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Some Allegheny County owners consider selling

Ed Benz has owned houses in Allegheny County since 1999, but recent tax increases are eating into his profits so much he might not be able to keep them. Last year, officials in the western Pennsylvania county raised its property tax rate by 36%, to 6.43 mills from 4.73 mills, the first hike in more than a decade. This upcoming school year more than two dozen of the county’s 42 suburban school districts are poised to raise the property tax rate an additional 1-5% The founder and owner of MCF Group, a property-management firm, Benz, a 61-year-old native, owns 40 properties, all but ...

PennDOT places speed display board on Route 445

From staff reports MILESBURG — The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has placed a radar-controlled speed display board along Route 445 in Miles Township, Centre County, as part of an effort to reduce speeding and aggressive driving. The board faces southbound traffic between East 11th Street in Madisonburg and Hollow Drive in Miles Township, where the posted speed limit is 30 mph. The device uses radar to determine the speed of approaching vehicles and displays the speed on a lighted sign, reminding motorists to obey the posted limit. PennDOT said the board will remain ...

Sheetz again named to the ‘Companies that Care’ list

ALTOONA — Sheetz has been named to PEOPLE Magazine and Great Place To Work’s “Companies that Care” list for the fifth consecutive year, the Altoona-based company announced Wednesday. Sheetz ranked No. 73 on this year’s list, which recognizes U.S. companies for their workplace culture, support of employees and commitment to their communities. It marks the sixth time in seven years that Sheetz has received the recognition. The company cited its employee benefits and community programs, including Sheetz For the Kidz, its partnership with Feeding America and its longtime ...

Geisinger earns 5-star Forbes rating

LEWISTOWN — Geisinger Lewistown Hospital has been named among Pennsylvania’s top hospitals in a recent Forbes evaluation, earning a 5-star rating. Forbes evaluated approximately 5,400 acute-care facilities nationwide, with only 259 receiving the highest rating of 5 stars. The rankings consider four categories: patient outcomes, hospital best practices, value and patient experience. Forbes uses data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Provider Data Catalog, with patient outcomes carrying the most weight in the evaluation. “This recognition celebrates the ...

Life Lion adds new helicopter to fleet

HERSHEY — Penn State Health Life Lion Critical Care Transport has added a new helicopter to its fleet to expand access to emergency and specialty care across central Pennsylvania. The Airbus H155 will be stationed at Life Lion’s Lancaster base and joins two other H155 helicopters. The aircraft can accommodate advanced medical equipment, specialty personnel and family members and is equipped to operate in low visibility and high winds. “Adding this aircraft strengthens our ability to deliver that care safely and efficiently, giving more patients access to the advanced resources ...

Pa passes law undermining court decision on lucrative mineral rights

HARRISBURG — A law quietly passed this summer aimed to end a complicated, decade-plus legal fight over who owns an estimated $1 billion in Pennsylvania natural gas. It may have only begun a new, even messier chapter. At issue are mineral rights — which give holders the right to extract coal, oil, gas, or ore — underneath as few as 60,000 acres to more than one million, depending on which side you ask. For years, a group of families, led by the Proctor family trust, has waged a legal battle with the state over mineral rights that they say their ancestors acquired more than a ...