both benefited from those steady, nurturing and ...
Altoona Redevelopment Authority tables sale of ICE facility
The Altoona Redevelopment Authority on Friday tabled action on the potential sale of the former Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility on Chestnut Avenue near Juniata Gap Road so the purchase opportunity can be advertised more widely. The authority had advertised a request for proposals ...
Summer solstice
This is the sun’s time to shine: Sunday is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Sunday is the solstice, marking the start of astronomical summer north of the equator. It’s the opposite in the Southern Hemisphere, where it is the shortest day of the year and winter will ...
Company covers digester shortfall for Altoona Water Authority
The company that developed the anaerobic digester project at the Altoona Water Authority’s Westerly Sewer Treatment Plant several years ago recently paid the authority $551,000 to make up for a shortfall in operational income from the digester for 2025 — a shortfall that reflects the firm’s difficulties in obtaining sufficient high-strength waste from customers for the digester to process. Energy Systems Group took on the project as part of a state energy conservation initiative, with a guarantee that for 20 years, participants like the authority would at least break even on ...