News
2011 Shaping Up to be a Deadly Year for Law Enforcers
It is shaping up to be a deadly year so far for law enforcement officers in the United States. 98 federal, state and local law enforcement officers died in the line of duty in the first six months of the year, including a Berks County Sheriff’s Deputy who was gunned down while serving a warrant. Craig Floyd, […]
Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission Announces 2012 Toll Structure
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission has set the tolls for the next calendar year, and E-ZPass customers are getting a “pass”. Cash customers will be paying 10% more starting January 1st, but those who pay electronically will not see an increase. The 2012 rate schedule will result in an overall revenue growth of 3%. It will […]
Expect “Impact Fee” Debate This Fall
The governor’s Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission has voted to recommend it, and the industry even endorses it. “The industry and the Marcellus Shale Coalition has been very clear of its support of an impact fee that’s competitive, that’s styled to address the un-met needs of local governments,” said Marcellus Shale Coalition president Kathryn Klaber. Klaber […]
It’s So Hot, You Could Almost…
It’s so hot, you could almost fry an egg on the sidewalk. From magenta to tangerine, National Weather Service maps are lit up with colors straight out of a box of Crayola crayons. While it’s a pleasant sight for those of us sitting in the air conditioning, these brilliant hues stand for the Excessive Heat […]
Fewer Jobs, Higher Unemployment in PA
The statewide job count fell by 2,600 in June, and the unemployment rate rose to 7.6%. That’s up from 7.4% statewide unemployment in May. The state Department of Labor & Industry reports biggest hits came in the service providing supersectors. For instance, 7,800 education & health services jobs were lost last month. The financial activities […]
Industry-Backed Study Details Benefits of Marcellus Shale Boom
Pennsylvania is now a net exporter of natural gas, and has the potential to account for 17.5-billion cubic feet of natural gas, per day. President of the Marcellus Shale Coalition, Kathryn Klaber, says that would be one-quarter of the nation’s natural gas production. The new study, The Pennsylvania Marcellus Natural Gas Industry: Status, Economic Impact, […]
Three Pennsylvania National Guard Soldiers Killed in Afghanistan
The Pennsylvania National Guard is mourning the loss of three of its members in Afghanistan. 47-year-old Sgt Edward Koehler of Lebanon, 49-year-old Sgt Brian Mowery of Halifax in Dauphin County and 30-year-old Staff Sgt Kenneth VanGiesen of Kane, McKean County were members of the 131st Transportation Company. They were killed and five other soldiers […]
Environmental Group Puts PA Near Top of “Toxic 20”
Pennsylvania is second to only Ohio in the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) study, which ranks the worst states for air pollution from power plants. “Nearly half of all the toxic air pollution reported from industrial sources, in the United States, comes from oil and coal-fired power plants,” says Dan Lashof, the NRDC’s climate center […]
Shipwreck Study Underway Along U.S. Coast to Catalog Possible Environmental Risks
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is in the process of cataloguing shipwrecks off the U. S. coast to determine which could pose an environmental risk as they deteriorate. Lisa Symons, Damage Assessment and Resource Protection Coordinator for the Office of Marine Sanctuaries, says they’re looking at shipwrecks since 1902 of vessels over 100 […]
“National Night Out” Less Than Two Weeks Away
Some 36-million people, in 15,000 communities will take part in National Night Out (NNO) festivities on August 2nd. NNO founder Matt Peskin is executive director of the National Association of Town Watch, which is based in Wynnewood, PA. Now in its 28th year, Peskin says National Night Out is still growing. “Each year we pick […]