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Pa. has quietly passed a law undermining a court decision on lucrative mineral rights

HARRISBURG — A law quietly passed this summer aimed to end a complicated, decade-plus legal fight over who owns an estimated $1 billion in Pennsylvania natural gas. It may have only begun a new, even messier chapter. At issue are mineral rights — which give holders the right to extract coal, oil, gas or ore — underneath as few as 60,000 acres to more than one million, depending on which side you ask. For years, a group of families, led by the Proctor family trust, has waged a legal battle with the state over mineral rights that they say their ancestors acquired more than a ...

Pa. confronts an unfamiliar climate hazard: Wildfire smoke

Karen Schaeffer is used to spending a lot of time thinking about how to keep kids happy and healthy. But only recently has she confronted a new problem at the childcare center she runs in Lititz, Pennsylvania: hazardous air wafting south from wildfires blazing far away in Canada. “Until the past few years, we’ve never had to worry about this,” she said. This marks her 39th year at St. Paul Christian Early Learning Center, where she and her staff take care of 130 children ranging from infants to elementary school-aged students. On July 17, she made the decision to keep all ...

All aboard? Centre County planners assess interest in local passenger rail

BELLEFONTE — Local passenger rail may be coming to the region, depending on the results of a 30-day comment period which has begun in Centre County — and has less than a week left to go. The comment period, which ends on Monday, Aug. 17, will tell the Centre County Metropolitan Planning ...

Mt. Nittany warns of measles exposure at two facilities

STATE COLLEGE — Mount Nittany Health and the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) are warning the community of two positive measles tests confirmed at two of the healthcare system’s facilities. According to a release from Mount Nittany, potential exposure locations and times include: — Mount Nittany Health Toftrees, 164 Greenview Drive, State College, Pa. on Friday, July 31, between 10 a.m. and 12: p.m. — Mount Nittany Medical Center Emergency Department, 155 Wellness Way, State College, Pa., between Friday, July 31, at 12 p.m. and Saturday, Aug. 1, at 1 a.m. “Mount ...

Three arrested for holding teens in apartment

LOCK HAVEN — Three university students were arrested and face multiple felony charges after allegedly holding two teenage boys against their will in an apartment complex in mid-April. According to information released by the Lock Haven City Police Department, Elijah Beaty, 21, D’Andre Cochran, 20, and Zaire Williams, 20, were each charged with two counts of false imprisonment of a minor, second degree felonies; two counts of criminal conspiracy false imprisonment of minors, second degree felonies; two summary counts of harassment and two summary counts of ...