radioNOVO News for Altoona: September 11, 2026

           THE HOLLIDAYSBURG AREA SCHOOL BOARD HAS REVERSED ITS PREVIOUS DECISION, VOTING TO APPROVE AN ADVANCED PLACEMENT HUMAN GEOGRAPHY TEXTBOOK FOR DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOLERS. THE BOARD HAD INITIALLY REJECTED THE TEXT OVER CONCERNS REGARDING ITS DISCUSSION OF GENDER IDENTITY. FOLLOWING PUSHBACK FROM LOCAL PARENTS AND AN AGREEMENT TO REQUIRE PARENTAL PERMISSION SLIPS FOR THE ELECTIVE COURSE, THE BOARD VOTED 7 TO 2 TO PASS THE MATERIAL.          ON THIS 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF 9/11, ONE OF THE FIRST........... FIRST RESPONDERS AT THE SCENE OF UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 93 IS RECALLING THE INITIAL CONFUSION IN STONYCREEK TOWNSHIP. FORMER DETECTIVE BUBBA FATULA WAS AMONG THE FIRST FOUR OFFICERS ON SITE, ENCOUNTERING HEAVY SMOKE AND SCATTERED DEBRIS. WITHOUT NEWS ACCESS, FATULA SAYS IT WAS HOURS LATER BEFORE HE REALIZED THE NATION WAS UNDER ATTACK AND THE SCOPE OF WHAT OCCURRED IN THAT SOMERSET COUNTY FIELD.