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Pennsylvania ‘key’ to national defense renaissance, Trump says

A $10 billion national defense renaissance championed by the Trump administration will rely on Pennsylvania’s skilled workers to build “the arsenal of freedom.” That lineup includes welders, electricians, ship builders, munitions and vehicle manufacturers, university researchers, space robotics engineers and cyber security professionals, among many others. All, in large part, trades that Republican U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick opined once feared an uncertain future amid the rise of artificial intelligence. “So ironically, at this moment where AI is creating this anxiety about ...

Shuck Agency joins Kish Insurance

HUNTINGDON — The Shuck Agency will become part of Kish Insurance on Aug. 1, expanding the insurance provider’s presence in Huntingdon County while allowing the agency to continue operating under its local name. Kish Bancorp Inc., parent company of Kish Bank, announced Thursday that the Huntingdon-based agency will join Kish Insurance, the bank’s property and casualty insurance subsidiary. Under the transition, the Shuck Agency will continue operating from its current office as a division of Kish Insurance. Andy Cipar, the agency’s principal, will remain in his leadership role ...

Blair County drug ring leader sentenced

From staff reports ALTOONA — The leader of a Blair County drug-trafficking organization was sentenced to 14 to 30 years in state prison Tuesday for operating a cocaine distribution network and supplying fentanyl that resulted in a fatal overdose, according to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. Rickey “Rizz” Sharief Joyner, 45, of Altoona, pleaded guilty to two counts of corrupt organizations, 21 counts of possession with intent to deliver, two counts of dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, voluntary manslaughter and related offenses. The voluntary ...

Madisonburg Water Works receives $875K PENNVEST grant

From staff reports MADISONBURG — The Madisonburg Water Works has been awarded an $875,000 grant through the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST) to fund improvements aimed at protecting drinking water quality, according to state Rep. Kerry Benninghoff, R-Centre/Mifflin. The funding will be used to upgrade the water system’s infrastructure to ensure it can safely inactivate microorganisms, including viruses and bacteria, in the drinking water supply. The project also includes the purchase of a new chemical vault to securely store hazardous materials, ...

Accounting tricks that balanced Pa.’s budget — but only on paper

HARRISBURG — When Pennsylvania lawmakers passed a state budget on Sunday, leaders praised it for being a fiscally responsible $50.8 billion product that doesn’t dip into the state’s rainy day fund. That’s a misleading picture. To reach that number, they had to employ some accounting tricks. The biggest involves delaying two months’ worth of payments — each costing about $1.3 billion — to the state’s Medicaid managed care organizations. In the Capitol, it’s a process called a “cycle roll.” Managed care organizations, or MCOs, are responsible for organizing ...

AI threatens to remove the humanity from healthcare, according to doctor

Hummelstown retiree Mark Warble suspects, but doesn’t know, if AI is behind the significant changes he’s received in his prescription and the repeated deliveries — and charges — he has received for the medical supplies he did not order. And, as of right now, he doesn’t have a right to know. Current Pennsylvania law does not require healthcare providers to inform patients when AI is being used in their treatment. While patients may never think to ask, the medical field, like any other industry these days, is increasingly incorporating artificial intelligence. While AI ...