radioNOVO News for Altoona: June 12, 2026

RNN ALTOONA 06/12/26          BLAIR COUNTY WILL PAY $97,500 TO SETTLE A FEDERAL LAWSUIT FILED BY THREE FORMER FOSTER CHILDREN WHO ALLEGED THEY WERE REMOVED FROM AN ALTOONA HOME IN 2008 AND LATER ABUSED BY FOSTER PARENTS IN CLEARFIELD COUNTY. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS APPROVED THE SETTLEMENT WITHOUT ADMITTING WRONGDOING, SAYING IT AVOIDS ADDITIONAL TRIAL COSTS. THE FOSTER PARENTS WERE CONVICTED OF CHILD ABUSE CHARGES IN 2020.          BLAIR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ENTHUSIASTICALLY ADOPTED A NEW FIVE-YEAR HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN. THE LONG-AWAITED APPROVAL REPLACES AN OUTDATED VERSION THAT HAD TEMPORARILY LOCKED OUT LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES FROM STATE GRANT MONEY AND PUT POTENTIAL DISASTER RELIEF FUNDS AT RISK.        CAMBRIA COUNTY’S PLANS TO POWER ITS PRISON AND COURTHOUSE WITH SOLAR ENERGY ARE MOVING FORWARD. COMMISSIONERS APPROVED A NEW UTILITY ENGINEERING STUDY AGREEMENT TO ENSURE THE LOCAL GRID CAN HANDLE THE EXTRA POWER. OFFICIALS SAY THE PROJECT WILL EVENTUALLY CUT ENERGY COSTS IN HALF FOR COUNTY FACILITIES AT NO COST TO TAXPAYERS.