Breaking News

News

Crews battle two overnight fires in Mifflin County

Local News

LEWISTOWN — Emergency crews spent much of the night battling two separate building fires early Tuesday morning, including a four-alarm-equivalent blaze in Lewistown and a second-alarm fire in Belleville. The first fire broke out on Montgomery Avenue in Lewistown, where a pickup truck reportedly caught fire inside a garage. According to a Facebook post from City Hook & Ladder Fire Company No. 14, the blaze spread and eventually escalated to the equivalent of a fourth alarm, drawing assistance from multiple fire companies. Photos shared on social media showed heavy smoke pouring ...

Groundbreaking celebrated on $65 million animal diagnostic lab addition at Penn State

Agriculture

UNIVERSITY PARK — Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and Pennsylvania State University College of Agricultural Sciences Dean Troy Ott broke ground on a $65 million, 46,000-square-foot, two-story addition to the university’s Animal Diagnostic Laboratory. On the heels of the recent groundbreaking on a $94 million new lab at University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, and the opening of the Keystone Animal Diagnostic Center on PSU’s Beaver Campus in May, this is the third expansion of Pennsylvania’s world-class veterinary lab system this year. “Supporting ...

$94 million Pennsylvania Veterinary Diagnostic Lab at UPenn to advance animal health

Agriculture

KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. — Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and University of Pennsylvania Dean of Veterinary Medicine Andrew M. Hoffman celebrated another milestone for Pennsylvania’s $132 billion agriculture industry recently, breaking ground on a new, $94 million laboratory at the New Bolton Center, the large-animal campus of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. “Science continues to reveal critical connections between animal health, human health, and the health of our environment,” Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. “Penn ...

Women in Dairy Conference slated for Nov. 4

Agriculture

UNIVERSITY PARK — The 2026 Women in Dairy Conference, slated for Nov. 4 at the Jordan Center, 720 Curtain Rd., State College, will give women in the dairy industry the opportunity to learn, connect and explore emerging opportunities with likeminded people. The conference will explore the value of dairy components, production and economics of beef-on-dairy crosses, and the connection between water and animal nutrition. Breakout sessions will address calf management, workforce resources, and the impact of new dietary guidelines on dairy demand, providing practical insights ...

Funding available for agriculture projects

Agriculture

BURNHAM — The Mifflin County Conservation District has announced the grant application period for agricultural operations through the Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program. The ACAP application deadline is Friday, Oct. 30, 2026 at 2 p.m. Eligible projects include, but are not limited to barnyard improvements, manure storages, mortality composters, grazing management, streambank fencing, stream crossings, and livestock walkways. Funding for the ACAP Program was originally created through the American Rescue Plan Act and the Clean Streams Fund and was established with the ...