Archive - Dec 2012 - News Article
December 20th
Gun sales and permit applications are up in Elk County and nationwide, sources say, following the shooting incident at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. last Friday that left 20 children and six adults dead at the school.
Elk County Chief Deputy Sheriff Theresa Merritt said applications for gun permits, which are processed through the sheriff's office, have gone up over the last few years but did not increase significantly since Friday.
Following last week's mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., that left nearly 30 people dead, many of them children, an increased focus has been placed on the issue of gun control. With guns at the forefront of national discussion, an equally important issue-- providing adequate help for those with mental health issues-- has been overshadowed.
December 19th
Like all of the school districts across the country, the Ridgway Area School District [RASD] continues to evaluate their own safety measures following the school shooting in Newtown, Conn. last Friday that killed 20 children and six adults.
"Over the past year and a half, the Ridgway Area School District has reviewed and revised our safety plans," said RASD Superintendent Dr. Michael O'Brien. "We have collaborated with local law enforcement to maximize the efficiency of our safety drills and will continue to evaluate all of our safety measures.
In order to meet an anticipated cash match level for federal grant dollars for the rural planning organization (RPO) at the North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission (NCPRPDC), officials voted Wednesday morning to increase the per capita rate for the six counties to 16.3 percent for 2013.
Editor's Note: Throughout the next two months, the various community agencies that receive funding under the St. Marys Area United Way will be highlighted. The organization's fundraising campaign has been extended and now concludes on Jan. 15.
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Drug abuse, long thought of as only an inner-city plight, has reached epidemic proportions in small towns across America.
December 18th
The board of commissioners on Tuesday approved an accord by Zito Business for a fiber optic E-line connection between the North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission and the Elk County Courthouse during a board meeting.
The Ridgway Township Board of Supervisors adopted the 2013 budget during Tuesday afternoon's meeting.
The township has appropriated a general fund of $699,924.72 which does not include a real estate tax increase.
The budget includes the institution of a $52 local services tax per individual who works within Ridgway Township.
"There are no raises in real estate," said chairman John Gardner. "There was a LST [local services tax] tax adopted. Everything is the same except for the LST."
Students in the Ridgway Area School District recently collected pennies for the "One Million Penny Campaign" for the Ridgway Public Library. According to Diane Colgan, the library has collected close to 300,000 pennies so far to help offset the costs associated with a new porch and flooring.
December 17th
WEEDVILLE – One of the county's resident bull elk recently found himself in a tangled situation after an encounter with what is believed to be a homemade hammock.
The Ridgway Borough Council adopted the 2013 budget without a tax hike during Monday night's regular meeting.
Council unanimously approved the $6 million budget without a tax increase following a public budget meeting held prior to the regular meeting.
The new budget includes a general fund of $1,568,745.
Council member Ralph Dussia made the motion to adopt the budget.
