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Shining rays of sun on some good news:
Randy Feathers has devoted most of his life to law enforcement and the betterment of the Altoona community. Now his efforts are being recognized.
The Central Blair Recreation Commission announced Feathers would be the recipient of the prestigious Respected Citizen Award at the annual Community Classic Dinner and Auction on Saturday, Feb. 25, at the Bavarian Hall.
Feathers is a former Altoona police officer, former state attorney general agent, ex-president of the Booker T. Washington Revitalization Corp. and current member of the Operation Our Town board.
He joins an impressive list of past honorees, including many community leaders.
Proceeds from the event go toward scholarships to cover the cost of program fees for families who can't afford them.
Feathers was "shocked" when he learned of the honor, but we're not.
He's a worthy choice, and honoring him is for a good cause.
Banks are institutions, anchors of towns big and small.
That's why Williamsburg got good news with word that PennCrest opened in the borough less than a year after Mid Penn Bank closed its Williamsburg branch.
Mid Penn had been the only bank in Williamsburg, Blair County's smallest town but one with many assets, including the Lower Trail, which attracts plenty of tourism.
PennCrest also has branches in Altoona and Hollidaysburg.
Roaring Spring native Craig Bouslough was honored by his alma mater, Slippery Rock University, with a Distinguished Alumni Award.
A graduate of Central High School, Bouslough became a leader in the physical therapy field, opening locally in the mid-1990s and then, operating as Drayer Physical Therapy, expanding to more than 170 clinics in 17 states before his retirement in 2020.
Juniata College added to its rich volleyball history by winning its third NCAA Division III championship last month in Pittsburgh.
The Lady Eagles defeated Trinity University to avenge their only loss of the season and finished with a 34-1 record.
Juniata's volleyball program started years ago under Larry Bock, and its success has continued under Heather Pavlik, who won her first national title. Pavlik was an assistant for Juniata's other two titles in 2004 and 2006.
Juniata is one of just five women's volleyball programs to have won three national championships.
With the passing of another Pearl Harbor Day (Dec. 7), a collaborative project has written stories about the 2,502 Americans who died in Normandy on D-Day.
The project is called "Stories Behind the Stars," and includes stories of four Blair Countians who were killed at Pearl Harbor.
They were John A. Lipple of Ashville, George A. Wolf Jr. of Altoona, Brooks J. Brubaker Jr. of Lakemont and John Pensyl of Altoona.
Volunteers are being sought to assist with the nonprofit mission. For more information, visit storiesbehindthestars.org.
We applaud the volunteerism in preserving those who died while fighting for our freedom.