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Local News August 18, 2026

The Sentinel offers nonprofit and other community organizations an opportunity to promote upcoming events for free in the community calendar for three days before the event. Events requiring reservations may be promoted for up to two weeks before the reservation deadline. Events that require a purchase from a for-profit business, even if a donation is made to the organization, are not eligible for the calendar. Please be brief and include only basic details. If possible, provide a phone number or email address to be published with contact information. Submit items at least one week ...

Ward proposes changes to voter registration

Local News August 18, 2026

From staff reports HARRISBURG — State Sen. Judy Ward has introduced legislation aimed at strengthening Pennsylvania’s voter registration system by giving county election officials additional sources of information to identify deceased, duplicate and otherwise ineligible registrations. Ward, R-30, said Senate Bill 1429 would improve coordination among state and local agencies, establish timelines for maintaining voter rolls and add safeguards intended to prevent eligible voters from being improperly removed. “Pennsylvania voters deserve confidence that our voter registration ...

Supervisors approve subdivision plans

Local News August 18, 2026

LEWISTOWN — Derry Township supervisors offered conditional approval to local engineers for varied subdivision plans at their regular Monday meeting. Tony Fruchtl of PennTerra Engineering discussed the Tussey Sink Road, LLC subdivision plan. This land is across from the WaWa gas station, ...

Teacher union leaders earn half a million

PA News August 18, 2026

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 ...

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

PA News August 18, 2026

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 ...

Crews respond to barricaded persons incident in Lewistown

Local News August 18, 2026

From staff reports LEWISTOWN — Police and fire crews responded to what was described as a “barricaded persons incident” in Lewistown Saturday afternoon. According to information posted by City Hook and Ladder No. 14, the fire company was initially dispatched at about 2:45 p.m. Saturday to provide standby assistance for the Lewistown Police Department. Crews remained at the scene for several hours before clearing the incident. Additional details about what led to the police response, where in the borough the incident occurred and whether anyone was taken into custody were not ...