Authorities responded to a shooting late last week in Mifflin County.  Regional Police responded to a residence in the Maitland Gardens area of Derry Township on October 22nd.  A female victim sustained a gunshot wound to her arm and chest during an argument.  She was treated at Geisinger-Lewistown Hospital before being transported via helicopter to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville.  Police charged Scott James Earnest with Aggravated Assault.  He was taken into custody without incident at Geisinger-Lewistown Hospital, and lodged in the Mifflin County Correctional Facility.

The Pennsylvania Senate has approved two bills to boost the availability of broadband.   The legislation would reduce regulatory burdens on telecommunications companies, and utilize existing infrastructure to deploy high-speed internet.  Senate Bill 1112 would modernize the Public Utility Code and require the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to waive certain regulations.  House Bill 2438 would aid in the deployment of broadband by using infrastructure that is already in place for other uses. Both bills would boost the state’s efforts to expand broadband in unserved and underserved areas in rural Pennsylvania. Senate Bill 1112 was sent to the House of Representatives for consideration. House Bill 2438 was returned to the House for concurrence on Senate amendments.

A total of $480,000 in state funding will support critical water system upgrades in Huntingdon County.   A loan of more than $348,000 and a grant of more than $131,000 will help upgrade the Petersburg Borough Authority Slow Sand Filtration Plant, according to Senator Judy Ward (R-30) and Representative Rich Irvin (R-81).  Many of the existing features of the plant have reached the end of useful life, leading to significant water loss. The upgrades will bring the plant into compliance with standards set by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and will provide major benefits in terms of public and community health. The funding was awarded through the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST).