Breaking News

Outdoors

New Blair Waterways Conservation Officer getting acclimated

Editor’s note: Frank Mehalko was hired as the new Blair County Waterways Conservation Officer last November after the position had become open. Mehalko recently participated in a question-and-answer session with Altoona Mirror sports writer John Hartsock and discussed his experiences in his first year of stocking fish and enforcing laws in the 2022 trout season, which began statewide this past April 2. With the state’s bass fishing season opening today, Mehalko will begin to concentrate his efforts into enforcing the laws and ensuring safety for fishermen who are out on boats and ...

A few things you can add to your recipe book

By Shirley Grenoble For the Mirror Because I get many queries about how to cook wild game, I try to offer cooking strategies and recipes from time to time. When I first started my outdoor writing career back in the 1970’s, the only women writers were cooking writers. I was determined to never be labeled with that title. Nothing wrong with being a cooking columnist, but when I began writing outdoor pieces, both press and public were reluctant to read anything other than that from a female writer. So for many years, I never offered a cooking tip or a recipe I had spent many ...

Opening of bass fishing season only one week away in Pennsylvania

By Walt Young For the Mirror When bass season opens on Saturday, June 11, all species of fish will once again be fair game in Pennsylvania. The start of bass season, however, typically doesn’t generate the crazy amount of activity the first day of trout season does. That’s probably because trout are stocked by the thousands in so many Pennsylvania waters, making all those easy-to-catch hatchery fish readily accessible for opening day anglers. While bass fishing is also tremendously popular, the start of the season simply doesn’t include that “get ’em while you can” ...

Family history of heart disease leads to a world of hiking

Lisa Abbott scrolled through the online auction offerings of the American Alpine Club’s fundraiser. As a rock climber, ice climber, scuba diver and marathon runner, she enjoyed daydreaming about the various trips up for grabs. One offering stood out: a guided two-week trek through the Khumbu Valley in Nepal to the base camp of Mount Everest. As senior vice president of human resources and community affairs at Lifespan, Rhode Island’s largest health system and employer, Lisa could not take a few months off to climb Mount Everest. But reaching base camp, at 17,598 feet, fit her ...

PGC advises to leave young wildlife alone

​HARRISBURG — Whether in their backyards or high on a mountain, it’s almost certain Pennsylvanians will encounter young wildlife this time of year. While some young animals might appear to be abandoned, usually they are not. It’s likely their mothers are watching over them from somewhere nearby. So when encountering young wildlife, be it deer, birds, raccoons or other animals, the best thing you can do is leave it alone. “Well-intentioned people might step in to help a young animal that appears to be alone, not realizing its mother is nearby and it’s not in need of ...

Court declines to disturb beach area

PORTER, Ind. — A federal appeals court has declined to disturb an Indiana Supreme Court ruling, later codified into Indiana law, which declared that Lake Michigan’s shoreline is — and always has been — owned by the state for the public’s use. In a 3-0 decision earlier this week, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago said the three lakefront property owners in the town of Porter who claim their holdings include a private beach lack standing to challenge Indiana’s high court ruling and statute in federal court, The (Northwest Indiana) Times reported. Circuit ...