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Cambria Heights, Central Cambria schools receive state grants for solar arrays

EBENSBURG — The Central Cambria and Cambria Heights school districts received Solar for Schools grants that will reportedly save them money in the long run, school officials said. Central Cambria received a $148,256 grant to install a rooftop solar array on the Jackson Elementary School, which will provide 100% of the electricity needs for the building, Superintendent Jason Moore said. Likewise, the Cambria Heights School District received a $437,522 grant to install a rooftop array on its elementary school building in Carrolltown Borough, Superintendent Ken Kerchenske said, noting ...

Election result update shows Schmitt, Aigner retain margins in judge race

HOLLIDAYSBURG — Blair County’s updated primary election results posted Wednesday showed state Rep. Lou Schmitt of Altoona and Magisterial District Judge Paula Aigner of Hollidaysburg retained their winning margins to be on the November ballot to fill two vacant county judicial seats, starting in January. Results posted Tuesday night — when additional mail-in votes were yet to be counted — showed Schmitt winning the Republican ticket with 7,917 votes and Aigner in second place with 5,545 votes. In that posting, Aigner was only 54 votes ahead of candidate John Sisto. As of early ...

Heroes on the run

The Special Olympics PA 2025 Law Enforcement Torch Run arrived in Altoona Thursday morning amid a police escort and applause from gathered onlookers. The torch, traveling from Pittsburgh to State College over a span of three days, signifies the start of the summer games taking place June ...

Former B-A athletic director acquitted

HOLLIDAYSBURG - A Blair County jury on Thursday acquitted the former Bellwood-Antis School District athletic director of the felony victim/witness intimidation charge filed against him in January 2024 that developed after a middle school wrestling coach was convicted of sexually assaulting two ...

Altoona Area School District board against tax hike

The Altoona Area School Board approved the 2025-26 preliminary general fund budget Monday with a proposed 3% increase in real estate property taxes. However, a tax increase seems unlikely to be approved next month when the final budget is adopted. Board President Val Mignogna, Vice President Kelly Irwin Adams, David Francis and Mike Pappas - nearly half of the board's nine members - all stated their opposition to raising real estate taxes by any rate during the meeting. Members Chris Cook, Justin McCaulley and Stephanie McGinnis didn't publicly express their opinion on the proposed tax ...