News

McClure man charged during probation check

Local News July 2, 2026

From staff reports McCLURE — A local man is facing felony weapons and drug charges after probation officers and Pennsylvania State Police allegedly found firearms, drugs and drug paraphernalia during a home compliance check. Nicholas Russell Hensel, 49, of 95 Old Peach Road, was charged with persons not to possess firearms, possession of an offensive weapon, possession of a controlled substance, possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 8 before Magisterial District Judge Eric Ettinger. According to ...

Two charged in Kish Park tent fire

Local News July 2, 2026

LEWISTOWN — Two men are facing felony arson charges after authorities allege one of them set fire to a tent at Derry Park while the other supplied the torch lighter used to ignite it following a dispute among campers. Colin Wayne Herman, 29, of Lewistown, and Whitney Wilson Heaps, 42, of York, each face felony arson and misdemeanor criminal mischief charges stemming from the June 29 fire at the campground in Derry Township. Heaps also is charged with false reports to law enforcement and three drug-related offenses. Both men were unable to post $50,000 bail and are being held at the ...

18-year-old dead and two others wounded in Williamsport shooting

PA News July 1, 2026

From the Williamsport Sun-Gazette WILLIAMSPORT — An 18-year-old city man was shot to death and two other men were wounded in a shooting that occurred at Memorial Avenue and Lloyd Street, just east of Memorial Park, about 2:50 p.m. Monday, according to city police. In a telephone conversation about 5 p.m., Lycoming County Coroner Charles E. Kiessling Jr. confirmed the 18-year-old suffered multiple gunshot wounds and never regained consciousness after being shot. The teen was pronounced dead in the emergency room at UPMC Williamsport at 3:10 p.m. Kiessling said. Due to the nature of ...

Will education again divide Pa legislature this budget cycle?

PA News July 1, 2026

HARRISBURG — Gov. Josh Shapiro wants to include $565 million in this year’s budget to continue closing an “adequacy gap” among public schools as his fellow Democrats push a proposal to overhaul tax credit programs that fund private school scholarships. Republicans who control the state Senate have pushed back, calling for changes to the formula adopted two years ago to rectify the funding disparity and for an expansion of the scholarships. While a dispute over education funding contributed to a months-long budget impasse a few years ago, one key lawmaker thinks the issue ...

Juniata County Dairy Promotion pointers

Agriculture July 1, 2026

Hi, I’m Jayde Sweger, a Juniata County Dairy Miss. The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025 was enacted on Jan. 14, 2026. The law allows whole and reduced-fat milk in federally-funded school lunches and exempts milk from federal saturated fat limits. Whole milk is excellent for ...

Data center moratoriums get support in Pennsylvania

PA News July 1, 2026

A key Senate committee on Wednesday gave bipartisan support to the concept of letting a municipality put in place an 18-month moratorium on data center development, but it shunned the notion of one lasting three years. In separate votes, the Senate Local Government Committee passed two different data center moratorium bills. The votes occurred as municipalities across the state are struggling to accommodate data center proposals that are complex, unpopular, and often accompanied by many unanswered questions. One bill, sponsored by Republican Sen. Jarrett Coleman of Lehigh County, ...