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Playhouse seeks cast for Christmas classic

McCONNELLSTOWN — The Playhouse at McConnellstown will hold auditions in September for its upcoming holiday production of “A Christmas Carol.” Auditions for children ages 8 to 17 and adults 18 and older will be held at 2 p.m. Sept. 13 at the Playhouse, 11680 Raystown Road, McConnellstown. Previous theatrical experience is not required. The production offers a different approach to Charles Dickens’ classic Christmas story. Set on Christmas Eve in England in 1843, the play begins with Dickens alone in his attic studio, where he is visited by the spirit of his younger ...

Some Pa schools cutting off charter students’ access to yellow buses

HARRISBURG — Two weeks before the start of classes at his all-boys charter school near Pittsburgh, founder Darryl Canady received an email from his local public school district saying it wouldn’t provide traditional bus rides to his students this year. Instead, Woodland Hills School District said it would supply each of the more than 140 students at LIFE Male STEAM Academy with Pittsburgh Regional Transit cards to get to and from class. “Please note that this will be the only option offered by the school district this school year,” the email read. The notice took Canady by ...

Teacher union leaders earn half a million

Top teachers union leaders make more than $500,000 a year in pay and benefits, leaving critics to say that taxpayer-funded membership dues allow for the high compensation, an investigation by The Center Square found. While union staff, who never teach in the classroom, take home big checks, K-12 students nationally are around 30% proficiency for test scores. Students are not the priority for teacher unions, according to Lance Izumi of the Pasadena, Calif.-based Pacific Research Institute. “The reason why the kids are there in the first place, to get an education, is secondary for ...

Audit: Turnpike finances improve, challenges remain

HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission has improved its financial position since a 2022 audit, but continues to face challenges involving debt and hundreds of millions of dollars in unpaid tolls, according to a new performance audit released by state Auditor General Timothy DeFoor. The audit, which covers June 1, 2022, through May 31, 2025, includes five findings and 19 recommendations aimed at improving the commission’s finances and its ability to collect unpaid tolls. “I am pleased to say that a lot has improved since our first audit in 2022,” DeFoor ...

AG files complaint against paving contractor

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday has filed a complaint against a Lackawanna County paving contractor and its owner, alleging they used high-pressure sales tactics, abandoned projects and charged customers more than agreed upon. The complaint names N. Stanley Paving Inc. and owner Nicholas E. Stanley and alleges violations of Pennsylvania’s Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act and Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law. According to the Attorney General’s Office, the business advertised paving, sealing and asphalt services through social ...

Porch Party joins Music Picnic Series

STATE COLLEGE — State College cover band Porch Party will take the stage Sunday, Aug. 23, as South Hills School of Business & Technology continues its 2026 Music Picnic Series. The free outdoor concert begins at 6 p.m. on the north lawn of South Hills’ main campus, 480 Waupelani Drive, State College. It is the 11th event in this year’s series. Porch Party performs a mix of folk, blues, country, mellow rock and other genres. The band is known for its harmonies and original arrangements of cover songs. Band members are Liz Lasher, Mickey Tomasetti, Tom Mallouk, Michelle Katz ...