New Pennsylvania law regulates farm food processing waste

July 24, 2026

Pennsylvania’s new Fiscal Code sets long-sought requirements for spreading food processing waste on farmland for fertilizer. The legal term used is food processing residuals. Food processing residuals or FPR are the leftover products created by commercial food processing. They can include vegetable peelings, raw meat scraps and liquid waste from cleaning processes that might contain blood, fat, hair, feathers, and a variety of other vegetable and animal byproducts, as well as chemicals used in processing. The results of improperly spreading FPR on farmland have included noxious ...

Number of SNAP recipients continues to decrease in Pennsylvania

July 24, 2026

Pennsylvania Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation continues to decline a year after H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, took effect, reflecting a nationwide reduction in food assistance. Since President Donald Trump signed the legislation into law in July 2025, Pennsylvania’s SNAP enrollment has fallen 11%, from 1.96 million recipients to 1.74 million, according to recent data from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP). Over the same period, enrollment among children has declined 9%. Healthcare providers warn of the potential health risks for ...

Panther pride: Community pledges $1M for upgrades to Penn Cambria’s athletic facilities

July 23, 2026

CRESSON — When Penn Cambria officials launched a campaign last year to fundraise athletic facility improvements, they never imagined the initiative would be where it is today, having received about $1 million in pledged donations from the community and still going strong, Superintendent ...

Deal reached to save Orchard Park

July 23, 2026

The Friends of Little Orchard Park are close to success in their effort to block the Altoona Redevelopment Authority from developing seven homes on longtime recreational ground in Logantown. The authority today is expected to vote on a proposed settlement with the neighborhood group under ...

Blair County cuts ties with prison architect

July 23, 2026

HOLLIDAYSBURG — Blair County commissioners are in need of an architectural/engineering firm for the proposed prison project, after voting Thursday to end a contract with the firm they hired in April 2025. Commissioners Amy Webster and Laura Burke, who voted Thursday to terminate the ...

Altoona’s water quality impresses Big Boy crew

July 23, 2026

When Big Boy’s onboard engineer realized the high quality of Altoona’s water, he dumped the train’s tanks and flushed the engine’s boiler to make room for local water. “Altoona is said to have some of the best water in the country,” said Altoona Water Authority assistant treasurer ...