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| Inside this edition: Slowing rural population loss, Penn State trustee sues the university, and a live panel discussion on private water companies. |
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Real quick: The Rural Population Revitalization Commission is tasked with finding ways to encourage people to move to and stay in Pennsylvania’s rural counties, Spotlight PA’s Marley Parish reports.
A little more: Pennsylvania lawmakers hope a new commission created to encourage people to live in rural areas can stem the population decline happening in those parts of the state, which federal data show is outpacing predictions.
The Center for Rural Pennsylvania, an agency overseen by the state legislature, released 30-year population projections last fall that forecast a 5.8% decline in rural counties. But after reviewing new data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the state’s experts said last week that the decline is happening more rapidly.
Federal estimates show that Pennsylvania had 3.36 million rural residents in 2023. That’s a 0.7% decrease from 2020, the center said in its analysis.
To address the expected losses and help with long-term planning, state lawmakers established the Rural Population Revitalization Commission in June. The legislation creating the commission received bipartisan support and was signed into law by Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro.
The 15-member commission is the brainchild of lawmakers on the Center for Rural Pennsylvania’s Board of Directors, who wanted a formal way to pitch solutions to population decline alongside data.
The full story: Read more here. |
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» Penn State trustee sues university for keeping critical financial records from him
» Free period products coming to some Pa. schools thanks to $3M budget commitment
» Thousands of Pa. prisoners endure summer heat without air conditioning
» Breast milk bank has ‘profound impact’ on the survival of medically fragile babies in Pa. and beyond
» Legal marijuana, big tax cuts, and minimum wage: This year’s budget losers
» Budget sends $500M more to Pa.’s poorest schools, falling short of what some say is needed
» Compromises on education spending, tax cuts, and transit headline Pa.’s $47.6B budget
» ROCKY WATERS: Join us TODAY from 6-7 p.m. ET on Zoom for a live panel on Pennsylvania’s private water industry, how it is regulated, and how communities are affected when service is subpar. Register for the event here and submit your questions to events@spotlightpa.org. |
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The car show at Central PA 4th Fest 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. |
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Want us to list your event? Send it to us.
» July 19-20: More than 100 households in Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, and Elk Counties are participating in the 27th annual 100 Mile Yard Sale.
» July 19-Aug. 4: The Endless Mountain Music Festival features 17 concerts in as many days in Wellsboro and Mansfield in Tioga County, as well as Corning, New York.
» July 20: Alpha Fire Company celebrates 125 years in downtown State College, Centre County, with fire truck bucket rides, activities for children, live music, and more.
» July 20: Fresh produce, vendors, activities, a pie contest, and more highlight the 6th annual Blueberry Festival in Curwensville, Clearfield County.
» July 20: HoopsFest turns downtown Altoona, Blair County, into a “vibrant basketball arena.” |
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Decode the anagram and send your answer to talkofthetown@spotlightpa.org. We’ll shout out winners here, and one each week will get some Spotlight PA State College swag.
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