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.
June 6, 2022Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAPennsylvania’s definition of broadband hasn’t changed in nearly 20 yearsby Charlotte Keith of Spotlight PAPa. lawmakers passed up a chance to increase the speeds that qualify as broadband despite warnings that they would soon become obsolete.
June 2, 2022Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAAn obscure state law could blunt the impact of up to $1 billion in federal funding for Pennsylvania’s broadband expansionby Charlotte Keith of Spotlight PAFederal officials want the money to benefit publicly-owned networks, but Pa. law gives phone companies a “virtual veto.”
