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AM=Altoona Mirror, CDT=Centre Daily Times, SJ=Milton Standard-Journal, DI=Daily Item, CS=Carlisle Sentinel, NI=News Item, LS=Lewistown Sentinel, PCT=Perry County Times, PN=Patriot News

Twin Bridges repair spells months of bottle-necking (2-22-2012)
(LS) The safety conditions of PA bridges are ranked at the bottom in comparison with the rest of the nation. Funding for these infrastructure improvements, however, has been sparse. The "twin bridges" spanning Manns Narrows in Reedsville will be one improvement project that will be getting much-needed attention as PennDOT begins a full-scale rehab project that will stretch into 2014. Motorists can plan on bottle-necks as traffic is rounted through single-lane cross-overs during the work that will begin next month & last until August each year.

J.-Co. to hire consultant to help with security grant spending (2-22-2012)
(LS) As Juniata Co. prepares to receive grant funding to help upgrade the security of its government buildings, the commissioners voted to bring on a consultant to help in knowing what to spend for the upgrades. This was done partly because of the lack of manpower & expertise needed for the task, as Commissioner Teresa O'Neal explained. The consultant will help schedule the work, instal, & develop the policies & procedures. Before a job description can be written, the county will consult with the solicitor to determine the necessity to advertise for the position.

Reality TV personality brings emotional Meltdown launch (2-22-2012)
(LS) Abby Rike of NBC-TV’s The Biggest Loser, had many in the crowd in tears as she told of how a tragic accident robbed her of her husband & children, which led to her landing a spot on the reality TV show on NBC. Rike was the keynote speaker for the 2012 Mifflin Co. Meltdown that was launched last night at the Mifflin Co. Middle School Auditorium. The 3rd annual event brought hundreds out to hear her heart-wrenching story of faith & holistic living. The Meltdown will continue for another 5 weeks encouraging teams to pursue a healthy lifestyle with weekly meetings open to the public each Tuesday at the Mifflin Co. High School.

2012 Meltdown starts tonight at Lewistown Middle School (2-21-2012)
The weather forecast is calling for moderate temperatures but that’s not what’s melting down tonight. It will be hundreds of Juniata Valley health-conscious participants seeking to melt off some extra weight. The 3rd annual Mifflin Co. Meltdown will kick off at 6pm with former Biggest Loser contestant, Abby Rike, as keynote speaker. The 6-week weight-loss competition seeks to encourage a more healthy lifestyle & fitness regimen. The event is open to everyone for a $5 admission this week only with the launch meeting at the Lewistown Middle School. The other 5 meetings will be free & held at the Lewistown High School Auditorium.

Local United Way continues offering free tax prep assistance (2-21-2012)
Families with incomes of less than $49,000 per year in 2011 may qualify for free tax preparation through the United Way of Mifflin-Juniata. Their 4th annual "Money In Your Pocket" VITA campaign is well underway using IRS-certified volunteers to complete tax returns. & help qualifying residents find some tax credits in the process, all at no cost. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance are operating in Lewistown & Mifflintown through April 14. The United Way office is accepting calls to set up appointments for tax preparation at 717-248-9636.

Snyder Co. to extradite female suspect on unspecified charges (2-21-2012)
A Shenandoah woman, wanted in Snyder Co., was captured in Schuylkill Co. last week. State police say 21-y/o Lilliana Jimenez-Colon was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped for a traffic violation in Shenandoah last Friday. Police determined that Jimenez-Colon was wanted in SnyderCo. She’s now behind bars awaiting extradition to Snyder Co. to face the charges against her, however State Police have not indicated why Jimenez-Colon is wanted in Snyder Co.

Child sex abuse bill introduced by Benninghoff (2-20-2012)
Rep. Kerry Benninghoff has introduced a bill in the state House aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse by empowering employees to report information about incidents to law enforcement personnel without fear that their employers will retaliate. Current law mandates individuals in certain professions who come into contact with children must report suspected child abuse. It further requires that a staff member of an institution must report suspected cases to the person in charge. That person is then required to report the suspected case to authorities using procedures outlined in existing law. An employee who reports child abuse to his or her employer is then protected against retaliation by that employer. Benninghoff said that “If someone bypasses the employer’s chain of command & goes directly to authorities, we should protect that person."

Community Watch meeting to be held tomorrow night (2-20-2012)
Downtown Lewistown, Inc. along with the Lewistown Police Department, & Mifflin Co. Communities That Care will hold a Downtown-East End Neighborhood Community Watch Meeting tomorrow at 6pm, in the Community Room at the Lewistown Police Station, at 21 South Brown St. Interested residents, property owners, tenants, & business owners are encouraged to attend to discuss issues of interest or concern to the Neighborhood, including additional ideas to reach more residents in the community. Residents are also encouraged to share items or events occurring encouraging greater support in the Neighborhood & community.

Longtime Beavertown mayor receives national recognition (2-20-2012)
Out of all the mayors in the US, Mayor Cloyd Wagner of Beavertown received the title of Mayor of the Week as part of Reader's Digest magazine's "We Hear You America" contest. Wagner, who has been mayor of Beavertown in Snyder Co. for more than 2 decades, held the title last week. He is 1 of only 16 mayors in the US to receive the honor from Reader's Digest. Wagner said he was chosen because he helps make Beavertown a better place. In addition to Mayor of the Week, the people of Beavertown are close to winning another contest by Reader's Digest. They could win $5,000 just by receiving your vote to fix up their community building.

Basketball playoff forces Mifflin Co. Meltdown kick-off move (2-17-2012)
(LS) An athletic event has forced the Feb. 21 kick-off of the 2012 Mifflin Co. Meltdown to change locations. Now the launch of the popular health & wellness challenge will be back where the previous 2 events were held: At the former Lewistown Area High School, now the Mifflin Co. Middle School, on Manor Dr. The PIAA mandates that the the new Mifflin Co. High School must be used to host 2 play-off basketball games that will be held on the same night. For more information on the Mifflin Co. Meltdown, call 248-6713.

Police flooded area home with chemicals in a search for burglar (2-17-2012)
(CDT) A suspected burglary near Boalsburg prompted a response from about 20 Centre Co. police officers, including a tactical team specially trained for high-risk situations. Early Wednesday morning, those officers sent chemicals inside the home in an attempt to force any burglar—or burglars—out of the house. But after officers searched the home, they discovered no one inside. Police believe a burglar or burglars were able to flee the home before police secured a perimeter. The police response began Wednesday night, when a neighbor called State College police to report a suspected burglary at the home.

Public meeting scheduled on proposed New Berlin charter school (2-17-2012)
Mifflinburg Area School District will hold a public hearing and special school board meeting February 28 to discuss the proposed New Berlin Charter School. The meeting will be held in the Mifflinburg Area Middle School at 7 p.m. The charter school would be for kindergarten to 4th-grade students. About 40 potential students have pre-registered for the school. The Mifflinburg School District also voted this week to start the 2012-2013 school a week earlier than usual. The start of school will now be August 20th, to give more preparation time for the PSSA exams.

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