Altoona police are investigating an early morning shots fired incident near a local bar. Police say officers were dispatched to the area near Zach’s Sports Bar, located along 6th Ave., just before 1 a.m. this morning, for multiple reports of shots being fired. Several individuals fled the area when police arrived. No injuries were reported … Read more
A former Blair County Prison corrections officer has filed a lawsuit, claiming she was terminated because she was taking too much time off due to medical issues. 49 year old Susan Desch claims her supervisors in the prison acted in a “rude and condescending manner” when she requested special accommodations to address her medical problems … Read more
An investigation has been underway since that explosion in Tyrone destroyed two homes and killed one woman last month, and now some early results have been released. Peoples Natural Gas says a gas leak that caused the massive explosion was brought about by a break in a gas line that was caused when an auger … Read more
The Hollidaysburg Area School Board met Wednesday, and decided to postpone adopting a health and safety plan for the upcoming school year, after hearing from parents and community members… most who were critical of the idea of requiring students to wear masks and to continue the practice of quarantining in cases of contact tracing. Some … Read more
A Blair County man was taken into custody after a bathroom stand-off with police when they tried arresting him on a warrant for a sex offender registry violation. Charles McChessney, 42, was wanted on a Blair County Sheriff’s warrant when police arrived to his Claysburg home after being tipped off about his location. According to … Read more
A Hollidaysburg man has been arrested for setting his roommate’s couch on fire and crashing a neighbor’s vehicle. 43 year old David Watt is now facing a list of felony counts including arson, risking a catastrophe, theft, receiving stolen property, and other charges. Police say Watt started the fire after he tried to evict the … Read more
The Altoona Area Public Library has reopened the first floor for public use. Following devastating damages sustained in a water line break back in December 2020, the facility had been closed while major repairs to the building’s electrical panels and emergency generator were completed. Those repairs took much longer than originally expected, so even though … Read more
After the COVID-19 vaccines began to be widely available, many employers began offering incentives, such as gift cards, days off, and other financial rewards, to get their reluctant employees vaccinated. Now, that policy has taken on a new twist, as some companies reportedly are considering monthly pad deductions for employees whose personal choice is to … Read more
The trial of former Bellwood-Antis School District wrestling coach Ryan Blazier of Altoona, who is accused of sexually assaulting two student wrestlers, is now set to begin on August 30th in Blair County Court. On Monday, twelve jurors and six alternates were selected to hear the criminal charges pending against the 41 year old Blazier, … Read more
The Public Utility Commission is continuing a safety investigation in the Tyrone house explosion on July 26 that left one person dead and five others injured. The PUC says that the investigation is within the information-gathering stage. They’re conducting interviews and periodically going to the site. Nils Hagen-Frederiksen, a PUC spokesperson says that the safety … Read more