Breaking News

Outdoors

DCNR announces entrance project at Cherry Springs State Park

COUDERSPORT — Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) State Parks Director John Hallas announced the beginning of a construction project to reconfigure the entrances at Cherry Springs State Park in Potter County. The project will create a new entrance to the public programming area of the park, which will eliminate issues caused with headlights from the current entry/exit point from that area to the astronomy fields. “This new, reconfigured entrance will change visitor flow into the park and help manage the larger crowds we are seeing at Cherry Springs,” Hallas ...

‘Tis the season for swimming and bacteria alerts in lakes, rivers

TUFTONBORO, N.H. (AP) — With summer starting, many people flocking to their favorite swimming holes may also want to read up on bacteria warnings. During the busy Memorial Day weekend and shortly afterward, at least 20 people, most of them children, reported E. coli infections after they swam in Lake Anna, a popular recreational destination in central Virginia. Nine of those people were hospitalized. An additional 10 cases are under investigation. In Massachusetts, 22 beaches were closed across the state as of Friday morning. “Bacteria exceedance” accounted for more than half ...

In the parks

NORTH BEND — Join the naturalist on Friday, June 28, at 3:30 p.m. to “Hike the Nature Trail” at Hyner Run State Park. There will be a discussion about the flora and fauna seen along the trail as well as the history of the area. There will also be a look into trail information and etiquette. Meet at the amphitheater by the pool. Hyner Run State Park, 86 Hyner Park Road, North Bend, PA 17760-9525 Join the naturalist at Hyner Run State Park on Friday, June 28, at 8:15 p.m., for a relaxing evening to hear summer's ambience. Topics of discussion will center around what is being heard. ...

In the parks

HYNER RUN — Come to Hyner Run State Park and learn more about a popular animal and the state animal of Pennsylvania, “Whitetails.” Topics will include adaptations, a brief history, and human interactions with deer among other things. This is designed to be an informal program. All children must be accompanied by an adult in order to participate. Program may be modified or canceled in the event of severe weather or new state or community guidelines. Meet at the amphitheater (by the pool). — Come to Hyner Run State Park and step back into time and experience the culture of the ...

High orange juice prices may be on the table for a while due to disease and extreme weather

MOGI GUACU, Brazil (AP) — Orange juice prices have always been volatile, falling when bumper harvests create an oversupply of oranges and rising when frost or a hurricane knocks out fruit trees. But the record-high prices the world is seeing for OJ right now may be on the table for a while, since the diseases and extreme weather ravaging orange groves in some top-producing countries aren’t easily resolved problems. This year’s harvest in Brazil, the world’s largest exporter of orange juice, is likely to be the worst in 36 years due to flooding and drought, according to a ...

Joro spiders are back in the news. Here’s what the experts think

A large, brightly colored invasive species called the Joro spider is on the move in the United States. Populations have been growing in parts of the South and East Coast for years, and many researchers think it's only a matter of time before they spread to much of the continental U.S. But ...