News

Sunday, Pittman celebrate SEPTA special prosecutor ruling

PA News October 7, 2026

(The Center Square) – Pennsylvania’s top law enforcement official is celebrating a unanimous decision made by the state’s Supreme Court keeping the special prosecutor in place for the Southeastern Regional Transportation Authority, or SEPTA. On Thursday, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court rejected a challenge from Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, who argued the special prosecutor put in place by the state via Act 40 violated the commonwealth’s Constitution. “Our position from the start has been that this legislative action was warranted and within the bounds of the ...

Police inaction may block Reading crime victims from immigration protections, advocates say

PA News October 7, 2026

READING — A coalition of immigrant advocates and legal aid orgs wants the City of Reading to compel the police department to create a framework and timeline to respond to requests for a critical piece of U visa paperwork. Such visas protect undocumented victims of serious crimes who cooperate with law enforcement from deportation. An applicant must submit a five-page form, signed by law enforcement, prosecutors, or other qualified agencies, certifying they were a victim of a crime and helped or could help in a criminal investigation. A certification does not guarantee that U.S. ...

State marching band championships coming to Mifflin County

Local News October 7, 2026

LEWISTOWN — When Mifflin County High School opened its new stadium last fall, the hope was that the venue would become more than a home field. It would be a destination. A place capable of drawing major events to the Juniata River Valley. That vision continues to become a reality on ...

Four of top 10 most expensive water companies are in Pa, study finds

PA News October 7, 2026

(The Center Square) - A new study of typical household water bills generated by 500 water systems around the nation found that four of the top 10 most expensive water companies are in Pennsylvania. American Water-Pittsburgh, American Water-Lake Scranton, and American Water-West are all in Pennsylvania and all associated with the New York Stock Exchange-traded entity American Water Works. Each generated a typical 2025 annual household water bill of $1,355. Another system in the state, Aqua Pennsylvania, generated a typical annual bill of $1,351. By comparison, 475 of the 500 systems ...

Retiree spends free time tracking down Pa.'s abandoned oil wells

PA News October 7, 2026

BRADFORD — Driving into Bradford, Barbara Laxon tells people to look out for the flare coming from the oil refinery running along the town. At 74, Laxon spends much of her free time taking people on tours to show the traces of the oil and gas industry in her town — from an oil jack located in the parking lot of a McDonald's to hidden wellbores near a local elementary school. After exploring town, Laxon leads people into Allegheny National Forest to find abandoned oil wells. Parking on the side of the highway, she guides visitors carefully through swampy woods, warning them to watch ...

Cases of the plague are reported in parts of Africa and the US nearly every year

International News October 7, 2026

The plague, the rare bacterial infection infamously known for killing tens of millions in 14th-century Europe, never went away. It is now easily treated with antibiotics. Since the 1990s, most human cases have been reported in Africa, especially Congo and Madagascar, according to the World Health Organization. There are an average of about seven human cases per year in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mostly in rural areas of the American West. A worker at a plague research institute in Siberia recently died of pneumonia. The case has raised ...