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Elk County public safety upgrade plan at risk

Plus: What this year’s state budget means for rural areas

This is Talk of the Town, a free weekly newsletter delivering top news from State College and the surrounding region.



August 8, 2024
Inside this edition: Legal dispute complicates safety plan upgrade in Elk County, what Pennsylvania’s $47.6B budget does for rural communities, and a live event on the school voucher debate.
RIGHTS FIGHT
A gate blocking access to a temporary 911 tower in Elk County, Pennsylvania.
Min Xian / Spotlight PA
Real quick: A temporary 911 tower is at the center of a legal dispute between property owners in Elk County. The ongoing litigation could threaten the county’s ability to use American Rescue Plan Act funding to build a permanent structure, Spotlight PA’s Min Xian reports.

A little more: An emergency communications tower at the center of a property rights dispute is complicating Elk County’s public safety planning as a key federal funding deadline looms.

At dispute is a 106-foot tall temporary 911 tower owned and operated by the county. While it’s located on the property of Wilcox resident Michael Anderson, the roads that access the tower were blocked off by two gates placed by his neighbors, Terry and Tammy Brawand.

The tower is part of Elk County’s emergency communications network for its 911 center and first responders. It’s considered a “mission critical site” that requires 24/7 access, county personnel told the Elk County Court of Common Pleas in early July.

Elk County got involved in the legal dispute between Anderson and the Brawands in the interest of public safety, it said in court documents. The obstruction of access to the temporary tower has weakened the county’s 911 system and interfered with its plan for a permanent tower, it alleged.

The full story: Read more here.
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📝 FROM SPOTLIGHT PA
» Elections 101: Department of State guidance was a 2020 lightning rod. This is how it works.

» What Pennsylvania’s $47.6B budget does for the state’s rural communities

» Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro isn’t Kamala Harris’ pick for vice president

» Everything we learned about Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro during the veepstakes

» High temps can make people with dementia irritable, confused, and uncomfortable. What to know.

» The artist behind official portraits of Pennsylvania’s most powerful people

» Handwritten dates on mail ballots don’t serve meaningful purpose, attorneys tell Commonwealth Court

» Elections 101: How decentralized election administration makes big fraud basically impossible

» Legal bills top $4.2M in fight over key climate change program

» VOUCHER DEBATE: Join us TODAY from 6-7 p.m. on Zoom for a live panel on the fight over taxpayer-funded school vouchers and their future in Pennsylvania. Register for the event here and submit your questions to events@spotlightpa.org.
📷 LOCAL GEM
Colyer Lake in Centre County, via Amy Z.

Have a north-central Pennsylvania photo to share? Send it to us by email, use #PAGems on Instagram, or tag us @spotlightpennsylvania.
📰 IN OTHER NEWS
» Courier-Express: Judge orders reply from prosecutors in Suplizio case
» CDT: Bellefonte Borough Council imposes new public comment rules
» Mirror: Altoona navigates slate of ARPA projects
» WPSU: Penn State Teamsters approve new contract
» SC: State College connector project public meeting set
» Sun-Gazette: Williamsport hosts 18th annual Grand Slam Parade
» CDT: State College will use eminent domain for parking facility
📅 EVENTS
Want us to list your event? Send it to us.

» Aug. 8-10: The Upstage Music Festival in Clearfield County showcases a variety of genres, as well as local, regional, and national acts.

» Aug. 8-10: LH JAMS Festival promises a “cultural smörgåsbord” on Main Street in Lock Haven, Clinton County.

» Aug. 10: Wellsboro Comic Con boasts “classic comic creativity wrapped in retro rural charm” in Tioga County.

» Aug. 11-17: Carnival entertainment, horse and livestock shows, motor sports, and more highlight the 118th McKean County Fair.

» Aug. 13-15: Penn State’s Ag Progress Days in Centre County is the state's “largest outdoor agricultural exposition.”
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Do you have events, community shoutouts, questions about our region, or tips on stories that we should pursue? Email our team.
 
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