Jan. 15, 2024Georgianna Sutherland / For Spotlight PAPa. county officials say lawmakers’ increase to the 911 phone fee isn’t enough to alleviate taxpayer burdenby Marley Parish of Spotlight PA State CollegeThe increase to $1.95, which takes effect in March, helps Pennsylvania pay for 911 call center staffing and infrastructure upgrades.
Jan. 10, 2024Nate Smallwood / For Spotlight PAPa.’s poorest school districts were slated for a funding boost. State aid went to school construction instead.by Marley Parish of Spotlight PA State CollegeInstead of giving new funding to a program that prioritizes the state’s poorest school districts, Pennsylvania lawmakers put $100M toward school construction projects.
Dec. 26, 2023Nate Smallwood / For Spotlight PAHow public grant dollars and volunteers helped revitalize this Pennsylvania Wilds townby Marley Parish of Spotlight PA State CollegeElected officials and community members in Kane have secured thousands of dollars to build an identity as a gateway to the Allegheny National Forest.
Dec. 15, 2023Georgianna Sutherland / For Spotlight PAA budget boost to payments for state-owned land will benefit rural Pa. countiesby Marley Parish of Spotlight PA State CollegePennsylvania makes payments in lieu of taxes for state forests, parks, and game lands. As part of the finished budget, counties will benefit from the first rate increase in years.
Dec. 13, 2023Photo By Mark NalePa. introduces new rules for hunters to limit the spread of ‘zombie deer disease.’ Here’s what to know.by Marley Parish of Spotlight PA State CollegePennsylvania has seen an increase in chronic wasting disease since 2012. While the state has implemented tracking and mitigation efforts, testing is still optional for hunters.
Nov. 27, 2023Georgianna Sutherland / For Spotlight PAPennsylvania is investing millions to ensure people of all backgrounds, abilities have access to public landsby Marley Parish of Spotlight PA State CollegePennsylvania agencies overseeing outdoor recreation have made headway in expanding access to public lands, but not everyone feels safe or welcome at parks and forests.
Nov. 20, 2023Marley Parish / Spotlight PAHow a proposed solar project prompted this rural Pa. township to face its mining pastby Marley Parish of Spotlight PA State CollegeA solar developer wants to put an array on 1,500 acres in Rush Township, but elected leaders don’t want the project to deter future reclamation.
Nov. 16, 2023Daniel Fishel / For Spotlight PACompanies behind Mariner East II pipeline paid $42 million in pollution fines to Pennsylvaniaby Lilly Riddle for the News Lab at Penn State and Spotlight PA State College$10 million of that total comes from a plea deal the state attorney general’s office brokered with Energy Transfer, but little has gone toward residents directly affected.
Nov. 13, 2023Commonwealth Media ServicesPa. leads the nation for Lyme disease cases. Development in forests boosts the riskby Marley Parish of Spotlight PA State CollegeForest fragmentation increases the chances of someone coming into contact with a tick carrying Lyme disease bacteria.
Nov. 3, 2023Screenshot via Pennsylvania Department of Environmental ProtectionPa. has updated how it defines an ‘environmental justice area.’ Here’s why that matters for at-risk communities.by Marley Parish of Spotlight PA State CollegeThe Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection policy now recognizes 1,965 environmental justice areas in Pennsylvania. More than 200 are in rural counties.
Oct. 26, 2023Min Xian / Spotlight PARural towns hope to entice remote workers to move to the Pa. Wilds with a ‘free’ summer. Here’s how it’s going.by Marley Parish of Spotlight PA State CollegeThousands of public dollars have gone toward the Wilds Are Working program. While only one participant has decided to move to the area, organizers say the program has other markers for success.
Oct. 19, 2023Sarah Anne Hughes / Spotlight PAThis rural township wants to make it easier for other places in Pa. to fight injection wellsby Marley Parish of Spotlight PA State CollegeA company withdrew a well application in Potter County after public outcry, but local officials argue the state’s review process should change.
Oct. 12, 2023Abby Drey / Centre Daily TimesRural Pa. town gets help from Harrisburg after years of hardshipby Marley Parish of Spotlight PA State CollegeState Sen. Cris Dush and state Rep. Paul Takac are on different sides of the aisle, but they’ve found common ground in Snow Shoe.
Oct. 6, 2023Georgianna Sutherland / For Spotlight PAWhat this year’s budget means for Pa.’s shrinking rural communitiesby Marley Parish of Spotlight PA State CollegeRural Pennsylvania is expected to benefit from an expanded property tax rebate for older people and millions for agriculture.
Sept. 29, 2023Commonwealth Media ServicesPa. budget chips away at $1.4B backlog for parks, forestsby Marley Parish of Spotlight PA State CollegePennsylvania’s latest budget gives $112 million to parks and forests, but the infrastructure backlog is $1.4 billion.
Sept. 13, 2023Georgianna Sutherland / For Spotlight PAPennsylvania’s outdoor recreation industry now has a direct line to state governmentby Marley Parish of Spotlight PA State CollegeThe newly established Office of Outdoor Recreation has a $422,000 operating budget, so officials say the key to its success will be building relationships rather than lavish funding.
Sept. 1, 2023Meet Marley Parish, rural affairs reporter for Spotlight PA State Collegeby Marley Parish of Spotlight PA State CollegeFormer Centre Daily Times reporter Marley Parish returns to central Pennsylvania to cover how state regulations and policies affect rural communities.
Aug. 25, 2023Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAObstacles abound as Pa. plans for surge of federal broadband fundingby Charlotte Keith of Spotlight PAMore than $1 billion in federal funds are coming to Pa. to expand rural broadband but hurdles remain.
July 14, 2023Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAWhat’s next as Pa. prepares to spend $1.2B on broadbandby Charlotte Keith of Spotlight PAThe Biden administration said the money will bring broadband to everyone in Pennsylvania, but experts warned there’s much to be done.
May 3, 2023Sarah Rafacz / Spotlight PAHow to provide feedback on a plan to lower fighter jet training over Pennsylvania Wildsby Sarah Rafacz of Spotlight PA State CollegeThe Maryland Air National Guard wants to fly as low as 100 feet above the Pennsylvania Wilds for fighter pilot training. Residents, agencies, and others have concerns.
April 7, 2023Nate Smallwood / For Spotlight PAAlmost 40 elementary schools have closed in rural north-central Pa. in the past decade. Here’s why.by Ashad Hajela of Spotlight PA State CollegeRural school districts in north-central Pennsylvania have been forced to close elementary schools because of aging infrastructure, budget shortfalls, and declining student populations.
Jan. 25, 2023Photo By Tom HuntoonTax caps leave many Pa. municipalities with few ways to raise revenueby Ashad Hajela of Spotlight PA State CollegePennsylvania municipalities that lack home rule charters are unable to increase a variety of taxes beyond limits set by a state law from the 1960s, according to a new report.
Jan. 23, 2023Photo By Brian Reid / Eventide Light PhotographyHow communities in north-central Pa. are attempting to preserve a scarce resource: darknessby Ashad Hajela of Spotlight PA State CollegeLight pollution is slowing encroaching on the Pennsylvania Wilds. Environmental groups and residents are suggesting regulations that protect night sky views and the commerce they bring.
Dec. 8, 2022Used with permission from the Center for Rural PennsylvaniaAlmost 90% of rural Pennsylvania municipalities lack property upkeep rulesby Ashad Hajela of Spotlight PA State CollegeThe lack of local maintenance codes can contribute to poor housing quality and less investment in areas, according to a study from the Center for Rural Pennsylvania.
Oct. 19, 2022Abby Drey / Centre Daily TimesHow well a death in Pennsylvania will be investigated depends largely on where someone diesby Ashad Hajela of Spotlight PA State CollegeRusty equipment, huge workloads, and inconsistent training are among the concerns raised in a new report about the state’s patchwork coroner system.
Sept. 8, 2022Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PANew maps will help decide where up to $1 billion in federal money goes for Pa. broadband expansionby Charlotte Keith of Spotlight PAState and local officials are racing to make their own maps of broadband gaps in Pennsylvania, a process that will help dictate which areas in the state get priority access to funding.
Aug. 23, 2022HEATHER KHALIFA / Philadelphia InquirerWhy people in State College and rural north-central Pa. don’t have easy access to in-person abortion servicesby Ashad Hajela of Spotlight PA State CollegeCostly regulations and smaller populations relative to urban areas have prevented any providers from opening since one in State College closed after a series of scandals.
July 6, 2022Abby Drey / Centre Daily Times6 ways to engage with our new State College regional bureauby Spotlight PA State College StaffFrom story ideas to events, positive news to your best local photos, we want you to be a part of our historic initiative to rebuild and revitalize local news.
July 6, 2022Photo ProvidedMeet Ashad Hajela, rural affairs reporter for Spotlight PA State Collegeby Ashad Hajela of Spotlight PA State CollegeA recent graduate of Columbia Journalism School, Ashad Hajela is covering rural issues — from utilities to agriculture — thanks to Spotlight PA’s first-ever partnership with Report for America.
June 10, 2022Crowsnest BroadbandA fight over public records could threaten novel approach to broadband in rural Pennsylvaniaby Charlotte Keith of Spotlight PAOfficials in the Southern Alleghenies created a nonprofit to avoid a state law that makes it hard for local governments to build their own broadband networks. Now it faces an existential test.
